Forecasters said on Wednesday they believe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane</a> Lee will be heading toward New England over the next several days.
Heading into the weekend, the storm brings the risk of wind, coastal flooding, and rain impacts for parts of New England as well as Canada&#8217;s Atlantic Coast as Lee&#8217;s core passes west of Bermuda and moves north, <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1701974377351246317" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the National Hurricane Center</a>. The National Weather Service forecast office in Boston/Norton, Massachusetts, additionally <a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=BOX&amp;issuedby=BOX&amp;product=AFD&amp;format=CI&amp;version=1&amp;glossary=1&amp;highlight=off" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> of increasing surf and rip currents.
Atmospheric conditions are expected to prompt Hurricane Lee to &#8220;gradually increase in forward speed&#8221; and may cause it to &#8220;turn slightly to the left Friday night and Saturday, which will likely bring Lee close to southeastern New England before it reaches Maine and Atlantic Canada later in the weekend,&#8221; NHC <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT3+shtml/131438.shtml?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a discussion post.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
11 am AST: Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lee?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lee</a> is expected to move toward New England and Atlantic Canada. Here are the Key Messages. Visit <a href="https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb">https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb</a> <a href="https://t.co/qrQg0FXPgn">pic.twitter.com/qrQg0FXPgn</a>
&mdash; National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1701974377351246317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Confidence is increasing in the forecast track, and the model spread is mostly along-track, associated with the system&#8217;s forward speed/timing,&#8221; NHC added, emphasizing how the forecast has become more certain over time. &#8220;Overall, little change was made to the previous NHC track forecast, and it remains very near the various consensus models.&#8221;
Lee weakened from its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lee-becomes-powerful-category-5-hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">peak Category 5 status</a> last week but has <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/hurricane-lee-slows-ahead-northward-083559662.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grown in size</a> over the past few days, meaning its hurricane-force winds are stretching out farther away from its center. Forecasters with NHC said the storm would bring rough surf and rip currents to a wide area in the Caribbean —including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico — and tropical storm conditions to Bermuda in the coming days.
&#8220;Due to Lee&#8217;s large size, hazards will extend well away from the center, and there will be little to no significance on exactly where the center reaches the coast,&#8221; NHC stressed.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
The storm clocked in as a <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Category 3 hurricane</a> with sustained maximum winds of 115 miles per hour as of midday on Wednesday, but forecasters believe it will continue to diminish as it gets closer to New England and Canada. Still, they warned, Lee will pose a danger to people in those areas.
&#8220;[Lee] is still a major hurricane &amp; poses a serious threat to New England &amp; the Canadian Maritimes. Although weaker this weekend, expect high surf, coastal flooding, beach erosion, &amp; periods of high winds. Lee will be moving quickly, with [effects] being intense but short-lived,&#8221; Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes <a href="https://twitter.com/mikebettes/status/1701998748107264227" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a post to X</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lee?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lee</a> is still a major hurricane &amp; poses a serious threat to New England &amp; the Canadian Maritimes. Although weaker this weekend, expect high surf, coastal flooding, beach erosion, &amp; periods of high winds. Lee will be moving quickly, with affects being intense but short-lived. <a href="https://t.co/phvQrwfUwi">pic.twitter.com/phvQrwfUwi</a>
&mdash; Mike Bettes (@mikebettes) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikebettes/status/1701998748107264227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Atlantic hurricane season, which stretches from June 1 to November 30, is currently at its peak. Another second hurricane, Margot, is churning around the central Atlantic Ocean and is not<a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/131455.shtml?" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> expected to go very far over the next few days</a>. And a <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&amp;fdays=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disturbance over the eastern Atlantic Ocean</a> has an 80% chance of forming into a tropical cyclone in the next week.
A hurricane named Idalia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/electric-vehicles-catch-fire-after-hurricane-idalia-flooding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed into Florida&#8217;s Gulf Coast in late August</a>, causing flooding, power outages, and <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article279223344.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least four deaths</a>.

Hurricane Lee

Forecasters Warn Hurricane Lee Expected To Move Toward New England

Boston

Canada

Hurricane

Puerto Rico

Severe Weather

U.S.

