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Monday, February 23, 2026

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1 hour ago
News
UK

Girls Trafficked on 90 Epstein Flights from UK, Ex-Prime Minister Reveals.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Gordon Brown submitted a new dossier to the police concerning Jeffrey Epstein’s flights in and out of the UK.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and various UK police forces.

📍WHEN & WHERE: February 2026, involving airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This memorandum provides new and additional information.” – Gordon Brown

🎯IMPACT: Calls for police to re-examine trafficking cases related to Epstein’s flights.

IN FULL

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has provided the authorities in the United Kingdom with a new dossier of evidence regarding deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s air travel activities. This five-page memorandum was sent to six British police forces responsible for the airports Epstein used, including Heathrow and Gatwick in London.

“I have submitted a five-page memorandum to the Metropolitan, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley and other relevant UK police constabularies,” confirmed Brown, who formerly led Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s governing Labour Party, in a public statement.

“This memorandum provides new and additional information to that which I submitted last week to the Met, Essex, and Thames Valley police forces where I expressed my concern that we secure justice for trafficked girls and women,” he added.

Brown’s submission comes a week after he shared other evidence regarding Epstein’s movements. Writing in the New Statesman, Brown said he was dismayed “a number of British girls were on 90 Epstein flights organised from UK airports on what was called his ‘Lolita Express,’” adding: “Among the many aspects that should sicken anyone looking at the emails is that 15 of these flights were given the go-ahead after his 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from a minor. How the flights were allowed to continue should have been fully investigated.”

Brown, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer (Treasury Secretary) from 1997 to 2007 under Tony Blair, and Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, appointed Lord Peter Mandelson, who had previously been a member of the Blair Cabinet and the European Commission, as his Business Secretary. It is during this spell in office that Mandelson, later appointed as ambassador to the U.S. by Starmer, is alleged to have shared confidential information with Epstein, his “best pal,” as revealed in the Epstein Files.

Mandelson is now facing charges of misconduct in public office.

Image by World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell.

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14 minutes ago
Media

CBS News Drops Peter Attia After Epstein Revelations.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Dr. Peter Attia has exited his role as a contributor at CBS News following a controversy involving Jeffrey Epstein.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Dr. Peter Attia, CBS News, Jeffrey Epstein, and Bari Weiss.

📍WHEN & WHERE: February 22, 2026, CBS News.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I go into JE withdrawal when I don’t see [Epstein].” – Dr. Peter Attia

🎯IMPACT: This development coincides with Paramount Skydance’s new pitch for Warner Bros. Discovery.

IN FULL

A prominent health guru and commentator on longevity science, Dr. Peter Attia, has been removed as a contributor at CBS News after emails between him and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein were discovered among a trove of millions of U.S. government documents pertaining to the latter. Notably, Attia’s name appears over 1,700 times in the recently released Epstein Files, with direct communications between the two men suggesting a disturbingly close relationship.

“You [know] the biggest problem with becoming friends with you?” Attia wrote to Epstein on June 24, 2015—around seven years after his 2008 conviction on state charges of solicitation of prostitution and procuring a person under 18 for prostitution. Attia continued, “The life you lead is so outrageous, and yet I can’t tell a soul.”

Attia was a recent addition, only joining as a contributor in January 2026, and was brought on board by the network’s new Editor-in-Chief, Bari Weiss. However, internal communications to CBS News bookers confirmed Attia’s departure from the network. The medical researcher is alleged to have continued maintaining a relationship with Epstein even as the latter faced mounting accusations throughout 2015 of sex trafficking, for which he was eventually arrested in 2019.

Another notable quote from Attia from a January 2016 email to Lesley Groff, Epstein’s assistant, stated, “I go into JE withdrawal when I don’t see him.” It is believed that Weiss resisted an initial push to cut ties with Attia, but the scale of his relationship with Epstein made his retention impossible for CBS executives.

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2 hours ago
Immigration
SCOTUS

Trump Warns Supreme Court Ruling in Favor of Birthright Citizenship Would Boost China.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump is warning that an adverse decision on birthright citizenship by the U.S. Supreme Court could benefit China.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court, and foreign nationals.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Trump’s statement was posted on Truth Social on Monday, February 23, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our incompetent supreme court did a great job for the wrong people, and for that they should be ashamed of themselves (but not the Great Three!).” — Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on birthright citizenship could reshape immigration law and affect millions of individuals.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump warned on Monday that a Supreme Court ruling against his Executive Order restricting birthright citizenship would only benefit China. The comments, made on Monday in a post on Truth Social, follow the high court’s decision to strike down Trump’s authorization of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

“The supreme court (will be using lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect!) of the United States accidentally and unwittingly gave me, as President of the United States, far more powers and strength than I had prior to their ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive ruling,” President Trump wrote, continuing, “For one thing, I can use Licenses to do absolutely ‘terrible’ things to foreign countries, especially those countries that have been RIPPING US OFF for many decades, but incomprehensibly, according to the ruling, can’t charge them a License fee – BUT ALL LICENSES CHARGE FEES, why can’t the United States do so?”

“Our incompetent supreme court did a great job for the wrong people, and for that they should be ashamed of themselves (but not the Great Three!),” the President continued, adding, “The next thing you know they will rule in favor of China and others, who are making an absolute fortune on Birthright Citizenship, by saying the 14th Amendment was NOT written to take care of the ‘babies of slaves,’ which it was as proven by the EXACT TIMING of its construction, filing, and ratification, which perfectly coincided with the END OF THE CIVIL WAR.”

The Supreme Court is expected to take up arguments on the order in the coming months. An adverse ruling could cement the right for the children of illegal immigrants, born on U.S. soil, to become citizens. Oral arguments are expected in April, with a final ruling from the high court likely in June. Meanwhile, The National Pulse reported in December last year that United States consular officers will now deny tourist visa applications to any foreign national suspected of seeking to travel to the country to give birth so that their child will receive U.S. citizenship and serve as an immigration anchor for additional family members.

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By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
Jack Montgomery
Corruption
News
UK

BREAKING: Epstein-Linked Ex-Amb to U.S. Peter Mandelson Taken From Home by Police.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Lord Peter Mandelson, the Jeffrey Epstein-linked former British ambassador to the United States, was taken from his London home by plain-clothed police officers on Monday.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Lord Mandelson, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and the British authorities.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Monday afternoon, at Mandelson’s home in London, England.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I am beyond being furious and appalled… To think that he was leaking the information to Epstein so he could help rich Americans make money on the UK government’s actions,” Member of Parliament (MP) Emily Darlington said of Mandelson earlier this month.

🎯IMPACT: The Mandelson scandal renews scrutiny on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Britain’s governing Labour Party, which appointed Mandelson as ambassador despite his friendship with Epstein being public knowledge.

IN FULL

Lord Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the U.S. linked to Jeffrey Epstein, was escorted from his London home by plain-clothed police officers on Monday afternoon. The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that “Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office.”

Earlier this month, police officers raided properties associated with Mandelson in both Wiltshire and central London, after Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicated that he had been leaking confidential information to Epstein when he was a member of Cabinet under former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The scandal around Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson as ambassador, despite his friendship with Epstein being public knowledge, has steadily worsened. Mandelson had to leave the post only months after his appointment, which had been opposed by many prominent public figures, including The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam.

“[T]he idea that Keir Starmer, the current Prime Minister, would shove somebody like Lord Mandelson into the embassy in D.C. and expect him to be taken seriously is a great affront to President Trump, it’s a great affront to the American public and what they voted for,” Kassam told the late Charlie Kirk on his show in January 2025, a full year before the current scandal broke.

Notably, Starmer appointed Mandelson to the key diplomatic post despite the fact that he had previously branded President Donald J. Trump a “danger to the world” and “little short of a white nationalist and a racist.”

Several Members of Parliament (MPs) for Starmer’s Labour Party have taken their grievances over the scandal public, with Emily Darlington MP complaining, “I am beyond being furious and appalled… To think that he was leaking the information to Epstein so he could help rich Americans make money on the UK government’s actions.”

The fallout has already led to the ouster of Starmer’s now-former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who was involved in Mandelson’s vetting for the ambassador role.

Image via 10 Downing Street.

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4 hours ago
Lawfare

Trump Wins Court Battle to Block Jack Smith’s Smear Job Report.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge has permanently barred the release of former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on his investigation into President Donald J. Trump’s handling of classified documents.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, former Special Counsel Jack Smith, U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, and Department of Justice (DOJ) officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision was made on Monday, February 23, 2026, by Judge Cannon, who presides in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Special Counsel Smith, acting without lawful authority, obtained an indictment in this action and initiated proceedings that resulted in a final order of dismissal of all charges.” — Judge Cannon.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling prevents the DOJ from releasing the report, citing “manifest injustice” to Trump and his co-defendants.

IN FULL

Former Biden government special counsel Jack Smith‘s report on the findings from his classified documents probe of President Donald J. Trump will not be released. U.S. Court Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled in July 2024 that Smith’s appointment to special counsel was unconstitutional, determined that the release of the report—which was never fully litigated in court and contains only allegations leveled by Smith—could do potential “irreparable harm” to President Trump and his former co-defendants.

In her ruling, Judge Cannon stated that releasing the report would constitute a “manifest injustice” and reiterated that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was “unlawful.” Smith moved to drop both of his prosecutions of Trump following the November 2024 presidential election, after wasting an estimated $50 million in taxpayer dollars trying to convict him.

“Special Counsel Smith, acting without lawful authority, obtained an indictment in this action and initiated proceedings that resulted in a final order of dismissal of all charges,” Cannon wrote, adding, “As a result, the former defendants in this case, like any other defendant in this situation, still enjoy the presumption of innocence held sacrosanct in our constitutional order.”

Attorneys for the President argued that releasing the report would be “inherently biased,” as the allegations in the document were never fully challenged or litigated in court. Meanwhile, Smith himself is facing accusations that he overstepped his investigatory mandate—targeting members of Congress and Republican Party election organizations—in his January 6 investigation.

The National Pulse reported in late January of this year that Smith told lawmakers he expected to be indicted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for his actions during the two Biden-era Trump probes. Smith is accused of circumventing constitutional safeguards and using favorable judges to secure subpoenas for phone records belonging to Republican lawmakers.

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5 hours ago
Jack Montgomery
News

WATCH: Far-Left Greens Court Muslim Vote in UK Special Election with Urdu-Language Ad Campaign.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Green Party released a video of their candidate, Hannah Spencer, speaking in Urdu to appeal to voters in the Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election (special election) in England.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Hannah Spencer, the Green Party candidate, and local activists.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The video was released ahead of the parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton, England, taking place on February 26, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Reforms want to break up our communities. They want to deport families who have lived here for years, and they want to tax people born abroad even more. They give air to Islamophobia, and they put our safety and dignity at risk. But there is another way,” the ad declared, referring to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party and its candidate, Matt Goodwin.

🎯IMPACT: The Greens, a formerly marginal far-left party focused on environmentalism, are increasingly displacing the governing Labour Party on the British left as they court ethnic minorities and pro-Palestinian activists.

IN FULL

Britain’s Green Party has released a video featuring its candidate, Hannah Spencer, speaking in Urdu—the predominant lingua franca in Pakistan and among Indian Muslims—to court the Muslim vote in the upcoming Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election (special election) in Manchester, England. The video prominently features footage from Gaza and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in America, showcasing the Greens’ increasing focus on pro-Palestinian, anti-borders rhetoric over environmentalism.

“A cruel politician can win if we don’t vote Green to stop the Reforms,” the video states, referring to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party and its candidate Matt Goodwin. “The Reforms want to break up our communities. They want to deport families who have lived here for years, and they want to tax people born abroad even more. They give air to Islamophobia, and they put our safety and dignity at risk. But there is another way,” it continues.

The video directly targets Farage and Goodwin alongside President Donald J. Trump and WarRoom host and former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon.

The Green Party has a long history in Britain but has been marginal for decades. Historically, it opposed mass migration on the grounds that an expanding population was harmful to the environment. In recent years, however, its focus on climate change and environmental issues has been increasingly taking a backseat to economic socialism and pro-Palestinian, anti-border enforcement politics, allowing it to significantly grow its support among the country’s growing ethnic minority population and left-wing university students.

Polls suggest the Greens are increasingly displacing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party on the British left, as Reform has displaced the formerly governing Conservatives (Tories). The party’s pitch to Muslim voters has been a major part of this, with previous by-election campaign ads urging Muslims to “punish Labour for Gaza,” with Starmer framed as not sufficiently supportive of the Palestinians.

The Gorton and Denton by-election is scheduled for February 26, 2026, with Reform and the Greens regularly at or near the top of the polls, signalling a major shift in British politics towards a battle between Farage’s populist, anti-mass migration party and the formerly fringe extreme left.

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5 hours ago
Crime
World

Violence Erupts Across Mexico Following Drug Lord El Mencho’s Death, Tourists Stranded.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) unleashed violent attacks across 20 Mexican states after the death of their leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The CJNG, Mexican military forces, and local authorities, with support from the U.S. government.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Violence erupted on Sunday across Jalisco, Baja California, Quintana Roo, and other states, following El Mencho’s capture and death during his transport to Mexico City.

💬KEY QUOTE: “El Mencho was a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland.” — Trump White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

🎯IMPACT: The violence disrupted daily life, halted public transport, and left tourists stranded, while authorities arrested 25 individuals and worked to restore order.

IN FULL

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal cartels, responded with widespread violence after its leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” died in Mexican government custody. El Mencho, Mexico’s most wanted man, was captured by military forces in Jalisco state on Sunday and died from injuries sustained during the operation.

In retaliation, CJNG members set up burning blockades, torched businesses, and attacked towns across 20 states. Reports indicate that dozens of banks, pharmacies, and vehicles were set ablaze, with significant disruptions in high tourist areas like Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. Authorities reported 250 incidents of road blockades, with 90 percent cleared by Monday.

The violence mirrored past cartel responses to high-profile arrests, such as the 2019 capture of Ovidio Guzmán López—the son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. In Guadalajara, panic erupted at the airport when rumors of gunfire spread, though authorities later clarified no shots were fired inside the terminal. Tourists in Puerto Vallarta were advised to shelter in place, and flights were canceled, leaving hundreds stranded. However, by early Monday morning, it appears the Mexican military has largely retaken both cities, using helicopters and armored vehicles.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the military’s efforts, stating, “In most parts of the country, activities are proceeding normally.” The operation to capture El Mencho involved the Mexican Army, National Guard, and Air Force, with intelligence support from the United States, which had offered a $15 million reward for his capture. “El Mencho was a top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said late Sunday on the capture and death of the cartel leader.

The National Pulse previously reported that U.S. President Donald J. Trump has weighed potential ground strikes against Central and South American drug cartels. While action was taken in Venezuela to topple the far-left narco-dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration has been more hesitant to clear strikes in Mexico.

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6 hours ago
News
SCOTUS

EU Exploits Supreme Court Ruling Against Trump Tariffs to Pause Pro-U.S. Trade Deal.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: European Union (EU) politicians have decided to pause a new trade deal favorable to the U.S. now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned part of President Donald J. Trump’s tariff agenda.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: European Parliament negotiators, President Trump, Supreme Court justices, and various EU politicians.

📍WHEN & WHERE: February 2026, in the European Parliament.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The United States must get its trade policy in order, this level of chaos is not serious.” – Karin Karlsbro, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Swedish Liberals

🎯IMPACT: The approval of the trade deal is delayed as EU seeks clarity on the Supreme Court tariff ruling’s implications.

IN FULL

On Monday, European Union (EU) politicians decided to pause progress on a major trade agreement favorable to the United States after a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that invalidated many of the tariffs previously imposed by President Donald J. Trump. The European Parliament’s trade committee had previously been preparing to approve the elimination of tariffs on American industrial products under the “Turnberry agreement,” named after President Trump’s Scottish golf course.

Parliament negotiators are set to convene Monday afternoon to officially confirm the pause on the agreement, which was reached last year. The chairman of the trade committee, Bernd Lange, requested an urgent meeting and suggested halting legislative efforts on the deal—a proposal that gained support from the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest grouping in the assembly, and others.

Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Zeljana Zovko wants the European Commission, which acts as the EU’s unelected executive, to consider “better option for us to continue with” now following the Supreme Court ruling.

The situation has been complicated further by President Trump’s recent decision to temporarily raise the global import duty to the United States to 15 percent using tariff powers separate to those the Supeme Court ruled against, signaling he has no intention of ceasing to use the import levies to level the playing field for American producers and workers in international trade.

Karin Karlsbro, an EU lawmaker from the liberal Renew group, stated: “We will not be able to vote on the Turnberry agreement until we have full clarity on how the Supreme Court’s ruling affects the tariff arrangement,” adding, “The United States must get its trade policy in order, this level of chaos is not serious.”

Image © European Union 2017 – European Parliament.

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February 22, 2026
News

Mar a Lago’s Midnight Gunman Named.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A man was shot by U.S. Secret Service agents and a deputy after entering a secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Secret Service agents, a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy, and an unidentified male.

📍WHEN & WHERE: February 22, around 1:30 a.m., at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The incident is under investigation by the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.”

🎯IMPACT: The involved Secret Service agents are on administrative leave, and no personnel were injured.

IN FULL

On February 22, a male in his early 20s was shot by U.S. Secret Service agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office after he entered the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago without authorization.

U.S. media identified the alleged gunman as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina.

Authorities said he was shot dead by Secret Service agents after raising his weapon into a “shooting position.”

