US agent, suspected smuggler killed off the coast of Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON — A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent and a suspected smuggler died during a shootout Thursday off the Puerto Rico coast, authorities said. Two other U.S. officers were injured.
CBP’s Air and Marine Operations unit was on routine patrol around 8 a.m. Thursday when the shots were fired about 12 miles off the coast from Cabo Rojo, a major drug smuggling corridor for cocaine coming out of South America known as the Mona Passage, the agency said. It lies between Puerto Rico’s western coastline and the Dominican Republic.
Three CBP marine interdiction agents exchanged gunfire with two people aboard the suspected smuggling ship, officials said. All three agents were shot and airlifted to local hospitals in Puerto Rico.
One of the agents was later pronounced dead. The agent’s identity was not immediately released and the condition of the other two agents was not immediately clear.
One of the people aboard the suspected smuggling ship was also killed, officials said. The second person on that vessel was arrested.
After the shooting, another U.S. marine interdiction crew intercepted another boat nearby, finding firearms and other contraband onboard, Customs and Border Protection said. The two people on that ship were also arrested.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting.
Air and Marine Operations employs about 1,650 people and is one of the smaller units of CBP, the largest law enforcement agency in the United States, which also includes the
Border Patrol. It works to stop the illegal movement of people, drugs and other goods.
The unit detected 218 “conventional aircraft incursions” on U.S. soil in the 2021 fiscal year, seized 1.1 million pounds of narcotics, $73.1 million in illicit currency, made more than 122,000 arrests and rescued 518 people, according to CBP.
Taylor Swift tickets: Ticketmaster says it is canceling Friday’s planned general public sale for Taylor Swift’s upcoming stadium tour because it doesn’t have enough tickets.
The decision came days after a presale event caused the site to crash and left many fans without tickets.
The ticketing company said in a statement Thursday that 2 million tickets to the Eras Tour next year were sold during presales Tuesday, the most tickets ever sold on the platform in a single day.
Ticketmaster cited “extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand” as a reason for calling off Friday’s sale.
It’s been a record year for Swift after releasing her latest album, “Midnights.”
The 52-date Eras Tour kicks off March 17 in Glendale, Arizona, and wraps up with five shows in Los Angeles ending Aug. 9. International dates will be announced as well. It’s Swift’s first tour since 2018.
Myanmar prisoner release:
Myanmar’s militarycontrolled government announced Thursday it was releasing and deporting an Australian academic, a Japanese filmmaker, an ex-British diplomat and an American as part of a broad prisoner amnesty marking the country’s National
Victory Day.
Australian Sean Turnell, Japan’s Toru Kubota, Briton Vicky Bowman and American Kyaw Htay Oo, as well as 11 local Myanmar celebrities, were among 5,774 prisoners who were being freed, Myanmar’s state-run MRTV reported.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights monitoring group, 16,232 people have been detained on political charges in Myanmar since the army ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.
Of those arrested, 13,015 were still in detention as of Wednesday, AAPP reported. At least 2,465 civilians have been killed by security forces in the same period, the group says.
Obama leadership program:
An Obama Foundation program that has trained hundreds of young leaders across Africa, the AsiaPacific and Europe is being
expanded to include the United States.
Former President Barack Obama is expected to announce the new program Thursday during a two-day democracy forum in New York City.
The Obama Foundation Leaders United States program is a six-month leadership development program for emerging leaders between the ages of 24 and 45. The program will serve more than 100 leaders from the U.S. in its first year. Participants will be chosen through a competitive application process.
In remarks prepared for delivery Thursday, Obama cites “consistently high interest” in the foundation’s programs.
The Obama Foundation Leaders program has worked with more than 700 people in Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Europe since its 2018 launch.
Israel, Jordan team up: Israel and Jordan signed a declaration of intent on Thursday at
the U.N. climate conference in Egypt to conserve and protect their shared Jordan River.
The sacred waterway is nearly running dry because of climate change, pollution and other threats. But the announced plan is short on specifics.
It says Israel and Jordan have promised to try to reduce river pollution by building up wastewater treatment facilities and upgrading sewer systems to prevent riverside cities from dumping raw sewage into the waters, according to a statement from the Israeli government.
The countries also aim to promote sustainable agriculture, controlling runoff from farm fields and reducing the use of pesticides, it added, without elaborating on how.
Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency said the plan will hopefully increase water supplies and create job opportunities “for those living on both sides of the Jordan River, including Palestinians.”
Truck recall: Stellantis is recalling nearly 250,000 heavy-duty Ram diesel pickup trucks in the U.S. because transmission fluid can leak and cause engine fires.
The recall covers certain 2020 to 2023 Ram 2500 and some 2020 through 2022 Ram 3500 trucks. All have 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engines and 68RFE transmissions.
The company says heat and pressure can build up in the transmission, expelling fluid from the dipstick tube. If the fluid hits a hot engine part, that can set off a fire.
Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, is still developing a repair. In the meantime the company says owners can still drive the trucks but drivers should contact a dealer if they see a dashboard warning light.
The company says it has 16 reports of fires and 48 complaints, field reports and warranty claims due to the problem.
It’s aware of one minor injury caused by the issue.