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Nebraska K9 sniffs out 525 pounds of cocaine during routine traffic stop, leading to California man's arrest
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 1: WoT Operations
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1 08:47 Grom the Reflective [29] 
1 03:21 Spats Whereck2759 [48] 
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Page 2: WoT Background
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Page 3: Non-WoT
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2 05:29 Grom the Reflective [34]
10 09:34 Procopius2k [110]
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Page 4: Opinion
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Page 5: Russia-Former Soviet Union
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Page 6: Politix
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Good Morning



California gubernatorial hopeful Becerra
has deep ties to migrant NGOs, Mexican government
Thursday 05/28/2026

cleomoore3
-Short Attention Span Theater-
DHS Chief Markwayne Mullin: Illegals in Federal Custody Demanding Ethnic Food, But %u2018This Isn't Holiday Inn'
-Lurid Crime Tales-
Nebraska K9 sniffs out 525 pounds of cocaine during routine traffic stop, leading to California man's arrest
Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran hijacks Chinese ship, but Beijing benefits
Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US Navy has detained 108 vessels linked
to Iran since the start of the naval blockade.
Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran is seeking the release of all its frozen assets from the US, Trump not satisfied with Iran offer
Africa North
Malian Armed Forces and the Africa Corps
conducted a nighttime aerial operation against Kidal
Feds seize $40M in gold bars, cash, Rolexes
from former CIA official who faked being a Navy pilot

Posted by: Fred || 05/28/2026 || Comments || Link || [81 views] Top|| File under:

#1  She looks nice. And healthy. And maybe fun.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike || 05/28/2026 4:16 Comments || Top||

#2  She puts steam in a man's stride...
Posted by: technochitlin || 05/28/2026 8:44 Comments || Top||

#3  I believe I may be developing a "Strange Fascination."

Posted by: Besoeker || 05/28/2026 9:24 Comments || Top||

#4  Now THAT'S a leg!
Posted by: Deadeye Ebbelet8495 || 05/28/2026 9:25 Comments || Top||

#5  That’s very stretchy fabric.
Posted by: Super Hose || 05/28/2026 9:30 Comments || Top||

#6  Why do modesty panels hate us?
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 || 05/28/2026 10:16 Comments || Top||


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Nebraska K9 sniffs out 525 pounds of cocaine during routine traffic stop, leading to California man's arrest
[FoxNews] More than 500 pounds of suspected cocaine were discovered during a Nebraska traffic stop after a police K9 alerted troopers to the odor of a controlled substance coming from the vehicle, authorities said.

The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) said troopers arrested a suspect Wednesday after finding approximately 525 pounds of suspected cocaine and 9.3 grams of suspected heroin inside the vehicle.

Authorities credited the discovery largely to K9 Gable.

"Amazing work today by Troopers and K9 Gable, who sniffed out 525 pounds of cocaine during a traffic stop on I-80," the NSP posted on X.


"The nose knows," the agency added.

The Nebraska State Patrol K9 Division also praised the operation.

"Our handler and his PSD had an AMAZING traffic stop today," the unit posted on X. "PSD Gable assisted in locating approximately 525 lbs of suspected Cocaine."

"Our handlers and their PSDs will find you," the post added.

According to authorities, a Nebraska trooper stopped the vehicle Wednesday morning after observing it following too closely behind a semi-truck.

During the stop, K9 Gable alerted troopers to the odor of a controlled substance coming from the vehicle, police said.

Troopers later searched the vehicle and discovered hundreds of pounds of suspected cocaine along with suspected heroin, authorities said.

The driver, identified as 23-year-old Gurarppan Gill
…sounds like an Indian name (dot, not feather)…
of Yuba City, California, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver.

The seizure comes after several law enforcement agencies across the country have reported major K9-assisted drug busts in recent months.

Last month, a Florida Highway Patrol K9 helped troopers uncover more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana hidden inside an RV during a traffic stop, Fox 35 Orlando reported.

