Irishman accused of drug smuggling dies in Ecuador prison
The man was detained on August 1 at Guayaquil Airport after police allegedly found 15 kilograms of cocaine in his luggage.
According to Ecuador's national police, the drugs were bound for Spain and had an estimated street value of approximately €600,000.
The operation also led to the seizure of two guns, multiple phones, a weighing scale and GPS devices.
The Irish nationals were formally charged and remanded in custody following an appearance before an investigating magistrate on suspicion of trafficking controlled substances.
As reported by The Irish Independent, the older man became sick while in custody and died in hospital on August 6, just five days after the arrest.
While officials have not publicly disclosed the official cause of death, it is understood he suffered a heart attack.
His son, who was arrested alongside the man, remains in an Ecuadorian prison awaiting further legal proceedings.
Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is providing consular support to the family of the deceased.
In a brief statement, the department said it is aware of the case but declined to comment further, citing standard policy around consular confidentiality.
Efforts are underway to repatriate the deceased man's body to Ireland from Guayaquil, a major port city and a known hub in international drug trafficking routes.
The country has ramped up anti-narcotics operations in recent years, including coordinated inspections at airports and seaports.
The Ecuadorian Ministry of the Interior said the arrest of the two Irish nationals was part of one such coordinated operation, which successfully prevented what police estimated to be the distribution of over 147,000 doses of cocaine.
See More: Crime, Drugs, Ecuador
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
3 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Defence Forces to increase patrols to combat Russian ships in Irish waters
The Defence Forces are to increase both air and naval patrols to combat Russian ships on illegal manoeuvres in Irish waters. The revelation was made by the Defence Minister Simon Harris as part of a new National Maritime Security Strategy that is currently being finalised. The Government will also speed up the €300 million purchase of a new radar defence system for the State along with sonar capability for its fleet. Four out of our eight naval ships are in operation at the moment but the pressure is now on to hire more recruits to get them all back out to sea. The Irish military has also signed up to the EU's Common Information Sharing Environment system which will help track all vessels coming in and out of our Atlantic Waters up to 200 miles off the west coast. The Government has been coming under increasing pressure from other European states to invest more money in defence and to keep a far closer eye on Russian activities in Irish territorial waters. It follows a year after various Russian ships made secret inclusions into the Exclusive Irish Economic Zone, as it is known, and acted suspiciously around the various international sea cables that come ashore off the west coast. Ireland is the main point linking the internet between Europe and the United States. Mr Harris has assured the public he is taking the Russian threat seriously. He said in a series of replies to parliamentary questions about Russia's activities in Irish water: "The Defence Forces routinely monitor foreign vessels with both Naval Service Assets and Air Corps maritime patrol aircraft as well as remote monitoring on a 24/7 basis from the Naval Operations Command Centre in Haulbowline. Tanaiste Simon Harris "It should be noted that foreign vessels transiting Irish waters must do so in compliance with international law and may be subject to sighting and observation by the Naval Service and Air Corps without their innocent passage being infringed. "In relation to additional measures being introduced to strengthen maritime security and surveillance, My Department is working to deliver Ireland's first ever National Maritime Security Strategy. "The aim of the strategy is, amongst other things, to enhance our maritime domain awareness and to protect our critical infrastructure." Troops marching during Tanaiste Simon Harris's visit to Camp Shamrock. (Image: PA) During the past two years the Air Corps has brought into service two state-of-the-art Airbus C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft. The Navy has also started using the P70 Class ship to further help and enable more sea operations. The new intelligence deal with the EU will also result in more secure information being shared with Ireland. Mr Harris added: "This EU programme enables structured and secure information sharing among EU maritime authorities both civil and military, allowing for more effective operations at sea amid new and evolving maritime threats." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Sunday World
2 hours ago
- Sunday World
Spaniard living in Ireland goes viral with TikTok post about 'spoiled Irish children'
He describes the problems caused by young teens in gangs on the streets, that he described as "testosterone-deprived prepubescents' A Spanish TikToker living in Ireland has said he is shocked by the spoiled nature of teenagers in this country, blaming their entitlement on 'how they're educated at home'. Nacho Barrueco posts videos on Tik Tok under the username @nachobarrueco where he shares his experiences living abroad, and specifically in Ireland. One of his latest videos posted on the platform has been picked up by Spanish media as he addresses a debate 'that seems common in all countries and generates diverse education given to children and their behaviour in certain circumstances'. Spanish Tiktoker Nacho Barrueco News in 90 Seconds - August 14th The content creator recently uploaded the video describing the problems caused by young teens in gangs on the streets, that he described as "testosterone-deprived prepubescents." "I'm referring to the average Irish boy between 10 and 14-years-old," he says in the clip, which currently has more than 300,000 likes. In the video, Barrueco also refers to an incident that occurred on St Patrick's Day while he was out with his friends. "There were about ten of us, and honestly, we looked like Sporting de Gijon fans. We each had about 20 beers and we ran into some kids who were probably 10, 11, 12-years-old at most. Insisting that they 'weren't older," the influencer then describes what happened when one of the children approached his group 'He says to (my) friend, 'hey, give me a beer and a cigarette.' Barrueco and his friends reacted with surprise and laughter, telling the boy he didn't look old enough to drink. But, far from being intimidated, the boy responded defiantly, Barrueco explained, adding the 'kid who weighed 13 kilos wanted to fight me'. He goes onto say that what he experienced isn't an isolated case, but is rather 'a widespread type of behaviour, unfortunately, in the country among that age group. "I was shocked, but like this kid, 80 per cent of children that age are professional challengers,' he says in the video, which has nearly 3,000 comments. "I think in Spain, at that age, we tend to hang our heads, man, especially in situations like what happened with this boy, because you've met good people. 