International
Families search for clues at mexican ranch where burnt bones were found
Eager to find any trace of their missing relatives, dozens of people visited a ranch in western Mexico on Thursday, where burnt bones were found and which was allegedly used as a training center for a drug cartel.
The relatives entered the property in the town of Teuchtilán (Jalisco state) and examined several items in the hope of finding a clue that might end their years of anguish in many cases.
They inspected handmade weights and dumbbells, leaving candles and photographs of their loved ones, AFP observed.
The families arrived at the ranch after a confrontation with officials from the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office, who had blocked their access as journalists toured the site along with authorities.
The reporters were invited by the Attorney General’s Office, which is now taking over the investigation due to alleged irregularities in the inquiry being conducted by the local authorities.
“Son, listen, your mother is in the fight!” shouted Alejandra Cruz as she approached the ranch’s door, where a collective searching for missing persons had found burnt bones, along with hundreds of clothes and shoes, on March 5.
Cruz is searching for her 19-year-old son, Julio César Aguayo Cruz, who has been missing since May 31, 2021.
The families fear that the remains may belong to their missing relatives, possibly recruited under false pretenses by a cartel operating in the area, located about 60 kilometers from Guadalajara, the country’s second-largest city.
There are approximately 124,000 missing persons in Mexico, nearly 15,000 of them in Jalisco, according to official records.
International
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,490 as Rescue Efforts Continue
The death toll from the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 4,490, according to the latest official figures released by the government on social media.
Authorities reported that 16,740 people have been injured, while more than 19,500 residents remain in temporary shelters after the twin earthquakes devastated Caracas and the neighboring state of La Guaira.
Rescue teams from Venezuela and several foreign countries continue searching through collapsed buildings in an effort to recover victims who remain trapped beneath the rubble.
Government officials said the earthquakes damaged more than 850 buildings, with 190 structures completely collapsing.
Thousands of families who lost their homes are currently staying with relatives or friends, while more than 19,500 displaced people are living in overcrowded emergency camps set up in parks, stadiums, and public squares across La Guaira and Caracas.
International
Tensions Escalate in Middle East as U.S. Bombs Iran After Maritime Attacks
The United States launched new strikes against Iran on Wednesday, following President Donald Trump’s warning that Washington would “hit hard” against the Islamic Republic. While Trump ordered the retaliation after attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, he also said he hoped the latest wave of bombings would end soon and left the door open for renewed negotiations.
U.S. forces “have begun carrying out additional strikes against Iran to further reduce its ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the United States Central Command said in a post on X.
Washington blamed Iran for what it described as “recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping.”
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that explosions were heard in the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Konarak, and Chabahar.
“This is in retaliation for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will be much worse,” Trump wrote on social media alongside an image showing what appeared to be a bombing at an Iranian location.
Before ordering the strikes, the U.S. president said that the ceasefire with Iran had ended. Mediators Pakistan and Qatar called for de-escalation, while the United Nations also urged both sides to reduce tensions.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical flashpoint in the Middle East conflict, which began in late February after U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran-linked attacks on at least three vessels in recent days triggered a U.S. offensive against Iranian targets on Tuesday. Tehran responded by launching attacks against Gulf countries that are allies of Washington.
International
Deadly Drug Trade Rivalry Suspected After Eight Bodies Discovered in Southern Mexico
Eight bodies were found Wednesday along a highway in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala, in an incident authorities believe may be linked to a dispute over local drug sales.
The victims — six men and two women — were found abandoned on a road in a mountainous area of the municipality of El Bosque, according to the state prosecutor’s office in a statement published on Facebook.
Initial investigations indicate that the killings may be connected to “a dispute over retail drug sales between local criminal groups operating in the region,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Local media reports that several criminal incidents have increased in the area since the beginning of the year.
The road where the bodies were discovered is located in a mountainous region largely inhabited by Indigenous communities. Authorities have not released further details about the victims or possible suspects as the investigation continues.
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,490 as Rescue Efforts Continue
Panama launches anti-drone measures as prison security crisis deepens
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Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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