By FABIANO MAISONNAVE

CAMACARI, Brazil (AP) — When Chinese automaker BYD Co. announced plans to build a massive factory in the hardscrabble city of Camacari, in Brazil’s northeastern Bahia state, locals saw a new beginning. After years of economic stagnation following Ford Motor Co.’s exit from the region in 2021, there was hope that the global leader in electric vehicles would bring back well-paying jobs and a brighter future.

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The timing seemed right. Brazil, the world’s sixth-largest auto market, is seeing a surge in EV sales—and BYD is leading the charge. For Camacari, the deal promised to fill the economic vacuum left by the American company, which had once been the city’s largest employer.

Then plans went off track.

A December raid led by Brazilian authorities rescued 163 Chinese nationals said to be working in “slavery-like” conditions at the site. A video from the Labor Prosecutor’s Office showed dormitories with beds lacking mattresses and makeshift cooking facilities. The company postponed plans to begin its first production line in March and has not established a new timeline, spreading fears among Camacari workers.

“When BYD announced it was coming here, it sparked a lot of hope in us,” said Luizmar Santana Pereira, a metalworker and former Ford employee, who has been working as a taxi driver. “We’ve been waiting for this job opportunity, but so far, we haven’t seen it.”

After the raid, a spokesperson based at BYD’s China headquarters denied wrongdoing, saying in a post on the Weibo social media site that the accusations were an attempt at “smearing” Chinese brands and China. The post also blamed “foreign forces” for the allegation and criticized media reports.

In a statement disseminated in Brazil, the carmaker adopted a more conciliatory tone. The company said it “does not tolerate disrespect for Brazilian law and human dignity” and rescinded the contract with Chinese construction company Jinjiang, which had brought the workers.

In Brazil, ample room for BYD to grow

EVs are spreading fast in Brazil, Latin America’s most populous nation. Sales jumped 85% in 2024, reaching over 170,000 units, including fully electric and hybrid vehicles, according to the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles. That accounted for about 7% of new car sales in the country.

The growth is spearheaded by BYD. Seven out of 10 EVs sold in the country are from the brand, which also leads hybrid sales. In major cities such as Sao Paulo and Brasilia, imported BYD cars and dealerships have become a common sight. In Brazil’s capital, it’s the best-selling brand, whether EV or gas-powered.

Another Chinese EV maker, GWM, also recently announced plans to open a factory in Brazil after acquiring a shuttered Mercedes-Benz facility in the industrialized state of Sao Paulo.

BYD’s inroads in Brazil are in tandem with the company’s global growth. The world’s leading EV company logged a record $107 billion in revenue in 2024 as its sales of electric and hybrid vehicles jumped 40%, surpassing American rival Tesla. This year, plans include the inauguration of its first car factory in Europe, currently under construction in Hungary.

Brazil’s policies are driving EV sales and production, according to Adalberto Maluf, national secretary of Urban Environment and Environmental Quality.

In an interview with The Associated Press in Brasilia, Maluf cited incentives enacted in 2024 that favor electric motors, tax reductions for lower-emission cars and a new air quality program with nationwide monitoring and pollution reduction goals.

Brazil is the one of the top 10 emitters of greenhouse gases, contributing around 3% of global emissions, according to nonprofit Climate Watch. However, pollution from energy does not play a big role, as about half of greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation, mostly in the Amazon, followed by agriculture. About 85% of the country’s electricity comes from renewable sources.

For Maluf, who worked for almost nine years at BYD Brazil, the country is attractive to Chinese electric car makers for reasons ranging from the size of its market to the presence of several auto parts suppliers and the strong political relationship between the two countries.

“Brazilians have no geopolitical issues with China. If you ask, ‘Are you against China?’ most people won’t have a strong opinion about it,” he said.

“In the U.S., however, they do, because it’s part of the president’s rhetoric,” he added, referring to President Donald Trump’s frequent comments about China “ripping off” America on trade.

