logo
Jalisco ranch was longstanding operation site for organised crime, Mexico AG says

Jalisco ranch was longstanding operation site for organised crime, Mexico AG says

Straits Times29-04-2025

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's attorney general, Alejandro Gertz, said on Tuesday that the ranch in Teuchtitlan, Mexico's Jalisco state, where human remains, piles of clothes and weapons were found last month was a longstanding operation and training site for organized crime.
The so-called "ranch of horror" was discovered in March littered with bone fragments, ashes and alleged makeshift crematoriums along with hundreds of shoes and backpacks, as bloody cartel violence continues to hit Mexico.
A large number of warheads, casings, operation targets, weapons and equipment used to train people were also found at the site, Gertz added during a press conference.
"It was a longstanding operation site, where people were recruited, trained and from where they went out to operate," Gertz answered when questioned about the links between organized crime and the ranch.
The attorney general also reiterated that the activities at the ranch and the people who controlled it were linked to the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which authorities have accused of forcibly recruiting young people.
Jalisco is one of the states with the highest number of reported missing persons in Mexico, according to official data, and it is the home base of the CJNG. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Forum: Rely on surveillance technology for night security in school buildings
Forum: Rely on surveillance technology for night security in school buildings

Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Forum: Rely on surveillance technology for night security in school buildings

It is very puzzling to see the lights in many school buildings switched on every night. I understand that the primary reason is security. But I believe that with the latest in surveillance technology, there should not be a need to switch on so many lights. Instead, perhaps only the lights along the common corridors should be activated. Deployment of more advanced surveillance equipment can help deal with suspicious activity. Such surveillance devices can be linked to school personnel, who can in turn request assistance from the neighbourhood police if needed. I hope that the relevant authorities can come together to maintain security in schools and, at the same time, reduce usage of electricity with better surveillance equipment. Foo Sing Kheng More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Israel says body of Hamas commander Mohammed Sinwar found in tunnel beneath Gaza hospital
Israel says body of Hamas commander Mohammed Sinwar found in tunnel beneath Gaza hospital

Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Israel says body of Hamas commander Mohammed Sinwar found in tunnel beneath Gaza hospital

Israeli soldiers walk out from a tunnel underneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis at the Gaza Strip. PHOTO: REUTERS KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza - The Israeli army said on June 8 it had retrieved the body of Hamas' military chief Mohammed Sinwar in an underground tunnel beneath a hospital in southern Gaza, following a targeted operation in May. Another senior Hamas leader, Mohammad Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade, was also found dead at the scene along with a number of other militants, who are still being identified, said IDF spokesperson, Brigadier-General Effie Defrin. Israeli forces gave a small group of foreign reporters a tour of the tunnel that had been uncovered beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, which Defrin said was a major command and control compound for Hamas. 'This is another example of the cynical use by Hamas, using civilians as human shields, using civilian infrastructure, hospitals, again and again,' said Mr Defrin. 'We found underneath the hospital, right under the emergency room, a compound of a few rooms. In one of them we found, we killed Mohammed Sinwar,' he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sinwar's death in May, but Mr Defrin said they now had his DNA which proved beyond doubt it was him. Hamas has not commented on reports of the death of either Sinwar or Shabana. Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian militant group's deceased leader and mastermind of the October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people according to Israeli tallies, and which triggered the Israeli invasion of Gaza. A screengrab from a handout video shows, according to the Israeli Army, Hamas Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar. PHOTO: REUTERS Shabana was one of Hamas's most senior and battle-hardened commanders in southern Gaza. He played a central role in constructing the network of tunnels under the southern city of Rafah, which were used for ambushes and cross-border raids. Destruction The drive to Khan Younis in Israeli military vehicles showed widespread devastation, with countless buildings lying in ruins, and piles of rubble collected at the roadside. The Israeli military has raided or besieged numerous hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them to conceal fighters and orchestrate operations – a charge Hamas has repeatedly denied. While Israel has presented evidence in certain cases, some of its assertions remain unverified. Mr Defrin said the army had carefully planned the strike near the European Hospital in order not to damage it. A room with blood stains inside a tunnel underneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, where Israeli military said the body of Hamas Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar was found. PHOTO: REUTERS A large trench dug infront of the Emergency Room entrance led down to a hole in the claustrophobic, concrete tunnel, that was used as a hideaway by Hamas fighters, the army said. During the search of the site, Israeli forces recovered weapon stockpiles, ammunition, cash and documents that are now being reviewed for intelligence value. 'We will dismantle Hamas because we cannot live with this terror organisation right in our backyard, right across our border,' Mr Defrin said. More than 54,000 Palestinians have died during the ongoing Israeli assault, according to Gaza health authorities. The UN has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Israel reveals tunnel under Gaza hospital, says body of Sinwar's brother found there
Israel reveals tunnel under Gaza hospital, says body of Sinwar's brother found there

Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Israel reveals tunnel under Gaza hospital, says body of Sinwar's brother found there

Israeli soldiers walk out from a tunnel underneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis at the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing ground operation of the Israeli army against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Israeli soldiers walk out from a tunnel underneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis at the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing ground operation of the Israeli army against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Israel reveals tunnel under Gaza hospital, says body of Sinwar's brother found there KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza - The Israeli army said on Sunday it had retrieved the body of Hamas' military chief Mohammed Sinwar in an underground tunnel beneath a hospital in southern Gaza, following a targeted operation last month. Another senior Hamas leader, Mohammad Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade, was also found dead at the scene along with a number of other militants, who are still being identified, said IDF spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin. Israeli forces gave a small group of foreign reporters a tour of the tunnel that had been uncovered beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, which Defrin said was a major command and control compound for Hamas. "This is another example of the cynical use by Hamas, using civilians as human shields, using civilian infrastructure, hospitals, again and again," said Defrin. "We found underneath the hospital, right under the emergency room, a compound of a few rooms. In one of them we found, we killed Mohammed Sinwar," he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sinwar's death last month, but Defrin said they now had his DNA which proved beyond doubt it was him. Hamas has not commented on reports of the death of either Sinwar or Shabana. Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian militant group's deceased leader and mastermind of the October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people according to Israeli tallies, and which triggered the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Shabana was one of Hamas's most senior and battle-hardened commanders in southern Gaza. He played a central role in constructing the network of tunnels under the southern city of Rafah, which were used for ambushes and cross-border raids. DESTRUCTION The drive to Khan Younis in Israeli military vehicles showed widespread devastation, with countless buildings lying in ruins, and piles of rubble collected at the roadside. The Israeli military has raided or besieged numerous hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them to conceal fighters and orchestrate operations -- a charge Hamas has repeatedly denied. While Israel has presented evidence in certain cases, some of its assertions remain unverified. Defrin said the army had carefully planned the strike near the European Hospital in order not to damage it. A large trench dug infront of the Emergency Room entrance led down to a hole in the claustrophobic, concrete tunnel, that was used as a hideaway by Hamas fighters, the army said. During the search of the site, Israeli forces recovered weapon stockpiles, ammunition, cash and documents that are now being reviewed for intelligence value. "We will dismantle Hamas because we cannot live with this terror organisation right in our backyard, right across our border," Defrin said. More than 54,000 Palestinians have died during the ongoing Israeli assault, according to Gaza health authorities. The U.N. has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store