President Donald Trump quietly signed a directive ordering the Pentagon to begin using military force against Latin American drug cartels that the administration has labeled as terrorist organizations, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/us/trump-military-drug-cartels.html?smtyp=cur&amp;smid=tw-nytimesworld">reported</a> Friday morning.
The order includes an official basis for the United States military to conduct anti-cartel operations in foreign countries, and military officials have already begun drafting plans for going after certain groups, the Times reported, citing &#8220;people familiar with the conversations.&#8221; It was not immediately clear which specific gangs or drug cartels Trump&#8217;s new directive greenlights military operations against.
Under Trump, the United States has <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-international-cartels">designated</a> seven drug cartels and two international criminal gangs as foreign terrorist organizations: Tren de Aragua (TdA), Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cártel de Sinaloa, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (CDN), La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), Cártel de Golfo (CDG), and Cárteles Unidos (CU). The Trump administration recently added the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles to its list, saying that it is operated by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking government officials, according to the Times. On Thursday, the United States upped the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hikes-bounty-on-venezuelas-maduro-to-50m">bounty</a> on Maduro to $50 million, pointing to his ties to transnational gangs and drug cartels.
&#8220;Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TDA, Sinaloa, and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country. To date, the DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates with nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself,&#8221; said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Most of the cartels designated by the Trump administration as terrorist organizations operate in Mexico, while TdA&#8217;s roots are in Venezuela, and MS-13 originated in Los Angeles as a Salvadoran street gang. Both TdA and MS-13 also have cells operating in Central America, according to the State Department.
Trump&#8217;s order is among the most significant steps he has taken to fulfill his promise to &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCGjPpNG4xA">wage war</a>&#8221; on cartels that have trafficked fentanyl and other drugs into the United States, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans. In May, President Trump said he offered Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum a deal that would send U.S. troops into Mexico to fight drug cartels.
&#8220;They are horrible people that have been killing people left and right. They&#8217;ve made a fortune on selling drugs and destroying our people,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000010147246/trump-offers-us-military-to-fight-mexican-cartels.html">told</a> reporters aboard Air Force One. &#8220;If Mexico wanted help with the cartels, we would be honored to go in and do it.&#8221;
Sheinbaum <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/sheinbaum-says-she-rejected-trumps-offer-send-troops-mexico-2025-05-03/">rejected</a> Trump&#8217;s proposal, saying, &#8220;Sovereignty is not for sale. Sovereignty is loved and defended.&#8221;
&#8220;We will never accept the presence of the United States military in our territory,&#8221; she added.

