He came into the country illegally and was kicked back to Mexico before he snuck back in to prey upon a young child.
On at least four occasions between February and March 2025, Samuel Flores de Dios, 36, sexually abused his victim, who was under the age of 13, in a rented bedroom where he had positioned various cellphones to film the encounters, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/illegal-alien-sentenced-production-child-sexual-abuse-material" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Department of Justice. One of the videos also showed a second man abusing the child.
Flores de Dios received a 30-year prison sentence on June 24 for production of child sexual abuse material, according to the Justice Department. His sentence also includes lifetime supervised release and requires that he register as a sex offender.
Authorities first learned of the abuse when a deputy paid a visit to a home in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, on April 8, 2025, <a href="https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/crime-courts/article_dcf9e1a6-3709-5352-8f90-66be90b7f81f.html?mode=nowapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The deputy encountered a 12-year-old girl at the home who indicated that Flores de Dios had sexually assaulted her.
Flores de Dios denied the abuse, but admitted that he possessed a photo on his phone of another man who lived at the home sexually abusing the girl, according to the local news outlet. Authorities arrested the other man, Alberto Coc Tec, 21, that same day, charging him with rape of a child under the age of 13.
Coc Tec told police that Flores de Dios threatened to turn him in if he didn&#8217;t pay thousands of dollars in what appeared to be part of a blackmail scheme, according to the report. Coc Tec was unable to come up with the cash.
A Spotsylvania grand jury indicted Coc Tec in July 2025, according to court records. His case remains ongoing.
In November 2025, Flores de Dios pleaded guilty to a local charge of possession of child pornography in a Virginia court, according to court records. The plea agreement resulted in a one-year prison sentence.
The Department of Homeland Security has since pledged to eventually deport Flores de Dios and lodged a detainer in January as part of the removal process.
“Once his sentence is complete, we will remove him from our country so that he can never harm another innocent child. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, we are putting the safety of the American people first,&#8221; Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire.
Flores de Dios crossed the Arizona border illegally in 2005 before he was &#8220;voluntarily returned&#8221; to Mexico by federal agents, according to DHS. He then snuck back into the country without getting caught at a later unknown time.

Untitled design – 2026-07-01T092430.241

Previously Deported Illegal Receives Lengthy Sentence After Filming Sexual Abuse Of Child

Border

deportation

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Federal authorities caught an illegal immigrant accused of causing a fatal hit-and-run last week while he was attempting to board a flight to his home country, The Daily Wire has learned.
Josue David Carranza-Castellon allegedly struck and killed Brian Roy Longaberger, 56, at about 4:47 a.m. last Wednesday when his car veered off the road and onto a grassy median in Gaithersburg, Maryland, before fleeing the scene.
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) caught up to the illegal immigrant the following day as he was boarding a plane bound for Honduras at Newark International Airport, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told The Daily Wire.
Carranza-Castellon, 26, crossed the border illegally in 2016 as a teenager, DHS said. At the time, federal authorities were experiencing an overwhelming influx of illegal border crossings.
He also has a rap sheet that includes a conviction for a fourth-degree sex offense and an arrest for lewd or lascivious acts with a minor, according to DHS. It is not clear why Carranza-Castellon was out on the streets and not behind bars at the time of the crash.
<div id="attachment_1124097" style="width: 242px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1124097" class="size-medium wp-image-1124097" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-26T120046.541-232x300.jpg" alt="" width="232" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-26T120046.541-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-26T120046.541-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-26T120046.541.jpg 528w" sizes=" (max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px" />DHS</div>
Now, DHS says it is putting an end to Carranza-Castellon&#8217;s &#8220;crime spree&#8221; in the United States, Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
“This criminal illegal alien tried to flee the country to avoid facing justice for his involvement in a fatal hit-and-run. This is not the first time this illegal alien broke our laws. He was previously arrested for lewd or lascivious acts with a child,” Bis said.
“He will face consequences for his crimes and then be swiftly removed from our country so he cannot continue to terrorize American communities. His crime spree is OVER,&#8221; she added.
A dramatic photo taken after the crash showed Carranza-Castellon&#8217;s gray 2011 Honda CR-V with a shattered windshield and a completely dented hood. There was also damage to the front bumper.
Police were able to locate the damaged vehicle later that day, tying Carranza-Castellon to the incident.
Longaberger died at the scene, local officials said.
Carranza-Castellon faces charges of manslaughter by vehicle and failure to remain at the scene of an accident resulting in death.
He is currently being held in Elizabeth, New Jersey, while awaiting extradition to Maryland, officials said.