'But imagine if you meet some thugs, they'll slap you three times even if you're 12," he claims, adding that the problem lies in the upbringing within the family. "It has a lot to do with how they're raised at home,' he says. 'The level of spoiled children here in Ireland seems quite high to me," he adds, Barrueco previously raised eyebrows with other observation about the Irish he lives alongside. A previous video expressed his shock that Irish people shower much less than people living in Spain. Barrueco told followers he had noticed that Irish people seemed to bathe less in comparison to those in his native country. He even went so far as to check with an Irish company about his observations. According to the Spanish TikToker, he claims an Irish company told him that here, 'young children aren't bathed right away, they're bathed once every ten days.' Barrueco was further shocked when his landlord allegedly complained about his own showering habits, 'scolding' him for showering too much. "He scolds me because I'm supposed to shower too much,' he said. 'And it's not normal to shower every day here in Ireland," Barrueco continued in the video, which has amassed over 250,000 likes. The TikToker claimed that it is not 'normal' to shower every day in Ireland, and that he was allegedly told by the Irish company that both children and adults take a full bath around every 10 days. According to Barrueco, Spanish people are much cleaner as the weather is considerably warmer, and so they must shower more often. "We Spaniards are too clean because it's so hot,' he added.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Man accused of faking death to avoid rape charges guilty of sexual assault
A Rhode Island man accused of faking his death and fleeing the United States to evade rape charges was found guilty of sexually assaulting a former girlfriend in his first of two Utah trials. A jury in Salt Lake County found Nicholas Rossi guilty of a 2008 rape after a three-day trial in which his accuser and her parents took the stand. Nicholas Rossi was accused of faking his death and fleeing to Europe to avoid rape charges (Firecrest Films/AP) The verdict came hours after Rossi, 38, declined to testify on his own behalf. He will be sentenced in the case on October 20 and is set to stand trial in September for another rape charge in Utah County. First-degree felony rape carries a punishment in Utah of five years to life in prison, said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. Mr Gill said: 'We are grateful to the survivor in this case for her willingness to come forward, years after this attack took place. 'We appreciate her patience as we worked to bring the defendant back to Salt Lake County so that this trial could take place and she could get justice. 'It took courage and bravery to take the stand and confront her attacker to hold him accountable.' Utah authorities began searching for Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, when he was identified through a decade-old DNA rape kit in 2018. Nicholas Rossi was arrested in Scotland, but claimed he was the victim of mistaken identity. He was extradited to the US in January 2024 (Andrew Milligan/PA) He was among thousands of rape suspects identified and later charged when the state made a push to clear its rape kit backlog. Months after he was charged in Utah County, an online obituary claimed Rossi had died on February 29 2020, of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. But police in his home state of Rhode Island, along with his former lawyer and a former foster family, cast doubt on whether he was dead. He was arrested in Scotland the following year while receiving treatment for Covid-19 after hospital staff in Glasgow recognised his distinctive tattoos from an Interpol notice. Rossi said he was the victim of mistaken identity, claiming to be an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who was being framed. Months of court proceedings in Edinburgh followed but in November 2022, Sheriff Norman McFadyen determined the man claiming to be Knight was indeed Rossi. A hearing took place in June 2023, with Sheriff McFadyen ruling there was no barrier to Rossi's extradition. An extradition warrant was signed in September 2023 and Rossi was finally sent to the US in January 2024. Investigators say they identified at least a dozen aliases Rossi used over the years to evade capture. Throughout trials in Scotland and the US, Rossi appeared in a wheelchair and sometimes with an oxygen mask (Andrew Milligan/PA) He appeared in court this week in a wheelchair, wearing a suit and tie and using an oxygen tank. Throughout the trial, prosecutors painted a picture of an intelligent man who used his charm to take advantage of a vulnerable young woman. She was living with her parents and recovering from a traumatic brain injury when she responded to a personal ad Rossi posted on Craigslist. They began dating and were engaged within about two weeks. On Monday, the woman described being asked to pay for their dates, cover Rossi's car repairs, lend him 1,000 dollars so he wouldn't be evicted from his apartment and take on debt to buy their engagement rings. He grew hostile soon after their engagement and raped her in his bedroom one night after she drove him home, she testified. The woman said dismissive comments from her parents convinced her not to go to the police at the time. She came forward a decade later after she saw him in the news and learned he was accused of another rape from the same year. Rossi's lawyers sought to convince the jury that his accuser built up years of resentment after he made her foot the bill for everything in their month-long relationship. They argued she accused him of rape to get back at him years later, when he was getting media attention. Nicholas Rossi is set to stand trial in September for another rape charge in Utah County (Firecrest Films/AP) Lawyers for Rossi did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment after the verdict. Rossi's accuser in the Utah County case did, however, go to the police at the time. She gave evidence on Tuesday about her own experiences with Rossi, though he will not stand trial for that rape charge until next month. Rossi is accused of attacking the second woman, another former girlfriend, at his apartment in Orem in September 2008 after she came to collect money she said he stole from her to buy a computer. When police initially interviewed Rossi, he claimed she had raped him and threatened to have him killed. Rossi grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island and had returned there before allegedly faking his death. He was previously wanted in the state for failing to register as a sex offender. The FBI has said he also faces fraud charges in Ohio, where he was convicted of sex-related charges in 2008.
