International

Houthis will keep Israeli ships blocked after reports of asset transfers

Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced that they will maintain the maritime blockade against Israeli vessels in response to intelligence reports that indicate that several Israeli shipping companies would be transferring their assets to other companies to evade sanctions.

In a statement, the Houthis’ military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, warned that the Yemeni forces “will not take into account any change of ownership or flag on the ships of the Israeli enemy” and that any company that transacts with these shipping companies “will be subject to sanctions and will be prohibited from passing” through the areas of operation controlled by the Houthis.

The Houthis will continue with the measures against Israel

Sarea added that the blockade will continue “until the aggression and siege in the Gaza Strip cease and the aggression against Lebanon stops.”

The Houthis, who control much of the Yemeni territory, argue that these actions are a direct response to what they consider hostile acts by Israel and its allies in the region.

Attack against Israel

This announcement comes days after the Houthis claimed a drone attack on the industrial zone of Ashkelon, in southern Israel.

According to Sarea, this operation, which “successfully achieved its objectives,” was carried out “in support of the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples and their resistance,” and said that the movement, backed by Iran, “will continue its military operations” against Israel until the siege in Gaza and the aggression in Lebanon ends.

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In addition, the Houthi insurgents have intensified their attacks against ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, in what they describe as a strategy to economically damage Israel and its allies in retaliation for the conflict in Gaza.

Since February 2023, the Houthis have claimed numerous attacks with drones and ballistic missiles against Israeli targets and merchant ships, in a sign of explicit support for the Palestinian cause and rejection of Israeli military operations in the region.

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

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“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.

International

Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations

A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.

With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.

On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.

The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.