BLUF: Former police chief resigns judgeship after wife hires illegal gangster to do work around the house, lets him live with them and have gangster range days with his guns.
[Breitbart] A Democrat judge in New Mexico resigned from his bench last month after immigration agents arrested an alleged Tren de Aragua gang member living in his home. The illegal alien entered the U.S. in Eagle Pass, Texas, before being released on an immigration parole due to overcrowding. He eventually moved to New Mexico.
Federal prosecutors in the District of New Mexico allege that 23-year-old Cristhian Ortega-Lopez was illegally in possession of a firearm and has ties to the hyperviolent Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump and the U.S. State Department declared the gang to be a foreign terrorist organization.
Police arrested Orgega-Lopez while executing a search warrant on February 28 at the home of Dona Ana County, New Mexico, Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy, the Albuquerque Journal reported this week. The report follows a detention hearing where prosecutors claim the illegal alien is a flight risk and an alleged Tren de Aragua gang member.
Cano, a former police officer, allowed Ortega-Lopez to file a request for immigration relief using the judge’s residential address. Court exhibits also posted social media posts of the foreign national posing with the judge.
Court records obtained by revealed that Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national, entered the United States illegally in Eagle Pass, Texas, during the peak of the Biden Border Crisis in December 2023. Due to overcrowding in the Eagle Pass detention facility, he was released three days later.
Social media posts obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico showed Ortega-Lopez and other illegal aliens at a shooting range. They appeared to be in possession of multiple firearms and a large quantity of handgun and rifle ammunition. In one image, the man is holding an AR-15-style rifle in one hand and a semi-automatic pistol in the other. A video showed the Venezuelan migrant in possession of another AR-15 equipped with a suppressor. He fired the rifle until it was empty and then reloaded it with a new magazine, which he continued to fire, prosecutors stated.
The photos and videos showed Ortega-Lopez displaying Tren de Aragua gang tattoos. The United States government recently declared this violent gang to be a Transnational Criminal Organization.
Investigators found additional firearms in a neighboring home owned by Nancy Cano’s daughter. Ortega-Lopez was seen in possession of several of these firearms.
Investigators report that the Venezuelan national moved to El Paso after being released by Border Patrol agents. There, he roomed with five other people, court documents stated. While living there, Ortega-Lopez met Nancy Cano and began doing construction and handyman jobs. Cano extended an offer for the illegal alien to live in a casita behind her home.
Other images from Ortega-Lopez’s cell phone obtained by Breitbart showed graphic images of multiple decapitated and mutilated bodies.
Ortega-Lopez is currently in the Dona Ana County Detention Center, where he is charged with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.
It is not clear if Judge Cano or his wife, Nancy, will be charged with harboring an illegal alien or providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
04/20/2025 12:01 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[10365 views]
Top|| File under: Tren de Aragua
#1
"It is not clear if Judge Cano or his wife, Nancy, will be charged with harboring an illegal alien or providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization."
#3
I’ve always thought that those who want us to be welcoming to illegal gang members should host them at their house. Looks like this guy had the same idea. It’s probably time to audit his bank account.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
04/20/2025 18:11 Comments ||
Top||
#4
It’s probably time to audit his bank account.
And the conviction history of his court.
I'll bet it's handy to have a pocket judge.
Interesting that the prostitutes lined up practically cheek by jowl along the sidewalk show chunky, tired-looking women in sensible shoes, not the groomed, sexy specimens seen on television and in movies.
[FoxNews] Locals say the ruthless 18th Street gang is running prostitution and drug trafficking the area
As Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., privately jets across the nation for her "Fighting Oligarchy" tour, residents in her Queens constituency have been calling on the FBI and the DEA to help them crack down on the illegal sex workers and drug dealers that they say have turned their neighborhood into a festering "gangland."
Last week, local leaders, including a former Democrat state senator, wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel urging him to unleash agents to quell the raging problem along Roosevelt Avenue – a 2-mile commercial strip which has been likened to both a Third World Country and a Red Light district – where scantily-clad women on sidewalks soliciting sex is commonplace.
They also claim the ruthless 18th Street Gang
…also known as “Barrio 18,” it’s one of the largest youth gangs in the Western Hemisphere…
has taken over illegal operations there, filling the void of other gangs like with Tren de Aragua after a massive police operation saw hundreds of people arrested.
That police crackdown, which started in October and was labeled "Operation Restore Roosevelt," saw hundreds of city and state troopers descend on the neighborhood. The NYPD told Fox News Digital that the clampdown has resulted in a 37% year-to-date drop in crime in the Roosevelt Avenue zone with more than 1,800 arrests and more than 15,000 summonses.
Residents and local activists heaped praise on New York City Mayor Eric Adams after he spearheaded the aggressive 90-day police blitz.
But locals say the blitz was short-lived and bars have been turned into makeshift brothels where a dance can easily be negotiated into sex in dingy rooms downstairs. Many of the sex workers are migrants, the leaders said.
"The NYPD’s Operation Restore Roosevelt did lead to arrests, but our street sources say the gangs replaced their foot soldiers within days," said the advocates, who include former Democrat state Senator Hiram Monserrate.
"The money never stopped moving, the dance floors stayed open, and the prostitutes came back in full force. This isn’t just a Queens problem, it’s a blueprint for how gangs, cartels, and traffickers can take over a community in plain sight."
They said that the gangs have turned the two-mile seedy strip into a "well-oiled criminal machine" using Roosevelt Avenue as its marketplace. "Roosevelt Avenue doesn’t just have a gang problem. It has become gangland."
