Latest news with #GlobalTerrorists
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Designating Haiti's gangs as terrorists risks humanitarian aid
The Trump administration's decision to designate Haiti's most powerful armed gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists may project strength. Still, it risks triggering a catastrophic humanitarian collapse just as the need for aid intensifies and international support is stretched thin. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the designations last week, targeting the Viv Ansanm coalition, which controls up to 90% of Port-au-Prince, and its ally, the Gran Grif gang in the Artibonite region. These gangs have undeniably unleashed terror: more than 1,600 Haitians were killed in the first three months of 2025, and over five million face acute hunger. But branding them as terrorists is a blunt instrument where a scalpel is needed. The implications go far beyond symbolism. Under U.S. law, providing 'material support' to designated groups becomes a federal crime, a broad definition that can include food, fuel or medical supplies. This could criminalize humanitarian workers who must negotiate access with gangs or pay tolls to deliver aid. Already operating under dangerous conditions, many aid groups may now pull out entirely — tightening the gangs' grip on neighborhoods and deepening the suffering of those trapped inside them. Broward U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, co-chair of the Haiti Caucus, warns the move could push Haiti further into isolation. Disrupting remittances and aid — economic lifelines for millions — would devastate a country already teetering on the edge. Haitian families rely on those funds for food, education, and survival. The gangs' dominance is not just a law enforcement issue; it's a symptom of institutional collapse. The Trump administration may view the designation as a show of resolve, but it lacks a strategic endgame, or even a path to prosecuting gang leaders. Without U.S. troops on the ground or a viable Kenyan-led force, what's the plan to dismantle these armed groups? There's also a critical deadline looming. In June, the contractor managing the U.S.-constructed base for nearly 1,000 Kenyan-led multinational troops needs assurance that the administration will continue the $200 million in funding. Without a firm commitment before the contract expires in September, the limited mission could withdraw this summer, leaving a dangerous power vacuum. In that case, gangs will operate unchecked, and more than a million displaced Haitians will be left to fend for themselves amid spiraling chaos. Experts warn the designation could also complicate future peace-building and gang demobilization efforts. It might even be used as justification for deporting Haitians from the U.S., including those tenuously linked to violence. State Rep. Dotie Joseph, a Haitian American leader, cautions that the terrorist label could be weaponized against Haitian immigrants, just as similar labels have been used against others, including Venezuelans targeted over tattoos or clothing. 'In practice, I am concerned that the administration may use such a designation as an additional tool to mistreat Haitian immigrants in the U.S.,' Joseph told the Editorial Board. The administration's next steps must include clear safeguards, guidance for aid groups and donors, and a strategy focused on weakening gang finances, not humanitarian access. The goal must be to choke off gang resources, not the flow of food and medicine. Labeling gangs as terrorists may play well politically, but the real cost could be paid in lives lost to hunger, disease and violence. Haiti doesn't need more punitive gestures. It needs protection, support and a coordinated international response. If the Trump administration won't back the U.N.-authorized Kenyan-led force, there must be a credible Plan B. Port-au-Prince is on the brink of state collapse. Declaring gangs as terrorists may feel decisive, but it won't stop the violence, and it could sever the last remaining lifelines for millions. This is a moment for nuanced diplomacy, not slogans. Haiti needs sustained, strategic engagement and a plan to dismantle the criminal networks Rubio himself says pose a threat to U.S. and regional interests. Haiti deserves better than an empty gesture dressed up as strategy. Click here to send the letter.
