Israeli Minister: Gaza Will Be ‘Totally Destroyed,’ Population Will Be ‘Concentrated’

Headline USA Editor
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Israeli Minister: Gaza Will Be ‘Totally Destroyed,’ Population Will Be ‘Concentrated’

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that within a few months, the Gaza Strip will be “totally destroyed” and the entire Palestinian population will be “concentrated” into a tiny area in the southern part of the Palestinian territory before being forced to leave as part of an ethnic cleansing campaign.

“Within a few months, we will be able to declare that we have won. Gaza will be totally destroyed,” Smotrich said at a conference on illegal settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to The Times of Israel.

“In another six months, Hamas won’t exist as a functioning entity… The population of Gaza will be concentrated from the Morag Corridor southwards. The rest of the Strip will be empty,” Smotrich said.

The Morag Corridor refers to a strip of land between the southern Gaza cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.

“The Gazan citizens will be concentrated in the south. They will be totally despairing, understanding that there is no hope and nothing to look for in Gaza, and will be looking for relocation to begin a new life in other places,” Smotrich added.

The Israeli minister said that the Palestinian population will “leave in great numbers to third countries.” Throughout Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Smotrich has been an outspoken proponent of the ethnic cleansing of the territory.

Smotrich’s comments come after the Israeli government approved military plans to completely occupy Gaza. According to Axios, the plan will involve flattening every single building, forcing the civilian population into one small area, and pressuring Palestinians to leave, though it’s unclear where they could go.

In his speech on Tuesday, Smotrich also vowed that the current Israeli government would annex the West Bank. “It will happen this term. It is one of our most important challenges. We are at a historic opportunity,” he said.

Smotrich is a West Bank settler himself and holds another ministerial position in the Defense Ministry that gives him the power to expand settlements in the occupied territory.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

Prince Andrew Rocked by O’Keefe Bombshell: ‘He Was F***ing Underage Girls’

Luis Cornelio
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Prince Andrew Rocked by O’Keefe Bombshell: ‘He Was F***ing Underage Girls’

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Prince Andrew is under renewed fire after journalist James O’Keefe released an undercover interview Wednesday afternoon, featuring one of Andrew’s alleged former advisers.

The man, John Bryan, claimed the royal had sexual relations with minors. 

O’Keefe published the footage on social media on Wednesday, showing a covertly recorded conversation with Bryan, a man who once advised Andrew during his Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

In the clip, Bryan alleged Andrew had lied to him about his ties to Epstein, the convicted sex offender accused of running a child sex trafficking ring. 

“I knew he [Prince Andrew] saw him [Jeffrey Epstein],” Bryan said, according to O’Keefe’s reporting. “But he lied to me that he was such a close friend.” 

Headline USA could not independently verify Bryan’s allegations. Prince Andrew has long maintained the sexual abuse claims stemming from his relationship with Epstein are false. 

In 2019, Andrew told BBC News he did not know Virginia Giuffre—the woman who claimed she was raped by Andrew at Epstein’s direction. She reportedly took her own life last month. 

Bryan recounted entering Royal Lodge to provide “crisis” management advice. He told the New York Post the royal family had brought him in to help Andrew. 

“Andrew was so distressed, he wasn’t able to focus for more than 40 minutes,” Bryan said at the time. 

In the secretly recorded interview with O’Keefe’s reporters, Bryan admitted, “I did a big thing in The Daily Mail saying that I believed Andrew. And then I found out he was lying. I was so pissed.” 

Asked what Andrew had lied about, Bryan stated bluntly, “That he was f**king underage girls. That’s not cool.” 

O’Keefe Media Group said it had reached out to both Bryan and the Royal Family for comment.  

Prince Andrew is widely regarded as one of the most disgraced members of the Royal Family, having been stripped of his official duties in 2019. 

Bryan previously made headlines in 1992 after photos surfaced of him kissing the feet of Sarah, Duchess of York—Andrew’s former wife.

