Transnational Venezuelan crime syndicate
A federal judge has weighed whether to block Sunday’s UFC fight on the White House South Lawn. The event, marking Trump’s 80th birthday, is backed by a private-public partnership and features a 92-foot arch called “The Claw.” Critics argue the setup commercializes national monuments; supporters say it showcases a national celebration amid the semiquincentennial.
U.S. forces have carried out an airstrike that has killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero, the leader of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, U.S. and Venezuelan officials have said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump have said the operation targeted a compound in Bolívar state earlier this week and involved coordination with Venezuelan security forces.
Authorities from the US and Mexico are expanding efforts to combat cross-border crime, including sanctions against cartel-linked entities and measures targeting fuel theft networks that fund violence. The actions come as Washington and allied governments seek to disrupt illicit revenue streams and curb drug trafficking across the region.
The Justice Department has filed the first-ever petition to the dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court in 1996 to deport an unidentified individual linked to terrorism; a hearing has been held and additional information is requested as the court considers its path forward.