Liberals have taken many radical, nonsensical positions in recent years. Few are as baffling as their outrage over President Trump’s removal of Nicolás Maduro, the illegitimate, narco-terrorist dictator of Venezuela — a move the long-suffering citizens of Venezuela are openly cheering.
But not so among progressives, such as the clueless governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, <a href="https://x.com/GovPritzker/status/2007864220017115141?s=20">who claims</a> Trump&#8217;s action was designed, &#8220;To distract from Epstein, the explosion of health and homeowners insurance costs, and the tariffs that are decimating small businesses &#8230;&#8221;
Or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who downplays Maduro’s tyrannical brutality <a href="https://x.com/AOC/status/2007472955882692798">by claiming,</a>&#8221; It’s about oil and regime change. And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from Epstein + skyrocketing healthcare costs.&#8221;
So, who exactly are Pritzker, AOC, and others of their ilk defending? Why are they saying we should have left him in power?
In 2023, Joe Biden&#8217;s State Department produced a 76-page <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/528267_VENEZUELA-2023-HUMAN-RIGHTS-REPORT.pdf">assessment</a> of specific human rights abuses committed by Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his thugs (many of whom were apparently Cuban mercenaries) against their hapless victims. The assessment documents a staggering range of abuses, including:
<blockquote>&#8230;unlawful or arbitrary killings… enforced disappearance; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by security forces; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention by security forces… political prisoners… punishment of family members for alleged offenses by a relative… use of children by illegal armed groups; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including violence or threats of violence against journalists… harassment of domestic and international human rights organizations; extensive gender-based violence… trafficking in persons… and the worst forms of child labor.</blockquote>
The report makes for a tough read, given its summation of the viciousness, cruelty, and ruthlessness of Maduro and his henchmen. 
Want more? What about the details in the federal <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1422326/dl">criminal indictment</a> of Maduro issued by a grand jury in New York?
The superseding indictment charges Maduro and a host of other confederates with running a drug cartel “to import tons of cocaine into the United States.” Makes sense from Maduro’s point of view: his disastrous policies turned Venezuela into an economic basket case, making a once-prosperous country a bankrupt third-world hellhole. Thus, Maduro had to get money from somewhere to line his pockets and finance his depredations.
According to the indictment, Maduro essentially turned the Venezuelan government into a massive drug and illegal weapons smuggling operation, doing everything from using Venezuelan law enforcement to protect his distribution system to issuing “diplomatic passports to drug traffickers” and providing “diplomatic cover for planes used by money launderers to repatriate drug proceeds.”
All of the money was used to enrich himself, his family, and the “political and military elite” who kept him in power. That also included partnering “with some of the most violent and prolific drug traffickers and narco-terrorists in the world,” extremely dangerous criminal cartels and terrorist groups that have kidnapped and murdered Americans, like FARC, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Zetas, or Cartel del Noreste, and Tren de Aragua.
By the way, the Caribbean drug smugglers that our military has been taking out? Part of the indictment talks about the 200 to 250 tons of cocaine “trafficked” to the U.S. annually by Maduro and his cartel cronies through “maritime shipments…north from Venezuela’s coastline using go-fast vessels, fishing boats, and container ships.” Additionally, “air shipments were often dispatched from clandestine airstrips, typically made of dirt or grass, and also from commercial airports under the control” of Maduro and his corrupt officials.
I don’t think the majority of Americans have a lot of sympathy for the criminals smuggling drugs on these “go-fast vessels, fishing boats, and container ships.”
From the drugs poisoning our citizens, especially our youth, to the citizens of Venezuela who have been censored, arrested, tortured, and killed, Maduro has been a scourge who has caused untold harm and suffering.
The political parties and both sides of the political aisle may disagree on many domestic issues. But when it comes to the removal of Nicolás Maduro Moros, progressives, liberals, and Democrats, along with conservatives and Republicans, should be praising the president for finally taking action to rid our hemisphere of this menace.
* * *
Hans von Spakovsky is a Senior Legal Fellow in the Meese Institute for the Rule of Law at Advancing American Freedom.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Why Are Democrats Defending A Narco-Terrorist Dictator?

