International
Latin American alert: Imminent risk of a fentanyl crisis?
November 29 |
On the streets, fentanyl is known as “King Ivory”, “White Chiva”, “Tango” or “Murder 8”. This synthetic opioid, which authorities claim is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, has raised red flags in Latin America, raising the possibility of facing its own fentanyl crisis.
Brian Clark, a special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), describes it as the cause of the most devastating drug crisis in U.S. history. Its ease of manufacture, low cost and high lethality make it a significant threat.
In this context, Lisa Monaco, U.S. Assistant Attorney General, highlights the key feature of fentanyl that contributes to its dangerousness: it is fully synthetic and its supply is potentially unlimited.
The increase in fentanyl seizures in Latin America is alarming, reports InSight Crime. Countries such as Costa Rica, Argentina, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela have been affected by this growing trend.
Argentina experienced a significant case last year in which a mixture of cocaine and an extremely strong type of fentanyl resulted in the death of 24 people in 24 hours, according to Candice Welsch, regional representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Given this scenario, the question arises: Is it imperative for the region to take immediate preventive measures?
Experts highlight the importance of comparing the illicit use of fentanyl between Latin America and other regions, as well as its origin. While in the United States the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are responsible for the flow of fentanyl, in South America the problem lies more in the diversion of medical fentanyl into illicit channels, rather than its illegal production, according to Julian Quintero, a researcher at ATS Corporation.
The presence of other synthetic drugs in the region, such as tusi, ecstasy and ketamine, poses an ongoing challenge and could facilitate the expansion of fentanyl in an already receptive market, warns Welsch.
While experts consider it unlikely that illegal fentanyl produced in Mexico will be widely distributed in Latin America, they urge not to underestimate its presence. The region does not have a marked history of opioid use as in the United States, but Quintero notes that the trend in consumption is toward stimulants.
Faced with these challenges, experts emphasize the importance of implementing preventive measures in the region, suggesting strengthening the legislative framework and preparing adequately to face a possible arrival of fentanyl. Expertise in substance testing, supervised consumption rooms and community education are essential tools to mitigate the risks associated with this dangerous substance.
International
El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges
Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, pleaded guilty on Monday to drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court, months after his brother Ovidio reached a similar plea agreement, according to local media reports.
The defendant appeared before a federal court in Chicago early Monday afternoon and changed his previous plea in the case, the Chicago Tribune reported. U.S. authorities accuse him of forming, together with his three brothers, the cartel faction known as “Los Chapitos.”
The group is believed to have continued the operations of El Chapo, who has been serving a life sentence in the United States since 2019.
Guzmán López, 39, was arrested after landing in Texas in a small aircraft alongside cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
International
Venezuela authorizes return flights as U.S. continues deportations amid rising tensions
The arrival of U.S. aircraft carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued regularly despite rising tensions between Washington and Caracas over President Donald Trump’s military deployment in the Caribbean.
Trump maintains that the deployment is part of an anti-narcotics operation, while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro insists the true objective is to remove him from power and seize the nation’s oil resources.
Venezuela’s aviation authority has “received a request from the United States government to resume repatriation flights for Venezuelan migrants from that country to Venezuela,” the Ministry of Transportation said in a statement .
“Under the instructions of President Nicolás Maduro, authorization has been granted for these aircraft to enter our airspace,” it added.
Caracas will permit two Eastern Airlines flights to land on Wednesday and Friday.
Migration remains one of the Trump administration’s flagship issues. On Monday, the U.S. president held a meeting with his National Security Council to discuss the situation in Venezuela, a day after confirming he had spoken with Maduro by phone, without offering further details.
According to the Venezuelan government, roughly 75 deportation flights have been carried out this year, returning at least 13,956 Venezuelans from the United States.
International
20,000 rounds stolen from german army after driver leaves cargo unattended
The German army confirmed the theft of a shipment of ammunition that occurred a week ago while it was being transported by a civilian delivery driver, a military spokesperson told AFP, confirming earlier media reports.
According to Der Spiegel and the regional broadcaster MDR, around 20,000 rounds of ammunition were stolen from an unguarded parking lot near Magdeburg, in eastern Germany, while the driver was asleep in a nearby hotel. No information has been released regarding the identity of the suspects, and the military declined to specify the exact type or amount of ammunition taken.
Authorities have also not indicated how the perpetrators knew the cargo would be left unattended.
“The theft was discovered upon delivery at the barracks,” the German army spokesperson said.
A police spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that an investigation has been opened but refused to provide further details “for tactical reasons.”
Sources close to the German military, cited by Der Spiegel, believe it is unlikely the theft was a coincidence. They suspect the thieves waited for the driver to stop for the night before striking.
Der Spiegel also reported that the Defense Ministry normally requires two drivers for this type of transport to ensure the cargo is constantly monitored. However, in this case only one driver was assigned, meaning the civilian transport company failed to comply with the security protocols.
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