A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuelan</a> illegal alien who encouraged other illegal aliens to try to steal people&#8217;s homes through squatting is now facing potential federal firearm charges.
Leonel Moreno, who was recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-busts-venezuelan-illegal-alien-who-urged-illegals-to-take-over-americans-homes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, illegally entered the U.S. in April 2022.
The New York Post reported that internal federal documents obtained by the publication shows the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been in contact with immigration officials and is considering bringing federal charges against him.
&#8220;The exact charges are not known, but sources said they would likely be brought under a section of the Gun Control Act which prohibits those on parole from possessing, shipping, transporting or receiving firearms or ammunition,&#8221; the report said.
Moreno posted videos on social media of him at firearms stores holding firearms, asking his followers which one they liked the best, and saying that he could buy them in stores.
John Fabbricatore, a former ICE field office director in Denver, said, &#8220;Charges under [Gun Control Act section] 922.g are a serious matter and can result in significant legal consequences for Moreno.&#8221;
“This should be a warning to any illegal aliens that possessing a firearm unlawfully will result in criminal charges and hopefully lead to a conviction,” he added.
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While there is no proof that he ever purchased a firearm at a store, Peter Forcelli, former special agent for the ATF, told the publication that the ATF is likely seeking charges because &#8220;he’s an illegal alien in possession of a firearm that was transported across state lines,&#8221; the report said.
“Based on the fact that he’s advocating going into people’s homes and taking them over is incredibly concerning,” Forcelli said.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-busts-venezuelan-illegal-alien-who-urged-illegals-to-take-over-americans-homes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ICE Busts Venezuelan Illegal Alien Who Urged Illegals To Take Over Americans’ Homes</a>

US-MUSIC-POLITICS-HINCKLEY

Venezuelan Illegal Alien Who Advocated Squatting In Homes Is Facing Potential Gun Charges: Report

Guns

Illegal Immigration

Theft

U.S.

Venezuela

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuelan</a> national who crossed over the U.S. southern border illegally in 2022 went viral this month for urging migrants to come to America and illegally take over homes via squatting. He&#8217;s now reportedly wanted by federal authorities.
Leonel Moreno, <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/03/27/us-news/migrant-influencer-was-waved-into-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post, was enrolled in a program called ATD, or the Alternatives to Detention. Instead of staying in a detention center near our border, Moreno, due to overcrowding, was given an ankle monitor and tracked by feds while he stayed in the U.S.
However, Moreno is now listed as an &#8220;absconder,&#8221; according to internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents viewed by the Post.
In one of his most infamous social media videos, Moreno told followers to “seize” uninhabited homes in the U.S. by squatting, and went on to claim that he has friends who have taken over 7 homes illegally by using such tactics.
&#8220;I already got some cheat codes from my African friends. They told me that they already have seized about 7 houses,&#8221; Moreno boasts in the video.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Noted migrant now promotes squatting as a business model. <a href="https://t.co/sy8tTIMuzn">pic.twitter.com/sy8tTIMuzn</a>
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) <a href="https://twitter.com/BonillaJL/status/1770593421960306963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
Despite Moreno accumulating tens of thousands of followers and millions of views online, it&#8217;s unclear if ICE will actually follow through to detain the illegal.
John Fabbricatore, a former ICE field office director for the agency in Denver, told the Post that illegals who abscond from the ATD program will likely not be tracked by federal agents, and will generally only become a target for ICE if local law enforcement arrest the illegal.
Currently, Moreno&#8217;s profile on TikTok has been deleted, though he is still active on Instagram. On Wednesday, he posted a video in which he holds up hundred-dollar bills next to his baby daughter. The post is captioned, &#8220;Slave you are and slave you will remain.&#8221;
Moreno this month unintentionally drew attention to a major problem plaguing cities across the nation: squatting. A leftist push for tenants’ rights in conjunction with pandemic-related eviction moratoriums are believed to have spurred the crisis.
Just last month, a woman in Queens, New York, named Adele Andaloro was <a href="https://abc7ny.com/squatters-standoff-queens-new-york-city/14540298/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> for changing the locks to her own million-dollar home in an attempt to remove at least three people who were living there illegally.
In New York City, squatters have rights after just 30 days. It’s against the law for property owners to turn off utilities, remove belongings, or change the locks. Property owners have to take squatters to court, a legal avenue that can take months or possibly years to resolve.
Cities like Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Atlanta have also seen alarming trends with illegally occupied homes. For example, the National Rental Home Council in January <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-25/atlanta-landlords-confront-squatting-surge-in-vacant-rental-homes">found</a> that around 1,200 homes in the metro Atlanta area had squatters.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teen-squatters-taken-into-custody-after-woman-found-dead-in-duffle-bag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Teen Squatters Taken Into Custody After Woman Found Dead In Duffle Bag</a>