Trump Says U.S. Will Stop Bombing Yemen

Headline USA Editor
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Trump Says U.S. Will Stop Bombing Yemen

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) President Trump said on Tuesday that the US will stop bombing Yemen, claiming the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, said they would “not be blowing up ships anymore.”

The president said that the Houthis said “they don’t want to fight anymore” and “we will honor that.”

“We will stop the bombings. They have capitulated… we will take their word that they will not be blowing up ships anymore, and that’s the purpose of what we were doing,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansar Allah’s political bureau, said in a statement after Trump’s announcement that the Houthis will stop attacks on US assets in the region if the US stops bombing Yemen but vowed operations against Israel will continue until there’s a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the blockade on the Palestinian territory.

“Our military operations in support of Gaza will not cease until the aggression against Gaza stops and the blockade on its residents is lifted, allowing the entry of food, medicine, and fuel,” al-Bukhaiti said in a post on X.

“As for our attacks on the US, they fall within the context of the right to self-defense. If it halts its attacks on us, we will halt our attacks on it. This position also applies to Britain,” he added.

Al-Bukhaiti made the same offer to the US in an interview with Drop Site Newsback on April 10.

Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of Ansar Allah’s Supreme Political Council, also vowed attacks on Israel will continue, warning Israelis to “remain in shelters because their government will not be able to protect them.”

Al-Mashat also said that the Houthis “indirectly informed the Americans that continued escalation will affect the criminal Trump’s visit to the region.”Middle East Eye reported that Saudi Arabia pressed Trump to end the bombing campaign in Yemen before his visit to the Kingdom, which will begin on May 13.

Trump said the US would stop bombing Yemen “effective immediately.” A Pentagon official told CNN that the US military had been given a stand-down order to stop strikes on Yemen on Monday night, although US airstrikes were reported in the country early Tuesday morning Yemen time. Israel also launched heavy airstrikes against the Sanaa International Airport and other targets in the capital.

According to the CNN report, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, worked over the past week to reach a ceasefire with the Houthis in talks facilitated by Oman.

Oman’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Muscat was involved in the talks and released a statement on the ceasefire deal. “In the future, neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping,” the ministry said.

The Houthis stopped attacks on Israel and on Red Sea shipping when the short-lived Gaza ceasefire went into effect on January 19. After Israel violated the deal by imposing a total blockade on Gaza, the Houthis announced they would re-impose the blockade on Israeli shipping.

It was in response to that announcement that the Trump administration launched its bombing campaign in Yemen on March 15. Since then, the US has launched over 1,000 strikes on Yemen, killing more than 200 civilians.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

 

Alligator Eats Florida Woman after Tipping Her Canoe

Headline USA Editor
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Alligator Eats Florida Woman after Tipping Her Canoe

(Headline USA) An alligator killed a Florida woman after tipping over a canoe she and her husband were paddling, which investigators say appeared to be an accidental encounter.

The attack happened Tuesday afternoon near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee, south of Orlando, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. It’s near the same location as a March alligator attack in which a woman was bitten on the elbow while kayaking.

Investigators said at a news conference Wednesday that the couple was canoeing in about 2.5 feet (less than 1 meter) of water when they came upon a large alligator. The startled animal thrashed suddenly, tipping over the canoe and sending both people into the water.

“It sounds like the canoe drifted over, on top of the alligator. The alligator was startled,” said Roger Young, the FWC executive director.

Witnesses told investigators the husband tried to fight off the animal but was unsuccessful. FWC officials identified the victim as 61-year-old Cynthia Diekema of Davenport, Florida. It wasn’t clear if her husband was injured.

A trapper captured an alligator measuring more than 11 feet (3.3 meters) that is suspected of being the animal involved, but investigators caught another large alligator that also could have been responsible, officials said.

Since 1948, when officials began tracking alligator bites involving people in Florida, there have been 487 unprovoked bites through 2024, according to FWC data. Of those, 339 were major bites and 27 were fatal.

The most recent fatal alligator attack was in February 2023 when 85-year-old Gloria Serge was killed while walking her dog along a community pond in Fort Pierce, officials said. Earlier that year, a 23-year-old man lost his arm in an attack near a pond behind a bar in Port Charlotte.

