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

October 8th, 2009 Venezuela and Britain reaffirm anti-drug effortsCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez's government says it is reaffirming an agreement with Britain to work together to prevent drug trafficking. The state-run Bolivarian News Agency says an official of Britain's Foreign Office signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate with Venezuela on anti-drug operations.

September 30th, 2009 Suspected LSD ring fugitive arrested in Calif.SAN FRANCISCO — A suspected member of an LSD distribution ring has been arrested in California after nearly four decades on the lam. San Francisco police Lt.

September 30th, 2009 DomRep extradites Colombian cocaine suspect to USSANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — A Dominican official says an alleged Colombian cocaine trafficker arrested in the Dominican Republic has been extradited to the United States. The official says Luis Alberto Santacruz Echeverri, known by the nickname "Lucho," was extradited Monday to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

September 17th, 2009 Venezuela considers shooting down drug planesCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez said Thursday he's mulling the possibility of allowing Venezuela's air force to shoot down suspected drug planes, but he is not convinced it's a good idea. "We are studying it.

August 29th, 2009 Fla. police lure fugitives with stimulus checksMIAMI — Police in Florida are using the promise of a stimulus check to make some arrests. Authorities in Fort Lauderdale say they sent letters to fugitives offering them stimulus money.

August 18th, 2009 Police nab fugitive on Sicilian holidayROME — Police say they arrested a fugitive mobster while he was vacationing with his family at the Sicilian seaside. Paolo De Stefano has been one of Italy's 30 most dangerous fugitives since 2005.

July 22nd, 2009 Police seize 'La Dolce Vita' cafe for Mafia tiesROME — Italian authorities on Wednesday seized about euro200 million ($284 million) in assets and businesses owned by the 'ndrangheta crime syndicate, including the Cafe de Paris of "La Dolce Vita" movie fame. Rome police and anti-mafia officials said that 12 other restaurants, apartments and luxury cars were also impounded in the operation.

July 22nd, 2009 Police seize 'La Dolce Vita' cafe for mob tiesROME — Italian authorities on Wednesday seized about euro200 million ($284 million) in assets and businesses owned by a crime syndicate, including the Cafe de Paris of "La Dolce Vita" movie fame. Rome police and anti-mafia officials said that 12 other restaurants, apartments and luxury cars allegedly linked to the 'ndrangheta were also impounded in the operation.

July 21st, 2009 Mexican police nab alleged trafficker with $3.6MTIJUANA, 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. The Defense Department says Luis Ibarra belongs to a cell in charge of making and trafficking methamphetamine for alleged drug kingpin Teodoro Garcia Simental.

July 1st, 2009 BANGKOK - Thai police discovered about 10 million baht ($290,000) in cash hidden in the doors of a car belonging to an alleged drug trafficker which had been impounded and driven by officers for the past two years, media reports said Wednesday. Department of Special Investigation chief Thawee Sodsong told a press conference Tuesday that police in Udon Thani province had recently found 9,998,000 baht packed inside the back doors of a Toyota Fortuner that had been seized in a raid on a suspected drug dealer's house in Bangkok back in 2005.

June 30th, 2009 Venezuela deports top Mafia suspect to ItalyCARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela deported a convicted European drug trafficker dubbed the "Mafia's foreign minister" to Italy on Tuesday, where he has been wanted on drug smuggling charges since 2001. Salvatore Miceli, 63, was led in handcuffs to a sport-utility vehicle to be taken to a plane, which departed for Italy.

June 24th, 2009 Venezuela to deport top Italian Mafia suspectCARACAS, Venezuela — A convicted European drug trafficker dubbed the "Mafia's foreign minister" will be deported to Italy after his capture in Caracas in a joint operation by Venezuelan and Italian police, authorities said Tuesday. Salvatore Miceli was caught at a Caracas hotel on Saturday, Venezuelan police said.

June 16th, 2009 Italian police arrest dozens in anti-Mafia raidROME — Italian police said Tuesday they had arrested 13 people suspected of helping a top Mafia fugitive hide, communicate with other mobsters and conduct his business. Investigators said that with Tuesday's arrests they are closing in on Matteo Messina Denaro, a fugitive who is among a handful of mobsters vying to take over the Sicilian Mafia.

June 16th, 2009 Gunmen kill priest, 2 seminarians in MexicoACAPULCO, 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. The three were killed as they drove through the town of Arcelia in Guerrero state to nearby Ciudad Altamirano to organize a spiritual retreat, said the Archbishop of Acapulco, Felipe Aguirre Franco.

February 5th, 2009 CARACAS - A suspected rapist was lynched, burned and dragged through the streets by residents of a west Caracas neighbourhood who accused the police of not doing their jobs, Venezuelan media has reported. The residents said that the suspect was killed Wednesday morning after he allegedly tried to rape a nine-year-old girl, EFE stated.