Mexico
Mexico called to task over disappeared
A Human Rights Watch report finds that Mexican security forces took part in thousands of disappearances over the term of President Felipe Calderón, with little investigation.
Tag: narco wars
Southeast Asia
Borneo stand-off: whither Sulu sultanate?
Security forces in Malaysian Borneo are in a stand-off with some 100 men they say are insurgents from the Philippine island of Sulu raising an ancestral claim to the territory.
The Andes
Colombia: ELN to join peace talks?
Colombia’s peace advocates are calling for inclusion of the ELN guerillas in the Havana dialogue with the FARC, warning of a “marginalized” front in the civil war.
Central America
Medellín’s ‘top crime boss’ arrested in Panama
Panama announced the arrest of the top leader of the Oficina de Envigado, a Colombian crime syndicate said to be a surviving remnant of Pablo Escobar's notorious Medellín Cartel.
Mexico
Mexico: Chapo goon popped —but still not Chapo
The Mexican military announced the capture of “El Fantasma,” yet another accused lieutenant of fugitive Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin Guzmán AKA “El Chapo.”
South Asia
India: Naxalite hand in opium trade?
Authorities in India say that the Naxalite guerillas, following a series of reversals, have taken refuge in the northeast, where they are trading opium for guns from Burma.
Southeast Asia
Burma: Kachin rebels agree to peace talks
With fighting escalating after a 17-year ceasefire broke down last year, Burma’s Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has agreed to talks with the government.
Afghanistan
US blacklists Afghan airline for opium trafficking
One of Afghanistan’s top airlines has been officially blacklisted by US authorities for allegedly trafficking opium on civilian flights. The Kabul regime is demanding evidence.
Mexico
Mexico: campesinos bear arms against narcos
Cmpesinos in Mexico’s southern Guerrero state have taken up arms to defend themselves from drug-trafficking gangs that terrorize residents and demand protection payments.
The Andes
Colombia: prosecutor’s transfer sparks outcry
Jurists in Medellín are protesting the decision by Colombia's prosecutor to transfer attorney Patricia Hernández, who has spent years working against local paramilitaries.
Mexico
Mexico: victims’ movement calls for US gun control
54,558 people have signed a letter calling on US President Obama and other officials to stop the flow of smuggled firearms from the US to Mexican drug gangs.
Mexico
Mexico: US to train commandos for ‘drug war’
A US Special Operations group is set to train Mexican commandos to fight drug traffickers with the techniques the US military has used to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.