International

Operation against the bastion of ‘Barbecue’ ends with alleged criminals killed in Haiti

The police operation carried out these days in the bastion of gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, alias ‘Barbecue’, in Haiti ended in the death of several members of the coalition of armed groups Vivre Ensemble (Live Together) and allowed the seizure of firearms, drones, cars, motorcycles and drugs.

According to the Haitian National Police (PNH), specialized units intensified efforts in the operation in the capital area of Bas Delmas, where the ‘Barbecue’ headquarters is located, in order to dismantle the Vivre Ensemble coalition.

Law enforcement killed several criminals in the exchange of gunfire and arrested an unspecified number of gang members.

Impact for the criminal gang

As for the seizures, the deputy spokesman of the PNH, Lionel Lazarre, said that they confiscated 13 firearms (including a Kalashnikov rifle), three drones, seven cars, three motorcycles and substances that seem to correspond to marijuana.

Lazarre said that, “as part of a series of operations carried out in the West department (where Port-au-Prince is located), significant progress has already been made” and said that a series of measures have been adopted to dismantle the armed gangs that terrorize Haiti and that control around 85% of the capital.

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In presenting the operations carried out throughout Haiti – including the West department, where the ‘Barbecue’ headquarters is located, in Delmas 2 and Delmas – the deputy spokesman assured that joint actions with the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) continued.

Increased police operations against organized crime in Haiti

The Police are intensifying operations in the West department (specifically in several areas of the Puerto Príncipe metropolitan region) and in others such as Artibonito, North, Center and Southeast, with the aim of dismantling powerful armed groups.

As part of these actions in the country, the police arrested alleged gang members and people involved in self-exass, shot about twenty alleged gang members, took control of police buildings, dismantled a car theft network, issued arrest warrants and seized thousands of ammunition cartridges.

For its part, the multinational mission announced that it has established its third advanced operational base in the building that housed the General Inspectorate of the Haitian National Police in Bas Delmas, in order to “secure the coast and the surrounding areas.”

In a statement, the MSS stressed that “the police quickly and firmly repelled the gangs’ attempts to disrupt the installation of the base, ending the resistance as soon as it began.”

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Call to the international community

This operational base, he said, is “an essential resource in the fight against the activity of the gangs in the region” and will serve as a center of strategic support, improving response times in key areas such as the national port, the Delmas district or vulnerable coasts.

These are areas exploited by the gangs for arms and drug trafficking, activities that finance their violent operations, he said.

With this base (the third established by the multinational mission after those installed in the Police Academy and in Pont-Sondé, in Artibonito), the MSS wants to “bring security closer to citizens”, determined to “return Haiti to its former splendor and to guarantee the security and well-being” of Haitians.

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.