International
Mexican authorities arrest 17 linked to ‘Mayos’ Cartel in major operations across Sinaloa
Mexican authorities arrested seventeen individuals during various operations in Culiacán, Sinaloa (northwestern Mexico), including ten linked to the criminal faction known as the ‘Mayos.’ The authorities seized over 29 firearms, more than 150 magazines, live ammunition, and illicit substances.
According to a statement from Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), after investigative work and citizen reports, four properties in the La Laguna Colorada area of Culiacán were located. There, eight people were arrested, along with the confiscation of ten firearms and 42 magazines.
Additionally, two individuals traveling in pickup trucks were detained while transporting approximately 79 liters and 60 kilograms of various substances and a long firearm.
“The detainees are linked to a criminal group operating in the region. The properties were sealed and remain under police custody,” the authorities confirmed.
In another operation, during ground patrols in Caminaguato, a member of the same criminal group was arrested with ten firearms, including a Barrett rifle and a machine gun.
Authorities also seized two grenades, twelve improvised explosive devices, 69 magazines, 2,838 rounds of ammunition, tactical equipment, and two pickup trucks, one of them with improvised armor.
In a separate incident, personnel from the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) were fired upon while conducting security patrols in the towns of El Pozo and La Cuesta. After repelling the attack and securing the area, six people were arrested, including three minors.
The SSPC reported confiscations of seven long guns, one handgun, live ammunition, 62 magazines, a bag of marijuana, cash, ten vehicles, tactical gear, an illegal laboratory, 200 liters of acetone, 75 kilos of caustic soda, ten antennas, and 47 improvised explosive devices.
Moreover, in Agua Caliente, San Ignacio municipality, aerial and ground patrols led to the seizure of nine long guns—including two machine guns—63 magazines, over 3,000 rounds, and four pickup trucks, three armored.
Omar García Harfuch, head of the SSPC, announced on social media that the operations also involved the Secretariat of Defense, Navy, National Guard, Attorney General’s Office, and the Sinaloa State Security Secretariat.
Mexico’s security cabinet institutions have conducted over 4,600 arrests, including cartel leaders wanted by the FBI, following agreements with the U.S. government under President Donald Trump to avoid tariffs on Mexico and strengthen efforts against drug trafficking.
International
Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing
Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.
“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.
He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.
A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.
Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.
International
Peruvian woman arrested in Bali for smuggling cocaine in sex toy
A Peruvian woman was arrested on the popular Indonesian tourist island of Bali for allegedly attempting to traffic 1.4 kg of cocaine, part of which was hidden inside a sex toy in her vagina, police announced on Tuesday.
The 42-year-old woman, identified only by her initials N.S., arrived at Bali’s international airport from Qatar on August 12.
“Customs officers became suspicious of her behavior and, after consulting with the police, conducted additional checks,” said Radiant, head of Bali’s narcotics unit, during a press conference.
Authorities discovered 1.4 kg of cocaine, partly concealed in the sex toy. She was also accused of carrying dozens of ecstasy pills.
The Peruvian confessed to the police that she had been hired by a man she met in April on the dark web to transport the drugs to Indonesia in exchange for $20,000.
Indonesia has some of the world’s strictest drug trafficking laws and imposes the death penalty on drug traffickers. Currently, more than 90 foreign nationals are on death row in the country for drug-related offenses, according to the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections.
In July, a court in Bali sentenced an Argentine woman to seven years in prison for attempting to smuggle 244 grams of cocaine into the island in a condom hidden in her vagina.
The last executions for drug trafficking in Indonesia occurred in 2016, when an Indonesian and three Nigerians were executed.
International
Trump says Russia open to security guarantees for Ukraine amid peace talks
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Monday that Russia is willing to accept security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential peace agreement, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House.
After the talks, Zelensky described the discussions as positive, while Trump took a moment to speak with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and confirmed a trilateral summit between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia.
Trump expressed optimism about the prospects of ending the Russian invasion.
Zelensky, who also held a separate meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, called the discussions with the U.S. leader “the best to date.” He emphasized the importance of “strong signals” from the United States regarding Western security guarantees.
The atmosphere between the two leaders was reportedly more relaxed than in February, when Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, publicly rebuked Zelensky for not appearing “grateful” for U.S. support.
“In one or two weeks, we will know if we are going to resolve this or if this horrible fight will continue,” Trump said at the start of the meeting.
The presence of leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission, and NATO highlighted ongoing concerns about Washington’s stance on Ukraine.
Before the meeting, Trump had pressured Kyiv to relinquish Crimea and abandon its NATO membership ambitions, two of Moscow’s main demands. However, he stated that the Alaska summit with Putin had brought progress.
“I like the ceasefire. From another perspective, it immediately stops the killing. But I think a peace agreement at the end of all this is very achievable and could be reached in the near future,” Trump said.
Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing
Peruvian woman arrested in Bali for smuggling cocaine in sex toy
Trump says Russia open to security guarantees for Ukraine amid peace talks
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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