Virgin Islands

Weather

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane</a> Lee has become a &#8220;dangerous&#8221; Category 5 storm over the Atlantic Ocean, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced late Thursday.
An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter found that the hurricane &#8220;skyrocketed&#8221; to the high end of the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale</a> during the day with sustained maximum winds of 160 miles per hour, the federal agency <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT3+shtml/080252.shtml?">explained</a> in an 11 p.m. ET discussion post.
The storm is expected to maintain a &#8220;steady&#8221; track to the west-northwest, passing &#8220;well to the north&#8221; of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico over the next five days, NHC said.
During that period, Lee may slightly diminish to Category 4 status, which would still keep it as a major hurricane with the potential for &#8220;catastrophic&#8221; damage, according to the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php">Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Lee, now a category five hurricane with winds of 160 mph, is still expected to turn north before reaching the U.S. East Coast next week. <a href="https://t.co/wRk5uHo5YR">pic.twitter.com/wRk5uHo5YR</a>
&mdash; James Spann (@spann) <a href="https://twitter.com/spann/status/1699981624677429316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Afterward, the track for Hurricane Lee becomes far less certain, as is often the case with extended forecasts.
&#8220;Although there are some indications that Lee might begin a northward turn around the middle of next week, it is still way [too] soon to focus on specific model scenarios that far out into the future,&#8221; NHC said.
Some computer models indicated on Thursday that Hurricane Lee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hurricane-lee-expected-to-reach-category-5-strength">could threaten to directly impact</a>, if not make landfall, over the Mid-Atlantic, New England, or Canada. Another possibility is that the storm gets steered away from the U.S.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LEE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LEE</a>. 160 MPH WINDS. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TropicalUpdate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TropicalUpdate</a> 🌀 <a href="https://t.co/wN6wIOU8K6">pic.twitter.com/wN6wIOU8K6</a>
&mdash; Dylan Federico (@DylanFedericoWX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanFedericoWX/status/1699980711493542146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents are likely in the northern Leeward Islands beginning Friday. These conditions will spread westward and northward, affecting Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and Bermuda through the weekend,&#8221; the NHC said as one of its &#8220;key messages&#8221; in its 11 p.m. post.
&#8220;It is way too soon to know what level of impacts, if any, Lee might have along the U.S. East Coast, Atlantic Canada, or Bermuda late next week, particularly since the hurricane is expected to slow down considerably over the southwestern Atlantic,&#8221; NHC said in another message. &#8220;Regardless, dangerous surf and rip currents are expected along most of the U.S.  East Coast beginning Sunday. Continue to monitor updates to Lee&#8217;s forecast during the next several days.&#8221;
The Weather Channel also emphasized the uncertainty in the longterm forecast, <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2023-09-06-hurricane-lee-forecast-atlantic-rapid-intensification">but warned</a> &#8220;Bermuda, the northeast U.S. coast and Atlantic Canada should monitor the forecast closely.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-28709">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
The Atlantic hurricane season, which stretches from June 1 to November 30, is currently at its peak. Lee is the first Category 5 hurricane since last season. Tropical Storm Margot has formed over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and so far the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT4+shtml/080253.shtml?">NHC forecast calls for it stay out to sea</a> as it becomes a hurricane.
Another hurricane named Idalia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/electric-vehicles-catch-fire-after-hurricane-idalia-flooding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed into Florida&#8217;s Gulf Coast last week</a>, causing flooding, power outages, and <a href="https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/hurricane-idalia-death-toll/67-c1119bc7-30bb-45b6-9170-b7b8551a57d7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least two deaths</a>.

