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Drug War

US President Obama commutes sentences of 95 drug offenders

One of the inmates granted clemency was Sharanda Jones, a 48-year-old Texas woman who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for a single cocaine offense. She was a first-time, nonviolent offender.

If you fly between Chicago and L.A. you might be a drug dealer, according to the DEA

If you stop and question enough of the 3 million people who fly from Chicago to Los Angeles, eventually you'll get lucky and stumble upon a drug trafficker.

‘Guzmán?’ Video casts new light on Mexico kingpin escape

New surveillance footage of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán's July 11 escape featured for the first time audio from the maximum-security prison cell near Mexico City.

PHOTOS: Costa Rica’s new crime-fighting machine

The Tico Times had exclusive access to the inaugural mission of Costa Rica’s new fully armored crime-fighting vehicle, nicknamed “The Protector.”

In heroin fight, White House tries to break down walls between public health, police

As heroin overdoses and deaths soar in many parts of the United States, the White House plans to announce on Monday an initiative that will for the first time pair public health and law enforcement in an effort to shift the emphasis from punishment to the treatment of addicts.

Biggest submarine drug bust ever yields $181 million in cocaine off Pacific coast of Central America

A U.S. plane first spotted the smuggling vessel 200 miles south of Mexico off the coast of Central America. It was carrying a total of 16,000 pounds of narcotics.

‘The Beast’: Costa Rica’s new crime-fighting machine

The Beast, currently being modified for local use in the land of pura vida, will make its debut in the next few weeks, law enforcement officials say.

‘El Chapo’ Guzmán and the Sinaloa cartel have growing ties to Costa Rica, authorities say

At least one Mexican man believed to be living in Costa Rica has ties to the notorious drug kingpin, who recently escaped from a maximum security Mexican prison. El Chapo even is said to have designed a plan to break that man out of Costa Rica’s La Reforma prison.

Drug traffickers who cooperate with the US government have it pretty good – too good, watchdog says

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Drug traffickers who cooperate with U.S. federal investigators are poorly vetted, and the Drug Enforcement Administration did not properly monitor at least 240 informants — some of whom crossed the line into illegal activity and were under criminal investigation by other authorities.

Chapo’s motorcycle freedom ride spurs doubts about kingpin jail

Among the kingpins still held at Altiplano, according to the government, are Servando "La Tuta" Gómez Martínez, leader of the Knights Templar gang; Mario Cardenas Guillén of the Gulf Cartel; and Edgar Valdéz Villarreal, alias La Barbie, of the Beltrán Leyva cartel.
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Costa Rica Faces Economic Blow as Intel, Pfizer, and Qorvo Announce Restructuring

Intel announced that it will shut down its chip assembly and test plant in Costa Rica, part of a broader global restructuring aimed at...

Costa Rica Fails to Meet Human Rights Standards for Deportees

The Ombudsman's Office has confirmed that Costa Rica was unprepared to provide adequate care for deportees who have entered the country since February. This...

Panama Farmer Receives Land Title After 60-Year Wait at Age 109

A 109-year-old Panamanian farmer has received the land title for the property where he lives and works—six decades after first requesting it from the...

Costa Rica Food Culture: From Bar Bocas to Fast Food Chains

Once upon a time in Costa Rica, you could walk into a bar, order a beer, and receive a free boca – a small...