Trump Promotes Regime Change in Iran

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Trump Promotes Regime Change in Iran

(Headline USA) President Donald Trump on Sunday called into question the future of Iran’s ruling theocracy after bombing the country’s nuclear sites on behalf of Israel, seemingly contradicting his administration’s earlier calls to resume negotiations and avoid an escalation in fighting.

“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” Trump posted on social media. “MIGA!!!”

The posting on Truth Social marked something of a reversal from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Sunday morning news conference that detailed the aerial bombing.

“This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” Hegseth said.

What the administration has made clear is that it wants Iran to stop any development of nuclear weapons, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that any retaliation against the U.S. or a rush toward building a nuclear weapon would “put the regime at risk.”

But beyond that, the world is awash in uncertainty at a fragile moment that could decide whether parts of the globe tip into war or find a way to salvage a relative peace. Trump’s warning to Iran’s leadership comes as the U.S. has demanded that Iran not respond to the bombardment of the heart of a nuclear program that it spent decades developing.

The Trump administration has made a series of intimidating statements even as it has simultaneously called to restart negotiations, making it hard to get a complete read on whether the U.S. president is simply taunting an adversary or using inflammatory words that could further widen the war between Israel and Iran that began earlier this month.

Up until the U.S. president’s post on Sunday afternoon, the coordinated messaging by Trump’s vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout would be manageable and that Iran’s lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table.

Hegseth had said that America “does not seek war” with Iran, while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington.

Trump also used a social media post to lambaste Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who had objected to the president taking military action without specific congressional approval.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

 

Iran’s Parliament Votes To Close Strait of Hormuz in Response to U.S. Attack

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Iran’s Parliament Votes To Close Strait of Hormuz in Response to U.S. Attack

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) Iranian media reported on Sunday that Iran’s parliament has voted to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities, a step that could significantly impact the global oil markets and economy.

Esmaeil Kowsari, a senior Iranian lawmaker, said it was now up to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council whether to go through with closing the waterway. “The parliament has come to the conclusion that it should close the Hormuz Strait, but the final decision lies with the Supreme National Security Council,” he said.

Roughly 18 million barrels of crude oil — about 20% of the world’s consumption — move through the Strait of Hormuz each day, making it a vital choke point for global energy trade. According to Newsweek, some experts suggest that closing the strait could raise oil prices by 30% to 50%, potentially leading to a $5 increase in gasoline prices per gallon.

Iran has made clear that closing the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, was an option if the US launched a direct attack. Iranian officials have also warned that the Iranian military could hit US bases in the region, which could lead to massive US casualties, and an attack could be coming soon.

President Trump and his top officials have threatened more attacks on Iran if there is retaliation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declined to say on Sunday if the US would bomb Iran again if the Strait of Hormuz were closed. “I’m not going to take options away from the president, that’s not something we’re talking about right now in terms of being immediate,” he said.

Rubio acknowledged that closing the strait would have an impact on the US, but suggested it would be “suicidal” for Iran to shut down the waterway. “That would be a suicidal move on [Iran’s] part, because I think the whole world would come against them if they did that,” he said.

President Trump bombed Iran without approval from Congress, making it an illegal war under the US Constitution. He is now claiming that he wants to pursue diplomacy with Iran, but Tehran has little reason to trust the US since the Trump administration backed Israel’s assault during previous negotiations.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.



Suspect Shot and Killed by Security after Shooting at a Michigan Church

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Suspect Shot and Killed by Security after Shooting at a Michigan Church

(Headline USA) A gunman opened fire during a service at a suburban Detroit church on Sunday, wounding one person before he was shot and killed by a security guard, police said.

The shooting happened around 11 a.m. at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, a city of about 17,000 people some 25 miles east of Detroit, the church’s pastor, Bobby Kelly Jr., told the Detroit News.

Police said one person was shot in the leg.

Kelly said a church member ran the suspect over with his truck, giving the security guard time to shoot him. Police described the suspect as a 31-year-old white male.

The person who was shot in the leg was the security guard, the pastor told the newspaper. No one else was hurt, he said.

