The FBI nabbed an illegal immigrant gangbanger who was shot while trying to run over federal immigration agents as he attempted to evade arrest, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, 36, an 18th Street Gang member who was wanted for questioning related to a murder in El Salvador, is charged with assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon after he allegedly tried to ram Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers with his car, court <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/media/1436076/dl?inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents</a> unsealed Tuesday allege. He was arrested Monday after his release from the hospital.
The ICE officers pulled over Mendoza Hernandez in Patterson, California, last week. The Salvadoran national refused to get out of his vehicle despite the officers&#8217; repeated requests to detain him, according to court documents.
That led one of the agents to break a window on his car to force him out, the court documents show.
Mendoza Hernandez then allegedly drove forward, hitting an agent with his car. He then reversed the car, colliding with a law enforcement vehicle parked behind him.
He then accelerated forward toward two of the federal agents, court documents allege. One of the agents jumped out of the way as Mendoza Hernandez allegedly drove over the median and into opposing traffic before stopping on the side of the road.
Agents responded by shooting Mendoza Hernandez, who was hit several times and transported to a hospital for treatment.
At some point, Mendoza Hernandez&#8217;s car collided with another vehicle, hit a guardrail, and eventually came to a stop roughly 500 feet from where agents pulled him over, according to court documents.
“Following their training, our officers fired defensive shots to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and the public,” Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said at the time.
ICE has faced an unprecedented level of violent attacks and threats since kicking off President Donald Trump&#8217;s mass deportation campaign. Trump&#8217;s first year in office was marked by a 3,300% increase in vehicular attacks against ICE, <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/02/03/dhs-law-enforcement-experienced-more-180-vehicle-attacks-president-trump-took#:~:text=This%20is%20a%203%2C300%25%20increase,increase%20against%20CBP%20law%20enforcement." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The Trump administration has attempted to take a more targeted approach at making immigration-related arrests following two fatal shootings of anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis. The shootings, which were carried out by federal immigration agents, sparked weeks of protests.
In the wake of the two previous shootings, Trump replaced Kristi Noem with Markwayne Mullin as the new DHS secretary. He also demoted former Border Patrol sector chief Gregory Bovino, who was known for his aggressive roving patrols and has since retired.

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Feds Nab Illegal Accused Of Ramming ICE Officers

California

Department of Justice

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

WASHINGTON—In an explosive report released on Tuesday, the Trump administration revealed the lengths to which the Justice Department went under President Joe Biden&#8217;s watch to target religious Americans who opposed abortion.
The Trump Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group reviewed over 700,000 internal records, The Daily Wire has learned, which they distilled into an 800-page report. The document, which details the Biden administration&#8217;s weaponization of federal law to target peaceful pro-life activists, also outlines how the Trump administration plans to correct the previous administration&#8217;s wrongs.
“This Department will not tolerate a two-tiered system of justice,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement on Tuesday morning. “No Department should conduct selective prosecution based on beliefs. The weaponization that happened under the Biden administration will not happen again, as we restore integrity to our prosecutorial system.”
At the center of the Biden administration&#8217;s efforts is the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, a law meant to protect access to pro-abortion and pro-life facilities alike. The Biden administration infamously used the FACE Act to prosecute and imprison peaceful pro-life protesters. And Tuesday&#8217;s report found that &#8220;Biden DOJ senior leadership&#8221; and members of the Reproductive Health Care Providers Task Force &#8220;provided extensive support to abortion clinics&#8221; and &#8220;ignored and downplayed vandalism and attacks against pregnancy resource centers or houses of worship.&#8221;
The DOJ report describes how the Biden-era &#8220;Reproductive Health Care Providers Task Force&#8221; was in constant contact with pro-abortion groups and the clinics they represented while disregarding pro-life groups. As The Daily Wire&#8217;s Leif Le Mahieu <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-biden-partnered-with-abortion-activists-to-track-and-imprison-pro-lifers?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=Original&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=How+Biden+Partnered+With+Abortion+Activists+To+Track+And+Imprison+Pro-Lifers">reported</a>, one Justice Department official often texted an abortion activist and worked to track the travel plans of Christian pro-life activists who had not been charged with any crimes. The emails also show how pro-abortion groups provided dossiers to the Biden DOJ with pictures and information — which was later used by the FBI to make arrests.
Meanwhile, the Task Force attorneys didn&#8217;t communicate with any pro-life pregnancy centers until September 2022 — months after the <a href="https://catholicvote.org/pregnancy-center-attack-tracker/">massive spike in violence against pregnancy centers</a> related to the leak of the draft Supreme Court opinion indicating Roe v. Wade would soon be overturned. Vandals would firebomb, attack, vandalize, or spray-paint the buildings with messages like &#8220;If abortions aren&#8217;t safe, then neither are you.&#8221;
When the Biden Justice Department did address the attacks on pregnancy centers, they merely identified possible contacts &#8220;via a quick Google search and directed Task Force leadership to schedule meetings.&#8221;
&#8220;The Task Force then had several meetings with the pro-life groups identified through that initial outreach and periodically sent them press releases,&#8221; the report states. &#8220;However, internally, CRT attorneys questioned whether to provide pregnancy resource centers with the same resources as abortion clinics, questioning whether these facilities fall under the FACE Act’s scope.&#8221;
Biden DOJ prosecutors were also engaging in inappropriate conduct, the report found. The prosecutors &#8220;knowingly withheld evidence that defense counsel requested to prepare an affirmative defense&#8221; and lied about not having that information available.
For example, in United States v. Gallagher, the defense counsel asked for historical data on FACE Act prosecutions, but the DOJ Task Force Director declined that data, saying he didn&#8217;t keep those records and that the DOJ wouldn&#8217;t provide them.
&#8220;Notably,&#8221; the report says, &#8220;he had this information readily available and decided not to share it with the defendants, despite sharing substantially identical information with NAF.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Video of the FBI&#8217;s arrest of Paul Vaughn of Centerville, Tennessee. DOJ charged him with “conspiracy against rights secured by the FACE Act, and committing FACE Act violations&#8221; for blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic. Paul tells me the footage was taken by his wife. <a href="https://t.co/KSDvLRSrlF">pic.twitter.com/KSDvLRSrlF</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1578464777147326464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
The Biden prosecutors also tried to screen jurors based on their religious beliefs, according to the report: in United States v. Zastrow in the Eastern District of Michigan, assistant United States attorneys allegedly tried to screen jurors based on whether they were conservative or religious &#8220;while not inquiring about liberal counterviews.&#8221;
&#8220;They referred to Christian pro-life views as &#8216;culty&#8217; and lambasted the defendants’ beliefs in the courtroom,&#8221; the report said.
Notably, those assistant United States attorneys complained that they “ended up with a very Catholic magistrate on duty this week and he was very particular about the bond conditions and not infringing on [defendants’] First Amendment rights.”
The report specifically points to the case of Mark Houck, a Catholic father of a large family whose son was attacked by an abortion clinic worker. The Biden DOJ tried to use the FACE Act to prosecute Houck, but lost the case.
In Houck&#8217;s case, &#8220;prosecutors considered and declined a request for the defendant to self-surrender.&#8221; Apparently determined to make an example of Houck, the DOJ sent &#8220;16 FBI agents&#8221; to arrest him in front of his crying children.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Photos from the morning the FBI arrested Mark Houck in front of his children. <a href="https://t.co/NbLq5bnDQa">pic.twitter.com/NbLq5bnDQa</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1577324450902675457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
&#8220;When faced with public backlash about the aggressive arrest, the Task Force Director attempted to blame the FBI, rather than address the Biden DOJ’s lack of initial guidance to law enforcement,&#8221; the report states. &#8220;The jury ultimately found Houck not guilty, and DOJ settled a civil claim to compensate for the Biden DOJ’s misconduct.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s Justice Department argues that the Biden DOJ pursued more severe charges, as well as &#8220;significantly harsher sentences,&#8221; for the peaceful pro-life defendants than the violent pro-abortion defendants, requesting an average sentence of 26.8 months for pro-life defendants compared to the 12.3 months for pro-abortion ones.
&#8220;The Biden DOJ pursued significantly higher sentences (near the top range of sentencing guidelines) for pro-life defendants, while pursuing more lenient sentences against the handful of pro-abortion defendants that it charged,&#8221; the report reads. &#8220;Pro-life defendants were ultimately sentenced to an average of 14 months, while pro-abortion defendants were sentenced to an average of 3 months.&#8221;
Meanwhile, as the National Abortion Federation cozied up to the Biden Justice Department, that same department &#8220;sought to provide funding to pro-abortion groups,&#8221; according to the report.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, who was director of the Reproductive Health Care Provider Task Force, served as a reference for the National Abortion Federation&#8217;s application for a &#8220;large, private grant.&#8221;
&#8220;We found no record of ethics approval for a DOJ attorney to take an interest in the financial outcome of a party having business before the Biden DOJ,&#8221; the report says. &#8220;Indeed, it is doubtful that the Biden DOJ could validly give any such ethical clearance for this conflict of interest.&#8221;
The Trump administration says it is determined to rectify the actions of the Biden Justice Department. Tuesday&#8217;s report highlights Trump&#8217;s &#8220;full and unconditional pardons&#8221; of the many pro-life Christians who were targeted in these Biden-era prosecutions.
The Trump Justice Department also dismissed, with prejudice, three Biden-era civil lawsuits against &#8220;non-violent pro-life demonstrators and issued a directive that, moving forward, DOJ prosecutors may only bring FACE Act civil actions and prosecutions in extraordinary circumstances or in cases presenting significant aggravating factors.&#8221;

