International
Honduran Drug Trafficker Handed Over to U.S. After Extradition Treaty Ends
A business associate of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted of drug trafficking in New York, was handed over to the United States on Wednesday. This transfer comes just a week after leftist President Xiomara Castro terminated the extradition treaty between the two countries, according to police reports.
Mario José Cálix was delivered to U.S. agents at Palmerola Airport, 50 kilometers north of Tegucigalpa, and boarded a plane bound for the United States around 11:30 a.m. local time (5:30 p.m. GMT).
“The plane is already in the air,” said police spokesperson Edgardo Barahona to AFP.
The 42-year-old alleged drug trafficker was transported in handcuffs under heavy security from the Police Special Forces headquarters in the capital, where he had been held since June.
Cálix’s extradition is likely to be the last from Honduras to the United States following the cancellation of the treaty between the two countries, explained judicial spokesperson Melvin Duarte.
“Of the pending cases, [Cálix’s] is the last to be processed to the United States” before the treaty was denounced, Duarte told AFP.
Sought by the United States since 2019 for drug trafficking, Cálix was captured on June 21, and a judge authorized his transfer to the U.S. on August 16.
President Castro ordered the termination of the treaty on August 28 after U.S. Ambassador to Tegucigalpa, Laura Dogu, criticized a meeting between Honduran military leaders—including a niece of the president—and a Venezuelan minister sanctioned by Washington for drug trafficking.
However, the opposition claims that the president ended the treaty, which had facilitated the imprisonment of around fifty Honduran drug traffickers, including Hernández, to protect members of her government and family.
Her brother-in-law Carlos Zelaya—brother of her husband, former President Manuel Zelaya, who was overthrown in a 2009 coup—was accused of meeting with drug traffickers in 2013 to fund that year’s electoral campaign.
International
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
A U.S. strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean killed three people on Saturday, according to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, marking the latest in a series of attacks in international waters.
The United States has deployed ships to the Caribbean and sent fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of a large military force that Washington says is aimed at curbing drug trafficking.
“This vessel, like all the others, was known to our intelligence for being involved in illicit narcotics smuggling,” Hegseth stated on X. “Three narcoterrorists were aboard the vessel during the attack, which took place in international waters,” he added.
Experts argue that the attacks, which began in early September, amount to extrajudicial executions, even if the targets are known traffickers.
Washington has yet to publicly provide evidence that the targeted individuals were actively smuggling drugs or posed a threat to the United States.
Hegseth said the U.S. would continue “hunting… and killing” suspected traffickers. He also shared video footage of the strike, showing the vessel being hit and engulfed in flames. As in previous videos, sections of the ship were blurred, making it impossible to verify the number of people on board.
The United Nations called on Friday for Washington to halt its attacks.
International
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
At least 23 people were killed and 11 others injured in an explosion at a supermarket in Hermosillo, in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, local authorities reported on Saturday.
“So far, there are 23 confirmed deaths and 11 injured, including minors,” said Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo in a video message. He added that the injured are receiving treatment in various hospitals across the city.
“I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and assign responsibility where appropriate,” Durazo said.
The explosion occurred at a Waldo’s store in downtown Hermosillo. Local authorities confirmed that the incident was not an attack nor related to any violent act against civilians.
Meanwhile, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on X, offering sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
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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