International
President of Mexico concludes his government with 12,319 members of organized crime arrested
The Government of the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, (2018-2024) will conclude this month with a total of 12,319 members of organized crime arrested, almost 2,600 drug trafficking laboratories destroyed and the 19% drop in the monthly number of homicides, its latest Security Report said on Tuesday.
In the six-year period, the federal authorities arrested 94,240 criminals, including 12,319 organized crime and 8,509 “priority targets”, such as Rafael Caro Quintero, alias El narco de narcos, and Ovidio Guzmán, one of the sons of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, said Rosa Icela Rodríguez, the Secretary of Security.
As a sign of the fight against drug trafficking, Rodríguez announced in the morning conference of the National Palace the destruction of 2,593 clandestine laboratories for the production of synthetic drugs during the last six years.
The Mexican agents, he detailed, confiscated more than 95,000 kilograms of chemicals and more than 44,000 kilograms of drugs.
Of this amount, he highlighted the seizure of 795 tons of marijuana, 205 tons of cocaine, 775 tons of methamphetamine, 1,616 kilograms of heroin and 1,338 kilograms of opium gum, as well as the destruction of 11,000 hectares of marijuana, 66,000 of poppy and 70 of coca leaves.
He also reported a record confiscation of 8,000 kilograms of fentanyl, a synthetic drug that has been the priority of the United States Government, which in 2021 signed with Mexico the Bicentennial Understanding to combat violence and drug trafficking.
Despite the data, the head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) said that López Obrador abandoned the logic of the ‘war against drugs’ declared by former President Felipe Calderón (2006-2012).
“Mr. President, thank you for teaching us the culture of peace, above war,” Rodríguez said.
The Secretary of Security insisted that the López Obrador Administration, who took office on December 1, 2018, reduced the monthly incidence of homicides by 19%, by reporting 2,546 in July compared to the historical maximum of 3,074 in July 2018, in the final phase of the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018).
But preliminary data that she exhibited on September 3 showed that the López Obrador government will conclude with a record accumulated of at least 193,612 homicides from 2019 to 2024, an increase of 23.16% compared to the 157,198 committed from 2013 to 2018 under Peña Nieto.
The head of the SSPC also reported a drop in the monthly incidence of crimes such as kidnapping (-77% to 37 per month), femicide (-41.6% to 63 per month), and total theft (-30.2% to 45,719 per month).
As one of López Obrador’s main achievements, the secretary cited a reduction during her administration of more than 15 points in the perception of insecurity, up to 59.4% of the population, one of the lowest measurements of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), an autonomous body.
“This means that more and more people consider it safe to live in their city, it is also important to consider that this consistent downward trend, during a period of 22 quarters is something that is practically not observed in any country in the world,” Rodríguez said.
According to Inegi data, the secretary also explained that between 2018 and 2022 in 17 entities the crime victim rate and the percentage of poverty fell, while in the first half of 2024 the number of households of victims of theft or extortion fell by 12.7% compared to 2018.
He also highlighted that the government institution in which the population trusts the most is the federal government, with a record of 59.1% that expressed its confidence in 2023, compared to 25.5% in 2017, according to Inegi.
“The way of governing in Mexico has had a positive impact on the population. They are great advances of the transformation movement, led by President López Obrador, a solid basis for the new Government of the president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum,” he concluded.
International
U.S. to suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 countries
The United States announced on Wednesday that it will suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 nationalities, marking another move by President Donald Trump’s administration to curb the entry of migrants into the country.
“ The United States is freezing the processing of all visas for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia and Iran,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X. According to Fox News, the measure will take effect on January 21 and will remain in force indefinitely.
Based on an internal State Department memorandum obtained by Fox News Digital, consular officers have been instructed to deny visa applications under existing law while the agency conducts an in-depth review of screening and vetting procedures. The stated goal is to tighten criteria to prevent the entry of foreigners who could eventually rely on public assistance.
The list of affected countries includes several nations in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Somalia and Yemen, among others. Fox News reported that exemptions to the suspension will be “very limited” and will only be granted once applicants pass an assessment related to the public charge requirement.
Other countries in the Americas subject to the suspension include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The decision is based on a strict interpretation of the so-called “public charge” clause of U.S. immigration law. A cable sent to U.S. consulates worldwide in November 2025 had already signaled the shift, instructing officials to apply tougher standards when evaluating applicants, taking into account factors such as age, health status, English proficiency, financial situation, history of public assistance, and even the potential need for long-term medical care.
International
Peruvian Court Orders Definitive Dismissal of Money Laundering Case Against Keiko Fujimori
A court of Peru’s National Superior Court of Specialized Criminal Justice ordered the definitive dismissal of the criminal proceedings for alleged money laundering and criminal organization against presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, authorities reported on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
The ruling was issued by the Tenth National Preparatory Investigation Court in compliance with a previous decision by the Constitutional Court (TC). The decision was confirmed by Fujimori’s attorney, Giuliana Loza, who said on social media platform X that “there was no money laundering nor criminal organization.”
According to the defense, the case was closed for lacking legal grounds and for violating due process. “The proceedings concluded because they lacked a legal basis and constituted clear prosecutorial persecution,” Loza stated.
Judge Wilson Verastegui, whose ruling was reported by local media, said the Constitutional Court determined that the facts alleged in the so-called ‘Cocktails Case’ do not constitute a criminal offense under the principle of legality. The court noted that the crime of illegal financing of political organizations was not in force at the time the alleged acts occurred.
The dismissal also applies to other leaders of the Fuerza Popular party, including Pier Figari, Ana Rosa Herz, Jaime Yoshiyama and José Chlimper, as well as the party itself.
Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), had been under investigation for the alleged irregular financing of her 2011 and 2016 presidential campaigns, a case that exposed her to a possible 30-year prison sentence. However, one year ago the National Superior Court annulled the trial and returned the case to the intermediate stage.
Fujimori is currently pursuing her fourth presidential bid, ahead of Peru’s general elections scheduled for April.
International
Colombian Defense Chief Meets U.S. Officials to Advance Bilateral Narcotics Strategy
Colombia’s Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez Suárez, is in the United States this Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss bilateral cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, Colombian officials said, in a visit that comes as ties between Bogotá and Washington begin to ease after a period of diplomatic tension.
The trip is seen as a prelude to a scheduled visit by Colombian President Gustavo Petro to Washington, where he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in early February. Sánchez will remain in Washington through Wednesday, according to Colombian government sources.
During his stay, Sánchez is slated to meet with senior U.S. officials, including representatives from the Department of Defense, members of the U.S. Senate, and White House advisors, to outline a joint strategy to “defeat drug trafficking” and expand cooperation on intelligence against transnational crime.
According to a statement from the Colombian Defense Ministry, the agenda will include strengthening collaboration on technology, intelligence sharing, and efforts to disrupt criminal networks that operate across borders. Officials said the discussions will also help set the stage for Petro’s upcoming talks with Trump.
The visit follows a period of strained U.S.–Colombia relations last year, when Washington revoked Petro’s visa and withdrew Colombia’s certification as a key partner in anti-drug efforts — moves that coincided with disagreements over counter-narcotics strategy and broader diplomatic frictions. However, a recent phone call between Petro and Trump, described as cordial by officials, helped lower tensions and reopened channels for dialogue ahead of the presidential meeting.
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