Tag: Latin America

Tren de Aragua Gang Eliminated By America At Sea

Tren de Aragua Gang Eliminated By America At Sea

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United States President Donald Trump really means business when it comes to protecting his nation and citizens as America eliminated a vessel from Venezuela operated by the Tren de Aragua gang carrying illegal drugs, according to a Newsmax news report. Already the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago praised the strike.

For the newcomers reading this, Tren de Aragua is a transnational criminal organization from Venezuela and its members has spread throughout Latin America and even in the United States. Tren de Aragua is officially a terrorist organization.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of Newsmax. Some parts in boldface.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. has carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug-carrying vessel that departed from Venezuela and was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang.

The president said 11 were killed in the operation.

“The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States,” Trump said in a social media posting. “No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier on X that the vessel was being operated by a “designated narco-terrorist organization.” He described the operation as a lethal strike.

Rubio addressed the strike on Tuesday shortly before he was scheduled to depart for Mexico and Ecuador for talks on drug cartels, security, tariffs and more.

The U.S. recently announced plans to boost its maritime force in the waters off Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels.

The U.S. has not signaled any planned land incursion by the thousands of personnel being deployed. Still, President Nicolás Maduro’s government has responded by deploying troops along Venezuela’s coast and border with neighboring Colombia, as well as by urging Venezuelans to enlist in a civilian militia.

For clarity, posted below is the entire social media post by President Trump regarding the strike. Pay close attention to the details:

Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere. The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you like what the Trump administration is doing with regards to combatting terrorists and the wave of illegal drugs coming from Latin America? What will it take to apprehend all the remaining Tren de Aragua members in the United States? Do you think bringing down the Maduro regime in Venezuela can be achieved during Trump’s 2nd term?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #3 (1993)

A Look Back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #3 (1993)

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Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a part of the Valiant Comics shared universe through a tale of the Turok: Dinosaur Hunter series.

Previously, Turok went on exploring Colombia after leaving the village of his romantic interest Serita. The village was decimated by the intelligent dinosaurs (also referred to as bionisaurs) that served Mon-ark, a fierce enemy of Turok’s. Eventually Turok got involved with the Colombian drug lord Comacho who has gang of armed men and lots of resources. Ever the dedicated hunter, Turok makes a deal with the drug lord to pursue dinosaurs.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter , published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by David Michelinie and drawn by Bernard Chang.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins in Colombia in 1987. Turok tries to sell the severed head of a bionisaur to a local buyer (collector of hunt-related trophies) who offers him only three hundred Pesos.

After concluding a disappointing deal, Turok leaves the local joint only to encounter a lady driving a jeep…the scientist Maria Cortez. She tells him that the drug lord Comacho is planning a raid against the dinosaurs very soon and the gang wants Turok to come along. Cortez, who is obsessed with researching dinosaurs, tells him her single condition that one dinosaur should be spared for scientific study. After some thinking, Turok agrees to join…

Quality

The evil of Mon-ark emphasized.

Starting first with the plot, I can say that David Michelinie’s script is well-written and never lost focus on the inevitable encounter between Turok and his vicious dinosaur rival Mon-Ark. Right from the start, it is clear that the stakes have been raised higher which is the result of Turok’s successful killing of Mon-ark’s mate. Like in the previous issue, Mon-ark here was portrayed again to be very evil and even abusive to his fellow dinosaurs.

The raid mentioned early in the story is easily the action-packed highlight and it has some notable forms of symbolism. For one thing, the raid was organized by Comacho not because of concern towards Mon-ark nor Turok, but because he wants to stop the disruptions on his illegal drug business caused by the dinosaurs. Cortez meanwhile sees the dinosaurs as animals meant to be studied for the sake of science. And then there is a certain photographer who wants to record everything visually no matter what happens. I can say the raid scenes are entertaining to follow.

As this comic book was not drawn by Bart Sears, I can say that the visual quality and style went way down. I’m not saying that Bernard Chang is a terrible artist at all. It’s just that Chang’s art style does not live up to the gritty, exquisite and intense visuals of the first two issues which clearly defined how Turok stories should look. Along the way, there are several instances wherein Chang’s art style made some characters and facial expressions look somewhat cartoony. The dinosaurs themselves also looked cartoony at times and the heavy loss of visual details on them is very clear.

Conclusion

The armed raid against the dinosaurs with Turok as a willing participant looking like Rambo.

Similar to its predecessor, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (1993) has enough stuff worth following to be entertained even though the visual quality went down several notches. For one thing, the promised battle between Turok and Mon-ark happened and the way it was written was strong on its own. At the same time, the Indian hunter of dinosaurs got more involved Comacho’s gang which raises questions about his ability to differentiate right from wrong, and good from evil. At this stage of the series, Turok’s direction remains clouded.

