Mexico Foils $1 Million Drug Trafficking Operation, Arrests 13
Mexican authorities thwarted a drug trafficking operation worth over $1 million in the Sonora region, apprehending 13 individuals, according to the Argentine newspaper Infobae.
The crackdown, carried out on January 3 and 5 across multiple areas of Sonora, led to the seizure of various drugs, eight vehicles (three of which were reported stolen), and a cache of weapons.
Authorities confiscated 94 kilograms of methamphetamine, 2 kilograms of fentanyl, 759 kilograms of "other drugs," seven long rifles, a handgun, 44 magazines, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and 4,000 pesos in cash. State Security calculated that the seizures dealt a significant blow to criminal groups, with a total of over 850 kilograms of narcotics valued at more than $1 million.
Five arrests were made in municipalities including San Luis Río Colorado, Nogales, Magdalena, and Caborca. Investigations were carried out in Altar, Nogales, and San Luis Río Colorado, with a total of 19 operations conducted in these and other areas such as Cananea and Agua Prieta. Authorities released photos showcasing the seized drugs and weapons.
This successful operation is part of Mexico's ongoing battle against drug cartels. Last month, Mexican authorities discovered 11 hidden graves containing the bodies of 15 men in Chiapas, a southern state plagued by clashes between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar, Governor of Chiapas, stated on social media that the graves were uncovered during a raid near the Guatemalan border. Four individuals were arrested in connection with the case, found in possession of drugs and weapons.
The Chiapas Attorney General's Office confirmed in a statement that the raid was conducted at two locations. Three bodies were found in separate graves at one site, while eight graves containing 12 bodies were discovered at the other.
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Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
In Photos: Anti-Trump demonstrators crowd streets, parks and plazas across the US - Region
Masses of demonstrators packed into streets, parks and plazas across the United States on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump, marching through downtowns and small towns, blaring anti-authoritarian chants mixed with support for protecting democracy and immigrant rights. Organizers of the 'No Kings' demonstrations said millions had marched in hundreds of events. Governors across the US had urged calm and vowed no tolerance for violence, while some mobilized the National Guard ahead of marchers gathering. Confrontations were isolated. But police in Los Angeles, where protests over federal immigration enforcement raids erupted a week earlier and sparked demonstrations across the country, used tear gas and crowd-control munitions to clear out protesters after the formal event ended. Officers in Portland also fired tear gas and projectiles to disperse a crowd that protested in front of a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement building well into the evening. And in Salt Lake City, Utah, police were investigating a shooting during a march downtown that left one person critically injured. Three people were taken into custody, including a man believed to be the shooter, who also suffered a gunshot wound, according to Police Chief Brian Redd. Redd said it was too early to tell if the shooting was politically motivated and whether those involved knew each other. The shooter appeared to be walking alongside the group of thousands who were marching, he added. Video feeds showed demonstrators running for safety as gunshots rang out. Huge, boisterous crowds marched, danced, drummed, and chanted shoulder-to-shoulder in New York, Denver, Chicago, Austin and Los Angeles, some behind 'no kings' banners. Atlanta's 5,000-capacity event quickly reached its limit, with thousands more gathered outside barriers to hear speakers in front of the state Capitol. Officials in Seattle estimated that more than 70,000 people attended the city's largest rally downtown, the Seattle Times reported. Trump was in Washington for a military parade marking the Army's 250th anniversary that coincides with the president's birthday. About 200 protesters assembled in northwest Washington's Logan Circle and chanted 'Trump must go now' before erupting in cheers. A larger-than-life puppet of Trump, a caricature of the president wearing a crown and sitting on a golden toilet, was wheeled through the crowd. In some places, organizers handed out little American flags while others flew their flags upside down, a sign of distress. Mexican flags, which have become a fixture of the Los Angeles protests against immigration raids, also made an appearance at some demonstrations Saturday. In Culpepper, Virginia, police said one person was struck by an SUV when a 21-year-old driver intentionally accelerated his SUV into the crowd as protesters were leaving a rally. The driver was charged with reckless driving. The demonstrations come on the heels of the protests over the federal immigration enforcement raids that began last week and Trump ordering the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire. 