A link to an article from El Universal (Mexico City) is provided below. The article notes a change in the demographics of drug related arrests in Panama. It appears Colombian groups are ceding or yielding freight business to Mexican groups. It seems on the surface that Sinaloa and the Gulf are expanding operations in Panama.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/566957.html

On the side, this may be related to an expansion of the presence of Mexican cartels in Argentina, to acquire 'efedrina'. Let us remember that a significant percentage of freight processed in labs controlled by Sinaloa and the Gulf is shipped to European customers. Not everything is shipped to American customers.

Hello readers:

A recent opinion piece in La Nacion (Buenos Aires) makes a short comment on a piece of advice a high level Mexican government official offered to a high level Argentine government official. The note was prompted by a logistics phenomenon now developing between Argentina and Mexico. The root is the price differential between the price of ephedrine (efedrina) in Argentina, and its price in Mexico. There is a significant difference in the price per kilo between both locations. It appears the Sinaloa cartel is already establishing a presence in Argentina, to acquire shipments of efedrina for its operations in Mexico. The link to the op ed piece is offered below. After about 30 days, the article will be available only to registered users of La Nacion.

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1076020

This just published by El Universal, on October 27, 2008.

Several highly placed officials at SIEDO, who happened to be working for 'the other side' at the same time, were discovered by the Office of the Mexican Attorney General. The news link appears below.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/primera/31864.html

http://www.rebanadasderealidad.com.ar/izaguirre-07-03.htm

The reply portion of Mr. Izaguirre is offered below, in translation to English.

Rebanadas de Realidad

Slices of Reality

Bureau of Special Information and News

Argentina

Drugs: Report of the United States Department of State

Our Reply

By Claudio Izaguirre

Rebanadas de Realidad

City of Buenos Aires, August 13, 2007

http://www.jus.gov.ar/crn/docs/evaluacionmutuadeArgentina2004.pdf

http://www.carlosparma.com.ar/pdfs/C%F3digo%20Penal%20Bolivia.pdf

Dear readers,

Below are some Argentine laws concerning controoled substances and other matters. Argentina is one of the most advanced Spanish speaking countries. It may be in the best interest of law students to read some of these pages. There is a movement in Argentina to modify some laws, to decriminalize the consumption of, and possession of, small amounts of certain controlled substances. If and when this happens, some paragraphs in these laws may be modified.

http://www.sada.gba.gov.ar/leynacion_23737.htm

http://www.sada.gba.gov.ar/leynacion_26052.htm

Dear readers,

A link is offered below. It goes to a manual. This manual is for instruction only, for law enforcement officers. It briefly states many real cases, without giving all details. Faces have been erased, so there is no risk. ONA and the Guardia Nacional Bolivariana (GNB) are trying to live up to very high standards of police investigation.

http://www.ona.gob.ve/Pdf/Causistica_Policial/Casuistica_Policial_Antidr...

Dear readers,

Dear readers,

The lines below are a translation of an article written by Jose Melendez, from San Jose, CR. It was published in El Universal (Mexico City) on Sunday, July 20, 2008. It appears linked in this notebook.

Narco Submerges to Elude Radars
Traffic Along Colombia - Mexico Route Using Submarines
by Jose Melendez, correspondent for El Universal
translation by Marc Van Riper

A small submersible attempted to cross the Panama canal, tied to the propellers of a ship, to carry 35 kilos of cocaine to Europe, during May of this year. Two other small submarines were detected in front of the coasts of Guatemala and Costa Rica, in the Pacific Ocean, in 2006 and 2007, with 8 (metric) tonnes of cocaine on board.