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Monday, February 23, 2026

Tag: ATF
October 9, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Chicago Grand Jury Refuses to Indict Armed and Violent Anti-ICE Agitators.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) was forced to drop charges on Wednesday against Ray Collins, 31, and Jocelyn Robledo, 30, after a Chicago grand jury refused to indict the pair for assaulting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and other federal agents at an area detention facility.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The DOJ, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), a Chicago grand jury, and defendants Ray Collins and Jocelyn Robledo.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The charges were dropped late Wednesday, October 8, 2025.

🎯IMPACT: It remains unclear exactly why the grand jury failed to indict despite a preponderance of evidence against Collins and Robledo.

IN FULL

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) was forced to drop charges on Wednesday against Ray Collins, 31, and Jocelyn Robledo, 30, after a Chicago grand jury refused to indict the pair for assaulting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and other federal agents at an area detention facility. Both Collins and Robledo were carrying loaded weapons during their attack on federal law enforcement.

This is not the first instance of a grand jury declining to indict leftists over the assault of federal officers. In August, federal prosecutors failed to secure a felony assault indictment against Sean C. Dunn, who allegedly screamed at a federal agent and pelted him with a sandwich in Washington, D.C., before attempting to flee in an incident that was caught on camera.

Concerningly, there may be an emerging pattern of biased grand juries in heavily Democratic cities failing to hold violent leftists accountable for their crimes. In the instance of Collins and Robledo, it remains unclear why the grand jury failed to indict despite a preponderance of evidence against them.

Collins and Robledo “refused to retreat” during a late September violent riot outside ICE’s Broadview detention facility. As fist-fighting broke out between rioters and federal agents, Robledo allegedly began to push and shove officers, while Collins was accused of rushing a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agent. Upon arrest, both were found to be carrying legally registered, loaded handguns.

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September 26, 2025
News

FBI Admits 275 Plainclothes Agents Embedded in Jan. 6 Crowd.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) disclosed the presence of 275 plainclothes agents in the crowds on Jan. 6, 2021, after years of refusing to be transparent.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: FBI agents, confidential human sources, and other federal personnel, including tactical teams from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and U.S. Marshals Service.

📍WHEN & WHERE: January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C, with the plainclothes revelation made on September 25, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “With that many paid informants being in the crowd, we want to know how many were in the crowd, how many were in the building, but I also want to know, were they paid to inform or instigate?” – Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

🎯IMPACT: The disclosure raises further questions about the FBI’s role and potential involvement in the events of January 6.

IN FULL

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has admitted that 275 plainclothes agents were present in the crowds on January 6, 2021, years after concerns about the agency’s potential involvement were first raised. This acknowledgment follows a December 2024 report by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Inspector General (OIG), which stated that there was no evidence of “undercover” FBI employees in the protest crowds or at the Capitol that day.

The OIG report also noted that 26 FBI confidential human sources were present on January 6, with four entering the Capitol. However, the report claimed that none of these informants were directed to break the law, enter restricted areas, or incite illegal activities.

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), chairman of the House January 6 Select Subcommittee, has voiced his intent to investigate the FBI’s presence further. “With that many paid informants being in the crowd, we want to know how many were in the crowd, how many were in the building, but I also want to know, were they paid to inform or instigate?” Loudermilk questioned during a recent interview.

The disclosure also comes amid revelations about undercover Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers who admitted to inciting the crowd by encouraging protesters to climb barriers and applauding acts of vandalism. Much of the video footage recorded by these officers has not been released, despite legal efforts to obtain it.

FBI tactical teams were also deployed to the Capitol on January 6, assisting in clearing the building after the fatal shooting of unarmed protester Ashli Babbitt. The involvement of other federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Marshals Service, further underscores the significant federal presence that day.

Image by Tyler Merbler.

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July 28, 2025
William Upton
Crime
Immigration

ICE Just Caught an Illegal Alien Working as an Armed Policeman.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Jamaican national residing in the United States illegally has been arrested after attempting to unlawfully purchase a firearm. Shockingly, he was working as a police officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department in Maine.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Jon Luke Evans, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ICE Boston Field Office director Patricia Hyde, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Maine’s Old Orchard Beach Police Department.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The arrest was announced on Monday, July 28, 2025, with Evans having overstayed his U.S. visa in October 2023.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We have a police department that was knowingly breaking the very law they are charged with enforcing in order to employ an illegal alien.” — ICE Boston Field Office director Patricia Hyde

🎯IMPACT: The arrest of Evans is raising alarms about whether local law enforcement, especially in sanctuary jurisdictions, are enforcing U.S. laws or even conducting proper background checks on their own employees.

