International
109 migrants deported from the US are referred from a hotel in Panama to the Darién
A group of 109 migrants, of the 299 deported by the United States who were in a central hotel in Panama, were transferred last night to a shelter in the province of Darién, where the homonymous forest that forms the natural border with Colombia is located, after not accepting for the moment to voluntarily return to their countries of origin.
Of the rest of the almost 300 migrants deported since last week on three flights from the US to Panama, after an agreement between both nations, at least 13 have already returned by air to their countries and another 177 remain waiting in the hotel in the Panamanian capital after having accepted the voluntary return, a source familiar with the process informed EFE on Wednesday.
The National Migration Service of Panama later announced in a statement of “the evasion of a foreign citizen of Chinese nationality”, which “presumably received external collaboration from individuals who were prowling around the hotel”, so now 176 migrants would remain in the building, which was guarded by Panamanian security forces.
On Tuesday, EFE was outside that hotel where migrants are staying, where some wrote messages on the windows like “help” or “we are not safe in our countries.”
Panama’s Security Minister, Frank Ábrego, explained on Tuesday that those almost 300 deported migrants were in the temporary “custody” or “protection” of the Panamanian government at the Decapolis hotel, near the maritime avenue of Panama City.
And he noted that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) manage “repatriation”.
The IOM pointed out that its work is limited to working “with local officials to help those affected, supporting the voluntary returns of those who request them and identifying safe alternatives for others,” so they provide “humanitarian support, facilitating returns when it is safe to do so.”
Ábrego had advanced that some 171 migrants of those 299 “agreed to return voluntarily.”
The almost 300 deported migrants arrived in the Central American country on three flights from the United States, which deported them after the tightening of immigration policies with the arrival of President Donald Trump at the White House.
Although the Panamanian Government has not given details of the nationality of the total number of migrants, people from Asia such as China, Afghanistan and India, among others, arrived on the first flight with more than a hundred of those deportees.
Panama agreed to be a “poundge” for the mass deportations of the United States after the visit of US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to the Central American country amid tensions over Trump’s threats to “recover” the Channel.
International
El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges
Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, pleaded guilty on Monday to drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court, months after his brother Ovidio reached a similar plea agreement, according to local media reports.
The defendant appeared before a federal court in Chicago early Monday afternoon and changed his previous plea in the case, the Chicago Tribune reported. U.S. authorities accuse him of forming, together with his three brothers, the cartel faction known as “Los Chapitos.”
The group is believed to have continued the operations of El Chapo, who has been serving a life sentence in the United States since 2019.
Guzmán López, 39, was arrested after landing in Texas in a small aircraft alongside cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
International
Venezuela authorizes return flights as U.S. continues deportations amid rising tensions
The arrival of U.S. aircraft carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued regularly despite rising tensions between Washington and Caracas over President Donald Trump’s military deployment in the Caribbean.
Trump maintains that the deployment is part of an anti-narcotics operation, while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro insists the true objective is to remove him from power and seize the nation’s oil resources.
Venezuela’s aviation authority has “received a request from the United States government to resume repatriation flights for Venezuelan migrants from that country to Venezuela,” the Ministry of Transportation said in a statement .
“Under the instructions of President Nicolás Maduro, authorization has been granted for these aircraft to enter our airspace,” it added.
Caracas will permit two Eastern Airlines flights to land on Wednesday and Friday.
Migration remains one of the Trump administration’s flagship issues. On Monday, the U.S. president held a meeting with his National Security Council to discuss the situation in Venezuela, a day after confirming he had spoken with Maduro by phone, without offering further details.
According to the Venezuelan government, roughly 75 deportation flights have been carried out this year, returning at least 13,956 Venezuelans from the United States.
International
20,000 rounds stolen from german army after driver leaves cargo unattended
The German army confirmed the theft of a shipment of ammunition that occurred a week ago while it was being transported by a civilian delivery driver, a military spokesperson told AFP, confirming earlier media reports.
According to Der Spiegel and the regional broadcaster MDR, around 20,000 rounds of ammunition were stolen from an unguarded parking lot near Magdeburg, in eastern Germany, while the driver was asleep in a nearby hotel. No information has been released regarding the identity of the suspects, and the military declined to specify the exact type or amount of ammunition taken.
Authorities have also not indicated how the perpetrators knew the cargo would be left unattended.
“The theft was discovered upon delivery at the barracks,” the German army spokesperson said.
A police spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that an investigation has been opened but refused to provide further details “for tactical reasons.”
Sources close to the German military, cited by Der Spiegel, believe it is unlikely the theft was a coincidence. They suspect the thieves waited for the driver to stop for the night before striking.
Der Spiegel also reported that the Defense Ministry normally requires two drivers for this type of transport to ensure the cargo is constantly monitored. However, in this case only one driver was assigned, meaning the civilian transport company failed to comply with the security protocols.
El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges
Venezuela authorizes return flights as U.S. continues deportations amid rising tensions
20,000 rounds stolen from german army after driver leaves cargo unattended
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America4 days agoTrump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
-
Central America2 days agoHonduras Extends Voting by One Hour Amid High Turnout, CNE Announces
-
International2 days agoHong Kong police arrest 13 over deadly high-rise fire that killed 151
-
Central America3 days agoHonduras’ China–Taiwan Future Hinges on Sunday’s Presidential Election
-
International4 days agoMeta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
-
International2 days agoSri Lanka and Indonesia deploy military as deadly asian floods kill over 1,000
-
International2 days ago
Trump says asylum decision freeze will remain in place “for a long time”
-
International2 days agoChile enters runoff campaign with Kast leading and Jara seeking a last-minute comeback
-
International14 hours agoVenezuela authorizes return flights as U.S. continues deportations amid rising tensions
-
International14 hours ago20,000 rounds stolen from german army after driver leaves cargo unattended
-
International14 hours agoTrump convenes National Security Council as U.S.–Venezuela tensions intensify
-
International14 hours agoEl Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges