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The Independent
18 hours ago
- The Independent
Prosecutors in Jalisco, Mexico say they found 34 bodies in a mass grave
Prosecutors in the western Mexican state of Jalisco said Friday that investigators have found at least 34 bodies in a mass grave discovered earlier this year. Human remains packed into 169 bags were discovered during excavations at a construction site in the city of Zapopan in February. Construction teams alerted authorities, who launched a forensic investigation. After months of work at the site, forensic experts reported identifying at least 17 bodies and continue working to identify additional victims and analyze the scene. The gruesome discovery has once again drawn attention to Jalisco, which in March became the center of controversy after collectives searching for missing people found human remains and hundreds of clothing items in a ranch once used by the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel for recruiting and training members. To date, some 15 people have been arrested in connection with the case, including the mayor of Teuchitlán, who was detained last month. The 'Rancho Izaguirre' case sent chills down the spines of many Mexicans, who for years have endured soaring levels of cartel violence and the forced disappearance of more than 125,000 people. Families searching for their missing loved ones say that discoveries of such sites underscore the depth of violence and impunity in violence-torn regions like Jalisco. The discovery of the mass grave in Zapopan prompted calls from victims' families and human rights advocates for authorities to better investigate the scene and funnel more resources into the search for missing people.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mexican real estate trusts drop CIBanco as trustee after US sanctions
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican real estate trusts Terrafina and Fibra Inn on Friday said they would remove lender CIBanco as their trustee, after U.S. sanctions over money laundering accusations caused Mexican authorities to step in to manage the bank earlier this week. The U.S. Treasury on Wednesday prohibited certain transactions with CIBanco, as well as bank Intercam and brokerage Vector Casa de Bolsa, under new fentanyl-related sanctions. All three firms deny the money laundering allegations. President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday she had not received any evidence of money laundering from the U.S. Mexico's banking regulator will temporarily manage the three financial insitutions. Terrafina said in a filing that it was taking steps to address any potential risks posed by authorities' intervention of CIBanco, but that it did not expect to see a hit from the move. Fibra Inn, a hotel real estate trust, said CIBanco would serve as trustee until a new one was selected and appointed. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mexico's Terrafina to remove CIBanco as trustee after US sanctions
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican real estate trust Terrafina said on Friday it planned to remove bank CIBanco as its trustee due to U.S. money laundering accusations, which resulted in Mexico's banking regulator stepping in to manage it. CIBanco has rejected the sanctions from the U.S. Treasury Department, which prohibit certain transactions with the firm. President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday she had not received any evidence of money laundering from the U.S., which also sanctioned two other financial operators, Vector Casa de Bolsa and Intercam Banco. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mexico's Terrafina to remove CIBanco as trustee after US sanctions
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican real estate trust Terrafina said on Friday it planned to remove bank CIBanco as its trustee due to U.S. money laundering accusations, which resulted in Mexico's banking regulator stepping in to manage it. CIBanco has rejected the sanctions from the U.S. Treasury Department, which prohibit certain transactions with the firm. President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday she had not received any evidence of money laundering from the U.S., which also sanctioned two other financial operators, Vector Casa de Bolsa and Intercam Banco.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Watch as fugitive drug lord Fito ‘The Lion' is found in trapdoor lair after daughter, 3, accidentally revealed hideout
WATCH the moment Ecuador's most-wanted fugitive, a drug lord dubbed "The Lion", is recaptured by police beneath a trap door. José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as Fito, had been on the run for a year-and-a-half after busting out of prison in January 2024, when his escape sparked a wave of violence in the country. 7 7 Footage of Wednesday's arrest shows Fito pinned to the ground on his front surrounded by a swarm of heavily-armed cops. He calmly repeats his name at the orders of officers who bind his hands with cable ties and aim a pistol at his head. Another clip shows where the narco kingpin was discovered hiding. A huge slab of false floor slides back to reveal a hidden chamber extending through the house's foundations. Cops filmed themselves lowering into the cramped space and showed off the tight air-conditioned bunker which had concealed him. Fito was finally cuffed at the luxury home of his girlfriend, who is in jail, after a slip-up from his three-year-old daughter gave away his location. Before escaping, the convict had been serving a 34-year sentence for organised crime, drug trafficking and murder. His jailbreak sparked a surge in gang violence across Mexico which left at least 20 people dead. The country's president, Daniel Noboa, declared a 60-day state of emergency in multiple provinces following the escalation. Fito evaded the authorities for eighteen months, despite a massive-scale operation to pin him down. Ecuadorian police bring end to terrifying live TV hijack and arrest several suspects Several members of his family were arrested a month ago, and many of their assets were confiscated in raids as the authorities tightened the screw. John Reimberg, the country's interior minister, described the sting as a "psychological operation". The trail to Fito began when it was noticed that a city transport official had stopped turning up to work - arousing suspicions. Tailing him led the police to Fito's inner circle, according to the national police commander. They noticed he frequently visited a swanky three-story building complete with a huge swimming pool, a fully-equipped gym and a games room. There were reportedly brand new sofas still wrapped in plastic and TVs still in their boxes. 7 7 7 But the clinching confirmation that Fito would be in the house at the time of the raid came from his young daughter, according to police commander Víctor Ordóñez. In a ten-hour operation, a huge cordon was put in place in the surrounding streets and drones buzzed around the give cops a 360 view. After a fine-tooth search, Fito was finally snared in an air-conditioned bunker accessed through a trap door beneath the kitchen sink. When the teams brought in heavy excavation equipment, Fito realised he could be crushed to death and scarpered out. Reimberg said: "When this happened, Fito panicked. "He opened the hatch where military and police personnel were located and left the hole." Within minutes, he was on the ground with guns pointed at his head and being forced to repeat his name out loud. He is now threatened with extradition to the US. 7
