#drug-trafficking

#drug-trafficking

Antwerp: A major drug trafficking hub More drugs flowed through Antwerp than any other place in Europe, according to the 2025 annual report by the European Union Drugs Agency. In 2023, a record 116 tons of cocaine were seized in the port city. However, the amount of cocaine seized in 2024 fell by 50%, as authorities increased inspections.

Mr. Secretary, what legal authority did the Pentagon invoke to strike that boat full of drug smugglers? she asked. We have the absolute authority and complete authority to conduct that, Hegseth replied. First of all, just the defense of the American people alone. A hundred thousand Americans were killed each year under the previous administration because of an open border and open drug traffic flow. That is an assault on the American people.

Democrats were left in the dark on the operation, multiple sources told Axios, and they want answers on the legal basis for the strike. Their leaders raised similar concerns following President Trump's airstrikes on Iran in June. U.S. officials said the attack on the ship - which killed 11 members of the Tren de Aragua cartel, according to Trump - targeted drug trafficking. But it's threaded with the hopes of regime change in Venezuela.

The US attack on the Venezuelan boat on Tuesday came just a few days after news reports circulated about US warships advancing into Venezuelan waters. Last month, The New York Times reported that Trump had signed a secret directive instructing the Pentagon to use military force against certain Latin American drug cartels designated by the US as foreign terrorist organisations.

Arrested Donald Eugene Fields II, 61. St. Louis man indicted on child sex charges. Arrested Jan. 25 in Lady Lake, Fla., after a routine traffic stop. Arnoldo Jimenez, 43. Wanted for the 2012 murder of his wife, found dead in their Illinois apartment the day after their wedding. Arrested Jan. 30 in Mexico. Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, 47. Alleged MS-13 leader indicted on charges related to drugs, terrorism and racketeering. Added in February, caught March 17 in Mexico.

Donald Trump's art of negotiation relies heavily on the art of pushing his counterparts Mexico in this case to the limit. Just when, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum, it seemed that the relationship between the two nations was based on respect among equals and non-subordination, Trump launched a new challenge this week to pressure Mexico and extract even more security benefits from Washington's main trading partner.

The United States government has doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million due to his ties to drug trafficking.

The FBI has launched a social media campaign seeking tips on the whereabouts of Ryan Wedding, a fugitive alleged to lead a murderous criminal network shipping tons of fentanyl and cocaine.

Spain's National Police have broken up a criminal organisation that was shipping marijuana to Ireland from Spain, resulting in 14 arrests across both countries.

In "Florida Palms," the story captures a gritty side of Central Florida, a region shaped by the aerospace industry but now facing economic decline.

A multi-agency operation led to the seizure of 27 tons of illegal cannabis products and six arrests, following a deadly explosion at a honey oil lab.

Jose Adolfo 'Fito' Macias, leader of Los Choneros, pleaded not guilty to seven charges related to international drug and arms trafficking in federal court.

Andrew Pender, a 52-year-old father of four, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for leading a sophisticated drug network in Dublin, involving €10m in drugs and cash.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez pleaded guilty to four drug trafficking and organized crime charges, succeeding his father as a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.