Latest news with #DrugEnforcementAdministration
Global News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
FBI director again blames Vancouver for fentanyl crisis, but U.S. data says otherwise
Canadian law enforcement continues to dispute claims from the U.S. administration about how much fentanyl is being smuggled across the border. It follows the latest allegation by the head of the FBI who specifically mentions Vancouver as the source of the problem. In a recent appearance with podcaster Joe Rogan, FBI Director Kash Patel once again blamed Vancouver for its role in the fentanyl crisis. 'They're flying it into Vancouver, they're taking the precursors to Canada, manufacturing up there, and doing their global distribution routes up there because we've been so effective down south,' Patel told Rogan. He also said that stricter enforcement at the Mexican border has resulted in cartels increasingly using Canada as a northern entry point for fentanyl. However, David Teboul, Assistant Commander of the RCMP, Pacific region, said the assertion that Canada is exporting fentanyl in 'significant quantities into the U.S. is not accurate.' Story continues below advertisement 'It is certainly not reflected by Canadian law enforcement agencies' data, nor is it corroborated either by U. S. agencies, from the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), to the CBP (Customs and Border Protection), to all the partner agencies that we have very good relationships with,' Teboul said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'They also don't corroborate that. It's been stated many times.' He did agree that most precursors are coming from China into Canada, but did not agree with the rest of Patel's statement. 2:10 Trump's FBI head criticizes Canadian drug enforcement Data from the U.S. provided to Global News also showed that in the 2024 fiscal year, more than 18,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized at the U.S.-Mexico border. At the Canada-U.S. border, just over 10 pounds of fentanyl was seized in 2024. Story continues below advertisement So far this year, more than seven pounds of fentanyl from Mexico was confiscated and just over one pound from Canada. However, one organized crime expert said it is critical not to be distracted by the data. 'The drugs themselves don't move by themselves, don't get produced by themselves,' Calvin Chrustie, a senior partner and critical risk consultant with the Critical Risk Team said. 'So let's have the serious conversation about who are the threat actors, i.e., the criminal organizations. What type of support and enabling do they get from foreign states?' Chrustie said that B.C. has long been a convergence zone for organized crime groups and Vancouver is a popular choice due to its marine access. 'I don't think we should be listening to, and I never have, you know, in my career, post my career, to what the political assessment was, because I found it, you know, whether it was south of the border, north of the border, not the most informed historically, this whole issue got politicized,' he added. 'I don't think you know in terms of calculating the threat and calculating the severity of the problem, how much goes across a border.' Teboul said B.C. has a coordinated approach to drug trafficking and has had many successes getting drugs off the streets. Story continues below advertisement 'British Columbia is also in a particular predicament, of course, with our very vast, beautiful ocean, but it's permeable, of course, into the coast of British Columbia, and we need to dedicate some resources and investments at all three levels of government to secure our ports as well,' he added.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Father's Day 2025: Stream binge-worthy action films featuring muscular dads on OTT
The world of cinema offers different genres to cinephiles and brings a myriad of inspirational tales about family, love and emotions. From action to romance and comedy-drama, there are various movies that have proved their excellence over time. This Father's Day, let's explore some action-packed stories of strong dads who perfectly balance fatherhood with style, charisma, and power. Notably, these high-octane actioners are also available on OTTplay Premium. From bare-knuckle fights to the high-stakes rescue, these reel dads do fatherhood with hardcore action. Watch other Father's Day special binge-list like Jersey, Daveed, Waqt: The Race Against Time only on OTTplay Premium Gary Fleder and Sylvester Stallone's power duo served as the director and writer for this action thriller. The plot revolves around a former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, who lives with his daughter Maddy. However, things take a turn when the father-daughter duo gets entangled in a messy bullying incident with a ruthless crime boss. It features Jason Statham as the muscular dad alongside James Franco, Winona Ryder, and Kate Bosworth in pivotal roles. Liam Neeson headlines this action thriller film as he plays a doting father who unwittingly gets tangled in the mind games of an unknown assailant. While driving his kids to school, a man gets threatened to follow the twisted instructions of a blackmailer. Explore this gripping survival thriller that runs high on action and emotional drama as a father grapples for lives. The CommuterStarring Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, and Patrick Wilson in the lead, this high-octane actioner revolves around an insurance agent who is entangled in a conspiracy and embarks on a thrilling chase to unravel the true identity of a mysterious stranger on