Uruguay, the first country to legalise recreational use of marijuana, becomes the first in Latin America to export it for medicinal purposes. Germany is set to be its first client. The United-Kingdom is currently dominating exports in medicinal marijuana. Americas Quarterly highlights the 3 measures Brazil should take to stem organised crime. First, build new…
From 22 to 26 April 2019, Joint Airport Interdiction Task Forces from 8 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean benefitted from a regional online interactive training on intelligence and analysis for border control management at international airports, alongside other law enforcement officers. Overall, 120 persons from Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, the…
According to a recent report published by the ENACT project, heroin use is booming in South Africa. Exploring how this trend could be hampered, the report emphasised the need for political and regionally coordinated responses. Honduras may be a new transit route for illicit drug flows, following the arrest of four Colombian citizens in Honduras attempting to…
The increase of cocaine production in Colombia has boosted the vulnerability of the Panamanian maritime transport industry. In 2018, the authorities of Colón arrested 330 people and seized 12 tonnes of cocaine, half of it in the port terminals. On the other side of the route, the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp have registered an…
From 18 to 25 March, the Bolivian Vice Ministry of Social Defence and Controlled Substances and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched a cycle of training aimed at reinforcing capacities on asset forfeiture linked to drug trafficking. Asset forfeiture, or asset seizure, is a form of confiscation undertaken by a state…
NEWSLETTER_March_2019
On April 1, the Ecuadorian authorities detected an aircraft reportedly carrying drugs and making an unauthorized landing in the province of Manabí. Although the plane managed to escape, nine alleged drug traffickers were arrested and US $ 200,000, four firearms and several vehicles were seized. Despite the efforts of the authorities, the “narco-flights” remain a…
From 26 to 29 of March, the regional coordinator of SEACOP for the Caribbean attended the annual Caribbean Basin Coastal Surveillance and Maritime Security Summit (CABSEC) and South-American Security Summit (SAMSEC) combined forum on maritime security organised by the Barbados Defence Force. This year, the forum focused on promoting regional cooperation and countering transnational threats. On the second…
Nearly 750 military staff, mostly low-ranking officers, have reportedly perished since the Mexican government launched the “war on drugs” in 2006. Tamaulipas, a state located on the US-Mexico border accounts for the state where most of the most military deaths occurred. The Romanian police seized more than a ton of high-quality cocaine in a boat…