Untitled design – 2026-06-26T115036.573

EXCLUSIVE: Illegal Immigrant Attempts To Flee The Country After Causing Fatal Hit-And-Run

airport

Travel

President Donald Trump scored <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scotus-delivers-two-massive-immigration-wins-for-trump">major victories</a> in two Supreme Court decisions issued Thursday that will allow him to ramp up his ongoing crackdown on the border and illegal immigration.
The high court ruled that the federal government could turn away migrants seeking asylum at ports of entry, rejecting arguments that federal law requires officials to process every migrant who arrives at the border seeking asylum. In a separate ruling, the court opened the door for the Trump administration to proceed with its plans to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Haitian immigrants and 6,000 Syrians from deportation.
The court&#8217;s two 6-3 decisions were made along ideological lines.
In its decision on TPS, the court rejected claims that the Trump administration&#8217;s decisions with regards to Haitians specifically were based on racial animus.
&#8220;Citing statements made by President Trump and former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, one set of respondents advances an equal protection claim that Haiti’s TPS designation was terminated because of the racial makeup of that country’s population,&#8221; Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion.
&#8220;But, ironically, one of respondents’ other arguments undermines the equal protection claim by offering a strong, race-neutral explanation for Haiti’s termination: namely, that the current administration, which has terminated every TPS designation that has come up for renewal, simply opposes the TPS program, at least as it has been implemented in the past,&#8221; Alito added.
Both groups, who have been shielded from deportation for over a decade, now &#8220;have to leave&#8221; the United States since they will lose their legal status, Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, told The Daily Wire.
Many of the Haitian and Syrian nationals have yet to receive deportation orders and will likely remain in the United States until they are formally ordered removed by an immigration judge.
Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) New York Field Office Deputy Director Scott Mechkowski said they&#8217;re not all yet targets of Trump&#8217;s mass deportation effort and that the process will take time.
&#8220;The cases get worked the way every other case gets worked, by priority, starting with criminal records and prior removal orders,&#8221; Mechkowski said.
Since Trump&#8217;s second term commenced, the president has sought to end TPS for 13 of the 17 countries with such protections. Only four — El Salvador, Lebanon, Sudan, and Ukraine — remain covered by the program, NPR reported.
White House border czar Tom Homan celebrated the ruling, saying the protections were abused.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been doing this since 1984. TPS has never been temporary. That&#8217;s why the whole statute exists: temporarily give people protection while their country&#8217;s in turmoil or after they suffer a hurricane. The problem is no administration has had the guts to actually follow that statute,&#8221; Homan said.
In the court&#8217;s ruling on the border, federal authorities will be able to turn back asylum seekers who are in Mexico and don&#8217;t actually set foot on American soil.
&#8220;The consequences of this are if the administration closes the border &#8230; folks who are kept from crossing the line cannot make any claims that they&#8217;ve got a right to be in the United States,&#8221; von Spakovsky said.
&#8220;It literally means stepping over the border line between the two countries. If you are one foot across the U.S. border, you&#8217;ve arrived in the U.S.,&#8221; he added.
Traditionally, federal officers at the border screened migrants and generally allowed those who expressed a fear of persecution into the country for further processing. Even if the fear claim was rejected during an initial interview with an asylum officer, the migrant could choose to have their case heard in an immigration court.
&#8220;In ordinary speech, no one would say that a person &#8216;arrives in&#8217; a place — for example, a house, a city, or a country — before the person enters that place,&#8221; Alito wrote in the majority opinion.
The Center for Immigration Studies&#8217; Andrew “Art” Arthur, a former immigration judge, said the ruling &#8220;reaffirms the fact that we don&#8217;t have to let everybody in,&#8221; adding, &#8220;We do have the ability to actively keep them out.&#8221;
In response to an overwhelming influx of migrant crossings in 2016, the Obama administration began employing the practice of rejecting asylum seekers at the border through the process, which is known as &#8220;metering.&#8221; Lower courts eventually blocked the practice before Trump revived it, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/06/25/nx-s1-5844292/supreme-court-syrian-haitian-tps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NPR.

