Us Drug Enforcement Administration News

A joint U.S. and Australian law enforcement operation busted an international drug ring after intercepting 2.4 tonnes of cocaine aboard a vessel off the coast of South America that had been bound for Australia.The cocaine, linked to a Mexican drug cartel, had a street value of around A$1 billion ($677 million), and was equivalent to half of Australia's estimated annual consumption, making the seizure one of the biggest that Australian police have been involved in.Twelve suspects have been arrested and charged in the case…

Spanish police seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of 105 million euros ($114 million) after raiding a cattle ship off the Canary Islands earlier this week, a statement said on Saturday.The ship had stopped at ports in about a dozen countries before Tuesday's raid, and police said drug smugglers had started using livestock ships because it was more difficult for police to trace their illicit cargo."International organisations are reinventing themselves to transport drugs from Latin America to Europe, using livestock to make the control and localisation more difficult," the Spanish police statement said.Police arrested 28 crew members on the Togo-flagged Orion V, which had been trailed from Colombia in an operation by Spanish authorities, the U.S.

Spanish police seized more than two tons of cocaine from a ship with a Venezuelan flag in the Atlantic Ocean and arrested the seven crew members, Spain's interior ministry said on Monday. The operation, carried out alongside the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the UK's National Crime Agency and Portuguese police, took place earlier this month, on May 4. The seven people on board were Venezuelan nationals, the ministry said, adding that a gun had also been seized alongside 2400 kg of cocaine. The vessel, a small, rusted fishing boat according to images distributed by police, has since been towed to Spain's Canary Islands. Separately…

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft and U.S. Southern Command Commander Gen. John Kelly will host a program titled “Emerging Challenges in the Western Hemisphere” at the Abraham Lincoln Hall Auditorium at Fort Lesley J. McNair on Oct. 7, 2014, at 1 pm. The recently signed Coast Guard Western Hemisphere Strategy addresses transnational threats and maritime challenges that threaten the security of our Nation, markets, and oceans over the next 10 years. Michael Miklaucic of the Institute for National Strategic Studies will moderate a discussion between Adm. Zukunft and Gen. Kelly. Michael Braun - Managing Partner, SGI Global, LLC, and Former Chief of Operations, U.S. Celina Realuyo - Professor of Practice, William J.

Approval clears way to create nation’s largest deepwater containerized cargo transfer terminal, enhancing U.S. competitiveness as Panama Canal expands. Transshipment facility off Louisiana coast intended to improve America’s strained shipping infrastructure, streamline international trade flow and create long-term jobs in 32 states. Louisiana State Senator A.G. Crowe’s vision of making America more competitive and capitalizing on the Gulf of Mexico’s deep-water resources has taken…

The U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration have announced the record maritime seizure of more than 42,000 pounds of cocaine by 378-foot Coast Guard Cutters Hamilton and Sherman, both recipients of Deepwater C4ISR upgrades. As part of a two-phased effort, the Deepwater team upgraded communications capabilities on all 39 Coast Guard high- and medium-endurance cutters providing access to a secure data network via SIPRNET, image sharing through faster satellite communications (SATCOM) and improved target identification using Automatic Identification Systems (AIS). The 12 378-ft. cutters also received law enforcement radios allowing them to communicate in a protected environment.