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Mexican Drug Lord Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada Set to Plead Guilty in U.S. Federal Court

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Maryland (BN24) – Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the elusive former leader of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel, is expected to plead guilty Monday in U.S. federal court to charges stemming from decades of directing one of the world’s most violent and expansive drug trafficking empires.

Zambada, 77, is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Brooklyn for a change-of-plea hearing, a move that would bring an extraordinary chapter in the history of organized crime closer to an end. Prosecutors confirmed in a recent filing that he is prepared to admit guilt to one count of racketeering conspiracy and another of operating a continuing criminal enterprise.

The proceedings come nearly a year after Zambada was arrested in Texas and extradited to New York. Federal prosecutors had previously announced they would not pursue the death penalty, paving the way for negotiations that led to his scheduled guilty plea.

Once regarded as untouchable, Zambada spent decades avoiding capture while co-leading the Sinaloa cartel with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who was sentenced in 2019 to life in prison after his own conviction in the same courthouse. Together, prosecutors say, the two men transformed the cartel from a regional operation into a global narcotics network that flooded the United States with cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Zambada’s leadership, according to court filings, relied on a militarized security structure that employed heavily armed guards and a cadre of hitmen, or “sicarios,” who carried out targeted assassinations, kidnappings and torture to protect cartel interests. The U.S. government has long described the Sinaloa cartel as the most dominant trafficking organization in the Western Hemisphere.

Zambada had initially pleaded not guilty last year to a sweeping indictment that included drug trafficking, firearms violations and money laundering offenses. His legal team has not publicly commented on the expected plea deal.

The guilty plea would mark a milestone in a decades-long U.S. effort to dismantle the cartel’s leadership. While Guzmán’s imprisonment and Zambada’s pending conviction represent major victories for prosecutors, the cartel continues to operate under the control of Guzmán’s sons, known as “Los Chapitos,” who remain targets of U.S. law enforcement.

Zambada, who spent years in the shadows as the cartel’s strategist while Guzmán drew the spotlight, now faces a sentencing hearing that could effectively ensure he spends the rest of his life in federal custody.

National Guard Troops in Washington Armed With Pistols and Rifles Under Trump’s Crime Crackdown-NBC

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WASHINGTON (BN24) — National Guard troops stationed in Washington, D.C., as part of President Donald Trump’s anti-crime initiative began carrying firearms Sunday evening, marking a significant escalation in the deployment’s posture, according to federal officials.

Most of the Guard members are now armed with their standard-issue M17 pistols, while a smaller contingent has been equipped with M4 rifles, a Defense Department official confirmed. The troops are authorized to use their weapons only for self-protection and, as the federal task force overseeing the mission emphasized, “as a last resort” in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.

The deployment, which includes more than 2,200 National Guard soldiers and airmen — a majority from outside the District — was ordered earlier this month by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to bolster Trump’s crime reduction push in the nation’s capital. Hegseth’s directive authorized roughly 2,000 troops to carry firearms, reversing an earlier policy that had left Guard members unarmed while assisting local law enforcement with safety patrols, traffic control, and public order.

On Sunday evening, armed National Guard troops wearing “MP” patches were seen patrolling D.C.’s Chinatown neighborhood. Officials said Guard members involved in safety and security operations will be armed, while those assigned to “beautification” efforts, such as community restoration and public improvement projects, will likely remain unarmed.

The Army said all Guard members tasked with carrying firearms undergo regular training, refresher courses, and annual weapons qualifications. A White House official told NBC News that despite being armed, the troops are not currently making arrests but will continue to focus on protecting federal facilities and supporting law enforcement during arrests.

The task force is also reviewing a request by local police to increase National Guard presence at several metro stations as schools across the District reopen.

Trump has framed the expanded National Guard mission as a necessary measure to combat crime and homelessness in Washington, pointing to deployments from Republican-led states as proof of national support for his initiative. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey sent more than 400 troops, the largest single state contribution, which he described as a “show of commitment” to Trump’s plan. Troops have also been dispatched from South Carolina, Ohio, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee.

According to D.C. police data, violent crime had dropped about 27% compared with the previous year at the time Trump ordered the deployment. Still, critics, including Democratic leaders, accuse Trump of using the National Guard as a political tool, targeting cities led by Black officials and employing what they describe as intimidation tactics.

