International

Panama closes three access steps in the Darién to “channel” the flow of migrants

Panama closed at least three of the steps that migrants use to cross the Darién, which marks the border with Colombia, with a “perimeter barrier,” with the aim of “channeling” its flow to exert greater control over this irregular route that hundreds of people use daily on their way to North America, the Panamanian authorities reported on Wednesday.

The National Border Service (Senafront) of Panama said in a statement to which EFE had access that “measures were taken to control the massive irregular migration faced by the Panamanian State” in order to “channel irregular migration” to Bajo Chiquito, the first town that migrants arrive at after crossing the Darién jungle on foot for days.

These measures, he explained, are based on blocking “three unauthorized steps used by irregular migrants, which are identified as the passages along the Pacific coast and Caribbean coast (…), as well as the land passes that give access to the Chucurti Stopho sector, the latter was blocked with perimeter barriers that prevent the passage of migrants.”

As explained by Senafront, “with the previous control, security forces were available at multiple points, which dispersed the efficiency in the fight against transnational criminal organizations that benefit from human trafficking, illicit collections and other crimes related to this vulnerable population.”

Now, “by concentrating efforts in a single step, the provision of territorial control patrols, protection and multidimensional security related to migrants is exponentially strengthened.”

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Until now, many migrants used to report being victims of theft or rape by criminal gangs throughout the Darién.

In addition, that border police announced that the new Government of José Raúl Mulino “plans the launch of a new campaign called ‘Darién’ that aims to guarantee a climate of peace and tranquility in this region of the country.”

The new president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, already anticipated last Friday, during a tour to the Darién prior to his investiture, the placement of “speer fences” with “the spirit that people take the only way to get here, not scattered,” in addition to the police presence in some areas of that jungle.

The closure of those unauthorized steps or paths occurs in the midst of a large flow of migrants through that Darién jungle, through which this year more than 195,000 people have crossed, most of them Venezuelans, while in 2023 there were more than 520,000, an unprecedented figure, according to official data.

Mulino also referred to the problem in Darién during his investiture speech last Monday, the day on which Panama and the United States, the main destination of the migrants, signed an agreement to repatriate passers-by, for which the North American country promised to cover the expenses.

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The new Panamanian president maintains a strong speech in the face of migration by the Darién calling it “illegal” and already in the campaign he had promised the “closure” of the Darién, something that he later nuanced as a concept of “philosophical” closure, in which more and more barriers are being put so that migrants do not follow that route.

“Panama will no longer be a transit country for the illegals. I will not allow local complicity,” he said in his possession speech.

International

Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Luigi Mangione admitted Friday to fatally shooting Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance group in the United States, during an appearance before a federal judge.

The case shocked the U.S. business community and dates back to December 2024, when Mangione opened fire on Thompson, 50, on a Manhattan street. Prosecutors have described the attack as being motivated by Mangione’s opposition to the U.S. health insurance system.

“On the morning of December 4, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan and he died,” Mangione said as he pleaded guilty to a federal stalking charge related to his pursuit of the executive.

Mangione, 28, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, and prosecutors have indicated that they will seek a life sentence.

In addition to the federal charges related to stalking Thompson, Mangione also faces a murder case brought by the state of New York.

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Following his guilty plea in federal court, Mangione’s defense asked a state court to dismiss the state charges, arguing that prosecuting him again for the same conduct would violate protections against double jeopardy.

“We have just filed our motion in state court to explain why the charges should be dismissed under New York’s protections against double jeopardy,” Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said Friday.

Both the federal and state cases could result in a life sentence. Two other federal charges that initially carried the possibility of the death penalty were dismissed by a judge earlier this year.

International

ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns

Plans to equip U.S. immigration agents with gloves capable of delivering electric shocks are raising concerns over potential abuses by a law enforcement agency that critics accuse of using excessive force and providing inadequate training to its personnel.

The plan involves the potential purchase of electric-shock gloves for agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency primarily responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost criticized the proposal on X, arguing that the agency has already faced accusations of excessive force during immigration enforcement operations.

“As if assaulting and shooting people in the streets wasn’t enough,” Frost wrote. He also criticized the reported $20 million potential expenditure on the devices and called for greater restrictions on ICE.

The agency has faced growing scrutiny following a series of deadly shootings during immigration enforcement operations. Among the incidents were the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota in January who were participating in protests against the agency.

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Critics have focused on the tactics used by ICE agents when detaining immigrants, as well as allegations that training standards for newly recruited personnel have been lowered.

According to a procurement plan first reported by the Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, could spend between $10 million and $20 million on the devices.

The gloves are described by the agency as tools intended for “distraction and de-escalation,” rather than lethal weapons. The system, known as GLOVE, stands for “Generated Low-Output Voltage Emitter.”

The device is manufactured by Compliant Technologies, a Kentucky-based company that describes its products as advanced non-lethal tools designed to protect and assist law enforcement and other personnel.

The proposal comes amid an intensifying national debate over ICE’s enforcement methods and the use of force during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

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International

Three U.S. Executions Set for Same Day as Trump Pushes to Expand Death Penalty

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 U.S. states, while three others —California, Oregon and Pennsylvania— currently have moratoriums in place.

The United States is set to carry out three executions on the same day, a rare occurrence that has not happened since 2010, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.

President Donald Trump has sought to expand the use of capital punishment for what he describes as “the most heinous crimes.” In April, the Department of Justice proposed expanding execution methods to include firing squads, lethal gas and electrocution.

Tennessee is scheduled to execute Anthony Darrell Dugard Hines, 66, on Thursday. He was sentenced to death for the 1985 murder of a woman, according to local media.

In Oklahoma, Carlos Cuesta-Rodríguez, 70, is scheduled to be executed for a 2003 murder.

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Meanwhile, Alabama plans to execute Jeremy Williams, 42, who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl.

The United States carried out 47 executions in 2025, the highest number since 2009, when 52 executions were recorded.

Florida conducted the largest number of executions last year, with 19, followed by Alabama, South Carolina and Texas, with five each.

Of the executions carried out in 2025, 39 were conducted by lethal injection. Three were carried out by firing squad and five through nitrogen hypoxia, a method that involves forcing nitrogen gas into a face mask, depriving the prisoner of oxygen.

The United Nations has condemned nitrogen gas as a cruel and inhumane method of capital punishment.