The US and Italy announced the arrests of 26 people in a major sweep against a Mafia smuggling ring that sought to move weapons and drugs from South America to Italy.  Some of those arrested are associated with some of the biggest crimes families in New York City and Italy.

Police said the two-year “Operation New Bridge” investigation prevented the delivery to Italy of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin as well as weapons.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars were also confiscated.  In conversations recorded by an undercover agent, the alleged conspirators discussed the plot to disguise the contraband in shipments of frozen fish, pineapples, and cans of cocoanut milk, and ship it out of Guyana, South America.

In Rome, anti-mafia prosecutor Franco Roberti said Italian police arrested 17 suspects associated with the 'Ndrangheta mafia in Genoa.  The FBI arrested seven people in New York in a coordinated raid, including members of the infamous Gambino and Bonanno families.