An arrest warrant has been issued for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer accused of shooting a Venezuelan migrant and lying about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Monday that ICE officer Christian Castro has been charged with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime involving an attempted arrest in January, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ice-agent-charged-four-counts-assault-minnesota-shooting-venezuelan-im-rcna345732" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NBC News.
Castro is accused of firing his weapon at the front door of a Minneapolis home “with the intent to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death to the four adults who were just inside the door,” Moriarty said during a Monday news conference.
“Mr. Castro fired his service weapon at the front door of the home, knowing there were people who had just run inside that presented absolutely no threat to him or anyone else,” Moriarty said.
According to Moriarty, the bullet pierced the front door and struck Venezuelan migrant Jose Sosa-Celis in the leg before traveling through a closet and lodging in the wall of a child’s bedroom.
At the time of the shooting, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/15/dhs-releases-more-details-about-three-violent-criminal-illegal-aliens-who-violently" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that Sosa-Celis tried to &#8220;evade arrest&#8221; before he &#8220;began to resist and violently assault&#8221; a federal officer.
DHS said two other individuals came out of a nearby apartment and began attacking the officer &#8220;with a snow shovel and broom handle.&#8221; Sosa-Celis then &#8220;got loose and began striking the officer with a shovel or broomstick.&#8221;
The officer &#8220;fired a defensive shot&#8221; after &#8220;fearing for his life and safety,&#8221; hitting Sosa-Celis in the leg, DHS said. Sosa-Celis and the two others &#8220;ran back into the apartment and barricaded themselves inside&#8221; before ICE arrested the trio.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons announced in February the opening of a federal investigation after video footage showed that “sworn testimony provided by two separate officers appears to have made untruthful statements.&#8221; The officers were also placed on administrative leave.
“Lying under oath is a serious federal offense,” Lyons said.
“The men and women of ICE are entrusted with upholding the rule of law and are held to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct,” he said. “Violations of this sacred sworn oath will not be tolerated. ICE remains fully committed to transparency, accountability, and the fair enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws.”
A federal judge dismissed charges against the two migrants in February after the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota filed a motion to dismiss, citing “newly discovered evidence” that was “materially inconsistent with the allegations” made against the pair, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-prosecutors-assault-shooting-minneapolis-charges-d713836a06471af9f38ee6ee8976a20c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Associated Press.
During Monday&#8217;s press conference, Moriarty said Castro “was not under any physical threat when he fired his weapon, or even beforehand,&#8221; according to NBC News.
“He was not hit by a shovel or a broom. In fact, he was not hit at all,” she said.
The latest charges come a month after Moriarty issued a separate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/blue-state-prosecutor-issues-arrest-warrant-for-ice-agent">arrest warrant</a> for another ICE officer accused of flashing a gun at motorists while passing them on a highway.
The Minnesota State Patrol received a 911 call in February from the alleged victims who said a driver pulled up next to them on the shoulder of a highway and pointed a gun at them, Moriarty said at an earlier press conference.
The Trump administration pulled back its deployment of hundreds of federal agents to the Twin Cities after the deadly, immigration officer-involved shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
President Donald Trump also sent his border czar, Tom Homan, to quell the chaos and broker agreements between ICE and local authorities.
Trump subsequently fired then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the wake of the two fatal shootings.