On Sunday, Trump escalated his rhetoric further by threatening to send troops into Baltimore following a dispute with Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Referring to Baltimore as “crime-ridden,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, “But if Wes Moore needs help, like Gavin Newscum did in L.A., I will send in the ‘troops,’ which is being done in nearby DC, and quickly clean up the Crime,” using a derogatory nickname for California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The deployment of National Guard troops for routine crime control in major U.S. cities remains highly unusual. Historically, the force has been mobilized for natural disasters, riots, and periods of acute civil unrest, not for sustained law enforcement missions in the nation’s capital.

Nigerian Airstrikes Rescue 76 Hostages, Including Children, From Militant Camps in Katsina

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KATSINA, Nigeria (BN24) — Nigerian military airstrikes freed at least 76 hostages, including women and children, during a raid on militant hideouts in the country’s northwest, officials said Saturday.

The strikes targeted criminal strongholds around Pauwa Hill in the Kankara district of Katsina state during the early hours of the morning, according to Nasir Mu’azu, the state commissioner for internal security. Authorities said the operation was launched as part of a manhunt for a notorious kidnapper.

Among those freed were victims of a recent assault on a mosque in Unguwan Mantau, where at least 50 worshippers were killed. “However, it was regrettably noted that one child tragically lost his life during the ordeal,” Mu’azu said.

The rescues come amid a surge of violence across Nigeria’s northwest and north-central regions, where heavily armed gangs have carried out mass kidnappings, village raids, and deadly attacks linked to disputes between herders and farmers over scarce land and water. Last month, gunmen killed at least 150 people in a single assault in north-central Nigeria, underscoring the scale of the crisis.

Mu’azu described the latest air campaign as “part of a broader strategy to dismantle criminal hideouts, weaken their networks and put an end to the cycle of killings, kidnappings, and extortion that have plagued innocent citizens.”

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is also battling a separate jihadist insurgency in its northeast, where violence has killed more than 35,000 people and displaced over 2 million, according to the United Nations.

In addition to the hostage rescue, the military confirmed that 35 militants were killed Saturday in separate targeted airstrikes in the northwest. Despite stepped-up counterinsurgency operations under President Bola Tinubu, authorities acknowledge that militant violence remains persistent across multiple regions.

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia Detained by ICE as Court Order Halts Deportation to Uganda

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BALTIMORE (BN24) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose arrest and fight to stay in the United States has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, surrendered Monday morning to U.S. immigration authorities in Baltimore, but a federal court order has temporarily paused efforts by the Trump administration to deport him to Uganda.

The 30-year-old Salvadoran national was wrongfully deported in March to a notorious prison in his native El Salvador. He was returned to the United States in June, but only to face human smuggling charges that his lawyers call preposterous and vindictive.

The Trump administration has said it is trying to deport Abrego Garcia months before his trial is scheduled in Tennessee, alleging he is a danger to the community and an MS-13 gang member. He denies the gang allegation, pleaded not guilty to smuggling charges and has asked a judge to dismiss the case on grounds of vindictive prosecution.

The court order signed by Chief Judge George Russell III automatically pauses any effort by the Trump administration to immediately deport Abrego Garcia. Any immigrant seeking review of their detention in a Maryland federal court is covered by the order, which blocks their removal from the United States until 4 p.m. on the second business day after their habeas corpus petition is filed.

In June, the administration sued all of Maryland’s 15 federal judges to challenge the standard order that provides automatic protection for detained immigrants pursuing habeas corpus cases.

Abrego Garcia’s attorneys filed a new federal lawsuit shortly after he surrendered to immigration authorities, though the court documents were not immediately publicly available. They filed it in the federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, where U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has been presiding over a string of hearings for the original case challenging his wrongful deportation.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday that Abrego Garcia is being processed for deportation, but the court order creates a temporary legal barrier to any immediate removal efforts.

Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, confirmed that a lawsuit had been filed in federal district court in Maryland shortly after his client’s detention, seeking an order that he not be deported while his case proceeds.

“I expect there’s going to be a status conference very promptly, and we’re going to ask for an interim order that he not be deported, pending his due process rights to contest deportation to any particular country,” Sandoval-Moshenberg said.

The attorney has previously criticized the government’s deportation plans, saying the administration is attempting to use the immigration system to punish his client by “attempting to send him halfway across the world, to a country with documented human rights abuses and where he does not even speak the language.”