Donald Trump

Trump Greenlights Military Force To Take Down Latin American Drug Cartels

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Executive

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Military

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Politics

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The Department of Homeland Security has busted scores of illegal alien human traffickers and sex predators, and The Daily Wire has obtained exclusive details on the criminal illegals busted by the federal law enforcement agency.
Operations spanning from Newark, New Jersey, to Camarillo, California, resulted in the arrest of dozens of illegal aliens perpetrating the heinous crimes, with the federal agency saying that “the full weight of the American government is bringing the hammer down on human trafficking rings.”
“The brave men and women of DHS are the best in the world at going after traffickers. They are always able to track down those who are trafficking individuals, find the ringleaders, and rip that evil off by its head,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told The Daily Wire.
“I’m so thankful that I get the chance to lead individuals like that, and agents who get up every day to help save our children and to save women and men from the kind of slavery that we’ve seen,” the secretary went on to say, celebrating the work of DHS agents to bust human trafficking rings on the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
One late July operation in Newark resulted in the arrest of four illegal alien child predators by ICE agents over a four-day span. Those arrested in the enforcement action, which was part of Operation Apex Predator, were all registered sex offenders.
A July 22 operation resulted in the arrest of a human smuggler in Laredo, Texas, who was found to be smuggling 101 migrants in a locked trailer. Of those 101 individuals, 12 were children. The man was sentenced to 63 months in prison.
ICE and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation teamed up to levy a four-count indictment against eight people with ties to the criminal gang Tren de Aragua, with the defendants charged for their involvement in a “transnational commercial sex enterprise.”
In one particularly disturbing case, Homeland Security Investigations arrested an Ecuadoran national in New York for the sexual violation of a minor. Authorities discovered that a 15-year-old girl who was pregnant with the man&#8217;s child had been apprehended after attempting to illegally enter the United States, and that the man had been in a relationship with the child in Ecuador since she was 13 years old. The Ecuadoran national, authorities say, arranged to have her smuggled into the United States.
Not all of the perpetrators busted by federal authorities were illegal aliens. One American citizen, who was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals working in coordination with Customs and Border Protection, was identified as a &#8220;high-priority target linked to a criminal syndicate operating in human exploitation.&#8221; The suspect was arrested in Yuma, Arizona, and was wanted for placing individuals into prostitution, residing in a house of prostitution, and profiting from the earnings of prostitution.
Other operations targeted human smuggling rings that sought to bring illegal aliens into the United States for profit. The federal agency busted a transnational smuggling ring on May 2, when it discovered that four Mexican illegal aliens were running an “international human smuggling conspiracy” to bring illegal aliens into the United States from the Canadian border. Those smuggled into the United States would pay thousands of dollars to the criminal ring.
Homeland Security busted another smuggling ring on March 25, when a woman who had smuggled more than 100 Colombians into the United States was sentenced to 30 months in prison following her arrest by ICE in Arizona.
Customs and Border Protection apprehended a Mexican national in California’s Port San Luis who sedated a child and attempted to smuggle the child across the border. The woman claimed that she was the mother and presented a false birth certificate, with agents discovering that the woman did not have any familial ties to the child.
Under Trump and Noem, Homeland Security has also cracked down on forced labor rings. One South Korean company, Taepyung Salt Farm, is <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-issues-withhold-release-order-taepyung-salt-farm">no longer able to import</a> its products to the United States, with Customs and Border Protection agents detaining their imports on account of “information that reasonably indicates the use of forced labor in the production of the company’s sea salt products.”
Agents also shut down a now-infamous marijuana growing operation in Camarillo, California, rescuing 14 migrant children who were at risk of exploitation, trafficking, and forced labor. Agents arrested a whopping 361 illegal aliens, including some with charges for rape, attempted rape, kidnapping, and attempted child molestation.

ICE Agent

EXCLUSIVE: DHS Arrests Scores Of Criminal Illegals In Nationwide Anti-Trafficking Raids

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Ten Americans, some of whom had been held hostage for months by Venezuela&#8217;s socialist government, are heading back home after the Trump administration secured their release on Friday.
In exchange for the 10 Americans, over 200 Venezuelan migrants that the United States had sent to El Salvador&#8217;s notorious CECOT prison will be released to Venezuela, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/world/americas/venezuela-us-prisoner-swap-migrants-el-salvador.html">reported</a>.
&#8220;Thanks to@POTUS’s leadership, ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela are on their way to freedom,&#8221; Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://x.com/secrubio/status/1946297566045278405">posted</a> on X. &#8220;I want to thank my team at the @StateDep &amp; especially [Salvadoran] President @nayibbukele for helping secure an agreement for the release of all of our American detainees, plus the release of Venezuelan political prisoners.&#8221;
Bukele said on Friday that his government &#8220;handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA). Many of them face multiple charges of murder, robbery, rape, and other serious crimes.&#8221;
The American hostages will make a stop in El Salvador after being released by Venezuela before returning to the United States.
&#8220;This operation is the result of months of negotiations with a tyrannical regime that had long refused to release one of its most valuable bargaining chips: its hostages,&#8221; Bukele wrote in a post shared by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. &#8220;However, thanks to the tireless efforts of many officials from both the United States and El Salvador, and above all, thanks to Almighty God, it was achieved.&#8221;
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Today, we have handed over all the Venezuelan nationals detained in our country, accused of being part of the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TDA). Many of them face multiple charges of murder, robbery, rape, and other serious crimes.
As was offered to the Venezuelan… <a href="https://t.co/teuIT4GiRT">pic.twitter.com/teuIT4GiRT</a>
&mdash; Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) <a href="https://twitter.com/nayibbukele/status/1946296384035918284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Among the Americans held hostage by Venezuela is former Navy SEAL Wilbert Joseph Castaneda, who was detained last year while traveling, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prisoner-swap-us-venezuela-el-salvador/">reported</a>.
&#8220;We have prayed for this day for almost a year. My brother is an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime,&#8221; Castaneda&#8217;s family said in a statement. The family added that several traumatic brain injuries Castaneda suffered while serving his country &#8220;impaired his judgment and risk mitigation&#8221; and &#8220;led him to make a bad decision to travel to Venezuela.&#8221;
Another freed hostage is Lucas Hunter, an American and French citizen, who was on a kite surfing trip in Colombia when he was nabbed by Venezuelan authorities near the border, according to the Times.
A photo posted by the U.S. embassy in Venezuela showed the freed hostages waving American flags.
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Nothing says freedom like the American flag. Ten Americans freed from Venezuelan prisons today are coming home because of <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/nayibbukele?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nayibbukele</a>. 
America First in action. <a href="https://t.co/pc6bI0Wgnx">pic.twitter.com/pc6bI0Wgnx</a>
&mdash; Embajada de los EE.UU., Venezuela (@usembassyve) <a href="https://twitter.com/usembassyve/status/1946299817199653366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The release of the 10 Americans on Friday comes after the Trump administration got six Americans back home from the South American country in late January. After their release, some of the American hostages told the Times that they were beaten and subjected to &#8220;psychological torture.&#8221;
The United States has imposed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10715">sanctions</a> on Venezuela, which is led by dictator Nicolas Maduro, targeting the country&#8217;s government and oil sector &#8220;in response to Maduro&#8217;s repression.&#8221;

