Germans and Italians: Bring Our Gold Home!

Money Metals News Service
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Germans and Italians: Bring Our Gold Home!

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) Calls to bring Germany’s gold home are growing, and now voices in Italy are urging that country’s government to do the same.

Germany owns the second-largest gold reserves in the world at 3,352 tonnes. Italy ranks number three with 2,452 tonnes. Both countries utilize the New York Federal Reserve Bank, storing more than a third of their gold reserves in the bank’s Manhattan vaults.

According to a recent article in the Financial Times, policymakers in both countries are considering bringing their gold back to Europe due to President Trump’s “erratic policymaking” and growing geopolitical unrest.

New York was once considered a safe place to store European gold, especially during the Cold War era when the threat of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe loomed large. But with the U.S. aggressively using economic pressure as a foreign policy tool, the wisdom of strong Italian and German gold in New York no longer seems quite so obvious.

After all, what’s to stop the U.S. from holding gold reserves hostage to further its own aims?

The world has taken notice of the way the U.S. (and other Western powers) weaponized the dollar after Russia invaded Ukraine. Some countries were already trying to limit exposure to the dollar to minimize the impact of U.S. economic pressure before Russia invaded Ukraine, and de-dollarization has accelerated since.

According to a report by the Atlantic Council, “In recent years, and especially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Group of Seven (G7)’s subsequent escalation in the use of financial sanctions, some countries have been signaling their intention to diversify away from dollars.”

The trade war and President Trump’s propensity to use tariffs as a billy club have raised concerns even higher.

Foreign leaders have also noted the way the U.S. president has tried to bully Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell into cutting interest rates. They worry that further erosion of the central bank’s independence could further jeopardize their gold holdings in New York.

The German Taxpayer Federation recently sent a letter to the central bank, urging it to bring Germany’s gold home.

“Trump wants to control the Fed, which would also mean controlling the German gold reserves in the U.S. It’s our money; it should be brought back.”

The Taxpayers Association of Europe sent letters to Germany and Italy’s finance ministers, and to their central banks, urging them to reconsider their reliance on the Federal Reserve as a gold custodian.

“We are very concerned about Trump tampering with the Federal Reserve Bank’s independence. Our recommendation is to bring the [German and Italian] gold home to ensure European central banks have unlimited control over it at any given point in time.”

Calls to bring German gold home are coming from both sides of the political aisle. Former conservative MP Peter Gauweiler told the Financial Times the Bundesbank “must not take any shortcuts” in efforts to safeguard the country’s gold.

“We need to address the question if storing the gold abroad has become more secure and stable over the past decade or not. The answer to this is self-evident, as geopolitical risk has made the world more insecure.”

Meanwhile, Fabio De Masi, a former left-wing populist MEP, told the FT that there are “strong arguments” for returning gold to Germany in these “turbulent times.”

There is also growing public pressure for gold repatriation in both countries.

Italian economic commentator Enrico Grazzini recently wrote, “Leaving 43 percent of Italy’s gold reserves in America under the unreliable Trump administration is very dangerous for the national interest.”

While these concerns may seem overwrought from a U.S. point of view, it’s important to remember that the American perception doesn’t matter. If U.S. actions have raised concerns abroad, policymakers need to take that into consideration, whether they think the worry is justified or not.

The grassroots campaign to bring German gold home predates the Trump administration. In 2013, the Bundesbank decided to store half its gold at home, moving 674 tonnes from France back to Germany.

Peter Boehringer was a key figure in that early push for gold repatriation. He told the Financial Times it isn’t just about the Trump administration. He thinks a country’s gold should always be close at hand.

“Gold is an asset of last resort for central banks, and hence it needs to be stored without any third-party risk. It’s not just legal ownership but physical control over the gold that really matters.”

Officials in both Germany and Italy seem reluctant to rock the boat. A German investment analyst told the FT that a move to bring gold home would send a negative signal to the U.S.

“Bringing the gold back now with great fanfare would send a signal that relations with the U.S. are deteriorating.”

In a statement, the Bundesbank said it “regularly evaluates the storage locations for its gold holdings” based on its 2013 guidelines, focusing on security and liquidity to “ensure that gold can be sold or exchanged into foreign currencies if needed.” It emphasized that the New York Fed would continue to serve as an important storage site.

