Bryan Kohberger, the man who admitted to stabbing four college students in Idaho nearly four years ago, says he wants to take back his guilty plea.
In an interview from his jail cell — where he is serving four life sentences at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, Idaho — he told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/us/bryan-kohberger-idaho-college-deaths.html">The New York Times</a> that he wants the plea vacated because &#8220;he is innocent and was misled into confessing to the high-profile killings.&#8221;
&#8220;My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn,&#8221; Kohberger told The Times on Sunday night. He doubled down in the phone call saying he had an “absolute claim of innocence,&#8221; the outlet reported.
When pressed about what went wrong during the process, he declined to discuss any evidence or other specific details related to his innocence claim — and also declined to outline any specific concerns he had about the plea process — The Times noted.
Per Bryan Kohberger’s Affidavit of Facts In Support Of Post-Conviction Petition — obtained by The Times after it was filed July 22, 2026 — Kohberger said his counsel failed to tell him about exculpatory discovery received during the plea discussions. Kohberger specifically <a href="https://people.com/read-bryan-kohberger-petition-claiming-innocent-idaho-murders-12027835">references</a> &#8220;clumps of unknown hair&#8221; found in the hands of Ethan Chapin, one of the four victims.
Kohberger further explained in that document that he was convinced that &#8220;actual guilt&#8221; was not an important factor in considering plea acceptance and that death row would be “imminent” if he failed to accept the deal as presented.
The Daily Wire has reached out to Latah County for comment on the new filing.
To put this new push for freedom into perspective, it is rare for a defendant to win a post-conviction challenge according to former prosecutor David Gelman. Gelman told The Daily Wire &#8220;you have a better chance of winning the PowerBall than getting post-conviction relief.&#8221;
Kohberger, who was studying criminology at Washington State, admitting to killing four college students during the night at a house in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022. The manhunt that ensued after the gruesome stabbings captivated the nation until Kohberger was arrested in his home state of Pennsylvania in late December of that year. The victims were Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. A motive was never identified.
The mountain of evidence against the now 30 year old included his DNA found on a KA-BAR knife sheath that was left next to two of the victims, Amazon records showing the purchase of the knife sheath found at the scene and a KA-BAR knife. Other evidence showed Kohberger’s phone pinging that night around the town, with his phone turned off at the time of the murders, and his white Elantra matched the description of the car investigators said was at the crime scene on surveillance footage.
Kohberger did not talk about the evidence laid out against him in his call with The Times. He said instead, &#8220;The intention is for all of those questions to be investigated and answered appropriately in a trial setting.&#8221;
Court-appointed lawyers were Kohberger’s counsel throughout the case until his guilty plea was entered weeks before his trial was scheduled to start last July. But Kohberger told The Times his conviction challenge was prepared on his own without his counsel, and he will look for a lawyer to represent him moving forward.
Kohberger signed a plea agreement where he said he &#8220;knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently waives all rights to appeal any and all issues in this case.&#8221; He is not legally barred from making other claims about the legal process through post-conviction relief.

Credit: Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Images

Killer Who Murdered Idaho College Students Makes Stunning New Court Request

Bryan Kohberger

Crime

Idaho

News

That's So Criminal

A previously deported illegal immigrant is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at an Idaho park, The Daily Wire has learned.
Authorities say 29-year-old Jose Lozano-Flores watched the girl while she was paddle boarding at Freedom Park in Star, Idaho, before grabbing her and forcing her into nearby woods on the evening of July 22.
The illegal immigrant threatened to take the girl to Mexico if she spoke up about the attack, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Idahonews6/videos/1587136099757616/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Idaho News 6.
The Ada County Sheriff&#8217;s Office and Star Police located and arrested Lozano-Flores the following day at Quinn&#8217;s Pond in Boise, where they found the victim with him inside his vehicle before reuniting her with her family.
The suspect was later taken to the Ada County Jail and charged with felony lewd conduct with a child under 16, felony kidnapping in the first degree, and misdemeanor resisting and obstructing.
Authorities said that the victim didn&#8217;t know Lozano-Flores before he attacked her.
Citing &#8220;the sensitive nature of this case,&#8221; authorities didn&#8217;t provide any additional details about the incident, which was reportedly caught on surveillance video.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is now urging local police to keep Lozano-Flores off the streets by working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
&#8220;This criminal illegal alien is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Idaho,&#8221; Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire Monday.
&#8220;ICE will work with our partners in Idaho to ensure that he is not released from jail and is never loose in American communities again. When state politicians cooperate with us, we are able to keep criminals out of American neighborhoods,&#8221; Bis added.
Lozano-Flores first entered the United States in 2023, when he crossed the border illegally into New Mexico, DHS said. Border Patrol agents swiftly took him into custody before he agreed to be turned back to Mexico.
The Mexican national then crossed the border illegally for a second time at an unknown date and successfully evaded authorities, according to DHS.
ICE has arrested more than 600,000 migrants and deported more than 700,000 illegal aliens since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-trump-passes-major-deportation-milestone-but-theres-more-to-the-story?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Trump+Passes+Major+Deportation+Milestone%2C+But+There%E2%80%99s+More+To+The+Story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to DHS data recently obtained by The Daily Wire. Sources within ICE say they&#8217;re under renewed pressure to increase arrest numbers.

