In an unusual rebuke by one of America’s closest allies, the Canadian Federal Court decided that the Safe Third Country Agreement (“STCA”) between the United States and Canada was unconstitutional. The Court determined, in light of certain immigration policies, that the U.S. was in violation of many of its commitments as a “safe third country” for asylum seekers. Consequently, the continued enforcement of the STCA is a violation of Canadian constitutional protections. The decision will void the STCA in six months time and will require the Canadian government to take concrete steps towards adopting different border control policies.

On August 5, 2020, Europol released its report on the involvement of organized crime groups (OCGs) in sports corruption.[1]

On July 14, 2020, Europol released a document to Member State delegations in the Council's Law Enforcement Working Party (LEWP) setting out what it sees as the shortcomings in its current legal basis.[1] The document is intended to inform discussion on a forthcoming legal proposal that will give Europol more extensive powers.

On August 19, 2020, the Federal Police in Brazil detained brothers German and Jose Efromovich, the majority shareholders of Colombia’s Avianca Holders, in the Car Wash corruption investigation. Brazilian law enforcement authorities accuse them of bribing public officials and laundering money to earn a contract building ships with Transpetro, the logistics unit of Brazilian oil company Petrobras.[1]

On June 23, 2020, Europol released its “European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT),”^[1] which has been produced annually since 2007.

On August 18, 2020, U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr sent a letter to Priti Patel, British Home Department Secretary, promising that, if the British government shares evidence with the U.S. by October 15, 2020, the U.S. will prosecute two notorious British Islamic detainees accused of participating in the torture and beheadings of Western hostages, without imposing the death penalty in the event they are convicted. If Britain does not transfer the evidence by October 15, then Barr promises to transfer them to Iraq for prosecution in the Iraqi justice system.[1]

When forty-seven Kenyans flew from Yemen into the Moi airport in late July of 2020,  passengers on the plane were unaware that Mansur Mohamed Surer, an alleged smuggler of endangered wildlife, sat among them.[1] Authorities speculate that Surer was using this route to return to Uganda, the hub of his operations, when agents using Yemeni intelligence, apprehended Surer as he stepped off the plane.[2] They immediately searched his bags and held him with airport police. He was subsequently turned over to Interpol Nairobi. Because the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) had been investigating the suspect, Surer will be extradited to New York.

On August 18, 2020, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) delivered a long-overdue judgment in the Ayyash et al. case concerning the February 14, 2005 attack in Beirut that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others, and injured 226 more. The four accused were tried in absentia: Messrs Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hassan Habib Merhi, Hussein Hassan Oneissi, and Assad Hassan Sabra.

INTERPOL’s Cooperation Against ‘Ndrangheta (I-CAN) has rounded up six fugitives in Albania, Argentina, and Costa Rica, following intelligence tips gathered in an operation targeting the ‘Ndrangheta in November 2019. INTERPOL’s website reported the news on July 23, 2020. 

On August 14, 2020, the Manhattan State Court arraigned Trevor William Forrest, a/k/a “Shaikh Abdullah Faisal”, a/k/a/ “Shaikh Faisal,” 56, after his extradition from Jamaica the prior day. The charges are that he used his public profile and personal network to recruit and provide support to those seeking to commit acts of violence and terrorism against others.[1]