Democrats laughing

Explosive Report Reveals The Biden Administration’s Disdain For Religious Pro-Life Activists

Abortion

Biden Administration

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Politics

Pro-Life Movement

Social Issues

President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration relied on information gathered from radical pro-abortion groups to track, prosecute, and snoop on peaceful pro-life protesters, shocking emails released Tuesday by the Trump administration show.
The emails show a top Justice Department official referring to an abortion activist as an “MVP” for flagging pro-life protests to prosecute and seeking to track the travel plans of Christian pro-life activists not yet charged with crimes. The emails also reveal pro-abortion organizations providing dossiers to the Biden DOJ with personal information and pictures of pro-life activists who were later arrested by the FBI.
These dossiers contained the information of pro-life activists who were not yet charged with any federal crimes, but were deemed threats by the abortion groups because of their activism. Many of these individuals would later be prosecuted by the Biden administration.
<div id="attachment_1077261" style="width: 1020px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1077261" class="size-full wp-image-1077261" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.52.07-PM.png" alt="" width="1010" height="994" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.52.07-PM.png 1010w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.52.07-PM-300x295.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.52.07-PM-585x576.png 585w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.52.07-PM-768x756.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px" />Dossier from National Abortion Federation.</div>
Under Biden, dozens of pro-life protesters were prosecuted for peaceful protests that included praying, singing, and sitting in front of doors of abortion facilities. Several were sentenced to years in prison with others awaiting sentencing before President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-should-not-have-been-prosecuted-trump-pardons-23-pro-lifers-targeted-by-biden-doj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pardoned</a> the pro-life activists his first week in office.
The emails released Tuesday were included in an extensive report documenting how the Biden administration weaponized the Freedom of Access To Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act against pro-life activists. The law was originally passed to protect both crisis pregnancy centers and abortion facilities, but has been disproportionately used against pro-life protesters.
The weaponization can be traced to Biden resurrecting the National Task Force on Violence Against Reproductive Health Care Providers shortly after he was elected, according to the Justice Department. The task force operated largely out of the department’s Civil Rights Division under the direction of Sanjay Patel, who was reportedly fired on Monday.
“The Task Force Director was in regular, ongoing contact with pro-abortion non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the clinics they represented, but disregarded pro-life groups,” the Justice Department wrote Tuesday. “Pro-abortion groups capitalized on their relationship with the Task Force to gain internal information and push targets for FACE Act enforcement.”
Patel was on “texting terms” with the National Abortion Federation Security Team and “regularly communicated” with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Feminist Majority Foundation, the Justice Department said.
In one exchange from November 17, 2021, Patel connected an FBI agent with Michelle Davidson, the security director for the National Abortion Federation.
Patel told the unidentified FBI agent that Davidson was “a wonderful contact for me as it relates to FACE Act investigations. She has been an MVP bringing incidents to my attention, often in real-time, which usually result in investigation/prosecution.”
The email was labeled as highly important and began with Patel greeting both, “How the heck are you?”
The bombshell revelations also include details of how abortion groups provided dossiers to government officials with information on pro-life activists later arrested by the FBI.
The report said that Patel monitored “pro-life activists for years before charging them. This monitoring included three of the pardoned defendants.”
One dossier provided to Patel from an abortion group in 2021 contained personally identifying information including addresses, photographs (including of spouses and young children), names of associates and affiliated ministries, information about their upcoming travel plans or planned protests, and even drivers’ license numbers of pro-life activists, according to the Justice Department.
One man who faced particular scrutiny from the Biden DOJ was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pardoned-pro-life-activist-says-hes-running-on-adrenaline-and-the-holy-ghost-after-trump-pardon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Calvin Zastrow</a>, an evangelical Christian from Michigan who travels the country with his family engaging in evangelism and pro-life activism. Emails showed that Zastrow and members of his family were flagged for the Justice Department and that Patel even enlisted the help of abortion activists to track the whereabouts and activities of Zastrow years before he was charged with any crimes.
An email from the National Abortion Federation to Patel on May 13, 2021 flagged “anti-choice social media” Facebook posts from Zastrow reflecting on how previous pro-life protests were “normal Christian behavior.”
A few months later, Patel reached out to the National Abortion Federation to inquire about his travel plans.
“Do you have any info on Zastrow and Co’s travel to Montana?” Patel asked Davidson of the National Abortion Federation on September 9, 2021. That came after Davidson emailed the DOJ telling officials she “bet” that Zastrow might attempt to lead a protest at an abortion facility in Montana.
<div id="attachment_1077263" style="width: 1470px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1077263" class="size-full wp-image-1077263" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-6.14.57-PM.png" alt="" width="1460" height="521" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-6.14.57-PM.png 1460w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-6.14.57-PM-300x107.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-6.14.57-PM-1024x365.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-6.14.57-PM-768x274.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1460px) 100vw, 1460px" />Justice Department</div>
Zastrow was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/eleven-defendants-indicted-obstructing-reproductive-health-services-facility-tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not charged</a> by the Biden Justice Department until October 2022 for a protest in Tennessee, and then again in February 2023 for a protest in Michigan.
His daughter, Eva Zastrow, was flagged in a 136-page dossier compiled by the Justice Department documenting attendees of a conference hosted by Operation Save America, a pro-life group.
“The entire Zastrow family is engaged in anti-choice activities and sometimes refer to themselves as the ‘Zastrow Holiness Revival Team.’ Several members of the Zastrow family, including Eva, have been arrested at reproductive health care facilities in the past,” the entry on the young woman read.
The dossier added that she was “closely associated” with Coleman Boyd, Dennis Green, Heather Idoni, James Zastrow, and Eva Edl, an 89-year-old communist death camp survivor. All of those individuals were later prosecuted by the Biden administration. It also included personal details like birthdate, email address, phone number, addresses, description of her physical appearance, and noted that she had traveled as a missionary.
<div id="attachment_1077265" style="width: 1496px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1077265" class="size-full wp-image-1077265" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.55.13-PM.png" alt="" width="1486" height="989" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.55.13-PM.png 1486w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.55.13-PM-300x200.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.55.13-PM-865x576.png 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.55.13-PM-768x511.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.55.13-PM-1200x800.png 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1486px) 100vw, 1486px" />National Abortion Federation/DOJ.</div>
The entry detailed protests Zastrow joined at abortion facilities in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/four-pro-lifers-face-prison-time-after-being-convicted-in-federal-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-89-year-old-woman-convicted-faces-over-a-decade-in-prison-for-peaceful-pro-life-protest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a>, incidents for which she was later charged and faced prosecution at trials covered extensively by The Daily Wire.
Another dossier included in the exhibits for the report was compiled by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Global Safety and Security Intelligence and Investigations on Operation Save America. The dossier included the photos of multiple individuals later pardoned by Trump.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1077269 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.59.52-PM.png" alt="" width="1020" height="979" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.59.52-PM.png 1020w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.59.52-PM-300x288.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.59.52-PM-600x576.png 600w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-13-at-1.59.52-PM-768x737.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px" /></div>
In contrast, the Trump Justice Department said the Task Force spent little time investigating the attacks on pregnancy centers and largely ignored pro-lifers concerned about the uptick in vandalism targeting pro-life establishments following the leak of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
At the same time as they worked to prosecute pro-lifers with assistance from pro-abortion groups, Biden officials cozied up to abortion activists and agreed to help them obtain grants to continue their activism.
An email from October 31, 2023 showed Biden DOJ official Paige Fitzgerald describing the relationship between the federal government and the National Abortion Federation as stretching on for “decades.”
“We have worked with NAF for decades. NAF regularly refers potential FACE Act violations and other threats to RPCPs [Reproductive Healthcare Providers], helps us liaise with clinics and staff, lets us know about upcoming events that might result in security concerns so we can notify the FBI and USMS, etc,” Fitzgerald wrote in the email. “The information flow has always been a one-way street, and they have always been respectful, cooperative, and are frequently quite helpful.”
Fitzgerald was asking a federal ethics officer whether they would be allowed to provide a reference after the National Abortion Federation asked for a letter “on DOJ letterhead” to help them with a grant application.
“Is there anything that we can do to tell grant folks that they are totally legit and they have been valuable to our law enforcement efforts?” Fitzgerald wrote.
In a different email from December 2020, Patel said he could serve as a reference for the National Abortion Federation application for a grant with the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund.
Tuesday’s report contains other damning revelations, including that federal attorney Frances Lee Carlson complained about a magistrate judge being Catholic.
“Unfortunately, we ended up with a very Catholic magistrate on duty this week and he was very particular about the bond conditions and not infringing on their first amendment [sic] rights,” she wrote in an email to Patel while prosecuting a case in Michigan against multiple pro-life defendants later pardoned by Trump.
In response, Patel wrote, “Ugh…always a veritable circus with these cases.”
The Justice Department, citing <a href="https://perma.cc/S2VT-8Z7P" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> from The Daily Wire, also detailed how the Biden administration requested an average sentence of 26.8 months for pro-life defendants compared to 12.3 months for pro-abortion defendants.
The report is the latest effort by the Trump administration to rectify the Biden administration&#8217;s targeting of pro-life activists. The Justice Department settled last week with Mark Houck, a Catholic father of seven who was prosecuted under the FACE Act by the Biden administration. His home was raided by armed FBI agents after an incident at an abortion facility.
The settlement, for over $1 million was announced by the group Forty Days For Life, which told The Daily Wire it sent the message that Americans could still exercise their First Amendment rights.
“We have to fight our government when they&#8217;re coming after us. We still have free speech and we still have the Constitution,” Forty Days For Life President Sean Carney told The Daily Wire. “So it was a huge vote of confidence for pro-life Americans.&#8221;

BREAKING: How Biden Partnered With Abortion Activists To Track And Imprison Pro-Lifers

FACE Act

A senior official at the Department of Veteran Affairs pushed one of the largest healthcare companies in the country to improve its &#8220;diversity profile&#8221; while accepting thousands of dollars in poker chips and lavish gift cards from minority business executives, federal investigators say.
John Windom, a 64-year-old Navy veteran, was tasked with spearheading a billion-dollar revamp of the VA&#8217;s electronic health records system. He used that perch to steer business to his lover and rake in thousands of dollars worth of luxury gifts and push government contractors to embrace DEI, according to federal prosecutors. 
Windom, who is black, is accused of forming a self-described &#8220;Power Group&#8221; composed of executives from minority-owned businesses that allegedly sent him expensive gifts while some earned federal DEI contracts. These unreported gifts included $8,200 in Louis Vuitton gift cards, $2,000 in cash, a $631 HEPA filter, concert tickets, and $3,800 in casino chips, according to an indictment. 
Members of the Power Group were left anonymous in federal charging documents though one was described as a &#8220;romantic partner&#8221; of Windom. Some of the contracts with Power Group companies were related to the VA electronic record project, though not all were. 
Dr. Kurt Miceli, the chief medical officer of Do No Harm, told The Daily Wire that the case showed the danger of implementing DEI initiatives at the federal level. 