Leonel Moreno

Illegal Immigrant TikToker Who Went Viral Urging Migrants To Take Over American Homes Is Wanted By ICE: Report

Venezuelan TikToker Who Went Viral Encouraging Migrants To Take Over American Homes Is Targeting By ICE: Report

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

TikTok

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/indiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indiana</a> has enacted a law that prohibits cities in the state from entering &#8220;sister city&#8221; agreements with localities in adversarial foreign nations such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a>, Russia, and Iran.
Such agreements are meant to boost cultural and economic ties between communities in different nations, but some U.S. officials have been raising concerns about malign influence. One Indiana city — Carmel — recently <a href="https://fox59.com/indianapolitics/carmel-withdraws-relationship-with-united-states-heartland-china-association/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withdrew</a> its <a href="https://youarecurrent.com/2024/02/08/carmel-to-end-membership-with-u-s-heartland-china-association/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">membership</a> with the United States Heartland China Association.
Last week, Governor Eric Holcomb (R-IN) <a href="https://www.in.gov/gov/newsroom/2024-bill-watch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a <a href="https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/123/2024/house/bills/HB1120/HB1120.05.ENRS.pdf#page=87" target="_blank" rel="noopener">112-page bill</a> that includes a small provision that institutes the sister-city ban for counties, cities, towns, or townships. It <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-15/subtitle-A/part-7/subpart-A/section-7.4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hinges on U.S. Code</a> to define foreign adversaries, of which there are currently six: China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), who is running for Senate, celebrated the bill&#8217;s enactment, particularly as it relates to China and its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-panel-releases-memo-on-chinas-influence-strategy-in-the-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Central United Front Work Department</a> that he says manages sister city agreements through a proxy group.
“Sister city agreements are managed by the United Front, the Chinese Communist Party’s overseas influence arm which Xi Jinping called a ‘magic weapon’ for ‘national rejuvenation.’ The CCP pushes sister city agreements to get a foothold here, not to help Indiana,&#8221; Banks said in a <a href="https://banks.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2255" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Monday.
&#8220;I’m glad that state lawmakers are focused on ridding Communist Party influence from our state, whether that means banning [agricultural] land purchases or cooperative agreements with our foremost adversary,&#8221; he added.
The <a href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/03/18/indiana-bans-sister-city-agreements-with-foreign-adversaries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indiana Capital Chronicle</a> said that the provision goes into effect on July 1, but notes there is some uncertainty about whether the ban is retroactive to affect existing agreements — and it does not apply to a state-level agreement with the Chinese province of Zhejiang.
There has been bipartisan support for action as state Rep. Mitch Gore, an Indianapolis-area Democrat, first proposed the provision and said that he believes sister-city agreements with foreign adversaries &#8220;deserve a little more scrutiny,&#8221; according to the report.
Critics included Jenna Bentley, the government affairs director at Accelerate Indiana Municipalities, who told the news outlet, &#8220;We have concerns when any kind of preemption prevails at the statehouse. Sister City relationships are often entered into for hyperlocal reasons.&#8221;

