All articles tagged with #cocaine
UK border agents seized about five tonnes of cocaine at the London Gateway port, worth over £400 million ($538 million), after smugglers hid drugs in a banana shipment and in a vat of wine. No arrests were announced, and the seizure follows other recent busts at UK docks.
British authorities charged three men after more than 2,000 pounds (about 1 ton) of cocaine was found concealed inside a container of bananas arriving at Southampton Docks from Central America, with a street value around £75 million ($99 million); they could face life in prison if convicted.
Opioid overdose deaths are declining, while deaths from cocaine and meth are rising, signaling an evolving drug crisis in which stimulant use often overlaps with opioids. There is no approved medication for cocaine or meth, so public health relies on approaches like contingency management and expanded treatment, though funding remains scarce. Experts emphasize the need for better public awareness of stimulant overdose symptoms and for scaling effective interventions to prevent a repeat of past crises.
A study of 85 Bahamian sharks across five species found caffeine in 28 individuals, plus two with painkillers and one with cocaine, suggesting contaminants from urbanization and tourism that could affect shark health and behavior; more research is needed to understand the full impact.
A Bahamas study of 85 sharks around Eleuthera found drugs in 28 individuals: caffeine was most common, with two sharks testing positive for cocaine and others for acetaminophen and diclofenac, suggesting pollution from wastewater and tourism; researchers warn of potential increased stress and detoxification energy use, and call for better wastewater management and more research on ecological impacts.
A large analysis of medical data from over 100 million people links recreational drug use to a higher risk of stroke, with amphetamine users facing about a 122% increase, cocaine about 96%, and cannabis around 37%. In people under 55, amphetamine risk nearly triples and cocaine increases by about 97%, while cannabis rises roughly 14%. Mendelian randomization supports a causal link, likely via blood pressure spikes, vessel constriction, and clotting, though opioids showed no significant association. The findings underscore stroke risk from these substances and serve as a warning, not a guide to drug use.
A Cambridge-led systematic review of eight studies and over 100 million individuals links recreational use of amphetamine, cocaine, and cannabis to higher stroke risk, with amphetamines showing the strongest association and under-55 users facing a nearly threefold increase. Cocaine also doubles risk, cannabis raises risk modestly (especially for ischemic stroke), while opioids show no clear link. Genetic analyses support a causal relationship for some stroke types, but many findings rely on self-reported data and can be influenced by confounding factors; results vary by age and stroke type, and further research is needed.
Liza Minnelli says in her memoir that she and director Martin Scorsese had a volatile, cocaine-fueled affair in the mid-1970s during the filming of New York, New York; she describes escalating drug use on and off the set, Scorsese’s heated confrontations, and notes that he later fought his addiction, with their relationship eventually fading.
A large review of 32 studies with more than 100 million people links recreational drug use to substantially higher stroke risk: amphetamine use raises risk by about 122%, cocaine by 96%, and cannabis by 37%—with under-55s seeing an even bigger effect (amphetamines nearly triple; cocaine ~97%; cannabis about 14%). The analysis argues for a causal link supported by genetic data and notes mechanisms including blood‑pressure spikes, narrowed brain vessels, and accelerated atherosclerosis. The authors emphasize that most strokes are preventable through healthy lifestyle choices, despite rising global drug use.
Daryl Hannah criticizes the Love Story miniseries for its portrayal of her and JFK Jr., writing in a New York Times column that she has never used cocaine, hosted cocaine-fueled parties, or pressured anyone into marriage, and arguing the show casts her as an antagonistic figure to heighten the JFK–Bessette romance; she notes real-world backlash from viewers, and JFK Jr.’s grandson Jack Schlossberg called the portrayal grotesque.
The Mexican Navy intercepted a semi-submersible vessel near Manzanillo, Colima, carrying nearly four tons of cocaine and arrested three suspects. The seizure comes amid a week that has seen about 10 tons of cocaine seized overall, with the operation supported by U.S. forces and involving multiple ships and aircraft. The network uses routes La Gorgona and El Desierto from Ecuador and Colombia toward the U.S., with Galápagos and Clipperton as waypoints before reaching Mexican shores and, ultimately, the U.S. market, reflecting a broader crackdown on maritime drug trafficking.
Mexico’s navy intercepted a semi-submersible off Manzanillo carrying about 4 tons of cocaine, bringing the week’s total seized in the region to around 10 tons, with U.S. intelligence assistance cited. Separately, El Salvador’s navy announced a record 6.6-ton cocaine seizure from a 180-foot vessel, arresting ten men from multiple countries. The two operations reflect intensified regional drug interdiction efforts in the Pacific.
Victoria Jones, 34, the daughter of actor Tommy Lee Jones, was found dead at the Fairmont San Francisco on New Year’s Day. The medical examiner ruled the death an accidental cocaine overdose (toxic effects of cocaine). Police responded around 3:14 a.m. on Jan. 1, and the Fairmont issued condolences while cooperating with authorities. Reports note a prior Napa arrest related to a domestic dispute over drug use.
France’s navy seized 4.24 tons of cocaine from a ship in the south Pacific and intercepted a separate boat carrying 678 kilograms of cocaine in the Caribbean, handing the latter to Barbadian authorities; the Pacific cargo was destroyed at sea and the crew released under international law, as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt global trafficking networks.
On his first day plowing for a Connecticut company, 46-year-old Mark Keene allegedly used three bumps of cocaine before his snow-plow crashed into a porch, crossed a yard, and rammed a garage in Fairfield. Police found him with slurred speech and foam at the mouth; Narcan was administered, and toxicology later showed cocaine, benzodiazepines and cannabinoids. Keene turned himself in Jan. 8 on charges of reckless driving and operating under the influence, with a Feb. 25 court date.