11 of 37 Mexican Nationals Extradited to U.S. Being Prosecuted in Texas

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11 of 37 Mexican Nationals Extradited to U.S. Being Prosecuted in Texas

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) ​​Eleven of 37 Mexican nationals extradited to the U.S. from Mexico are being prosecuted in Texas. The extradition was the largest transfer of fugitives in U.S.-Mexican history.

Several extradited were captured by the Mexican military.

Thirty-seven Mexicans were extradited to 16 districts in 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in response to arrest warrants the districts issued. Texas received the most: nine in the Western District and two in the Southern District.

The U.S. Attorney for the Western District says several prosecutions stem from a multiagency investigation into cartel operations, including the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación and Sinaloa Cartel. Both were among several transnational criminal organizations designated as foreign terrorist organizations last year. Gov. Greg Abbott previously designated them and other groups as FTOs in Texas.

One of the fugitives extradited to the district, a woman, is the first Mexican national to be charged with providing material support to a FTO in U.S. history.

Both Texas districts are aggressively prosecuting border crimes, including cartel members. They filed a record number of border related charges last year: the Western District filed 11,542; the Southern District filed 14,131, The Center Square reported.

Both districts were hit hard during the Biden administration, with Texas reporting the greatest number of illegal border crossers in U.S. history, law enforcement targeted a proliferation of human smuggling stash houses, arrested Tren de Aragua members, 55 Texas counties declared an invasion and 60 counties declared a state of emergency, The Center Square exclusively reported. The declarations remain effective.

Abbott launched a border security mission, Operation Lone Star, surged troops from El Paso to the Rio Grande Valley, built border barriers and arrested illegal border crossers, including violent convicted felons and those wanted by Interpol. OLS is ongoing, prioritizing terrorist threats, The Center Square reported. Abbott also fought a barrage of lawsuits against the Biden administration, which he either won or were since dropped.

Those extradited include “prolific human smugglers, violent arms traffickers and alleged members of dangerous drug cartels,” the DOJ said. They are members of the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel), La Linea and the former Beltrán-Leyva organization, according to the charges.

They face a range of charges, including narcoterrorism, providing material support to an FTO, firearms trafficking, human smuggling, money laundering and multiple drug offenses. If convicted, the majority face up to life in prison.

“These arrests demonstrate the power of international cooperation in dismantling transnational criminal organizations that threaten our communities,” HSI El Paso acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho said. “HSI El Paso and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing fugitives to justice and protecting the safety and security of the United States.”

In the Western District, extraditions stem from investigations led by Homeland Security Task Force/Joint Task Force-A partners, including HSI-El Paso, DEA, FBI, U.S. Marshals, ATF, CBP and Border Patrol. HSI-Presidio, DEA-El Paso and FBI-El Paso also targeted La Linea, a Juarez Cartel faction operating in Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico.

Key extraditions include Maria Del Carmen Navarro Sanchez, Luis Carlos Davalos Lopez and Gustavo Castro-Medina, charged with providing material support to FTOs and narcotics and weapons trafficking and bulk cash and human smuggling offenses.

“Navarro-Sanchez is the first Mexican national to be charged with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization based on her involvement with the CJNG, including providing the cartel with grenades and engaging in alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking on its behalf,” the DOJ said. “CJNG, which controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade, also engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation.”

Humberto Rivera-Rivera, a leader of a Sinaloa Cartel faction in Valle de Juarez, Chihuahua, was charged with narcotics trafficking. Roberto Gonzalez-Hernandez, a high-ranking Los Cabrera Cartel member, was charged with narcotics, smuggling and firearm offenses.

Others extradited to the Western District include Francisco Arredondo Colmenero, Heriberto Hernandez Rodriguez, Daniel Manera Macias, Maria del Rosario Navarro Sanchez and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda. One name remains sealed.

In the Southern District of Texas, Ricardo Cortez Mateos, a former high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, was charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses after being indicted in Brownsville in 2021. Juan Pedro Saldivar Farias, a Zeta Regional Commander and Plaza Boss located in the Falcon Lake area of South Texas, faces multiple charges related to trafficking multiple tons of cocaine a month into the U.S. and charging cartel operatives in the area, The Center Square reported. Saldivar Farias’ brother pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in 2017 and is currently serving a 30-year sentence.

The group’s extradition is only the third time Mexico has complied with U.S. extradition requests using its national security law to expel fugitives, the DOJ said.

