CPU - Close Protection Unit

#Mexico / #USA - President Trump after declaring cartels terrorist organizations: ‘Mexico is not going to like it - from El Pais: The long-anticipated threat has become reality. On his first day in office, Donald Trump signed an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. “Mexico is not going to like it,” said the tycoon as he signed the decree in a sports arena in front of his supporters. According to specialists, the measure will give the U.S. government enormous powers that could violate Mexico’s sovereignty, resulting, for example, in drone attacks or military incursions on Mexican soil. Claudia Sheinbaum’s government, which has firmly stated the bilateral relationship will be one of cooperation and never subordination, will be under pressure to obtain results in its anti-drug policy, results that can be measured in Trump’s terms. The diplomatic relationship between the two countries, led in Mexico by a leftist president and in Washington by a politician more inclined to the xenophobic and racist right, is expected to be tense on such a priority issue as bilateral security and threatens to affect trade, an area in which both countries are deeply dependent. Among the Republican president’s priority goals is the reduction of fentanyl trafficking, a drug that kills tens of thousands of Americans (in 2023, 70,000 people died from the synthetic opioid). Sheinbaum, who champions the discourse of tackling the drug-trafficking problem through social aid and addressing inequality, has also emphasized that among her priorities are undermining criminal structures and the seizure of drugs, coups that could give a respite to negotiations with Trump. In Sinaloa, where two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Chapitos and La Mayiza, loyal to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, have been waging an all-out war for months that has left dozens dead, the Ministry of Security, headed by Omar García Harfuch, has captured several criminal leaders and seized a ton of fentanyl, the largest cache of the drug ever impounded in Mexico. The list of terrorist organizations is managed by the U.S. State Department. Currently, 68 groups and individuals are included, from Hamas to the Colombian FARC guerrillas and Shining Path in Peru. While the main consequences of being on the list are financial — it makes it easier for the U.S. to block capital flows between countries and combat money laundering — there is also an aspect that excites both Republicans and Democrats: military intervention on Mexican soil with selective incursions aimed at damaging the cartels. A unilateral maneuver of this type would mean destroying decades of bilateral cooperation and intelligence exchange between the two governments to combat the historical problem of drug trafficking. Story continues: https://lnkd.in/eiWBwukT

🚨 State of Emergency called in Trujillo, Peru following an explosion outside the Public Prosecutors Office An explosion took place outside the Public Prosecutors Office in Trujillo, Peru during the early morning hours (local time) on 20 January, resulting in injuries to at least two people. It was likely due to an improvised explosive device (IED). A state of emergency was declared following this incident and the Presidential Office stated this would be for an undetermined length of time. While no group claimed responsibility for the attack, organised criminal groups linked to extortion practices are highly likely behind the attack, underscoring the deteriorating security trend. The Attorney General has also blamed organised crime for the attack. A journalist was also reportedly shot dead in a separate incident shortly before the bombing.

#Yemen / #Sealanes - Yemen’s Houthis signal they’ll now limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to Israeli ships - story from The Associated Press - graphics from Al Jazeera Media Network: Yemen’s Houthi rebels signaled Monday they now will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships after a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip, but warned wider assaults could resume if needed. The Houthis’ announcement, first made in an email sent to shippers and others late Sunday, likely won’t be enough to encourage global firms to reenter the route that’s crucial for cargo and energy shipments moving between Asia and Europe. Their attacks have halved traffic through the region, cutting deeply into revenues for Egypt, which runs the Suez Canal linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. “The ceasefire is considered fragile,” said Jakob P. Larsen, the head of maritime security for BIMCO, the largest international association representing shipowners. “It is assessed that even minor deviations from the ceasefire agreements could lead to hostilities, which would subsequently prompt the Houthis to again direct threats against a broader range of international shipping.” We are “maintaining constant readiness to intervene immediately should the Israeli enemy resume any escalation, commit acts of genocide, impose a siege on Gaza or deny food and medicine to the people of Gaza,” al-Houthi said. “We are ready to return to escalation again alongside our brothers, the fighters in Palestine.” The Houthis separately planned a military statement on Monday, likely about the decision, though it still hadn’t been issued hours later. The Houthis made the initial announcement through their Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, saying it was “stopping sanctions” on the other vessels it has previously targeted since November 2023. For Israeli ships, those “sanctions ... will be stopped upon the full implementation of all phases” of the ceasefire, it added. Story continues: AP story: https://lnkd.in/eAmwkaAE Graphics via Al-Jazeera: https://lnkd.in/eT8nHx2Z

For those interested in firearms, here's a weird but fascinating video about the reliability of the AK-47 and how you can get it to work if parts and bits are missing. ...I'm not sure about the stick thing. James McDonagh #smallarms #ak #weapons #guns #rifles #ak47 #video

VEHICLE COVER The basic definition of concealment is something that hides your position but can be shot through, like a large piece of posterboard, and cover is something that’ll stop bullets like a piece of armor. But the reality is that most of the time you don’t know what “cover” is until you try to put some bullets through it. What is considered “cover” for one caliber may not be for another. The fact is there are extremely few “bulletproof” items, but instead objects that can stop projectiles for a given period of time (given infinite time and ammunition, a .22LR will eventually burn through 10 feet of concrete). What’s been traditionally taught about vehicles is that the only real cover is the engine block and the tires. Indeed, most rounds will punch right through side panels and doors, hitting the occupants unless a round goes awry after hitting something like a door lock or other internal mechanisms. And furthermore, due to the materials used, modern engine blocks may not be as bulletproof as they have been in the past. Unless additional armor is used, the doors can only be relied on for concealment. But modern vehicles have other reinforced areas that were otherwise ignored: pillars. Pillars are vertical and inclined components that not only support the roof of a vehicle, but also are structural reinforcements that protect the passengers in case of an accident or rollover. Most sedans have at least three pairs of these pillars, with larger vehicles like SUVs and station wagons often having four. Pillars are labeled front-to-back with the letters A through D. SHOOTING THROUGH GLASS Bullets can get weird when traveling through barriers, and glass can be particularly tricky. Even though you can see through it just fine, the projectile fired will typically exit perpendicular to the angle of the glass itself. This effect is especially pronounced when firing through the laminated glass of a windshield. This change in trajectory happens because when a bullet doesn’t hit square, one part strikes the barrier first causing a shift. These deflections can be extreme enough to be the difference between a hit and a miss, even at close range. For car windshields, if you’re firing outside-in you can expect the shot to travel downward. If you’re firing from inside-out, they’ll deflect upward

The moment they airlifted Rocky, the K9, who was wounded in the line of duty. He is doing well and is a very good dog. (See below for an update!) Info: A U.S. Marshal’s Office K-9, who found the accused killer of a law enforcement officer hiding in a dumpster Wednesday afternoon, was in stable condition after suffering several gunshot wounds during the incident, officials said. Wednesday morning, local and state police launched a miles-long manhunt in southwest Houston for a man accused of shooting and killing Jesus Vargas, a 17-year veteran of the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office and member of the U.S. Marshal's Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force. Update: Rocky is on his way home! https://lnkd.in/gh7D-34S #dog #cops #police #k9