Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Editorial Note: The DHS Daily Briefing is a collection of news articles related to Department’s mission. The inclusion of particular stories is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse the political viewpoints or affiliations included in news coverage.

ABC News [2/14/2025 6:31 PM, Staff, 33392K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has cut 405 employees from its workforce, a DHS official first told ABC News on Friday. The bulk of the cuts were at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which saw over 200 people cut, and then the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which saw 130 people cut. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services saw under 50 people cut, and DHS Science and Technology Directorate saw 10 people cut. Additionally, 12 Coast Guard members who work on diversity, equity and inclusion were affected by the reduction in force, with an offer to support border security efforts at the southwestern border. All of these people are based out of Washington, D.C., and are currently on administrative leave. "Under President Trump’s leadership, we are making sweeping cuts and reform across the federal government to eliminate egregious waste and incompetence that has been happening for decades at the expense of the American taxpayer," a DHS spokesperson told ABC News. "Today’s Department of Homeland Security personnel action will result in roughly $50 million in savings for American taxpayers and incalculable valuable toward accountability and cutting red tape," the spokesperson added. "DHS component leads identified non-mission critical personnel in probationary status. We are actively identifying other wasteful positions and offices that do not fulfill DHS’ mission.” USA Today [2/14/2025 9:58 PM, Josh Meyer, 89965K] reports that asked about the shift, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin would only say that all DHS agents, including those at HSI, are now fulfilling the department’s "primary mission of protecting America through the arrest and removal of illegal aliens who pose a threat to national security, public safety and the integrity of our nation’s immigration laws.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has moved quickly since being sworn in Jan. 25 to deploy federal and state agents from across the government in the hunt for people in the country illegally. Last week, she asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to detail IRS agents who normally investigate tax fraud and money laundering to help "secure the southern border and enforce immigration laws.”

Reported similarly:
CBS News [2/14/2025 6:55 PM, Nicole Sganga and Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 52225K]

New York Times [2/14/2025 6:13 PM, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz, 161405K] reports the Trump administration on Friday toughened the security requirements for sponsors of migrant children, a move that could make it more difficult for minors who cross the border alone to be released from federal custody and united with family members in the United States. The policy is similar to one imposed during the first Trump administration, which sought to tighten the vetting process for those living with migrant children. Immigration activists have argued that onerous requirements helped fuel overcrowding in federal shelters and detention facilities along the border. But reports of security lapses in the way the federal government protects migrant children have also drawn widespread criticism and new scrutiny of the system. In a memo published on Friday, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which oversees the care of migrant children, said it would now require that all adult members of a household where a child is to live in the United States must be fingerprinted before the minor can be released by a shelter. The restriction is similar to one imposed in 2018, which also involved sharing the data with immigration authorities and prompted legal challenges. Advocates for immigrants said the rule discouraged immigrant adults in the United States from coming forward to claim the minors out of a fear they could expose themselves to deportation. Often, sponsors are undocumented themselves, and therefore wary of any increased risk of deportation associated with claiming sponsorship of a child.

Washington Examiner [2/14/2025 8:41 AM, Alan Wooten, 2365K] reports that how $59 million was allocated "for illegal alien housing" in New York and what kind of detailed action plan is being proposed are asked of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton by five congressional members from North Carolina. Immersed in complaints about the Federal Emergency Management Agency that Hamilton leads on an interim basis tied to Hurricane Helene, the quintet writes a letter acknowledging a change from Biden administration policy and action against "rogue FEMA employees" since Trump took office. In part, the Thursday letter reads, "In the wake of Hurricane Helene, North Carolina has witnessed first-hand the need for serious FEMA reforms to better address the federal response to future natural disasters. There is no doubt that a complete and total overhaul of FEMA is necessary. "While we are grateful for this administration’s leadership, we recognize that Congress also has a duty to conduct oversight and then pass permanent fixes to end FEMA’s mismanagement. That is why we write to you today. We hope to gain greater insight into FEMA’s activities during the Biden administration that paved the way for the scandalous distribution of funds that prioritized illegal aliens over the American people." The five questions end with request for an action plan detailing how the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, an agency within it, "will prevent this situation from occurring in the future."

CNN [2/14/2025 7:45 PM, Priscilla Alvarez and Gabe Cohen, 987K] reports that, one week into the Trump administration, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a directive that the Federal Emergency Management Agency should stop sending money to non-governmental organizations that she characterized as helping "illegal aliens.” But the memo didn’t address money that flowed to state and local governments, fueling confusion at the agency charged with administering federal payments related to migrant housing. FEMA personnel were directed to continue sending those payments. This week, four FEMA employees, including its chief financial officer, were fired and accused by the Department of Homeland Security of circumventing leadership. And more than $80 million in federal grant money to New York City to help shelter migrants was clawed back. The internal back and forth that led to the firings, details of which have not been previously reported, reflects the turmoil at FEMA, as well as a level of tension that has developed between career officials at the agency and top political appointees at DHS. A Homeland Security spokesperson maintained that while payments to state and local government funding were permitted, the money shouldn’t be going to non-governmental organizations providing services to migrants and argued the fired officials deceived higher ups. The program in question is explicitly intended to assist those providing shelter and aid to migrants. FEMA officials who spoke with CNN said that guidance wasn’t clear and that the lump sum went directly to the New York City government. The firings of the four FEMA staff members – in particular, Chief Financial Officer Mary Comans – have shaken agency personnel, from senior officials to rank-and-file workers. FEMA sources describe Comans, a longtime civil servant who worked for administrations of both parties, as a "trusted" and "well-respected" public servant. One FEMA official described Comans as a "scapegoat.” The Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have been fixated on reforming or eliminating FEMA, arguing that it’s ineffective and inefficient. DOGE personnel have been inside FEMA offices, meeting with agency staff and reviewing FEMA files, according to multiple sources. "It’s nerve-wracking. They’re not looking for context. They’re not interested in anyone explaining to them how this works," another FEMA official told CNN.

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 1:43 PM, Alex Perry, 57114K] reports that Sen. Bernie Moreno from Ohio called on the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to investigate the "alarming" cause of unidentified drone sightings in western Ohio, comparing the drone sizes to "a picnic table or hot tub" in a letter sent to the agencies on Thursday, per Cleveland.com. In the letter, Moreno called out federal authorities’ "concerning lack of clarity" and the Federal Aviation Administration’s response. The senator asks the federal agencies to work with local law enforcement in identifying current authorization of drones flying over airspaces, and full communication with the public on the number of unauthorized drones reported, as well as homeowner’s rights when it comes to drones, among other outlined requests. The newly-minted senator also petitioned the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Homeland Security to respond within seven business days of them receiving the letter.

Reuters [2/14/2025 8:14 PM, Kanishka Singh, 48128K] reports the FBI said on Friday that allegations made against its agents labeling them as corrupt are "unfounded" and "deeply irresponsible.” The comments by the FBI appear to be in response to a social media post made by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about a report by the Los Angeles Times that cited a leaked document on an immigration enforcement action in LA. "The FBI is so corrupt. We will work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the fullest extent of the law," Noem said on Sunday. Republican U.S. President Donald Trump, who took office on January 20, has long complained about the FBI and the Justice Department since the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022 as part of an investigation into removal of official presidential records from the White House after his first term. Trump faced two federal indictments, one for alleged mishandling of classified documents and another accusing him of attempting to subvert the results of the 2020 election. Both charges were dropped after Trump’s 2024 election win. Trump denied wrongdoing in both cases. "Making unfounded allegations calling FBI agents corrupt is deeply irresponsible and has not been supported by any evidence to date," the FBI said in a statement on Friday. "Unless evidence of violations is presented, such comments undermine the men and women of the FBI. The FBI invites DHS to partner in determining the source of any leaked information and working together professionally to ensure the safety and security of ongoing immigration enforcement operations," it said.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [2/14/2025 5:31 PM, Devlin Barrett, 161405K]

ABC News [2/14/2025 1:34 PM, Aaron Katersky and Peter Charalambous, 33392K] reports that a federal judge in Manhattan on Friday said she will continue to block individuals associated with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive Treasury Department records and payment systems while she considers whether to issue a preliminary injunction. During a hearing Friday in a lawsuit brought by the attorneys general of 19 states, U.S. District Judge Jeanette Vargas did not rule on whether to issue an injunction further blocking DOGE’s access, but opted to extend her temporary restraining order from last week. She suggested her decision would come down over the next few days, but not on Friday night. The 19 states brought the lawsuit against Musk and the administration, arguing that allowing Musk’s associates to access the Treasury Department’s payment system as part of Trump’s campaign pledge to slash the federal government would be a "huge cybersecurity risk" and potentially allow the Trump administration to unlawfully "block federal funds from reaching beneficiaries who do not align with the President’s political agenda." "All of the States’ residents whose [personal identifiable information] and sensitive financial information is stored in the payment files that reside within the payment systems are at risk of having that information compromised and used against them," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit comes as Musk’s cost-cutting troops have gained access to at least 16 federal agencies, with Trump recently signing an executive order giving DOGE additional authority to help carry out massive layoffs across the government as part of his campaign pledge to trim the federal bureaucracy. The lawsuit -- filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other state attorneys general -- raised particular concern about unvetted DOGE employees accessing sensitive government records including social security numbers, bank information, and federal tax returns. According to the lawsuit, Musk being able to access the Bureau of Fiscal Services -- which serves as the country’s checkbook by dispersing trillions in funding -- could allow Musk to cut off government spending from the source. In a court order last weekend, a federal judge in New York temporarily blocked the Trump administration from allowing individuals associated with DOGE to access the Treasury department records and payment systems.

