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Category: Crime
October 16, 2025
Crime

Trump Admin Directs Banks to Monitor Antifa and Other Left-Wing Domestic Terror Groups.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a division of the U.S. Treasury Department, has begun encouraging U.S. financial institutions to report suspected domestic terrorist activity—with an emphasis on far-left groups like Antifa.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: FinCEN, law enforcement agencies, the Trump administration, and left-wing extremist and domestic terrorist groups like Antifa

📍WHEN & WHERE: Recent efforts follow the September assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk.

🎯IMPACT: An increased federal focus on domestic financial crimes and potential Antifa funding sources.

IN FULL

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a division of the U.S. Treasury Department, has begun encouraging U.S. financial institutions to report suspected domestic terrorist activity—with an emphasis on far-left groups like Antifa. In September, President Donald J. Trump designated Antifa a terrorist organization, opening the group to increased federal law enforcement scrutiny and potential financial sanctions.

FinCEN, which has a budget of approximately $190 million, is allocating additional resources to assist law enforcement investigations connected to potential left-wing domestic terrorism. The increased scrutiny comes in the wake of the September assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, which has amplified concerns over domestic extremist activity.

Notably, FinCEN’s mandate includes combating both international and domestic financial crimes, including terrorism financing. This mandate could prove crucial as evidence points to Antifa and similar groups comprising a global network of far-left extremists. Any unlawful financial activity identified through these efforts would be referred to the Department of Justice for further action (DOJ).

The National Pulse reported earlier this month that recorded audio allegedly captured at an Antifa workshop in the Netherlands included a  speaker discussing the use of violence in political contexts, saying, “When violence is justified is all up to you as a person, because I can tell you when I would use violence, but that is not the same for everyone.”

The speaker also details tactics reportedly used during protests, including a “fingernail tactic” intended to break through police lines. According to the recording, such tactics are said to be effective in the Netherlands because police rarely form more than one line of resistance. The speaker notes that even if participants are arrested for “pushing police away,” they are often released within hours.

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October 16, 2025
Crime

Biden Judge Sentences ‘Big Balls’ Attackers to Probation, Zero Jail Time.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Washington, D.C. judge sentenced two teens to probation after they attacked 19-year-old Edward Coristine, a former staffer for DOGE, avoiding jail time.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Edward Coristine, two 15-year-old attackers, Joe Biden-appointed Judge Kendra Biggs, and U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred on August 3 near U Street in Washington, D.C.; sentencing took place on October 15 in D.C. Superior Court.

💬KEY QUOTE: “That’s terrible. The judge should be ashamed.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The decision has sparked criticism over leniency for juvenile offenders and raised fresh concerns about crime in the nation’s capital.

IN FULL

Washington, D.C. Superior Court judge, Kendra Biggs, sentenced two 15-year-olds to probation for their roles in an attack on Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer known as “Big Balls.” The Joe Biden appointee stated that her role is to “rehabilitate,” not punish, sparking backlash over leniency.

The male defendant pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and simple assault, while the female attacker admitted to one count of simple assault for attacking another person at a gas station with pepper spray. Prosecutors dropped other charges related to the attack on Coristine as part of a plea agreement. Both teens were part of a group allegedly causing chaos along U Street in the early hours of August 3, about one mile from the White House.

President Donald J. Trump blasted the lenient decision late Wednesday, saying, “That’s terrible. The judge should be ashamed.” U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro called the sentencing “shocking.”

During the attack, Coristine was beaten while his friend managed to escape by locking themselves in a car. In a social media post, Coristine condemned the “senseless crime” and noted that many of the attackers remain unprosecuted. “Think of your daughters and mothers,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding:  “The same group attacked people before and after us, breaking ribs and stomping heads.”

Judge Biggs ordered the teens to perform 90 hours of community service, avoid contact with each other, and refrain from entering cars without the owner’s permission.

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October 16, 2025
William Upton
Crime
Immigration

ICE Just Arrested ANOTHER Illegal Immigrant Police Officer.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested an illegal immigrant in the Hanover Park suburb of Chicago, Illinois, who was serving as a sworn police officer.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: DHS, ICE, the Hanover Park Police Department, and Radule Bojovic.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The arrest was announced on October 16, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Radule Bojovic violated our nation’s laws and was living ILLEGALLY in the United States for 10 years—what kind of police department gives criminal illegal aliens badges and guns?” — DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin

🎯IMPACT: This is the second armed police officer arrested for being an illegal immigrant this year.