IN FULL

An illegal immigrant has 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.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Evans—who entered the U.S. through Miami, Florida, on September 24, 2023—failed to board his return flight to Jamaica on October 1, 2023, subsequently overstaying his visa. Somehow, despite no longer having legal status to remain in the United States, Evans was eventually hired as a police officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

The circumstances under which a local Maine police department hired Evans remain unclear. However, the Jamaican’s status as an illegal immigrant was discovered by federal immigration agents after he attempted to purchase a firearm for his job. Evans has admitted to the illegal purchase.

“Jon Luke Evans not only broke U.S. immigration law, but he also illegally attempted to purchase a firearm,” ICE Boston Field Office director Patricia Hyde said in a statement regarding the illegal immigrant’s arrest. “Shockingly, Evans was employed as a local law enforcement officer. The fact that a police department would hire an illegal alien and unlawfully issue him a firearm while on duty would be comical if it weren’t so tragic.”

The Old Orchard Beach Police Department is not escaping federal scrutiny, with Hyde adding: “We have a police department that was knowingly breaking the very law they are charged with enforcing in order to employ an illegal alien.”

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May 21, 2025
Crime

Fresh Trump Crackdown on Brutal Mexican Cartel.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Trump administration sanctioned two top members of Cartel del Noreste, a violent Mexican drug cartel and U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization.

👥 Who’s Involved: Miguel Angel de Anda Ledzema and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, leaders of Cartel del Noreste; U.S. Treasury Department; Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit.

📍 Where & When: Sanctions announced Wednesday; Cartel del Noreste operates near the Laredo, Texas border region.

💬 Key Quote: “We will continue to cut off the cartels’ ability to obtain the drugs, money, and guns that enable their violent activities,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

⚠️ Impact: The sanctions aim to disrupt Cartel del Noreste’s operations, including drug trafficking, arms procurement, and violence on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

IN FULL:

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on two senior leaders of the Cartel del Noreste, a violent Mexican drug cartel and designated foreign terrorist organization, according to an announcement from the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) targeted Miguel Angel de Anda Ledzema and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda for their roles in facilitating the cartel’s operations. Officials say the group exerts significant control over the border area near Laredo, Texas.

Ledzema, a high-ranking cartel member, was identified as overseeing the acquisition and trafficking of firearms into Mexico. According to the Treasury Department, he coordinated payments to U.S.-based straw purchasers who misrepresented themselves to obtain weapons, later smuggling them into Nuevo Laredo. One such weapon was reportedly recovered after a March 2024 cartel attack on the Mexican military.

Sauceda, previously second-in-command of the cartel, was arrested in February by Mexican authorities. He allegedly led an armed enforcement unit and was linked to violent assaults on Mexican military and police forces. At the time of his arrest, he was found with firearms, methamphetamine, and fentanyl pills.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the administration’s commitment to confronting the cartel threat, stating, “We will continue to cut off the cartels’ ability to obtain the drugs, money, and guns that enable their violent activities.” Bessent also highlighted the cartel’s role in campaigns of violence, intimidation, and terrorism that endanger communities on both sides of the border.

The sanctions were coordinated with Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit.

Paul Perez, President of the National Border Patrol Council, praised the administration’s actions, saying they fulfill President Donald J. Trump’s promise to prevent cartels from operating with impunity. “These actions deal a significant blow and send the message to all cartels that President Trump will follow through,” Perez stated.

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April 21, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Mexican Nationals Arrested for Trafficking 180,000 Rounds of Ammunition from Utah to Colorado.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Two Mexican nationals on nonimmigrant visas were arrested for transporting a large quantity of ammunition during a traffic stop in Colorado.

👥 Who’s Involved: Caesar Ramon Martinez Solis, 41, and Humberto Ivan Amador Gavira, 24, were arrested. The U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Colorado, Fremont County detectives, and the Department of Homeland Security special agents are part of the investigation.

📍 Where & When: The incident occurred in Canon City, Colorado, on March 26.