AP [2/14/2025 8:25 PM, Fatima Hussein and Josh Boak, 47097K] reports that the Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General on Friday said it was launching an audit of the security controls for the federal government’s payment system, as Democratic lawmakers raised red flags about the access provided to Trump aide Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team. The audit will also review the past two years of the system’s transactions as it relates to Musk’s assertion of “alleged fraudulent payments,” according to a letter from Loren J. Sciurba, Treasury’s deputy inspector general, that was obtained by The Associated Press. The audit marks part of the broader effort led by Democratic lawmakers and federal employee unions to provide transparency and accountability about DOGE’s activities under President Donald Trump’s Republican administration. The Musk team has pushed for access to the government’s computer systems and sought to remove tens of thousands of federal workers. “We expect to begin our fieldwork immediately,” Sciurba wrote. “Given the breadth of this effort, the audit will likely not be completed until August; however, we recognize the danger that improper access or inadequate controls can pose to the integrity of sensitive payment systems. As such, if critical issues come to light before that time, we will issue interim updates and reports.” Treasury’s inspector general began the audit before Democratic lawmakers asked for it. A. J. Altemus, acting counsel to the inspector general, said “our work is independently initiated” and standards dictate that the audit “must be non-partisan and objective. These standards remain unchanged.” The audit would overlap with increased pressure that the Trump administration is placing on inspectors general, presidential appointees who are supposed to serve as an independent check against mismanagement and abuse of government power. In January, the administration fired several independent inspectors general at government agencies, a move that some members of Congress said violated federal oversight laws. The firings prompted a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in federal court in Washington that seeks to return the inspectors general to their jobs. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon led the push in the Senate for the inspector general office’s inquiry at the Treasury. On Wednesday, Warren, Wyden and Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noting the inconsistencies in the accounts provided by his department about DOGE. Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform also called on inspectors general to investigate DOGE and welcomed the Treasury audit. The Treasury Department provided conflicting information about DOGE’s access to the payment system. Initially, it claimed the access was read only, only to then acknowledge that a DOGE team member briefly had the ability to edit code, and then to say in an employee-sworn statement that the ability to edit was granted by accident.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [2/14/2025 12:25 PM, Annabella Rosciglione, 2365K]

Miami Herald [2/14/2025 11:15 AM, Giulia Carbonaro, 6595K] reports that at least one member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) visited the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices in Washington on Thursday as Elon Musk’s cost-cutting group prepares to audit the agency. It was the first time a Musk aide had entered the building, raising fears of cuts to the tax collecting agency, which has long been a target of Republicans. Newsweek reached out to the IRS via email for comment. The Trump administration and Musk’s DOGE, which the president has tapped to shrink the size of the federal government, have been cutting thousands of federal jobs in the past few weeks. DOGE, which recently faced widespread condemnation for its unfettered access to sensitive documents, is now ready to review the IRS operations after President Donald Trump authorized its audit on Thursday. "The Internal Revenue Service will be looked at like everybody else," Trump said Thursday from the White House. While Trump and Musk have justified the cuts as necessary to fight inefficiency, alleged fraud and corruption in federal agencies, many fear the impact these moves could have on the functioning of the government. Cuts to the IRS workforce could potentially affect the agency’s capacity to collect taxes for the federal government and delay refunds to taxpayers.

New York Times [2/15/2025 12:26 AM, Chris Cameron, 161405K] reports a federal judge declined on Friday to block the access of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to records systems containing personal information at the Health and Human Services Department, the Labor Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a setback for unions and nonprofits trying to fight Elon Musk’s effort to cut and reshape government. In an 11-page ruling, Judge John D. Bates of the Federal District Court in Washington wrote that he had grave concerns about the privacy issues raised by the case, particularly because the data in question “includes information on all Americans who rely on Medicare and Medicaid, as well as countless consumers.” But, he added, the case made by the plaintiffs — led by the A.F.L.-C.I.O., an umbrella group of unions that represent many federal workers — did not meet the high legal bar necessary for him to immediately block the initiative’s access while the case proceeded. “The record indicates,” Judge Bates wrote, that members of Mr. Musk’s team are federal employees “who have a need for the record in the performance of their duties.” The ruling was a victory for the Trump administration and Mr. Musk in their efforts to scrutinize the activities and spending of federal agencies, which have faced several setbacks in the courts. For example, DOGE’s access to the Treasury Department’s payment and data systems was halted by a federal judge last week. Unions representing federal workers, like the American Federation of Government Employees, have led many of the lawsuits against the Trump administration.

The Hill [2/14/2025 7:01 PM, Aris Folley and Taylor Giorno, 16346K] reports federal employees remain on probation anywhere from one to two years after being hired, depending on their agency, a status that still comes with workplace protections but makes them easier to remove. The directive by Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officials could impact as many as 200,000 federal employees. A source familiar with OPM said agency leaders have directed agencies to fire all probationary employees "with some exceptions." It was not immediately clear what those exceptions were or the extent of discretion given to agencies. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, pledged to fight the layoffs, saying they would hinder government performance. The Trump administration has also used two other methods to cull the workforce: an executive order from President Trump directing agencies to undertake a reduction in force and the "Fork in the Road" program offering federal workers a buyout. Agencies across government, including OPM, have already begun carrying out their layoffs of probationary employees.

FOX News [2/14/2025 1:00 PM, Kristen Altus, 49889K] reports that New York Mayor Eric Adams and Trump administration border czar Tom Homan sat side by side in an exclusive Fox News interview Friday, discussing how their border collaboration will be a "game changer" for national security. The two discussed their plan to reopen the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office on Rikers Island so that suspected "dangerous" illegal immigrants can be deported. "Getting back in Rikers Island is a game changer. Not only do we get the bad guys really hitting the streets, the intelligence of how [Tren de Aragua] operates, where they’re operating, all this intelligence they gather at Rikers Island, we have access to," Homan said alongside Adams on "Fox & Friends.” "The far left has hijacked this narrative [that] ICE is running in our schools, ICE is running in our churches, and they are creating this frenzy. They’re not in the business of just grabbing children. We need to just stop all this noise," Mayor Adams chimed in. "Rikers Island, particularly after all the reforms, Rikers Island is now having some of the most dangerous people in our city. And by having ICE on Rikers Island, part of our gang intelligence, using our intel with NYPD correction officers, we could identify those gangs inside and outside on the street." New York Daily News [2/14/2025 6:06 PM, Graham Rayman] reports the reaction to the mayor’s deal with the Trump administration to re-open ICE immigration operations on Rikers Island has sparked sharp division, with angry opposition among advocates and support in law enforcement circles. Following a meeting Thursday with ICE acting director Tom Homan, Mayor Adams said he will issue an executive order to reopen the unit with a focus on "investigations of violent criminals and gangs." On Friday, Mayor Adams appeared on Fox and Friends with Homan and suggested he wanted the city to cooperate with ICE "even on civil enforcement," though hours later his press team sought to clarify the mayor’s position on that. "I am not opening the door to civil immigration enforcement with the federal government," he said, in a statement. The NYPD quickly issued a statement saying the department "does not engage in civil immigration enforcement, period."

Washington Examiner [2/14/2025 11:41 AM, Emily Hallas, 2365K] reports that New York City Mayor Eric Adams is allowing federal immigration authorities into the Big Apple’s largest criminal detention center to facilitate the Trump administration’s deportation effort. Adams issued an executive order Thursday authorizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to access the Rikers Island jail complex after ICE offices in the criminal detention area were closed in 2014. The directive allows ICE agents to transfer illegal immigrants who have committed crimes from state prison to federal custody swiftly. The mayor is also eyeing ways to embed New York City Police Department detectives into federal task forces to target "violent gangs." "As I have always said, immigrants have been crucial in building our city and will continue to be key to our future success, but we must fix our long-broken immigration system," Adams stated. "Since the spring of 2022, New York City has been forced to shoulder the burden of a national humanitarian crisis where more than 230,000 migrants have come to our city seeking support, at a cost of approximately $7 billion, with little help from the previous administration." "That is why I have been clear that I want to work with the new federal administration, not war with them, to find common ground and make better the lives of New Yorkers," the mayor added.