A photograph circulating online originated from a missing person poster shared days earlier by the family of “Tucker Austin Martin” from Moore County, North Carolina.

He was observed near the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.

The confrontation with law enforcement resulted in shots being fired by the agents and the deputy. Fortunately, no Secret Service or PBSO personnel were injured during the encounter.

At the time of the incident, there were no Secret Service protectees present at Mar-a-Lago. The situation, including the man’s background, motives, and the use of force, is under investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

In line with agency policy, the Secret Service agents involved have been placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

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February 20, 2026
Crime
Immigration

Illegals Arrested for Brutal Sodomy, Torture During Home Invasion.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Two illegal immigrants were arrested in connection with a violent home invasion in North Carolina that involved kidnapping, sexual assault, and brutal physical attacks.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zaid Mayen, Jonathan David Garcia-Larios, John Carlos Calderon, and an unnamed male victim.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred last Wednesday in a Greenville, North Carolina, suburb.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This is a real-life nightmare. Burglarizing, kidnapping, assaulting, and sodomizing, and ripping off the fingernails of an innocent victim are extremely wicked and heinous.” – Outgoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin

🎯IMPACT: The suspects face multiple felony charges, and federal authorities have issued detainers against their release.

IN FULL

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed on Thursday that two illegal immigrants from Mexico, Zaid Mayen and Jonathan David Garcia-Larios, were arrested in connection with a violent home invasion in North Carolina. The attack, which occurred last Wednesday in a quiet Greenville suburb, involved the suspects breaking into a male victim’s home, restraining him, and subjecting him to brutal assaults, including sodomy and the removal of his fingernails.

DHS officials described the incident as “a real-life nightmare,” with outgoing Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stating, “Burglarizing, kidnapping, assaulting, and sodomizing, and ripping off the fingernails of an innocent victim are extremely wicked and heinous.” The suspects, aged 21 and 20, were arrested last Friday with assistance from U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement.

The two men, identified as a Chapel Hill resident and a previously deported homeless individual, entered the U.S. at an unknown time and date. DHS emphasized that these individuals had no prior criminal record in the U.S. but committed what the agency described as “horrific attacks.” A third suspect, John Carlos Calderon, was also arrested, though his immigration status remains under investigation.

All three suspects face first-degree felony charges, including forcible sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, and the use of a deadly weapon with intent to kill causing serious injury. Garcia-Larios and Calderon are held without bond at the Pitt County Detention Center, while Mayen is held without bond at the Orange County Detention Center. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued detainers to ensure federal custody of the suspects.

The unnamed victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment and is recovering.

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February 20, 2026
Immigration
Lawfare

Trump Admin Wins Major Legal Battle Against California’s Anti-ICE Mask Law.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A California law banning federal agents from wearing masks has been blocked by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued on Thursday by the 9th Circuit Court, following a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against California’s ‘No Secret Police Act.’

💬KEY QUOTE: “Law enforcement officers risk their lives for us, only to be doxxed by radical anti-police activists. Unacceptable.” – Pam Bondi

🎯IMPACT: The ruling protects federal agents from the mask ban, ensuring their safety while the court continues to deliberate on the law.

IN FULL

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals handed the Trump administration a significant win against California‘s anti-mask law targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Late Thursday, the appellate court handed down a ruling staying the anti-ICE law, championed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), from taking effect as litigation moves forward.

“This crucial ruling protects our brave men and women in the field. We will not stop fighting bad laws like these in California and across the country,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated following the ruling, noting the federal appeals court issued “a full stay blocking California’s ban on masks for federal law enforcement agents.”

Notably, the stay order upholds a lower court’s earlier ruling. It effectively imposes a temporary administrative injunction that prevents California’s anti-ICE law from being enforced until “the court rules on the government’s motion for an injunction pending appeal.”

The ‘No Secret Police Act,’ signed into law by Gov. Newsom on September 20, 2025, sought to ban federal agents, including ICE officers, from wearing masks except in limited circumstances. Newsom claimed the measure was necessary to push back against “Trump and Stephen Miller’s ‘secret police’ tactics,” adding that it would make California the first state to prohibit such practices.

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit arguing that the mask ban threatened officer safety and unconstitutionally allowed states to regulate federal operations. Earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge Christina Snyder ruled the mask ban was discriminatory as it exempted state law enforcement while targeting federal agents. She issued an injunction against the law, which the 9th Circuit Court has now upheld.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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