Section » Organized Crime

Peru: Band of Rolex Thieves raising havoc

ROLEX THIEVES TARGETING VICTIMS IN LIMA, PERU/ BAND OF THIEVES MADE UP OF VENEZUELANS AND ECUADORIANS. THIEVES SNEAK BACK TO ECUADOR AND COLOMBIA WHERE THE ITEMS ARE SOLD OR FENCED. ASSAILANTS FOCUSING ON HIGH END AREAS OF MIRAFLORES, SURCO, AND SAN ISIDRO – AFTER JEWELS AND HIGH END WATCHES. ATTACKERS WORK IN GROUPS INCLUDING THE USE OF MOTORCYCLES AND VEHICLES. USING GUNS AND VIOLENCE TO SUBDUE VICTIMS.

americatv.com reported ‘Los Chamos of the Rolex’ a band of thieves composed primarily of foreigners in Peru is targeting high end watches from unsuspecting individuals and tourists. Many of the stolen watches have a value of up to $20,000.

A new form of theft has arrived in Peru. This time the bands of foreign criminals are dedicated to subtract their victims high-end watches in Lima.

They go on motorcycles or cars and gun their victims before removing their watches. ‘The Chamos of the Rolex’ are already in the crosshairs of the National Police.

According to the complaints of the victims, the scope of action of these criminals are in the most affluent districts of Lima and where there are more foreigners.

While tourists are its potential victims, there are also Peruvians who have these types of watches. They take these expensive specimens out to meters and attack in a matter of seconds.

“We see that the majority of criminals do not care that they are filming them, because they know that the search is temporary, they commit their crimes and they do not even know that the log fugan was taken from them,” said Colonel PNP , Carlos Céspedes of the division. Thefts of the Dirincri.

This division stopped the Venezuelan William Bustillo Marín (24), the Ecuadorian Norberto Mayorga Miranda (40) and Luis Chirinos Ramírez.

They were found on their phones several images of high-end watches. After being exposed they confessed their crimes.

There is a black market where they sell these types of watches that can be worth between 10,000 to 20,000 dollars, approximately. All while criminals leave the border and only in Ecuador receive payments for their illicit activities. Read Article

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Colombia: United Nations issues alert in five areas despite peace truce with ELN

TENSE SITUATION EFE/elmercurio (machine translated) The UN Mission in Colombia warned of the situation of the communities in five conflict zones despite the ceasefire between the Government and the ELN guerrilla that began on October 1. Those five areas are the department of Chocó, the Catatumbo region, northern Cauca, as well as the municipalities of […]

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Mexico: Avocado Mafia (Opinion)

Your article (Taco alarm bells ring as avocados go out of reach for Mexicans, 7 August) misses the point about what is the nature of the problem and who is responsible. A farm in the west of Mexico that I owned until a few years ago simply could not get its product on the market […]

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Chihuahua, Mexico: Experts report security situation deteriorating

Mexican cartel shootout leaves 26 dead or wounded in latest violent clash Experts say that security has deteriorated in recent months as criminal groups squabble over the remains of the empire once controlled by kingpin El Chapo theguardian.com reported a battle between rival drug cartel factions in Mexico’s northern Chihuahua state left at least 26 […]

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Ecuador: Authorities Seize Cocaine Shipment Destined for Syria

Ecuadorian group to send cocaine to Syria eluniverso.com (machine translated) Unusual destinations for drug shipments have detected the police following several seizures of alkaloids in recent weeks. Interior Minister Diego Fuentes reported Friday through his Twitter account of the disarticulation of a narcodelictiva organization that tried to send drugs to Syria. “Disrupted organization of international […]

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Brazil’s Corruption Scandal and connection with Latin America

The Latin American connection in Brazil’s corruption scandal By Patricio Navia buenosairesherald.com INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED SPANISH VOCABULARY – READ THIS BOOK NEW YORK — The Lava Jato corruption scandal triggered an earthquake that radically changed the political landscape in Brazil — one whose aftershocks are still being felt throughout Latin America. From Peru to Colombia, from […]

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Latin America key center for Hezbollah’s global financial network (observations, opinion)

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has established a criminal and financial network across the region, and while the US has taken steps to disrupt these resources in the past, more needs to be done. csmonitor.com/Emanuele Ottolenghi February 3, 2017 —This piece was submitted in response to Christopher Sabatini’s article considering the Islamist threat in Latin America. […]

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U.S.: Businessmen, foreign officials plead guilty bribery case involving Mexican Aviation Officers

12/28/2016 ICE.GOV 4 businessman, 2 foreign officials plead guilty in connection with bribes paid to Mexican aviation officials HOUSTON – Charges have been unsealed against six individuals, all of whom have pleaded guilty for their involvement in schemes to bribe Mexican officials to secure aircraft maintenance and repair contracts with government-owned and controlled entities. Two […]

