The Trump administration has deported 17 more alleged gang members to El Salvador, the US state department said Monday, despite legal battles over removing people to the Central American country's supermax prison.

In a statement the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the deportees included members of the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs.

Salvadoran officials told the BBC that there was a mix of Venezuelans and Salvadorans in the group.

Earlier this month a court ordered a halt to deportations carried out under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law that has only previously been used in wartime. It is unclear what law was used to deport the 17 people.

In a statement, Rubio said the group included "murderers and rapists" but did not provide names or details of the alleged crimes or of any convictions.

In a post on X, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele shared a dramatically edited video showing men being loaded off of a plane and into prison cells.

"All individuals are confirmed murderers and high-profile offenders, including six child rapists," he wrote, again without providing names or details of the alleged crimes. "This operation is another step in the fight against terrorism and organized crime."

El Salvador has agreed to take in deportees in exchange for $6m (£4.62m).

Family members of some of those who were previously sent to the maximum security prison have denied that they have any gang ties.

After Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to remove more than 100 Venezuelans from the US earlier this month, groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward filed a legal challenge alleging the administration illegally denied the immigrants due process.

In a hearing on 15 March, James Boasberg, the top federal judge in Washington DC, imposed a temporary restraining order on the use of the law and ordered deportation flights that were in the air to be turned around.

However, the deportations continued. The next hearing in the case will be held on Thursday.

With reporting by Will Grant

Rum is a key part of Jamaica's cultural identity, but what exactly makes a rum Jamaican?

That question is at the centre of a dispute that is continuing to rumble on the Caribbean island, as some producers wish to strengthen rules on what can, and cannot, be called "Jamaica rum".

In October of last year, Jamaica's Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) approved amendments to the geographical indication (GI) designation for Jamaica Rum that was originally set up in 2016. The biggest change is that ageing the rum overseas is now prohibited.

The amendment was called for by the Spirits Pool Association (SPA), the trade organisation that seeks to speak as a single voice for Jamaica's six rum distilleries - Appleton (which is owned by J Wray and Nephew), Clarendon, Hampden Estate, Long Pond, New Yarmouth and Worthy Park Estate.

The SPO's argument is that a stronger GI is needed for the appellation to be officially recognised in its two key export markets – the EU and the US.

It says this would give Jamaican rum better protection against competitors, and lead to more drinkers recognising it as a premium product made to high specifications in a certain geographic location.

But the amendment has caused quite a stir in Jamaica, because one of the biggest producers claims it would put it out of business.

This company, National Rums of Jamaica (NRJ), owns Long Pond and 73% of Clarendon. NRJ is comprised of three shareholders – the government of Jamaica, Demerara Distillers of Guyana and the Barbados-based West Indies Rum Distillery (Wird).

The key factor is that Wird has since 2017 been owned by French spirits firm Maison Ferrand. Its business model relies heavily on exporting rum in bulk and ageing overseas - something not allowed under Jamaica's new GI.

It argues that rum aged outside of Jamaica is still Jamaican rum, and that the island has exported and aged rum abroad for centuries.

And so, the NRJ is appealing the ruling of JIPO, with a hearing scheduled for 28 April.

The Spirits Pool Association says that Wird only started to have issues with the geographical indication after its takeover by Maison Ferrard.

"What we're saying is, if you truly believe in Jamaica rum, age it in Jamaica," says Christopher Gentles, general manager of the SPA.

Rum is typically made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses, the thick treacle-like substance leftover after refined sugar has been produced from the harvested plants.

Mr Gentles says that ageing the rum before it is sold is of paramount importance, and that doing so outside of Jamaica invalidates the products authenticity and uniqueness. And so, he adds that "we were a little bit puzzled" by the NRJ's objection.

The SPA also points out that exporting and ageing spirits overseas means Jamaica misses out on the value-added processes like refining, bottling, labelling and distributing as well as other secondary benefits to the local economy like rum tourism.

Both the NRJ and Maison Ferrard declined to comment.

The use of GIs makes a product distinctive, and opens up three potential sources of value, according to Dev Gangjee, professor of intellectual property law at the University of Oxford.

"The first is simply a price premium. Research shows products can charge a price that is 1.5 to 2.7 times more than standard."

This isn't always reflected in profit as GI products are often more expensive to make, he adds.

The second reason is "they anchor production in that region". This stops a product from becoming generic and losing its value - like cheddar cheese, which was originally from a specific part of the UK but is now a by-word for a generalised type of cheese.

