The government of Guatemala declared a state of emergency in the Ixchiguan and Tajumulco municipalities, at the border of Mexico, which have known a surge in drug-related violence, Guatemala being a transit hub for Mexican and South American drug cartels. Troops will be sent to the two cities to prevent criminal gangs from operating.
German police seized more than 800 pounds of cocaine (380 kilograms) in Cologne, dissimulated in cases of bananas shipped from Ecuador. The haul represents the biggest seizure in the history of the city. 26 employees of American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and DHL, as well as airport cleaning services and restaurant workers have been arrested at…
According to the latest International Narcotics Control Strategy Report on Drug and Chemical Control, released by the U.S. State Department, a list of five Caribbean nations has been sent to the U.S. Congress by US President Trump, naming ‘major illicit drug producing and/or drug-transit countries.’ This includes the Bahamas, Haiti, Belize, the Dominican Republic and…
Colombian police seized more than 6 tons of cocaine in the Caribbean port of Barranquilla bound for Spain. Colombian Defence Minister Luis Carlos Villegas confirmed that the shipment, worth €200 million, was carried out by several drug cartels, including El Clan del Golfo. The seizure represents the third largest cocaine seizure in the history of…
The Crime Rate Index for 2016 listed Mexico as the third most dangerous country in the world due to the violence created by drug-related organized crime, with the country ranked higher than countries currently at war. Ecuadorean Police seized around 10 metric tons of cocaine at Guayaquil port, which could mean the country may become…
15 alleged organized crime figures accused of smuggling drugs from South America were arrested by the Italian police. The target was a ring which was reportedly sending drugs from Colombia to Spain, and then into Italy. The investigation was a joint effort of Italian State and financial police, and Drug Enforcement Administration officials in the…
72 people have been accused of operating a multi million-dollar drug-trafficking ring in Puerto Rico. Reportedly, the suspects were conspiring to distribute marihuana, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base. The group would have generated $27 million, according to the authorities. 250 kilos of cocaine were found by the Costa Rican Police on a container ship that…
The Governor of Mexico’s Guerrero State is calling for the legalization of opium poppy for medicinal purposes as an alternative plan for minimizing the insecurity in the state, as revealed by Insight Crime. However, as stated by the UNODC Representative to Mexico “structural solutions” must be found to tackle the issue of violence. Reportedly, in…
Paraguay authorities reported the interception of a tour bus loaded with 296 kilos of cocaine on its way to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Two men were arrested and charged with drug trafficking and other crimes. According to officials, the cocaine would have a value of $3 million on the Brazilian market. Venezuelan…
In the early 20th century coca leaf was produced by the Dutch colonial authorities in Indonesia and by the Japanese administration in Taiwan for pharmaceutical purposes. After the Second World War coca production was once again restricted to the Andean core countries where the plant was first domesticated and where coca leaf is widely used…
