Operation Sweetness: Paraguay finds 4 tons of cocaine stashed in sugar in its biggest drug bust yet
Associated PressJul 25
Paraguay's Anti-Drug Agency Halts Cooperation With DEA
Above: Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat exhibits in Asunción on Dec. 20, 2023, weapons seized during an operation in Salto del Guaira, a town in the border with Brazil. Image copyright: Norberto Duarte/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) has unilaterally halted its partnership with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) — a move that will leave only officials from the national police in Paraguay's US-backed elite Sensitive Intelligence Unit (SIU).
The three-page document terminating cooperation was made public on Tuesday. Last week, The Washington Post reported that US officials had been informed of the decision — which is set to take effect next year if not reconsidered before then.
The Spin
Narrative A
Paraguay will always be an ally of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and other transnational crimes. Rather than undermining their partnership, this shift will strengthen their cooperation and deliver even better results.
Narrative B
It's hard not to think that this decision has something to do with links between politics and drug trafficking that have been exposed in Paraguay due to the cooperation between the SENAD and the DEA. This decision is surely not in the best interests of the country.
Establishment-critical narrative
Latin American countries should have never put their full trust in the US on fighting drugs. Strong evidence suggests that CIA and military contractors have actually facilitated drug trafficking in the region for decades, with former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan confessing to helping to build drug networks in South America on behalf of the CIA. Sovereign countries should never be used as bases for corrupt, larger countries to conduct criminal business.
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