Indiana State Legislature

Indiana Approves Ban On ‘Sister City’ Agreements With Foreign Adversaries

Indiana Approves Ban On 'Sister City' Agreements With Foreign Adversaries

China

Cuba

Indiana

Iran

Jim Banks

North Korea

Russia

EAGLE PASS, TEXAS– A pregnant Venezuelan migrant illegally swam across the Rio Grande with her three-year-old daughter and went into labor on the U.S. side of the border, her husband disclosed to The Daily Wire.
Sitting behind the razor wire fence with the three-year-old that he said is his wife’s daughter, the man said he and his wife crossed because they did not want to wait to come legally. 
“He was saying that his wife was pregnant, that her water broke… here on this side while they were waiting,” Lt. Chris Olivarez from the Texas Department of Public Safety explained after translating his interview. “National Guard took her to the hospital to get her medical treatment.”
<h3>Illegal Immigrant Says His Pregnant Wife Just Went Into Labor On U.S. Shore Of Rio Grande</h3>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pUjb0nYgJdg?si=86p2TCdGiDmX7Uuc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The two migrants arrived in Eagle Pass, where Gov. Greg Abbott recently took control of Shelby Park in an effort to secure the border. This effort included expelling the border patrol, installing barriers, and ordering National Guard troops and law enforcement to patrol.
Olivarez confirmed that the child will be an American citizen if it&#8217;s born on U.S. soil.
“To be that far in your pregnancy, they have to know more or less when she is going to give birth in order to cross on this side and cross here in the United States,” he said. “We see that a lot — where a lot of pregnant females who are coming across, they will wait usually, when they are about to give birth. Then they’ll cross into the United States and they’ll have the baby that same day. or they’ll have it right at the river as they are crossing.”
Prior to being patrolled by the state of Texas, Shelby Park had thousands of people crossing and turning themselves in to be processed and allowed entry into the United States by border patrol.
“They want to get caught,” Olivarez said, “They know the system, they’re looking for border control because they know the process already: come across, look for the green uniform and turn yourself in &#8230; chances are you’re going to get released into the country.”
With Texas in control, migrants are either arrested for illegally trespassing into the park, told to swim back, or wait in hopes that border patrol picks them up. The exception is a medical emergency like a woman going into labor. 
“They use the children in those types of situations because they know, obviously, that there is a human side to us,&#8221; Olivarez said.  
Olivarez scolded the man for crossing the dangerous river with a small child, explaining that there is an average of one drowning a day.
“It’s maybe just about shoulder height for an average person…one misstep and it&#8217;s going to take you under, or the current is going to take you, especially with a child,” he said. “There’s really no way to rescue that child because the current is so strong.”
“I understand they are desperate, but they are really placing their children in danger, especially crossing the river,” he said.
He added that he is frustrated the federal government is not preventing the crossings 
“To them, it’s fine. When it involves the state of Texas when we put up barriers, well that’s inhumane or that&#8217;s cruel, yet we are trying to prevent people from crossing so we don’t see situations like this, so we don’t have anyone drowning, especially children. We’re the only ones really trying to prevent that.”

KassyOlivarezImmigrant_Still

BORDER CRISIS: Pregnant Illegal Goes Into Labor After Swimming Across Texas Border, Husband Explains

Border

Immigration

Mexico

Texas

“Fat Leonard,” the flamboyant defense contractor who admitted to bribing top Navy brass with booze and hookers in a $35 million scheme and bolted while awaiting sentencing earlier this month, was turned over by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuelan</a> officials to the U.S. this week as part of a prisoner swap.
The swap included Fat Leonard, whose real name is Leonard Glenn Francis, along with 10 Americans who had been held prisoner in Venezuela in exchange for the U.S. releasing a close ally of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Francis, a Malaysian national, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fat-leonard-fugitive-who-bribed-navy-brass-with-booze-hookers-nabbed-after-international-manhunt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">captured</a> at the Caracas airport in Venezuela in September 2022 as he prepared to flee the South American country for Russia, Interpol said. Francis, 58, had been in U.S. custody, but earlier in the month he cut off his ankle monitor while under house arrest in San Diego and slipped out of the country, sparking an international manhunt.
Venezuela told Francis this week that they were going to release him from custody so that he could receive medical treatment, and he believed that he would be completely free by the end of this year, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/12/21/fat-leonard-thought-he-was-going-free-now-hes-locked-up-miami/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. However, the socialist country was lying to him and his lawyer so that he would not legally contest his transfer back to the U.S. as the two countries had reportedly negotiated in secret for months.
On Wednesday, Francis was thrown onto a small jet and flown to the Caribbean island of Canouan, where he was handed over to U.S. officials. He was subsequently transported to Miami and locked up in federal prison. He is expected to be flown back to San Diego in the near future so he can be sentenced in his criminal case.
Francis pleaded guilty in 2015 to plying Navy officials with cash, prostitutes, and expensive dinners to help his Singapore-based ship servicing company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, land contracts. Prosecutors claim the company bilked the Navy out of $35 million for servicing ships. Francis was to be sentenced in September 2022, after cooperating with prosecutors for years to secure convictions of dozens of people, including more than 20 Navy officers.
The plea deal called for Francis to repay the government the $35 million, but so far, he has only repaid $5 million.
In 2021, Francis bragged about his lucrative scheme in a Project Brazen podcast series.
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“Everybody was in my pocket. I had them rolling around in my palm. I had the Navy by their balls. I turned my torpedo, my guns against them, because they betrayed me,&#8221; Francis says in one episode of a nine-part series.
Francis, who owns his own decommissioned U.S. war ship and is reportedly obsessed with American culture, described how he targeted Navy Commander Michael Misiewicz by providing him with prostitutes and infiltrating his inner circle of family and friends.
“They wanted to have the good life that they could not have,” Francis said. “They wanted the fine dining, the fine gifts, hotel rooms, sedans, luxury cars, watches, handbags, fancy meals, alcohol, cigars.”
But the Misiewicz operation was Fat Leonard’s downfall. When the Navy man’s wife, Marcy, confronted her husband about her suspicions he was cheating, he beat her. She reported him to Navy officials, who launched an investigation that uncovered damning emails.
Misiewicz was sentenced to over six years in prison.
Francis has claimed without evidence that senior admirals were protected by the Pentagon.
“Some of the more senior admirals got handled by the Navy because then they can be brushed under the carpet, it’s little more than a slap on the wrist, they call it ‘different spanks for different ranks,'&#8221; he said in the podcast series.
Greg Wilson contributed to this report.

VENEZUELA-CRIME-CORRUPTION-CAPTURE-GLENN

Venezuela Cons U.S. Fugitive, Returns Him To U.S. In Prisoner Swap: Report

Crime

Law Enforcement

United States

World

The U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) conducted a joint military exercise with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on Thursday in an apparent effort to deter socialist Venezuela from invading the the South American country.
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro held a a sham referendum earlier this week on whether the country should annex the majority of Guyana, an oil rich country on Venezuela&#8217;s eastern border.
The Miami Herald <a href="https://archive.is/gtGXz#selection-1959.0-1969.61">reported</a> that U.S. officials have not yet seen the type of military activity they would expect to see if Venezuela was close to launching an invasion.
However, officials warned that even a small force deployed by Venezuela could spark the need for a &#8220;global response&#8221; which would add to the increased instability happening around the world, including Russia&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine, Iran stirring up terrorism in the Middle East, China threatening to invade Taiwan, and North Korea continuing to act belligerent.
John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council in the White House, claimed on Thursday that people should not read too much into the joint military exercise.
“I’d be careful drawing too strong connective tissue between routine military operations that we do in the region and this particular issue,” said Kirby. “That said, as I said before, we recognize the sovereign territory of Guyana, and as we do with many nations — sovereign nations — in the region, we conduct operations and exercises as appropriate.”
“We absolutely stand by our unwavering support for Guyana’s sovereignty,” he added.
Amid the threats from Venezuela, leftist Brazil has deployed its military along its border with Venezuela because if Venezuela were to try to invade the oil-rich Essequibo region they would likely need to enter through Brazil due to challenging terrain along the Venezuela-Guyana border.
Experts warn that Maduro might be trying to simply stir things up with a small military conflict to use as a pretext for declaring martial law before the country&#8217;s elections next year.
“The Venezuelan armed forces might have enough equipment to make some kind of show of force, but it really does not have the men for a serious effort,” said Manuel Cristopher Figuera, a retired major general in the Venezuelan army. “This is a farce — a perfect farce to declare martial law.”

US And Philippines Conduct Marine Aviation Support Activity

U.S. Conducts Military Flight Drills With Guyana To Deter Venezuelan Invasion

John Kirby

Military

Nicolas Maduro

Republican senators slammed President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> after his administration announced it would ease sanctions on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuela</a> in exchange for “democratic developments” backed by socialist dictator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nicolas-maduro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicolas Maduro</a>.
The Biden administration made the decision to remove the Trump-imposed sanctions on exports of crude oil and refined petroleum after Maduro gave concessions to the opposition Unitary Platform, agreeing to allow more transparency in the upcoming 2024 elections. The suspended sanctions mean that the U.S. will allow some Venezuelan oil and gas transactions and the trading of some sovereign bonds, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-elections-c8b8743d8c7628c3a4784ef80d4234cc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Associated Press. 
“Our ultimate goal with sanctions is to bring positive change in behavior,” a Biden official <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/18/biden-venezuela-oil-sanctions-nicolas-maduro-00121779" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “The United States government retains the authority to amend or revoke all authorizations should Maduro and his representatives fail to follow through on their commitments.”
The decision was criticized by Republicans who expressed doubts that Maduro would uphold his promises for transparent elections and hit Biden for restricting domestic oil production. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski called the decision “beyond absurd.”
“They’re easing up on the worst regimes in the world, giving them the revenues to stay in power and spread terror and corruption, while kneecapping environmentally responsible development in Alaska,” she said. 
Last month, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/war-on-alaska-biden-admin-cancels-alaskan-oil-and-gas-leases-bans-drilling-on-millions-of-acres" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> it would cancel oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve and move to ban drilling in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve. 
Republican Senator John Barrasso from Wyoming said that the move was meant to distract from the ongoing conflict in Israel.
“With Israel under attack, Biden is desperate for anything to mask the consequences of his reckless policies,” he said. “His latest gimmick is to ease sanctions on Nicolas Maduro’s brutal regime in Venezuela. America should never beg for oil from socialist dictators or terrorists.”
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The announcement also comes after Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) <a href="https://www.cramer.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sen-cramer-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-ban-oil-and-natural-gas-imports-from-iran-and-venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced a bill</a> that would ban the purchase of fossil fuels from Venezuela and Iran. 
“The idea of importing oil from our adversaries is a complete slap in the face of working Americans,” Cramer said. “We should be using and supporting American energy, and any reliance on our adversaries for something as critical as energy is an obvious threat to our national security.”
Gas prices have remained high since Biden took office as Saudi Arabia has cut oil production, and the war in Ukraine has hurt supply. At the same time, Biden has slashed approvals of new leases for gas and funneled billions toward a “transition” to green energy.
Meanwhile, thousands of illegal immigrants from Venezuela have been entering the U.S., with 50,000 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50000-venezuelans-illegally-crossed-u-s-border-last-month-shattering-previous-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crossing</a> into America in September.

