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Friday, February 13, 2026

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3 hours ago
Crime
News

National Guard Withdraws from Several Dem-Run Crime Hubs.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: National Guard troops have left Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, ending their deployments in the Democrat-run cities.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, National Guard troops, U.S. military officials, and Democratic city leaders.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Early 2026; Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland.

🎯IMPACT: The deployments tested presidential authority and highlighted tensions between federal and state powers over crime and immigration.

IN FULL

The Trump administration has ended the federal deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, according to U.S. military officials, ending months of contentious operations in several Democrat-led cities. The drawdown followed a Pentagon plan initiated late last year, with demobilization taking place throughout January under the direction of U.S. Northern Command. The withdrawal closes a chapter marked by legal disputes and political clashes over President Donald J. Trump’s authority to federalize state National Guard units without a governor’s consent.

In Chicago and Portland, court challenges disrupted troops’ efforts to carry out street-level operations. The Supreme Court blocked the deployment in Chicago, while litigation in Oregon delayed or restricted Guard activity in Portland. An appeals court had earlier ruled that President Donald J. Trump could send National Guard forces into Portland under federal authority, but ongoing court proceedings complicated implementation. In Los Angeles, a federal court halted Trump’s order to deploy the Guard, limiting the overall troop presence there despite the administration’s efforts.

President Trump ordered the federalization of National Guard units in response to protests tied to immigration enforcement actions. The move represented a break from modern precedent, as federalization traditionally occurs at a governor’s request. Critics argued the deployments infringed on state authority, while supporters said the action was necessary to restore order and support local law enforcement.

Although operations in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland have ended, National Guard forces remain active in other areas. In Washington, D.C., where the President has direct authority over the Guard, troops continue to assist with public safety efforts. During the deployment, the D.C. public transit system reported its lowest crime rate in 25 years, a development officials linked in part to the Guard’s presence.

National Guard missions are also ongoing in cities such as New Orleans and Memphis, where Republican governors supported federal involvement.

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1 hour ago
Immigration
News

Illegal Immigrant Rams Law Enforcement, ICE Shoots Out His Tires.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Honduran illegal alien rammed a law enforcement vehicle during an arrest attempt, prompting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent to shoot out the suspect’s tires.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE agents, suspect and illegal immigrant Jesus Fabian Lopez-Banegas, and local New Jersey law enforcement.

📍WHEN & WHERE: February 2026, in Roxbury Township, Morris County, New Jersey.

💬KEY QUOTE: “In an attempt to evade arrest, Lopez-Banegas rammed into a law enforcement vehicle and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over.” – Department of Homeland Security spokesman.

🎯IMPACT: The incident highlights the increasing violence ICE agents face, with DHS reporting a 3,200 percent rise in vehicle attacks on officers.

IN FULL

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that a Honduran national unlawfully present in the United States, Jesus Fabian Lopez-Banegas, rammed a law enforcement vehicle while agents attempted to arrest him on Tuesday in Roxbury Township, New Jersey. An ICE officer fired his weapon during the encounter, shooting out the suspect’s tires to stop the vehicle. No injuries were reported.

Video from the scene shows a roadside confrontation in which Lopez-Banegas’ pickup truck collided with a law enforcement vehicle. An agent is seen drawing his firearm as the vehicles made contact. The suspect later exited the truck with his hands raised after being ordered to comply.

“In an attempt to evade arrest, Lopez-Banegas rammed into a law enforcement vehicle and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over,” a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesman said, adding, “Following his training, the officer defensively used his firearm and shot out the tires of the vehicle to stop the threat. Thankfully, no one was injured. Officers arrested Banegas and took him into ICE custody.”

Federal officials said Lopez-Banegas has prior charges, including drug trafficking, drug possession, and driving under the influence. DHS also stated that an immigration judge issued a final order of removal against him in 2021.

Acting New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport confirmed that her office is reviewing the incident. “We are actively investigating an incident involving ICE ERO (Enforcement and Removal Operations) in which a firearm was discharged in Roxbury Township earlier today. There are no known injuries,” she said.