Lastly, Prof Gangjee says GIs help to advertise the region and "opens up other aspects of history and geography", citing France's successful wine tourism industry.

Examples of successful and longstanding GIs are Scotch whisky, champagne, and Parma ham.

Another Caribbean country similarly embroiled in a dispute over GI and rum is Barbados. Currently the island doesn't have a scheme.

Barbados has five distilleries and four agreed on the wording of a proposed Barbados rum GI. The sole objector was Wird, which owns brands such as Cockspur.

Similarly to the situation in Jamaica, it objects to the proposed rules against ageing overseas.

The failure by Barbados to obtain a GI has frustrated the other producers, including Richard Seale, owner of the island's Foursquare distillery. "We need to have intrinsic industries that are rooted here, tied here, that cannot be separated from here," he says.

Back in Jamaica, the SPA wants the country's rum to apply for the EU's Protected Geographical Indication classification, but this cannot happen until the proceedings at the JIPO have concluded.

Mr Gentles hopes that a compromise can be reached, even if it means that both sides are not totally happy. "It is my firm believe that one day we will put this behind us," he says.

And while the SPA hopes that a stronger GI will boost acclaim and business, it is also about pride in a product intimately linked to Jamaica's history.

In the days following the October ruling Jamaican newspaper, The Gleaner, endorsed the JIPO decision, saying there were many examples of firms "with no association to Jamaica attempting to appropriate the mystique of the island's brand".

It concluded: "When foreign entities become owners of uniquely Jamaican products, there should be a commitment to robustly maintain the integrity of the brand."

The worst part is the mental torture, Patricia Joseph says. The "gut-wrenching" flashes of wondering what her mother's last moments were. The infinite state of limbo.

Six years after her mother's mysterious disappearance, Patricia still catches herself looking out for the distinctive orange-lined raincoat that Hyacinth Gage, 74, was wearing the day she vanished, in the hope it may hold a clue.

Tragically, Hyacinth is just one of an ever-increasing number of people on the tiny Caribbean island of Antigua to disappear without trace in what some have dubbed an epidemic, others a crisis. At least nine have vanished in the last two years alone.

That day back in May 2019 started out ordinarily enough. Hyacinth, described as sprightly and self-sufficient, had gone for a routine check-up at the public hospital, but failed to return. She has never been seen since.

It was to trigger an excruciating series of fruitless, island-wide searches and desperate appeals for help.

"We became detectives. My sister and I teamed up to look for leads. I went back to the hospital asking questions," Patricia explains.

She was able to verify that while her mother had completed scheduled blood tests, she had not shown up for an electrocardiogram. Further investigations revealed she had apparently handed her handbag briefly to another patient to keep an eye on, but never returned. The bag was found by security staff the next day.

The family were also able to track down a motorist who said she had given Hyacinth a lift to a location a short distance from the hospital.

"The police got angry at us for investigating and told us to stop," Patricia recalls. "Then they became annoyed at our constant questions, so eventually we had to back off and just pray."

Anniversaries are particularly painful: 6 March would have been Hyacinth's 80th birthday, a milestone for which the family had long planned a big celebration. Instead, Patricia took the day off work to spend in quiet reflection.

The number of people to vanish in Antigua appears to be disproportionately high compared with neighbouring islands, Patricia says, a notion supported by sources in several of the islands who spoke to the BBC.

In St Kitts, for example, which has a population of 48,000, official police stats provided show that of the total 54 people reported missing in 2023 and 2024, all but two are accounted for. The remaining two are believed to be Haitian migrants who have since left the country.

Antigua's small size of just 108 sq miles, home to fewer than 100,000 people, makes the phenomenon particularly perplexing.

Speculation is rife. Theories range from the banal - a lack of will to investigate by an under-resourced and under-paid police force - to the sinister.

"Other islands find bodies eventually," Patricia says. "My mind goes all over the place wondering what happened. People suggest organ trafficking. I've even thought of gang activity. Is it something they're required to do as an initiation?"

The disappearance of a nine-year-old girl on 12 March sent the nation reeling and sparked extensive searches. Chantel Crump's body was found two days later in a case that has caused widespread public outrage and protests - and sent rumours into overdrive. A woman has been charged with Chantel's murder.

Antigua's Acting Police Commissioner Everton Jeffers acknowledges there is "room for improvement" when it comes to the force's public relations, but rejects the idea that it is uncaring.

He also says he is keeping an open mind on the reason for the high number of disappearances, including a possible organ trade operating on the island.

