Latest news with #drugSmuggling
CBS News
2 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
California inmate sentenced in scheme to deliver drugs into prison by drone
An inmate at a California correctional facility has been sentenced for his role in a scheme where drugs, phones and other items were delivered to the prison by drones, federal prosecutors said. Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California Michele Beckwith announced that 48-year-old Michael Ray Costa received a five-year prison term. Acosta is an inmate at Pleasant Valley State Prison near Coalinga in Fresno County. Prosecutors said Acosta pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and posses with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana. Acosta was one of five people charged in "Operation Night Drop", a multi-agency investigation targeting drone incursions over prisons. According to court documents, Acosta used a contraband cellphone to coordinate multiple drone deliveries into the prison between May and August 2021. Four co-conspirators, identified as Joshua Gonzlez, Jose Oropeza Rosendo, Rosendo Ramirez and David Ramirez Jr., flew drones over the prisons and dropped packages behind prison walls. Acosta and his associates would then recover the items for further distribution, prosecutors said. Items smuggled into the prison included methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, cellphones, phone accessories and other items. Prosecutors also announced that Oropeza is scheduled to be sentenced for his role in the scheme on July 28, while Ramirez is expected to plead guilty on the same day. Meanwhile, the next court appearance for Gonzalez and Ramirez is scheduled for June 11.
Times of Oman
a day ago
- General
- Times of Oman
International drug gang busted in Oman; expats arrested
Muscat: Two foreign nationals have been arrested in Oman for their involvement with an international criminal network in the smuggling of 50 kilograms of crystal meth, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) confirmed. ROP said in a statement :"Following a high-level tracking operation, the Directorate General of Combatting Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in North Al Batinah Governorate Police Command, in cooperation with the General Directorate for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, successfully apprehended two individuals of Bangladeshi nationality in the act." " The suspects were found to have collaborated with an international criminal network in the smuggling of 50 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, which had been concealed on one of the beaches of Wilayat Shinas after being trafficked by sea. Legal procedures are currently being finalized against them, " the statement added.
Jordan Times
22-05-2025
- Jordan Times
Authorities seize 45kg of crystal meth hidden in heavy machinery
The suspect concealed the narcotics within components of heavy equipment, which were transported in a travel vehicle through the Karameh border crossing (Petra photo) AMMAN — Authorities have thwarted one of the largest crystal meth smuggling attempts in recent years, uncovering 45 kilogrammes of the drug hidden inside heavy machinery, the Public Security Directorate (PSD) announced on Wednesday. According to a PSD spokesperson, the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND), in cooperation with other security agencies, launched a multi-week investigation after receiving intelligence that a foreign national was planning to smuggle a substantial quantity of the highly addictive drug into the Kingdom. A joint operational team was formed to verify the intelligence and track the suspect's activities. Surveillance confirmed that the individual had entered Jordan specifically to carry out the smuggling operation, the spokesperson said. The suspect reportedly concealed the narcotics within components of heavy equipment, which were transported in a travel vehicle through the Karameh border crossing. Security personnel tracked the vehicle to the capital, where the suspect was apprehended. Upon inspection, authorities discovered the crystal meth hidden within the machinery, he said. The PSD stressed that the successful operation reflects the continued dedication of Jordanian security forces to combating drug trafficking and protecting national security.
CTV News
21-05-2025
- CTV News
SIRT releases report on 2023 RPS death
Regina Watch WATCH: SIRT has cleared RPS of any wrongdoing, after a 2023 in-custody death was found to be due to attempted drug smuggling.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
'Narco cat' with crack cocaine and marijuana strapped to it caught smuggling drugs into prison
Prison guards have discovered a 'narco cat' roaming around a Costa Rican jail with marijuana and crack strapped to its body. According to a statement on Facebook from the country's Ministry Of Justice, officers at the Pococi Penitentiary spotted the unlikely smuggler on prison grounds on May 6 before capturing it. Prison staff were suspicious of gray patches they spotted on the feline's fur and decided to take a closer look. The odd looking patches turned out to be bags filled with narcotics - including a bag containing 236 grams of marijuana, and another containing 86 grams of crack cocaine. Footage shows the moment prison officers spotted and caught the feline felon as it climbed a tree on prison grounds. A separate clip shows how authorities carefully removed the illegal substances from the cat's body. Once removed from the animal the drugs were seized by authorities and the cat was handed over to the National Animal Health service for an evaluation. The Free Press Journal reported that it is common for animals to be used to smuggle narcotics into Costa Rican prisons. Prisoners reportedly use food to lure the animals to them after they have been loaded with drugs by people on the outside. The incident comes four years after authorities in Panama intercepted a fluffy white cat carrying an assortment of drugs in a pouch tied to its body as it tried to enter a prison. The animal was stopped outside the Nueva Esperanza jail, which houses more than 1,700 prisoners, in the Caribbean province of Colon, located north of the capital Panama City, in 2021. At the time, Andres Gutierrez, head of the Panama Penitentiary System said: 'The animal had a cloth tied around its neck' that contained wrapped packages of white powder, leaves and 'vegetable matter.' Officials confirmed that they were likely cocaine, crack, and marijuana. The 'narco cat' incidents come after the country's president, Rodrigo Chaves, took another step in his shift toward a tough-on-crime stance, announcing plans to build a new prison modelled on the maximum security prison in El Salvador. In addition to building a new prison, Chaves said small shops selling things inside existing prisons would be shut down. He also said permission for conjugal visits would be restricted and authorities would tighten the ability of families to bring food to inmates. The restrictions were aimed at stopping drugs being brought into prisons and other illicit activities.
