Afghanistan. The Strain is Beginning to Show Although the Taliban took power four years ago, and poppy cultivation has remained at historically low levels since 2023, declining opium prices, widespread poppy cultivation in Badakhshan, and the rise…

USA/China. Sanctioning China-Based Synthetic Opioid and Chemical Suppliers Today, the United States is sanctioning Chinese chemical company Guangzhou Tengyue Chemical Co., Ltd. (Guangzhou Tengyue) and two of the company’s representatives, Huang Xia…

USA/Mexiko. New ‘golden triangle’ of fentanyl and guns spans US-Mexico border Report links Arizona-Sonora smuggling to rising homicide and overdose deaths in both countries. (The Guardian, UK, 04.09.2025) https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/s…

USA. DEA Surge Targets Sinaloa Cartel Networks Worldwide San Francisco – September 9, 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced the results of a week-long operational surge aimed at dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world’s most…

Irland. Huge drugs bust reveals battles on cocaine 'superhighway' The text message came from Dubai with a Santa emoji. "OK lads. No need for luck. Really this couldn't be any more straightforward. Just relax and this will all be over soon." It was…

Mexiko. A year of terror and bloodshed in Sinaloa The 2024 arrest of El Mayo Zambada, the historic leader of one faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, sparked a war between his followers and those of Chapo Guzmán, his former partner.  The clash betw…