The NYPD did not confirm the locals' claims about gangs operating in the area.
Monserrate and the two groups — Restore Roosevelt Ave. and Neighbors of the American Triangle — called on Patel to investigate the "ever-worsening situation" they face.
They write that the 18th Street gang have tagged their gang insignia around the area marking their territory.
Monserrate said that the gangs are involved in all sorts of serious crimes, including human and drug trafficking, illegal gun sales, identity theft and distributing fake Green Cards, as well as violent crimes. His sources have identified at least 20 brothels in the area, some of which operate near schools.
He said that crime in general is still plaguing the area. Earlier this week, a man was fatally stabbed when he tried to stop a violent thief from stealing his bike steps from a local subway station, police said.
Monserrate shared a video with Fox News Digital with what he said were 23 alleged sex workers on one block.
In September, Fox News Digital cameras recorded a line of no less than 19 alleged sex workers on one block along Roosevelt Avenue with at least seven more on the next block. One woman was witnessed soliciting sex for $60.
Cortez has yet to respond to multiple Fox News Digital requests for comment regarding the situation along Roosevelt Avenue. She is scheduled to hold a town hall in the neighborhood on Saturday.
Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., whose district also includes the neighborhood, told Fox News Digital that she is closely engaged with the NYPD’s ongoing efforts to improve public safety and quality of life in the area.
"I have confidence in the NYPD’s commitment and capability to address these challenges, and I commend their sustained presence and work in the community," Meng said.
"As the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee responsible for funding for law enforcement agencies such as the NYPD and FBI, I will continue to advocate for the resources they need to protect residents in Queens."
Finance your own war, guys. Uncle Sugar’s wallet is closed.
[ShabelleMedia] The United States has openly rejected a United Nations proposal to fund the African Union’s new Stabilization and Support mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM, which began operations in the country in January.
The U.S. stance has sparked significant concern over the future of AUSSOM’s mandate, which focuses on stabilizing Somalia and countering the militant group al-Shabaab.
The decision comes ahead of a scheduled May 15 vote by the U.N. Security Council on a new joint financing mechanism outlined under Resolution 2719. While the U.S. had previously remained silent on the proposal, it has now made its opposition clear.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said Somalia is not a suitable testing ground for the proposed hybrid funding model for African Union forces, which have maintained a presence in the country since 2007.
Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the ongoing financial shortfall could jeopardize AUSSOM’s operations.
In a report submitted to the Security Council on April 10, Guterres urged the international community to back the funding plan, emphasizing that sustainable and predictable financial support is critical for peace and stability in Somalia.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] The head of the Yemeni negotiating delegation, Mohammad Abdulsalam, denounced the American attack on the Ras Issa facility in Hodeidah as a ''cowardly act of aggression,'' and a ''major scandal for the US military.'' Show us your real concern and send fotos.
In a post on the ''X'' platform, on Friday, Abdulsalam stated that ''American criminality affects all aspects of Yemeni people's interests.''
He confirmed that the US aggression on the port left dozens of martyrs and wounded, in addition to destroying several oil tankers.
Abdulsalam added that the horrific American crime against innocent civilians and civilian facilities exposes the hypocrisy of America's military superiority claims.
He pointed out that this crime reveals a deeply criminal and savage American nature.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/20/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[10346 views]
Top|| File under: Houthis
[Breitbart] In the wake of the stabbing of multiple prison guards allegedly by the Manchester Arena terrorist, the head of the largest prison officers’ union revealed that the prison was barred from conducting searches with sniffer dogs on Muslim inmates.
Earlier this month, four prison officers at His Majesty’s Prison Frankland were injured with boiling oil and a makeshift blade. Hashem Abedi,
... on occasion spelt Hashim al-Obeidi, Salman Abedi’s baby bro and bomb assistant was arrested in Tripoli while pretending to have nothing to do with that messy nonsense back home. And then, after he snubbed the sentencing hearing, the unbelievers went and sentenced him anyway. Both lads were members of the Manchester Libyan jihadi crowd. The parental generation ties back to the al-Qaeda-aligned Libyan Islamic Fighting Group in the 1990s, while the kids pledged to the even more romantic ISIS. Not that it makes much difference in the end — the networks overlap personnel-wise, it’s just a matter of the name on the checking account paying their expenses...
, who was convicted of aiding his brother in bombing an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester that left 22 dead and over a thousand injured, was alleged to have been the attacker.
On Sunday, the national chair of the Prison Officers’ Association, Mark Fairhurst, claimed that Abedi and other Islamist inmates in Frankland were exempt from searches with trained K-9s on the order of the prison’s management committee, which sided with Muslim prisoners, who complained that contact with dogs went against their faith.
“When it first opened, every prisoner housed on that unit was thoroughly searched on the unit, and when they left the unit and when they returned to the unit. On occasion, dogs were used,” he told The Sun.
“The prisoners complained that it interfered with their religious beliefs. The management committee overruled the staff and removed the dogs from searching those prisoners.”
“We appease these prisoners and pander to them. Why? Why are we so obsessed with upsetting prisoners, terrorist prisoners, whose sole purpose is to murder prison officers?”
This critique was seconded by Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, who said: “It’s pathetic if HMP Frankland has folded to Islamist prisoners and allowed them to circumvent security checks.
“This would allow Islamist gangs to control prison wings across the country. Officers should not fear being labelled racist if they step in to restore order and control from radical Islamist prisoners.”
According to the paper, unnamed sources within the Ministry of Justice denied that there had been any operational changes regarding the use of dogs in searches, including at the Falkland prison.