“Diversity initiatives in federal contracting elevate race, gender, or other demographic traits over merit and proven capability when awarding taxpayer‑funded work,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The result: set-asides and preferences that explicitly discriminate based on identity rather than awarding projects through competitive bidding and qualifications.&#8221;
Windom was, until recently, the executive director of the Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization at the VA. In August 2017, he was tasked with bringing the department&#8217;s records system — part of the VA&#8217;s notoriously broken healthcare system — up to par with the rest of the federal government.
Prior to his involvement with VA, Windom <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110555/witnesses/HHRG-116-AP18-Bio-WindomJ-20200227.pdf">rose</a> to the rank of captain in the Navy, where he mostly held HR-related management positions involving training personnel and overseeing the Pentagon&#8217;s electronic health record system overhaul. He retired from the Navy in 2017 to take the position with the VA.
Two years into leading the electronic records project, Windom allegedly created a “Power Group” of seven executives and employees from minority-owned businesses that contracted with VA. These executives gave Windom a variety of kickbacks while he worked to get them access to federal benefits, federal investigators said. One of the individuals, identified only as &#8220;Person 4,&#8221; was in a romantic relationship with Windom from August 2016 to December 2018. 
In communications with these executives, Windom reminded them that “loose lips sink ships,” asked one for concert tickets, and told another one to “get the f**k off this ride,” if the arrangement was making them uncomfortable, according to messages included in the indictment. 
“As alleged, the defendant exploited his senior position for personal gain and concealed gifts and financial relationships that created serious conflicts of interest in the health care of our nation’s veterans,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Such conduct is not only a betrayal of the public trust — it undermines confidence in the institutions dedicated to serving those who have sacrificed for this country.”
<div id="attachment_1074327" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1074327" class="size-full wp-image-1074327" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2259627360.jpg" alt="Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for the District of Columbia, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. A man suspected of being responsible for the deadly 2012 attack against the American embassy in Benghazi, Libya, is in US custody, FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday." width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2259627360.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2259627360-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2259627360-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2259627360-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Jeanine Pirro (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
Windom has been charged with concealment of material facts, false statements, and falsification of a record. His first court appearance is set for April 14. 
The <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/media/1432916/dl?inline">charges</a> come as the Trump administration moves to crack down on DEI practices among federal contractors. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/addressing-dei-discrimination-by-federal-contractors/">directing</a> that contractors not engage in &#8220;any racially discriminatory DEI activities” for federal government work. 
In June 2017, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin announced that his department would adopt the same electronic health record standards as the Pentagon. Since that time the program has been plagued with problems, including ballooning costs and patient deaths. The program, which has been paused the last few years, is set to start up again this month. 
A few months after the project was announced, Windom was placed in charge. He directed $10 billion to be allocated to the company Cerner, which has since been acquired by Oracle, for the project. At the time, the contract was one of the biggest information technology contracts for the federal government. 
Soon after, investigators say he created the Power Group of minority business executives and employees. 
“Between August 2017 and June 2021, in multiple locations, Defendant WINDOM attended events with other Power Group members and routinely accepted personal benefits such as gifts, meals, alcohol, entertainment, and other services from members of the Power Group,” the indictment says. 
These events took place at restaurants and bars in and around the MGM National Harbor casino, as he used his position to “coerce” improper personal benefits, investigators said. He would routinely &#8220;demand&#8221; poker chips for games at the casino, the indictment alleges. 

<div id="attachment_1074335" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1074335" class="size-full wp-image-1074335" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1055654346.jpg" alt="OXON HILL,MD-NOV30: The first anniversary of the MGM Casino at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, November 30, 2017. (" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1055654346.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1055654346-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1055654346-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-1055654346-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />(Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)</div>
In November 2019, Windom asked for concert tickets for himself and another member of the Power Group from one of the business leaders, according to text messages.
“Damn near sitting on the stage,&#8221; he wrote the day of the concert. &#8220;You da man.&#8221;
These benefits were hidden from VA officials and the Office of Government Ethics, according to investigators. 
At the same time, Windom used his position “to encourage, monitor, and facilitate contracting and subcontracting opportunities for members of the Power Group,” both connected and not connected to the electronic health record project, the indictment said. 
While pushing for personal benefits from members of the Power Group, Windom allegedly pressured them “to make business decisions unrelated to” the electronic records project that “advanced” his “diversity objectives” before he “demanded to be rewarded.” 
He also “threatened economic and reputational harm to members of the Power Group, particularly but not only when they were not meeting his diversity-related networking expectations,” according to the indictment. 
In July 2018, Cerner entered into a diversity contract with Windom&#8217;s romantic partner as the lead after he “demanded” that it “improve its diversity profile and inclusion efforts,” the indictment said. Around that time, Cerner started increasing its DEI efforts and it released a DEI report in 2019 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220411175937/https://www.cerner.com/-/media/cerner-media-united-states/pdf-downloads/cerner-hr-diversity-report-2019.pdf?vs=1&amp;hash=B80E8A916E1B68223F4AE46D6AA8CBDE701E80BD">showing</a> how the company took steps to &#8220;expand&#8221; on &#8220;diversity and inclusion efforts.&#8221;
In 2019, Windom allegedly worked to “pressure” a Power Group member “to complete diversity contract renewal negotiations with Cerner.”
Miceli said pushing DEI in contracting led to the most &#8220;qualified contractors&#8221; being sidelined and was particularly concerning when done in the healthcare realm. 
&#8220;When pushed aggressively at the federal level, DEI policies erode public trust, foster resentment, and violate core principles of equal treatment under the law, while inviting legal challenges and wasteful litigation that further burdens taxpayers,&#8221; he said. 
Messages included in the indictment paint a picture of Windom appearing to threaten Power Group members to stay silent about their relationship. 
In an October 11, 2017, message, Windom texted two Power Group members that one had made “a good comment to get you cut out” after that person suggested bringing another VA employee to where Windom was having drinks with a Power Group member. 
“Don’t mention to another person that you know me, interact with me or have any type of relationship with me,” he wrote on August 5, 2019.
One email included in the indictment appears to show that Windom was inadvertently announced to be in the audience of an event hosted by one of the Power Group members. 
“Weird last night. Not your fault personally but cleanup required. Can’t say I like [Person 4&#8217;s] cavalier response to these issues either. I was already exhausted but did not want to miss your event,” he wrote in an email. “The PA announcement of me let alone [Person 4] and me was ridiculous and did not kick the evening off right. I am a very discrete person as you know.”
<div id="attachment_1071187" style="width: 1197px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1071187" class="size-full wp-image-1071187" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.36.32-PM.png" alt="" width="1187" height="271" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.36.32-PM.png 1187w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.36.32-PM-300x68.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.36.32-PM-1024x234.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-1.36.32-PM-768x175.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1187px) 100vw, 1187px" />Indictment.</div>
In January 2020, Windom sent an email to the Power Group reminding them that “loose lips sink ships.” 
When one of the Power Group members expressed some concern about the contracting arrangement, Windom reacted angrily, according to a text message included in the indictment. 
“If you don’t like it, get off. You can get the f**k off this ride,” Windom said. 
In June and November 2021, Windom allegedly lied to federal law enforcement when they asked him if he had received any gifts from Power Group members. After being approached by investigators, Windom told Power Group members to tell law enforcement he paid for their meals, according to the indictment. 
Costs of the electronic health records project have quickly climbed from the $10 billion originally estimated. The department now estimates that costs could exceed $37 billion, while the Government Accountability Office <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2025/12/03/veterans-administration-va-hospitals-health/">said</a> costs could approach the hundreds of billions. 
Over 4,000 veterans have been harmed due to the health record modernization, which has led to four fatalities, <a href="https://fedscoop.com/va-ehr-six-cases-catastrophic-harm/">according</a> to lawmakers. The Government Accountability Office has continued to pressure the VA to take steps to speed up the rollout. 
The Daily Wire reached out to a publicly listed phone number for Windom and no lawyer has yet been listed yet in court records for his case.