Newsweek [2/14/2025 1:45 PM, Dan Gooding, 56005K] reports that President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said Friday that New York City’s Democratic Mayor Eric Adams could not back out of helping with immigration enforcement as the pair sat on national television together for an interview. Speaking on Fox & Friends after a meeting Thursday afternoon, the two said they would collaborate on getting violent criminals without legal status out of the sanctuary city while also admitting they did not agree on everything. "I came to New York City and I wasn’t going to leave without nothing," Homan said. "Now I have him on the couch in front of millions of people and he can’t back away from this now, right?" The New York Times [2/14/2025 11:19 AM, Emma G. Fitzsimmons, 161405K] reports that the mayor, who is facing vigorous calls to resign, reiterated his support for working with Mr. Trump to detain and deport immigrants who are accused of crimes. Then Mr. Homan warned that he would make sure Mr. Adams complied. “If he doesn’t come through, I’ll be back in New York City, and we won’t be sitting on the couch — I’ll be in his office, up his butt, saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?’” Mr. Homan said. Mr. Homan pressed for further cooperation from Mr. Adams and attacked Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is facing growing pressure to use her power to remove Mr. Adams from office. “Governor Hochul, she needs to be removed,” Mr. Homan said. “The one who needs to be removed is her. She supports sanctuary policies.” Mr. Adams stared quietly at the camera and did not respond or defend her. The AP [2/14/2025 4:18 PM, Cedar Attanasio, 14282K] reports Tom Homan and Adams appeared side-by-side on "Fox & Friends" a day after the two announced that Adams had agreed to sign an executive order reestablishing an office for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office at the jail. One purpose of the office will be to share intelligence on gangs, they said. The agreement is already being heavily criticized by New York City Council leaders, after prosecutors resigned in protest against a directive from Trump’s Department of Justice to dismiss corruption charges charges against Adams. The top prosecutor described the deal as a "quid pro quo" in her resignation letter. Adams has denied that assessment and deflected questions about it during the 20-minute interview on Fox. On Friday morning, Homan said the agreement with Adams on Rikers, which has been under court orders to resolve longstanding problems with security, use of force and more, was just one piece of a bigger collaboration.

Reported similarly:
Politico [2/14/2025 12:18 PM, Emily Ngo, 57114K]
NBC News [2/14/2025 11:42 AM, Rich Schapiro and Tom Winter, 50804K]
Newsweek [2/14/2025 2:29 PM, Rachel Dobkin, 56005K]
CNBC [2/14/2025 11:44 AM, Dan Mangan, 36472K]

FOX News [2/14/2025 12:41 PM, Charles Creitz, 49889K] reports that moderate members of New York City’s otherwise overwhelmingly progressive City Council met with President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, on the same day the lawman met with Mayor Eric Adams. Homan, himself a New York State native from the Watertown area, joined a meeting of the bipartisan "Common Sense Caucus" led by Councilmembers Bob Holden, D-Glendale, and Joann Ariola, R-Howard Beach. At the meeting, Homan pledged to act swiftly when informed of another migrant shelter being planned for an outer borough. Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato told 1010WINS after the meeting that Homan had been incensed to learn that Adams’ Office of Asylum-Seeker Operations had announced a 2,200-bed shelter in the Bronx. "Get me that address," Homan reportedly told Marmorato, R-Throggs Neck. The shelter is planned for a low-income area off the Bruckner Expressway in Mott Haven – not far from the RFK-Triboro Bridge, according to reports. "Enough is enough," Marmorato – the only Bronx Republican on council – headlined a press release about "migrant dumps" there. "Today, we had a productive meeting with Tom Homan, the Border Czar, to discuss the serious public safety consequences of sanctuary laws," Holden said in a statement. "I have full confidence in Homan and his team to enforce federal laws and keep our communities safe."

The New York Times [2/14/2025 8:58 PM, Benjamin Weiser, William K. Rashbaum and Jonah E. Bromwich, 161405K] reports the first act of a drama that has shaken the Department of Justice ended Friday when a top official signed a formal request to drop corruption charges against New York’s mayor after Manhattan’s acting U.S. attorney refused to and resigned. The official, Emil Bove III, had originally ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors who brought the case against Mayor Eric Adams to seek its dismissal. But the leader of the Manhattan office, Danielle R. Sassoon, resigned rather than obey, and she was followed out the door by at least six other prosecutors in New York and Washington. Mr. Bove, whose order specified that the decision to dismiss the case had nothing do with its legal strengths, was ultimately compelled to sign the motion himself, along with two other Washington prosecutors, Edward Sullivan and Antoinette T. Bacon. The reason he gave the judge was the same as he gave the New York prosecutors: that the prosecution would hinder Mr. Adams’s ability to cooperate with the Trump administration’s immigration policies. It was a highly unusual rationale for dismissing a criminal case, which is typically evaluated on the basis of the facts and the law. The abnormality was underscored by Mr. Bove’s difficulty in finding a prosecutor willing to affix a name to the filing. Now attention will turn to Dale E. Ho, the judge who is overseeing the case in Manhattan federal court. Mr. Adams was indicted last year on five counts, including bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. He pleaded not guilty and was scheduled for trial in April. Ms. Sassoon, in a letter to the attorney general this week, said that prosecutors were prepared to bring an additional charge that would accuse him of destroying evidence and instructing others to do the same. A lawyer for Mr. Adams, Alex Spiro, called that a false claim. He said that if prosecutors had proof that the mayor destroyed evidence “they would have brought those charges — as they continually threatened to do.” Under the law, judges may question a prosecutor’s decision to seek a dismissal of charges, but they almost always grant such requests. Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics professor at New York University School of Law, said that Judge Ho could decide that the Adams case was the rare exception, that the government’s justification was inadequate. The New York Times [2/14/2025 4:09 PM, Jonah E. Bromwich, Benjamin Weiser, and William K. Rashbaum, 161405K] reports that Hagan Scotten, the lead prosecutor on the federal corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams of New York City, resigned after Justice Department officials ordered the dismissal of charges he had helped bring, suggesting that only a “fool” or a “coward” would obey. In an undated, scathing resignation letter, Mr. Scotten wrote that any federal prosecutor “would know that our laws and traditions do not allow using the prosecutorial power to influence other citizens, much less elected officials.” He added: “If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion. But it was never going to be me.” Mr. Scotten was responding to a Justice Department official’s directive this week to dismiss the bribery, fraud and other charges against Mr. Adams so the mayor could help with President Trump’s immigration crackdown. The official, Emil Bove III, who is the acting deputy attorney general, gave the order to Danielle R. Sassoon, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. She resigned on Thursday rather than carry out the order to seek dismissal of the charges against Mr. Adams. The Washington Examiner [2/14/2025 1:41 PM, Ross O’Keefe, 2365K] reports Bove said in his letter to Sassoon that Williams’s political activities after he left as head prosecutor, including an op-ed he wrote criticizing Adams, tainted the case. "His actions inappropriately politicized and tainted your office’s prosecution, potentially permanently," Bove wrote. He also mentioned Scotten and fellow assistant attorney Derek Wikstrom were being placed on "off-duty, administrative leave pending investigations by the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Professional Responsibility." Scotten also suggested the federal government used a quid pro quo in potentially dismissing the charges in exchange for Adams’s immigration cooperation.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [2/14/2025 2:25 PM, Emma G. Fitzsimmons, 161405K]

Newsweek [2/14/2025 10:20 PM, Amanda Castro, 6595K] reports Mayor Eric Adams’ office is preparing to sue the Trump administration over the withdrawal of $80 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds meant to support New York City’s migrant services. The legal action comes after a troubling discovery that the funds were pulled from the city’s accounts, with the potential lawsuit expected to be filed by February 21. The removal of the FEMA funds has intensified tensions between the city and the Trump administration, with Adams facing political pressure from multiple fronts. This marks a pivotal moment for Adams, who is dealing with the fallout from an ongoing fraud case and criticisms related to his dealings with the Trump administration. In a letter sent Friday, Muriel Goode-Trufant, the city’s corporation counsel, confirmed that litigation papers are being drafted and legal action is imminent. The funds in question were originally allocated to help provide shelter and services for migrants arriving in the city. The clawback was triggered after a misleading post by Elon Musk, head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, cast doubt over the usage of FEMA funds. City Comptroller Brad Lander, a vocal critic of Adams, played a significant role in raising awareness of the funds’ withdrawal. He criticized the mayor for not addressing the issue more swiftly, claiming that the pressure campaign led to the decision to move forward with legal action. The $80 million lawsuit comes amid broader political struggles for Adams, who is grappling with legal challenges and increasing public scrutiny of his relationships with Trump’s administration. Adams recently met with Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, and appeared on TV alongside him. Newsweek has reached out to the Law Department of New York City for comment. In response to accusations that he is aligning with Trump, Adams issued a statement asserting his loyalty to New Yorkers. Brad Lander, New York City comptroller: "I’m glad our pressure campaign finally got the Mayor to do what he should have done immediately after we uncovered the stolen $80 million from Elon Musk, which is stand up for New Yorkers and fight." Adams: "I want to be crystal clear with New Yorkers: I never offered — nor did anyone offer on my behalf — any trade of my authority as your mayor for an end to my case. Never." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Alabama Public Radio [2/14/2025 3:45 PM, Staff, 21K] reports lawmakers in other southern states, including Alabama, are passing bills aimed at furthering President Donald Trump ‘s mass deportation agenda. The Alabama Senate on Thursday swiftly advanced a slate of proposals. This comes as leaders in Georgia and Florida pass similar legislation. Furthering Trump’s immigration crackdown, a series of Alabama bills would allow jails to hold people to verify immigration status; require jails to collect DNA from unauthorized immigrants in their custody; end the state’s recognition of driver licenses from other states that are issued without proof of citizenship; and make it a felony to bring an undocumented immigrant into the state. Also on Thursday, the Georgia Senate passed a bill allowing local governments to be sued if they don’t cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

CBS Austin [2/14/2025 12:51 PM, Staff, 581K] reports that Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new package of immigration bills for the state of Florida on Thursday. The bills set aside $298 million for immigration enforcement measures. Illegal immigrants will also receive stricter penalties for all crimes. DeSantis says it is the strongest legislation to fight illegal immigration of any state in the country. "We here in Florida have a responsibility to be strong partners with the Trump administration as it seeks to restore the rule of law, remove illegal aliens from our communities and protect public safety" DeSantis said. One of the bills mandates the death penalty for immigrants who are in the country illegally and commit capital offenses -- like first-degree murder.

