Los Angeles mayoral candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-spencer-pratt-went-from-villain-to-hero">Spencer Pratt</a> has essentially run his entire campaign by saying the things that everyone is thinking but has been too afraid to say out loud — and his recent interviews are a fair indication that he plans to keep that up.
Pratt, during an interview on &#8220;The Joe Rogan Experience&#8221; last month, explained that some parents in Los Angeles often encourage their children not to look out the window as they drove to and from school, sports practices, or grocery stores. The reason? &#8220;Naked zombies&#8221; — drug addicts — wandering the streets and sometimes engaging in behaviors that parents would rather their children not see.
His comments on the issue have gone viral this week.
WATCH:
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&#8220;There&#8217;s parents that — when they drive to school — all across the city, this is not just one unique area, they have to have their kids in the back seat staring at an iPad and not to look out the window because meth addicts will just be having sex on the side of the street,&#8221; Pratt explained to host Joe Rogan.
&#8220;There&#8217;s just naked people everywhere now,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Naked zombies. And the DEA will tell you, 90% of these homeless people have a drug problem. We have a drug addict problem. These aren&#8217;t people that just, like, missed a paycheck and we need to get them help and get back — this is a drug problem that needs mandatory treatment, not handing people needles and pipes and saying, &#8216;Oh, here&#8217;s a million-dollar bed.&#8217; If you&#8217;re a fentanyl zombie hanging upside down, you don&#8217;t care about a million-dollar empty bed because you&#8217;re just high, you sober up, and you go get high again.&#8221;
Pratt made a similar point during a televised debate with two of his opponents — incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass and Democratic socialist City Councilwoman Nithya Raman — who have argued in favor of providing more beds and voluntary treatment for the homeless.
Pointing out that the vast majority of L.A.&#8217;s homeless had drug problems, Pratt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reality-tv-star-spencer-pratt-obliterates-leftist-policies-in-heated-l-a-mayoral-debate">challenged Raman</a> directly and said he&#8217;d even go with her to offer aid to the homeless — but warned her that they were far more likely to attack her than to accept her help.

Congressional hearing on the Palisades wildfire in Pacific Palisades

Spencer Pratt Says What Parents Have Been Thinking About ‘Naked Zombies’

Spencer Pratt Just Said What Parents Have Been Thinking About 'Naked Zombies'

Drugs

Karen Bass

Los Angeles

Media

Politics

Spencer Pratt

A report alleging that the Central Intelligence Agency may have played a role in the killing of a Mexican cartel operative has raised new questions about the scope of the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive campaign against transnational drug cartels.
On Tuesday, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/12/politics/cia-drug-cartels-deadly-operations-mexico">reported</a> — citing multiple anonymous sources — that CIA officers may have helped facilitate the March 28 killing of Francisco Beltran, an alleged mid-level operative linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Beltran, known by the alias “El Payin,” was killed when an explosive device detonated inside his vehicle while he was traveling on a major highway outside Mexico City. The blast also killed his driver.
According to the report, the strike was allegedly part of a previously unreported expansion of covert U.S. operations inside Mexico, with the CIA’s elite Ground Branch taking part in efforts to dismantle cartel infrastructure. The report claimed that in recent months, agency personnel have participated in several operations targeting cartel figures, sometimes providing intelligence support and, in some cases, allegedly playing a more direct role in lethal actions.
Those claims, however, remain based entirely on anonymous sourcing and have been disputed by officials on both sides of the border.
The CIA issued a rare public denial after publication, with spokeswoman Liz Lyons <a href="https://x.com/CIASpox/status/2054339789243949430?s=20">calling the story</a> “false and salacious reporting.” The Mexican government also moved quickly to reject the allegations. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said in a <a href="https://x.com/oharfuch/status/2054325906945237339?s=46">public statement on X</a> that Mexico “categorically rejects any version that seeks to normalize, justify, or suggest the existence of lethal, covert, or unilateral operations by foreign agencies on national territory.”
A follow-up <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/world/americas/mexico-cia-cartels.html?login=google&amp;auth=login-google">report</a> from the New York Times offered a narrower account of the same incident. Citing former U.S. officials and others briefed on the operation — also anonymously — the Times reported that the CIA may have supplied intelligence on Beltran’s whereabouts and assisted with planning, but that American personnel were not on the ground and were not directly involved when Mexican authorities carried out the strike.
That distinction could prove significant. U.S. and Mexican officials have publicly acknowledged deepening intelligence cooperation against cartels, including surveillance and targeting support, but both governments have consistently denied that American operatives are conducting direct combat or assassination missions inside Mexico.
The controversy comes as the Trump administration has openly escalated its rhetoric against cartels after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-formally-designates-8-cartels-gangs-as-terrorist-organizations">designating</a> several major trafficking organizations as foreign terrorist groups early into his second term. Trump has repeatedly threatened unilateral action inside Mexico, saying the U.S. would act if the Mexican government failed to dismantle the criminal groups operating along the border.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected the possibility of U.S. troops operating on Mexican soil, though her government has continued to accept intelligence-sharing arrangements with Washington. That delicate arrangement has faced growing strain in recent months as the administration expands its anti-cartel operations and increases pressure on Mexico to cooperate.
Whether Beltran’s death marks the first public glimpse of a more active phase in that campaign remains uncertain. For now, the episode highlights the murky and increasingly high-stakes nature of the U.S. campaign against organized narco-terrorism, where intelligence cooperation, sovereignty disputes, and anonymous leaks are colliding in public view.

