Pennsylvania lawmakers talk marijuana legalization, US troops and DEA agents take part in drug raids in Ecuador, and more. 

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Marijuana Policy

Pennsylvania Senate Lawmakers Debate Adult-Use Marijuana Legalization. The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Party Policy Committee met this morning to discuss adult-use marijuana. The committee held a hearing titled "Adult-Use Cannabis: Criminal Justice, Safety & Economic Impacts" in Philadelphia, chaired by Sen. Nick Miller (14th District) and co-chaired by Sen. Sharif Street (3rd District). The hearing comes just one week after Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges against 12 people in an alleged $18.7 million scheme to sell high-potency marijuana products disguised as legal hemp across the state.

"Weed is already here in Pennsylvania – masquerading as legal hemp, but actually selling as full-on, high-potency THC," Monica McCafferty of ResponsiblePA said before the hearing. 

"These illegal, untested products are lining the shelves of gas stations and smoke shops, landing in the hands of kids with zero oversight or labeling," she added. "A fully taxed and regulated framework gives law enforcement and prosecutors the bright line and real tools they need to dismantle these criminal networks. By stripping away the marketplace organized crime exploits, Pennsylvania can eliminate underground sales and clear the path for responsible, lab-tested operators."

Lawmakers will be considering several legislative vehicles for legalization. House Bill 1200 would create a system of state-run marijuana retail outlets. It passed the House in May 2025 but has gone nowhere in the Senate. A bipartisan alternative that would allow private marijuana retail outlets, Senate Bill 120, stalled in the Senate in June, as did Senate Bill 49, which would have created a state Cannabis Control Board. 

International

"Rogue" US DEA Agents Are Operating "Illegally" on Bahamian Soil, Ambassador Says. In a meeting on Friday, Bahamian Ambassador to the United States Wendall Jones lodged a formal complaint with the US Justice Department, where he accused "rogue" DEA agents of operating illegally on Bahamian territory. 

The formal complaint puts further strain on the relationship between US and Bahamian law enforcement, which has come under increasing stress as the US has indicted more than half a dozen Bahamians since the second Trump administration took office, including senior members of the country's police and military. They were indicted for allegedly conspiring to smuggle drugs from South American into the US.

But Jones said that was not the issue. 

"We made a general complaint of the behavior of rogue DEA agents in The Bahamas who operate without the consent of the government or the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and that is a matter of law, a matter of treaty," Jones said.

US Ambassador to The Bahamas Herschel Walker denounced the claim as "fake news."

Jones did not say how many DEA agents are believed to be operating in the country without government permission, but said it had been happening "over the many years" and that Trump officials said they will investigate the matter. 

The complaint from The Bahamas comes after Mexico raised similar concerns following the deaths of two CIA agents in a car crash in April. They were working in Mexico without the Mexican government's approval. 

US Troops Participate in Ecuador Drug Raids Aimed at Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Dozens of US troops and DEA agents joined together with hundreds of Ecuadorian soldiers in operations this week aimed at a local affiliate of Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). More than 30 gang members were taken into custody. No deaths were reported. 

Under the leadership of right-wing billionaire President Daniel Noboa, Ecuador is enthusiastically joining President Trump's efforts to crack down on Latin American drug trafficking organizations, which Trump has designated as narco-terrorist organizations. 

But human rights organizations say the Ecuadorian military offensive against drug gangs has led to excessive use of force, torture, disappearances, and mass imprisonment. Noboa brushed off those concerns again at the United Nations on Wednesday. 

"We receive plenty of criticism regarding the fight against organized crime and very little concern about the number of victims we are seeing from organized crime," Noboa said.

A raid on Thursday morning "was conducted jointly with U.S. troops and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)," said Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg. The targets were arrested for belonging to a group with a "direct connection to the CJNG," he said.

Ecuador does not produce cocaine, but in recent years, it has become a transshipment point for Colombian product. The country saw rising violence this decade, especially after the recapture of Los Choneros leader Adolfo Macias, who escaped from a maximum-security prison only to be caught again and extradited to the US.