President Maduro Speaks After Visiting China and Cuba

Republicans Slam Biden Admin For Suspending Sanctions On Venezuelan Oil

Biden Administration

Executive

Joe Biden

Oil and Gas

This author has said it once, and he&#8217;ll say it again: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-enemies-have-a-best-friend-in-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America&#8217;s enemies have a best friend in President Joe Biden</a>.
The latest evidence proving that statement can be found in his administration&#8217;s purported plan to ease Venezuelan sanctions in exchange for the Maduro government&#8217;s pinky promise to hold free elections next year.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-10/us-venezuela-near-deal-on-sanctions-relief-for-steps-toward-fair-elections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the U.S. government and Venezuela are close to finalizing the deal: Biden and co. will lift sanctions on oil drilling and banking — but only after socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro and his gang announce democratic reforms.
This could allow Venezuela access to upwards of $3 billion frozen in European banks while enriching the government&#8217;s pockets due to the country&#8217;s natural resources. These sanctions were imposed on the Latin American nation by former President Donald Trump in 2019. Maduro is notoriously corrupt. It stands to reason that he will be made richer once these sanctions are lifted.
If you haven&#8217;t noticed, the Biden administration seems intent on undoing Trump&#8217;s foreign policy — even if it rewards America&#8217;s adversaries. (See: Iran.)
Of course, it&#8217;s unclear how seriously Maduro&#8217;s commitment to &#8220;free and fair&#8221; elections should be taken.
In July 2022, Elliott Abrams, the U.S. Department of State’s special representative to Venezuela, <a href="https://ge.usembassy.gov/maduros-election-plan-no-participation-no-choice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a>, &#8220;The conditions for free and fair elections are actually much worse today than they were in May 2018, when Maduro held the presidential elections that democracies all over the world have said were fraudulent.&#8221;
Maduro has claimed that 2018 was a fair election — despite the evidence to the contrary. He&#8217;s not fooling anybody, except the Biden administration.
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One Republican who has spent years warning against alleviating sanctions is Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL).
As recently as September 2023, Rubio wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
&#8220;Any sanctions that would benefit the Venezuelan regime, as well as on [Petróleos de Venezuela], oil production, or refinement, or infusing Chinese cash into the Maduro regime is a direct threat against U.S. national security interests and the safety and wellbeing of our region,&#8221; Rubio said recently.
Rubio stressed Maduro is not to be trusted.
&#8220;The regime’s political and economic mismanagement has caused the largest refugee crisis in the world, which has driven more than 7 million Venezuelans to flee their homeland,&#8221; he added. &#8220;To make things worse, the narco-regime continues to fund terrorist organizations in neighboring Colombia as well as fomenting instability and serving as sponsors of a major international drug trafficking ring that contributes to the growing opioid epidemic in our country.&#8221;
Biden has made it a habit to engage in dialogue with Maduro by easing sanctions.
In 2022, Rubio blasted Biden for his appeasement.
“President Biden claims to support democracy and human rights, but his foreign policy strategy is actually built around appeasement and giving concessions to dictators,” Rubio <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubio-on-venezuela-sanctions-relief-president-biden-continues-to-appease-dictators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in May 2022.
&#8220;Simply put, President Biden is strengthening illegitimate, corrupt regimes in our hemisphere that undermine American national security,&#8221; he added.
This latest report also comes as the Biden administration openly brags about slowing down U.S. oil production. Venezuela&#8217;s oil production? Go right ahead, Maduro, just ensure it&#8217;s a so-called fair election — what does that mean exactly?
Well, at home, the GOP frontrunner is facing lawfare via a litany of arguably bogus indictments — which should give you an idea as to how seriously Biden takes making sure elections are free and fair.
America last, indeed.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 7: President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken walk into the State Dining Room to deliver remarks on the terrorist attacks in Israel at the White House on October 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. The White House has said that senior national security officials have briefed the President on the attacks on Israel that were carried out by Hamas overnight and White House officials remain in close contact with their counterparts in Israel.