Abrego Garcia has an American wife and children and has lived in Maryland for years. His case became a high-profile example of immigration enforcement under the Trump administration after he was mistakenly sent to El Salvador despite a federal judge’s earlier determination that he faced a “well-founded fear” of violence there.

The human smuggling charges that brought him back into federal custody stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee for speeding, where officers found nine passengers in his vehicle and discussed their suspicions of smuggling activity among themselves. However, Abrego Garcia was allowed to continue driving with only a warning at the time.

Federal officials have argued that Abrego Garcia can be deported because he entered the United States illegally and because a U.S. immigration judge deemed him eligible for removal in 2019, though not specifically to his native El Salvador. Uganda recently agreed to accept deportees from the United States, provided they do not have criminal records and are not unaccompanied minors.

The case has drawn significant attention from immigration advocates who argue it demonstrates potential abuses within the federal deportation system. Critics contend that the government’s shifting deportation destinations and timing of the criminal charges suggest retaliatory prosecution rather than legitimate law enforcement.

Justice Department spokesperson Chad Gilmartin has defended the prosecution, stating that “a federal grand jury has charged Abrego Garcia with serious federal crimes, underscoring the clear danger this defendant presents to the community.”

The temporary court protection provides Abrego Garcia’s legal team additional time to challenge both the criminal charges and the deportation proceedings while his attorneys argue that their client is being unfairly targeted for having successfully contested his initial wrongful removal to El Salvador.

Mexican Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. to Stand Trial on Cartel Charges, Released Pending Proceedings

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Mexico's Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. enters the ring ahead of his cruiserweight boxing bout against USA's Jake Paul at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on June 28, 2025. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)

HERMOSILLO, Mexico (BN24) — A Mexican judge ruled that boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. will stand trial on charges of cartel involvement and arms trafficking but can await proceedings outside of detention, the boxer’s attorney said Sunday.

The 39-year-old son of Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez participated virtually in Saturday’s court hearing from a detention facility in Hermosillo. Judge granted his release while imposing additional legal restrictions and ordering three months of further investigation.

Defense attorney Rubén Fernando Benítez Alvarez confirmed the court’s decision and described the allegations against his client as “speculation” and “urban legends.” If convicted, Chávez faces a potential prison sentence of four to eight years, Alvarez said.

The court prohibited Chávez from leaving Mexico during the legal proceedings, according to a federal agent who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Chávez was arrested in early July by federal agents outside his Los Angeles home for overstaying his visa and providing inaccurate information on a green card application. The arrest occurred days after his high-profile boxing match against Jake Paul in Los Angeles.

Mexican authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Chávez in 2023, but officials said they had not previously detained him because he had been living in the United States for several years.

The charges against Chávez stem from a broader investigation Mexican prosecutors launched in 2019 targeting the Sinaloa Cartel on charges of organized crime, human trafficking, arms trafficking and drug trafficking. The investigation followed a complaint filed by United States authorities.

Mexico’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. enters the ring ahead of his cruiserweight boxing bout against USA’s Jake Paul at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on June 28, 2025. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)

Chávez was subsequently deported from the United States in August and imprisoned in northern Mexico pending the legal proceedings.

Chávez Jr. has competed professionally since 2003 and held the WBC middleweight title from 2011 to 2012. His father, Julio César Chávez Sr., is considered one of Mexico’s greatest boxers and held world championships in three weight divisions.

Israeli Kill 6, Wound 86 in Yemen Retaliation Attack

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Tel Aviv (BN24) – Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Sunday, killing six people and wounding 86, according to a spokesperson for the Houthi-controlled Health Ministry.

The strikes targeted a military compound housing the presidential palace, two power plants and a fuel storage facility, the Israeli military said. Israel described the operation as retaliation for recent Houthi missile and drone attacks launched toward its territory.

“The strikes were conducted in response to repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel and its civilians, including the launching of surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs toward Israeli territory in recent days,” the Israeli military said in a statement.

On Friday, Houthi officials said they fired a ballistic missile at Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza. An Israeli Air Force official said Sunday the missile appeared to carry multiple sub-munitions designed to detonate on impact, marking the first reported launch of this type of weapon from Yemen.