US-RWANDA-DRC-DIPLOMACY-TRUMP

How Trump’s Big Day At SCOTUS Opens Door For Border Crackdown, Deportations

Donald Trump

Immigration

Supreme Court

The Trump administration has issued a new crackdown after it identified more than 15,500 individuals who each had sponsored at least three unaccompanied migrant children, raising concerns about potential trafficking.
Roughly 475,000 illegal immigrant children crossed the border alone during the Biden administration as officials lost contact with more than 300,000 of those who came without parents. The Trump administration has located roughly 146,000 of the missing children, some of whom were with criminals in labor or sex trafficking rings.
When children cross the border alone, Border Patrol agents send them to the Department of Health and Human Services&#8217; Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to help them connect with their sponsors in the United States.
Under the Biden administration, children &#8220;were released to adults who were rarely seen in person&#8221; and &#8220;were sent to addresses that were not visited or verified,&#8221; Acting ORR Director Angie Salazar said during a Thursday press conference alongside administration officials.
Salazar said the Trump administration identified 81,000 addresses that were used multiple times to take in migrant children, over 76,000 instances where mandatory safety checks were missing, and more than 97,000 cases that lacked background checks.
Now, in an effort to reform the system, ORR is requiring stronger checks, including fingerprint background checks, DNA testing when sponsors claim to be relatives of the children, income verification, and in-person home visits and meetings with sponsor applicants, Salazar said.
&#8220;I will move heaven and hell to go find these kids,&#8221; Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.
As part of the crackdown, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced charges against three alleged illegal immigrant &#8220;super sponsors&#8221; accused of trafficking more than a dozen unaccompanied minors by exploiting vulnerabilities in the sponsorship system under the Biden administration.
&#8220;This is one example, one indictment, but it is not unique,&#8221; Blanche said during Thursday&#8217;s presser.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: <a href="https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DAGToddBlanche</a> says the Trump admin has identified more than 15,500 individuals who each sponsored at least three unaccompanied migrant children, raising concerns about potential trafficking.
Blanche also announced charges against three alleged illegal immigrant &#8220;super… <a href="https://t.co/XUN6KoEmie">pic.twitter.com/XUN6KoEmie</a>
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://x.com/JennieSTaer/status/2065069001642803476?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Guatemalan illegal immigrants Maritza Cahuec Coc, her brother Carlos Cahuec Coc, and Gladys Marina Caal Chen allegedly engaged in a &#8220;wide-ranging conspiracy to smuggle more than a dozen children into the United States by scamming the system and exploiting the loopholes created by the last administration,&#8221; Blanche said.
Between December 2020 and October 2023, Maritza Cahuec Coc submitted sponsorship applications using others&#8217; identities to take custody of children she claimed were children of close relatives. Upon searching her Cleveland, Ohio, home two weeks ago, federal agents found eight other adults, nearly all of whom were in the United States illegally, and four minor children living there.
Some of the adults in the home were brought into the country as unaccompanied minors, authorities said.
&#8220;She used other people&#8217;s birth certificates, Guatemalan consular ID cards to deceive ORR, even submitting photographs of herself holding someone else&#8217;s ID. Several of those applications were successful, causing the ORR to release children to her care. This was a business, payments were deposited into her and her coconspirators&#8217; bank accounts,&#8221; Assistant Attorney General Tysen Duva said.
&#8220;This case highlights the fraud and abuse perpetrated by illegal aliens and exposes how this government program was manipulated to bring children to the United States and deliver them to unvetted people,&#8221; he said.
Another &#8220;super sponsor,&#8221; Juan Tiul Xi, received a ten-year prison sentence Wednesday after he lied to take custody of a 14-year-old girl before he sexually assaulted her. The trafficker &#8220;arranged for a coyote&#8221; in September 2023 &#8220;to have a Guatemalan family&#8217;s 14-year-old girl illegally enter the United States, he submitted a sponsorship application and lied that the girl was his sister&#8221; in order to take custody of her, Duva said.
&#8220;He was entrusted with her care and sexually assaulted her multiple times. He told her the sex was repayment for bringing her to the United States,&#8221; Duva said.
&#8220;These cases tell a story. First, about the crimes that people commit to come to the United States illegally, the dangers and risks associated with that often long journey, including tragic consequences of vulnerable children being subjected to smugglers who exploit them often sexually and physically. And second, how criminals use a child protection program to commit fraud,&#8221; Duva added.