Alligator encounters with humans are more common in the spring mating season when they are most active, Young said. There are an estimated 1.3 million alligators in Florida.

“While alligator attacks resulting in fatalities are extremely rare, this tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the powerful wildlife that share our natural spaces,” Young said. “Be cautious of your surroundings. Know what wildlife is in the area.”

The alligator attack comes as FWC officials continue to investigate a rare fatal black bear attack Monday that took the life of 89-year-old Robert Markel and his dog near his home in Collier County, in southwest Florida. Wildlife officers have killed three bears in the area since the attack.

The FWC plans public hearings on whether to hold a black bear hunt in parts of Florida later this year.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

 

Gold’s Strange Behavior

Money Metals News Service
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Gold’s Strange Behavior

(Brien Lundin, Money Metals News Service) Yes, it’s different this time.

I know that’s about the most dangerous phrase in all of investing, and virtually everyone who has ever uttered it was ultimately made a fool by the markets.

But there’s no denying that this gold bull market is unprecedented for a number of reasons.

A Bull Market Like None Other

First off, understand that gold, while it has a five-millennium history as money, has only been an investable asset (and not officially regarded as money) since 1971, when President Nixon severed the dollar’s last remaining connection to gold.

So if you count the early ’70s as one bull market, the late ’70s as another, and the 2000s as the third, then the current bull market is only the fourth in the history of gold!

Amazing to think that I’ve witnessed every gold bull cycle. (Admittedly, I was a teenager in the ’70s and, fair to say, interested in other things.)

Anyway, when I say this gold bull market is unprecedented, I’m only comparing it against three other periods in history.

Still, this one is different because it has been largely driven by official buying from central banks and, to some degree, by demand from Chinese investors.

And this explains some of the unusual features of this market:

  • The relative nonparticipation of Western investors, whether institutions or retail.
  • The underperformance of silver and mining shares.
  • Outside of post-election correction in November, the lack of any significant price pull-backs.
  • Depressed and falling energy costs which have served to further expand mining margins as the gold price has exploded higher.
  • A period of economic and geopolitical turmoil in which the U.S. is regarded by other nations not as a leader or savior, but rather an instigator and adversary.

I can’t remember any single one of these factors being extant in any previous gold bull run, much less all of them at once.

This is truly uncharted territory.

Today, I want to briefly examine two aspects of this situation — gold’s strange behavior, and the opportunity that’s being presented.

A Refusal To Fall

Over the previous 14 months, I have joined many of my compatriots in the metals and mining markets in analyzing the gold market as a normal phenomenon.

That means that we’ve been expecting it to ride the waves of investor sentiment, from exhaustion to euphoria, with the gold price rising and falling in typical waves.

But gold hasn’t obliged us. Every time we’ve expected a typical market correction, the price has either continued to rally or the “correction” has been merely a pause. The declines have never been as deep or lasting as we’ve expected.

This seems to be because this gold bull market isn’t being driven by the typical swings in investor emotions. Instead, it’s being directed by geopolitical strategy at the highest levels and fueled by the deepest pockets imaginable.

Now, my headlines at the top of this letter are a bit misleading, because every analyst worth their salt was confident that gold would rebound once China returned from holiday yesterday, and it wasn’t surprising that the gold shorts rushed to cover on Monday in advance of that.

But still, two hundred-dollar days in gold, in a row, is amazing. (Note that we’ve given up some of those gains today.)

More generally, what I’m referring to when I refer to gold’s strange behavior is this refusal to undergo a significant price correction during this bull run.

Again, this is largely because of the strategic, even desperate buying from official sources — primarily China… and possibly even the U.S.

The Opportunity…

One of the factors I listed above is the remarkable affordability of energy as the gold price soars. The result, as we’re seeing from the quarterly financials of gold miners, has been record cash flows for the producers.

For the past couple of months, we’ve seen that begin to filter down to the juniors. Even as gold soared yesterday, for example, the gold mining stocks outperformed the metal.

As I’ve said many times, this is a generational opportunity.