'Today, across red states and blue, rural towns and major cities, Americans stood in peaceful unity and made it clear: we don't do kings," the No Kings Coalition said in a statement Saturday afternoon after many events had ended. Philadelphia Thousands gathered downtown, where organizers handed out small American flags and people carried protest signs saying 'fight oligarchy' and 'deport the mini-Mussolinis." Karen Van Trieste, a 61-year-old nurse who drove up from Maryland, said she grew up in Philadelphia and wanted to be with a large group of people showing her support. 'I just feel like we need to defend our democracy,' she said. She is concerned about the Trump administration's layoffs of staff at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the fate of immigrant communities and Trump trying to rule by executive order, she said. A woman wearing a foam Statue of Liberty crown brought a speaker system and led an anti-Trump sing-along, changing the words 'young man' in the song 'Y.M.C.A.' to 'con man.' 'I am what the successful American dream looks like,' said C.C. Téllez, an immigrant from Bolivia who attended the protest. 'I've enjoyed great success here in the United States, and I've also contributed heavily to my community. And if there was space for me, I think there's a way for everybody else to belong here as well.' Los Angeles Thousands gathered in front of City Hall, waving signs and listening to a Native American drum circle before marching through the streets. As protesters passed National Guard troops or US Marines stationed at various buildings, most interactions were friendly, with demonstrators giving fist bumps or posing for selfies. But others chanted 'shame' or 'go home' at the troops. Amid signs reading 'They fear us don't back down California' and 'We carry dreams not danger, ' one demonstrator carried a 2-foot-tall (60-centimeter) Trump pinata on a stick, with a crown on his head and sombrero hanging off his back. Another hoisted a huge helium-filled orange baby balloon with blond hair styled like Trump's. A few blocks from City Hall, protesters gathered in front of the downtown federal detention center being guarded by a line of Marines and other law enforcement. It was the first time that the Marines, in combat gear and holding rifles, have appeared at a demonstration since they were deployed to city on Friday with the stated mission of defending federal property. Peter Varadi, 54, said he voted for Trump last November for 'economic reasons.' Now, for the first time in his life, he is protesting, waving a Mexican and US combined flag. 'I voted for Donald Trump, and now I regret that, because he's taken this fascism to a new level,' Varadi said. 'It's Latinos now. Who's next? It's gays. Blacks after that. They're coming for everybody.' Even after the formal event ended, the downtown streets were packed with a jubilant crowd as people danced to salsa music and snacked on hot dogs and ice cream bought from vendors, many of whom are Latino immigrants. But the previously calm demonstration turned confrontational as police on horseback moved into the crowd and struck some people with wood rods and batons as they cleared the street in front of the federal building. New York City Marchers in the crowd that stretched for blocks along Fifth Avenue had diverse reasons for coming, including anger over Trump's immigration policies, support for the Palestinian people and outrage over what they said was an erosion of free speech rights. But there were patriotic symbols, too. Leah Griswold, 32, and Amber Laree, 59, who marched in suffragette white dresses, brought 250 American flags to hand out to people in the crowd. 'Our mothers who came out, fought for our rights, and now we're fighting for future generations as well,' Griswold said. Some protesters held signs denouncing Trump while others banged drums. 'We're here because we're worried about the existential crisis of this country and the planet and our species,' said Sean Kryston, 28. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and law enforcement encouraged people not to attend rallies 'out of an abundance of caution' following the shootings of the Democratic state lawmakers. Dozens of events were canceled, but tens of thousands still turned out for demonstrations in Duluth, Rochester and St. Paul, which included a march to the state Capitol. Walz canceled his scheduled appearance at the St. Paul event. Authorities said the suspect had 'No Kings' flyers in his car and writings mentioning the names of the victims as well as other lawmakers and officials, though they could not say if he had any other specific targets. Seda Heng, 29, of Rochester, said she was heartbroken by the shootings, but still wanted to join the rally there. 'These people are trying to do what they can for their communities, for the state, for the nation,' Heng told the Minnesota Star-Tribune. North Carolina Crowds cheered anti-Trump speakers in Charlotte's First Ward Park before marching, chanting 'No kings. No crowns. We will not bow down." Marchers stretched for blocks, led by a group of people holding a giant Mexican flag and bystanders cheering and clapping along the way. Jocelyn Abarca, a 21-year-old college student, said the protest was a chance to 'speak for what's right' after mass deportations and Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. 