Hurricane Lee Cat 5

Lee Becomes Powerful Category 5 Hurricane

Forecasters with the federal government predict <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane</a> Lee will reach Category 5 status by the weekend as it heads toward the United States, though its extended track remains uncertain.
Maximum sustained winds are expected to reach 160 miles per hour by the weekend, putting the storm at the high end of the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale</a> with the potential for &#8220;catastrophic&#8221; damage.
&#8220;Many of the models are calling for remarkable rates of intensification, beyond rates normally seen with model forecasts,&#8221; the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT3+shtml/071459.shtml?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thursday discussion post</a>.
In the days that follow, the storm is expected to slightly diminish to Category 4 status, which would still keep it as a major hurricane.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
11AM AST Sep 7: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lee?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lee</a> is forecast to become a major hurricane later today. Stay up to date with the latest at <a href="https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ">https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/OytGC4Atmo">pic.twitter.com/OytGC4Atmo</a>
&mdash; National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1699805035188900004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
The NHC said the storm, which was moving over the Atlantic Ocean toward the Caribbean as a Category 2 hurricane as of midday on Thursday, would likely travel north of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other nearby islands over the weekend and into next week. But, the agency added, these islands should continue monitoring for updates.
&#8220;Swells generated by Lee are expected to reach portions of the Lesser Antilles on Friday, and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Bahamas, and Bermuda this weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,&#8221; the NHC stressed in one of its <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT3+shtml/071459.shtml?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;key&#8221; messages</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A look at Hurricane Lee as it swirls in the western Atlantic Ocean this morning. The current maximum sustained wind gusts are 90 mph.
Lee is forecast to intensify rapidly into a powerful Category 5 hurricane (157+ mph sustained winds) by the weekend. <a href="https://t.co/OUpcEKCIfr">pic.twitter.com/OUpcEKCIfr</a>
&mdash; AccuWeather (@accuweather) <a href="https://twitter.com/accuweather/status/1699788847817855302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The outlook for next week for Hurricane Lee gets murky, as is often the case with extended forecasts, and even if it does not make landfall over North America, its effects could still extend far and wide.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-28709">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
A <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/hurricane-lee-set-to-explode-to-category-5-strength-prior-to-caribbean-us-impacts/1576688#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video from AccuWeather</a> showed that Hurricane Lee would turn to the north and, depending on the jet stream, could lead to a &#8220;direct impact risk&#8221; somewhere along the coast of the Mid-Atlantic, New England, or Canada. Another possibility is that the jet stream steers it away from the U.S.
The Atlantic hurricane season, which stretches from June 1 to November 30, is currently at its peak. Another hurricane named Idalia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/electric-vehicles-catch-fire-after-hurricane-idalia-flooding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed into Florida&#8217;s Gulf Coast last week</a>, causing flooding, power outages, and <a href="https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/hurricane-idalia-death-toll/67-c1119bc7-30bb-45b6-9170-b7b8551a57d7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least two deaths</a>.
Though it appears right now Hurricane Lee will not hit Florida, one local forecaster recommended that the rest of the East Coast keep watch. &#8220;Models continue to thankfully keep this well away from Florida, but should be monitored from the Carolinas to Eastern Canada,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/MattDevittWINK/status/1699800369126367544" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> WINK News chief meteorologist Matt Devitt.

Hurricane Lee Expected To Reach Category 5 Strength

Florida

schiff pic

‘The Government Can Destroy Anyone’: How An IRS-Led Global Alliance Ruined An Innocent American Banker

'The Government Can Destroy Anyone': How An IRS-Led Global Alliance Ruined An Innocent American Banker

Australia

Banking

Corruption

Law Enforcement

Media Bias

Taxes

People in the Caribbean are being advised to take precautions as the first Atlantic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurricane</a> of the 2023 season is expected to develop from a system brewing in the tropics later this week and head their way.
Tropical Depression Three formed over the Central Atlantic Ocean on Monday and is <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT3+shtml/191456.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heading west</a>, leading the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1670811079528833024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advise everyone</a> in the Lesser Antilles, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/puerto-rico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Puerto Rico</a>, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/virgin-islands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virgin Islands</a> to &#8220;closely monitor&#8221; for updates and have a hurricane plan prepared.
A risk of flooding, heavy rainfall, hurricane-force winds, and &#8220;dangerous&#8221; storm surge and waves are all possible, but a &#8220;larger than usual uncertainty in the track forecast&#8221; means it is too early to determine the exact location and magnitude of these hazards, <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at3.shtml?start#contents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NHC said</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Jun 19 8AM EDT: Very busy for mid-June &#8211; the central Atlantic wave in red (<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AL92?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AL92</a>) is close to becoming a tropical depression, and the E Atlantic system in orange could develop this week. For full details, visit <a href="https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ">https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/JnOYzHnSSe">pic.twitter.com/JnOYzHnSSe</a>
&mdash; National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1670765229800841218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/brewing-tropical-rainstorm-sailing-westward-across-the-atlantic/1543896" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forecasters with AccuWeather</a> predicted that the system could become a tropical storm by Tuesday morning and later a hurricane, which requires sustained maximum winds of at least 74 miles per hour, <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale</a>.
As of mid-Monday, the storm&#8217;s maximum sustained winds were being clocked at around 35 mph with higher wind gusts, and considering the expectation for some strengthening, the &#8220;depression is forecast to become a hurricane in a few days,&#8221; NHC said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced last month that this year&#8217;s Atlantic hurricane season, stretching from June 1 to November 30, was expected to have <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/2023-atlantic-hurricane-season-outlook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">near-normal activity</a> with 12-17 named storms and five-nine of them strengthening to hurricane status.
Tropical Depression Three is destined to receive the name &#8220;Bret&#8221; after Tropical Storm Arlene formed in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this month and quickly dissipated.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-107910">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
The National Weather Service station in Miami <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSMiami/status/1670810924628967425" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Monday there is no current threat to southern Florida at the moment, but urged people to take this time to prepare for the hurricane season. NHC forecasters said a <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&amp;fdays=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second disturbance</a> also has a chance of tropical cyclone formation in the next 48 hours.
James Spann, a <a href="https://www.al.com/life/2019/07/the-james-spann-you-never-knew.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">popular meteorologist in Alabama</a>, said that it is premature to determine whether the United States will be affected by what may become Hurricane Bret.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
TD3 forms in the Atlantic; it should become Tropical Storm Bret soon. Still lots of uncertainty in the track and intensity forecast. For now NHC forecasts the system to be a hurricane south of Puerto Rico by Saturday. Too early to know if this will impact the contiguous U.S. <a href="https://t.co/O99I6beCXz">pic.twitter.com/O99I6beCXz</a>
&mdash; James Spann (@spann) <a href="https://twitter.com/spann/status/1670815257961299972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;TD3 forms in the Atlantic; it should become Tropical Storm Bret soon. Still lots of uncertainty in the track and intensity forecast,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/spann/status/1670815257961299972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spann said</a> in a tweet. &#8220;For now NHC forecasts the system to be a hurricane south of Puerto Rico by Saturday. Too early to know if this will impact the contiguous U.S.&#8221;

Tropical Depression Three

First Atlantic Hurricane Of 2023 Season Expected, High Uncertainty In Forecast

Alabama

Environment

World

Drug smugglers off the coast of Puerto Rico shot and killed a U.S. border agent and injured at least two others Thursday morning.
The Washington Examiner <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/crime/us-border-agents-shot-fatal-narcos-puerto-rico">reports</a> three Customs and Border Protection&#8217;s Air and Marine Operations agents were involved in a shootout with narcos on board a suspected smuggling vessel upon approach near the coast of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
&#8220;The marine agents suffered various gunshot injuries as a result,&#8221; border patrol agents told The Washington Examiner. &#8220;The agents are being airlifted by CBP and Coast Guard to the Puerto Rico Trauma Center.&#8221;
Local media <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LVDSUR/videos/375473394768793/">reports</a> the agents stopped the drug smugglers when they were allegedly transferring narcotics between vessels.
CBP spokesman Jeffrey Quiñones told <a href="https://apnews.com/article/customs-agents-shooting-puerto-rico-55811816baaeae6445ae09a9c56040e3">The Associated Press</a> one of two suspected smugglers died.
The Examiner later reported authorities placed two men into federal custody for the maritime shooting of multiple U.S. border agents.
Air and Marine Operations teams have approximately 1,800 federal agents and personnel that confront security threats through aviation and maritime law enforcement. The division uses 240 aircraft and 300 marine vessels that operate throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to the border patrol <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/air-sea">website</a>, Air and Marine Operations teams seized or disrupted 324,772 pounds of cocaine, 779,725 pounds of marijuana, 1,191 pounds of fentanyl, 18,548 pounds of methamphetamine, 900 weapons, and $73.3 million, and led to 1,119 arrests, and 122,035 apprehensions of undocumented individuals during the Fiscal Year 2021.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee top Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman cited the report during a hearing about threats to the homeland.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Portman mentioned the loss of one of the front-line agents, adding several others were wounded.
&#8220;These are brave members of our Air and Marine Operations within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, so the difficulty of this job cannot be compared to the difficulty that our front-line personnel face every day — and their bravery and selfless service should be recognized,&#8221; Mayorkas said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement&#8217;s Homeland Security Investigations agents began investigating the situation.

