Narco News Weekly #28
In this edition:
U.S. Suspends Satellite Monitoring of Colombian Coca Crops Amid Surging Cocaine Production
Rafael Caro Quintero, Implicated in Kiki Camarena's Murder, Fights Extradition to the U.S.
1,647 Bodies Unearthed from Clandestine Graves in Jalisco, Majority in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga
Rising Insecurity in Jalisco Amidst Remote Cartel Use of IEDs
Second Journalist Murdered This Year in Acapulco, Nelson Matus
CJNG Leader "El Mencho" Alive and Evading Authorities, Confirms DEA
Former CAF Lieutenant Juan Francisco Sillas-Rocha Pleads Guilty in US Court
Roadside Bomb Attack in Mexico Kills Six, Wounds 14
Armed Cartel del Noreste Cell Targets La Barredora in Tlacojalpan, Veracruz (video)
Significant Drug Trafficking Operation Dismantled in Colombia
Armed Confrontations Lead to Narco-Blockades in San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco
U.S. Suspends Satellite Monitoring of Colombian Coca Crops Amid Surging Cocaine Production
The Biden administration has temporarily ceased satellite monitoring of coca crops in Colombia, a critical tool used for years to gauge the effectiveness of the war on drugs, amidst rising cocaine production in South America. The exact reasons for the suspension and its duration remain unclear. Critics, particularly Republicans, argue this move might undermine U.S. anti-narcotics efforts and benefit Colombia's leftist government, which has been shifting its focus from coca growers to major smugglers and money launderers. Since 1987, the U.S. has been publishing annual estimates of Colombian coca cultivation, with figures reaching a record high in 2020. The Colombian government under President Gustavo Petro, a former leftist guerrilla, has significantly reduced manual coca eradication efforts in 2023. The Biden administration, while refraining from explaining this policy change, continues to stress the importance of disrupting cocaine trafficking.
Source: AP