International
Carlos Correa, director of the Venezuelan NGO Espacio Público, has been released from prison
The director of the Venezuelan human rights NGO Espacio Público, Carlos Correa, who was arrested on January 7, was released early this Thursday, the organization reported in a message from X.
“We thank all the people, organizations, governments and groups who joined the voice for liberation,” says the message in which the NGO states that it continues with “the work for the defense of human dignity.”
The release, of which no more details are given, came hours after Mabel Calderín, wife of the director of Espacio Público, reported that they had learned that her husband was brought before a court with jurisdiction in terrorism, but not of what crimes he is accused.
“Today we were received by the national prosecutor 52 of economic crimes, Alirio Mendoza, who told us that the information he could offer was punctual and that he explained to us that Carlos was arrested on January 7, effectively, and was presented on January 9 with a public defender,” Calderín explained in a video published by Espacio Público in X.
He pointed out that, according to the prosecutor’s information, Correa was presented before a court with jurisdiction in terrorism but that, he added, could not explain “what were the charges that were charged against him.”
Calderín indicated that they went again to the headquarters of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin), known as the Helicoide, where they denied that the activist was detained there.
The NGO Espacio Público reported last Tuesday the “disappearance” of Correa, the same day as the arrest of seven opposition politicians, including former presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, as well as the “kidnapping” of Rafael Tudares, son-in-law of opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who described the event as such.
Various opposition parties, political and social activists, non-governmental organizations, universities and international organizations have spoken out in the last week in favor of Correa, whose career in defense of human rights is highlighted.
Internacionales
Jalisco’s grim discovery: drug cartel mass grave found in construction site
A mass grave was discovered in a residential area under construction in the municipality of Zapopan, part of the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco.
“After analyzing the recovered remains, they correspond to 34 individuals,” said a state official during a press conference. Jalisco has one of the highest numbers of missing persons in Mexico, largely due to the activity of drug cartels.
As of May 31, official data shows that Jalisco has recorded 15,683 missing persons, according to the state prosecutor’s office. Authorities attribute most of these cases to criminal organizations, which often bury or cremate their victims clandestinely.
“The construction company notified us at the end of February after discovering some remains,” explained the official, González, adding that excavation efforts have been ongoing since then.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) operates in the region and was designated as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Washington has accused CJNG and the Sinaloa cartel of being the main sources of fentanyl trafficking, a synthetic opioid responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S.
Mexico has accumulated more than 127,000 missing persons, most of them since 2006, when the federal government launched a heavily criticized military-led anti-drug offensive.
International
U.S. targets families of sanctioned drug traffickers with new Visa restrictions
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday a new visa restriction policy targeting the family members and close associates of individuals sanctioned for drug trafficking, as part of efforts to combat the spread of fentanyl.
Overdoses from this synthetic opioid remain the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 44. According to official sources, more than 220 overdose deaths are reported daily in 2024, and over 40% of Americans know someone who has died from opioid-related causes.
“Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy (…) which will apply to close family members and personal or business associates of individuals sanctioned for drug trafficking,” Rubio said in a statement.
International
White House claims challenged as most ICE arrests in LA involve non-criminals
Nearly seven out of ten people arrested during immigration raids in Los Angeles from June 1 to June 10 had no criminal record, contradicting White House claims that the raids targeted “criminals,” according to an analysis published Wednesday by the Los Angeles Times.
Around 722 individuals were detained in the Los Angeles metropolitan area during the first ten days of June, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiated the raids, according to data obtained by the Deportation Data Project of the University of California Berkeley School of Law.
The Los Angeles Times analysis found that 69% of those arrested during this period had no criminal record, and 58% had never been charged with any crime.
These figures contradict the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which said in a statement Tuesday that since June 6, ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched an operation “to remove the worst criminal illegal aliens.”
DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin warned that the arrests are part of President Donald Trump’s promise to secure the border by deporting criminals, including drug traffickers in Los Angeles, without providing further details.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized last week in a CNN interview that although the White House said it would target violent criminals, the raids had focused on workers.
“This wasn’t a drug den, it was a Home Depot,” Bass said, questioning the locations where raids were conducted.
Activists have also denounced the raids for targeting vulnerable workers who are easy to detain.
The Los Angeles Times analysis found that the average age of those arrested was 38, mostly men. Nearly 48% were Mexican, 16% Guatemalan, and 8% Salvadoran.
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Jalisco’s grim discovery: drug cartel mass grave found in construction site
U.S. targets families of sanctioned drug traffickers with new Visa restrictions
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