International
Trump defends the deportation of hundreds of immigrants in his first days in office
US President Donald Trump highlighted on Monday the “hundreds of illegal criminal immigrants” deported during their first days in office, including, he said, members of the transnational organization Tren de Aragua and the Mara Salvatrucha gang.
Trump closed today the first day of an annual conference of Republican congressmen held at his hotel in Doral, a neighboring city of Miami and South Florida, where he has reviewed the first executive and political orders he has implemented, including the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the abolition in the Federal Administration of equity and gender programs, in pursuit of a return of “meritocracy”.
But there has been a topic that has implied a good stretch of the speech of more than an hour he has offered in Florida has been that of the measures against immigration that he has implemented and the deportations of hundreds of “criminal immigrants”, many of whom are repeat offenders.
“They are more violent than our own criminals,” said the Republican, who added that he is analyzing the possibility of establishing the death penalty for undocumented people who commit murders.
The US immigration authorities have arrested at least 2,382 undocumented immigrants in the first week of the Republican’s mandate and issued 1,797 arrest warrants against citizens susceptible to being deported, according to official figures.
Trump also referred to the crisis raised over the weekend with his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, by his refusal to accept two repatriation flights, before which the US announced the imposition of general tariffs of 25%, among other measures. Hours later, the White House announced that the Colombian Executive agreed to the terms.
“He said: ‘This is not the way to treat people.’ You would have to say that these are murderers, drug traffickers, gang members, the toughest people you have ever met or seen. How would you like to be a pilot of that plane?” Trump joked.
The president said that he is working with Congress on a bill to allocate funds “to totally and permanently restore the sovereign borders of the United States once and for all.”
This project, he added, should include funding for “a record increase in border security personnel” and bonuses for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) staff and for its operational arm, the Border Patrol.”
He defended that the automotive industry returns to produce in the country, rather than importing from Mexico or China, otherwise it will impose tariffs, an idea that he defends as a mechanism to defend the American population: “Our country is going to be rich again,” he said.
He also warned that although they work on legislation in the face of budget cuts, he will not sign any law that would cut “a single penny” to funds for Social Security and Medicare. “We are not going to touch those benefits,” he stressed.
He also kept his promise not to apply taxes to tips.
“I think we will have many victories, but we must stay united. This Congress will be remembered as the most successful in the United States,” promised the Republican, who precisely has a majority of his party in both chambers.
He was aware, however, that the long-term legislative agenda would require almost unanimous party cohesion.
In the middle of his speech, Trump commented again in a joking tone about the possibility of running for a third term, a scenario unfeasible for unconstitutional, although the Republican legislator for Tennessee Andy Ogles has already proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow that scenario.
International
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
Mexico and Guatemala agreed Tuesday on a 2027 Binational Plan built around five areas of cooperation, along with a schedule of meetings and initiatives aimed at making progress by the end of 2026 on security, border infrastructure, human mobility, development and technical and social cooperation.
The agreement was announced by the foreign ministers of both countries following a meeting in Mexico City.
Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the plan will establish the “direction and priorities” of bilateral relations for next year. His Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, said the meeting allowed both governments to make decisions, schedule activities and revitalize bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
Security and border infrastructure
In the area of security, the two governments have nearly completed negotiations on a new memorandum of understanding for the Mexico-Guatemala High-Level Security Group (Ganseg), which was reactivated in 2025.
The countries expect to sign the agreement in the coming months to strengthen coordination and their ability to respond to shared security threats.
Regarding their nearly 1,000-kilometer shared border, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to advance infrastructure improvements at border crossings and continue work on a joint cargo clearance program between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tecún Umán, two border areas separated by the Suchiate River.
The measures are intended to facilitate bilateral trade while making cross-border exchanges safer and more efficient.
The two governments will also continue defining a route toward a railway connection between their countries through Line K of Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), with the aim of strengthening economic and community ties.
Migration and development
On human mobility, Mexico and Guatemala will maintain coordination to ensure safe, orderly and dignified returns, while strengthening protection for people in transit.
The bilateral agenda also includes a second phase of the Sembrando Vida program in Guatemala, which is expected to benefit 10,000 people across 15 departments.
Both countries will also advance initiatives under Juntos para el Bienestar, as well as six technical, scientific and energy cooperation projects approved by the Joint Commission.
The agreements seek to strengthen bilateral ties and establish concrete priorities for cooperation between Mexico and Guatemala during 2027.
International
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris described as an attack on two French representatives in Iran last month.
“Two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19. I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. It has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” Barrot said in a message posted on X.
The two Iranian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will be required to leave France within the coming days, according to the French foreign minister.
About a month ago, Barrot said that two members of the French diplomatic staff had been detained by Iranian security forces for several hours. One of them was also subjected to harassment, he said.
The French government described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation” that violated diplomatic immunity.
The two French embassy staff members were working on programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly initiatives involving artists and researchers.
Iran has denied France’s allegations regarding the incident. The diplomatic dispute comes amid already strained relations between Paris and Tehran.
International
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.
The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.
The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.
Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.
The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.
The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.
July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns
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International12 hours agoFrance to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
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International2 days agoActress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
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International2 days agoTrump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
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International2 days agoHeat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
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International2 days agoBrazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
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International12 hours agoMexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
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International5 days agoLuigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
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International5 days agoICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns