International
Mexican authorities arrest 17 linked to ‘Mayos’ Cartel in major operations across Sinaloa
Mexican authorities arrested seventeen individuals during various operations in Culiacán, Sinaloa (northwestern Mexico), including ten linked to the criminal faction known as the ‘Mayos.’ The authorities seized over 29 firearms, more than 150 magazines, live ammunition, and illicit substances.
According to a statement from Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), after investigative work and citizen reports, four properties in the La Laguna Colorada area of Culiacán were located. There, eight people were arrested, along with the confiscation of ten firearms and 42 magazines.
Additionally, two individuals traveling in pickup trucks were detained while transporting approximately 79 liters and 60 kilograms of various substances and a long firearm.
“The detainees are linked to a criminal group operating in the region. The properties were sealed and remain under police custody,” the authorities confirmed.
In another operation, during ground patrols in Caminaguato, a member of the same criminal group was arrested with ten firearms, including a Barrett rifle and a machine gun.
Authorities also seized two grenades, twelve improvised explosive devices, 69 magazines, 2,838 rounds of ammunition, tactical equipment, and two pickup trucks, one of them with improvised armor.
In a separate incident, personnel from the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) were fired upon while conducting security patrols in the towns of El Pozo and La Cuesta. After repelling the attack and securing the area, six people were arrested, including three minors.
The SSPC reported confiscations of seven long guns, one handgun, live ammunition, 62 magazines, a bag of marijuana, cash, ten vehicles, tactical gear, an illegal laboratory, 200 liters of acetone, 75 kilos of caustic soda, ten antennas, and 47 improvised explosive devices.
Moreover, in Agua Caliente, San Ignacio municipality, aerial and ground patrols led to the seizure of nine long guns—including two machine guns—63 magazines, over 3,000 rounds, and four pickup trucks, three armored.
Omar García Harfuch, head of the SSPC, announced on social media that the operations also involved the Secretariat of Defense, Navy, National Guard, Attorney General’s Office, and the Sinaloa State Security Secretariat.
Mexico’s security cabinet institutions have conducted over 4,600 arrests, including cartel leaders wanted by the FBI, following agreements with the U.S. government under President Donald Trump to avoid tariffs on Mexico and strengthen efforts against drug trafficking.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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
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