Venezuelan migrants

Trump Admin Secures Release Of 10 Americans Held In Venezuela In Exchange For Hundreds Of Migrants

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The Trump administration announced sanctions against the leader of Tren de Aragua and other top lieutenants on Thursday amid a broader effort to choke off the transnational criminal organization’s access to cash.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted six leaders of the Venezuelan gang, which has been designated as a foreign terror organization by the Trump administration, including its leader, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores. Also known as Niño Guerrero, he has led the group as it has evolved from a prison gang into a broader criminal entity with a presence in the United States.
“Today’s action highlights the critical role of leaders like Niño Guerrero and his lieutenants in Tren de Aragua’s efforts to increase its destabilizing influence throughout the region,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The sanctions require that any Tren de Aragua property or funds in the United States, or those controlled by American financial institutions, be frozen and reported to the Treasury, thereby restricting the flow of funds back into the hands of the criminal enterprise.
The Treasury notes that Niño Guerrero has been involved in criminal activity for two decades and has led the criminal group as it has become more influential. The State Department is currently offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Guerrero.
The department also sanctioned Yohan Jose Romero, a “close lieutenant” of Guerrero, who the Trump administration says is “responsible for the group’s illegal mining efforts in Venezuela.”
“Johan Petrica provides Tren de Aragua with military-grade weapons used to control the streets of Venezuela and fight against Colombian guerrillas,” the Treasury Department notes.
​​Also sanctioned is Josue Angel Santana Pena, who “is alleged to be involved in homicide, extortion, bombings, terrorism, and theft,” and Niño Guerrero’s wife, Wendy Marbelys Rios Gomez, who the Treasury Department notes is involved in money laundering, terrorism, and terrorist financing.
The Trump administration also sanctioned Wilmer Jose Perez Castillo, who the Treasury Department said has carried out “murders of a policeman, a Venezuelan military official, and Venezuelan intelligence officials” on behalf of the organization.
Felix Anner Castillo Rondon, the leader of a Tren de Aragua cell operating in Chile, has also been sanctioned. His crew is implicated in a range of crimes, including homicides, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of women, narcotics trafficking, and money laundering.
“The Trump Administration will not allow Tren de Aragua to continue to terrorize our communities and harm innocent Americans. In line with President Trump’s mandate to Make America Safe Again, Treasury remains dedicated to dismantling Tren de Aragua and disrupting the group’s campaign of violence.”
The new sanctions come amid a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-treasury-official-reveals-how-the-trump-admin-is-choking-off-cartels-cash-flow?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Treasury+Official+Lays+Out+How+Trump+Is+Choking+Off+Cash+Flow+To+Cartels">sweeping effort</a> by the Treasury Department to cut off cash flow to cartels and gangs in an attempt to eliminate the financial incentives that drive the criminal entities’ drug and human trafficking operations.
Members of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-treasury-dept-launches-sanctions-targeting-sinaloa-cartel">Sinaloa Cartel</a>, the Cartel de Noreste, and the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion have all been hit with Treasury sanctions since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent

Trump Admin Hits Tren De Aragua Leaders With Sanctions As Venezuelan Gang Infiltrates U.S.