US Readies FBI, Troops For Possible Minnesota Surge To Back ICE

ICE Officer Charged After Prosecutors Say Migrant Shooting Story Was False

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Minneapolis

Shooting

HOUSTON, Texas — Tucked away in the quiet suburbs of Houston, Texas, is a sinister plot to undermine American immigration laws.
Inside three suburban homes and one rundown apartment are allegedly Chinese women, along with their families, who are waiting to give birth to American citizen babies they can bring back to China.
The State of Texas sued De’Ai Postpartum Care Center in Houston, which they say operates the homes, accusing them of “exploiting birthright citizenship by unlawfully facilitating the invasion of Chinese nationals … for the sole purpose of giving birth.” The center has allegedly facilitated the births of more than 1,000 American-born babies.
The Daily Wire knocked on each of the homes&#8217; doors. Only one person answered.
<div id="attachment_1092179" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1092179" class="wp-image-1092179 size-medium" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143143.009-300x288.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="288" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143143.009-300x288.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143143.009-599x576.jpg 599w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143143.009-768x738.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143143.009.jpg 932w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Credit: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton</div>
The Asian man, who was sporting a &#8220;Make America Cowboy Again&#8221; shirt, identified himself as Lai Wan Lin-Chan, who was named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EXCLUSIVE: Are Chinese birth tourism centers hiding in your neighborhood? We went to find out.
Texas has sued Houston-based De’Ai Postpartum Care Center, accusing the operation of exploiting birthright citizenship by helping Chinese nationals travel to the U.S. “for the sole… <a href="https://t.co/AUifiiflfh">pic.twitter.com/AUifiiflfh</a>
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/2056381136830439840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In response to a question about the lawsuit, Lin-Chan said &#8220;We are trying to get a lawyer&#8221; before shutting his front door.
<div id="attachment_1092177" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1092177" class="size-medium wp-image-1092177" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143217.722-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143217.722-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143217.722.jpg 668w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Credit: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton</div>
Moments later, he reappeared as I was standing on the street outside his home. Lin-Chan came out of the residence while recording on his phone as he asked: &#8220;Can I see your ID?,&#8221; adding &#8220;Because you just take picture of me.&#8221;
He then ignored another question about the lawsuit. This time, we asked if there were pregnant Chinese women inside the home.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sorry I can&#8217;t give you any information now,&#8221; he said before walking back inside.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-1092175 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_2476-138x300.png" alt="" width="138" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_2476-138x300.png 138w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_2476-265x576.png 265w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_2476-768x1669.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_2476-707x1536.png 707w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_2476-943x2048.png 943w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/IMG_2476-scaled.png 1178w" sizes=" (max-width: 138px) 100vw, 138px" /></div>
The practice of so-called Chinese birth tourism is coming under increasing scrutiny, with Peter Schweizer, President of the Government Accountability Institute, <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/08cf7ed3-aa64-3b6b-3268-21f7d9feb233/2026-03-10_Testimony_Schweizer.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testifying</a> to the U.S. Senate in March that &#8220;possibly&#8221; up to 1.5 million Chinese babies have been born in the U.S. in order to obtain citizenship and the right to return in the future, with the intention of being raised in China.
Further concerns related to Chinese intrusion into American affairs center around foreign-government backed purchasing of U.S. farmland, and the recent spate of Chinese-intelligence gathering incidents, such as the recent federal indictment accusing Arcadia, CA Mayor Eileen Wang of acting as an agent of the People’s Republic of China. Wang has since agreed to plead guilty in the case.
One of the center&#8217;s recent TikTok videos encourages women to apply for American tourist visas “before pregnancy,” stating that the federal government “will strictly investigate birth tourism,” adding, “It is easy to be rejected if you sign after pregnancy.”
The center also “claims to offer a variety of options for tourism while expectant families await the birth of their child,” that include a “luxury chauffeured black-car service across the Houston area for its high-paying guests, purportedly to visit the variety of different locales advertised on its social media page, including the spring bluebonnets in Brenham, Texas, the Houston Rodeo, Christmas light shows in Houston, and the Louvre Couture exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts,” the lawsuit states.
<div id="attachment_1092195" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1092195" class="wp-image-1092195 size-medium" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143759.585-300x183.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="183" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143759.585-300x183.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-08T143759.585.jpg 682w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Credit: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton</div>
Neighbors of the properties said they had little to no interaction with the alleged birthing center residents, with some reporting seeing multiple vehicles crammed in the driveways.
David, who declined to share his last name out of concern for his safety, said he&#8217;s seen many different people going in and out of one of the homes.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve seen this in Asian households, like a bunch of family members living there. That&#8217;s what it looked like,&#8221; he said.
Harris County Deputy Constable Craig Cummings told The Daily Wire that his office encourages community members to report such suspicious activity &#8220;so that we can act on it.&#8221;
He said if neighbors observe that many people are packed in one home, it&#8217;s cause for concern.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not ordinary, but it&#8217;s also something that we&#8217;re aware of. When we start looking at multiple people in a home, we start thinking that this may be some nexus to human trafficking. Clearly, having a large number of people in a home is not normal,&#8221; he said.
Nonimmigrant visas, such as tourist visas, &#8220;are reserved for temporary visits for business or pleasure, with applicants bearing the burden of proving they intend to depart after their authorized stay&#8221; and not &#8220;for the primary purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship for a child by giving birth in the United States,&#8221; immigration lawyer Matthew Kolken told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;In sum, visiting temporarily for pleasure does not include travel for the primary purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship for a child by giving birth in the United States,&#8221; Kolken said.
Committing such immigration fraud &#8220;results in a lifetime bar to admissibility&#8221; to the United States, according to Kolken.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship on his second Inauguration Day. The order has been paused due to multiple legal challenges.
Its fate now sits before the Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments on April 1 in the presence of Trump.
“We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow ‘Birthright’ Citizenship!” Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after the conclusion of the oral arguments.

