International
Mexico and the US launch an unprecedented joint border plan to stop arms trafficking
Mexico and the United States launched a new joint initiative to stop arms trafficking to Mexican territory, in an attempt to attack one of the main sources of violence in the country: the illegal entry of weapons from the north to the south, something that EFE was able to verify this Monday on the Ciudad Juárez border.
The plan contemplates bilateral operations and stricter controls at international crossings, such as the one recently installed on the Córdoba-Americas Bridge, one of the busiest on the binational border and that connects Ciudad Juárez with the American El Paso, where elements of the Mexican Army check vehicles for weapons and ammunition.
Mexican authorities stressed that the objective is to “safeguard national security on both sides of the border.”
The urgency of the agreement was evident after the murder of Héctor René Rocha González, lawyer and former employee of the Municipality of Juárez, which recently occurred in the San Antonio neighborhood of the border town.
The man was chased by hitmen while driving a Jeep Wrangler and died while trying to escape running away; the aggressors shot him with an AK-47 rifle, a weapon that, according to authorities, smuggled from the United States.
For research professor Ricardo Melgoza Ramos, from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez, the agreement opens a window of opportunity after failed experiences in the past.
“There was already talk of an arms trafficking agreement, we will remember the failed process of ‘Fast and Furious’. However, we believe that this new attempt may be positive,” Melgoza told EFE about the weapons tracking initiative agreed between Washington and Mexico City between 2006 and 2011.
“It must be remembered that 200,000 weapons cross from the United States to Mexico: 43% from Texas, 22% from Arizona and 9% from California. Now it will be possible to use the E-Trace platform to quickly detect the origin of the weapon. If this materializes, the flow of weapons will be reduced and criminal groups will be strangled with the financial part,” he said.
Likewise, Melgoza added that the change of security policy under the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum represents a break with the motto of ‘no bullet hugs’ by former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024).
“Now more is being fought, although there are still regions, such as the Chihuahua mountain range, where organized crime has control. To achieve peace, joint work and purification of police corporations are needed,” he said.
Border operations are part of a mission that arises after the visit of US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to Mexico City, in which he held meetings with President Sheinbaum to strengthen cooperation between both countries on security.
“We reached an agreement that the United States will reinforce the operations (…) to control the passage of weapons from the United States to Mexico, an agreement of this type had never been reached,” the president remarked after the meeting with Rubio last September.
For his part, the lawyer and former public security official Fernando Rubalcaba highlighted the positive aspects of binational cooperation.
“The benefit is more positive thanks to these agreements, because they allow a climate of collaboration and understanding of a common cause such as public security. How good that a way to avoid the introduction of weapons is being sought, given that almost all high-impact crimes are committed with firearms,” he said.
Rubalcaba stressed that tools such as the IBIS ballistic system in Mexico and Interpol’s international IBIN program can be strengthened with this type of agreement.
“It will allow us to make cross-checks of intelligence information and better track weapons. Military filters on bridges inhibit crime and generate security, although some may perceive the opposite,” he said.
International
MS-13 Member Sentenced to 35 Years for Fatal Subway Killing in New York
A federal court in New York has sentenced Salvadoran national Víctor López, known by the alias “Curioso” and identified as a member of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, to 35 years in prison for his role in the 2019 killing of Abel Mosso at a subway station in Queens.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall after López pleaded guilty in February 2025 to racketeering-related charges and causing the victim’s death through the use of a firearm. U.S. authorities also stated that López agreed to be deported to El Salvador upon completion of his prison sentence.
According to court records, the attack took place on February 3, 2019, when López and four other MS-13 members traveled to a New York City subway station with the intention of locating and killing Mosso, whom they believed to be affiliated with the rival Barrio 18 gang.
Investigators determined that López, along with Ramiro Gutiérrez and Tito Martínez-Alvarenga, followed the victim onto a Line 7 subway train. The group allegedly assaulted Mosso before forcibly dragging him onto the platform at the station located near 90th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens.
During the confrontation, López reportedly drew a firearm. Prosecutors said Mosso briefly managed to wrestle the weapon away from him. As bystanders attempted to intervene, one of the gang members warned them not to interfere.