“We have no doubt that the New York Fed is a trustworthy and reliable partner for the safekeeping of our gold reserves.”

Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has supported gold repatriation in the past, but according to the FT, she’s been silent on the issue of late because “she wants to maintain a friendly relationship with Trump while averting the threat of a deepening trade war.”

Concerns about U.S. control over gold isn’t limited to Germany and Italy According to a World Gold Council survey in 2023, a “substantial share” of central banks expressed concern about potential sanctions after the U.S. and other Western countries froze almost half of Russia’s $650 billion gold and forex reserves in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine. According to the WGC, 68 percent of the banks surveyed said they plan to keep their gold reserve within their country’s borders. This was up from 50 percent in 2020.

One anonymously quoted central bank official told Reuters, “We did have it [gold] held in London… but now we’ve transferred it back to our country to hold as a safe haven asset and to keep it safe.”

Last year, India repatriated 100 tonnes of its gold.

There has been speculation that other countries have been moving gold and other assets out of the U.S. in the wake of economic sanctions on Russia, but it’s been difficult to confirm because the Federal Reserve will not release information on the amount of gold in its vaults.

The gold repatriation trend started long before the West slapped sanctions on Russia. In 2019, Poland brought home 100 tons of gold. Hungary and Romania also repatriated some of their gold reserves around that same time. In the summer of 2017, Germany completed a project returning roughly half of its gold reserves back inside its borders. In 2015, Australia launched efforts to bring half of its reserves home. The Netherlands and Belgium have also initiated repatriation programs.

This gold repatriation trend underscores the importance of holding physical gold free from counterparty risk.

If you store your gold and silver with a third party, you could lose your metal through theft, fraud, or an act of God. Of course, you could lose silver and gold stored in your home the same way (except for fraud), so you have to weigh the risk of using third-party storage and keeping large amounts of silver and gold at home.

If you opt for third-party vaulting, it is important to choose a trusted company.

Money Metals offers secure precious metals storage in its state-of-the-art facility.

Here are just a few advantages of storing with Money Metals:

  • Money Metals Depository contents are fully insured by Lloyd’s of London.
  • Metals stored in your account are segregated and never commingled or rehypothecated — and cannot be used as collateral for a loan by anyone but you.
  • Depository holdings are independent and removed from any bank, Wall Street, or Washington, D.C.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

New Fannie Mae Rules to Allow Cryptocurrencies to Underpin Mortgage Applications

Headline USA Editor
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New Fannie Mae Rules to Allow Cryptocurrencies to Underpin Mortgage Applications

(Headline USA) The head of the federal government agency that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac wants the mortgage giants to consider accepting a homebuyer’s cryptocurrency holdings in their criteria for buying mortgages from banks.

William Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie and Freddie, ordered the agencies Wednesday to prepare a proposal for consideration of crypto as an asset for reserves when they assess risks in single-family home loans.

Pulte also instructed the agencies that their mortgage risk assessments should not require cryptocurrency assets to be converted to U.S. dollars. And only crypto assets that “can be evidenced and stored on a U.S.-regulated centralized exchange subject to all applicable laws” are to be considered by the agencies in their proposal, Pulte wrote in a written order, effective immediately.

Pulte was sworn in as the head of FHFA in March. Public records show that as of January 2025, Pulte’s spouse owned between $500,000 and $1 million of bitcoin and a similar amount of Solana’s SOL token.

Use of cryptocurrency for buying a home has been generally limited. Among the respondents in a National Association of Realtors survey of people who bought a home between July 2023 and June 2024, only 1% of those who made a down payment said they used proceeds from the sale of crypto.

Banks seeking to make mortgages that qualify for purchase by Fannie and Freddie have not typically considered a borrower’s crypto holdings until they were sold, or converted, to dollars.

“This is a big win for advocates of cryptocurrencies who want crypto to be treated the same way as other assets are,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin.

Currently, stock investments are treated as qualifying assets that count toward reserves that banks want borrowers to have. But assets that are more volatile, like individual stocks or crypto, may be discounted by lenders, Fairweather noted.

“As long as lenders are appropriately discounting crypto based on volatility, it’s fine that crypto investments count toward reserves,” she said.

