Latest news with #USDrugEnforcementAdministration
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
This word means: Ketamine
Billionaire Elon Musk engaged in extensive drug consumption as he became one of Donald Trump's closest advisers, taking ketamine so frequently it caused bladder problems and traveling with a daily supply of approximately 20 pills, according to a report by the New York Times. Musk had previously said that he was prescribed ketamine for depression, taking it about every two weeks. Ketamine is an anaesthetic that has been listed as a hallucinogen by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. It is referred to as a 'dissociative anaesthetic hallucinogen' because it creates a feeling of detachment from pain and the environment. In the US, ketamine was first used as an anaesthetic for animals in the 1960s. Around a decade later, the US Food and Drug Administration approved it for humans. The drug's use for treating depression and other mental illnesses is recent. Owing to its powerful effects, ketamine is consumed by those patients who haven't responded to traditional therapies. Ketamine is also used as a recreational drug, popularly known as K or Special K among clubgoers. Mental illness patients usually take ketamine through an IV, nasal spray or tablet once or twice a week for six to eight weeks (some might need it for longer). When it comes to recreational purposes, it is consumed by snorting a white crystalline powder. Ketamine can also be injected or smoked. In a recent report, The New York Times talked to 40 ketamine patients, many of whom said the drug was like a reset button for the brain. 'During treatment sessions, they experienced pleasant visualisations, sometimes accompanied by a sense of existing outside themselves and melding with the universe. Afterwards, their daily problems seemed less weighty,' according to the report. It also noted that ketamine garnered popularity as it affects brain receptors that traditional antidepressants do not target. 'The psychedelic-like trip, many believe, is integral to the drug's therapeutic effect,' the report said. If taken in high doses, the anaesthetic quality of ketamine becomes more pronounced. Some may find it difficult to move and may feel numb, and can experience more graphic hallucinations. 'This is sometimes called the 'k-hole' by users,' according to The Guardian. It's hard to say. Some doctors have emphasised that if taken only for medicinal purposes and in the right doses, ketamine is safe to consume and very effective in treating mental illnesses. However, many patients quoted in the NYT report said the drug can be addictive and, when taken chronically in high doses, can cause severe bladder damage. 'There are indications that abuse may also lead to cognitive impairment,' according to the report. Moreover, there has not been much research on prolonged ketamine treatment to determine if it's safe or not. There is also a lack of literature on addiction and abuse among medical users.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Key cartel member with $1 million US bounty on his head is killed, says Mexican government
Jorge Humberto Figueroa Benítez, identified by the United States government as a key member of the 'Los Chapitos' criminal organization, died during an operation aimed at capturing him in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, the country's Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch said Saturday. The operation against Figueroa Benitez, known by the nickname 'El Perris,' took place in Navolato, 32 kilometers (19 miles) from Culiacán, the state's capital, according to local media. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was offering up to $1 million for Figueroa Benitez, who was wanted for alleged federal crimes, including conspiracy to import and traffic fentanyl, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and money laundering conspiracy. In 2019, the city of Culiacán was the scene of a violent episode known as the 'Culiacanazo,' which involved violent armed clashes following the temporary capture of Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, one of the sons of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. Ovidio was later released by Mexican authorities, arguing that it was to 'save lives.' After being extradited to the US in 2023, Ovidio Guzmán pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering, although now, according to court documents reviewed by CNN, he is expected to change that plea. In early May, a US government source told CNN that several of his relatives crossed the border from Mexico into the United States at the San Ysidro port of entry, reportedly as part of an agreement with the US Department of Justice. CNN does not know the whereabouts of these people or whether they entered any witness protection program. CNN has requested comment from US Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Justice.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Major Mexican drug cartel figure killed in clash with army
Representative image A leader of a notorious Mexican drug cartel who had a bounty on his head in the United States has died in a clash with army troops, authorities said Saturday. Sinaloa state, where the powerful cartel of the same name is based, is enduring a war between two rival factions that has left some 1,200 people dead since September. Jorge Humberto Figueroa was shot and killed Friday in a raid carried out to arrest him, public safety secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch wrote on the social media platform X. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had been offering up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest on suspicion of fentanyl trafficking and money laundering. Figueroa was one of the masterminds of an infamous clash with the authorities in 2019 in the city of Culiacan, Harfuch said. In that case, cartel members fought security forces who had arrested Ovidio Guzman, a son of Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman. Mexican authorities controversially released Ovidio Guzman at the time, saying they wanted to avoid further bloodshed. But he ultimately was re-arrested in 2023 and extradited to the United States, where he remains in custody. Mexican press reports said Figueroa belonged to a Sinaloa cartel faction run by the sons of the older Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the United States. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo This group has been fighting another faction led by heirs of cartel co-founder Ismael Zambada, who was lured to the United States in a sting operation in 2024 and arrested. The newspaper Reforma said Figueroa was head of security for the faction led by Guzman's sons.
