Gang massacres in Mexico, more hardline measures against drug-related violence in Ecuador, and legal action from the victims of Trump’s missile strikes in the Caribbean dominated the conversations around organized crime in the Americas this week. Here’s our take.
Transcript
Daniel Reyes: [00:00:00] Ecuador’s change in security policy, a court case against the US by the families of two men killed in US attacks, and the clash between two cartels during a soccer match in Mexico are the top news stories we’re presenting in this week’s On The Radar.
[00:00:18] Ecuador’s President Noboa doubled down on his hardline security policy as violence reached record levels there. The government now plans to attack suspected drug boats off the country’s coast, mirroring US military operations in international waters. Drug trafficking is fueling much of the bloodshed, with a lot of the fighting driven by local groups embedded in the cocaine business. Upping the use of force has been the core characteristic of Noboa’s security strategy since he took office. But so far this approach has not only failed to rein in criminal violence and corruption, it has also led to rising reports of human rights abuses.
[00:01:05] Families of two men killed in a US military airstrike on a small boat in the Caribbean have filed a federal lawsuit against the US government. The men were from a fishing village in Trinidad and Tobago, and were killed when the boat they were traveling on was struck in October. The move highlights the legal gray zone in which the US government strikes in the Caribbean live. Evidence has yet to be presented that the boats targeted during the strikes, which started in September, were carrying drugs, or that they were operated by the criminal organizations that the US government blames.
[00:01:45] Finally, in Mexico, gunmen opened fire at a football match in central Guanajuato state, killing at least 11 people and wounding a dozen more over the weekend. Reports suggest the attack is part of an ongoing conflict between the Santa Rosa de Lima and Jalisco New Generation cartels, which have been fighting to control oil theft, extortion, and methamphetamine trafficking in the area. Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel boss José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, alias “El Marro,” was captured six years ago, but US authorities believe he is still running the group from Mexican prison.
[00:02:28] For in-depth profiles of El Marro and all of the other criminal dynamics mentioned in this week’s On the Radar, please visit InSightCrime.org. We’ll be back with more next week.
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