Rapper Lil Wayne appears in Yuma, Ariz., court, hopes to get investigation records

PHOENIX — Rapper Lil Wayne appeared in court for a pretrial update on the investigation into drug possession and weapons charges he faces in Yuma County, Ariz.

Foreign officers to join US customs to tackle smuggling at 3 major domestic seaports

LOS ANGELES — U.S. agents trying to stop contraband, arms and drug smuggling at the port of Los Angeles will soon get a new partner in their decades-old battle — an officer from Mexico.

Customs officer, wife plead guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, import Ecstasy

TUCSON, Ariz. — A federal customs officer at the San Luis Port of Entry and his wife pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and to import the drug Ecstasy.

Industry pledge to narrow drug coverage gap contingent on health care overhaul

WASHINGTON — Hailed by President Barack Obama, a multi-billion-dollar promise by drug companies to narrow a Medicare drug coverage gap for seniors is valid only if Congress succeeds in passing a comprehensive health care bill encountering strong opposition from Republicans, an industry spokesman said Monday.

Police: Man seeking to buy marijuana inadvertently sends text message to NJ police officer

SALEM, N.J. — A man who allegedly wanted to buy some marijuana was arrested after he mistakenly sent a text message to a southern New Jersey police officer. Salem Police Cpl. Christopher Pew was off-duty when he received the message on his personal cell phone this week.

US prosecutors file motion to dismiss meth charges against Chinese-Mexican millionaire

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors want to drop all U.S. charges against a Chinese-Mexican businessman accused of importing large amounts of methamphetamines to the United States.

Like Mexico, Jamaica sees US guns arming out-of-control gang wars

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Ships from Miami steam into Jamaica’s main harbor loaded with TV sets and blue jeans. But some of the most popular U.S. imports never appear on the manifests: handguns, rifles and bullets that stoke one of the world’s highest murder rates.

As Mexicans consume more drugs, cartels go to battle with local dealers

TIJUANA, Mexico — Drug dealer Hector Rodriguez Estrada had a feeling he was next.

Police attack on black American shows discrimination faced by ethnic minorities in Austria

VIENNA — Mike Brennan was getting off a Vienna subway when two undercover police officers pounced on him, mistaking him for a drug dealer. Months later, the 35-year-old black American is still recovering from his injuries — and waiting for a satisfactory apology.

Italian police nab one of top 30 Mafia fugitives in Caracas, suspected as drug trafficker

ROME — Authorities arrested one of Italy’s most dangerous Mafia fugitives as he left his apartment in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, Italian police said Sunday.

Drug companies would pay for some Medicare prescriptions under $80 billion deal

WASHINGTON — The pharmaceutical industry agreed Saturday to spend $80 billion over the next decade improving drug benefits for seniors on Medicare and defraying the cost of President Barack Obama’s health care legislation, capping secretive negotiations involving key lawmakers and the White House.

Drug companies would pay for some Medicare prescriptions under emerging $80 billion deal

WASHINGTON — Medicare beneficiaries would receive better drug coverage and a portion of President Barack Obama’s health care legislation would be paid for under an emerging agreement involving the pharmaceutical industry, the White House and key lawmakers.

Drug industry would pay for some Medicare prescriptions under emerging $80 billion deal

WASHINGTON — Medicare beneficiaries would receive better drug coverage and a portion of President Barack Obama’s health care legislation would be paid for under an emerging agreement involving the pharmaceutical industry, the White House and key lawmakers.

Once hush-hush, drug war plays big in Mexico’s mid-term elections

MEXICO CITY — When Mario Anguiano successfully ran for mayor of Colima three years ago, no one much cared that his brother and cousin were in prison on drug charges.

Mexico charges 7 mayors, state prosecutor and other officials for allegedly helping cartel

MEXICO CITY — Mexico levied organized crime and drug charges Thursday against seven mayors, the former state attorney general and 19 other officials in the western state of Michoacan for allegedly aiding a drug cartel.

Immigration officials arrest Mexican fugitive accused of trafficking heroin throughout Midwest

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Federal immigration officials say they’ve arrested a Mexican fugitive who is nicknamed the Ghost and is accused of trafficking high-potency heroin throughout the Midwest.

Report: US agencies failed to coordinate efforts against gun smuggling along US-Mexico border

WASHINGTON — Two federal agencies are being faulted for not coordinating their efforts against border gunrunners, a failure one lawmaker says made it easier for Mexican drug cartels to smuggle illegal weapons from the United States.

Report finds flaws in US efforts to stop gun smuggling along US-Mexico border

WASHINGTON — Government efforts to stop the flow of guns from the United States to Mexico have suffered in recent years from having no clear plan to combat gunrunners affiliated with drug cartels, investigators have concluded.

In 911 recording, Arizona woman heard shooting at assailants who killed husband and daughter

PHOENIX — A 911 recording released by a southern Arizona sheriff’s department captures a woman pleading for help after assailants broke into her home and fatally shot her husband and 9-year-old daughter.

Attorney General Holder says immigration agents will get new powers to fight drug cartels

WASHINGTON — More federal agents will be able to investigate drug cases under a new agreement between government agencies battling Mexican cartels, Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress on Wednesday.

Dominican police say 2 suspected drug dealers die of smoke after setting evidence on fire

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Dominican authorities say two suspected drug dealers have died of smoke inhalation after trying to burn cocaine before police could find it.

Attorney General Holder says immigration agents will get new anti-drug powers

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder says federal immigration agents will get expanded powers to help fight Mexican drug cartels.

FBI: Philly detective tipped off drug kingpin to raid through ex-NBA player “Pooh” Richardson

PHILADELPHIA — Prosecutors want to detain a Philadelphia detective charged with tipping off a drug kingpin about a raid through a mutual friend, former NBA player Jerome “Pooh” Richardson.

Report: Former Cubs star Sammy Sosa tested positive for performance-enhancing drug in 2003

NEW YORK — Sammy Sosa became the latest in a string of baseball stars implicated in the sport’s steroids scandal of the past decade when The New York Times reported that he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003.

Guatemala seizes 9.9 million pseudoephedrine pills, record for of methamphetamine precursor

GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemalan authorities confiscated nearly 10 million pseudoephedrine pills worth $33 million on Tuesday — the country’s biggest seizure of the methamphetamine precursor, police said.

Gunmen kill priest, 2 seminarians in western Mexican state mired in drug violence

ACAPULCO, Mexico — Gunmen ordered a priest and two seminarians out of their vehicle and shot them dead in a drug-plagued region of western Mexico, authorities said Monday.

Alabama man reports robbery, but police allegedly find a working meth lab in his home

HANCEVILLE, Ala. — A 33-year-old man ended up in jail after he called in a robbery and police allegedly found a working meth lab in his house. Police arrested the man for manufacturing of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Activists say it’s high time for broader debate on pot, see momentum shifting their way

NEW YORK — The savage drug war in Mexico. Crumbling state budgets. Weariness with current drug policy. The election of a president who said, “Yes — I inhaled.”

Soldiers in northern Mexico capture 25 gunmen disguised as military personnel, seize weapons

MEXICO CITY — The Mexican army has captured 25 gunmen in northern Mexico who witnesses say disguised themselves as soldiers.

20 indicted on drug charges in Guinea, including former armed forces chief

CONAKRY, Guinea — About 20 people, including the former chief of the armed forces and his son, have been indicted in the West African nation of Guinea on drug-related charges, a statement read on national TV said.