U.S. Air And Marine Predator Drones Launch For Missions Overlooking U.S.-Mexico Border

Shootout With Narcos Leaves One U.S. Border Agent Dead, At Least Two Others Injured

Border Patrol

Crime

Customs and Border Protection (CPB)

Drug Cartels

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/puerto-rico">Puerto Rico</a> is without power across the island on Sunday as Category 1 Hurricane Fiona heads across its southern coast.
Governor Pedro Pierluisi confirmed the <a href="https://poweroutage.us/area/state/puerto%20rico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electrical outage</a> shortly before President Joe Biden authorized an emergency disaster.
&#8220;Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Fiona beginning on September 17, 2022, and continuing,&#8221; Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/09/18/president-joseph-r-biden-jr-approves-puerto-rico-emergency-declaration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
&#8220;The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population,&#8221; the declaration added.
The storm is expected to bring up to two feet of rain in some parts of the island, with more than 12 inches of precipitation across most of Puerto Rico. Fiona began as a tropical storm, striking Guadeloupe on Friday with one death reported.
Fiona was upgraded to hurricane status on Sunday as sustained winds reached more than 80 miles per hour. Gusts of up to 100 miles per hour have been reported on the island that is home to 1.4 million people.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Les inondations à Puerto rico <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fiona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fiona</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/puertorico?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#puertorico</a> <a href="https://t.co/2whBIeZ9A5">pic.twitter.com/2whBIeZ9A5</a>
&mdash; Gérald DELISCAR-JOURDAN (@GDELISCAR) <a href="https://twitter.com/GDELISCAR/status/1571512186513641476?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Puerto Rico&#8217;s Luma Energy reported the blackout conditions on Sunday afternoon.
&#8220;The current weather conditions are extremely dangerous and are hindering our ability to fully assess the situation,&#8221; the company shared in a <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/1571567071674114049" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
&#8220;Due to the magnitude and extent of the blackout, as well as the effects of Hurricane Fiona, the total restoration of electricity service could take several days,&#8221; it added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Just west of Ponce, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PuertoRico?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PuertoRico</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hurricane?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hurricane</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fiona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fiona</a> &#8211; <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSanJuan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NWSSanJuan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LiveStormsMedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LiveStormsMedia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NHC_Atlantic</a> <a href="https://t.co/b8PRxJ2UXw">pic.twitter.com/b8PRxJ2UXw</a>
&mdash; Brett Adair (@AlaStormTracker) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlaStormTracker/status/1571567670163607552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Health centers are reportedly running on generators, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/floods-storms-hurricanes-puerto-rico-tropical-01028dac6655ddb5b321f345cf9e9358?taid=632735807c9ef600011db5ca&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Associated Press. The outlet noted that Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said crews were working to repair generators as soon as possible at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, which had experienced outages.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
103 MPH wind gust from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hurricane?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hurricane</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fiona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fiona</a> here in Ponce where we&#39;re stuck in the (dirty) eye wall with roar of the wind continuing. The entire island is without power as disastrous and life-threatening flash flooding continues. <a href="https://t.co/AHUik23Jec">pic.twitter.com/AHUik23Jec</a>
&mdash; Mike Seidel (@mikeseidel) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikeseidel/status/1571565389079019521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The new hurricane passes through just two days ahead of the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, which caused nearly 3,000 deaths in the region in 2017. The devastating Category 4 storm struck on September 20, 2017, destroying the island’s power grid.
Puerto Rico is also just two years beyond a 6.4-magnitude <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/puerto-rico-sacks-two-more-officials-over-unused-hurricane-maria-supplies-government-admits-there-may-be-more-warehouses-full-of-rotting-aid-items" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earthquake</a> that shook the nation, making global headlines over both the event and the problems in the state of emergency following the natural disaster.
The quake damaged one of the island’s main power plants and triggered a self-protective feature on the electric grid, leaving the entire U.S. territory without electricity.

