Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 18 June 2019
Mexico to target human smugglers in immigration crackdown

By MARIA VERZA $3.5 million (69 million pe-
CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN sos) and said the smugglers
Associated Press were going to pay roughly
CIUDAD HIDALGO, Mexico $500,000 to $800,000 in
(AP) — Mexico’s govern- “commissions” to ensure
ment on Monday high- the migrants’ free passage.
lighted the weekend “res- Bribes are traditionally paid
cue” of nearly 800 migrants along the route to authori-
packed into semi-trailers, ties, but also to organized
calling the operation a crime groups that control
message that authorities territory, especially at Mex-
are getting serious about ico’s northern border with
combatting human smug- the US and charge smug-
gling. glers for each migrant they
Foreign Affairs Secretary cross.
Marcelo Ebrard said more While caravans of thou-
than 150 of the 785 migrants sands of Central American
found inside the double migrants walking up high-
trailers of four semis Satur- ways in southern Mexico
day in the Gulf coast state drew the fury of U.S. Presi-
of Veracruz were children. dent Donald Trump last
On Saturday, Mexico’s im- year, the bulk of the re-
migration authority initially gion’s migration has always
put the number at 791. The A truck carrying soldiers wearing armbands identifying them as Naval Police leaves after driving existed in the shadows. And
reason for the discrepancy along the river front track where rafts ferry unregulated people and goods to and from Guatemala, those who live at Mexico’s
was not immediately clear. in Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, Monday, June 17, 2019. southern border believe
“We can’t allow human Associated Press sending national guards-
trafficking,” Ebrard said, crippling tariffs on Mexican ter being deported. When going to stop. There (in El men there to make it more
contending that for many imports threatened by U.S. he tried to apply for asy- Salvador) they say better difficult for migrants to cross
years it was tolerated by President Donald Trump. lum in Mexico they said he killed by the gringos than will only be a boon to the
Mexican officials. “We Military police, who will be was ineligible because he by the gangsters.” human smugglers.
might be experiencing one among the initial agents of had entered illegally. On Ebrard, the foreign affairs On Sunday, a guardsman
of the greatest human traf- the newly created National Monday, Leyva planned to secretary, said Saturday’s working a highway check-
ficking (situations) in the Guard, began appearing return to Guatemala and human smuggling incident point near the town of Co-
world.” along the Suchiate river in then cross to Mexico via in Veracruz was a rescue mitan in southern Mexico
His comments came as Ciudad Hidalgo across the the bridge and immigration because the migrants said his orders under the
Mexico continued to roll out border from Guatemala controls. could have suffocated in- new operation were to try
the deployment of some over the weekend. “Now the situation is more side the trailers. to identify human smug-
6,000 national guardsmen By Monday it appeared serious, more strict, be- Each of the migrants was glers, in addition to the
to the southern border. they were already having cause the soldiers who paying $3,500 to be smug- usual mission of looking for
Mexico is racing to lower some impact. were there yesterday gled to the United States drugs and weapons. The
the number of Central Tomas Leyva, a 65-year-old weren’t there before,” said and some paid $5,000 to military presence there did
American migrants arriv- construction worker turned Leyva, who fled San Sal- be entitled to a second not appear to be much
ing at the U.S. border. The pastor from El Salvador, vador after a gang threat- attempt if caught, Ebrard greater than in previous
government of President was preparing to board a ened his life. “What they’re said. weeks, but the soldiers were
Andrés Manuel López Ob- raft back to Guatemala. doing is having an effect He estimated the entire val- now wearing armbands in-
rador promised to reduce He had re-entered Mexico because they’re detaining ue of the truck caravan’s dicating they were part of
the flow in order to avoid by raft Sunday just days af- a lot of people, but it’s not human cargo at more than the National Guard.q

Brazil’s Moro questions authenticity of leaked messages

By MARCELO SILVA DE SOU- corruption case against government. A statement
SA da Silva. According to the from the Justice Ministry,
Associated Press website, the conversation led by Moro, said it did not
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Bra- suggests Moro acted “as recognize the authentic-
zil’s justice minister on Sat- an informal coordinator” ity of the messages. It said
urday questioned the au- of the prosecution in the the messages were leaked
thenticity of leaked person- judicial process that led because of a “criminal in-
al messages published by a to da Silva’s conviction for vasion by hackers.” Moro
news website that appear receiving a beachfront and prosecutors deny any
to show him when he was apartment as a bribe. wrongdoing, but the Bra-
still a judge improperly ad- The website said Moro zilian Bar Association has
vising prosecutors in a case at one point suggested called for the suspension
against former President the prosecutors release of the minister and others
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. a statement highlighting pending an inquiry.
The Intercept posted pur- contradictions in da Silva’s On Thursday, Bolsonaro of-
ported chats between declaration. fered words of support for
then-judge Sergio Moro The conviction ended da his justice minister, saying
In this photo released by Brazil’s Presidential Press Office, Brazil’s
President Jair Bolsonaro, right, and Justice Minister Sergio Moro and ex-prosecutor Carlos Silva’s 2018 presidential Moro’s accomplishments
attend a military ceremony in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, June 11, Dos Santos Lima in which run and Moro went on to in the sprawling Car Wash
2019. Moro offers strategy advice become justice minister in investigation have “no
Associated Press to the prosecutor in the President Jair Bolsonaro’s price.” q