MixCollage-08-Apr-2026-10-33-AM-4651

DEI, Louis Vuitton, And Casino Chips: Inside A Billion-Dollar VA Scandal

Corruption

Department of Veterans Affairs

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Health Care

The Justice Department opened an investigation into the NFL over potential anticompetitive practices and harm to consumers as the league licenses more games to streaming networks.
The investigation, which was first <a href="https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/nfl-investigation-justice-department-8835a936?mod=hp_lead_pos2">reported</a> by The Wall Street Journal, comes as NFL fans and some lawmakers have raised concerns about the increasing cost to watch games as the league licenses more games to streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Prime Video, and Peacock. While The Journal stated that the exact nature of the investigation wasn&#8217;t immediately clear, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nfl-justice-department-anticompetitive-tactics-licenses/">cited</a> sources who told the outlet that the investigation was related to the NFL&#8217;s leap into streaming.
One anonymous government official told CBS News that the probe is focused on “about affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers.&#8221; The Daily Wire reached out to the Justice Department, seeking comment.
The NFL said on Thursday that its &#8220;media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry.&#8221;
&#8220;With over 87% of our games on free, broadcast television, including 100% of games in the markets of the competing teams, the NFL has for decades put our fans front and center in how we distribute our content,&#8221; the league office added. &#8220;The 2025 season was our most viewed since 1989 and reflects the strength of the NFL distribution model and its wide availability to all fans.&#8221;
The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 grants antitrust exemptions to sports leagues, allowing them to package league-wide TV deals that protect revenue sharing and prevent small market teams from being forced to strike major TV deals. With sports leagues such as the NFL and NBA agreeing to move many live broadcasts behind the paywalls of streaming services, some critics argue that the practice could be running afoul of the 1961 law.
&#8220;The modern distribution environment differs substantially from the conditions that precipitated this exemption,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/senmikelee/status/2042254629715489176">said</a> Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. &#8220;Instead of a small number of free broadcast networks, the NFL now licenses games simultaneously to subscription streaming platforms, premium cable networks, and technology companies operating under different business models.&#8221;
Games remain free to watch on local stations in the markets of the teams playing, but the most ardent NFL fans watch multiple games a week of teams outside their local market. Many NFL fans have expressed frustration that the NFL&#8217;s agreements with multiple streaming platforms complicates viewing and makes it more expensive to watch the NFL.
During the 2025-2026 season, 20 games were available exclusively on streaming platforms, including two Christmas Day games that were streamed on Netflix. The league has signaled that even more games will move to streaming platforms in the near future, including playoff matchups. In a letter to the Justice Department last month, Senator Lee wrote, &#8220;To watch every NFL game during the past season, football fans spent almost $1,000 on cable and streaming subscriptions.&#8221;
The NFL&#8217;s streaming craze has shown no signs of slowing down, and the NFL is expected to push for more partnerships with digital platforms beginning in 2029, when the league has the ability to opt out of some of its current broadcast TV contracts.

NFL streaming

Sick Of The NFL Subscription Maze? Fans May Finally Catch A Break.