💬 Key Quote: “[Martinez Solis] further explained that he did not know the intent with the ammunition but that he believed it was destined for Pueblo,” states an arrest affidavit.

⚠️ Impact: The case is part of a federal initiative, Operation Take Back America, which aims to address illegal immigration and combat transnational criminal organizations.

IN FULL:

Authorities have announced the arrest of two Mexican nationals found carrying a substantial supply of ammunition during a routine traffic stop in Colorado last month. Caesar Ramon Martinez Solis, 41, and Humberto Ivan Amador Gavira, 24, were apprehended in Canon City on March 26 while transporting approximately 180,000 rounds of ammunition.

The arrest resulted from a traffic violation after Fremont County detectives observed a white Chevrolet van failing to dim its headlights, contravening state law. Further, the van failed to signal at a turn and possessed a defective license plate lamp. These violations prompted the traffic stop, leading to the discovery of the ammunition stored in roughly 150 boxes of .308 and 30 boxes of 7.62 caliber rounds, each labeled to contain 1,000 bullets.

According to the arrest affidavit, Martinez Solis informed special agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that he and Amador Gavira, whom he identified as his brother-in-law, had traveled from Mexico to Denver to purchase a vehicle. Their journey also included a stop at a Salt Lake City firearms and ammunition store, where the ammunition was acquired.

“[Martinez Solis] further explained that he did not know the intent with the ammunition but that he believed it was destined for Pueblo,” law enforcement states in the affidavit.

Both men face charges of Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by Alien Admitted Under a Nonimmigrant Visa. The Denver Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations, with support from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), is currently managing the case.

This arrest falls under Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative focused on addressing issues related to illegal immigration and dismantling cartel and criminal organization activities.

Image by 70023venus2009. 

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April 8, 2025
2A

Trump DOJ, ATF Roll Back Biden’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ Gun Policy.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) repealed the “Zero Tolerance Policy” established by former President Joe Biden, which enforced strict regulations on federal firearms dealers. They also announced a review of the stabilizing braces policy and the “engaged in the business” rule.

👥 Who’s Involved: The decision involves the DOJ, ATF, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel (also acting director of ATF), and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

📍 Where & When: The announcement was made on April 7, 2025, in the United States.

💬 Key Quote: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “The prior administration’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy unfairly targeted law-abiding gun owners and created an undue burden on Americans seeking to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms —it ends today.”

⚠️ Impact: The repeal will reduce regulatory pressure on firearms dealers and alter regulations concerning stabilizing braces and the definition of firearms dealers, which could affect private transactions.

IN FULL:

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) have rescinded the “Zero Tolerance Policy” implemented under former President Biden. This policy aimed to significantly restrict the operations of federal firearms dealers and tighten gun regulations in the United States.

Under former President Biden, the “Zero Tolerance Policy” applied stringent regulations on firearms dealers, causing contention among Second Amendment advocates who criticized the policy for targeting dealers over minor paperwork inconsistencies rather than severe infractions. The repeal announcement, confirmed on Monday, was accompanied by a planned review of two related rules: the stabilizing braces policy and the definition of being “engaged in the business.”

“The prior administration’s ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy unfairly targeted law-abiding gun owners and created an undue burden on Americans seeking to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms—it ends today,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in announcing the rule repeal. Meanwhile, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel—who also serves as the acting director of the ATF—stated: “Today’s repeal of the Zero Tolerance Policy and the comprehensive review of stabilizing brace regulations and the definition of ‘engaged in the business’ marks a pivotal step toward restoring fairness and clarity in firearms regulation.”

In addition to the policy repeal, the DOJ and ATF announced they will re-evaluate the “engaged in the business” rule, which expanded the definition of a firearms dealer and raised concerns about the potential criminalization of private transactions. Additionally, the former Biden government’s ruling that handguns that utilize stabilizing braces constitute illegal short-barreled rifles is also being reconsidered.

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March 24, 2025
Crime
News

Kash Patel to Reassign 1,000 ATF Agents to the FBI.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel—also acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)—intends to reassign approximately 1,000 ATF agents to the FBI. This restructuring would reduce the ATF’s workforce by roughly one-third of its current 2,600 agents.

The ATF has around 5,000 total employees and has seen its staffing levels remain stable over recent years. However, the agency has become a focal point of debate, particularly among gun rights advocates who argue that its operations infringe upon Second Amendment freedoms.