IN FULL

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested an illegal immigrant in the Hanover Park suburb of Chicago, Illinois, who was serving as a sworn police officer. According to DHS, Radule Bojovic—a Montenegrin national who overstayed a 2015 tourist visa—was “encountered during a targeted enforcement action” as part of ICE’s “Midway Blitz” operation.

Notably, a sworn police officer is a law enforcement professional who has taken an oath to uphold the law and is empowered to enforce it, including carrying a firearm and making arrests. This status is granted after completing a law enforcement academy and is confirmed through a “swearing-in” ceremony, during which they take an oath to support the Constitution and perform their duties. Federal law bars illegal immigrants—and most nonimmigrant visa holders—from owning firearms.

The Hanover Park Police Department announced in an August social media post that Bojovic had joined the force after graduating from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy. At the academy, Bojovic completed “an intensive 15 weeks of field training and evaluation as he continues preparing to serve the Hanover Park community.”

“Radule Bojovic violated our nation’s laws and was living ILLEGALLY in the United States for 10 years—what kind of police department gives criminal illegal aliens badges and guns? It’s a felony for aliens to even possess a firearm. A law enforcement officer who is actively breaking the law,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement following the arrest.

The National Pulse reported in July that an illegal immigrant had been arrested after his attempt to unlawfully purchase a firearm was flagged by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Shockingly, Jon Luke Evans—a Jamaican national—was employed as a police officer in Maine when he attempted the gun purchase.

In late September, ICE agents also apprehended Dr. Ian Andre Roberts, the Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, after he was identified as an illegal alien from Guyana with a history of weapons-related charges. Notably, he was also registered to vote.

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October 16, 2025
Crime

FBI Probes Network Behind Kirk Assassination, Suspect May Have Had Help.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating whether an “extended network” helped Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk, FBI Director Kash Patel, and left-wing extremist groups.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The assassination occurred on September 10 at Utah Valley University.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We are dedicating every asset to reaching out to anyone he [Robinson] contacted, called, and text-messaged and had chats online [on] social media platforms with.” – Kash Patel

🎯IMPACT: The investigation has expanded to include far-left groups and online communities that may have influenced or supported Robinson.

IN FULL

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is indicating that Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the murder of Charlie Kirk, may have received assistance from an “extended network” to carry out the assassination. Robinson, 22, is facing charges including aggravated murder and the possibility of the death penalty.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated late Wednesday that the agency is “dedicating every asset” to identifying individuals or groups who may have aided Robinson. This includes examining his communications on social media and online platforms.

Law enforcement is investigating several groups, including the pro-transgender organization Armed Queers SLC, which reportedly removed its Instagram account following Kirk’s assassination. The group’s logo features high-powered rifle rounds similar to those used in the attack. Authorities are also scrutinizing the online gaming platform Steam and other communities where Robinson was active.

Robinson is believed to have been radicalized by far-left ideologies, and he possibly received material support from other left-wing and pro-transgender extremists online. He reportedly confessed to the murder in a message sent via the Discord platform and made a phone call shortly after the attack. Investigators are working to verify these claims and trace any further connections.

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October 16, 2025
William Upton
Crime
UK

Chinese Black Market Buyers Are Behind London’s Phone Theft Epidemic.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Police in the United Kingdom now admit that London’s phone theft epidemic is not merely the work of pick-pockets and criminal migrants looking to make a quick, illicit payday.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Criminal migrants, phone thieves, the Metropolitan Police, and black market buyers in China.

📍WHEN & WHERE: A police raid uncovered the criminal enterprise in December 2024, with arrests made in September 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It quickly became apparent this wasn’t just normal low-level street crime. This was on an industrial scale,” says senior detective Mark Gavin, who is now heading the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into the thefts.

🎯IMPACT: The discovery of the massive theft ring suggests the United Kingdom’s ongoing small boat migrant crisis is likely abetting a larger, organized international criminal network and black market.

IN FULL

Police in the United Kingdom are now admitting that London’s phone theft epidemic is not merely the work of pick-pockets and criminal migrants looking to make a quick, illicit payday. Instead, thanks to the diligence of a British woman who tracked down the thieves who lifted her iPhone, a massive criminal enterprise built on exporting tens of thousands of stolen phones has been revealed.