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Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) operations in Latin America

americansecuritytoday.com By the FBI The tip came to an FBI agent in New Orleans from a source there involved with a violent Honduran street gang: A large shipment of cocaine ultimately bound for the U.S. was about to leave Costa Rica destined for Honduras. That information was relayed to FBI personnel at the Joint Interagency […]

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Criminal involvement in Mexico’s mining industry

ADVANCED SPANISH VOCABULARY – READ THIS BOOK insightcrime.org/Patrick Corcoran / Criminal involvement in Mexico’s mining industry is a small part of this broader dynamic, and indeed is a subset of the crime groups’ increased involvement in resource extraction. Groups around the country have developed a market at home and abroad for oil and gas stolen […]

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Colombia: After deal with FARC what will other criminal groups do in power vacum

By: Julián Villabona Galarza / Despite the deal reached between the Colombian government and the Marxist FARC guerrilla to lay down arms, there is a new cause of concern: what the several other criminal groups that operate in the country will do faced with such a power vacuum. The famous rebel group has been responsible […]

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Chinese Smugglers in Bolivia involved in trafficking of jaguar teeth

insightcrime.org reported The trafficking of jaguar teeth from Bolivia’s natural parks to China has sparked worries that Asian smugglers are boosting this illegal trade. Between 2014 and 2016, 800 jaguar teeth have been seized by Bolivian authorities, suggesting that around 200 animals have been killed, reported the Bolivian Environment Forum (Foro Boliviano sobre Medio Ambiente […]

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Puerto Vallarta Mexico: 16 customers in restaurant abducted

theguardian.com -8-15-16 reported armed men burst into a restaurant in the Mexican beach resort of Puerto Vallarta and abducted as many as 16 customers early on Monday, according to local authorities. Prosecutors in the western state of Jalisco said that around 1am local time, the gunmen entered a restaurant called La Leche on the resort […]

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Ecuador: Mixed Gangs of Colombians and Ecuadorians scaring residents in Sucumbios

Fernando Medina August 9, 2016 / Elcomercio.com He was kidnapped in the Ecuadorian jungle for 20 days. His captors were presented as members of the so – called “guerrilla ecuatoriana”, a group that for a month frightens border communities of Sucumbios. Victor M. is 66 years old and since it was released has not returned […]

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Ecuador: Possibility of FARC members dissenting to form new criminal group

People worried about an alleged armed group canton of Sucumbios ILLEGAL GROUP CALLS THEMSELVES(M.R.A. Comuneros del Ecuador) Eluniverso.com reported the bombing at a shop of Puerto El Carmen de Putumayo, occurred early Friday, it publishes a fact that a few months ago has been rumored in Ecuadorian rural communities in the border with Colombia on […]

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Mexico: Drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has been captured

(CNN)Drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has been captured, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announced Friday via Twitter. “Mission Accomplished,” the President wrote. “We have him.” Read Article

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El Salvador: 2015 most violent on record in reported murders

Violent deaths in El Salvador spiked 70% in 2015, figures reveal theguardian.com reported at least 6,657 people were violently killed in the Central American country, making last year the most violent since the height of 1983 civil war. El Salvador saw a 70% spike in violent deaths in 2015, making last year the bloodiest since […]

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Report on the players behind Mexico’s drug violence

bbc.com reported (2014)Tens of thousands of people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico over the past seven years. Most of the violence is attributed to fighting between rival drug gangs for control of territory and drug shipment routes. Who are these groups and who are they fighting against? Who are the main players? […]

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Ecuador: Human Smuggling Ring dismantled, migrants from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh

ministeriointerior.gob.ec reported sources reported that the investigations were conducted by the Unit Against the Crime of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants of the Directorate of Judicial Police (DNPJ) in coordination with the Attorney General. The operation took place after four months of investigation, the morning of Friday, December 11, simultaneously in Carchi, Guayas, […]

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Mochileros: Backpacking Cocaine Drug Traffickers of Peru

Vraem Region of Peru – the underworld of Mochileros – backpacking drug traffickers bbc.com/Linda Pressly reported a remote valley east of the Peruvian highlands is the perfect place for growing coca. Peru now produces more cocaine than any other country, and this is where more than half of it originates. But there is no easy […]

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Colomia leads Peru, Bolivia in cocaine production

telegraph.co.uk/Harriet Alexander reported Colombia overtakes Peru to be the world’s largest producer of cocaine President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia has appealed to America for help in eradicating coca crops after Colombia returned to the top of the world-producing table . Colombia has overtaken Peru to be the world’s largest producer of cocaine, according to […]

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U.N. states Organized Crime Biggest Security Threat to Colombia

Thomson Reuters Foundation reported – Colombia’s criminal gangs pose the biggest threat to Colombians and are responsible for human trafficking, rights abuses and for forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes each year, the United Nations said. While the government holds peace talks with leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of […]

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Venezuela: Nightmare for Routine Charter Flight Pilot and Crew

spiegel.de reported —- it started as a routine charter flight. But when the business jet landed in Venezuela, armed men loaded 47 sacks of cocaine on board and forced the crew to fly the cargo back across the Atlantic. Since then, the German pilot has been living under an assumed identity. There aren’t too many […]

