22/08 – Spain’s Drug-Trafficking Queen Caught With 24 Pounds of Cocaine. A notorious drug trafficker, nicknamed the “Queen of Ronda,” has been busted in Spain with 24 lbs of cocaine. Spanish police said they also found nearly $23,000 hidden in Maria del Mar’s car after arresting the notorious trafficker during a drug deal.
22/08 – The Mexican ‘narco-pilot’ who eluded the DEA assuming nine different identities. It took five years to arrest Ronier Sánchez and six before he was finally extradited to the state of Connecticut, where he is now facing trial.
23/08 – US and Paraguay Reaffirm Commitment in the Fight Against Organized Crime. U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay Marc Ostfield ratified U.S. support for the Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) in a meeting with its Minister Zully Rolón at the institution’s headquarters in early July. The reunion reaffirmed the commitment of both countries in the fight against transnational organized crime, SENAD said via Twitter.
23/08 – El Salvador Extends State of Emergency to Fight Organized Crime. El Salvador has detained more than 50,000 suspected members of organized crime groups since a state of emergency was declared five months ago, prompting lawmakers to extend it until September 20.
23/08 – MAOC (N) supports Portuguese seizure of 1231kg of cocaine in the Atlantic. On 03/08/2022, in a joint operation by the Portuguese, French and Dutch authorities, and with the support from MAOC (N), the catamaran KLARA was intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean by Portuguese Navy assets and escorted to Ponta Delgada (Azores, Portugal), considering the strong suspicions of carrying a large amount of cocaine. Following a deep search undertaken by the Portuguese authorities, several hidden compartments were found on the vessel containing a total of 1075 packages of cocaine, with a total weight of approximately 1231kg.
25/08 – Portugal Fighting Back Against Rising Tide of Cocaine. Portugal has seized records amount of cocaine from South America in recent months, underscoring how the country is regaining its place as a significant drug entry point and transit hub.
