All articles tagged with #drug cartels
A U.S. internal assessment warns Latin American drug cartels are rapidly expanding drone use, a shift fueled by fighters returning from the Russia-Ukraine war that could complicate the Trump administration’s campaign to halt narcotics flows and dismantle trafficking networks.
The U.S. State Department announced a $1 billion security package for the Colombian government of Abelardo de la Espriella, signaling a strengthened US-Colombia partnership as the Trump-backed right-wing president vows a hardline crackdown on drug cartels and armed groups; a delegation led by Attorney General Todd Blanche attended his Cali inauguration, with goals to eradicate coca, shrink government, and revive oil and gas, while linking Colombia to initiatives like the Shield of the Americas in a time of political polarization.
Even after 67 boat strikes and 221 deaths, U.S. officials say the flow of cocaine into the country has not slowed; a DEA assessment and other officials say traffickers are adapting with bigger boats and aircraft, undermining traditional investigations and leaving supply and prices largely unchanged.
The United States designated two Mexican cartels, the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, expanding sanctions and legal tools to disrupt their finances and operations and signaling intensified U.S. pressure on organized crime in the region.
President Trump announces a new counterterrorism plan targeting drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere, signing executive orders aimed at empowering U.S. and regional agencies to intensify operations against transnational criminal networks.
U.S. prosecutors charged Rubén Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa, and nine other current or former Mexican officials with conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel to import large quantities of narcotics into the United States in exchange for political support; Rocha Moya denies the charges.
Two US officials and two Mexican officials assigned to fight drug cartel operations were killed in a car crash in Chihuahua during an operation to destroy clandestine laboratories in Morelos. The Mexican victims were Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes, director of the state investigation agency, and officer Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes; no immediate details were released about the US officials. US Ambassador Ronald Johnson and Chihuahua Governor Maru Campos offered condolences and reaffirmed commitment to joint security efforts.
The Mexican army killed the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel during an operation to capture him, sparking concerns of heightened violence as the cartel may retaliate against authorities and communities across the country.
Mexico’s most powerful drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, was killed by Mexican security forces in a military operation in Guadalajara, a major blow to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel that operators say could reshape how the drug war unfolds amid ongoing U.S. pressure to crack down on trafficking.
Sara Carter has been confirmed as the first woman to lead the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, tasked with combating drug trafficking and addiction, bringing extensive experience as a cartel expert and investigative journalist.
The US military conducted two strikes on boats suspected of drug smuggling in the eastern Pacific, killing five people, as part of an ongoing campaign against drug cartels, with a total of 28 boats targeted and at least 104 people killed since the campaign began.
President Trump designated fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, empowering the DEA with more tools to combat its flow into the U.S., especially targeting Mexican drug cartels, which are now considered terrorists due to their role in trafficking the drug, seen as a national security threat.
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the U.S. Southern Command area to support operations against Latin American drug cartels, deploying over 60 aircraft and additional naval forces to enhance efforts in disrupting narcotics trafficking, amid broader US military actions in the region.
President Trump is increasing briefings for Congress on his administration's anti-narcotics efforts in the Caribbean and Pacific, amid heightened military activity off Venezuela and concerns over extrajudicial killings, with plans for potential future strikes in Venezuela and Mexico, and ongoing bipartisan debates over transparency and legality.
The Trump administration is planning a covert mission involving U.S. troops and intelligence to target drug cartels in Mexico, including potential drone strikes and ground operations, marking a significant escalation in U.S. efforts against drug trafficking in the region, though a final decision has not yet been made.