Narco State, Ecuador, trying to clean up the crime

 

Ecuador passes controversial laws

to fight organized crime

By Osvaldo Silva

Ecuador's Intelligence Law would expand the authority of the Strategic Intelligence Center, allowing it to collect personal data, conduct wiretaps and carry out raids without a court order. That law and another measure face review by reviewed by Constitutional Court before taking effect. Photo by Carlos Duran Araujo/EPA-EFE

SANTIAGO, Chile, June 16 (UPI) -- President Daniel Noboa's administration won legislative approval for two key laws aimed at strengthening its response to rising organized crime and violence in Ecuador.

However, the limited debate surrounding the passage of the Intelligence Law and the National Solidarity Law has drawn criticism.

Noboa has defended both laws as essential tools to fight drug trafficking, but some legal experts disagree with the measures.

"Even if Noboa's actions are well-intentioned, both laws must be reviewed to ensure the fight against drug trafficking doesn't violate the Constitution," legal expert Pablo Encalada said.

Related

• Political violence returns to Colombia
• School dropout rate reaches 27% across Latin America
• Drug trafficking complicates Noboa's reform plans in Ecuador

The Intelligence Law aims to combat organized crime, protect civilians and support economic recovery in violence-plagued areas.

But Ana Belén Cordero, Ecuador's former secretary for Anti-Corruption Public Policy, called the law authoritarian.

"It violates every principle of the rule of law by granting enormous power to the head of the intelligence system, bypassing prosecutors and judges," she said.

The new law also would expand the authority of the Strategic Intelligence Center, or CIES, allowing it to collect personal data, conduct wiretaps and carry out raids without a court order.

The National Solidarity Law would create a legal framework for Ecuador's national intelligence and counterintelligence system. It allows funds seized from drug traffickers to be transferred to security forces without oversight or reporting requirements.

"It makes sense for the state to have confidential funds for intelligence operations, but there must be accountability to the National Assembly on how those resources are used," Cordero said.

The law would allow security forces to receive real estate, equipment and other contributions from domestic or international organizations. Donors would be eligible for tax breaks.

"This opens the door to massive leaks of both public and private funds," said Luis Córdova, a researcher at the Ecuadorian Conflict Observatory (Llamas), in an interview with local outlet Primicia.

He also raised concerns about a proposal to increase penalties for juvenile offenders.

While Cordero acknowledged the need to address youth involvement in crime, she argued that minors should not face the same penalties as adults. She emphasized that the state's absence in the country's poorest areas drives many young people to join drug gangs.

Because the Intelligence Law has faced criticism from human rights organizations, which argue it violates constitutional protections, it must be reviewed by Ecuador's Constitutional Court before it can take effect.

In 2024, Ecuador recorded an average of 38 homicides per 100,000 people -- the highest rate in Latin America, according to Insight Crime and other sources.

Narco World > Haiti - almost completely controlled by Narco gangs

 

Haiti's gang crisis reaching 'point of no return,' warns U.N. envoy

By Darryl Coote

A person rides a motorcycle through street fires, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 1, 2024, a day after gang violence left at least five dead and 20 injured. On Monday, the U.N.'s top envoy for the country warned that gang violence in Haiti was nearing the "point of no return." Photo by Johnson Sabin/EPA-EFE

April 22 (UPI) -- Gang violence in Haiti has continued to further deteriorate the country's security and the crisis is reaching "a point of no return," according to the United Nations' top envoy for the Caribbean nation.

Maria Isabel Salvador, the special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Haiti, issued her warning Monday during a Security Council briefing in New York City.

She said that since she last spoke before the council in January, the situation has further devolved, with gangs launching coordinated attacks to expand territorial control and undermine state security.

She detailed attacks targeting Kenscoff, the last road out of the capital, Port-au-Prince, not fully under gang control, and advancements by gangs into the city's downtown areas.

Attacks have also spread across the West, Center and Artibonite departments, which are similar states or provinces -- which Salvador described a part of a gang strategy to further stretch national security forces thin.

There have been at least five prison breaks in under a year, she said, with more than 500 inmates recently freed as "part of a deliberate effort to entrench dominance, dismantle institutions and instill fear."