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability are assisting in the investigation. DHS officials said assaults against immigration officers have increased in recent years, including a reported rise in vehicle-related attacks during arrest operations.

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3 hours ago
The National Pulse
News

Humiliation for Top TV Exec as Support from Trump & Congress Crumbles.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Congressional members are distancing themselves from a letter supporting Newsmax owner Chris Ruddy’s plan to protect his media empire.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Chris Ruddy, President Trump, and various Congressional members.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The original letter was published in December; recent distancing occurred following Trump’s Truth Social post last week.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I can’t imagine anyone would want to stay on [as a signatory].” – Congressional member.

🎯IMPACT: Members are requesting their names be removed from the letter, and Ruddy’s stance is unpopular with the public.

IN FULL

Top television executive and Newsmax owner Chris Ruddy suffered fresh humiliation this week as it transpired that Congressional members who had originally signed a December letter backing a plan to protect his Newsmax empire were now distancing themselves from the position.

“I can’t imagine anyone would want to stay on [as a signatory],” one Congress member told The National Pulse, after President Trump directly rejected Ruddy’s entreaties in a Truth Social post from last week.

Newsmax had published a draft of the letter in December, claiming that 40 Republicans backed Ruddy’s plan to keep stifling government regulations on TV broadcasters, in his attempt to avoid competition in the marketplace.

“We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks,” Trump wrote last week, concluding “GET THAT DEAL DONE!” in reference to the Nexstar-Tegna merger, which Ruddy has publicly opposed and personally lobbied the President and Congressional members over.

“The letter is from December, during which time Ruddy visited dozens of Members asking for a signature,” a Congressional source told The National Pulse, adding that Members were now requesting their names be removed. But Ruddy’s Newsmax has not altered or updated its story, nor has it amended the letter to reflect these changes.

Recent data from Trump’s pollster shows Ruddy’s position, explained in detail here, is fundamentally unpopular with the American public, who value competition and options.

 

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By Popular Demand.
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4 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Illegal Immigrant Soccer Coach Faces Death Penalty for Child Rape and Murder.

±PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: New charges have been filed against an illegal immigrant soccer coach in Southern California who is accused of raping and murdering a 13-year-old player, with the suspect now potentially facing the death penalty.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, and the victim, 13-year-old Oscar “Omar” Hernandez.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred in March 2025, with additional charges filed in February 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “13-year-old Oscar ‘Omar’ Hernandez was an innocent child who was exploited and killed by this depraved illegal alien who should have never been in this country.” – Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

🎯IMPACT: Garcia-Aquino faces new charges, heightening the severity of his legal situation, while awaiting a hearing to determine if the case will go to trial.

IN FULL

Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, a 44-year-old illegal alien youth soccer coach in Southern California, is facing additional criminal charges and could be eligible for the death penalty in connection with the murder of 13-year-old Oscar “Omar” Hernandez, prosecutors said. The National Pulse reported last June that Garcia-Aquino was previously charged with murder with special circumstances in the March 2025 killing of Hernandez.

Prosecutors allege the boy left his Sun Valley, California, residence to meet Garcia-Aquino, who ran a youth soccer club where Hernandez played. Later, Hernandez’s body was found along a roadside near McGrath State Beach in Oxnard, days after he was reported missing from his home.

“13-year-old Oscar ‘Omar’ Hernandez was an innocent child who was exploited and killed by this depraved illegal alien who should have never been in this country,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said at the time of Garcia-Aquino’s arrest in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

This week, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed nine additional sex-related felony counts against Garcia-Aquino, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, involving a separate alleged victim. The new charges include eight counts of sodomy of a person under 16 and one count of oral copulation of a person under 16, stemming from alleged incidents between 2022 and 2023, according to court records.

Authorities allege Garcia-Aquino sexually assaulted and killed Hernandez before discarding his body. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains in custody without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 27, 2026, at which a judge will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. In addition to the murder and new sex-related charges, Garcia-Aquino faces other unrelated felony allegations from 2022 and 2024 involving separate alleged victims.