Fox News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Joe Rogan wins rare liberal praise for take on Trump deportation policies
Joe Rogan was praised by a former Obama official after the podcaster said President Donald Trump's deportation policies were an "overcorrection," and warned that Trump's administration runs the risk of becoming "monsters" in their fight against illegal immigration. "Joe Rogan is absolutely right. It may seem fine to blow up due process for Abrego Garcia and others now. But if that's the new normal, how you going to feel when a president is elected with whom you DON'T agree? And all the safeguards are gone?" former Obama adviser David Axelrod posted on X Sunday. Rogan was discussing illegal immigration with comedian Deric Poston on Thursday when he delivered a harsh critique of Trump's decision to send some illegal immigrants to an El Salvadoran prison without trial. The podcaster implied that the Trump administration was not "thinking things through" with their attempts to circumnavigate due process. "Here's the problem with f--k [due process]. What if you are an enemy of, let's not say any current president. Let's pretend we got a new president, totally new guy in 2028, and this is a common practice now of just rounding up gang members with no due process and shipping them to El Salvador, 'you're a gang member.' 'No, I'm not.' 'Prove it.' 'What? I got to go to court.' 'No. No due process.'" Rogan was referencing Trump's decision to send illegal immigrant gang members to the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador without trial. Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., flew to El Salvador on Thursday to meet with one such deportee, Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Democrats and some in the media have decried Garcia's deportation as unjust, saying that he was a Maryland father who was denied due process. The Trump administration maintains that Garcia is a member of MS-13. The president declared gangs such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, as well as South American cartels, to be Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists in an executive order signed on his first day back in office. Trump has also released documents that purport to show that Garcia's wife had complained of domestic violence from him. "We got to be careful that we don't become monsters while we're fighting monsters," Rogan said. The UFC announcer's tough words for the Trump administration won him rare praise from liberals on social media. "Joe Rogan gets it. The Trump administration rounding up immigrants whom they deem to be 'gang members' without due process and sending them to prisons in El Salvador is 'horrific,'" influencer Ed Krassenstein posted on X. Rogan, however, also sharply criticized former President Joe Biden and the Democrats' immigration policies, accusing them of trying to destroy society. "If you wanted to destroy society and make it worse what would you do? You'd bring people in from a Third World country, don't have them change anything, financially incentivize them to be there, give them free money while you're not helping the poor people in America," Rogan said.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
U.S. Cancels Visas for Mexican Group After Showing Cartel Leader Photos in Concert
The U.S. State Department has canceled the work and tourist visas of the members of Mexican corrido group Los Alegres del Barranco after they displayed images of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as 'El Mencho,' during a concert on Saturday (March 29) at an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara. The news was confirmed on Tuesday (April 1) by Christopher Landau, the Deputy Secretary of State, in a post on X. More from Billboard The Hives Plot World Tour to Accompany New Album, 'The Hives Forever Forever The Hives' Morgan Wallen Launches 'Get Me to God's Country' Merch Following 'SNL' Walk-Off Selena Gomez & benny blanco's 'I Said I Love You First' Debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales Chart 'I'm a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean that expression should be free of consequences,' wrote Landau in his post. 'A Mexican band, Los Alegres del Barranco, portrayed images glorifying drug kingpin 'El Mencho' — head of the grotesquely violent CJNG cartel — at a recent concert in Mexico. I'm pleased to announce that the State Department has revoked the band members' work and tourism visas. In the Trump Administration, we take seriously our responsibility over foreigners' access to our country. The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.' The State Department, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announced on Feb. 20 the designation of eight cartels and transnational organizations — including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel — as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). Prior to Landau's announcement, the concert had caused significant controversy and outrage in Mexico, which has long tried to curb the glorification of drug lords in popular Mexican music and narcocorridos. The concert was condemned on Monday (March 31) by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. It prompted the Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office to launch an investigation for 'glorification of crime.' On Tuesday (April 1), the governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus, wrote in a post on X that his government supports the measures adopted by the University of Guadalajara to prevent criminal acts from being glorified at concerts, as occurred over the weekend at the Telmex Auditorium. The local leader said he signed an executive order to ensure that no singer or group with a history of endorsing criminal activity will perform at events linked to his government. 