In past bull markets, we saw the prices of junior exploration/development companies multiply, sometimes many times over.

And for all the reasons above, plus the fact that gold is already far above any previous record and heading higher, this mining bull market promises to be more rewarding than anything ever seen.

To get Brien Lundin’s ongoing commentary on the markets at no charge, click here to subscribe to his free Golden Opportunities newsletter.

Brien Lundin is the publisher and editor of Gold Newsletter, the publication that has been the cornerstone of precious metals advisories since 1971. Mr. Lundin covers not only resource stocks but also the entire world of investing. He also hosts the annual New Orleans Investment Conference. To get Brien Lundin’s ongoing commentary on the markets at no charge, click here to subscribe to his free Golden Opportunities newsletter.

Trump Says He’s Directing DOJ to Work on Releasing Tina Peters

Headline USA Editor
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Trump Says He’s Directing DOJ to Work on Releasing Tina Peters

(Derek Draplin, The Center Square) President Donald Trump says he’s directing the U.S. Department of Justice “to help secure the release” of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who’s in a Colorado prison for her role in tampering with election equipment.

Peters, who was the Republican clerk of the western Colorado county during the 2020 election, was found guilty by a grand jury on seven charges related to election integrity, including three counts of attempting to influence a public official. She was sentenced to nine years in prison last October.

“Radical Left Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser ignores Illegals committing Violent Crimes like Rape and Murder in his State and, instead, jailed Tina Peters, a 69-year-old Gold Star mother who worked to expose and document Democrat Election Fraud,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, calling her an “innocent Political Prisoner being horribly and unjustly punished in the form of Cruel and Unusual Punishment.”

Trump pointed to Democrats flying to El Salvador to try and free Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who his administration alleges is an MS-13 gang member, while at the same time “cruelly imprisoning” Peters.

In the months after the 2020 election, Peters allowed an unauthorized person access to the county’s electronic voting machines and take images of server hard drives.

“Colorado must end this unjust incarceration of an innocent American,” Trump added. “I am hereby directing the Department of Justice to take all necessary action to help secure the release of this ‘hostage’ being held in a Colorado prison by the Democrats, for political reasons. FREE TINA PETERS, NOW!”

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser responded to Trump’s comments in a written statement provided to The Center Square.

“Tina Peters is in prison because of her own actions. A grand jury indicted her, and a trial jury found her guilty of breaking Colorado’s criminal laws. No one is above the law,” he said. “The Colorado Attorney General’s Office will continue to defend this criminal conviction in post-conviction proceedings and on appeal. We are firm in pursuing justice for the people of the state of Colorado, protecting free and fair elections, and standing up for the rule of law.”

FBI Tech Masturbated in Bureau Office and Sent Recording to Teenagers

Ken Silva
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FBI Tech Masturbated in Bureau Office and Sent Recording to Teenagers

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) A former FBI electronics technician was sentenced last week to 20 years imprisonment for engaging in sexually explicit online chats with at least three teenagers. According to court records, many of the former FBI tech’s crimes occurred while he was inside bureau facilities.

The former FBI tech, Justin Carroll, wasn’t caught due to the vigilance of his fellow agents. Rather, Carroll may have gotten away with his lewd acts indefinitely if one of the teenagers hadn’t sent him a Valentine’s Day gift—addressed to the FBI’s Nashville office.

According to the criminal complaint against Carroll, the FBI’s Nashville office received an unmarked package on March 5, 2021. The package was treated as suspicious, with a special agent bomb technician examining it. But inside, there was only a teddy bear and some candy.

Agents tracked down the sender of the package, and spoke to the teenager’s mother. The mother told the FBI that she’d speak to her daughter about why she sent the package, and to whom.

Once the mother and the FBI put two and two together, the investigation ramped up quickly. After interviewing the mother and the teenager, agents obtained a search warrant for Carroll’s online accounts. That’s when they realized he was masturbating right next to them.

“Many of the photos and videos the Defendant sent to the Minor Victims were of his penis and of himself masturbating. Agents determined through their investigation that many of the images were created and transmitted while the Defendant was working at the FBI office in Nashville and other locations,” DOJ lawyers said in a February 2024 filing. “One such video was of the Defendant masturbating in the FBI server room.”