About 150 people were attending the service, Kelly said.

Wayne Police Deputy Chief Finley Carter III said it was too early to know why the church was attacked. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino tweeted that bureau “leadership and support teams” were at the scene and helping with the investigation.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Trump Starting War w/ Iran May Draw More Criticism from MAGA’s Anti-Interventionists

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Trump Starting War w/ Iran May Draw More Criticism from MAGA’s Anti-Interventionists

(Headline USA) President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb Iran could deepen a divide among some of the Republican’s supporters, including high-profile backers who had said any such move would run counter to the anti-interventionism he promised to deliver.

Notably though, immediately following Trump’s Saturday announcement of the strike, some of those who had publicly spoken out against U.S. involvement voiced their support.

The lead-up to the move against Iranian nuclear sites had exposed fissures within Trump’s “Make American Great Again” base as some of that movement’s most vocal leaders, with large followings of their own, expressed deep concern about the prospect of U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran war.

What remains unknown is how long-lasting the schism could be for Trump and his current priorities, as well as the overall future of his “America First” movement.

Among the surrogates who spoke out against American involvement were former senior adviser Steve Bannon, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., commentator Tucker Carlson and Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point. Part of their consternation was rooted in Trump’s own vocalized antipathy for what he and others have termed the “forever wars” fomented in previous administrations.

As the possibility of military action neared, some of those voices tamped down their rhetoric. According to Trump, Carlson even called to “apologize.”

Here’s a look at what some of Trump’s biggest advocates had said about U.S. military involvement in Iran:

Steve Bannon

On Wednesday, Bannon, one of top advisers in Trump’s 2016 campaign, told an audience in Washington that bitter feelings over Iraq were a driving force for Trump’s first presidential candidacy and the MAGA movement. “One of the core tenets is no forever wars,” Bannon said.

But the longtime Trump ally, who served a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol protest on Jan. 6, 2021, went on to suggest that Trump will maintain loyalty from his base no matter what. On Wednesday, Bannon acknowledged that while he and others will argue against military intervention until the end, “the MAGA movement will back Trump.”

Ultimately, Bannon said that Trump would have to make the case to the American people if he wanted to get involved in Iran.

“We don’t like it. Maybe we hate it,” Bannon said, predicting what the MAGA response would be. “But, you know, we’ll get on board.”

Tucker Carlson

The commentator’s rhetoric toward Trump was increasingly critical. Carlson, who headlined large rallies with the Republican during the 2024 campaign, earlier this month suggested that the president’s posture was breaking his pledge to keep the U.S. out of new foreign entanglements. Trump clapped back at Carlson on social media, calling him “kooky.”

During an event at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said that Carlson had “called and apologized” for calling him out. Trump said Carlson “is a nice guy.”

Carlson’s conversation with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that day laid bare the divides among many Republicans. The two sparred for two hours over a variety of issues, primarily about possible U.S. involvement in Iran. Carlson accused Cruz of placing too much emphasis on protecting Israel in his foreign policy worldview.

“You don’t know anything about Iran,” Carlson said to Cruz, after the senator said he didn’t know Iran’s population or its ethnic composition. “You’re a senator who’s calling for the overthrow of a government, and you don’t know anything about the country.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

The Georgia Republican, who wore the signature red MAGA cap for Democratic President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in 2024, publicly sided with Carlson, criticizing Trump for deriding “one of my favorite people.”

Saying the former Fox News commentator “unapologetically believes the same things I do,” Greene wrote on X this past week that those beliefs include that “foreign wars/intervention/regime change put America last, kill innocent people, are making us broke, and will ultimately lead to our destruction.”

“That’s not kooky,” Greene added, using the same word Trump used to describe Carlson. “That’s what millions of Americans voted for. It’s what we believe is America First.”

About an hour before Trump’s announcement, Greene posted on X that, “Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war.”

“This is not our fight,” she added. “Peace is the answer.”

In another post following Trump’s announcement, Greene urged, “Let us all join together and pray for peace.”

Alex Jones

The Infowars host posted on social media earlier in the week a side-by-side of Trump’s official presidential headshot and an artificial intelligence-generated composite of Trump and former Republican President George W. Bush. Trump and many of his allies have long disparaged Bush for involving the United States in the “forever wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Writing “What you voted for” above Trump’s image and “What you got” above the composite, Jones added: “I hope this is not the case…”

Charlie Kirk

Kirk is among those who seemed to have made a quick about-face.

About an hour after Trump’s announcement, Kirk posted a series of messages on social media supportive of Trump, saying Iran had given the president “no choice.” Kirk praised Trump for acting “with prudence and decisiveness” and “for the betterment of humanity.”

Kirk also reposted a 2011 tweet in which Trump had written that “Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons is a major threat to our nation’s national security interests. We can’t allow Iran to go nuclear.”

“When Trump speaks, you should listen,” Kirk added.

It was a different tone from the start of the week, when Kirk said in a Fox News interview that “this is the moment that President Trump was elected for.” But he had warned of a potential MAGA divide over Iran.

Days later, Kirk said that “Trump voters, especially young people, supported President Trump because he was the first president in my lifetime to not start a new war.” He also wrote that “there is historically little support for America to be actively engaged in yet another offensive war in the Middle East. We must work for and pray for peace.”

In Kirk’s view, “The last thing America needs right now is a new war. Our number one desire must be peace, as quickly as possible.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

JD Vance’s ‘Jose’ Jab Leaves Sen. Padilla in Tears

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JD Vance’s ‘Jose’ Jab Leaves Sen. Padilla in Tears

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Vice President JD Vance almost brought Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., to tears after referring to him as “Jose Padilla” — the name of a convicted terrorist. 

Vance made the remark during a Homeland Security press conference on Friday. It came days after Padilla made a failed attempt to heckle DHS Secretary Kristi Noem at a presser last week. 

“I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question. I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t a theater,” Vance quipped, mocking Padilla’s earlier stunt in favor of illegal aliens. 

The comment triggered Democrats, including Padilla, who appeared on MSNBC and became emotional about it. 

“He knows my name. Look, sadly, it’s an indicator of how petty and unserious this administration is, but he’s the vice president of the United States,” Padilla said, his voice breaking. 

In a press statement, Vance spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk clarified the vice president “must have mixed up two people who have broken the law.” 

Vance’s mix-up appeared to conflate the California senator with Jose Padilla, who in 2007 was convicted of conspiring and providing material support to Al-Qaeda, in addition to plotting to murder, kidnap and maim individuals in a foreign country. 

Then-President George Bush had designated him an enemy combatant and sent him to a military prison in 2002, arguing he was not entitled to a civil trial with constitutional protections. 

He was eventually transferred to a civilian court in 2006, sentenced to 17 years, and had his sentence extended to 21 years by an appeals court in 2014. 

Popular Black Host Blasts NAACP for Unprecedented Trump Snub

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Popular Black Host Blasts NAACP for Unprecedented Trump Snub

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Flamboyant ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith blasted the NAACP for snubbing President Donald Trump from its 2025 convention. It marked the first time in the organization’s 166-year history that a sitting president was not invited. 

The NAACP claimed Trump wasn’t invited because he is “attacking” democracy and civil rights, an accusation Smith dismissed as absurd on Friday’s episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show. 

“He has been the most powerful, the most influential member of the GOP since 2015,” Smith said. “How do you refusing [sic] to invite him, ostracizing him, not wanting to hear what he has to say to you all. How does that help you? How?” 

Smith, who is considering a 2028 run for the Democratic nomination, clarified he wasn’t endorsing Trump, just calling out the NAACP’s idiocy in snubbing the president. 

“I’m not saying: ‘Agree with him.’ I’m not saying, ‘Side with him.’ I’m not saying, ‘Befriend him.’ I’m not saying any of those things. But ignoring him ain’t going to get it done,” Smith continued.

He added: “None of you truly want to be about the business of helping folks, particularly the desolate and disenfranchised in our country, the urban communities throughout America. Not that that’s all the NAACP does, because I’m certainly not implying that. “All I’m saying is that clearly is who you’re interested in helping.” 