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EXCLUSIVE: Are Chinese Birth Centers Hiding In Your Backyard? We Went To Find Out

birthright citizenship

China

Immigration

President Donald Trump&#8217;s Border Patrol chief announced his immediate resignation Thursday, multiple agency sources told The Daily Wire.
Mike Banks confirmed his exit from the agency to Fox News, but didn&#8217;t offer a clear reason for his departure.
&#8220;It&#8217;s just time,&#8221; Banks told the news outlet.
&#8220;I feel like I got the ship back on course from the least secure disastrous chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Time to pass the reins, 37 years, it&#8217;s time to enjoy the family and life.&#8221;
Banks, who previously served as the Texas &#8220;border czar,&#8221; led the agency through record low illegal border crossings.
In a <a href="https://x.com/AliBradleyTV/status/2054963177574584661" target="_blank" rel="noopener">message</a> to agents Thursday, Banks celebrated the Trump administration&#8217;s accomplishments of securing the border.
&#8220;It was never a goal of mine to become the Chief of the United States Border Patrol but given the opportunity I would do it again 100 times over. What we have accomplished together in the last year and a half is nothing short of amazing,&#8221; Banks said.
&#8220;You, the men and women of the Border Patrol took the United States border from the most chaotic and unsecured border in the history of this great Nation and have delivered the most secure border this country has ever seen. Let me be clear there&#8217;s still lots of work to be done to achieve complete operational control of the Border, but I know we are closer than we have ever been to achieving that goal,&#8221; he added.
Multiple Border Patrol sources said they didn&#8217;t see Banks&#8217; exit coming.
One source said that they were &#8220;caught off guard&#8221; by the news of his departure.
Banks was previously accused of making regular trips abroad to have sex with prostitutes and bragging about it to colleagues, the Washington Examiner <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/4509505/border-patrol-chief-michael-banks-prostitution-allegations-by-agents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in April.
The National Border Patrol Council, the agency&#8217;s union, confirmed that “an allegation was made, was investigated, and the subject was cleared of any misconduct, and yes, he is now in charge of 20,000+ USBP employees,&#8221; according to the Washington Examiner.
Paul Perez, the union&#8217;s president, said Banks had “held senior-level managers accountable, where previous chiefs did not, thereby creating a long list of enemies with an axe to grind.&#8221;
“That someone would anonymously dredge up some unfounded allegation as a means to smear Banks today shows how desperate they are to prevent him from holding people accountable for doing their jobs,” Perez said.
Banks&#8217; departure also comes less than two months after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin assumed leadership of the department, which oversees Border Patrol.
Mullin assumed the role after Trump demoted Kristi Noem, who was embroiled in multiple scandals.
During her time as secretary, Noem deployed then-Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino to lead aggressive immigration sweeps across the country, making him the face of the mass deportation campaign.
Following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal immigration authorities, Trump put border czar Tom Homan at the helm of the operations, replacing Bovino, who eventually retired.
Banks first joined Border Patrol in 2000 after serving ten years in the U.S. Navy.
He said he now plans to &#8220;return home to Texas to focus on my family and ranch.&#8221;

DHS Secretary Noem Holds Roundtable Discussion With Texas Ranchers And CBP Personnel In Brownsville, Texas

Trump’s Border Patrol Chief Abruptly Resigns

Border Patrol

Donald Trump

Markwayne Mullin

Federal investigators have made yet another discovery of a sophisticated fraud scheme involving a work authorization program for foreigners.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) <a href="https://x.com/JennieSTaer/status/2054232420522598520">announced</a> Tuesday that the Optional Practical Training program, known as OPT, has &#8220;become a magnet for fraud&#8221; with foreign students claiming employment from &#8220;highly suspect employers,&#8221; Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said. He described the controversy at a press conference, noting the program allows foreign students to work in their area of study for up to one year while attending school.
Federal investigators say OPT fraud has exploded nationwide, reporting shocking discoveries upon visiting the alleged worksites claiming to employ the foreign students.
They found empty buildings with locked doors where hundreds of foreign students were said to be working. In some cases, multiple employers claimed the same address, but none of them actually had a lease there.
Some small homes were also listed as worksites for hundreds of foreign students, but had no employees present. When someone answered the door at one of the residences, they claimed to have no knowledge of the business.
Other alleged employers claimed to have offshore HR and payroll personnel. Many of the employers had tax liens, civil lawsuit collections, and breaches of contract on their records.
In some instances, foreign students who obtained work permits through the OPT program never showed up to work at the jobs they claimed to hold.
Lyons said the employment program has &#8220;ballooned into an uncontrolled guest worker pipeline with hundreds of thousands of foreign students working in the United States,&#8221; adding that the latest fraud findings may be &#8220;only the tip of the iceberg.&#8221;
Last week, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a branch of ICE, visited 18 worksites in north Texas and made an &#8220;alarming&#8221; discovery of &#8220;coordinated employer clusters, where numerous employers in the same building complex are running nearly identical websites, sharing job postings and management personnel, but claiming no business relationships with each other,&#8221; John Condon, the agency&#8217;s Acting Executive Associate Director, said during Tuesday&#8217;s presser.
In Houston, agents found an alleged &#8220;pay to stay visa fraud&#8221; scheme in which a company was &#8220;charging students under the table to help them fraudulently maintain visa status,&#8221; he added.
Other cases also raised red flags. In New York, a supposed employer became visibly upset with federal investigators and denied having any knowledge of a company linked to his address &#8220;despite Homeland Security records and student reports confirming otherwise,&#8221; Condon said. A foreign student told investigators that the individual owned the worksite &#8220;but could not explain his denial.&#8221;
Condon discussed an OPT employer in New Jersey claiming to support more than 150 foreign students who couldn&#8217;t answer federal investigators&#8217; &#8220;basic questions about who they were or what they were hired to do.&#8221; The investigators encountered only one student at the site, &#8220;who had revealed that he had not worked for the listed copy in over a year&#8221; and &#8220;was instead being trained by a company based in India.&#8221;
Lyons called the fraudulent activity &#8220;deliberate, coordinated, and criminal,&#8221; vowing that &#8220;more actions are forthcoming.&#8221;
&#8220;DHS will relentlessly investigate, disrupt, and refer for prosecution anyone who exploits our programs. We have intensified our vetting at consular posts overseas, targeting trafficking, forced labor, document fraud, and unauthorized employment among student visa applicants,&#8221; Lyons said.
&#8220;This fraud is not victimless. It is a blatant attack on the goodwill of the American people who generously allow foreign nationals access to our education system,&#8221; he added.