"The scale and duration of this violence overwhelmed the Haitian National Police, despite support from the Armed Forces of Haiti and the Multinational Security Support Mission, further obstructing stabilization," she said.

Haiti has been facing spiraling gang violence since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July 2021.

Over the last year, there has been an increase in killings and kidnappings by criminal gangs due to Haiti's weak security situation and justice system, Human Rights Watch said in its annual report on the country.

A transitional council has been created and the United Nations has authorized a Multinational Security Support Mission. However, a lack of funds and personnel has hampered the effort, according to HRW, which said gangs control about 85% of Port-au-Prince as well as other regions, including the West and Artibonite departments.

Salvador said that over the months of February and March, 1,086 people were killed and another 383 were injured due to gang violence. Meanwhile, U.N. statistics show that 60,000 people were forcibly displaced during those two months -- on top of the 1.04 million people who had already been displaced multiple times as of January.

These numbers are expected to rise, said Salvador as she called on the international community to step up its support for Haiti through increased funding and operational capacity for the MSSM.

"Haiti could face total chaos and any delay in your support could be a direct cause of such stark deterioration," she said. "I urge you to remain engaged and answer the pressing needs of the country and its people."

There's a guy in The Hague right now who could help you out considerably. But you won't like his ways.

Narco World > Canada's Most wanted captured in Italy; Seven Mafia operatives arrested in Montreal

 

Canada’s most wanted criminal arrested in Rome hideout

By Staff  The Canadian Press

Posted March 28, 2025 12:05 pm

 Updated March 28, 2025 6:51 pm

 1 min read

Canada’s most wanted fugitive has been arrested in Italy after more than a year at large.

Dave (Pik) Turmel, alleged by police to be the head of Quebec street gang Blood Family Mafia, was arrested in Rome on Thursday after local police were tipped off about his presence in the Italian capital.

Quebec City police are holding a news conference Friday afternoon about Turmel’s capture.

Police have sought the 29-year-old Turmel since July 2023 as part of an operation that began in February 2019 to counter an increase in violence linked to drug trafficking. Dave Turmel, BOLO Program

In a news release Friday, Italian authorities say police burst into a vacation home where a 29-year-old fugitive wanted in Canada gave himself up and handed police a fake passport.

The Bolo program, operated by a Canadian charity in partnership with the country’s police forces, lists Turmel as its No. 1 most wanted criminal, sought by Quebec City police for drug trafficking.

He is accused of forming an alliance with independent drug dealers leading a bloody turf war in Quebec City and the eastern part of the province against the Hells Angels.

Quebec City police have sought the 29-year-old Turmel since July 2023 as part of an operation that began in February 2019 to counter an increase in violence linked to drug trafficking.

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Sweeping Italian mafia raids results in 7 arrests by Montreal police

Authorities in Montreal have arrested seven suspects in an organized crime sweep on Wednesday morning targeting the city’s Italian mafia.

Police say the individuals face various charges, including drug trafficking, possession of substances for the purpose of trafficking, and committing an offence for the benefit of a criminal organization.

The suspects are six men between the ages of 34 and 59, and one 44-year-old woman.

Police say 40 officers were involved in the operation.

All seven suspects are allegedly linked to what police called a “traditional Italian organized crime clan,” a release from the SPVM says.

The series of arrests took place in the LaSalle, Verdun and Brossard areas.

All seven suspects were expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

The raids, dubbed ‘Operation Americano’, were led by the Montreal police’s anti-gang unit.

Cmdr. Francis Renaud, head of the Montreal police’s organized crime section, said the operation would disrupt organized crime in the city’s LaSalle and Verdun neighbourhoods.

The investigation involved significant resources and included wiretaps, video footage and “day and night” surveillance.

He told reporters at police headquarters on Wednesday that Italian organized crime has traditionally been associated with Montreal’s Saint-Leonard neighborhood, so “we just hit a little sector that goes underneath the radar a lot,” he said.

Renaud said organized crime in that area is different because traditional Mafia work with bikers and other gangs that would have previously been considered rivals. “They’re doing business, dealing with partners from other organized groups that back in the day we would say were enemies, but they’re not enemies anymore.”