It was the largest transfer of fugitives in U.S.-Mexican history.

The first large transfer occurred last February of 29 fugitives; the second occurred last August of 26.

Dozens Arrested During Ongoing Unrest in Minneapolis

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Dozens Arrested During Ongoing Unrest in Minneapolis

(Elyse Apel, The Center Square) ​​Anti-ICE protests continued in Minneapolis over the weekend, resulting in dozens of arrests by local law enforcement.

Protesters gathered at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on Saturday, which was being guarded by officers of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office.

Throughout the day, demonstrators got increasingly violent – throwing ice chunks and damaging property. That led to local law enforcement declaring the protest unlawful and calling in reinforcements from other agencies like the Minnesota State Patrol.

“While many individuals are peacefully protesting, some agitators have engaged in unlawful behavior,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “A deputy was struck in the head and a squad vehicle windshield was broken. This is not the first time our vehicles have been damaged at this location.”

At least 42 arrests were made.

This came after weeks of lack of coordination between local and federal law enforcement, which White House Border Czar Tom Homan was sent to the Twin Cities to address.

The Trump administration and Homan have applauded his mission so far as successful, even condescending to Minnesota officials’ request for some federal agents to be removed.

“We all agree that we need to support our law enforcement officers and get criminals off the streets,” Homan said shortly following his arrival in Minneapolis in late January. “While we don’t agree on everything, these meetings were a productive starting point . . . President Trump has been clear: he wants American cities to be safe and secure for law-abiding residents—and they will be.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, have been outspoken in their request that all of the remaining 2,000 Custom and Border Protection and ICE officers be removed from Minnesota.

“Operation Metro Surge is not making Minnesota safer,” Walz said last week. “We need a faster and larger drawdown of forces, state-led investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and an end to this campaign of retribution.”

President Donald Trump defended the federal immigration enforcement efforts in Minneapolis in an interview with NBC released over the weekend.

“The crime numbers in Minnesota, in Minneapolis in particular, are down 25, 30% because we’ve removed thousands of criminals from the area,” Trump said. “These are hardened criminals . . . Most of them came in through an open border, and we’ve done a great job.”

This all comes just over one month since the Jan. 7 killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an encounter with ICE officers. A couple weeks after that incident, anti-ICE protests grew following the shooting death of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti on Jan. 24 by federal agents.

Former Columbia Student Sues Congresswoman

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Former Columbia Student Sues Congresswoman

(The Center Square) ​​ Khymani James, indefinitely suspended from Columbia University in 2024, says in a court filing the North Carolina congresswoman leading the Committee on Education and the Workforce “abused her role and authority.”

He says she tried to retaliate against and punish him for First Amendment protected criticism of Israel and support of Palestinian people. James is asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to declare Rep. Virginia Foxx violated his rights to free speech as set by the First Amendment and to award him damages as determined by the court.

Columbia was not required to admit wrongdoing in a $221 million July settlement “to resolve multiple federal agency investigations into alleged violations of federal anti-discrimination laws,” it said in a release, with the federal government signed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. The university is paying $200 million over three years, and another $21 million to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

James’ lawsuit says his one-year suspension and Columbia’s decision after a year to still deny him return to campus were “baldfaced attempts to propitiate Foxx” and the committee. This means to regain favor, or make peace.

James also says the 11th term Republican and her panel “deliberately and official conflated anti-Zionism with antisemitism.”

James is named within the footnotes of “Antisemitism on College Campuses Exposes,” published Oct. 31, 2024, from the Committee on Education & the Workforce in the House of Representatives by its Republican staff. Foxx has also made critical comments about the university tied to him on social media.

Boy Who Appeared in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Show is Not the 5-year-Old Detained by ICE in Minneapolis

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Boy Who Appeared in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Show is Not the 5-year-Old Detained by ICE in Minneapolis

(Headline USA) Social media users incorrectly identified a small boy who was part of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday as Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old who, along with his father, was detained by immigration officials in Minnesota and held at an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas.

The boy was actually Lincoln Fox Ramadan, a child actor from Costa Mesa, California, who is also 5 years old, according to his Instagram profile.

After Bad Bunny finished his song “NUEVAYoL,” cameras showed Lincoln watching Bad Bunny accepting his Grammy for album of the year last week. The artist then walks over and hands Lincoln what appears to be a Grammy.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: Bad Bunny handed his Grammy to Liam Conejo Ramos during his Super Bowl halftime performance.