Trump Floats Death Penalty For All Convicted Of Murder In DC

ICE Makes New Major Fraud Discovery Involving 10,000 Foreign Students

Department of Homeland Security

foreign students

Fraud

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Todd Lyons

President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration carried out a recent crackdown on the Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua, hitting 25 alleged members of the criminal organization with federal charges.
The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/more-25-defendants-charged-nationwide-tren-de-aragua-crackdown-resulting-seizure-over-80">announced</a> Monday that it filed charges in six states against the accused gangbangers for firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, among others. Many of the accused are illegal immigrants from Venezuela, Colombia, and Honduras, the Justice Department said.
The operation took place the last week of April, resulting in the seizure of more than 80 firearms and roughly 18 kilograms of drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine, MDMA, and Tusi, or pink cocaine, a mixed substance that contains ketamine and/or MDMA. Federal authorities also confiscated more than $100,000.
“In a few days, the Justice Department and its partners on Joint Task Force Vulcan carried out a nationwide takedown of vicious Tren de Aragua terrorist networks — depraved, violent offenders who have illegally invaded our country and preyed upon American communities,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement Monday.
“This effort underscores the Trump Administration’s dedication to restoring public safety, dismantling violent firearms and drug trafficking networks, and enforcing law and order,&#8221; Blanche said.
As part of the recent sweep, the Trump administration <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/pr/two-venezuelan-nationals-charged-firearms-trafficking">targeted</a> two Venezuelan nationals in Colorado accused of selling numerous firearms to a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) undercover agent. The department said the pair came to the United States during former President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration.
Between October 2025 and April 2026, Wilmer Jose Bolano-Sanchez and Jeremmy Andres Boscan-Delfin sold seven firearms, including two firearms with obliterated serial numbers, to an undercover ATF agent, according to court documents. They also allegedly sold the undercover federal agent several high-capacity firearm magazines, including a 60-round drum magazine, and ammunition.
The undercover ATF agent, along with a confidential informant working with federal authorities, told the accused that they planned to take the guns to Mexico, according to court documents. Boscan-Delfin also allegedly sold tusi to the undercover agent, who said he was going to bring it to girls at a club in Colorado Springs.
Federal authorities arrested five individuals, three of whom are illegal immigrants living in Tennessee, for allegedly trafficking firearms and narcotics. Two of the accused are believed to be associates of Tren de Aragua or of the gang&#8217;s splinter faction “Anti-Tren.”
During multiple undercover operations targeting the group, federal authorities seized 25 firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, extended magazines, a drum magazine, more than $8,000 cash, as well as methamphetamine, MDMA, ketamine, and cocaine, according to the Justice Department. Eight of the 25 guns were previously reported as stolen, while two were tied to previous shootings that occurred in Nashville.
Three other illegal immigrants with alleged ties to Tren de Aragua are accused of working as associates of another federally charged defendant accused of having ties to the Venezuelan gang, according to the Justice Department. The associates allegedly were part of the sales of large amounts of narcotics and firearms that took place in Florida.
ATF agents seized 500 MDMA pills, two firearms, cocaine, ketamine, and methamphetamine while investigating the trio.
Since Trump&#8217;s second inauguration, the Justice Department has hit more than 260 members and associates of Tren de Aragua with federal charges.
Tren de Aragua originated as a prison gang in Venezuela. Its members began flooding across the U.S.-Mexico border when the Biden administration was releasing illegal migrants en masse.
A number of the gangbangers came across the border without tattoos or markings showing their affiliation with the gang, making it difficult for them to be easily identified by sight. The federal government at the time also had no cooperation with the Venezuelan regime to access criminal histories.
Many of the illegal border crossers ended up in cities like Aurora, Colorado, where they took over apartment complexes and terrorized residents.
The gang has also been tied to sex trafficking rings across the country and has made pink cocaine its drug of choice. A member of the gang also murdered 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley while she was out for a run in February 2024.
On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to carry out &#8220;Operation Aurora&#8221; to “target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.”