Biden To Lift Some Venezuelan Sanctions If They Pinky Promise To Hold Free Elections

Biden To Lift Some Venezuelan Sanctions If They Pinky Promise To Hold Safe Elections

Global Politics

The Biden administration has said that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuelan</a> immigrants who illegally entered the United States will be directly deported back to the South American country after a record number crossed the southern border last month.
The <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-venezuela-deportations-reduce-record-border-arrivals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shift in policy</a> comes after years of bypassing regular deportations to Venezuela due to nearly two decades of tense relations with its socialist government. The U.S. has <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10715" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed sanctions</a> against the Venezuelan government and national individuals for the last 17 years related to its lack of cooperation on anti-drug and counterterrorism efforts.
But now, the Department of Homeland Security has said the federal government plans to resume direct deportations after preliminary data showed approximately <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50000-venezuelans-illegally-crossed-u-s-border-last-month-shattering-previous-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50,000 Venezuelans illegally entered the U.S. last month</a>, shattering the monthly record of 34,000 set in September 2022.
&#8220;Today&#8217;s announcement makes clear that we are committed to strictly enforcing immigration laws and quickly removing individuals who do not avail themselves of these orderly processes and choose to cross our border unlawfully,&#8221; the DHS said in a statement.
The spike in illegal crossings made by Venezuelan nationals came the same month that the Biden administration permitted hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from Venezuela to stay and work in the U.S. as federal officials insist it would be unsafe for them to return home.
“Temporary protected status provides individuals already present in the United States with protection from removal when the conditions in their home country prevent their safe return,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement on September 21. “That is the situation that Venezuelans who arrived here on or before July 31 of this year find themselves in.”
More than seven million Venezuelans have fled the socialist regime in recent years, according to the United Nations, as the country faces economic collapse. The Venezuelan crisis has caused the largest migrant exodus in the world, surpassing the migrant exodus in Syria and Ukraine.
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The all-time high of illegal crossings into the U.S. comes after President Joe Biden removed Trump-era immigration policies.
Former President Donald Trump blasted the Biden administration Wednesday after Mayorkas said there is an “acute and immediate need” to waive dozens of federal laws and build a border wall in Texas, echoing one of Trump’s signature policies.
“Biden sees our country is being invaded,” the former president said. “What is he going to do about the 15 million people from prisons, from mental institutions, insane asylums, and terrorists that have already come into our country?”
Trump added that the U.S. needs to return to his policies to mitigate the border crisis.
“He has to reinstate Remain in Mexico and Title 42,” Trump said. “He has to do all of the other things that we were doing.”
&#8220;As I have stated often, over thousands of years, there are only two things that have consistently worked, wheels, and walls!&#8221; Trump wrote on social media. &#8220;Will Joe Biden apologize to me and America for taking so long to get moving&#8230;&#8221;
Zach Jewell contributed to this report.

