The "noose has tightened" on the Kinahan cartel, the US Ambassador to Ireland has said.
Claire Cronin also said that she believes more arrests tackling those involved in organised crime groups will be made.
Ambassador Cronin announced in April 2022 that authorities in the United States were offering a reward of up to $15 million (€13.7m) for information that led to the arrest or conviction of three senior Kinahan cartel members.
The unprecedented announcement called for information that would apprehend Daniel Kinahan, Christy Kinahan Snr and Christy Kinahan Jnr. The bounty for each cartel member was set at $5m (€4.5m).
A raft of restrictions were imposed on the Kinahans and a number of their associates, who the US authorities accused of “smuggling deadly narcotics, including cocaine” to Europe.
Earlier this month, key Kinahan associate Liam Byrne was arrested in Spain while eating at a restaurant in Mallorca. Jack Kavanagh was also arrested.
Speaking at the Department of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Dublin, Ambassador Cronin told the Irish Mirror that significant progress has been made over the last 15 months.
She said: "I think we have seen since last April when we made that announcement, which was a State Department-headed programme and we worked in conjunction with our partners in law enforcement, we have seen for lack of a better word, the noose tightening a little bit around the Kinahans.
"There have been some recent arrests. It has been a great example of collaboration both between our government but between the multiple agencies that have been involved in this. We have a recent arrest in Spain. I think you'll continue to see that.
"I'm very, very pleased about the outcome to this point and optimistic about the way it will head in the future."
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that the cooperation between the Irish and US Authorities to tackle the Kinahans is "essential".
"What it demonstrates is that combating criminality is now International," he said.
"It’s global. Combating terrorism is global. Combating cyber security threats, threats to critical infrastructure is global.
"Cooperation is essential. Cooperation between police forces across the world between like-minded countries is essential. Criminality knows no borders today.
"I think it's very heartening to see the strengthening cooperation between the two countries."
At the time of the announcement, the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control described the Kinahan Organised Crime Gang as the "most powerful organised crime group operating in Ireland".
The US Authorities and An Garda Síochána announced the $15m bounty for information that would bring down the Kinahans at a large event in Dublin in April 2022.
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