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By Popular Demand.
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4 hours ago
Crime
News

CONFIRMED: School Shooting ‘Gunperson’ Was Transgender.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: An 18-year-old, Jesse Van Rootselaar, carried out a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, killing six people and injuring 25 others before taking his own life. The decision by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to identify Van Rootselaar as “female,” despite being a biological male, has drawn public backlash.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Jesse Van Rootselaar, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and victims, including students and staff at the school.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The shooting occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and social media.” — Dwayne McDonald, Deputy Commissioner of British Columbia RCMP

🎯IMPACT: The tragedy has sparked outrage, with criticism directed at the RCMP’s focus on the shooter’s pronouns over the victims.

IN FULL

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has faced criticism over its choice of language when describing Jesse Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old male responsible for the deadly mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Canadian law enforcement initially described the shooter as “female,” but later as a “gunperson,” raising suspicions—now confirmed—that he was actually a male transgender.

RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald defended the decision to claim that the suspect was “female,” arguing, “We identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and social media.” The male suspect self-identified as female about six years ago.

On February 10, Van Rootselaar killed his mother, Jennifer, 39, and 11-year-old stepbrother, Emmett, at their family home before heading to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. There, the suspect opened fire, killing a teacher and five students, three girls and two boys, aged 12 to 17, before dying by suicide. At least 27 others were injured, including 12-year-old Maya Gebala, who was left in critical condition.

Van Rootselaar, a former Tumbler Ridge student who dropped out about four years ago, had a history of mental health issues and prior police interactions, including apprehensions for assessment. Family firearms seized under mental health provisions had been returned.

The shooting has drawn comparisons to law enforcement’s handling of other recent transgender shootings. These include Audrey Hale, a biologically female transgender who killed six at The Covenant School, a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, in March 2023. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents from late 2025 revealed Hale’s writings expressing hatred toward white people and religion, describing the target as a “predominantly white school (white pple I hate)” and a “Christian school (hate religion).”

Image by Oriel Frankie Ashcroft.

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By Popular Demand.
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5 hours ago
World

Russia Plans Oil Shipments to Cuba, Defying Trump Blockade.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Russia is preparing to send urgently needed oil to Cuba under what officials are describing as a “humanitarian” arrangement.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Russian officials, the Cuban government, U.S. policymakers, and stranded tourists.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Russian government made the announcement on February 12, 2026, amid U.S. sanctions and limited oil imports to Cuba.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The stranglehold imposed by the United States is already causing a lot of difficulties for Cuba,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

🎯IMPACT: Cuba’s energy crisis has led to power outages, halted flights, and stranded thousands of Russian and other foreign tourists as airlines are unable to refuel.

IN FULL

Russia has indicated it will defy U.S. sanctions and other restrictions enacted by U.S. President Donald J. Trump against the exportation of oil to Cuba. In what the Kremlin is describing as a “humanitarian” arrangement, the Russian Embassy in Havana states that “as far as we know, Russia is expected to supply oil and petroleum products to Cuba as humanitarian aid in the near future.”

The decision by the Russian government comes as Cuba faces its worst energy crisis in at least a decade. Following the ouster of Venezuela’s Marxist dictator, Nicolás Maduro, by the U.S. military earlier this year, Cuba lost a key supplier of oil and fuel, turning what was already a dire situation facing the Caribbean island’s communist government into an unprecedented crisis.

Mexico, another key supplier of oil for Cuba, has also halted shipments under pressure from the Trump administration. The National Pulse reported earlier this week that Cuban officials have warned airlines that the island’s airports may no longer be able to fuel aircraft due to the oil shortage.