his train journey. Jonathan Banks, Florence Pugh, and Sam Neill also appear in significant roles. This apocalyptic survival thriller features Gerard Butler in the lead. The plot revolves around a doting father and estranged husband who struggles to protect his family and save the Earth from its doom before the deadly comet threatens to ruin everything. The star-studded ensemble also features Morena Baccarin, Roger Dale Floyd, Scott Glenn, David Denman, and Hope Davis in pivotal roles. Featuring Jackie Chan as a skilled detective, this action-comedy film will keep you hooked to the plot. The plot revolves around a detective who teams up with a gambler to track down a notorious crime boss after the daughter of Bennie's (Jackie Chan) deceased partner-in-crime gets abducted and he turns into the perfect father figure to rescue her against the odds. Arnold Schwarzenegger headlines this horror drama film in the lead as he plays a doting and protective father. Set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic town, the story centers around a zombie outbreak that infects the eponymous daughter. However, despite warnings, her father embarks on a thrilling chase to seek her against the odds. Abigail Breslin and Joely Richardson appear in significant roles.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of biting, kicking ICE, DEA officers during arrest in Marlborough
A man arrested in Marlborough is accused of biting, kicking and hitting federal law enforcement officers when he was taken into custody, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a Thursday statement. Guido Andres Cuellar Batres, 24, a Guatemalan national, overstayed his non-immigrant visa by more than four years, leading to an outstanding immigration warrant for his arrest, the statement said. On May 4, three Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and a Drug Enforcement Administration agent conducting surveillance in a Marlborough parking lot spotted Cuellar in the front passenger seat of a car. The officers, wearing law enforcement garments, approached the car and ordered Cuellar to get out of the vehicle, in Spanish and English, according to Foley's statement. He refused and, despite instructions to keep his hands visible, he reached down in the front passenger seat, which led officers to break the rear passenger side window and unlock the front passenger door, according to the statement. The officers removed Cuellar from the vehicle, but he did not cooperate when they tried to handcuff him. According to Foley's statement, Cuellar bit one officer in the hand and another in the leg, hit an officer in the head multiple times, and spat in an officer's face, Foley's statement read. Once he was handcuffed and placed in leg restraints, Cuellar continued to kick at officers, the statement reads. Cuellar is charged with one count of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating or interfering with federal officers engaged in the performance of official duties. He is being held in ICE custody and will appear in federal court in Boston at a date to be determined. 'The charge of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with federal officers engaged in the performance of official duties provides for a sentence of up to eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000,' the statement reads. Man died in Webster house fire, reports say Man killed in fire at multi-family home in Revere, fire officials say Fatal Cape Cod house fire caused by smoldering cigarettes, fire officials say Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Feds file Alaska's first case involving lethal opioid against Wasilla man already accused in fatal overdose
Jun. 12—PALMER — A 45-year-old Wasilla man already facing state murder charges linked to a teenager's death last November has been indicted on federal charges associated with a potent opioid he's accused of dealing. A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Sean Mobley on charges related to accusations he distributed carfentanil to two people: 16-year-old Alena Toennis, the teen killed by an overdose; and a man who nearly died from an overdose that same night, according to court filings. Federal prosecutors say the case marks the first in Alaska involving carfentanil, a powerful synthetic opioid approved only for veterinary use. Authorities say the drug is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, the substance that's become Alaska's dominant opioid in recent years. The drug is considered "one of the deadliest fentanyl analogues" at this time, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Mobley was jailed at Mat-Su Pretrial as of Thursday. He was arrested last month on state charges including second-degree murder linked to Toennis' death on a snowy trail in mid-November. He is accused of providing her with carfentanil and then abandoning her as she overdosed and died. The new federal charges add another victim to the case, a person who took the same drug Mobley is accused of providing. "Mobley is charged with killing a teenage girl and almost killing another person who survived only due to the quick intervention of others — all within a one-hour span," prosecutors wrote in a memorandum filed this week asking a judge to keep him in jail as he awaits trial. "The 'really good pow' that Mobley represented to the victims as fentanyl was in fact carfentanil — a highly potent veterinary opioid used to anesthetize large animals like elephants." Mobley sold what he said was a quarter gram of fentanyl to the man and had "added a cutting agent" to increase volume, according to a witness description