Latest news with #TCOs
Newsweek
02-07-2025
- Politics
- 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.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Mexican citizen found illegally living in Scranton, U.S. attorney says
A Mexican citizen residing in Scranton is charged with illegal reentry by the United States attorney's office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Officers found Higinio Mendez-Salazar, 52, at 310 Pittston Ave. on May 15 during a 'targeted enforcement operation,' according to a criminal complaint. According to the complaint: On Feb. 4, 2004, Mendez-Salazar was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Sunizona, Arizona, and voluntarily returned to Mexico. The Border Patrol again encountered Mendez-Salazar, this time near Hebbronville, Texas, on July 8, 2011, and he again returned to Mexico voluntarily. On Jan. 16, 2019, Philadelphia officers arrested Mendez-Salazar. He was flown back to Mexico on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement charter flight. Mendez-Salazar was prohibited from attempting to enter or returning to the United States for a period of 10 years. He was required to obtain permission from the attorney general to reapply for permission to legally reenter the U.S. At some point before May 15, he reentered the country. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, which a U.S. attorney's office news release describes as a nationwide initiative 'to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.' The case was investigated by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Pennsylvania State Police. Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus is prosecuting the case.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Guatemalan man sentenced to prison for illegal reentry, found living in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Guatemalan National was sentenced to prison after he was found living in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced. Elvis Alfonso Lopez-Perez, 32, was found living in Carlisle despite having been previously deported. United States District Judge Keli M. Neary sentenced him to eight months in prison for his illegal reentry into the country. According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Lopez-Perez was removed from the country on Feb. 1, 2013. He then illegally reentered at an unknown time and was found on May 28, 2024, without permission to legally case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Honduran national charged after entering Florida Navy base illegally following crash: DOJ
A Honduran national has been charged in federal court after he allegedly crashed a vehicle into a barricade outside the Pensacola, Florida, Navy base and entered the base illegally while running from law enforcement, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Orly Moises Garcia Hernandez, 34, has been charged with illegally entering a military, Naval or Coast Guard property, and resisting or impeding arrest by a federal officer, the DOJ said in a news release. On May 25, Garcia Hernandez allegedly crashed into a barricade outside a checkpoint at the Naval Air Station Pensacola gate, then ran from military forces onto the base to escape apprehension. Ice Files Detainers Against 2 Illegal Aliens, Including 1 Facing Attempted Murder Charges For Shooting Spree Military police ultimately captured Garcia Hernandez at gunpoint after the foot pursuit. If he is convicted, Garcia Hernandez could face up to 18 months in prison and deportation. Read On The Fox News App Accused Ms-13 Ringleader One Step Closer To Deportation After Judge Dismisses Charges Santa Rosa County Jail records show Garcia Hernandez is being held without bond. The investigation into Garcia Hernandez's alleged actions is being handled by the U.S. Navy and Homeland Security Investigations. Tom Homan Vows Action As California Set To Release Illegal Immigrant Who Killed Two Teens The DOJ said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that streamlines efforts and resources within the Department of Homeland Security to not just crack down on illegal immigration but also achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the "perpetrators of violent crimes." The operation also streamlines efforts and resources from the DHS's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).Original article source: Honduran national charged after entering Florida Navy base illegally following crash: DOJ
Epoch Times
19-05-2025
- Epoch Times
3 MS-13 Members Charged in Murder of Former Member-Turned-Informant
Three members of the Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13) transnational street gang were charged in the murder of a former MS-13 gang member who was cooperating with law enforcement on a federal racketeering and drug trafficking case, federal prosecutors announced on May 16. One of the defendants, Roberto Carlos Aguilar, is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. Aguilar, 30, of South Los Angeles, was charged in a separate federal complaint with murder in aid of racketeering. The other two defendants, Dennis Anaya Urias, 26, and Grevil Zelaya Santiago, 25, both of South Los Angeles, were Urias is a legal permanent resident, and Santiago had filed a visa application, which was pending. All three defendants made their first court appearance late on Thursday in the U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles, according to federal prosecutors. Related Stories 4/7/2021 11/28/2018 A federal magistrate judge has ordered them detained without bond and has scheduled their arraignments for June 3. 'These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,' the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles said in a statement on Friday. According to court documents, Urias and Santiago allegedly shot the victim to death at a grocery store in South Los Angeles on Feb. 18. The victim's status as a government cooperator was well known by the MS-13 gang. Federal prosecutors say this status made the victim subject to a 'green light' order that made him a target for murder by MS-13 members. Court documents claim that Urias had what appeared to be a chance encounter with Aguilar inside the grocery store about an hour before the victim's death. After the encounter, Aguilar allegedly set in motion a series of events that led to Urias and Santiago allegedly shooting and killing the victim, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported. On Feb. 18, the victim made two telephone calls to authorities and said he was at a grocery store in South Los Angeles where MS-13 members had just tried to kill him, according to prosecutors. He told authorities he had been talking with MS-13 members when a man, whose face was covered, approached and tried to shoot him, but the gun did not fire, prosecutors claimed. At one point during the second phone call, several gunshots were heard, officials said. Prosecutors claim that Aguilar, Urias, and Santiago allegedly avoided discipline or enhanced their status within the gang by murdering the victim. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating the case.
