US and Ecuador sign agreement to combat transnational crime
The agreement, signed during a visit of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to the South American country, facilitates the exchange of information on suspected criminal offenders and risk assessments of cargo and travelers. Noem told reporters the efforts are 'crucial steps to improve security and ensure that migration is carried out within the framework of the law.'
The deal with Ecuador comes as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to bolster regional cooperation in its clampdown against immigration and transnational criminal groups, including Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the White House earlier this year.
On Wednesday, Noem signed a similar agreement with Chile, which she visited as part of her latest tour of Latin America. That agreement allows Chilean officials to identify potentially dangerous migrants entering or exiting the country and share their fingerprints, iris scans and other biometric data with Homeland Security to prevent such individuals from traveling to the U.S.
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The Guardian
a minute ago
- The Guardian
‘We have to clear our names': Venezuelan make-up artist who survived Ice detainment tries to rebuild his life
Andry José Hernández Romero has already picked out the color of the suit he'll wear to the next celebration of the Three Kings festival in his home town in the Venezuelan Andes. The carnivalesque celebration of Epiphany inspired the tattoos that landed him behind bars in El Salvador, accused of belonging to Venezuela's most feared criminal gang, Tren de Aragua. The suit will be green, 'like hope', he said. Now free, and speaking over Zoom from his home, Hernández, 31, lifted his shirt to show two of the nine tattoos on his body: the words mom and dad, each inked beneath a crown. 'This is the big controversy that has caused me too much harm,' he says. Hernández, a make-up artist, was one of 251 Venezuelan men flown from Texas to the notorious Cecot maximum security prison in El Salvador as part of Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration. They endured months in a facility described as the 'cemetery of the living dead' before finally being repatriated in late July, following a deal between the US and Venezuelan governments. Now, they are trying to rebuild their lives – and for Hernández, that means planning his outfit for the festival of Three Kings Day in his hometown of Capacho – a celebration he has been fascinated by since he was a boy. 'I'm already working on my suit. My mom is happier. Everyone wants to help me with the design and the fabrics,' he said. 'What they still don't know is that in Cecot I had so much time to think. The suit is already designed.' He was arrested last August after crossing the US southern border to attend a prearranged asylum appointment. Hernández, who is gay, told agents he was fleeing persecution stemming from his sexual orientation and political views. He was held for six months in San Diego, and on 15 March, he was put on a plane in Laredo, Texas, which he thought was headed for Venezuela. But when it landed, the prisoners saw a foreign flag flapping in the wind. At first, Hernandez presumed it was a stopover, but the men were soon forced off the aircraft by screaming guards who quickly made it clear they were now prisoners of an authoritarian crackdown by the president, Nayib Bukele, in El Salvador. For four months, his family had no idea where he was. For them, he had been forcibly disappeared. There were no calls, no communication, no trace. Confirmation of his whereabouts only came on 20 March 2025, when CBS published a leaked list of 238 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador. Later investigations confirmed that 90% of those deported had no criminal record in the US. Life inside Cecot followed a bleak rhythm. There was no sunlight, no answers, no information. But always, there was the sound of handcuffs. 'I think they used it as emotional control – that sound of the cuffs and the doors,' he recalled. The yelling never stopped. 'For everything. Because we spoke. Because we asked questions. For everything. 'If that's how they treated us, knowing we were just migrants, I don't even want to imagine how they treat the regular inmates – the ones who've actually committed crimes,' he said. As a gay man, Hernández endured relentless harassment and taunting by the guards. 'In El Salvador, believe me, human rights don't exist. And LGBTQ rights? Even less. People in there who belong to the community have to be brave... we carry an extra burden. It's hard for a regular prisoner to accept that he shares a cell with someone from the community. Someone different. Someone who loves the same sex. Who sees the world differently.' In interviews after his release, Hernández described an episode of sexual abuse. His lawyers have advised him not to speak further until they gather all the necessary evidence to file a formal complaint. 'It's a very hard and delicate thing to talk about,' he said. Nobody told the men that they were going to be released, but last month the prisoners noticed that something had changed at Cecot. Doctors came to check on them. They were given hygiene products. Guards started to drop hints. Then, 18 July, Bukele released a video making it official: a prisoner swap had taken place, exchanging ten US citizens and several political detainees in Venezuela for the 251 Venezuelans held in the cages of Cecot. After 125 days locked up in El Salvador, the men boarded a flight home. Hernández arrived in Capacho early on 23 July. His mother was waiting with pisca andina, a traditional Andean soup. His younger brother had brought him his favorite comfort food – salchipapas, or fried sausages with chips. The return home was overwhelming. 'I've been amazed by all the solidarity,' Hernández said. 'All of Capacho, everything they've done. My parents never stopped fighting for my freedom. What they did for me – it was enormous. I'll be grateful to them for the rest of my life.' Now, alongside his lawyers, he is focused on seeking justice – which, in his words, means clearing his name and those of his fellow deportees. 'They have to clear our names. We were branded with legal ink. None of us belong to the Tren de Aragua. President Donald Trump and President Nayib Bukele must face the consequences of everything we went through in that prison. International authorities need to take action.' Hernández has started drawing again. Over Zoom, he scrolls through dozens of sketches of dresses – a lifelong hobby that helped him survive the darkest moments. But the trauma is still there: there are still sounds he struggles to process: keys jangling, doors closing, the fear that creeps in when he tries to sleep. 'I thought it was just me, but several of my friends have said the same thing – that they can't stand seeing a police officer or hearing the sound of keys or chains.' He had hoped to return to the world of art, makeup, design – and to pursue a dream he's had since childhood: launching a foundation called Ángel de Dios, to support children with HIV and cancer. For now, out of concern for his safety, he chooses not to speak about Venezuela's political context. 'I think Andry Hernández is still going to be the same Andry as always,' he said. 'I'm still the same person who cares deeply about the world of makeup – and about justice, especially when it comes to diversity and the LGBTQ community.'