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Federal authorities have accused another Chinese researcher of smuggling biological materials into the United States, as the FBI cautions American universities about growing threats from the communist nation.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced Friday that Chinese national Youhuang Xiang was arrested for allegedly smuggling genetic material from E. coli bacteria into the United States while working as a researcher at Indiana University. According to court documents, Xiang entered the country in 2023 on an educational exchange visa to secure a postdoctoral position at the school.
“This is yet another example of a researcher from China — given the privilege to work at a U.S. university — who then allegedly chose to take part in a scheme to circumvent U.S. laws and receive biological materials hidden in a package originating from China,” Patel posted on X. “The [FBI] and our CBP partners are committed to enforcing U.S. laws put in place to protect against this global threat to our economy and food supply. If not properly controlled, E. coli and other biological materials could inflict devastating disease to U.S. crops and cause significant financial loss to the U.S. economy.”
Xiang has been charged with conspiracy to commit smuggling, smuggling, and making false statements. He could face up to 20 years in prison and fines totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars if convicted. James Tunick, Xiang&#8217;s lawyer, disputed the allegations.
&#8220;Youhuang Xiang was legally working in the United States on a J-1 visa with a professor from the Biology Department at Indiana University to better wheat crop production in the United States,&#8221; Tunick told The Daily Wire. &#8220;The allegation that Youhuang smuggled E. coli into the United States is completely false and is not even charged by the United States Department of Justice.&#8221;
Xiang, whose <a href="https://biology.indiana.edu/about/research-associates/index.html">bio</a> says he specializes in “recognition specificity in host-pathogen interactions and engineering crop resistance to pathogen,” was first arrested on November 25. Information about the case was unsealed this week. 
In March 2024, Xiang requested that a person in China referred to as “Individual A” ship plasmid DNA from E. coli bacteria to his home in Bloomington, Indiana, according to the indictment. The material was shipped to him shortly after, concealed in a package of clothing items that &#8220;Individual A&#8221; declared included a men&#8217;s vest and women&#8217;s underwear, investigators said. The package allegedly came from Guangzhou Sci Tech Innovation Trading.
More than a year later, on November 23, 2025, Xiang landed in Chicago after returning from a trip to London, where agents with Customs and Border Protection questioned him. During that interview, he allegedly lied to them about the package he had sent to his home and about his ties to the Chinese government. 
Xiang was scheduled to remain at Indiana University through 2027 and was leading a research program focused on genome editing in wheat plants to increase resistance to fungal diseases.
The FBI was made aware of the shipment by CBP as part of an investigation into biological materials being smuggled into the United States from China, which is why he was questioned on November 23. 
“Information provided to the FBI by CBP included information about the history of shipments from China to certain individuals at IU conducting research into wheat pathogen Resistance,” the criminal complaint said. “That information indicated that XIANG was associated with that research and that XIANG received a shipment from China at his residence on March 28, 2024.”
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The FBI also thought it was “odd” that Xiang purchased and shipped “women’s underwear from China, and further assessed it as peculiar that a company by the name ‘Guangzhou Sci Tech Innovation Trading’ would sell underwear or clothing,” according to the complaint. 
A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674205219301625">paper</a> written by Xiang also listed his affiliation with the National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics in Shanghai, which raised flags for investigators. 
“I know from my training and experience that the PRC ‘Key Laboratories’ are overseen by the Chinese Government and have a history of concerning actions including technology transfer and theft of intellectual property,” the FBI agent who investigated the case wrote in the criminal complaint. 
Over the last few months, other Chinese researchers at American universities have been arrested for smuggling biological materials into the country. Multiple arrests have been made at the University of Michigan, where <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-makes-more-arrests-as-alarming-pattern-of-chinese-smuggling-continues">investigators said</a> that shipments of concealed biological materials related to roundworms were smuggled into the United States. 
President Donald Trump has faced criticism over the presence of Chinese students at American universities. While some critics have called for reducing the number of Chinese nationals admitted to U.S. schools, Trump has argued that their enrollment helps provide funding for American institutions.

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Chinese National Accused Of Smuggling E. Coli DNA Into United States

