Cornyn pushes ‘zero mercy’ law to deport illegal immigrants convicted of deadly drunk driving
FIRST ON FOX: Several lawmakers led by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, want to impose penalties against illegal immigrants convicted of deadly drunk driving incidents at the federal level, triggering deportation and preventing return to the United States. Cornyn’s legislation would expand federal immigration law to treat serious drunk driving offenses that cause death or serious bodily injury as “aggravated felonies.” “Zero mercy should be shown to illegal aliens who not only defy our laws by unlawfully entering the country, but also take it a step further to drive drunk, threatening American lives,” Cornyn said in a statement to Fox News Digital. CAIR’S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS TARGETED AS CORNYN MOVES TO STRIP GROUP AFTER TERROR DESIGNATIONS “By strengthening current immigration law to hold these offenders accountable, our bill sends a clear message: If you enter the country illegally and harm innocent citizens, we will find you, we will punish you, and we will make sure you never step foot on American soil again,” he continued. The measure, dubbed the Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act, would add driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while impaired (DWI) offenses under the umbrella of the Immigration and Nationality Act, a law enacted in the 1950s that acts as the keystone for immigration laws in the country. That decades-old law governs visas, green cards, and citizenship, among several other immigration enforcement matters. SHERIFF SLAMS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FOR RELEASING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO ALLEGEDLY HIT OHIO NURSE Cornyn’s measure would specifically add new aggravated offenses to the preexisting law that would lead to deportation, prevention of re-entry into the country and make a person ineligible for most forms of immigration relief if convicted. Those offenses, specifically geared toward non-citizens, include convictions of DUI or DWI that resulted in death or serious bodily injury. Notably, the proposed legislation would enact the new penalties regardless of whether the conviction was a misdemeanor or felony. MOM PRAISES HOUSE FOR PASSING KEY IMMIGRATION BILL, BASHES CROCKETT FOR DISMISSING DAUGHTER’S MURDER The lawmaker pointed to statistics and testimonials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas, in making the case for the legislation. The DHS’ Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement last year noted that 15 people had been killed in relation to DUI and DWI incidents involving illegal immigrants over the last decade. The U.S. Attorney’s Office highlighted a specific incident, where an illegal immigrant with seven previous DWI convictions was able to re-enter the country after being removed three times prior. Cornyn is joined by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Ted Budd, R-N.C., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., John Kennedy, R-La., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., James Lankford, R-Okla., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., in support of the legislation. Notably, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is the lone Democratic cosponsor on the bill.
Sen Amy Klobuchar says she’s ‘seriously considering’ a gubernatorial bid
Long-serving Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., indicated that she is giving serious consideration to mounting a gubernatorial bid. “I love my job, I love my state and I’m seriously considering it,” the lawmaker told CNN. Current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mounted a re-election bid last year, but he later announced on Monday that he was dropping out of the race. His reversal comes amid the massive fraud scandal unfolding in the state linked to the Somali community. MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS SAY TIM WALZ NOT OFF THE HOOK AFTER DROPPING RE-ELECTION BID “In September, I announced that I would run for a historic third term as Minnesota’s governor. And I have every confidence that, if I gave it my all, I would succeed in that effort,” he said in a statement. “But as I reflected on this moment with my family and my team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I can’t give a political campaign my all. Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences. So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work,” he noted. Klobuchar, who has served in the U.S. Senate since early 2007, called Walz “a true public servant” in a post on X. JAMES COMER TO ACCUSE TIM WALZ OF BEING ‘ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL’ AT FRAUD HEARING Walz’s announcement came after independent journalist Nick Shirley’s reporting about alleged massive fraud linked to taxpayer-funded daycare facilities in the state went viral. But the governor asserted on Tuesday that he will not resign from office. “I’m not goin’ anywhere,” he asserted. “And you can make all your requests for me to resign over my dead body will that happen.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Walz ran as then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate during the 2024 presidential election.
Noem unloads on Walz over ICE raid criticism: ‘Really? You’re worried about taxpayer dollars?’