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Aragoto Peru: Major Drug Trafficking Route to Ecuador and beyond

elcomercio.pe reported…Mention Aragoto in the province of Ayabaca (Piura) is like saying a forbidden name. Researchers eye perch upon which mentions it, through it’s entire body. People are put on guard. It is not common that unknown persons mentioned, loose bones, the name of a town that seems forbidden. One confused it with undercover COP […]

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Mexico: Knights Templar leader will fight to the death

theguardian.com reported Mexican cartel boss vows to fight to the death instead of surrendering Net may be closing on Knights Templar leader Servando Gómez, alias La Tuta, as he releases rambling online video message. The fugitive leader of one of Mexico’s most violent and bizarre drug cartels has said that he regrets choosing a life […]

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Quito Ecuador: Mayor denies mafia contacts with alleged Mexican money launderer

telesurtv.net reported Mauricio Rodas has admitted to knowing Ignacio Muñoz, who is accused of money laundering for one of the world’s major drug cartels, but he says they were working together on a project to build nurseries for children. Quito’s Mayor Mauricio Rodas has admitted to knowing the Mexican businessman Ignacio Muñoz, accused of money […]

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Guadalaraja Mexico: AR-15 Assault Rifles seized, being manufactured at local farms for criminal groups

PARTS OF ILLEGAL RIFLES COMING FROM THE UNITED STATES excelsior.com.mx reported for the first time in Mexico have been discovered and secured factories of high-powered weapons, which sold them to organized crime. The General Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Jalisco yesterday revealed that in this city were found two farms where it was manufactured […]

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Mexico: Disappearnce of students prompts call for nationwide protest

telesurtv.net reported Protests will be held throughout Mexico in response to the alleged disappearance of student by police officials in collusion with organized crime. Students from the Teacher Training College of Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, alongside family members of the 43 disappeared students, have issued a call for nation-wide protests and demonstrations for October 8 organized under […]

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Mexico: Cartels becoming more sophisticated in theft of oil

kentucky.com/AP reported figures released by Petroleos Mexicanos last week show the gangs are becoming more prolific and sophisticated. So far this year, thieves across Mexico have drilled 2,481 illegal taps into state-owned pipelines, up more than one-third from the same period of 2013. Pemex estimates it’s lost some 7.5 million barrels worth $1.15 billion. Read […]

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Sinaloa Federation Cartel establishing networks in Australia

heraldsun.com reported members of a deadly Mexican drug cartel — responsible for kidnappings, beheadings and thousands of murders — have set up shop in Australia. Drug criminals from Mexico’s most powerful drug cartel, the Sinaloa Federation, are basing themselves in eastern states to distribute hundreds of kilograms of drugs, including ice, heroin and cocaine. Federal […]

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Colombia: Rebel attacks on pipelines threatening oil production

ABC.es reported the main company of the country warns that last year there were 235 attacks, while in 2010 were 32. Two contractors working for Ecopetrol have just killed. The facts are not helping the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, to keep his speech of a negotiation process with the rebels. This week, Javier […]

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Nogales Mexico: Criminal Organization dedicated to transporting arms from U.S. broken up

diario.mx reported Distrito Federal- The Attorney General of the Republic (PGR), through the specialized attorney in investigation of organized crime (SEIDO), with the support of the Agency’s Criminal investigation and in coordination with the Federal Police dismantled in Nogales, Sonora, a network dedicated to United States from high-powered arms. In a statement the PGR explained […]

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Argentina: Italian Mafia Capo arrested, wanted by INTERPOL

lainormacion.com reported an Italian citizen accused of being a capo of the Calabrian mafia, known as Ndrangheta, and wanted by Interpol was arrested today in Puerto Iguazú, Misiones province (to 1,300 miles from Buenos Aires), sources of the national gendarmerie. The detainee, identified as Pantaleone Mancuso, 47 years old, was caught when he tried to […]

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La Gran Familia, Peruvian Mafia extends tentacles into Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia

larepublica.pe reported “La Gran Familia” extends its tentacles to Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia. Criminal gang would have signed alliances with important national and international criminal gangs. “Old Paco” would still be leading. The criminal organization “La Gran Familia” would operate with its full might and apparently until recharged, since successfully extended its tentacles to Ecuador, […]

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Mexico: New Colombian Mafia operating in different sections of the country

COURT RECORDS SHOW THIS COLOMBIAN MAFIA IS REFERRED TO AS “La Hermandad”. The Brotherhood” SPECIALTIES – ROBBING HOUSES, CLONING, LOOTING ATM’S zocalo.com.mx REPORTED…Saltillo, Coah.- Mexican authorities call “the new Colombian mafia” as they do not smuggle drugs. The recruit in cities like Medellin and Bogota and Mexico reach to clone cards, extorting, robbing houses and […]