Chinese National Accused of Smuggling E. Coli DNA Into United States

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World

Mexican cartels amassed fortunes on par with major corporations, but that has all changed since President Donald Trump closed the border.
Under the Biden administration, the Mexican cartels&#8217; profits jumped from $500 million in 2018 to an estimated $13 billion in 2022, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/25/us/migrant-smuggling-evolution.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The New York Times. The massive flow of cash was largely due to their migrant smuggling enterprise, which grew even more profitable than their vast drug empire.
Border Patrol agents were instructed to release illegal crossers into the United States as swiftly as possible under then-President Joe Biden, and many likened what the job had become to aiding in the smugglers&#8217; enterprise.
But now that&#8217;s all changed since Trump&#8217;s return to office. For the last six months, the Trump administration hasn&#8217;t released a single illegal border crosser into the country, putting an end to the major catch and release pipeline and driving migrant encounters to record lows.
Smugglers, however, have grown desperate to maintain their profits, shifting operations to the high seas to move people illegally into the U.S.
Along the California coast, the pace of interdictions of boats packed with illegal immigrants has remained constant.
Last fiscal year, the Coast Guard encountered &#8220;well over&#8221; 2,000 illegal immigrants. And traffic has remained &#8220;fairly steady&#8221; with the Coast Guard seeing an increase in interdictions, Coast Guard Capt. Jason Hagen, who is the southwest district chief of enforcement, told The Daily Wire in a recent interview.
&#8220;As you lock down the land border, the cartels will need to make their money, so they push to the maritime, to the water side. And, unfortunately, there is no border wall in the ocean; we&#8217;re challenged with the tyranny of distance,&#8221; Hagen said.
Earlier this month, Coast Guardsmen in San Diego&#8217;s Mission Bay were forced to fire several rounds to disable the engine of a 20-foot smuggling boat carrying 12 <a href="https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4330965/coast-guard-interdicts-12-aliens-offshore-mission-bay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal immigrants</a> from Mexico and El Salvador as they tried to escape.
<div id="attachment_1004923" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1004923" class="wp-image-1004923 size-full" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/11-19-25_panga_subjects.jpg.webp" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/11-19-25_panga_subjects.jpg.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/11-19-25_panga_subjects.jpg-150x150.webp 150w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Credit: Customs and Border Protection</div>
Days later, Navy sailors came across a small boat packed with <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-apprehends-17-illegal-aliens-coastal-waters-near-san-clemente" target="_blank" rel="noopener">17 illegal migrants</a> traversing the sea near San Clemente Island. Border Patrol took them into custody, as is standard procedure.
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At least four illegal migrants died after their boat recently capsized off Imperial Beach in a separate incident. The Justice Department has since hit a Mexican man believed to be the captain with charges of &#8220;Bringing in Aliens Resulting in Death and Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain&#8221; that could result in life in prison, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/two-charged-human-smuggling-event-led-least-four-deaths">according</a> to the Justice Department.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a dangerous game, and I can tell you the cartels are not in the business of safety, they&#8217;re in the business of money,&#8221; Hagen said.
The cartels have also increased their maritime smuggling fees.
Under the Biden administration, they were charging illegal immigrants between $10,000 &#8211; $15,000 in smuggling fees to take to the seas. Now, they&#8217;re forcing migrants to pay between $20,000 &#8211; $40,000, Manny Bayon, the President of the Border Patrol union’s San Diego chapter, told The Daily Wire.
Bayon echoed that maritime smuggling in the Pacific Ocean has picked up &#8220;due to the increased enforcement on the southern border.&#8221;
In response, federal authorities are now preparing to bolster security along the coastal border by installing new thermal imaging cameras to spot smuggling activity before it reaches America&#8217;s shores, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2025-11-19/san-clemente-cbp-maritime-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Los Angeles Times.

Untitled design – 2025-11-21T120849.513

How Cartels Are Shifting Tactics After Trump Crushed Their Human Smuggling Empire

How Cartels Have Changed Tactics After Trump Destroyed Their Multi-Billion Dollar Human Smuggling Bu

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The Trump administration is expected to present new evidence in the human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, alleging that he exchanged pornographic videos and images with a teenage girl.
A witness is expected to come forward who claims that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-finalizes-plans-to-deport-kilmar-abrego-garcia-to-african-nation">Abrego Garcia</a> tried to recruit her to join his smuggling operations and both solicited and sent her pornographic messages, <a href="https://fox17.com/resources/pdf/c9a8fca2-3a3d-4d11-a918-eaecc4280445-kagprosecutorevidence.pdf#toolbar=0&amp;navpanes=0&amp;scrollbar=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a Thursday court filing. The woman was 15 years old when the explicit messages were allegedly exchanged, while Abrego Garcia was 25.
There are also several individuals who were allegedly involved in the human smuggling ring that are set to come forward to uphold that Abrego Garcia had MS-13 membership, according to the court documents.
The allegations against Abrego Garcia further undermine the image presented by Democrats, who have made him the face of their campaign against Trump&#8217;s deportation effort. He has been labeled a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kilmar-abrego-garcias-journey-from-maryland-man-to-uganda-man-a-current-timeline">Maryland man</a>&#8221; and even won himself a visit from a Democrat Senator at the detention center where he was being held. It was largely ignored that he had a long criminal record, gang affiliation, and was illegally in the country.
<div id="attachment_964669" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-964669" class="wp-image-964669 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GettyImages-2231973027-864x576.jpg" alt="BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 25: Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura enter a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office on August 25, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. The U.S. Government is threatening to deport Garcia, a Maryland construction worker from El Salvador, to Uganda after he rejected a plea deal to be charged with Human Smuggling and deported to Costa Rica. Earlier this year Garcia was wrongfully deported to a notorious anti-terrorism prison CECOT in El Salvador." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2231973027-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2231973027-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2231973027-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2231973027.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.</div>
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The Trump administration brought him back in on the human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop. Body camera footage of the incident showed Abrego Garcia behind the wheel with eight other passengers in tow. Although the group had been on the road for days, making the trek from Texas to Maryland, the car had no luggage inside.
The responding officers also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-suspected-maryland-man-of-getting-paid-to-traffic-illegals-body-cam-footage-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that Garcia was likely “hauling these people for money, probably to Maryland.”
Officers eventually released Abrego Garcia with a citation for driving with an expired license despite their suspicions.
When the United States brought Abrego Garcia back, they began making plans to remove him to a “third country.” Initially, they tried to send him to Costa Rica and, later, Uganda.
Since then, the Trump administration said it brokered a deal with Liberia to accept Abrego Garcia when he’s deported from the United States, according to a Friday court <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.589189/gov.uscourts.mdd.589189.56.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a>.
Along with facing human smuggling allegations, Abrego Garcia has also been tagged as an abusive partner after his wife received a temporary <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wife-man-mistakenly-deported-el-salvador-filed-2021-protective-order-against-him-kilmar-abrego-garcia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protective order</a> against him in 2021, after he allegedly beat her on multiple occasions. Abrego Garcia&#8217;s wife has publicly defended him throughout his latest deportation debacle.
The revelation of Abrego Garcia&#8217;s alleged MS-13 stems from a 2019 Maryland police report and a 2018 court filing.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen Meets With Wrongly Imprisoned Man Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia in El Salvador

