Latest news with #criminalring
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Daily Mail
Colombian army dismantles migrant smuggling ring that charged over $3,000 per person to reach the US
A transnational ring that trafficked migrants to the United States for over $3,000 per person has been dismantled, the Colombian Army revealed on Thursday. A total of 11 people, including three public servants, were arrested during a series of raids in five cities, including Barranquilla and Medellín, General Luis Cardozo said. The three officials, whose names were not released, were in charge of securing national identification cards, passports, and other travel documents that allowed them to pass through immigration control points. Soldiers rescued two migrant men from Ecuador and a woman from the Dominican Republic who were being held at one of the properties that were raided. The trafficking network reportedly contacted migrants in their home countries and sold them on the idea that they could provide 'safe' passageways to reach the United States, according to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. Migrants were shuttled from Colombia to Central America, including Nicaragua and Panamá, and later Mexico before reaching the United States. 'This operation reaffirms our commitment to defending sovereignty, protecting the most vulnerable, and strengthening the rule of law,' Cardozo said. 'I urge citizens to be wary of misleading offers from individuals outside of official and recognized entities to carry out immigration procedures.' Law enforcement sources told Colombian newspaper El Tiempo that the criminal ring had ties to other networks in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Panamá. 'We are dealing with an organization that acted with sophistication, taking advantage of institutional loopholes and critical points in the identification system to operate for years,' one of the sources said. Each of the 11 defendants are facing conspiracy to commit a crime, migrant trafficking and falsification of public documents. 'Investigations continue to determine the scope of this transnational network, which affected national security and the human rights of migrants,' the Colombia Army said in a statement. The smuggling ring bust comes two months after three members of a similar network were arrested in the departments Nariño, Norte de Santander Antioquia. The group charged migrants, depending on their nationality, between $300 to $1,800 to illegally reach Panamá and other countries in Central America. A percentage of the money that they charged was then paid to the Gulf Clan cartel and Tren de Aragua gang, who ensured the smugglers that the migrants would reach their destinations in Central America before making it to the United States.
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Yahoo
Man charged in Switzerland over alleged multi-million cybercrime in Scotland
A man who allegedly hacked computers in Scotland and elsewhere to extort various companies has been charged in Switzerland. A 51-year-old has been indicted for alleged cybercrime for a total of 10 ransomware attacks between December 2018 and May 2020. Such attacks see hackers access data, encrypt it, and demand a ransom to decrypt it again. The man, a Ukrainian living in Switzerland, is alleged to have been part of an international criminal ring which attacked companies in Switzerland, France, Norway, Scotland, Canada, the Netherlands and the United States. Read More: Men jailed after operating massive cannabis farm in disused shopping centre Workplace pervert avoids jail for posting suggestive pictures of female colleagues Predator who abused three girls over 50 year period faces lengthy jail-term Some of the companies paid a ransom in Bitcoin to retrieve their data, with the largest single amount being 41 million Swiss Francs (£38m). The total damage caused is believed to be around 130m Francs (£121m), with a total of 12 people arrested in connection. The man has been indicted by the Zurich public prosecutor's office and will be tried for extortion, various computer crimes, money laundering, pornography and other crimes. Prosecutors are asking for a 12-year sentence and for him to expelled from Switzerland. The date of the trial before the Zurich District Court has not yet been set.
