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FBI investigates suspicious powder mailed to election officials in three states

Illustration accompanying article: FBI investigates suspicious powder mailed to election officials in three
  • Election officials in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Ohio received suspicious white powder mailings this week, prompting evacuations and an FBI investigation weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
  • Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry's office in Baton Rouge was closed Tuesday after an Elections Division employee opened a package and found white powder inside at around 12:20 p.m. CDT.
  • The Oklahoma State Election Board received a similar envelope Tuesday morning, and U.S. Postal Service investigators intercepted a letter containing "a powdery white substance" intended for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose's office on Wednesday.
  • Ohio Secretary LaRose said investigators were "dealing with similar mailings sent to election officials in multiple states" and that the FBI was handling the matter.
  • The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors said in a joint statement Wednesday that they were "deeply concerned by these incidents."
 2026-10-14 · 4 MIN READ

Latin American criminal networks expand across 12 European countries

Illustration accompanying article: Latin American criminal networks expand across 12 European countries
  • The Guardian's four-month investigation found Latin American criminal organizations have forged close ties with European mafia networks and are now active in at least 12 European countries.
  • Cocaine seizures in Europe rose 471% between 2014 and 2024, and more local laboratories processing cocaine derivatives were dismantled over the same period.
  • Identified groups include Mexico's Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, Colombia's Clan del Golfo, Brazil's Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho, and Venezuela's Tren de Aragua.
  • Europol connected 149 of 731 most-threatening criminal networks operating across Europe to Latin American organizations; a São Paulo prosecutor's report reviewed by the Guardian says Brazil's PCC operates in 16 European countries.
 2026-10-13 · 4 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Avila Chevalier says NYPD violated sanctuary law's spirit after shooting