International

Europol identifies 821 “threatening” criminal networks in the EU, many active in Spain

The Europol agency has identified 821 “very threatening” organized crime networks in the European Union, many of them active in Spain among other countries, in a report published this Friday, the first that analyzes in depth the details that make these organizations so dangerous.

The study, presented in Brussels, is based on the data provided by EU Member States and other countries and is a “step” to understand how these networks work and what their basic capabilities are, Europol said.

In Spain they operate networks integrated by nationals of Eastern countries, as well as Belgian-Dutch, Baltic, Romanian or Polish, among others.

“Each of the 821 most threatening criminal networks identified is unique. They vary significantly in terms of composition, structure, criminal activity, territorial control, duration over time, types of cooperation and a variety of other dimensions,” the document says.

However, there are some common characteristics that make them especially “threatening,” starting with their infiltration into the legal system, which make a network “omnipresent and destructive.”

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In fact, more than 80% of active criminal networks in the EU misuse legal business structures (LBS) for their criminal activities.

The data show that these structures are infiltrated or used by criminal networks “in almost all sectors, including tourism, recycling, welfare and sports associations, as well as in retail and cultural activities.”

Three sectors are particularly affected by infiltration or criminal abuse: construction, hospitality and logistics, that is, transport and import and export companies.

Another characteristic of the most dangerous organizations is their “agility” to “infiltrate extensively” and the application of strategies that allow them to endure over time.

In addition, “they have no borders”, their scope is international as well as the members that make them up, although they often limit their criminal activity to a region or a limited number of countries.

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About how they are directed, Europol explains that although there is usually a strong leadership close to operations, it is also possible to maintain control remotely.

They tend to specialize in a main business and operate with a wide degree of independence.

As for their activity, half of these organizations are involved in drug trafficking as their main business, although they are also dedicated to fraud, property-related crimes, migrant and human trafficking.

Money laundering is mainly done through the real estate sector (this is the case in 41% of cases).

Other common money laundering techniques include investments in high-value goods such as gold and luxury goods (27%), the use of cash-intensive businesses, for example in the hotel sector (20%) and the use of cryptocurrencies (10%).

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As an example, the report cites the case of an Italian businessman of Argentine origin based in Marbella who uses his companies to hide both drug trafficking and money laundering activities.

Among those he directs is one that imports bananas from Ecuador to the EU and also has sports centers in Marbella, shopping centers in Granada and multiple bars and restaurants.

An Albanian accomplice of his, based in Ecuador, is in charge of the import of cocaine from Colombia to Ecuador and its subsequent distribution to the EU.

According to Europol, Ecuadorian fruit companies are used as a facade for these criminal activities.

Although not all networks use violence and corruption, doing so increases their level of threat.

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There are other elements to better understand how they work but that do not necessarily make them more dangerous, starting with their structure.

Most are organized in a hierarchical way, and although strong leadership is important, it is not necessarily linked to specific individuals and in some cases it is replaceable (by inheritance, delegation or reorganization) and continues even after the sentence.

As for the nationalities of the members, the report points to the existing “great variety” and emphasizes that, in addition to the common criminal objective, “criminal networks are formed and persist due to a strong social cohesion,” something that also serves to attract young people.

When fighting them, Europol indicates, “not only the main criminal activities, but also the support and subsidiary activities that allow and support the networks and allow them to last long periods,” as well as the need for “international and interregional cooperation” must be examined.

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International

Peruvian presidential candidate Napoleón Becerra dies in campaign road accident

Presidential candidate Napoleón Becerra, representing the Partido de los Trabajadores y Emprendedores (PTE) in Peru, died in a traffic accident while traveling to a campaign event, local authorities confirmed Sunday.

Becerra, who also served as president of the centrist political party, ranked among the lowest in opinion polls in a crowded field of more than 30 candidates competing in the presidential election scheduled for April 12.

Recent surveys place Rafael López Aliaga at the top of voter preferences.

The accident occurred near the town of Ayacucho, in southern Peru, when the vehicle carrying the candidate overturned for reasons that remain under investigation.

“The candidate Becerra has died,” Balvin Huamani, mayor of the district of Pilpichaca, told RPP radio.

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According to Huamani, he personally transported the 61-year-old candidate to a local health center, where doctors confirmed his death.

The Jurado Nacional de Elecciones (JNE) expressed condolences over Becerra’s passing and wished a speedy recovery to the three people who were traveling with him and were injured in the crash.

International

Noboa intensifies anti-cartel crackdown as violence persists in Ecuador

A close ally of Washington, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has pursued a hardline security strategy against cocaine cartels for more than two years, yet homicide, disappearance and extortion rates remain high across the country.

Between Sunday night and the morning of March 31, Ecuador’s armed forces will launch a “very strong offensive” with “advisory support” from the United States, Interior Minister John Reimberg announced Tuesday.

The government has kept details of the operation confidential and has not confirmed whether U.S. troops will be deployed on Ecuadorian soil, as has occurred at times during Noboa’s administration.

As part of the security measures, residents in the coastal provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, and El Oro will be subject to a nightly curfew from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time for the next two weeks.

“We are in a war,” Reimberg said, urging citizens to remain indoors. “Do not take risks. Stay home and allow the security forces and our allies to do the work that must be done.”

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Although Ecuador does not produce cocaine, it has become a major departure point for drugs heading to the United States. Meanwhile, the violence associated with trafficking has increasingly affected the local population.

Bordering the world’s largest cocaine producers, Colombia and Peru, Ecuador has gone from being considered a relatively peaceful country to recording one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America—52 killings per 100,000 inhabitants—according to the **Observatory of Organized Crime.

International

Peruvian presidential candidate proposes death penalty amid crime surge

Peru is facing an unprecedented surge in crime ahead of its presidential election scheduled for April 12, with violence fueled by extortion networks and a wave of contract killings linked to organized crime.

Police data show that 2,200 homicides tied to organized crime were recorded in 2025, while extortion complaints increased by 19%, underscoring the growing security crisis in the South American nation.

Amid this backdrop, presidential candidate Álvarez has proposed reinstating the death penalty if elected, arguing that extreme measures are needed to curb the violence.

To implement the proposal, Álvarez said Peru would withdraw from the American Convention on Human Rights—also known as the Pact of San José—which the country signed in 1978. The agreement prevents member states that have abolished capital punishment from reinstating it.

Currently, Peruvian law only allows the death penalty in cases of treason during wartime.

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“We have to leave the Pact of San José and apply the death penalty in Peru because those miserable criminals don’t deserve to live,” Álvarez told AFP during a campaign stop at a market in Callao, the port city neighboring Lima.

“An iron fist against those criminals,” he added, proposing to declare hitmen as military targets.

During the campaign event, Álvarez walked through stalls selling vegetables, groceries, and fish, greeting vendors while musicians played cumbia music nearby.

The 62-year-old candidate, who spent more than four decades working in television as a comedian, is a newcomer to politics and is running for president under the País para Todos party.

Polls place him fifth in voter preference with nearly 4% support in a fragmented race featuring 36 candidates.