More than 200 tons of drugs seized in Latin America

As part of Operation Trigger IX, 203 tons of cocaine and other drugs worth $5.7 billion were seized in the region between mid-March and early April, Interpol said Tuesday (local time). During operations in Central and South America, 14,260 suspects were arrested and 8,263 illegal weapons and 305,000 cartridges were seized. It was the largest action against illegal firearms ever coordinated by Interpol.

During the operation, Interpol gathered weapons experts from the countries involved in the border town of Foz do Iguaçu in the border triangle between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay to lead the operation. “Brazil currently has a major problem with the illegal import of firearms across the border,” said Marcus Vinicius Bantas of the Brazilian Federal Police. “These weapons are used for all kinds of crimes, including murder.”

Security forces from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay were involved in the operation. Operation Trigger IX was funded by the European Union.

The armed forces took action against 20 criminal organizations, including the Brazilian crime syndicate Primeiro Comando da Capital, the Salvadoran youth gang Mara Salvatrucha and the Balkan Cartel, which also operates in South America. After the operation, the concerned law enforcement agencies opened about 30 investigations.

“The fact that an operation targeting illegal firearms led to such massive drug seizures is further evidence that these crimes are intertwined,” said Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock. “The organized crime networks behind all these illegal activities have only one priority: profit. We, as law enforcement officers, must be equally determined to crush them in every region and around the world.”

Partly fueled by the drug trade, Latin America is one of the most dangerous regions in the world. “Only 13 percent of the world’s population lives in the countries of America, but 37 percent of all homicides worldwide are committed there,” said Interpol weapons expert Line Haidar. “Two-thirds of all homicides in America are committed with guns.” (sda/dpa)