All articles tagged with #narco terrorism
The United States pledged £1 billion in security aid to Colombia as Abelardo de la Espriella—backed by Trump—was sworn in, signalling a tougher, more US-aligned stance. The package aims to battle organised crime and illegal immigration, while de la Espriella vowed to crush armed insurgents and defend democracy.
The article argues that Trump’s aggressive Latin American interventions framed as a crackdown on narco-terrorism echo Reagan-era tactics, using the label to justify military action while targeting leftist governments. It traces the term’s Cold War origins—from Peru’s Shining Path and the Huallaga coca trade to Colombia’s M-19 and NSDD 221—showing how U.S. policy has repeatedly linked drugs to anti-communist aims. Today’s moves—designating gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, pressuring allies, and expanding security coalitions—are portrayed as a continuation of that approach, selectively applied to advance political objectives rather than solely curb drug trafficking.
The U.S. military conducted another strike on a vessel accused of drug trafficking in the Caribbean, killing three people, part of a broader campaign that has killed at least 181 since September. Washington has provided little public evidence that the targeted vessels carried drugs, drawing criticism over the legality and scope of the strikes amid the ongoing effort against narco-trafficking in the region.
Two people were killed when a U.S.-led strike on a small boat in the eastern Pacific hit a vessel operated by a U.S.-designated terrorist group involved in drug trafficking; the strike, part of Joint Task Force Southern Spear and directed by Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, left no U.S. casualties and has spurred questions about legal justification and due process.
US prosecutors say Maduro and his wife cannot use Venezuela’s government funds to pay for their legal defense in a New York narco-terrorism case, citing sanctions and alleged plunder of national wealth; the defense argues dismissal is premature and emphasizes the right to counsel. Judge Alvin Hellerstein indicated the right to defense is paramount and will rule later, with no bail or trial date set.
Nicolas Maduro, the deposed Venezuelan leader, is being held in a high-security ‘SAMs’ unit at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center under special administrative measures that restrict outside contact while he faces narco-terrorism and drug-trafficking charges; his wife is in a separate unit, and Maduro has pleaded not guilty. The SAMs unit, refurbished after MCC Manhattan’s closure, houses up to 12 inmates with 24-hour surveillance and limited recreation, and his lawyers are seeking dismissal amid licensing disputes with OFAC.
Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured by US forces in a Caracas raid and are back in a Manhattan federal court to face narco-terrorism charges, with prosecutors alleging he led a corrupt regime that protected drug trafficking; the case includes funding disputes over his defense under OFAC sanctions, as Venezuela reshapes its leadership under acting president Delcy Rodríguez.
At a House Armed Services Committee hearing, a top DoD official said Operation Southern Spear’s lethal boat strikes against drug smuggling in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific are only the beginning and could include ground operations; Democrats warn of mission creep and legality concerns, while Republicans praise the effort as homeland defense. The campaign has reported 157 deaths in 45 strikes and more than 15,000 service members deployed, with discussions to expand to land targets in coordination with partner militaries.
The United States and Ecuador announced joint operations against narco-terrorist networks in Ecuador, with initial activity focused on logistics and intelligence support as part of a broader Trump administration push to combat drug cartels; the move signals a new front in US military action in Latin America and has drawn criticism over legality and potential extrajudicial risks, while Ecuadorian President Noboa embraces tougher cooperation and plans higher tariffs on Colombian imports.
US and Ecuadoran security forces announced joint operations against designated terrorist organisations to tackle illicit drug trafficking in Ecuador, with information sharing and coordination planned at airports and seaports. President Noboa said regional allies, including the US, are backing a new phase of Ecuador’s war on drug cartels, highlighting Ecuador’s role as a major cocaine transit hub and noting ongoing security cooperation such as a temporary US air presence at Manta.
The United States and Ecuador have launched joint military operations inside Ecuador against designated terrorist organizations as part of an ongoing campaign against narcotics networks, with few details released and praise from U.S. Southern Command; the operation appears to extend prior regional strikes amid Ecuador's security challenges tied to gangs and drug trafficking.
The United States and Ecuador announced joint military operations against designated narco-terrorist organizations, with U.S. Special Forces advising and supporting Ecuadorian troops across the country as they raid drug facilities; the effort, described by U.S. Southern Command as strengthening regional security, signals a broader U.S. push to curb drug networks in Latin America, though legal concerns about the use of lethal force abroad have been raised by critics.
U.S. Southern Command said on Tuesday that Ecuadorian and U.S. forces launched joint operations in Ecuador to combat illicit drug trafficking; Ecuador’s Defense Ministry confirmed collaboration with the U.S. in an offensive operation and said details were classified. President Daniel Noboa had signaled plans for joint actions with the U.S. and allies in March as part of a broader push against narco-terrorism and illegal mining, and the piece notes a new U.S.-led intel task force on drug cartels shaping the effort. It also references a recent Mexican raid targeting cartel leader El Mencho and notes that officials provided few specifics about the Ecuador operation.
U.S. prosecutors unsealed a superseding indictment charging René Arzate-García, a Sinaloa Cartel plaza boss in Tijuana, with narcoterrorism and providing material support to terrorism for trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States; his brother Alfonso Arzate-García is also wanted. The State Department has offered up to $5 million rewards for information leading to their arrest or conviction, as part of a coordinated effort by multiple agencies to dismantle the cartel. The case, prosecuted in the Southern District of California, highlights ongoing efforts to disrupt the cartel’s U.S. operations and impose severe penalties, including potential life sentences.
Nicolas Maduro, the former Venezuelan president, made his first court appearance in New York after being captured by US forces, facing charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, while asserting his innocence and claiming to still be the president of Venezuela.