'If we don't stop it now, it's just going to keep getting worse,' she said. Naomi Mena said she traveled an hour to demonstrate in Charlotte to represent her 'friends and family who sadly can't have a voice out in public now' to stay safe. Texas A rally at the Texas Capitol in Austin went off as planned despite state police briefly shutting down the building and the surrounding grounds after authorities said they received a 'credible threat' to Democratic state lawmakers who were to attend. Dozens of state troopers swarmed through the grounds about four hours before the event, but the area was later opened and the rally started on time. The building remained closed. The Department of Public Safety later said one person was taken into custody 'in connection with the threats made against state lawmakers" after a traffic stop in La Grange, Texas, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Austin. State police did not detail the threat or immediately identify the person, but said there was no additional active threat. Mississippi A demonstration of hundreds of people opened to 'War Pigs' by Black Sabbath playing over a sound system on the state Capitol lawn in Jackson. 'A lot of stuff that's going on now is targeting people of color, and to see so many folks out here that aren't black or brown fighting for the same causes that I'm here for, it makes me very emotional,' said Tony Cropper, who traveled from Tennessee to attend the protest. Some people wore tinfoil crowns atop their heads. Others held signs inviting motorists to 'Honk if you never text war plans.' Melissa Johnson said she drove an hour-and-a-half to Jackson to protest because 'we are losing the thread of democracy in our country." Portland Earlier in the day, thousands of protesters lined the streets in downtown Portland for several blocks, waving signs as passing cars honked in support. They marched around the city draped in American flags to the beat of drums and music. By late afternoon, a small group of demonstrators amassed across the river to protest in front of an ICE office where three people were arrested Wednesday night after starting a small fire against the building, police said. Federal immigration officers fired tear gas, flash bangs and rubber bullets in an effort to clear out the remaining protesters in the evening. Some protesters threw water bottles back and tended to each other's wounds. The police department wrote on X that the event was declared a riot. At least two people were detained and taken inside the federal immigration building. 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Al-Ahram Weekly
6 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
US police make arrests in downtown LA during nighttime curfew - International
Downtown Los Angeles was largely calm overnight into Wednesday, with police arresting at least 25 people for violating a curfew after a fifth day of protests against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Heavily armed security officers, including several riding horses, patrolled near government buildings, while men boarded up storefronts after dark on Tuesday to protect against vandalism. Looting and vandalism in the second-biggest US city have marred the largely peaceful protests over ramped-up arrests by immigration authorities. The demonstrations, which began Friday, and isolated acts of violence prompted Trump to take the extraordinary step of sending in troops, over the objection of the state governor. One protester told AFP the arrest of migrants in a city with large immigrant and Latino populations was the root of the unrest. "I don't think that part of the problem is the peaceful protests. It's whatever else is happening on the other side that is inciting violence," she said Tuesday. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the curfew -- meant to stop vandalism and looting -- was in effect within one square mile (2.5 square kilometres) of the city's more-than-500 square mile area from 8:00 pm and 6:00 am (0300 to 1300 GMT). That zone was off-limits for everyone apart from residents, journalists and emergency services, she added. Protests against immigration arrests by federal law enforcement have also sprung up in cities around the country, including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Austin. On Tuesday, in the Atlanta suburb of Brookhaven, dozens of demonstrators waved American and Mexican flags and held signs against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency that has ramped up arrests and deportations of migrants under Trump. "You got people that are being arrested on the street by (immigration) agents that don't wear badges, wear masks... it makes me really angry," 26-year-old protester Brendon Terra told AFP. Breaking curfew The Los Angeles protests again turned ugly Tuesday night, but an hour into the curfew, only a handful of protesters were left downtown, with police making several arrests as they warned stragglers to leave. "Multiple groups continue to congregate" within the designated downtown curfew area, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) wrote on X late Tuesday. "Those groups are being addressed, and mass arrests are being initiated." Police arrested at least 25 people on suspicion of violating the curfew as of Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing an LAPD spokesperson. At their largest, the protests have included a few thousand people taking to the streets, but smaller groups have used the cover of darkness to set fires, daub graffiti, and smash windows. Overnight Monday, 23 businesses were looted, police said, adding that more than 500 people had been arrested over recent days. 