Untitled design – 2026-07-27T151012.493

Previously-Deported Illegal Immigrant Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Teen Girl At A Park

deportation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

A West Michigan father reportedly killed his wife and six children before setting their home ablaze and taking his own life in a gruesome murder-suicide that police described as an “unspeakable tragedy.”
On the morning of July 24, deputies assisting the Grand Haven Township Fire Department responded to a house fire near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. As smoke engulfed the home, firefighters entered to search for victims, only for law enforcement to discover a horrific scene inside.
Authorities said Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, used a handgun to fatally shoot his wife, Amanda Karolkiewicz, 39, and the couple’s six children before taking his own life. Police have not released the identities of the victims’ children, who included four boys, ages 5, 11, 12, and 15, and two 11-year-old girls. Two of the children had been adopted into the family. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death for all of the victims to be homicides from gunshot wounds.
<div id="attachment_1144623" style="width: 477px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1144623" class="wp-image-1144623 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/img_4525_720-2-467x576.jpg" alt="" width="467" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/img_4525_720-2-467x576.jpg 467w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/img_4525_720-2-243x300.jpg 243w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/img_4525_720-2.jpg 584w" sizes=" (max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px" />Photo credit: @[mandykarolk]/TikTok.com</div>“This is far more than a news story. The situation personally impacts dozens, if not hundreds, of people in the county,” said Capt. Jake Sparks with the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Ottawa County investigators share update on murder-suicide that killed couple, 6 kids" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AmUwvjUiVQw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Our hearts go out to those families, the neighbors, the coworkers, the teachers, the students of Grand Haven Public Schools, and the friends of the victims. This is an unspeakable tragedy that we may never completely understand why it happened,” he added. 
Police believe the fire was intentionally set in multiple locations throughout the interior of the home. The family’s pets also died from the fire or smoke inhalation. Authorities said they do not believe any suspects remain at large.
“The investigation at this point shows that this was a murder-suicide, with the fire being started after the murders,” Sparks said at a Monday press conference, noting investigators do not know the exact circumstances leading up to the tragedy. “We believe that this incident could have started, you know, the night before, and then carried over into the morning.” 
Sparks added that the basement floor of the house was more damaged than the main floor. 
Just weeks before the murder-suicide, Amanda Karolkiewicz posted multiple TikTok videos of trips she took to Canada and China earlier this month with her boys and two adopted daughters.
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mandykarolk/photo/7663032209799990542?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id=7627692178450105870">One video,</a> dated July 16, shows a beaming Karolkiewicz dressed in a traditional Hanfu style of clothing, along with her two daughters, in Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang province. 
“By far one of the funniest and coolest experiences of my life! What an awesome experience with my precious daughters,” she wrote. “We are so proud of their Chinese heritage.”
The mom of six shared a video of the family’s July 4 celebration at Stony Lake in Michigan, which shows a quick glimpse of the stone-faced father lighting a firework. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mandykarolk/video/7655129358817905933">Another TikTok video</a> dated June 24 shows the mom getting ice cream with her boys in Quebec, Canada, writing: “The most delicious, produced-to-order ice cream- unlike anything we have ever eaten!” 
Back in April, the family took a spring break beach trip, according to Amanda’s <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mandykarolk/photo/7625820447916952846">TikTok page</a>, which featured photos of her with her husband, Kristopher.
Mandy Karolkiewicz was a dedicated teacher, her parents said in a <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/07/27/sister-of-one-of-victims-of-grand-haven-township-family-dead-public-not-to-believe-theories/91061528007/">statement</a> to The Detroit News. 
“Our daughter Mandy was a kind and devoted soul who loved her family and her students,” the statement said. “We treasured every moment we had with her and her six children, and words cannot adequately express our devastation.”
“We pray for God’s peace and comfort as we grieve their deaths and honor their lives.”
<div id="attachment_1144625" style="width: 471px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1144625" class="wp-image-1144625 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/img_4524_720-461x576.jpg" alt="" width="461" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/img_4524_720-461x576.jpg 461w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/img_4524_720-240x300.jpg 240w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/img_4524_720.jpg 575w" sizes=" (max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px" />Photo credit: @[mandykarolk]/TikTok.com</div>

