Mexican Cartels Are Recruiting Former Colombian Soldiers: Mexican Security Chief
Harfuch said on June 10 that on May 29, Mexican Army personnel detained 17 people in the municipality of Los Reyes, Michoacán. Five were Mexicans and 12 were Colombian nationals—nine former soldiers and three civilians with military training in the use of weapons.
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Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Colombian Ambassador: When Alliances Matter Most, Look South: Colombia and the US—Partners Against Transnational Crime
Colombia and the United States mark 203 years of diplomatic relations this year. In recent decades, that partnership has evolved into a strategic alignment on some of the most pressing global and regional challenges. One constant has endured through political shifts in both Washington and Bogotá: a relationship grounded in a shared purpose—namely, building a safer, more stable region. That's good for Colombia, good for the United States, and good for the hemisphere as a whole. The bilateral relationship has matured into something rare in international affairs: a security alliance forged in practice, not just in principle. From intelligence sharing to joint operations, Colombia and the United States have created a framework of cooperation unmatched in Latin America. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem poses for photos with Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia on March 27, 2025, in Bogotá, Colombia. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem poses for photos with Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia on March 27, 2025, in Bogotá, Colombia. Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images The America First foreign policy set forth by the Trump administration offers an opportunity to continue and enhance our partnership in key areas vital to us both. And nowhere is that partnership more vital—or more visible—than in the fight against transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), which threaten the safety of our citizens and the integrity of our region. A good example is the Tren de Aragua, a TCO designated by the Trump administration as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and active across the continent. It was Colombian intelligence that first identified the group's operations—insights that led to the arrest of its top leaders not just in Colombia, but in the United States and elsewhere. This is not an outlier. In confronting transnational cartels, Colombia has taken extraordinary steps, including aerial bombardments, to disrupt their networks which include close ties to criminal organizations in Mexico involved in fentanyl trafficking into the U.S. Ironically, while Colombia does not produce fentanyl, it has become one of Washington's most valuable partners in fighting those who do. Colombia is also a regional exporter of security expertise. With U.S. support, it has trained over 52,000 police and military personnel across Central and South America and the Caribbean. The benefits of this cooperation ripple far beyond bilateral boundaries. When it comes to counternarcotics, joint efforts between Colombia and the U.S. bring decades of hard-earned lessons. The past has shown that forced eradication and aerial spraying of coca crops yield short-term results but prove ineffective in the long run. In contrast, voluntary substitution programs—when combined with rural development and land reform—have proven far more sustainable. In regions like Arauca, in northeastern Colombia, former coca growers now export premium chocolate, earning more today from legal enterprise than they ever did from illicit crops. Yet crop substitution is only one side of the equation. It is the dismantling of trafficking networks—their infrastructure, laboratories, transport routes, and financial assets—that truly cripples the narcotics trade. And here again, Colombia has delivered. In 2024, and the first half of 2025 alone, authorities seized over 1,279 metric tons of cocaine—equivalent to 1,400 U.S. tons—much of it destined for American cities. That's more than a billion potential doses taken off the streets and over $32 billion denied to criminal groups. No nation has done more, at greater cost, to combat the drug trade—not only in effort and results, but in human lives. There are, of course, differences between our two countries—both democracies, each with its own interests, as is natural between sovereign nations. Yet when it comes to the essential priority of dismantling transnational criminal organizations, our approaches are strikingly complementary. Throughout his political career, President Gustavo Petro has courageously risked his life denouncing and combating mafias. President Donald Trump has made the fight against transnational criminal organizations a central priority of his current administration. Despite their differing political backgrounds, both are united by a shared conviction: these criminal networks represent a direct threat to the safety of our nations—and both presidents are acting with resolve to dismantle them. U.S. cooperation has been instrumental in strengthening Colombia's security forces, law enforcement, and justice institutions. Colombia, in turn, has made the United States stronger, safer, and more secure. As the next chapter unfolds, the Colombia–United States partnership should not only endure—it must deepen. In an increasingly complex world, this is a strategic alliance the United States cannot afford to overlook. Daniel García-Peña is the ambassador of Colombia to the United States. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
The Hill
2 days ago
- The Hill
Colombia suspends extradition of rebel leader wanted in the US for drug trafficking
