Peru Eyes Brazil for Anti-Drug Support

Peru is looking to its neighbor and Latin America’s biggest economy, Brazil, to support it in its efforts to combat drug trafficking, a high-level government official said. Jorge Bayona, the Peruvian ambassador in Brasilia, told state news agency Andina that Peru and Brazil are “strengthening” their ties to combat the illicit trade. Peru is the [...]

Peru’s Lerner Ghitis Meets Hillary Clinton to Discuss Drug Trade

Peruvian Prime Minister Salomon Lerner Ghitis met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, a key meeting during his visit to several institutions in Washington D.C., state news agency Andina reported.   Lerner Ghitis and Clinton were to discuss the fight against drug trafficking and U.S. cooperation with Peru. In recent years, Peru has been the [...]

Police Confiscate 307 Kgs of Cocaine Hydrochloride in Tri-Border Area

Peruvian police confiscated more than 300 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride that was being smuggled out of Peru on a north jungle river located in the tri-border area with Brazil and Colombia. According to daily El Comercio, the 279 packages containing 307 kilograms of the pure cocaine were seized on the Ucayali river in Loreto region. Authorities found the [...]

Anti-drugs chief says Peru must better use foreign funds

Peru’s new chief of the anti-drug agency Devida, Ricardo Soberon, said that the government will look to better utilize funds from the United States to combat the country’s growing drug trade. Soberon said during an interview with Ideele radio that he is scheduling meetings with the U.S. Embassy and Drug Enforcement Administration to discuss plans [...]

New Defense Minister says pacifying VRAE a priority

Peru’s next Minister of Defense, Daniel Mora, said Thursday that gaining control of the coca growing Apurimac and Ene river valleys, or VRAE, will be a priority for the ministry, state news agency Andina reported. Mora, a retired general, was appointed by President-elect Ollanta Humala on Thursday to lead the Ministry of Defense. The VRAE, [...]

Authorities investigate 18 police officers in VRAE

Peruvian authorities are investigating 18 counter-drugs police working in the coca growing Apurimac and Ene river valleys for drug trafficking, according to daily La Republica. The cases cover a period between 2009 and this year, and include a major and two captains who are being investigated for collaboration and contact with drug traffickers. In addition, [...]

U.S. State Department offers reward for Shining Path leaders

The United States Department of State has placed the leaders of two Shining Path factions on its narcotics rewards program, which offers compensation of $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the targets. The announcement comes only weeks after a UN Office on Drug Control and Crime (UNODC) report, questioned by [...]

Fifteen suspected Shining Path rebels arrested; Peruvian officer killed

Fifteen suspected Shining Path guerrillas were arrested Monday after a confrontation with Peru’s military that killed one officer and left another wounded in the country’s isolated Apurímac and Ene River Valleys, or VRAE.

Polish and British tourists arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 12 kilos of cocaine

A 27-year old Polish man and a 46-year old British tourist were arrested separately in Peru’s Jorge Chávez International Airport on Sunday, after officials found three and nine kilos, respectively, of cocaine tucked away in their luggage, daily El Comercio reported.

Congresswoman Nancy Obregón’s former assistant arrested for cocaine possession

Congresswoman Nancy Obregón’s former assistant, Max Edmundo Caller Váldez, was busted for cocaine possession last Friday, and police suspect he is tied to a Mexican drug cartel, daily El Comercio reported. Caller, 42, who worked for Obregón from 2006 to 2007, was arrested in Lima’s district of Los Olivos, as he and two other accomplices [...]

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