Yet, in a statement which seemingly skirted an official denial, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said that the government will seek to “strengthen” the defences of prison staff and the public. She said that in the wake of the stabbing attack at Falkland, the “Prison Service will also conduct a snap review into whether protective body armour should be made available to front-line staff.”
There have been increasing concerns about the Muslim prison population in Britain, which accounts for nearly a fifth of all prisoners despite Muslims only making up around 6 per cent of the country’s population per the latest census.
A 2022 report on the growing influence of Muslim gangs in British prisons by anti-terrorism legislation reviewer Jonathan Hall KC found that such groups were “encouraged” to attack non-Muslim prisoners, as well as on prison staff. The report found that “self-styled emirs” used “enforcers” to exert control over areas of the prison and that there were failures to push back against this by authorities for fear of appearing racist.
#4
Fine. No more dogs. Instead, do a strip search, followed by a rectal cavity search. Each time.
After a while, I'll bet they'll beg for a dog search.
[TWZ] For the first time, U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers are in Japan for a Bomber Task Force rotation. The deployment to Misawa Air Base comes at a time when the Air Force has six B-2 stealth bombers stationed in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, for a significant bomber presence across the Indo-Pacific region. You can read more about the B-2 rotation in this previous story.
The B-1Bs, from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, arriving at Misawa on April 15, immediately after flying a training mission alongside fighters from the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). The ‘Bones’ flew over the western part of the Korean peninsula, including Osan Air Base, accompanied by U.S. Air Force F-16s and ROKAF F-35s and F-16s. Initially, two B-1s arrived at Misawa, but more examples may soon join them.
Air Force bombers in Japan are not an entirely new phenomenon, although they have never previously been there as part of a Bomber Task Force deployment.
In February of this year, B-1s taking part in a Bomber Task Force deployment to Guam landed at Misawa for ‘hot-pit’ refueling. The method of ‘hot pitting’ involves keeping the engines running while the aircraft is refueled by ground crews. Sometimes the crews are also switched out. The tactic is useful for increasing sortie rates as well as rapidly refueling, rearming and swapping out a new crew in combat aircraft to get them back in the fight faster. Shutting aircraft down also invites the possibilities of critical equipment failures upon startup. So, for especially complex aircraft, keeping them running and all systems operating allows for better assurance that the asset will stay in play.
As for the Bomber Task Force concept, the Air Force introduced this in 2018 to replace the previous continuous rotational deployments of bombers overseas. Involving typically only small numbers of aircraft, Bomber Task Force deployments are of varying lengths, extending from a few weeks up to several months in some cases. These deployments provide theater familiarization for aircrews and aircraft integration opportunities with Allies and partners in different parts of the world. Overall, they represent what the Air Force says is a more unpredictable and flexible approach to pushing strategic airpower forward.
Bomber Task Force deployments now take place in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific theater. In the latter region, these rotations have been made to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley, Australia; and Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory. From these forward locations, missions have been flown over and around critical hot spots and in exercises with allies.
“BTF 25-2 showcases the U.S. commitment to deterring threats and maintaining regional stability,” explained Lt. Col. Christopher Travelstead, director of operations for the squadron now deployed at Misawa. “These missions in the Indo-Pacific ensure our B-1 crews are highly trained and ready to respond anytime, anywhere, to defend U.S. interests and support our allies, securing a stable Indo-Pacific — where all nations operate freely under a rules-based order while promoting global peace and prosperity.”
[IsraelTimes] Turkish state media says Ibrahim Kalin and delegation from terror group also discussed efforts to reach permanent ceasefire in Strip
Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met with Hamas leaders on Saturday for talks about how to deliver aid to war-ravaged Gaza where Israel resumed its military offensive last month.
Kalin held talks with Mohammad Darwish, head of the terror group’s political council and his delegation, Turkey’s Anadolu state news agency reported, without saying where the meeting took place. Media reports said it was in Turkey.
As well as discussing ways to deliver humanitarian aid, they also spoke of initiatives to secure a permanent ceasefire along with ways to counter any plans to forcibly displace Gaza’s population, Anadolu said, citing security sources.
Kalin reassured them of Turkey’s ongoing support and said Ankara would firmly oppose any new efforts to occupy or annex Palestinian territory.
That’s nice. What could Turkey actually do, other than screech?
Turkey has been a vocal supporter of Hamas throughout its current war with Israel, which began when several thousand Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called Israel a “terrorist state” and accused it of conducting a “genocide” in Gaza. In December, Erdogan called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “worse than Hitler,”
…yeah, yeah — someone let me know when he gets around to saying anything new and interesting…
said the systematic slaughter of six million Jews in the Holocaust was not as bad as Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, and likened Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the Strip to that of Jews rounded up in concentration and death camps.
The Turkish leader has been outspoken about his support for Hamas, claiming it is not a terrorist organization but a resistance group.
“No one can make us qualify Hamas as a terrorist organization,” he said in a speech last year. “Turkey is a country that speaks openly with Hamas leaders and firmly backs them.”
[IsraelTimes] Easter tweet follows demand for US State Department employees to report incidents of alleged anti-Christian bias during the Biden administration
In a statement marking Easter, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Friday for “all nations to respect the right of Christians to declare Christ is King.”
“Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the king of kings and lord of all nations,” Rubio wrote on social media platform X.
Rubio’s implication that Christian freedom of worship is under threat is in line with the actions of current US administration.
