Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 28 June 2019
Migrants face violence as US makes them wait in Mexico

By CEDAR ATTANASIO The remain-in-Mexico pol-
Associated Press icy is drawing opposition
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico from American asylum of-
(AP) — Roberto Escalona ficers, who filed a court
Moreno says he witnessed brief this week arguing that
a double murder on the Mexico isn't safe for asylum
street last week near the seekers.
hostel where is staying. The "Despite professing a com-
Cuban immigrant has been mitment to protecting the
assaulted, and his friends rights of persons seeking
have been shaken down asylum, the Mexican gov-
by police, he says. ernment has proven un-
Moreno, 22, is among more able to provide this protec-
than 30,000 migrants who tion," they said.
are pressing for asylum in The debate over immigra-
the U.S. but are stuck in tion in the U.S. flared over
Mexico's drug- and gang- the past few days with the
infested border cities under publication of a chilling
Trump administration poli- photo of a drowned fa-
cies intended to stem the ther and daughter in the
flow. They say the months Rio Grande; an outcry over
of waiting are increasingly reports of hungry and un-
putting them in harm's way. In this Jan. 25, 2019, file photo, a migrant sits with his children as they wait to hear if their number washed migrant children
is called to apply for asylum in the United States, at the border in Tijuana,
"It's not safe here," Moreno Mexico. in a Texas detention cen-
said, less than an hour af- Associated Press ter; more turnover inside
ter witnessing the deadly the Homeland Security De-
shooting in Juarez, just gunned down in Juarez at applied to bide their time carjacking, kidnapping, ex- partment; and debate on
across the border from El his child's preschool gradu- in Mexico while their cases tortion, and sexual assault, Capitol Hill over $4.6 billion
Paso, Texas. ation, and an unrelated make their way through the is common," the warning in border aid.
Cartel violence in Juarez 4-year-old girl died in the legal system. reads. "Gang activity, in- Moreno waited in Juarez
is down from its height five attack, according to lo- The U.S. government is ex- cluding gun battles and for two months just for the
years ago, but it is still one cal reports. Federal police panding the remain-in- blockades, is widespread. opportunity to present
of the most dangerous cit- recently freed three kid- Mexico policy to Nuevo Armed criminal groups tar- himself to U.S. officials in El
ies in the world, with gangs napping victims, including Laredo this week, rais- get public and private pas- Paso and apply for asylum.
vying for control of drug a Honduran migrant, from ing new concerns about senger buses as well as pri- Now he is back in Juarez,
trafficking routes. a home filled with alleged bloodshed. Nuevo Laredo vate automobiles traveling where many Cubans stay
Juarez, with a population gang members. is in the Mexican state of through Tamaulipas, often in a cluster of hostels on the
of 1.4 million, recorded People hoping to enter the Tamaulipas, a place so vio- taking passengers hostage northeastern edge, one of
1,259 homicides in 2018, or U.S. are forced to wait south lent that the U.S. State De- and demanding ransom the most violent neighbor-
more than four times the of the border because of partment bars most travel payments." hoods in the city.
death toll in New York City, twin U.S. policies — one there by government em- Migrants who are fleeing vi- He said he was having
which has six times as many sharply limiting the number ployees under a level-four olence in their home coun- breakfast outside with
people. Other border cities, of asylum applications per warning — the highest de- tries are dismayed that they some other Cuban mi-
such as Tijuana, are mur- day that border stations gree of concern. are being forced to wait in grants when they saw two
derous places as well. accept, the other requiring "Violent crime, such as Mexican border cities with men run past on the other
Last week, a man was many of those who have murder, armed robbery, similar dangers. side of the street.q

Argentina announces large seizure of weapons

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina gang involved. The seized firearms include
(AP) — Argentine authori- "This is not only important AK-47s, Browning machine
ties have seized about for Argentina, but it's also guns and more than 30,000
1,000 guns and hundreds important to reduce vio- bullets of various calibers.
of explosives from an inter- lence in Paraguay and Bra- Authorities also confiscat-
national criminal gang, of- zil because many of these ed about $166,000, mines,
ficials said Thursday, calling weapons are used by drug night vision goggles and a
it the largest seizure of its dealers and the big Brazil- 20mm anti-aircraft gun.
kind in the country's history. ian cartels that manage U.S. Homeland Security
The security ministry said in the drug-dealing business said in a statement that it
a statement that the weap- using machine guns and will announce the results of
ons were smuggled into Ar- all sorts of heavy weapons," an international weapons
gentina from the U.S. and Security Minister Patricia trafficking operation with
Europe. The magazines Bullrich said. partners in Argentina and
were purchased in Spain About 50 raids on homes, Brazil on Friday in Miami.
and the Netherlands and offices and armories were It said a criminal organiza-
sent in containers aboard also carried out nationwide tion was trafficking large
This photo provided by the Argentine Ministry of Security, shows ships. They were then sent and 17 people have been quantities of weapons
a cache of weapons seized by authorities at an undisclosed lo- by land to neighboring Bra- detained in an operation parts and accessories from
cation in Argentina, Wednesday, June 26, 2019. zil and Paraguay. Officials aided by the U.S. Depart- the U.S. to Argentina and
Associated Press have not identified the ment of Homeland Security. Brazil.q