Untitled design – 2026-05-11T142114.209

Trump Admin Targets 25 ‘Terrorists’ In Tren De Aragua Crackdown

Department of Justice

Tren De Aragua

One of the San Diego Padres&#8217; top prospects self-deported to Mexico after pleading guilty to human smuggling charges, according to The Athletic.
Border Patrol agents caught Humberto Cruz, who came legally to the United States, in October transporting two Mexican illegal immigrants at the Arizona border. The Padres signed Cruz, the right-handed pitcher from Mexico, in February 2024 for a $750,000 bonus, the outlet <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7264972/2026/05/08/top-padres-prospect-self-deported-to-mexico-after-plea-related-to-human-smuggling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Cruz, 19, later pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to improper entry and expressed &#8220;sincere regret for a recent lapse in judgment that has caused disappointment to many people I deeply respect,&#8221; he said in a statement issued by the Padres.
&#8220;I understand that my actions have fallen short of the standards expected of me as a professional and as a representative of this organization,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I take responsibility for my conduct and recognize the impact it has had on my teammates, the club, and those who support us. To my teammates and coaches, I apologize for becoming a distraction and for not upholding the level of professionalism you deserve. To the fans, I am sorry for letting you down and for failing to meet the trust placed in me.&#8221;
Cruz went on to say he&#8217;s &#8220;committed to reflecting on this moment, learning from it, and taking the appropriate steps to move forward in a positive and responsible manner.&#8221;
&#8220;I will cooperate fully with the organization and any steps required of me. … Thank you to everyone who has reached out with support and honesty. I understand that trust must be earned, and I am prepared to do that through my actions going forward,&#8221; he added.
On the morning of Oct. 28, Border Patrol agents observed a 2020 BMW SUV with Mexican license plates traveling south near Lukeville, Arizona, with one man inside, according to The Athletic, citing a criminal complaint. The agents grew suspicious after seeing the same car an hour later traveling north with multiple people inside.
They pulled them over, finding Cruz in the driver&#8217;s seat with two Mexican illegal immigrants in tow, according to the report. One of the passengers was deported four days before through Nogales, Arizona.
Cruz waived his Miranda rights, telling the agents that he responded to a call on social media for drivers &#8220;to pick up people for easy money,&#8221; The Athletic reported. He was offered $1,000 for each person he picked up at different locations through pin drops sent to his phone by an unknown contact.
The human smuggling operator instructed Cruz to drive to Tucson and then to Phoenix, according to The Athletic. Cruz also apparently admitted that he knew the people he picked up &#8220;were illegal.&#8221;
Federal authorities charged Cruz with one felony count of transportation of illegal aliens for profit and one misdemeanor count of accessory after the fact to improper entry, the outlet reported. He entered into a plea agreement that resulted in the dismissal of the felony charge in exchange for a guilty plea on the misdemeanor and a 30-day sentence with credit for time served.
Cruz entered the plea four months before being placed on the minor-league restricted list, according to The Athletic. He was already expected to miss the 2026 season following his elbow surgery in September.
He is ranked as the Padres&#8217; fifth top prospect, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/padres-prospect-transporting-undocumented-immigrants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CBS Sports.

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Top MLB Prospect Self-Deports After Smuggling Illegal Immigrants