THE FACTS: This is false. The boy was child actor Lincoln Fox Ramadan.

“An emotional, unforgettable day being cast as the young Benito — a symbolic moment where the future hands the past a Grammy,” reads a Monday post on Lincoln’s Instagram profile. “A reminder that dreams come true and it’s never too early to dream big.”

The post includes photos from Lincoln’s appearance during the halftime show and other moments from the day, as well as a childhood photo of Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.

In the caption, Lincoln also wrote that he’s “sending love to Liam Ramos” and that “we all deserve peace and love in America, a country built by and home to so many hard-working immigrants.”

Another post from Lincoln’s Instagram, shared on Sunday, included a video of his cameo and was captioned, “I’ll remember this day forever! @badbunnypr – it was my truest honor.” His last post before the Super Bowl, on Jan. 31, was a photo of himself captioned: “I booked a cool gig! Can’t wait to share it with you guys.”

Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who is originally from Ecuador, were detained by immigration officers in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20. They were taken to an ICE detention facility in Dilley, Texas, but returned to Minneapolis on Feb. 1 following a judge’s order.

Columbia Heights Public Schools, Liam’s school district, confirmed that he was not the boy in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show.

”(Superintendent Zena) Stenvik has indicated that the child is not Liam. Liam and his family are sequestered during this time,” CHPS spokesperson Kristen Stuenkel said in a statement Monday.

Lincoln, the child actor, is half Egyptian and half Argentine, according to his Instagram and his acting profile. He previous work has included modeling for Walmart and Target.

Bad Bunny has won six total Grammys, including three at the 2026 awards show. His album of the year win for the critically-acclaimed “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” is the first time a Spanish-language album has taken home the top prize.

Representatives for Bad Bunny did not respond to a request for comment.

 

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

Police: Maryland School Shooter Suspect in Custody

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Police: Maryland School Shooter Suspect in Custody

(Headline USA)  One person was shot inside a high school in Maryland on Monday as police said that a person was in custody and the school’s campus was on lockdown.

Police have a person in custody related to the shooting, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police in a post on X.

Officers were dispatched at 2:15 p.m. because of reports of shots fired at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, a suburb of Washington, D.C., the department said.

“We’re just still in lockdown, the police are here, the kids are all in the classrooms,” said Tabitha Davis, an administrator at the school, who wasn’t able to provide more information in a brief phone interview with The Associated Press.

Rockville is the seat of Montgomery County, Maryland’s most populous.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

Trial Against Meta in New Mexico Focuses on Dangers of Child Sexual Exploitation on Social Media

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Trial Against Meta in New Mexico Focuses on Dangers of Child Sexual Exploitation on Social Media

(Headline USA)   A trial focused on the dangers of child sexual exploitation on social media and whether Meta misrepresented the safety of its platforms began Monday in New Mexico with opening statements.

It’s the first stand-alone trial from state prosecutors in a stream of lawsuits against major social media companies, including Meta, over harm to children, and one that is likely to highlight explicit online content and its effects.

Prosecutors told a jury that Meta failed to disclose what it knew about harmful effects of its platform on children, in violation of state consumer protection laws. Meta also is accused of creating a public nuisance. “The theme throughout this trial is going to be that Meta put profits over safety,” attorney Donald Migliori, representing the state of New Mexico in its suit against Meta. “Meta clearly knew that youth safety was not its corporate priority … that youth safety was less important than growth and engagement.”

Migliori said jurors will hear testimony and see internal communications from CEO Mark Zuckerberg and head of Instagram Adam Mosseri that illustrate Meta’s emphasis on profits over safety.

He said internal Meta communications also show that Zuckerberg knew of widespread use the platform by children under 13, contradicting public statements. “The actions of these two individuals demonstrate their prioritization of growth and engagement over safety,” said Migliori.

Meanwhile, in California, opening arguments also were scheduled Monday in a separate case against Meta and Google’s YouTube alleging that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. Plaintiffs’ arguments there and in New Mexico, if successful, could sidestep the companies’ First Amendment shield and Section 230, which protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their platforms, and determine how thousands of similar lawsuits will play out.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta in 2023 and attended Monday’s trial opening. His team built the case by posing as kids through social media accounts, then documenting the arrival of sexual solicitations as well as the response by Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Prosecutors say they’ll provide evidence and testimony that Meta’s algorithms and account features not only enticed and addicted young people to social media but also fostered a “breeding ground” for predators who target children for sexual exploitation.