Last December, a British woman—using the Find My iPhone feature—was able to track her stolen phone after British police essentially told her they would not investigate the matter. The GPS tracking led the woman to a warehouse near Heathrow Airport and, after further pressure, a subsequent police raid uncovered 1,000 stolen iPhones packed in boxes labeled “batteries” and bound for Hong Kong.

“It quickly became apparent this wasn’t just normal low-level street crime. This was on an industrial scale,” says senior detective Mark Gavin, who is now heading the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into the thefts.

Since the late December 2024 raid, law enforcement in the United Kingdom has found an estimated 40,000 stolen phones slated to be sent to China to satiate the country’s growing black market demand for electronics originating from outside the communist regime. Two of the suspected ringleaders of the British side of the illicit stolen phone trade were arrested by the Metropolitan Police late last month.

British officials note the theft ring is part of “local-to-global criminal business mode,” and some of the newest phone models can be sold in China for an estimated $5,000—though on average they go for around $400 per device. Notably, many of China’s cellular service providers do not implement the anti-theft measures seen in other countries that prevent the use of stolen phones.

Concerningly, many of the thieves themselves and other criminal middlemen appear to be, by and large, of migrant background. This suggests the United Kingdom’s ongoing small boat migrant crisis is likely abetting a larger, organized international criminal network and black market.

Image by James Mitchell.

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October 15, 2025
Crime
Immigration

ICE, Highway Patrol Net 120 Illegal Aliens, Most With Heavy Vehicle Licenses.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) arrested 120 illegal immigrants, most of whom held commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), during a joint operation.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE, OHP, and 120 illegal immigrants, including those with prior criminal convictions.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The operation took place from September 22-25 along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Illegal aliens have no business operating 18-wheelers on America’s highways. Our roads are now safer with these illegal aliens no longer behind the wheel.” – Madison Sheahan, ICE Deputy Director.

🎯IMPACT: The arrests disrupted criminal activity, removed public safety threats, and showcased cooperation between federal and local law enforcement.

IN FULL

A joint operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) late last month resulted in the arrest of an astounding number of illegal immigrants behind the wheel of commercial vehicles. According to federal and state law enforcement, 120 illegal immigrants—91 of whom were operating vehicles requiring commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs)—were arrested from September 22-25 along Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma.

OHP made approximately 520 contacts, while ICE assisted by running records checks on foreign-born nationals encountered during routine patrol duties. Among those arrested, 27 migrants were stopped in passenger vehicles, and two were apprehended at a nearby marijuana growing operation.

ICE reported that the prior convictions among the arrested individuals included DUI, illegal reentry into the U.S., money laundering, human smuggling, assault, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and possession of controlled substances. Of the CDL holders arrested, 80 were in the U.S. through illegal entry, humanitarian parole, asylum claims, or pending immigration hearings.

The operation also revealed the countries of origin and states issuing the CDLs. India led with 39 CDL holders, followed by Uzbekistan with 13 and China with 12. The top five states issuing CDLs were California (44), New York (14), Pennsylvania (12), Illinois (11), and New Jersey (three).

ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan emphasized the importance of the collaboration, stating, “ICE’s 287(g) program clearly demonstrates how federal and local law enforcement agencies can work together to make America safe again.”

Sheahan also encouraged more state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in the program to enhance public safety and access reimbursement funds for their efforts, adding, “Illegal aliens have no business operating 18-wheelers on America’s highways. Our roads are now safer with these illegal aliens no longer behind the wheel.”

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October 15, 2025
Crime
News

Leftists Are Funding CEO-Killer Luigi Mangione’s Lavish Prison Life.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has amassed $40,000 in his jail commissary account, largely funded by his supporters.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Luigi Mangione, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Luigi’s supporters, and federal and state authorities.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Mangione is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, awaiting trials for the December 4, 2024, shooting in Midtown Manhattan.

💬KEY QUOTE: A supporter reportedly wrote to Mangione saying she wants to “bug out on his d**k.”

🎯IMPACT: Mangione’s case highlights far-left support for politically motivated violence, up to and including murder.

IN FULL

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has reportedly built up a $40,000 commissary balance while in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. The money, according to a jailhouse source, has come largely from supporters. Despite the sizable account, Mangione can only spend $160 per commissary visit. He is said to frequently purchase items like Nutella Hazelnut spread for $4.90, summer sausage for $2.10, oatmeal for $3.65, jalapeño wheels for $3.20, and Velveeta cheese for $3.70.

