International
Mexican drug trafficker Ismael ‘el Mayo’ Zambada appears this Friday in New York
Mexican drug trafficker Ismael ‘el Mayo’ Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa cartel, will appear in person on Friday in a New York court to hear the reading of charges that weigh on him, according to a spokesman for the New York Prosecutor’s Office.
Zambada, who was arrested on July 25 in El Paso (Texas) and since then was imprisoned in that state, was summoned before Judge James R. Cho, who will read the 17 charges against him and that, if found guilty, lead to a life sentence.
The charges have been modified or regrouped for the fifth time since his arrest and include the crimes of murder, possession of weapons, money laundering, production and trafficking of drugs (cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine) and belonging to a criminal enterprise.
One of the lawyers representing Zambada, Frank Pérez, told EFE that he did not know the summons for tomorrow because they had not informed him, although the lawyer who appears summoned to accompany ‘May’ will be Ray Velarde.
The New York Prosecutor’s Office defined Zambada as “one of the most prolific and powerful drug traffickers in the world” for having founded together with Joaquín ‘el Chapo’ Guzmán – sentenced in 2019 to life imprisonment, also in New York – the Sinaloa cartel in the eighties.
New judge for the case
Although Magistrate James Cho was appointed as investigating judge, the hearing is expected to be chaired by Judge Brian Cogan, who was the one who judged Al Chapo.
Likewise, Cogan was the magistrate who judged Genaro García Luna, the former Mexican Secretary of the Interior, in 2023, also in New York and found guilty of several drug trafficking charges, although he is still waiting for the final sentence.
The arrest of ‘Mayo’ Zambada has not pacified his Sinaloa region. This Thursday the authorities suspended classes in the municipalities of Culiacán, Cosalá, Elota and San Ignacio, while the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) reported on Wednesday a total of nine murders, eight injured and 14 kidnapped or missing since Monday.
International
Ten Bodies Found in Mexico’s Zacatecas State Amid Security Operation
Mexican authorities discovered the bodies of 10 people on Saturday in the central state of Zacatecas, a region that was heavily affected by organized crime violence just a few years ago.
The victims were found in different municipalities across the state, which experienced a surge in violence between 2021 and 2022 as rival criminal groups fought for control of key drug trafficking routes.
Rodrigo Reyes, secretary general of the Zacatecas state government, said on social media that the bodies were located in the municipalities of Morelos, Pánuco, and Sain Alto.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the causes of death or identified those responsible for the killings.
Reyes said security forces have launched a coordinated operation to locate those behind the crimes and strengthen the police presence in the affected areas as the investigation continues.
International
U.S. to Limit Visa Duration for Foreign Students and Journalists
The United States has announced new limits on the legal length of stay for foreign students and journalists, marking the latest tightening of immigration policies under President Donald Trump.
The changes, outlined in an administrative rule published on Thursday, are expected to take effect in September, unless Congress blocks the measure.
Under the new policy, holders of student visas will be allowed to remain in the United States for no more than four years.
Foreign journalists will be limited to 240-day stays—approximately eight months—with the possibility of applying for extensions of the same duration.
The policy imposes even stricter rules on Chinese journalists, whose visas will be capped at 90 days.
More than 100 international news organizations and press freedom groups, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), criticized the measure in an open letter, arguing that it would reduce both the quantity and quality of international coverage of events in the United States.
The Republican Party, led by President Trump, currently holds a majority in Congress and has pledged to curb both illegal immigration and certain forms of legal immigration.
Previously, the United States generally issued student visas for the full duration of an academic program, while foreign journalists could receive visas valid for up to five years.
Central America
Nicaragua Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Italy Over Red Brigades Dispute
The Nicaraguan government announced on Thursday that it is severing diplomatic relations with Italy following criticism from the Italian government over Nicaragua’s long-standing decision to shelter Alessio Casimirri, a former member of the Red Brigades convicted in Italy for the 1978 kidnapping and murder of former Prime Minister Aldo Moro.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticized the administration of co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo on Wednesday for continuing to provide refuge to Casimirri, who was sentenced in Italy to six life terms for his role in Moro’s abduction and killing.
In a statement issued Thursday, Nicaragua’s Foreign Ministry said it was ending all diplomatic relations with Italy, describing Tajani’s remarks as “unjustified, aggressive, and irresponsible.”
Tajani made the comments during a gathering of conservative leaders from Europe and Latin America held in Madrid.
“We have absolutely nothing in common with the positions of extremist governments such as Nicaragua, a country that continues to harbor dangerous Red Brigades terrorists like Alessio Casimirri,” Tajani said, according to Italian media.
The diplomatic break marks a new escalation in tensions between the two countries over the decades-old case involving Casimirri, who has lived in Nicaragua for many years despite repeated calls from Italy for his extradition.
Ten Bodies Found in Mexico’s Zacatecas State Amid Security Operation
U.S. to Limit Visa Duration for Foreign Students and Journalists
Nicaragua Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Italy Over Red Brigades Dispute
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
-
International3 days agoU.S. Strikes Hit Areas Near Strait of Hormuz as Tensions With Iran Escalate
-
International5 days agoFrance Holds Largest Bastille Day Military Parade as Europe Highlights Strategic Defense
-
International5 days agoPresident Noboa Declares New Security Strategy as Ecuador Faces Record Violence Levels
-
International4 days agoLatin Music Stars Unite in Miami to Raise Aid for Victims of Venezuela’s Devastating Earthquake
-
International5 days agoForeign Medical Teams Race to Prevent Health Crisis in Venezuela Earthquake Camps
-
International3 days agoU.S. to Limit Visa Duration for Foreign Students and Journalists
-
International3 days agoEl Salvador Sends Eighth Humanitarian Flight to Earthquake-Hit Venezuela
-
Central America3 days agoNicaragua Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Italy Over Red Brigades Dispute
-
International4 days agoTrump Administration Seeks Global Action Against “Resurgent” Left-Wing Terrorism
-
International13 hours agoTen Bodies Found in Mexico’s Zacatecas State Amid Security Operation