Meta denies any legal violations and says prosecutors are cherry-picking evidence to make sensationalist arguments. On Sunday, Meta called the state’s investigation “ethically compromised” in its use of child photos on proxy accounts, delays in reporting child sexual abuse material and the disposal of data from devices used in the investigation, in social media posts on X by company spokesperson Andy Stone.

The company says lawsuits are attempting to place the blame for teen mental health struggles on social media companies in a way that oversimplifies matters. Meta says it has a longstanding commitment to supporting young people, highlighting a steady addition of account settings and tools — including safety features that give teens more information about the person they’re chatting with and content restrictions based on PG-13 movie ratings.

“For over a decade, we’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most,” the company said in a statement. “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made.” It’s unclear whether Zuckerberg will testify at trial.

New Mexico limits the ability to compel out-of-state witnesses to testify in person, while prosecutors can present testimony by Zuckerberg from a deposition.

Personal opinions of Zuckerberg and evolving attitudes toward social media loomed over jury selection from a pool of more than 200 residents of Santa Fe County, including several educators, young adults who grew up with social media and others who never signed up.

An attorney for the state warned that there would be “very sensitive and very explicit material discussed in terms of safety to children” during the trial. Initial objections Monday by Meta to showing explicit images at trial — arguing that might revictimize people or unfairly imply that Meta is responsible for all content on its platform — were overruled by New Mexico District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid.

Meta argues it works hard to take down harmful content but that it can’t reasonably be held liable for material posted on its platforms under a 30-year-old provision of the U.S. Communications Decency Act. More than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming it is deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms.

The majority filed their lawsuits in federal court, and New Mexico’s case against Meta is the first to reach trial. Opening statements have been postponed in a bellwether trial underway in California against social video companies, including Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube, that focuses on a 19-year-old who claims her use of social media from an early age addicted her to technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts.

TikTok and Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. settled claims in the case. Torrez, a Democrat seeking reelection this year to a second term, has urged Meta to implement more effective age verification and remove bad actors from its platform. He’s also seeking changes to algorithms that can serve up harmful material and criticizing end-to-end privacy encryption that can prevent the monitoring of communications with children for safety. Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

Treasury Secretary Bessent’s Testimony Descends Into Insults and Shouting Matches

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Treasury Secretary Bessent’s Testimony Descends Into Insults and Shouting Matches

(Headline USA) A hearing about oversight of the U.S. financial system devolved into insults several times Wednesday as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent clashed with Democratic lawmakers over fiscal policy, the business dealings of the Trump family and other issues.

Bessent called Rep. Sylvia Garcia “confused” when she questioned how illegal aliens could affect housing affordability across the country, prompting the Texas Democrat to snap back, “Don’t be demeaning to me, alright?” Bessent later mocked a question from Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., about shuttered investigations into cryptocurrency firms.

Lynch expressed frustration with Bessent’s interruptions, saying, “Mister Chairman, the answers have to be responsive if we are going to have a serious hearing.” Bessent replied, “Well, the questions have to be serious.”

After a back-and-forth over whether tariffs cause inflation or one-time price increases for consumers, California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters asked committee leaders to intervene with Bessent: “Can someone shut him up?” And in a fiery exchange with Rep. Gregory Meeks over the Abu Dhabi royal family’s investment into the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial cryptocurrency firm last year, the New York Democrat shouted at Bessent: “Stop covering for the president! Stop being a flunky!”

The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the fireworks. Bessent’s performance was “not a role you typically see a treasury secretary play,” said Graham Steele, a former assistant secretary for financial institutions under Biden-era Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. The department has traditionally “been removed from some of the day-to-day, hand-to-hand political combat,” Steele said in an interview.

He recalled his former boss having tense exchanges over climate change and policy issues with Republican lawmakers during committee hearings, but the exchanges were not personal, he said, noting treasury secretaries have to strike a “delicate balance” of working with the White House while safeguarding the “economic stature” of the country internationally.

In recent months, Bessent has criticized Democratic leaders. He has called California Gov. Gavin Newsom “economically illiterate.” He has on several occasions called Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren an “American Peronist” after she told American financial institutions not to finance the Trump administration’s massive support package for Argentina.