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Father Kills Wife, 6 Children, Sets Home On Fire In Apparent Murder-Suicide

Michigan Dad Kills Wife, 6 Children, Sets Home Ablaze Before Taking Own Life

American family

Domestic Violence

family

Michigan

True Crime

United States

A nonpartisan group launched an effort to have a judge who helped an illegal immigrant evade capture by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) disbarred, The Daily Wire has learned.
The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation on Monday, formally requesting former Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan&#8217;s disbarment.
A jury found Dugan guilty of felony obstruction in December after she diverted ICE officers while moving an illegal immigrant with a rap sheet through a &#8220;jury door&#8221; away from them in April 2025.
When the agents showed up to the courthouse, Dugan became &#8220;visibly angry&#8221; and called the situation &#8220;absurd,&#8221; authorities said.
She then directed the officers to the chief judge’s chambers before instructing Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was charged in Milwaukee with three counts of battery, domestic abuse, and infliction of physical pain or injury, to exit through the “jury door” into a nonpublic area of the courthouse.
The ICE officers later found Flores-Ruiz outside the building before engaging in a foot chase with him. The officers eventually caught up to the illegal immigrant and made the arrest.
In its formal complaint to the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation, CASA argued that Dugan &#8220;shockingly&#8221; hasn&#8217;t &#8220;been remorseful for her actions.&#8221;
&#8220;Dugan has spoken before media outlets defending her actions, claiming no wrongdoing, and asserting that her internal sense of justice should prevail. Dugan claims that the only reason she is no longer a Judge is because of &#8216;Republicans,'&#8221; Curtis Schube, CASA director of research and policy, wrote to state officials in a letter on Monday.
During her sentencing hearing earlier this month, Dugan said she hopes to return to public service one day, <a href="https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2026/07/08/dugan-sentenced-to-5000-fine-will-appeal-conviction/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to local reports. CASA hopes to ensure she never has the chance to return to the bench.
&#8220;If anything, her desire to return to public service should make the Office of Lawyer Regulation take this action more seriously because her stated intentions seem to demonstrate that she still does not understand the severity of her actions. The Office of Lawyer Regulation should protect the public by disciplining Dugan,&#8221; Schube wrote.
&#8220;Due to the seriousness of the crime for which Dugan was convicted and its relation to her position as a trusted state judge and as a lawyer, the Wisconsin State Bar should impose the harshest possible disciplinary action, including disbarment, on Hannah C. Dugan,&#8221; he added.
Although federal guidelines recommended a sentence between 15 and 21 months in prison in Dugan’s case, she ended up being spared of any prison time. Dugan was instead ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
Dugan&#8217;s lawyer didn&#8217;t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan Arraigned In Federal Court In Milwaukee

EXCLUSIVE: New Effort Emerges To Disbar Judge Who Helped Illegal Immigrant Criminal Evade ICE

Judge

Mia Bieniemy, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, was hospitalized after authorities say she was shot multiple times by their son Sunday night in their Virginia home.
The 57-year-old is in stable condition after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and arm, according to ESPN’s Chiefs reporter Nate Taylor.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office <a href="https://sheriff.loudoun.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/10789" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> deputies responded to reports of a shooting at the family&#8217;s Ashburn home before arresting the couple&#8217;s 27-year-old son, Elijah Zion Bieniemy.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1144329" style="width: 250px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1144329" class="wp-image-1144329 size-medium" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/ElijiahBieniemyMugshot-240x300.jpeg" alt="" width="240" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/ElijiahBieniemyMugshot-240x300.jpeg 240w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/ElijiahBieniemyMugshot-461x576.jpeg 461w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/ElijiahBieniemyMugshot.jpeg 480w" sizes=" (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" />Elijah Zion Bieniemy (LCSO)</div>
He was charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm inside a dwelling. Authorities said he is being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center while the investigation continues.
Authorities have not released a possible motive for the shooting.
Eric Bieniemy was with the Chiefs at training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, when the shooting occurred.
He left training camp to be with his wife and did not attend Monday’s practice. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said there is no timetable for his return.
“Our hearts go out to Eric Bieniemy … Mia is stable, which is a plus. We all love EB, and you hate seeing those things happen,” Reid told the media Monday. “She’s a saint &#8230; one of God’s great blessings. But things happen.”
Bieniemy previously served as the Chiefs&#8217; offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022 before leaving for stints with the Washington Commanders, UCLA, and the Chicago Bears. He returned to Kansas City this offseason. 
In college, he was one of the greatest running backs in Colorado Buffaloes&#8217; history. He helped lead the team to its 1990 national championship victory and remains the program&#8217;s all-time leader in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and all-purpose yards.