According to the DOJ, Carroll admitted that he jerked off in the FBI office. Caroll tried to exclude this evidence before his jury trial, but the DOJ successfully argued that where he masturbated was relevant to the case.

“The average adult would consider videoing oneself masturbating in a workplace, much less the office of the FBI in Nashville, which is tasked with investigating crimes against children, during business hours as one factor that the material appeals to the prurient interest. Most adults consider masturbating in a workplace as an unhealthy or shameful interest in sex,” DOJ lawyers successfully argued in February 2024.

“The fact that the Defendant created these images at the FBI office in Nashville or while working at other locations proves that the material ‘lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value,’ which is another element the Government must prove.”

Carroll had his jury trial in March 2024, and was convicted that month. His sentencing memorandums are sealed, as are most other records in his case. After he serves his prison sentence, Carroll will be on supervised release for 10 years.

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

$5 Million Bounty Announced for Capture of MS-13 Leader in Honduras

Jose Nino
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$5 Million Bounty Announced for Capture of MS-13 Leader in Honduras

(José Niño, Headline USA) The Justice Department announced on Monday a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of MS-13’s highest-ranking leader in Honduras.

Yulan Andony Archaga Carías, a 43-year-old Honduran national, is currently a fugitive and is featured on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list, according to a report by The Epoch Times.  

“This terrorist leader can no longer be allowed to live free as MS-13’s evil devastates communities in America and throughout the western hemisphere,” declared Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “If you can contribute information leading to his arrest – come forward now.”

In 2021, Archaga Carías was indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges including racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. A co-defendant in the case is now in U.S. custody, while three other MS-13 leaders charged in the same indictment face similar charges-one is detained in Honduras, and the other two remain at large.

The pursuit of Archaga Carías is part of a broader Trump administration initiative to combat transnational criminal gangs. On February 20, 2025, the United States officially designated MS-13 and Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations.

“Dismantling and ultimately eliminating MS-13 continues to be one of the FBI’s highest priorities, and we’re not stopping until that mission is complete,” FBI Director Kash Patel proclaimed in the DOJ statement. “Alongside our dedicated law enforcement partners, the FBI will find Archaga Carías—a terrorist whose reign of terror at the helm of MS-13 is coming to an end.”

If convicted, Archaga Carías could face life in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years. Sentencing will be determined by a judge.

The DOJ specified that only tips submitted directly to the U.S. government will qualify for the reward. Individuals outside the United States should contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, while those within the country can reach out to local FBI offices.

While high-profile rewards for the arrest of individuals like Archaga Carías make headlines, the real test lies in sustained enforcement and measurable results.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino

Arizona Senator Pushes Amnesty for Illegals to Counter DHS Self-Deportation Program

Jose Nino
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Arizona Senator Pushes Amnesty for Illegals to Counter DHS Self-Deportation Program

(José Niño, Headline USA) Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is proposing an amnesty plan for illegal aliens in response to President Trump’s new self-deportation program. 

On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) introduced a new program that will offer a $1,000 payment to illegal aliens who can verify, via the CBP Home mobile app, that they have left the country voluntarily. 

This self-deportation approach aims to streamline the process of reducing the illegal population by providing financial incentives for leaving the country. Similar programs have reportedly been implemented in European nations such as Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, where they have been credited with lowering rates of illegal immigration, according to a report by Breitbart. 

In response to the Trump administration’s policy, Gallego has voiced opposition to self-deportation, instead proposing a plan that would allow eligible undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. on renewable work visas. 

His proposal would require those individuals to pay a $5,000 fine and undergo a background check, with the possibility of renewing their work visas if they maintain good conduct. The Arizona congressman outlined this idea on X, stating, “Why don’t we make them pay a $5k fine, go through a background check and give them a work visa for a few years, renewable with good behavior.”

Despite growing public support for stricter immigration enforcement, some Democrats, including Gallego, have continued to resist deportation policies — even in cases involving illegal aliens convicted of serious crimes. 

