|
Hello, I'm Neil Nunes with the BBC News.
The White House has refused to rule out using military force to combat drug trafficking gangs in Venezuela. Three U.S. warships with Marines on board have been deployed to the southern Caribbean after Washington designated several cartels as terrorist organizations. With more, here's James Reid. The prospect of direct U.S. military intervention in Venezuela still seems remote. But the approach of American warships has angered President Nicolás Maduro, who's been indicted on drug charges with a $50 million bounty for his arrest. On Monday, he said he would mobilize millions of militia members to defend against the threat. Asked if the naval deployment could lead to U.S. boots on the ground in Venezuela, the White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said President Trump was prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs coming into the country. The United States has reached bilateral deportation agreements with Honduras and Uganda as part of its efforts to reduce illegal immigration. Both countries have agreed to accept deported migrants. Here's David Willis in Los Angeles. Amid an unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration in this country, the Trump administration has been looking to reach deportation arrangements with countries on several continents. Around a dozen have so far agreed to accept deportees from other nations, some of which, like Uganda, have a dubious human rights record. Uganda has agreed to take several hundred African and Asian migrants who'd claimed asylum along the U.S.-Mexico border. And documents obtained by CBS News indicate that Honduras has agreed to receive deportees from other Spanish-speaking countries. Mexican authorities have discovered six severed human heads beside a road in the center of the country. Organized criminal groups in Mexico often use extreme violence to intimidate rivals. More from Will Grant. The six severed heads were found in the early hours of Tuesday morning on a road which links the broadly peaceful states of Puebla and Tlaxcala. Local media has reported that a blanket was left next to them with a message issuing a warning to rival gangs, apparently signed by a group called "La Barredora," meaning the sweeper. As well as drug trafficking, there is an issue in the region with fuel smuggling, known as "huachicolea," which generates billions of dollars a year for the groups behind the illegal activity. So far, the federal authorities have not commented on the grisly killings. A Colombian court has ordered that the former president, Álvaro Uribe, be released from house arrest while he appeals against his conviction for bribery and abuse of judicial process. Mr. Uribe was sentenced to 12 years earlier this month in a case related to his links to right-wing paramilitaries. He maintains he is innocent. This is the World News from the BBC. The constitutional court in Peru has suspended all investigations into President Dina Boluarte until her term ends next July. The president, whose approval ratings are rock bottom, was being probed for her role in the deaths of dozens of protesters after she came to power in 2022. She also faced investigation for abandoning her post for two weeks to have plastic surgery on her nose. Ms. Boluarte denies wrongdoing. President Trump says his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts are preparing a meeting to discuss ending their war. Our correspondent in the White House, John Sudworth, says there was speculation about the Hungarian capital, Budapest, as a possible venue. It's a long way from confirmed, but there are these credible reports on a number of U.S. news organizations quoting official sources, suggesting that it is one of the places in serious contention. Why Budapest? Tricky to know for sure if that is the way that things look like they're heading. But of course, Viktor Orban, the Hungarian leader, is seen as a staunch Trump ally, also far more Russia-friendly than the European norm. But for Ukraine, you might argue that it's a pretty inauspicious choice. Syria's state news agency says the foreign minister Assad al-Shaibani has met an Israeli delegation in Paris to discuss improving stability in southern Syria and the wider region. It said the U.S.-backed talks focused on de-escalation and non-interference in Syrian domestic affairs. President Trump has said he's instructed his lawyers to look into museums in the United States, which he accused of being the last remaining segment of "WOKE." Mr. Trump singled out the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, saying it only discussed "how horrible" the U.S. was and "how bad Slavery was." BBC News. |