Kansas City Chiefs v Denver Broncos

NFL Coach’s Wife Shot At Home

Eric Bieniemy

Kansas City Chiefs

Loudoun County

Shooting

Sports

U.S.

Virginia

Three people were killed and four more were wounded when at least two gunmen opened fire at a bustling food festival beneath the Space Needle in Seattle on Sunday.
Shots rang out at around 6:00 p.m. PT at the Bite of Seattle food festival, an annual free weekend-long event that typically attracts 350,000 people. When police arrived on the scene, two people were seen shooting at each other and officers immediately sought to chase down the suspects while other officers provided first aid to the wounded, according to the Seattle Police Department, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/multiple-people-shot-seattle-center-police/story?id=135108867">reported</a>.
One of the suspects was found and taken into custody on Sunday evening, but police are still searching for the other suspect as of Monday morning. It remains unclear if the gunmen were only targeting each other or if they purposely fired at other festival attendees.
While one suspect remains on the loose, Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lMwXrLfGA">said</a> at a press conference on Sunday night that there is no ongoing threat to the community. Police recovered two weapons at the scene of the shooting.
In a press conference on Sunday night, leftist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson opened the briefing to discuss &#8220;gun violence&#8221; and argue that the city and the country have &#8220;a lot of work to do &#8230; to make this better.&#8221; As the mayor lectured about &#8220;gun violence,&#8221; a reporter cut in, saying, &#8220;I get your passion, mayor, but we need to know what happened tonight, please.&#8221;
The mayor then turned the press conference over to the assistant police chief to go through the details of the shooting.
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, and a third person died later at the hospital, according to Davis. Those killed were a 19-year-old man, a 44-year-old man, and a 56-year-old woman. A 2-year-old boy was among the four people wounded and is in stable condition in an area hospital. Michael Girardi, a man who witnessed the shooting, told The Seattle Times that the toddler&#8217;s mother was &#8220;in anguish&#8221; as her son was being treated by paramedics. The young boy appeared to be conscious and wasn&#8217;t crying, according to Girardi.
A 23-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman are also in stable condition, while a 40-year-old woman with minor injuries declined to be transported to a hospital.
&#8220;Thankfully, we had officers on the scene that were brave, went to those shots, and prevented more victims from being injured,&#8221; Davis said.
Estan Wakonabo <a href="https://apnews.com/article/seattle-center-shooting-food-festival-space-needle-90548c65364e742a97fb7cb0fea31209">told</a> the Associated Press that he and his girlfriend were waiting in line for a photo booth at the festival when he was pushed in the back and turned around to see chaos.
“People were hiding, were pushing, people were falling on the ground, baby strollers were falling,” Wakonabo said.

