Moroccans fire on boat, kill migrant
RABAT, Morocco -- A migrant was killed when Morocco's navy opened fire on a boat carrying her and more than two dozen others, a human-rights group said Wednesday.
The 22-year-old victim, who was studying law, died before reaching a hospital, said Mohamed Benaissa, the head of Morocco's Northern Observatory for Human Rights. Three other migrants were wounded in Tuesday's confrontation, he said.
The speedboat was carrying 25 Moroccans and two Spanish captains, Benaissa said by telephone.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry confirmed that two of its citizens had been arrested by Moroccan authorities, one of them with a criminal record. The official declined to elaborate on the criminal record and spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly. Spain's Europa Press, a private news agency, said the Spaniard had been charged twice and detained at least 16 times for violence against women and other unspecified crimes.
Morocco's Interior Ministry said the boat was illegally transporting migrants.
It was the second time in recent days that Morocco's navy intervened to stop a boat suspected of carrying migrants across the Mediterranean, and occurs as concerns grow about migrant trafficking in the western Mediterranean region. The central Mediterranean route is being choked off by the Libyan coast guard chasing after smugglers' small boats and returning migrants to Libya.
Mexico locks out Acapulco's police
MEXICO CITY -- Authorities in southern Mexico disarmed and placed under investigation on Tuesday the entire police force in the once-glittering resort of Acapulco, claiming the agency was infiltrated by drug gangs.
Officials in Guerrero state issued arrest warrants for two top Acapulco police commanders, accusing them of homicide. It was the latest fall from grace for Acapulco, which was a favorite haunt of movie stars in the 1960s but has since fallen victim to warring drug gangs.
The state government said it took the step "because of suspicion that the force had probably been infiltrated by criminal groups" and "the complete inaction of the municipal police in fighting the crime wave."
The rest of the police officers were stripped of their guns, radios and ballistic vests and taken for background checks. Law enforcement duties in the seaside city of 800,000 will be taken over by soldiers, marines and state police.
The U.S. government repeated its travel alert advising U.S. citizens not to travel in Guerrero state because of the armed groups that are active in the region.
Last year, Acapulco had a homicide rate of 103 per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the highest in Mexico and the world.
Danish raids target buyers of drones
COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Danish authorities arrested two people Wednesday under Denmark's anti-terror laws on accusations that they bought drones bound for the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
Copenhagen police and Denmark's security service carried out the arrests Wednesday. Police said the suspects were believed to be part of a network.
In a brief joint statement, police and the security service said a series of raids also were carried out in greater Copenhagen.
The suspects will face a judge today, and prosecutors are expected to demand they be held in pretrial detention. Prosecutors say the hearing should be held privately because of the ongoing investigation.
No other details were available.
It was unclear whether the case was linked to the arrests in Denmark a year ago of a 28-year-old man accused of shipping drones, drone components and infrared cameras for the Islamic State group through Turkey.
A Section on 09/27/2018