International

Haitian criminal leader among FBI’s Most Wanted

Photo: @nikthehat

November 16 |

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported on Wednesday the inclusion of Haitian gang leader Vitel’Homme Innocent in its list of the ten most wanted fugitives for his alleged responsibility in the kidnapping and murder of U.S. missionaries in Haiti.

For its part, the State Department joined the announcements and said it was willing to pay up to 2 million dollars for information leading to the apprehension of Vitel’Homme Innocent, although it recognized that his capture will be a complicated task in a nation with the chaotic situation that Haiti is suffering.

Known only by his common name, Vitel’Homme Innocent has already been formally charged in the United States for the armed kidnapping of 16 Christian missionaries in 2021, as well as the murder of missionary Marie Franklin and the kidnapping of her husband, Jean, in 2022.

According to the FBI, Vitel’Homme heads the Kraze Bayre gang which works in conjunction with his similar 400 Mawozo to carry out kidnappings, extortions and murders. The Bureau believes Vitel’Homme remains in Haiti, but if caught and convicted of Franklin’s murder, he could face the death penalty in the U.S.

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Special Agent Jeffrey B. Veltri, head of the FBI’s Miami office, told a press conference that Vitel’Homme Innocent “is a threat to the island and clearly is a threat to U.S. citizens”.

The agent acknowledged that even with the support of the authorities to locate the criminal, his capture would be complicated due to the atmosphere of profound instability and chaos that reigns in the Caribbean nation, as evidenced by the assault on a hospital by a heavily armed gang that took hundreds of women, children and newborns hostage.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, the gangs have become more powerful than the government, as they have better weapons than the police and control under terror, crime and extortion. The leaders of the armed groups continue to operate with impunity, evading previous UN sanctions.

The UN Security Council approved in early October the deployment of a multinational force led by Kenya to combat the gangs, but Haitian authorities are now skeptical, claiming that the Africans need more training and funding.

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International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.