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended a rebel leader's extradition to the United States, arguing that his presence in Colombia is needed to advance peace talks that seek to disarm hundreds of fighters in a region bordering Venezuela. Willington Henao Gutiérrez, known as 'Mocho Olmedo' is one of the leaders of the 33rd front of FARC EMC, a rebel group with around 400 fighters that operates in the northeastern Catatumbo region. He is wanted in the U.S. for drug trafficking and money laundering and his extradition was approved by Colombia's Supreme Court in May. But in a resolution published on June 26, and revealed by Colombian media on Tuesday, Petro ordered the suspension of Henao's extradition, mandating him to provide 'verifiable contributions and concrete results' to peace talks between the 33rd front and the Colombian government. The resolution says that if Henao fails to contribute to talks, he will be handed over to U.S. authorities. Henao, in Colombian government custody since February, is the second rebel leader to have his extradition suspended by Petro this year. In May, the government delayed the extradition of Gabriel Yepes Mejía, a commander of the Comuneros del Sur rebel group also facing drug trafficking charges. In June, Colombia's newly appointed justice minister, Eduardo Montealegre, told Colombian newspaper El Tiempo that the Petro administration would suspend the extradition of rebel leaders who agree to participate in peace talks — even if that strains relations with the United States. Henao was indicted by a Florida court in 2023 on drug trafficking and money laundering charges, with prosecutors alleging he conspired to ship 115 kilos (253 pounds) of cocaine to the U.S. The Petro administration and the U.S. government have often clashed over drug policy, with U.S. officials urging Colombia to do more to reduce coca crops and warning that future cooperation on security depends on concrete results in the fight against drug trafficking. Colombia's first leftist government has staged peace talks with numerous rebel groups and drug gangs in an effort to improve security in rural areas, where groups like the FARC-EMC have filled the void left by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the guerrilla group that made peace with the government in 2016. But the talks have yielded few results so far, with human rights groups saying that extortion, forced displacement and the recruitment of children are on the rise. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Sex, corruption and tapes: Scandal shakes Spain's Socialist government
In 1989, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh shook up cinema with 'Sex, Lies, and Videotape' which explored the darker sides of sexuality, the lies embedded in human relationships and the objectification of women. I bring this up in light of the political crisis shaking Spain, where the Socialist government (PSOE) of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on the edge of a cliff. This time, it's not just lies and sex — it's an alleged corruption scheme involving kickbacks received by top Sánchez advisors in exchange for political favors, mostly related to public works contracts. The scandal has reached deep into the PSOE leadership and continues to unfold. At the center of this scandal are three men: former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos; former PSOE organization secretary Santos Cerdán; and Koldo García, their trusted aide who allegedly handled the dirty money — the commissions that were skimmed off the top and pocketed. These men were instrumental in Sánchez's rise to power and helped consolidate his leadership. But now, their proximity to power makes this all the more damning. And the scandal just deepened Monday: Santos Cerdán was ordered into provisional prison without bail by Spain's Supreme Court. He stands accused of belonging to a criminal organization, accepting bribes, and influence peddling. The judge cited the risk of destruction of evidence and coordinated criminal activity across public institutions. Cerdán now joins Koldo and Ábalos in a fall from grace so severe, even their closest allies have cut ties. The Spanish Civil Guard, in a nearly 500-page report, calls this an organized crime network, and it's inching dangerously close to the prime minister himself. Once welcome at Moncloa Palace, these men are now political poison. Former colleagues who once 'would've put their hand in the fire' for Ábalos and Cerdán now deny ever knowing them. As for Koldo García, he is seen as the operative who got his hands dirty—enriching his superiors, himself, and even his family. In true underworld fashion, García tried to shield himself from the fallout. Knowing the day might come when the whole house of cards collapsed, he secretly recorded conversations with his bosses . These tapes — now in the hands of authorities and partially leaked—are damning. They capture discussions of massive commissions tied to government contracts, awarded to companies willing to pay bribes. The men even quarrel like vultures over how to split the spoils. But it's not just corruption that makes these tapes horrifying. It's also the blatant misogyny. Koldo and Ábalos are caught speaking crudely about the women they allegedly hired for private parties — classifying them by sexual skill, discussing how to divide them and referencing their nationalities (Colombian, Romanian, etc.). The most 'favored' were reportedly assigned apartments. What emerges isn't just kickbacks — but the outlines of a prostitution ring allegedly funded with illicit money. This is especially shocking from a government that touts feminism as a core value. The Sánchez administration has positioned itself as a champion of gender equality, with many female leaders fronting that battle. Listening to these degrading tapes, it's impossible to believe these men reserved their vile language for private chats — it seems embedded in their mindset. And Sánchez, who styles himself a modern, progressive man, surely knew how coarse and sexist these men were. Yet they remained his confidants. Now we wait to see what Sánchez knew — and when. For the moment, he's clinging to victimhood, blaming the opposition for trying to 'bring down a legitimate government.' But legitimacy isn't destroyed from the outside. It's rotted from within. And as for the prime minister's inaction on the misogyny of his closest aides? Let's remember: it's not enough for Caesar's wife to be above suspicion — Caesar himself must be, too. Sadly, many in politics fail that test.
