According to a report published by El Sol, Brazilian drones will be used to help detect narco-trafficking and drug production activity in Bolivia. The two countries share a 1,300 kilometer border through jungle terrain. Drones had been used in a two-day operation in Santa Cruz, in which 240 cocaine factories and a clandestine airstrip were […]
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Marcela Gabina Franco Bogado (43), was arrested outside her home in the Santa Ana district of Asuncion, Paraguay. She is accused of recruiting youths to traffick drugs, particularly cocaine, to Europe in their stomachs and genitals, according to a Color ABC report. A mule captured in the capital’s airport in September 2011 with capsules of […]
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The National Police in Colombia announced that Edison Antonio Pelaez (49), alias “Mincho,” was arrested on a farm in Montenegro, around 185 kilometers west of Bogota. Mincho is suspected of involvement in the Los Rastrojos gang, La Tercera reports. He is believed to have attempted to assume control of the drug-trafficking paramilitary organization. Officials consider […]
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Police arrested five people in the Buenos Aires area after discovering 3,030 kilograms of cocaine and substances used to treat it. 13 raids were performed in the area, leading to the seizure of the substances, La Razon reports. Three of the detained individuals are reported to be citizens of Peru, Paraguay, and Argentina. They are […]
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A mother and daughter were arrested in the Zanjón de Cúa sector of Miranda state, Venezuela for drug trafficking, drug consumption, and illegal possession of a weapon. The two were arrested after officials raided their residence and discovered a gun without a permit. Seven bundles of marijuana and cash were also found, El Universal reports. […]
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The National Drug Control of the Dominican Republic announced that three people riding in a Jeep were arrested with 12 packages of cocaine. According to El Nacional, one of the individuals apprehended was Sergio Bolívar Germán, Sergeant Major of the National Police. The two other suspects were identified as Marciano Segundo Peña and Héctor José […]
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Anti-narcotics police seized 460 kilos of cocaine at kilometer 86 of the Frederico Basadre highway in Ucayali, Peru. The drugs were hidden inside a tanker truck, according to Peru 21. The truck had previously left from the town of Pucallpa. The mayor of Puerto Pizana, José Abelardo Payano Omalaza, was detained, as well as the […]
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French police in the port of Le Havre seized 113 kilos of cocaine stored in three plastic bags that were hidden in containers transporting tuna cans. The shipment is believed to have originated in Ecuador, Andes reports. The cocaine is valued at seven million euros. Drug trafficking organizations have been known to use ports in […]
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Eight tons of marijuana were confiscated by officials in Chicago, valued at 40 million dollars. The drugs had been produced in Mexico and entered the United States via a drug route through Texas. According to an Emol report, this was the largest marijuana seizure in Chicago in the last 20 years. The drugs were found […]
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Abigaíl Juncos Trinidad, alias “Viga” and Amadeo Wenceslao Junco Grijalva, alias “Maya” were captured in Guatemala. The two were wanted in Florida, the United States, for crimes of drug trafficking and conspiracy. According to Siglo 21, they were planning to distribute several kilos of cocaine and were intending to import the drug into the United […]
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Six Bolivians were sentenced to a total of 67 years in prison for crimes of drug trafficking in Chile. 86 kilos of cocaine, valued at 1.29 million pesos, were involved in the case, La Tercera reports. During the first half of last year, officials in Chile learned that the Bolivian Germain Jairo Aguirre Gutierrez was […]
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Officials in Colombia have announced that 564 hectares of illegal crops, mostly coca leaves, have been eradicated. The crop fields were located in various areas around the country. They are thought to belong to FARC members and other criminal organizations in the area, who would use them for drug production and distribution, the Comando General […]
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The U.S. Department of Treasury announced sanctions against five individuals for laundering money in Venezuela and Colombia on behalf of a Lebanese drug-trafficking organization. One of the suspects is believed to be raising money for Hezbollah, an Islamic terrorist group. Ali Mohamed Saleh, who has dual Colombian-Lebanese citizenship, is accused of coordinating Hezbollah’s activities in […]
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After two raids in Merliot City, El Salvador, police arrested four people charged with trafficking drugs. 142 portions of cocaine, valued at about $3 thousand, and a 12-mm gun were seized, El Mundo reports. Investigators stated that the arrests were the product of a two-month investigation. José Carlos Sosa (39), Julio César Cortez Flores (32), […]