The policy change is meant to encourage banks to expand how they gauge borrowers’ creditworthiness, in hopes that more aspiring homebuyers can qualify for a home loan. It also recognizes that cryptocurrencies have grown in popularity as an alternative to traditional investments, such as bonds and stocks.

The agencies have to come up with their proposals “as soon as reasonably practical,” according to the order.

Fannie and Freddie, which have been under government control since the Great Recession, buy mortgages that meet their risk criteria from banks, which helps provide liquidity for the housing market. The two firms guarantee roughly half of the $12 trillion U.S. home loan market and are a bedrock of the U.S. economy.

“If Fannie and Freddie are going to accept cryptocurrency as collateral, that’s a strong incentive for banks to shift their practices,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “Because people who might otherwise have to sell cryptocurrency to qualify — and maybe that’s a deal-breaker for them now — under this new policy, they can qualify. It sort of expands the potential pool of eligible buyers.”

The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since early 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Home sales fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. They’ve remained sluggish so far this year, as elevated mortgage rates and rising prices keep would-be homebuyers on the sidelines.

As of April, the U.S. housing market had nearly 34% more sellers than buyers shopping for a home, according to an analysis by Redfin.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

U.S. Navy Used Munitions at ‘Alarming Rate’ To Intercept Iranian Missiles Fired at Israel

Headline USA Editor
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U.S. Navy Used Munitions at ‘Alarming Rate’ To Intercept Iranian Missiles Fired at Israel

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) A senior US military official told Congress on Tuesday that the US Navy used munitions at an “alarming rate” while defending Israel from Iranian missiles during the 12-day war that Israel started with massive strikes on Iran.

Adm. James Kilby, the acting chief of naval operations, was asked during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing whether the US Navy had enough SM-3 interceptors, an advanced missile that can reach space and can cost between $10 million and $30 million for a single missile.

“We do, sir, but we are, to your point, using them at an alarming rate,” Kilby told Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), who said the US was using a large number of munitions to defend Israel.

Kilby continued, “As you know, those are missiles procured by the Missile Defense Agency and then delivered to the Navy for our use. And we are using them quite effectively in the defense of Israel.”

It’s unclear how many SM-3 missiles the US Navy fired to defend Israel during the 12 days of war. The munitions were also used last year when Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel in April 2024 in response to the Israeli bombing of its consulate in Damascus and in October when Iran launched another attack over Israel’s assassination of Hamas’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, when he was in Tehran.

The US also expended a lot of munitions during its bombing campaigns against the Houthis in Yemen. President Trump’s airstrikes in Yemen, which lasted from March 15 to May 6, were particularly violent and killed more than 200 civilians. Despite the heavy attacks, the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, were able to keep up attacks on US warships, and Trump eventually gave up trying to stop them from firing at Israel.

While the war against the Houthis was largely a failure, US officials see it as a practice for a future war with China in the Taiwan Strait, a conflict that could quickly turn nuclear. The Wall Street Journalreported earlier this month: “Despite the wear and tear, Navy officials said the fight with the Houthis offered invaluable combat experience, and the Red Sea conflict is viewed inside the Pentagon as a warm-up for a potential ‘high-end’ conflict with China.”

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

Trump Says He’ll Bomb Iran Again If It Restarts Enrichment Program But Doesn’t Think It Will Happen

Headline USA Editor
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Trump Says He’ll Bomb Iran Again If It Restarts Enrichment Program But Doesn’t Think It Will Happen

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) President Trump said on Wednesday that he would bomb Iran again if the country restarted its nuclear enrichment program, but he insisted that he doesn’t think that will happen.

The president made the comments on Sunday at the NATO summit in The Hague. When asked if Tehran rebuilding its enrichment facilities would prompt more US strikes, Trump replied, “Sure. But I’m not going to have to worry about that. It’s gone for years.”

When asked how long he thinks the US bombing set back Iran’s nuclear program, Trump said, “I think it’s basically decades, because I don’t think they’ll ever do it again. I think they’ve had it. I mean, they just went through hell. They’ve had it. The last thing they want to do is enrich anything right now. They want to recover.”

Iranian officials have vowed they would continue uranium enrichment following the US attack, but it’s unclear how long it would take for Iran to restart the program. Trump is claiming the US bombing “obliterated” the three nuclear facilities that were targeted, while a preliminary intelligence assessment said it didn’t destroy the core of the sites and set back the nuclear program by only a few months, which the president and his top officials have rejected.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard insisted on Wednesday that new intelligence confirms Trump’s claims and that the assessment that was widely reported on was written with “low confidence.” Gabbard said that if the Iranians “chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do.”

Trump also claimed on Wednesday that the US and Iran will hold negotiations next week, although so far there’s been no confirmation from the Iranian side. He said that a nuclear deal may not be necessary now that Iran’s facilities have been destroyed.

“We may sign an agreement. To me, I don’t think it’s that necessary. They had a war, they fought, and now they’re going back to their world. I don’t care if I have an agreement or not,” the president said. “We destroyed the nuclear.”

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.



California City Official Calls for Cartels to Organize Anti-ICE Insurrection

Headline USA Editor
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California City Official Calls for Cartels to Organize Anti-ICE Insurrection

(Headline USA) The vice mayor of a small Southern California city is under fire after calling on street gangs to organize in the face of immigration sweeps by federal agents in and around Los Angeles.

In a video post on social media that has since been deleted, Cynthia Gonzalez, vice mayor of Cudahy, referenced two well-known street gangs and questioned why gang members were not protesting or speaking up about the immigration raids. She said ordinary citizens are the ones on the streets protesting the presence of federal agents.

“Not for nothing, but I want to know where all the Cholos are at in Los Angeles … You guys are all about territory. You guys tag everything up, claiming hood, and now that your hood’s being invaded by the biggest gang there is, there ain’t a peep out of you,” she said.

She referenced “18th Street” and “Florence,” two infamous street gangs, and appeared to be speaking directly to their members. She said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are “running amok all up in your streets.”

“We’re out there fighting our turf, protecting our turf, protecting our people and, like, where you at?” she said.

The Department of Homeland Security called Gonzalez’s comments “despicable” and said the remarks will contribute to rising assaults against federal ICE agents.

“She calls for criminal gangs — including the vicious 18th street gang — to commit violence against our brave U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement law enforcement,” the department said in a post on X that included Gonzalez’s video. “Secretary Noem has been clear: If you assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The Los Angeles Times reported that the police union, formally known as the Los Angeles Police Protective League, called for the vice mayor’s resignation and possible prosecution.

“What Ms. Gonzalez urged and taunted these specific gangs to do in her social media post puts police officers and other law enforcement professionals at greater risk. Her actions are deplorable and potentially illegal. She should resign and she should be prosecuted if what she called for broke the law,” the union said.

Gonzalez did not immediately respond to a request for comment. her remarks appear to break with leading California officials — including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — who have urged residents to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles County, declined to comment when asked if Gonzalez was under investigation.

According to her biography on the city’s website, Gonzalez grew up in nearby Huntington Park, the daughter of immigrant parents. She has two daughters.

She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She later earned two master’s degrees in education from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she also earned an educational leadership doctorate, the website said.

Gonzalez has worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District as a teacher and school principal in the LA area and is currently the director of pilot schools support and innovation, the biography said.

The school district said in an emailed statement, “As of June 1, 2025, Cynthia Gonzales has been on a leave of absence. We are aware of the situation and are looking into it in accordance with district policy. However, due to the confidentiality of personnel matters, we are unable to further comment on this.”

The city of Cudahy said in a statement Tuesday that it was aware of the video.

“The comments made by the Vice Mayor reflect her personal views and do not represent the views or official position of the City of Cudahy,” the statement read. “The City will not be providing further comment.”

According to county records, Gonzalez was elected in 2022 with 880 votes. Municipal elections in California are nonpartisan — party labels do not appear on the ballot.

Cudahy is a Los Angeles suburb that is home to 22,000 residents, about 10 miles (16.09 kilometers) south of downtown LA. According to the U.S. Census data, 97% of residents are Hispanic or Latino.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Despite Mainstream Pessimism, Gold Still Shines: Why the Bull Market Isn’t Over

Money Metals News Service
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Despite Mainstream Pessimism, Gold Still Shines: Why the Bull Market Isn’t Over

(Money Metals News Service) Money Metals Midweek Memo host Mike Maharrey isn’t buying the recent bearish turn in gold forecasts from Wall Street.

In this week’s podcast, he pushes back against the prevailing optimism in financial markets and lays out a compelling, data-backed case for why gold and silver still have room to run.