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Colombia: Companies investigated for price fixing of disposable diapers

bbc.co.uk reported Something does not smell right in the world of baby diapers Colombia: after months of investigation, the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce of Colombia (SIC) decided to accuse the country’s leading manufacturers of conspiring to artificially inflate the prices of their disposable diapers. The scandal involves the manufacturers of the Winny, Huggies, Baby […]

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Peru: Detained Serbians connected to drug trafficking organization

elcomerco.pe reported this newspaper revealed last Sunday that 95% of the narcovuelos coming out of the country are directed to Bolivia, where, in addition, two Peruvian families would be on road to become the drug cartels. The police does not rule out that Radojicic and Uros have connection with the case of the Serbian Frederik […]

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Sinaloa Cartel Using Two Ports In Peru for major shipments of cocaine hidden in coal shipments

Paita y Callao Major Shipment Points for Sinaloa Cartel / Cocaine hidden in Coal Shipments larepublica.pe reported phone-tapping to the facade Carboniferas Alpha & Omega and Andean Betas of the Peru business owners facilitated the identification and location of two Mexicans identified as alleged representatives of the Sinaloa cartel’s installed in Trujillo, who oversaw the […]

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Quintana Roo Mexico: Minor stabbed six times for refusal to join El mara mafia

sipse.com reported the injured child said that two subject, known theirs, intercepted it aboard a truck white Lincoln and it tried to put a vehicle by force, but by resisting, the pair of plagiarizing you stabbed him. The young said they attacked him because I didn’t want to “align” or work with them. One of […]

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Brazil dismantles large criminal organization targeting Amazon rainforest

bbc.com reported the authorities in Brazil say they have dismantled a criminal organisation they believe was the “biggest destroyer” of the Amazon rainforest. The gang is accused of invading, logging and burning large areas of public land and selling these illegally for farming and grazing. In a statement, Brazilian Federal Police said the group committed […]

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Mexico: Cartels move into lucrative poaching business for Asia market

latino.foxnews.com reported first it was moving marijuana and cocaine across the border. Then, it was human smuggling. Now, it appears Mexico’s drug cartels are getting involved in the lucrative – and slightly peculiar – business of trafficking the bladders of exotic fish to Asia. News of this fishy business began surfacing in June following the […]

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Honduras: Authorities seize 52 properties belonging to drug trafficking group

hondurasweekly.com reported authorities in Honduras have seized 52 properties belonging to one of the country’s premier drug trafficking groups — the Valle family — in a move that could represent the beginning of a larger assault on the powerful clan. On August 18, authorities seized properties belonging to siblings Luis Alfonso, Miguel Arnulfo, Digna and […]

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Mexico: suspect in at least 18 homicides detained in Mexico State

Mexican man a suspect in 18 homicides NTNEWS.com reported that MEXICAN police have arrested a man suspected of involvement in at least 18 murders, one of the country’s top prosecutors says. MEXICO state Attorney General Alejandro Gomez Sanchez said on Saturday the arrest was made thanks to investigative work by police attached to his office. […]

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Mexico: Tlaxcala and Puebla major route for sex traffickers, New York Connection.

Tlaxcala and Puebla. aristeguinoticias.com reported on one side of this road is Tenancingo, people known as the international capital of traffickers in women, although in reality the phenomenon extends throughout the southern region of l os states of Tlaxcala and Puebla. She, like other women, many children, pay them 250 pesos-about 19 dollars for 15 […]

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Colombia: 90% of Mining in Choco, illegal, environment being devastated

eltiempo.com reported the number of dredges operating in the Department increased by 180% between 2012 and 2013. 90 per cent of mining in Chocó is informal or illegal and driven by armed groups. Mining in Chocó shows many faces, some disappointment and others hope. But there is a single true situation: 90 per cent of […]

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Former Colombian President believes Ecuador’s President good candidate in peace talks with ELN

lahora.com.ec reporte the former Colombian President and appointed Secretary-General of Unasur, Ernesto Samper, he said yesterday that the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, would be a “good partner” to seek peace between the Government of Juan Manuel Santos and the army of national liberation (ELN). Samper valued at Caracol Radio the participation of Ecuador in […]

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Venezuela to close border with Colombia to combat smuggling

infobae.com reported the Government of Nicolás Maduro informed that controls will be strengthened during the night to prevent the entry of products such as gasoline or food. “Starting from this Monday will be a scheduled closing” “Starting from this Monday will be a scheduled closing of the border with Colombia, between the 10:00 pm and […]

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Nexus of Corruption between Coahuila Mexico and San Antonio Texas

borderlandbeat.com reported the overwhelming corruption in Coahuila allows organized crime to prevail. Corruption from municipal city hall to the governors office, throughout the state, assure the narco business will comfortably flourish. During his governorship “Bert” Moreira and his gang of thieves have purchased luxury properties in San Antonio, and businesses in the area extending to […]

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A Look At Corruption in Michoacán Mexico

publimetro.com.mx reported Michoacán is one of Mexico’s poorest States , despite being an agricultural power (produces 85% of the avocados of the country, which in turn is the world’s largest producer of the fruit) and its tourist profile, affected by the image of violence and corruption that drag. That territory acquired international notoriety in the […]

