Bolivia’s former anti-narcotics chief was extradited to the United States on Thursday to face federal drug trafficking charges in a New York court.

Authorities said that Maximiliano Dávila, who served as anti-narcotics chief in the final months of Evo Morales ‘ 2006-2019 administration, helped facilitate planeload shipments of cocaine to the United States. According to the U.S. Justice Department, Dávila exploited his position “to secure access to Bolivian airfields for cocaine transport and to arrange for members of Bolivian law enforcement under his command—including individuals armed with machineguns—to provide protection for those drug loads.”

Dávila  — who authorities say is also known as “Macho” — boarded a private jet sent from the U.S. specifically for his extradition.

On Feb. 2, 2022, the U.S. State Department announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Dávila’s conviction. He is charged with conspiring to provide top level protection for cocaine shipments to the U.S. as well as related weapons charges involving the possession of machine guns. According to the State Department, Dávila “allegedly used his position to safeguard aircraft used to transport cocaine to third countries, for subsequent distribution in the United States.”

In late November, Bolivia’s Supreme Court approved Dávila’s immediate extradition to the U.S. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Morales expelled the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration from Bolivia in 2008, accusing it of plotting to overthrow his government at a time rising commodity prices and a wave of leftist politics throughout South America were challenging longstanding U.S. influence in the region. Meanwhile, the two countries haven’t exchanged ambassadors in more than 15 years.

The drug investigation that led to the charges against Dávila was started by the DEA’s Special Operations Division in 2017, according to court records.

As part of the probe, criminal informants working under the DEA’s direction recorded conversations in which a co-defendant of Dávila bragged of having access to an MD-11 military cargo plane to transport 60 tons of cocaine into the U.S.

The co-defendant, Percy Vasquez-Drew, said that “he and other traffickers had been able to operate with impunity in Bolivia because the DEA and the CIA had been kicked out” and remaining anti-drug officials in the country were easily bribed, prosecutors said in court filings.

Vasquez-Drew was later arrested in Panama on a U.S. warrant. He pleaded guilty in 2020 to a single count of conspiring to smuggle more than 450 kilograms of narcotics into the U.S. Earlier this year, his sentence was reduced to 100 months in federal prison.

Bolivia is the world’s third-largest producer of cocaine.

It’s unclear how close Dávila is to Morales, a former coca grower. But the two appeared together in an October 2019 photograph celebrating Morales’ birthday standing next to several cakes decorated with coca leaves. Also in the picture was the former head of Bolivia’s national police.

While the DEA has arrested numerous Bolivian drug traffickers over the years, including one of Dávila’s predecessors, Morales himself has never been accused of drug trafficking. He has vociferously denounced the U.S.-led drug war in Latin America and defended traditional uses of coca – the raw ingredient of cocaine.

Get ready for the final full moon of 2024: the Cold Moon. 

December’s full moon will reach peak illumination at 4:02 a.m. EST on Sunday Dec. 15, but it will appear full for several days. The Old Farmer’s Almanac details specific moonrise times for different ZIP codes across the U.S. 

Why is the December full moon called the Cold Moon?

December’s full moon is called the Cold Moon, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The name was chosen because of how cold it usually is during December’s full moon.

The moon also has several other nicknames, including the Long Night Moon, a name with Mohican origins, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. The name is because December’s full moon happens on one of the longest nights of the year. 

Other names for December’s moon include the Drift Clearing Moon, the Frost Exploding Trees Moon, the Moon of the Popping Trees, Hoar Frost Moon, Snow Moon and Winter Maker Moon, according to the almanac.

How long will December’s moon be full?

While the moon reaches peak illumination early on Dec. 15, it will appear full for several days. Around 95% of the moon’s nearside will be illuminated by the sun on Friday, Dec. 13, according to NASA. On Dec. 14, 99% of the moon’s nearside will be illuminated, with 100% illuminated on Dec. 15. On Dec. 16, 98% of the moon will still be illuminated.

This month, NASA also suggests keeping an eye out for Jupiter, sitting between the nearly full moon and Aldebaran, the brightest star in the Taurus constellation, on Dec. 14.

NASA says you won’t need binoculars or a telescope to enjoy the view of the Cold Moon. Local forecasts have detailed information on how clear the night sky will be in different locations where people are keeping an eye out for the moon.

The first full moon of 2025 will be on Monday, Jan. 13. It’s known as the Wolf Moon.

The Geminids, considered one of the best and most reliable meteor showers of the year, is underway and is set to peak Friday night into early Saturday. 

The shower will peak under a nearly full moon, which could make spotting the cosmic show a challenge. The light from the moon will wash out the fainter meteors during the peak, according to NASA.

“Still, the Geminids are known for bright meteors, and it’s common to spot their shooting stars up to a week before the peak,” according to NASA. “If you’re up before dawn that week, it’s worth looking up, just in case you spot a speck of dust from space streaking through the morning sky.”

When and where you can see the Geminids

Light from the nearly full moon will cut the visible rates for the Geminids by 50-75% during the peak this year, said Bill Cooke, lead of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. The brightest meteors will still be visible, according to NASA.

With the bright moon on peak night, an observer in the U.S. may see around 15 Geminids an hour, Cooke said.

“In short, 2024 is a bad year for Geminid watching — December 2025 will be much better,” Cooke said.

The Geminid meteor shower is visible around the world and throughout the night sky. For optimal viewing conditions, head somewhere far away from city and street lights, then lie down flat on your back with your feet pointed south. Give your eyes half an hour to adjust to the dark. 

NASA advises bringing a sleeping bag or blanket to help with the cold while waiting for the Geminids. 

The shower usually starts around 9 or 10 p.m., with the meteors best viewed at night or in the pre-dawn hours. 

What is a meteor shower?

Meteors are space rocks that enter Earth’s atmosphere and heat up as they fall toward Earth, according to NASA. As they streak through the sky, glowing, hot air around the meteors gives the meteors the appearance of shooting stars. During meteor showers, many meteors travel through Earth’s atmosphere over a short period. 

Most meteors burn up in space. The few that survive the trip and reach the ground and considered meteorites. 

What makes the Geminids different from other meteor showers?

The Geminids are one of the strongest meteor showers of the year, with a rate of 120 meteors an hour under perfect conditions, according to NASA. 

While most meteor showers originate from comets, the Geminids actually come from an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. NASA researchers say the asteroid acts like a “weird” comet.

And while NASA says most meteors appear to be colorless or white, the Geminids are usually yellow in color. 

The annual Geminids meteor shower first appeared in the mid-1800s.