Posted by: Skidmark || 05/28/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [92 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Good Dog!!
Posted by: Chantry || 05/28/2026 8:53 Comments || Top||


-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Truck driver goes off on Delaney Hall anti-ICE protesters after they block him from doing his job ‐ as Antifa thugs battle agents
Dramatic video shows a garbage truck driver going off on anti-ICE protesters outside Newark’s Delaney Hall immigration center after they blocked him from carrying out his work — as Antifa thugs battled agents on yet another night of chaos.

“If I hit one of y’all, I go to jail,” the infuriated driver yelled at the demonstrators Wednesday night in the video from Freedom News.

“What’s wrong with ya all?”
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/28/2026 08:43 || Comments || Link || [21 views] Top|| File under:


Africa North
Malian Armed Forces and the Africa Corps conducted a nighttime aerial operation against Kidal

Translated Text:

Mali 🇲🇱 | On Wednesday, May 27, the first day of the religious festival of Tabaski, the Malian Armed Forces and the Africa Corps 🇷🇺 conducted a nighttime aerial operation against Kidal, likely emptied of its inhabitants: the human toll among #FLA
…the Tuareg-dominated rebel group Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), allied to Al Qaeda franchise JNIM…
members remains unknown, but the historic Aliou neighborhood mosque (18.43169, 1.41057) was completely destroyed (📸 in thumbnail).
One week earlier, it was the Kidal governorate palace that had been destroyed.

➡ These strikes are part of a campaign of regular bombings in northern Mali 🇲🇱 to respond to the strategic defeat of late April against the ad hoc JNIM / FLA coalition.

In addition to the strikes carried out against the FLA in Kidal, several localities controlled by JNIM were targeted on May 25 by aerial strikes:

📍A first series of strikes targeted a terrorist hideout southeast of Kwala (Koulikoro region), destroying significant logistical resources and camping equipment.

📍A second series of strikes, northwest of Macina (Ségou region), destroyed another JNIM hideout.

In this confrontation, the FAMa decided to cross an additional threshold by allowing Africa Corps troops to use cluster bombs in northern Mali (📸 in thumbnail and 📽️ in comments), prohibited by international conventions (Mali is a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), Russia is not).

📍In the village of Tadjmart, 50 km south of Aguelhok, unexploded Russian-designed ShOAB-0.5 submunitions were authenticated by independent specialists, who compared them to similar fragments identified in Ukraine and Syria.

The presence of these submunitions coincides with an Africa Corps aerial strike on May 17, confirmed by a FAMa press release (see in comments).

⚠ They also suggest the likely use of a bomber (probably a Su-24), a new operational capability for the FAMa / Africa Corps, which had lost two Su-25s in crashes in 2022 and 2023.

Posted by: badanov || 05/28/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [58 views] Top|| File under: al-Qaeda


Africa Subsaharan
Nigeria: Troops rescue kidnap victim during raid on terrorists’ hideout in Edo

Text:

Troops Rescue Kidnap Victim During Raid on Terrorists’ Hideout in Edo

By Zagazola Makama

Troops of 12 Brigade, in collaboration with Hybrid Forces, have rescued a kidnap victim during a raid on a suspected terrorists’ hideout in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

Military sources said the operation was conducted at about 4:00 a.m. on May 25 around Imoga Forest following intelligence on criminal activities in the area.

According to the sources, the troops stormed the hideout, forcing the suspected terrorists to flee on sighting the advancing security personnel.

More at the link
Posted by: badanov || 05/28/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [38 views] Top|| File under:


Congo: Burundian army (FDNB) deployed two more battalions in support of the Congolese government in South Kivu province

Text:

The Burundian army (FDNB) reportedly deployed two more battalions—or as many as 1,300 troops—in support of the Congolese government in South Kivu province in the eastern DRC in mid-May.