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Andres Oppenheimer believes it is the time for an International Anti-corruption Court

Miamiherald.com/Andres Oppenheimer (Opinion Piece) wrote the more I read about the massive government corruption in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela and other countries where top officials have been accused of stealing fortunes with near total impunity, the more I like a new proposal that is making the rounds in world legal circles — creation of an […]

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How Hezbollah Financial Network works in Latin America

infobae.com reported the Lebanese terrorist group has a more active presence in the region. La Triple Frontera and Venezuela, major operations centers. The risks facing those who finance it. The operations of Hezbollah in Latin America are increasingly larger and more active. And to achieve that, the terrorist group took advantage of the massive presence […]

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Brazil: Cartel drug lord detained on way to World Cup match

Jose Diaz Barajas Detained examiner.com reported the 49 year old Brajas was arrested yesterday in Rio de Janero, while trying to catch a flight to Fortaleza in order to watch the Mexican national soccer team play against the tournament favourite, Brazil. According to Bloomberg, Luiz Cravo Dorea, head of international cooperation at the Federal Police, […]

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Threatening Cartel Signs Appearing in El Paso Texas

dailymail.co.uk reported two billboards along highways in El Paso, Texas were vandalized and had mannequins hanging off of them. One reads ‘silver or lead’ in Spanish which is taken to mean that police and business owners can either take drug cartels’ bribes or die. Worries spreading that cartels that have ruled Mexican border towns with […]

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Mexico: Extreme Violence Erupts in Tamaulipas

theguardian.com reported…a spate of extreme violence in Mexico’s north-eastern Tamaulipas state has ended the relative calm in the region where the country’s drug wars began. Officials say about 80 people have been killed in almost daily street battles. This week the state’s top detective, Salvador de Haro Muñoz, was among five people killed in a […]

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Mexico: Lime growers victims of extortion by criminal groups

bloombergview.com reported ….Why does Mexico, the biggest lime producer, also have the world’s most expensive limes? Ask the country’s crime bosses. Mexico’s mobsters are squeezing lime growers and no one seems to be doing anything about it. The racket goes like this: criminals in lime growing states block roads and extort a fee for every […]

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Mexico: member of KT Cartel detained, suspicion of trafficking in human organs

theguardian.com reported that police detain alleged cartel member on suspicion of kidnapping people, including children, and harvesting their organs. Carlos Castellanos Becerra, Michoacan’s public safety secretary, alleged that Manuel Plancarte Gaspar was part of a cartel ring that would target people with certain characteristics, especially children, for kidnapping and harvesting organs. He did not give […]

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Mexico: Knights Templar has moved beyond drugs, illegal mining, logging, extortion

Diversification of Knights Templar cartel latest sign of drug syndicates’ expanding criminal portfolios. The pseudo-religious Knights Templar drug cartel in western Mexico has diversified to the point that drug trafficking doesn’t rank among its top sources of income, according to the Mexican government’s special envoy to Michoacán. The cartel counts illegal mining, logging and extortion […]

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Mexican cartels could impede fracking development in Mexico

qz.com reported that If all goes well, drillers responsible for a shale-oil bonanza in Texas will soon cross the southern US border and extend the hydraulic fracturing boom to Mexico. But first the Mexican government, foreign oil companies or some combination of the two will have to neutralize some of the most savage gangsters in […]

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INTERPOL and Ecuador commit to continued collaboration

INTERPOL reported that Cooperation between Ecuador and INTERPOL’s global law enforcement network topped the agenda during a meeting today between the Deputy Minister of Interior of Ecuador, Javier Felipe Córdoba Unda and INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble. The visit by the Ecuadorian delegation to INTERPOL’s General Secretariat headquarters covered a range of issues relating […]

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Criminal Gangs Shipping Fuel from Venezuela to Colombia, paid for with cocaine

bloomberg.com reported…. Criminal gangs are shipping the equivalent of 60 to 100 tankers of subsidized Venezuelan fuel per day into Colombia, much of it paid for with cocaine, according to the Colombian government. Between 10 percent and 15 percent of fuel used by Colombian drivers is smuggled from neighboring countries, Juan Ricardo Ortega, the head […]

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Mexico: Cartels involved in mining industry, much of the product going to China

AP reported that Mexican drug cartels looking to diversify their businesses long ago moved into oil theft, pirated goods, extortion and kidnapping, consuming an ever larger swath of the country’s economy. This month, federal officials confirmed the cartels have even entered the country’s lucrative mining industry, exporting iron ore to Chinese mills. Such large-scale illegal […]

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Ecuador proposes regional International Criminal Court to combat cross border crime

chinadaily.com.cn reported that Ecuador proposes to create an International Criminal Court as part of the regional trade bloc Union of South American Nations (Unasur). The proposal was made by Ecuadoran Attorney General Galo Chiriboga on Monday at the opening of the 21st General Assembly of the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors, being held in Ecuador’s […]

