International
The US promises “not to spare resources” investigations into the assassination attempt against Trump
The Attorney General of the United States, Merrick Garland, promised an investigation that “will not spare resources” around the alleged assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in Florida, as he said on Tuesday, the same day that Republican Governor Ron DeSantis announced the beginning of a state investigation.
Garland said today that the national security division of the Department of Justice will play a central role in the investigation, an assertion that hints at the presentation of additional and more serious charges regarding the two related to the possession of firearms that the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, is currently facing.
The Department of Justice and especially the FBI work side by side with local agencies in the investigation of the “apparent assassination attempt of the former president that occurred on Sunday in Florida,” the attorney general said during an event at the headquarters of the Department of Justice in Washington.
“We will all work together to tirelessly determine responsibility in this matter,” Garland added.
This same Tuesday, the governor of Florida, the Republican Ron DeSantis, signed an executive order authorizing the State Prosecutor’s Office to start its own investigation, which could even lead to the formulation of state charges for attempted murder for Routh, who remains detained and on Monday had his first appearance in a federal court.
The authorities are investigating the motivations of Routh, 58, about whom it is known through publications made on the Internet that he had a disenchantment with the current Republican candidate in the next general elections, after having voted for him in the past.
According to the FBI, the suspect, who for the moment is believed to have acted alone, prowled the vicinity of the golf club for 12 hours and investigators are trying to confirm if he knew that Trump would go out to play that day.
As has transpired, Secret Service agents did not inspect the perimeter of the golf club before the former president went out to play, which has thrown more scrutiny against this federal agency in charge of the security of the former presidents.
The Secret Service was already under the magnifying glass after the attempted assassination of Trump while giving a rally in Butler (Pennsylvania), just over two months ago.
In that regard, US President Joe Biden, who last night phoned Trump in a gesture of solidarity, reiterated today that the Secret Service should receive more resources.
“One of the issues is that we need more resources. We need more agents, greater protection and, in general, expanded aid,” the president said in an interview with the radio program ‘DeDe in the Morning’ that was broadcast this Tuesday.
After the alleged failed attack, the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, already opened the door to including additional funds for the Secret Service in a bill that Congress should approve before September 30 to finance government agencies and avoid the closure of the Administration for lack of budget.
For his part, the Secretary of National Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, highlighted today the phenomenal work of the Secret Service agents who “eliminated a threat” and warned that the country is currently in the middle of “a highly threatening environment.”
Mayorkas emphasized that after the two assassination attempts of which former President Trump has been a victim, he receives approximately the same security as Biden.
The suspect was arrested on the same day of the events, about 45 minutes after leaving the scene, after a Secret Service agent discovered him hiding behind some bushes, armed with an assault rifle and telescopic sight, and shot him.
Thanks to this, Routh never got his sights set on former President Trump (2017-2021) and the group with whom he played golf on a course he owned in West Palm Beach.
Routh left in the place an AR-47 assault rifle with telescopic sight, two backpacks, and a GoPro sports camera, in addition to a plastic bag with food.
International
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,490 as Rescue Efforts Continue
The death toll from the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 4,490, according to the latest official figures released by the government on social media.
Authorities reported that 16,740 people have been injured, while more than 19,500 residents remain in temporary shelters after the twin earthquakes devastated Caracas and the neighboring state of La Guaira.
Rescue teams from Venezuela and several foreign countries continue searching through collapsed buildings in an effort to recover victims who remain trapped beneath the rubble.
Government officials said the earthquakes damaged more than 850 buildings, with 190 structures completely collapsing.
Thousands of families who lost their homes are currently staying with relatives or friends, while more than 19,500 displaced people are living in overcrowded emergency camps set up in parks, stadiums, and public squares across La Guaira and Caracas.
International
Tensions Escalate in Middle East as U.S. Bombs Iran After Maritime Attacks
The United States launched new strikes against Iran on Wednesday, following President Donald Trump’s warning that Washington would “hit hard” against the Islamic Republic. While Trump ordered the retaliation after attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, he also said he hoped the latest wave of bombings would end soon and left the door open for renewed negotiations.
U.S. forces “have begun carrying out additional strikes against Iran to further reduce its ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the United States Central Command said in a post on X.
Washington blamed Iran for what it described as “recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping.”
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that explosions were heard in the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Konarak, and Chabahar.
“This is in retaliation for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will be much worse,” Trump wrote on social media alongside an image showing what appeared to be a bombing at an Iranian location.
Before ordering the strikes, the U.S. president said that the ceasefire with Iran had ended. Mediators Pakistan and Qatar called for de-escalation, while the United Nations also urged both sides to reduce tensions.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical flashpoint in the Middle East conflict, which began in late February after U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran-linked attacks on at least three vessels in recent days triggered a U.S. offensive against Iranian targets on Tuesday. Tehran responded by launching attacks against Gulf countries that are allies of Washington.
International
Deadly Drug Trade Rivalry Suspected After Eight Bodies Discovered in Southern Mexico
Eight bodies were found Wednesday along a highway in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala, in an incident authorities believe may be linked to a dispute over local drug sales.
The victims — six men and two women — were found abandoned on a road in a mountainous area of the municipality of El Bosque, according to the state prosecutor’s office in a statement published on Facebook.
Initial investigations indicate that the killings may be connected to “a dispute over retail drug sales between local criminal groups operating in the region,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Local media reports that several criminal incidents have increased in the area since the beginning of the year.
The road where the bodies were discovered is located in a mountainous region largely inhabited by Indigenous communities. Authorities have not released further details about the victims or possible suspects as the investigation continues.
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,490 as Rescue Efforts Continue
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