Melissa Martinez

Good morning to you, too, Congress.

Mexican army kills leader of powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel during operation to capture him The Mexican army killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” decapitating what had become Mexico’s most powerful cartel.

It's going to stay (more) violent for a while. Unfortunately, it's likely the Trump admin. will continue to pressure Mexico, which just means more violence.

apnews.com/article/jali... army kills leader of powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel during operation to capture him

Please join us for a panel discussion on "Trump and the World" tomorrow at 4pm. Professors Davidson, Gupta, Singh, Leu, and Martinez will discuss current affairs based on regional expertise and analysis. Details below.

Hear from PS/IA alumni in this Spring's AMW course with Professor Gupta. Jason Ford will be talking to students about his experience building relationships after graduation.

Mexico's president says it was 'sovereign decision' to send cartel members to US Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says that her government sent 37 cartel members to the United States at the request of the U.S. Justice Department.

Besides the concerns over sovereignty, the irony is that much of Latin America has supported and complied with U.S. drug policy and now we have a president that says you don't know how to do this.

apnews.com/article/mexi...

We may see this approach in the region more often as an approach to evade the thirsty imperialist up north.

Guatemala's state of emergency, in photos Guatemala President Bernardo Arévalo declared a state of emergency following a surge of gang-related violence that included prison riots and the killing of several police officers over the weekend.

Another declared state of emergency in the region following gang violence.

apnews.com/photo-galler... 
Guatemala's state of emergency, in photos

"This new federal police force is also establishing standards of lawlessness, and they are operating with an assumption of impunity that is changing the lives of U.S. citizens"

A tale of two U.S. interventions and why Venezuela is not Panama 2.0 Operation Absolute Resolve, that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, echoes the 1990 U.S. invasion of Panama that brought down Manuel Noriega. But big differences abound.

Operation Absolute Resolve, that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, echoes the 1990 U.S. invasion of Panama that brought down Manuel Noriega. But big differences abound.

The Brazen Illegality of Trump’s Venezuela Operation A scholar of international law on the implications of the U.S. arrest of President Nicolás Maduro.

You can read my take on Trump's illegal invasion of Venezuela here: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...

"Mexico strongly condemns and rejects the military actions carried out unilaterally ... by armed forces of the United States of America against targets in the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in clear violation of Article 2 of the [UN] Charter"

www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/m...

Trump Team Calls Maduro a ‘Cartel’ Boss. That Word Doesn’t Mean What You Think.

A quick reminder that "Cartel de los Soles" is a term used to describe corruption, NOT an actual drug cartel:

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/u...

Live updates: US strikes Venezuela and says its leader has been captured and flown out of the country Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been captured by the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration says he'll face charges on a New York indictment.

He's trying to gain a 'rally round the flag effect with an easy target. Except it is a partisan rally. He already claimed that the U.S. will decide what comes next for Venezuela, and we know how great imposed regimes have turned out.

apnews.com/live/trump-u...

Children are the most vulnerable to these type of policies.

A few months ago, I wrote this primer for the U.S. Foreign Area Officers' in-house journal on what Venezuela is attempting with Guyana, international players (UK, France, Canada, and Brazil), and avenues for leveraging defense and security cooperation.

faoajournal.substack.com/p/resolving-...

Also, this sounds very much like a rally around the flag moment.

It's getting more obvious that the administration is not really concerned about drug trafficking or drugs. He is in for something else.

Interesting choice of words: "combatants," "pleaded," "movement." For daylight-savings? Is this AI?

We were honored to have Professor Méndez's talk about the role of international human rights law in past and current affairs and his experience as a UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment from 2010-2016. A very insightful talk.

The Department is also hosting a talk with Professor Tse-Kang Leng. Please see below for details.

I'm looking forward to hosting Professor Méndez and hear his talk on his experience ligating for and supporting cases of human rights for my International Human Rights course.

Come join Professor Gupta and alumnus Theo Stamatis for a talk on whether graduate school is right for you.

There will be Pizza!
Location: James Farmer 210
Time: 12pm-12:50pm

Moral points aside, how would they verify documentation at a time where people might have lost it during the natural disaster? It seems the effort to cut government funding is being carried out under the pretext of refusing to help undocumented immigrants.

He was arrested by ICE after his hearing on his asylum case, but his case was not closed. He also did not have a criminal record and was scheduled for a second hearing in 2029. It looks like the ICE agents are covering their faces to avoid accountability.

I once had a student say "I had As in all my classes last semester, I believe I am an A student" after he received a C in a paper.

Europe Talks Tough on Military Spending, but Unity Is Fracturing European leaders are struggling to find the money and the political will to replace the bulk of the U.S. contribution to Ukraine and to their own defense.

The core claim of my new book is that leading NATO allies face different threats/ threat intensities and those differences matter

This article by @jeannasmialek.bsky.social and Steven Erlanger makes a similar argument about European defense spending and Ukraine

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/w...

A guide to what the U.S. Education Department does (and doesn't) do The department tracks student achievement, manages college financial aid and sends K-12 schools money to support students with disabilities and lower-income communities, among other things.

The department tracks student achievement, manages college financial aid and sends K-12 schools money to support students with disabilities and lower-income communities, among other things.

Weaponizing antisemitism makes students 'less safe,' says drafter of definition Kenneth Stern, who drafted a widely used definition of antisemitism, says the Trump administration is using antisemitism claims to stifle speech and debate on the Middle East on college campuses.

Kenneth Stern, who drafted a widely used definition of antisemitism, says the Trump administration is using antisemitism claims to stifle speech and debate on the Middle East on college campuses.

French scientist denied US entry after phone messages critical of Trump found France’s research minister said the scientist was traveling to Houston for a conference when his phone was searched

They’re searching the phone messages of academics arriving to go to conferences in the US…

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Or that ICE is becoming a 'secret police.'