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Accused Of Sending Porn To Teen As Evidence Emerges In Smuggling Case

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Three Chinese researchers at the University of Michigan were charged Wednesday in connection with a conspiracy to smuggle biological materials into the United States, the Justice Department announced.
Those charged <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-chinese-national-scholars-university-michigan-laboratory-charged-conspiring-smuggle">include</a> 28-year-old Xu Bai, 27-year-old Fengfan Zhang, and 30-year-old Zhiyong Zhang. The arrests are the latest in a “long <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alarming-pattern-another-chinese-national-arrested-for-smuggling-biological-materials-into-u-s">string of cases</a>” involving Chinese nationals and the University of Michigan, the Justice Department said.
“Allegedly attempting to smuggle biological materials under the guise of ‘research’ is a serious crime that threatens America’s national and agricultural security,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “We will remain vigilant to threats like these from foreign nationals who would take advantage of America’s generosity to advance a malicious agenda.”
Each of the suspects held a J-1 visa and was conducting research at the University of Michigan’s Xianzhong Xu laboratory, also known as the Shawn Xu laboratory. The <a href="https://www.lsi.umich.edu/science/our-labs/s-xu-lab/research">lab</a> is a “sensory biology” research center that focuses on how animals experience their internal and external world through their senses.
In 2024 and 2025, Bai and F. Zhang allegedly received shipments of concealed biological materials related to roundworms sent from a Chinese national, the DOJ said. The Chinese national who sent them the worms was Chengxuan Han, who was recently deported from the United States after pleading no contest to three counts of smuggling and one count of making false statements.
The defendants were fired from their positions at the university after refusing to attend a mandatory meeting to discuss the investigation into their practices, the DOJ said. They later tried to fly out of the country from Detroit and then New York City before they were apprehended by federal law enforcement.
“At some point, pattern becomes practice. And, apparently, these three men are part of a long and alarming pattern of criminal activities committed by Chinese Nationals under the cover of the University of Michigan,” said United States Attorney Jerome Gorgon, Jr.
Agencies involved in the investigation included Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and Customs and Border Protection.
“This case underscores the vital importance of safeguarding the American people and addressing vulnerabilities within foreign student and exchange visitor programs,” said acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “Educational institutions must enhance their admissions procedures to prevent exploitation, which can pose risks to national security, as demonstrated in this instance. I commend the ICE HSI agents and officers who work tirelessly to protect our nation and uphold the rule of law every day.”
In June, FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-arrest-chinese-scholar-for-attempting-to-smuggle-pathogen-used-for-agroterrorism-into-u-s">revealed</a> that a Chinese scholar at the University of Michigan was arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle a biological pathogen into the United States that could be used for agricultural terrorism.

