Guatemala grants temporary status to 161 Mexicans fleeing organized crime
The Guatemalan Immigration Institute said that 39 families, including 69 children, from the Mexican municipality of Frontera Comalapa would be allowed temporarily to remain legally in the country.
The families were staying in rented homes, with relatives or in temporary shelters in the Guatemalan border town of La Mesilla.
But Eduardo Ramírez, governor of the Mexican border state of Chiapas, said Wednesday on X that those who went to Guatemala have relatives who have been arrested and are facing charges in Mexico, a claim he made without providing evidence.
'The organized crime that operates in the neighboring country of Guatemala wants to discredit our public safety strategy that has given tranquility and social peace in Chiapas' by saying people have been forcibly displaced by crime, Ramírez wrote. 'I categorically deny that fact.'
It was not the first time that Mexicans crossed the border to escape violence. In July of last year, nearly 600 crossed at another point on the border.
Two of Mexico's most powerful cartels from the northern states of Sinaloa and Jalisco have been battling for control of smuggling routes in the area of southern Mexico in recent years causing multiple displacements.
In June, Chiapas state police pursued suspects into Guatemala and engaged in a shootout.
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Ghana authorities detain dancehall musician Shatta Wale
Di Economic and organized crime office (Eoco) don detain dancehall musician Charles Nii Armah Mensah wey dey popular as Shatta Wale. Dis dey relate to investigation by di crime office afta dem seize im Lamborghini Urus car early dis month. According to Eoco, dem bin work togeda wit federal bureau of investigation (FBI) for America to trace di car wey dem suspect say na proceed of crime. Inside one statement at di time, Eoco explain say "FBI don link dis car to one criminal enterprise wia involve one Ghanaian Nana Kwabena Amuah, wey currently dey inside jail for di US as im dey serve 86 months for several financial crimes" Di crimes office also add say di "FBI and di US justice department go send formal mutual legal assistance (MLA) to di Ghana govment to return di vehicle to di US as part of Nana Kwabena Amuah im $4.7m restitution." Even though di dancehall star bin deny all di allegations say im buy stolen car wey im dey linked to di crime, Eoco tok say dem continue to invite am to assist wit investigation togeda wit one oda pesin wey be former senior officer for di kontris National signals bureau. "I neva buy any car from di Ghanaian wey bin dey inside jail for di US. I be third party owner of di car wey I bin buy am for $150,000," Shatta Wale explain im side of di tori for TikTok live video. Im add say "I dey buy cars thru my team wey sometimes I neva even sabi who ship am serf." Shatta Wale accuse di boss of di economic and organized crime office at di time say im dey do "witch-hunt." Di dancehall musician spend di night of 20 August in detention for Eoco. Management of di artiste inside one statement tok say make di fans dey calm as dem bin dey work to release dia musician. "Eoco don detain Shatta Wale following investigation wey relate to tax obligation of di yellow Lamborghini car. Di artiste present im self voluntarily to Eoco on Wednesday afternoon togeda wit im layer Cephas Biyuo to assist wit investigations." Toktok pesin for di artiste Samuel Atuobi Baah write say "we want assure all di fans and di public say di legal team dey fully in charge wey dem dey work wit authorities to deal wit dis mata." Oga Atuobi Baah add say "we bin dey take all necessary steps to secure im release at di earliest opportunity." "Eoco bin grant di artiste bail in di sum of Gh 10m wit two sureties." Di PR manager further explain say di artiste bin dey in good spirit wey im dey cooperate wit investigations. Di latest action by Eoco to detain di musician happun a day afta im clear anoda Lamborghini Urus car from di port. Shatta Wale and im team bin celebrate wey dem pop champagne afta dem carry im new purple coloured Lamborghini to im house Tuesday night. Videos of di car and di celebration bin go viral on top social media, as di artiste tok say "what I tok say I go do, I dey do am and do am so real." Di dancehall artiste get plenty followers, na so anytin wey concern am dey fit cause kasala on top social media. Management tok say "we urge Shatta movement fans and well-wishers to dey calm and avoid speculation." "We get confidence for di judicial process wey management and di lawyers go return to Eoco office Thursday morning to continue di discussion," di artiste im tok tok pesin add for di management statement. Di musician wey bin dey described as 'dancehall king' afta im release song wit dat title for 2014, na ogbonge artiste for di kontri. Im don release at least 11 albums and ova 60 songs for im career. For 2019, Beyonce bin collaborate wit Shatta Wale on top one song 'Already' wey bin feature for her Lion King album. Some of im most popular hits na 'dancehall King', 'Taking Over', 'My level' wey im don release anoda hit song togeda wit Medikkal and Beaztrap wit di title 'Shoulder'. Im dey command ogbonge fan base wia dem call dem shatta movement For December 2024, Shatta Wale na one of several global stars wey perform for Vybz Kartel im freedom concert for Jamaica.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The EncoChats that led cops to 'treatment room' torture chamber: Cops uncover drug gang's sound-proofed shipping container hiding dentist chair, pliers, scalpels and hedge cutters