The Justice Department launched a probe Thursday into multiple women’s prisons across California and Maine, where transgender-identifying men have been accused of rape and making other sexual advances toward female inmates. 
The investigation from the Justice Department will look at whether the states violated the constitutional rights of the imprisoned women with their policies of allowing men to be placed in women&#8217;s prisons. One of the prisons under scrutiny is the Central California Women’s Facility in Madera County, where a man who served time at the facility was charged with raping a female inmate. 
“Keeping men out of women’s prisons is not only common sense – it’s a matter of safety and constitutional rights,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The Trump Administration will not stand by if governors are facilitating the abuse of biological women under the guise of inclusion.”
At the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, a 27-year-old man named Andrew Balcer, <a href="https://apps1.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/correctionssearch/detail.pl?mdoc_number1=156589">serving</a> 40 years for murdering his parents, is currently housed at the women’s unit. State <a href="https://apps1.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/correctionssearch/detail.pl?mdoc_number1=156589">records</a> list him as “female” and standing 6’1’’ tall and 310 pounds. The man has been accused of forcibly kissing incarcerated women and offering to impregnate them, <a href="https://www.sunjournal.com/2026/03/04/women-say-they-are-being-harassed-by-transgender-inmate-at-maine-prison/">according</a> to the Sun Journal. 
<div id="attachment_1067567" style="width: 431px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1067567" class="wp-image-1067567 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-27-at-9.52.34-AM-421x576.png" alt="" width="421" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-27-at-9.52.34-AM-421x576.png 421w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-27-at-9.52.34-AM-219x300.png 219w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-27-at-9.52.34-AM.png 578w" sizes=" (max-width: 421px) 100vw, 421px" />Maine Government.</div>
In a case out of Madera County, California, a 53-year-old man named Tremaine Carroll was charged with rape after he was placed at the Central California Women’s Facility. A fellow inmate was found to be pregnant, and two other women also accused him of rape.
&#8220;After his first cellmate became pregnant and was moved to Los Angeles, two other cellmates of his had complained that he had raped them, so we have filed rape charges against this inmate,&#8221; <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/post/pronoun-use-center-rape-case-involving-former-chowchilla-central-california-womens-facility-prisoner-tremaine-carroll/15696730/">said</a> District Attorney Sally Moreno in December 2024.
The case is still working its way through the court system, but court officials have mandated that female pronouns be used for Carroll. Court records indicate that Tremaine has had a number of different lawyers and is in the process of getting a new lawyer appointed by the county from an outside legal firm.  
Thanks to a law sponsored by far-Left state Senator Scott Wiener and <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB132">signed</a> by Governor Gavin Newsom, at least 45 males who identify as transgender have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-dems-vote-to-keep-male-sex-offenders-in-female-prisons">transferred</a> into female prisons since the law was implemented in September 2020. Last year, state Democrats rejected a proposal to keep male sex criminals out of female prisons. 
“California’s Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act has provided none of these qualities to the female inmates of state prisons who have been forced to share space with biological men who are violent felons,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Our Constitution protects women from having their civil rights violated by harmful state legislation wrapped in the language of ‘equity’ and ‘progress.’”
The California Institution for Women in San Bernardino County is also being scrutinized.  
&#8220;Despite the Department of Justice&#8217;s claims, this is yet another politically motivated, predetermined investigation designed to target states that stand up to the Trump Administration and its abuses,&#8221; <a href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/justice-department-investigates-prison-housing-policies-maine-california/97-f2623a63-f421-4c62-a899-17b138fb2d8b">said</a> Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills. 
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said her office will ensure that women are protected from male inmates. 
“Under my leadership, the Civil Rights Division will not allow women incarcerated in jails or prisons to be subject to unconstitutional risks of harm from male inmates,” she said. “These investigations will uncover whether the dangerous national trend of housing men in women’s prisons has resulted in violations of women’s constitutional rights.”

MixCollage-27-Mar-2026-10-32-AM-6603

DOJ Demands Answers After Women Housed With Hulking Transgender Murderer

DOJ Takes Action As Female Prisoners Housed With Transgender Murderer

Harmeet Dhillon

Maine

Pam Bondi

Transgender

Trump Administration

The Justice Department has reportedly agreed to pay President Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, roughly $1.2 million to settle a lawsuit over his prosecution during the Russia collusion investigation. 
The settlement, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flmd.411523/gov.uscourts.flmd.411523.72.0.pdf">announced</a> Wednesday, resolves a malicious prosecution case Flynn filed in Florida against the DOJ. Flynn argued that FBI agents entrapped him during the investigation, which found no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 presidential election. 
“Today, after ten years of fighting, I have reached a settlement agreement with the United States Government in my case regarding the Russian Hoax FBI lawfare against me,” Flynn said in a statement. “Nothing can fully compensate for the hell that my family and I have endured over these many years — the relentless attacks, the destruction of reputations, the financial ruin, and the profound personal toll inflicted upon us all. No amount of money or formal resolution can erase the pain caused by a prosecution that should never have been brought.”
A Justice Department spokesman called the settlement an &#8220;important step in redressing&#8221; the &#8220;historic injustice.&#8221; 
&#8220;This Department of Justice will continue to pursue accountability at all levels for this wrongdoing. Such weaponization of the federal government must never be allowed to happen again,” the spokesman said. 
The DOJ did not disclose the exact settlement amount. The New York Times reported it at $1.25 million, while the Associated Press reported it as $1.2 million.
Flynn was charged during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to FBI agents about a phone call with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. He later sought to withdraw his plea, arguing he had been misled by federal agents. Trump pardoned Flynn in November 2020.
Flynn&#8217;s attorney, Jesse Binnall, said the agreement reflects acknowledgment that his client &#8220;was seriously wronged.&#8221;
“General Flynn is an American hero and he and his family should have never been put through this hell,” said Binnall. “That they had the courage to stand firm and fight back against the extremists in the Mueller investigation should be a testament to the strength of American character.”

ReAwaken America Tour

Michael Flynn Gets Payout As Justice Department Addresses ‘Historic Injustice’

Michael Flynn

Robert Mueller

Russia

Russia Collusion Hoax

Nine defendants in the anti-ICE Prairieland Detention Center riot last Independence Day in Texas were convicted in federal court on Friday.
The defendants were convicted on a range of charges including rioting, “providing material support to terrorists,” “conspiracy to use and carry an explosive,” and &#8220;using and carrying an explosive&#8221; in the North Texas Antifa Cell attack that left a local police officer shot in the neck.
In a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/antifa-cell-members-convicted-prairieland-ice-detention-center-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock described the incident as a “coordinated attack” on the facility where illegal immigrants were being held before deportation from the United States.
Two individuals were also convicted of “conspiracy to conceal documents.”
According to the Department of Justice, Benjamin Song was considered the attack’s “leader,” who gave out firearms and recruited people for the effort. Song was convicted of attempted murder of federal officers for the “unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought the Alvarado Police Officer” and for unlawful discharging of a firearm in “the attempted murder of two correctional officers and an Alvarado Police Officer,” as he was the one who shot the officer in the neck.
Song successfully fled the scene but was arrested on July 15, 2025, while law enforcement arrested most of the other individuals involved “shortly after,” the DOJ <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/antifa-cell-members-convicted-prairieland-ice-detention-center-shooting">said</a>.
Song could face up to life behind bars, with a minimum of 20 years, according to a Department of Justice press release. Seven of the individuals could get 10-60 years in prison, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada could be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison.
“These guilty verdicts and convictions rightly reflect the vicious, armed attack that these Antifa cell members planned and executed against law enforcement and detention center officers on the night of July 4 last year,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in a statement.
“Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from some peaceful protest or First Amendment expression. Because of the prompt action of first responders that night and tenacious work of our law enforcement partners in tandem with the prosecutors in my office, sixteen people have been brought to justice for these violent acts and their attempts to conceal them. We will continue in this mission to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.”
Notably, the attackers used &#8220;monikers&#8221; in group chats to plan the riot. The attackers also used fireworks and committed acts of vandalism, including spray-painting “F*ck You Pigs” on a building.