Shooting Leaves Multiple Killed And Injured In Seattle

Family-Friendly Festival Turns Into Horrific Nightmare As Gunmen Open Fire

Death

Mass Shooting

Police

Seattle

Washington

Democratic Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes were caught on a hot mic discussing whether disruptive activists could be barred from future city council meetings after anti-ICE protesters repeatedly hijacked a meeting this week.
The exchange occurred Tuesday after the Sacramento City Council recessed and removed the audience following multiple interruptions during a contentious debate over the city&#8217;s participation in the Central California Intelligence Center (CCIC), a federally funded intelligence-sharing hub.
A livestream of the meeting <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-mayors-hot-mic-catches-candid-exchange-after-audience-sends-meeting-off-rails">reviewed</a> by Fox News captured Talamantes approaching McCarty while his microphone remained live. &#8220;We should go over this disruptions thing, because if we want to ban somebody in the future, like to take them out, we have to point out specifically …&#8221; Talamantes said.
&#8220;I know, but the city attorney said we can&#8217;t do that,&#8221; McCarty replied.
&#8220;We did it last time,&#8221; Talamantes responded.
&#8220;We can&#8217;t,&#8221; McCarty said. &#8220;I spent my first six months going over this. I wanted to give people, like, probation, like, you can&#8217;t come …&#8221;
Talamantes then reached down to turn off the microphone and the conversation continued off-camera. The discussion came after a lengthy public comment period devolved into repeated shouting matches over the city&#8217;s continued acceptance of federal funding for the intelligence center.
The opponents claimed the intelligence center could facilitate cooperation with federal immigration authorities despite California&#8217;s sanctuary laws. Sacramento police however, contests that the city complies with California state law and doesn&#8217;t share any identifying information.
As deliberations continued, audience members repeatedly interrupted council members. One attendee shouted at McCarty, &#8220;Kevin, I need your f*cking eyes. Kevin, listen to me. Stop being an a**hole, dude.&#8221;
After Talamantes finished speaking, another protester yelled, &#8220;You&#8217;re a pick-me b*tch,&#8221;
McCarty issued what he called a &#8220;final notice,&#8221; warning the audience that continued disruptions would force officials to clear the chamber.
Moments later, attendees continued shouting. &#8220;You can&#8217;t do this behind closed f*cking doors!&#8221; one protester yelled.
&#8220;We are the community,&#8221; another shouted. Council officials then recessed the meeting and ordered the public removed before resuming business. Afterward, McCarty revealed that the discussion away from the public concerned rules already on the books rather than any effort to create new rules on public participation.
&#8220;Every Tuesday, Vice Mayor Talamantes and I are responsible for overseeing and ensuring transparent, accessible, and open Council meetings,&#8221; McCarty said in a <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/sacramento-kevin-mccarty-karina-talamantes-hot-mic-ban/73238765">statement</a>. &#8220;Unfortunately, when meetings are repeatedly disrupted, we must discuss existing policies and rules to ensure Council meetings remain effective, orderly, and respectful for both the residents in attendance and the Councilmembers.&#8221;
Talamantes similarly defended the discussion, saying the council has an obligation to maintain order while allowing public participation. She also condemned threats directed toward her and her family during recent meetings.
Sacramento&#8217;s published rules already allow the presiding officer to warn or remove disruptive attendees and, when necessary, clear the chambers so meetings can continue.
The hot-mic exchange nevertheless drew criticism from activists who attended the meeting. Joshua Masias, an organizer with the Sac Immigration Committee, argued Talamantes appeared eager to silence political opponents.
&#8220;It&#8217;s very authoritative how she wants to use her power,&#8221; Masias told <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article316611826.html">The Sacramento Bee</a>. &#8220;It stuck out to me that she was the only one to try to silence the crowd.&#8221;
The contentious meeting marked the latest in a string of Sacramento City Council sessions disrupted by anti-ICE activists, with several recent meetings interrupted by shouting, singing protests, and repeated confrontations between demonstrators and city officials.