'Provide protection' Trump has activated 4,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles, along with 700 active-duty Marines, in what he has claimed is a necessary escalation to take back control, even though local law enforcement authorities insisted they could handle the unrest. A military spokeswoman said the Marines were expected to be on the streets by Wednesday. Their mission will be to guard federal facilities and provide protection to federal officers during immigration enforcement operations. The Pentagon said the deployment would cost US taxpayers $134 million. Photographs issued by the Marine Corps showed men in combat fatigues using riot shields to practice crowd control techniques at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. Late Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his state would deploy its National Guard "to locations across the state to ensure peace & order" after solidarity protests. Behaving like 'a tyrant' In sprawling Los Angeles on Tuesday, it was largely a typical day, with tourists thronging Hollywood Boulevard, children attending school and commuter traffic choking streets. But at a military base in North Carolina, Trump painted a darker picture. "What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and national sovereignty," the Republican told troops at Fort Bragg. "We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy." California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has clashed with the president before, said Trump's shock militarisation of the city was the behaviour of "a tyrant, not a president." In a filing to the US District Court in Northern California, Newsom asked for an injunction preventing the use of troops for policing. US law largely prevents the use of the military as a police force -- absent the declaration of an insurrection, which Trump has mused. The president "is trying to use emergency declarations to justify bringing in first the National Guard and then mobilising Marines," said law professor Frank Bowman. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Egypt Independent
10-06-2025
- Egypt Independent
Teenage TikTok star's murder leaves Pakistani women questioning whether any safe spaces exist – online or on the street
When Sana Yousaf turned 17, she posted a video of her birthday celebrations to more than a million followers on TikTok. They saw her cutting a pink and cream cake beneath a matching balloon arch, the June breeze ruffling her long hair as she beamed against the backdrop of the cloud-covered Margalla Hills in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. Less than 24 hours later, Sana was dead, a bullet through her chest and graphic images of her dead body going viral on Pakistani social media, outraging women across the country, who fear there are no safe spaces for them anymore – in reality, or online. Police have detained 22-year-old Umar Hayat, an unemployed man from the city of Faisalabad, over Sana's murder. Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, the Inspector General of Police of Islamabad, alleged Hayat 'repeatedly attempted to contact' the teenager and killed her when she refused to respond. CNN has not been able to locate a legal representative for Hayat. Sana's father, Syed Yousaf Hassan, told CNN no words could convey the family's loss, and his daughter hadn't told him she was being harassed. 'My daughter was braver than a son,' he said. 'She didn't fear anything.' As Sana's family prepared for her funeral, disturbing comments started popping up on her TikTok and Instagram posts, most in Urdu, celebrating her killing. 'Happy to see these things happening,' read one. Another stated, 'My heart is happy today, I'm going to turn on music and dance with joy.' Under a picture of Sana wearing traditional Pakistani clothes covering her entire body, a comment said, 'encouraging young women to seek attention or expose themselves can have serious negative consequences.' The Digital Rights Foundation (DRF), a women-led nonprofit that promotes online safety, said such rhetoric 'dangerously links a woman's online presence or perceived morality to justifications for violence.' 