included in the memo. He got $100 for the drugs and left the man's house, then took a call from Toennis, it said. They met at a gas station near Wasilla and Toennis got into Mobley's truck, according to the memo. Shortly after they left, the witness was told the man who bought from Mobley was overdosing. The witness revived the man with Narcan and then messaged Mobley, told him about the overdose and warned him not to give the drug to Toennis, according to filings in the state criminal case. Mobley apparently ignored the warning, taking Toennis to an isolated spot along Bogard Road around midnight and giving her the drug, the federal memo states. When she overdosed, he dragged her body out of his truck and abandoned her, it said. He then "drove to a nearby parking lot with access to a wi-fi connection where he continued coordinating drug sales mere minutes after her death," the memo said. The federal indictment charges Mobley with distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, distribution resulting in serious injury, and distribution to someone under 21. It wasn't immediately clear how or whether the federal charges will lead to any changes in the way the state prosecutes its case against Mobley. Patty Sullivan, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Law, said in an email that the department couldn't comment about any plans. "State and federal prosecutors have been communicating about this matter," Sullivan said. [Despite nationwide declines, deaths from drug overdoses remain high in Alaska] Mobley's first scheduled court appearance in mid-May sparked a rally on the street outside Palmer's courthouse that included members of Toennis' family. Toennis' sister, Elyssa Toennis, said Wednesday it was "validating" to see the system taking the case so seriously. "I hope these next steps bring accountability and justice," she said. "I hope this protects others too."
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Five-year Pappas campaign on fentanyl hits paydirt
A bill permanently classifying fentanyl as one of the most dangerous drugs has been passed by Congress, marking the culmination of a five-year campaign by Rep. Chris Pappas, who proposed the measure. Pappas celebrates success of five-year bid to properly 'brand' fentanyl U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., spoke on the House floor Wednesday night in support of the Halt Fentanyl Act that once signed by President Donald Trump will permanently classify the drug under Schedule 1 making it among the most dangerous ones regulated by the federal government. The Halt Fentanyl Act, which designates fentanyl-related substances as a so-called Schedule 1 drug, will also likely lead to longer criminal sentences handed down under federal law for those who illegally sell the deadly drug. Schedule 1 drugs are defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration as having "high abuse potential with no accepted medical use." In an interview, the New Hampshire Democrat said the change will make it easier for law enforcement in New Hampshire and across the country to go after drug dealers who alter the amount of fentanyl in street drugs sold to addicts. 'There is still a lot more work to do on this issue, but this is one important step as it would help law enforcement when (traffickers) change the recipe of what they are producing,' Pappas said. 'This will give police the latitude to make sure they are staying ahead of the cartels.' The bill would also place all copycat versions of fentanyl — alterations of the drug that are often sold by traffickers — as Schedule 1 drugs. The U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval to the measure Thursday afternoon, supporting minor changes that had been made in the U.S. Senate. President Donald Trump has already indicated that he would sign it. The bipartisan legislation, has the co-sponsorship of New Hampshire Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, was identical to a separate bill Pappas had authored. In February 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary order that designated fentanyl as a Schedule 1 drug for two years. Pappas authored legislation to extend that scheduling act further; without the new bill, the latest extension was to end on Sept. 30. Pappas said it took so long to get the permanent designation because some congressional leaders wanted to make it part of a comprehensive bill that would be linked to research into the manufacturing of painkilling alternatives to fentanyl, which for many years has been legally prescribed. ''There were larger discussions with law enforcement, and I think the decision was that this was too important an issue to have to wait any longer on,' Pappas said. The bill is backed by more than 40 major advocacy groups, including a coalition of more than 200 family groups and law enforcement organizations representing more than a million officers. It also has the support of at least 25 attorneys general, including New Hampshire AG John Formella. Pappas is a member of the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus and he spoke on the House floor Wednesday night on the matter. 'Permanent scheduling will ensure law enforcement retains important tools they need to tackle the opioid crisis and hold traffickers accountable, tools that have helped drive down drug-related deaths in New Hampshire to its lowest level in 10 years,' Pappas said. 'This is thanks to New Hampshire's all-hands-on-deck approach: pairing enforcement with treatment to bring down both the supply of opioids reaching our communities, as well as the demand for them.' klandrigan@
