International

López Obrador uses García Luna case to attack former presidents

Foto: EFE

February 24 |

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Wednesday that he expects former Public Security Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna, found guilty in the United States of accepting bribes from drug cartels, to testify whether he received orders from former presidents Felipe Calderon and Vicente Fox, strong critics of his government.

During his morning conference, López Obrador said he hopes that after the verdict García Luna will testify as a witness and inform whether he obeyed orders from the former presidents “or informed the former presidents” of his actions.

During Calderón’s administration (2006-2012) García Luna directed security policy, while during Fox’s administration (2000-2006) he headed the now defunct Federal Investigation Agency.

The President stated that it would also be favorable for Mexico and the United States that García Luna informs about his links with the US authorities.

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López Obrador ruled out that the case of García Luna, the first high-ranking Mexican ex-official to be tried in a U.S. court, could affect Mexico’s image, and indicated that it will help “continue cleaning up corruption”, which has been one of his slogans during his administration that began in 2018. “It must remain for us as a lesson that these facts must never be repeated again,” he added.

Referring to the statement released by Calderón hours after the verdict -in which he distanced himself from the actions of his former security collaborator-, López Obrador said that the former president went off on a “tangent” by not answering questions about the case.

“What is the explanation you are going to give to the people of Mexico about why you appointed García Luna and if you knew or didn’t know?” he added.

The governor also took the opportunity to criticize the opposition National Action Party (PAN), which Calderón and Fox joined, and the Judicial Power for the sentence in favor of the ex-secretary’s wife, Linda Pereyra Gálvez, to unblock a bank account that had been frozen for more than three years after a process initiated by the Attorney General’s Office against her for the crime of operations with resources of illicit origin.

García Luna, 54, was found guilty on Tuesday by an anonymous jury in a New York federal court of participating in an ongoing criminal enterprise and could be sentenced to 20 years to life in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for June 27.

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Hours after the announcement of the verdict Calderón said in a statement that the García Luna case does not demerit the struggle of thousands of police, military, prosecutors, judges and other public servants and assured that in the polarized environment in Mexico, the sanction of the former secretary “is already being used politically to attack me”.

“I never negotiated or made pacts with criminals. I never used the presidential investiture to advocate for their interests,” said Calderón in defending his administration and added that he fought all criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel, which witnesses testified in the trial was protected by García Luna in exchange for bribes.

The former president added that he had the support and recognition of the United States in the framework of security cooperation initiatives.

On the repercussions that the verdict could bring Ruben Salazar, director of the local political analysis and strategy firm Etellekt Consultores, told The Associated Press that the information and judicial actions that will come after the verdict will cause a “schism” that could reach many authorities and politicians of all forces, including the ruling party.

“It is not a trial against García Luna, but against Mexican narco-politics,” Salazar said, adding that “the entire political class is trembling right now” because they fear that the United States could also initiate proceedings against them.

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International

Child Found Malnourished in Van in France; Father Admits Confinement

French gendarmes discovered a child in a van in Hagenbach, in northeastern France, after a neighbor reported hearing what she described as “childlike noises” coming from the parked vehicle.

After unlocking the van, officers found the boy lying in a fetal position, unclothed and covered with a blanket, surrounded by garbage and near human waste, according to a statement from the Mulhouse prosecutor, Nicolas Heitz.

Authorities said the child appeared pale and severely malnourished. Due to prolonged confinement in a seated position, he was no longer able to walk. He was immediately taken to a hospital in Mulhouse for medical care.

The boy’s father, who lived with his partner and two daughters aged 10 and 12, admitted to keeping the child confined and depriving him of proper care.

According to the prosecutor, the man said he placed the child in the van in November 2024, claiming he wanted to “protect him” because his partner intended to have the boy admitted to a psychiatric facility.

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The suspect also stated that he allowed the child out of the vehicle in May 2025 and permitted him to enter the family apartment around mid-year, when the rest of the family was on vacation.

The man’s partner—who is not the child’s mother—also faces charges, including failure to report abuse. However, she has denied all accusations.

International

Europe Faces Jet Fuel Shortage Risk Amid Hormuz Disruption

The Airports Council International Europe has warned of a potential “systemic shortage” of jet fuel if maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is not restored within the next three weeks, according to a letter reviewed by AFP on Friday.

In the document, addressed to the European Commission and first reported by the Financial Times, the European airport lobby stated that a “systemic jet fuel shortage will become a reality” in the European Union unless stable and significant transit through the strait resumes soon.

The association, which represents around 600 airports across 50 countries, called on Brussels to implement “urgent monitoring of fuel availability and supply” over the next six months.

Jet fuel prices have surged amid the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy transport.

The conflict escalated on February 28 following joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran.

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In response, Tehran imposed several countermeasures, including blocking maritime traffic through the strait, a route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil, jet fuel, and gas supply passes.

International

Artemis II crew prepares for Earth return and splashdown recovery

Astronauts from the Artemis II mission are expected to be extracted from the Orion spacecraft approximately two hours after splashdown, scheduled for 20:07 UTC this Friday (6:07 p.m. in San Salvador), according to NASA.

Following recovery, a rescue team will transport the crew by aircraft to the USS John P. Murtha. Once onboard, they will undergo medical evaluations before boarding another flight to the Johnson Space Center.

On Thursday, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, continued preparations for their return to Earth.

Their activities include stowing equipment used during the mission, securing cargo and storage compartments, and installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are properly fastened. The crew will also review the latest weather updates, recovery operations status, and reentry timeline, while preparing for post-landing procedures.

At 21:53 UTC (9:53 p.m. in San Salvador), Orion’s thrusters are scheduled to perform a second trajectory correction maneuver, refining the spacecraft’s path back to Earth. During this operation, Hansen will monitor guidance, navigation, and propulsion systems.

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NASA explained that during Friday’s reentry, the service module will separate about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. If necessary, a final trajectory adjustment will fine-tune the flight path before the capsule begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from jettisoned components.

Just before atmospheric interface, Orion will reach a peak speed of approximately 3,800 km/h. As it descends to about 400,000 feet (around 121.9 km), communications will be interrupted for approximately six minutes due to plasma formation around the capsule during peak heating.

NASA expects the crew to experience up to 3.9 G during a nominal reentry profile. After exiting the blackout phase, the capsule will jettison its forward bay cover. Drogue parachutes will deploy at around 22,000 feet (6.7 km), followed by the three main parachutes at approximately 6,000 feet (1.8 km).

Artemis II marks NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon. The mission aims to validate capabilities for deep space human exploration and lay the groundwork for future long-term scientific missions on the lunar surface.