hurricane

Hurricane Fiona Leaves All Of Puerto Rico Without Electricity

Natural Disaster

Former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/puerto-rico">Puerto Rico</a> Governor Wanda Vázquez was arrested on Thursday on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bribery">bribery</a> charges, according to a statement by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice">Department of Justice</a> (DOJ).
The federal charges are connected to the financing of Vázquez’s 2020 gubernatorial campaign. Between December 2019 and June 2020, Vásquez allegedly received $300,000 from a banker and a former FBI agent to pay political consultants for her campaign. Authorities believe that in return for the donations, Vázquez would have appointed the donors’ desired candidate to the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF).
Vázquez and other accused participants in the scheme have been charged with conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and honest services wire fraud, and face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
&#8220;The alleged bribery scheme rose to the highest levels of the Puerto Rican government, threatening public trust in our electoral processes and institutions of governance,&#8221; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/04/americas/puerto-rico-wanda-vazquez-governor-arrested/index.html">said</a> in a statement.
Vázquez had previously served as Puerto Rico’s secretary of justice and as a district attorney, and she became governor in 2019, after her predecessor, Ricardo Rosselló, was forced to step down by island-wide protests after a <a href="https://www.latinorebels.com/2019/07/15/telegramgatescandal/">scandal</a> of his own.
The DOJ also <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-governor-puerto-rico-arrested-bribery-scheme">named</a> Herrera Velutini, Frances Diaz, John Blakeman, and Mark Rossini as accused participants in the corruption scheme. Velutini, 50, is a dual Venezuelan-Italian citizen and the owner of an international bank, and Diaz, a 50-year-old resident of Puerto Rico, was the bank’s president. Rossini, 60, was a former FBI special agent and a consultant for Velutini, and Blakeman, 53, is a political consultant who worked on Vázquez’s 2020 campaign.
Velutini’s bank was reportedly audited in 2019 by the OCIF. Velutini and Rossini are accused of reaching out via third parties to various political candidates and offering bribes and campaign support in exchange for the replacement of the current commissioner of the OCIF with a former consultant of Velutini’s. After Vázquez lost her party primary in 2020, the group allegedly attempted to reach out to her successor; an FBI informant posing as his representative caught them.
Diaz and Blakeman have both pleaded guilty to charges connected to the bribery scheme, according to the indictment.
Peter John Porrata, a member of Vázquez’s legal team, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/04/americas/puerto-rico-wanda-vazquez-governor-arrested/index.html">CNN</a> on Thursday that Vázquez will plead not guilty to the charges.
Vázquez’s successor, Governor Pedro Pierluisi, said in response to the ruling that under his administration, there was “zero tolerance for corruption.”
&#8220;No one is above the law in Puerto Rico,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-puerto-rico-governor-wanda-vazquez-arrested-on-bribery-charges/">said</a>. &#8220;Faced with this news that certainly affects and lacerates the confidence of our people, I reiterate that in my administration, we will continue to have a common front with federal authorities against anyone who commits an improper act, no matter where it comes from or who it may implicate.&#8221;