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency is displayed in

Is The CIA Ramping Up Anti-Cartel Operations Inside Mexico?

narco-terrorism

Spencer Pratt ripped into his far-Left opponents during the Los Angeles mayoral debate on Wednesday, hammering their policies on everything from homelessness to firefighting. 
Pratt faced off against Mayor Karen Bass and socialist Councilwoman Nithya Raman on a stage where they clashed on how to best lead the city of 3.8 million. The former reality TV star said during the debate that he would crack down on crime, improve the city’s fire response readiness, and move away from the city’s ineffective efforts to combat homelessness. 
“The good news is when I enforce the law and clear the streets of the drug addicts that have taken over 40 blocks of downtown L.A., abandoned buildings that have drug addicts just lighting them on fire every other day, I will have potentially 20,000 units available to build,” Pratt said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Spencer Pratt DESTROYS Los Angeles’s Communist mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Nithya Raman:
“The good news is, when I enforce the law and clear the street of the drug addicts that have taken over 40 blocks of downtown LA, abandoned buildings that have drug addicts just… <a href="https://t.co/FsXKD22lMC">pic.twitter.com/FsXKD22lMC</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/2052201186577588367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Pratt, whose home was burned down in the Pacific Palisades fire, accused Bass of denying money requested for fire engines just weeks before the blaze. He also accused her of using water reserves for fire fighting for drinking water. Bass claimed that Pratt was spreading &#8220;inaccurate&#8221; details of her response to the L.A. fires and said the reservoirs in question &#8220;have been for drinking water&#8221; for decades. The mayor also accused Pratt of spreading false information on the wind speeds during the fire outbreak, which L.A. authorities said were too high for firefighting aircraft to respond to the fires.
&#8220;She&#8217;s an incredible liar,&#8221; Pratt responded, urging the audience to research what weather stations reported on the wind speeds in the early days of the blaze. The debate moderators cut him off and told him he could not engage in &#8220;name-calling.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
NEW: Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt fires back after the debate moderator accused him of &#8220;name-calling.&#8221;
Pratt: &#8220;[Karen Bass] an incredible liar&#8230;&#8221;
Moderator: &#8220;I have to interrupt you for a minute. I have to interrupt you. No name-calling.&#8221;
Pratt: &#8220;She just… <a href="https://t.co/Z3L5gFPfmi">pic.twitter.com/Z3L5gFPfmi</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/2052195002659569843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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During a different exchange, Pratt criticized Raman over her approach to homelessness and said she would get stabbed if she tried to implement her drug treatment plan for the homeless. 
“Councilwoman Raman acts like she doesn&#8217;t have any authority with this homelessness. She was the third most powerful person in city council,” he said. “She runs the homeless housing thing. She acts like this is just Mayor Bass.”
“The reality is, no matter how many beds you give these people, they are on super-meth. They are on fentanyl. The DEA statistics says 93% of this is a drug addiction problem,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Councilwoman Raman’s plan for treatment first — I will go below the Harbor Freeway tomorrow with her, and we can find some of these people she&#8217;s going to offer treatment for.  She&#8217;s going to get stabbed in the neck. These people do not want a bed. They want fentanyl or super-meth. These ideas cost us over $400 million.”
Pratt also accused Raman of favoring squatters over tenants, saying she would sue landlords who try to get squatters out of their properties. 
Moderators also asked the candidates if they would support letting noncitizens vote in elections. 
Pratt said no, while both Bass and Raman said it “depends.” 
“They could have green cards, they could be here perfectly legal, and there&#8217;s a lot of states and cities that do that on very, very local elections,” Bass said. 
Raman accused Pratt of having a “MAGA” vision for Los Angeles and said he was working with Bass to attack her campaign. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Best part of the debate tonight! <a href="https://t.co/HLkwprBcEr">https://t.co/HLkwprBcEr</a> <a href="https://t.co/1qiTGsPA21">pic.twitter.com/1qiTGsPA21</a>
— Barefoot Broadcast (@BarefootBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarefootBC/status/2052211109617090952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“Mayor Bass and I are definitely not working together. I blame this person for burning down my house and my parents&#8217; house and my town, and all my neighbors down,” Pratt responded. “You think it&#8217;s easier to run against the incumbent mayor with all the unions or a random city council member who&#8217;s been a failure for six years? I would much rather run against Councilwoman Raman.” 
The Los Angeles mayoral race is slated for June 2, 2026. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote, the top two candidates will move on to a runoff in November.

Lucky’s Montecito 25th Anniversary

Reality TV Star Spencer Pratt Obliterates Leftist Policies In Heated L.A. Mayoral Debate

California

Homelessness

Palisades Fire

Feds swarmed MacArthur Park near downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, executing a massive drug bust and taking an alleged narco queen into custody.
Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, announced Operation Free MacArthur Park in a post shared via X, explaining that agents were targeting what amounted to an &#8220;open-air drug marketplace.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Operation Free MacArthur Park
Federal agents have taken control of MacArthur Park to execute federal arrest and search warrants targeting the notorious open-air drug market there.
We are going after street dealers and suppliers of massive amounts of fentanyl and… <a href="https://t.co/sozcSCGo5u">pic.twitter.com/sozcSCGo5u</a>
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyEssayli/status/2052134629772300726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We are going after street dealers and suppliers of massive amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Over the last 24 hours, federal and local law enforcement have started arresting 25 defendants charged in a federal criminal complaint with possessing and distributing dangerous narcotics, including fentanyl and methamphetamine,&#8221; Essayli added. &#8220;The park’s #1 drug trafficker, a Calabasas resident, is in federal custody and faces possible life imprisonment. The other defendants arrested today also face decades in federal prison.&#8221;
The New York Post gave additional details on the bust, reporting that Drug Enforcement Agency officers had also conducted a raid on the home shared by Mallaly Moreno-Lopez, a known &#8220;narco queen,&#8221; and her boyfriend Jackson Tarfur. After surrounding the suspected stash house, they called the occupants to come outside. When no one did so, officers crashed through the door  — and DEA officers reported finding occupants attempting to flush narcotics down the toilet at the time of the raid. Both Moreno-Lopezand Darfur were taken into custody.
Video taken at the scene showed just how massive the operation was.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Major drug bust taking place right now across from LA’s MacArthur Park. <a href="https://t.co/tsCNh9UxmK">pic.twitter.com/tsCNh9UxmK</a>
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattSeedorff/status/2052136212878839977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, serving in President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration as the 17th administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, commented on the amount of fentanyl that was seized: &#8220;MacArthur Park has become a cemetery. The thought that 190,000 doses of Fentanyl was seized should scare you. Fentanyl is used in the operating room, before you know it you can&#8217;t breathe but fortunately we&#8217;re there with a tube.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dr. OZ: MaCarthur Park has become a cemetery. The thought that 190,000 doses of Fentanyl was seized should scare you. Fentanyl is used in the operating room, before you know it you can&#8217;t breathe but fortunately we&#8217;re there with a tube &#8230;. <a href="https://twitter.com/DrOz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrOz</a> <a href="https://t.co/OMIb9CjSae">pic.twitter.com/OMIb9CjSae</a>
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattFinnFNC/status/2052154282108141909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche praised the joint operation, including both DEA officers and members of the Los Angeles Police Department, saying that they&#8217;d succeeded in wresting control of MacArthur Park from the drug dealers.
&#8220;To the drug dealers poisoning the streets of Los Angeles: your safe haven is gone,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Agents from <a href="https://twitter.com/DEAHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DEAHQ</a> and officers from the <a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LAPDHQ</a> have taken back MacArthur Park.
To the drug dealers poisoning the streets of Los Angeles: your safe haven is gone. <a href="https://t.co/dNaVDitSTM">pic.twitter.com/dNaVDitSTM</a>
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) <a href="https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2052137806894375273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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DEA/LAPD serve warrants in MacAthur Park

Feds Target Street Dealers In Massive Drug Bust

Crime

Donald Trump

Former reality star Spencer Pratt, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles against incumbent Karen Bass, is taking a stand for animals that are allegedly being tortured by homeless people in the community.
The mayoral hopeful has been posting about animals being abused on Skid Row and beyond for weeks, sharing graphic videos of dogs overdosing on fentanyl and one presented with his eyes sewn shut.
“As Mayor, I will stand up a dedicated LAPD task force, Tactical PAWS: Policing Animal Welfare &amp; Safety. We will end the horrific atrocities that Karen Basura (his nickname for Bass) and [coucilwoman] Nithya Raman have allowed on our streets. ZERO tolerance for animal abusers,” he wrote in a post on April 20.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
As Mayor, I will stand up a dedicated LAPD task force, Tactical PAWS: Policing Animal Welfare &amp; Safety. We will end the horrific atrocities that Karen Basura and Nithya Raman have allowed on our streets. ZERO tolerance for animal abusers! <a href="https://t.co/QyUPKpdLEB">https://t.co/QyUPKpdLEB</a> <a href="https://t.co/XDnpJk4aba">pic.twitter.com/XDnpJk4aba</a>
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href="https://twitter.com/spencerpratt/status/2046277962664996895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“This is uncaring Karen’s legacy,” he said of Bass in response to a video of a dog with drugs in its system receiving medical care. “Unbelievable levels of evil from the druggies that are left to massacre these poor animals. This ends when I’m mayor.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is uncaring Karen’s legacy. Unbelievable levels of evil from the druggies that are left to massacre these poor animals. This ends when I’m mayor. <a href="https://t.co/jJ64X0sQ5R">https://t.co/jJ64X0sQ5R</a>
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href="https://twitter.com/spencerpratt/status/2047197321079980376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In another video <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXhkUNNAdT9/">shared</a> to Instagram on Friday, he accused Bass and Raman of “facilitating the torture, mutilation, abuse, and murder of thousands of dogs by crazy drug addicts who breed them for money, set them on fire, [and] conduct Nazi-like experiments.”
Pratt says the dogs become drug testers and are frequently overdosing.
The former star of “The Hills” said that Raman allegedly “walked out” of a recent city council meeting after an animal rescue worker begged for help with the problem.
Pratt also said a rally was happening at The Barkery in Encino on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. to raise awareness and “save our pets from the zombies.”
The reality alum announced that he is running for mayor of Los Angeles on the one-year anniversary of the Palisades Fire, which is the event that he says radicalized him to make a change in his community. The Republican and former star of “The Hills” has been critical of local Democrats for their actions before and after the fires. Pratt and his wife, Heidi Montag, and his parents all lost their homes.
“The system in Los Angeles isn’t struggling; it’s fundamentally broken. It is a machine designed to protect the people at the top and the friends they exchange favors with while the rest of us drown in toxic smoke and ash,” Pratt said in part while announcing his campaign.
Pratt is a first-time candidate facing more than a dozen other contenders in the nonpartisan mayoral primary in June, including current Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Bass, who is seeking re-election. Pratt’s campaign website describes him as “Karen Bass’ worst nightmare.”

Reality Star Rips Dem Karen Bass For Allowing Homeless To ‘Conduct Nazi-Like Experiments’ On Dogs

Animals

Elections

Homeless

Mayor

The Trump administration on Thursday <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-places-fda-approved-marijuana-products-and-products-containing-marijuana">moved to reclassify</a> state-licensed medical marijuana, easing research restrictions on the substance and marking the most significant shift in federal drug policy in decades.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1437441/dl">signed an order</a> reclassifying FDA-approved products containing marijuana as a Schedule III drug, placing them alongside prescription medications. The administration also announced an “expedited” hearing on June 29 to consider the formal reclassification of cannabis.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Today is another promise made, promise kept day&#8230; The Acting Attorney General this morning signed an order that moves into Schedule III medical marijuana products that are FDA approved or that are state licensed. This is a giant move forward to implement your promise.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ewTDXJpEyX">pic.twitter.com/ewTDXJpEyX</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2047402410784473227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
“These actions will enable more targeted, rigorous research into marijuana&#8217;s safety and efficacy, expanding patients&#8217; access to treatments and empowering doctors to make better-informed healthcare decisions,” <a href="https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2047291538653241488?s=20">Blanche said</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Under the decisive leadership of <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, this Department of Justice is delivering on his promise to improve American healthcare. This includes:
• Immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule IIl
• Ordering a new,… <a href="https://t.co/DUtqKQgavl">pic.twitter.com/DUtqKQgavl</a>
— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) <a href="https://twitter.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2047291538653241488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
Since 1970, marijuana has remained in Schedule I—the most restrictive category—alongside substances like heroin, LSD, and ecstasy.
Scheduling of a drug is &#8220;based upon the substance&#8217;s medical use, potential for abuse, and safety or dependence liability,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/csa">Drug Enforcement Administration</a> (DEA).
<a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling">Under the Controlled Substances Act</a>, Schedule III drugs are defined as substances with a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” The DEA considers Schedule I drugs to have &#8220;no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
The Trump administration&#8217;s move does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law, but allows cannabis companies to deduct standard expenses like rent and payroll for the first time, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/trump-administration-reclassifies-cannabis.html">CNBC reported</a>.
“Today’s order is reflective of the Department of Justice’s continued dedication to common-sense policies and the prioritization of the safety and well-being of all Americans,” Blanche said.
In December 2025, Trump first signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/increasing-medical-marijuana-and-cannabidiol-research/">executive order</a> directing federal agencies to increase medical marijuana and CBD research.
Over the weekend, Trump voiced frustration with the pace of the rescheduling process while signing another directive easing restrictions on psychedelics alongside podcast host Joe Rogan.
“You’re going to get the rescheduling done, right? Please? Will you get the rescheduling done, please?” Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xrI-_qo64E">said to White House staff in the Oval Office</a>. “Joe, they’re slow-walking me on rescheduling, okay? You’re going to get it done.”
Two dozen states, along with Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana use, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/medical-marijuana-rescheduling-justice-department-trump-cannabis-1d6722d3aae122b1a91f8e4b6c690268">according to the Associated Press.</a> About 40 states have medical marijuana programs, and eight others permit low-THC cannabis or CBD oil for medical purposes. Only Idaho and Kansas maintain a full ban on marijuana.
In November 2024, voters in Nebraska approved a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana. Ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana failed in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Obama Admin. Unveils New Policy Easing Medical Marijuana Prosecutions

Trump Takes Major Step On Marijuana

Drug Enforcement Agency

Executive

Marijuana

Todd Blanche

Trump Administration

Trump Adminstration

Two U.S. Embassy officials and two Mexican officials were killed in a car accident in northern Mexico on Sunday.
A <a href="https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/crime/2026/04/19/mexico-us-embassy-staff-police-officials-die-in-chihuahua-accident-after-drug-lab-raids/89692343007/">report</a> published by the El Paso Times stated that all four had been killed in a car accident in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua — which shares a border with southwest Texas. They had been participating in an operation to locate and destroy drug labs in the area.
The two Mexican officials were identified by Chihuahua State authorities as Chihuahua State Investigations Agency Director Pedro Román Oseguera Cervantes and officer Manuel Genaro Méndez Montes. The two U.S. embassy officials have not yet been identified.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson shared his thoughts in a post on X, offering his condolences to the families of those who had been killed and commenting on the inherent risk present in the jobs they did every day.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two U.S. Embassy personnel, the Director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI), and an AEI officer in this accident. We honor their dedication and tireless efforts to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. Our…
— Embajador Ronald Johnson (@USAmbMex) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbMex/status/2045966498921877809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two U.S. Embassy personnel, the Director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI), and an AEI officer in this accident. We honor their dedication and tireless efforts to confront one of the greatest challenges of our time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones,&#8221; Johnson posted. &#8220;This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities. It strengthens our resolve to continue their mission and advance our shared commitment to security and justice, to protect our people.&#8221;
The accident came just one day after Chihuahua State police had announced the discovery of two large <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/border/2026/04/19/u-s-and-mexican-police-officials-killed-in-highway-crash-after-lab-raids/">methamphetamine labs</a> in the mountains near Morelos — in the southern part of the state. The labs were reportedly located using drones.

MEXICO-CRIME-DRUG TRAFFIKING-OPERATION-AFTERMATH

U.S. Embassy Staff Killed In Crash Just After High-Risk Operation In Cartel Stronghold

Cartels

Mexico

President Donald Trump on Saturday signed a sweeping executive order aimed at fast-tracking access to psychedelic-based treatments for veterans suffering from PTSD, depression, and other severe mental health conditions.
On paper, the order directs agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs to accelerate clinical trials, cut bureaucratic delays, and expand “right to try” access for patients who have exhausted traditional treatment options. But the real-world impact is far more immediate, and far more personal. For millions of Americans, this isn’t an abstract policy debate, it’s about whether treatments that show real promise are stuck in years of red tape while people continue to struggle, relapse, or fall through the cracks of a mental health system that often relies on trial-and-error prescriptions.
Trump framed the move as a long-overdue shift toward urgency.
“These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they&#8217;re both safe and effective,” Trump said. “But usually with things like this, nothing ever happens … we’re changing that.”
The executive order builds on a growing body of research suggesting psychedelic therapies, particularly compounds like ibogaine, can deliver dramatic results where conventional treatments fail. Trump pointed to a Stanford study in which special operations veterans saw an 80 to 90 percent reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms within a month.
At the signing ceremony, one veteran put it more bluntly.
“This treatment saved my life,” he told the president. “Helped me get off opiates … sleep for the first time in over 10 years.”
“And you have no doubt?” Trump asked.
“Zero,&#8221; he answered.
“To me, that’s the best research of all,” Trump said.
More than 14 million Americans suffer from serious mental illness, according to the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-is-accelerating-medical-treatments-for-serious-mental-illness/">fact sheet</a> accompanying the order, and for many, existing medications and therapies simply don’t work. Even when they do, they often come with significant side effects or require years of adjustments. Among veterans, the crisis is even more acute, with more than 6,000 suicides per year for over two decades, a statistic that has remained stubbornly high despite billions in federal spending.
The order attempts to break that cycle by not just funding research, but forcing the system to move faster. It directs the FDA to prioritize psychedelic drugs already designated as “breakthrough therapies,” a classification reserved for treatments that show substantial improvement over existing options. It also pushes regulators to shorten review timelines that can typically stretch close to a year, and in some cases, much longer.
At the same time, the administration is expanding access before full approval. By opening a clearer pathway under federal right-to-try laws, patients with treatment-resistant conditions may be able to access these therapies under medical supervision rather than waiting years for final regulatory clearance.
That shift could prove significant not just for veterans, but for civilians facing similar conditions; first responders, trauma survivors, and millions of Americans dealing with depression, addiction, and anxiety disorders.
Health agencies are also being pushed to coordinate more aggressively. The order mandates increased data sharing between federal departments, expanded clinical trial participation, and at least $50 million in federal support for state-level research efforts. States like Texas have already invested heavily in ibogaine research, and the federal government is now stepping in to match those efforts.
Even skeptics in the medical field say the evidence is becoming harder to ignore.
“One single administration can change behavior toward a therapeutic effect,” a researcher at the signing said. “We have a tool that could allow the body to heal itself, if we know how to properly use it.”
That’s the gamble behind the order: that accelerating access doesn’t just help veterans, but could reshape how the country approaches mental health treatment altogether, moving away from long-term symptom management and toward therapies that may offer more lasting change.
For everyday Americans, the implications are straightforward. If these treatments continue to show results, they won’t remain confined to niche trials; they could become part of mainstream medicine, available through doctors rather than years-long waitlists or costly alternatives abroad.
If these therapies work — and early data suggest they might — the question is no longer whether they should exist, but how quickly people can access them.
Trump’s answer, at least for now, is simple: faster.

The Wait Just Got Shorter For Veterans Seeking Breakthrough Mental Health Care

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Pop singer Britney Spears voluntarily checked herself into a rehab treatment facility on Sunday, April 12, her rep confirmed. This happened just hours after she posted a video to Instagram — in which she could be seen slapping her own butt while dressed in a thong — just five weeks after she was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
The 44-year-old singer has a scheduled court date of May 4. 
Spears was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol (DUI) in Ventura County, California, on March 4, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/britney-spears-arrested-manager-calls-incident-inexcusable">reported</a>. She was released the next day.
Her rep released a statement at the time, calling it an &#8220;unfortunate incident&#8221; and saying that it was &#8220;completely inexcusable.&#8221;
&#8220;Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well being.&#8221;
The pop star shares two sons, Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19, with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
Spears was previously charged with a misdemeanor hit-and-run in 2007, which was later dismissed. She was hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation the following year and was subsequently placed under a conservatorship overseen primarily by her father. That arrangement lasted 13 years before a judge terminated it in November of 2021, following the fan-led “Free Britney” movement. 
Since the conservatorship ended, the “Toxic” singer has remained active on social media — where a number of posts have drawn concern from fans, such as posting videos of herself dancing, often scantily clad and sometimes with knives. 
In recent months, Spears has been taking aim at her family in Instagram posts, claiming they’ve treated her poorly. Following her DUI arrest, she shared a post of herself spending time with her two sons, including a trip she took with them on a yacht in late March.

Britney Spears

Britney Spears Heads To Rehab After Posting Another Wild Video, DUI Arrest

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Today on &#8220;Dystopia Now,&#8221; we take a look at something called the Enhanced Games, where nearly 40 athletes compete while doped up on performance-enhancing substances. You can catch them at Resorts World Las Vegas in late May.
A Legion of Doom-worthy coalition of tech billionaires is funding the Enhanced Games, including Peter Thiel, the Winklevoss twins, Saudi prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, and Donald Trump Jr. According to their materials, it’s &#8220;a diversified revenue model designed to capitalize on the growing global demand for sports entertainment, performance enhancement and longevity products.&#8221;
As Richard Dawson said in &#8220;The Running Man,&#8221; “Without further ado, it’s time to start running!”
A major driver behind the Enhanced Games is German tech billionaire Christian Angermayer, the author of the Next Human Agenda. He is <a href="https://christianangermayer.substack.com/p/the-future-is-enhanced">pushing the games</a> as &#8220;a significant economic driver for the biotech pharma industry in the years ahead.&#8221;
 If the Enhanced Games sounds suspiciously like an advertisement for Compound V, the superhuman-making substance in &#8220;The Boys,&#8221; it should. This isn’t a sports gambit — it’s an advertisement for the “longevity” industry, based on big tech’s obsession with expanding the human lifespan and human vitality. 
The problem is, Compound V can create metahumans like Homelander, who is a total psychopath but is essentially evil Superman, but it can also create people with the power to shoot octopi out of their butts, or some such thing. We know that these substances aren’t steroids or cocaine, but we don’t know much else about them, or about their long-term effects. The Enhanced Games is promising sprint records, but A-Train, the super-sprinter on &#8220;The Boys,&#8221; has extreme heart issues and a dependency on Compound V.
Some athletes — who are either being paid very well, desperate for glory, or both — don’t seem to care. Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev broke a 50-meter freestyle world record in an Enhanced Games trial last year, making a million dollars in the process. As Forbes <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/josipamajic/2026/04/06/pro-doping-enhanced-games-raise-12-billion-before-a-single-race/">reported</a> this week, “Irish swimmer Max McCusker, also an Olympian, said publicly that his decision to join was a &#8220;no-brainer&#8221; after earning less than $10,000 across four years of professional swimming.”
<div id="attachment_1076275" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1076275" class="size-large wp-image-1076275" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II-1024x549.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Enhanced Games/YouTube.com" width="1024" height="549" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II-1024x549.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II-300x161.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II-768x411.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II-1536x823.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Enhanced-Games-II.jpg 1960w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshot: Enhanced Games/YouTube.com</div>
So what&#8217;s the endgame? Clearly, life expansion is a mantra of the day, slotting in alongside at-home helper robots, personalized flight, Mars colonization, and the AI singularity. We seem to be heading toward a bifurcated, Gattaca-like future, with “optimized” people at the top of the pyramid and a vast mass of suboptimal people at the bottom, Elois performing feats of strength at Resorts World for an audience of barely human Morlocks.
All this reminds me of the opening credits of the “Six Million Dollar Man,” “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability of making the world’s first bionic man. Better than he was before. Better. Stronger. Faster.” (Of course, today, six million is rounding error).
This future is actually kind of appealing, even interesting. We should at least try to see if the current billionaire obsession with hyperbaric cold plunges and blood transfusions and liquid megavitamins and genetic manipulation works. My own program of fish-oil pills, probiotics, not eating like crap, and standing on my head a few times a week seems to be working just fine, but I haven’t really started into the peak of my decline yet.
The real test of Enhanced Games technology won’t be how it affects super-swimmers or Olympic sprinters, who are already close to Peak Personhood. When they start injecting nootropics into people like me, to see if they can make the Substack posts a little snarkier and the decision-making at the $400 No-Limit Hold Em poker tournaments a little smarter, then we’ll see how well it works. Just remember that, sure, there are a lot of super-people in &#8220;The Boys.&#8221; But most of them end up with exploding heads.
* * *
Neal Pollack, “the greatest living American writer,” is the author of 12 semi-bestselling books of fiction and nonfiction and is a three-time “Jeopardy!” champion.

