The FBI is ramping up investigations of a cartel with reported ties to Venezuela’s hard-left regime — along with anyone deemed to have “dirty business” involving the South American country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, The Post has learned.
The bureau’s primary target is the so-called Cartel de Los Soles (“Cartel of the Suns”), whose leadership allegedly includes members of the Venezuelan military. Businessmen, financiers, and other cartels will face the possibility of US justice, said a source familiar with bureau discussions.
“It’s a big undertaking, but if successful will be historic. Anyone with blood-soaked dollars in their pocket should be worried,” the person added.
During Trump’s first term, his administration went after Cartel de Los Soles as part of its drive against illicit drug trading.
The cartel is not currently labeled a foreign terrorist organization, but the State Department last month slapped eight Latin American-based crime rings operating in the US with that label, including Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua.
A second source stated the FBI’s goal is to cripple the “entire financial system and organization” of those groups.
“Just like Trump eliminated ISIS, that will be on overdrive for this administration. It’s a huge pillar of the ‘America First’ movement and making America safe. Close the border, get the criminals out, shut down the drug flow, and make sure they don’t come back,” this person said. --->READ MORE HERE
Federal agents will start waging war on terrorists, gang activity and drug dealing on Long Island and parts of New York City, the region’s newly sworn in interim US Attorney announced.
The move by President Trump’s new pick to head New York’s Eastern District federal prosecutor’s office came hours after the commander-in-chief’s address to Congress, in which he vowed to crack down of criminals peddling narcotics and spreading violence.
“There is much more work to be done in the fight,” said interim US Eastern District Attorney John J. Durham Wednesday.
The overall goal is “dismantling” the organizations “with a particular focus on their senior leadership and management,” according to the district.
Targeting those responsible for overdoses is a top task.
“We have a responsibility to our community and our country to dismantle these ruthless organizations from the top down in order to stop the violence, flow of drugs, and dangers they unleash in our district and across the nation,” Durham added.
Joining the strike force is Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan E. Farrell of the office’s Long Island criminal section. She has prosecuted “significant organized crime, gang and sex trafficking cases,” according to the Eastern District.
The Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force was announced hours after Trump spoke about his decision to put foreign terror designations on “the bloodthirsty Mexican cartels” in addition to Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the MS-13, which has had a notoriously high presence on LI. --->READ MORE HERE
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