International
29 killed in arrest of Mexico drug kingpin’s son
January 6th | By AFP |
Ten soldiers and 19 suspected criminals were killed in an operation to arrest a son of jailed drug trafficker Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Mexico’s government said Friday, with a dramatic shootout sowing terror at an airport.
Thousands of soldiers retook control of the Sinaloa cartel stronghold of Culiacan, which resembled a war zone after furious gunmen went on the rampage to try to free their boss.
Ovidio Guzman was captured in the northwestern city on Thursday and flown to Mexico City before being transferred to the high-security Altiplano prison in central Mexico from which “El Chapo” escaped in 2015.
The 32-year-old, nicknamed “El Raton” (The Mouse), had allegedly helped to run his father’s operations since the former Sinaloa cartel boss was extradited to the United States in 2017.
A colonel who commanded an infantry battalion was among those killed after his team came under attack following the arrest, Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval told reporters.
Another 35 soldiers sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital, while 21 gunmen were arrested.
Sandoval said a civilian airliner that was about to take off from Culiacan International Airport, as well as two Mexican Air Force aircraft, were hit as cartel henchmen tried to free Ovidio Guzman.
The military planes “had to make an emergency landing” after receiving “a significant number of impacts,” said Sandoval.
No injuries resulted from the plane attacks and Culiacan airport resumed operations on Friday.
Multimillion-dollar bounty
The United States had issued a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Ovidio Guzman’s capture. It accuses him of being a key player in the Sinaloa cartel founded by his father.
The arrest came as Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador prepared to welcome his US counterpart Joe Biden for a North America leaders’ summit next week where security is expected to be high on the agenda.
Mexico denied that the United States had been involved in the operation to catch Ovidio Guzman.
“We act autonomously, independently. Yes there is cooperation and there will continue to be, but we make the decisions as a sovereign government,” Lopez Obrador told reporters.
He said calm had returned to Culiacan, where security forces removed dozens of stolen and burnt out vehicles scattered throughout the city of 800,000 people.
Videos on social media Thursday showed passengers and Aeromexico airline employees ducking behind counters as gunfire rang out at Culiacan airport.
Cartel gunmen set cars and trucks ablaze at several intersections in the city, and authorities reported 19 roadblocks.
Cocaine, meth and fentanyl
El Chapo is serving a life sentence in the United States for trafficking hundreds of tons of drugs into the country over the course of 25 years.
However, his cartel remains one of the most powerful in Mexico, accused by Washington of exploiting an opioid epidemic by flooding communities in the United States with fentanyl, a synthetic drug about 50 times more potent than heroin.
Ovidio Guzman and one of his brothers are accused of overseeing nearly a dozen methamphetamine labs in Sinaloa as well as conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana, according to the US State Department.
Ovidio Guzman also allegedly ordered the murders of informants, a drug trafficker and a Mexican singer who refused to perform at his wedding, it said.
He was captured briefly once before in 2019, but security forces freed him after his cartel waged an all-out war in response.
His release prompted sharp criticism of Lopez Obrador, who said the decision was made to protect civilians’ lives.
Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard has played down the prospects of a fast-track extradition, saying Ovidio Guzman was expected to face legal proceedings in Mexico.
Mexico has registered more than 340,000 murders since the government controversially deployed the army to fight drug cartels in 2006, most of them blamed on criminal gangs.
International
Tehran airports resume operations as Iran lifts airspace closure
Iran announced on Thursday the full reopening of its airspace, including over the capital Tehran, after it was closed on June 13 — the first day of the war with Israel.
According to the official IRNA news agency, international airports in Tehran (Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini), as well as airports in the north, east, west, and south of the country, have resumed operations and are ready to handle flights.
Iran had completely shut down its airspace on June 13 following Israel’s unprecedented airstrikes. On June 25, one day after a ceasefire was declared, flight operations had resumed gradually, though only in the eastern regions.
On June 28, Iran further expanded the reopening of its airspace to include foreign airlines flying over its territory.
As of Thursday, only the airports in Isfahan (central Iran) and Tabriz (northwest) remain closed, as both cities were repeatedly targeted in Israeli airstrikes and their infrastructure is still under repair, IRNA said.
International
Man attacks passengers with axe on german ICE Train
A man attacked several passengers with an axe aboard an ICE train in the southern German state of Bavaria on Thursday.
According to police, four people sustained minor injuries during the incident, and the suspect was taken into custodyshortly afterward.
The attack occurred shortly before 2:00 p.m. (local time) on ICE train number 91, which was traveling from Hamburg-Altona to Vienna, Austria, according to German newspaper Bild.
Authorities have not yet released further details regarding the motive or the identity of the attacker.
International
Trump to decide soon on deportation exemptions for construction and farm workers
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday in Florida that he will make a decision in the coming weeks regarding exemptions from deportations for workers in the construction and agriculture sectors.
Trump made these remarks to the media during a visit to the new migrant detention center, ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ located in the middle of a wetland in Florida, the White House reported.
ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids have targeted many of these workers, sparking fear among them and threatening to slow down two sectors that are vital to the U.S. economy.
In construction, 25.7% of workers are immigrants, and 14.1% of the total workforce nationwide is undocumented, according to the American Immigration Council.
In agriculture, the percentage of undocumented employees rises to 42%, according to data from the Department of Agriculture cited by the New York Times.
Tehran airports resume operations as Iran lifts airspace closure
Man attacks passengers with axe on german ICE Train
Trump to decide soon on deportation exemptions for construction and farm workers
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America2 days agoPanama’s President Mulino: “We are regaining international trust” to exit tax haven lists
-
International4 days agoTikTok sale advances as Trump reveals deal is in place
-
Central America4 days agoCastro to address FfD4 in Spain as Global Financial Reform takes center stage
-
International3 days agoSpain hits record 46°C in June amid scorching heatwave
-
International3 days ago7 in 10 mexicans born poor stay poor, new report finds
-
International3 days agoTrump administration sues Los Angeles over sanctuary city policies
-
International3 days agoEcuador’s former VP Jorge Glas sentenced to 13 more years for corruption
-
International2 days agoThe White House insists that the United States remains in contact with Iran
-
International2 days agoThe US climate agency will lose access to key data for hurricane forecasting in July
-
International2 days agoThe Argentine justice declares Milei’s measure that limited the right to strike unconstitutional
-
International2 days agoTrump to decide soon on deportation exemptions for construction and farm workers
-
International2 days agoTrump sues Los Angeles for immigrant “sarture city” policies
-
International2 days agoIDB plans $11 billion in sustainable financing to support countries facing currency risks
-
International2 days agoTrump will receive Netanyahu at the White House next week
-
International2 days agoFormer Correísta vice president Jorge Glas, sentenced to 13 years in prison for embezzlement in Ecuador
-
International2 days agoMaduro’s government appeals to Vatican for help rescuing migrant children
-
International2 days agoFormer argentine president seeks brazilian leader’s visit amid house arrest
-
International2 days agoThe US Supreme Court will address the reduction of spending limits of parties in campaigns
-
International2 days agoAn investigation by the Trump Administration concludes that Harvard violated the rights of Jewish students
-
International2 hours agoTehran airports resume operations as Iran lifts airspace closure
-
International2 hours agoMan attacks passengers with axe on german ICE Train