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Secretary Rubio Criticizes China’s Bullying for Detaining DOZENS of Panama-Flagged Cargo Ships

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Rubio decries China’s bullying

Panama’s ships caught between the rock and a hard place.

While the Russia-Ukraine war brings danger to the Black Sea, the military conflicts in the Middle East brought about Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

But we’d do well not to forget about the vital Panama Canal and the geopolitical consequences of Donald J. Trump’s administration shutting China out of its infrastructure.

Last Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called out China’s ‘bullying’ for ‘detaining or holding up dozens of Panama-flagged ships’.

Even though the ships were held for a short period of time, it comes as a retaliation after Panama seized control of two ports on the Panama Canal from a Hong Kong-based company.

China denies the bullying allegations.

Associated Press reported:

“Panama has been caught in a broader rivalry between the United States and China after U.S. President Donald Trump accused Beijing last year of running the Panama Canal. The Trump administration sees the critical maritime trade route as strategically important, both commercially and militarily, and Trump has talked about retaking the Panama Canal since his campaign.

‘China’s decision to detain or otherwise impede Panama-flagged vessels engaged in lawful trade destabilizes supply chains, raises costs, and erodes confidence in the global trading system’, Rubio said on social media. ‘The United States stands with Panama against any retaliatory actions against its sovereignty and will always support our partners in the face of bullying’.”

No less than 75% of the ships detained for inspection in Chinese ports in March – 92 vessels – were Panama-flagged.

“The Panama-flagged ships were typically detained for a few days — as short as one day or as long as 10 days — before being released.

That is up drastically from the previous two months, when 19 out of 45 ships — or more than 40% — held in February were Panama-flagged, and 23 out of 71 — or over 30% — in January hung the Panama flag.”

Read more:

FBI Warns Congress of ‘Major’ Cyber Hack Involving China That Could Threaten National Security

The post Secretary Rubio Criticizes China’s Bullying for Detaining DOZENS of Panama-Flagged Cargo Ships appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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SHIELD OF THE AMERICAS: Ecuador’s Noboa Says US Troops Are Welcome To Help Fight Drug Cartels (VIDEO)

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Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa

The Western Hemisphere is getting more secure by the day.

The new anti-Cartel alliance put forward by US President Donald J. Trump is starting to change the landscape in Latin America, once forgotten by feeble Joe Biden, and left to be infiltrated by Russia, China, and Iran.

But now, action against these criminal drug networks is ongoing, stronger than ever.

As a clear example, we have Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa saying he would welcome US troops to help confront the ‘security crisis’ in his nation.

Bloomberg reported:

“The US has already helped Ecuador target criminal gangs with its advanced tracking and intelligence technology, Noboa said in an interview. He would be in favor of even more involvement from the administration of President Donald Trump, who he said shares his concern with combating drug trafficking.

‘It’s not an invasion, it’s not a — not an intruder coming into our country’, Noboa said Tuesday, speaking at his home overlooking the Guayas River in the gang-ridden port city of Guayaquil. ‘It’s actually international collaboration against crime’.”

Noboa predicted a US troop deployment happening as early as this year.

“With US help, he said that his government had succeeded in slashing the homicide rate in the violent region near the Colombian border. Government data shows a near 35% year-over-year decline in violent crime in those hot spots during the first quarter of this year.”

“Noboa is one of Trump’s closest allies in Latin America, who has deepened security ties with Washington and taken a similarly confrontational approach both to drug cartels and to trade and diplomacy. In March, Ecuador carried out military actions using US intelligence to target groups they labeled terrorist.”

Read more:

WATCH: Ecuador Launches Anti-Drug Operations With US Logistical Support – Colombia’s Petro Says Ecuadorean Air Force Is Striking Cartel and Guerilla Camps Across the Border

The post SHIELD OF THE AMERICAS: Ecuador’s Noboa Says US Troops Are Welcome To Help Fight Drug Cartels (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Iranian Drones Bombard Kuwait’s Oil Facilities, Power Plants, and Desalination Plants Just Hours After the Ceasefire Announcement

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Map of Kuwait highlighted through a magnifying glass, emphasizing its geographic location in the Middle East.

Map of Kuwait highlighted through a magnifying glass, emphasizing its geographic location in the Middle East.

This is a Gateway Hispanic article.

The post Iranian Drones Bombard Kuwait’s Oil Facilities, Power Plants, and Desalination Plants Just Hours After the Ceasefire Announcement appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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WATCH: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger Runs Away from Reporter Asking If She’ll Finally Turn Violent Criminal Illegal Aliens Over to DHS

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A person in a business suit walks away, carrying a tote bag, near a modern building entrance.

A person in a business suit walks away, carrying a tote bag, near a modern building entrance.

Democrat Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger was caught on camera running away from a reporter asking about whether she would reverse her sanctuary policies and begin cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to remove dangerous illegal aliens from the state.

Spanberger turned away without comment as a reporter pressed her on Fairfax County’s sanctuary policies and repeated calls from federal immigration authorities.

The reporter specifically asked about discontinuing sanctuary practices in light of DHS data showing that three out of every four murder defendants in Fairfax County murder trials this year are illegal aliens.

WATCH:

DHS has directly urged Spanberger to end policies that shield criminal illegal aliens.

In an April X post, the agency stated, “Of the four defendants in Fairfax County murder trials this year, THREE are ILLEGAL ALIENS. Governor Spanberger must end her sanctuary policies that allow these illegal aliens onto our streets and work with DHS to protect the citizens of the commonwealth.”

One of Spanberger’s first official actions after taking office was to terminate all 287(g) agreements in Virginia.

These agreements had allowed state and local law enforcement to partner with ICE to identify and hand over criminal illegal aliens in custody.

Spanberger has also supported legislation that would further restrict local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, including requirements for judicial warrants before honoring ICE detainers.

Fairfax County, a known sanctuary jurisdiction, has seen a string of high-profile violent crimes allegedly committed by illegal aliens under Spanberger’s tenure.

In February, Stephanie Minter, 41, was stabbed to death at a bus stop by Abdul Jalloh, an illegal alien from Sierra Leone with more than 30 prior arrests.

Fairfax County officials released him despite an ICE detainer.

In March, Misael Lopez Gomez, who illegally crossed the border in July 2023, was accused of murdering his three-month-old daughter. DHS issued a detainer requesting that he not be released.

“This cold-blooded killer murdered his own three-month-old daughter. We are calling on Governor Spanberger to commit to not releasing this barbaric animal from jail into Virginia communities,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “This monster should have never been allowed in our country by the Biden administration. We need cooperation from sanctuary politicians to stop criminals from being released from jail to perpetrate more crimes and create more innocent victims.”

Also in March, Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, a Guatemalan illegal alien, was charged with second-degree murder after repeatedly stabbing a man.

DHS has highlighted multiple other killings linked to illegal aliens in Fairfax, including a mob murder and MS-13-related executions.

The agency has stated that illegal aliens accounted for 75% of murder defendants in the county this year.

DHS has repeatedly called on Spanberger and Fairfax officials not to release these individuals back into communities, citing the county’s refusal to honor over 1,150 ICE detainers in recent years.

A new Washington Post-Schar School poll shows Spanberger’s job approval rating at just 47% approve to 46% disapprove after only a few months in office, the highest early-term disapproval rating for any Virginia governor since polling began in the 1990s.

Critics argue that her shift from a centrist campaign image to left-leaning governance on issues such as immigration and redistricting has alienated her constituents.

The post WATCH: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger Runs Away from Reporter Asking If She’ll Finally Turn Violent Criminal Illegal Aliens Over to DHS appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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