CBS Miami [2/14/2025 5:23 PM, Steve Maugeri, 52225K] reports Florida’s new immigration laws, which impose harsher penalties for undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes, could soon face legal challenges, according to legal experts. Immigration attorney Elizabeth Ricci argues that the law is likely unconstitutional and will be challenged in court. She also noted that in some cases, local prosecutors will now have to determine whether a defendant is undocumented, a role she says should not fall under their jurisdiction. While the law is set to take effect, legal experts predict swift court challenges that could shape its future. The new law increases penalties for crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, making it illegal for individuals who entered the country unlawfully to come to Florida. Violators face a mandatory nine-month prison sentence. Additionally, the law imposes a mandatory death penalty for capital offenses such as first-degree murder. It also elevates certain misdemeanors to felonies. Undocumented immigrants convicted of felonies while affiliated with a criminal gang now face mandatory minimum sentences, five years for a third-degree felony, 15 years for a second-degree felony and 30 years for a first-degree felony. The law also prohibits early release on parole.

Washington Examiner [2/14/2025 11:57 AM, Tudor Dixon, 2365K] reports that Attorney General Pam Bondi is forcing states and cities to follow our immigration laws, and allegiances are about to be laid bare. Bondi’s Justice Department is suing New York and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) over their Green Light Law, which bars law enforcement agencies from sharing vehicle data with federal agencies for purposes of immigration enforcement. "If you don’t comply with federal law, we will hold you accountable." Bondi told reporters on Wednesday. "We did it to Illinois. Strike one. Strike two is New York. If you are a state not complying with federal law, you’re next, get ready." "They have a ‘tip-off’ provision that requires New York’s DMV commissioner to promptly inform any illegal alien when a federal immigration agency has requested their information," the attorney general said. "It’s tipping off an illegal alien. And it’s unconstitutional, and that’s why we filed this lawsuit." Is Michigan next on Bondi’s list? Michigan also has those who are attempting to keep dangerous criminal illegal immigrants in our neighborhoods. Across the country, Democrats are divided over whether to protect or expose criminal illegal immigrants. The policy identity crisis in the Democratic Party is threatening to widen the fissure caused by the failed Harris-Walz experiment, and I’m here for it.

Border Report [2/14/2025 5:46 PM, Sandra Sanchez, 153K] reports a leader of the Cartel del Noreste who smuggled drugs into the South Texas border town of Laredo has been sentenced to 16 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Gavino Cadena, 37, must serve 194 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised released after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute large quantities of marijuana into the United States, U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei said. Saldana found Cadena to be an organizer in the Mexican drug cartel and he "coordinated the drug loads, paid co-conspirators for their involvement and reported directly to cartel leaders in Mexico," according to a news release by Ganjei’s office. His arrest was part of a multi-year investigation that included two other related indictments and the seizure of more than 17 tons of marijuana valued at over $16 million.

CBS Austin [2/14/2025 9:46 AM, Madelin Morales, 581K] reports that the leader of a drug trafficking organization tied to the Mexican cartel has been sentenced to life in federal prison. Jose Ramon Castillo- Lopez, also known as "Pepo," was unlawfully residing in Texas when he was sentenced on Thursday. "Pepo" is from Namiquipa, Chihuahua, Mexico, where he supplied a co-conspirator with a firearm, along with methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl "M30" pills for distribution purposes. Castillo-Lopez used a garage in Midland to disassemble stolen vehicles to be used to transport illicit drugs and money. On Oct. 1, 2022, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents discovered that Castillo-Lopez had been arrested and charged with attempted capital murder for allegedly shooting a Seminole, Texas police officer. DEA agents confirmed that Castillo-Lopez was the leader of a United States-based drug trafficking organization, working directly with his counterpart on the Mexican side of the organization. Castillo-Lopez was responsible for the distribution of 100-300 pounds of actual methamphetamine per month, more than 20 kgs of cocaine, and several hundred grams of fentanyl M-30 pills and heroin.

Newsweek [2/14/2025 8:54 AM, Billal Rahman, 56005K] reports that a Texas Republican is calling for a more aggressive stance against drug cartels operating along the U.S.-Mexico border, arguing that the United States must go on the offense rather than remain defensive. "We don’t need to be cowering in our holes," Congressman Keith Self told Newsweek. "We need to be threatening the cartels, like I tried to do, to tell them, ‘You do not want to go to war with the United States.” Donald Trump has already signed an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels and other Latin American groups like the Venezuelan crime syndicate Tren de Aragua (TdA) as terrorist organizations. Trump’s order states that these groups "threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere.” The president has previously floated the possibility of deploying U.S. troops into Mexico to combat the country’s powerful crime lords and said it "could happen.” Self emphasized that the U.S. must take reasonable but firm action to combat cartel violence and protect American citizens and law enforcement officers. He stressed the importance of diplomatic pressure and a visible show of strength to send a clear message to criminal organizations. It comes after border agents in Texas were placed on high alert as a memo warned of potential attacks from the Mexican side of the border. A memo obtained by NewsNation from the Rio Grande Valley Sector Operations Center warns agents in the sector about an alleged plan by an organized cartel based in Matamoros, Mexico, to deploy a shooter targeting U.S. law enforcement or military personnel from across the border. Meanwhile, two weeks ago, suspected cartel members fired on Border Patrol agents in Fronton, Texas, from across the Mexican border. Drone footage from the Texas Department of Public Safety shows the suspects fleeing after the attack. Self has called for further resources to help keep Border Patrol agents on the front lines safe from the cartels.

FOX News [2/14/2025 5:38 PM, Adam Shaw, 57114K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio is using waivers to keep programs in Mexico and related to border security and anti-fentanyl efforts going amid a federal funding freeze – as he seeks to put pressure on Mexico to increase its efforts. A senior State Department official told Fox News Digital on Friday that Rubio has been granting waivers to the administration-wide pause on federal funding for efforts under the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Program. The INL program provides aid to border security agencies in other countries that could pose a threat to the U.S. if narcotics production, organized crime and terrorist activity are allowed to flourish. "INL programs aim to reduce the entry of illegal drugs into the United States and minimize the impact of international crime on the United States and its citizens," the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website says. That includes programs that target fentanyl smuggling. Illicit fentanyl, which can be fatal in tiny doses, is typically made in Mexico using Chinese precursors and then smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico land border. Fentanyl overdoses kill tens of thousands of Americans each year. Rubio recently completed a tour of Latin America, where he secured a number of commitments from foreign governments in terms of border security. The official said that INL programming has been coming back online in those countries since that trip. Reuters reported on Thursday that INL programming in Mexico had been halted, including programs that train Mexican authorities to find and destroy fentanyl labs and to stop precursor chemicals entering Mexico. But the State Department official disputed that, telling Fox News Digital that some Mexican programming has already been granted waivers. Specifically, there has been $5.2M in waivers approved to date for Mexico, with an additional $2.5 million pending resubmission. They said those waivers included funding for law enforcement in Mexico that has supported the extradition of transnational criminal organization members to the U.S. who have exported fentanyl and smuggled migrants into the U.S. Other programs include a wire intercept program and programs that assist with drug trafficking investigations of cartel members.