The escalation is part of more than a year of cross-border attacks between Israel and Houthi forces, an extension of the war in Gaza that began in October 2023 between Israel and Hamas. Since then, the Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea and launched missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted.

Israel has previously carried out airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas, including the Red Sea port of Hodeidah.

Abdul Qader al-Murtada, a senior Houthi official, said Sunday the group would continue operations in what it described as solidarity with Palestinians. “(Israel) must know that we will not abandon our brothers in Gaza, whatever the sacrifices,” he wrote on X.

 Israeli Strike Kills 4 Journalists, Including AP Freelancer at Gaza Hospital

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (BN24)  — Four journalists were killed Monday in an Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza, including a freelancer who worked for The Associated Press, health officials reported.

Mariam Dagga, 33, a visual journalist who had freelanced for AP and other news organizations since the Gaza war began, was among those killed in the strike on Nasser Hospital, according to Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Health Ministry’s records department.

The hospital strike killed 19 people total, al-Waheidi said.

Dagga, who has a 12-year-old son evacuated from Gaza earlier in the conflict, had been based at Nasser Hospital and recently reported on doctors’ efforts to treat malnourished children.

Al Jazeera confirmed its journalist Mohammed Salam died in the Nasser Hospital strike. Reuters reported contractor cameraman Hussam al-Masri was killed and contractor photographer Hatem Khaled was wounded in the same incident.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office and Israeli military declined to comment on the strike.

The Israel-Hamas war has become one of the deadliest conflicts for media workers on record. At least 192 journalists have been killed in Gaza during the 22-month conflict, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. By comparison, 18 journalists have died in Russia’s war in Ukraine, the CPJ reported.

Israel has barred international media from covering the war except for rare guided tours. News organizations rely primarily on Palestinian journalists and Gaza residents to document events in the territory.

Israel has questioned the affiliations and objectivity of Palestinian journalists while preventing international reporters from entering Gaza independently.

Gaza-based journalists face the same challenges finding food and shelter for their families as the civilians they cover, according to media organizations operating in the region.

The Associated Press expressed shock and sadness over Dagga’s death and the killing of other journalists in a statement Monday.

Source: AP

Government Forces Kill Over 30 Jihadists in Nigeria

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ABUJA, Nigeria (BN24) — The Nigerian military says it has killed 35 jihadist fighters in a series of targeted airstrikes near the country’s northeastern border with Cameroon, part of an ongoing campaign to suppress Islamist insurgents and criminal gangs fueling one of Africa’s most persistent security crises.

In a statement released Sunday, military officials said the strikes were conducted in four separate locations to prevent an imminent jihadist assault on ground troops operating in the region. The strikes reportedly destroyed camps and disrupted enemy movements, although the military provided no visual confirmation of casualties.

Nigeria has been grappling with a deadly insurgency for more than a decade, led by jihadist groups including Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). According to the United Nations, more than 35,000 people have been killed and over two million displaced since the insurgency began in 2009.

The latest operation comes amid rising national concern over the scale of violence across the country. On Saturday, a coalition of prominent Nigerians—including former ministers, business leaders, and civil society figures—issued a joint statement warning that parts of the country are suffering from “war-time levels of slaughter,” despite the absence of a formal state of war.

The group cited a recent Amnesty International report claiming that at least 10,217 people have been killed since President Bola Tinubu assumed office two years ago. They called for the establishment of a Presidential Task Force with emergency powers to tackle the country’s overlapping conflicts.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), which conducted the latest round of strikes, reiterated its commitment to supporting ground operations aimed at dismantling jihadist strongholds in the northeast. Last week, the military claimed it had eliminated nearly 600 militants in the region over the past eight months, though independent verification remains elusive.

In addition to jihadist violence, Nigeria faces mounting threats from armed criminal gangs—commonly referred to as “bandits”—particularly in the northwestern states of Katsina and Zamfara. These groups are responsible for mass abductions, extortion, and deadly raids on rural communities.

Over the weekend, military aircraft were deployed in Katsina, where officials say dozens of bandits were targeted in an offensive that led to the rescue of 76 hostages, including women and children. However, authorities confirmed that one child died during the rescue operation.

The raid followed a brutal assault last week in the village of Unguwan Mantau, where gunmen stormed a mosque and surrounding homes, killing at least 50 people and abducting around 60 others. Officials say some of those taken were among those rescued during the weekend’s military operation.