Earlier this month, Rubio issued an appeal for US State Department employees to report instances of alleged anti-Christian bias, including formal or informal actions due to opposition to vaccines or personal pronoun choice, that may have occurred during the Biden administration.
According to the Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the cable, other examples of potential bias include “mistreatment for opposing displays of flags, banners or other paraphernalia on or in government facilities because of religious objection or for opposing official media content due to religious objections, forcing employees to remove personal displays of religious faith or conscience, whether as part of clothing/accessories items on desks or in personal workspace.”
In a February executive order, US President Donald Trump established a task force to eradicate what he called anti-Christian bias. Trump’s statement accused former president Joe Biden of “weaponizing” the government against Christians and Christianity.
While previous US presidents, including Biden and Barack Obama, have invoked their Christian beliefs in Easter messages, Trump has adopted Christian rhetoric and granted unprecedented access and influence to Evangelical Christian leaders, The New York Times reported Friday.
According to the Times, this year’s White House Easter celebration is the largest in recent memory and was designed as a direct rebuttal to Biden. In 2024, Easter Sunday fell on March 31, which is also celebrated annually as Transgender Day of Visibility. Biden issued statements that day commemorating both occasions, generating a negative reaction from Christians who oppose transgender rights.
NEW: Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (D-OR) announces she will travel to El Salvador to “demand the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia”, a deported Salvadoran illegal alien alleged to be a MS-13 gang member, accused by his own spouse of being a repeat wife beater, and previously… pic.twitter.com/VzEjJZPITn
[JustTheNews] Kilmar Abrego Garcia was stopped in Tennessee driving with an expired license and also was subject of a domestic abuse protective order requested by his wife, records show. Now she is making television appearances and participating in fundraising efforts, so far netting almost $200,000.
The deported El Salvadoran man at the center of an intense court battle was flagged in 2022 by the Biden administration as a "suspect alien" who was possibly involved in “human smuggling/trafficking” after a traffic stop hundreds of miles from his Maryland home, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents reviewed by Just the News.
The records don't indicate whether the Biden administration ever followed up on the concerns.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was stopped in Tennessee for driving erratically and speeding by a state trooper in late November 2022 and was found to be driving an SUV full of people coming from Texas with an expired Maryland license, according to the documents.
“Subject was observed speeding and unable to maintain its lane, and was subsequently pulled over,” one entry stated.
"Encountering officer decided not to cite the subject for driving infractions but gave him a warning citation for driving with an expired driver's license," the memo stated. Maryland is one of the states that issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING CONCERNS
The circumstances of the stop led the trooper to believe that human trafficking was involved, according to a summary of the incident recorded in Homeland’s immigration alert system on Dec. 6, 2022.
“During the interview, subject pretended to speak less English than he was capable of and attempted to put encountering officer off-track by responding to questions with questions,” the summary stated. “When asked what relationship he had with the registered owner of the vehicle, subject replied the owner of the vehicle is his boss, and that his work is in construction.”
“There was no luggage in the vehicle, leading the encountering officer to suspect this was a human trafficking incident,” the report stated. Homeland's own system categorized the incident under the title "human smuggling/trafficking," the memos show.
The records indicate the incident was located by Homeland Security Investigations during a review of computer-aided dispatch reports generated anytime law enforcement stops a suspect. There is no record showing whether the Biden's DHS ever followed up on enforcing the matter.
The initial review determined that Abrego Garcia was a “suspect alien” and referred his matter for review to “passport control," the records show. Three weeks later on Dec. 27, 2022, Homeland updated its record to urge all personnel who encountered Abrego Garcia in the future to “escort to secondary,” a term referring to the investigative procedures used when someone suspected of wrongdoing is encountered at a port of entry or by border patrol agents.
Lawyers for Garcia did not return a call or email seeking comment. Ama Frimpong, who is serving as co-counsel for Abrego Garcia appeared on MSNBC Wednesday afternoon to say that the government should be subject to contempt proceedings.
The state trooper named in the 2022 incident and Homeland Security officials also did not return calls seeking comment.
The vehicle that Abrego Garcia was driving during the traffic stop was also flagged by HSI's Baltimore field office as a suspected human trafficking or smuggling vehicle in use by an unspecified target in a Maryland investigation, according to a separate document reviewed by Just the News.
"Vehicle is used by HSI Baltimore target in human smuggling/trafficking operation. Vehicle makes trips to southern border to pick up noncitizens," the record reads. The memo says the case agent should be notified if the vehicle is encountered.
The Biden administration’s flagging of Abrego Garcia on suspicions of human smuggling adds to a growing body of evidence that the man at the center of one of the most significant deportation cases in modern history wasn’t the peaceful, law-abiding father from Maryland, as his wife and lawyers have claimed in the news media.
On Wednesday, DHS released a court filing showing that Abrego Garcia’s wife sought a domestic violence restraining order against him a year before the traffic stop in May 2021. The details in the court filing match with information in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search system.
The document signed by a judge described allegations of a "violent encounter.” Court records show the case was eventually dismissed when the wife, identified as Jennifer Vasquez, failed to appear for the final court hearing in June 2021.
Separate records released by Attorney General Pam Bondi show Abrego Garcia admitted to authorities in 2019 when he was first detained that he entered the United States illegally and had no basis for seeking asylum and that Maryland police positively identified him as member of the MS-13 criminal gang.
FUNDRAISING, COMPARISONS TO NAZIS
Despite the claim that he assaulted her four years ago, Vasquez is now publicly defending Abrego Garcia, urging the Trump administration on Wednesday to "stop playing political games" and return her husband to Maryland. "Our family is torn apart during this scary time. Our children miss their dad so much," Vasquez said. "We will continue to fight back against these governments. We will never give up on you, Kilmar."