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined several critics in slamming Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after he jabbed ICE for conducting comprehensive immigration enforcement in Minnesota, with some pointing out the governor’s misspellings in a missive. The back-and-forth comes as Noem’s agency focuses on Minnesota for both standard immigration enforcement as well as the deployment of HSI officers to probe the legitimacy of alleged daycares tied to the Somali community that received millions in state funds. Walz tweeted video of dozens of federal agents detaining at least one man in what the governor said was a Minnetonka, Minnesota, library complex: calling the scene “ridiculous” and misspelling at least one word. GOP LAWMAKER DEMANDS MINNESOTA FRAUD BE TREATED AS ‘ORGANIZED CRIME’ SCHEME “Nobody is fooled into thinking this bafoonery (sic) is a reasonable use of taxpayer dollars. It should not take 50 ICE agents to arrest one guy in a library,” Walz said. Noem responded incredulously that Walz would be concerned with conserving public expenditures given the rampant fraud under his watch. “Really, you’re worried about taxpayer dollars?” Noem said. FEDS LAUNCH ‘MASSIVE OPERATION’ IN MINNESOTA AMID FRAUD SCANDAL “There’s been $9 billion stolen from the taxpayers in Minnesota since you became governor. You won’t let us in Minnesota’s jails and there is rampant assault against our law enforcement thanks to vilification from politicians like you,” she added. “So, yes, there’s strength in law enforcement numbers to remove these violent criminals from the communities you refuse to protect.” Noem personally took part in some of ICE’s arrests of criminal illegal immigrants, including a man wanted for murder, according to FOX’s Minneapolis-St. Paul affiliate. MAGNITUDE ‘CANNOT BE OVERSTATED’: FEDS SAY MINNESOTA FRAUD MAY BE MORE THAN $9B Walz’s jab at Noem erupted on social media, with conservative commentator Ian Miles Cheong asking if the governor learned to spell at a Somali daycare. Several other commenters made similar critiques. “How many police will it take to arrest you?” another commenter asked. Another critic shared a meme of “Saturday Night Live” star Keenan Thompson appearing as “Family Feud” host Steve Harvey and grimacing, “You sure?” MINNESOTA FRAUD CASES, EXPLAINED: HOW HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS ALLEGEDLY SLIPPED THROUGH STATE PROGRAMS “You know what is bad use of taxpayer dollars? Daycares with no kids,” added Nick Shirley, the conservative YouTuber who visited several allegedly fraudulent sites. Walz also spoke out at a news conference about ICE’s presence in Minnesota, estimating that 2,000 federal agents were in the state and that “we don’t even know who they are.” “They’ll be wearing masks… If you want us to fix fraud, come and help us… They’re not interested in that,” he said. Minneapolis City Councilman Jason Chavez separately urged residents’ caution in the presence of DHS. “Activity is really hot this morning on Lake Street and Powderhorn. There’s also confirmed ICE vehicles using Uber stickers. Please be careful,” he said, according to the FOX affiliate. Fox News Digital reached out to Walz for further comment for purposes of this story but did not hear back by press time.
China bans military-use exports to key US ally as Taiwan tensions rise
China on Tuesday banned exports of goods that could be used for military purposes to Japan, a move that escalates tensions between Beijing and a key U.S. ally as disputes intensify over Taiwan. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a statement that any items that have a dual use — civilian and military — would no longer be exported to Japan. The government did not offer specifics on which items would be included in the ban. But state-affiliated media said Beijing was considering whether to include rare-earth minerals. Japanese leaders have increasingly linked Taiwan’s fate to Japan’s own security, with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warning that a Chinese move against the island could amount to a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan — a legal threshold that could permit military action under Japan’s self-defense laws. FROM MOJAVE TO BEIJING: HOW AMERICA QUIETLY CONCEDED THE RARE EARTH RACE In his New Year’s address, Chinese President Xi Jinping called the “reunification” of China and Taiwan “unstoppable.” His remarks came days after China concluded live-fire drills to simulate a blockade of the island. The export crackdown echoes a 2010 episode when China halted rare-earth exports to Japan for nearly two months during a territorial dispute. The rare earths dispute became an early example of China’s willingness to weaponize trade, prompting U.S. and allied defense planners to reassess how deeply military supply chains depended on Beijing. The episode accelerated efforts to diversify sourcing, though China remains a dominant player in several critical sectors. CHINA’S GLOBAL AGGRESSION CHECK: TAIWAN TENSIONS, MILITARY POSTURING AND US RESPONSE IN 2025 China controls roughly two-thirds of global rare-earth mining and the vast majority of processing capacity, a dominance that prompted the Trump administration to push to diversify supply chains and revive domestic production as a national security priority. For years, Washington had largely left rare earths to the market, even as U.S. mines closed and production migrated to China. The Trump administration broke with decades of hands-off policy by using Pentagon funding and emergency authorities to support MP Materials at California’s Mountain Pass mine, one of the first direct U.S. government interventions to restore rare earth processing capacity seen as critical to modern weapons systems.
