Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended controversial strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats during a visit to Ecuador on Wednesday, arguing Latin American cartels would “eat these countries alive” if left unchecked. Hours later, the U.S. military confirmed it conducted another deadly strike in the Caribbean Sea. Hailing a new generation of conservative leaders emerging across…
The United States military intercepted and sank a vessel that was allegedly being used to support at-sea drug trafficking by the Ecuadorian criminal organization Los Choneros, officials said on Wednesday. It came after a similar operation on Friday that destroyed another vessel linked to the gang, one of Ecuador’s main drug trafficking and extortion groups….
The U.S. military, in conjunction with Ecuadorian officials, boarded and later sank a vessel on Friday allegedly used as a refueling station for drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to U.S. Southern Command. The vessel, which was in international waters near Ecuador, was allegedly used as a floating ship-to-ship refueling station for drug…
Mexico has arrested a man who allegedly shot and killed an influencer during a live broadcast, authorities said on Wednesday. Cesar Gastelum was attacked on August 4 while livestreaming in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, which has been a battleground for warring drug factions. Gastelum, who had more than 500,000 TikTok followers, was dressed…
Washington — The U.S. military attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America. The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the…
The United States military said Monday it carried out a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Pacific Ocean, killing two people. U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said in a post on X that the strike, which took place Sunday, targeted a vessel “operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific.” “Confirmed intelligence revealed…
The United States pledged $1 billion in security assistance to Colombia after its new right-wing president took office. Abelardo de la Espriella, a millionaire lawyer with a taste for spectacle, took office Friday for his four-year term after a campaign focused on anger and fears about security. “As a cornerstone of this renewed partnership, the…
Seven charred bodies have been found in a house in southern Ecuador, authorities said, an area of the country under a state of emergency due to rising violence. Ecuador has gone from being one of South America’s safest countries to a cocaine trafficking hub in a few short years, plagued by gangs with ties to…