A "Go Fund Me" crowdsourcing campaign was reportedly set up by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), a charity that claims to provide assistance to immigrant workers. NDLON is partly funded through the left-wing ActBlue Charities, and their Facebook page displays images comparing ICE agents to Nazis capturing Jews. As of press time, the campaign has raised almost $200,000.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday told reporters that Homeland previously confirmed that Abrego Garcia was found in 2019 to be illegally in the country and detailed his original arrest that brought the suspect to the attention of immigration authorities.
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia is an illegal alien, MS-13 gang member and foreign terrorist who was deported back to his home country and when [Abrego Garcia] was originally arrested, he was wearing a sweatshirt with rolls of money covering the ears, mouth and eyes of presidents on various currency denominations. This is a known MS-13 gang symbol of hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil,” Leavitt told reporters in a Wednesday press conference.
“Abrego Garcia was also arrested with two other well-known members of the vicious MS-13 gang. Two separate judges found that Abrego Garcia was a member of MS-13, and that finding has never been disputed. And, just this morning it was revealed through Maryland court documents that Abrego Garcia's wife petitioned for an order of protection against him for two instances of domestic violence in May of 2021,” Leavitt continued.
#9
"She will travel" translates to "the taxpayers will pay for her to travel..." And she won't be staying at the Salvadoran equivalent of Motel 6.
Posted by: Matt ||
04/20/2025 10:17 Comments ||
Top||
#10
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) asked the House Oversight Committee to fund their trip. Chair James Comer (R-KY) just leveled them in his response, completely shutting them down and refusing to fund it with taxpayer money.
#12
I guess that's it. The gloves are off this time. The dems are finally unleashing their most relentlessly atrocious weapon...a middle aged, bat$hit crazy, liberal white woman with a list of 'demands'.
[FoxNews] The Department of Homeland Security reveals that stopping illegal immigration is a major reason why it’s holding firm to the current May 7 REAL ID deadline despite the deadline being pushed numerous times over the course of several years.
In a memo exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, the department said part of the reason REAL ID will be enforced is to prevent those in the country illegally from flying – unless they are looking to self-deport on an international flight.
"Under Biden, illegal aliens used non-compliant IDs from sanctuary cities to board flights, but REAL ID’s higher security standards make it nearly impossible to forge legitimate documents, ensuring only verified travelers can fly," the memo states.
"This closes the gaping vulnerabilities Biden’s policies created, preventing criminals and potential terrorists from exploiting our aviation system, as seen during 9/11 when fraudulent IDs enabled attacks," the memo continues.
The agency emphasized that the measure prevents people in the country illegally from traveling within the U.S.
"DHS and TSA are clear, the only place an illegal alien should be flying is home. Under Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership, illegal aliens will be barred from domestic flights, with one exception: illegal aliens self-deporting on international flights will be allowed to board without a REAL ID, encouraging their exit from the U.S.," it states.
DHS said that during the Biden administration, 1.4 million "inadmissible aliens" were allowed into the country because of programs like CBP One and the Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans parole program, and over half a million flew into American airports as of August 2024, according to the memo.
The department said 320,000 illegal immigrants were permitted to fly into 43 airports before flying to other parts of the country as a direct result of CBP One in 2023.
DHS cited Fox News Digital’s reporting from 2022 where the Transportation Security Administration under Biden and former Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas allowed civil arrest warrants to be used as acceptable identification.
"For non-citizens and non-U.S. nationals who do not otherwise have acceptable forms of ID for presentation at security checkpoints, TSA may also accept certain DHS-issued forms, including ICE Form I-200 (Warrant for Arrest of an Alien)," a TSA spokesperson told Fox News at the time.
Americans looking to fly domestically and enter some federal buildings will need a form of identification, and a passport can be used as an alternative.
#1
"For non-citizens and non-U.S. nationals who do not otherwise have acceptable forms of ID for presentation at security checkpoints, TSA may also accept certain DHS-issued forms, including ICE Form I-200 (Warrant for Arrest of an Alien)"
[Rudaw] Turkey has dropped leaflets over a mountainous area of Sulaimani province telling Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters to turn themselves in, a human rights monitor said on Saturday.
“Yesterday afternoon, Turkish military aircraft dropped leaflets in the Kurmanji dialect along Asos Mountain and around the villages of Galala, Basawe, Safra, and Zaroun in the Mawat district of Sulaimani province, calling for PKK guerrillas to surrender,” Kamaran Osman, a member of the Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), told Rudaw.
Hussein Qadir lives in the village of Galala. He told Rudaw that two Turkish military planes circled their area for an hour and dropped several leaflets. He picked one up off the Galala-Sulaimani road.
The leaflet refers to PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan’s call for the group to disband and urges PKK fighters to turn themselves in. “Trust yourself to the state’s forgiveness,” it said.
It also quotes alleged PKK members who have surrendered saying how happy they are.
“I am Delal. I surrendered, and the state protected me. All television stations say that Abdullah Ocalan is telling the PKK that it needs to dissolve itself. Come out of the caves, we are waiting for you,” read one quote.
“I am Jihad. They didn't tell us that Turkish soldiers are so good. I am comfortable, they gave me warm food, they took very good care of us. After many years, they allowed me to see my family,” read another.
Ocalan in February released a historic message urging the PKK to disarm and disband, and bring the struggle for Kurdish rights into the political sphere.