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After three federal police officers were shot by two other officers in the Mexico City airport on June 25, 2012, officials have been investigating an international drug trafficking network operating within the airport. According to Milenio, drug shipments from Colombia, Peru, and Guatemala were permitted through the airport. Corrupt federal agents would encourage customs agents […]
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Officials have reported that there are over 100 locations in the Piura district in Peru serving as points of drug sales. In this area, it is estimated that dealers sell 30 kilos of cocaine base, 20 of marijuana, and 5 of cocaine hydrochloride each day. Over 2 thousand people suffer from drug addiction problems in […]
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At least 19 people have been arrested and six more are on the loose after National Police in Nicaragua broke up an international drug-trafficking ring. The arrests occurred after an investigation into the 140 packets of cocaine found on June 19, 2012 in San Carlos, Río San Juan, which were hidden inside seven barrels. According […]
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Cuba has seized 1.44 tons of drugs during the first months of 2012, primarily along its coasts, El Nuevo Herald reports. Most of the drugs are marijuana packets that enter along coastal points, where Caribbean traffickers can easily avoid controls and checkpoints. Between January and May 2012, officials were able to intercept 24 drug operations, […]
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A large shipment of drugs was intercepted in the afternoon on June 25, 2012 at the Port of Maracaibo, Venezuela. In total, 21 tons of drugs were seized. The type of drug was not specified, but Panorama reports that they were tucked inside rolls of water-proofing material. The drug was found in a storage area, […]
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A Cessna airplane was discovered at a clandestine airstrip in Mexicali, Mexico. It contained 84 total packages with 434 kilos and 610 grams of marijuana, and 12 packages containing 13 kilos and 36 grams of cocaine. The plane was detected by radar and satellite surveillance, San Diego Red reports. Jesús Lindbergh Gómez García and Juan […]
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Countries in Central America are increasingly being used as drug warehouses and routes toward Mexico. From Mexico, drug traffickers transport their merchandise into the United States. This increase in activity in Central America has led to the emergence of native “Creole” organizations that participate in local trafficking, 24 Horas reports. Colombian narco-traffickers are mainly responsible […]
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Borja Alvaro Fernandez, a Spanish citizen, was arrested in the international airport in Lima, Peru, after officials found him with 3 kilos of drugs. The suspect claimed he was being extorted by two Colombian drug traffickers, who forced him to work as a mule in exchange for freeing his girlfriend, who had been kidnapped. They […]
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Members of the gendarmerie in Argentina discovered 25 kilos of cocaine in an ambulance operating on emergency runs in the province of Salta. The discovery occurred after the ambulance, which had its sirens and lights on, was stopped by security forces in the town of Tartagal. The drugs were then found inside the vehicle, El […]
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The son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, was caught in the Colonia Jardines de la Patria neighborhood of Zapopan, Jalisco. Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, alias “El Gordo,” was arrested by special marine forces on June 21, 2012. El Gordo had been gaining increasing strength and power within the […]
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President of Guatemala Otto Perez Molina announced that the United States and Guatemala will work together the coming July in an operation aimed to combat drug trafficking through Guatemala. Guatemala also plans to coordinate efforts with Mexico due to the 900 kilometer border between the two, Siglo 21 reports. Part of the operation will involve […]
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Four Huila police officers were arrested for the crimes of fabrication, trafficking, and possession of drugs, as well as conspiracy. The officers had been involved in the transportation of cocaine paste by car, according to El Tiempo. They will be brought to the criminal court in the Justice Palace for their first hearings on June […]
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Anti-narcotics officials found that drug deals occur near 25 schools in El Alto, Bolivia, some of the deals including students themselves. This information was released during a public safety fair on June 20, 2012 as collaborative effort including multiple police units and the help of 20 students, La Razon reports. The drugs most commonly sold […]
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Recent drug discoveries in Latin America have indicated that Brazil is becoming a top destination for drug shipments, Diario Correo reports. An official from the United Nations office on drugs and crimes affirmed this hypothesis and stated that many gangs operate to move drugs, particularly cocaine, from Peru into Brazil. Crack production has also increased […]
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Police in San Felipe, Chile arrested Luis Alberto Fernández Torres (40), alias “Rumpi,” a narco-trafficker wanted for dealing cocaine in the city center and surrounding areas, Mi San Felipe reports. He was arrested on a residential street and has a criminal record of burglary, illegal possession of a firearm, and drug trafficking, among others. 21 […]
