International
Haitian gang leaders charged for kidnapping of US citizens
| By AFP |
The United States on Monday unsealed criminal charges against Haitian gang leaders involved in the kidnappings of Americans and offered up to $3 million for their capture.
Three of the seven Haitians indicted are accused of involvement in the 2021 kidnapping of 16 Christian missionaries and their families near Port-au-Prince.
Lanmo Sanjou, 29, Jermaine Stephenson, in his late 20s, and Vitel’homme Innocent, 36, are charged with conspiracy to commit hostage-taking.
Sanjou and Stephenson are allegedly leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang, while Innocent was described as a leader of the Kraze Barye gang.
The Justice Department offered a $1 million reward for the capture of each of the three men, who are believed to be in Haiti.
Five of the hostages were released, and the rest escaped in December 2021 after being held for two months.
Jean Pelice, an alleged member of the 400 Mawozo gang, was brought to the United States in May to face charges in connection with the kidnapping.
Another alleged 400 Mawozo leader, Joly Germine, has also been extradited to the United States to face charges for his role in the hostage-taking.
Charges were also announced on Monday against four other Haitian gang leaders for the kidnappings of five other US citizens in Haiti.
The victims were released after ransoms were paid.
“The charges unsealed today are a reminder of the FBI’s ability to reach criminal actors overseas when crimes are committed against US citizens,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.
“The FBI, with our federal and international partners, will continue to pursue anyone who targets Americans for hostage-taking or other violent crimes -– wherever they are.”
The UN Security Council last month agreed unanimously on a sanctions regime targeting the gangs terrorizing the population in Haiti.
After failing to reach consensus on sending an international force to the crisis-hit nation, members adopted a resolution directly targeting the gangs that have seized control of the main port and blocked fuel deliveries.
The United States last week imposed sanctions on two top Haitian politicians, former Senate President Joseph Lambert and former senator Youri Latortue, accusing them of being longtime drug traffickers.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
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