Overall, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (1993) is recommended.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Xbox Series X and Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition Bundle coming out for your enjoyment!

Xbox Series X and Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition Bundle coming out for your enjoyment!

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If you still have not yet acquired an Xbox Series X console but you already have the means to buy it, then you should seriously consider buying the Xbox Series X and Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition Bundle once it becomes available for $559, Team Xbox announced recently. Having played Forza Horizon 5 a lot on my Xbox Series X since late 2021, I can say that the bundle is great value for you gamers as well as others struggling with inflation.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Xbox.com announcement. Some parts in boldface…

Introducing the Xbox Series X – Forza Horizon 5 Bundle, including an Xbox Series X and wireless controller, and Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition with Hot Wheels Expansion, VIP Pass, Car Pass, Welcome Pack and a second expansion when available.  This Xbox Series X bundle will be available worldwide and will start shipping to retailers in the US, Canada and select markets in Asia this week. Bundles will start shipping to Europe, Latin America, and more regions around the world later this month.

The Xbox Series X bundled with Forza Horizon 5 and additional content offered for $559.

Xbox Series X: 12 teraflops of raw graphic processing power, DirectX ray tracing, a custom 1TB SSD, and 4K gaming – Xbox Series X is the fastest, most powerful Xbox ever. There are thousands of playable titles from four generations of consoles, and all games look and play best on the Xbox Series X. Load times are virtually eliminated and framerates are increased with a custom-built NVMe SSD, which enables larger, more robust games to operate at their full capacity.

Forza Horizon 5 runs at 4K and 60 frames per second on Xbox Series X in performance mode and provides the most technologically advanced Forza Horizon experience yet. You’ll get to explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico in the world’s greatest cars with 12 teraflops of raw graphic processing power, DirectX ray tracing, a custom SSD, and 4K gaming.  The power of the Xbox Series X console delivers incredible realism and immersion with a world rendered in higher detail and with extreme draw distances.

Forza Horizon 5 Premium Edition includes Forza Horizon 5 plus the Premium Edition add-ons -Forza Horizon 5: The latest entry in the open world racing series showcases powerful, all-new graphical features. Experience sweeping vistas and scan the distance to see the adventure that lies ahead. Encounter the smallest of details throughout the world, which is rendered with striking realism, down to the smallest details like the light that glows through each needle on a Cholla cactus. Our Mexican HDR sky captures illuminate the world to the point that you will feel as if you are right there. And thanks to Xbox Series X|S, ray tracing is utilized in ForzaVista to make the cars look even more true to real life.

Hot Wheels Expansion: Race 10 amazing new cars on the fastest, most extreme tracks ever devised. You can even design, build, and share your own Hot Wheels adventure! What’s not to love about that? You can blast off to the visually stunning, exhilarating Horizon Hot Wheels Park in the clouds above Mexico today.

VIP Pass: The VIP Pass features 3 exclusive Forza Edition cars, Crown Flair, Vanity Items, Emote and Car Horn, Player House, Double Credit race rewards, weekly bonus Super Wheelspins, and more to give your game a boost and make you stand out at the Horizon Festival. 

Car Pass: Expand your garage with 42 new cars, including 8 Formula Drift Cars to get you started in style. Plus, you’ll receive a one-time grant of each car to your in-game garage.

Welcome Pack: 5 special pre-tuned cars, a Player House, a one-time grant to own any car from the game’s Autoshow, and 3 one-time grants for any Common or Rare clothing item.

Second Expansion: The next Forza Horizon 5 expansion will be included when it launches.

Wow! That’s a ton of gaming value for those who will buy the Xbox Series X bundled with the blockbuster game! Indeed, Team Xbox is offering big value for $559 to those who want the premium, fun console gaming experience. I myself am still having fun replaying Forza Horizon 5.

Personally, I see this premium bundle announcement as a form of warm-up on the part of Team Xbox to deliver not just more game-related features and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) content but also the big-budget Xbox-exclusive games that are expected to be released this year such as Starfield (note: first half of 2023), Forza Motorsport (2023), Redfall (note: potentially May 2023) and others. 2022 is over and ended without big budget exclusive games and this is the year that Team Xbox should deliver the great stuff that cannot be found on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. If you want tremendous gaming value and content at a small price per month, I encourage you to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass (XGP).

Watch out for the Xbox Series X – Forza Horizon 5 premium bundle online and at the local retailers.

In concluding this article, posted below for your enjoyment are Xbox-related videos.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco