A far-Left New York Democrat promised to “carry” Mexico’s fight against imperialism to Congress. 
House candidate Claire Valdez celebrated Mexico’s Independence Day in a social media post this week, saying she was “strengthened” by the country’s history. Valdez, a socialist candidate running in a deep blue New York City congressional seat, won the Democratic nomination for the open seat after an endorsement from NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani. 
“215 years ago, Mexicans fought an empire that demanded our land and our labor. And we won. I&#8217;ll carry that fight with me to Congress as New York&#8217;s first Mexican American representative,” Valdez <a href="https://x.com/claireforny/status/2100372764125220989">said</a> Wednesday. “And I&#8217;m strengthened not just by Mexico&#8217;s history but its present.”
Valdez added in her post that she recently met with “comrades” from Morena, a Left-wing political party in Mexico. 
“Last month I met comrades in Morena who are standing up to the empires and corporations that have always taken from us — and building a government for the working class,” she said. “¡Viva la Independencia, Viva México!”
House Republicans accused Valdez of forgetting in what country she was running for office. 
&#8220;Not sure if you&#8217;re aware of this, but you will be representing the United States of America in Congress and not Mexico,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/realBrandonGill/status/2100958680128577797">said</a> Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX).
“Sorry, which Congress are you ‘carrying this fight’ to? Ours? Mexico’s? And who are we ‘fighting,’ exactly? Spain?” <a href="https://x.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/2100673154095927596">said</a> Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX). “Please read a book if you do come to Congress. Most DSA’s haven’t, so you’d really be breaking new ground!”
Reporter Julio Rosas <a href="https://x.com/Julio_Rosas11/status/2100693091858403823">noted</a> the difference in Valdez’s post for Mexico’s independence to her past post on the Fourth of July. This past Independence Day, Valdez called for liberation for Palestine and Puerto Rico and attacked billionaires. 
“Freedom is only possible when we have the conditions for the good life — healthcare, housing, education, and dignity on the job. But the system is rigged and our planet poisoned by billionaires, bosses, and war profiteers,” she posted. “This 4th of July we recommit ourselves to remaking it. To fight for liberation from Palestine to Puerto Rico, for a Green New Deal, for the world we deserve.”
Valdez is running on a platform that includes abolishing ICE, universal rent control, Medicare for all, and “queer and trans liberation.”

NYC Votes In Lively Primaries, With Suburban Race Key To House

Democrat Candidate Promises To Bring Foreign Revolution To Congress

2026 midterm election

claire valdez

democratic socialists of america

mexico

politics

zohran mamdani

Drone activity has dropped roughly 75% along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas&#8217; Rio Grande Valley following the deployment of a new laser weapons system, military officials told CBS News.
While illegal immigration has dropped to record lows, Mexico&#8217;s cartels have found new ways to threaten the United States using drones.
Army Col. Robert Felicio, commander of the 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade deployed to the border, said the laser technology has had a &#8220;significant&#8221; impact on drone activity.
The U.S. military took out three drones on August 25 and 26, when it first began using the weapon, CBS News reported.
Since the start of the year, American troops have stopped 300 drones believed to be linked to Mexican cartels, according to the outlet. The laser took down 11 of those drones over a 10-day period.
In addition to the use of lasers, the drop in drone incursions may also be attributed to cartels using new routes, according to CBS.
During the lasers&#8217; initial deployment, the U.S. military accidentally shot down a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone near El Paso, Texas, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to close the airspace. Two weeks earlier, all air traffic over El Paso was shut down after federal authorities failed to coordinate with the FAA.
Since the earlier incidents, the military has ensured better coordination with the FAA regarding its use of the anti-drone technology, according to CBS.
Before using the laser technology, the U.S. military jammed drones and sent them back into Mexico. The new anti-drone weapon allows troops to take them down altogether.
&#8220;When you just send it back and then it comes back up or is defeated temporarily, but the game changer is ensuring that that tool can&#8217;t be used again against you,&#8221; Felicio told CBS.
The lasers are mounted on top of military vehicles and are controlled by soldiers using Xbox controllers while watching camera footage on a tablet, the outlet reported. Soldiers who grew up playing video games have found the Xbox controllers to be easy tools, Army Lt. Owen Farquer, an operator of the laser weapons system, said.
When the laser is activated, a brief flash of light is seen before the drone falls to the ground, according to CBS.
Within Mexico, drug cartels have sent drones to conduct assassinations. Between 2021 and 2025, there have been 221 such attacks, resulting in 77 fatalities, <a href="https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1149&amp;context=ncitereportsresearch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a report from the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE).
The laser technology has greatly strained the cartels&#8217; operations and has had a massive impact on their finances, Army Lt. Col. Ray Richards, the head of the 211th Military Police Battalion from the Massachusetts National Guard that is deployed to the border, told CBS.
&#8220;When you think of 75% reduction of that capability and how that spreads based on X amount of dollars are tied to that — I think when you talk about disruption to the cartels, that is a huge part of that story,&#8221; Richards told CBS.
The Army awarded the first-of-its-kind contract for high-energy lasers to AeroVironment for $465 million, according to CBS.

US-MEXICO-BORDER-SECURITY

How The U.S. Is Using A Laser Weapon To Take Out The Latest Cartel Threat

border security

cartel

laser weapon

military

Mexican drug cartels have found a new type of target: internet influencers. Content creators broadcasting from cartel territory are increasingly turning up dead, with some gunned down while livestreaming to their followers.
Most recently, Mexican authorities arrested a man accused of shooting and killing TikTok influencer Cesar Gastelum during a live broadcast in Culiacan, Sinaloa.
Local media estimate that roughly 20 influencers have been killed under similar circumstances across Mexico since 2024, with the toll concentrated in Sinaloa, according to CNN. A separate tally puts the number at 19 as of earlier this month, eight of them in Sinaloa alone, as<a href="https://www.the-sun.com/news/16924436/mexico-drug-cartels-slaughter-influencers/"> The Sun reported</a>.
International Crisis Group analyst David Mora told The Sun that influencers have become caught up in the bloody power struggle between rival criminal factions.
&#8220;The dynamic we are seeing with influencers and cartels in Mexico is one we have seen before – attacking those who provide resources for the enemy,&#8221; Mora said.
&#8220;Influencer killings have emerged alongside this war,&#8221; he added. &#8220;They have started taking sides – not directly but by promoting certain images or symbols or music associated with one of the groups.&#8221;
Gastelum, 24, had more than half a million TikTok followers before he was killed on August 4, per<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/influencer-murder-suspect-arrested-cesar-gastelum-killed-livestream-mexico/"> CBS News</a>. He was reportedly participating in a social media challenge outside a KFC restaurant when two men pulled up beside him on a motorcycle and opened fire. 
The shooting was captured on a livestream in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state and an epicenter of the ongoing war between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. 
Authorities are investigating whether Gastelum was targeted over his social media activity. Mexico&#8217;s security secretariat said shortly after his death that its lines of investigation included posts &#8220;alluding to a faction of a criminal group,&#8221; CBS News reported.
Gastelum is only the latest name on a growing list. 
Last year, Mexican social media influencer Valeria Marquez was shot and killed inside a beauty salon during a livestream on TikTok — the camera kept rolling as she lay bleeding to death. 
In Sinaloa, 22-year-old Agustin Paul, known online as &#8220;El Pinky,&#8221; was found dead with his hands and feet bound in January 2025. His killing came a day after threats were leveled against local musicians and another influencer, according to<a href="https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/deadly-risks-online-fame-influencers-cartel-violence-mexico-1813218"> IBTimes UK</a>. 
In October 2024, influencer Juan Carlos Lopez, known online as &#8220;El Chilango,&#8221; was shot dead after posting videos of his walks through Culiacan and publicly declaring his loyalty to incarcerated Sinaloa Cartel co-founder &#8220;El Chapo,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/08/americas/mexico-influencer-killing-cartel-latam-intl"> CNN reported</a>.
The threats have extended beyond individual killings. In January 2025, a small plane reportedly dropped pamphlets over Culiacan threatening artists and YouTubers accused of supporting one faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The violence comes amid a vicious internal war that erupted following the capture of longtime Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael &#8220;El Mayo&#8221; Zambada in the United States in July 2024. The conflict has pitted a faction loyal to Zambada against Los Chapitos, led by sons of Guzman. 
Social media has also become a valuable propaganda and recruitment tool for these violent gangs, which puts influencers even more at risk.
&#8220;Propaganda is crucial to cartels because it helps legitimize them,&#8221; Mora said. &#8220;Having local communities on your side makes control of criminal rackets easier. Making the criminal lifestyle attractive also helps recruit young people.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;Everyone&#8217;s life is filtered through social media – so it has become new turf to fight over.&#8221;
&#8220;The Sinaloa cartel was a perfect example of a cartel that did not have to rely on force and violence to keep control or support,&#8221; Mora told The Sun. &#8220;But these mechanisms are not there anymore especially amid the violence in Sinaloa, and this has brought a reckoning. Violence is now putting innocent people in the middle.&#8221;

Cesar Gastelum

Drug Cartels’ New Favorite Target: Internet Influencers

cartel violence

sinaloa

sinaloa cartel

social media influencer

world

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

MixCollage-23-Jul-2026-09-31-AM-2313

Illegal Who Murdered Beloved Restaurant Owner Sentenced To Prison

crime

donald trump

Illegal Immigation

murder

nashville

tennessee

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum promised Thursday to pursue “legal measures” against the United States following the fatal shooting of a Mexican national by an ICE agent in Houston, saying her government &#8220;cannot permit the mistreatment of our brothers&#8221; living in the U.S. 
She said Mexico&#8217;s response would “go beyond&#8221; a diplomatic protest, saying officials &#8220;are preparing measures&#8221; over the shooting and the deaths of other Mexican nationals while in ICE custody.
&#8220;We cannot turn a blind eye to the Mexicans who have died,&#8221; Sheinbaum said, adding, &#8220;Especially to Mexicans whose only crime is working honestly in the United States.&#8221;
Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the Mexican government will be requesting that the incidents be investigated as criminal matters. Velasco added that the government will also file civil lawsuits against private companies operating in the immigration detention centers in the United States.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old construction worker and father of three, was shot and killed Tuesday during an encounter with ICE agents in Houston after picking up members of his work crew. 
Araujo’s family <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/09/us/lorenzo-salgado-araujo-houston-ice-shooting">told</a> CNN they believe he would have complied with federal agents had the unmarked SUV they were in been clearly identified as law enforcement. 
The Department of Homeland Security disputed that account, telling The Daily Wire that Araujo “attempted to evade arrest” and “weaponized his vehicle&#8221; by attempting to run over an ICE agent, who fired in self-defense. 
Araujo was <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/07/08/mexican-president-vows-legal-action-against-us-after-ices-shooting-death-of-lorenzo-salgado-araujo-in-houston/">reportedly</a> shot on the right side of his body. He had resided in the United States without legal status for roughly 35 years. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is calling for an independent investigation after Araujo, a Mexican national who the family says has lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years, was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Houston on Tuesday. More:… <a href="https://t.co/eGij94wYSz">pic.twitter.com/eGij94wYSz</a>
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) <a href="https://x.com/ABC7NY/status/2075237326544887862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
The shooting sparked protests in Houston, where demonstrators called for an independent investigation.
The Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/houston-ice-shooting-video-22339108.php">confirmed</a> Thursday that the ICE agents involved were not wearing body cameras.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
More than a thousand protesters chanting ‘ICE out of Houston’ marched near the spot where a US ICE officer fatally shot a man driving to work, the latest in a spate of lethal encounters from increasing deportation raids nationwide <a href="https://t.co/bkQqeJQuuY">https://t.co/bkQqeJQuuY</a> <a href="https://t.co/GApbuTXDoj">pic.twitter.com/GApbuTXDoj</a>
— Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://x.com/Reuters/status/2075137883241922840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Claudia Sheinbaum

Mexico’s Response To Fatal ICE Shooting Takes Unexpected Turn

Houston

Immigrants

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

texas

A South Texas hospital that placed billboards in Mexico advertising &#8220;birth packages in South Texas&#8221; is now at the center of a state investigation for facilitating &#8220;birth tourism.&#8221;
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott instructed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to launch an investigation into Mission Regional Medical Center on Tuesday over allegations that the hospital profited from the abuse of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rules-against-trump-in-birthright-citizenship-case">birthright citizenship</a> in the United States. Viral images circulating on social media showed the billboards offering &#8220;birth packages&#8221; of up to $5,525 through a website named &#8220;havemybabyinTEXAS.com.&#8221;
The webpage quietly went offline just hours before Abbott&#8217;s announcement, <a href="https://www.chron.com/news/article/birth-tourism-abbott-texas-billboard-22336058.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Chron.com.
Mission Regional Medical Center confirmed that it was responsible for the billboards, which were written in both English and Spanish, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/abbott-orders-probe-texas-hospital-advertises-birth-packages-mexico-citizenship-not-sale" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“Birth tourism is an illegal practice that exploits the extraordinary hospitality that the United States and Texas offer to millions of foreign travelers each year,&#8221; Abbott said. &#8220;Thousands of foreign travelers come to the United States under false pretenses to give birth and secure citizenship for their children.&#8221;
&#8220;HHSC must investigate the hospital, a facility it regulates, for any violations of state law and contractual obligations,&#8221; Abbott added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Texas will not permit the exploitation of its healthcare system or its citizenship laws.
Governor Abbott will fight birth tourism and hold accountable any hospital or facility that profits from it. <a href="https://t.co/58p1FHb1Iy">https://t.co/58p1FHb1Iy</a>
— Governor Hot Wheels (@GovHotWheels_TX) <a href="https://x.com/GovHotWheels_TX/status/2074866790052606402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The medical facility said it was merely sharing information about healthcare services it provides, &#8220;like hospitals across the country&#8221; and denied facilitating &#8220;any unlawful activity.&#8221; The center also said it no longer uses the &#8220;marketing materials &#8230; due to any unintended misunderstanding.&#8221;
&#8220;Mission Regional Medical Center is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare and expanding access to care for the communities we serve,&#8221; the medical center said in a statement. &#8220;Like hospitals across the country and throughout the region, we share information about the healthcare services we provide.&#8221;
&#8220;We do not support or facilitate any unlawful activity and work to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations. The marketing materials regarding maternity services are no longer in use due to any unintended misunderstanding. We intend to work cooperatively and transparently with local and state officials. Our focus remains on delivering safe, high-quality care to every patient who seeks our services,&#8221; the hospital added.
The since-deleted website shared testimonials from women, including one from Mexico City, sharing their positive maternity experiences, according to Chron.com.
One of the hospital&#8217;s previous Instagram posts advertised: &#8220;Are you pregnant, living abroad, and looking to welcome your baby in South Texas? Look no further!&#8221; the outlet reported.
President Donald Trump attempted to overturn birthright citizenship, an effort that the Supreme Court ruled against last month.
Foreign nationals have long abused birthright citizenship and have even erected birthing centers in the United States to help produce American babies en masse.
One of those centers is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-are-chinese-birth-centers-hiding-in-your-backyard-we-went-to-find-out">De’Ai Postpartum Care Center in Houston</a>, which Texas sued for allegedly “exploiting birthright citizenship by unlawfully facilitating the invasion of Chinese nationals … for the sole purpose of giving birth.” The clinic has boasted facilitating 1,000 births.
The Daily Wire previously visited homes allegedly used by the center to house pregnant Chinese women. Only one person answered the door: Lai Wan Lin-Chan, who was named as a defendant in the lawsuit and refused to answer questions.

Untitled design – 2026-07-08T131044.948

Hospital Placed Billboards In Mexico Advertising Texas ‘Birth Packages,’ Prompting ‘Birth Tourism’ Probe

birth tourism

birthright citizenship

greg abbott

A Mexican national pleaded guilty to smuggling thousands of illegal immigrants into the United States, including from heavily Islamic countries with links to terrorism. 
Efrain Zuniga-Garcia admitted Monday in federal court to participating in a “vast” scheme to sneak up to 3,000 foreign nationals into America, including from countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Yemen, the Justice Department said. The 38-year-old Zuniga-Garcia was involved in the scheme from November 2020 until September 2023, when he was first charged.  
The smuggling network operated stash houses in Monterrey, Mexico, and Piedras Negras, Mexico, and brought in between 2,500 and 3,000 illegal immigrants. The network also smuggled in foreign nationals from India, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador.
The scheme operated at the same time that Border Patrol agents encountered a shocking spike in individuals on the terror watchlist along the porous border that former President Joe Biden oversaw.
Zuniga-Garcia ran the Monterrey stash house where he coordinated the transportation of the illegals by turning them over to “coyotes” who would bring them across the Rio Grande and into the United States, according to the Justice Department. 
He was charged in September 2023 with conspiracy to bring an alien into the United States and three counts of bringing an alien into the United States for financial benefit. Zuniga-Garcia pled guilty to both counts and faces a mandatory minimum of three years in prison upon sentencing. 
Multiple of Zuniga-Garcia’s co-defendants have already been sentenced to prison, including Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga and Monica Hernandez-Palma. Mejia-Zuniga, an illegal from Honduras who lived in San Antonio, Texas, was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/illegal-alien-honduras-sentenced-prison-vast-alien-smuggling-conspiracy">sentenced</a> to 10 years in prison in July 2025 after being convicted of directing the operation. 
“In an effort to satisfy his greed, Mejia-Zuniga facilitated the illegal movement of thousands of Middle Easterners into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas at the time. “His actions put our national security at risk.”
Lawmakers have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/on-9-11-republicans-warn-about-lingering-danger-from-bidens-open-border-policies?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=On+9%2F11%2C+Republicans+Warn+About+Lingering+Danger+From+Biden’s+‘Open-Border+Policies’">warned</a> that Americans could still be facing security challenges after the flood of illegal immigrants during the Biden presidency. The House Homeland Security Committee found that from the start of fiscal year 2021 to the end of Biden’s presidency, Border Patrol agents encountered around 400 individuals on the terror watchlist at the border. From 2017 to 2020, only 14 individuals on the terror watchlist were apprehended at the border, <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/December-24-SS.pdf">according</a> to the committee. During that same time, at least two million illegals who were known “gotaways” entered the country.

