Turks and Caicos police question survivors of Haitian shipwreck in smuggling investigation

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos — Police in the Turks and Caicos Islands are questioning Haitian survivors from a capsized migrant vessel in hopes of identifying those responsible for the smuggling operation.

Feds seize heroin worth $17 million, indict 21 in Mexico, California drug ring

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Authorities say federal drug agents have broken up a narcotics ring responsible for importing heroin valued at $17.5 million into California from Mexico.

For advocates, a familiar tale: Haitian migrants risk tragedy on sea excursions to America

MIAMI — The tragedies happen with alarming regularity in the waters near Florida: Haitian immigrants seeking a better life pay hundreds, if not thousands, to crowd onto filthy, rickety boats with little food or water.

Chavez recalls ambassador over Colombia’s report that rebels had weapons sold to Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez recalled his ambassador from Bogota on Tuesday and threatened to halt Colombian imports after the neighboring country said anti-tank weapons found in a rebel arms cache came from Venezuela.

China seizes steel-hardening metal hidden in truck bound for North Korea

BEIJING — Chinese customs authorities have seized a stash of vanadium, a strategic metal used to strengthen steel, hidden in fruit boxes on a truck bound for North Korea, an official said Tuesday.

APNewsBreak: Officals say Juarez lieutenant killed on US soil was informant working for feds

EL PASO, Texas — The eight bullets that leveled Jose Daniel Gonzalez Galeana outside his home just doors from the city’s police chief were fired at close range and left little doubt about their message.

Sponsors of songbird competitions at NYC park face scrutiny as feds target finch smuggling

NEW YORK — The two black finches whistled songs at each other in fluttering voices as a group of men crowded around their cages.

Egypt puts 26 suspected Hezbollah members on trial for spying and plotting terrorist attacks

CAIRO — Egypt’s prosecutor general on Sunday officially charged 26 suspects, including two Lebanese and five Palestinians, for spying for the militant group Hezbollah, as well as plotting terrorist attacks and aiding militants in the Gaza strip.

Police in Mexico arrest 4 men in US agent’s death as US officials search for wounded suspects

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Police in Mexico have announced the arrests of four men in connection to the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent as their counterparts in the United States search hospitals for suspects possibly wounded in the first such shooting in more than a decade.

Mexican police say 4 suspects detained in killing of US border agent in California

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Mexican police announced the arrests Saturday of four men suspected of involvement in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent as American investigators searched hospitals for gunmen who were possibly wounded in the first such shooting death in more than a decade.

Tougher measures taken along US-Canada border as marijuana and ecstasy smuggling surge

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The world’s longest undefended border. It’s a catchy yet increasingly imprecise term for the U.S.-Canada frontier, as authorities on both sides ratchet up efforts to curb bustling traffic in illegal drugs and guns.

Rio police find clandestine drug gang ‘clinics’ that treated traffickers wounded in shootouts

RIO DE JANEIRO — Rio drug traffickers are operating makeshift medical clinics in the slums they control so wounded gang members don’t have to risk arrest by seeking treatment at hospitals, police said Thursday.

NKoreans risking execution to smuggle in popular SKorean movies and soap operas: think tank

SEOUL, South Korea — Teams of North Korean agents known as “109 squads” are sweeping through border towns at night, arresting smugglers and confiscating banned South Korean videos and music amid concerns about the popularity of soap operas from Seoul, a think tank said Thursday.

NKoreans are smuggling in SKorean soap operas despite risk of public execution: think tank

SEOUL, South Korea — North Koreans are hungry for movies and soap operas from South Korea and are smuggling them into the reclusive country at a rapid rate — even at the risk of public execution, a Seoul think tank said Thursday.

Defeated Tamil Tiger rebels name new leader after top guerrillas killed by Sri Lankan forces

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s defeated Tamil Tiger rebels have named a man accused of running a vast arms smuggling operation as their new leader, two months after government forces crushed the separatist movement.