Migrant Crossings At The Southern Border Continue Despite Title 42 Ruling

Biden Admin To Restart Deportations To Venezuela Amid Record Border Crossings

Deportations

Politics

Southern Border

Trump Administration

A record number of illegal immigrants from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuela</a> crossed the U.S. southern border in September, according to Department of Homeland Security preliminary data.
Around 50,000 Venezuelans illegally entered the U.S. last month, shattering the monthly record of 34,000 set in September 2022, according to the DHS data that was obtained by <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuelan-migrants-us-mexico-border-september-numbers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a> on Wednesday. The data show that on some days, up to 3,000 Venezuelan migrants crossed the border, and illegal immigrants from the country made up roughly one-quarter of the more than 200,000 Border Patrol apprehensions in September.
The spike in illegal crossings made by Venezuelan nationals came the same month that the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-to-allow-hundreds-of-thousands-of-illegal-immigrants-to-stay-and-work-in-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave permission</a> to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from Venezuela to stay and work in the U.S. as federal officials insist it would be unsafe for them to return home.
“Temporary protected status provides individuals already present in the United States with protection from removal when the conditions in their home country prevent their safe return,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement on September 21. “That is the situation that Venezuelans who arrived here on or before July 31 of this year find themselves in.”
More than seven million Venezuelans have fled the socialist regime in recent years, <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/emergencies/venezuela-situation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the United Nations, as the country faces economic collapse. The Venezuelan crisis has caused the largest migrant exodus in the world, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/immigration-venezuela-refugee-crisis-us-border-policies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassing</a> the migrant exodus in Syria and Ukraine.
After the spike of Venezuelans illegally entering the U.S. in 2022, the Biden administration unveiled a strategy to curb the sky-high numbers by working with the Mexican government to take some Venezuelan nationals. The federal government also worked to allow other migrants to fly to the U.S. if Americans sponsored them. Illegal border crossing by Venezuelans dropped from September 2022 through February 2023, but quickly shot back up before reaching the all-time high last month.
Daily illegal border crossings have neared <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-border-numbers-near-all-time-high" target="_blank" rel="noopener">record highs</a> as border facilities are slammed with migrants and officials are mass releasing illegal immigrants into the U.S. interior while thousands more stream into the country. The strain at the U.S. border is felt by communities from small border towns to major American cities.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-mayor-will-tell-migrants-not-to-come-to-city-on-latin-america-trip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced he will visit</a> Latin America this week and personally tell potential migrants not to come to New York City. Since last year, more than 117,000 migrants have arrived in the Big Apple, and many of them are still being housed and fed on taxpayer dollars. New York City is expected to spend up to $5 billion dealing with the migrant crisis.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Migrants navigate challenges on their way to the U.S. border

50,000 Venezuelans Illegally Crossed U.S. Border Last Month, Shattering Previous Record

Border Patrol

Department of Homeland Security

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> is allowing hundreds of thousands of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illegal-immigration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal immigrants</a> from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuela</a> to stay and work in the U.S. as federal officials insist it would be unsafe for them to return home. 
The Venezuelans, who entered the U.S. illegally, can work and be shielded from deportation after the Department of Homeland Security amended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program to allow individuals who crossed into America after March 2021 and before July 31, 2023, to be eligible for the benefits. According to CBS News, the number of Venezuelans who could become part of the program <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/venezuelan-migrants-thousands-legal-status-work-permits-u-s/#textWhile20others20without20legal20statusfrom20the20South20American20country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is around</a> 472,000. 
&#8220;Temporary protected status provides individuals already present in the United States with protection from removal when the conditions in their home country prevent their safe return,&#8221; Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a Wednesday statement. &#8220;That is the situation that Venezuelans who arrived here on or before July 31 of this year find themselves in.&#8221;
DHS <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/09/20/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-takes-new-actions-increase-border#:~:text=Temporary%20Protection%20for%20those%20Already%20in%20the%20US.&amp;text=TPS%20provides%20temporary%20protection%20from,authorization%20for%20eligible%20Venezuelan%20nationals." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the move to extend TPS would result in &#8220;approximately hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan nationals” being eligible for work authorization. 
The move was pushed for by New York City Democratic Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/eric-adams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Adams</a>, who has frequently complained about the flood of foreign nationals arriving in his city.
&#8220;Our administration and our partners across the city have led the calls to &#8216;Let Them Work,&#8217; so I want to thank President Biden for hearing our entire coalition, including our hard-working congressional delegation, and taking this important step that will bring hope to the thousands of Venezuelan asylum seekers currently in our care who will now be immediately eligible for Temporary Protected Status,&#8221; Adams said. 
Illegal crossings at the southern border have remained high throughout the Biden administration and, in recent days, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-border-numbers-near-all-time-high" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approached record numbers</a>. 
From Friday until Monday, an average of 9,000 immigrants a day <a href="https://twitter.com/GriffJenkins/status/1704120360235405366" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> crossed the southern border. On Monday alone, more than 9,700 immigrants were <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1704123809610002919" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> caught or processed crossing the southern border illegally and through ports of entry.
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Videos from the border show streams of foreign nationals crossing into the U.S., with many coming in through Eagle Pass in Texas, where the Biden administration has <a href="https://twitter.com/gregabbott_tx/status/1704614936218149361?s=46&amp;t=XGiUuNPiSLBSXsXhdarMAQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been accused</a> of cutting down razor wire put up by Texas to deter crossings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Large groups beginning to cross illegally again into Eagle Pass, TX this morning. <a href="https://t.co/WNtnDwZXtZ">pic.twitter.com/WNtnDwZXtZ</a>
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1704858840523526217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2023/09/20/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-takes-new-actions-increase-border#:~:text=Temporary%20Protection%20for%20those%20Already%20in%20the%20US.&amp;text=TPS%20provides%20temporary%20protection%20from,authorization%20for%20eligible%20Venezuelan%20nationals." target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Wednesday that an additional 800 National Guard troops would be sent to the southern border to help with “logistics and other functions at the border” as Customs and Border Protection struggle to deal with the influx.