Yuma Arizona Border Crossing

Feds Unravel Mexican’s Scheme To Smuggle Middle Easterners Into U.S.

department of justice

middle east

Radical Islamic Terror

Mexican authorities are searching for a mysterious vigilante dubbed the “Batman of Lagos de Moreno” after several suspected motorcycle thieves were found bound to lampposts. 
Jalisco State Security Secretary Juan Pablo Hernández said police discovered five men duct-taped to lampposts, the Sun <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/39573349/mysterious-vigilante-dubbed-mexican-batman/?utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_campaign=sunmainfacebook&amp;utm_source=Facebook&amp;fbclid=IwZnRzaASudWJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeiIbP4DqZXI8q8BNsNRknleGcA_Pj8VB7KO-s-u7O6uR2Sm1SeUV4YtUK7VE_aem_ub0H-0t9uOGDUmrB6uSqpg#Echobox=1782676251">reported</a>. Some were gagged or showed signs of being beaten. Several had pink signs placed above their heads detailing their alleged crimes, while others had mustaches, cat ears, or the word “ratero,” Spanish for &#8220;thief,&#8221; scribbled on them in marker. In some cases, stolen motorcycles were left beside them.
“In Jalisco, after the lack of help from the authorities, an anonymous hero started hunting down motorcycle thieves,” Mexican reporter Luis Cardenas said in his viral post. “So far, he&#8217;s already taken down five in ten days, and they call him the ‘Batman of Lagos de Moreno’.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 En Jalisco, tras la falta de ayuda por parte de las autoridades, un héroe anónimo empezó a cazar ladrones robamotos. Hasta el momento, ya lleva cinco en diez días y lo apodan el &#8216;Batman de Lagos de Moreno&#8217;. <a href="https://t.co/C1AJYqGIcO">pic.twitter.com/C1AJYqGIcO</a>
— LuisCardenasMX (@LuisCardenasMx) <a href="https://x.com/LuisCardenasMx/status/2069764950059372791?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2026</a><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></blockquote>
Though no suspects have been arrested in connection with the incidents, officials said they are tracking two cars believed to be involved. Police are investigating the assaults on the bound men while also reviewing accusations that they were involved in motorcycle thefts.
Authorities have not said whether they believe a single person is acting alone or whether others may be involved. 
The unusual case has drawn attention as Mexico continues to fight organized crime, cartel violence, and to deal with police corruption.
Frustration with crime and distrust of law enforcement have fueled a rise in vigilantes in parts of Mexico. Earlier this year, armed women in the nearby state of Michocoán were reported patrolling their communities to protect residents from cartel violence. 
Motorcycle theft remains a recurring problem in the Altos Norte region of Jalisco, where Lagos de Moreno is located. The United States has <a href="https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/mexico.html">issued</a> a Level 3 crime warning for the state of Jalisco, advising Americans to “reconsider travel” in the area.