The message was delivered by a pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) delegation that had visited Ocalan in his Imrali island prison. It has sparked hope for the end of the nearly four-decade conflict between the Turkey state and the PKK that has claimed over 40,000 lives.
The PKK responded, declaring a unilateral ceasefire, but set a physical meeting with their jailed leader as a precondition to any successful peace process.
The DEM Party delegation mediating the peace talks most recently met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 10.
Despite the PKK’s ceasefire, Turkey has continued to strike alleged PKK positions in the Kurdistan Region where the group has its headquarters. Turkish artillery shelled the villages of Spindare, Gargashi, Mizhe, and Kafnamizhe in the Amedi district of Duhok province 27 times on Friday, according to Osman.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/20/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[10335 views]
Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
An error, I think. It was not a crime but an act of war. So the captives should face a court martial and be convicted for war crimes or spying — after which they should all be put up against a wall and shot. So it’s probably just as well I’m not in charge of anything beyond my own household.
[IsraelTimes] Israel’s law enforcement apparatus has asked its American counterpart not to file indictments against Palestinian terrorists who took part in the October 7, 2023, onslaught before Israel does, which would “embarrass” the Jewish state, the Ynet news site reports.
The US is said to be leading and nearing the completion of its own probe of the massacre that will enable filing charge sheets soon, which due to differences in the legal systems is far simpler in the US than in Israel. Catch and Release?
The unsourced report also says prosecutors have told the Attorney General’s Office they have put together charge sheets against 22 terrorists who took part in the massacre that day in Kibbutz Nir Oz, although it adds that these will likely only be filed as part of a single mega-indictment against hundreds of suspects, in a case unprecedented in scale in Israel’s history.
Ynet says that despite this intention, no decision has been made yet as to whether the indictment will be split into several simultaneous court cases to make the judicial process easier.
The report puts at 300 the number of Palestinian detainees regarded by Israel as having taken part in the October 7 atrocities, despite previous estimates putting the number at over 1,000. It says they are not slated to be released in any future hostage deal.
They are said to include operatives who didn’t participate in the onslaught but were involved in holding hostages in Gaza, while noting that no final decision has been made on whether they are to be prosecuted as part of the same mega-indictment, or if they are eligible to be freed in a deal.
The case against the October 7 terrorists is complex and faces multiple legal difficulties. Ynet says a small team of prosecutors is working on the case, getting materials from the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 special crimes unit — which is said to have collected testimonies from 1,700 survivors of the assault and from 400 members of security forces — as well as from the Shin Bet and the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate.
The new information that reportedly led to the consolidation of evidence against the 22 Nir Oz terrorists is said to have come from the Shin Bet following the military’s advancement into new areas in Gaza, where teams find incriminating evidence.
The report also says prosecutors have drafted and asked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to advance nine bills to alter Israel’s criminal law system in order to enable the historic mega-trial, which experts say would likely take decades under the current system.
These bills reportedly include enabling trial proceedings without the defendant’s physical presence — rather via video link — or even without their lawyer. Others bills are said to relate to the terrorists’ legal representation — the Public Defense has already said it isn’t interested in representing them — as well as to enabling victims to file written affidavits rather than be questioned in person in court, and to the extent prosecutors must hand investigation material to the defense, including when some of it is classified.
[IsraelTimes] Southern District prosecutors have drafted charges against 22 Hamas terrorists who took part in the massacre of Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, the Ynet news site reports.
According to the report, prosecutors have updated Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on the charges and are pushing for the passage of nine bills in the Knesset related to putting them on trial.
Prosecutors aim to submit a single indictment sheet for the hundreds of terrorists who participated in the massacre, the report says.
[IsraelTimes] PM insists fighting won’t end until terror group destroyed, derides ‘experts’ who say he could fool Hamas with fake promise to end war, get captives back, and then resume fighting
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Saturday night that he would not end the war with Hamas in Gaza until the terror group is removed from power, calling its current demands for a hostage release deal “capitulation conditions.”
Speaking in a prerecorded video address that his office described the day before as a “special statement on a diplomatic matter,” Netanyahu argued that Hamas would rehabilitate its military capabilities if the conflict were ended.
He asserted that it was not possible to “trick” the terror group into ending the war in return for the hostages and then resume military operations, due to “binding” international commitments Hamas was demanding as part of an end to hostilities. Those who were suggesting this “illusion of deception” had no idea how international politics works, he said.
The prime minister also accused Hamas of stymying a recently proposed deal for the return of Israeli hostages due to its demands for a permanent end to the current war and a full Israeli retreat from Gaza, and argued that ending the war would reverse Israel’s achievements during the conflict.
The prime minister further vowed in his 12-minute speech that he remained committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and slammed recent criticism of his failure to attack Iranian nuclear facilities as hypocrisy.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum accused Netanyahu of having “no plan” to bring back the hostages in response to the prime minister’s comments, and said the only solution was to end the war.
‘HAMAS ARE NOT IDIOTS’
Netanyahu released his prerecorded video address — he hasn’t held a press conference with questions from the media in over four months — shortly after the end of the Passover holiday, and two days after Hamas publicly rejected an Israeli proposal for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in return for the release of half the remaining living hostages and the remains of dead hostages.
“We will not end the ‘war of revival’ before we destroy Hamas in Gaza, return all our hostages and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel,” averred Netanyahu, using his preferred name for the conflict started by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught in southern Israel.
He said Hamas is demanding a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, including from the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border and the buffer zone Israel has established around the territory, and stated that Hamas is demanding “binding international guarantees” to ensure that Israel does not go back to war after the release of the hostages.
