News briefing – Week of 5 June
During a visit to Mexico City, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel offered support to Mexico on the renegotiation
News briefing – Week of 29 May
A large-scale crackdown was carried out by Panamanian authorities who seized four tonnes of cocaine worth $400 million and which led to the detention of 64 people
News briefing – Week of 22 May
The medical journal Scientific Reports unveiled that cocaine was more addictive than first thought, the drug being able to cause addiction after just one use, even amongst recreational cocaine users. The study showed that dopamine release may trigger the same addiction on non-dependant users than on cocaine dependent users and way earlier than previous studies asserted.
News briefing – Week of 15 May
Spanish and Ecuadorian authorities seized 5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a cargo vessel at Santa Elena, Ecuador, and bound to Spain via Panama. The haul is estimated at $250m and is considered as one of the largest cocaine seizures to date. Twenty individuals were arrested on charges of drug trafficking.
News briefing – Week of 8 May
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.
News briefing – Week of 1 May
U.S. Coast Guard seized more than 1.700 kilos of cocaine with an estimated value of $56 million along the Central American coastline. The seizure was part of the international operation Martillo, launched in 2012 and which has so far intercepted about 700 metric tonnes of cocaine.
News briefing – Week of 24 April
12.000 kilos of cocaine worth $400 million were seized, 14 vessels were intercepted and 40 suspected smugglers were arrested off the Pacific coast of South and Central America by U.S. Coast Guard. The seizure was part of a successful three-month counter-drug mission which involved multiple law enforcement and military agencies.
News briefing – Week of 17 April
Colombian authorities arrested William Rafael Vargas Maestre in Armenia (Colombia), one of Spain’s most wanted suspects in drug trafficking, who had been on the run since February 2016. With the help of Spanish law enforcement, the Colombian drug trafficking ring led by Vargas was dismantled and led to the arrest of 24 suspects. Mauritius’ Prime…
News briefing – Week of 10 April
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…
News briefing – Week of 3 April
Venezuela’s capital Caracas has been ranked by the Citizen’s Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice (CCSPJP) as the world’s deadliest city for a second year in a row, with a homicide rate of 130 per 100.000 inhabitants. The city is notorious for its high rates of street and organised crime, becoming a major drug…