[NYPost] Gang members opened fire on FBI agents during a massive crime sweep targeting an alleged Mexican Mafia-connected drug empire in San Diego County — with the feds arresting 35 suspects while seizing guns, drugs and cash.
Agents briefly returned fire before retreating to safety. Nobody was struck. Tactical officers descended on the property, and the suspect eventually emerged and was arrested. The shooting remains under investigation.
The gunfire didn’t stop a two-day dragnet involving hundreds of law enforcement officers and four federal indictments charging 42 alleged gang members and associates. Authorities arrested 35, executed 10 search warrants and were still hunting seven fugitives as of Thursday afternoon.
The crackdown targeted Varrio Hidden Hills, an increasingly violent Poway street gang allegedly tied to the Mexican Mafia.
At the center was John Marquez, 49, accused of running an international drug-trafficking operation that funneled methamphetamine and fentanyl into California communities.
According to court documents, Marquez allegedly controlled distribution networks, set prices and shipped drug profits back to suppliers in Mexico.
In one exchange with a supplier, Marquez allegedly discussed an upcoming trip south, saying: “I have to count some money and send it to Sinaloa.”
The alleged operation dealt methamphetamine for $750 to $900 per pound, while fentanyl was purchased for $12,500 to $13,000 per kilogram, court documents say.
“These arrests strike at the heart of this violent, sophisticated, Mexican Mafia connected criminal gang,” US Attorney Adam Gordon said.
The investigation began in mid-2024 and spread across multiple California communities, including San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Riverside and Temecula.
The defendants face charges involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine distribution and conspiracy.
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/31/2026 2:10 Comments ||
Top||
#3
RE#1 you must have missed when the SEcret service bitch couldn't holster her weapon when they tried to assassinate Trump! I would trust the crack dealers down the street before I would any of them.
Posted by: chris ||
10/31/2026 3:47 Comments ||
Top||
[News9] Authorities say a juvenile reported missing earlier this year was recovered in the Oklahoma City metro after investigators discovered online sex advertisements.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics says a missing juvenile has been recovered and a man has been arrested on a human trafficking charge following an investigation in the Oklahoma City metro.
The agency said its Human Trafficking Unit was contacted by Homeland Security Investigations on the evening of Oct. 27 about an out-of-state juvenile who had been listed as missing by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children since early 2026.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Houthis from the Yemeni rebel movement Ansar Allah launched ballistic missile and drone strikes against oil refineries, airports, and military targets in Saudi Arabia, the movement's military spokesman, Yahya Saria, announced on October 30.
He clarified that the Houthis carried out six military operations. According to Saria, ballistic missiles hit the Ras Tanura oil refinery and Saudi Aramco facilities in Abqaiq in the east of the kingdom. Another missile was fired at the Rabigh oil refinery in western Saudi Arabia.
Furthermore, a Houthi spokesman stated that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was hit by rocket fire, while King Fahd International Airport in Dammam allegedly suspended operations due to a drone attack. Saria added that the sixth operation targeted a Saudi Arabian military command post in the Najran region in the south of the country, with some troops killed and wounded.
Earlier, Anis al-Asbahi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health of the government established in the north by the Ansar Allah movement (Houthis), reported that at least 14 people were killed in a Saudi airstrike in Al-Jawf province in northeastern Yemen.
The armed conflict between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, has been ongoing since August 2014. In July 2026, the Houthis announced the beginning of a naval blockade of the kingdom and allowed for further escalation. On October 5, Ansar Allah declared Saudi Arabian airspace, with the exception of the skies over Mecca and Medina, a zone of military operations. The Houthis announced strikes on the airports of Riyadh and Abha, the Aramco oil refinery, and military installations in the kingdom.
[Dawn] A police officer was martyred after holy warriors attacked a police post in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, officials said on Friday.
The attack on the police post in Silai Pati area in the remote Barang tehsil, bordering Malakand district, occurred late on Thursday night.
Mansoor Khan, a spokesperson for the district police, while confirming the attack, told Dawn that a group of Fitna al-Khawarij holy warriors targeted the Silai Pati police post, prompting the personnel to retaliate bravely and courageously.
Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for holy warriors belonging to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... Pakistain.
The official said that the police official embraced martyrdom after putting up a brave resistance.
He added that the attackers fled after an effective response by the personnel deployed at the post.