CBS News [2/14/2025 12:03 PM, Staff, 52225K] reports that Mexico’s president on Friday warned U.S. gunmakers they could face fresh legal action and be deemed accomplices if Washington designates Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups. "If they declare these criminal groups as terrorists, then we’ll have to expand our U.S. lawsuit," Claudia Sheinbaum said at a daily press conference. A new charge could include alleged "complicity" of gunmakers with terror groups, she said. Sheinbaum said the U.S. Justice Department itself has recognized that "74% of the weapons" used by criminal groups in Mexico come from north of the border. An estimated 200,000 to half a million U.S. firearms are smuggled into Mexico every year, "60 Minutes" reported in December. A 2023 CBS Reports investigation found that dozens of cartel gunrunning networks, operating like terrorist cells, pay Americans to buy weapons from gun stores and online dealers all across the country, as far north as Wisconsin and even Alaska, according to U.S. intelligence sources. The firearms are then shipped across the southwest border through a chain of brokers and couriers. On Thursday, the New York Times reported that the U.S. State Department plans to classify criminal groups from Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador and Venezuela as "terrorist organizations." [Editorial note: consult video at source link] Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 2:02 PM, Ana Isabel Martinez, Phil Stewart, and Idrees Ali, 57114K] reports Mexico says that its cartels largely obtain weapons brought across the border from the United States and has sued gunmakers in the U.S. for their alleged role in arming criminals. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to label the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Additionally, the U.S. military has also increased its airborne surveillance of Mexican drug cartels to collect intelligence to determine how to best counter their activities, the top U.S. general overseeing troops in North America said on Thursday, Feb. 13. "We have also increased some uniquely military capabilities that will get after... the cartels, which are driving the illegal migration, and that is primarily through airborne ISR to get more information on those and figure out how we can counter their actions," said Air Force General Gregory Guillot, head of U.S. Northern Command. Asked if he would need a carrier strike group in the waters between the United States and Mexico, Guillot said: "I will need significant increased maritime presence in cooperation with the Coast Guard."

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 2:02 PM, Ana Isabel Martinez, Phil Stewart, and Idrees Ali, 57114K] reports that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday that if the United States designated Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, Mexico would have to widen its suits against U.S. gunmakers. Mexico says that its cartels largely obtain weapons brought across the border from the United States and has sued gunmakers in the U.S. for their alleged role in arming criminals. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to label the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Additionally, the U.S. military has also increased its airborne surveillance of Mexican drug cartels to collect intelligence to determine how to best counter their activities, the top U.S. general overseeing troops in North America said on Thursday, Feb. 13. "We have also increased some uniquely military capabilities that will get after... the cartels, which are driving the illegal migration, and that is primarily through airborne ISR to get more information on those and figure out how we can counter their actions," said Air Force General Gregory Guillot, head of U.S. Northern Command. Asked if he would need a carrier strike group in the waters between the United States and Mexico, Guillot said: "I will need significant increased maritime presence in cooperation with the Coast Guard."

AP [2/14/2025 7:14 PM, Alma Solís, 2717K] reports Panama has received the first U.S. flight carrying deportees from other nations as the Trump administration takes Panama up on its offer to act as a stopover for expelled migrants, the Central American nation’s president said Thursday. “Yesterday a flight from the United States Air Force arrived with 119 people from diverse nationalities of the world,” President José Raúl Mulino said Thursday in his weekly press briefing. He said there were migrants from China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan, among others, aboard. The president said it was the first of three planned flights that were expected to total about 360 people. “It’s not something massive,” he said. The migrants were expected to be moved to a shelter in Panama’s Darien region before being returned to their countries, Mulino said. Asked later Thursday why Panama was acting as a stopover for these deportations, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Ruiz Hernández said that it was something the U.S. government had requested. He also said the U.S. government was paying for the repatriations through U.N. immigration agencies. The migrants who arrived Wednesday, had been detained after crossing the U.S. border and did not have criminal records, he said. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Mulino in Panama. While U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands to retake control of the Panama Canal dominated the visit, Mulino also discussed Panama’s efforts to slow migration through the Darien Gap and he offered Panama as a bridge to send U.S. deportees back to their countries. Rubio secured agreements on the trip with Guatemala and El Salvador as well, to accept migrants from other nations in what was seen as the laying groundwork for expanding U.S. capacity to speedily deport migrants. Migration through the Darien Gap connecting Panama and Colombia was down about 90% in January compared to the same month a year earlier.

FOX News [2/14/2025 4:57 PM, Breanne Deppisch, 49889K] reports the Trump administration sent three illegal immigrants back to their home country of Venezuela in response to a judge’s decision blocking them from being sent to Guantáamo Bay as part of a continued crackdown on illegal immigration. U.S. District Judge Kenneth J. Gonzales of New Mexico issued a memo Friday announcing the court had vacated a March 3 status conference for three Venezuelan migrants just five days after it blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to transfer the migrants to Guantáamo Bay. Since then, Gonzales said, respondents had filed a notice of removal "informing the court that all three petitioners were removed to Venezuela, their home country, on Feb. 10, 2025." Judge Gonzales granted the migrants’ request for a temporary restraining order blocking their transfer to Guantáamo, ordering the parties back to court March 3 for a status conference. In response, the administration appears to have taken the matter into its own hands.

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 12:34 PM, Raul A. Reyes, 57114K] reports that last week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, where the Trump administration has started sending people it describes as criminal migrants. Noem said that the site will "house the worst of the worst and illegal criminals that are in the United States of America." President Trump signed an executive memo in January directing the facilities at the naval station to be expanded to full capacity. Sending undocumented immigrants to Guantanamo Bay is a losing proposition. The move raises serious legal, logistical and human rights issues. It will create more problems than it solves, while doing little to improve our dysfunctional immigration system. The administration’s move may briefly appear successful in one way: as a short-term PR play. Some Trump supporters have welcomed the idea because they think it sends a message about how tough the administration is on migrants. However, Trump and Noem are about to find out why holding people at Gitmo is terrible policy.

Bloomberg [2/14/2025 2:45 PM, Fola Akinnibi, 21617K] reports that the Trump administration has resumed sharing sensitive information about people who come forward to sponsor unaccompanied migrant children with immigration authorities, a move that is expected to keep children in government custody for longer, according to two people familiar with the policy. The information is drawn from case files maintained by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a federal office tasked with the care and placement of children who enter the US without their parents. It’s being shared with the Department of Homeland Security, which is in charge of immigration enforcement, and includes potential sponsors’ names, addresses, immigration status and other personal information, according to the people, who requested anonymity to discuss internal policies and plans. For much of the last two decades, ORR has shielded its data from immigration enforcement officials to avoid discouraging potential sponsors from coming forward and ease fears that it could be used for immigration arrests and deportations. Trump administration officials argue that sharing the information will help prevent fraud and trafficking of children. White House border Czar Tom Homan told the Washington Post in January that he was seeking access to help find 300,000 unaccompanied minors he says are missing. The White House, DHS and HHS did not respond to requests for comment.

Reported similarly:
Public Radio 90 WNMU-FM [2/14/2025 12:24 PM, Ximena Bustillo, 8K]

ABC News [2/14/2025 10:10 PM, Luke Barr, 33392K] reports males detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be housed in units in several federal prisons around the country, according to the memorandum of understanding between the Bureau of Prisons and ICE, obtained exclusively by ABC News. The Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities that will house ICE detainees are the Federal Detention Center, Miami; Federal Detention Center, Philadelphia; Federal Correctional Institution, Atlanta; and Federal Correctional Institution, Leavenworth in Kansas; and Federal Correctional Institution, Berlin in New Hampshire, according to the memorandum. BOP will not house female ICE detainees. "ICE shall only place detainees at institutions designated by the BOP and may not place detainees at institutions without specific authorization by BOP," according to the agreement. The agreement, signed on Feb. 6, said that ICE will have at least two officers at every BOP facility that holds ICE detainees and the BOP will have final say on who gets into the facility. Detainees who are disruptive at facilities will be kicked out of BOP institutions, according to the agreement. One source who ABC News spoke with said housing ICE detainees has not been BOP’s mission for some time, and suggested the staffing shortage might hinder the Bureau’s ability to care for ICE detainees. Since his inauguration last month, President Donald Trump has been working to deliver on his campaign promise to crack down on immigration by targeting areas like birthright citizenship and refugee status. The administration has even used Guantanamo Bay -- the military base in Cuba -- to house the influx of arrested migrants.

FOX News [2/14/2025 10:58 AM, Adam Shaw, 49889K] reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of illegal immigrants have soared under the Trump administration compared to the same period last year under the Biden administration, with some metrics doubling or even tripling. According to Department of Homeland Security data, obtained by Fox News Digital, there were 11,791 interior ICE arrests from Jan 20 to Feb 8., compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024. That’s a 137% increase. Arrests of aliens with criminal histories have soared by nearly 100% from 4,526 in the same period in 2024 to 8,993 under Trump this year. Arrests of fugitive aliens at-large, meanwhile, have gone up from 2,164 to 5,538 -- a 156% increase. Arrests of criminal aliens in local jails have gone up 59%. Arrests of suspected gang members, including those belonging to the bloodthirsty Tren de Aragua, went from 210 in that period in 2024 to 430 under Trump, a 105% increase. The data is the latest sign that the Trump administration’s flat-out push to ramp up arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants, including by loosening the cuffs on ICE agents imposed by the prior administration, is having a significant impact. The administration has said it is trying to target the "worst of the worst," focusing on criminal illegal immigrants and gang members, but has also stressed that it is not ruling anyone out of contention.