George Conway looks dramatically different in campaign announcement video
George Conway, the ex-Republican lawyer running for Congress as a Democrat in New York, looks dramatically different in his first campaign video released Tuesday. Many users on social media observed that Conway, the ex-husband of Trump ally Kellyanne Conway, lost a significant amount of weight before announcing his campaign for New York’s 12th Congressional District. “Ozempic is your sponsor??” asked one user, who speculated without evidence that Conway’s transformation was a result of weight-loss drugs. Conway is joining a crowded field in the Democratic primary race race for outgoing Rep. Jerry Nadler’s Manhattan congressional seat. Conway is relying on his familiarity with Trump to set him apart. GEORGE CONWAY FOCUSES ON OPPOSING TRUMP AS HE JUMPS INTO CROWDED HOUSE DEM PRIMARY “We have a corrupt president, a mendacious president, a criminal president whose masked agents are disappearing people from our streets, who’s breaking international law, and he’s running our federal government like a mob protection racket,” Conway said in his announcement ad. PARKLAND SURVIVOR JUMPS INTO CROWDED NYC HOUSE RACE AS GEN Z PROGRESSIVES CHALLENGE PARTY ELDERS “I know how to fight these people. They are corrupt, amoral people,” he said. “They will stop at nothing to rig the system for themselves. I’ve been fighting Trump for years, and nothing will stop me.” Conway embarked on a dramatic split from conservative politics since the rise of Trump in 2016. He helped found the anti-Trump Lincoln Project in 2019 alongside other erstwhile Republicans. “I get how people can be upset how I once supported Trump,” Conway told The New York Times in an interview. “But I think if people really listen, my views, my philosophy, my values, have always been the same.”
Left-wing Dems steer $1M to addiction group operating above Minneapolis Somali restaurant amid fraud fallout
FIRST ON FOX: Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst is working to strip more than $1 million of federal funds earmarked for a Somali-led Minnesota addiction recovery organization that shares an address with a Minneapolis Somali restaurant, Fox News Digital learned. “The scale and frequency of fraud in Minnesota is staggering, but I fear just the tip of the iceberg,” Ernst told Fox News Digital Wednesday. “Congress owes it to the American people to clean up the mess instead of letting the same politicians who created it keep pigging out at the trough. I am putting a stop to this madness, protecting taxpayers, and empowering the Department of Justice to hold every single criminal accountable.” Capitol Hill lawmakers unveiled a new spending package Monday that totals at least $174 billion and is slated to receive a vote from House lawmakers later this week. Within the package, Ernst’s office found that Omar had earmarked $1,031,000 through the Department of Justice for a group called Generation Hope MN in Minneapolis. The earmark is co-led by Minnesota Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith in the Senate. Generation Hope MN is a 501(c)(3) that was established in 2019 to create a “a better, safer, and more connected community for individuals experiencing drug addiction and substance use disorders in the greater East African community of the Twin Cities Metro area,” according to its website. COMER VOWS MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE WILL EXPAND TO OTHER STATES AMID MOUNTING SCRUTINY “We are a Somali-led organization, and our team includes individuals in recovery, mental health professionals such as licensed counselors and peer recovery support specialists, and community members,” the website states. The group’s website lists two addresses for the addiction recovery center in Minneapolis, including a location on Cedar Avenue. The same Cedar Avenue address is also listed as the location for a Somali restaurant called Sagal Restaurant and Coffee. The restaurant’s website describes the restaurant, established in 1998, as a “culinary haven” that “brings the authenticity of Somali cuisine to Minneapolis.” Google Maps, Fox Digital found, also lists a neighborhood association group as also sharing the Cedar Avenue location. The owner of Sagal Restaurant, Fartune Del, confirmed to Fox News Digital Tuesday evening that Generation Hope MN does operate out of additional office spaces above the restaurant. “We have 8 office spaces on upper level of the building. Generation Hope (is) using space to help people in need of addiction,” Del told Fox Digital in an email when approached for comment about the shared address. The other location listed on the addiction recovery group’s website shows a commercial property located on Minneapolis’ Harmon Place. Ernst is readying an amendment in the Senate to redirect the more than $1 million in funding to a Department of Justice account dedicated to fraud prevention and enforcement, Fox Digital learned. A review of documents published by Omar’s office promoting the earmark for the project listed the address for Generation Hope MN as sitting on “Cedar Ave. South” — not just “Cedar Avenue” as it’s described on Generation Hope’s website. The Cedar Avenue South address also pulls up the Sagal Restaurant on Google Maps, Fox Digital found. Yelp reviews for the café and restaurant going back at