Free Republic

Mexican authorities have arrested a major figure in a Colombian cartel responsible for nearly half of the cocaine smuggled into the United States, the U.S. ambassador in Mexico said Friday. The arrest of Jaime Maya Duran "shows the determination of U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities to pursue the most dangerous criminals, including those who thought they were untouchable," Ambassador Tony Garza said in a news release. Maya Duran was arrested Sept. 6 by agents of Mexico's Attorney General's Office. It was not immediately known where he was arrested and Mexican officials could not be reached for immediate comment. A...

Ex-Colombian druglord found guilty of conspiracy By JAY WEAVER jweaver@herald.com A jury convicted legendary drug cartel boss Fabio Ochoa Wednesday afternoon of running a 30-ton-a-month cocaine smuggling network during the late 1990s.Clad in a blue blazer blazer, Ochoa dropped to his knees and made the sign of the cross after the jury convicted him. Ochoa, who once ran the Medellin cartel, remained on bended knee while his lawyer Roy Black polled jurors.The conviction is a major score for federal prosecutors because Ochoa is one of the most prominent smugglers to face trial in this country since the U.S. and Colombia...