CBS Austin [2/14/2025 12:06 PM, Cory Smith, 581K] reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is finishing its fourth week of work in President Donald Trump’s crackdown. Agents have been out in force across the country, targeting illegal immigrants who are accused of other crimes. But officials have warned that anyone who is in the country illegally can be arrested and deported. Trump’s "border czar" Tom Homan told reporters this week that sanctuary cities are putting up roadblocks, keeping federal authorities out of jails to arrest illegal immigrants accused of crimes. That’s forcing federal agents into the streets and neighborhoods to find and capture the immigrants they say are posing a danger to American communities. "When we find a bad guy, he’s probably with others that aren’t a criminal priority," Homan told reporters. "But they’re going to get arrested, too." "So, Sanctuary cities’ going to get exactly what they don’t want, more agents in the neighborhoods and more noncriminals being arrested, because they forced us in the community," he continued. ICE announced nearly 8,300 arrests in Trump’s first 10 days in office. ICE also reported thousands of detainers lodged in those first couple of weeks.

NBC News [2/14/2025 6:30 PM, Suzanne Gamboa, et al., 50804K] reports in the three weeks since President Donald Trump took office, Americans have witnessed a frenzy of arrests and deportations. But the president is beginning to run into the hard reality of limited resources, raising questions about whether this administration can keep up the pace. The speed of deportations is proving too slow for Trump. He has turned up the pressure on the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and his advisers to deport more people, sources told NBC News. Although at the start of the week Trump had expressed confidence in his immigration enforcement operation, by late Tuesday the top two officials in ICE’s enforcement division had been demoted, officials confirmed to NBC News. The demotions were first reported by Washington Post. ICE did not respond to questions about the latest immigration enforcement numbers. There also was no response to a request for comment on the pace of arrests and the cost of the operations. DHS posted on X that, as of Feb. 3, its agents had arrested 8,768 people. In January, ICE acting Director Caleb Vitello told ICE agents to aim for 1,200 to 1,400 arrests a day. On Jan. 27, ICE arrested 1,179 people, according to data obtained by NBC News. But the number dropped to 300 the first weekend in February, a source told NBC News. Arrests have been taking place in several major cities, including New York, Chicago and Denver, using personnel from other agencies to help make them. Trump may further expand manpower by deputizing IRS agents to investigate employers of people working illegally in the country. Already aiding the deportation operation are personnel from the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the U.S. Marshals Service. But ICE officials have told lawmakers they may not have all they need to carry out Trump’s ambitious operation. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said that Trump’s border czar Tom Homan and budget director Russell Vought pleaded with Senate lawmakers in a meeting this week for more money.

FOX News [2/14/2025 1:53 PM, Michael Dorgan Fox, 49889K] reports that a migrant prison gang member who has entered the U.S. illegally 10 times and is wanted for murder in Mexico has been deported, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Friday. Humberto Romero Avila, 45, described as a "foreign fugitive" by ICE, first illegally entered the country in 2002 and is wanted in Mexico in connection with the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man in 2007. As well as breaking immigration laws, Avila has also been convicted of larceny, four DWIs and several other criminal offenses while illegally roaming the streets in the U.S., ICE said. Avila, a member of the Paisas prison gang, was arrested in March 2024 following his latest felony arrest for DWI in Shelby County, Texas. ICE lodged an immigration detainer with the jail and forwarded his case for prosecution for illegal reentry. While conducting routine background checks, ICE was then notified by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico that Avila was wanted for allegedly killing Mexican national Geovany Uriel Prado Morales in Celaya, Guanajuato, ICE said. Avila was convicted of illegal reentry on Jan. 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and was sentenced to time served. He was then deported. There were 11,791 interior ICE arrests from Jan. 20 to Feb. 8, compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024, a 137% increase, according to Department of Homeland Security data obtained by Fox News Digital.

Reported similarly:
Newsweek [2/14/2025 6:28 PM, Dan Gooding, 56005K]

Wall Street Journal [2/14/2025 5:30 AM, Arian Campo-Flores and Chao Deng] reports escalating immigration raids and deportations are prompting some migrants to stay home from work, unsettling employers in industries that have long relied on foreign-born labor. After Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained workers at a seafood depot in Newark, N.J., in late January, four documented immigrants employed at nearby Top Burger restaurant didn’t show up for their shifts, said owner Klaytson Braga. He and his wife ended up having to work the kitchen and cash register on their own. “Oh, my God, it’s terrible now,” Braga said. “Legal or illegal, everyone’s scared.” Many employers that rely heavily on immigrant labor said their workers are continuing to come in. But others said a climate of fear has led to labor disruptions. Their industries include construction, food services and healthcare—sectors that often struggle to find workers and whose operations could be hampered by persistent absenteeism. President Trump made combating illegal immigration a centerpiece of his 2024 campaign, arguing that a flood of migrants in recent years was taking jobs from U.S. citizens and worsening crime rates throughout the country. His border czar, Tom Homan, has said that while the administration is focusing on people with criminal backgrounds, anyone in the U.S. illegally is a potential target. ICE stopped providing daily arrest totals earlier this month. But partial data since Trump took office showed the agency arresting on average 822 migrants a day. The agency arrested roughly 310 people a day in the 2024 fiscal year. Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. make up about 4.6% of the employed labor force, or 7.5 million people, according to an analysis last year of 2022 Census Bureau data by the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit research and advocacy group. They make up 14% of construction workers, 13% of agricultural ones and 7% of those in hospitality, the study said.

Newsweek [2/14/2025 11:15 AM, Billal Rahman, 56005K] reports that over 11,000 people have signed a petition by the Christian group Faithful America opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement operations in churches. "Our churches are sacred spaces where all people should be able to gather, worship, and care for one another without government intrusion or the threat of deportation," Faithful America said in a statement. The Department of Homeland Security released a memo that reversed the Biden administration’s policy of prohibiting ICE agents from operating in or near places of worship, schools, hospitals, and other "sensitive locations." A DHS spokesperson said that "criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest.” Churches in the U.S. play a key role in supporting migrants by offering resources, aid, and assistance. They often act as temporary shelters, especially for newcomers or those passing through. Many provide designated areas for rest and recovery while also operating food banks, distributing clothing, and supplying other essentials to help migrants address their immediate needs. Faithful America said allowing immigration enforcement operations inside churches is "a clear infringement on our religious freedom." Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman said in a statement: "This action empowers the brave men and women in CBP [Customs and Border Protection] and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens—including murders and rapists—who have illegally come into our country. Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense."

CBS Austin [2/14/2025 11:20 AM, Kristina Watrobski, 581K] reports that Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, warned Thursday Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., may "be in trouble" over a webinar about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hosted by her office. The congresswoman on Wednesday aired a "Know Your Rights with ICE" webinar on her Facebook page. The event, which Rep. Ocasio-Cortez did not attend, advised attendees of "trends" of arrests by ICE in New York and explained what rights they have during raids by the agency. Homan said during an interview on Fox News he is working with the Department of Justice to determine whether the webinar impeded the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. If so, what are we gonna do about it? Is she crossing the line?" Homan asked. "So, maybe AOC’s gonna be in trouble now, but I need the [Office of the Attorney General] to opine on that ... impediment is impediment, in my opinion, I’m not a prosecutor, but we need some further guidance on that," he added. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez mocked the border czar’s remarks in an X post Thursday night. “Maybe he can learn to read," she wrote of Homan. "The Constitution would be a good place to start."

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 6:00 PM, Staff, 57114K] reports A Warwick man was sentenced to federal prison Friday for traveling with the intent of having sex with a minor. Zachary Q. Baker, 39, pleaded guilty last July, admitting to a federal judge that he had traveled to a local hotel with the intention of having sex with someone he believed to be 13 years old, according to U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha. Baker responded to an online escort advertisement on March 10, 2023, that included images of two young girls being offered for a "short visit" and a "little fun," Cunha said. Baker engaged in a series of text messages with someone he believed was offering sex with a 13-year-old and an 11-year-old in exchange for a fee. After several hours, Baker traveled to a local hotel via a rideshare service and met with the person he had been messaging to arrange an encounter with one of the minors. In reality, Baker had been communicating with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent.

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 4:11 PM, Joey Schneider, 57114K] reports an undocumented immigrant living in St. Charles County was indicted Thursday on a federal child pornography charge. Francisco J. Ocana-Talamantes, 46, was indicted on one count of receiving child pornography, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. The indictment accuses Ocana-Talamantes of receiving images that contained child sexual abuse material via the internet between Feb. 11, 2020, and March 14, 2024. A motion seeking to have Ocana-Talamantes held in jail until trial says that he is in the country illegally, and he was already in custody prior to the charge. "The FBI and our local law enforcement partners had been investigating Francisco Ocana-Talamantes for his alleged crimes against children," said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Because this defendant had entered the country illegally, the FBI was able to expedite his federal indictment and arrest by leveraging our assistance to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement action.”

