https://people.com/who-was-griselda-blanco-colombian-cartel-leader-8421704

Who Was Griselda Blanco? Inside the Life of the Cartel Leader Who Inspired Netflix’s Griselda

https://colombiareports.com/how-col...s-protecting-an-alleged-drug-trafficker/

How Colombia’s deputy chief prosecutor is protecting an alleged drug trafficker

Barrons
AFP NEWS
Major Cocaine Trafficker Arrested In Colombia
A major drug lord responsible for supplying cocaine to European gangs was arrested in Colombia in a joint operation with Spanish police, authorities in both countries said on Saturday.

AFP - Agence France Presse
March 9, 2024
A major drug lord responsible for supplying cocaine to European gangs was arrested in Colombia in a joint operation with Spanish police, authorities in both countries said on Saturday.

Julio Andres Murillo Figueroa, 49, was detained on March 1 in his luxury villa in the region of Antioquia under an arrest warrant from Spain.

The suspect is "presumed to be directly responsible for the operations of the (Medellin) cartel in Europe and the cartel's contact with the 'Ndrangheta and Mocro Maffia criminal organisations," Spanish police said.

The 'Ndrangheta is a Calabrian criminal group from southern Italy and the Mocro Maffia is a largely Moroccan gang.

Together, they control much of the cocaine trade through the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam in Belgium and the Netherlands respectively.

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Colombian police said Figueroa, also known as H-1 or El Zar ("The Tsar"), was considered the main supplier to Jonas Sture Falk, known as the "Swedish Pablo Escobar", and had direct links to the Gulf Clan, Colombia's largest drug cartel.

Spain is one of the key entry points for cocaine to Europe given its close ties with South America, where the drug is produced.

Spanish authorities seized eight tonnes of the white powder arriving from Suriname in February and 9.5 tonnes in a container from Ecuador in August 2023.

Nice villa !

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8u0t6q

Jonas Falk when he was arrested by the DAS.
Some years ago the infamous DAS secret service in Colombia ceased to exist after 58 years. In recent years, the Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad has been discredited several times. It turned out that the agency committed murders and eavesdropped on judges, politicians, human rights activists and journalists.

https://www.barrons.com/amp/news/major-cocaine-trafficker-arrested-in-colombia-5bf164fe

Major Cocaine Trafficker Arrested In Colombia

Colombia news
The Invisible Drug Lords of Colombia

By
Luis Felipe Mendoza
-

April 10, 2024
invisible Ghost Narcos Colombia
Ghost narcos and their operations are creating new and unprecedented challenges for national and international law enforcement. Credit:AP ColombiaOne
The rise of invisible drug lords or “ghost” narcos is a new challenge for Colombia and the international law enforcement. These elusive figures have quickly become a significant threat to national security in Colombia, acting as the primary intermediaries for international criminal organizations, including Mexican cartels, the Italian mafia, and networks in Spain and Brazil. Their sophisticated operations not only complicate efforts to combat drug trafficking but also pose a direct challenge to law enforcement strategies worldwide

How do ghost narcos operate in Colombia?
The Colombian government, recognizing the severity of the threat posed by these ghost narcos, has intensified its efforts to dismantle their networks. In collaboration with international partners such as the United States and the United Kingdom, Colombian authorities have made significant inroads. General William Salamanca revealed that over the past year, at least 35 ghost narcos have been apprehended, underscoring the global reach of these criminals. “Businessmen and other merchants are the ones who are causing this issue and have extended their influence to Europe,” Salamanca noted, highlighting the complex nature of the challenge.

Among the notable successes in this campaign is the capture of Ferney de Jesús Cardona, also known as “Soya”. Initially believed to be a legitimate businessman, Cardona was found to be involved in money laundering operations for the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s most formidable criminal entity. This case exemplifies the deceptive practices of ghost narcos, who often hide their illicit activities behind the facade of legal business ventures.

The operation of ghost narcos in Colombia involves a sophisticated blend of legal and illegal enterprises, making them particularly difficult to prosecute. They possess significant financial resources, enabling them to orchestrate international cocaine trafficking operations while maintaining a low profile. The Colombian national police have seized assets worth over US$168 million and have identified the ghost narcos’ modus operandi, which includes the use of intermediaries to facilitate their drug trafficking operations and to connect with European criminal networks.

What role do intermediaries play?
These intermediaries play a crucial role in the ghost narcos’ strategy, helping to diversify services essential to the global cocaine production chain, such as storage, transport, logistics, and security. Additionally, the ghost narcos maintain formidable enforcement wings, tasked with protecting their leaders, securing laboratories, and ensuring the safe passage of shipments.

This concerted effort by Colombian and international law enforcement to target ghost narcos underscores the global nature of the drug trafficking problem and the need for continued cooperation to address this pervasive threat.

https://colombiaone.com/2024/04/10/how-the-invisible-drug-lords-operate-in-colombia/

Colombians from U.S. Prisons Deployed in Ukraine War, Russia Claims
By
Luis Felipe Mendoza
-
April 12, 2024
The U.S. is allegedly recruiting Colombian prisoners to fight in Ukraine against Russia. Credit: SECOM-Presidencia / Public Domain.
The Foreign Russian Intelligence Service asserts that the U.S. is recruiting incarcerated Colombians for deployment in Ukraine to combat Russia. If Colombian inmates accept this mission, the U.S. promises them full amnesty. Many speculate that the reasoning behind such an incentive would be that U.S. authorities do not believe that they can make it back alive from the mission.

https://colombiaone.com/2024/04/12/colombian-us-russia-ukraine/

Journalist investigating corruption killed in Colombia

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/232105/journalist-investigating-corruption-killed-in-colombia