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Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant convicted of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, secured a major court victory last Thursday when a judge ordered a mental evaluation that could lead to a new trial.
Ibarra, 27, was found <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley">guilty</a> in November on 10 charges, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape Riley, who he murdered after she went jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens.
According to court documents, Ibarra&#8217;s defense attorneys <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/07/us-news/laken-rileys-killer-jose-ibarra-gets-major-win-for-possible-trial-redo/">claimed</a> he &#8220;lacks the mental capacity to understand the nature and object and proceedings&#8221; and is &#8220;suffering from congenital deficiency which could render the client incapable of preparing a defense and standing trial,&#8221; per the New York Post.
Judge Patrick Haggard ordered a &#8220;prompt evaluation&#8221; to determine if Ibarra was fit to stand trial last year and whether he can assist with his current appeal.
“The mental competence of [Ibarra] has been called into question, and this court has found it appropriate for an evaluation to be conducted at the public expense,” the order reads.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross noted in court filings that there was no evidence during the trial suggesting Ibarra wasn&#8217;t mentally competent, though she didn&#8217;t oppose the evaluation and instead left the decision up to the Judge.
Ibarra, a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, waived his right to a jury trial, and Judge Haggard sentenced the illegal immigrant to life in prison without parole.
Ibarra had illegally entered the United States during the Biden administration&#8217;s border crisis, having been detained in El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but was released after approximately one day.
Riley&#8217;s brutal murder shocked the University of Georgia campus and garnered national attention amid heated debates about immigration enforcement.
In January, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Signs+Laken+Riley+Act+Into+Law">signed</a> into law the “Laken Riley Act,” which requires federal officials to arrest non-U.S. nationals accused of violent and theft-related crimes in the United States.
Ibarra had been previously arrested for other offenses, but he was released in New York before federal authorities could issue a detainer.
The mental evaluation is set to take place either at the Georgia Department of Corrections or at a designated hospital facility. No timeline has been established for when the evaluation results might be available or how quickly the court will rule on potential next steps.
If the mental evaluation finds Ibarra was not competent during his original trial, his defense team could petition for a retrial, potentially setting aside his life sentence and reopening wounds for Riley&#8217;s family and community.

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Judge Grants Laken Riley’s Killer A Path To Possible Retrial

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An illegal alien and suspected member of foreign terror organization Tren de Aragua has been charged with attempted murder of a federal officer after he violently resisted arrest and attacked FBI and Homeland Security agents.
The 30-year-old Venezuelan illegal alien Gabriel Hurtado-Cariaco was hit with the federal charge after he attacked an FBI agent and Homeland Security Investigations agent who attempted to apprehend him in Bellevue, Nebraska.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) explained that Hurtado-Cariaco violently resisted arrest, injuring one agent when the illegal alien sent the agent’s head slamming against the pavement. The suspected Tren de Aragua member also placed one agent in a chokehold during the altercation, not letting go until the other agent placed Hurtado-Cariaco in a chokehold.
“Deadly violence against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated by this Department of Justice,” Attorney General Pam Bondi charged. “We have charged this illegal alien with attempted murder.”
After the attack, Hurtado-Cariaco fled on foot before being successfully captured by the federal agents at his apartment. The injured agent was then transported to the hospital.
&#8220;Federal law enforcement officers are tasked with enforcing the laws of the United States and they must be able to do so safely,” U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods said. “These federal agents maintained their professionalism while being met with potentially fatal violence. Despite sustaining injuries, the agents did not give up and made a successful arrest.”
The illegal alien has since appeared before a judge, who ordered that he must remain in law enforcement custody. Hurtado-Cariaco could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the crime.
“The arrest and prosecution of this vicious Tren de Aragua gang member underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our law enforcement officers in the line of duty,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche asserted. “Violent attacks from terrorists against those who serve our communities will be met with swift and decisive justice.”