Burundian media reported that the FDNB reinforcements landed near Uvira town via boat on May 15, before deploying toward Minembwe town in the Fizi district highlands and the Mwenga district highlands in South Kivu.

The reinforcements arrived days after Rwandan-backed M23 rebels withdrew from the Ruzizi Plain in South Kivu, an area 20 miles from Uvira and roughly 50 miles from the Fizi and Mwenga highlands.

More at the link
Posted by: badanov || 05/28/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [38 views] Top|| File under: M23


Arabia
US Navy and US 5th Fleet activity was observed off the coast of Oman in the northern Arabian Sea

Text:

Tracking US Navy and US 5th Fleet activity was observed off the coast of Oman in the northern Arabian Sea, including what appeared to be two P-8 Poseidon aircraft conducting ISR missions over the area.

During the tracking period, one of the two aircraft reportedly departed toward Saudi Arabia after several hours of operations, while the second aircraft remained active over the northern Arabian Sea.

The area is known to have U.S. naval presence that reportedly included a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier believed to be either USS George H. W. Bush or USS Abraham Lincoln, alongside the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD-18), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and two Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship.
Posted by: badanov || 05/28/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [43 views] Top|| File under:


Caribbean-Latin America
Pentagon obliterates narco-terror boat traveling along trafficking route in eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] The US military launched another strike on Tuesday on a vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one man and leaving two survivors.

Video posted on social media by US Southern Command shows a boat speeding through water before exploding into flames.

Southern Command said it 'immediately notified the US Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors.'

The Trump administration's campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters, including the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, has gone on since September 2025 and killed at least 194 people in total.

The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.

The Pentagon watchdog said last week that it will evaluate whether the US military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out the attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats.

The six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle include a military commander's intent, target development, analysis, decision, execution and assessment.

The Pentagon inspector general's office said the review was 'self-initiated.'

It will not probe the legality of the strikes, which have drawn intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars.

The Trump administration says the US is at war against the Latin American drug cartels, which it says are responsible for the scourge of fatal drug overdoses plaguing many American communities.

The Trump administration has defended the aggressive tactics, describing those targeted as 'unlawful combatants' and asserting that military force can be used without traditional judicial oversight based on classified legal findings from the Justice Department.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/28/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [65 views] Top|| File under: Narcos

#1  Good shooting. Thanks.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike || 05/28/2026 4:29 Comments || Top||

#2  But they have a pension plan to die for.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/28/2026 10:27 Comments || Top||


Cyber
US forces deployed to war zones are reportedly being targeted using location data: Pentagon
US forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials, an illustration of how the global surveillance economy is shaping the battlefield.

In a letter shared with Reuters by US Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, USCentral Command said it had “received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil US personnel in theater.”

The message, sent on April 14, offered no further specifics, but Centcom’s area of responsibility includes the Gulf, where US forces are facing off against the Iranian military over the Strait of Hormuz.
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/28/2026 09:13 || Comments || Link || [26 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I thought they learned in the Ukraine not to use personal phones.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 05/28/2026 10:26 Comments || Top||


Down Under
Kneeling with hands bound, dozens protest at Australian parliament against Israel’s treatment of Gaza flotilla activists
[IsraelTimes] Dozens of protesters were removed from the parliament building in Canberra as they protested against Israel’s treatment of detained activists from the Gaza flotilla, Australian outlets report.

The protesters knelt on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs in a simulation of the images seen in a video posted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, in which the far-right lawmaker can be seen taunting the detainees.

Protesters reportedly included three Australian citizens who joined the flotilla and were detained by Israel.



