POPULAR FRONT

🇺🇸#US - 🇲🇽#Mexico: A pickup truck carrying alleged members of the Sinaloa Cartel exploded on a highway on the outskirts of Mexico City in late March, killing two sicarios. One of those killed was reportedly a senior cartel figure and lieutenant known by the alias “El Payín.” Initial reports from Mexican media claimed the blast was caused by a car bomb, though later reporting attributed the explosion to a possible mechanical failure. However, other sources cited by CNN alleged that the attack may have been carried out by the CIA’s "Ground Branch" division as part of a covert campaign against Mexican cartels. Mexico’s Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch, has publicly denied those claims, stating that no such foreign operations are taking place on Mexican soil. (via CNN)

🇺🇸#US: A former mayor of Arcadia, California, has plead guilty to acting as an agent of the Chinese government, according to the US Department of Justice. Eileen Wang, 58, allegedly worked with individuals linked to Beijing between 2020 and 2022 to distribute pro-PRC propaganda through a Chinese-language media platform, targeting the local Chinese-American community. Prosecutors stated that some of the content promoted narratives approved directly by Chinese officials, including propaganda denying genocide and human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Wang resigned from both the Arcadia City Council and her position as mayor shortly after the charges were announced. She now faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. (via BBC)

🇮🇷#Iran - 🇺🇸#US: The Iranian Broadcasting Agency has released footage showing the IRGC launching drones and missiles at US warships overnight during brief clashes in the Strait of Hormuz between the US and the IRGC Navy.

🇺🇸#US - 🇮🇷#Iran: The US military struck two empty Iranian tankers earlier today that were allegedly violating the ongoing US blockade. CENTCOM later released footage on its X profile showing three Iranian-flagged tankers being struck, with the third vessel having been hit two days earlier.

🇺🇸#US - 🇮🇷#Iran: CENTCOM has confirmed that US naval forces exchanged fire with Iranian units while transiting the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman earlier today. According to the US military, Iran has launched a wave of missiles and drones against three warships, the USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta, and USS Mason, during the incident. While the US claims that all incoming attacks were intercepted, the IRGC Navy released a statement alleging that three American vessels were damaged and forced to change course. The US further stated that it later carried out retaliatory strikes on Iranian military infrastructure allegedly involved in the attack, including the Bandar Kargan naval checkpoint in Minab, as well as Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas. (via @CENTCOM on X)

🇮🇷#Iran - 🇺🇸#US: Iranian state media reports that the IRGC launched missile strikes against US Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, allegedly in response to a US attack on an Iranian oil tanker. The claims come after conflicting reports emerged regarding several explosions near Iranian ports, with some IRGC-affiliated sources initially blaming the UAE. Those statements were later retracted, with the same sources claiming that the reported explosions were actually caused by IRGC “warning shots” fired at a commercial vessel. Shortly afterward, Iranian sources stated that the IRGC had in fact engaged US naval units that were attempting to enforce Washington’s naval blockade, resulting in a brief confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz. The claims were also mentioned in parts of the Israeli press; however, the US military has not officially confirmed that such an incident took place.

🇺🇸#US: US forces struck another vessel allegedly operating along "known narco-trafficking routes" in the Caribbean Sea yesterday. Two people were killed as a result of the strike.

🇺🇸#US: A multi-agency drug bust in Houston, Texas, led by the Houston Police Department’s Gang, Narcotics, and South Gessner divisions, along with the FBI, DEA, and Texas state troopers, resulted in the seizure of approximately 31 firearms and several bags of drugs last week. Among the weapons were pistols and rifles, including a gold-plated AK-style rifle and a matching pistol. The rifle was engraved with “El Más Buscado” (“The Most Wanted”). Two men were arrested and are suspected of having connections to a cartel. (via @submundooriginal)

🇺🇸#US: The US military is moving to expand its use of artificial intelligence after the Pentagon signed new agreements with several major tech companies, aiming to turn it into an “AI-first” fighting force. The move follows a dispute with AI firm Anthropic, which voiced its concerns publicly that its tools could be used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons and refused to accept contract terms that the US government has described as “any lawful operational use". The Pentagon has instead turned to companies including Google, OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft, SpaceX, Nvidia and others, pushing ahead with broader use of AI across military operations. (via BBC)

🇺🇸#US – 🇩🇪#Germany: The Pentagon announced that the US will withdraw 5.000 troops from Germany, a process expected to take up to 12 months. This comes as a senior Pentagon official described Germany’s rhetoric regarding US involvement in the war in Iran as “inappropriate and unhelpful". The decision has reportedly surprised German officials, despite earlier meetings at the Pentagon being described as positive and constructive, even though Germany allowed the use of military bases and granted overflight permission to US assets during its involvement in the war in Iran. (via Reuters & BBC)

🇺🇸#US: Newly released footage shows the suspected shooter, Cole Allen, running past a security screening gate before opening fire on a US Secret Service officer during the attempted attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C.

🇺🇸#US - 🇮🇷#Iran: US Marines boarded the commercial vessel M/V Blue Star III after it was suspected of attempting to reach Iran, following Washington’s blockade on Iranian ports. The ship was later cleared to continue its journey after US forces determined it was not headed to Iran at all. Footage shows US Marines boarding the ship from a helicopter. Since the blockade was imposed, at least 39 vessels have reportedly been inspected or "redirected".