HSI Agent

Suspected Tren De Aragua Member Charged With Attempted Murder After Attacking Federal Agent

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled 7-2 against the Trump administration&#8217;s attempt to swiftly deport Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act, requiring officials to provide more than 24 hours for detainees to challenge their removal.
&#8220;Under these circumstances, notice roughly 24 hours before removal, devoid of information about how to exercise due process rights to contest that removal, surely does not pass muster,&#8221; the majority wrote.
The unsigned <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1007_g2bh.pdf">decision</a> clarified that the Court was only ruling on the notice requirement and not whether the Trump administration can use the Alien Enemies Act itself.
&#8220;To be clear, we decide today only that the detainees are entitled to more notice than was given on April 18,&#8221; the Court stated in its ruling, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-trump-administration-venezuelans-alien-enemies-act-rcna202094">reported</a>.
The Alien Enemies Act, enacted in 1798, allows the president to apprehend and deport citizens of a hostile nation during wartime or invasion.
Administration officials argued that Venezuela&#8217;s government has used Tren de Aragua as a proxy force, effectively weaponizing the gang to destabilize the United States through criminal activity and drug trafficking.
Conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, with Alito writing there were no grounds for the Court to intervene &#8220;at such an early stage of the litigation.&#8221;
&#8220;The Court&#8217;s failure to defer to the Executive Branch in immigration matters in which national security is at stake represents an extraordinary departure from our precedents,&#8221; Alito wrote.
The Court did acknowledge it was &#8220;far removed from the circumstances on the ground&#8221; and was not best positioned to determine the exact deportation process that should be followed.
The case has been sent back to an appeals court to establish appropriate due process procedures for the detainees in yet another legal impediment to Trump’s immigration agenda.
President Trump on Friday accused the high court of &#8220;being played by the radical left,&#8221; who only succeed through &#8220;intimidation of the court.&#8221;
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THE SUPREME COURT IS BEING PLAYED BY THE RADICAL LEFT LOSERS, WHO HAVE NO SUPPORT, THE PUBLIC HATES THEM, AND THEIR ONLY HOPE IS THE INTIMIDATION OF THE COURT, ITSELF. WE CAN’T LET THAT HAPPEN TO OUR COUNTRY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1923432648103333919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
“Today’s ruling effectively extends the temporary freeze that the justices put on Alien Enemies Act removals from the Northern District of Texas back on April 19,” <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/16/politics/supreme-court-alien-enemies-act">said</a> Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at Georgetown Law.
“Because lower courts have blocked use of the act in every other district in which the president has sought to invoke it, that means it’s effectively pausing all removals under the act until the 5th Circuit – and, presumably, the Supreme Court itself – conclusively resolves whether they’re legal and how much process is due if so.”

Multiple Storms Dump Snow From Midwest To East Coast This Week

SCOTUS Blocks Trump’s Bid To Resume Swift Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act