Later, funeral prayers for the martyred cop were held at the Police Lines in Khar, which were attended by Deputy Commissioner Adnan Farid Afridi, DPO Khan Zeb Mohmand and elders of the area.
A large number of police officials and political and social activists also attended the funeral prayers before the body was dispatched to his native area in Barang tehsil for burial.
No group has grabbed credit for the attack.
On Thursday, Bajaur district administration banned riding double, sometimes triple or quadruple for 10 days by invoking Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), owing to the security situation. The notification said the measure was taken in view of reports from intelligence agencies and the police department.
Earlier, the authorities imposed a 15-day ban on riding double, sometimes triple or quadruple in Bajaur on September 5, citing the security situation back then as well.
KP has been witnessing terrorist attacks and security challenges for a long time. According to a recent report from the Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistain recorded a sharp 83 per cent increase in violence-linked fatalities during the third quarter of 2026, reversing a declining trend reported in the first and second quarters as terrorism and counter-terrorism deaths surged nationwide.
Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... and KP remained the epicentres of violence, jointly accounting for 98pc of all fatalities during the period. Balochistan recorded 829 deaths, nearly 59pc of the national total, while KP reported 556 fatalities, accounting for more than 39pc.
[Dawn] Pakistain’s armed forces targeted and destroyed several Afghan Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... posts and military positions in areas adjacent to South Wazoo and Parachinar, state media reported on Friday, citing security sources.
According to state-run Radio Pakistain, the army "gave a befitting reply to unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban along the Pak-Afghan border in the Angoor Adda area" on Tuesday.
"Using heavy weaponry, the Pakistain Army forced Afghan Taliban personnel to abandon their posts and flee," the report said.
Citing reports, it added that several Afghan Taliban regime personnel were also killed during the operation.
"Security forces remain committed to the defence of the country and the protection of its people and there will be no compromise on national security," the report said.
On Tuesday, Afghan cops opened unprovoked fire on Pakistain Army border posts and residential areas in the Angoor Adda border area, which claimed the life of one local and injured a family of five.
According to officials, the firing originated from posts located inside Afghan territory and targeted Pak border posts with sniper, small and heavy weapons.
Sources said that Pak forces launched an immediate and effective retaliatory action, engaging multiple Afghan Taliban border posts, mortar positions and defensive bunkers with small and heavy arms, including artillery.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had condemned the firing, asserting that Pakistain would "never tolerate" attacks on its people or violations of its illusory sovereignty.
Meanwhile,
...back at the Hubba Hubba Club, Big Shirley was still trying to snatch Nunzio bald-headed. She was already halfway there... Pakistain had also dismissed a statement by Afghanistan’s defence ministry regarding the incident that claimed that Pakistain was the aggressor, terming it a "fabrication of lies".
The border at Angoor Adda is one of the most important and sensitive crossings along the Pak-Afghan border, serving as a key trade route and one of the main points of public movement between the two countries.
PAK-AFGHAN TENSIONS
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain, that are used for attacks in Pakistain. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.
September witnessed another bout of conflict between Pakistain and Afghanistan.
On Sept 21, in response to recent major terrorist attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistain conducted "calibrated" Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s in the border region with Afghanistan against terrorist hideouts, with the government saying more than 28 bad boyz were potted.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the action as part of Operation Ghazab lil Haq, which was launched on the night of Feb 26 in response to unprovoked cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban.
Days later, Pakistain shot down eight drones launched from across the border that had entered Pak airspace near the Torkham border and Kohat. It was also reported that the Afghan Taliban engaged in unprovoked firing the night before near Kurram as security forces foiled an attempt by faceless myrmidons to cross into Pakistain.
In retaliation for the drone incursion, Pakistain conducted "precision aerial and dronezaps" in 10 locations across Afghanistan.
A demarche was also delivered to the Afghan side on Sept 26 on account of the Sept 23 airspace violation by drones, the Foreign Office said.
On Oct 1, Pakistain again carried out "well-planned and calibrated" airstrikes against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, the information ministry said, adding that the strikes resulted in the deaths of "multiple terrorists".
Around mid-October, the state media reported that security forces had again responded to unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces along the Pakistain-Afghanistan border ...also known as Pashtunistan, home of ignorance, poverty, and automatic weapons... in KP’s Upper Kurram.