As major institutions like Citigroup predict gold could fall below $3,000 an ounce by year’s end, Maharrey warns that investors are ignoring the deeper structural forces that continue to fuel demand for real money.

Tariffs Aren’t the Only Threat

Financial analysts are breathing a little easier as U.S.–China trade tensions appear to be cooling. With signs that President Trump’s aggressive tariff policy is giving way to negotiation, optimism is returning to the stock market—and gold is being left out in the cold.

Citigroup now projects the yellow metal will retreat, arguing that easing geopolitical concerns and improving economic sentiment reduce the need for a safe-haven asset.

But Maharrey isn’t convinced. He argues that Wall Street is mistaking a short-term development for a long-term solution. Even if tariffs fade from the headlines, the underlying fragilities in the U.S. economy remain.

In his words, believing that a return to pre-tariff conditions means we’ve sidestepped danger is “dangerously naive.”

De-Dollarization Is Gaining Momentum

One of the most important long-term drivers of gold demand is the global shift away from the U.S. dollar, i.e., de-dollarization.

Maharrey points out that countries are increasingly alarmed by America’s use of the dollar as a foreign policy weapon, particularly after sanctions locked Russia out of the SWIFT system.

Combined with massive U.S. deficits and fiscal mismanagement, this weaponization is prompting central banks to diversify their reserves.

As of late 2024, the dollar’s share of global reserves had dropped to 57.8%—its lowest level since 1994 and down from 72% in 2002.

Meanwhile, gold has overtaken the euro to become the second most-held reserve asset in the world.

Central banks have added more than 1,000 tons of gold to their holdings each year for the past three years. A recent World Gold Council survey found that 95% of central banks expect global gold reserves to continue growing, and 43% expect to increase their own holdings in the next 12 months.

This is not theoretical—it’s already happening. And it’s one of the strongest reasons why, despite the mainstream’s pessimism, gold is still in a powerful uptrend.

Inflation Is Still Smoldering

While the Consumer Price Index has cooled, Maharrey urges listeners to look deeper. Monetary inflation—the expansion of the money supply—is once again ramping up.

The M2 money supply, which had contracted during the Fed’s inflation fight, is now rising again.

As of April, it stood at $21.86 trillion, surpassing its mid-2022 peak and setting a new record.

This monetary fuel, Maharrey warns, will inevitably translate into higher consumer and asset prices. The Fed may have declared victory over inflation, but it’s already cut rates by 100 basis points and is expected to ease further this year.

The root causes of inflation—decades of easy money, trillions in stimulus, and a central bank reluctant to let markets correct—have not been addressed.

As Maharrey puts it, “The victory the Fed is claiming over inflation means more inflation”—because they’re returning to the same policies that caused the problem.

The Recession Risk Is Far From Gone

Wall Street’s current thesis assumes that a trade détente will prevent a downturn, but Maharrey warns that this view is far too narrow.

The U.S. economy is still drowning in debt, inflated asset prices, and years of artificial stimulus.

The Fed had to start cutting rates and rebooting QE in 2019—well before COVID—because the economy was already faltering. The pandemic merely gave policymakers an excuse to double down.

The boom-bust cycle remains alive and well, and Maharrey says the next bust isn’t a matter of if, but when.

When the inevitable downturn hits, the Fed will revert to the only playbook it knows—slashing rates and printing money.

That will once again devalue the dollar and push investors toward gold and silver.

Storage Costs Are No Excuse

In a real-world example of policy shortsightedness, Idaho Governor Brad Little recently vetoed a bill that would have allowed the state to invest up to 7.5% of its idle funds in physical gold and silver.

Little cited the “cost of storage” as his reason. But Maharrey calls this justification flimsy at best—and deeply misleading.

Storage at Money Metals’ secure Idaho depository costs just 0.49% per year—less than $500 annually to store $100,000 in gold, fully insured.

IRA storage is even lower at 0.29%. By contrast, the cash Idaho currently holds is losing at least 2.4% in purchasing power annually, based on the official CPI—which Maharrey argues understates the true cost of inflation.

Gold, on the other hand, surged 26% in 2024 and is already up another 26% in 2025.

An investigative report revealed that Idaho missed out on more than $200 million in gains this past year simply because it wasn’t allowed to hold gold.