least a decade praise it as serving “delicious” “Authentic Somali meals,” holding an average of four and half stars out of five based on reviews. WALZ REFUSES TO QUIT AFTER DROPPING RE-ELECTION BID AMID MINNESOTA FRAUD FIRESTORM: ‘OVER MY DEAD BODY’ Omar’s office previously described on its website that the fiscal year 2026 funding to Generation Hope would be used to address the “opioid crisis by combining this workforce readiness programming with addiction recovery, mental health, and housing support,” and “reduce recidivism and addiction while enabling greater opportunities for sustainable employment in the city, helping capable workers grow in their skills and education.” “The funding would be used for targeted reentry support in Minneapolis including job-specific training, computer skills development, peer support services, and access to education, so that participants are equipped with the tools and resources necessary for workforce success. The initiative integrates a tailored support model with practical job training through partnering with certified apprenticeship programs to provide participants with industry-recognized certifications,” Omar’s office continued. IRS documents, specifically IRS Form 1023-EZ which is needed to apply for recognition as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, showed the three chiefs of Generation Hope MN listed the same address for a five-bedroom home in Minnepolis as their primary residence, Ernst’s office found. Abdirahman Warsame, a local author, co-founded Generation Hope MN in 2019, he told a media outlet for Minnesota refugees called Sahan Journal in 2022, when he published a book of poetry chronicling a “recovering addict’s journey to sobriety.” Fox News Digital is looking into whether the group has received previous funds from the federal government. SOMALI UN AMBASSADOR LINKED TO QUESTIONABLE CINCINNATI HEALTH SERVICE AGENCY, RFK JR. DEPUTY SAYS Fox News Digital reached out to Warsame, Omar’s office, Klobuchar’s office, Smith’s office, Generation Hope MN for comment on the shared address and earmarked funds Tuesday evening but did not immediately receive replies. Ernst’s efforts, as well as other Republican-led efforts, to strip the roughly $1 million in favor a project focused on fraud prevention and enforcement comes as Minnesota faces a massive fraud scandal. Minnesota was allegedly home to a massive COVID-era scheme that allegedly involved money laundering operations related to fraudulent meal and housing programs, daycare centers and Medicaid services, according to investigators. Dozens of arrests have been made since 2022, mostly from the state’s large Somali community. Local officials speculate the fraud could exceed $1 billion and rise to as high as $9 billion, as additional details come to light. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz dropped out of his re-election effort Monday amid the fallout of the fraud scandal, while President Donald Trump has slammed Omar, Walz and other Minnesota elected officials for the fraud. Walz, who has served as governor since 2019, took ownership of the fraud as it occurred under his watch, but argued
Saudi-led coalition strikes Yemen, says STC leader al-Zubaidi has fled
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Coalition says it targeted secessionist forces after Aidarous al-Zubaidi failed to board a plane scheduled to take him to Riyadh for talks. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen has launched strikes on the country’s southern Dhale governorate, saying it was targeting secessionist forces after their leader fled without boarding a plane scheduled to take him to Riyadh. In a statement issued early on Wednesday, the coalition said the leader of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Aidarous al-Zubaidi, had been due to fly out from the Yemeni city of Aden on Tuesday night for talks on ending the conflict between his group and the internationally recognised government of Yemen. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list But al-Zubaidi did not board the plane, and “fled to an unknown location,” it said. His whereabouts remain unknown. “During this time, the legitimate government and the coalition received information that al-Zubaidi had mobilised a large force, including armoured and combat vehicles, heavy and light weapons, as well as munitions,” it said. The force left Aden at around midnight and were later located in the Dhale governorate, it said. The coalition launched “preemptive strikes” at 4am local time (01:00 GMT) to disable those forces and thwart al-Zubaidi’s “attempt to escalate the conflict”, the statement added. There was no immediate comment from the STC. The council, which initially supported Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthi rebels who control northern Yemen, launched an offensive against the Saudi-backed government troops in December, seeking an independent state in the south. The group is backed by the United Arab Emirates. Advertisement Their advance broke years of deadlock, with the STC seizing control of broad swaths of southern Yemen, including the Hadramout and Mahra provinces, in defiance of warnings from Riyadh. Hadramout borders Saudi Arabia, while Mahra is close to the border. Together, the provinces make up nearly half of Yemeni territory. Riyadh responded