Drug Trafficking

Egyptian broadcaster and influencer sentenced to death after gang, drug convictions

Sara Khalifa, 39, was convicted along with 11 other members of the criminal organization after authorities uncovered drug laboratories hidden in two apartments in Egypt’s capital.

|ByELI LEON
Sara Khalifa
Former police officer Ha Minh Duc (L) and Nguyen Van Hung (2nd R) are seen during a hearing at the People's Court in Hanoi on July 1, 2025. A Vietnam court sentenced 11 people to death on July 2, including two police officers, after finding them guilty of trafficking drugs over the border from Laos.

Vietnam court sentences 11 to death in major drug trafficking case, state media reports

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court handed down the death sentences to 11 defendants convicted of drug trafficking in a case that involved 227 accused people in total.

|ByREUTERS
A US Navy aircrew member gives a thumbs-up inside an MV-22 Osprey aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) while the ship is moored in Honolulu, Hawaii, during Exercise RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) 2026 on July 17, 2026.

US Southern Command strike kills two alleged narco-terrorists in Eastern Pacific

"Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel's active involvement in narco-trafficking. The operation killed two narco-terrorists," SOUTHCOM said in a post on X/Twitter.

|ByREUTERS
An Iranian policeman holds up a package of seized Afghan-made drugs during a media tour in the southeastern city of Zahedan, on July 19, 2011; illustrative

UN helped Iran expand anti-drug crackdown despite execution concerns

Iranian seizures of meth increased from 30,393 kilograms in 2022 to 40,453 kg. in 2025 with the help of the technology, according to the United Nations.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

As Gaza ceasefire holds, Trump shifts focus from Middle East to Asia, South America - analysis

As tensions ease in Gaza, Trump’s diplomatic push toward Asia and South America marks a strategic pivot, with trade deals and peace efforts on the horizon.

OCTOBER 27, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
US President Donald Trump meets with Japan's Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan October 27, 2025

Syria arrests Assad relative tied to $2 billion Captagon empire

Authorities say Namir Badi’ Assad was seized in Al-Qardaha with alleged partners as part of a wider post-regime crackdown on drug and arms networks.

OCTOBER 19, 2025ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
Namir Assad.