International
Israel intensifies attacks in the north and east of Rafah on another deadly day for Gaza
The Israeli Army issued new evacuation orders on Saturday on neighborhoods in the north of Gaza, where it intensified its attacks on the Yabalia refugee camp, on a day with more than 80 deaths and great devastation also in the east of Rafah.
According to medical sources, at least 28 Palestinians died this Saturday in Yabalia, including ten children and ten women, in an Israeli airstrike against a residential block near the Kamal Adwan Hospital, in which an indeterminate number of people were also injured.
Last weekend, the Army already ordered an evacuation of Yabalia, after the reunification of Hamas in this area, and since then has expanded it twice, now including the coastal areas of al Atatra and al Karama, as announced today by a military spokesman.
The destruction in Yabalia is “massive” and there are already more than 300 homes completely destroyed after a week of re-offensive, the spokesman for Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip, independent of Hamas, announced on Saturday.
“The atrocious attack carried out by the Fascist Occupation Army in the Yabalia camp continues for the seventh consecutive day, witnessing an intensification of brutal raids, the destruction of entire residential blocks on the heads of their residents and attacks on schools and shelters,” denounced today in a statement the Islamist group Hamas, which governs the enclave ‘de facto’.
For its part, the Israeli Army confirmed clashes with militiamen in this area, in addition to having dismantled a long-range rocket launcher, and located several tunnels, weapons and explosive devices in the area, according to a statement.
Troops have continued to penetrate the southern town of Rafah, from where the UN estimates that more than 630,000 Gazans have already fled since Israel began its ground offensive on the 6th, closing the Rafah crossing and further decreasing the entry of humanitarian aid, which has begun to arrive through the pier.
Since the early hours of Saturday, at least 18 more Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli “indiscriminate attacks” in various areas of the south, but also in the center of the enclave, medical sources told the Palestinian agency Wafa today.
Five civilians died and several more were injured in an Israeli air raid against a group of people, according to local sources, who were piled up on 20th Street of the Nuseirat refugee camp (center).
According to the Army, in recent weeks, about 130 alleged militiamen have been eliminated – by soldiers of the Givati and 401 brigades – in specific areas of the east of Rafah, where they also located dozens of rifles, grenades and ammunition.
“The Givati reconnaissance unit also located an important infrastructure of underground tunnels in the area,” a military statement said today, which will be destroyed.
While the attacks in Gaza continue, the Israeli government faces new divisions after almost seven and a half months of war, more than 35,200 Gazans killed and areas where Hamas militiamen have regrouped while the Army does not seem to have clear directives.
After the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a few days ago that he would not accept military control in a post-war Gaza, today the also Minister of the Cabinet of War Benny Gantz announced that he will give a speech in the coming hours, and local media point out that he could launch an ultimatum to Netanyahu and demand clear guidelines.
Opponant Yair Lapid joined the dispute today, and said on social network X that Gantz should announce that he is “retiring from the worst government in the history of the country.”
“He must announce that he is no longer willing to help the abandonment of the kidnapped, the abandonment of the north, the crushing of the economy and the middle class. He should say that he will no longer help Netanyahu stay in power,” he added.
International
Mexico and U.S. Launch New Bilateral Security Group to Combat Fentanyl and Organized Crime
The governments of Mexico and the United States officially launched the Bilateral Implementation Group (BIG) on Friday, a new initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation on security issues and enhancing joint efforts against transnational crime.
In a statement, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson announced that he and Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco addressed officials from both countries who will lead what he described as a “new phase of bilateral cooperation.” The initiative seeks to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, illegal firearms, and human trafficking across the shared border.
Earlier this week, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that senior security officials from both nations would meet in Mexico City on June 12 to review and advance existing cooperation agreements.
Through social media, Ambassador Johnson explained that the new bilateral group is designed to improve coordination between the two governments by placing greater emphasis on implementation, accountability, and measurable results. The effort will also focus on combating transnational criminal organizations operating across North America.