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Police in Copiapo, Chile arrested 8 individuals in connection with a drug trafficking ring operating in cities throughout the country. The arrest occurred after one suspect attempted to flee police at a vehicle checkpoint, resulting in a chase and capture. Rectangular packages of drugs were found in the backseat of the truck. The passengers attempted […]
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A 24-year-old man from the Merida state of Venezuela was caught in the Simón Bolívar International Airport as he attempted to fly to Rome, Italy with 70 sacs of cocaine in his stomach. The total weight of the drugs was 1 kilo, El Tiempo reports. The flight was operated by the Alitalia airline. The plane […]
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A Venezuelan citizen was arrested in the Santo Domingo international airport after security officials discovered 17 kilos of cocaine in his suitcase. According to El Tiempo, the cocaine had been stored in 16 various packages. The suspect taken into custody was reported to be Jeampiero Alexander Moreno Clavijo, 32. He was attempting to travel with […]
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The Bolivarian National Guard has retained a plane believed to be used for drug smuggling. The plane is a dual-engine aircraft and remains at the Josefa Camejo airport in Punto Fijo, Venezuela. The plane was retained after guards performed a narcotics test on the aircraft, which yielded positive results for cocaine, El Tiempo reports. Two […]
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Mauricio Santoyo, former chief of security under President Alvaro Uribe from 2002-2006 and retired police general in Colombia, has been accused by the United States of drug conspiracy. La Republic reports that the United States believes Santoyo conspired to bring cocaine into the country with the help of assassins and narco-traffickers from 2000-2008. It is […]
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Joel Rosales Calixto (44), alias “Shiuri,” was caught by national police in Irazola, in the Padre Abad province of the Ucayali region in Peru on June 14, 2012. According to Diario Impetu, he had been one of the most wanted narco-traffickers operating in the Monzón Valley. He had moved to this area in order to centralize […]
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Recent captures of drug traffickers in Guatemala have been attributed to institutional improvements in the country, which has included a reformatting of investigative bodies, better systems for gathering and analyzing intelligence, and more coordination within and between institutions. According to Agencia Guatemalteca Noticias, these improvements have allowed officials to disband drug trafficking organizations, which has […]
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A drug trafficking organization led by the Costa Rican Alejandro González Jiménez, known as “The Palidejo,” has been reported to utilize the San Juan river in Nicaragua as a drug route between Costa Rica and Guatemala. According to Nuevaya, shipments of drugs enter Nicaragua stored in backpacks carried by mules along the river until vehicle […]
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Anyello Tavarez Basora (21) was impeded in the Santo Domingo airport as he attempted to board a plane to Spain with 38 small bags of cocaine in his stomach. He was investigated after security officials noticed suspicious behavior and a radiology test yielded positive results, Noticias Mundo Vision reports. He was taken to an Armed […]
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Security officials stopped a bus belonging to the Pullman Bus company travelling from Africa City to Santiago, Chile on June 16, 2012. During a baggage inspection, a drug-sniffing dog detected a suspicious odor coming from a sports bag belonging to a suspect with the initials J.D.R.O. According to Diario Chañarcillo, ten transparent nylon bags were […]
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“Crispy,” a new drug consisting of marijuana buds and coca leaves, is rising in popularity in Panama. According to Critica en Linea, Colombian drug traffickers were the first to introduce crispy into the country. Those involved in the trade have explained that the drug was intended to be sold in Jamaica, Europe and the United […]
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José Luis Pérez Caminero, the athletic director of Atlético de Madrid, was charged by a Spanish drug with the crime of money laundering. 19 other individuals were charged with the same crime. The laundered money was a product of drug trafficking in Latin America, specifically concerning Colombian and Mexican organizations. According to a Terra report, […]
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Yanith del Socorro Selveda Quintero, identified as the girlfriend of the drug trafficker known as “Megateo,” was captured by police in Vega de San Antonio, Norte de Santander, in Colombia. She is being investigated for crimes of conspiracy, possession of drugs and arms, as well as trafficking of drugs and arms. The arms in question […]
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Security officials intercepted a van along National Route 14 near the town of Alvear, Argentina. Upon perceiving the driver’s nervousness, the van was seized and searched. Several cardboard boxes were found in the rear, which contained 370 kilos and 524 grams of marijuana packed into bricks, Radio Dos reports. While officials were detaining the driver, […]