It’s unclear what is next for BYD factory

Since the raid, BYD has not allowed press visits inside its Camacari premises, citing concerns about trade secrets. It’s unclear if BYD is still on track to turn the former Ford site into its largest plant outside China by the end of 2026.

When AP journalists visited in March for several days, they saw only a few construction workers at the large site. And one day, while standing on the street adjoining the premises, three BYD guards, one who kept his hand on his gun, incorrectly accused the journalists of flying a drone inside factory boundaries and demanded to see identification. Minutes later, security guards on motorcycles approached, honking and ordering the journalists to stop filming workers.

BYD said its security guards acted appropriately and declined to answer other questions about its operations in Brazil.

While the future of the factory is unclear, the raid and the presence of Chinese workers have gotten the attention of labor unions.

“The Metalworkers Union will not tolerate Chinese workers on the production line. If that happens even in the beginning of the production, we will call for a work stoppage,” Júlio Bonfim, the union president, told AP. Bonfim added that there were no objections with BYD employing Chinese technicians and managers, but the factory floor must employ only Brazilians. It was unclear if BYD had agreed to that.

Despite the raid and seemingly slow pace of construction, in the Camacari region the shift from Ford to BYD is increasingly visible. A three-decades-old dealership for the American brand named Indiana, in tribute to the U.S. state, now shares space with a BYD reseller, Mandarim. A local hotel started distributing instructions specifically to Chinese guests, asking them not to hang washed clothes in common areas. And a state lawmaker introduced a bill to rename the city’s Henry Ford Avenue, where the plant is located, to BYD Avenue.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

By PATRICK WHITTLE and HOLLY RAMER

A Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University was arrested Monday at a Vermont immigration office where he expected to be interviewed about finalizing his U.S. citizenship, his attorneys said.

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Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident who has held a green card since 2015, was detained at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Colchester by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, his lawyers said.

The attorneys said they do not know where he is. They filed a petition in federal court seeking an order barring the government from removing him from the state or country.

“The Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian. His detention is an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional,” attorney Luna Droubi said in an email.

According to the court filing, Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014. He recently completed coursework at Columbia and was expected to graduate in May before beginning a master’s degree program there in the fall.

The petition describes him as a committed Buddhist who believes in “non-violence and empathy as a central tenet of his religion.”

As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and organized campus protests until March 2024. He co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia with Mahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian permanent resident of the U.S. and graduate student who recently was detained by ICE.

Khalil was the first person arrested under President Donald Trump’s promised crackdown on students who joined campus protests against the war in Gaza. On Friday, an immigration judge in Louisiana ruled that Khalil can be deported as a national security risk.

Christopher Helali, a friend of Mahdawi who lives near him in Vermont, was present outside the immigration office when Mahdawi was detained and recorded a video of Mahdawi being led away by authorities. In the video, which Helali released on social media Monday, Mahdawi is shown giving a peace sign with his hands and being led away to a car.

Helali described Mahdawi as a peaceful demonstrator who has worked to foster dialogue about the struggle of Palestinians in his homeland. Helali said he and Mahdawi were aware that Mahdawi could be detained today and that his friend went forward with the appointment anyway.

“And rightfully so, he was nervous for what was going on around him. But he was very much resolute in coming to this interview and coming today because he didn’t do anything wrong and was a law-abiding citizen, or soon-to-be citizen,” Helali said.

Vermont’s congressional delegation issued a statement condemning Mahdawi’s arrest, saying that instead of taking one of the final steps in his citizenship process, he was handcuffed by armed officers with their faces covered.

“This is immoral, inhumane, and illegal. Mr. Mahdawi, a legal resident of the United States, must be afforded due process under the law and immediately released from detention,” said the statement from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint.

Twins catcher Christian Vázquez was searching Amazon last week with one goal in mind: “We needed something for homers, so I found that on Amazon.”

“That” is a silver and gold helmet with red bristles, like one a Roman fighter might have worn back in the day.

There hasn’t been as much to celebrate in the early going of the season as the Twins would have liked, but the helmet first made an appearance on Friday when Byron Buxton homered. It appeared again on Sunday with Edouard Julien becoming the second player to don it.