California State Capital

HOT MIC: Democrat Mayor Caught Discussing Protester Ban

anti-ICE protests

California

Immigration

Protesters

The illegal immigrant who claimed to have been nabbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while buying diapers — and whose sob story fueled an anti-ICE hunger strike in a detention center — was actually taken into ICE custody after being arrested for a violent domestic assault, The Daily Wire has learned.
Gabriela Soto claimed that her husband, Martin Soto, 31, of Peru, &#8220;was abducted&#8221; by ICE and that he was &#8220;a loving father, husband, son, church member, worker&#8221; when he was taken to Delaney Hall, an ICE detention facility. Media outlets ran with the story as the hunger strike carried on, leading to weeks of violent riots outside the facility.
But a police report and sources who spoke with The Daily Wire tell a very different story.
Martin Soto &#8220;purposely&#8221; caused &#8220;bodily injury&#8221; to an unnamed female victim &#8220;specifically by using his hands, both opened and closed to strike&#8221; her &#8220;in her face, causing minor scratches and cuts to her face and neck,&#8221; a copy of the police report obtained by the Oversight Project and shared with The Daily Wire reads.
Soto then allegedly &#8220;placed a hand over&#8221; her &#8220;mouth so she could not scream for help,&#8221; according to the report.
After her husband&#8217;s arrest, Gabriela Soto led protests outside Delaney Hall for days in May and June, claiming that the conditions inside were inhumane and that the stress would cause her to miscarry.
&#8220;Martin has committed no harm,&#8221; Gabriela — whose <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/migracion-zfvvz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> for her husband that has raised more than $67,000 — wrote in a column last month.
Scott Mechkowski, a visiting fellow for deportation studies at the Oversight Project, told The Daily Wire that her entire story unraveled after a police report surfaced showing that Martin was actually arrested by local police for a domestic assault.
&#8220;The public was told a good man was grabbed by ICE while buying diapers. The record says he was arrested by Kearny police, handed to Hudson County, taken into ICE custody, and detained at Delaney Hall while charged with assaulting the very woman who then made him a headline,&#8221; Mechkowski, who formerly served as the ICE New York field office deputy director, said.
The Daily Wire could not immediately confirm the identity of the assault victim.
&#8220;This is the pattern: a sympathetic claim built to go viral, while the facts sit unread in a file. Delaney Hall was inspected and cleared, its officers branded jailers of the innocent on stories that collapse the moment you check the record. This is one example; there are many,&#8221; he added.
Martin Soto crossed the Arizona border illegally in January 2024 and was processed to be deported immediately under what&#8217;s known as expedited removal, law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire. He was allowed to stay after he presented a fear of returning to his home country and was released from custody by April 2024.
Police in Kearny, New Jersey, arrested Soto on February 1, 2026, for simple assault stemming from a domestic violence incident, according to records obtained by The Daily Wire. ICE officers paid a visit to the Hudson County Correctional Center on February 2, whereupon they swiftly took Soto into custody.
While leading a May protest aimed at blocking ICE vans from driving in and out of the facility, Gabriela <a href="https://www.nj.com/hudson/2026/02/father-picked-up-by-ice-while-buying-diapers-for-his-kids.html?outputType=amp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NJ.com that she started the protest &#8220;to close Delaney Hall and free every detainee&#8221; inside the facility, claiming that her husband was being retaliated against for her activism.
“If I have a miscarriage because of this pressure, I will sue them,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I am tired of them controlling the situation. He is in that van. I saw him resisting to get in the van; they forced him in there, two big ass guards. He was handcuffed. They were trying to move him.&#8221;
Media outlets largely embraced Martin and Gabriela Soto as sympathetic figures, accepting without question Gabriela&#8217;s account of Martin&#8217;s arrest. She claimed that she &#8220;suddenly got a phone call from a number listed as &#8216;prison/jail'&#8221; on February 1, &#8220;after Martin stepped out to get diapers for our 11-month-old son.&#8221;
&#8220;My heart dropped,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;When I answered, I was terrified about what had happened. As soon as the call ended, I raced over to Delaney Hall to get some answers. A guard there told me Martin was in &#8216;good hands&#8217; and once he was processed, he would be able to see me during visiting hours. I was relieved to hear he was safe, but when I started hearing about the conditions inside Delaney — rotten food, medical neglect, and more — I began to doubt the guard’s words.&#8221;
In fact, at that time, her husband was still in local custody after having been arrested in Kearny for the domestic incident. He was only later moved to Delaney Hall, where inmates who claimed to be &#8220;starving&#8221; during their hunger strike were actually purchasing snacks — including sushi and clams — from the commissary, as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-delaney-hall-detainees-on-hunger-strike-are-downing-clams-and-sushi">reported</a>.

ICE agents and immigration activists clash outside Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey

Anti-ICE Hunger Strike Leader’s Sob Story Unravels As Details Of Domestic Violence Arrest Surface

Delaney Hall

Protests

President Donald Trump&#8217;s mass deportation campaign has come for a former Chicago-area teacher accused of helping Tren de Aragua gang members orchestrate a mass shooting.
Venezuelan illegal immigrant Giovanna Mercedes Moreno Occhipinti, 32, allegedly drove two shooters who opened fire during a December 2024 house party in Chicago and helped them evade law enforcement, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Three people were killed in the shooting and several others were wounded.
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Bye bye 👋 <a href="https://t.co/GgbpY9vDG2">https://t.co/GgbpY9vDG2</a> <a href="https://t.co/ruozQIqnXB">pic.twitter.com/ruozQIqnXB</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2080418067884961827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Friday, DHS posted a photo of Moreno Occhipinti standing on a tarmac with the caption: &#8220;Bye bye.&#8221; In the photo, the ex-educator was holding a plastic bag and wearing a sweatsuit with a smirk on her face.
Immediately after the shooting, police found multiple weapons inside Moreno Occhipinti&#8217;s car and arrested her on charges of unlawful use of weapons and weapon offense.
The Cook County State&#8217;s Attorney&#8217;s Office, however, declined to proceed with prosecuting the accused, forcing federal authorities to take matters into their own hands.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents nabbed Moreno Occhipinti on May 13.
Matthew Scarpino, Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge, called Moreno Occhipinti’s crimes &#8220;calculated and deliberate.&#8221;
Moreno Occhipinti entered the United States in October 2021 under a visa waiver program that allowed her to stay in the country until January 2, 2022, according to DHS. The ex-teacher never left.
The alleged shooters, Ricardo Granadillo Padilla and Edward Martinez Cermeno, were previously deported from the United States, DHS said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported roughly 706,000 illegal immigrants since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, and officials have said the pace of the effort is only picking up steam, according to new data DHS provided to The Daily Wire.
“Bed space and detention centers had to be rebuilt and 10,000 agents hired and Congress wouldn’t pass the big beautiful budget bill for the first six months. Everything is finally in place now so I’m optimistic the numbers will only climb higher from here,” Todd Bensman, who left his role as senior adviser to the ICE Office of the Director last month, recently told The Daily Wire.
In recent days, ICE sources have said they&#8217;re facing renewed pressure to increase arrest numbers.
“It’s wearing everyone out,” said one agency source.
“And at the same time, they want big arrests … but those take time to sit and find and wait. No vehicle stops too, which is harder. So they want big arrests and numbers at the same time. It’s hard to do both, not enough time or days to do it,” the source said.

