After a stint with cocaine at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas last year, Bruno Mars has worked the charges off.

After a performance in the Hard Rock Hotel, Mars was arrested in a bathroom for possession of 2.6 grams of cocaine. As punishment, he could have been faced with four years in state prison, but instead was fined $2,000 and given 12 months of probation.

The charges have now been dropped early on account of Mars’ cooperation. Mars’ lawyer presented the case, stating that Mars had completed his community service hours as well as attended drug education classes.

Mars is set to appear in the upcoming Grammys, having been nominated for six awards.

MIAMI — Thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard, 2 tons of cocaine worth $245 million was seized before ever hitting the streets of South Florida, or anywhere else for that matter.

The operation occurred off the coast of Honduras on Thursday when a Coast Guard force operating on U.S.S. Oak Hill discovered the shipment of 4, 400 pounds of cocaine abroad a motorboat that was stopped after suspicion of being a smuggling vessel. It had been stopped in international waters off the Gulf of Mexico on Dec. 2, according to the Miami Herald.

Authorities say cocaine traffickers are increasingly operating from Central American countries, as other routes are becoming more of a risk. According to CBS Miami, the Oak Hill was taking part in an annual deployment of U.S. ships to the Caribbean Sea and Latin American waters.

LAS VEGAS — That will be $585 please.

That was the bill for Cy Waits, Paris Hilton’s ex, who copped a plea to a driving under the influence charge on Wednesday.

Waits was stopped on the Las Vegas Strip last August when a police officer saw a “vapor trail” or marijuana smoke coming from his Cadillac Escalade, the Associated Press reported. Hilton was a passenger at the time.

The 25-year-old former Vegas club manager pleaded no contest to misdemeanor driving under the influence of drugs.

Hilton is currently on probation after pleading guilty in September to cocaine possession and obstruction.

Dwayne Day, 40, of Braintree and his brother Michael, 38, of Boston, were arrested in Braintree on Wednesday afternoon on multiple drug and weapons charges, police said.

Drug unit detectives have been investigating drug activity in the area of 35/37 McCusker Drive for several months and have had the area under periodic surveillance. On Wednesday, Detective Michael Reynolds observed a suspicious vehicle in the visitor’s parking lot occupied by two men, later identified as the Day brothers. The vehicle drove away after the driver saw the police officer, but the car was stopped a short time later after another officer noticed he allegedly failed to signal a turn near the Braintree police station.

A K-9 unit was called in, and Officer Richard Seibert and his partner, “Lucky,” an English Labrador trained as a drug-sniffing dog, were called to the scene and Lucky alerted his partner to the car’s center console.

Inside, police found six bags of cocaine, totaling 14.6 grams. Dwayne also had about $1,300 in cash on him.

The brothers were arrested, and Dwayne’s McCusker Drive home was searched. Inside, police found more cocaine, two .38 caliber handguns and plenty of bullets. One of the guns had its serial number filed off.

Both men were charged with multiple drug and weapons charges, including trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substances Act, a school zone violation, possession of a firearm without a permit, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number and possession of ammunition.

The Day brothers were arraigned Thursday in Quincy District Court and are being held on $15,000 cash bail. Their next court date is November 8.

A Braintree man faces charges after a two-month police investigation into the sale of cocaine in the small city south of Boston.

Jeffrey P. Laun, 35, was arrested after police acted on tips that he was responsible for much of the city’s coke problem.

According to a police statement, Braintree police put Laun under surveillance at his home. On Friday, officers followed him to another house on Drinkwater Avenue. A second man arrived at the home about two hours later. Police said the second man was Laun’s drug connection and that they saw Laun accept “delivery of drugs” from the second man.

As Laun drove away five minutes later, police stopped him and searched him and his car, finding six bags of cocaine in his pants pocket and a seventh bag in the car.

The second man also drove away — and police said nothing else about him or whether he was arrested.

The homeowner, a 32-year-old Briantree man whose name was not released, also faces drug charges after police raided his home and seized a bag of cocaine and drug packaging materials.

Laun is being charged with trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substances Act and a drug free school zone violation, since he was allegedly receiving his shipment near the May School in Braintree.

Timothy Silvia, the former President of the Brockton chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, was sentenced in a federal court Wednesday to more than 21 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine” the FBI reports.

His co-defendant and close gang associate Todd Donofrio, 39, of Stoughton, was sentenced to 10 years to be followed by five years of supervised release. Both pleaded guilty in October 2008.

The two men were arrested in July 2007 during a raid on their Taunton clubhouse. The search turned up 17 guns, $100,000 in cash and 116 grams of cocaine.

Silvia, 44, and Donofrio were charged in connection with “Operation Roadkill”, a two-year investigation in Southeastern, Mass. The operation has resulted in charges against 15 members and associates of the “Outlaws”, according to the FBI.

The case against Silvia and Donofrio was investigated by the FBI, Massachusetts State Police, Taunton Police, Brockton Police and the Plymouth County sheriff’s department.

The Outlaws Motorcycle Club was established in Illinois in 1935. Today the gang, who’s main rival is the Hell’s Angels, has more than 200 chapters across North America, Asia, Australia and Europe.

He likes to be called Cesar. He’s a prominent member of the leftist ultra-violent Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, otherwise known as FARC, the number one manufacturer of cocaine in the world. A former “comandante” of the 1^st Front of FARC, Gerardo Aguilar Ramirez has been extradited to the United States on “cocaine importation conspiracy charges” the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reports.

Ramirez was arrested on July 2, 2008 during a high-profile hostage rescue mission. At the time of his capture Ramirez was holding 15 hostages including anti-corruption activist and former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, who had been held captive for more than six years. Three Americans were also being held by FARC.