Portland Antifa

America’s First Antifa Terrorism Trial Just Reached A Verdict

Antifa

Courts

Crime

Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Texas

U.S.

Scammers in Southeast Asia couldn&#8217;t hide behind their online profiles last week when the Royal Thai Police arrested 21 people in Bangkok as part of an international crackdown on scam centers targeting Americans.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, teamed up with the FBI, the Department of Justice&#8217;s Scam Center Strike Force, and Thai authorities to disrupt the networks. The company disabled 150,000 accounts tied to the scam operations.
In videos shared with The Daily Wire, armed Thai officers are seen going door to door, questioning individuals before placing suspects in handcuffs and taking them into custody. The arrests showcase the expanding effort by law enforcement to dismantle global cybercrime operations, a priority highlighted in a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
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On March 6, Trump signed an executive order on &#8220;Combating Cybercrime and Fraud,&#8221; directing federal agencies to prioritize prosecutions of cyber fraud and strengthen coordination to prevent, disrupt, investigate, and dismantle scam-center networks.
&#8220;This operation is a testament to how sharing information and coordinating our efforts can make real progress in disrupting this criminal activity at its source,&#8221; said Chris Sonderby, Meta&#8217;s vice president and deputy general counsel. &#8220;Our work to combat scams is never done, and we will continue to invest in technology and partnerships to stay ahead.&#8221;
The recent operation in Asia follows a December cybercrime sting in which Meta joined the FBI, Homeland Security, the U.S. Secret Service, and other agencies to share information on scam networks. That effort resulted in the removal of 59,000 accounts from Meta platforms and six arrest warrants.
Chinese criminal groups run many scam farms operating across Southeast Asia. The region has become a hub for Chinese-linked social media scammers who have stolen tens of billions of dollars from Americans in just the past few years.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an independent body that provides recommendations to Congress, wrote in a 2025 <a href="https://www.uscc.gov/research/chinas-exploitation-scam-centers-southeast-asia">report</a> that “the spread of China-linked scam compounds in Southeast Asia is fueling corruption and violence, promoting human trafficking, [and] undermining the ability of governments in the region to control what happens in their territory.”
Massive scam farms have set up shop in countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia, the Associated Press <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/why-southeast-asias-online-scam-industry-is-so-hard-to-shut-down">reported</a>. The foreign operations often target Americans with fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes, fake work-from-home jobs, and “task scams,” which promise high commissions but require victims to pay upfront fees.
According to the <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/08/1140187">United Nations</a>, around 120,000 people are being forced to work for online scam farms in Myanmar, and another 100,000 people are being used as forced labor for the scam industry in Cambodia. Workers are often forced to send scam messages for 12 to 16 hours a day, according to the Associated Press.
The development of artificial intelligence has also aided social media scammers and their ability to target more Americans, <a href="https://www.uscc.gov/research/protecting-americans-china-linked-scam-centers-update-emerging-trends">according</a> to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The commission warned that AI enables scammers to “increase the sophistication of scams,” which can “make it difficult for even the most discerning potential victims to distinguish fact from fraud.”
In addition to using global law enforcement partnerships to battle online crime, a Meta spokesman told The Daily Wire that the company has added extra security measures for its users to fight the elusive scammers. This month, Meta plans to launch an advanced AI-powered scam detection tool for Messenger, allowing users to submit suspicious messages for review.
Meta is also testing a feature that will alert users of potentially suspicious friend requests, such as those from accounts with no mutual connections. On WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, users will receive alerts if an attempt to link their account to another device seems suspicious, a tactic scammers sometimes implement to hijack accounts.
&#8220;These operations cause real harm,&#8221; Meta said in a statement. &#8220;They upend lives, destroy trust, and are deliberately designed to avoid detection and disruption. The work to protect people against scammers is never done, and requires ongoing collaboration with partners across the tech industry and law enforcement to ensure a safer experience for everyone online.&#8221;

Thai Police arrest social media scammers

WATCH: How Facebook Teamed Up With The Trump Admin To Bust Scammers In Thailand

WATCH: Trump DOJ Teams Up With Meta, Thai Police To Bust Scammers Stealing From Americans

China

Facebook

scams

Social Media

The Justice Department announced Monday that it may have reached a settlement in its antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment.
Though nothing is confirmed yet, the DOJ announced in Manhattan federal court that the case was likely nearing a conclusion after the term sheet was signed on Thursday, per the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/livenation-antitrust-justice-department-0a6ef66f497e5f626096de753bfff8ce">Associated Press</a>.
An unnamed official told the outlet that the terms included Live Nation paying a fine of up to $280 million and divesting some properties to allow for more competition in the ticket sales industry. The official said the settlement was a “win-win for everybody.”
Certain states were allegedly not on board with the proposed terms, however, and Judge Arun Subramanian called the terms “entirely unacceptable.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement that the settlement “fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case.” 
“My attorney general colleagues and I have a strong case against Live Nation, and we will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry,” she said, adding that she preferred to move forward with the trial.
Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown has a similar take, saying, “[the] case against Live Nation is strong, and the state coalition is committed to holding the company accountable for its illegal behavior, protecting consumers and restoring competition to this market,” the outlet noted.
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2024 under the Biden administration, as WSJ <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/live-nation-reaches-settlement-in-federal-antitrust-case-9f0c6fb7">reported</a>. About 40 states came together to sue the entertainment company.
U.S. Justice Department lawyer David Dahlquist summarized the charges during opening statements last Tuesday, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-opens-landmark-antitrust-trial-against-ticketmaster-calls-concert-ticketing-broken">reported</a>.
“This case is about power, the power of a monopolist to control competition,” Dahlquist said. “Today, the concert ticket industry is broken.”
Attorney David Marriott, who is representing Live Nation, said it wasn’t so. “We’ll let the numbers do the talking. We do not have monopoly power,” he said in response.
The complaint alleges that the company engages in “anticompetitive conduct” that results in higher fees, fewer opportunities for artists, and limited ticketing options. The filing occurred after the infamous 2022 incident when Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour pre-sale tickets caused the Ticketmaster site to crash, with thousands of fans — and bots — swarming the site all at once.
This Taylor Swift incident led to congressional hearings beginning in January 2023.
Ticketmaster was founded in 1976 and merged with Live Nation in 2010. Over the years, the company has clashed with fans and artists, with many accusing the company of having predatory prices. The rock band Pearl Jam testified before Congress on the issue all the way back in 1994, but their efforts ultimately led nowhere.