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Trump Deports Illegal Immigrant School Teacher Over Ties To Tren de Aragua Mass Shooting

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A tribal member living in Canada pleaded guilty Thursday to her role in planning a cross-border smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of a family with two children who were under the age of three, The Daily Wire has learned.
Stephanie Square, 53, a dual Canadian-American citizen from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, ran a smuggling organization that brought illegal immigrants across the northern border via the Indian reservation, according to the Justice Department.
In March 2023, Square was contacted by &#8220;a prolific Canadian smuggler&#8221; who asked her to bring a Romanian family of four across the St. Lawrence River and into New York. Square then recruited several others to help sneak the family across.
One of the individuals Square tried to recruit refused to assist in the scheme, citing high winds on the St. Lawrence River that night. Still, Square looked for other smugglers.
Square disregarded the high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility, insisting that she get paid.
“Aliens attempting to enter the United States illegally across the U.S.-Canada border are exposed to a range of dangers at the hands of human smugglers trying to capitalize on the misfortunes and misplaced hopes of others,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire.
“Here, in the face of known dangers, the defendant directed her co-conspirators to smuggle a family with young children across the St. Lawrence River on a cold, windy night with limited visibility. The dangers materialized into a preventable and tragic loss of life,&#8221; Duva said.
Dakota Montour, one of Square&#8217;s &#8220;regular&#8221; smuggling drivers, agreed to drive the family to Timothy Oakes&#8217; home on Cornwall Island, a well-known staging area used by smugglers.
The family arrived at Oakes&#8217; home around 3:35 a.m. on March 29, 2023, and left that evening. Oakes&#8217; car was seen hauling a light blue boat toward a public boat launch.
The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service began a search, recovering the bodies of the four family members between March 30 and March 31, 2023. They also recovered the smuggling boat.
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<div id="attachment_1141715" style="width: 646px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1141715" class="wp-image-1141715 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-23T092929.434.jpg" alt="" width="636" height="379" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-23T092929.434.jpg 636w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/Untitled-design-2026-07-23T092929.434-300x179.jpg 300w" sizes=" (max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px" />DOJ</div>
Authorities found the body of the boat captain, Casey Oakes, eight months later, according to the DOJ, though some reports say three months.
Square pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. She faces a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum punishment of life behind bars.
&#8220;This defendant and their co-conspirators showed a blatant disregard for human life, our laws, and the safety of our communities. We remain unwavering in our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to protect and secure our northern border,&#8221; First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York John A. Sarcone III said.
Four of Square&#8217;s co-conspirators entered guilty pleas earlier.
Square and co-conspirator Rahsontanohstha Delormier, also known as &#8220;Storm,&#8221; 31, of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, were extradited to the United States from Canada in 2025. Delormier entered a guilty plea on June 26.

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EXCLUSIVE: Member Of Indian Tribe Admits To Orchestrating Deadly Border Smuggling Scheme