It quoted security sources as saying that several personnel of the Afghan Taliban were "reportedly killed during the Pakistain Army’s retaliatory action along the Ghuzgarhi border". The sources further said that in the Upper Kurram sector, the army targeted the Afghan Taliban’s Topsar post and Shipola base camp with artillery fire, reportedly completely destroying the latter.
The border skirmishes came a day after the Foreign Office said that talks with Afghanistan could not be unconditional, but also rejected suggestions that Islamabad was unwilling to engage with its neighbour and said it would welcome sincere efforts by friendly countries to help resolve the dispute.
[Rudaw] Police in Sulaimani province’s Garmiyan administration announced on Friday the arrest of an armed young man suspected of threatening preachers at several mosques in Kifri district in the name of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS).
The suspect, a resident of Kifri, allegedly entered several mosques during Friday prayers and handed a number of preachers pieces of paper bearing the words "Islamic State" in Arabic.
"We have arrested a young man born in 2006 who was carrying a pistol. He is a resident of Kifri and is suspected of having links to ISIS after threatening several mosques," Soran Mohammed Gharib, spokesperson for Garmiyan police, told Rudaw’s Hunar Hamid.
Gharib said an investigation had been launched into the incident and that the suspect had been handed over to the Asayish forces for further questioning.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the suspect has any actual links to ISIS. Maybe he just likes a good beating?
ISIS seized large swathes of Iraq in 2014 before being territorially defeated in 2017. However,
alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk... remnants of the group continue to pose a security threat, particularly in rural areas and territories disputed between Baghdad and Erbil.
🔴 ELIMINADOS: 4 terroristas de Hamás en 2 alcances separados realizados el miércoles en las áreas de Jan Yunis y Ráfah, en el sur de Gaza.
Entre los eliminados se encontraban un terrorista de la Nukhba de Hamás y un comandante de Hamás.
Recientemente, los terroristas promovieron ataques terroristas contra civiles israelíes y tropas de las FDI, y operaron para restablecer las capacidades de Hamás, en una violación sistemática del cese al fuego.
Los terroristas fueron eliminados con el objetivo de neutralizar la amenaza que representaban.
🔴 ELIMINATED: 4 Hamas terrorists in 2 separate strikes carried out on Wednesday in the areas of Khan Yunis and Rafah, in southern Gaza.
Among the eliminated were a Hamas Nukhba terrorist and a Hamas commander.
Recently, the terrorists promoted terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops, and operated to restore Hamas's capabilities, in a systematic violation of the ceasefire.
The terrorists were eliminated with the aim of neutralizing the threat they posed.
⭕️ستواصل قوات الأمن العمل بحزم لتقليص قدرات المنظمات الإرهابية في قطاع غزة، وإحباط أي محاولة لإعادة بناء هذه القد⭕️هاجم جيش الدفاع وجهاز الأمن العام (الشاباك) مساء أمس (الخميس) في منطقتَي البريج ومدينة غزة، ودمّرا مخزنين للوسائل القتالية استخدمهما الجناح العسكري لحركة حماس الإرهابية.
⭕️خزّنت حركة حماس الإرهابية داخل المخزنين عشرات الوسائل القتالية من أنواع مختلفة، من بينها قاذفات RPG، وعبوات ناسفة، وقذائف صاروخية، وبنادق
كرات أو حيازة وسائل قتالية بهدف استهداف قواتنا.
⭕️قوات الأمن التابعة لقيادة المنطقة الجنوبية منتشرة في المنطقة وفقًا للاتفاق، وستواصل العمل لإزالة أي تهديد فوري.
— Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya | إيلا واوية (@CaptainElla1) October 30, 2026
Translated Text:
The IDF and Shin Bet destroy two combat equipment storage facilities belonging to the terrorist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip
⭕️The IDF and General Security Service (Shin Bet) attacked last night (Thursday) in the Bureij and Gaza City areas, destroying two combat equipment storage facilities used by the military wing of the terrorist Hamas movement.
⭕️The terrorist Hamas movement stored dozens of combat equipment items of various types inside the storage facilities, including RPG launchers, explosive charges, rocket projectiles, Kalashnikov rifles, hand grenades, ammunition magazines, and additional combat gear.
⭕️Security forces will continue to operate resolutely to degrade the capabilities of terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip and thwart any attempt to rebuild these capabilities or acquire combat equipment with the aim of targeting our forces.
⭕️Security forces under Southern Command are deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue operations to remove any immediate threat.