Justice Department Holds A Press Conference On Unaccompanied Children In The Immigration System

Trump Admin Makes Stunning Find While Investigating Biden’s Migrant Child Trafficking Crisis

Trump Admin Makes Stunning Finding While Investigating Biden's Migrant Child Trafficking Crisis

drug trafficking

illegal immigrants

The Biden administration failed to properly check the caregivers of illegal immigrant children who crossed into the United States alone for criminal histories as it scrambled to handle the influx at the border, according to a new federal watchdog report.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) only conducted 176 of the 256 required visits between September 2021 and August 2024 to check conditions at unlicensed facilities in Texas and Florida, <a href="https://oig.hhs.gov/documents/audit/11689/A-06-24-07001.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General&#8217;s report released Wednesday. Due to the oversight failures, &#8220;new staff may have had access to children before the care provider could verify that the staff member did not have a criminal history or a history indicating a risk to unaccompanied alien children.&#8221;
&#8220;As a result, the health and safety of unaccompanied alien children may have been at risk,&#8221; the audit found.
The Biden administration hastily used the unlicensed facilities, which didn&#8217;t meet the normal requirements, to handle the overwhelming flow of roughly half a million migrant children who arrived in the United States alone.
When Border Patrol agents encounter unaccompanied migrant children at the border, they transfer them to the department&#8217;s ORR, which places them in shelters, foster care, or secure facilities. Some of those children eventually end up with sponsors in the United States, which include family members.
ORR is required to check on the facilities during its first three months of taking in migrant children and on a quarterly basis thereafter, according to the report. There is also a requirement to conduct checks no less than once every two years.
When conducting visits at the facility, ORR officials spend a week checking on conditions by reviewing case files and other documents, including staff files for background check information, and interviewing staff, children, and stakeholders.
In some cases, ORR found that facilities failed to conduct or document some FBI fingerprint-based background checks or let them expire. They also discovered that the care providers didn&#8217;t conduct Child Protective Services (CPS) clearances or conducted them after employees were already hired.
In March 2023, ORR officials inspected one of its largest care providers&#8217; 17 facilities in Texas for the first time since it was delicensed in August 2021, according to the report. During the audit, the federal inspectors found that the provider failed to conduct FBI background checks and only ran names through state criminal databases of more than 3,000 employees since their delicensing.
Four of the employees who failed risk evaluations were ultimately terminated, the report noted.
ORR said monitoring visits were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when they stopped conducting in-person visits and ran checks virtually, and an &#8220;influx of unaccompanied alien children through the southern border.&#8221;
The agency also said they didn&#8217;t have the resources or staffing to conduct timely checks &#8220;due to a hiring freeze and difficulty securing monitoring contractors.&#8221;
The Biden administration has also received intense scrutiny of its vetting of the sponsors of some of the children, who were released from their care. An earlier government watchdog report found that the Biden administration lost track of roughly 320,000 unaccompanied migrant kids, some of whom ended up in the hands of traffickers, gang members, and predators.