with air strikes on the Yemeni port of Mukalla on December 30, targeting what it called a UAE-linked weapons shipment, and backed a call by the internationally recognised government for UAE forces to withdraw from the country. Abu Dhabi denied that the shipment contained weapons and expressed a commitment to ensure Riyadh’s security. Shortly afterwards, it announced an end to what it called its “counterterrorism mission” in Yemen. Yemeni government troops, backed by Saudi Arabian air attacks, went on to reclaim Hadramout and Mahra, and the STC said on Saturday that it would attend peace talks hosted by Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday said the STC delegation, excluding al-Zubaidi, departed Yemen for Riyadh in the early hours of the morning. The head of the internationally recognised government’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, also announced that al-Zubaidi has been removed from the council for “committing high treason”. Al-Alimi said he has asked the country’s Attorney General to launch an investigation against al-Zubaidi and take legal action. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli forces kill two in Lebanon, ahead of truce monitors meeting
Representatives from France, Israel, Lebanon, the US and UN tracking the ceasefire are due to meet amid Israeli attacks. Israeli forces have killed two people in southern Lebanon a day before a committee monitoring a yearlong ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was due to hold its next meeting. Lebanon’s NNA news agency said two people were killed in the Israeli attack on a house in south Lebanon’s Kfar Dunin in Bint Jbeil on Tuesday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The Israeli military said in a statement that it struck two Hezbollah operatives in the area, accusing one of being “an engineering terrorist in a structure that facilitated the organisation’s reestablishment efforts”. The attacks come as the committee monitoring the ceasefire, which includes representatives from France, Israel, Lebanon, the United States, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) prepared to meet on Wednesday. Israeli attacks have killed more than 300 people in Lebanon since the November 2024 ceasefire, including at least 127 civilians. Israeli forces bombarded several parts of Lebanon, killing at least two other people earlier this week, and ordered the forced evacuation of at least four villages in the south and east of the country. Another overnight attack reduced a multistorey building to rubble in an industrial area of Ghaziyeh town, near the coastal city of Sidon, according to a video verified by Al Jazeera and a photographer from the AFP news agency. In a statement earlier on Tuesday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said, “Israel’s continued attacks aim to thwart all efforts made locally, regionally and internationally to stop the ongoing Israeli escalation, despite the response shown by Lebanon to these efforts at various levels”. Advertisement Beirut-based security affairs analyst Ali Rizk told Al Jazeera the recent attacks come as no surprise following last week’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “There had been reports that Israel got a green light to escalate against Hezbollah,” Rizk told Al Jazeera. ‘Difficult and dangerous conditions’ The spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, Stephane Dujarric, told a media briefing in New York on Tuesday that Israeli attacks are continuing in close proximity to UNIFIL peacekeepers stationed along the Blue Line, which demarcates the de facto border between Israel, Lebanon, and the occupied Golan Heights. “We are aware that Israeli strikes carried out late Monday night following evacuation orders on targets, reportedly linked to Hezbollah and Hamas,” Dujarric said. “The strikes occurred in areas north of the Litani River, including in western Bekaa, in Lebanese territory in southern Lebanon.” Dujarric added that the UNIFIL peacekeepers detected “three air strikes in their areas of operations” on Monday as well as “several fighter aircraft activities above UNIFIL.” “In addition, our peacekeepers reported multiple instances of direct fire originating from [Israeli army] positions south of the Blue Line, including small arms fire impacting the Kfar Shouba area, a Merkava tank fire near Shab’a, and a small arms fire impacting near a UN position near Kfar Shouba,” Dujarric said. UN Undersecretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who is visiting Lebanon currently, said on X that he met with UNIFIL peacekeepers who are “carrying out their mandated tasks under increasingly difficult and dangerous conditions”. Lacroix is set to meet Lebanese officials on Wednesday. Later this week, Lebanon’s cabinet will convene to discuss the army’s progress in disarming Hezbollah, a plan launched under heavy US pressure and amid fears of expanded Israeli strikes. The army was expected to complete the disarmament south of the Litani River, about 30km (20 miles) from the border with Israel, by the end of 2025, before tackling the rest of the country. In his statement, Aoun said the government’s plan to “extend its authority over the south of the Litani” has been “implemented by the Lebanese army with professionalism, commitment and precision”. Adblock test (Why?)