Meanwhile, the communist regime has been forced to enact severe fuel rationing, with many Cubans comparing current conditions to the “Special Period” of the 1990s, when the collapse of Soviet support triggered widespread shortages. Notably, the fuel shortage is affecting daily life across the island. Public transportation has been reduced, fuel sales are restricted and often priced in U.S. dollars, and major cultural events such as the Havana International Book Fair have been canceled. In a televised address, President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned citizens that additional austerity measures could be introduced as the crisis worsens.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the situation, stating, “The stranglehold imposed by the United States is already causing a lot of difficulties for Cuba.” He added that Russia and Cuba are discussing ways to mitigate the crisis and provide assistance to the island nation.

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By Popular Demand.
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6 hours ago
Crime
Immigration
UK

Muslim Mayor Guilty of Trying to Help Son Cover Up Child Rape.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Labour Party mayor obstructed a police raid to help her son hide a phone linked to the rape of a 15-year-old girl.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Naheed Ejaz, former Mayor of Bracknell, and her son, Diwan Khan.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred on September 12, 2024, at their home in Bracknell, Berkshire, with Ejaz convicted of perverting the course of justice in February 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “A conspiracy of silence not to give the police the phone.” – Prosecutor Ed Wylde.

🎯IMPACT: Both Ejaz and Khan were found guilty of perverting the course of justice, with Khan also convicted of rape.

IN FULL

A Muslim former British Labour Party mayor has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice after helping her son conceal evidence related to his rape of a 15-year-old girl. Naheed Ejaz, 61, who served as mayor from 2023 to 2024, delayed police entry to her home for over 90 seconds on September 12, 2024, allowing her son, Diwan Khan, 41, to hide his mobile phone. The device reportedly contained video footage of the assault.

Khan was convicted at Winchester Crown Court of raping the teenager, which took place in June 2024. Prosecutors said he gave her vodka laced with the illicit drug, MDMA, causing her to black out. She awoke unclothed in the back of his car with no memory of the incident. Khan filmed the attack and later threatened to show the video to her mother and to “slit her throat” if she reported him.

During the police visit, Ejaz and Khan spoke in Urdu to avoid detection, and did not use the word “phone” as it is the same in both languages. Prosecutor Ed Wylde labelled the incident “A conspiracy of silence not to give the police the phone.”

Ejaz claimed the delay was only to wake her son so he could speak to officers. The court rejected this, ruling her actions were intentional obstruction.

Khan, who acted as his mother’s Mayor’s Consort during her term, admitted perverting the course of justice by hiding the phone but denied rape. He was convicted on the rape charge as well. Both Ejaz and Khan await sentencing following the trial.

The case comes amid broader concerns about child rape and child sexual exploitation in Britain involving Muslim asylum seekers and grooming gangs. Recent reviews have exposed police failures in handling grooming gang cases, including a National Crime Agency operation that led to reopening over 1,000 historic investigations due to overlooked evidence and improper closures.

Reports have noted disproportionate involvement of perpetrators from Pakistani backgrounds in some organized exploitation networks, alongside institutional reluctance to act over fears of racism accusations. In 2025, the police watchdog admitted senior officers failed to protect victims in Rotherham, while a government advisory panel for grooming gang inquiries was disbanded in early 2026, prompting criticism from survivors.

Image by Carlosgg1961.

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7 hours ago
Economy

Trump Scraps Obama-Era ‘Global Warming’ Regulations.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration repealed the 2009 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) endangerment finding, which linked greenhouse gases to climate change and served as the foundation for numerous federal climate regulations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, environmental groups, and state leaders such as California Governor Gavin Newsom and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Thursday at a White House event.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This determination had no basis in fact, had none whatsoever, and it had no basis in law. On the contrary, over the generations, fossil fuels have saved millions of lives and lifted billions of people out of poverty and all over the world,” said President Donald Trump.

🎯IMPACT: The rollback eliminates key limits on greenhouse gas emissions, potentially increasing pollution and sparking legal challenges from environmental groups and state leaders.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump, alongside Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, announced the repeal of the former Obama government’s onerous 2009 EPA endangerment finding, a regulation that tied greenhouse gases to climate change. The decision effectively dismantles the legal foundation for many federal climate policies, including vehicle emission standards and methane emission rules.

