Record cocaine bust in Canada surges street price by 20%: Police
Canadian authorities have seized a record 835 kilograms (1,840 pounds) of cocaine in Toronto, marking the largest drug bust in the city’s history. The cocaine, worth an estimated $83 million, is believed to be linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a prolific Mexican drug organization.
Months-long investigation leads to record seizure
In a press release, officials said they seized the drugs as part of an investigation known as “Project Castillo,” which began in August 2024. In October, after five months of work, Toronto police discovered the cocaine hidden in a truck with additional drugs found in several stash houses following the execution of search warrants.
“We know that these drugs traveled all the way from Mexico, over the United States’ southern border, and then made their way here to Canada where we stopped and seized them,” said Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw at a press conference Tuesday, Jan. 21.
“When we get illicit drugs off our streets, we literally save lives. We protect people, we prevent violence and we break up criminal networks. This will always be our top priority.”
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw
Jalisco cartel’s operations and broader impact
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel has been linked to a wide range of illegal activities. They include smuggling fentanyl into the U.S. disguised as prescription pills. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has tied the cartel to tens of thousands of overdose deaths across North America.
“These drugs were destined to other regions from coast to coast to coast,” Demkiw said.
The seizure has dealt a significant blow to organized crime. Officials said it disrupted drug trafficking and damaged the financial operations of the cartel. They also say the street price of cocaine surged by 20% following the bust, highlighting the operation’s immediate ripple effects.
Arrests made, warrants issued for more suspects
Six people have been arrested in connection with the cocaine operation. They include four Canadians and two Mexican nationals who entered Canada legally. Arrest warrants have been issued for three more individuals, including two suspects believed to be in Mexico.
US, Mexican officials plan to seal secret smuggling tunnel under border
Smugglers may soon have one less way to illegally sneak people and contraband into the United States from Mexico. The Mexican army announcing it is sealing up a secret tunnel underneath the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas, and revealed that an investigation is underway into its construction.
What did authorities find?
Authorities said they believe the tunnel was being used by human and drug traffickers.
CBS News reported on Sunday, Jan. 19, on the Mexican side of the connection, the tunnel is about 1,000 feet long and equipped with lighting ventilation and wood reinforcements to prevent collapse.
The tunnel reportedly measures about 6 feet high and is four feet wide, which Mexico’s military says makes for easy passage of drugs and people.
The tunnel was discovered on Jan. 10 by U.S. Border Patrol agents in El Paso and is hidden in a storm sewer system between both cities.
Mexican Army officials said the tunnel’s construction may have taken up to two years and they are looking into whether any law enforcement officials were complicit in its creation.
How big is the problem?
Authorities say secret tunnel like this one that are connected to sewer systems are a common tactic among smugglers.
The discovery of the latest underground passageway comes as President Donald Trump vows mass deportations and reportedly plans Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids as soon as Tuesday, Jan. 21.
Coast Guard arrests traffickers after high-speed chase off San Diego coast
The U.S. Coast Guard halted a human smuggling attempt off the San Diego coast on Jan. 5, after two men on a boat rammed a patrol vessel and resisted arrest, according to court documents. The incident began at a boat ramp near Mission Bay Drive Bridge, where Border Patrol agents detained four individuals who had exited a vessel.
The four individuals, identified as Mexican nationals without legal documentation, told agents they had agreed to pay between $7,000 and $19,000 to be smuggled into the United States.
Two men, later identified as Oscar Eduardo Audelo-Rodriguez and Francisco Brado-Cota, reboarded the vessel and fled the scene, ignoring commands to stop. The boat, which had fishing poles attached to disguise its purpose, was pursued by the Coast Guard. When intercepted, the men rammed the patrol vessel and threw metal objects at officers, court records said.
Coast Guard members responded by firing disabling rounds at the boat’s motor and deploying non-lethal pepper balls. Despite disabling the vessel, the men resisted arrest until officers boarded the boat and subdued them with pepper spray.
Audelo-Rodriguez, identified as the captain, and Brado-Cota, the co-captain, were taken into custody and transported to Naval Base Point Loma. They were medically cleared and placed in federal custody.
The Coast Guard did not provide comment on the incident.
According to officials, the agency encounters approximately 3,000 migrants attempting to enter the U.S. by sea annually and conducts about 1,400 boardings of high-risk vessels. Between the summer of 2021 and winter of 2023, the service detained more than 27,000 individuals in maritime smuggling cases.
Lawmakers target China’s role in US fentanyl crisis with new legislation
Synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, continue to kill tens of thousands of Americans annually. In 2023, an estimated 74,000 people in the U.S. died from fentanyl overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
That figure is slightly down from 2022 when the CDC recorded more than 76,000 deaths.
Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is looking to crack down on China’s involvement in the United States’ fentanyl crisis.
Fentanyl precursor chemicals are manufactured in China before being shipped to the U.S., Mexico and Canada, where the final fentanyl product is ultimately produced.
Lawmakers introduce bills to hold China accountable
Lawmakers have introduced three bills aimed at holding China accountable for illicit drug manufacturing. The bills are the Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2024, the [Chinese Communist Party] CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act, and the International Protection from [People’s Republic of China] PRC Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids Act.
The Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2024 would create a task force to tackle synthetic drug trafficking, like fentanyl. It would bring together key federal agencies for joint operations, disrupt trafficking networks and enforce sanctions.
The CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act targets fentanyl producers by expanding sanctions against those involved in fentanyl trafficking. It would grant the president the authority to block foreign financial accounts linked to individuals involved in the trade.
The legislation also targets Chinese vessels, ports and online marketplaces that knowingly facilitate the shipment or sale of synthetic narcotics.
The International Protection from PRC Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids Act targets fentanyl trafficking. They impose civil penalties on PRC shippers that fail to implement transparent practices and safeguards to prevent drug shipments.
Lawmakers respond to the crisis
“For too long, China has profited from the destruction of American lives, and the fentanyl crisis they are manufacturing knows no boundaries,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash. “As we continue our work fighting the immediate threat the drug poses, we are also going after the CCP and their central role in subsidizing, producing, and exporting the precursors that fuel this epidemic.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said, “Fentanyl has taken too many loved ones and devastated communities across America. We owe it to those families to close trade loopholes used by the CCP to ship fentanyl into the U.S. and perpetuate one of our nation’s worst drug epidemics.”
Legislative prospects
It’s unlikely that Congress will pass these bills during this legislative session. They will likely need to be reintroduced when the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2025.
Annual drug overdose deaths decreased by greatest number in US history: CDC
Drug overdose deaths fell 17% between July 2023 and July 2024, according to a new report released on Wednesday, Dec. 11, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although drug overdose death numbers won’t be added up until the end of the year, the CDC said the drop would represent the largest decrease in overdose-related deaths over a one-year period in U.S. history.
Still, since 2021, more than 100,000 people have reportedly died from drug overdoses each year. 2022 set a record for overdose deaths with more than 108,000 people who died. Overdose deaths went down in 2023 and continued to fall throughout 2024.
The White House credited the drop in deaths to its efforts like making Naloxone, a medicine designed to reverse opioid overdoses, available over the counter and cracking down on fentanyl production.
Most overdose deaths reportedly involve opioids, including fentanyl, and there has been a decrease in deaths associated with these drugs. However, a CBS News investigation previously found a rise in deaths involving other drugs like meth and cocaine.
Drug overdose survivor advocates also warn the Biden administration against taking a “premature victory lap.” They noted the fall in overdose deaths is good news but also acknowledged that the numbers overall remain much too high, especially among minorities.
Mental health and addiction experts also argued that the U.S. government still needs to invest in more recovery, treatment and prevention programs.
20 million fentanyl pills seized in Mexico’s largest drug bust
Mexican authorities seized over a ton of fentanyl in Sinaloa, marking the largest bust of the synthetic opioid in the country’s history. Officials said the haul, equivalent to more than 20 million doses, has an estimated street value of nearly $400 million.
The operation occurred Tuesday, Dec. 3, when military personnel spotted two armed men in Sinaloa, a region known for cartel activity. The suspects fled into two houses, where authorities discovered over 660 pounds of fentanyl in one house and a truck carrying an additional 1,750 pounds. Agents also seized several firearms and arrested two suspects at the scene.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the bust was part of an ongoing investigation. However, analysts suggested the timing may be linked to recent pressure from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has demanded stronger action on drug trafficking and immigration.
Trump recently threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods unless both nations address the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
The synthetic opioid is a major contributor to the U.S. overdose crisis, causing approximately 70,000 deaths annually.
Fentanyl seizures in Mexico sharply declined earlier this year, with federal forces confiscating only 286 pounds nationwide between January and June — a 94% drop from 2023.
The record seizure in Sinaloa signals a potential shift in enforcement priorities as U.S.-Mexico relations face heightened scrutiny over the fentanyl crisis.
Meanwhile, U.S. authorities have intensified their own efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking. Earlier this year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 4 million fentanyl pills in Arizona, marking the largest seizure in the agency’s history.
Drug lord Fabio Ochoa Vásquez released from US prison after 25 years
Fabio Ochoa Vásquez, a former drug lord with the Medellín Cartel, was released from a U.S. prison on Tuesday, Dec. 3, after serving 25 years. The 67-year-old is expected to be deported back to his home country of Colombia.
