Drugs Remain Big Business In the US and Abroad

While we continue to report on drug addiction and offer cocaine treatment, hoping to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals sinking in the quicksand of addiction, large cartels are working just as hard to keep the product flowing.

International authorities in the US and Spain recently busted a large drug/money laundering ring, seizing buildings, cars and cash valued at more than $140 million, according to the Spanish National Police. More than 20 people were also arrested during the operation, reportedly more than two years in the making.

It’s a harsh reminder that the war on drugs continues, and it’s a battle we all need to keep fighting.

Those arrested in this latest operation are accused of participating in a drug money-laundering ring that spanned three continents. Authorities claim that cocaine was smuggled in multi-hundred-kilogram quantities from Colombia to Spain, where it was processed and sold. The proceeds were then sent to a man, identified by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida as Alvaro Lopez Tardon, who would allegedly launder the money with the help of at least two co-conspirators.

Tardon is thought to have received more than $26 million in drug proceeds from Spain between 2004 and the present, the attorney's office said in a statement. He is accused of working with his brother, Artemio Lopez Tardon, who reportedly lives in Spain. The money was often laundered through the purchase and sale of real estate and luxury cars, authorities said.

"From the beaches of Miami to the shores of Spain, the fight against crime has no boundaries," said Special Agent in Charge John V. Gillies of the FBI Miami Division in a statement. "This is another outstanding example of an international partnership, this time with the Spanish National Police, that disrupted a major drug organization."

When you see the huge sums of money at stake, it’s easier to understand just how much those involved in illegal drugs have invested in seeing substance use and drug addiction continue to flourish around the world.

Drug Addiction

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