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Police in Spain thwarted the formation of a new drug route from Panama to Spain when they arrested six individuals, Panama America reports. The suspects had attempted to create a route by storing and shipping drugs inside ship parts and industrial equipment. 17 kilos of cocaine were found and seized during the police operation. Read […]
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A combine harvester originating in Rosario, Argentina was shipped through several European cities before 67 kilos of cocaine were discovered in Bulgaria. The drugs were found at a port along the Danube river in Bulgaria and were destined for the port in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. According to Clarín, the drugs were worth approximately 50 million […]
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Antonia Reyna Rivera, 41, and her 15-year-old son were arrested after a raid revealed a stash of drugs including marijuana and crack cocaine in their home. The two resided in the El Porvenir neighborhood in La Gomera, Escuintla, Guatemala, the government reports. 55 bags of marijuana, 45 stones of crack cocaine, 4 inhalation tubes, weapons, […]
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Three individuals suspected to be members of the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel were arrested as they attempted to transport drugs from Guadalajara to Tijuana, Mexico. The suspects were Freyde Becerra Gómez (36), alias “Chaparro;” José de Jesús Maya Zepeda (44), alias “El Güero;” and Ricardo Salazar Vargas (38), alias “Quinino,” Milenio reports. The arrest occurred […]
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About a ton of high-purity cocaine was discovered in Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina in what has been described as a cocaine “kitchen.” The finding was confirmed by officials; however, as raids continue, police have declined to release additional information in the case it could hinder the ongoing investigations. 26 Noticias reports that the drugs were […]
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Eight people were arrested and 15 kilos of cocaine were seized after security forces broke up a drug trafficking ring attempting to send the drugs from Buenos Aires to Europe. The drugs were found after seven home raids and were in various forms, including capsules and powder. Officials also seized precision scales, equipment used to […]
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Members of the Bolivarian National Guard located and dismantled a clandestine airstrip 1.4 kilometers long in Apure, Venezuela, Venezolana de Televisión reports. The airstrip was located near the Juriepe River. 4,400 liters of vehicle gasoline were also discovered near the site, in addition to 220 liters of jet fuel. The operation was conducted with intelligence […]
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The National Gendarmerie in Argentina discovered 80 kilos of cocaine during an operation in San Antonio, located in the Jujuy province. According to El Diario de la Republica, officials observed suspicious behavior among four individuals along Provincial Route 2, who fled when officials attempted to question them. They left their Fiat Siena vehicle behind while […]
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After two recent plane crashes in the jungles Belize, one of which was found containing cocaine, it has become evident drug trafficking has become a problem for the country, La Prensa Grafica reports. For example, along the Northern Highway in the Orange Walk district, there is an airstrip built by the government in 1999, intended […]
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The anti-narcotics police in Quito, Ecuador admit there are at least 76 sectors within the capital where micro-scale drug trafficking is rampant. From January to May 2012, 250 anti-drug operations took place in the capital, during which 349 suspects were taken into custody, including 22 foreigners. During the same period in 2011, 40 people were […]
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The Colombian Air Force detected an unidentified plane that resembled one found in a hangar in Santa Elena, Ecuador. One official stated the plane was sighted June 8, 2012, while another report claims the illegal flight was spotted June 2, according to El Commercio. An investigation officially began after Minister of the Interior José Serrano […]
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National police captured a family running drug trafficking operations in Sahagún, Colombia. Jorge Eliécer Basilio Giraldo (44) was arrested, as well as his wife, Mary Luz Berna Flórez (36), and son, Yeferson Basilio Bernal (20). Many people in the Sahagún community knew of their drug activity but refrained from reporting them out of fear, El […]
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Walter Alirio Montejo Mérida, alias “El Zope,” a Mexican narco-trafficker associated with smuggling operations involving the Sinaloa Cartel, was captured in Guatemala City. According to Provincia, he is one of the most active drug traffickers in Guatemala and is reported to be the link between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Familia Lorenzana, a narco group […]
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Judge Eduardo Valiente decided to permit the 3 youths discovered in possession of two kilos of cocaine and several grams of marijuana to be freed without a prison sentence. After reviewing the case, the judge decided to change the original charge of drug possession with the intention of marketing purposes to the transport of drugs, […]