“Don’t get involved, we are MS-13, we’re going to kill him,” one of the attackers allegedly shouted in both Spanish and English, according to court documents.
The investigation found that Ramiro Gutiérrez later regained possession of the firearm and shot Mosso multiple times in the head, killing him at the scene.
Authorities also stated that after the attack, López burned the clothing he had worn during the assault in an effort to destroy evidence and avoid identification by law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York said the sentence reflects the severity of a brutal gang-related murder carried out in broad daylight at a crowded public transportation hub.
Federal prosecutors described the case as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle violent gang networks operating in New York and to hold those responsible for acts of organized criminal violence accountable.
International
U.S. Launches Military Strikes on Iran Following Apache Helicopter Incident
The United States launched military strikes against Iran on Tuesday in what officials described as an act of “self-defense” following the alleged downing of a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
The operation was confirmed by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which stated that the attacks began at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time under direct orders from President Donald Trump.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began conducting self-defense strikes against Iran today at 5:00 p.m., following the Commander-in-Chief’s instructions, in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter,” the military command said in a statement.
According to U.S. authorities, the helicopter was involved in operations near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime routes for global oil shipments, when the incident occurred. Officials reported that the two service members on board were rescued alive approximately two hours later.
President Trump had earlier signaled that a military response was being considered, arguing that the incident amounted to a direct attack by Iranian forces amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
CENTCOM described the military action as a proportional response to what it characterized as an unjustified act of aggression by Iran.
The escalation comes at a time of heightened instability across the Middle East, fueled by recent confrontations between Iran and Israel and the continued presence of U.S. military forces in the Persian Gulf to safeguard commercial shipping lanes and strategic operations.
Hours after the U.S. announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi responded through social media, issuing a warning directed at foreign military forces operating near Iranian territory.
The latest developments have intensified concerns about the possibility of a broader regional conflict, as diplomatic and military tensions continue to rise across the Middle East.
Central America
Bukele Tops Latin America’s Presidential Approval Ranking in June, Survey Finds
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, and President Laura Fernández of Costa Rica are the three highest-rated leaders in Latin America, according to the latest June 2026 presidential approval survey conducted by CB Global Data. The study places Peru’s interim president, José María Balcázar, at the bottom of the regional ranking.
Bukele leads the list with a 69.1% approval rating and a 27.6% disapproval rate, improving on the 67.5% positive image recorded in May. The Salvadoran president has maintained a state of emergency since March 2022 as the cornerstone of his anti-gang security strategy, a policy that continues to shape public perceptions of his administration.
Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, ranks second with a 65.5% approval rating and 31% disapproval. Although she remains among the region’s most popular leaders, her support declined from the 67.8% approval registered in May.
Completing the top three is Costa Rican President Laura Fernández, who recently assumed office and now records a 56.1% favorable rating against 37.1% negative opinion. Her approval has risen significantly from the 52.7% reported a month earlier.
At the opposite end of the ranking is Peru’s interim president, José María Balcázar, who received only 18.2% positive approval while 71.7% of respondents expressed a negative view of his administration. Despite remaining last in the survey, he showed a slight improvement compared to previous measurements.
Second from the bottom is Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, with a 29.5% approval rating and 64.8% disapproval. Nevertheless, she registered the largest increase in positive perception among all leaders surveyed, gaining more than five percentage points compared with the previous month.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo rounds out the group of lowest-rated leaders, posting a 33.1% approval rating against 63% disapproval. His support level declined from 36.9% in May.
Just outside the top three is President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, who achieved a 54.8% approval rating and 42.2% disapproval, despite a decline from the 60.2% support recorded a month earlier.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña follows with a 48.3% favorable rating and 48.2% disapproval, improving slightly compared with May. Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ranks sixth with a 47.6% approval rating and 48.1% disapproval, down from 49.5% the previous month. Lula is expected to seek another term in Brazil’s presidential election scheduled for October 2026.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz fell to seventh place after experiencing the largest decline in the survey. His approval rating dropped to 46.4%, while disapproval climbed to 52.3%, representing a loss of more than nine percentage points compared with May.
The CB Global Data survey, conducted across 18 Latin American countries, reflects shifting public sentiment toward regional leaders and highlights the growing influence of Central American presidents among the continent’s most highly rated governments.
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