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Ecuador: Military moves into northern Manabí province in counter narcotics operation

Elcomercio.com reported that the passage of the military who were carrying guns and moved on special vehicles caused surprise among the inhabitants of the North of Manabí. The fact was recorded between Monday and yesterday in the cantons Sucre, San Vicente and flints. In these sites, according to the police, has been detected that drug […]

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Oaxaca Mexico: Priest reports that bodies are being discovered without organs

High number of cases in Mitla. Migrants at high risk of being victimized. The priest Alejandro Solalinde said that in the central valleys of Oaxaca have been located bodies of migrants and settlers of the body without organs, so alerted on the trafficking of organs in this region. n Forum TV interview, he said that […]

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Mexico: Former U.S. soldier detained as suspected ring leader in Kidnapping gang

Agence France-Presse reported…Authorities have detained a former US soldier accused of leading a gang of kidnappers in northern Mexico, officials said Monday. The 32-year-old suspect spearheaded a band of 16 people who operated in the states of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila and Tamaulipas in the past four years, said Nuevo Leon security spokesman Jorge Domene. He […]

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Suriname: President’s son charged in U.S. for attempting to aid Hezbollah

mercopress.com reported that the son of Suriname’s president has been charged by the United States with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Dino Bouterse was allegedly paid millions of dollars to provide a base and weapons for Hezbollah fighters. The Shia militants were planning attacks on the US and the Netherlands, […]

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Police Operation in Paraná, Brazil, Creates Eighteen Arrest Warrants

On October 24, 2013, Gazeta do Povo reported that the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) has created arrest warrants for eighteen people involved in a cigarette smuggling scheme originating in Paraguay.  Arrest warrants have been issued in several towns in the west of the state of Paraná, as well as Belém, capital of the state of […]

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Ecuador: 30 Colombians arrested, suspected of loan sharking

lahora.com.ec reported that Ecuador police arrested thirty Colombians and eight Ecuadorians suspected loan sharks form a network, said Interior Minister Jose Serrano. In an operation conducted in the port of Guayaquil (southwest), the authorities dismantled the first international band dedicated to illegal money lending in Ecuador, Serrano said on his Twitter account. Read Article If […]

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Mexican Cartels Operating in Panama

At least four Mexican drug trafficking organizations are operating in Panama and have been linked to murders, the La Prensa newspaper reported Monday, citing intelligence reports. Bureau of Prisons and intelligence reports “confirm the presence … of the Los Zetas, Beltran Leyva, Sinaloa and Juarez” cartels, which “use Panama as a base of operations for […]

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San Jose, Costa Rica: Dismantled Gang Used Mail Service to Traffic Drugs

From lainformacion.com on August 28, 2013- Authorities in Costa Rica dismantled an international drug trafficking gang that was using the postal service to send and receive drugs. The group was led by one Lithuanian and two Romanians who had recruited officials from the state-owned postal service. This organization shows the continued “diversification” of drug trafficking […]

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Ciudad Juarez, Mexico: Authorities Capture Sinaloa Cell Leader

From lainformacion.com on August 28, 2013- Mexican police arrested alleged drug trafficker Mario Nunez Meza in Ciudad Juarez near the U.S border. Meza is accused of leading a violent Sinaloa cartel cell in northern Mexico and is wanted by Mexican and U.S. authorities, as well as Interpol. Authorities claim that Meza is linked to hundreds […]

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Reynosa, Mexico: Leader of Gulf Cartel Captured

From Peru.com on August 18, 2013- Mexican authorities have reported the arrest of Armando Ramirez Trevino, leader of the Gulf Cartel. Ramirez Trevino is linked to armed attacks against police, organized crime, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. The U.S. Justice Department had warrants issued for Ramirez Trevino’s arrest on charges of drug trafficking, and offered a […]

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Penas Blancas, Costa Rica: Police Detain Guatemalan with 202 Kilos of Cocaine

From lainformacion.com on August 14, 2013- The Drug Control Police of Costa Rica (PCD) arrested a Guatemalan who was attempting to transport 202 kilos of cocaine to Nicaragua. The drugs were hidden in a “double wall” in the container of a truck. The drugs were discovered during a routine inspection at the Penas Blancas border […]

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Central America: Mexican Cartels Continue Regional Expansion

From El Cronista Digital on July 29, 2013- According to Gema Santamaria, a Mexican academic, the policies of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto will have no positive changes for Central American countries dealing with the continued expansion of Mexican cartels. Pena Nieto’s strategy has been to limit drug trafficking violence and crimes of high impact […]

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Nuevo Laredo, Mexico: Capture of Z-40 Could Lead the Sinaloa Cartel to Seek Border Hegemony

From Siwissinfo.ch on July 29, 2013- The capture of the Zetas leader, Miguel Angel Trevino also known as Z-40, could lead to a Sinaloan attempt to consolidate border control. Leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin Guzman, who has been at large since his prison escape in 2001, could take advantage of the situation and seek […]