Foreign Ministry accuses detained flotilla activists of faking their injuries

[IsraelTimes] Ministry mockingly hails ‘miracle’ recovery of German activist filmed lying on a stretcher with a neck brace when deported to Turkey, standing upright two days later in Germany.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/28/2026 2026-05-28 04:19 || Comments || Link || [78 views] Top|| File under: Hamas

#1  Seed of Amalek.
Posted by: Grom the Reflective || 05/28/2026 5:26 Comments || Top||

#2  /\ I blame Timnah.
Posted by: Besoeker || 05/28/2026 6:19 Comments || Top||

#3  ^????
Posted by: Grom the Reflective || 05/28/2026 6:24 Comments || Top||

#4  The "flotilla" (Hamas) activists got the shit beaten out of them while in custody.
I betcha they don't try that shit again!
#FAFO
Posted by: Woodrow Javins2199 || 05/28/2026 11:04 Comments || Top||


Europe
Three people are stabbed by knifeman 'shouting Allahu Akbar' at Swiss train station
"We'll probably never know his motivation"
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/28/2026 07:46 || Comments || Link || [29 views] Top|| File under: Nut Jobs

#1  And here I thought they only attack Juice.
Posted by: Grom the Reflective || 05/28/2026 9:47 Comments || Top||


Berlin police arrest man suspected of encouraging Holocaust Memorial stabbing attack
[IsraelTimes] Khalaf A. accused of aiding fellow Syrian national who was convicted in March of slashing Spanish tourist’s throat in antisemitic attack on behalf of Islamic State

Berlin police on Wednesday arrested a Syrian citizen suspected of encouraging an Islamist terrorist to stab a tourist at the German capital’s Holocaust Memorial on February 21, 2025, prosecutors said.

The suspect, identified as Khalaf A. in line with German privacy laws, is accused of aiding and abetting attempted murder and grievous bodily harm in the stabbing, which left a Spanish tourist seriously maimed.

Prosecutors said they suspected that Khalaf A., 37, had spent the afternoon before the attack with the stabber and encouraged him to go ahead with the attack.

The Berlin district court in March sentenced a 20-year-old Syrian refugee, identified as Wassim Al M., to 13 years in jail for carrying out the stabbing. He was convicted of attempted murder and attempted membership in a foreign terrorist organization.

The court found he traveled from Leipzig to Berlin to carry out an attack 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....
terror group, and settled on the Holocaust Memorial because "he believed he would find people of Jewish faith there."

After stabbing the Spanish tourist in the throat, Wissam Al.M. shouted, "holy shit! Allahu akbar," Arabic for "God is great," the court said. He was arrested nearly three hours after the attack at the memorial, when he approached officers with blood on his hands and clothes.

Wassim Al M. claimed during his trial that he had regretted the attack immediately, and that he had traveled to Berlin under pressure from an online acquaintance he had gotten to know as he watched Islamic State videos.

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a field of 2,700 gray concrete slabs near the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin, commemorates the six million Jews murdered by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

The stabbing at the memorial took place two days before a national election in which migration became a critical issue, pushed to the forefront by a string of deadly attacks involving immigrants colonists in the months before the vote.

Germany has also grown increasingly alarmed about rising anti-Jewish sentiment amid the war sparked in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
by the Hamas
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
-led onslaught of October 7, 2023.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/28/2026 2026-05-28 04:15 || Comments || Link || [44 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Some good news: An educational center affiliated with the Israeli Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem is to be established in Munich.
Posted by: European Conservative || 05/28/2026 5:15 Comments || Top||


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Palestinian stone-thrower shot, killed by troops in Jenin refugee camp, IDF says
[IsraelTimes] Troops opened fire on a Palestinian suspect who threw stones at them during an operation earlier today in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, the IDF says.

According to the military, the suspect entered the area where troops were operating and threw stones at them.

“The troops initiated a suspect arrest procedure, during which they opened fire at the terrorist and neutralized him in order to remove the threat,” the military says.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA identifies the man as Nasser Ali Kamel al-Saadi, 45.

According to WAFA, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society says it received al-Saadi’s body and transferred it to the Jenin Governmental Hospital.

There were no Israeli injuries.

Security forces arrest terrorist tied to 2007 West Bank shooting attack

[IsraelTimes] Israeli security forces say they have arrested a terrorist involved in a 2007 shooting attack near the West Bank village of al-Funduq, in which Israeli civilian Ido Zoldan was killed.