US-TEXAS-BORDER-IMMIGRATION-DETENTION

Biden Admin Placed Illegal Immigrant Children With Caregivers Who Never Had Criminal Background Checks

Department of Health and Human Services

Federal authorities busted a massive cross-border drug tunnel leading to a fake California storefront that investigators say was used to move cocaine into the United States.
The tunnel, which stretched 1,933 feet from Tijuana, Mexico, to Otay Mesa, California, near the border port of entry, was 55 feet deep and 4.5 feet high, according to the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s office for the Southern District of California. The covert passageway led to a purported store called “Buy 4 Less&#8221; and was outfitted with reinforced walls, rail and ventilation systems, and electricity.
Authorities seized more than a ton of cocaine with an estimated value of $45 million during the operation, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/four-charged-trafficking-more-45-million-worth-cocaine-through-sophisticated-cross" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Justice Department.
WATCH FROM TODAY&#8217;S EPISODE OF MORNING WIRE:
&nbsp;
<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=878ciUiQOSxwyREMR8Uh3tFajZxUlI9X&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the bust shows the Trump administration&#8217;s &#8220;unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels, stop the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities, and keep American families safe.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Sophisticated Cross-border Tunnel between Tijuana, Mexico and Otay Mesa, California" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PkMfeXh6C6Y" width="352" height="626" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Justice Department charged four individuals with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances as part of the investigation. One of the accused was also hit with charges of conspiracy to use a cross-border tunnel and conspiracy to import controlled substances.
Homeland Security Investigations agents began conducting surveillance on the Buy 4 Less warehouse starting in December 2025 after observing &#8220;suspicious activity there,&#8221; according to the Justice Department.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yesterday, following a months-long investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force, authorities discovered a sophisticated cross-border tunnel connecting Tijuana, Mexico, to a building posing as a retail store in Otay Mesa, California, near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
As a… <a href="https://t.co/ZQ0rCYRx6d">pic.twitter.com/ZQ0rCYRx6d</a>
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) <a href="https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2061867957601308879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Agents observed Gregorio Epifanio Hernandez Lopez and other store employees transporting large numbers of suitcases between the storefront and into vehicles or walking suitcases across the border into Mexico, the Justice Department said. The suitcases appeared to be empty, so agents didn&#8217;t act on them.
Agents then watched on May 29 as a man loaded three large, heavy objects into a white van that drove away from the store and parked near a mechanic&#8217;s shop. One of the accused, Brandon Escalante Sandoval, was allegedly conducting counter-surveillance nearby on his bicycle.
Escalante allegedly later went up to the van, removed the key hidden in the gas cap, got in, and began reversing it toward the rear of another van.
Both vans had their rear doors open to one another as people removed three deep freezers from one of the vehicles, then placed them in the bed of a truck and stuffed the truck with packages.
The loaded truck then drove away and parked nearby. Agents said they watched Escalante exit the truck, jump on his bike, throw the keys under the truck, and leave the area.
Jose Jimenez grabbed the keys and drove away in the truck before sheriff&#8217;s deputies stopped him. The deputies&#8217; K9 police dog alerted them to the presence of illicit drugs.
Agents later observed two men carrying heavy boxes out of the Buy 4 Less and into another truck. Hernandez then sped off in the truck before he was stopped by sheriff&#8217;s deputies, whose K9 again alerted them to the existence of controlled substances.
Deputies also stopped the second van and identified Antonio Cortez as the driver, when a police dog again alerted them to the presence of drugs.
In total, authorities seized more than 2,269 pounds of cocaine — or more than 1 ton, according to the Justice Department.
Authorities in southern California have discovered 99 cross-border tunnels since 1993, the most recent in 2022.
Following the drug seizure on May 29, a federal judge signed warrants authorizing the searches of the fake storefront and the mechanic shop. Agents found the tunnel exit hidden under the floor of a storage room during their search of the Buy 4 Less property.