Watch the full segment below:

Report: Last Night’s Attack on Iran Was Planned under the Biden Administration

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Report: Last Night’s Attack on Iran Was Planned under the Biden Administration

(Headline USA) The Pentagon’s surprise attack on three of Iranian nuclear sites Saturday nights had apparently been in the works for about a year, with the U.S. and Israel having practiced the operation during the Biden administration.

“It was the first exercise that war-gamed an offensive strike against Iran’s nuclear program,” an anonymous source in Israel reportedly told ABC News.

“The exercise was planned and executed during the Biden administration, ‘But we did not think a year ago that this would happen now,’” the source reportedly said.

The mission, called “Operation Midnight Hammer,” involved decoys and deception, and was met with no Iranian resistance, Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference.

Caine said the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved.

“Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” Caine said.

Vice President JD Vance said in a television interview that while he would not discuss “sensitive intelligence about what we’ve seen on the ground,” he felt “very confident that we’ve substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon.”

Pressed further, he told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time. I think that it’s going to be many many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon.”

Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the United States inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Airstrikes starting on June 12 by Israel that targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities and generals prompted retaliation from Iran.

While U.S. officials urged for caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticized the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Sunday that Washington was “fully responsible” for whatever actions Tehran may take in response.

“They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,” he said at a news conference in Turkey. “I don’t know how much room is left for diplomacy.”

Both Russia and China condemned the U.S. attack. Araghchi said he would travel to Moscow later Sunday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading beyond the Middle East to “a global level.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

SPD Investigating Attack on Journalist During Antifa Protests

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SPD Investigating Attack on Journalist During Antifa Protests

(, The Center Square) Seattle Police are investigating an attack on an independent conservative journalist last weekend during anti-Trump and anti-ICE rallies in Seattle.

Cam Higby says he was assaulted by Antifa members as he attended the sometimes violent “No Kings Day” protests in Seattle at a Department of Homeland Security Building on June 14.

Separately, independent journalist and podcaster Brandi Kruse says she also was assaulted by Antifa members in Tukwila, just south of Seattle. Both attacks were captured on video posted to social media.

“It was out of nowhere, completely out of nowhere that they got violent,” said Higby, whose attack was captured on video and posted to X. The attack left him bloodied, bruised and with a concussion that is still causing headaches, vision impairment and memory issues nearly a week later, he said.

In a Friday interview, Higby told The Center Square he had been covering the protests in Seattle all day and took a seat on the ground near the federal building by himself when the assailants came out of nowhere.

“They took over the streets, they lit fires to cars, they shot fireworks at cars. Then it’s out of nowhere where this guy yells, ‘Hey Cam, it’s time for you to leave,’ and they charged me and I knew one of them and I’d identified him earlier in the night because he threatened to kill me three weeks earlier,” Higby told The Center Square

The attacker he was referring threatened to kill Higby in an Instagram post, he said, which was reported to police.

“They crossed the street to get to me and charged me and before I could stand up, I was pinned up against the wall,” said Higby. “They were grabbing at my gas mask and my helmet and just keeping me in place and one of them picked me up and choked me out from the rear. And then he released me, punched me twice in the head with SAP gloves which were filled with steal or lead shot. I turned around and somebody pulled him back and he kicked me in the face. I pulled out pepper spray and I nailed him in the face, and then I retreated and called 911 and then the police never showed up.”

Higby said he waited for police for about 45 minutes but they never came.

Video journalist Jonathan Cho, who was also covering protests, picked Higby up and took him back to his car across town.

Higby said he went to urgent care the next morning and then to the emergency room when his symptoms related to the concussion were getting worse.

“They said if I had a brain bleed, I’d already be dead. I think it’s very likely that if I wasn’t wearing a helmet, that I would have been either killed or critical,” Higby said.

Kruse, host of the unDivided video podcast, told The Center Square she had only been at the Tukwila protest scene for 30 seconds when she was attacked.