Baseball

Border

California

San Diego

Smuggling

The Justice Department is pushing to strip several terror suspects of their American citizenship as part of a massive denaturalization effort.
In recent months, the Trump administration has kicked off a campaign to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-opens-door-to-yanking-citizenship-as-part-of-war-on-fraud" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denaturalize</a> foreign-born United States citizens, securing 15 denaturalization orders as of April. In total, the Department of Justice has filed 35 denaturalization complaints.
By comparison, the federal government secured 54 denaturalizations under the Biden administration, the DOJ said.
This week alone, the Trump administration filed denaturalization cases against 12 individuals, some of whom are accused of terror ties.
Among them is Somali-born Salah Osman Ahmed, 43, who &#8220;began providing material support&#8221; to the terrorist group al-Shabaab just months after he became an American citizen in 2007, according to the Justice Department.
At one point, Ahmed flew to Somalia to join the U.S.-designated terrorist organization and &#8220;fight and kill Ethiopians,&#8221; the department said. He pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists in 2009.
Under federal law, individuals can be denaturalized if they join a terrorist organization within five years of becoming a citizen. Authorities may also pursue denaturalization in cases where citizenship was obtained through fraud or misrepresentation.
Another case involves Khalid Ouazzani, 48, who prosecutors say &#8220;was planning—with two men later convicted of trying to bomb the New York Stock Exchange—ways to support Al-Qaeda&#8221; as early as 2003, roughly three years before he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. The Trump administration is now pursuing a denaturalization case against him.
In 2007, one year after obtaining his citizenship, the Morocco-born man allegedly &#8220;sent Al-Qaeda tens of thousands of dollars in financial support with money that he had fraudulently obtained.&#8221;
The next year, &#8220;he took an oath of allegiance&#8221; to the terror group. Ouazzani pleaded guilty to bank fraud, money laundering, and providing material support to Al-Qaeda in 2010.
Ali Yousif Ahmed, 48, an Iraqi national, is also facing denaturalization. He came to the United States in 2009, claiming he and his family were attacked by Al-Qaeda, according to the Justice Department. The Iraqi government contacted the federal government in 2019, requesting that Ahmed be extradited to face criminal charges for the premeditated murder of two Iraqi police officers in 2006.
Ahmed was accused of murdering the officers while serving as an Al-Qaeda leader.
The Justice Department accused Ahmed of &#8220;illegally&#8221; obtaining American citizenship by lying &#8220;under oath about his criminal and family history.&#8221;
The Trump administration&#8217;s latest crackdown commenced as part of President Donald Trump’s “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-opens-door-to-yanking-citizenship-as-part-of-war-on-fraud" target="_blank" rel="noopener">war on fraud</a>,” with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) “prioritizing those who’ve unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship — especially under the previous administration” for denaturalization.
The Trump administration gave USCIS orders to pursue “100-200 denaturalization cases per month,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/us/politics/trump-immigration-citizenship-denaturalization.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The New York Times.

TOPSHOT-SOMALIA-UNREST-SHABAB

Trump Admin Targets Citizenship Of Naturalized Terror Suspects

citizenship

Todd Blanche

An illegal immigrant hid in the ceiling of a women&#8217;s bathroom in a Florida church while recording video on his phone, according to authorities.
The Fort Walton Beach Police Department arrested Panamanian illegal immigrant Aquilino Sanjur Ortega on Sunday after receiving a call about a possible armed person at Grace Church during a religious service. One woman said that while she was inside the women&#8217;s restroom, &#8220;she observed a mobile phone positioned above the ceiling with its camera pointed downward in her direction,&#8221; police <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fwbpd/posts/pfbid02BeudRCiPUCdk3ycUCELR71UDLdc3pPm2gD3TxEgviCoxoXhmPNGUGVznTBJq7iPMl?rdid=GIAivwzSYIKbGnwu#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The woman &#8220;immediately&#8221; left the restroom and informed church staff.
Parishioners evacuated from the building before officers arrived at the scene, according to authorities. Witnesses told the officers that a man was hiding in the women&#8217;s restroom ceiling, which they confirmed after entering the church.
Ortega, who was unarmed, was swiftly arrested.
Ortega is charged with video voyeurism and disturbing a religious assembly.
Ortega came to the United States in March 2007 with a tourism visa that expired that September, federal law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire. Because Ortega overstayed his visa by nearly two decades, he&#8217;s considered an illegal immigrant.
As a result, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer with the Okaloosa County Jail. Local authorities are likely to honor the request and hand Ortega over to federal authorities for eventual deportation.
He is being held on a $250,000 bond.
&#8220;Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.,&#8221; the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told The Daily Wire in response to the case.
Upon his return to the White House, President Donald Trump stripped churches, schools, and hospitals of protections that prevented ICE from entering. They were previously considered &#8220;sensitive&#8221; locations that ICE could not enter or go near.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP [Customs and Border Protection] and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens — including murderers and rapists — who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” DHS <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-sensitive-locations-trump-ab0d2d2652e9df696f14410ebb52a1fc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time of the policy change.
Trump&#8217;s border czar, Tom Homan, has said that ICE attempts to avoid those institutions. But if an illegal immigrant criminal tries to hide inside a church, ICE may go in to arrest them, Homan <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/2609704789400477" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> while leading immigration operations in Minneapolis in February.
&#8220;Those locations are not off the table. I&#8217;ve said from day one, there&#8217;s no sanctuary for a significant public safety threat or a national security threat,&#8221; he said at the time.

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EXCLUSIVE: The Creepy Church Bathroom Discovery Now Fueling A Bigger Immigration Debate