After Buxton hit his home run and made his way to the dugout Friday, he was approached by Vázquez, who removed his batting helmet. Pablo López then replaced it with Vázquez’s new purchase, and Buxton continued on through the dugout, receiving high fives.

As for the backstory behind the helmet?

“It looked cool, and I bought it,” Vázquez said.

This marks the third straight year that the Twins have had a home run celebration.

López purchased a fishing vest with a toy rod for the team in 2023. The vest read “Land of 10,000 Rakes,” on the back, and fish decals were stuck on for each home run the Twins hit.

A year later, López introduced a Prince-themed vest along with a fedora and an inflatable guitar. Also, famously, the Twins had a summer sausage that they began tossing up in the air for the home run hitter to catch upon returning to the dugout, something that coincided with the start of a 12-game winning streak last year and made for one of the quirkier storylines in Major League Baseball.

“We’ve had a few of them show up, and a few of them have gotten us on some pretty nice stretches of baseball,” manager Rocco Baldelli said of the celebration items. “Let’s let the helmet settle in. I think it looks pretty sharp. It looks well-made and substantial. Make sure there’s no sharp corners on it and plop it on some guys’ heads.”

France honored

The last time Ty France was named the American League’s Player of the Week, the first baseman had to share the honors with Miguel Cabrera after the future hall of famer had collected his milestone 3,000th hit that week back in April 2022.

This time, the honor is his alone. France won the award for a week in which he hit .440 (11 for 25), slugged .760 and had a .500 on-base percentage. He added a pair of home runs, drove in six and scored six runs.

“It’s pretty cool. It’s definitely a special honor. It’s been a while since I’ve won it,” France said. “It’s cool to be recognized solo this time. Just validates all the hard work I put in this offseason. Paid off.”

Briefly

Bailey Ober is scheduled to start Tuesday night’s game against New York Mets right-handed pitcher Tylor Megill, the brother of former Twins pitcher Trevor Megill. … Reliever Scott Blewett was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles. Blewett was designated for assignment over the weekend. In 14 games with the Twins across parts of two seasons, he had a 1.80 earned-run average, striking out 23 batters in 25 innings.

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By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has charged a man with vandalizing a Tesla dealership in New Mexico and setting fire to the headquarters of the state Republican Party, according to court records unsealed Monday.

A criminal complaint charges Jamison R. Wagner, 40, with federal arson charges in connection with the vandalism in February at a Tesla showroom in Bernalillo, where authorities found two Tesla Model Y vehicles ablaze as well as spray-painted graffiti messages including “Die Elon” and “Die Tesla Nazi.”

Elon Musk is the billionaire CEO of Tesla and a close ally of President Donald Trump who has helped engineer a massive downsizing of the federal government and purge of employees.

The arrest is part of a federal crackdown on what the attorney general has described as a wave of domestic terrorism against property carrying the logo of Musk’s electric-car company.

Attorney General Pam Bondi previewed the arrest Thursday during a Cabinet meeting to highlight federal law enforcements’ efforts to go after vandals in recent weeks targeting the electric-car company.

Wagner is also charged in connection with a fire last month at the Albuquerque headquarters of the New Mexico Republican Party. The fire badly burned the entrance and caused extensive smoke damage throughout the office, authorities said. Republican representatives also found spray paint on the side of the building about 50 feet (15 meters) from the entrance, saying “ICE=KKK,” according to New Mexico Republican Party Chair Amy Barela.

During a search of Wagner’s home and garage, investigators found eight assembled suspected incendiary devices, black and red spray paint and a cardboard stencil with the phrase “ICE=KKK” that had red spray paint on it, according to court papers.

An attorney for Wagner didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Justice Department has charged four other cases against people accused of using Molotov cocktails to destroy Tesla cars and fire stations. The FBI last month created a task force to coordinate investigate efforts around the attacks with officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Bondi has suggested prosecutors will make no plea deals with those charged in the Tesla attacks, telling the president at the White House Thursday that “there will be no negotiations, at your directive.”