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump's surgeon general pick, Dr Casey Means, suggested using psychedelic drugs as therapy: Report
Dr Casey Means, United States President Donald Trump's surgeon general pick, wrote in a book recently that people should consider using unproven psychedelic drugs as therapy, according to a report by AP. She also suggested in a newsletter that she got herself ready for a romantic relationship with the help of mushrooms. Dr Means recommended considering using guided psilocybin-assisted therapy. However, psilocybin, more commonly known as magic mushrooms, is illegal under US federal law. It is listed as a Schedule 1 drug substance under the Controlled Substances Act, which means that it has a 'high potential for abuse' and 'no currently accepted medical use in treatment' in the United States. Also read: Who is Dr. Casey Means? 'MAHA' physician nominated as Surgeon General of US She wrote a book, 'Good Energy' with her brother Calley Means in 2024, wherein she made the alleged recommendation about using psychedelic drugs, according to the AP report. She declined to comment when reached out by AP. The book, titled 'Good Energy - The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health' focuses mainly on metabolic health. In a 750-word passage in the book, she recommends 'consider psilocybin-assisted therapy'. 'Strong scientific evidence suggests that this psychedelic therapy can be one of the most meaningful experiences of life for some people, as they have been for me,' she has written. Also read: 'I don't know her': Trump says he 'listened' to RFK Jr before nominating Dr. Casey Means However, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the psychological consequences of psilocybin use include hallucinations and an inability to discern fantasy from reality. It could also cause panic reactions and a psychotic-like episode, especially if someone injects a higher dose. Describing the episode of when she tried mushrooms for the first time in around January 2021, she writes that she was inspired by 'an internal voice that whispered: it's time to prepare.' 'I felt myself as part of an infinite and unbroken series of cosmic nesting dolls of millions of mothers and babies before me from the beginning of life,' she wrote. In her experience, 'psilocybin can be a doorway to a different reality that is free from the limiting beliefs of my ego, feelings, and personal history,' she added. She also said that she took the help of psychedelic drugs to make 'space to find love at 35'. She remarked in a newsletter. Means said that she 'did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides' to become ready for partnership, according to AP. However, she did not particularly recommend it for others. Not President Trump's original choice for the post of surgeon general, Means was picked by Trump after he withdrew his original nomination of Dr Janette Nesheiwat. He did so based on the recommendation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 'I don't know her, I listened to Bobby. I think she'll be great,' he said after picking her. Also read: Why 'pro-vaccine' Janette Nesheiwat was replaced last minute as surgeon general nominee Means went to Stanford for her undergraduate and medical degrees and began a medical residency in the state of Oregon. However, she did not complete it. Also, her medical license remains inactive, which raised several eyebrows after her nomination. According to the United States' Department of Health and Human Services, the Surgeon General is considered the 'Nation's Doctor' and is tasked to provide Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce their risk of illness and injury. 'The Surgeon General brings the best available scientific information to the public by issuing Surgeon General's Advisories, Calls to Action, and Reports on critical issues and communicating directly with the public via several communication channels,' the department says. With AP inputs.
The Guardian
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Mexico's president tries to defuse fears of US military intervention
A sharp exchange of statements over the weekend has heightened concerns in Mexico that Donald Trump may push for a US military presence in its territory to fight drug trafficking. The Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, sought to defuse the situation in her daily press conference on Monday, emphasising that communication between the two leaders had been 'very good' so far. But the episode underlined the fraught path that Sheinbaum is navigating, as she attempts to placate Trump and protect the US-Mexico trade relationship while also defending Mexican sovereignty. On Saturday, Sheinbaum revealed she had rejected an offer from Trump during a call last week to send US troops into Mexico to help fight drug trafficking. 'I told him, 'No, President Trump, our territory is inviolable, our sovereignty is inviolable,'' said Sheinbaum, adding that while the two countries can collaborate, 'we will never accept the presence of the US army in our territory'. Trump on Sunday confirmed he had made the offer to Sheinbaum, because the cartels 'are horrible people that have been killing people left and right and have been – they've made a fortune on selling drugs and destroying our people'. 'The president of Mexico is a lovely woman, but she is so afraid of the cartels that she can't even think straight,' added Trump. Despite the exchange over the weekend, the public relationship between Trump and Sheinbaum has been largely cordial, with many comparing Sheinbaum's performance favourably against other world leaders who have clashed with the US president. The US-Mexico relationship is complex and vastly important for both countries, spanning trade, migration and security. Since returning to power in January, Trump has imposed various tariff schemes that have jeopardised the free trade agreement between the two countries and the near trillion dollars of trade a year that pass between them. Trump directly linked some of those tariffs to reducing the movement of undocumented migrants and fentanyl across the border into the US, and Sheinbaum's cabinet has been engaged in intense diplomatic efforts to persuade him to withdraw them. Sheinbaum first sent 10,000 additional troops to the border, then Mexico sent 29 high-level organised crime operatives to face justice in the US, including Rafael Caro Quintero, the drug lord who was convicted of the murder of an undercover US Drug Enforcement Administration agent in 1985. Meanwhile Sheinbaum has abandoned the hands-off security strategy of her predecessor and ally, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and ramped up direct confrontation of organised crime groups, with soaring arrests and seizures of drugs and guns. 'Trump has created a real pressure that's forced Mexico to act,' said Will Freeman from the Council on Foreign Relations, a US-based think tank. 'I think Sheinbaum wants to act anyway, but it's made her job easier by putting this pressure behind her.' 'I think Trump's vision is that this is almost like an insurgency in Mexico,' added Freeman. 'And if the Mexican military is not willing to fight it – and they do often seem to be less than willing to use their full force against the cartels – then the US should do it.' But experts say it is unclear that greater military action would fundamentally address the problem of organised crime in Mexico. 'I think to really change the balance of power between organised crime and the state in Mexico, you need intelligence, you need accountability through the justice system, you need political will,' said Freeman. Still, Trump has said that the US could use unilateral military action if Mexico does not do enough to dismantle the cartels. Sheinbaum has warned that her country would not tolerate an 'invasion' of its national sovereignty by US forces. 'But the Mexican government should not just assume that [unilateral military action] couldn't happen, regardless of how bad an idea it would be on many levels,' said Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, from the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime, an NGO. 'All scenarios should be planned for.'