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In a moment that should send shockwaves through the open borders establishment, an alleged second figure tied to the brutal Sinaloa Cartel confirmed: President Donald Trump’s aggressive border and anti-smuggling strategy is working — and the cartels are feeling the heat.
In a revealing new report from CNN, a senior leader of the Sinaloa Cartel sat down with journalist David Culver for a rare interview. Hidden behind layers of anonymity — black mask, sunglasses, gloves, and hat — the confessed killer and trafficker revealed how Trump’s policy shift has impacted one of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations.
Asked point-blank if President Trump’s actions have made business more difficult for drug cartels, the man responded without hesitation, “Oh yeah. Yeah.” When pressed, he repeated, “Yes.”
CNN’s reporting also revealed that cartels are jacking up prices to smuggle migrants into the United States because of Trump’s crackdown. What used to cost $6,500 now runs close to $10,000 per person, pricing many migrants out of the black market border business. Those who can’t afford the fee? They’re often forced into debt bondage, working for the cartels to pay off what they owe.
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It doesn’t stop there. The masked figure revealed how cartels are increasingly turning to American teenagers on social media — recruiting young, impressionable American citizens into their operations as transporters and lookouts. As Trump’s administration deploys more resources to border enforcement, the cartels are shifting tactics, growing more desperate, and scraping the bottom of the barrel to keep operations running.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mexican drug cartels are using social media to recruit American teens into their operations. David Culver investigates. <a href="https://t.co/1Kg3EHuoaQ">pic.twitter.com/1Kg3EHuoaQ</a>
&mdash; Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC360/status/1972844252544610620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This latest cartel admission comes just weeks after Margarito “Jay” Flores Jr., the former top U.S. distributor for the Sinaloa Cartel under El Chapo, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-chicago-kingpin-trump-doing-great-job-targeting-mexican-drug-cartels?utm_source=chatgpt.com">praised</a> Trump’s war on cartels in a separate interview.
Flores, who helped federal authorities take down El Chapo and whose face remains blurred for his safety, said, “I believe that the Trump administration is doing a great job … I don’t believe that the Chapo faction or the Mayo Zambada faction will last another year.”
Flores noted that more arrests and prosecutions have occurred in the last year than in the previous 25, emphasizing that the Trump administration’s approach isn’t just noise — it’s action. He predicted the collapse of major criminal networks, such as CJNG, if this level of pressure continues. “By the time the president’s term is over, the landscape of Mexico and the drug cartels is going to look very, very different,” Flores concluded.
Trump’s recent move to deploy the U.S. military for anti-cartel operations, treating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, marks an unprecedented escalation in America’s fight against these criminal syndicates. And the message from inside the enemy’s camp is clear: It’s working.
In contrast to the permissive border policies of the Biden years — which saw record crossings, fentanyl floods, and a cartel boom — Trump’s return to law and order is forcing the cartels to adapt, pay more, and ultimately lose control.
The Sinaloa Cartel leader’s clearest message was simple: Trump is hurting the cartels. And they know it.

National Police Dismantle Sinaloa Cartel In Spain

‘Oh, Yeah’: Second Sinaloa Cartel Member Admits Trump’s Crackdown Is Working

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A Canadian-American dual citizen was arrested this week for his role in a smuggling ring that left a family of four, including two children, dead.
Timothy Oakes, 34, was part of a group that would smuggle migrants across the St. Lawrence River into New York, the Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/canadian-man-arrested-and-detained-role-deadly-alien-smuggling-conspiracy-uss-northern#:~:text=Timothy%20Oakes%2C%2034%2C%20from%20the,today%20and%20will%20remain%20detained." target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a>. He routinely hosted migrants in his home on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation, which borders the river, before ferrying them across on his boat.
In May 2023, he hosted a young Romanian family with a one-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter. Oakes’ brother attempted to ferry them across the border, despite weather reports of dangerous conditions including “high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility”. Their boat capsized, killing all five of them.
“He profited from a human smuggling operation with a singular, cold-hearted aim: making money by bringing illegal aliens into the United States, regardless of the danger to human life involved,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“Their greed resulted in the deaths of a mother, a father, and two small children, as well as one of the defendants’ own brothers. The Criminal Division will continue to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and bring justice to smugglers whose actions result in senseless deaths.”
Oakes, who made $1,000 for every immigrant he shuttled,  was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in June when he tried to cross into New York. He had previously been arraigned numerous times for human smuggling offenses by a New York District Court.
He has been indicted for “conspiring with others to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death.”
Oakes’ three United States-based co-conspirators — Dakota Montour, 31, Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, and Janet Terrance, 45 — have all pleaded guilty.
“Oakes’ arrest comes as part of our nearly two-year long investigation into a transnational criminal organization responsible for the large-scale smuggling of aliens from Canada into the United States,” said ICE agent Erin Keegan.
The investigation is ongoing and involves cooperation between multiple American and Canadian agencies. It is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a Trump Department of Justice initiative that “marshals the full resources of the DOJ” to combat illegal immigration and transnational crime.

Border Patrol

Canadian Arrested For Role In ‘Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy’ That Killed A Family Of Four

