Close ally of drug kingpin ‘El Mencho’ gets 30 years in prison as US ramps up pressure on cartels

WASHINGTON (AP) — A close ally of fugitive Jalisco New Generation boss known as “El Mencho” for years orchestrated a prolific drug trafficking operation, using a semi-submersible and other methods to avoid detection, and provided weapons to one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels, prosecutors say. On Friday, José González Valencia, was sentenced in Washington’s federal […]

House passes bill to to combat fentanyl trafficking, sending it to Trump’s desk

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation Thursday that would solidify federal policies cracking down on the synthetic opioid fentanyl and its analogs in a bid by lawmakers to combat the nation’s opioid epidemic. The HALT Fentanyl Act makes permanent a 2018 emergency rule that classifies knockoffs of fentanyl as Schedule I controlled […]

UN drug experts say opium production has leveled off in Myanmar, but instability may trigger a rise

BANGKOK (AP) — There has been a slight drop in the production of opium in Myanmar, the world’s biggest source of the illicit drug from which heroin is derived, experts from the United Nations said Thursday, while warning of strong prospects for future expansion of the deadly trade. The Myanmar Opium Survey 2024 issued by […]