Sources say Mangione receives between 100 to 200 letters a day, many of them reportedly from women expressing romantic interest. One letter writer allegedly expressed a desire to “bug out on his d**k.” Inside the jail, Mangione’s routine includes morning garbage duty, as well as regular visits with his parents and consultations with his legal team as he prepares to face two upcoming trials, one in state court and another in federal court.

Mangione is charged with the fatal December 4, 2024, shooting of Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. In the federal case, he is accused of murder with a firearm, a charge that could carry the death penalty if convicted. He also faces a second-degree murder charge in state court.

In September 2025, a New York judge dismissed terrorism-related charges against Mangione, ruling that prosecutors had not proven he acted with the intent to intimidate a population or influence government policy. The murder charge was allowed to proceed.

Mangione’s legal team has argued that state and federal prosecutions for the same incident amount to double jeopardy, though the judge said such a ruling would be premature before the trials take place.

Meanwhile, in the federal case, Mangione’s attorneys are seeking to have the death penalty removed as an option. They argue that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision to pursue the death penalty was politically motivated and violated his rights. Bondi, who announced the DOJ’s intent to seek capital punishment in April 2025, described the killing as a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination” and made several public statements that the defense claims were prejudicial.

The defense has also challenged the legal grounds for the death penalty enhancement, questioning whether the accompanying stalking charge qualifies as a crime of violence. Mangione’s legal team has declined to comment publicly on the case. The trials are expected to begin in the coming months.

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October 15, 2025
Crime
Lawfare

Jack Smith Defends Anti-Trump Lawfare Amid Congressional Probe, Possible Indictment.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his investigations into President Donald J.Trump, denying claims of political motivation despite facing a pending congressional probe and possible indictment over his actions.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Jack Smith, President Trump, Biden-era Attorney General Merrick Garland, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, and U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones.

📍WHEN & WHERE: October 2025, at University College London, and ongoing developments in the United States.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The idea that politics would play a role in big cases like this, it’s absolutely ludicrous and it’s totally contrary to my experience as a prosecutor.” – Jack Smith

🎯IMPACT: The former special counsel and spearhead of the former Biden government’s anti-Trump lawfare campaign is facing potential serious legal jeopardy, making his arrogant public comments unusual.

IN FULL

Former Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) special counsel Jack Smith, who led the Democrat lawfare efforts against President Donald J. Trump before they were dropped following Trump’s landslide 2024 election victory, is publicly defending his investigations in the face of a new congressional probe and possible indictment early next year in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Speaking in London, England, last week, Smith claimed his team acted independently and downplayed serious allegations that his goal was to interfere in the 2024 presidential election. “These are team players who don’t want to do anything but good in the world. They’re not interested in politics,” Smith claimed of his special counsel staff. Notably, neither Smith nor his team of investigators received a pardon from former President Joe Biden in the waning days of the Biden White House.

Smith went on to argue that it was “absolutely ludicrous” to imply that his investigations were politically motivated. Appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022, possibly unlawfully, Smith oversaw investigations into Trump’s alleged retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and alleged involvement in the January 6 Capitol riots.

The former special counsel and spearhead of the former Biden government’s anti-Trump lawfare campaign is facing potential serious legal jeopardy, making his arrogant public comments unusual. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) has called for Smith to testify behind closed doors by October 28, accusing him of overseeing “politically motivated investigations.”

This includes allegations that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, under Smith’s direction, obtained phone toll records of Republican lawmakers during the January 6 probe. Smith’s team reportedly used a grand jury subpoena for these records, although there is no indication that the lawmakers were targets of the investigation. Meanwhile, the independent Office of Special Counsel has opened an inquiry into whether Smith violated the Hatch Act, a rarely investigated matter for former prosecutors.

Also of concern for Smith is a legal filing from late September, which revealed Miami, Florida’s U.S. Attorney, Jason Reding Quiñones, has empaneled a grand jury in Fort Pierce, where Smith’s document case prosecution against President Trump took place. Set to begin reviewing evidence in an unknown case on January 12, 2026, the grand jury empanelment has led to significant speculation that Smith could be facing prosecution for actions taken during the documents case—including the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago.

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October 15, 2025
Crime
Immigration
UK

A Migrant Is on Trial for Fatally Stabbing a Migrant Hotel Worker.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A British woman working at a hotel housing migrants at the taxpayers’ expense was followed and fatally stabbed at a railway station by one of them, a court has heard.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sudanese national Deng Chol Majek, who is supposedly 19, and victim Rhiannon Whyte, 27.