Director Patel‘s move to reassign ATF agents is drawing criticism from gun control groups who have pushed for more aggressive restrictions on the Second Amendment rights of Americans. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the anti-gun rights group Giffords—founded by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (D-AZ)—expressed opposition to the move. “This decision would increase crime and hurt law enforcement,” the group claimed, adding: “The ATF is the only federal law enforcement agency stopping gun traffickers from flooding communities across the country with illegal guns. Weakening the ATF will make all us [sic] less safe.”

As head of the FBI, Patel has emphasized a return to the basics for the nation’s top law enforcement agency. This includes dispersing agents from Washington, D.C., into the field across the United States.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Patel stressed the need for the FBI to better coordinate and work with local and state law enforcement agencies to facilitate investigations and reduce violent crime.

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Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel—also acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)—intends to reassign approximately 1,000 ATF agents to the FBI. This restructuring would reduce the ATF's workforce by roughly one-third of its current 2,600 agents. show more
November 20, 2024
News

ATF Agent Handed $1.6 Million in Lawsuit AGAINST Cops.

In a verdict delivered Friday, a jury sided with former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agent James Burk, awarding him $1.6 million in damages following his lawsuit against the City of Columbus. Filed in December 2020, the lawsuit stemmed from an incident involving local police officers Joseph Fihe and Kevin Winchell.

Burk, on duty in central Ohio, had gone to a Columbus residence to collect an illegally owned shotgun when the occupant, home alone with her children, declined to open the door and contacted the police. She informed dispatchers of Burk’s ATF affiliation, a message that attorneys argued was relayed to responding officers Fihe and Winchell.

Despite Burk presenting his ATF credentials, the officers, upon arrival, approached him with weapons drawn. According to Burk’s legal team, the officers ordered him to the ground, tasered him multiple times, and detained him. The officers expressed skepticism over the authenticity of his credentials, citing concerns about falsification.

The case progressed to a jury trial, excluding the City of Columbus as a defendant after a judge’s ruling. During the trial, Burk’s legal representatives claimed that the incident inflicted mental and physical trauma, altering his career trajectory from active fieldwork to administrative duties. The jury attributed direct blame for Burk’s post-traumatic stress disorder to the officers.

Burk’s lawyers also alleged that Fihe and Winchell disseminated body camera footage of the encounter within and outside the Columbus Police Department to mock Burk.

City attorneys defended the police actions, asserting that it was difficult to validate Burk’s credentials. Fihe and Winchell continue their employment with the Columbus Police Department, as confirmed by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

U.S. Department of State photo.

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In a verdict delivered Friday, a jury sided with former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agent James Burk, awarding him $1.6 million in damages following his lawsuit against the City of Columbus. Filed in December 2020, the lawsuit stemmed from an incident involving local police officers Joseph Fihe and Kevin Winchell. show more
April 11, 2024
2A

Biden Govt Wants Gun Show Sellers to Attain Federal License, Run Background Checks On All Purchases.

The Biden government has unveiled its final plans to broaden the requirement of background checks to individuals purchasing firearms at gun shows or online. This new requirement, they say, will close the so-called ‘gun show loophole.’

Sellers at gun shows and other venues who predominantly offer firearms for purchase will now be required to attain a federal license. The Biden government contends that this would require most independent sellers at gun shows to attain a federal license if they wish to continue selling firearms.

The rule change was made possible by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed by Congress in 2022, which expanded the definition of who qualified as a firearms dealer. Those who now fall under the expanded rule will be required to file for a license under the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and run background checks on all gun purchases. The Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) estimates about 23,000 currently unlicensed firearms dealers will now be mandated to conduct background checks when selling guns — bringing them and their buyers under a greater level of federal scrutiny.

Despite President Joe Biden‘s push for background checks for all firearms sales and purchases, the latest rule change does not mandate ‘universal’ background checks. The enhanced background check requirements will likely face legal challenges. The National Shooting Sports Foundation — a firearm industry trade group — promised it would ask the federal courts to review the rule’s constitutionality earlier this year.

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The Biden government has unveiled its final plans to broaden the requirement of background checks to individuals purchasing firearms at gun shows or online. This new requirement, they say, will close the so-called 'gun show loophole.' show more