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Border Czar Tom Homan announced that the Trump administration’s immigration team would triple the workforce in sanctuary cities, vowing, “We’re gonna flood the zone with officers.”
After teenaged illegal immigrants belonging to &#8220;Los Diablos de 42,” described as a “farm team&#8221; of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragu gang, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nypd-officers-attacked-teenage-gang-times-square/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacked NYPD officers</a> on Friday in Times Square, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/tren-de-aragua-gang-violence-times-square" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> that NYPD is coordinating with federal agencies, but added, &#8220;The NYPD does not engage in civil immigration issues—period.&#8221;
Homan slammed Tisch, saying to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, “These people are in the country illegally, and the first thing the police commissioner did up there  — she’s ordered an internal affairs investigation. Did someone call ICE? Because we happened to be at the precinct where some of these people were being processed by happenstance, but now all of a sudden there’s an internal affairs investigation.”
“Who called ICE? We just proved to the city commissioner, we proved to the city council, that wants to lock us out of Rikers Island, that working with Mayor Adams &#8230; we indicted 27 members of TdA through a RICO investigation. &#8230; These are people who are murder-for-hire, drug traffickings, sex trafficking, gun trafficking. We took 27 TdA off the street. ICE, with the cooperation of the NYPD, we showed what our partnership can do.”
In mid-April, the New York City Council <a href="https://council.nyc.gov/news/2025/04/15/new-york-city-council-files-lawsuit-to-stop-mayor-adams-illegal-executive-order-inviting-president-trumps-ice-into-rikers-to-set-up-office-seeking-courts-immediate-halt-of/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a lawsuit</a> asking for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary injunction against Mayor Eric Adams’ <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/assets/home/downloads/pdf/executive-orders/2025/eo-50.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Executive Order 50</a> to invite ICE to operate an office in the Rikers Island jail.
“They’re already pulling back now,” Homan continued. “So the commissioner is more concerned with who called ICE rather than working with ICE to get these people not out of the street, (but) out of the country. &#8230; This is just another example of sanctuary cities not cooperating with ICE and look what happened: NYPD officers are attacked. If you&#8217;re brazen enough to attack an armed law enforcement officer, you&#8217;re much more dangerous to an unarmed civilian.”
Asked by Ingraham what his message was for three illegal immigrants “still on the loose,” Homan replied, “We’re comin’ for ‘em.” He continued, “These are the type of people that AOC brags, ‘Why I’m educating people on their constitutional rights.’ We all know what she’s doing. She’s educating criminals now to evade law enforcement.”
“Well, you know, I’m gonna do a little educating myself: You don’t want to open the door; you don’t want to answer a question; you don’t want to help us with the travel documents that get you removed, that’s a violation of Title VIII, United States Code 1253. It’s a crime. And we’re going to start prosecuting those crimes tomorrow.”
“If you got a final order, and you want to hinder your removal, you want to put roadblocks up and not cooperate, you want to hide and not open the door, then the agency is gonna start prosecuting you criminally,” he warned. “Then, after you get out of jail from that prosecution, then we deport you. Game’s over. We’re gonna look for these public safety threats and we’re gonna take ‘em off the streets in New York and every other sanctuary city. As a matter of fact, every sanctuary city, we’re gonna triple the workforce. We’re gonna flood the zone with officers. If we can’t arrest them in the jail, we’re gonna arrest them in the community. If we can’t arrest them in the community, we’ll arrest them at their worksite.”
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&mdash; Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1919937803850297688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Tom Homan Joins White House Press Briefing

Border Czar Homan: ‘We’re Gonna Triple The Workforce’ In Sanctuary Cities

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President Trump blasted the courts early Saturday after a federal judge blocked his administration from using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan gang members.
&#8220;Can it be so that Judges aren&#8217;t allowing the USA to Deport Criminals, including Murderers, out of our Country and back to where they came from?&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114442321106427795">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
&#8220;If this is so, our Country, as we know it, is finished! Americans will have to get used to a very different, crime filled, LIFE. This is not what our Founders had in mind!!!&#8221; he added.
The ruling came from U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., who determined Thursday that the 18th-century law can only be used when an &#8220;organized, armed force&#8221; threatens the United States, a standard he did not apply to multinational South American gangs.
Rodriguez rejected the administration&#8217;s argument that the law could target alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang in his 36-page decision.
“The Proclamation makes no reference to and in no manner suggests that a threat exists of an organized, armed group of individuals entering the United States at the direction of Venezuela to conquer the country or assume control over a portion of the nation,” the judge wrote.
“Thus, the Proclamation’s language cannot be read as describing conduct that falls within the meaning of ‘invasion’ for purposes of the AEA,” he added.
The Alien Enemies Act, part of the four Alien and Sedition Acts signed by President John Adams in 1798, has rarely been invoked in modern times. Trump&#8217;s proclamation <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/invocation-of-the-alien-enemies-act-regarding-the-invasion-of-the-united-states-by-tren-de-aragua/">activating</a> the centuries-old law in March represented a significant shift in immigration enforcement strategy, specifically targeting what the administration describes as transnational criminal organizations.
The administration deported more than 100 men to a high-security prison in El Salvador using the AEA, citing their tattoos and other evidence as proof of gang affiliation.
Continuing Trump&#8217;s aggressive immigration agenda, the administration has <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5280834-donald-trump-judge-alien-enemies-act-ruling/">asked</a> the Supreme Court to end deportation protections for over 600,000 Venezuelans currently covered under Temporary Protected Status, per the Hill.
The case was brought by several Venezuelan nationals who claimed they were wrongfully targeted for deportation. Their attorneys argued that tattoos alone were insufficient evidence of gang affiliation and that many individuals were denied the opportunity to contest the allegations against them.
White House officials confirmed that the Justice Department plans to appeal Rodriguez&#8217;s ruling while exploring other legal options to continue the deportation of individuals they identify as gang members. The administration has maintained that aggressive immigration enforcement remains central to its public safety agenda.

