Spanish police seize record cocaine haul in banana shipment from Ecuador
GuardianOCT 31 2024
Dominican Republic Conducts Record Cocaine Seizure
Above: Packages of suspected drugs at the National Drug Control Directorate in Santo Domingo on Dec. 6, 2024. Image copyright: Francesco Spotorno/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The DR has made significant strides in combatting drug trafficking through joint operations and institutional reforms with allies like the US. Recent arrests of key drug ring leaders highlight the collaboration between agencies and law enforcement, bolstered by the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. By accepting US training and implementing technology upgrades and anti-corruption measures, the government has achieved these record drug seizures.
Establishment-critical narrative
While drug busts are welcome news, Latin American countries should have never put their full trust in the US on this issue. Strong evidence suggests that CIA and military contractors have 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.