International
President of Mexico meets with U.S. Congressmen
March 20 |
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, held a meeting of several hours this Sunday with a delegation of 12 Republican and Democratic legislators from the United States.
Through his social networks, the head of state said that “several issues were discussed with mutual respect and for the benefit of our peoples”.
AMLO was accompanied by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard, and the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, who told the press that there was total agreement between the parties to jointly address addictions with a comprehensive strategy.
Ebrard stressed that the legislators told them that they want cooperation, collaboration and joint work to address the issue, a position of respect that is not related to the interferenceist criteria expressed by Republican legislators who proposed to entrust the U.S. Army with the fight against Mexican cartels.
On the other hand, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard, and the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, offered a brief balance of the meeting in which they emphasized that there was “total agreement” to go together in the fight against addictions with an integral strategy.
Ebrard pointed out that there was no discussion of the positions of Republican legislators and politicians who have proposed that U.S. soldiers enter national territory to fight drug traffickers.
In turn, Rosa Icela Rodríguez stressed that the drug and violence problem “has to be solved jointly (…) in a comprehensive manner”, because “we are allies, we are neighbors, we are partners and in some areas we are also family”.
He added that the Mexican side is concerned about the illegal trafficking of arms from the U.S. entering Mexico and fueling the problem of violence, while the U.S. side is concerned about the consumption of fentanyl and other drugs.
He recalled that President López Obrador has insisted on “dealing with the problem not only in a punitive way, but also in a social way, also looking at everything related to the prevention of addictions through media campaigns”.
Another member of the Mexican Cabinet, the Secretary of National Defense, Major General Luis Crescencio Sandoval, explained all the works to be carried out on the northern border to improve customs control and reduce illegal drug and arms trafficking without hindering binational trade.
Ebrard pointed out that the recent kidnappings of Americans were not discussed, although the legislators were interested in the fact that the Mexican security cabinet meets daily to review the situation in the country.
He also appreciated that the U.S. legislators took away a good impression from the meeting and assured that binational cooperation will grow, which is a strategic interest of Mexico.
International
Mexico Arrests CJNG Leader “El Jardinero” in Nayarit
Mexican authorities arrested Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero,” on Monday during a naval operation in the western state of Nayarit, delivering another major blow to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Flores was considered one of the top regional leaders within the cartel and had reportedly overseen criminal operations along Mexico’s Pacific coast. Security analysts viewed him as a potential successor to slain drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera.
The arrest was carried out by Mexico’s Navy Special Forces in a planned operation, according to Security Minister Omar García Harfuch.
The United States Department of the Treasury had previously identified Flores as a “significant foreign narcotics trafficker,” while U.S. authorities offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture and extradition.
A U.S. grand jury indicted Flores in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin.
His capture comes months after the reported death of “El Mencho,” an operation that Mexican authorities considered a priority due to the cartel leader’s alleged involvement in a 2020 assassination attempt against García Harfuch.
International
Suspect Armed With Shotgun and Knives Detained at White House Correspondents Dinner
U.S. authorities confirmed Saturday that the suspect who stormed into the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner while President Donald Trump was attending acted alone, adding that there is no ongoing threat to the public following the incident, which left one Secret Service agent injured.
Acting Metropolitan Police Department chief Jeff Carroll said during a press conference that the suspect was carrying “a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives” when he attempted to pass through a Secret Service security checkpoint inside the hotel lobby at approximately 8:36 p.m. local time.
“At this point, everything indicates that this was a lone actor, a lone gunman,” Carroll stated, adding that investigators have found no preliminary evidence suggesting the involvement of additional suspects.
During the exchange of gunfire inside the hotel corridors, the suspect was not struck by bullets but was subdued by law enforcement officers and later transported to a hospital for medical evaluation.
A member of the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division was shot during the incident, though the bullet was stopped by the officer’s ballistic vest, preventing serious injuries. The agent was taken to a hospital and is reportedly “in good spirits,” according to Carroll.
The shooting prompted the immediate evacuation of President Trump, Melania Trump, and several senior officials attending the event after multiple gunshots were heard outside the hotel’s main ballroom.
International
U.S. allows Venezuela to fund Maduro and Cilia Flores’ legal defense
Until now, the U.S. administration had blocked the Venezuelan government from covering the legal fees of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who is also jailed and facing drug trafficking charges, due to international sanctions imposed on Venezuela.
The couple’s legal team had relied on that argument in an attempt to have the indictment dismissed, claiming that preventing a defendant from accessing counsel of their choice violates rights guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
However, the U.S. Treasury Department will now allow “defense attorneys to receive payments from the Government of Venezuela under certain conditions,” New York prosecutor Jay Clayton wrote in a letter dated Friday to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case.
According to the letter, the funds must have become available after March 5, 2026, and cannot come from Venezuelan oil sales regulated in the United States.
Since Maduro’s removal from power in early January, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has served as Venezuela’s interim leader.
The United States effectively controls Venezuelan crude exports, with revenues deposited into special accounts supervised by Washington.
Court documents filed on Friday show that the defense acknowledged the sanctions exemption and, for now, withdrew its motion seeking dismissal of the charges.
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