International

Judge examines Prosecutor’s request for a gag order to Trump for comments about the FBI

Judge Aileen Cannon, in charge of the case of mishandling of classified documents by former president and Republican pre-candidate Donald Trump, examined on Monday a request from prosecutors in which they ask him to be prohibited from making comments that may endanger the lives of the FBI agents who registered their property in Mar-a-Lago.

Special prosecutor Jack Smith asked Cannon, nominated by Trump in 2020, to issue a “limited gag order,” after the former governor claimed, according to the Special Prosecutor’s Office, that the agents who searched his Palm Beach house for classified documents endangered him and his family and had an order to respond violently if necessary.

The agents who carried out the search at his residence in Mar-a-Lago did so at a time when Trump and his family were outside Florida.

In a fundraising email, Trump pointed out that the FBI agents who searched his Mar-a-Lago house for documents were “simply eager to do the unthinkable,” in reference to the use of force, something that does not exceed a normal protocol in a registry.

Trump’s lawyers say that any gag order would unduly silence his defendant in the middle of a campaign in which he is the Republican pre-candidate.

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It is not yet known when Cannon could pronounce on this point, after hearing the arguments that are part of a three-day hearing that began last Friday to address several of the unresolved legal issues that have accumulated in this case.

Last May, Judge Cannon indefinitely postponed the date of the trial against Trump in Florida for the mishandling of confidential documents found in her Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach (Florida) after leaving the White House.

A measure that practically guarantees that the trial will not take place before the presidential elections next November, in which the president, Joe Biden, will be met.

Federal Judge Cannon analyzed last Friday a petition from Trump’s defense to dismisal the accusation of mishandling of documents with the argument that the special prosecutor who presented it, Jack Smith, was illegally appointed.

Trump’s defense team maintained that the U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland, lacked legal authority to appoint Smith as special prosecutor in charge of the process.

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Last Thursday it became known that Cannon rejected the request of two federal judges to resign from presiding over the case, as reported that day by The New York Times newspaper.

In the same case, Trump faces charges of obstruction and deliberate retention of official documents related to U.S. Security, which can result in penalties of up to 20 years in prison.

International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.