“I didn’t even get a chance to cover it. Within 30 seconds of walking up, I heard a couple of people shout, ‘that’s Brandi Kruse.’ And then they started to form around me, and initially it was they were blocking my camera with their umbrellas because they don’t want you to document their criminal conduct. And then they started spraying water at me, and then they got a little more aggressive,” Kruse said. “They were dumping full bottles of water and hurling bottles of water and it hit me a couple of times from behind.”

Kruse said she tried to walk away but was followed with protesters pushing signs into her face and continuing to hurl things at her.

“But the thing is they won’t let you walk away, and they don’t want you to walk away. I’m just sort of looking over my shoulder and then I see this individual coming from behind me to the right who had something that they were starting to spray. And you know, your mind goes in a million different places, and you don’t know what it could be, but as soon as it hit my eyes and I got the smell, I knew it was some sort of bug spray because it had that distinctive smell. We found out later it was this hornet and wasp killer that can spray like up to 20 feet,” said Kruse, who posted to social media video of the attack and security escort pouring water into her eyes to flush out the spray which she shared burned painfully for days.

In the assault on Higby, police say they know who the assailant is but have yet to make an arrest. Higby said he’s “10 thousand percent sure” it’s the same person who threatened him weeks before.

Higby told The Center Square he’s been informed that despite the seriousness of the assault, prosecutors may not be inclined to pursue charges.

Seattle Police responded to an email from The Center Square on Friday requesting details on the case and received the following response: “This case is an open and active investigation assigned to SPD’s homicide & Assault Unit. SPD policy prevents me from releasing suspect details or ‘leads,’” wrote Eric Munoz, detective in SPD media and public affairs.

Seattle Police Guild President Mike Solan told The Center Square in a Friday interview that he was also skeptical as to whether prosecutors would pursue charges, despite the serious nature of the attack on Higby. He condemned the lack of coverage in the mainstream media of the assaults on journalists.

“I think the bigger conversation here is why isn’t corporate media drawing attention to this political violence as they’re watching journalists get assaulted and it doesn’t appear to be covered by corporate media at all. My question is why, and the fact that that’s not happening is a major problem with what’s unfolding in our nation,” said Solan.

Kruse said she was also disappointed that members of the mainstream media have ignored the attack.

“I was getting text messages from former colleagues in television news in Seattle asking if I was OK, saying they saw the video, but then never reporting on it. So it’s not as if they’re oblivious … if these were the proud boys, or if these were right-wing extremists and they assaulted journalists, there’s no way that it wouldn’t be covered,” said Kruse.

Kruse said she’s been in contact with officials in the Trump administration who are paying attention to the case, but she has also filed a police report with the Tukwila Police Department.

Trump to Meet w/ National Security Team amid Reports B-2 Bombers on the Move

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Trump to Meet w/ National Security Team amid Reports B-2 Bombers on the Move

(, The Center Square) President Donald Trump is expected to return to the White House Saturday evening to meet with his national security team amid unconfirmed reports that B-2 bombers are on the move.

The Center Square can confirm the president is scheduled to return to the White House Saturday evening after spending roughly 24 hours at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J. Upon his return to the White House, the president will hold a national security meeting.

Fox News is reporting that six B-2 stealth bombers out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri are en route to the Indo-Pacific region.

The movement of B-2 bombers to the region would be significant. The planes can carry two 30,000 bunker-buster bombs needed to target Iran’s Fordow complex, an Iranian fuel enrichment plant. It is unclear exactly how deep the enrichment site is in the mountain.

The president has repeatedly said that Iran can’t have nuclear weapons, maintaining that the Islamic Republic is on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons.

During a press briefing Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a statement from the president saying he would decide to engage in military action against Iran within the next two weeks.

“Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Trump said in the statement.

The president spoke to reporters Friday on his way to Bedminster, underscoring the urgency of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

“I’m right about the [nuclear] material that [Iran] gathered already. It’s a tremendous amount of material, and I think within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months, they’re going to be able to have a nuclear weapon. We can’t let that happen,” said the president.

When asked about the two-week timeline he is giving Iran, the president specified that “two weeks would be the maximum,” adding that he is giving them time to see if they will “come to their senses.”

On Tuesday, in a series of social media posts, the president announced control over Iranian airspace and knowledge of where Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran’s supreme leader, is being held while also calling for an “unconditional surrender.”

