Colombian law enforcement agencies dealt a significant blow to narcotrafficking organizations by intercepting 19,249 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride and marijuana in different operations between March 16 and April 5, 2021. On April 5, the Colombian Military Forces’ General Command (CGFM, in Spanish) announced the seizure of 1,085 kg of marijuana [ … ]
Transnational Threats
Peru Destroys Narco Airstrips in Indigenous Communities
The increase in drug production in Peru, especially in the Ucayali region, is noticeable due to the increase in clandestine airstrips that narcotraffickers use. To date, authorities have found 46 clandestine airstrips in forests; many of them are located on indigenous community lands, the Ucayali regional government’s Regional Forestry and [ … ]
Brazil Increases Seizures by 38 percent at Border with Bolivia and Peru
Acre, one of the Brazilian states located in the Amazon region, counts with the support of a Special Border Group (GEFRON, in Portuguese) since September 2019. Neighbor to Bolivia and Peru, the state struggles to combat drug and arms trafficking throughout its extensive border region. Acre Military Police Colonel Antônio [ … ]
Colombia Police, Military Raid Illegal Gold Mining Operation
From the air, the illegal gold mines look like wounds in the dense jungle of southern Colombia — scars of red, gray, and brown dirt surrounding toxic ponds. The sound of the police and military choppers lunging in over the hills sends most of the miners below fleeing into the [ … ]
South American Countries Seize 200,000 Illegal Weapons during Interpol Operation
South American countries came together against international arms trafficking during Operation Trigger VI, coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, March 8-28. “The operation led to the arrest of nearly 4,000 suspects in all 13 South American countries, with the [ … ]
Colombian Army Seizes Nearly 6 Tons of Coltan
The Colombian Army seized nearly 6 tons of black sand with coltan on the Guaviare River, Guainía department, at the border with Venezuela, on March 14, 2021. Service members attributed the shipment to a dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, in Spanish), led by alias Gentil [ … ]
Eight Individuals Indicted for Transnational Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering, and Financial Crimes
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas (EDTX) has returned an indictment charging eight individuals with various federal violations related to a complex international drug trafficking conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei on February 26. Debbie Mercer, 58, and Kayleigh Moffett, 33, both of Oklahoma [ … ]
Navy Seizes Venezuelan Vessel Illegally Fishing off the Coast of Amapá State
On April 13, 2021, the Brazilian Navy Patrol Vessel (NPa, in Portuguese) Guanabara, under the Northern Naval Patrol Group Command, intercepted a Venezuelan-flagged vessel, which was fishing illegally in Brazilian jurisdictional waters, off the coast of Amapá state. [caption id="attachment_45950" align="aligncenter" width="339"] The 14 crew members of the Venezuelan vessel [ … ]
‘Narcotrafficking Is Taking Over’ Venezuela with Maduro’s Complicity, Colombia Says
On April 3, Colombian Minister of Defense Diego Molano accused Venezuela of acting as an “accomplice” of Colombian narcotrafficking groups in heavy confrontations that have forced thousands of people to cross the border and take refuge in Colombia. “What is happening in Venezuela is that narcotrafficking is slowly taking over [ … ]
Colombia Announces First Extraditions of ELN Guerrillas to the US
On March 30, Colombia shared a list of 11 alleged National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas it intends to extradite to the United States for the first time for narcotrafficking. “This is the first time in Colombia’s history that an ELN member is being extradited to the United States for causes [ … ]
Colombia Seizes More than 10.5 Tons of Drugs
In six operations, the Colombian Public Force seized more than 10.5 tons of drugs in various areas of the country. On March 11, 2021, the Navy and the Army, in coordination with the Police, seized 561 kilograms of marijuana that two individuals were transporting in a vessel on the Guapi [ … ]
Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic Join Efforts to Fight Narcotrafficking in the Caribbean
Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are joining efforts to stop transnational criminal groups that attempt to move drugs to the United States or Europe on Caribbean waters. Between March 1 and 20, together they seized 2,723 kilograms of cocaine at different locations in their territorial seas. On March 14, [ … ]