According to a joint statement from the IDF, Shin Bet and Israel Police, Shadi Jumaa was arrested in the heart of the West Bank city of Qalqilya following a lengthy intelligence and operational effort by the military, the Shin Bet and the police’s elite Gideonim unit (Unit 33).

The statement says Jumaa had recently been released from detention by the Palestinian Authority, where he had been held until now.

He was transferred to the Shin Bet for questioning following his arrest, the statement says.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/28/2026 2026-05-28 04:19 || Comments || Link || [48 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Rock, paper, bullet.
Answer lethal force with lethal force.
Posted by: Spats Whereck2759 || 05/28/2026 4:21 Comments || Top||


Reports: Five Palestinians killed in clash with Gaza militia backed by Israel
[IsraelTimes] Five people were killed in clashes with a militia backed by Israel in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, Palestinian media outlets affiliated with Hamas in the Strip say.

There are no further details on the incident.

In recent months, several clashes have taken place between operatives from the Hamas terror group and militias established and supported by Israel.

Reports: Two killed in IDF strike in southern Gaza Strip

[IsraelTimes] Palestinian media outlets affiliated with Hamas in Gaza report that two people were killed in an IDF strike on a vehicle in western Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The IDF has not commented on the reports.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/28/2026 2026-05-28 04:19 || Comments || Link || [34 views] Top|| File under: Hamas


Major crimes detective questioned on suspicion of contact with Iranian agent
[IsraelTimes] Officer in Lahav 433 unit placed under house arrest following interrogation; suspect insists he reported approach to his superiors after Iranian national reached out to him 6 months ago

A police detective in the Lahav 433 major crimes unit was questioned on suspicion of contact with an Iranian agent, the Department of Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) announced Wednesday.

The officer, a man in his 40s, is suspected of having interacted with a foreign agent seeking to recruit him as a spy for the Iranian government, according to Hebrew media outlets.

He was detained for questioning Tuesday night by Sherlocks in the DIPI, a State Attorney’s Office body that probes coppers suspected of criminal activity.

He was placed under house arrest following his interrogation.

The case was opened after Sherlocks were informed by Lahav 433 of the alleged contact between one of its officers and an Iranian agent. The probe is ongoing, the agency said.

According to the Kan public broadcaster, the policeman claimed he started communicating with the agent unknowingly after receiving a message from him over the Telegram messaging app about a job offer.

When he was asked to record videos in different locations, the officer reportedly began suspecting the user was an Iranian agent and immediately informed his superiors, who ordered him to stop corresponding with the Telegram user.

The officer was detained on Tuesday and questioned for four hours, despite the incident having occurred some six months ago, Kan reported.

Lahav 433 — an elite investigative unit within the police tasked with tackling crime at a national and international level — has overseen investigations into many cases of alleged espionage by Israelis on behalf of Iran.

In April, Channel 13 reported that police established a new unit within Lahav 433 meant to handle Iran-linked espionage cases. Up until then, investigations had been handled by various police units based on tips received from the Shin Bet.

This is the first known instance in which a member of Lahav 433 was himself implicated in one of Tehran’s attempts to recruit homegrown spies.

Most Israeli recruits are spurred on by the promise of easy money and begin by carrying out mundane tasks — like filming and spraying graffiti in public areas. These requests typically escalate the longer the contact is maintained into more serious offenses, including espionage, intelligence gathering and even liquidation plots.

The officer’s defense attorney, Liran Zilberman, insisted on his client’s innocence, saying that after he was contacted by a foreign agent, he "reported it to his commanders and the chain of command as is expected of him."

