Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaidó continues to pressure the international community to include Venezuelan gold in the list of so-called “conflict minerals.” The president of the National Assembly, recognized by more than 50 countries as interim president of Venezuela, raised the problem of what he called “blood gold” during his [ … ]
Transnational Threats
Colombia Continues to Hinder Narcotrafficking
The efforts of the Armed Forces of Colombia to address all the emergencies and needs due to the coronavirus crisis have not curbed their drug interdiction operations. “Intelligence operations show that, at this time, while our units are also handling tasks related to COVID-19, there has been an increase in [ … ]
Venezuelan Regime Lines Its Pockets With Drug Money
For years, Venezuela has been strengthening narcotrafficking. The leader of the illegitimate National Constituent Assembly, Diosdado Cabello Rondón, plays a decisive role in the process, not only because he is the second most powerful man in the regime, but also because he provides political and military protection to narco-terrorist crimes, [ … ]
US Charges Venezuelan Chief Justice with Corruption and Money Laundering
Maikel Moreno — the highest-ranking judge in Venezuela — was indicted on separate charges in Miami, Florida for money laundering and corruption on March 26, the same day that Nicolás Maduro and others in his regime were charged with narco-terrorism and other criminal charges. Moreno is believed to have doled [ … ]
Despite Coronavirus, Narcotrafficking Fight in Colombia Continues
More than 80,000 Colombian service members have been deployed throughout the country since mid-March to enforce the Iván Duque government’s measures to contain the coronavirus spread. Despite the coronavirus emergency, the Colombian Military Forces continue their relentless fight against narcotrafficking. "We’ve managed to capture 31 individuals, and this disrupts the [ … ]
Venezuelan Ex-General Surrenders to US on Drug Trafficking Charges
A retired Venezuelan general who was charged by the United States with “narco-terrorism” along with Nicolás Maduro and other officials has surrendered in Colombia to U.S. authorities, prosecutors said on March 28. “The national Attorney General learned that Mr Cliver Alcala surrendered to U.S. authorities,” the Colombian prosecutor said in [ … ]
US Shifts Strategy and Offers Venezuela Path Toward Democracy
The United States announced on March 31 that they are prepared to lift sanctions against Venezuela if both Nicolás Maduro and Interim President Juan Guaidó step aside and agree to a transitional government guided by both ruling parties. The plan was outlined by the U.S. special representative to Venezuela, Elliott [ … ]
Surgical Masks and Fruits Used to Transport Drugs Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
For decades, narcotraffickers have been employing inventive methods to transport drugs, including using long-stretched tunnels with lighting and ventilation systems, camouflaged semisubmersibles for more discreet navigation, and drones. Now drug dealers are taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis, using much-needed surgical face masks to disguise and “mask” narcotics. On March [ … ]
US Sanctions on Venezuela Explained
Since 2017, the U.S. has sanctioned people, businesses, and oil entities associated with the Nicolás Maduro regime, both inside and outside of Venezuela. Why are sanctions necessary and who actually feels their impact? U.S. sanctions are designed to ensure that Maduro and his cronies don’t profit from illegal gold mining, [ … ]
Petrocaribe Decline Worsens
Petrocaribe, the crude oil and gasoline trade alliance project between Venezuela and Caribbean nations, which the Venezuelan regime promoted for years, is in decline, and its failure is evident. “The program is crashing rapidly due to the crisis in Venezuela and, more specifically, to the decline in production by Petróleos [ … ]
Colombian-Panamanian Combined Operation Strikes Narcotrafficking
In mid-February, the Colombian Navy and the Panamanian Air and Naval Service (SENAN, in Spanish) carried out a combined operation that led to the capture of a semisubmersible and its four Colombian crew members. The vessel, which navigated on the Caribbean Sea off the Panamanian province of Bocas del Toro, [ … ]
Colombia, New Target of Russian Disinformation
In December 2019, Colombian Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez told the press that Colombia was suffering a wave of disinformation attacks from Russia and Venezuela. Ramírez said that social media trolls (people who disrupt online communities) encouraged violent protests, in an attempt to destabilize Iván Duque’s government. These complaints coincide [ … ]