Authorities in the Argentine town of Hurlingham, in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Wednesday reported 20 people had died and 74 others had been hospitalized after consuming tainted cocaine.
Netherlands Customs officers have seized what is considered the largest haul this year, over four tons of cocaine at the port of Rotterdam with an estimated value of US$ 362 million. The drug was found in soy bags that were destined for Portugal and are of Paraguayan origin using Uruguay as the port of transit.
The 29-country anti-drug trafficking Orion Campaign seized more than 90 tons of cocaine over about six weeks earlier this year, Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Wednesday.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday he would maintain a less confrontational approach to battling drug gangs even after one of Mexico's most powerful cartels showcased its firepower in a video that stunned Mexicans.
Uruguay on Thursday turned over to the United States a Mexican man wanted on drug and money laundering charges. Gerardo Gonzalez Valencia is the brother of Abigael González, the former head of the Sinaloa cartel faction known as “Los Cuinis” (The Squirrels). Gonzalez Valencia is also the brother-in-law of Jalisco cartel drug lord Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) annual report cites studies that reveal that, in young people aged between 16 and 19, early use of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis leads to an increased likelihood of the use of opiates and cocaine in adulthood.
Colombia's Defense Minister said on Monday the military will step up an offensive against drug trafficking gangs responsible for clearing thousands of hectares of protected national parks for coca plantations.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared an end to the days of collusion between crime and government, saying in a holiday address there was a time when drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was as powerful as the country's president.
Clashes between police and suspected cartel gunmen in a northern Mexican town killed 21 people this weekend, authorities said, adding fuel to a debate sparked by US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to designate the gangs as terrorists.
A Brazilian gang leader tried to escape from prison by impersonating his teenage daughter, complete with a lifelike silicone mask and wig, before attempting to walk out the front door in her place after she visited him.