Christianity

Church

Crime

Florida

The northern border has historically been open season for smugglers, who exploit its harsh terrain and wall-less boundary for profit.
Edgar Sanchez-Solis, 23, himself an illegal immigrant from Mexico, helped smuggle hundreds of others through the U.S.-Canada border on a weekly basis for years. Now, the Daily Wire can exclusively report that he&#8217;s pleaded guilty to his role in international conspiracy.
The illegal immigrant led the smuggling operation while living in Kansas City, Missouri, according to court documents.
The group brought hundreds of illegal immigrants from Mexico, Central America, and South America, into the United States through New York each week, <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-leads-investigation-4-mexican-nationals-charged-international-smuggling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Each migrant presented thousands of dollars in profits for the smuggling ring.
Once his customers crossed into the United States, Sanchez-Solis&#8217; organization sent drivers to pick them up and take them farther south, according to court documents. The group also instructed the smuggled illegal immigrants &#8220;to make testimonial videos touting the enterprise’s services,&#8221; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, previously said.
For Sanchez-Solis&#8217; part, he directed and participated in the smuggling operations with other top dogs in the group.
The smuggling organization also engaged in dangerous, high-speed chases with border agents on several occasions.
Smugglers set off a Border Patrol sensor in Franklin County and fled the scene at a high rate of speed in April 2023. Border Patrol caught up to them and stopped the car, apprehending the smugglers, who had seven adults and three children in tow.
During one of the smuggling operations in May 2023, Border Patrol engaged in a high-speed chase with a van loaded with illegal immigrants. The agents had to call off the pursuit because of the dangers it posed to the community.
The Clinton County Sheriff&#8217;s Office eventually stopped the vehicle using a tire-deflation device, but the smugglers and their customers fled on foot.
In August 2023, another smuggling vehicle struck a motorist while fleeing Border Patrol agents in Plattsburgh, New York. The driver and six illegal immigrants fled the scene of the collision on foot and were eventually caught.
Sanchez-Solis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and five counts of alien smuggling for commercial advantage and private financial gain, according to the Justice Department. He now awaits sentencing.
He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years behind bars and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Three other Mexican illegal immigrants were arrested and charged alongside Sanchez-Solis. Two of them were previously deported from the United States, according to ICE.

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EXCLUSIVE: How An Illegal Immigrant Smuggled In Thousands More, And Got Rich Doing It

Canada

Illegal Immigration

The Minnesota Board of Pardons — which includes Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison — voted unanimously to pardon an illegal immigrant from Laos with three assault convictions, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
At Xayasounethone Chandee was convicted of assault in 1992, and an immigration judge ordered his deportation in 1995, DHS said. Chandee also had a conviction from 2008 for two felony counts of aggravated assault with a weapon, according to the agency.
Chandee entered the country as a Green Card holder when he was a minor. He was later stripped of his immigration status due to his criminal convictions, DHS said.
The board called an emergency meeting Monday after learning that the Trump administration could deport Chandee this week, <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/05/04/minnesota-grants-pardon-to-at-ricky-chandee-who-was-facing-deportation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Minnesota Public Radio.
DHS called the board&#8217;s decision &#8220;absolute insanity,&#8221; adding that it could foil its plans to deport him.
“Minnesota&#8217;s sanctuary politicians&#8217; pardon took away this violent thug’s qualifying convictions that made him removable from the U.S.,&#8221; Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement on Thursday.
Chandee applied for a pardon shortly before federal immigration agents arrested him in January, Minnesota Public Radio reported.
The Clemency Review Commission, which recommends clemency decisions to the pardon board, voted 6-0 in favor of Chandee&#8217;s pardon, the outlet reported. The board wasn&#8217;t scheduled to meet until June, but moved up the meeting after learning that Chandee could be deported within days.
“There is nothing in this application, or nothing in the facts before us that would suggest that Mr. Chandee is a danger to the public in any way, shape or form,” Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, who sits on the board, said of the pardon. “He has a lot of family support, which is obviously very important, and he&#8217;s had that support over the last 29 years.”
A federal appeals court in Louisiana paused Chandee&#8217;s deportation for 14 days after his attorney filed a request last week, according to Minnesota Public Radio. The federal government is likely to challenge Chandee&#8217;s pardon, his attorney, Linus Chan, said.
Chan also argued that the 2008 conviction never happened, the outlet reported. There was also no mention of it in his clemency application.
“There is no such conviction, and I am reaching out to DHS about where this information is coming from,&#8221; Chan said.
The commission recommended clemency for all applicants, except one, who were at risk of deportation, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

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Blue State Pardons Illegal Immigrant With Rap Sheet To Block Deportation Efforts

