Counternarcotics
Tuesday, April 12, 2016 - 06:52
The half-tragic, half-farcical nature of the drug war also makes it tough to (reasonably) justify the $2.5 billion in military aid that Washington has blindly thrown at Mexico since 2008, as part of what’s called the Merida Initiative.
Friday, April 8, 2016 - 07:27
Since 1961, the international community has invested huge resources to enforce the UN mandate to create a “drug free” world. Yet, after decades of interdiction and eradication, organised crime around the globe has merely shifted routes and markets.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 - 05:18
Operation Martillo (Spanish for “hammer”) a critical operation led by Joint Interagency Task Force South, in support of U.S. Southern Command, is entering its fifth year of coordinating partner nation efforts to stop illicit trafficking routes in the coastal waters along the Central American isthmus.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - 07:28
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations (AMO) aircrews detected a vessel carrying more than 1,200 pounds of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea as part of a targeted anti-drug effort in the region. The drugs have an estimated wholesale value of more than $16 million.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016 - 06:28
The Colombian government is doubling down on efforts to contain the expanding cultivation of coca crops, underscoring some of the persistent difficulties associated with combating the country’s illicit drug trade. During a press conference on March 10, Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas said that the country is concerned over an increase in coca crops, as noted by the US and the United Nations.
Thursday, March 3, 2016 - 06:15
Drug trafficking is a growing problem in West Africa as the production of synthetic drugs and their use are increasing in the region, a report by the International Narcotics Control Board said Wednesday.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016 - 06:12
Colombian security officials are emphasizing the substitution of illegal crops with legal alternatives as part of the country's fight against drug trafficking, in concert with the Armed Forces' continuing campaign to eradicate coca, the main ingredient used to make cocaine.
Monday, February 29, 2016 - 11:03
El Salvador’s mounting security crisis has been met by a heavy-handed government response, which centers on sending the military and police into the streets to outgun the gangs and filling the country’s jails with even the lowest-ranking of alleged gang members. Beyond escalating violence and presenting extremely serious human rights concerns, this plan is simply not working. But, as 2016 unfolds, the government has a chance to set a new course and roll out an existing strategy to curb the violence.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 - 09:23
Colombia's second largest rebel group is making a bid to remind the world that it remains active in a presumed attempt to influence potential peace talks. Beginning at the weekend, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, imposed a 72-hour economic shutdown on areas where it has influence, and carried out a wave of small-scale attacks against military, police, and infrastructure targets across the country.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 05:12
The White House on Tuesday requested $450.6 million for fiscal year 2017 to support Colombia’s anti-narcotics campaign and peace-building efforts in a program it’s dubbing Paz Colombia, officials said. In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, William Brownfield, the assistant secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, said the money would be roughly split 50-50 between economic and social programs