Canada

Illegal Immigration

NASHVILLE — The Justice Department argued Friday that releasing suspected gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia would pose a danger to the public because of his alleged history of violence toward his wife, sexual misconduct toward young girls, and participation in an illegal alien smuggling ring.
Abrego Garica, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who has been incorrectly dubbed a &#8220;Maryland man&#8221; by the legacy media, appeared in federal court in Nashville on Friday for his arraignment on human smuggling charges and a detention hearing. Wearing a bright red prison suit and listening to proceedings through interpreters, Abrego Garcia pled not guilty in front of a crowd of left-wing supporters who showed up to watch the case play out.
Abrego Garcia faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and up to 10 years in prison for each illegal smuggled across the country if found guilty on another count of unlawful transportation of illegal aliens. He was returned to the United States last week after being deported to El Salvador due to suspected ties to MS-13.
After his not guilty plea, Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes heard arguments from the Justice Department and Abrego Garcia&#8217;s lawyers on whether or not to release him as his case is litigated. As court ended for the day, she said that she would not give a date for her decision, but that it would be &#8220;sooner rather than later.&#8221;
Acting United States Attorney for Middle Tennessee Robert McGuire argued that Abrego Garcia should be detained because he was a flight risk and would endanger the community based on testimony and evidence that he had endangered children through his alleged participation in a smuggling ring, ties to violent gangs, and the multiple complaints from his wife about domestic violence.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;m at the federal courthouse in Nashville reporting for <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> on the arraignment of suspected MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Dozens of protesters are outside the building, holding signs like &#8220;fuck ICE&#8221; and other pro-illegal alien messages. <a href="https://t.co/JAxpn3798j">pic.twitter.com/JAxpn3798j</a>
— Leif Le Mahieu (@leif_lemahieu) <a href="https://twitter.com/leif_lemahieu/status/1933533457310773252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The crux of the Justice Department&#8217;s case relies on a traffic stop in Putnam County, Tennessee, on November 30, 2022, when Abrego Garcia was pulled over driving a Chevrolet suburban with nine others inside. One of those individuals noted his age to be 15 when Tennessee Highway Patrol had each person write their name and age down on a sheet of paper.
Homeland Security special agent Peter Joseph said that the 15-year-old boy was unaccounted for to this day and that they hadn&#8217;t tracked him down yet, saying that &#8220;we don&#8217;t know right now&#8221; if he is OK. Joseph added that at least six of the nine individuals being transported have been identified as illegal aliens from a variety of countries including Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras.
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Joseph also testified that Abrego Garcia lied to the Tennessee state troopers when he claimed that he was bringing a construction crew from St. Louis to Maryland. According to data gathered through license plate readers, Joseph said that the vehicle hadn&#8217;t been in St. Louis in the timeframe Abrego Garcia claimed and that there were no construction tools in the vehicle.
Abrego Garcia also had a history of sexual misconduct toward minors, multiple of his associates told Joseph. Additionally, Joseph said an unidentified girl provided evidence to federal investigators that Abrego Garcia had asked a 15-year-old Maryland girl to send him nude pictures of herself and sent her other messages discussing OnlyFans.
Lawyers for Abrego Garcia referred to these accusations as &#8220;slanderous&#8221; and said a &#8220;flirtatious event&#8221; from five years ago shouldn&#8217;t impact his detention.
Abrego Garcia&#8217;s lawyers, including public defenders Richard Tennant and Dumaka Shabazz, argued that the Justice Department&#8217;s case relied too much on hearsay, and they tried to discredit the testimony about his activities given to federal investigators from two men who also face deportation and federal punishment.
The defense did not call any witnesses, but pointed to multiple pieces of evidence, including a 2019 immigration holding that Abrego Garcia should not be deported to his home country of El Salvador because of fears of gang violence. They also included a letter from an immigrant activist group called CASA, which promised to help Abrego Garcia should he be released.
Holmes at times appeared critical of the Justice Department, and suggested that their evidence was dated because it came from 2020-2022. When discussing the orders of protection granted to Abrego Garcia&#8217;s wife over fears for her own safety, Holmes asked McGuire whether it would be &#8220;equally plausible&#8221; that he had a change of heart over the last four years rather than stay the same.
Regardless of her decision, Abrego Garcia will likely not be leaving federal custody anytime soon as ICE is expected to take custody of him if he is released on the smuggling charges.
Before the hearing began, dozens of people gathered outside the courthouse holding signs like &#8220;F*** ICE&#8221; and &#8220;Stop ICE Kidnappings.&#8221; By noon, the crowd had largely dispersed as rain ripped through Nashville and the proceedings dragged into late afternoon.

Rally Held For Immigrants Deported To El Salvador in NYC

Here’s Why The Trump Admin Says It Would Be Dangerous To Release Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Courts

illegal alien

Nashville

Tennessee

Two Chinese nationals have been accused by the Justice Department of attempting to illegally export American technology to China.
The two, 44-year-old Han Li and 64-year-old Lin Chen, are <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/chinese-national-arrested-us-alleged-role-scheme-illegally-export-semiconductor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with crimes related to an alleged conspiracy to smuggle American-made technology related to semiconductor production to restricted Chinese companies. If convicted, the two could face decades in prison and millions of dollars in fines. 
“As alleged, the defendants sought to evade export controls to obtain U.S. semiconductor manufacturing technology for a prohibited Chinese company,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing export controls and holding accountable those who seek to illicitly procure U.S.-developed technologies that puts our national security at risk.”
Chen was arrested in Chicago on Thursday while Li is believed to be in China. 
According to the DOJ, the two used a series of intermediary companies to evade Commerce Department restrictions from May 2015 to August 2018. The indictment says that they were attempting to illegally export a machine used to cut thin semiconductors, known as silicon wafers, which are used in a variety of electronic devices. 
The two allegedly set up a company called Jiangsu Hantang International to purchase the machines from the California based Dynatex International. Instead of using the technology, they then attempted to illegally export the machines to restricted companies in China, the indictment says. 
The restrictions were imposed to prevent certain American technology from falling into the hands of China&#8217;s military. 
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“The export restrictions at issue in this case were put in place to prevent the illicit procurement of commodities and technologies for unauthorized military end use in the People’s Republic of China,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Ismail Ramsey. 
Investigators from the FBI, Homeland Security, and the Commerce Department all worked on the case. 
“Stopping the illegal export of U.S. technology to China is one of the FBI’s highest priorities. We will aggressively pursue anyone who violates export control laws designed to protect our national and economic security,” said FBI Agent Robert Tripp.
The United States&#8217;s national security agencies have warned for years about Chinese theft of American technology and intellectual property.

