Quito, May 8 (EFE).- A suspected member of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel and eight other people were arrested during an anti-drug operation in Ecuador, the National Police said. Four of the nine suspects detained in the operation are Mexican nationals. The suspects belong to a transnational criminal organization that smuggles drugs by sea from Ecuador to Mexico, the National Police said.

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has levied financial sanctions against eight drug gang bosses accused of working for Mexico's powerful and violent Sinaloa Cartel. The government accused the eight regional bosses of managing drug smuggling operations for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the purported head of the Sinaloa Cartel, the Treasury Department announced Tuesday. By declaring the men specially designated narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act, Washington has made it illegal for U.S. citizens to do business with them and freezes any assets they may have inside the U.S.

A US Air Force officer in charge of preventing sexual attacks has been arrested for assaulting a woman, police said Monday, in the latest setback for a force struggling to stem a pervasive rape problem. US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel "expressed outrage and disgust over the troubling allegations and emphasized that this matter will be dealt with swiftly and decisively," Pentagon spokesman George Little said.

Washington, May 3 (EFE).- The Mexican cartels that are the principal source of illicit drugs coming into the United States have managed to extend their tentacles to the U.S. heartland, where they represent a significant threat to public safety, a senior Drug Enforcement Administration agent told Efe Friday. The battle against drug traffickers and organized crime was a major theme of President Barack Obama's just-concluded visit to Mexico. Mexican cartels have a presence in more than 1,000 U.S. cities, according to the Justice Department.