MIGRANTS

Biden Admin To Allow ‘Hundreds Of Thousands’ Of Illegal Immigrants To Stay And Work In U.S.

Biden Admin To Allow 'Hundreds Of Thousands' Of Illegal Immigrants To Stay And Work In U.S.

Alejandro Mayorkas

Border Crisis

Eric Adams

New York City

A group of Democrats in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress</a> urged President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> on Wednesday to reverse Trump-era sanctions on communist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cuba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cuba</a> and socialist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuela</a>.
<a href="https://escobar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1227" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A letter</a>, spearheaded by Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), argued these penalties are &#8220;push-factors&#8221; fueling a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/border-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crisis at the southern border</a> ahead of the imminent expiration of the Title 42 policy credited with blocking millions of crossings.
“Experts widely agree that broad-based U.S. sanctions — expanded to an unprecedented level by former President Donald Trump — are a critical contributing factor in the current increase in migration,” the group said.
“In light of their grave humanitarian toll on the peoples of those countries, and the significant logistical challenges that the resulting increase in migration is causing for federal, state, and local authorities, we urge you to act swiftly to lift the failed and indiscriminate economic sanctions that were imposed by the prior administration,&#8221; they added.
The Trump administration <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1239" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued sanctions</a> against Venezuela to punish the &#8220;illegitimate&#8221; regime led by President Nicolás Maduro, citing an &#8220;abuse&#8221; of natural resources, and against Cuba <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-florida-archive-courts-cuba-1380bca4b965163fde80a31cef3b1396" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to reverse</a> what former President Donald Trump called &#8220;the Obama-Biden sellout to the Castro regime.&#8221; In the final days of Trump&#8217;s administration, the federal government re-designated Cuba as a <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-hits-cuba-with-new-terrorism-sanctions-in-waning-days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;state sponsor of terrorism.&#8221;</a>
<a href="https://escobar.house.gov/uploadedfiles/final_letter_migration_and_cuba__venzuela_sanctions.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The letter</a> from House Democrats, which bore the signatures of more than a dozen lawmakers, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), argued the Trump-era sanctions have blasted the economies of Cuba and Venezuela, making such things as food and medicine scarcer.
They recognize that Biden has already lifted some <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/16/us/politics/biden-cuba-policy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penalties</a> on both <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/26/1139284014/biden-venezuela-oil-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">countries</a>, but lament how &#8220;most of the Trump administration-imposed sanctions remain and continue to exacerbate our challenges at the border.&#8221;
Officials from the federal level down to the local level are bracing for a migrant surge as the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/18/human-tidal-wave-is-waiting-for-border-to-open-may-11-biden-has-no-plan-to-stop-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic-era Title 42</a>, which allows authorities to quickly turn away migrants at the border on public health grounds, is set to expire by the end of Thursday.
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Border agents are already making up to 10,000 apprehensions daily this week, Customs and Border Protection sources <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/border-patrol-encounters-10000-migrants-third-day-numbers-swell-before-title-42-drops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Fox News</a>. The rising numbers has given Republicans more reason to accuse the Biden administration of mismanaging the border situation.
As noted by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/10/biden-border-venezuela-sanctions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a>, the House Democrats&#8217; push to further ease up sanctions against Venezuela and Cuba sets up a clash with Senate Foreign Affairs Chairman Robert Melendez (D-NJ), a major critic of both the governments leading both countries.
Menendez released a joint <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorMenendez/status/1656436733251125248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> with other Senate Democrats on Thursday that made no mention of Cuba or Venezuela, instead making other suggestions such as imploring Biden to &#8220;expand legal pathways for migrants from Central America and help local economies thrive, as well as redesignate Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua for TPS [Temporary Protected Status], and issue TPS designation for Guatemala.&#8221;

Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX)

Dems Urge Biden To Loosen Sanctions On Communist Cuba, Socialist Venezuela To Mitigate Border Crisis

Congress

Title 42

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