International

Haitian gang leaders charged for kidnapping of US citizens

Photo: NBC News

| By AFP |

The United States on Monday unsealed criminal charges against Haitian gang leaders involved in the kidnappings of Americans and offered up to $3 million for their capture.

Three of the seven Haitians indicted are accused of involvement in the 2021 kidnapping of 16 Christian missionaries and their families near Port-au-Prince.

Lanmo Sanjou, 29, Jermaine Stephenson, in his late 20s, and Vitel’homme Innocent, 36, are charged with conspiracy to commit hostage-taking.

Sanjou and Stephenson are allegedly leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang, while Innocent was described as a leader of the Kraze Barye gang.

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The Justice Department offered a $1 million reward for the capture of each of the three men, who are believed to be in Haiti.

Five of the hostages were released, and the rest escaped in December 2021 after being held for two months.

Jean Pelice, an alleged member of the 400 Mawozo gang, was brought to the United States in May to face charges in connection with the kidnapping.

Another alleged 400 Mawozo leader, Joly Germine, has also been extradited to the United States to face charges for his role in the hostage-taking.

Charges were also announced on Monday against four other Haitian gang leaders for the kidnappings of five other US citizens in Haiti.

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The victims were released after ransoms were paid.

“The charges unsealed today are a reminder of the FBI’s ability to reach criminal actors overseas when crimes are committed against US citizens,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.

“The FBI, with our federal and international partners, will continue to pursue anyone who targets Americans for hostage-taking or other violent crimes -– wherever they are.”

The UN Security Council last month agreed unanimously on a sanctions regime targeting the gangs terrorizing the population in Haiti.

After failing to reach consensus on sending an international force to the crisis-hit nation, members adopted a resolution directly targeting the gangs that have seized control of the main port and blocked fuel deliveries.

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The United States last week imposed sanctions on two top Haitian politicians, former Senate President Joseph Lambert and former senator Youri Latortue, accusing them of being longtime drug traffickers.

International

Federal immigration agents kill man in Minneapolis, sparking protests and outrage

Federal immigration agents shot and killed a 37-year-old Minneapolis man during an operation on Saturday, authorities confirmed, sparking new protests and deepening outrage over federal immigration enforcement in the city.

The victim, identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, was a U.S. citizen and intensive care nurse who worked at a Veterans Affairs hospital and was widely respected in his community, according to colleagues and news reports.

Officials said the shooting occurred during a targeted immigration raid in south Minneapolis. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described the incident as an act of self-defense by agents who believed the man posed a threat.

However, videos reviewed by multiple outlets and eyewitnesses show Pretti holding a phone and not displaying a weapon before being pepper-sprayed, tackled by agents and then shot multiple times, raising serious questions about the official account.

The killing comes amid a broader federal immigration enforcement operation in the city and follows another controversial shooting in early January in which Renée Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by an ICE agent, leading to widespread protests and criticism of federal tactics.

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International

Delcy Rodríguez seeks political agreements after Maduro’s ouster

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, on Saturday called for “reaching agreements” with the opposition to achieve “peace” in the country, which the United States says it now controls following the military operation that removed President Nicolás Maduro from power.

Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president, assumed interim leadership after the leftist leader was captured on January 3 during a military incursion that left nearly 100 people dead.

In her first public statements since taking office, Rodríguez signaled a shift in the strained relationship between Caracas and Washington, while also committing to the release of a “significant number” of political prisoners.

“There can be no political or partisan differences when it comes to the peace of Venezuela,” Rodríguez said during an address in the coastal state of La Guaira, broadcast on state television VTV.

“From our differences, we must speak to one another with respect. From our differences, we must meet and reach agreements,” she added.

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The day before, Rodríguez instructed the head of Parliament — her brother Jorge Rodríguez — to convene talks with various political sectors in the country aimed at achieving “concrete and immediate results.”

International

Bogotá and Quito Seek Dialogue After Tariffs and Power Cut Escalate Tensions

Bogotá and Quito will hold an emergency bilateral summit next week amid recent developments that have strained relations between the two countries.

Tensions escalated this week after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa unexpectedly announced a 30% tariff on Colombian imports. Colombia responded with a reciprocal measure, imposing the same tariff on around 20 Ecuadorian products and suspending electricity exports to Ecuador.

Aware that electricity imports are critical to easing Ecuador’s recent energy crises, Quito further imposed a 30% tariff on the transportation of Colombian oil through its territory.

However, recent statements from the Ecuadorian government suggest that dialogue between the two sides has intensified in recent hours. Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabriela Sommerfeld, confirmed that active conversations are under way.

In Colombia, segments of the business sector have welcomed the prospect of negotiations. The National Business Council (Consejo Gremial Nacional, CGN), for instance, urged both governments to restore commercial relations, warning that the dispute “puts jobs and regional economic stability at risk.”