International
The United States begins the deployment of 1,500 soldiers on the border with Mexico
The United States Government began this Wednesday the deployment of about 1,500 soldiers on the border with Mexico, thus taking the first step to fulfill the promise of President Donald Trump to “close” the passage of migrants and strengthen border security.
The White House spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, explained this Wednesday in statements to journalists that the president signed the executive order for that deployment on Monday and the Pentagon later confirmed that it has already mobilized to comply with it.
The acting Secretary of Defense, Robert Salesses, said on Wednesday that he has authorized three actions that will begin today. First, the sending of those troops and helicopters and their respective personnel, as well as intelligence analysts to assist in the detection and control work.
According to his figures, this represents a 60% increase in the number of active forces on the ground since Trump took office on Monday.
The Pentagon will also provide military air transport to support the deportation flights of more than 5,000 “illegal aliens” from San Diego, California, and El Paso, Texas, detained by Customs and Border Protection.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to its statement, will be responsible for enforcing the law and the State “will obtain the necessary diplomatic authorizations and notify the host country.”
The Pentagon added that it will “begin to help in the construction of temporary and permanent physical barriers to add security and reduce illegal border crossings and illicit trafficking.”
“This is just the beginning,” the Secretary of Defense emphasized in his note.
Leavitt in turn stressed that these measures are something “for which Trump campaigned.”
“The American people were waiting for a moment like this, in which the Department of Defense takes national security seriously. It is a number one priority for the American people and the president has already fulfilled it,” he said.
The 1,500 troops will be added to the 2,200 active military and the 4,500 Texas National Guard reservists who are already deployed at the border.
As CNN explained, the new troops will perform functions similar to those of the personnel already present, focused on supporting the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with logistical and administrative tasks, such as vehicle maintenance and data entry.
During his first term (2017-2021), Trump ordered the sending of 5,200 troops to the border with Mexico.
This Monday, hours after assuming the presidency again, he signed an executive order that instructs the Pentagon to mobilize the troops necessary to achieve “complete operational control of the southern border of the United States”.
The order also establishes that Trump will evaluate in the next 90 days the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Law of 1807, which would allow the military to assume law enforcement functions within the country, in a role closer to that currently played by the security forces.
Currently, the troops deployed at the border are not authorized to carry out police tasks, such as arresting migrants or seizing drugs. In the United States, laws such as the Posse Comitatus of 1878 prohibit the armed forces from acting as police in the national territory.
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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