Published • loading... • Updated
Major Ecuadorian cocaine, weapons trafficking ring busted in New York
Five defendants are accused of importing vast quantities of cocaine and carrying machine guns, and prosecutors say they face life in prison if convicted.
- Five Ecuadorian nationals were indicted in the Southern District of New York for conspiring to import vast quantities of cocaine into the U.S., facing life in prison if convicted of trafficking and machine gun possession.
- U.S. Attorney for the SDNY Jamie McDonald alleged politicians Jaime Estrada Medranda and Jaime Estrada Bonilla partnered with violent traffickers to smuggle cocaine in seafood exports from Manta, Ecuador, a known transit hub.
- Prosecutors state the network transformed Ecuador into a transit hub for 70 percent of cocaine reaching the U.S. and Europe. Authorities arrested Medranda and Bonilla on Monday in Panama; three others were apprehended Wednesday in Ecuador.
- Indictments follow the Trump administration's launch of an international coalition with 14 countries to target cartels and transnational crime in the Western Hemisphere.
- Traffickers routinely exploit maritime routes, using commercial vessels and "go fast" boats to conceal narcotics among legitimate commodities, while prosecutions aim to dismantle political corruption that "wreaked havoc in Ecuador" in recent years.
Insights by Ground AI
15 Articles
15 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left3Leaning Right5Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution47% Center
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources are Center
47% Center
L 20%
C 47%
R 33%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