Ochoa, along with his two brothers, became billionaires in the 1980s by running a cocaine distribution operation out of Miami. He was also a former associate of notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
He was originally named in an indictment in the U.S. for the 1986 murder of Barry Seal, a drug-smuggling pilot for the Medellín Cartel who became an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In 1990, Ochoa and his brothers surrendered to Colombian authorities. At the time, Colombia did not have an extradition treaty with the United States, so the brothers were promised they would not be turned over to U.S. authorities.
Ochoa served nearly six years in a Colombian prison and was released in 1996. He was arrested again in Colombia in 1999, along with dozens of other drug lords. Colombian authorities then agreed to extradite him to the United States in 2001.
In 2003, Ochoa was convicted of drug trafficking and cocaine distribution and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Richard Gregorie, one of the prosecutors who helped convict Ochoa, told The Associated Press that authorities were never able to seize all of his family’s illicit drug proceeds and said he expects Ochoa to have a “welcome return home.”
“He won’t be retiring a poor man, that’s for sure,” Gregorie told the AP.
Ochoa’s character was also featured in the Netflix drama series “Narcos and Griselda.”
Man arrested with what law enforcement says was a meth-soaked cow onesie
Federal authorities indicted a California man for allegedly trying to carry 71.5 pounds of clothes soaked in meth on a flight from Los Angeles to Australia. Those clothes included a cow onesie.
Law enforcement officials say they arrested a 31-year-old man after scanning his two checked bags. Inside, they say, he had light-colored clothes that were allegedly covered in dried methamphetamine.
Photos from the Justice Department show that the cow-themed pajamas were in the haul, along with underwear, T-shirts, towels and other clothing.
Police arrested the suspect while he was waiting to board the flight.
U.S. attorney Martin Estrada said this situation is part of a trend. In a statement, he said, “Drug dealers are continually inventing creative ways of smuggling dangerous narcotics in pursuit of illicit profit.”
The suspect faces an arraignment on Monday, Dec. 2, on charges of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute. If convicted, the charge comes with a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum sentence is life in prison.
Trump plans new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China over drugs, migrants
President-elect Donald Trump vows to hit Canada, Mexico and China with new tariffs on their products coming into the U.S. And TSA is laying out its expectations as the Tuesday before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel days of the year. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024.
Trump plans new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China over drugs, migrants
President-elect Donald Trump has announced some of the first executive orders he plans to issue on day one of his administration. Trump said he will make good on a campaign promise by raising tariffs on goods from China, Canada and Mexico – the latter two being the top trading partners of the U.S. – due to illegal border crossings and drugs entering the country.
Trump made the announcements Monday night, Nov. 25, on his Truth Social platform. He targeted Canada and Mexico first.
The president-elect said on his first day in office, he will impose a 25% tariff on all products coming into the United States from those two countries, which account for 30% of trade volumes. Trump said the tariffs will remain in effect until drugs, specifically fentanyl, and illegal immigrants stop crossing into the U.S.
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 26, 2024
“Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem,” Trump said. “We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”
In a second post on Truth Social, Trump turned his attention to China, saying he’ll charge China an additional 10% above any other tariffs on all their products coming into the U.S.
While he said he has had many talks with Chinese officials about drugs being sent into the U.S., Trump said nothing has changed. He added, “Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this but, unfortunately, they never followed through, and drugs are pouring into our country, mostly through Mexico, at levels never seen before.”
Reaction has been coming in from the countries affected by Trump’s tariff plans.
Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Liu Pengyu said, “China believes that China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature. No one will win a trade or a tariff war.”
In a joint statement, Canada’s deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, and public safety minister, Dominic LeBlancr, said, “Canada and the United States have one of the strongest and closest relationships – particularly when it comes to trade and border security. Canada places the highest priority on border security and the integrity of our shared border.”
Ricardo Monreal, Mexico’s lower house leader for the ruling party, responded in a post on X, saying, “The imposition of a possible tariff on Mexican products goes against the United States–Mexico–Canada agreement and does not solve the common problems of the border between Mexico and the United States…escalating trade retaliation would only hurt the people’s pocketbooks.”
Scott Bessent, Trump’s nominee for treasury secretary — who says tariffs would not add to inflation — supports the move, but many economists forecast tariffs would increase prices for U.S. consumers.
The Peterson Institute for International Economics estimated over the summer the tariff plan Trump promised on the campaign trail, which included 60% tariffs on Chinese goods, would cost the typical U.S. household more than $2,600 a year.
A CNBC analysis said retail chains like Five Below and Dollar Tree, along with online outlet Wayfair, would be some of the most vulnerable companies when it comes to a trade war.
