Costa Rica Faces Increasing Drug Violence

Costa Rica is battling an alarming rise in drug trafficking as cartels infiltrate its rainforests, leading to a 53% increase in homicides from 2020 to 2023. Forest rangers, traditionally focused on conservation, are now facing violent threats from drug traffickers who have turned protected areas into drug warehouses. In the UK, elderly gangsters are also making headlines; a notorious drug dealer, Joseph Morley, was sentenced to 12 years after years on the run, while another pensioner, Stanley Feerick, was implicated in a major drug operation. In Italy, law enforcement dismantled an Albanian crime group involved in drug trafficking and prostitution, uncovering a high level of exploitation. Meanwhile, Turkish gangs in London are engaged in violent turf wars over the heroin trade, expanding into cocaine and utilizing local youths for their operations. These developments reflect a broader trend of escalating violence and organized crime across multiple regions.