📍WHEN & WHERE: October 20, 2024, at Bescott railway station in Walsall, England.

💬KEY QUOTE: “He left her bleeding to death and then casually went back to his hotel.” – Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC

🎯IMPACT: Majek denies charges of murder and possessing a weapon; the trial continues.

IN FULL

A Sudanese asylum seeker is on trial for the fatal stabbing of 27-year-old Rhiannon Whyte, who was attacked at a railway station in Walsall, England, on October 20, 2024. Prosecutors allege that Deng Chol Majek, who claims to be 19 years old, followed Whyte from her workplace at the Park Inn Hotel, where he lived and she worked, before carrying out what has been described as a “frenzied attack.”

Whyte, who had been employed at the hotel for three months cleaning and serving food, was returning home after her shift when she was targeted. The prosecution claims that Majek stabbed her 23 times with a screwdriver while she was on the phone with a friend. The friend reportedly heard two screams before the call abruptly ended. Whyte succumbed to her injuries three days later in hospital.

Prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC told the court that Majek was seen on CCTV following Whyte from the hotel to the station and returning later carrying a black plastic bag believed to contain alcohol. He allegedly stopped to buy a drink and was observed discarding Whyte’s phone in a nearby river.

“He left her bleeding to death and then casually went back to his hotel,” Heeley said. “Once at the hotel he was seen dancing and laughing, clearly excited about what he had done.”

The jury was presented with evidence including CCTV footage, blood-stained clothing, and DNA found under Majek’s fingernails. Heeley stated that Majek had been “staring at Rhiannon throughout the evening” before the attack and argued that his actions were premeditated. Majek denies the charges and claims he has been misidentified.

The case comes amid growing public scrutiny over the housing of asylum seekers in taxpayer-funded hotels across Britain. At least 339 migrants staying in 105 hotels were charged with criminal offences in the first half of 2025. These include alleged rapes, assaults, and thefts. In one case, a migrant hotel resident convicted of rape in a London park was also linked to terrorist activity.

While British law allows for the automatic deportation of foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes, human rights appeals often block or delay removals.

Image by Carlosgg1961.

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October 14, 2025
Crime
Immigration

DEPORTED: Illegal Alien Who Organized Anti-ICE Protests.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: An illegal immigrant who organized protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, was deported to Colombia after her dramatic arrest in Los Angeles, California.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, ICE officers, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, and attorney Carlos Juardo.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Mafla-Martinez was arrested on August 15 in Los Angeles and deported in October.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.” – Tricia McLaughlin.

🎯IMPACT: The deportation highlights ongoing enforcement of immigration laws and the consequences for illegal immigrants engaging in criminal activity.

IN FULL

Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, a 24-year-old illegal alien from Colombia known for her vocal criticism of U.S. immigration enforcement on social media, was deported on October 8, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Mafla-Martinez was arrested on August 15 in Los Angeles, California, while sitting inside her Tesla and recording a video. Footage of the arrest shows her resisting as officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attempted to detain her. She can be heard repeatedly yelling “no, no, no” and demanding in Spanish, “Show me the warrant.”

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, confirmed her deportation in a statement. “We are happy to report that on October 8, ICE removed Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, a criminal illegal alien from Colombia who was convicted for driving under the influence in Los Angeles. This criminal illegal alien entered the country in 2022 and was RELEASED by the Biden administration,” McLaughlin said.

Mafla-Martinez’s attorney, Carlos Juardo, argued that his client was targeted because of her anti-ICE activism, including TikTok posts where she criticized immigration enforcement and documented raids. During her arrest, several bystanders tried to interfere, with one person allegedly towing away a government vehicle while mocking and filming ICE agents. Mafla-Martinez had gained over 40,000 followers on TikTok.

Her deportation is the latest in a string of removals involving illegal immigrants with significant online followings. Earlier this year, Venezuelan TikTok influencer Leonel Moreno was deported after authorities said he promoted illegal squatting in vacant U.S. homes and encouraged others to exploit social services. Moreno had boasted online about living off American taxpayers.

In a separate incident, a Dominican national, Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, was arrested in July after allegedly shooting at a U.S. Border Patrol agent in New York. Mora Nunez had a previous removal order but had reentered the country illegally and was later released under current immigration protocols before being arrested again.

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