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Courts

U.S. District Court Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ruled on Thursday that President Donald Trump and his administration could not use the Alien Enemies Act to uphold the deportations of Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador.
<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txsd.2000771/gov.uscourts.txsd.2000771.58.0_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rodriguez</a> stated that the Act — first enacted in 1798 — did not apply unless the United States was facing an &#8220;armed, organized attack,&#8221; and argued that the influx of illegal alien gang members and terrorists did not meet that particular qualification.
&#8220;The Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and, as a result, is unlawful. [Administration officials] do not possess the lawful authority under the AEA, and based on the Proclamation, to detain Venezuelan aliens, transfer them within the United States, or remove them from the country,&#8221; he wrote in his decision.
The Trump administration argued that Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, a &#8220;designated Foreign Terrorist Organization[,] . . . is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States,&#8221; and based on that, &#8220;all Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older who are members of TdA, are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies.&#8221;
Rodriguez disagreed, however, but he did leave room for recourse: he also noted in his ruling that once the court determined the definition of &#8220;invasion&#8221; or &#8220;incursion,&#8221; the administration would be free to present any evidence they believed showed such and &#8220;invasion&#8221; or &#8220;incursion&#8221; had, in fact, occurred.
<blockquote>Some issues that Petitioners raise present a political question beyond judicial review. Once a court defines the parameters of what conduct constitutes an &#8220;invasion&#8221; or &#8220;predatory incursion&#8221; for purposes of the AEA, the court leaves to the Executive Branch the determination of whether such conduct has been perpetrated, attempted, or threatened. For example, a court may decide that one aspect of &#8220;invasion&#8221; and &#8220;predatory incursion&#8221; requires physical entry into the United States.
In other words, a court may conclude that no invasion or predatory incursion has occurred or has been threatened if the alleged conduct does not involve the entry of individuals into the country. The court having determined the meaning of these terms, it is left to the Executive Branch to determine whether a foreign nation or government has threatened or perpetrated activity that includes such an entry. As to this decision, the court may not delve into whether the Executive Branch possesses sufficient support for its conclusion, or whether the court agrees with the Executive Branch’s determinations.</blockquote>

