Police: 'Nothing to suggest' Spanish murders linked to gang feud
Police say there is currently nothing to suggest the murders of two Scots in a Spanish bar is related to an on-going gang war in Scotland.
Eddie Lyons Jnr and Ross Monaghan were shot dead in an attack at Monaghans pub in Fuengirola on Saturday evening.
The two men have links to the Lyons crime clan, which along with the rival Daniels gang has been linked to a series of assaults, shootings and fire-bombings across Glasgow and Edinburgh in recent months.
There has been intense speculation that the murders are the latest twist in that feud, but a statement by Police Scotland has said there is "nothing to suggest that the shooting in Fuengirola was planned from within Scotland".
Lyons, 46, and Monaghan, 43, died when a gunman opened fire on them in the bar at about 23:00 local time. He then fled the scene in a car.
Monaghans is located on the seafront of the town and is a popular bar with tourists and expats.
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Spain bar shootings: Who were Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr?
Murder and mayhem: The story of Glasgow's deadly gang feud
The bar had been screening the UEFA Champions League final on the evening of the attack.
The mayor of Fuengirola, Ana Mula, earlier called for more police resources to combat organised crime-related violence on the Costa del Sol.
Ms Mula said: "We live in a world and at a time where crime knows no borders.
"In places like the Costa del Sol, we're seeing developments that, as they spread, inevitably affect us.
"We need much greater involvement from the state on this issue."
She also called for the deployment of more police officers who specialise in organised crime.
The mayor added: "I intend to be relentless in demanding action on this.
"It's a top priority for our community and our city."
But in a statement released on on Tuesday evening, Police Scotland made it clear it was not directly investigating the murders.
"The investigation into the fatal shootings in Fuengirola is being carried out by Spanish police," it said.
"Police Scotland is supporting Spanish police where requested, however at this time we have no officers deployed within Spain.
"There is currently no intelligence to suggest the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to the recent criminal attacks in Scotland being investigated as part of Operation Portaledge.
"Any misinformation or speculation linking the events in Spain are not helpful to the ongoing investigations in either country.
"There is also nothing to suggest that the shooting in Fuengirola was planned from within Scotland."
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Multiple immigration sweeps reported across L.A., with a tense standoff downtown
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In a post on X, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said federal agents were executing a lawful judicial warrant at a LA worksite "when David Huerta deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle." he wrote. "He was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will face arraignment in federal court on Monday." Friday's actions were met with criticism from L.A. leaders, who oppose the immigration crackdown. "These actions are escalating: agents arrive without warning and leave quickly, aware that our communities mobilize fast," Los Angeles Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said in a statement. "I urge Angelenos to stay alert." Mayor Karen Bass said that such raids "sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city... We will not stand for this.' Among the names immigration advocates called out Friday during the downtown L.A. raid was that of Marco Garcia, 37. 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7 hours ago
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, newly returned to US, appears in court on charges of trafficking migrants
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What the Trump travel ban means for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games
GENEVA (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump often says the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are among the events he is most excited about in his second term. Yet there is significant uncertainty regarding visa policies for foreign visitors planning trips to the U.S. for the two biggest events in sports. Trump's latest travel ban on citizens from 12 countries added new questions about the impact on the World Cup and the Summer Olympics, which depend on hosts opening their doors to the world. Here's a look at the potential effects of the travel ban on those events. What is the travel ban policy? When Sunday ticks over to Monday, citizens of 12 countries should be banned from entering the U.S. They are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Tighter restrictions will apply to visitors from seven more: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Trump said some countries had 'deficient' screening and vetting processes or have historically refused to take back their own citizens. How does it affect the World Cup and Olympics? Iran, a soccer power in Asia, is the only targeted country to qualify so far for the World Cup being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico in one year's time. Cuba, Haiti and Sudan are in contention. Sierra Leone might stay involved through multiple playoff games. Burundi, Equatorial Guinea and Libya have very outside shots. But all should be able to send teams to the World Cup if they qualify because the new policy makes exceptions for 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.' About 200 countries could send athletes to the Summer Games, including those targeted by the latest travel restrictions. The exceptions should apply to them as well if the ban is still in place in its current form. What about fans? The travel ban doesn't mention any exceptions for fans from the targeted countries wishing to travel to the U.S. for the World Cup or Olympics. Even before the travel ban, fans of the Iran soccer team living in that country already had issues about getting a visa for a World Cup visit. Still, national team supporters often profile differently to fans of club teams who go abroad for games in international competitions like the UEFA Champions League. For many countries, fans traveling to the World Cup — an expensive travel plan with hiked flight and hotel prices — are often from the diaspora, wealthier, and could have different passport options. A World Cup visitor is broadly higher-spending and lower-risk for host nation security planning. Visitors to an Olympics are often even higher-end clients, though tourism for a Summer Games is significantly less than at a World Cup, with fewer still from most of the 19 countries now targeted. How is the U.S. working with FIFA, Olympic officials? FIFA President Gianni Infantino has publicly built close ties since 2018 to Trump — too close according to some. He has cited the need to ensure FIFA's smooth operations at a tournament that will earn a big majority of the soccer body's expected $13 billion revenue from 2023-26. Infantino sat next to Trump at the White House task force meeting on May 6 which prominently included Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. FIFA's top delegate on the task force is Infantino ally Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs partner whose two-year run as U.S. Soccer Federation president ended in controversy in 2020. Any visa and security issues FIFA faces — including at the 32-team Club World Cup that kicks off next week in Miami — can help LA Olympics organizers finesse their plans. 'It was very clear in the directive that the Olympics require special consideration and I actually want to thank the federal government for recognizing that," LA28 chairman and president Casey Wasserman said Thursday in Los Angeles. 'It's very clear that the federal government understands that that's an environment that they will be accommodating and provide for,' he said. 'We have great confidence that that will only continue. It has been the case to date and it will certainly be the case going forward through the games.' In March, at an IOC meeting in Greece, Wasserman said he had two discreet meetings with Trump and noted the State Department has a "fully staffed desk' to help prepare for short-notice visa processing in the summer of 2028 — albeit with a focus on teams rather than fans. IOC member Nicole Hoevertsz, who is chair of the Coordination Commission for LA28, expressed 'every confidence' that the U.S. government will cooperate, as it did in hosting previous Olympics. 'That is something that we will be definitely looking at and making sure that it is guaranteed as well,' she said. 'We are very confident that this is going to be accomplished. I'm sure this is going to be executed well." FIFA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the new Trump travel ban. What have other host nations done? The 2018 World Cup host Russia let fans enter the country with a game ticket doubling as their visa. So did Qatar four years later. Both governments, however, also performed background checks on all visitors coming to the month-long soccer tournaments. Governments have refused entry to unwelcome visitors. For the 2012 London Olympics, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko — who is still its authoritarian leader today — was denied a visa despite also leading its national Olympic body. The IOC also suspended him from the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021. ___ AP Sports Writer Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report. ___ AP soccer: and AP Olympics at
