Travel restrictions currently in place during the coronavirus pandemic have forced a collapse in the price of one of the building blocks of cocaine, a report says, with the coca leaf plunging as much as 73 percent in value in some parts of South America. The worldwide lockdowns – which have resulted in a steep drop in domestic and international travel – are now leaving drug cartels scrambling to find ways to move around their product. “The [coca] economy has collapsed,” Rubén Leiva, a Peruvian farmer who grows the plant for traditional indigenous uses – told the newspaper. “We plant coca because it is a solution for our survival. But now, no one is buying it.” “In short, the cartels are taking a beating,” Michael S. Vigil, former chief of international operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Meanwhile, the street price of cocaine is rising in prominent American cities like Miami, New York, and San Francisco, as DEA offices across the U.S. are seeing supplies of illicit drugs starting to run low.

A New Jersey prison guard who came under fire for taking part in a reenactment of the death of George Floyd has been suspended from work after a video of the act circulated online. The corrections officer, whose name was not released, was reportedly one of the people caught on video participating in a Black Lives Matter counter-protest in which one man knelt on another person's neck, imitating the moments leading up to 46-year-old Floyd’s death. The video has since garnered tens of thousands of social media views. It shows protesters marching along a street Monday in Franklin Township, chanting “George Floyd!” and “Black Lives Matter!” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, condemned the stunt Tuesday night on Twitter, saying the state won't “let the actions of a few distract from our progress toward dismantling systemic racism.”

PASO ROBLES, California -- Authorities are searching for a gunman who opened fire in downtown Paso Robles early Wednesday, wounding a deputy. The San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol responded about 3:45 a.m. to a call that a man was firing shots at a police station in Paso Robles on Park Street. One deputy, who has not been identified, was shot in the face, Sgt. Steve Odom said. The gunfire occurred over a span of several minutes. After the deputy was wounded, his partner returned fire. It was not clear whether the shooter was struck. The deputy was taken to a hospital and was in serious but stable condition, said Tony Cipolla, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Department. The gunman is believed to be in his 20s or 30s, Cipolla said. A more detailed description was not immediately available. Residents in downtown Paso Robles were being asked to shelter in place as the SWAT team and dozens of law enforcement personnel searched the area.

The New Rochelle Police Department released six videos taken from private businesses in the city that depict the officers’ pursuit of city resident Kamal Flowers on Friday, June 5 before he was fatally shot.
In the videos, Flowers can be seen taking off from a Dodge Charger as it was stopped by officers, before the car drove off, prompting the initial #pursuit. In others, police can be seen chasing and engaging with Flowers as he attempted to flee on foot. Police said that they stopped the Charger shortly before 11 p.m. on Friday, June 5, for a traffic violation near the intersection of Potter Avenue and Pierce Street, at which point Flowers, who was on parole, fled. It is alleged that after a struggle with officers, Flowers displayed a handgun and attempted to fire, at which point one of the officers shot him. Flowers was treated at the scene and died en route to the hospital. #shooting

A diver holds gloves and protective face masks are held by a sea clean-up volunteer diver in the Mediterranea sea in May. Laurent Lombard/Operation Mer Propre via REUTERS

A statue of Robert Milligan is removed by workers from outside the Museum of London Docklands near Canary Wharf following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, London, Britain, June 9. REUTERS/John Sibley

Uniformed officers wear protective face masks as they listen while Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York President Pat Lynch speaks as he and representatives from other New York City Police Department (NYPD) and law enforcement unions hold a news conference in New York City, June 9. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Russian nuclear-capable bombers were intercepted and escorted by U.S. fighter jets during a flight over neutral waters near Alaska. The first Russian formation consisted of two Tu-95 bombers, accompanied by two Su-35 fighter jets and an A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft, which came within 20 nautical miles of Alaskan shores, according to NORAD. The second Russian formation consisted of two Tu-95 bombers supported by an A-50 and came within 32 nautical miles of Alaskan shores. Both formations were met by North American Aerospace Defense Command F-22 Raptors, supported by KC-135 Stratotankers and an E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System. The Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and at no time did they enter United States sovereign airspace.

Senegalese kneel during a Black Lives Matter gathering following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, in Dakar, Senegal June 9. REUTERS/ Zohra Bensemra

A statue of former Belgian King Leopold II sprayed with graffiti is seen in the park of the Africa Museum, in Tervuren, near Brussels, Belgium, June 9. REUTERS/Yves Herman