AP [2/15/2025 12:01 AM, Gisela Salomon, 30936K] reports the day before President Donald Trump’s inauguration, a dozen immigrant families came to Nora Sandigo’s ranch to ask her to be a legal guardian of their children. Now they are insisting she come over to their homes to sign the necessary paperwork. It’s a result of the many ways immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally have changed their travel patterns as many try to stay home as much as possible and avoid going to the homes and offices of advocates such as Sandigo. Many fear they could be caught up in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation after Trump campaigned on a promise of mass deportations and has terminated programs that had given immigrants a legal way into the U.S. In the past few weeks, Sandigo has received hundreds of calls from immigrant parents across the U.S. She said she has been in at least 15 houses where parents have filled out paperwork so Sandigo could sign documents on behalf of their children at schools, hospitals and courts if they are deported. The power of attorney also allows her to help the children travel to reunite with their families. “Now people are telling us that they are afraid to go out on the street, that they are afraid to drive, that they are afraid that they will stop them on the street,” said Sandigo, a 59-year-old mother of two daughters who lives in Homestead, a city of about 80,000 people south of Miami. “They have asked me to go to where they are instead of them coming to me.” The White House has said over 8,000 immigrants who were in the country illegally have been arrested since Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. ICE averaged 787 arrests a day from Jan. 23 to Jan. 31, compared with a daily average of 311 during a 12-month period that ended Sept. 30 during the Biden administration. ICE has stopped publishing daily arrest totals. In Homestead, where many immigrants from Mexico and Central America live and work in nurseries and fruit and vegetable fields, some avoid the supermarkets and instead ask neighbors to do their grocery shopping. In front of stores like Home Depot, men no longer stand around looking for work. Others have even stopped going to Sacred Heart Church on Sundays. “People have stopped coming, and when they come, they ask if the immigration officials came here,” said Elisaul Velazco, the owner of a clothing store downtown. “Everything is paralyzed. Sales have dropped by 60%.”

CBS Austin [2/14/2025 10:35 AM, Staff, 581K] reports that authorities arrested three suspected human smugglers in South Bexar County during a routine traffic stop that unearthed more than $20,000 in cash. The arrest took place on Wednesday after deputies discovered that the suspects were not only involved in human smuggling within Bexar County but were also operating outside the county’s jurisdiction. The trio attempted to avoid detection by driving a stolen truck and evading border checkpoints, traveling across private ranches in an effort to bypass security measures. To blend into their surroundings, they wore fluorescent traffic vests, disguising themselves as construction workers. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Human Exploitation Unit, in collaboration with the Border Patrol Anti-Smuggling Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), conducted the arrest as part of a broader crackdown on human trafficking. The suspects were identified as Wilfredo Cruz Flores, 47, a native of El Salvador; Hector Alonzo Rodriguez Viera, 27, from Venezuela; and Juan Carlos Segura Piñon, 36, from Mexico. They now face charges of organized crime, with additional counts related to money laundering and unauthorized vehicle use. All three suspects were booked into the Bexar County Jail.

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 5:28 PM, Erica Garner, 57114K] reports six victims were rescued and five suspects were arrested during a human trafficking sting operation in Abilene. The Texas Department of Public Safety led the operation, which took place February 12 and 13, with assistance from the Abilene Police Department, the Texas Attorney General’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security. Child exploitation and human trafficking were the focus of the operation, and DPS officials say, "the goal of this operation was to apprehend human traffickers and individuals soliciting minor prostitution, as well as to provide services to identified victims of human trafficking.” In total, six victims were rescued and received help from the State.

CBS News [2/14/2025 8:43 PM, Ken Molestina, Lexi Salazar, Katie Standing, 52225K] reports that, as President Donald Trump makes good on his campaign promise to ramp up deportation operations across the U.S., one of his longtime supporters, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, is hoping to clarify local law enforcement’s role and ease community concerns. While the Trump administration said they are only targeting criminals who are in the country illegally, those words have done little to comfort some immigrant communities, according to Sal Carrillo, the district director for the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC). He says the fear in some of these communities is "palpable." Carrillo said the worry of deportations is hurting relationships between those in the immigrant community he represents and law enforcement officials at all levels. "A blue uniform is the same as a black uniform, as a brown uniform," Carrillo said. "If they are fearful they are going to hesitate to call, period." Sheriff Waybourn said he wants to make sure the community knows that his deputies are not taking part in immigration raids. "We have no authority to do that," Waybourn said. "That is not our role." Waybourn clarified his deputies are required to flag undocumented immigrants in their custody for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to process. "Nothing happens until they get inside the jail," Waybourn said. "We go through a process, either ICE or we do, to try to find their country of origin, trying to determine if they are here legally or illegally." Tarrant County is enrolled in a program known as 287(g), which trains jailers to perform immigration duties, including detaining inmates who are in the country illegally and accessing ICE’s database. Waybourn said at any given time, the Tarrant County Jail has about 270 inmates out of 4,200 with immigration detainers in custody, representing about about 22 different foreign countries. When asked by CBS News Texas how he would respond if asked by the Trump administration to take part in further immigration enforcement, Waybourn said he doesn’t have enough information right now to make that decision. "We are going to obey the law," Waybourn said. "We are going to enforce the law, but that hasn’t come up and quite frankly I don’t know that we have the personnel to do it." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Univision [2/14/2025 6:24 PM, Staff, 7281K] reports Melquiades Cruz is a Mexican day laborer who has lived for 30 years in the United States. But his stay in the country is at risk after he said, when he went out looking for work he was "deceived" and arrested by ICE. He is now separated from his family. Mercedes Garcia, Melquiades’ wife, reported in an interview with Univision Atlanta that Melquiades went to work Monday morning, but no longer returned. According to Melquiades, he and apparently other people were in Fulton when a van stood in front of them. The occupants, who wore civilian clothes, asked them if they wanted to work. The answer was a yes, so they got into the van, but instead of taking them to a workplace, they were detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE). "Then he called his daughter to tell him that ICE had grabbed him," Mercedes Garcia recounted. Although Mrs. García does not know if the agents spoke to them in Spanish, she does know that they were not in uniform, they were not travelling in a van with any logo that identified them as a government agency. "That’s very serious, because they got on deceived," he said. If the information is confirmed, it would be the first case in Georgia in which ICE changes its arrest strategy and operates in this way. After being questioned about whether her husband had any deportation orders or had any criminal record, Mrs. Garcia replied no. Only once did he get a ticket, which he paid for.

The Hill [2/14/2025 1:59 PM, Ailia Zehra, 16346K] reports that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) plans to veto a bill that would prevent the state’s prison system from collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), his office told The Hill on Friday. “The Governor will veto AB 15 if it reaches his desk,” the office said. Assembly Bill 15 states that when California’s jails and prisons voluntarily and unnecessarily transfer immigrants eligible to release from state or local custody to ICE for detention and deportation purposes, these community members face “double punishment and further trauma.” “The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) shall not detain on the basis of a hold request, provide an immigration authority with release date information, or respond to a notification request, transfer to an immigration authority, or facilitate or assist with a transfer request any individual who is eligible for release,” the bill says. The state’s law permits the CDCR to communicate and work with ICE to transfer inmates convicted of felonies to ICE custody after they have completed their prison sentences. Newsom has previously vetoed this bill on two occasions: Assembly Bill 1306 in 2023 and another version, Assembly Bill 1282, in 2019. FOX News [2/14/2025 9:49 AM, Greg Norman, 49889K] reports that the bill is sponsored by Mike Gipson, a Democratic lawmaker who represents Los Angeles. Newsom’s office says California law currently allows CDCR to coordinate with ICE to take custody of individuals convicted of felony offenses who have served their terms within the state prison system. More than 10,500 California inmates – including murderers and rapists – have been transferred from state prisons into ICE custody since Newsom became governor in 2019, his office also said. CBS Austin [2/14/2025 12:21 PM, Kristina Watrobski, 581K] reports that current state law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to "cooperate" with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the text of AB 15 says. This includes allowing prison facilities to be used for deportation hearings. A first hearing for AB 15 has yet to be scheduled, according to the California State Legislature’s website. However, a spokesperson for Gov. Newsom’s office confirmed to The National News Desk (TNND) Friday the governor will veto the bill if presented with it.

Newsweek [2/14/2025 4:06 OM, Billal Rahman, 56005K] reports that a California mother is speaking out after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained her undocumented husband in front of their children, calling the raid part of a "political war" on immigrant families. Loreal Duran, a resident of Echo Park, Los Angeles, described the moment when ICE agents surrounded her car early in the morning; detained her husband, Giovanni Duran, without explanation; and left her family devastated. As immigration crackdowns intensify under the Trump administration, Loreal Duran fears for her family’s future while her young children, including a son with autism, grapple with the emotional trauma of their father’s sudden arrest. Loreal Duran has discussed the emotional toll the raid has taken on her family, expressing frustration over what she sees as politically motivated immigration enforcement. "I’m feeling a lot of hate. A lot of anger. And I just feel like we’re at this point that as a society, this is what it comes to," she told Newsweek in an exclusive interview. "It’s some kind of political war, and they’re playing with people’s lives and people’s families," she continued, adding, "I don’t have my husband, and my kids don’t have a father.” ICE agents can detain individuals in public spaces without a warrant, provided they have probable cause to believe the person is violating immigration laws. Public spaces include streets, open businesses and courthouses.