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Ticketmaster Case Sparked By Taylor Swift Ticket Meltdown Enters Key Stage

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The Justice Department moved Friday to block a lawsuit from Missouri challenging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for allowing the abortion drug mifepristone to be shipped through the mail. 
A <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.moed.224112/gov.uscourts.moed.224112.293.1.pdf">filing</a> from the DOJ argued that allowing the suit to move forward would inhibit a safety study on the abortion pill being conducted by the Trump administration. Missouri and several other Republican-led states have asked a judge to block a COVID-era policy that relaxed regulations for dispensing the abortion pill. 
“Missouri, Kansas, and Idaho are not the only plaintiffs to have challenged the current conditions of use for mifepristone,” the Justice Department wrote. “Given this widespread debate over the safety of mifepristone, FDA has concluded that the best path forward is for the agency to undertake its review based on all the evidence before the agency.”
The filing asked the judge to put the lawsuit on hold while the FDA reviews the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for mifepristone or dismiss the case altogether. It comes as pro-life <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-voters-want-action-on-mail-order-abortion-pill-as-midterms-loom?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Republican+Voters+Want+Action+On+Mail-Order+Abortion+Pill+As+Midterms+Loom">advocates</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/serious-crisis-hawley-says-congress-must-act-to-combat-rising-abortion-rates?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Serious+Crisis%E2%80%99%3A+Hawley+Says+Congress+Must+Act+To+Combat+Rising+Abortion+Rates">lawmakers</a> have called for the Trump administration to crack down on mail-order abortion pills. 
Last year, FDA Administrator Marty Makary and Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that they initiated the REMS review. The study has yet to be released, and pro-life lawmakers and advocates have grown impatient as abortions continue to increase in states where medication abortion is banned due to an influx of outside pills. 
A spokesman for the Justice Department told The Daily Wire that the intent of the filing was to allow the FDA to oversee drug policy, not the federal court system. 
“In this filing, the Department of Justice requested more time from the court for the FDA to complete its review of mifepristone REMS,” the spokesman said. “As the Supreme Court recognized in a unanimous ruling less than two years ago, it is the role of the FDA – not the federal courts – to evaluate drug safety data and impose appropriate precautions.”
The filing from the DOJ dismisses concerns from pro-life states that FDA policies allow abortionists to ship pills into their states. The department said that states “remain free to make and enforce their pro-life policies” and that the federal government is not “standing in the way of Intervenor Plaintiffs enforcing their abortion laws against out-of-state prescribers of mifepristone.”
The filing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fda-claims-mail-order-abortion-policies-are-not-preventing-states-from-protecting-the-unborn">mirrors another</a> one from January, where the DOJ asked a judge not to grant a request from Louisiana also seeking to block the FDA&#8217;s abortion pill mailing policy.
Data <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/despite-dobbs-more-babies-are-still-being-aborted-in-the-united-states">indicate</a> that tens of thousands of abortions are still happening in states like Texas, where medication abortion is banned. While Attorney General Ken Paxton has attempted to penalize abortionists accused of shipping pills into the state, New York has so far refused to cooperate due to shield laws put in place for abortionists. 
The Friday filing was condemned by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser, who has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s handling of medication abortion. 
“The pro-life movement has very simple demands,” she said. “There should be no place on the market for drugs meant to poison and kill innocent human beings – but at the very least, this administration can and should take them out of the mail. This is no more or less than the policy of the first Trump administration.”
The Justice Department spokesman told The Daily Wire the department remains “committed to advancing President Trump’s pro-life agenda, including through dismissing criminal prosecutions and civil lawsuits against peaceful pro-life advocates targeted by the previous administration, and using the FACE Act to protect pro-life pregnancy centers.”

President Trump Signs Order Establishing White House Great American Recovery Initiative

DOJ Makes New Move In Court Fight Over Abortion Pill

Justice Department Moves To Block Red State Lawsuit Over Abortion Pill

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A landmark antitrust trial against Live Nation began this week in New York with the Department of Justice seeking to prove that the entertainment company, which owns Ticketmaster, maintains an illegal monopoly over the concert ticket industry.
U.S. Justice Department lawyer David Dahlquist summarized the charges during opening statements on Tuesday, per the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-trial-ecfd6cb3e77459412584ed002653bc8f">Associated Press</a>. 
“This case is about power, the power of a monopolist to control competition,” Dahlquist said. “Today, the concert ticket industry is broken.”
Attorney David Marriott, who is representing Live Nation, said it wasn’t so. “We’ll let the numbers do the talking. We do not have monopoly power,” he said in response.
The complaint alleges that the company engages in &#8220;anticompetitive conduct&#8221; that results in higher fees, fewer opportunities for artists, and limited ticketing options. 
Per <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-trial-doj-what-to-know-rcna261400">NBC News</a>, Live Nation controls 400 musical artists and owns or controls 265 concert venues in North America. 
“Through interconnected agreements associated with Live Nation’s various roles as ticketer, promoter, artist manager, and venue owner,” the complaint states. “Live Nation has created a feedback loop that pushes ticketing and ancillary fees higher while allowing Live Nation to be on all sides of numerous transactions and thereby double-dip from the pockets of fans, artists, and venues.”
This trial, expected to last six weeks, came about after a 2024 lawsuit alleged that Live Nation unfairly dominated concert ticketing and promotion, leaving no room for competitors. The filing occurred after the infamous 2022 incident when Taylor Swift&#8217;s Eras Tour pre-sale tickets caused the Ticketmaster site to crash, with thousands of fans and bots swarming the site all at once.
This Taylor Swift incident led to congressional hearings beginning in January 2023.
“To have a strong capitalist system, you have to have competition. You can’t have too much consolidation. Something that unfortunately for this country — as an ode to Taylor Swift, I will say — we know all too well,” Minnesota Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar said at the time, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-loses-it-over-senators-quoting-taylor-swift-songs-at-ticketmaster-hearing">reported</a>.
Ticketmaster began in 1976 and merged with Live Nation in 2010. Over the years, the company has been at odds with fans and artists at various points, with many accusing the company of having predatory prices. The rock band Pearl Jam testified before Congress on the issue all the way back in 1994, but their efforts ultimately led nowhere.
Marriott argued during the trial’s opening day that the company supports the music industry and is “all about bringing joy to people’s lives.”
He also said the amount of revenue Ticketmaster and Live Nation rake in is highly exaggerated, as AP noted.

DOJ Opens Landmark Antitrust Trial Against Ticketmaster, Calls Concert Ticketing ‘Broken’

Ticketmaster Antitrust Trial Begins Today, DOJ Says Concert Ticket Industry Is 'Broken'

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