It’s very generous of Shin Bet to offer them the choice, which also gives them the option of dying tired…
🚨🇮🇱 ÚLTIMA HORA: ¡DIOS MÍO! Un nuevo informe publicado por un periódico saudí destaca que Israel tiene el ejército más ético del mundo. ¡Lean esto!
El diario saudí Asharq Al-Awsat revela que el Shin Bet está llamando telefónicamente a terroristas de Hamás en Gaza y ofreciéndoles dos opciones: subir solos al techo del edificio donde se esconden y ser eliminados, o permanecer con sus familias y morir todos juntos en un bombardeo.
Uno de los casos fue el de Muhammad al-Bayouk, eliminado ayer en el techo de un refugio para desplazados en Jan Yunis. Un agente del Shin Bet le comunicó por teléfono que estaba en la mira. Al-Bayouk decidió subir solo al techo, donde fue abatido con un misil pequeño. Su familia confirmó el episodio y un primo declaró que su tía resultó gravemente herida al intentar impedir que subiera.
Según fuentes de Gaza citadas por el periódico, en los últimos meses se produjeron al menos cinco casos similares. El informe señala que este método se utiliza contra miembros de menor rango de Hamás, mientras que los mandos superiores son atacados con bombas pesadas o drones suicidas.
🚨🇮🇱 BREAKING NEWS: OH MY GOD! A new report published by a Saudi newspaper highlights that Israel has the most ethical army in the world. Read this!
The Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reveals that the Shin Bet is calling Hamas terrorists in Gaza by phone and offering them two options: go up alone to the roof of the building where they're hiding and be eliminated, or stay with their families and all die together in a bombing.
One of the cases was that of Muhammad al-Bayouk, eliminated yesterday on the roof of a shelter for displaced people in Khan Younis. A Shin Bet agent informed him by phone that he was in the crosshairs. Al-Bayouk decided to go up alone to the roof, where he was taken out with a small missile. His family confirmed the episode, and a cousin stated that his aunt was seriously injured when she tried to stop him from going up.
According to sources in Gaza cited by the newspaper, there have been at least five similar cases in recent months. The report notes that this method is used against lower-ranking Hamas members, while senior commanders are targeted with heavy bombs or suicide drones.
#عاجل | بعد أسبوع واحد فقط من الاشتباك عند مفترق يهودا: جيش الدفاع يهدم منزلي الإرهابيَّيْن اللذين تم القضاء عليهما
🔸 عملت قوات جيش الدفاع الإسرائيلي، بمشاركة قوات هندسية من وحدة يهلوم، بقيادة لواء يهودا والفرقة 98، في مدينة الخليل في وقت سابق من اليوم (الجمعة)، على هدم منزلي الإرهابيين اللذين نفّذا الإعتداء الإرهابي عند مفترق يهودا الأسبوع الماضي، والذي سقط خلاله الرقيب أول رون يوناتان رويتمان رحمه الله، والرقيب يوفال شاي سويلم رحمه الله، وأُصيب ثلاثة مقاتلين آخرين بجروح طفيفة.
🔻 وكانت قوات الأمن قد قضت على الإرهابيين عقب تبادل لإطلاق النار معهما.
🔸 وجاء هدم المنزلين بعد أسبوع واحد فقط من الاشتباك، في فترة زمنية غير مسبوقة لتنفيذ عمليات هدم منازل الإرهابيين.
إضافةً إلى ذلك، وفي إطار نشاط عملياتي في المنطقة، هدمت قوات جيش الدفاع أمس (الخميس) ثلاثة نُصُب تذكارية لإرهابيين ارتبطوا بتنفيذ اعتداءات إرهابية، وتُستخدم للتحريض على الإرهاب.
🔸 ستواصل قوات الأمن العمل بمبادرة وروح هجومية لإحباط الإرهاب في مختلف أنحاء مناطق يهودا والسامرة.
— Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya | إيلا واوية (@CaptainElla1) October 30, 2026
Translated Text:
#BREAKING | One Week After the Clash at the Yehuda Junction: The IDF Demolishes the Homes of the Two Terrorists Who Were Eliminated
🔸 IDF forces, in collaboration with engineering forces from the Yahalom Unit, under the command of the Yehuda Brigade and the 98th Division, operated in the city of Hebron earlier today (Friday) to demolish the homes of the terrorists who carried out the terrorist attack at the Yehuda Junction last week, during which Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan Roitman, may God avenge his blood, and Staff Sergeant Yuval Chai Suilem, may God avenge his blood, fell, and three other fighters were lightly injured.