After blasting their way inside with explosives, the sight greeting armed police was impossibly grim: a dentist's chair with leather straps by the arms and legs. Nearby, a pair of handcuffs, alongside pliers, scalpels and hedge cutters. The gangland torture chamber, located inside a sound-proofed shipping container near the Dutch village of Wouwse Plantage, could hardly have been more gruesome. Yet, as well as horror, police would have been feeling something else too - satisfaction. For the discovery was an early sign that one of the biggest international police operations in history was sure to be a triumph. The find would be one of first following a three-year investigation that successfully infiltrated EncroChat, an encrypted messaging platform used by organised criminals - many of them British. The network was breached by French and Dutch police in March 2020 and the data shared with forces across Europe, who scrambled to gather evidence on gang bosses before EncroChat users were told of the hack on June 13. Many are continuing to face their days in court, with feared Manchester gang boss Jamie Rothwell, 38, jailed just last week. Gangsters were so confident in EncroChat's encryption that they openly discussed assassinations, revenge attacks and multi-million-pound drug deals - providing a treasure trove of evidence for police to use in court. Suggestions something dark was going on at the compound near Wouwse Plantage emerged in EncroChat exchanges referring to a 'treatment room', with one message stating: 'We need cutting pliers for fingers and toes'. There were further hints to torture, including, 'We must have enough belts and tie-wraps to tie them' and, 'If I've got him on the chair, more will come. I wasn't a fan of kids. S***, by Allah, kids are allowed too.' Another text referred to the torture chamber's sound insulation, with the user writing: 'It's triple isolated. Even if you're standing next to it, you'll hear nothing.' Other worrying interceptions spoke of the 'ebi,' a reference to a high security Dutch prison. Gang members even exchanged photos of the torture room and dentist's chair with belts attached to the arm and foot supports. After putting the compound under surveillance, police spotted several men working to kit out the prison cells. When police eventually raided the site on June 22, 2020, six other containers were set up to hold prisoners, all lined with foil in an effort to deter the victims from being spotted on thermal imaging cameras. Mercifully, neither the torture chamber nor the makeshift prison were ever used, and 11 men were sentenced in 2022 to jail terms of between one and nine years. The ringleader, named by Dutch media as Roger P, 50, had previously been jailed for 15 years for cocaine trafficking and received an additional 33-month sentence. He is one of hundreds of kingpins who have been brought to justice using EncroChat evidence. Crucially, malware installed by telecoms experts allowed messages to be recovered in real time, allowing last-minute interventions that undoubtedly saved lives. While users hid under anonymous handles, many implicated themselves by sharing personal details, and even selfies. Manchester gang boss Jamie Rothwell was identified as the user 'Live Long' after sharing a photo of himself with two fingers raised to the camera. A leading member of Manchester's Anti A-Team gang, Rothwell fled abroad after a gunman sprayed bullets at him at a car wash in 2015 as part of a murderous gang feud with their rivals, the A Team. But he continued directing drug and gun smuggling operations into the UK from his bolthole in Barcelona. When shown a picture of an AK-47 rifle with magazines and ammunition, Rothwell retorted: 'Makes me hard that bro'. He also bragged of moving 300 guns, having rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and an anti-tank gun, writing: 'I sell a lot of Glocks'. In other messages, Rothwell described his hatred for a gang rival, Leon Cullen. He wrote: 'I've give Leon a way out….he a grass…he turned on me for nothing 'Tried kill me….while my daughter there…he my only enemy….when he lands in UK that's when it starts.' And revelling in his life of crime, he told a friend: 'When you have fire in your heart you don't stop. You get addicted. You lose everyone. You turn cold, no emotions.' Rothwell was arrested by Spanish police in 2020, with video footage showing him dancing a bizarre jig after being led away. He was jailed for 43 years at Manchester Crown Court last week. He had earlier pleaded guilty to a raft of firearms and drugs charges, alongside conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. Nine associates were jailed for a combined 163 years and 11 months. Another kingpin hauled back to Britain using EncroChat evidence was James Harding, who ran a vast £100million cocaine empire alongside his 'loyal right-hand man', Jayes Kharouti, 39. The 34-year-old, who claimed to be a high-end watch sales executive, was living in luxury at the The Nest apartment complex in Al Barari, Dubai, staying in five-star hotels and driving Bugatti and Lamborghini sports cars. But messages showed him trying to recruit a hitman to put an unnamed rival courier 'permanently out of business', arming him with a gun and ammunition for the 'full M', meaning murder. The pair were also shown to be behind a vast cocaine smuggling operation that brought a metric tonne of cocaine into the UK and generated £5m in profit in just 10 weeks. Like Rothwell, Harding openly identified himself in a series of preening selfies he sent on the same phone he used to arrange his hit. He even used his EncroChat handle to book a table for his family at the Nusr et Steakhouse in Dubai - the creation of Internet personality Nusret Gökçe, better known as 'Salt Bae'. Harding was arrested in Switzerland before being brought by private jet to London, where he was met by armed officers. His Old Bailey trial was also held under tight security before he was jailed for life with a minimum term of 32 years in June. Operation Venetic - the name for the UK's response to the EncroChat hack led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) - exposed the shocking violence drug bosses used to protect their turf. Few were more sadistic than Liverpool's hated Huyton Firm, led by lifelong gangster Vincent Coggins - supported by his savage enforcer, Paul Woodford. EncroChat messages showed Coggins and