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Churintzio, Michoacan: Mexican Vice Admiral Assassinated by Knights Templar

From rpp.com on July 28, 2013- An unidentified group killed Mexican Vice Admiral Miguel Salazar in an ambush in the state of Michoacan. The attack is thought to be the most recent in series of violent attacks in Michoacan perpetrated by the Knights Templar cartel. According to preliminary investigations the vehicle the admiral was travelling […]

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Tamaulipas, Mexico: Navy Captures Leader of “Los Zetas” Cartel

On July 16, 2013 Reuters España reported that Miguel Angel “El Z-40” Treviño, leader of the “Los Zetas” drug cartel, was captured following a Navy helicopter operation near the U.S. border. Treviño was captured along with two other cartel members in the early hours of Monday, while traveling by van along a dirt road 27 […]

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Nuevo Laredo, Mexico: Navy Captures Los Zetas Leader, Z-40

From El Mundo on July 16, 2013- On Monday, Mexico’s navy captured the leader of the Zetas drug cartel, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales (Z-40), in the U.S.-Mexico border city of Nuevo Laredo. Trevino was captured alongside three other Zetas members, $2 million, rifles, and 500 bullets. Trevino was responsible for some of the worst atrocities […]

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Brazil: Federal Police and Spanish Police Conduct Joint Anti-Trafficking Operation

On July 9, 2013 Folha de S.Paulo Jornal reported that the Brazilian Federal Police, with the support of the Spanish police, have carried out an operation targeting a gang engaged in trafficking women for prostitution. The police operation, known as Operação Ninfas (Operation Nymphs) was performed simultaneously in Brazil (Goiás and the Federal District) and […]

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Ayacucho, Peru: Corrupt Police and Family Arrested for Trafficking Drugs to Brazil

From La Republica on July 1, 2013- Although his service record was impeccable, police officer, Efraín Rommel Mallaupoma Fernández was a seasoned criminal. Counterintelligence agents arrested Fernández for directing a drug ring that was sending cocaine from the Valley of the Rivers Ene, Apurímac, and Matntaro (Vraem) to Brazil. Authorities also arrested Virginia Lapa Pérez, […]

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Mexican Trafficker Detained in the Dominican Republic, Wanted by Peru

From lainformacion.com on June 28, 2013- Dominican police arrested Mexico’s Antonio Avalos last week in Las Americas International Airport. Avalos was wanted by Peruvian authorities on charges of drug trafficking. The Secretary General of Interpol had already warned Dominican authorities of Avalos arrival in the Dominican Republic, so the Dominican police were able to make […]

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Members of the Knights Templar Arrested in Costa Rica

From lainformacion.com on June 29, 2013- Police in Costa Rica captured two suspected members of the Mexican drug cartel, the Knights Templar, and seven Costa Ricans who were working with the cartel. The murder of a Guatemalan and a Costa Rican model last November sparked the investigation into Mexican cartel activity in Costa Rica. The […]

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Monterrey, Mexico Experiencing Dramatic Increase in Human Trafficking

On June 18, 2013 Milenio reported that Monterrey is now second only to Cancún in terms of the Mexican cities experiencing the highest increase in human trafficking. Half of the trafficking victims are in transit and later moved to other cities. Those who are kept in the Monterrey come mostly from other states, especially in […]

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Colombian Human Trafficking Network Operating in Argentina Disbanded

On June 13, 2013 El País reported that Argentinian authorities have dismantled a Colombian crime network which had kept 225 Colombians enslaved in Argentina. They had been victims of labor exploitation and were found in furniture workshops in the provinces of Córdoba, Mendoza, Misiones, San Juan, Santa Fe, Jujuy, Salta, Chaco, Tucumán and Buenos Aires. […]

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Ecuador and Bolivia Assess Progress in Fight Against Drugs and Human Trafficking

On June 14, 2013 La Razón reported that the respective Interior Ministers of Ecuador and Bolivia, José Serrano and Carlos Romero, have met in Quito to assess their countries’ progress in policies targeting drugs and human trafficking, including migrant smuggling. According to a statement from the Ecuadoran Ministry of Interior, the two ministers also discussed […]

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Ecuador: members of uniformed units investigated for ties with drug cartels

Elcomercio.com reported that more details were revealed yesterday after the apprehension of excapitán from Earthforce, Telmo Castro , for alleged drug trafficking . Police Intelligence confirmed that other uniformed assets and passive belong to that criminal organization. “There some who go to rise (to since it leaves Castro). There’s everything military, civilian, of all …”, […]

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Brazil: 10 Arrested in Operation against Multinational Drug Gang

From lainformacion.com on June 4, 2013- An operation coordinated by Brazil, with the cooperation of Interpol, the United States, Spain, Colombia, and Uruguay, led to the dismantling of a drug gang accused of shipping cocaine from Brazil to Europe. Eight people were arrested in Brazil, one in Portugal, and one in Switzerland. The operation came […]