The security situation remains dire in the region. According to the South Africa-based Institute for Security Studies, at least 15 jihadist attacks have been recorded this year in border areas near Cameroon and Niger. The group notes that jihadists have begun using modified commercial drones to strike army positions and hinder reinforcements.

International support continues to grow. Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department approved a $346 million arms sale to Nigeria, aimed at bolstering the country’s ability to confront the increasingly complex security threats it faces.

As attacks by jihadist groups and criminal syndicates escalate, analysts warn that without urgent and coordinated action, Nigeria risks further destabilization, particularly in already volatile northern regions.

Credit: BBC

Fulham Hold Manchester United To 1-1 Draw At Craven Cottage

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LONDON (BN24) — Manchester United’s early-season struggles continued on Sunday as Erik ten Hag’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham at Craven Cottage, leaving the Red Devils still searching for their first Premier League victory of the campaign.

Despite controlling much of the first half, United failed to capitalize on their dominance. A golden opportunity to take the lead was squandered in the 38th minute when Bruno Fernandes sent a penalty soaring over the bar, leaving the visitors frustrated.

United did manage to break the deadlock in the 58th minute, though not without fortune. A corner kick found Leny Yoro at the near post, whose header deflected off Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz and crossed the line for an own goal, giving the visitors a narrow advantage.

Fulham, who had been largely pinned back in the opening 45 minutes, responded with renewed intensity after the break. Their persistence was rewarded midway through the second half when substitute Emile Rowe slotted home a composed finish in the 73rd minute, converting Alex Iwobi’s incisive pass to draw the hosts level.

The equalizer spurred Fulham on as they pressed for a winner, carving out several promising chances in the closing stages. Manchester United, meanwhile, struggled to regain control and posed little threat as the clock ran down.

With the result, both teams remain in search of rhythm and consistency. For United, the inability to close out games and capitalize on key moments continues to raise questions early in the season, while Fulham will take encouragement from a spirited second-half display.

The draw leaves Manchester United winless in their opening league matches, heightening pressure on Ten Hag’s side to deliver results as the season gathers pace.

Turkish First Lady Urges Melania Trump To Speak Out For Gaza’s Children Amid Famine Crisis

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ANKARA, Turkey (BN24) — Turkey’s first lady Emine Erdogan has appealed to Melania Trump, urging the former U.S. first lady to raise her voice for children caught in Israel’s war in Gaza.

In a letter published Saturday by the Turkish presidency, Erdogan praised Trump’s previous advocacy for children affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called on her to “extend the advocacy” to Palestinians.

“Gaza has turned into a children’s cemetery,” Erdogan wrote, adding, “We must unite our voices and strength against this injustice.”

The letter was released as a United Nations–backed food security assessment reported that half a million people are experiencing famine in Gaza City. The report warned that 132,000 children face life-threatening malnutrition.

“The phrase ‘unknown baby’ written on the shrouds of thousands of Gazan children opens irreparable wounds in our consciences,” Erdogan said in her appeal. She also encouraged Trump to directly urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the humanitarian crisis.

Erdogan’s letter follows Melania Trump’s recent correspondence to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which Trump asked him to consider the plight of children affected by war. Trump did not refer to specific victims in that letter.

While Emine Erdogan is typically known for her environmental activism—a role that has drawn praise from U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres—she has previously written appeals to spouses of world leaders. In 2016, she addressed the Syrian conflict, and in March she condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza.

The latest letter coincides with a grim report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which confirmed famine in Gaza City and predicted catastrophic conditions for more than 640,000 people through September. One in three children in Gaza is already acutely malnourished, the report found, with projections of worsening conditions through 2026.

According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, 114 of the 281 people who have died from malnutrition so far are children. The ministry also reported that 61 people were killed in the past 24 hours from Israeli attacks, with eight more—including two children—dying from hunger-related causes.

Israel has rejected claims of famine, accusing the IPC of bias and of relying on data provided by Hamas. IPC experts have dismissed those allegations.

The crisis deepens as Israel prepares for a new military offensive to seize control of Gaza City. Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that 19 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a displacement camp in Khan Younis on Friday.

The war, triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has left more than 62,000 people dead in Gaza, according to health officials. The conflict has displaced nearly the entire population, destroyed most homes, and devastated Gaza’s healthcare, sanitation and water systems.

Credit: BBC

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