He said the group targeted doesn’t sell drugs at the street level, but allegedly works with a network of resellers as a kind of wholesaler.

While the police operation likely struck a blow to the organized crime network in parts of the city, authorities say more people would be found to fill the place of those who were arrested, forcing police to start a new round of investigations.

“Of course they will find somebody else to replace those guys if those guys stay inside,” he said. “It’s our job to (monitor) the intel and see who is coming in to take the place, and do the exact same thing again.”

The investigation into the group began in 2023, and has already resulted in seizures of cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, guns and $2.2 million in cash during raids last year, according to authorities. Three people were previously arrested, bringing the total number of arrests to 10.

American Politics > Tariffs - Economic Madness; Over 400kg of Cocaine and Meth stopped at Alberta border crossing in past few months

 Tariffs

Warren Buffet said it was like an act of war, economic war. President Trump needs to be told that America cannot prosper by driving the rest of the world into recession or depression which will surely happen.

His vacillating comments have already stopped many investments in other countries and have thrown budget preparations into chaos. Does he not realize this, or does he just not care?

I am not anti-Trump! I love many of the things he is doing although I wish he was not quite so frantic in his pace - he could avoid a lot of pain with a little more care and consideration.

He's trashing Canada's economy because of a small amount of fentanyl crossing the border, and yet...

108-Kilo Cocaine Shipment From US Seized at Alberta Border Crossing

Canada Border Services Agency officers confiscated more than 100 kilograms of cocaine earlier this month from a commercial transport vehicle at the Coutts border crossing in southern Alberta.

Border officers seized approximately 108 kilograms of cocaine following a secondary examination of the vehicle that was attempting to enter Canada from the United States, the CBSA said in a March 20 press release. 

The border agency said a Canadian was driving the vehicle, but its load originated from the United States.

Twenty-six-year-old Calgary resident Arshdeep Singh has been charged with importing a controlled substance and possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking in connection with the seizure. 

Singh is scheduled to appear in a Lethbridge court on May 7.

The Integrated Border Enforcement Team in Alberta, a joint force operation between the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region, CBSA, and Calgary Police Service are collaborating on the investigation.

“Working together with our law enforcement partners is key to stopping drug trafficking,” Calgary Police Service Supt. Jeff Bell said in the release. “By intercepting these drugs, which came through the USA, we’ve kept harmful substances out of our communities and collectively made our cities safer.”

Other Drug Seizures at Coutts

The most recent incident is the latest in a string of drug seizures involving the Coutts border crossing. Coutts is the busiest crossing in Alberta and shares a border with Sweetgrass, Montana.

Nearly $3 million worth of methamphetamine and cocaine destined for Canada was seized at the border during two separate incidents in December and January.

The first seizure occurred on Christmas Eve 2024 when border officers discovered 186 kilograms of methamphetamine in a commercial truck, valued at approximately $1.86 million.

The second seizure occurred on Jan. 18 when officers found two cardboard boxes in a truck trailer containing multiple bricks of cocaine weighing 42 kilograms. The drugs had an estimated street value of more than $1 million.

The drivers of both vehicles were arrested and handed over to the RCMP.

Coutts border officers also discovered 189 kilograms of cocaine in a commercial truck in November with an approximate wholesale value of $2 million.

The drug seizures come at a time when the United States has initiated a trade war with Canada in part due to cross-border drug trafficking. U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Canada of having lax border security, saying fentanyl is flowing into his country as a result.

Trump said he told then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this month that there hasn’t been enough done by Ottawa to address the issue.

White House senior counsellor Peter Navarro has dismissed accusations of the Trump administration launching a trade war against Canada.

“The president is fighting a drug war,” Navarro said on Feb. 4. “This is not a trade war.”

Funny! It feels like a trade war, and it feels like Trump wants Canada to fight it alone since he seems to be doing nothing to stop the incessant flow of drugs northward.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a January press release that less than 0.2 percent of fentanyl seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection comes from Canada.