Untitled design – 2026-06-02T143636.631

What Authorities Found Beneath This Store Led Straight To The Cartels

Cocaine

drug cartel

Tunnels

Texas authorities caught a group of six Chinese nationals dressed in camouflage as they tried to sneak across the southern border, officials said Wednesday.
Border Patrol agents found the Chinese illegal immigrants Tuesday night among a group of 12 border crossers attempting &#8220;to evade capture on a private ranch&#8221; in Maverick County, which is home to Eagle Pass, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Lt. Chris Olivarez said in an X post.
Chinese illegal immigrants are considered &#8220;special interest aliens&#8221; due to national security concerns and often face more scrutiny from federal authorities.
Earlier on Tuesday, DPS tracking K-9 Bona and her handler helped Border Patrol locate a group of seven illegal immigrants from India, Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, and Ecuador on a private ranch in the same county. They handed the group over to Border Patrol.
Photos shared by Olivarez showed the Chinese group dressed in head-to-toe camo as they sat on the ground surrounded by officers.
Olivarez said such &#8220;apprehensions highlight the ongoing efforts in deterring criminal activity along the southern border and the critical partnership between Texas DPS and our federal partners under Operation Lone Star.&#8221;
&#8220;Border security is national security,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/NEW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NEW</a>: SPECIAL INTEREST ALIENS APPREHENDED IN MAVERICK CO—TEXAS DPS K-9 BONA ASSISTS IN TRACKING GROUP ON PRIVATE RANCH
On 5/26/26, <a href="https://x.com/TxDPS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TxDPS</a> Tracking K-9 Bona and her handler assisted the U.S. Border Patrol in Maverick County, tracking, locating, and apprehending seven illegal… <a href="https://t.co/zqKPbdEFJJ">pic.twitter.com/zqKPbdEFJJ</a>
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) <a href="https://x.com/LtChrisOlivarez/status/2059686802735133133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The arrests come as the Trump administration touts historically low levels of illegal border crossings while warning that the Mexican drug cartels are increasingly attempting to move migrants through more covert smuggling routes.
Unlike under the Biden administration, illegal immigrants aren&#8217;t released into the United States pending immigration proceedings.
Officials say the tougher enforcement environment has led to a rise in the number of gotaways, or illegal immigrants who evade capture.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security recruited roughly 200 Border Patrol agents from both the southern and northern borders for 30-day volunteer duties to support overwhelmed colleagues in Laredo, Texas, who are trying to chase down the “gotaways,&#8221; The Daily Wire previously reported.
A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection said the region has become &#8220;a target&#8221; due to shifting smuggling routes. 
While Border Patrol agents sometimes detect gotaways through sensors and cameras, officials acknowledge the true number of gotaways remains unknown.
Roughly 2 million gotaways entered the United States during the Biden administration, <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2024/09/23/startling-stats-factsheet-biden-and-harris-border-crisis-still-wreaking-havoc-at-the-borders-and-in-the-interior/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the House Homeland Security Committee.

Untitled design – 2026-05-27T142857.760

Camouflage-Clad Chinese Illegals Caught At Border

China

Texas

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.

Untitled design – 2026-05-11T083814.401

Top MLB Prospect Self-Deports After Smuggling Illegal Immigrants

Baseball

California

San Diego

Smuggling

A Mexican woman attempted to quietly move $272,000 across the Texas border and into Mexico, where authorities believe the massive cash load would have ended up in the hands of the cartels.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stopped a 46-year-old Mexican woman who was driving across the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge in Laredo, Texas, on her way into Mexico on April 21, the agency told The Daily Wire. The woman was referred for a routine inspection before officers scanned her 2017 Dodge Journey and discovered the unreported load of cash concealed in the floor of her car.
Officers quickly seized the cash and vehicle, while Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents arrested the driver, whose name was not released publicly.
Several Homeland Security sources working along the border told The Daily Wire that seizures of hidden bulk cash usually involve cartel funds.
Laredo Port Director Albert Flores said &#8220;bulk cash seizures like these&#8221; are &#8220;often proceeds from illicit activity&#8221; and &#8220;directly impact the pocketbook of foreign terror organizations.&#8221;
“Our frontline CBP officers continue to remain vigilant in the outbound environment and that attention to detail resulted in a significant outbound currency seizure,” Flores said.
Failing to declare currency totaling $10,000 or more while entering or leaving the United States is a federal offense, according to CBP. Concealing it with the intent of evading reporting requirements is also considered a crime.
In recent weeks, Laredo has become a hub for cartel smuggling.
This week, Border Patrol agents from across the southern and northern borders were asked to volunteer to help assist with a surge in illegal migrant &#8220;gotaways,&#8221; who attempt to evade law enforcement, in Laredo, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-hundreds-of-border-patrol-agents-reassigned-to-southern-border-as-gotaways-surge?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Agents+Pulled+Nationwide+As+%E2%80%98Gotaways%E2%80%99+Surge+In+Border+Town">The Daily Wire</a> first reported. As part of the effort, CBP hoped to recruit at least 200 Border Patrol agents to help catch the illegal border crossers in the region.
A CBP spokesperson recently told The Daily Wire that the Laredo sector of the border &#8220;is bordered entirely by river, with no natural barriers to slow illegal crossings, which makes it a target when smuggling routes shift and evolve.&#8221;
“Thanks to President Trump, we have the most secure border in American history,” the spokesperson said. “Thanks to record low crossings, we have the manpower and flexibility to move agents quickly, concentrate resources, and take enforcement action where it matters most.”
Border Patrol agents encountered roughly 1,400 illegal migrants in April, marking an 86% increase in crossings, according to internal Homeland Security data <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-coverage/200-border-texas-illegal-surge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by NewsNation.