Walter Mercado Funeral

Ex-Governor Of Puerto Rico Arrested On Bribery Charges

Ex-Governor Of Puerto Rico Wanda Vázquez Arrested On Bribery Charges

Bribery

Department of Justice

Singer Ricky Martin faces the possibility of potentially spending the rest of his of life behind bars after domestic violence allegations were filed against him by a family member.
A <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/puerto-rican-judge-slaps-ricky-martin-with-restraining-order-but-police-cant-find-him-to-serve-it/">restraining order</a> was issued against Martin earlier this month in Puerto Rico following the allegations and his brother, Eric Martin, told a Spanish publication that the alleged victim is the singer&#8217;s nephew, 21-year-old Dennis Yadiel Sanchez.
Under Puerto Rican law, the penalties for sexual crimes are more severe if the victim is a family member. The criminal complaint against Martin was filed anonymously under a law that protects victims of domestic abuse, according to the report.
A separate report from a local newspaper claimed that Martin and the person who filed the restraining order had dated for more than half a year and that Martin did not take their breakup well.
Martin’s attorney, Marty Singer, dismissed the allegations against the singer in a <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/07/15/ricky-martin-accused-of-incest-in-shocking-puerto-rico-reports/">statement</a> on Friday, saying that the accuser &#8220;is struggling with deep mental health challenges.&#8221;
&#8220;Ricky Martin has, of course, never been — and would never be — involved in any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew,&#8221; the attorney added. &#8220;The idea is not only untrue, it is disgusting. We all hope that this man gets the help he so urgently needs. But, most of all, we look forward to this awful case being dismissed as soon as a judge gets to look at the facts.&#8221;
“The allegations against Ricky Martin that lead to a protection order are completely false and fabricated,” a representative for Martin told The Post earlier this month. “We are very confident that when the true facts come out in this matter our client Ricky Martin will be fully vindicated.”
Martin directly addressed the restraining order shortly after the judged ordered it earlier this month, writing in a post on social media that the protection order &#8220;is based on completely false allegations, so I will respond through the process with the facts and the dignity that characterize me.&#8221;
&#8220;Because it is an ongoing legal matter, I cannot make detailed statements at this time,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I am grateful for the countless messages of solidarity, and I receive them with all my heart.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/iAznFleEAK">pic.twitter.com/iAznFleEAK</a>
&mdash; Ricky Martin (@ricky_martin) <a href="https://twitter.com/ricky_martin/status/1543764013141614594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Representatives for Martin said earlier this month that they were &#8220;very confident&#8221; that the facts of the case would debunk the allegations against Martin.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/puerto-rican-judge-slaps-ricky-martin-with-restraining-order-but-police-cant-find-him-to-serve-it">Puerto Rican Judge Slaps Ricky Martin With Restraining Order – But Police Can’t Find Him To Serve It</a>

Celebrity Sightings in New York City – December 14, 2021

Ricky Martin Faces Up To 50 Years In Prison Over ‘Incest’ Allegations: Reports

Domestic Violence

Ricky Martin

A judge in Puerto Rico signed a restraining order against singer Ricky Martin on Friday afternoon, but local police say that they have not been able to locate the performer in order to serve it.
Judge Raiza Cajigas Campbell of the Court of First Instance of San Juan <a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-puerto-rico-ricky-martin-axel-795dcb2b6a6170ea70e24bcdfb9006df">signed the order</a> against <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ricky-martin-latinos-for-trump-is-super-sad-really-scary/">Martin</a>, whose real first name is Enrique, following a complaint made under Law 54 — also known as the Domestic Abuse Prevention and Intervention Act. Because of the subject matter governed under that law, authorities are not publicly releasing the name of the person who filed the complaint.
Police spokesman Axel Valencia said that once the order was signed, law enforcement officers went to his home in Dorado — on the North Atlantic coast of the island, some 15 miles west of San Juan — but they were unable to locate <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ricky-martin-says-he-has-a-little-ptsd-from-20-year-old-barbara-walters-interview/">Martin</a>.
&#8220;Up until now, police haven’t been able to find him,&#8221; he said.
According to Puerto Rican newspaper El Vocero, the order reveals that Martin and the petitioner had dated for seven months and broke up this past spring — but according to the petitioner, Martin was not willing to accept that the relationship was over and had been seen outside the house several times.
According to reports, the complainant did not file a police report against Martin, going instead to court in order to request an order of protection.
&#8220;We confirm that the Puerto Rico Police is in the process of filing a protection order, under Law 54, issued against Mr. Enrique Martín,&#8221; a police statement read, according to <a class="external-link" title="(opens new window)" href="https://htnewz.com/judge-issues-a-protection-order-by-law-54-against-ricky-martin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-describedby="external-disclaimer">Hindustan Times</a>. &#8220;As established by the nature of the process, from the moment the Police received a copy of the protection order, through the new Center for Operations and Processing of Protection Orders (COPOP), its processing was coordinated by the assigned agents to the Dorado barracks.&#8221;
Representatives for Martin told <a href="https://people.com/music/ricky-martin-denies-allegations-domestic-abuse-restraining-order-puerto-rico/?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&amp;utm_content=new&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_term=62c0f8556dc5730001a52e01">People</a> that they were confident Martin was innocent and would be vindicated.
&#8220;The allegations against Ricky Martin that lead to a protection order are completely false and fabricated&#8221; they said. &#8220;We are very confident that when the true facts come out in this matter our client Ricky Martin will be fully vindicated.&#8221;