🔻 Security forces had eliminated the terrorists following an exchange of fire with them.
🔸 The demolition of the two homes came just one week after the clash, in an unprecedented timeframe for carrying out the demolition of terrorists' homes.
In addition, as part of operational activity in the area, IDF forces demolished yesterday (Thursday) three memorials for terrorists linked to carrying out terrorist attacks, which are used to incite terrorism.
🔸 Security forces will continue to operate with initiative and an offensive spirit to thwart terrorism in various areas of Judea and Samaria.
🚨 REPORTS: U.S. STRIKES TARGET SITES IN SOUTHERN IRAN
Unofficial Iranian sources from both regime-aligned and opposition circles are reporting two suspected U.S. strikes overnight near Qeshm Island and Bandar-e-Jask.
The reported targets were launchers or military positions believed to threaten vessels operating around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian media separately reported explosions and air-defense activity around Qeshm, while other reporting said an IRGC launcher and a site near Jask may have been targeted. There has been no formal U.S. confirmation of the strikes.
The lack of an official announcement comes as Qatari mediators are reportedly in Tehran.
🚨 REPORTS: U.S. STRIKES TARGET SITES IN SOUTHERN IRAN
Unofficial Iranian sources from both regime-aligned and opposition circles are reporting two suspected U.S. strikes overnight near Qeshm Island and Bandar-e-Jask.
The reported targets were launchers or military positions believed to threaten vessels operating around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian media separately reported explosions and air-defense activity around Qeshm, while other reporting said an IRGC launcher and a site near Jask may have been targeted. There has been no formal U.S. confirmation of the strikes.
The lack of an official announcement comes as Qatari mediators are reportedly in Tehran.
#3
I know a way of dealing with these mf'ers. Their ppl aren't worth a shit nor the IRgc or whatever. It's a shithole, fuck them and be done with it. 30 goddamn years now and we are still playing by our rules while the Muslims do whatever they want to.
Posted by: chris ||
10/31/2026 3:52 Comments ||
Top||
[gCaptain] A tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by a small boat that attached two explosive devices to its hull, triggering an engine room fire and temporarily disabling the vessel, according to a verified report from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The October 29 attack marks a significant escalation in the conflict, introducing a new threat to commercial shipping already facing repeated missile and drone strikes in and around the strategic waterway.
According to UKMTO Warning 187-26, the incident occurred approximately 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, as the tanker was transiting outbound from the strait.
A small boat approached the tanker’s port side and attached two explosive devices above the waterline. The resulting explosions sparked a fire in the engine room and temporarily disabled the ship.
UKMTO confirmed Friday that the crew was safe, the fire had been extinguished and there was no environmental impact. The tanker has since resumed its voyage.
Maritime security sources identified the weapons as limpet mines, explosives attached directly to a vessel’s hull. The attack represents the first reported successful use of the tactic against merchant shipping in the waterway since the war began in February.
Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group, identified the vessel as the LOUISE 1 and said the attack marked another step in Iran’s evolving campaign against commercial shipping.
He said the last time Iran used limpet mines against merchant shipping was in May 2019 when they attacked four vessels anchored off Fujairah and subsequent attacks on the tankers KOKUKA COURAGEOUS and FRONT ALTAIR in the Gulf of Oman the following month.
The return of limpet mines adds another layer to the threat facing ships navigating the strait.
Kelly warned that the implications could be particularly serious for vessels waiting at anchor, where explosives could potentially be placed below the waterline without being detected by the crew.
“A limpet mine below the waterline will cause significant damage and water ingress,” he said.
MULTIPLE ATTACKS REPORTED AS IRAN CLAIMS THREE TANKERS HIT
In a separate UKMTO warning, a company security officer reported that another tanker had been struck by an unidentified projectile while completing an outbound transit of the strait at approximately 1600 UTC. No crew injuries or environmental impact were reported.
Earlier Thursday, UKMTO also reported a vessel on fire approximately nine nautical miles north of Khasab. Regional authorities subsequently identified the vessel as a dhow that had been involved in a maritime security incident.
The dhow caught fire, listed and sank. Its crew was safely evacuated, according to UKMTO.