“Those among us who are saying capitulate to the dictates of Hamas are saying ‘capitulate now, leave Gaza and the Philadelphi Corridor, deceive Hamas, promise you won’t go back to war, and when we have got all the hostages back, go back to war.’
“Hamas are a group of despicable murderers, but they’re not stupid,” he went on. “They are demanding binding international guarantees which do not enable this illusion of deception which all these experts are suggesting.
“These people have no idea how the international system works. No one, not the US, not China, not Russia, not others in the UN Security Council, will cooperate with this scam, something which will make returning to war impossible. We won’t have any legitimacy to do this. There is no ‘fake obligation’. If we obligate not to fight, we can’t go back to fighting in Gaza.”
Speaking about Hamas’s demand for a hostage release deal, Netanyahu said that if Israel were to “capitulate to the dictates of Hamas,” it would lose all of its achievements during the conflict “which we achieved with the merit of our soldiers and our fallen and our heroic injured.”
The prime minister argued that if Israel “does not complete the destruction of Hamas’s military capabilities,” its next attack on Israel and its next hostage taking effort will just be a matter of time.
“Leaving Hamas in charge in Gaza would be a massive defeat for Israel and a massive victory for Iran,” said Netanyahu, who throughout 18 months of war has avoided laying out a concrete plan for postwar Gaza.
“As your prime minister, I will not capitulate to the murderers who committed the worst massacre against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Capitulation like this will endanger the country and endanger you.”
He went on to denounce what he described as calls to “surrender” to Hamas’s terms, which he said have grown of late — an apparent reference to a stream of letters urging him to prioritize the return of all the hostages even at the price of ending the war.
If he had heeded such calls, he claimed, Israel would not have entered the southern Gaza city of Rafah last year, taken control of the Philadelphi Corridor, carried out the exploding pager attack on Hezbollah, killed Hamas’s leaders, created the conditions for the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, or dealt “the harsh blow” it has delivered to Iran.
Instead, he said, Israel would have continued “to live under existential threat.”
‘WON’T LET UP’ ON IRAN NUKES
Turning to the threat of Iran’s nuclear program, the prime minister insisted he remains committed to preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. “I won’t give up on this, I won’t let up on this, and I won’t withdraw from this — not a millimeter.”
And he attacked critics who have slammed him of late for failing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, asserting that these are the same people who opposed actions he took against Iran in the past.
“It is amusing to listen to the criticism of those who opposed the actions I took to harm and delay Iran’s nuclear program in the past, actions without which Iran would have had a nuclear weapon 10 years ago,” claimed Netanyahu.
Last week, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of scuttling opportunities to hit Iran, while former prime minister Naftali Bennett said Netanyahu has failed to follow through on threats against Tehran.
Their comments came against the background of a report that US President Donald Trump recently blocked an Israeli-proposed strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which Netanyahu has not denied. Trump later said he was in no rush to green-light strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The US is now engaged in negotiations with Iran on a new deal.
HOSTAGES’ FAMILIES: THERE IS NO PLAN
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum was strongly critical of Netanyahu’s comments about a hostage release deal, stating that the premier did not articulate any plan to free their loved ones from Hamas captivity.
Of course. They will accept nothing less than total surrender, followed by replacing the Netanyahu government with the current iteration of the labour socialists. Selfish asses, all.
[IsraelTimes] Looking gaunt and distraught, Bohbot notes petitions calling to free the captives even at cost of ending war, says signatories ‘care more about their citizens than government does’
Hamas on Saturday released a propaganda video of hostage Elkana Bohbot — the third time it has published footage of the captive held in Gaza.
Hamas has previously issued similar videos of hostages it is holding, in what Israel says is deplorable psychological warfare.
Shortly after the video was published by the terror group, Bohbot’s family approved the publication of the video in Israeli media, which does not share images of hostages without their families’ permission.
In the video, a distraught and gaunt-looking Bohbot addresses his family in a mock phone call — evidently on his captors’ orders — and tells his wife and son that he dreams about returning home to them.
“Keep doing everything for me!” he cries, adding he has “appealed to the state, appealed to the government, appealed to everyone.”
“I have appealed to the IDF, also. I have heard that they are signing petitions to stop the war and release us,” he continues, referring to the recent wave of petitions signed by IDF reservists and others calling for a hostage deal and an end to the war.
“That’d be good, keep going,” he said, adding that “they care more about their citizens than the government.”
His health is not good, and he is afraid that he will die, he said.
Bohbot also addressed his brother Uriel, asking him to go to the White House and ask US President Donald Trump to urgently get him out.
While Hamas propaganda videos featuring hostages are widely believed to be scripted and dictated by the terror group, Bohbot insisted in a previous video that he asked his captors to film him, and that his words were his own.
“I am the one who asked to do these videos. Hamas did not tell me to make these videos. This is not psychological warfare,” he said in the video released by Hamas last month.
Bohbot, 36, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 251, sparking the war in Gaza.
He is among the 24 hostages believed to be alive who were slated for release in the proposed second stage of the ceasefire deal agreed upon in January, which fell apart after its first stage ended in March, with Israel renewing the fighting in Gaza.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip still hold a total of 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 abducted on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the IDF.
The January 19 ceasefire deal stipulated that negotiations would begin in early February for a second phase of the deal. The outline for the phase broadly envisions the release of all remaining living hostages in exchange for a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.
The ceasefire deal also envisioned honest dealing from Hamas instead of hudna taqqiya, and yet Hamas played stupid games, winning painful prizes instead.