Venezuela: US claim that drug trafficking on rise another blow to normalizing relations

CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez’s government criticized a U.S. congressional report on drug trafficking in Venezuela, saying Tuesday that relations cannot be normalized as long as Washington keeps passing judgment on the nation’s internal affairs.

AP IMPACT: From Andes to Argentina, Mexican drug cartels expand, operate in 47 countries

GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemalan drug boss Juan Jose “Juancho” Leon was summoned by Mexican traffickers for what he was told was business. Instead, dozens of attackers ambushed his entourage with grenades and assault rifles, killing Leon and 10 others in a brazen demonstration of power.

Mexican police arrest alleged drug trafficker carrying drugs, jewelry and $3.6M in cash

TIJUANA, Mexico — Mexican soldiers have arrested a suspected drug trafficker in the border city of Tijuana who was carrying jewelry, narcotics and $3.6 million in cash.

US congressional report charges corruption in Venezuela allows drug trafficking to flourish

CARACAS, Venezuela — A U.S. congressional report on drug trafficking in Venezuela charges that corruption within the government and military has led to a permissive environment that allows smuggling to flourish.

US files new charges in drug war, offers $50M in rewards for capture of Mexican cartel leaders

NEW YORK — The Department of State offered up to $50 million Monday for information leading to the arrests of 10 top Mexican drug suspects accused of key roles in a violent organization estimated to have sold more than $1 billion worth of drugs in the United States.

Far from Mexico, investigators fight major cocaine operation in the heartland

WATERTOWN, Wis. — In this Midwestern town 1,500 miles from Mexico, in a place that proudly proclaims itself the birthplace of kindergarten, Coco the cocaine kingpin flourished.

Mexico pours federal police, army into western state after 20 killed in cartel attacks

MEXICO CITY — Mexico on Thursday ordered 5,500 federal police, soldiers and navy personnel to move into a gang-plagued western state following a cartel’s slaying of 20 officers and troops in one of the boldest revenge attacks ever mounted against the government.

Colombia extradites to US rebel jailer of 3 Americans, Betancourt

BOGOTA — Colombian authorities extradited to the United States on Thursday a rebel “jailer” captured in last year’s storybook rescue of three U.S. military contractors and ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.

Mexico boosts federal police in western state after drug cartel kills 20 federal forces

MEXICO CITY — Mexico on Thursday quadrupled the number of federal police in a gang-plagued western state following a cartel’s slaying of 20 officers and troops in one of the boldest revenge attacks ever mounted against the government.

Closure of Russia’s largest market points rising ethnic tensions, murky world of graft

MOSCOW — Outside Moscow’s sprawling Cherkizovsky market, tensions are rising almost as quickly as the sweltering summer heat.

Mexico says no deal with cartels after man calling himself drug lord calls TV show

MEXICO CITY — The Mexican government is vowing never to cut deals with drug traffickers after a man claiming to be the leader of a violent cartel called a television station to suggest a pact.

Mexian drug cartel seeks vengeance against federal forces, escalating violent drug war

MEXICO CITY — It was the boldest, most widespread coordinated offensive ever mounted by drug traffickers against the Mexican government.

Ex-NFL running back Travis Henry gets 3 years in federal prison for cocaine trafficking

BILLINGS, Mont. — A federal judge Wednesday sentenced former NFL player Travis Henry to three years in prison for financing a drug ring that moved cocaine between Colorado and Montana.

Uribe gives $1 million to 279 victims of Colombia’s conflict _ part of $100M reparation fund

MONTERIA, Colombia — President Alvaro Uribe delivered reparations totaling nearly $1 million on Sunday to 279 victims of Colombia’s long-running conflict.

Shards of stories and blank spaces: Israel’s intelligence memorial hides more than it reveals

GLILOT JUNCTION, Israel — Near a multiplex cinema and a nondescript highway junction outside Tel Aviv is the place where Israel’s secrets go when they get old.