The incident follows an earlier U.S. military operation in which American forces reportedly destroyed a dhow suspected of providing intelligence to Iran. However, no connection between that operation and Thursday’s sinking has been established.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy claimed Friday that three oil tankers had caught fire and exploded while attempting to transit routes it described as unauthorized.
According to Iranian state media cited by Reuters, the IRGC claimed one tanker carrying approximately 2 million barrels of crude oil had struck a mine. Reuters said it could not independently verify the claims.
Iran has repeatedly described attacks against ships using routes outside its control as mine strikes, but independent evidence supporting its broader claims of sea mines has remained limited.
ATTACKS CONCENTRATED ALONG SOUTHERN TRANSIT ROUTE
The latest incidents come as the United States continues coordinating commercial vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz, including a southern route intended to keep shipping moving despite Iranian threats.
The route has increasingly become a focus of attacks. According to UKMTO’s October 30 weekly maritime security overview, 59 of 81 reported projectile strikes since July 6 occurred along the southern route.
The report also highlighted the difficulty of establishing a complete picture of attacks across the region.
“UKMTO reports only incidents verified through primary sources; additional incidents are known but cannot be independently verified,” the agency said.
Since the conflict began on February 28, UKMTO has recorded 145 Iran-U.S. conflict-related incidents across its reporting area, including 88 incidents involving vessels in the Strait of Hormuz through October 28.
Despite the continuing threat, commercial traffic has been recovering gradually. UKMTO reported 122 outbound and 155 inbound transits over its latest seven-day reporting period, up from 114 outbound and 127 inbound the previous week.
However, combined traffic remains approximately 70% below pre-conflict levels. UKMTO also noted that around 80% of transits reported by U.S. Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping involve energy carriers.
[Rudaw] Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Friday that two US-assisted oil tankers caught fire and were brought to a halt in the Strait of Hormuz after ignoring navigation warnings, as a British maritime monitor reported an increase in shipping traffic through the strategic waterway despite continued security threats.
The IRGC Navy said the two "offending oil tankers" - one in the eastern part of the strait and the other in the western section - had attempted to pass through an "unauthorized route" while heading out of the waterway.
According to the IRGC, both vessels had switched off their navigation and positioning systems and were attempting to leave the strait with the support of the US military.
"Following several radio warnings and their disregard, these two oil tankers entered an unsafe zone, suffered an incident, and were brought to a halt off the southern coasts of the Strait of Hormuz," the IRGC said.
The incident comes amid a surge in maritime confrontations in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global energy supplies, as the regional war that erupted in late February continues to disrupt commercial shipping.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British maritime security monitor, said on Friday that it had recorded 88 incidents in the strait since the conflict began.
Despite the security risks, shipping traffic has shown signs of recovery, with UKMTO reporting 122 outbound and 155 inbound vessel transits this week, compared with 114 outbound and 127 inbound the previous week.
However, overall traffic remains approximately 70 percent below pre-war levels.
Earlier Friday morning, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the waterway was cleared of sea mines. He was not addressing the limpet mine claim.
He stated on X that after “we sank Iran’s navy earlier this year, we also successfully cleared the strait’s internationally recognized primary transit routes of Iranian sea mines, and today U.S. forces remain highly vigilant and present to ensure that all primary transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz remain free and clear.”
“This week we reached a significant milestone, having now assisted Gulf partners in exporting more than 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil since summer,” Cooper added.
Recalling a recent flight over the Strait of Hormuz, Cooper noted that he “saw our U.S. assets in the air and on the water, including a squadron of advanced sea drones that were on patrol supporting a defensive layer. Here’s what I didn’t see: I didn’t see the IRGC out there at all.”
Also known as uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), the sea drones are part of an increasingly uncrewed armada of air, land and sea assets that are supporting the safe corridor through the Strait.
The USV type shown in the following video, a Saronic Corsair, made history twice in the battle against Iran. In July, the USVs were used as a strike weapon in combat for the first time by the U.S. A month earlier, a Saronic Corsair USV rescued the crew of a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache that crashed in the Gulf of Oman after it was downed by Iran.
About which Oregon Dave commented: Don't you think it's about time we put a stop to this foolishness? Come on Don, we didn't elect you to just be a political hack! Let's finish the job!
Finally, Skidmark gives us the Fox News liveblog, so check it out from time to time today.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
[Dawn] Pakistain’s armed forces targeted and destroyed several Afghan 
...
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