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The Secretary of Public Security in Mexico has announced the discovery of a clandestine airstrip in Sonora. According to La Jornada, the runway was found on the state route to Cucurpe around kilometer 9, in the town of Magdalena de Kino. 38 packages of marijuana were found inside the plane, which was a Cessna model. […]
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Federal U.S. agents launched a surprise anti-narcotics operation on June 6, 2012 in the San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín airport in Puerto Rico. 33 suspects were taken into custody, including airport workers, airline employees, and other suspicious individuals who were attempting to smuggle millions of dollars of cocaine onto commercial flights for at least a […]
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The Narcotics Division of the National Civil Police in El Salvador and the Attorney General’s Office have reported the discovery of two kilos of cocaine in a JetBlue plane in the Comalapa airport on June 6, 2012. The captain, first officer and two crew members were all U.S. citizens. The aircraft was an Airbus A320 […]
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The Bolivian government denies it is persecuting the family of René Sanabria, ex-general of the police. Sanabria was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the United States for intending to traffick drugs into the country. Sanabria had denied links to drug activity within the government, Hoy Bolivia reports.The Bolivian government says it is not […]
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Foreign Minister of Colombia María Ángela Holguín warned on June 5, 2012 that Colombian cartels are operating in Bolivia. According to Erbol Digital, she hopes to launch a joint effort to curb their activities. The names of the trafficking organizations were not specified; however, she did state that detrimental consequences would arise if efforts are […]
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The criminal chamber of the Supreme Court of Colombia agreed to extradite Argemiro Sierra Pastrana (70), alias “El Canoso” to Argentina, where he is wanted for crimes associated with drug trafficking throughout Central and South America, as well as Europe, in addition to human smuggling. He is one of the most wanted narco-traffickers in South […]
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Anti-narcotics experts have closely watched drug activity in the Cancun, Mexico airport to determine how traffickers attempt to smuggle drugs to destinations such as Europe. According to Sipse, drug mules arrive in Cancun about 3 days before the scheduled departure flight and often stay in a hotel to prepare the drug. Many of the traffickers […]
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Five Spaniards, one Italian and one Peruvian were arrested in Lima, Peru, while attempting to fly to Spain with 17 kilos of cocaine. According to El Correo, the Spaniards taken into custody were Otilio R.S. (51), with 3.9 kilos of cocaine hidden in wine bottles; Eludina R.P. (42), with 2.2 kilos stuffed inside a suitcase; […]
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Javier Ramirez Rojas (34), alias “El Tinpan,” was arrested by state police in Tijuana, Mexico, after officials discovered 80 kilograms of marijuana hidden in his Ford F150. According to Agencia Fronteriza de Noticias, the marijuana was worth 3,200,000 pesos. El Tinpan was stopped after police saw him walking with a package that resembled those used […]
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The Anti-Drug Association of Argentina visited the Arauco area in the La Rioja province and discovered various clandestine airstrips thought to be used by drug traffickers. One of the runways was discovered 300 meters from a rock representing the face of Jesus Christ, an area where people also like to practice the sport of “kite […]
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Eight individuals have been arrested for participation in international drug trafficking, two of which were stopped in the Dublin airport in Ireland for carrying 500 grams of cocaine hidden in their clothing. Five of the suspects were Colombian, two were Spanish, and one was Ecuadorian. The two arrested in Dublin were women. Police raided two […]
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Drug control police arrested Italian citizen Pironti (35) at the Juan Santamaría airport in Costa Rica on May 4, 2014. The suspect was arrested when officials discovered a plastic bag of cocaine stuffed into an empty shampoo bottle inside his suitcase. The cocaine weighed 724 grams, according to Telenoticias. Pironti had been flying from San […]
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The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has provided the Dominican government the names of 60 suspected Mexican narco-traffickers operating between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. These traffickers are thought to be working along a route that transports drugs from Latin America into Puerto Rico or Europe, specifically Spain, Italy, and Germany, Acento reports. The suspects […]
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Officials are investigating a group of suspicious Arabs in the tri-border area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, ABC Color reports. Investigations began last year, when security agents began to suspect the Arabs of piracy, drug trafficking, and weapons trafficking. The proceeds of their activity were then transferred to banks in the Middle East. Argentine intelligence […]
