drug trafficking

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'Operation RU Pharm' Nabs 7 in Rutgers Bust

7 have been arrested in what authorities say was a social media-run drug ring at New Jersey university

(Newser) - A monthslong probe into drug activity at New Jersey's Rutgers University has resulted in seven arrests, including that of a former student. Per a release from the office of Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, the undercover sting dubbed "Operation RU Pharm" unearthed "a closed and private social...

Massive Drug Bust Makes a Dent in Global Cocaine Supply

225 metric tons of cocaine seized during Colombia-led operation involving 62 countries

(Newser) - A massive anti-drug operation led by Colombia and involving 62 countries has uncovered a world record-setting amount of cocaine. The six-week haul, weighing in at 225 metric tons, is the largest ever for a single anti-narcotics operation, the Guardian reports. It represents about 8% of the total cocaine produced worldwide...

Cartel Honcho Faked His Death, Lived It Up in US: Feds

Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa, arrested Tuesday, is son-in-law to 'El Mencho'

(Newser) - Authorities have arrested a high-ranking member of the Jalisco New Generation cartel who allegedly faked his own death before living a life of luxury in California under a fake name. Cristian Fernando Gutierrez-Ochoa, 37, is son-in-law to cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho," CNN...

$21M Found Stashed in Walls of Ex-Top Fraud Cop's Home

Spanish police say cash came from Oscar Sanchez Gil's alleged collaboration with gangs

(Newser) - Until recently, Oscar Sanchez Gil was head of the fraud and anti-money laundering division of Spain's national police force. Now, he's being held on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption, and membership in a criminal group, along with his romantic partner. During a probe into Spain's...

Former Olympic Snowboarder Is Now a Fugitive

Ryan Wedding is charged with running a major drug trafficking ring

(Newser) - A former Olympic snowboarder for Canada has been charged with running a drug trafficking ring that shipped vast amounts of cocaine across the Americas and killed several people, authorities said Thursday. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and extradition of Ryan James...

Harris Visits Border, Rebuffs 'False Choice' on Immigration

It's VP's first trip to US-Mexico boundary since becoming the Democratic nominee for president

(Newser) - Vice President Kamala Harris walked a scrubby stretch along the US-Mexico border on Friday and called for further tightening of asylum restrictions as she sought to project a tougher stance on illegal migration and address one of her biggest vulnerabilities in the November election. Harris' push to further restrict asylum...

Family: Unjustly Held American Was Raped in Chinese Prison

Father, brother call attention to case of Chicago woman Dawn Michelle Hunt

(Newser) - Dawn Michelle Hunt thought she'd won a free trip from Chicago to Australia in 2014. Instead, the US woman landed in a Chinese prison for life, narrowly escaping execution. As the New York Times reports, the trip she thought she'd won was part of a drug trafficking scheme....

Drug Kingpin Eluded Cops as a So-So Soccer Player
Drug Kingpin Eluded Cops
as a So-So Soccer Player
longform
Jul 28, 2024 8:03 AM CDT

Drug Kingpin Eluded Cops as a So-So Soccer Player

Sebastian Marset of Uruguay didn't just bankroll teams, he played for them

(Newser) - Drug kingpins, including Pablo Escobar, have been known to bankroll local soccer teams in Latin America, writes Kevin Sieff in the Washington Post . It's a smart move in a few ways: Not only is soccer the "bedrock of power and politics," it's also an easy way...

An Ex-President on Trial May Use Trump's Praise in Defense

Ex-Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández accused in drug conspiracy

(Newser) - Standing before Juan Orlando Hernández in December 2019, then-President Trump applauded the leader of Honduras for working "very closely" with the US to stop the flow of drugs "at a level that has never happened," per the Guardian . Indeed, both the Trump and Obama administrations considered...

40 Nabbed in Mississippi Drug Bust
40 Nabbed
in Mississippi
Drug Bust
Jan 24, 2024 1:12 PM CST

40 Nabbed in Mississippi Drug Bust

Some charged with threatening to murder with explosives

(Newser) - Approximately 40 people with connections to multiple states and Mexico were arrested Tuesday after a four-year federal investigation exposed multiple drug trafficking operations in east Mississippi, federal prosecutors announced, per the AP . In 10 federal indictments filed in the US Southern District of Mississippi, those arrested are accused of distributing...