'Next week, I will introduce an initiative to ensure that, in any legally sanctioned public event, producers and performers are held accountable for what happens during their shows, and no one can wash their hands of responsibility,' Lemus announced. Los Alegres del Barranco were scheduled to play shows in several U.S. cities, where the band was announced as part of the lineup for the Bésame Mucho festival April 5 in Austin, Texas. In a TikTok livestream on Tuesday, Pavel Morales, a member of the Sinaloan group, stated that the majority of their audience supports them and referred to their critics as 'confused.' Billboard Español reached out for comment to the band's reps, but hasn't received a reply by press time. Meanwhile, authorities from the municipality of Pedro Escobedo, in the Mexican state of Querétaro, confirmed on Tuesday that the group's scheduled performance for April 19 was canceled because 'it does not meet the necessary municipal permits for its realization,' the local government said in a statement on Tuesday. The projection of the controversial images took place during a concert titled 'Los Señores del Corrido' at the Telmex Auditorium, where Los Alegres del Barranco performed the song 'El Dueño del Palenque' (The Owner of the Palenque) and displayed on screen photos of the cartel leader, as well as other images created by AI. The images appeared on multiple videos on social media. They include the moments in which fans burst into cheers when the images of the cartel leader were shown, adding to the controversy. In a statement, Auditorio Telmex Adistanced itself from the events, arguing that the venue 'has no influence on the selection of the repertoire, speeches, or audiovisual material that artists decide to share with their audiences.' However, it acknowledged that the images of the kingpin could be considered an 'exultation of crime.' The controversy over the alleged tribute to the drug trafficker arises after information has surfaced over how the cartel uses clandestine ranches to recruit people through deceptive job offers, according to federal authorities and media reports. This followed the recent discovery of Izaguirre Ranch in early March in the municipality of Teuchitlán, where acts of torture and murder were allegedly committed, according to the Guerreros Buscadores collective. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
CNN
28-02-2025
- CNN
Mexico extradites notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero and dozens of cartel members to the US
Mexico has extradited notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero and 28 other fugitive cartel members to the United States, according to the US Department of Justice. Caro Quintero, considered by Mexican authorities to be the founder of the Guadalajara cartel, was allegedly involved in the kidnapping, torture and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique Camarena Salazar in 1985. The DEA says Salazar's murder was in retaliation for a raid in 1984 of Caro Quintero's 2,500-acre marijuana farm by Mexican authorities. Caro Quintero spent 28 years in prison in Mexico for his role in the murder before he was released on a technicality in 2013. The Mexican Supreme Court later overturned the decision that freed him. The fugitive returned to drug trafficking as a senior leader of the Sinaloa cartel, according to the FBI. In July 2022, Caro Quintero was captured by the Mexican Navy during an operation that resulted in the deaths of 14 Marines in a helicopter crash. He was caught after a navy dog found him hiding in bushes. 'Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA's most wanted fugitives list, and today we can proudly say he has arrived in the United States where justice will be served,' DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz said Thursday. 'This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena. It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.' Quintero is expected to appear in court in New York on Friday. Mexico's Attorney General's Office and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection said 29 people who were held in different correctional facilities across the country were transferred to the US. They were wanted for their connections to criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking, among other crimes. The US Department of Justice said that those taken into custody Thursday include 'leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel).' It added that among the 29 were Martin Sotelo – also known as Alder Marin-Sotelo – who allegedly participated in the 2022 murder of Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd in Charlotte, North Carolina; Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, who allegedly helped lead CJNG; and two alleged high-ranking members of Los Zetas, Ramiro Perez Moreno and Lucio Hernandez Lechuga. 'These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence,' the DOJ statement added. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the alleged cartel members would be prosecuted 'to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels.' 'As President (Donald) Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,' she said. Acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove said the extraditions were 'a consequence of a White House that negotiates from a position of strength, and an Attorney General who is willing to lead the Department with courage and ferocity.' CNN's Fidel Gutierrez contributed this report. Previous reporting by Tara Subramaniam, Karol Suarez and Rey Rodriguez.
CNN
28-02-2025
- CNN
Mexico extradites notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero and 28 other fugitive cartel members to the US
Mexico has extradited notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero and 28 other fugitive cartel members to the United States, according to the US Department of Justice. Caro Quintero, considered by Mexican authorities to be the founder of the Guadalajara cartel, was allegedly involved in the kidnapping, torture and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique Camarena Salazar in 1985. The DEA says Salazar's murder was in retaliation for a raid in 1984 of Caro Quintero's 2,500-acre marijuana farm by Mexican authorities. Caro Quintero spent 28 years in prison in Mexico for his role in the murder before he was released on a technicality in 2013. The Mexican Supreme Court later overturned the decision that freed him. The fugitive returned to drug trafficking as a senior leader of the Sinaloa cartel, according to the FBI. In July 2022 Caro Quintero was captured by the Mexican Navy in an operation that ended with 14 Marines dying in a Black Hawk helicopter crash. He was caught after a navy dog found him hiding in the bushes. 'Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA's most wanted fugitives list, and today we can proudly say he has arrived in the United States where justice will be served,' DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz said Thursday. 'This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena. It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you,' Maltz added. Mexico's Attorney General's Office and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection said 29 people who were held in different correctional facilities across the country were transferred to the US. They were wanted for their connections to criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking, among other crimes. The US Department of Justice said that those taken into custody Thursday include 'leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel).' 'These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence,' the DOJ statement added. CNN's Fidel Gutierrez contributed this report. Previous reporting by Tara Subramaniam, Karol Suarez and Rey Rodriguez