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General Raul Salazar, on behalf of the police in Peru, agreed to an interview to discuss cocaine production in the country. While he admits cocaine production does occur in Peru, he states the same occurs in Bolivia, and that cocaine in Bolivia does not necessarily originate in Peru. Officials had discovered a cocaine route from […]
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In an operation called “Maraya,” the anti-narcotics brigade in Tacuarembó, Uruguay broke up a drug trafficking gang by arresting five suspects on May 30, 2012. A trial is pending for the arrestees, Eric Paul Bravo Dos Santos (21), Enri Franco Bravo Dos Santos (27), a woman with the initials B.G.D.M (29), Julio César Techera (48), […]
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More Colombian drug traffickers are turning to Argentina as a sanctuary, La Nación reports. These criminals have been increasingly participating in real estate business and money laundering in Argentina, as well as using the country as a shelter for family members. Diego Murillo Bejarano, alias “Don Berna,” a former Colombian paramilitary-turned-drug trafficker arrested in the […]
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The southern coast of Guatemala, as well as the capital city, is seeing heightened drug activity due to the mobilization of the Mexican drug trafficking organization Los Zetas. The exhaustion of resources and power in the Petén, Izabal, Zacapa and Huehuetenango areas, which were locations of serious conflicts over the last five years, is blamed […]
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Diego Pérez Henao, better known as “Diego Rastrojo,” was captured early on June 3, 2012 in the Rojas municipality in Venezuela. The operation was coordinated by the National Drug Office in Venezuela with the support of Colombian authorities. He was the head of the Colombian drug trafficking organization Los Rastrojos and is accused of trafficking […]
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Jan Cornelis Hendril Hovenkamp of the Netherlands was arrested May 30, 2012 in Chiriquí, Panama, close to the border with Costa Rica, for trafficking marijuana. He was wanted by Dutch authorities for bringing marijuana into the Netherlands, El Informador reports. Hendril was taken into custody in a shopping center, where the National Police served him […]
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After the arrest of a Mexican at the Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome, Italy on May 8, 2012, it appears the international Cancun airport is a major stopping point along a drug route from Latin America to Europe. The Mexican suspect had travelled from Cancun to Rome with 14 kilograms of high-purity cocaine in […]
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On May 31, 2012, the Ministry of the Interior and Justice of Venezuela together with the National Armed Forces of Bolivia destroyed a clandestine airstrip that was used to traffick drugs in the Apure state. The government also claimed to have dismantled an additional 35 illegal runways along the border with Colombia, AVN reports. Since […]
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The anti-narcotics department in Ecuador has released statistics that show an increase in drug trafficking in the country. U.S. officials from the Department of State agree, Noticias Montreal reports. They claim many exterior criminal organizations are operating in Ecuador, such as Los Zetas and the Sinaloa cartels from Mexico, Russian and Chinese groups, and Colombian […]
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Four people were arrested in the company of minors in Juarez, Nuevo Leon for the possession of drugs. According to Milenio, the four adults were José Humberto de León Suárez, “El Chikis” (28); Lázaro Portales Salazar (30); Victoria Berenice Martínez Treviño, “La Bere” (19); and Alfredo Flores Reyna, “La Rata” (30). The names of the […]
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The Colombian Navy found a semi-submersible water vessel in a jungle area 64 kilometers south of Buenaventura, buried under thick vegetation near the mouth of the Cajambre river. The device is thought to have been used for trafficking drugs along the river, the Colombian Ministry of Justice and Law states. It is about 7.5 meters […]
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The United Nations (UN) announced to the press on May 29, 2012 that the Los Zetas cartel in Mexico uses blatant violence not only to control drug routes, but also to control entire territories. According to the UN, this criminal organization uses a different, more aggressive form of violence because it hopes to operate as […]
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In 2005, the Southern Command of the United States began monitoring air and sea traffic to determine where illicit trafficking occurs in Latin America. It has determined that Ecuador and Colombia have seen the most maritime activity and claims these countries have more ships that are likely to be carrying drugs to Central America. In […]
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Romanian citizen Iustin Victor Radulescu (55) was arrested in Constanta, Romania on Italian accusations of trafficking drugs to Europe from Latin America. According to El Nacional, his arrest warrants were issued because of activity between 2007 and 2008, in which Radulescu brought three shipments of cocaine weighing nine tons into Europe. He had purchased the […]