Ohio Woman Is Alleged Serial Killer
Serial Killer Suspect
Pleads Not Guilty
updated
Oct 30, 2023 4:38 PM CDT

Serial Killer Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

Rebecca Auborn is accused of drugging 5 men in Ohio, 4 of whom died

(Newser) - An Ohio woman who police say fatally drugged four men pleaded not guilty to 28 charges at an arraignment Monday and will be held in jail awaiting trial after waiving her chance for bond. Rebecca Auborn's pleas were entered through her attorney, Mark Hunt, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Investigators...

US Musician Held for Drug Trafficking in Russia

Michael Travis Leake appeared on Anthony Bourdain's show in 2014, has long lived in Moscow

(Newser) - An American musician who has lived in Russia for more than 10 years has been detained, accused of drug trafficking. A Moscow court has ordered Michael Travis Leake to be held for two months before his trial, until Aug. 6, after he was arrested for allegedly selling the drug mephedrone,...

Cops Arrest Suspect in Thai 'Face/Off' Case

Alleged drug dealer had plastic surgery to look like 'handsome Korean man'

(Newser) - A suspected drug dealer in Thailand not only changed his name to a Korean name, he changed his face to a Korean face in an effort to evade authorities, police say. In what the Thai media has dubbed the Face/Off case, Saharat Sawangjaeng was arrested in Bangkok last week, the...

Judge Orders Cocaine Trafficker to Finish Law School

'She couldn’t afford counsel, and this motivated her to try and become a lawyer'

(Newser) - A woman who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute narcotics last month will be spending the next few years in law school, not prison. Records show that a federal judge in Texas sentenced Chelsea Maddill to three years of supervised release on Jan. 9 with the condition that she "...

Flight Attendant Admits to Fentanyl Smuggling Scheme
Drug-Smuggling Plot Goes
Awry for Flight Attendant
in case you missed it
Dec 31, 2022 4:50 PM CST

Drug-Smuggling Plot Goes Awry for Flight Attendant

Terese White admits taping 3 lbs. to her abdomen, a tiny fraction of total fentanyl seized in US in 2022

(Newser) - A flight attendant pleaded guilty last week to drug trafficking charges after being busted with 3 pounds of fentanyl taped to her body in San Diego International Airport. Per the San Diego Union-Tribune , Terese L. White, 41, entered her plea in a San Diego federal courtroom. White is from Dallas,...

Aussie Feds Celebrate One of Their 'Most High-Profile Arrests'

Extradition fight ends for Tse Chi Lop, dubbed 'Asia's El Chapo'

(Newser) - Almost two years after his arrest in the Netherlands , the alleged kingpin of a global multibillion-dollar drug operation has arrived in Australia, where he could face life in prison. Tse Chi Lop, dubbed "Asia's El Chapo," is accused of running the crime supersyndicate Sam Gor , also known...

Thai Temple Cleared of All Its Monks After Drug Test

Buddhist foursome in Phetchabun province came up positive for meth, a major issue in Thailand

(Newser) - Thailand has been trying to crack down on drug trafficking, especially when it comes to the methamphetamine pouring in from neighboring Myanmar, and drug testing has been a part of the nation's campaign against it. The latest group to be busted, however, is a bit of a surprise—and...

'Monumental Seizure' After Truck Crosses Into US

4 men arrested in Calif. for drug trafficking, accused of transporting 5K pounds of meth

(Newser) - When California law enforcement agents started trailing a truck this week in San Diego County, little did they know they were about to make a huge bust—one that's now being deemed one of the county's largest ever seizures of methamphetamine. City News Service reports four men from...

For Spanish Police, a Drug-Smuggling First

Cops say they seized 3 underwater drones meant to carry 'large quantities of cocaine'

(Newser) - A probe that lasted more than a year has led to the arrest of eight and the seizure of three underwater drones that were apparently built to smuggle drugs across the Strait of Gibraltar. The BBC reports Spain's police force seized the unmanned submersibles—one completed and two still...

World's 'Most Dangerous Drug Trafficker' Brought to US

Dairo Antonio Usuga, aka Otoniel, extradited from Colombia

(Newser) - Colombia has extradited the alleged head of the feared Gulf Clan, who had been the country's most wanted drug lord before his capture, to the US, where he faces indictments in three federal courts. Colombian President Iván Duque said Dairo Antonio Úsuga David is "comparable only...

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