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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [CRIME]

2 clusters · 42 sources · 14 days · First seen · Last updated

Organized crime and drug trafficking in Latin America

Overview

Authorities in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Ecuador are addressing various facets of organized crime and drug trafficking.

In Costa Rica, concerns have been raised regarding the recruitment of minors by drug trafficking organizations to act as hitmen. Recent operations supported by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) resulted in the arrest of five individuals allegedly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. These raids, conducted across Sabana Sur, Alajuela, and Esparza, involved three Costa Ricans, one Mexican, and one Peruvian. Authorities seized three kilograms of cocaine, methamphetamine, weapons, cash, and jewelry.

In a separate Costa Rican operation, the National Intelligence and Security Directorate (DIS) captured a Panamanian national believed to be linked to the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua. This individual had been sought for six years and was subsequently handed over to Panamanian authorities. Additionally, the Drug Control Police (PCD) and Public Force seized 312 kilograms of cocaine in Mariposa, near the southern border with Panama.

In the Dominican Republic, intelligence reports indicate that Haitian youth gangs are forming in the La Altagracia province near tourist hubs like Punta Cana, with efforts to acquire firearms.

In Colombia, operations against the Clan del Golfo resulted in the seizure of $12 million in assets and the arrest of ten individuals for cocaine trafficking and money laundering. Military actions also destroyed cocaine paste laboratories in Antioquia. In Ecuador, an American citizen was detained in Cuenca following the discovery of a marijuana cultivation site.

Entities

Organismo de Investigación Judicial · Drug Enforcement Administration · Sinaloa Cartel · Fiscalía General de la Nación · Punta Cana

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. 2 days ago

    [CRIME] 40 sources
    Costa Rica authorities dismantle Sinaloa Cartel and Tren de Aragua links

    Costa Rican authorities, with DEA support, detained five suspects linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and seized 3kg of cocaine. A separate operation near Panama yielded 312kg of cocaine and captured a Tren de Aragua-

  2. 15 days ago

    [CRIME] 3 sources
    Criminal gangs increasingly recruit minors in Costa Rica and Dominican Republic

    Criminal organizations in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic are increasingly utilizing minors and youth gangs for violent activities, threatening regional security and local economies.

Sources

2001online.com · agendainformativa.com.mx · alonoticias.com · bavaronews.com · buenaventuraenlinea.com · diariodelsur.com.co · diariodesevilla.es · diariofirmat.com.ar · diariopanorama.com · diariorancagua.cl · ecuadorcomunicacion.com · elcomercio.com · elmercurio.com.ec · elreporterodeiquique.com · elveedordigital.com · entornointeligente.com · extra.ec · extranoticias.cl · floresdepapel.com.ar · labrujula24.com · laopinion.com.co · lapatilla.com · larazon.co · lateja.cr · lu19.com.ar · menorcaaldia.com · moncloa.com · montecristinoticias.com · noticiasdemalaga.es · notitarde.com.ve · nvinoticias.com · observador.cr · ontinyent.vilaweb.cat · portalportuario.cl · primeraplana.mx · primerochaco.com · radiocolosal.com · reportediario.cl · seguimiento.co · spnoticias.com.ar · vanguardia.com.mx · zapala-noticias.com.ar

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history