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Department of Justice

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A suspect dove off a bridge headfirst in a daring attempt to evade law enforcement following a car chase in Missouri last weekend.
In the early morning of Saturday, July 18, the deputies engaged in a vehicle pursuit of 26-year-old Missouri man, Gavin Thor Lundgren. The Stone County Sheriff&#8217;s Office released dashcam footage of Lundgren jumping out of his still-moving vehicle during a car chase, and sprinting over the bridge’s railing headfirst into Table Rock Lake. 
Despite Lundgren’s bold escape, the deputies later arrested him, charging Lundgren with three counts of third-degree assault on a special victim, which covers <a href="https://www.revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=565.054&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">attacks</a> on law enforcement officers, emergency teams, along with the elderly, and other vulnerable people. He was also charged with resisting arrest by fleeing, careless driving, and resisting arrest for a felony, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/missouri-suspect-dives-headfirst-off-bridge-wild-bid-evade-deputies">Fox News</a>.
At 1:50 a.m., deputies tried pulling Lundgren over for going 75 mph in a 45-mph zone in his 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, according to the probable cause statement per Fox News. However, the suspect refused to pull over, leading the police on a car chase until he exited his vehicle and jumped from the bridge. 
“This was definitely a first and luckily he survived the fall,&#8221; the sheriff&#8217;s office said. &#8220;He resisted arrest and deputies suffered minor injuries taking him into custody.&#8221;
Lundgren headbutted two of the three deputies in the struggle. The deputies suffered facial bruising, abrasions, and cuts on their forearms, hands, and elbows. 
Lundgren was booked in the Stone County Jail without bond.

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WATCH: Suspect Makes A Death-Defying Escape Gamble

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Missouri

An illegal immigrant will spend 20 years in prison after admitting to murdering a beloved Nashville restaurant owner. 
Ulises Martinez, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, pleaded <a href="https://sci.ccc.nashville.gov/Search/CriminalHistory?P_CASE_IDENTIFIER=ULISES%5EMARTINEZ%5E09131999%5E624024">guilty</a> on Wednesday to second-degree murder after he slammed his truck into 42-year-old Matt Carney during an attempted robbery two years ago. The case drew national attention as President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-decries-vicious-illegal-immigrant-suspected-of-murdering-nashville-restaurant-owner?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Decries+%E2%80%98Vicious%E2%80%99+Illegal+Immigrant+Suspected+Of+Murdering+Nashville+Restaurant+Owner">pointed to it</a> as an example of a migrant crime wave during his 2024 presidential campaign.
The incident took place on June 19, 2024, outside of Smokin Thighs, a popular Nashville chicken restaurant owned and operated by Carney that began as a food truck. Carney was locking up his restaurant when he walked outside to find two men stealing tools from his truck. After Carney confronted them, the men, both illegal immigrants, rammed into Carney with their truck, throwing him onto the sidewalk, before taking off. 
Olivia Lehing, who witnessed the scene, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-confesses-to-killing-nashville-man-in-hit-and-run">said</a> she was driving when she saw a truck send a body “into the air” and then drive “very fast” away from the scene
Carney died from injuries sustained during the incident several weeks later. Martinez was on the run for several weeks before he was arrested on July 18, hiding out in a Nashville motel. 
Smokin Thighs closed down in October 2024 after almost ten years in business. 
“Places like this do not just exist everywhere and in every neighborhood,” former Smokin Thighs manager Landon Allen <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2026/07/22/nashville-smokin-thighs-matthew-carney-murder-guilty-sentence">told</a> The Tennessean. “When he was taken from us, it all died with him.”
In addition to the murder charge, Martinez pleaded guilty to evidence tampering and two counts of theft. Martinez, who required an interpreter throughout the proceedings, is expected to be deported after serving the 20-year sentence. Carney’s widow reportedly supported the plea deal. 
Martinez’s immigration status was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-accused-of-killing-nashville-restaurant-owner-had-previous-felony-charges-dismissed">first reported</a> by The Daily Wire, with ICE saying that he unlawfully entered the country at an unknown date and location. The other man in the vehicle with Martinez, 31-year-old Adrian Diaz-Aguirre, had previous criminal convictions and has been deported four times.
Just months before Carney’s murder, a Nashville judge <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-accused-of-killing-nashville-restaurant-owner-had-previous-felony-charges-dismissed">let Martinez go</a> free after he was accused of stealing a white van, a red truck, and tools from a white truck.
Nashville Judge Jim Todd dismissed all three charges during a preliminary hearing in March 2024, claiming police had failed to show probable cause. 
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-decries-vicious-illegal-immigrant-suspected-of-murdering-nashville-restaurant-owner?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Decries+%E2%80%98Vicious%E2%80%99+Illegal+Immigrant+Suspected+Of+Murdering+Nashville+Restaurant+Owner">discussed</a> the incident during an August campaign rally in Montana. 
“Look at what’s happening to our cities. Our cities are being overrun,” Trump said. “On July 4th, a 42-year-old Nashville man died after he tried to stop an illegal alien from stealing tools out of his truck. The illegal alien did a number on this man that nobody could even believe. The police officers said [it was] one of the most vicious crimes they’ve ever seen.”

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Illegal Who Murdered Beloved Restaurant Owner Sentenced To Prison

Donald Trump

Illegal Immigation

Mexico

Murder

Nashville

Tennessee

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