"During the interrogation, he referred Sherlocks to officials he had been in contact with in the police and law enforcement system, and after his version was verified, he was released home. Since the suspicion was disproven, we hope the case will be closed soon," the attorney continued.
Posted by: trailing wife || 05/28/2026 2026-05-28 04:19 || Comments || Link || [41 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran fires ballistic missile at American base in Kuwait in ‘egregious cease-fire violation' after US takes out Tehran drones in Strait of Hormuz
Iran launched a ballistic missile at a US military base in Kuwait late Wednesday in retaliation for the American military knocking out Iranian drones in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian missile was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM), which added that the US operation to take out Iranian drones had also been victorious.

“This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a social media statement Thursday.

“All drones were successfully intercepted by US forces which also prevented a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas,” added the Tampa, Fla.-based combat command.

“US Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression.”
Posted by: Skidmark || 05/28/2026 09:08 || Comments || Link || [23 views] Top|| File under:


Iran hijacks Chinese ship, but Beijing benefits
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] A true spy drama unfolded in the Strait of Hormuz in May. Off the coast of the UAE, Iranian commandos boarded and hijacked the Chinese support vessel Hui Chuan, presumably part of China's "ghost fleet" and providing escort for local tankers.

The Iranian escapade has sparked considerable speculation, as it marks the first time since the conflict began that a Tehran ally has been targeted for "retaliation." However, there's growing confidence that Beijing hasn't actually lost anything. In fact, it's actually gained.

GHOST FLEET
China's "ghost fleet" consists of hundreds of seemingly civilian fishing vessels coordinated by the state and performing reconnaissance and escort duties outside Chinese territorial waters. This includes escorting tankers on difficult and dangerous routes.

The seemingly unremarkable Hui Chuan has a distinguished reputation among seafarers. It belongs to Sinoguards Marine Security (SMS), a private security company (PSC) registered in Hong Kong and is used by military contractors as a "floating arsenal," supplying ammunition to friendly security forces from the Persian Gulf to the Horn of Africa. Officially, the vessel was flagged in Honduras, but was maintained by several firms in the Marshall Islands.

Despite the vessel's notoriety, Chinese operators, for obvious reasons, are not emphasizing its special status. Shipping databases containing information about the Hui Chuan contain no mention of "special cargo" on board. Several of the vessel's characteristics have been deliberately altered or distorted. Some of these characteristics even belong to other vessels.

The Hui Chuan is identified as the oceanographic research vessel R/V Ocean Researcher I. The latter is operated by the Institute of Oceanography at National Taiwan University and is used to monitor the situation in the South China Sea. Such subterfuge not only helps conceal the vessel's true history but also complicates the efforts of neighboring naval forces to quickly identify vessels of the "ghost fleet" and obtain detention orders.

It's worth noting that SMS founder Mario Yun Zhou is a well-known figure in the area. He previously ensured maritime security in Iraq and Israel, helping to break the Houthi naval blockade of Yemen in 2024, as well as in several African countries. He also worked with Iranian and Venezuelan "shadow fleets" delivering crude oil to Chinese buyers. Throughout these missions, Zhou's team never lost a single vessel, which is considered a masterstroke in the industry.

It's therefore unsurprising that, with the onset of the Persian Gulf energy crisis in March 2026, Emirati sheikhs offered SMS a hefty sum for escorting their tanker fleet. This contract with the UAE oil giants wasn't the first for SMS—Zhou's company had previously provided escort services for tankers from the emirate of Fujairah in the Arabian and Red Seas, using "floating arsenals" like the Hui Chuan. Therefore, there was confidence in success, even in the challenging circumstances.

However, they were unable to try their luck in Hormuz: the famous plane was hijacked by the Iranians even before the contract formally came into effect.

END OF COMBINATION
The seizure sparked controversy, which is unsurprising: for the first time since the Gulf crisis, Iran challenged a friendly country—and one of its key oil buyers. And it did so in a surprisingly harsh manner.

Various conspiracy theories arose almost immediately. The most popular of these claimed that the hijacking was orchestrated by Beijing and Tehran to cover up a major arms deal. Allegedly, several days before the incident, the owners of the Hui Chuan had filled it to the brim with weapons and ammunition, and then, under the guise of a boarding operation, handed it over to the Iranians.