Close-up gloved hands holding detail microchip

Chinese Nationals Accused Of Conspiracy To Smuggle American Technology Into China

Chicago

Commerce Department

Texas authorities arrested a national guardsman on Sunday after he fled from officers while allegedly attempting to smuggle an illegal immigrant into the U.S.
Law enforcement officers of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Kinney County Sheriff&#8217;s Department arrested Savion Johnson in Brackettville, Texas, after Johnson led law enforcement on a chase that reached speeds in excess of 100 mph, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/04/04/us-news/texas-national-guardsman-caught-smuggling-migrant-across-southern-border-in-government-suv-near-eagle-pass-crossing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>. Johnson has been charged with evading arrest, human smuggling, and the unlawful carry of a weapon.
“If the allegations are true, the accused is a traitor and criminal,&#8221; Abbott Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott, told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/watch-dashcam-footage-shows-moment-texas-national-guardsman-arrested-for-allegedly-smuggling-illegal-immigrant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> in a statement.
“We have zero tolerance for Texans who violate laws that directly contradict the mission we are seeking to achieve. The accused&#8217;s illegal smuggling may subject him to a mandatory minimum prison sentence of at least 10 years,” Mahaleris added. “He deserves more.”
Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe identified Johnson as a member of the Texas National Guard who was taking part in Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, a Texas initiative to combat illegal immigration into the state from its border with Mexico, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/03/us/texas-national-guard-migrant-smuggling.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.
“It’s not a good thing. But he’s not the first one we’ve picked up that’s associated with the National Guard,” Coe said. “We’ve picked up attorneys. Preachers. Old ones, young ones, juveniles. The money is out there.”
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Johnson was allegedly offered $5,000 to $6,000 to smuggle the alien, who was also arrested, according to the Post. Johnson allegedly sped away from a Border Patrol checkpoint in a government vehicle and led officers on a 15-mile chase. The vehicle was stopped after officers used spike strips to blow its tires.
Johnson is the latest law enforcement officer to be arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle aliens into the U.S. In June, authorities <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/2-soldiers-charged-attempting-smuggle-noncitizens">arrested</a> two soldiers, including a national guardsman, in the same area as Johnson for allegedly smuggling illegal aliens.
Abbott&#8217;s latest efforts to combat illegal immigration into the United States involve the passage of a law that makes unlawful entry a state crime enforceable by local law enforcement. The law, scheduled to go into effect earlier this year, has been placed on hold by a panel of Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judges while the court works through a legal challenge to the law&#8217;s constitutionality. The Biden administration has challenged the Texas law, arguing that immigration enforcement is strictly the domain of the federal government.