Puerto Rican Judge Slaps Ricky Martin With Restraining Order – But Police Can’t Find Him To Serve It

Puerto Rican Judge Slaps Ricky Martin With Restraining Order Amid Domestic Violence Claims

Music

A judge in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/puerto-rico">Puerto Rico</a> tossed charges against five suspects in the 2012 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/murder">murder</a> of world-famous boxer Hector &#8220;Macho&#8221; Camacho after a witness fled and the government&#8217;s case collapsed.
Camacho, who held world titles at three different weight classes and compiled a record of 79-6-3 in an illustrious 30-year career that began in 1980, was shot in the face in November 2012 outside a Puerto Rico bar. He died several days later. The case went unsolved for years, but recently five suspects were charged.
The charges were dropped after a star witness fled the island, although no further details were available. The suspects, who were arrested in March, included three men already serving time in Florida for unrelated crimes, a fourth who was arrested in the northern city of Bayamón, the same city where Camacho was killed, and a fifth suspect currently serving time in Puerto Rico. Two other suspects had since died. The arrests were announced with fanfare and dubbed &#8220;Operation Knockout,&#8221; as authorities sought to solve a cold case involving an island legend.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hector &#39;Macho&#39; Camacho murder case dismissed after star witness flees <a href="https://t.co/dndj1iaRkx">https://t.co/dndj1iaRkx</a> <a href="https://t.co/Sfcc2aeSJD">pic.twitter.com/Sfcc2aeSJD</a>
&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1535444724634599424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During his storied career, Camacho defeated such legends as Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durán and also fought Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya. He held the WBC super featherweight and lightweight titles, as well as the WBO junior welterweight belt.
Camacho was also notable for entering the ring garbed in flamboyant costumes, including feather crests and brightly colored robes.
&#8220;Camacho brought a lot of excitement to boxing. He was bright, colorful, and always gave something to talk about with his walks to the ring, with his unique style of entering, and the costumes he wore,&#8221; Ed Brophy, director of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, said at the time of his death, adding that Camacho was &#8220;an exciting fighter, and one of the greats.&#8221;
Camacho battled drug addiction and courted controversy throughout his career. He pleaded guilty to a 2005 burglary charge, was shot by carjackers in San Juan in 2011 and was awaiting trial in Florida for allegedly abusing his son when he was killed.
Camacho, 50, was fatally shot November 20, 2012, while he and a childhood friend, Adrian Mojica Moreno, were parked in a Ford Mustang outside a bar. Police reportedly found nine bags of cocaine in the car. Moreno died, and Camacho was clinically brain dead but remained on life support for several days before being flown to New York for burial.

Hector Camacho

‘Macho’ Camacho Cold Case Collapses As Witness Flees Island

'Macho' Camacho Cold Case Collapses As Witness Flees Island

Boxing

Murder

Sports

Power

6 Steps The Democrats Will Take To Fundamentally Alter America And Ensure Their Permanent Power

Democracy

Democratic Party

Electoral College

Readers Pass

Menu