'This form of digital vigilantism contributes to a broader culture of victim-blaming, where abuse is normalized and accountability is shifted away from the perpetrator,' the DRF said in a report released soon after Sana's death. Alongside toxic online comments, rage has simmered among women across Pakistan, who are demanding justice for Sana, pointing to a crisis of masculinity in the South Asian nation. And Pakistan is far from alone in seeing heated debates over the prevalence of violence against women. Recent multiple murders in Latin America, including a Mexican influencer who was shot dead while livestreaming, has sparked indignation and highlighted the high rates of femicide across the continent. British miniseries'Adolescence' became a global hit this year with its raw depiction of the damage caused by online misogyny while a recent largescale Australia study found one in three men saying they have committed intimate partner violence at some point in their lives. The last image Sana uploaded on her socials, celebrating her 17th birthday. sanayousaf22/Instagram Sana posted regularly on her social media accounts where her content would be familiar to any teenager online. sanayousaf22/Instagram Few safe spaces online Sana's TikTok content would be familiar to any teenager online. Her recent shorts included showing off her fashionwear, singing songs while driving, and filming a blowdry at the salon. But for prominent women's rights campaigners, Sana's death was the ultimate outcome of unrestricted online abuse of women in a patriarchal country. Amber Rahim Shamsi, a prominent journalist and Pakistan editor of a news digital platform, Nukta, says she was relentlessly harassed online in 2020 for a variety of issues, including her views on women's rights. 'I have also been stalked online, and became fearful when my stalker started to send me mugs and mounted photos to my office. I am just one example among millions of women from all walks of life. Most don't have the privilege or social safety nets to protect themselves,' Shamsi told CNN. Shamsi agrees that there is a crisis in masculinity, 'especially in how it plays out in our digital spaces.' And that it needs to be talked about 'not just for women's sake, but for men's, too.' According to Shamsi, 'social media has amplified women's voices – especially those of young women – who are increasingly educated, politically aware, and unafraid to own their choices. That visibility, that confidence, is unsettling for some men who have grown up believing their authority, their control, is a given.' 'It's an identity crisis,' says Shamsi. 'A subset of men is reacting with anxiety and aggression to this shift in gender dynamic as though the solution is to shrink women's spaces, rather than question why so many boys are being raised to feel threatened by equality.' The DRF's report stated that since 2017 its helpline 'has documented over 20,000 cases of technology-facilitated gender-based violence and online threats, numbers that have only grown.' Kanwal Ahmed, a Pakistani social entrepreneur and storyteller, runs Soul Sister Pakistan, a Facebook group created in 2013 with over 300,000 followers. For years, it's operated as a popular safe digital space for Pakistani women online, but Ahmed says the criticism of her page has been unrelenting. 'We have been called a man-hating, trauma-bonding club where all women do is gossip,' said Ahmed, who works with volunteers to help women in need who post on the page. Sana is not alone when it comes to unwanted online attention that's moved to real life. Ahmed recalled a case in 2019 of a young woman who had been stalked by a man after her friend leaked her number online. 'The only difference between her and Sana is that she wasn't killed, the stalker turned up at her door,' said Ahmed. 'You don't have to be an influencer to face this, it can happen to anyone.' Natalia Tariq, the resource mobilization lead at the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), a worldwide network of social activists who use the internet to make the world a better place, tells CNN that there is 'a complete culture of impunity' around online gender-based violence in Pakistan. Regulations and policies in place in the country are 'absolutely inadequate,' she said. There's a perception in Pakistan that 'violence that takes place online is not 'real' and is therefore less harmful,' Tariq said. But she added that what are sometimes seen as 'merely virtual' online threats can often turn to physical violence. Sana Yousaf's murder sparked demonstrations condemning violence against women, in Islamabad on June 5, 2025. Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images Putting the focus on men Much praise has been heaped on Pakistani authorities for their sensitive and swift handling of Sana's murder, but some commentators say that's missing the point. Usama Khilji, the director of Bolo Bhi, a digital rights advocacy group Bolo Bhi, says Pakistan should be talking about educating boys about online harassment. 'Men in leadership positions need to be talking about these issues,' according to Khilji. Khilji said hate speech against women in Pakistan is still 'not a priority, and he's called on the government to 'show leadership in combatting online crimes against women.' Sana's murder comes less than two weeks after a landmark ruling by the country's Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for Zahir Jaffer, who murdered Noor Mukkadam, the daughter of a distinguished diplomat, in 2021. The brutal beheading horrified the country and renewed calls for better protection for victims of gender-based violence. Noor's father, Shaukat Mukadam, has been lauded for his relentless campaign for justice for his daughter. After the ruling, Noor's family issued a statement saying the verdict was a 'powerful reminder that women's lives matter.' Sana's father, Hassan, told CNN of his immense love for his daughter, of her plans to become a doctor, and the simple things that gave her joy, like birthday parties. 'Every moment with her was unforgettable,' he said.