Woodford discussing their plans to murder the men they believed responsible for a 2020 raid on a house they were using to hide drugs. Coggins messaged Woodford to say he was planning to use a 'pineapple' (hand grenade) on the men, to which he replied: 'I kill him with u m8'. In another exchange, Woodford asked Coggins if he should buy a 'belter', meaning a gun. Coggins replied with: 'M8 just bought load more, we cool for tools'. Coggins went on to be jailed for 28 years for drug trafficking and blackmail, while Woodford received 24 years and six months. Vincent's brother, Francis, was arrested by police in the Netherlands earlier this year after a five-year manhunt. The ability of police to lift the lid on a previously hidden world allowed them to gather evidence to prosecute kingpins previously considered 'untouchable'. These included Jamie 'the Iceman' Stevenson, who spent decades as one of the UK's most notorious gangsters and was once accused of murdering fellow gangster Tony McGovern, the best man at his wedding. Stevenson originally rose up through the Glasgow underworld in the 1990s and became close friends with McGovern, whose family ran the so-called McGovernment mob in the north of the city. However, the pair would later fall out amid a vicious power struggle and Stevenson narrowly survived a botched attempt on his life. In 2000, McGovern himself died in an assassination that many blamed on his former friend - although the charges against him were dropped. The moment that would lead to Stevenson's final downfall came on Valentine's Day 2020, when the gangster was unwittingly caught in a police surveillance operation in Spain. Officers had been watching the bar of Alicante's four-star Melia Hotel after the arrival of David Bilsland, a Glaswegian fruit seller accused of smuggling drugs. Spanish officers tipped off by their British counterparts sent surveillance images of the meeting back to Scotland. But when photographs from the Alicante bar arrived in Scotland, investigators were stunned to see the man Bisland had been meeting was Stevenson, then one of the UK's most wanted criminals. In a T-shirt and jeans the gangster, once the key suspect in a murder case involving his own best man, was confident he passed off as just another British tourist - and completely unaware he was under surveillance. The summit was the beginning of the end for Stevenson. Until then detectives had had no idea where he was after he fled the country on police bail. They later used EncroChat messages to link Stevenson to a plot to use Bisland's Glasgow fruit business to smuggle £100m worth of cocaine into Glasgow inside boxes of bananas. Deputy Crown agent Kenny Donnelly, from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said the messages made it clear Stevenson had 'directed the group' and he is now serving a 20 year sentence.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Michigan couple held in Mexican jail for a month over a timeshare dispute say the judicial system was weaponized against them
A Michigan couple held in a Mexican jail for a month over a timeshare dispute at a Cancun resort claim the judicial system was weaponized against them. Paul, a Navy veteran, and Christy Akeo were released in early April after being arrested soon after their plane touched down in Cancun in early March. They allege Palace Resorts LLC began a 'secret lawfare campaign' against them after they disputed more than $100,000 in credit card charges, according to a lawsuit filed by the couple in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court on Friday. The New York Post, which first reported on the lawsuit, said the couple had bought timeshares for the resorts' Cancun location starting in 2016. The couple were 'wholesale customers' and would resell the resort bookings to others, according to the lawsuit. The terms of the Akeos' agreement with Palace Resorts changed in November 2021, and after, the resort claimed the couple 'breached their membership,' the suit says. The resort later went back on bookings the Akeos had set up for others, so the couple successfully disputed the credit card charges since the 'product or services had not been received,' according to the suit. Everything came to a head this past March when the couple was arrested by Mexican authorities at the Cancun International Airport after the resort accused them of 'fraudulently' disputing the credit card charges, court documents obtained by The Independent show. The couple spent a month in a maximum security prison in Quintana Roo, separate from each other, where they slept 'alongside drug dealers and violent criminals,' according to the documents. The conditions in the prison were deplorable, with 'no working shower and no flushable toilet,' the Akeos alleged. Lindsay Hull, Christy's daughter and Paul's stepdaughter, told the New York Post her mom lost 25 pounds in her first two weeks in prison because the food she was given had fish in it, even though she told the prison she was allergic. The couple was eventually taken to court and told by their lawyer and Michigan Congressman Tom Barrett, who went to Mexico to help get them home, they needed to sign a settlement that included a non-disclosure agreement to get out of prison, according to court documents. 'Palace Resorts coerced the Akeos under duress to affix their signatures' on the agreement, while next to men carrying machine guns, the Akeos claim. 'It's not fair that my parents are not able to speak about their story,' Hull told the New York Post. 'They deserve to advocate for themselves.' The resort has rejected the Akeos' claims through attorney David Orta, who said, per the New York Post, that his client will 'defend against them and otherwise take appropriate legal action to enforce the Palace Company's rights.' 'Mr. and Mrs. Akeo have unfortunately proceeded with additional litigation against the Palace Company and affiliated entities and individuals in violation of the parties' resolution of their disputes,' Orta said.
