#organized-crime

#organized-crime

QUITO, Ecuador The United States will designate two of Ecuador's most powerful gangs Los Lobos and Los Choneros as foreign terrorist organizations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced during a one day visit to the South American country on Thursday. The move allows Washington to freeze assets, target associates and share intelligence with Ecuador for what Rubio described as "potentially lethal" operations. He pledged $13.5 million in security assistance and $6 million in drone technology to support Ecuador's fight against organized crime.

Protection rackets are not a popular topic among bar owners in Cape Town. "You just adapt," says a man from East Africa who does not want to give his name. "The laws of the street apply here." German bar owner Randolf Jorberg learned what these laws look like in 2015. After he spoke publicly for the first time about extortion practices in the restaurant industry and refused to pay, a Congolese bouncer working for him was stabbed to death.

Evidence collected during sting operations planned and carried out by YouTubers helped dismantle a massive Chinese organized crime group that allegedly scammed $65 million from more than 2,000 mostly senior victims across the United States, federal prosecutors in San Diego announced Wednesday. Not all heroes wear capes, San Diego-area U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said. Some have YouTube channels. RELATED: South Bay DA pushes for jail time in organized retail theft case that stretched across region Over the past week, federal agents in California, New York, Michigan and Texas arrested 25 of the 28 individuals indicted by a grand jury for allegedly participating in the fraud scheme.

There are limitations to what we can see with this data, but what we have so far is accurate. If anything I think it's undercounting the scale of the problem.

"We are speaking to eye witnesses," a police spokesman said, adding that officers were looking for the "culprit or culprits." This incident connected to organized crime.

Between August 2023 and August 2024, Australians consumed an estimated 22.2 tonnes of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and MDMA, reflecting a 34 percent increase from the previous year.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the seizure of assets worth $700 million from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, including mansions, cars, planes, and jewelry.

Under Joseph Humire's leadership, the Center for a Secure Free Society thinktank published the TdA Activity Monitor, which tracked supposed crimes by the Tren de Aragua gang in the US.

The United Kingdom has sanctioned 25 targets involved in alleged people smuggling, under a new financial sanctions regime targeting those facilitating the travel of refugees and migrants across the English Channel via small boats.

An organized crime gang is suspected of stealing luxury cars in border counties and stripping them for parts for the black market.

Jack Johannesen, a 23-year-old drug dealer from Bedfordshire, was sentenced to two years and 10 months after mistakenly texting a police officer about his drug deals.

The collapse of the USSR led to a transformation in organized crime, with 1990s Mafia being replaced by hybrid figures known as avtoritety, who combine business, politics, and crime.

The Museum of the Present, which opened on 23 May inside the historic Palazzo Jung in Palermo, commemorates Mafia victims while confronting the ongoing threat posed by Cosa Nostra.

Ramaphosa announced the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of organized crime links involving the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) stated that four individuals were arrested on suspicion of blackmail, money laundering, and offenses related to the Computer Misuse Act.

The high street shop fronts are seen as connecting various domestic problems in Britain, as illegal cigarette sales are tied to serious organized crime and undermine public trust in authorities.

The Ohio Club has been serving the Hot Springs community since 1905, when it was first opened as a bar and casino. Over the years, Ohio Club fixtures have included Al Capone, Bugsy Siegel, Bugs Moran, and Lucky Luciano.

A significant amount of cocaine, believed to be around 500 kilos, was recovered with an initial street value of around €31 million.

Gardaí have detained two men in West Cork following a significant drug seizure believed to involve around 500 kilos of cocaine valued at €35 million. A Joint Task Force, including gardaí, Defence Forces, and Revenue, was formed due to intelligence on maritime drug smuggling efforts. The arrested individuals, linked to the operation, were part of a 'landing crew' who collected the drugs after their arrival by another group known as the 'collection crew.' Further arrests are anticipated as investigations continue.

Four decapitated bodies were found hanging from a bridge in Sinaloa, Mexico, amid escalating cartel violence, which claimed the lives of 20 individuals in one day.

Copper thieves are actively targeting onshore windfarms in England, with organized gangs responsible for a dramatic increase in thefts of cabling and infrastructure.

It's quite telling that none of them have criminal records or are before the courts, because they are the higher level, said police chief Supt. Joe Matthews.

The violent incident involved three men brandishing imitation weapons who demanded money from a homeowner, endangering children upstairs during their aggressive burglary.

Peel police have arrested 18 individuals and seized over $4.2 million in assets related to a Brampton-based organized crime network involved in towing.

Deli Boys cleverly blends slapstick comedy with themes of organized crime, focusing on two hapless brothers who inherit a convenience-store empire only to lose it, leading to unexpected revelations.