Untitled design – 2026-04-30T154341.028

Cartel Cash? Mexican Smuggler Nabbed Trying To Cross Border With Massive Haul

Drug Cartels

Mexico

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

The southern border could soon reopen to illegal immigrants.
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;invasion&#8221; declaration at the US-Mexico border was illegal, paving the way for the resumption of asylum processing, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/04/24/court-border-asylum-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision, which would delay a possible reopening of the floodgates.
On the first day of his second term, Trump issued a proclamation effectively shutting down asylum at the southern U.S. border, stating it would remain in place &#8220;until I issue a finding that the invasion at the southern border has ceased.&#8221;
The policy change led to months of historically low levels of illegal border crossings. Border Patrol has apprehended fewer than 9,000 illegal migrants each month at the southern border since Trump took office, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data. Monthly migrant encounters under Trump have fallen below levels seen on some single days during the Biden administration.
During Biden&#8217;s presidency, millions of migrants crossed the border illegally and were often afforded years to remain in the country due to the massive court backlog the crisis created. The Trump administration has sought to end the incentives by turning off the asylum valve.
Immigrant rights organizations sued over Trump&#8217;s policy, arguing that it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by denying migrants fleeing persecution the ability to claim asylum at the border, according to The Washington Post.
“The court’s opinion does not mean there are now open borders, but only that the United States will no longer be one of the few countries in the world who after World War II does not provide a hearing for those fleeing persecution,” said Lee Gelernt, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who argued the case.
“The court properly made clear that the president cannot simply waive away the laws enacted by Congress,&#8221; Gelernt said.
In its opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said the law does not grant Trump the broad authority asserted in the proclamation.
“We conclude that the INA’s text, structure, and history make clear that in supplying power to suspend entry by Presidential proclamation, Congress did not intend to grant the Executive the expansive removal authority it asserts,” the court wrote.
The decision was issued by a three-judge panel, with one judge partially concurring and dissenting.

