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WORLD NEWS Saturday 17 OctOber 2020
Ex-Mexico army chief arrested in LA on drugs, money charges

By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO pedestal," said Vigil, author
and STEFANIE DAZIO of the book "The Land of
Associated Press Enchantment Cartel."
MEXICO CITY (AP) — For- "The corruption is just com-
mer Mexican defense sec- ing to roost, because indi-
retary Gen. Salvador Cien- viduals who were once un-
fuegos, who led the coun- touchable are now getting
try's army for six years under arrested," Vigil said. "If they
ex-President Enrique Peña cooperate (with U.S. pros-
Nieto, has been arrested ecutors) there are others
on drug trafficking and who are going to be falling,
money laundering charges noting U.S. officials "usually
at Los Angeles International don't want to trade down,
Airport, U.S. and Mexican they usually trade up,"
sources said Thursday. seeking evidence against
Two people with knowl- equal or higher-ranking of-
edge of the arrest said ficials. "It's really a precari-
Cienfuegos was taken into ous situation for Mexico to
custody on a U.S. Drug En- have two Cabinet-level of-
forcement Administration ficials arrested in the U.S."
warrant. One of the people Whatever the charges, it
said the warrant was for will be a tough blow for
drug trafficking and money In this Sept. 16, 2016 file photo, Defense Secretary Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos, left, and Mexico's Mexico, where the army
laundering charges. Both President Enrique Pena Nieto, salute during the annual Independence Day military parade in and navy are some of the
spoke on the condition of Mexico City's main square. few remaining respected
anonymity because they Associated Press public institutions.
were not authorized to dis- who also spoke on the Nieto. He is the highest- partment had no immedi- While current President An-
cuss the case publicly. condition of anonymity be- ranking former Cabinet of- ate reaction to the arrest. drés Manuel López Obra-
The DEA declined to com- cause he wasn't authorized ficial arrested since the top Mike Vigil, the DEA's former dor has vowed to go after
ment Thursday night. to give details of the case, Mexican security official chief of international op- corruption and lawbreak-
Mexico's Foreign Minister, said Cienfuegos was arrest- Genaro Garcia Luna was erations, said when he was ing under past administra-
Marcelo Ebrard, wrote on ed when he arrived at the arrested in Texas in 2019. in Mexico in 2012 he heard tions, he has also relied
his Twitter account that U.S. Los Angeles airport with his Garcia Luna, who served corruption allegations more heavily on the army
Ambassador Christopher family. His family members under former President Fe- about Cienfuegos. — and charged it with
Landau had informed him were released and he was lipe Calderón, has pleaded "There were always allega- more tasks, ranging from
of the retired general's ar- taken to the Metropolitan not guilty to drug trafficking tions of corruption, nothing building infrastructure proj-
rest and that Cienfuegos Detention Center. charges. we could sink our teeth into. ects to distributing medi-
had a right to receive con- Cienfuegos served from Cienfuegos is 72 years old That was kind of unheard cal supplies — than any
sular assistance. 2012 to 2018 as secretary and has retired from active of because Mexico has al- other president in recent
A senior Mexican official, of defense under Peña duty. Mexico's Defense De- ways put the military on a history.q

Racial tensions rise in South Africa over farm killing

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME white farmers. In an earlier a priority crime, the govern-
Associated Press court hearing last week, ment insists that white farm-
SENEKAL, South Africa (AP) a group of white farm- ers are not being targeted,
— A tense standoff be- ers stormed the court and saying the violence is a
tween white farmers and burned a police vehicle. result of South Africa's rela-
Black activists gripped The country's leftist opposi- tively high crime rate. South
the South African town of tion party, the Economic Africa has one of the high-
Senekal Friday, as two men Freedom Fighters, mobi- est crime statistics in the
accused of killing a white lized about 1,000 of its sup- world, with a murder rate of
farm manager were to ap- porters to challenge the just over 58 deaths a day.
pear in court. white farmers in front of the The country's official crime
More than 100 police pa- court. statistics indicate there
trolled the area in front of They sang songs and shout- were 49 farm killings in the
the courthouse in the Free ed slogans calling for South 2019/2020 financial year.
State province and used Africa's land to be returned President Cyril Ramaphosa, A white protester against farm murders stands near the
barbed wire to separate to Black residents. Many in his weekly letter to the na- magistrates court in Senekal, South Africa, Friday, Oct. 16, 2020
the rival groups. were dressed in the EFF tion Monday, condemned where two suspects were to appear on charges of killing a white
Sekwetjie Mahlamba and party's red uniforms and Horner's killing, but said the farmer in the area.
Sekola Matlaletsa ap- berets. farm killings were part of Associated Press
peared in the magistrates' EFF leader Julius Malema the bigger crime problem. also raised the controver- nority. Although South Af-
court on charges of killing came to Senekal Friday "Those people who think sial issue of land ownership rica now has majority rule,
Brendin Horner, 21, on Oct. was expected to speak that farm attacks affect just in the country. land ownership remains a
1. Their request for bail was to his supporters after the a small part of our popula- A great deal of South Afri- contentious issue, with par-
postponed until Oct. 20. court hearing. tion are wrong. The farm- ca's best farmland is owned ties like the EFF urging the
About 250 white farmers While most white farmers ing community is an inte- by white farmers, as a re- government to seize white-
gathered to protest the kill- and organizations repre- gral part of our economy," sult of the eviction of Black owned land without com-
ing, charging that police senting them have called wrote Ramaphosa. farmers when the country pensation and return it to
do not adequately protect for farm killings to be made The Senekal murder has was ruled by a white mi- Black families.q