Photo courtesy of The White House

Federal Judge Nixes Trump’s Use Of Alien Enemies Act To Deport Criminal Illegals

Federal Judge Nixes Trump's Use Of Alien Enemies Act To Deport Criminal Illegals

illegal alien

Nearly 600 individuals with ties to terror organizations entered the United States and were granted asylum by the Biden administration, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said during a cabinet meeting Wednesday.
The finding came after Gabbard directed the National Counterterrorism Center to identify cartel members present in the United States, as well as those who’ve attempted to enter the country through legal or illegal means.
“Because of your designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, I took immediate action with our National Counterterrorism Center to prioritize their focus on those terrorists and gang members who are trying to enter our country through legal or illegal means and to seek out those who are already here in our country because of the Biden administration’s four years of open borders,” Gabbard told President Donald Trump during Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
“Just the other day, we found 700 alien terrorists who have ties to MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and the Sinaloa cartel,” Gabbard said. “Just yesterday, our NCTC identified almost 600 individuals with ties to other terrorists who came through our border illegally, claimed asylum, and under the Biden administration were paroled here within our borders.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
JUST IN: <a href="https://twitter.com/ODNIgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ODNIgov</a>&#8216;s National Counterterrorism Center identified 600 individuals with ties to terrorists who came through our borders illegally, claimed asylum, and under the Biden administration, were paroled here within our borders. <a href="https://t.co/lgLVBLsst0">pic.twitter.com/lgLVBLsst0</a>
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1917646293091971517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Gabbard explained that her Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is working alongside the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to locate these illegal alien terrorists.
Gabbard’s efforts come after Trump <a href="https://www.state.gov/terrorist-designations-of-international-cartels/">designated</a> eight different gangs and cartels, including Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and the Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terror organizations.
The Trump administration has recently taken a slate of actions designed to cripple terror organizations like Tren de Aragua.
Homeland Security Investigations <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-say-theyve-captured-tren-de-aragua-leader-who-flaunted-grenades-on-social-media?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Feds+Say+They%E2%80%99ve+Captured+Tren+De+Aragua+Leader+Who+Flaunted+Grenades+On+Social+Media">captured</a> a man who they say is a leader of Tren de Aragua in Los Angeles over the weekend. The Venezuelan national, who was identified despite his use of a fake name, flaunted a stash of grenades on social media before his arrest.
That arrest came after federal law enforcement from a wide range of agencies, from the Department of Homeland Security to the IRS, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/multi-agency-raid-hits-tren-de-aragua-hotspot-officials-take-more-than-100-into-custody?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Multi-Agency+Raid+Hits+Tren+De+Aragua+Hotspot%3A+Officials+Take+More+Than+100+Into+Custody">arrested</a> more than 100 people at an underground nightclub that was being used by Tren de Aragua in Colorado.

MS-13 Member

Biden Gave Asylum To Nearly 600 Migrants With Terrorism Ties, Trump Says

MS-13 Gang

Terrorism

Federal agents arrested a Venezuelan illegal alien who flaunted his stash of grenades on social media and is believed to be a leader of the vicious Tren de Aragua.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Yonaiker Gallegos, who posed with an AR-15 and several grenades online, in Los Angeles County on Friday.
“On Tuesday evening April 22, 2025, HSI was able to locate Gallegos who was utilizing the false name Yoniaker Rafel MARTINEZ-RAMOS, who was in state custody in Los Angeles County on misdemeanor charges,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/1917040814745915616">statement</a> to Fox News.
The HSI National Gang Unit was able to identify the suspected Tren de Aragua leader as Yonaiker Gallegos after cross-referencing booking photos and social media images, using facial comparison tools to confirm his true identity. HSI successfully took Gallegos into custody for violations of Title 8, an immigration policy.
The arrest marks the latest crackdown by the Trump administration on the violent Venezuelan gang. The criminal enterprise was one of eight cartel and gang organizations <a href="https://www.state.gov/terrorist-designations-of-international-cartels/">designated</a> as a foreign terrorist organization by Trump’s State Department.
A multi-agency raid over the weekend resulted in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/multi-agency-raid-hits-tren-de-aragua-hotspot-officials-take-more-than-100-into-custody?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Multi-Agency+Raid+Hits+Tren+De+Aragua+Hotspot%3A+Officials+Take+More+Than+100+Into+Custody">capture</a> of over 100 illegal aliens at an underground nightclub in Colorado that authorities say was being used by Tren de Aragua members. The raid, which was carried out by agents from the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and even the United States Postal Service and IRS, also resulted in the seizure of drugs and weapons.
Trump’s Department of Justice recently charged 27 current and former suspected Tren de Aragua members under the Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), leveraging a law best known for its use against the mafia against cartels. The charges, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, spanned three different states and “will devastate TdA’s infrastructure.”
The administration also employed the Alien Enemies Act to expedite the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leave-now-trump-admin-vows-to-keep-deporting-suspected-gang-members-after-scotus-win?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘LEAVE+NOW’%3A+Trump+Admin+Vows+To+Keep+Deporting+Suspected+Gang+Members+After+SCOTUS+Win">deportation </a> of Tren de Aragua members to El Salvador&#8217;s Terrorism Confinement Center. Now the administration is locked in an ongoing l<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/26/texas-judge-venezuela-deportation-tren-de-aragua/83298669007/">egal battle</a> with federal judges over its use of the law to remove the criminal aliens.

HSI Arrest

Feds Say They’ve Captured Tren De Aragua Leader Who Flaunted Grenades On Social Media

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

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