Surge In Migration Overwhelms Texas Border City Of Eagle Pass

Court Ruling Could Spell Trouble For Trump’s Border Crackdown

The first court appearance for the illegal immigrant accused of murdering Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman last Thursday was delayed after he was hospitalized with tuberculosis, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/23/jose-medina-sheridan-gorman-loyola-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Chicago Tribune.
Jose Medina-Medina, 25, allegedly approached the college freshman wearing a black mask around 1 a.m. and fired one round as she tried to run. Gorman&#8217;s family said the 18-year-old student was walking with friends to see the Northern Lights when she was fatally shot.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed Sunday that Medina crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in May 2023 and was subsequently released into the country. He then ended up in Chicago, where he allegedly shoplifted from a local Macy&#8217;s in June 2023, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/21/loyola-chicago-shooting-suspect/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Chicago Tribune.
A judge issued a warrant for Medina&#8217;s arrest after he failed to show up for his hearing in that case, the outlet reported.
Authorities identified Medina as the suspect in Gorman&#8217;s murder after identifying his &#8220;distinct limp,&#8221; the Tribune reported. He was seen without his mask in surveillance video taken after the shooting inside an apartment building.
Gorman&#8217;s family said that the suspect should never have been out on the streets.
“We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime,” they said. “When systems fail — whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act — the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent.”
President Donald Trump gave his first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-doesnt-hold-back-when-daily-wire-asks-about-loyola-murder-suspect-and-biden-era-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Gorman&#8217;s killing while speaking with The Daily Wire on Monday.
“It’s devastating. These people were let in by Biden. We’re getting them out. We’re getting them out fast. That’s why ICE is so important. They are doing such a good job,” Trump told Daily Wire reporter Mary Margaret Olohan, who was part of the presidential press pool. “This animal, I saw the whole thing last night. They gave me a briefing.”
“This person came in through the open-door policy of Joe Biden. We’re taking them out by the tens of thousands. We’re doing a great job. It’s a shame. They’ve hurt our country,” Trump said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer with local authorities, which is not expected to yield any action due to sanctuary laws.
“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life. She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who RELEASED this illegal alien TWICE before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” Acting Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement Sunday.
“We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods,” Bis added.
Pritzker&#8217;s office released its first statement on Gorman&#8217;s killing Tuesday afternoon.
“Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and Loyola University community grieving the senseless murder of Sheridan Gorman. Violent crime has no place in our streets, and we expect the alleged perpetrator to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,&#8221; a spokesperson for Pritzker told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;The Trump Administration needs to stop politicizing heinous tragedies and instead focus on real solutions, like reinstating federal funds to prevent violence that support our public safety efforts,&#8221; the spokesperson added.
Medina faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder in the first degree, three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and one count of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, according to the Tribune.

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Rare Reason Keeps Illegal Alien Suspect In Loyola Student Slaying From Facing Court

Chicago

Crime

illegal immigrant

U.S.

An illegal immigrant from Venezuela is accused of grabbing a Homeland Security agent&#8217;s firearm while trying to evade arrest at a Michigan Sam&#8217;s Club.
Arnoldo Jose Marquez-Pulido, who was released into the United States under the Biden administration, lost control of the gun as the agent tackled him to the ground, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mied.392659/gov.uscourts.mied.392659.1.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to court documents.
Agents said they first encountered Marquez-Pulido outside the Utica store on March 4 and confirmed that he was in the country illegally.
The agents began to follow Marquez-Pulido&#8217;s vehicle before he turned into a parking lot. Agents then activated their emergency lights and sirens, but Marquez-Pulido allegedly drove off at a high speed and began weaving in and out of traffic.
The agents chose not to pursue a vehicle chase, but continued to monitor his movements, according to a criminal complaint. They eventually saw him again as he pulled into the Sam&#8217;s Club parking lot and followed close behind.
Marquez-Pulido then quickly &#8220;abandoned his vehicle in the travel lane, and attempted to flee on foot,&#8221; the court documents stated.
The agent identified himself to the fleeing illegal immigrant and commanded him &#8220;to stop,&#8221; according to the court documents. Marquez-Pulido tried to enter the store before the agent tackled him outside.
Marquez-Pulido allegedly then began to fight the agent, striking him on the left cheek with his elbow before reaching for his gun. The Venezuelan national was able to pull the firearm out of the holster, but eventually lost control of it as the agent flipped him over.
The agent &#8220;suffered a contusion to his elbow, abrasions on his knees and hands, and a contusion to his right cheek,&#8221; according to court documents. Another responding agent &#8220;suffered a contusion to his knee.&#8221;
The injured agents were treated for their injuries at a local hospital and have since been released.
Marquez-Pulido was released into the country after crossing the California border in April 2024, court documents stated. At the time, he applied for admission at the San Ysidro port of entry without any documents to legally enter the United States.
His deportation case has yet to conclude, according to court documents.
The Venezuelan national now faces charges of being an alien in possession of a firearm and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are facing an 8,000% increase in death threats and a 1,300% surge in assaults as the Trump administration carries out its mass deportation campaign, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Untitled design – 2026-03-11T122445.474

Agents Move In On Illegal Immigrant At Sam’s Club — Then He Reaches For A Gun

Michigan

Politics

Menu