Lawyer Zully Graciela Rolón assumed the duties of minister of the Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish), on February 2, 2021. She is the first woman to lead the fight against narcotrafficking in the country. A specialist in Criminal Law and a graduate in Political Science and Accounting, Rolón [ … ]
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Panama Seizes More than 1 Ton of Cocaine in Maritime Shipment
Panamanian authorities began 2021 dealing a blow to narcotrafficking, seizing more than 1 ton of cocaine in a port in the province of Colón. Units of Panama’s National Police Intelligence Directorate, in coordination with the Office of the Prosecutor for Narcotics of Colón and Guna Yala, found 1,736.7 kilograms of [ … ]
Nicaragua Passes Legislation to Outlaw Opposition Members in Presidential Elections
On December 21, 2020, the Nicaraguan Parliament passed a law paving the way for Daniel Ortega to remain in power in the next elections of November 2021. The Law in Defense of the Rights of the People to Independence, Sovereignty, and Self-determination for Peace will allow the Sandinista regime to [ … ]
Colombia Begins 2021 with Large Drug Seizures
The Colombian Military Forces began 2021 with major operations against narcotrafficking. The Navy seized more than 1.5 tons of cocaine on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, and the Army found three coca base paste labs in the Amazon region. On January 10, units of the Colombian Navy’s Cartagena Coast Guard [ … ]
Paraguay: Anti-Drug Agents Seize Nearly 9 Tons of Marijuana
The Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish) began its activities in 2021 by seizing 8.7 tons of marijuana in Canindeyú department. During the January 8 operation, agents seized 5,550 kilograms of chopped marijuana and 3,136 kg of pressed marijuana. For this, we entered a rural area known as Karupera, [ … ]
Colombian Army Captures Members of FARC Dissident Group
In late January, Colombian Army troops, in coordination with the National Police, captured seven members of Los Contadores, a dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, in Spanish) that engages in narcotrafficking in the Pacific coast of Colombia, the Army indicated in a press release. Among those [ … ]
Guatemala Captures Narcotrafficker Investigated by the US
On January 16, 2021, Guatemalan authorities captured Álvaro Rodolfo Oliva Reyes, a narcotrafficker investigated for participating in an organized crime ring that shipped cocaine from South America to the United States. “In Zacapa, anti-drug agents apprehended a man wanted for narcotrafficking. The detainee is Álvaro Rodolfo Oliva Reyes, age 47, [ … ]
Peru Destroys More than 42 Tons of Drugs in 2020
Throughout 2020, the Peruvian Ministry of the Interior’s Commission for the Destruction of Drugs Seized Due to Illicit Drug Trafficking destroyed more than 42 tons of cocaine, marijuana, and other illegal substances, the Ministry of the Interior said in a press release on January 2. “Among the drugs destroyed, there [ … ]
Coca Crops: A Growing Threat in Honduras
Inhospitable tropical forests with no vehicular access and close to the Atlantic Ocean are the preferred areas for criminal groups to grow coca crops in Honduras. This is what Army First Lieutenant José Antonio Coello, Honduran Armed Forces Communications officer, explained in an interview with Diálogo. Since the first coca [ … ]
Brazil’s National Anti-Drug Fund Registers Highest Revenue in 5 Years
Brazil’s National Anti-Drug Fund (FNA, in Portuguese) collected almost $26.5 million by the end of 2020. In comparison, the FNA collected more than $17 million in 2019. This was the fifth increase in revenue since 2016, when the fund registered almost $6 million. The FNA’s revenue is a combination of [ … ]
US Donates Isolation Capsules for COVID-19 Patients in Argentina
Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires MaryKay Carlson announced the donation to the Argentine government of 22 capsules to transport COVID-19 patients. The equipment was presented in a ceremony in mid-February at the Health Emergencies National Directorate, with the participation of Argentine Health Minister Ginés González García [ … ]
USS James E. Williams and Jamaican Coast Guard Train in the Caribbean
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) conducted a passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel HMJS Cornwall in the Caribbean Sea, February 18. The PASSEX provided an opportunity for both navies to improve interoperability and demonstrate their ability to [ … ]