"It's something we've been hearing and something we will look into. There's no evidence to support it, but it's very important we don't dismiss anything," he explains.

Patricia has found some solace in connecting with families of other missing people and now plans to set up an action group to ask for international help.

"This isn't a random thing any more, this is serious, there's a crisis," she adds.

Aaron (not his real name) has collated a list of almost 60 people missing in Antigua – more than a third in the last decade alone – and believes there are several more. Men account for roughly two in three of the disappearances, ranging from teenagers to people in their 70s.

"I've personally experienced this pain. One of my family members went missing and another was murdered," he says, speaking on condition of anonymity because of threats he says he has received for highlighting the issue.

"Families are suffering. Many have gone to their graves without ever seeing justice for their loved ones.

"While some may have disappeared due to their involvement in criminal activities, there's growing concern that an organised organ harvesting ring could be operating behind the scenes," Aaron adds.

Police say they are collating official figures for missing people covering the last two decades but by the time of publication had not provided any figures.

This year has already seen two more.

In late January, Orden David did not return home after a night out at a local casino. Orden's burnt-out car has since been recovered, but there have been few other clues.

Alline Henry recalls Orden as her "best friend of 23 years".

"The worst part is not knowing if he's being held against his will," Alline says.

"Is someone abusing him, torturing him? Every day my thoughts run wild. If, God forbid, it's the worst case scenario, we need closure," she adds.

Orden, 39, is well known in Antigua as a key litigant in a landmark 2022 case that overturned legislation criminalising same-sex acts.

"I can't explain how much it hurts that instead of focussing on the fact he's missing, some people focus on him being gay.

"I believe the case may have made him a target," Alline says sadly.

With swathes of bushland and ocean all around, the ostensible ease of concealing a body in Antigua may partly explain the absence of answers many families suffer.

"Clearly the local police can't solve these disappearances. They need to bring in outside help. How many more people have to go missing before they do something. Who's next?" Alline adds.

Keon Richards, 38, who works for the national school meals programme, was last seen leaving work on 26 February. His mother Dian Clarke says she is "trying to stay positive", adding: "You hear about people going missing in the news and then it creeps up on you."

With the exception of a 43-year-old woman, all those to vanish without trace in the last two years are men, aged between 18 and 76.

Hindering investigations is the lack of a local forensic lab which means crucial DNA samples must be sent overseas for analysis, equating to lengthy waits for results.

Director of Forensic Services Michael Murrell tells the BBC that a new lab capable of analysing trace evidence such as hair, blood and semen will become operational within months, but admits DNA capabilities are some way off because of meagre finances.

Updated technology cannot come soon enough for some.

Gregory Bailey's son Kevorn, 26, has not been seen since he received a phone call from an unknown person who he apparently left his home to meet in August 2022.

Gregory says the telecoms firm claims to have given the caller's name to police long ago, but "up to now the police can't tell me who it was".

His frustration and despair are evident.

"It's like a part of me is missing. Some people talk about closure, but I couldn't handle seeing him in a coffin; I prefer to picture him alive," he says.

"It's emotionally aggravating to pursue the police. If I don't call them I don't hear anything; if I do, I get sweet nothings," he adds. "I want the government to know people are grieving; I don't know if they appreciate that.

"I put up missing posters everywhere, but I couldn't put up any around my home; I couldn't bear it. It's the most painful experience of my life."

Gregory believes the high number of disappearances is largely due to the extent with which criminal factions get away with murder.

Aaron has also collated a list of more than 100 unsolved killings.

"People don't trust the police; corruption is rampant in law enforcement," Gregory says.

Aaron agrees: "There've been cases where perpetrators have retaliated against the families of victims when reports were made."

Police Chief Jeffers says "no police force in the world is perfect". But adds: "I can guarantee 90% of our officers are good."

He also admits limited finances impede investigations.

"There's no police force in the Caribbean that has enough resources to do everything we have to do.

"We do a lot to look for people, get leads from the public and follow them up as much as possible. But when there are no leads we can't just go in circles. We need the public's support as much as possible," he adds.

For its part, the government has recognised the urgency of the matter and pledged a raft of new measures including the establishment of a designated missing persons' task force and the acquisition of dogs trained to detect cadavers.

Whether that will be enough to appease those desperately awaiting answers remains to be seen.

"It's time to take serious action," Patricia urges. "I hope this doesn't happen to someone close to them before they take a good fresh look at these disappearances."