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The Enhanced Games And The Billionaire Dream Of Superhumans

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A woman known as the &#8220;Ketamine Queen&#8221; was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges connected to the death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry. 
Jasveen Sangha, 42, pleaded guilty last September to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. 
Perry’s family had pushed for a harsh sentence ahead of the hearing. 
&#8220;The pain you&#8217;ve caused to hundreds, maybe thousands, is irreversible,&#8221; the actor’s stepmother, Debbie Perry, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/matthew-perrys-stepmother-says-ketamine-094451974.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a victim impact statement. &#8220;There is no joy&#8230; No light in the window. They won&#8217;t be back.&#8221; 
&#8220;You caused this&#8230; You who has talent for business enough to make money chose the one way that hurts people,&#8221; the actor’s stepmother continued. &#8220;Please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she won&#8217;t be able to hurt other families like ours.&#8221;
Prosecutors said Sangha sold 51 vials of ketamine to Perry through his assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/north-hollywood-drug-dealer-who-sold-ketamine-killed-actor-matthew-perry-sentenced-15">according</a> to the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the Central District of California.
They also accused Sangha of continuing to sell drugs even after learning that the ketamine she sold had contributed to Perry’s death.
&#8220;She didn&#8217;t care and kept selling,&#8221; the attorneys wrote in a memorandum. &#8220;[The] Defendant&#8217;s actions show a cold callousness and disregard for life. She chose profits over people, and her actions have caused immense pain to the victims&#8217; families and loved ones.&#8221;
Prosecutors further said Sangha had opportunities to stop but &#8220;simply chose not to,&#8221; and alleged that she later exchanged texts with her associates to try to distance herself from Perry’s death.
Perry was found unresponsive, face down in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home on October 28, 2023. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office determined he had drowned, with ketamine listed as a contributing factor. The level of ketamine found in his system was close to a range used for general anesthesia, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doctor-to-plead-guilty-in-connection-with-friends-actor-matthew-perrys-ketamine-overdose-death">reported</a>.
Four other defendants pleaded guilty in connection with the case, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/north-hollywood-drug-dealer-who-sold-ketamine-killed-actor-matthew-perry-sentenced-15">including</a> Dr. Mark Chavez and Dr. Salvador Plasencia. Plasencia, 44, is serving a 30-month prison sentence, while Chavez, 55, was sentenced to three years of probation, eight months of home detention, and ordered to perform 300 hours of community service.

Matthew Perry

‘Ketamine Queen’ Learns Fate In Matthew Perry Case

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Sharks are getting a contact high as they swim through tropical waters, thanks in part to drug runners and careless tourists.
The buzz is real: Sharks swimming off the coast of Bermuda tested positive for cocaine, according to a new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749126001880?via%3Dihub">study</a> published in the journal Environmental Pollution. 
The apex predators of the sea have also ingested other substances from humans, including caffeine and over-the-counter painkillers, the study noted. It’s all believed to be part of aquatic pollution generated by people on vacation. 
“Pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs are increasingly recognized as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in marine environments, particularly in areas undergoing rapid urbanization and tourism-driven development,” the researchers wrote in the study.
Caffeine was the most commonly found substance in the 85 specimens tested around the remote island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. The study also detected acetaminophen and diclofenac, the active ingredients in Tylenol and Voltaren, as the next most common substances.
One of the sharks, a baby lemon shark in a nursery creek, tested positive for cocaine. Researchers said it was due to the animal biting down on discarded samples of the drug to determine what it was.
“They bite things to investigate and end up exposed,” study author Natascha Wosnick <a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cocaine-sharks-drugs-bahamas-eleuthera">told</a> Science News of the findings. “It’s mostly because people are going there, peeing in the water and dumping their sewage in the water,” she told the outlet.
Sharks from other areas have tested positive for cocaine in the past, though none have tested positive in the Bahamas until this most recent study.
The topic of cocaine crazed animals was the hook of the 2023 film “Cocaine Bear” directed by Elizabeth Banks. The film was loosely based on true events that occurred in 1985 when a 175-pound black bear died of a cocaine overdose in Georgia after consuming a duffel bag of drugs dropped by a smuggler.
Animals messing around with other toxic human substances have been making headlines lately. A viral <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWTrK09kub4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==">video</a> of a squirrel chewing on a vape device in London started making the rounds online, which led to conversations about wild critters being attracted to the fruity-smelling devices. 
“In the old days, you’d see lots of discarded cigarette butts, but I don’t remember squirrels running around with them,” Craig Shuttleworth, a red squirrel expert in the U.K., <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/23/squirrel-seen-vaping-in-london-park/">told</a> The Telegraph of the phenomenon. “It would be reasonable to assume that a vape would be more attractive than a normal tobacco product that’s not fruity.”
Unfortunately, the exposure to nicotine is harmful to squirrels and other wildlife.

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