El Paso

Texas National Guardsman Arrested On Human Smuggling Charge After Border Chase

Greg Abbott

National Guard

Texas

Border Patrol officials told lawmakers that smugglers charge illegal immigrants from China up to $60,000 to unlawfully enter the United States, according to a <a href="https://justthenews.com/sites/default/files/2024-01/Joint-CPA-Transcribed-Interviews-Report-01-16-2024-FINAL-pdf.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> released on Tuesday from Republicans on the House Committee on Homeland Security. 
Border Patrol chiefs told the committee earlier this year that transnational criminal organizations effectively controlled the U.S. southern border, charging thousands of dollars to people looking to sneak into America. The cost of entry into the U.S. increased depending on how far away you were coming from and where you were entering, they said. 
The average cost was estimated to be around $8,600, but could be around $60,000 if you were coming from China. A record number of Chinese nationals have been encountered by Border Patrol in the last year. 
Human smuggling and trafficking have proven to be an incredibly lucrative business for the cartels as a record number of illegal migrants have surged to the border under President Joe Biden. 
Chief of U.S. Border Patrol Jasen Owens estimated during his time as the Del Rio sector chief that transnational criminal organizations were making more than $30 million weekly on human trafficking and smuggling operations in that part of Texas. 
Aaron Heitke, the Chief Patrol Agent for the San Diego sector, said that “it costs more to go through an area that has a better chance of getting away.” 
Many women are raped during the process as well, with Heitke saying that some of the women see it as part of the payment to get through. 
The cartels exert heavy control over the southern border area, reportedly beating migrants who attempt to illegally enter the United States without paying them. Laredo Chief Patrol Agent Joel Martinez said that his team found two bodies washed up on shore, one of whom was shot between the eyes and the other whose head was half shot off. He said they suspect these were people who tried to cross without the cartel’s permission. 
During their interviews with the committee, the Border Patrol agents said that one way to deter illegal immigration would be to detain everyone instead of releasing thousands into the country with court dates set years in the future. 
“I think optimally, other than the rare occasion where you have someone with a crazy medical condition, everyone should be detained. And that, to me, is the most obvious way to not encourage illegal immigration, is everyone’s held until they have a hearing,” said Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin. 
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El Centro Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino said that border walls helped as well. “In many of those areas now, where there is border wall, we see very little vehicular incursions across the desert between ports of entry, and a decrease in pedestrian crossings at the border, especially where the 33-foot wall exists,” he said. 
Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/delusional-biden-says-southern-border-is-not-in-crisis-as-illegal-crossings-surge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has denied</a> that there is a crisis at the border even as Border Patrol reportedly recorded more than 300,000 illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border in December, a new <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/us-mexico-border-crossings-all-time-high-immigration-news/14261305/#:~:text=Migrant%20encounters%20reach%20all%2Dtime%20high%20along%20southwest%20border%20with,is%20threatening%20to%20sue%20Texas.&amp;text=ABCNews-,There%20were%20302%2C000%20encounters%20along%20the%20southwest%20border%20in%20December,recorded%2C%20sources%20told%20ABC%20News.">record</a>.

TOPSHOT-MEXICO-US-MIGRATION-CARAVAN

Border Officials Reveal Steep Fees Illegal Immigrants Pay To Cartels To Enter U.S.

Border Crisis

Human Trafficking

Immigration

Joe Biden

Southern Border

Customs officials seized a 3,000 year-old ancient <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/egypt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Egyptian</a> artifact at the port of Memphis last week.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/memphis-seizes-ancient-egyptian-artifact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Thursday that they had seized the artifact, a lid from a canopic jar used in ancient Egyptian funerary rites, at the port of Memphis, Tennessee. According to CBP, the item is protected by federal law and several bilateral treaties. The shipper claimed it was an antique stone statue and made conflicting statements.
&#8220;On Wednesday, August 17, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the port of Memphis, TN intercepted an ancient Egyptian artifact shipped from Europe,&#8221; CBP said in a press release Thursday. &#8220;The shipment was manifested as an antique stone sculpture over 100 years old, and sent from a dealer to a private buyer in the U.S.&#8221;
&#8220;CBP worked with subject matter experts at the University of Memphis Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology to determine that the artifact was authentic,&#8221; the agency added. &#8220;It is an Egyptian canopic jar lid of the funeral deity named Imsety.&#8221;
According to the <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/559935" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Metropolitan Museum of Art</a> in New York City, canopic jars played an important role in burial rites throughout ancient Egypt, storing the internal organs of the mummified person. There was also a period in history where the organs were not stored in jars, but placed back into the mummified body; the jars were still stored with the mummy to give protection to the deceased person. The jars came in sets of four, and the most notable ones had ornate lids that took the shape of protective deities called the &#8220;Sons of Horus.&#8221; Imsety, who was depicted with a human head, was the guardian of the deceased person&#8217;s liver.
&#8220;The lid is likely from the Egyptian Third Intermediate Period, 1069 BC to 653 BC, making it potentially 3,000 years old,&#8221; CBP added in its press release. &#8220;The artifact is on a list of items protected by bilateral treaties and falls under the CPIA 19 USC 2609; designated archaeological materials of cultural property imported into the U.S. subject to seizure and forfeiture. CPIA is the congressionally passed Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act of 1983, and restricts importing some archaeological and ethnological materials into the country. The shipper also made contradictory statements regarding the declared value of the item, and CBP seized it. It was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further examination and to determine it’s provenance.&#8221;
Earlier this year, archaeologists at an ongoing dig site in Saqqara, Egypt, discovered a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/egyptian-archeological-team-uncovers-2500-year-old-treasure-trove-of-ancient-artifacts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">massive trove</a> of artifacts, including 250 painted sarcophagi and 150 bronze statues of Egyptian deities. The archaeologists also discovered a statue of the famous ancient Egyptian priest and architect Imhotep, and hoped they could find his tomb in the near future.
Other artifacts uncovered included a nine-meter papyrus scroll, the first intact papyrus discovered in more than 100 years, thought to contain passages from the Book of the Dead, the ancient Egyptian book of rites and spells believed to assist the dead soul in navigating the afterlife.
Earlier this week, a man pleaded guilty to smuggling and animal trafficking charges after he was caught trying <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-pleads-guilty-to-trafficking-1700-wild-animals-into-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">smuggle reptiles</a> into the country. Authorities said the man had smuggled over 1,700 reptiles across the southern border over a period of six years.

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