Malay Mail
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
New York jury to decide Sean ‘Diddy' Combs's future as sex trafficking case wraps
NEW YORK, June 30 — Jurors today will begin deliberating whether Sean 'Diddy' Combs parlayed his celebrity, wealth and business empire into a decades-long criminal ring that saw him force women into drug-fueled sexual performances with escorts. The dozen New Yorkers tasked with deciding the music mogul's future will began poring over thousands of phone, financial and other records along with the stories of 34 people who testified against him over seven painstaking, and at times excruciating, weeks. Combs, 55, faces upwards of life in prison if convicted on five federal charges that include racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation for purposes of prostitution. The producer and entrepreneuer, once one of the most powerful people in the music industry, denies the charges. On Friday his lawyer vied to skewer the credibility of his accusers—namely two women he dated for years—saying they were out for money, while rejecting any notion he led a criminal ring. But in their final argument, prosecutors tore into the defense, saying Combs's team had 'contorted the facts endlessly.' Prosecutor Maurene Comey told jurors that by the time Combs had committed his clearest-cut offenses, 'he was so far past the line he couldn't even see it.' 'In his mind he was untouchable,' she told the court. 'The defendant never thought that the women he abused would have the courage to speak out loud what he had done to them.' 'That ends in this courtroom,' she said. 'The defendant is not a god.' Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo scoffed at the picture painted by prosecutors of a violent, domineering man who fostered 'a climate of fear.' Combs is a 'self-made, successful Black entrepreneur' who had romantic relationships that were 'complicated' but consensual, Agnifilo said. Combs, 55, faces upwards of life in prison if convicted on five federal charges that include racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation for purposes of prostitution. — AFP pic Manipulation The defense has conceded that Combs at times beat his partners—but insist the domestic violence does not amount to the sex trafficking or racketeering he's charged with. Key to the prosecution's case were witnesses Casandra Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane, both of whom described abuse, threats and coercive sex in wrenching detail. In their closing arguments the defense dissected their accounts and at times even mocked them, insisting the women were adults making choices that were best for them. Speaking for the government on Friday, prosecutor Comey snapped back at that notion, saying the women were 'manipulated' into 'brazen' acts of sex trafficking. Ventura and Jane both said they experienced emotional manipulation and threats which made them feel obliged to meet Combs's sexual demands. Throughout the trial, jurors were shown voluminous phone records, including messages from both women that Agnifilo argued implied consent. But prosecutors said those messages do not paint the whole picture, and referenced testimony from a forensic psychologist who explained to jurors how victims become ensnared by abusers. Central to their case is the claim that Combs led a criminal enterprise of senior employees who 'existed to serve his needs' and enforced his power with offenses including forced labor, kidnapping, bribery, witness tampering and arson. But Agnifilo underscored that none of those individuals testified against Combs, nor were they named as co-conspirators. Many witnesses were given immunity orders so they could speak without fear of incriminating themselves. To convict Combs on racketeering, jurors must find that prosecutors showed beyond reasonable doubt that he agreed with people within his organization to commit at least two of the eight crimes forming the racketeering charge. On Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian will explain to them how apply the law to the evidence. Then, the eight men and four women will begin deliberating. They must reach a unanimous decision, reaching either a guilty or not guilty verdict on each count. — AFP
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jury set to deliberate Sean 'Diddy' Combs's fate
Jurors on Monday will begin deliberating whether Sean "Diddy" Combs parlayed his celebrity, wealth and business empire into a decades-long criminal ring that saw him force women into drug-fueled sexual performances with escorts. The dozen New Yorkers tasked with deciding the music mogul's future will began poring over thousands of phone, financial and other records along with the stories of 34 people who testified against him over seven painstaking, and at times excruciating, weeks. Combs, 55, faces upwards of life in prison if convicted on five federal charges that include racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation for purposes of prostitution. The producer and entrepreneuer, once one of the most powerful people in the music industry, denies the charges. On Friday his lawyer vied to skewer the credibility of his accusers -- namely two women he dated for years -- saying they were out for money, while rejecting any notion he led a criminal ring. But in their final argument, prosecutors tore into the defense, saying Combs's team had "contorted the facts endlessly." Prosecutor Maurene Comey told jurors that by the time Combs had committed his clearest-cut offenses, "he was so far past the line he couldn't even see it." "In his mind he was untouchable," she told the court. "The defendant never thought that the women he abused would have the courage to speak out loud what he had done to them." "That ends in this courtroom," she said. "The defendant is not a god." Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo scoffed at the picture painted by prosecutors of a violent, domineering man who fostered "a climate of fear." Combs is a "self-made, successful Black entrepreneur" who had romantic relationships that were "complicated" but consensual, Agnifilo said. - Manipulation - The defense has conceded that Combs at times beat his partners -- but insist the domestic violence does not amount to the sex trafficking or racketeering he's charged with. Key to the prosecution's case were witnesses Casandra Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane, both of whom described abuse, threats and coercive sex in wrenching detail. In their closing arguments the defense dissected their accounts and at times even mocked them, insisting the women were adults making choices that were best for them. Speaking for the government on Friday, prosecutor Comey snapped back at that notion, saying the women were "manipulated" into "brazen" acts of sex trafficking. Ventura and Jane both said they experienced emotional manipulation and threats which made them feel obliged to meet Combs's sexual demands. Throughout the trial, jurors were shown voluminous phone records, including messages from both women that Agnifilo argued implied consent. But prosecutors said those messages do not paint the whole picture, and referenced testimony from a forensic psychologist who explained to jurors how victims become ensnared by abusers. Central to their case is the claim that Combs led a criminal enterprise of senior employees who "existed to serve his needs" and enforced his power with offenses including forced labor, kidnapping, bribery, witness tampering and arson. But Agnifilo underscored that none of those individuals testified against Combs, nor were they named as co-conspirators. Many witnesses were given immunity orders so they could speak without fear of incriminating themselves. To convict Combs on racketeering, jurors must find that prosecutors showed beyond reasonable doubt that he agreed with people within his organization to commit at least two of the eight crimes forming the racketeering charge. On Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian will explain to them how apply the law to the evidence. Then, the eight men and four women will begin deliberating. They must reach a unanimous decision, reaching either a guilty or not guilty verdict on each count. mdo/st
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jury set to deliberate Sean 'Diddy' Combs's fate
Jurors on Monday will begin deliberating whether Sean "Diddy" Combs parlayed his celebrity, wealth and business empire into a decades-long criminal ring that saw him force women into drug-fueled sexual performances with escorts. The dozen New Yorkers tasked with deciding the music mogul's future will began poring over thousands of phone, financial and other records along with the stories of 34 people who testified against him over seven painstaking, and at times excruciating, weeks. Combs, 55, faces upwards of life in prison if convicted on five federal charges that include racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation for purposes of prostitution. The producer and entrepreneuer, once one of the most powerful people in the music industry, denies the charges. On Friday his lawyer vied to skewer the credibility of his accusers -- namely two women he dated for years -- saying they were out for money, while rejecting any notion he led a criminal ring. But in their final argument, prosecutors tore into the defense, saying Combs's team had "contorted the facts endlessly." Prosecutor Maurene Comey told jurors that by the time Combs had committed his clearest-cut offenses, "he was so far past the line he couldn't even see it." "In his mind he was untouchable," she told the court. "The defendant never thought that the women he abused would have the courage to speak out loud what he had done to them." "That ends in this courtroom," she said. "The defendant is not a god." Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo scoffed at the picture painted by prosecutors of a violent, domineering man who fostered "a climate of fear." Combs is a "self-made, successful Black entrepreneur" who had romantic relationships that were "complicated" but consensual, Agnifilo said. - Manipulation - The defense has conceded that Combs at times beat his partners -- but insist the domestic violence does not amount to the sex trafficking or racketeering he's charged with. Key to the prosecution's case were witnesses Casandra Ventura and a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane, both of whom described abuse, threats and coercive sex in wrenching detail. In their closing arguments the defense dissected their accounts and at times even mocked them, insisting the women were adults making choices that were best for them. Speaking for the government on Friday, prosecutor Comey snapped back at that notion, saying the women were "manipulated" into "brazen" acts of sex trafficking. Ventura and Jane both said they experienced emotional manipulation and threats which made them feel obliged to meet Combs's sexual demands. Throughout the trial, jurors were shown voluminous phone records, including messages from both women that Agnifilo argued implied consent. But prosecutors said those messages do not paint the whole picture, and referenced testimony from a forensic psychologist who explained to jurors how victims become ensnared by abusers. Central to their case is the claim that Combs led a criminal enterprise of senior employees who "existed to serve his needs" and enforced his power with offenses including forced labor, kidnapping, bribery, witness tampering and arson. But Agnifilo underscored that none of those individuals testified against Combs, nor were they named as co-conspirators. Many witnesses were given immunity orders so they could speak without fear of incriminating themselves. To convict Combs on racketeering, jurors must find that prosecutors showed beyond reasonable doubt that he agreed with people within his organization to commit at least two of the eight crimes forming the racketeering charge. On Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian will explain to them how apply the law to the evidence. Then, the eight men and four women will begin deliberating. They must reach a unanimous decision, reaching either a guilty or not guilty verdict on each count. mdo/st
