Search / 8 results found

from
to

Two Australians and an American were doing what they loved on the stunning, largely isolated stretch of Baja California’s Pacific coast. Their last images on social media showed them gazing at the waves, contemplating the breaks. What happened to end their lives may have been as random as a passing pickup truck full of people with ill intent. The surfers were shot in the head, their bodies dumped in a covered well miles away. An attempt by prosecutors to reconstruct the scene shows that what unfolded was the stuff of nightmares.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao has been sentenced to four months in prison for allowing rampant money laundering on the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Tuesday's sentence came after Zhao pleaded guilty in November to one count of failing to take required anti-money-laundering measures. He also stepped down as Binance agreed to pay $4.3 billion to settle related allegations. U.S. officials said Zhao deliberately looked the other way as people conducted transactions that supported child sex abuse, the illegal drug trade and terrorism.

Kim Kardashian has joined Vice President Kamala Harris for a roundtable highlighting the administration’s efforts on criminal justice reform. The Thursday event was the same week that President Joe Biden granted clemency to 16 people who were convicted of non-violent drug crimes, and four of those people joined the roundtable with Kardashian and Harris on Thursday. Harris, a former prosecutor, told the group that she is a “big believer in the power of redemption.” And the reality TV star told the group that she was “super honored” to hear their stories in person and to amplify them.

A U.S. citizen arrested on drug charges in Moscow amid soaring Russia-U.S. tensions has appeared in court and had his case adjourned until mid-May. Robert Woodland is facing charges of trafficking large amounts of illegal drugs as part of an organized group. That's a criminal offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He was remanded into custody in January and the trial began in the Ostankino District Court in late March. His lawyer told reporters that there's  “no evidence of drug sales."  Woodland appeared in court on Thursday. The court set his next hearing date to May 14.

President Joe Biden has granted clemency to 16 people who were convicted of non-violent drug crimes. Biden used his clemency powers under the Constitution to issue pardons to 11 men and women. The Democratic president shortened the sentences of five others. Biden says he acted because April is Second Chance Month and many of these people received disproportionately longer sentences than they would have under current law and practice. He says those receiving pardons have shown a commitment to improving their lives and doing good in their communities. He adds that those whose sentences were shortened have shown they are worthy of forgiveness.

Ecuadorians head to the polls in a referendum touted by the country’s fledgling leader as a way to crack down on criminal gangs behind a spiraling wave of violence. The majority of 11 questions posed to voters Sunday focus on tightening security measures. Proposals include deploying the army in the fight against the gangs, loosening obstacles to extradition of accused criminals and lengthening prison sentences of convicted drug traffickers. Ecuador is traditionally one of South America’s most peaceful countries. But it has been rocked in recent years by a wave of violence. President Daniel Noboa has rallied popular support by confronting the gangs head on.

A major argument for legalizing the adult use of cannabis after 75 years of prohibition was to stop the harm caused by disproportionate enforcement of drug laws in Black, Latino and other minority communities. But efforts to help those most affected participate in the newly legal sector have been halting. Legal adult use has spread to 24 states. Nearly all have “social equity” provisions designed to redress drug war damages. But legal challenges in some states have slowed implementation, and it remains difficult for applicants to find locations and obtain bank loans. A decade after opening its first stores, Washington is only now issuing social equity licenses.

A UN report says drug seizures have soared in the West African Sahel region in recent years, indicating the conflict-ridden region is becoming an influential hotspot for trafficking. In 2022, 1,466 kilograms of cocaine were seized in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Niger compared to an average of 13 kilograms in the years between 2013 and 2020. The report says cocaine is the most commonly seized drug in the Sahel after cannabis resin. The analysis comes as Senegal announced Sunday a record-breaking cocaine seizure of 1,137 kilos – the most ever intercepted on land and worth $146 million – near an artisanal mine in the east of the country.