While in command of the hostages Ramirez tried to barter their release for the liberation of FARC terrorists held in the U.S. and Columbia, as well as other political and safety demands. None were accepted, and eventually, thanks to Operation Jaque, Ramirez was arrested and the hostages freed.

His extradition to Washington comes after an indictment filed by the United States against 50 of the highest-ranking FARC members. The file, released by the DEA, accuses Ramirez of leading the 1^st Front of FARC and as such, being responsible for all criminal acts it carried out.

The acts include manufacturing and distributing thousands of tons of cocaine with the knowledge that they would enter the U.S. drug market, as well as plotting with other FARC members to kidnap and kill U.S. citizens to discourage the United States from fumigating and disturbing FARC’s cocaine plants and distribution efforts.

Acting U.S. Attorney Lev Dassin reiterated the United States’ commitment to fighting narco-terrorism. “We are committed, together with Colombian authorities and United States law enforcement agencies, to attacking FARC’s criminal leadership. The extradition of Aguilar Ramirez, alleged to be a high-level FARC commander, is another milestone in this office’s fight against narco-terrorism worldwide” he said, the DEA reports.

Ramirez, 50, is also charged with four counts of hostage taking for the kidnapping of Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes, Keith Stensell and Tom Janis after their plane crashed in FARC-occupied jungle territory in early 2003.

Janis was executed while the rest were held captive with Betancourt and 11 others until their release in the summer of 2008.

Ramirez will be tried in Washington D.C. federal court scheduled to begin on Jan. 5, 2010. The DEA reports that Special Assistant Attorneys from the Southern District of New York will be prosecuting the case in D.C.

The State Department is also offering $75 million in rewards for any information that leads to the capture of high-ranking FARC members.

Red Bull Simply Cola was launched last year by the makers of Red Bull, and advertised as a “100 percent natural” cola with a jolt of energy. After running tests on the drink, officials in Germany concluded people might be hooked on the cola for the wrong reasons. They found traces of cocaine in the drink — about 0.13 micrograms per can. They even prohibited its sale in 11 states and considered a nationwide ban.

But is Red Bull really competing with Coke by using, well, coke? Did summer Jager Bombs suddenly get a little more edgy? Can drinking colas lead to a failed drug test?

Here’s a quick guide to separating the facts from the Red Bullshit.

Do colas really contain cocaine?

Coca-Cola was refined by pharmacist Dr. John Stith Pemberton, and originally sold as an elixir to cure hangovers, headaches and nervousness. The name comes from the drink’s two main ingredients — cocaine from the coca leaf and kola nut to add caffeine. It was estimated the cola once contained up to nine milligrams of cocaine per glass — enough to feel slight side effects from the drug including increased energy, blood pressure and heart rate. By the early 1900′s, people began to fear the side effects of cocaine and a social outcry began over use of the ingredient. Cocaine was removed from the cola by 1905. The current Coca-Cola recipe contains non-narcotic coca flavoring in place of the real thing. According to a Time Magazine report, Red Bull has said the traces of cocaine found in their new cola are also de-cocainized cocaine extracts.

What is de-cocainized cocaine?

De-cocainized cocaine is what is left over from the coca leaf after the narcotic cocaine has been removed. Also called “spent” coca leaves, the ingredient is used as a natural flavoring in foods and can also be found in some cosmetics. In Bolivia, it is an ingredient in some toothpastes, shampoos, and candies.

Why is it added to colas?

According to Red Bull, the ingredient is needed to add natural flavoring to the drink. Its tea-like flavor is said to balance out the flavor of the kola nut, making for a tastier beverage. Removing the coca flavoring would change the taste of the drink.

How significant is the amount of de-cocainized cocaine in these drinks?

According to Time Magazine’s report, a person would need to drink approximately 12,000 liters of Red Bull Cola to feel any cocaine-related side effects. That equals about 48,000 cans of Red Bull. At which point, cocaine effects may be the least of the health concerns.

Why the ban?

According to the food safety department at Germany’s federal ministry for consumer protection, any traces of cocaine are enough to cause concern. German officials initially banned the sale of Red Bull Cola in six states. Five states followed suit, fearing they would violate narcotics laws if they continued to sell the drink. The ban might seem ridiculous in countries like Bolivia, however, where even President Evo Morales is a coca-grower. According to Time Magazine’s report, coca-growers in Bolivia, Peru, and surrounding countries have seen the controversy as a chance to prove the coca plant is not naturally harmful.

Is there reason to worry?

The Food and Drug Administration has listed de-cocainized coca leaf as safe and natural, so companies like Coca-Cola and Red Bull have found no reason to remove it from their products. After further study, Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment also said the traces of cocaine found in Red Bull Cola were not enough to pose a health risk. It’s also not enough to cause side effects or fail a drug test. So, drink up. Just keep the energy jolts to a 47,999 can maximum.

Call it a lesson in gloating.

All 29-year-old Thomas Ballard wanted to do was brag to his friend about his success over Xbox Live – what he got was arrested. Taking top ranking in an online match after an all night session, the Delhi, La. man used his numb fingers to dial his friend and talk up his achievement.

“I’ve killed them all,” Ballard said.

The only problem? He dialed the wrong number. The woman he did dial became instantly concerned and called local police. When authorities arrived at Ballard’s residence, they found no evidence of wrong doing.

But they did find that he had a nearly 5-year-old warrant for failing to appear in court resulting from a cocaine charge.

Let this is be a lesson guys — sometimes, it’s best to just get some rest after a long gaming session.