On Thursday, Bessent will get another opportunity to interact with lawmakers. He is scheduled to appear before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on the same topic: the annual report by the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which Bessent leads. Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

US Holds Live-Fire War Games in Persian Gulf

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US Holds Live-Fire War Games in Persian Gulf

(Kyle Anzalone, Libertarian Institute) US forces conducted live-fire military drills in the Persian Gulf. The exercise happened as President Donald Trump is threatening to attack Iran. “Last week, Navy Sailors from USS Santa Barbara participated in the exercise Killer Tomato, a live-fire maritime gunnery exercise conducted in the Central Command’s area of responsibility and supported by an Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) posted on X Sunday.

It continued, “The exercise provided realistic training to improve surface gunnery proficiency while reinforcing joint air-maritime integration, combat readiness, and deterrence across the region.” Last month, the US held war games across the Middle East.

Additionally, the US and Israeli military held joint naval drills. President Donald Trump is threatening to attack Iran. He has reportedly ordered the Department of War to develop battle plans for a decisive strike on Iran.

The President is also considering other actions to create regime change in Iran, including an oil blockade. Over the past month, Trump has significantly increased the US military footprint in the Middle East by sending an aircraft carrier strike group, warplanes, and advanced missile defense to the region. This article originally appeared at The Libertarian Institute.

FBI Said There Were No Cameras in Epstein’s Bedroom. Photos Show Otherwise

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FBI Said There Were No Cameras in Epstein’s Bedroom. Photos Show Otherwise

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) When FBI Director Kashyap Patel and former deputy director Dan Bongino first started investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case last year, one of the issues they were interested in was whether Epstein had video footage of others committing sex crimes.

Agents told Bongino and Patel that no such footage existed. In fact, reports about Epstein wiring the insides of his mansions with video cameras were false, according to the agents. The convicted sex criminal had cameras near the entrances of his residences, but not in his bedrooms or living areas, they said.

“Accordingly, those surveillance videos were not seized because they were not responsive to the warrants allowing the FBI to seize only certain evidence from those premises,” an FBI official from the New York field office told Bongino in an email last March, published earlier this month in the latest tranche of the “Epstein files.”

However, the FBI email to Bongino is contradicted by photos of inside Epstein’s Manhattan mansion. Published by the New York Times last August, one photo shows a camera over his bedroom, while another one shows a camera in an adjacent room.

“Several of Mr. Epstein’s victims have said the mansion was outfitted with a network of hidden video cameras,” the Times said.

The Times added that “no surveillance cameras were visible in the photos of the massage room.” However, other emails from the Epstein files show that he had hidden cameras.

On Feb. 5, 2024, for instance, someone named Larry emailed Epstein, telling him that he just bought two motion-sensor cameras from a “spy store” in Ft. Lauderdale.

“It’s amazing how small they are, the size of Thumb nail drive, 64-hour recording, Motion sensor. I’m installing them into Kleenex boxes now. I’ll bring them by later today,” Larry wrote.

Patel and Bongino apparently took the FBI agents’ word on the matter instead of examining the photographic evidence for themselves. Months after the March 2025 email about the lack of cameras, Patel put out a memo insisting that Epstein had no clients, didn’t blackmail anyone, and definitely killed himself.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

Ghislaine Maxwell Refuses to Answer Questions During Congressional Deposition

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Ghislaine Maxwell Refuses to Answer Questions During Congressional Deposition

(Headline USA) Lawmakers tried Monday to interview sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, but the former girlfriend and confidante of Jeffrey Epstein invoked her 5th Amendment rights to avoid answering questions that would be incriminating.

Maxwell was to be questioned during a video call to the federal prison camp in Texas where she’s serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. She’s come under new scrutiny as lawmakers try to investigate how Epstein, a well-connected financier, was able to sexually abuse underage girls for years.

Maxwell has been seeking to have her conviction overturned, arguing that she was wrongfully convicted.

Ghislaine’s deposition comes as lawmakers are searching for anyone who was connected to Epstein and may have facilitated his abuse. Several Democrats also planned on Monday to look through unredacted versions of the files on Epstein that the Department of Justice released to comply with a law passed by Congress last year.

The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed her last year, and while her attorneys have consistently told lawmakers that she won’t answer questions, the Republican chairman, Rep. James Comey insisted on conducting the deposition.

Comer came under pressure to hold the deposition as he pressed for the committee to enforce subpoenas on former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After Comer threatened them with contempt of Congress charges, they both agreed to sit for depositions later this month.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

 

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