deportation

Keith Ellison

Minnesota

Tim Walz

Chinese purchasers have been buying up American farmland at an alarming rate.
In 1980, Chinese buyers owned 2,000 acres of American farmland, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6394719129112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Department of Agriculture. Now, they own 300,000 acres.
&#8220;The consolidation of our farmland, the foreign adversarial ownership of farmland, especially from China and other places has really been creeping up on our country,&#8221; Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6394719129112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News.
The House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, plans to introduce the Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites from Foreign Adversaries Act on Thursday. The bill seeks to close the &#8220;dangerous loopholes&#8221; that have allowed foreign adversaries, like China, to make such purchases near critical infrastructure and military bases.
“Food security is national security, and we cannot allow foreign adversaries like China to buy up American farmland near our most sensitive military and critical infrastructure sites,” Moolenaar said.
The proposal mandates that any purchases involving farmland, ports, telecommunications infrastructure, and locations in proximity to military installations and intelligence facilities undergo a mandatory review. It also gives the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which is headed by the Department of the Treasury, the ability to provide oversight of such land purchases if they involve enemy nations such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
CFIUS <a href="https://knoxradio.com/2022/12/13/fufeng-looks-forward-to-building-gf-plant-after-cfius-says-it-has-no-jurisdiction/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in 2022 that a Chinese food manufacturer&#8217;s purchase of farmland in Grand Forks, North Dakota, which was situated near Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Space Force Station, wasn&#8217;t a &#8220;covered transaction&#8221; in its jurisdiction.
If passed, the latest bill would ensure CFIUS would have oversight in such cases.
Adam Savit, director for China policy at the America First Policy Institute, said threats to the food supply have become a &#8220;national security&#8221; issue, adding that &#8220;the federal government needs the jurisdiction and the tools to stop these transactions before they happen, not to negotiate mitigation agreements after the fact. States have led on this issue for years, and federal law should reinforce their efforts.&#8221;
“Legislation is needed to close these loopholes and protect critical American infrastructure and American communities, and the provisions of this bill do just that,” Savit, a former senior adviser for national security at the Department of Agriculture, added.
The bill will be cosponsored by Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Mike Thompson (D-CA).

IMG_2583

EXCLUSIVE: Bipartisan Bill Aims To Keep China From Buying Up American Farmland

Congress

Farmers

An illegal immigrant who was allowed into the country by the Biden administration went on to land a job at a Wisconsin nursing home, where he allegedly sexually assaulted elderly residents, including one who has severe dementia, The Daily Wire has learned.
The Fitchburg Police Department <a href="https://www.fitchburgwi.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/2585" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last month that it received a report that an employee of Dimensions Living &#8220;may have assaulted vulnerable residents.&#8221; Following an investigation, authorities charged 23-year-old Julio Morales-Jarquin, of Nicaragua, with two counts of second-degree sexual assault of an elderly victim on April 29.
In one instance, a worker at the facility said they found Morales-Jarquin one night with a dementia patient who was completely naked, <a href="https://www.wmtv15news.com/2026/05/06/complaint-fitchburg-caretaker-accused-sexually-assaulting-patients-including-woman-with-dementia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to WMTV. The report said the patient is also in hospice care.
A staffer reported encountering the illegal immigrant exiting the bathroom with his pants down, and Morales-Jarquin seemed to be &#8220;caught off guard,&#8221; according to WMTV. When the colleague asked what he was doing, he claimed that he was helping the patient get dressed.
Morales-Jarquin admitted that he touched the patient inappropriately and that he engaged in sex acts with her around February or March, according to the report. He also allegedly took pictures and videos of another patient&#8217;s intimate area, and later deleted those images from his phone.
A patient who was over 60 years old told a detective that she had sex with Morales-Jarquin, and that she didn&#8217;t really give consent but gave in after he kept asking, WMTV reported. Morales-Jarquin later claimed that the patient consented to his actions. Another resident said that Morales-Jarquin had tried kissing and touching her inappropriately before she told him to stop and leave, according to WMTV.
Since Morales-Jarquin&#8217;s arrest, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged a detainer requesting that he be transferred into federal custody. The Department of Homeland Security has criticized Dane County policies in the past regarding cooperation with federal immigration authorities, arguing that such policies can complicate efforts to take custody of inmates who are illegal immigrants.
In some cases, the county gives ICE officers just 30 minutes&#8217; notice before releasing an illegal immigrant inmate, according to DHS. In a previous email to ICE, Dane County stated that &#8220;if you want the subject held, you must provide a court document signed by a judge,&#8221; adding that if federal authorities didn&#8217;t show up within 30 minutes of a phone call, &#8220;the subject will be released without delay.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1090451" style="width: 946px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1090451" class="wp-image-1090451 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-06T132830.967.jpg" alt="" width="936" height="139" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-06T132830.967.jpg 936w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-06T132830.967-300x45.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-06T132830.967-768x114.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 936px) 100vw, 936px" />(DHS)</div>
The Biden administration released Morales-Jarquin into the country in 2023 through its signature humanitarian parole program. The Trump administration ended the parole scheme in April 2025.
The program allowed more than 500,000 &#8220;poorly vetted aliens&#8221; from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to fly into the country and stay and work for a two-year period, <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/06/12/dhs-issues-notices-termination-chnv-parole-program-encourages-parolees-self-deport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to DHS.
In Morales-Jarquin&#8217;s case, he overstayed his welcome.
“This dirtbag was released into the country by the Biden Administration,&#8221; Acting Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire. &#8220;DHS is calling on sanctuary politicians in Dane County, Wisconsin to NOT release this criminal from jail back onto the streets to commit more crimes.&#8221;
&#8220;We need Wisconsin sanctuary politicians to cooperate with us to remove criminals from our country,&#8221; Bis added.

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EXCLUSIVE: Biden-Freed Illegal Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Women At Nursing Home

Joe Biden

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