[AnNahar] Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Morgan Ortagus has ridiculed Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem’s latest remarks on his group’s controversial arsenal of weapons.
“Yawn,” Ortagus wrote as she reposted an X user’s translation of some of Qassem’s remarks.
“We will not allow anyone to disarm the resistance. You must remove this idea from the lexicon. Disarming the resistance means serving the enemy and this civil war will not happen,” the user quoted Qassem as saying.
In a speech broadcast Friday evening, Qassem stressed that Hezbollah "will not let anyone disarm" it, as Washington presses Lebanon to compel the Iran-backed group to hand over its weapons.
President Joseph Aoun said this week that he wanted "to make 2025 the year of restricting arms to the state," adding he hoped to achieve that objective through "dialogue" with Hezbollah.
Qassem said his group was ready for dialogue on a "defense strategy", "but not under the pressure of occupation" by Israel.
"Israel must withdraw (from south Lebanon) and cease its aggression, and the Lebanese state must begin the process of reconstruction," he added.
"Does anyone expect us to discuss a national defense strategy as warplanes fly over our heads and there is occupation in south Lebanon," Qassem asked. "These are not discussions. This is surrender. Let Israel withdraw first and stop its flights in the air."
Ortagus, who visited Beirut this month, said during her trip that Washington continued to press Beirut "to fully fulfill the cessation of hostilities, and that includes disarming Hezbollah and all militias."
In his remarks on Friday, Qassem said Hezbollah rejected "American control over Lebanon."
[Rudaw] The United States Embassy in Syria on Friday warned there is the potential for attacks on tourist areas in Syria.
“The U.S. Department of State is tracking credible information related to potential imminent attacks, including locations frequented by tourists,” read a statement from the embassy.
The embassy said that terrorist groups continue to plot kidnappings, bombings, and other attacks in Syria, which may occur with little or no warning.
“No part of Syria should be considered safe from violence,” it said.
In late March, the US issued a warning of the possibility of attacks during the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday and called on its nationals to leave Syria.
The US Embassy in Damascus suspended operations in 2012 as the security situation deteriorated with the outbreak of the civil war. It maintains a section for US interests at the Czech Republic’s embassy.
At the end of last year, a coalition of rebel groups led by the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an offensive that culminated in the ousting of Bashar al-Assad and the end of decades of Baathist rule. HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was appointed interim president in January.
In early March, Damascus faced widespread condemnation after a violent crackdown on Assad loyalists in the coastal Alawite-majority areas, where at least 1,500 people were killed - mostly civilians - according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.
The Islamic State (ISIS) also remains a threat, especially in the east of the country.
#2
I see Syria as the future of the Arab world - IMO, every Arab country needs a civil war. Long, bloody, and - most important - infrastructure destroying.
[Rudaw] The commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, met with a delegation from the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) at Tishreen Dam on Friday, according to Ronahi TV. The SDF is in talks with the Syrian government over control of the dam, which has been under attack by Turkish-backed militias for months.
In their meeting, which took place behind closed doors, Abdi and the Americans discussed the condition of the dam and a reported ceasefire, according to the TV station that is close to the SDF.
Tishreen Dam, located on the Euphrates River in northern Syria, has been the target of a military campaign launched in November by Turkey and the Syrian militias it backs seeking to gain control of the key location to gain easier access to other SDF-held areas.
Would reconciliation between the SDF and the Hayat Tahrir al Sham conquerors mean HTS would have to fight Turkey and its catspaws? How exciting.
Civilians from northeast Syria (Rojava) have staged frequent protests at the dam, condemning attacks on the site. More than 20 civilians have been killed in drone strikes during their demonstrations.
Ronahi TV reported that Abdi and Rohlat Afrin, commander of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), an all-woman Kurdish armed group operating under the SDF, delivered a speech to a crowd at the dam, thanking them for their efforts to stop the attacks and disclosing some details about their negotiations with Damascus.
Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria are currently in talks with the new government in Damascus regarding control of the strategically significant dam.
Abdi, in an interview with Al-Monitor this week, outlined the framework of the talks.
“There are two parts to the Tishreen accord. The first concerns the dam itself. We have agreed with Damascus for the administration and personnel of the dam to be preserved as is,” Abdi said, noting that the current staff will run the dam for the time being due to their experience.
On the military front, “Our sides are going to withdraw to our side, to the east, and hand over our positions to Damascus forces. We are currently positioned eight kilometers away from the dam,” he said, adding that Damascus’ forces will act as a buffer between SDF and Turkish-backed militias.
While the area surrounding the dam remains a hotspot of conflict, the dam itself has not come under direct attack for the past several weeks and workers have used this lull to carry out essential repairs to damage caused by previous strikes.
[IsraelTimes] Third round of negotiations to be held in Oman next week; Iranian FM says he and Trump’s envoy Witkoff ‘managed to reach a better understanding on a series of principles and goal’.
Whatever. As long as President Trump’s negotiators know when to fold and walk away, the details don’t really matter. Though at the rate of four hours per session, one session per week, they’ll want to be efficient about it lest PM Netanyahu lose patience altogether and turn the Israeli Air Force loose on targets chosen long ago.
Iranian “It was agreed that negotiations will continue and move into the next phase, in which expert-level meetings will begin on Wednesday in Oman. The experts will have the opportunity to start designing a framework for an agreement,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchigo said.
Oman’s foreign ministry confirmed the upcoming talks in Oman’s capital, Muscat.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/20/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[10334 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Hashem Abedi,