Rejecting sound money over minimal storage fees is, in Maharrey’s words, “financially illiterate.”

Precious Metals Belong in Every Portfolio

Maharrey concludes by urging investors not to let short-term headlines—or shallow institutional analysis—distract them from long-term fundamentals.

Corrections may come, but they’re buying opportunities. Silver, for example, dipped below $36 an ounce this week, and Maharrey believes it remains drastically undervalued.

He reminds listeners that inflation, monetary devaluation, and fiscal recklessness are baked into the system—and real assets like gold and silver are essential defenses.

Storage fees are minimal compared to the loss of purchasing power inflicted by holding cash or paper assets. And despite the current lull, the forces driving the gold bull market are only getting stronger.

In a world ruled by debt, distortion, and devaluation, gold still shines—and the bull market is far from over.

Treasury Hits 3 Banks w/ Sanctions over Alleged Cartel Money Laundering

Headline USA Editor
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Treasury Hits 3 Banks w/ Sanctions over Alleged Cartel Money Laundering

(, The Center Square) The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday slapped sanctions on three Mexican-based banks that it said were used to launder millions of dollars for cartels.

The move, officials said, would cut the banks off from the U.S. financial system.

Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network identified three Mexico-based financial institutions – CIBanco S.A., Institution de Banca Multiple (CIBanco), Intercam Banco S.A., Institución de Banca Multiple (Intercam), and Vector Casa de Bolsa, S.A. de C.V. (Vector) – laundering money in connection with illicit opioid trafficking.

The orders are the first actions by FinCEN under the Fentanyl Sanctions Act and the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which gives Treasury additional authorities to target money laundering associated with the trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, including by cartels. The moves comes as Trump looks to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, especially by Mexican cartels.

CIBanco is a commercial bank with more than $7 billion in total assets. Intercam holds more than $4 billion in total assets. Vector, a brokerage firm, manages nearly $11 billion in assets.

FinCEN alleges all three “played a longstanding and vital role in laundering millions of dollars on behalf of Mexico-based cartels and facilitating payments for the procurement of precursor chemicals needed to produce fentanyl.”

“Financial facilitators like CIBanco, Intercam, and Vector are enabling the poisoning of countless Americans by moving money on behalf of cartels, making them vital cogs in the fentanyl supply chain,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “Through the first use of this powerful authority, today’s actions affirm Treasury’s commitment to using all tools at our disposal to counter the threat posed by criminal and terrorist organizations trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics.”

The move away from plant-based drugs to synthetics has helped the cartels rake in even more cash. Cartels maintain steady supply chains for precursor chemicals, primarily from China and India, needed to produce these synthetic drugs.

In the 12 months ending in October 2024, the United States recorded 52,385 overdose deaths from synthetic opioids – a 33% decline – while overall overdose deaths, from any drug, declined about 26%, according to the most recent available CDC provisional data. Provisional data from the CDC showed that 74,702 of the 107,543 total drug overdose deaths in 2023 involved synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl. That’s about 69% of all overdose deaths in the U.S.

The DEA seized about 29% less fentanyl in 2024 compared to the prior year. In 2024, the DEA seized 21,936 pounds of fentanyl. The agency also seized 61.1 million fake pills in 2024, a 24% decrease from the previous year. Data from the El Paso Intelligence Center’s National Seizure System – which consolidates drug seizure data from federal, state, and local agencies throughout the United States – indicated a similar trend, with 23,256 total kilograms seized in 2024, down from the previous year.

Fentanyl purity also fell last year, according to DEA testing. In 2024, the average fentanyl pill contained 1.94 milligrams of fentanyl, ranging from a low of 1.58 mg to a high of 2.18 mg. Based on these analyses, DEA forensic laboratory results found that about 5 out of 10 fake pills contain 2mg or more of fentanyl. The average purity of fentanyl powder samples was 11.36%, ranging from exhibits that contained almost no fentanyl (0.07%) to 82% purity.

AOC’s ‘Bronx Girl’ Act Debunked by Suburban Yearbook

Luis Cornelio
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AOC’s ‘Bronx Girl’ Act Debunked by Suburban Yearbook

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s self-portrayal as a “Bronx girl” fell apart Tuesday after a former classmate shared a yearbook photo revealing she attended high school in a wealthy New York suburb. 

Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., had invoked the “Bronx girl” persona while lashing out at President Donald Trump over her push to impeach him for striking Iran with bunker bombs. 

“I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X in response to a Truth Social post from Trump. Her jab referenced the long-running rivalry between New York City’s boroughs. 

However, New York State Assemblyman Mark Slater called her bluff by posting a 2004 yearbook from Yorktown High School that featured none other than Ocasio-Cortez herself.  

The high school is located about 40 miles or an hour away from the Bronx. 

“AOC if you’re a BX girl then why are you in my Yorktown yearbook?” Slater posted. “Give it up already.”  

Ocasio-Cortez graduated from Yorktown in 2007, where she went by “Sandy Ocasio,” before graduated from Boston University in 2011. 

According to the Census Bureau, Yorktown Heights boasts a median household income of $138,750, nearly triple that of the Bronx at $49,036. 

The self-described Democratic socialist rose to national politics in 2018 after unseating Rep. Joe Crowley in the Democratic Party primary that year.  

Crowley was once seen as a future speaker of the House, while Ocasio-Cortez temporarily worked as a bartender and activist.  

She now makes $174,000 a year, sold her Bronx apartment for $250,000, and moved into a luxury D.C. high-rise with an infinity pool and top-tier amenities. 

Schumer Hospitalized after Calling Out Biden’s Age

Luis Cornelio
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Schumer Hospitalized after Calling Out Biden’s Age

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was rushed to the hospital Wednesday morning after becoming lightheaded at the Senate gym. 

His office downplayed the scare, claiming he was briefly treated for dehydration and returned to the Senate later that day. He was hospitalized “out of an abundance of caution,” they added, according to the New York Post. 

Schumer, 76, is the top Democrat in the Senate and one of the chief architects of former President Joe Biden’s aborted 2024 reelection bid, arguing Biden was too old to defeat President Donald Trump in the contest. 

“If you run and you lose to Trump, and we lose the Senate, and we don’t get back the House, that 50 years of amazing, beautiful work goes out the window,” Schumer told Biden in 2023, according to the New York Times. “But worse — you go down in American history as one of the darkest figures.” 

He added, “If I were you. I wouldn’t run, and I’m urging you not to run.” 

Biden went on to seek reelection, but dropped out after millions of Americans saw his cognitive decline. 

Schumer, along with other Democrats like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, had kept Biden from facing public scrutiny over his health. 

Pelosi, 85, led the House push to oust Biden and has also been hospitalized in recent years. Most recently, she underwent hip replacement surgery after a fall on an official trip to Luxembourg. 

Reporters caught her earlier this year, clutching a walker and then holding two canes, barely able to stay upright.

FBI Moving Resources from Crime and Immigration to Terrorism Due to Israel/Iran War Fallout

Ken Silva
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FBI Moving Resources from Crime and Immigration to Terrorism Due to Israel/Iran War Fallout

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The FBI is reallocating resources from countering violent crimes and illegal immigration to counterterrorism cases due to expected blowback from the war against Iran, bureau director Kash Patel said Monday.

“Not to take away from the other priorities of the administration—getting rid of criminals in our communities, illegals in our communities—but right now, the focus, given the nature of what just happened, has to be on protecting the homeland,” Patel said Monday at the National Sheriffs’ Association conference in Florida.

Following Patel’s remarks, CBS News reported Tuesday that a memo was distributed to FBI field office directors in the past 48 hours, instructing them to focus resources on terror threats—including domestically. According to a separate memo from U.S. Customs and Border Protection,  the threat of sleeper cells has “never been higher”—though CBP doesn’t have any specific intelligence.

Patel’s renewed focus on terrorism follows his early decision to prioritize violent crime and illegal immigration. Source in the FBI complained to CBS that they were pressured to “maximize the number of immigration arrests.”

The move towards counterterrorism also means that the public will likely see more cases involving questionable tactics by undercover FBI informants and agents. In his book The Terror Factory, investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson found that nearly half of the post-9/11 terrorist cases involving Muslims were provoked by undercover FBI informant provocateurs.

Headline USA has documented many such cases, including one in recent months where an FBI informant posing as a pro-Iranian terrorist was revealed to have made over $600,000 working for the bureau.

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

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