How strong are Latin America’s military forces, as they face US threats?
Over the weekend, the United States carried out a large-scale military strike against Venezuela and abducted President Nicolas Maduro in a major escalation that sent shockwaves across Latin America. On Monday morning, US President Donald Trump doubled down, threatening action against the governments of Colombia, Cuba and Mexico unless they “get their act together”, claiming he is countering drug trafficking and securing US interests in the Western Hemisphere. The remarks revive deep tensions over US interference in Latin America. Many of the governments targeted by Trump have little appetite for Washington’s involvement, but their armed forces lack the capacity to keep the US at arm’s length. US President Donald Trump issues warnings to Colombia, Cuba and Mexico while speaking to reporters on Air Force One while returning from his Florida estate to Washington, DC, on January 4, 2026 [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters] Latin America’s military capabilities The US has the strongest military in the world and spends more on its military than the total budgets of the next 10 largest military spenders combined. In 2025, the US defence budget was $895bn, roughly 3.1 percent of its gross domestic product. According to the 2025 Global Firepower rankings, Brazil has the most powerful military in Latin America and is ranked 11th globally. Mexico ranks 32nd globally, Colombia 46th, Venezuela 50th and Cuba 67th. All of these countries are significantly below the US military in all metrics, including the number of active personnel, military aircraft, combat tanks, naval assets and their military budgets. Advertisement In a standard war involving tanks, planes and naval power, the US maintains overwhelming superiority. The only notable metric that these countries have over the US is their paramilitary forces, which operate alongside the regular armed forces, often using asymmetrical warfare and unconventional tactics against conventional military strategies. (Al Jazeera) Paramilitaries across Latin America Several Latin American countries have long histories of paramilitary and irregular armed groups that have often played a role in the internal security of these countries. These groups are typically armed, organised and politically influential but operate outside the regular military chain of command. Cuba has the world’s third largest paramilitary force, made up of more than 1.14 million members, as reported by Global Firepower. These groups include state-controlled militias and neighbourhood defence committees. The largest of these, the Territorial Troops Militia, serves as a civilian reserve aimed at assisting the regular army against external threats or during internal crises. In Venezuela, members of pro-government armed civilian groups known as “colectivos” have been accused of enforcing political control and intimidating opponents. Although not formally part of the armed forces, they are widely seen as operating with state tolerance or support, particularly during periods of unrest under Maduro. In Colombia, right-wing paramilitary groups emerged in the 1980s to fight left-wing rebels. Although officially demobilised in the mid-2000s, many later re-emerged as criminal or neo-paramilitary organisations, remaining active in rural areas. The earliest groups were organised with the involvement of the Colombian military following guidance from US counterinsurgency advisers during the Cold War. In Mexico, heavily armed drug cartels function as de facto paramilitary forces. Groups such as the Zetas, originally formed by former soldiers, possess military-grade weapons and exercise territorial control, often outgunning local police and challenging the state’s authority. The Mexican military has increasingly been deployed in law enforcement roles in response. History of US interference in Latin America Over the past two centuries, the US has repeatedly interfered in Latin America. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the so-called Banana Wars saw US forces deployed across Central America to protect corporate interests. In 1934, President Franklin D Roosevelt introduced the “Good Neighbor Policy”, pledging nonintervention. Advertisement Yet during the Cold War, the US financed operations to overthrow elected governments, often coordinated by the CIA, founded in 1947. Panama is the only Latin American country the US has formally invaded, which occurred in 1989 under President George HW Bush. “Operation Just Cause” ostensibly was aimed at removing President Manuel Noriega, who was later convicted of drug trafficking and other offences. Adblock test (Why?)
Who is Banojyotsna Lahiri? Jailed student activist and JNU alumni Umar Khalid’s partner; shared his response over SC ruling
Student activist and JNU alumni Umar Khalid was denied bail by the Supreme Court in the 2020 Delhi riots CAA protest case on Monday. Hours after the SC decision, Umar Khalid’s girlfriend Banojyotsna Lahiri shared a brief and private conversation between them. She is Khalid’s long-term partner.