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Brazil: Use of Scanners Along the Border to Combat Organized Crime

On June 3, 2013, Terra reported that President Dilma announced the use of mobile scanners to help combat organized crime along border areas. The modernized scanners will be able to detect drugs and weapons inside trucks, cars, as well as drugs hidden in tires. The federal government will spend R$30 million to border states to […]

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“Narcoinquilinos”: Traffickers Renting Apartments to Store Drugs in Buenos Aires

From 26noticias.com.ar on May 24, 2013- A type of crime known as “narcoinquilinos” where people rent out apartments to be temporarily used to store drugs, is being increasingly used by drug dealers in Buenos Aires, Argentina according to a Argentinean civil association. Recently, federal judge Daniel Rafecas ordered the arrest of two individuals who were […]

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La Calera, Chile: Anti-narcotics Brigade Seized More than 116 Kilos of Cocaine

May 22, 2013- Impacto Diario reported that agents of the Chilean Anti-narcotics Brigade (Briant) seized 116 kilos 541 grams of cocaine in the city of La Calera. This success was part of Briant’s efforts to thwart a drug ring operating from Bolivia, although there has only been one arrest so far, the driver of the […]

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Mexican President Sends Thousands of Troops to Michoacán to Restore Peace

Infobaei.com reported on May 22, 2013 that Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto sent at least 4,000 soldiers and 1,000 police to the Mexican state of Michoacán to restore peace to the troubled state. The fight against drug traffickers in Michoacán began in 2006 under President Felipe Calderón. The Minister of the Interior, Miguel Angel Osorio […]

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Comando Vermelho Members Detained on the Paraguay-Brazil Border

May 22, 2013- According to lainformacion.com, Paraguayan police arrested 5 members of the Brazilian criminal organization, Comando Vermelho in the Bella Vista Norte zone of the department of Amambay on May 21, 2013. Agents of the Paraguayan National Anti-drug Secretariat (Senad) carried out the arrests with the collaboration of the Paraguayan Military and the Brazilian […]

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Guatemalan Detained with Ties to Los Zetas

Lainformacion.com reported on May 22, 2013 that Guatemalan security forces detained Guatemalan citizen, Cristopher Calderón Pinto, aka. “El Palanca.” According to the National Civil Police (PNC), Calderón Pinto has ties to a Zetas cell that is active in southern and central Guatemala, and is connected to a dozen crimes related to drug trafficking. During the […]

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Brazil Takes Initiative to Combat Money Laundering in Bolivia

Terra reported on May 21, 2013 that Brazil will help support the Bolivian government combat corruption and transnational organized crime, by providing Bolivia with a technology lab to monitor money laundering. Brazil is the first country to initiate such support to the Bolivian government for this type of criminal activity. According to the Brazilian embassy […]

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Drug Traffickers Captured in Costa Rica with Ties to Mexico and Ecuador

Drug Traffickers Captured in Costa Rica with Ties to Mexico and Ecuador Prensa Latina reported on May 15, 2013 that the Drug Control Police (PCD) of Costa Rica arrested members of an international drug ring dedicated to the transfer of large shipments of cocaine from South America to the United States via the sea. Four […]

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Venezuela Destroys 12 Clandestine Airstrips near Colombian Border, Seizes 1.8 Tons of Drugs

Venezuela Destroys 12 Clandestine Airstrips near Colombian Border, Seizes 1.8 Tons of Drugs On May 16, 2013, Reuters reported that the Venezuelan military destroyed 12 airstrips used by drug traffickers in the state of Apure, near the Colombian Border, in addition to seizing 1.8 tons of drugs in 2013. Wilmer Barrientos, the head of the […]

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Peru: illegal mining contributing to other criminal activity, influx of foreign mafias

Illegal mining has created real “zones” throughout the country, where they act according to their own laws taking advantage of the lack of state control and the growing demand for foreign mafias who pay cash. Read Article

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Mexico: Thermo Fisher Scientific accused of selling factory with drug cartel connections

Bloomberg.com reported that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. was accused by the buyers of its laboratory furniture factory in Reynosa, Mexico, of failing to disclose that the plant was “under siege” by the Gulf Cartel. OpenGate Capital Group LLC accused Thermo Fisher of fraudulent misrepresentation among other claims in a complaint filed yesterday in federal court […]

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Money Laundering in Brazil

Money Laundering in Brazil Money laundering (Portuguese: lavagem de dinheiro) is a prominent financial crime in Brazil.  Defined by INTERPOL as “any act or attempted act to conceal or disguise the identity of illegally obtained proceeds so that they appear to have originated from legitimate sources,”[1] money laundering is used by agents of the private […]

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Colombia: major mafia member from Italy arrested

Euronews.com reported that Colombian police have announced the arrest of one of Italy’s most wanted men. Domenico Trimboli, an alleged member of the Ndrangheta criminal organisation was found in the city of Medellin. Interpol believes he has been heavily involved in hashish and cocaine smuggling across Italy. Read Article – Video

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