Scottish Sun
32 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Russia and China begin massive war games in Sea of Japan after Trump sends two nuclear submarines to face down Putin
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RUSSIA and China kicked off chilling war games in the Sea of Japan in a show of force just a day after Donald Trump's blistering nuclear warning. The US commander-in-chief ordered that two nuclear submarines be positioned near Russia before warning America is "totally prepared" for a nuclear war. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Russian warships, including Alexander Obukhov destroyer during a navy drill 9 Arrival of Chinese military vessels in Vladivostok, Russia on July 31, 2025 Credit: Reuters 9 The two sides will hold a number of naval operations involving submarines Credit: East2West 9 A fleet of ships sails out at sea in a previous China and Russia's naval joint drill Credit: Reuters The extraordinary escalation by Trump followed a slew of "inflammatory" threats against America from Kremlin comrade Dmitry Medvedev. And just one day after, China and Russia began joint naval drills on Sunday as they seek to reinforce their partnership and counterbalance what they see as a US-led global order. Dubbed "Joint Sea-2025", the exercises - although pre-planned - kicked off on Sunday in waters near the Russian port of Vladivostok and would last for three days. The two sides will hold a number of naval operations, including "submarine rescue, joint anti-submarine, air defence and anti-missile operations, and maritime combat", China's defence ministry said. read more in Geopolitics DON'S WARNING Trump says US 'totally prepared' for attacks after moving subs towards Russia Four Chinese vessels, including guided-missile destroyers Shaoxing and Urumqi, are participating in the exercises alongside Russian warships. And after the drills, the two countries will conduct naval patrols in "relevant waters of the Pacific", the ministry said. It added that the war games were aimed at "further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership" of the two countries. China and Russia have carried out annual drills for several years, with the "Joint Sea" exercises beginning in 2012. Last year's drills were held along China's southern coast. Footage showed Russian warships firing during joint anti-submarine exercises with the Chinese Navy. Donald Trump orders nuclear submarines to be moved near Russia as he blasts 'foolish' nuke threat from Putin crony Alongside economic and political ties, Moscow and Beijing have strengthened their military cooperation in recent years. And their relations have deepened since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. China has never denounced Russia's more than three-year war nor called for it to withdraw its troops. Although it insists it is a neutral party regularly calling for an end to the fighting while also accusing Western countries of prolonging the conflict by arming Ukraine. Many of Ukraine's allies, including the US, believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow. 9 Russian President Vladimir Putin shaking hands with China's Xi Jinping at Kremlin Credit: Reuters WAR OF WORDS The nuclear sabre-rattling by Trump comes after Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's security council, made an ominous threat and warned that the US is taking drastic steps towards war with Moscow. Trump slammed Medvedev's words as "foolish and inflammatory" before ordering the placement of nuclear submarines near Russian territory. He said: "Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions. Medvedev, who was the former Russian president from 2008 to 2012, seemed to threaten America with nuclear annihilation in the tit-for-tat row with Trump. 9 Don slammed former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev's comments as 'highly provocative' Credit: The Mega Agency 9 Russia's Security Council's Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev seemed to threaten America with nuclear annihilation in the tit-for-tat row with Trump Credit: He said: "If some words of the former Russian president [Medvedev] cause such a nervous reaction in the entire, formidable US president, then Russia is right in everything and will continue to go its own way. "Let him remember his favorite films about the "walking dead", as well as how dangerous a "dead hand" that does not exist in nature can be." Medvedev may have referred to Moscow's "Dead Hand" nuclear weapons system, which is designed to launch a doomsday retaliation attack with full nuclear force - even if the Kremlin leadership is wiped out. He also warned that Russia "isn't Israel or even Iran." Trump v Medvedev July 2025: Donald Trump announced a 50-day deadline for Russia to move toward ending the war in Ukraine or face "severe" tariffs. Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, dismissed this as a "theatrical ultimatum" that Russia "didn't care" about. Late July 2025: President Trump reduced his deadline for Russia to secure a peace deal to just "10 or 12 days," threatening sanctions and secondary tariffs on countries that do business with Russia. In response, Medvedev wrote on X that Trump was "playing the ultimatum game" and warned that each new ultimatum was a step toward war, not between Russia and Ukraine, but with the United States. July 30, 2025 In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump publicly targeted Medvedev, calling him a "failed former President of Russia" who was "entering very dangerous territory" with his remarks. This statement came as Trump also announced a 25% tariff on India, criticizing its "dead economy" and continued defense and energy ties with Moscow. July 31, 2025" Medvedev retaliated on social media by referencing the "Dead Hand," a Cold War-era Soviet nuclear retaliation system, in a veiled threat to the US. He also stated that Trump's "jittery reaction" proved Russia was "completely in the right" and would continue on its own path. August 1, 2025 In a further escalation, President Trump announced he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned near Russia in response to Medvedev's "foolish and inflammatory statements." This move highlights the dangerous rhetorical turn the conflict has taken, now including nuclear threats from both sides. "Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war," the former Russian president wrote in an X post. The MAGA prez hit back saying: "Just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that. "Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump did not say in his post whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military. But in an interview with Newsmax that aired Friday night, Trump said the submarines were "closer to Russia." 9 The US Navy's USS Minnesota (SSN-783), a Virginia-class fast attack submarine Credit: AFP "We always want to be ready. And so I have sent to the region two nuclear submarines," he said. "I just want to make sure that his words are only words and nothing more than that." The US has the largest nuclear-powered submarine fleet in the world, including its lead ship the USS Virginia - a 377-feet long sub, equipped with cruise missiles. The US has nuclear-powered attack submarines that can search for targets. Several of the US Navy's vessels are specifically designed for stealth and are able to precisely strike targets with nuclear warheads. The Western superpower also has larger, nuclear-armed submarines, which do not need to be repositioned as they can reach targets thousands of miles away. It's unclear which nuclear submarines will be deployed.
Telegraph
33 minutes ago
- Telegraph
US prepares for showdown talks with Putin this week
Donald Trump's envoy to Russia will hold showdown talks with Vladimir Putin this week, as the Friday deadline to make a deal or see further sanctions approaches. Steve Witkoff will visit Moscow on 'Wednesday or Thursday' to meet the Russian president, Mr Trump said. His task is to 'get a deal where people stop getting killed', according to the US president. Putin has already met Mr Witkoff four times in Moscow in an attempt to broker a peace deal. But this trip to the Russian capital comes ahead of the shortened deadline set by Mr Trump for Putin to reach a ceasefire or face crippling new sanctions. The US president has said the new measures could mean 'secondary tariffs' targeting Russia's remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption. 'There'll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions,' Mr Trump told reporters on Sunday. Mr Trump also confirmed that US nuclear submarines are 'now in the region where they have to be' after he announced on Friday that two underwater vessels would be moved towards Russian waters. 'The answer is, they are in the region, yeah, where they have to be,' he said on Sunday. The decision to move US nuclear submarines came in response to an escalating war of words online between Mr Trump and Russia's former president. Dmitry Medvedev, a key Putin ally now on Russia's security council, had aggressively criticised Mr Trump's sanctions ultimatum and reminded him of the strength of Moscow's nuclear arsenal. 'Foolish and inflammatory statements' Mr Trump said on social media that Medvedev's 'highly provocative statements' led him to dispatch the submarines 'just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that'. It is not clear which nuclear submarines have been moved, but experts said it was likely to be nuclear-armed vessels. It is extremely rare for a US president to signal their movements, which are usually shrouded in secrecy. In response, Medvedev, one of Russia's most outspoken anti-Western hawks who has long been at odds with Mr Trump, has stayed unusually quiet. Noting his silence, Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, said the reaction of the 'Russian drunk who had been threatening nuclear war' made it clear that 'Russia only understands one thing: strength'. The shift in Washington's nuclear posture towards Russia reflects its growing frustration with Moscow over its intensifying bombardment of Ukraine. Mr Trump, whose patience with Putin has worn thin, said he was 'disgusted' on Thursday by Russia's deadly drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. Putin's demands 'unchanged' Russia fired a record number of drones in July, killing hundreds of civilians, while its forces grind forward in the country's east and have accelerated their gains for the fourth consecutive month, according to analysis. Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said on Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half year invasion were 'unchanged.' He has demanded that Ukraine cede complete control of four regions that Moscow has invaded and claimed to have annexed – a demand that Kyiv says is tantamount to surrender. It comes as Ukrainian drone attacks on Sunday sparked a massive fire at an oil depot in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