Narco World > A 'Sink' made of MDMA in NL; Another MS-13 exec arrested in Mexico; Amsterdam leads NL in drug use

 

Dutch police find 4 kilogram “sink” made entirely of MDMA in drug bust

Police made an unusual discovery during a drug investigation this week when they found four kilograms of MDMA molded to look like a sink. The case led to the arrests of a 35-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman for possession of ecstasy pills, MDMA, and a firearm in Zwijndrecht on Thursday, according to a police statement.

Officers working as part of a specialized national police unit spotted a car leaving a home that morning in Zwijndrecht, a Zuid-Holland city just west of Dordrecht and south of Rotterdam. They pulled the car over as part of a traffic stop, and quickly found six kilograms of amphetamines. This led to the arrest of the 35-year-old man from Nijmegen.

The officers returned back to their initial stakeout position, and spotted a woman leaving the same home while carrying a box. Police said she placed this next to a garbage bin.

"A loaded firearm was found in the box, as further investigation revealed. The woman had probably been warned after the man from Nijmegen was arrested," police said in the statement.

"In another box that was next to the dumpster was a 'sink' made of almost 4 kilograms of MDMA. The 33-year-old woman was immediately arrested and locked up for questioning," police said.

Both suspects were expected to be interrogated on Friday.

Man on FBI's most wanted list arrested in Mexico

Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, 47, has been arrested in Mexico. He is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. Photo courtesy of Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch/Facebook

March 18 (UPI) -- Authorities in Mexico have arrested Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, an alleged leader of the MS-13 criminal organization and a suspect on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

Roman-Bardales, 47, was arrested on the Teocelo-Baxtla highway, according to a joint statement Monday from the Defense Ministry, Navy, Attorney General's Office, National Guard and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection.

The statement said Roman-Bardales had been informed of the reason for his arrest and read his legal rights. He was to be transferred to Mexico City to "appear before the relevant authorities before being deported to the United States, where he is wanted."

Little was known about Roman-Bardales' arrest.

The Mexican authorities said it was the result of national cooperation and ongoing investigations "aimed at capturing individuals responsible for generating violence."

During the investigation, authorities learned that Roman-Bardales was operating in Baxtla, located in southeastern Veracruz state.

"With this information, work teams were deployed to carry out fixed, mobile and discreet surveillance, which resulted in the suspect's arrest on the highway, they said.

Roman-Bardales, a native of El Salvadorian(sic), is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list.

He is wanted on a Sept. 22, 2022, indictment charging him and 12 for being high-ranking members of the MS-13 criminal organization.

He has been charged with conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists, narco-terrorism conspiracy, racketeering conspiracy and alien smuggling conspiracy.

The indictment states Roman-Bardales is a "long-time high-ranking member" of the gang who provided directions to members in the United States.

The arrest comes as Mexico has ramped up law enforcement activities targeting drug cartels under pressure of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which imposed mass tariffs on Mexican goods due to narcotics and undocumented migrants crossing into the United States via the shared border.

Late last month, Mexico transferred 29 alleged drug cartel suspects to the United States.

Is it possible to clean up Mexico? I would be very surprised!

Amsterdam still the drug capital of the Netherlands,

sewage analysis shows

The highest levels of residues from drugs like MDMA, cannabis, and ketamine in all of Europe were measured in Amsterdam's sewage water last year. The concentrations were also relatively high in other cities in the Netherlands, comparison research from the European Drug Agency EUDA showed.

When it comes to MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy pills, other Dutch cities also ended up high on the list. Antwerp followed Amsterdam, then came Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Groningen on this section of the list.

Samples were taken from sewage water of 128 cities in order to conduct the research last year. The research showed that MDMA, cocaine, and amphetamines were seen more often on average than a year prior. There was a reduction in the amount of cannabis traces.

Sin is progressive!

There are significant differences among European countries. Residues of cocaine were seen the most in Antwerp. Methamphetamine usage seems to be most widespread in the Czech Republic. The top six cities with the highest concentrations of the drug were in the country.

The measures show that usage of drugs like MDMA, cocaine, and ketamine peaks at the weekend and on Mondays. With methamphetamine, use is more evenly distributed throughout the week.

This indicates that the latter drug is also used by users during the week, while other drugs are mainly used in leisure time. Cannabis is still used the most, despite the decrease in the measurements, the researchers wrote.