The National Pulse reported last July that the EPA revealed it intended to rescind the 2009 endangerment finding. At the time, Zeldin characterized the move as “basically drive a dagger into the heart of the climate change religion.”

Trump described the policy as “a disastrous Obama-era policy that severely damaged the American auto industry and massively drove up prices for American consumers.” He asserted the move would “eliminate over $1.3 trillion of regulatory cost and help bring car prices tumbling down dramatically.”

EPA Administrator Zeldin called the repeal “the single largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States.” He criticized the 2009 finding as an “ideological crusade” that led to “trillions of dollars in regulations” and “strangled entire sectors of the United States economy, including the American auto industry.”

The Trump White House is billing the policy move as part of its deregulation agenda, which aims to reduce government barriers faced by American manufacturers and lower consumer costs. However, radical environmentalist groups and Democrat lawmakers are condemning the repeal.

In a joint statement, Governors Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Tony Evers (D-WI) wrote, “This action is unlawful, ignores basic science, and denies reality. We know greenhouse gases cause climate change and endanger our communities and our health — and we will not stop fighting to protect the American people from pollution.”

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By Popular Demand.
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8 hours ago
Lawfare

Judge Grants Mark Kelly Preliminary Injunction Against Department of War in ‘Seditious’ Video Case.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in a lawsuit brought by Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) over alleged retaliation for political speech stemming from Kelly’s appearance in a video alongside other Democrat lawmakers, where they encouraged military service members to reject “illegal orders.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sen. Mark Kelly, Sec. Pete Hegseth, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon, and federal prosecutors.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The injunction was issued on February 12, 2026,  in Washington, D.C., following Kelly’s January lawsuit.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This Court has all it needs to conclude that Defendants have trampled on Senator Kelly’s First Amendment freedoms,” wrote Judge Richard Leon.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling prevents immediate action by the Department of War against Kelly while the case proceeds.

IN FULL

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has granted a preliminary injunction against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in a lawsuit filed by Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who accused the Secretary of retaliating against him for political speech. Kelly, a former Navy Captain and current Arizona Democrat lawmaker, filed the lawsuit in January after Hegseth moved to censure him under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) for appearing in a video encouraging U.S. service members to refuse “illegal orders.”

“Our rules are clear. You can refuse illegal orders,” Kelly stated in the video, which featured several Democratic lawmakers and was released amid U.S. military strikes against drug traffickers in the Caribbean. Hegseth called Kelly’s remarks “seditious” and initiated a review of his retirement grade, which could lead to a reduction in rank and retirement pay.

Kelly’s legal team argued that Hegseth’s actions were unconstitutional. “The First Amendment forbids the government and its officials from punishing disfavored expression or retaliating against protected speech,” the lawsuit stated. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon, a Bush appointee, agreed, writing that the defendants had “trampled on Senator Kelly’s First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees.”

Notably, retired U.S. military service members are—in most cases—still subject to the UCMJ. The Department of War has consistently argued that Judge Leon lacks jurisdiction to hear the case, as Sen. Kelly has not exhausted his avenues of appeal within the military.

The video, released last November, drew sharp criticism from President Donald J. Trump, who labeled it “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” in a post on Truth Social. President Trump also called for the arrest and trial of the lawmakers involved, all of whom have military or intelligence backgrounds. The National Pulse reported on Wednesday that federal prosecutors sought to charge the lawmakers, but a grand jury in Washington, D.C., declined to indict them.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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9 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Trump Admin Seizes 134 Acres in Texas Linked to Mexican Cartel Operations.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. authorities have seized over 134 acres in Texas used by the Gulf Cartel for smuggling activities.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Gulf Cartel, and law enforcement officers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Near Rio Grande City, Texas, as announced on February 10, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We took the land and everything on it. They thought they were untouchable. They were wrong.” – Customs and Border Protection

🎯IMPACT: The seizure disrupts cartel operations and sends a strong message about U.S. efforts to dismantle smuggling networks.