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From January to May of 2012, the anti-narcotics police force in the Quito area seized one ton and 603,858 grams of drugs. This is a result of 250 operations. This amount represents 13 percent of the national amount of seized drugs and includes 11 cases of significant quantities in Quito, El Comercio reports. Smaller quantities […]
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José Serrano, Interior Minister of Ecuador, admitted in a public news interview that his country serves as an intermediary along an international drug route operated by exterior narco-traffickers. Serrano stated the drugs arrive from the north or south of the country and are then directed toward Mexico, Diario Norte reports. Many members of the cartels […]
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Interpol captured Ecuadorian citizen William Alsivar Medina Rodríguez, 40, in Guatemala City on May 28, 2012. He was wanted in Peru for crimes against public health and drug trafficking, El Universo reports. The arrest occurred at the immigration office in Guatemala City, where Medina had been in the process of completing an application for residency […]
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After five attacks on Pepsi subsidiary company Sabritas, including arson on distribution centers and the torching of dozens of vehicles, police have arrested several suspects. Fox News Latino reports this is the first large-scale coordinated attack against a multinational company in five years. The affected centers and vehicles belonging to Sabritas were located in the […]
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A growing number of FARC factions are being driven out of the cocaine business by the police and army. Rather than disband, these FARC gangs turn more to other criminal activities, ranging from robbery, kidnapping and extortion to illegal mining and lumbering. For the average Colombian, these means FARC is still a threat. FARC has […]
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FARC’s Black Pearl could not make its first trip in the Colombian Pacific, El Colombiano reports. The narco-submarine was built out of fiberglass and steel and was able to navigate itself 4 to 5 feet under water and could carry up to four tons of cocaine. According to the anti-narcotics police, this is the second […]
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The presidents of Mexico and Costa Rica have signed an extradition treaty as well as an official agreement to exchange information and intelligence to better combat drug trafficking, El Informador reports. The agreements were signed at the beginning of a two day state visit to Mexico by Costa Rican president Laura Chinchilla. Additionally, a cooperation […]
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According to Peru21.pe a Taca Airline crewmember was detained by police of the Dirandro Unit in the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Friday August 12th. Police say he was trying to leave the country with 2 kilos of drugs, cocaine and opium. The crewmember, Ricardo Velasquez Luque was arrested while in the international departures […]
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According to RPP.com.pe police seized over 14 kilos of hydrochloride cocaine inside a house in Juliaca. Police say the drugs were in 14 packages, wrapped in duct tape, beige tape and duct tape. During the operation three people were arrested, two women, ages 60 and 35 and a man, 20, whose identities have not been […]
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Dominican journalist Jose Silverio was found dead in La Romana, Dominican Republic after his family reported him missing reported La Estrella. Authorities located his body near the Soco river with a shot wound in the stomach. Silverio was known for his reports of suspected links of public prosecutors and drug trafficking on a local radio […]
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Two executives of Southern Winds Airlines in Argentina are being tried this week in Córdoba for money laundering, reports lavoz.com.ar. The accused are being prosecuted for embezzling more than 3 million pesos from the National Department of Tourism between 2002 and 2005 by withholding 5% of the rates charged for all international flights. Prosecutors are […]
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According to ElUniverso.com Spanish police in Madrid, Spain dismantled a drug ring that ran between many European and South American countries, including Ecuador, on Friday July 15th. Officials say drugs, like heroin and cocaine, were hidden in cans of dog food and put on airplanes that delivered them to their destination. The Spanish Interior Ministry […]
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The focus of the anti-drug movement in the Southern Cone has traditionally been on Bolivian and northern Argentine citizens used as “mules” who transport drugs around the world, according to lavoz.com.ar. But now the drug cartels have employed, for much cheaper, European “mules” posing as tourists who transport the drugs from Bolivia to Argentina, and […]
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A young Argentine model, Daiana Antivero, was arrested this morning in Ezeiza International Airport after security personnel found 5 kilos of cocaine in her luggage, according to losandes.com.ar. The woman was planning to board a flight to Holland when she was detained. Investigators are trying to discover how long the model has been a member […]
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