International

The United States begins the deployment of 1,500 soldiers on the border with Mexico

The United States Government began this Wednesday the deployment of about 1,500 soldiers on the border with Mexico, thus taking the first step to fulfill the promise of President Donald Trump to “close” the passage of migrants and strengthen border security.

The White House spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, explained this Wednesday in statements to journalists that the president signed the executive order for that deployment on Monday and the Pentagon later confirmed that it has already mobilized to comply with it.

The acting Secretary of Defense, Robert Salesses, said on Wednesday that he has authorized three actions that will begin today. First, the sending of those troops and helicopters and their respective personnel, as well as intelligence analysts to assist in the detection and control work.

According to his figures, this represents a 60% increase in the number of active forces on the ground since Trump took office on Monday.

The Pentagon will also provide military air transport to support the deportation flights of more than 5,000 “illegal aliens” from San Diego, California, and El Paso, Texas, detained by Customs and Border Protection.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to its statement, will be responsible for enforcing the law and the State “will obtain the necessary diplomatic authorizations and notify the host country.”

The Pentagon added that it will “begin to help in the construction of temporary and permanent physical barriers to add security and reduce illegal border crossings and illicit trafficking.”

“This is just the beginning,” the Secretary of Defense emphasized in his note.

Leavitt in turn stressed that these measures are something “for which Trump campaigned.”

“The American people were waiting for a moment like this, in which the Department of Defense takes national security seriously. It is a number one priority for the American people and the president has already fulfilled it,” he said.

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The 1,500 troops will be added to the 2,200 active military and the 4,500 Texas National Guard reservists who are already deployed at the border.

As CNN explained, the new troops will perform functions similar to those of the personnel already present, focused on supporting the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with logistical and administrative tasks, such as vehicle maintenance and data entry.

During his first term (2017-2021), Trump ordered the sending of 5,200 troops to the border with Mexico.

This Monday, hours after assuming the presidency again, he signed an executive order that instructs the Pentagon to mobilize the troops necessary to achieve “complete operational control of the southern border of the United States”.

The order also establishes that Trump will evaluate in the next 90 days the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Law of 1807, which would allow the military to assume law enforcement functions within the country, in a role closer to that currently played by the security forces.

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Currently, the troops deployed at the border are not authorized to carry out police tasks, such as arresting migrants or seizing drugs. In the United States, laws such as the Posse Comitatus of 1878 prohibit the armed forces from acting as police in the national territory.

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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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.”