IN FULL

An estimated 134 acres of land in Texas, previously used by the Gulf Cartel for smuggling activities, have been seized by U.S. authorities. “We took the land and everything on it. They thought they were untouchable. They were wrong,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced earlier this week, sharing a video that showed law enforcement arresting individuals linked to the cartel.

The Gulf Cartel, a Mexican drug trafficking organization, has been involved in smuggling arms, illegal drugs, and illegal immigrants into the United States, as well as kidnapping and murdering American citizens. The cartel also exploits U.S. lands to grow marijuana, taking advantage of sanctuary state policies and tribal land sovereignty.

“You think this is just about arrests? It’s not. We are dismantling your operations from the ground up. We’re cutting out your safe houses, your staging areas, your corridors. This is your warning,” CBP said in a direct message to the cartels. Over the past year, authorities have seized multiple cartel-linked assets, including properties and financial resources.

Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has proposed the Cartel Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act, which would allow private U.S. operators to seize cartel assets under government-issued letters of marque. Lee stated, “The Constitution provides for Letters of Marque and Reprisal as a tool against the enemies of the United States. Cartels have replaced corsairs in the modern era, but we can still give private American citizens and their businesses a stake in the fight against these murderous foreign criminals.”

In January, President Trump emphasized plans to launch strikes targeting cartels in Mexico. Additionally, Mexico recently transferred 37 cartel members to U.S. authorities under pressure from the Trump administration. Notably, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott testified on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that securing the border and enforcing immigration laws directly impacts cartels’ ability to profit from illegal activities, stating, “Breaking this cycle requires certainty of consequences and complete border security.”

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10 hours ago
Corruption

IG Report: Biden Broke Rules to Award Lucrative Contract to Former Staffer’s Nonprofit.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A new inspector general’s report accuses the former Biden government of bypassing federal procurement rules in awarding a $529 million no-bid contract to Family Endeavors Inc.—after it had hired a former Biden staffer—in 2021.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Administration of Children and Families (ACF), Family Endeavors Inc., and Andrew Lorenzen-Strait, a former Biden transition team advisor.

📍WHEN & WHERE: March 2021, Pecos, Texas, for the establishment of an emergency intake site for unaccompanied minors.

💬KEY QUOTE: “ACF failed to reasonably conduct the necessary advanced planning to execute a contract for procurement of those beds and related services using full and open competition.” – Inspector General’s Report

🎯IMPACT: The contract’s value more than tripled after 15 modifications, raising concerns about federal oversight and fiscal responsibility.

IN FULL

The former Biden government is being accused of having circumvented federal procurement rules in awarding a $529 million no-bid contract to Family Endeavors Inc. in March 2021. According to a newly released inspector general’s report, the contract was intended to establish and manage a 2,000-bed emergency intake site in Pecos, Texas, for unaccompanied minors, but, concerningly, Family Endeavors Inc. had brought a former Biden government staffer on board to secure the contract just months before it was approved.

Just two months before the contract was issued by the Administration of Children and Families (ACF), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Family Endeavors Inc. hired Andrew Lorenzen-Strait, a former Biden transition team advisor. Concerningly, in an undercover video, Lorenzen-Strait referred to the Endeavors contract as a “corrupt bargain” and discussed brokering other deals.

In the undercover video, Lorenzen-Strait also jokes about being golf buddies with Hunter Biden. In addition, he explains how he secured federal contracts for a number of clients despite the companies and non-profit groups lacking adequate experience or capabilities to win bids in a truly competitive environment.

Despite the inspector general’s allegations, the ACF—at the time—cited the COVID-19 emergency as the reason for the no-bid contract. However, the inspector general’s report concluded that the lack of competitive bidding resulted from “insufficient planning” rather than the cited emergency. The contract price was more than double the agency’s initial cost estimate of $244 million, and subsequent modifications increased the value to over three times the original estimate.

“ACF failed to reasonably conduct the necessary advanced planning to execute a contract for procurement of those beds and related services using full and open competition,” the report stated, adding: “ACF knew well in advance of March 2021 that it was projected to need more shelter beds than existing sites could provide and should have begun contract planning at that time.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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