However, given that the Iranians have no shortage of small arms or the light ammunition used by PSCs in security missions, their motivation for the seizure is questionable, especially given the rather modest capacity of the "floating arsenal." Moreover, such high-risk deals are unlikely to interest Beijing, which is accustomed to operating quietly.

However, the incident may have had a different motive—an attempt to demonstrate that private contractors should not be hired to clean up these waters. Donald Trump raised this issue several times during his recent meeting with Xi Jinping, hinting at China's possible involvement in the process.

The calculation was elegant: since China's tanker fleet enjoys privileges and can transit the Strait of Hormuz virtually unhindered, the same benefits should extend to its auxiliary vessels, including those associated with the PSC.

SMS has repeatedly worked in the interests of the Chinese authorities (including in the Iranian direction), and the involvement of foreign vessels in protecting them should not have raised objections from Beijing, which advocates for safe navigation. Otherwise, Washington could easily accuse its counterpart of being unwilling to genuinely fight for the opening of the strait, thereby tarnishing China's reputation in the eyes of its Arabian partners.

The Hui Chuan incident put paid to this scheme. Tehran made it clear that it does not equate the so-called Chinese PSCs with official Beijing and treats these vessels no differently than ordinary violators of the Hormuz shipping regime. And if there are no concessions for partners, there certainly won't be any for unfriendly countries.

This partly explains the surprisingly mild reaction of the Chinese authorities – the seizure allowed them to maintain their previous rhetoric about the inadmissibility of militarizing the Strait of Hormuz, without running into accusations of double dealing.

Following the high-profile incident, relations between China and Iran have not suffered any public damage, and the frequency of “trustworthy contacts,” on the contrary, has even increased.

THE "DISAPPEARED" SHIP
However, it appears too early to draw a line under the Hui Chuan story. China clearly has no plans to return the vessel by force—SMS has initially attempted to obtain an explanation from Tehran through the courts and is acting independently of Beijing, like an ordinary Hong Kong contractor.

However, the company quickly retracted its statement, citing "legal revisions." Similarly, the company's official narrative was removed from the "unclear fate" of the "floating arsenal" crew members. The previous narrative of "the capture of several mercenaries" (including one Chinese citizen) gave way to claims that "the incident was overblown."

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that after the high-profile seizure, the Chinese vessel seemingly vanished. The Hui Chuan is missing from satellite images of the port of Bandar Abbas and other major Iranian maritime hubs, where Tehran had previously set up "penalty berths" for requisitioned foreign vessels.

The place that was previously allocated for its placement is now occupied by another ship, similar in class and hull shape.

This suggests that Tehran could have quietly returned the captured vessel to China—and even helped refit it for a covert transfer back to China, to be reintegrated into the "ghost fleet," and likely subsequently transferred to the SMS.

Beijing and Tehran have the opportunity to play the game leisurely. The US and other Western countries are not interfering in the dispute—and, it seems, not even monitoring it, interpreting the incident as a split in the Iranian-Chinese tandem that benefits them.

Emirati customers, faced with force majeure, are forced to once again seek a solution from Iran and secure transit rights for their tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, but this time under the conditions set by the Islamic Republic.

Posted by: badanov || 05/28/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [69 views] Top|| File under: Commies


US Navy has detained 108 vessels linked to Iran since the start of the naval blockade.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The US Navy has detained 108 merchant vessels linked to Iran since the naval blockade began. This was reported on May 26 by the press service of the US Central Command in the Middle East (CENTCOM) on social media.

"As of May 26, US forces have redirected 108 commercial vessels," the publication states.

It is noted that the interception of ships was carried out in order to ensure compliance with the blockade.

Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Ministry accused the United States of flagrantly violating the ceasefire and armistice. However, the specific accusations against the American side were not specified.

Posted by: badanov || 05/28/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [55 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iran



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