“The participation of 15 U.S. government agencies, working alongside their Mexican counterparts, reflects the seriousness of this effort and our shared commitment to delivering measurable results,” Johnson said.
The ambassador also highlighted several achievements that he attributed to ongoing bilateral cooperation. According to Johnson, maritime drug trafficking into the United States has declined by more than 95 percent, while overdose deaths have fallen by 35 percent.
He further noted that Mexican authorities have seized more than 400 metric tons of illegal drugs and dismantled over 2,300 clandestine laboratories as part of their efforts to combat organized crime and narcotics production.
The launch of the Bilateral Implementation Group marks the latest step in the security partnership between Mexico and the United States, as both countries seek to address shared challenges related to drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and the activities of criminal networks operating across the region.
International
‘El Chapo’ Guzmán again asks Mexican president to seek his return from U.S. prison
Convicted drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has once again appealed to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to intervene on his behalf and seek his transfer from the United States to Mexico, where he hopes to serve the remainder of his prison sentence.
Guzmán, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, is currently serving a sentence of more than 50 years in the United States after being convicted in 2019 on multiple charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering.
According to reports, the latest request was made in a letter dated June 2, one of several messages that Guzmán has reportedly sent to Sheinbaum in recent months in an effort to secure his repatriation. In the letter, he expresses hope that the Mexican government can support the efforts of his legal team.
Written in English and by hand, the letter asks that he be allowed to complete his sentence in Mexico, arguing that such a transfer would enable him to receive visits from family members more easily.
Guzmán is currently being held at the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colorado, commonly known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” one of the most secure prisons in the United States.
As in previous communications, the former cartel leader complained about his prison conditions, stating that he remains in near-total isolation and has little to no contact with other inmates.
He also reiterated his long-standing claim that he did not receive a fair trial in the United States and argued that the Mexican government bears responsibility for much of the violence associated with organized crime in the country.
In the letter, Guzmán maintains that his actions were motivated by a desire to protect himself and his family amid the violence linked to criminal organizations in Mexico.
Mexican authorities have not publicly indicated whether they plan to respond to the request. Guzmán remains one of the most notorious figures in the history of international drug trafficking and is serving his sentence under some of the strictest security measures in the U.S. prison system.
Central America
U.S. Authorities Accuse Guatemalan Nationals of Using False Information to Sponsor Migrant Minors
Senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday criminal charges against three Guatemalan citizens accused of using false information to sponsor migrant children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or guardian.
According to an indictment filed in Ohio, Maritza Cahuec Coc allegedly submitted at least 12 sponsorship applications, several of which were filed under aliases or contained materially false statements intended to secure custody of the minors.
Under U.S. procedures, unaccompanied migrant children apprehended at the southern border are placed in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for their care until they can be released to a qualified sponsor, such as a parent or relative living in the United States.
Prosecutors allege that Cahuec Coc, who reportedly entered the United States illegally in 2018, received payments between late 2020 and 2023 for helping bring 12 migrant minors into the country. Authorities claim she submitted fraudulent documents and misleading information to obtain approval for the sponsorship requests.
The case was announced during a joint press conference led by Acting Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. However, officials provided limited details about the investigation and instead focused much of their remarks on criticizing immigration policies implemented under the previous administration.
Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials have frequently pointed to the increase in unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border during President Joe Biden’s term, arguing that the government failed to adequately oversee their care and placement.
During Thursday’s briefing, A. Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, alleged that Cahuec Coc used the identities of other individuals and falsely claimed family relationships in order to obtain custody of the children.
“Maritza submitted sponsorship applications using other people’s identities and falsely represented that the minors were the children of close relatives in order to secure their release,” Duva said.
The case remains under investigation, and federal authorities have not yet disclosed additional information regarding the other two Guatemalan nationals charged in connection with the alleged scheme.
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