In the post, Trump claimed that Khomeini was “safe” for now but wouldn’t rule out targeting the leader.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

In a prior post, Trump touted complete control over Iranian airspace.

“We have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff.’ Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA,” Trump posted.

It is still unclear if the president was referring to U.S., Israeli, or a combination when talking about “we.”

Achieving control over Iranian airspace could be key to any U.S. involvement in carrying out missions to eliminate nuclear capabilities inside the Islamic Republic.

The latest development comes ahead of this week’s NATO summit in the Netherlands. The president dismissed European involvement in talks with Iran.

“Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe,” the president told reporters on Friday.

Israel began its strikes against Iran on June 12, which have resulted in Israel eliminating several top Iranian officials and nuclear scientists. Despite Israel’s Iron Dome and Arrow air defense systems, Iranian ballistic missiles and drones been successful in striking several places inside Israel, including a major hospital.

Your Timeshare Broker Could be Working for a Mexican Cartel

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Your Timeshare Broker Could be Working for a Mexican Cartel

(, The Center Square) A retired law enforcement officer and veteran lost $900,000 after he answered a call from a company that told him they could help sell his Lake Tahoe timeshare property.

The call came from a call center in Mexico run by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and the veteran’s story isn’t an isolated incident.

The FBI reported a significant increase in scams targeting timeshare owners last year. The cartel-backed fraud continues to ensnare Americans, especially elderly residents with timeshare property in Mexico.

“Timeshare fraudsters aim to suck their victims dry, with devastating consequences to victims’ financial futures, relationships, and physical and emotional health,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Roberts, who leads FBI New York’s Complex Financial Crimes Branch.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Gulf Cartel, and the Sinaloa Cartel have been running timeshare fraud schemes for more than a decade. Most of the properties they target are in Mexico, Roberts said.

“Cartel fraudsters run sophisticated teams of professionals who seem perfectly normal on paper or on the phone – but in reality, they’re money launderers expertly trained in scamming U.S. citizens,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.

More than a decade ago, the late Mexican attorney and businessman Omar Aguirre Barragan learned about timeshare schemes from Puerto Vallarta-based fraudsters, including Americans. In 2012, Aguirre taught CJNG members about the scams. Eventually, CJNG took control and cut out Aguirre, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, which has sanctioned companies and people who participate in such scams.

The U.S. sanctions cut the companies and their owners off from the U.S. financial system.

“Unsolicited calls and emails may seem legitimate, but they’re actually made by cartel-supported criminals. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Treasury and our partners are deploying all tools available to disrupt this nefarious activity, which funds things like deadly drug trafficking and human smuggling, and we encourage the public to use our resources to stay vigilant against these threats,” Nelson said.

The scams disproportionately impact wealthy, older Americans who want to recoup some of the money they spent on their timeshares, according to the FBI.

The veteran who lost $900,000 to such scammers shared his story with an AARP podcast. He declined to share his name out of fear of the cartel.

Many such crimes go unreported because the victims are embarrassed.

About 6,000 U.S. residents reported nearly $300 million in losses between 2019 and 2023 to timeshare fraud schemes in Mexico, according to reports from the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Sentinel Network Database. According to the FBI, this figure likely underestimates the total losses. An estimated 80% of victims choose not to report the scam due to embarrassment, lack of resources, or other reasons, according to a 2024 federal fraud notice.

Sometimes the scammers get away, but some have been caught and sentenced.

In 2019, six Mexican nationals were indicted in connection with an elaborate timeshare scheme. The conspirators called resort timeshare property owners to get them to pay fees associated with the bogus sale of their property.

The scammers claimed they had buyers for their timeshares and asked for money from the victims to make the sales go through. They got the owners to sign agreements to sell their timeshares and pay for “closing costs.” But there were no buyers, the closings didn’t happen, and the timeshares weren’t resold. Instead, the conspirators stole the fees.

Of the U.S. victims, 40 were age 60 and older. The total estimated loss was at least $10 million. Some of the scammers got prison time and were required to pay restitution.

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