Recent polling indicates that a majority of American adults — 56 percent, according to a CBS News survey — back the Trump administration’s efforts to identify, detain, and deport illegal aliens. On top of that, an Echelon Insights poll found that moderate swing voters are particularly supportive of mass deportation policies. 

Jeremy Carl, an outspoken populist author, commented on social media about the Echelon Insights polls: 

So politically, the voters in the middle that we need to win on immigration are being turned off by the Democrats radicalism in attempting to stop the deportations of gang members, drug dealers, and human traffickers.

And Trump’s immigration policy, WITH ACTUAL VOTERS THAT WE CAN REASONABLY WIN is more popular than ever.

Donald Trump has long vowed to deport millions of illegal immigrants, a promise that’s remained central to his rhetoric both during the campaign and from the White House. His administration has promoted “record-breaking” results, with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claiming more than 158,000 arrests in 2025 and unprecedented deportations of “the worst of the worst.”

However, as Headline USA recently reported, that ICE’s own numbers tell a different story: just 66,463 arrests and 65,682 removals in the first 100 days. That’s far short of the president’s promises.

The 158,000 figure appears inflated, likely incorporating a broader range of enforcement activity beyond ICE, including border patrol apprehensions.

As polling shows strong support for stricter border security and immigration measures, lawmakers face mounting pressure to address the issue. With expectations set sky-high, the pressure is on for Trump to turn rhetoric into results.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

Immigrant Child Rapist Lived at Mass. Daycare Facility

Jose Nino
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Immigrant Child Rapist Lived at Mass. Daycare Facility

(José Niño, Headline USA) The closure of a licensed daycare in Cape Cod has sparked concerns about state oversight after a convicted child rapist from Brazil was discovered living at the facility.

A licensed home daycare in Hyannis, Cape Cod, owned by Franciele Nunes, shut its doors after authorities learned that a convicted child rapist had been residing there. 

The facility shut down after media outlet 25 Investigates conducted an investigation into the presence of Andre Tiago Lucas, who is reportedly the father of Nunes’s two children.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that Lucas, a Brazilian national, fled to Massachusetts to avoid serving a nine-year prison sentence in Minas Gerais, Brazil, for the rape of a 13-year-old girl. ICE agents arrested him in Bourne last October.

Nunes allowed her license from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to expire in March after holding it for three years.

Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis, a prominent advocate for immigration reform, expressed deep concern about the situation.

“It’s alarming that a documented Brazilian national, convicted of raping a 13-year-old, could escape justice, enter Massachusetts, and end up living in a home that also functioned as a daycare for children. That’s terrifying,” Sheriff Evangelidis told 25 Investigates.

EEC records indicate the agency inspected the home daycare five times but found no evidence of Lucas’s presence during those visits. 

This has prompted questions about the effectiveness of the agency’s oversight. State Representative Steven Xiarhos, representing the 5th Barnstable District and with four decades of law enforcement experience, stressed the importance of rigorous background checks and careful observation during inspections.

“You really need to ensure every facility is as safe as possible-through thorough background checks and by being attentive during visits,” Xiarhos said.

The EEC stated they were unaware of Lucas’s connection to the daycare until four months after his arrest and noted that federal authorities had not informed them. While the EEC requires background checks for anyone 15 or older who lives in or frequently visits home daycares, these checks do not cover international criminal records, nor do they consider immigration status. As a result, even if Nunes had disclosed Lucas’s presence, his conviction in Brazil would not have been detected by the state’s current vetting process.

“Our children are innocent. When we send them to daycare, we’re essentially entrusting their safety to others,” Xiarhos stressed. The incident has sparked concerns about the adequacy of state oversight of home daycares and the limitations of background check procedures, especially regarding individuals with criminal histories from outside the U.S.

The EEC does carry out out-of-state background checks, including sex offender, criminal history, and child welfare screenings, for individuals who have lived outside Massachusetts in the past five years.

As the investigation continues, lawmakers and parents are demanding stronger protections for children in licensed care.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

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