Screenshot 2026-06-29 at 4.00.57 PM

Authorities Hunt ‘Mexican Batman’ After Vigilante Justice

Corruption

Mexico opened the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 victory over South Africa on Thursday in Mexico City, capitalizing on an early defensive mistake and a second-half red card.
Mexico’s Julián Quiñones scored the tournament&#8217;s first goal in the eighth minute after South Africa’s midfielder Sphephelo S’miso “Yaya” Sithole lost possession just outside the penalty area, allowing Mexico to take an early 1-0 lead. The mistake directly led to the first goal of the 2026 World Cup.
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MEXICO SCORES THE FIRST GOAL OF THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP 🇲🇽
It&#8217;s Julián Quiñones in the scoresheet! <a href="https://t.co/SnoP04ltFP">pic.twitter.com/SnoP04ltFP</a>
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) <a href="https://x.com/FOXSports/status/2065151323280990213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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South Africa prevented Mexico from adding to its advantage for the remainder of the first half, but the match swung further in Mexico&#8217;s favor shortly after halftime.
Sithole was shown a red card five minutes into the second half, the ejection reducing South Africa to 10 men for the remainder of the match. The turnover that led to Mexico&#8217;s opening goal and the early red card made Sithole a central figure in South Africa&#8217;s defeat.
Mexico eventually doubled its lead in the 67th minute when Raúl Jiménez scored on a header to give Mexico a 2-0 lead. 
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South Africa is shown a red card and is down to 10 men! 🟥 <a href="https://t.co/HnPqExqTRq">pic.twitter.com/HnPqExqTRq</a>
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) <a href="https://x.com/FOXSports/status/2065167041250591001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The victory gives Mexico an early advantage in Group A, while South Africa will now look to rebound against Czechia next week. 
Sithole, who finished the opening game with three fouls and was ejected in the second half, will be suspended for South Africa&#8217;s next match on Thursday.

Mexico v South Africa: Group A – FIFA World Cup 2026

South African Sithole Has Nightmare Start To World Cup

South Africa

world cup

A 30-year-old pregnant mother from Indiana was found dead in Mexico more than three months after she and her children were reported missing.
Makala Pendley was found dead earlier this week in a village in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, according to local officials. Pendley was six months pregnant when she disappeared with her seven children in February.
Her sister, Mauricia Lambert, said in a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/makala-pendley">GoFundMe</a> that Pendley was found “stabbed, raped, sodomized, naked, with her head bashed in.” Mexican authorities said Pendley died from traumatic brain injury caused by blunt-force trauma, according to local reports.
After identifying Pendley&#8217;s body, authorities began searching for her children, who were believed to have been with her, and for her partner, Joseph Jude Butler Jr., whom Mexican officials identified as a suspect in the case.
The children were later found in “good health” in the San Cristóbal de las Casas neighborhood, where they were immediately placed under government protection. Butler was arrested shortly after, as <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2026/06/11/makala-pendley-chiapas-state-prosecutor-jorge-luis-llaven-abarca-joseph-jude-butler-jr-arrest/90509380007/">announced</a> by Chiapas State Prosecutor Jorge Luis Llaven Abarca during a Facebook Live broadcast on Monday.
“In the coming hours, his criminal responsibility will be determined, and he may be brought before justice,” Llaven Abarca stated. “We will seek the maximum sentence of 100 years for this perpetrator of femicide.”
Just a few days prior, Llaven Abarca said authorities had found the body of a deceased woman in the Elambó Bajo area of Zinacantán.
“Based on the time of death, she had been at the location where she was found for between 8 and 12 hours,” he said on the broadcast just days before the identification of the body.
Pendley and her children were reported missing on February 25 after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued an alert. They were believed to have left Indianapolis and traveled to Mexico.
Pendley was found alive in Mexico last month after her sister told <a href="https://fox59.com/indiana-news/pregnant-indy-mom-found-murdered-in-mexico-her-missing-kids-found-safe/">FOX59</a> that she had fled there because she feared “her children would be taken away from her.” Authorities took custody of her children at the time before later releasing them back to Pendley.
During Monday&#8217;s broadcast, Mexican authorities said American officials informed them that Butler has a history of criminal activity. Llaven Abarca said Butler had an active warrant in Alaska and had previously been detained in the United States in connection with allegations including assault, robbery, fraud, illegal weapons possession, intimidation, and rape.
Butler and Pendley had been in an on-and-off “toxic relationship” since Pendley was 16, according to the Indianapolis Star. This includes a legal incident in August 2025 where Pendley claimed she was assaulted by Butler in Yucatan, Mexico.
Pendley’s body and her seven children are expected to be returned to Indianapolis.

Mexican Drug War Fuels Violence In Juarez

A Missing Family’s Nightmare Ends With A Grim Discovery

indiana

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

Untitled design – 2026-04-30T154341.028

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

Border

Drug Cartels

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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

Surge In Migration Overwhelms Texas Border City Of Eagle Pass

Court Ruling Could Spell Trouble For Trump’s Border Crackdown

immigration

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