Meanwhile, multiple reports said President-elect Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Monday night following the social media posts. The reports said the two had a “good conversation” about trade and border security.
Federal judge dismisses Trump’s 2020 election interference charges
Special Counsel Jack Smith has dropped all federal charges against President-elect Trump in connection with attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. He filed the motion Monday and a federal judge granted it within hours.
A different judge had already dismissed the federal charges against Trump for mishandling classified documents. Smith was appealing that decision before he dropped those charges as well on Monday.
The Justice Department’s longstanding position that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime is set to apply to Trump once he takes office again in January, which is why Smith decided to give up the cases against him.
On Truth Social, Trump posted, “I persevered, against all odds, and won.”
FBI agent acquitted in 2020 shooting arrested on sexual assault charges
An FBI agent has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting two women, according to police in Montgomery County, Maryland. Authorities there also said they believe there might be other victims out there.
Valdivia is now suspended from the FBI pending the outcome of this case.
This is not his first brush with the law. In 2020, prosecutors charged Valdivia with attempted murder in an off-duty shooting on a metro train in Bethesda, Maryland. A Montgomery County jury found him not guilty in that case in 2022.
Macy’s says employee hid $154M in expenses, delays Q3 report
Macy’s said one employee intentionally created so many accounting inconsistencies it had to delay its quarterly report.
While the department store chain said it saw stronger-than-expected sales from July to October this year, it also discovered a now-former employee hid up to $154 million in expenses over nearly three years. The company said the issue was related to delivery expenses in one of its accrual accounts.
Macy’s delayed its third-quarter earnings report after the retailer said an employee hid up to $154 million in delivery expenses over several years, prompting an investigation https://t.co/7PlNTb2qp0
While the questionable expenses only account for a small fraction of the $4.36 billion in delivery expenses during that almost three-year period, the company found the errors to be significant enough to delay reporting its full quarterly earnings.
That report was originally set to be released Tuesday, Nov. 26. It has now been pushed back until Dec. 11.
TSA preparing for ‘busiest Thanksgiving ever’ for air travel
Thanksgiving travel is taking off and this year is expected to be another for the record books. The Transportation Security Administration said it’s ready for the rush and expects to screen 18.3 million people at U.S. airports from Tuesday through next Monday, Dec. 2.
Today we kick off our busiest travel week of the year! Flying to visit with family or friends? Start your packing with an empty bag. Leftover items from past adventures often include prohibited items. Unsure what’s allowed in your carry-on or checked bag? Send a DM to our @AskTSA… pic.twitter.com/kduiVqKY5a
The Sunday after Thanksgiving, Dec. 1, is expected to be the busiest day for air travel. The TSA estimates more than three million people are likely to pass through their checkpoints that day alone.
The word went viral after a video was posted on TikTok by user @JoolsLebron in August. Dictionary.com said demure saw a nearly 1,200% increase in usage in digital web media alone from January to the end of August, mainly attributed to the video.
The website said while demure was traditionally used to describe those who are reserved and quiet, the new usage seen on social media is meant to describe refined and sophisticated appearance or behavior.
Trump border czar Tom Homan says cartels to be designated terrorist orgs
President-elect Trump announced former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Thomas Homan will serve as border czar during his second administration. Trump is giving Homan extraordinary authority over the southern and northern borders, maritime security and aviation security. Trump said Homan will also be in charge of deporting all individuals who are in the country illegally back to their countries of origin.
So who is Homan? He has worked for six presidents going back to Ronald Reagan. He was a career official at the Department of Homeland Security and worked his way up the ranks during the Bush and Obama administrations.
Most recently, he was named acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2017 by President Trump.
Homan is known for tough rhetoric.
“I got a message to the millions of illegal aliens that Joe Biden released in our country in violation of federal law: you better start packing now,” Homan said during a speech at the Republican National Convention in July.
During the speech, Homan outlined a top priority for the second Trump administration, targeting drug cartels.
“Another message to the criminal cartels in Mexico,” Homan said. “You smuggled enough fentanyl across this country to kill 148,000 young Americans. You have killed more Americans than every terrorist organization in the world combined. That’s why when President Trump gets back in office he’s going to designate you a terrorist organization, he’s going to wipe you off the face of the earth, you’re done, you’re done.”
“Now we have record illegal immigration, a record number of women and children being sex trafficked, a record number of Americans dying from fentanyl, a record number of known or suspected terrorists sneaking across our border,” Homan said. “Here’s what you need to know: this isn’t mismanagement, this isn’t incompetence, this is by design and it’s a choice choice. It’s national suicide.”
Homan has also said that his words shouldn’t be threatening to the immigrant community, but rather to the illegal immigrant community.