Washington Post [2/15/2025 6:00 AM, Arelis R. Hernández, 40736K] reports there are signs all over town that the troops have arrived. The two hotels closest to the Border Patrol headquarters are sold out. A local gym and a barbershop are advertising discounts for men and women in uniform. And every Thursday, diners can use their military IDs to save on food and drinks at Molcajetes Mexican restaurant. Several hundred active-duty soldiers arrived in the Texas city of Del Rio in late January after President Donald Trump declared an invasion and ordered troops to deploy to the southern border. The U.S. Department of Defense says 3,600 servicemen and women, mostly from the U.S. Army and Marines, have now been sent to help patrol the nation’s land border with Mexico. But their arrival comes at one of the quietest moments at the border in the last decade. Agents with the Border Patrol sector that includes Del Rio and the neighboring city of Eagle Pass have been apprehending less than 50 people a day since late January. That’s a stark decline from 2023, when up to 5,000 migrants surrendered to agents after crossing the Rio Grande daily. Locals here say they welcome the tax revenue and extra boots on the ground. But it’s not clear to them why they are needed now. "We’re glad they’re here enjoying our city," said Alvaro Arreola, the mayor of Del Rio. "Even if we haven’t gotten any information about their actual mission.” Across the 2,100 miles of land that divides the United States and Mexico, the number of illegal migrant crossings has been plummeting. The decline began last year, when Mexico stepped up enforcement by stopping migrants from reaching the border. Then the Biden administration barred migrants who crossed illegally from claiming asylum and directed people to apply for entry through an app instead. Border apprehensions had dropped to near 2019 levels by the time Trump was sworn in. He swiftly canceled CBP One app appointments for thousands of migrants, declared an emergency and effectively sealed the border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded more than 2 million encounters with migrants attempting to cross the border in 2022 and 2023. If the current trends hold for this year, 2025 border apprehensions could drop to less than 300,000 — a level unseen since 2017. "People are recalculating and rethinking their plans," said Adam Isacson, a border security analyst with the Washington Office on Latin America. "If anyone is crossing and turning themselves in they are severely misinformed or beyond desperate.”

Border Report [2/14/2025 4:57 PM, Julian Resendiz, 153K] reports at least three House members from border districts are celebrating passage of a bill enhancing penalties for individuals fleeing law enforcement at high speeds within 100 miles of Mexico or Canada. The House of Representatives on Thursday approved the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act by a vote of 264-155. The act amends existing legislation on crimes involving motor vehicles by fleeing from the Border Patrol or any other law enforcement its agents. It establishes incarceration of up to two years for those who endanger the public while fleeing, up to 20 years if the flight results in serious bodily injury to someone else and up to life in prison if someone dies. It also amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to disqualify from asylum foreigners convicted of evading arrest while operating a motor vehicle while making other non-citizens eligible for deportation.

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 10:02 AM, Luis Martinez, 57114K] reports that after senior U.S. military officials told Congress they do not know yet how much the surge of active-duty military forces to the southern border with Mexico and the buildup of infrastructure to house thousands of migrants at Guantanamo might end up costing, two Democratic senators on Friday requested more details from the Pentagon. Following a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday with the commanders of U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command, Sens. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting specific details by Feb. 27 regarding the costs, impact on readiness and impact on morale that would result from the new missions along the border and at Guantanamo. "We are concerned about the Department of Defense’s (DoD) immigration-related operations at the southern border and at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay -- including the implications of these operations for the military’s budget, readiness, and morale," the senators said in the lengthy letter requesting specific details from the Pentagon. "DoD’s support for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been expensive for American taxpayers, with some DoD expenses costing over three times more than when DHS performs the same function, while also posing "an unacceptable risk" to units’ readiness," they wrote.

AP [2/15/2025 12:04 AM, Patrick Whittle and Holly Ramer, 33392K] reports the killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland near the Canadian border last month and five other homicides in Vermont, Pennsylvania and California have been tied to a cultlike group. Interviews and online postings reveal how young computer scientists described by those who know them as highly intelligent appear to have become increasingly violent. Maland, 44, was killed in a Jan. 20 shootout following a traffic stop in Coventry, Vermont, a small town about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the Canadian border. Washington state resident Teresa Youngblut, 21, faces two weapons charges in connection with the killing. She was traveling with German citizen Felix Bauckholt, who is also listed in court documents as Ophelia. Both had connections to a cultlike group known in online communities as “Zizians” because of their affinity for a blogger who calls herself “Ziz.” The pair had been under the surveillance of authorities for several days after an employee at a hotel where they were staying reported seeing Youngblut carrying a gun. Bauckholt died in the Vermont shootout. Authorities have not specified whose bullets hit whom. Youngblut’s lawyer said through a spokesperson that they are not commenting. Youngblut pleaded not guilty in federal court on Feb. 7. Jack LaSota, 34, of Berkeley, California, published a dark and sometimes violent blog under the name Ziz and, in one section, described her theory that the two hemispheres of the brain could hold separate values and genders and “often desire to kill each other.” LaSota, who used she/her pronouns, and in her writings says she is a transgender woman, railed against perceived enemies, including so-called rationalist groups, which operate mostly online and seek to understand human cognition through reason and knowledge. Some are concerned with the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 7:12 PM, Dustin Massengill, 57114K] reports U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Louisville intercepted 28 shipments of counterfeit designer jewelry in January. A news release said the seized shipments contained fake designer jewelry such as watches, bracelets, and rings. The items came primarily from China and Hong Kong, destined for locations across the U.S., according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. If the jewelry had been authentic, it would have been worth more than $27 million. "Counterfeit goods are poor quality products that cost U.S. businesses billions of dollars a year while robbing our country of jobs and tax revenues," director of field operations at the Chicago field office, LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, said. "CBP officers throughout my field offices remain committed to stopping counterfeit smuggling, taking profits from organized crime, and helping protect our communities from potentially hazardous knockoffs.” CBP said shipments seized from China and Hong Kong made up about 90% of items seized in 2024. "Our officers are highly skilled at identifying packages that represent a higher level of risk through visual examination, based on their knowledge and awareness of ever-changing trends employed by the individuals and organizations seeking to illegally import contraband," Louisville’s Port Director Philip Onken said.

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 8:18 AM, Christina Hall, 57114K] reports that a Canadian truck driver is charged in U.S. federal court after he was arrested with suspected cocaine weighing more than 240 pounds in his semitruck as he tried to return to Canada from Detroit. Federal officials said the street value of the suspected cocaine was estimated to be more than $1.7 million. Muhammad Shaikh is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine in a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit. He was ordered temporarily detained during an initial appearance Wednesday in federal court. A detention hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18, according to online court records. Messages were left for his attorney, who could not be immediately reached Thursday. Marty Raybon, director of field operations for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Detroit Field Office, posted Thursday on X that the cocaine was seized near the Ambassador Bridge. Trucks make their way across the Ambassador Bridge before they are met by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. According to the criminal complaint, Shaikh was contacted and asked where he was coming from and what he was hauling about 6 p.m. Tuesday during outbound enforcement operations at the bridge. He told authorities "auto parts from Indiana," the complaint read, and his semi was sent for further inspection. A customs officer noticed five duffle bags inside the cab and under the bunk, per the criminal complaint. It read that the officer opened one of the duffle bags and found several plastic, vacuum-sealed, black brick bundles. The individually-wrapped bundles weighed 110.45 kilograms. Narcotics testing was conducted on several of the bundles, which varied in weight, and all of the tested parcels came back positive for cocaine, per the criminal complaint. It states that Shaikh waived his Miranda rights and was interviewed, stating he entered the U.S. on Tuesday morning and drove to Gary, Indiana, to load his truck with auto parts. He said he was smoking marijuana while waiting in line for his truck to be loaded and an unknown male approached him and demanded that he deliver packages into Canada, according to the criminal complaint. Shaikh stated the person handed him a cell phone and said he must make a delivery, and if he successfully did so, he would be paid $5,000. It added that he stated the person took a picture of his identification, and he saw the person load the cab of his vehicle with several duffle bags. Shaikh stated he was instructed to drive into Canada and would receive further instruction once across the border, according to the criminal complaint. He said he made no stops along the return to Canada. Once customs officials discovered the cell phone he had, the cell phone data was remotely erased, according to the criminal complaint. Before the data was wiped, it states, officers were able to retrieve a screenshot of an incoming call through WhatsApp. Shaikh stated he has worked for his current company for several years and has never been approached by anyone trying to smuggle narcotics into Canada, nor did he know anyone who has been approached, according to the criminal complaint.

Border Report [2/14/2025 2:47 PM, Alejandra Yañez, 153K] reports the new head of the Border Patrol is in the Valley Friday. Mike Banks is in Edinburg where he will be swearing in 300 National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers. Banks is giving these troops the jurisdiction to now arrest immigrants crossing into the U.S. illegally. The Texas Tribune reported that Governor Greg Abbott has signed an agreement with President Donald Trump’s administration earlier this month authorizing Texas National Guard soldiers to make immigration arrests as long as they work in tandem with federal agents. Abbott clarified Thursday that the agreement means they have the same authority as any ICE or Border Patrol agents, including "apprehending, arresting, jailing, and going through the deportation process." He added Department of Public Safety officers were also working with ICE, embedding with ICE agents in their operations in Texas.

AP [2/14/2025 5:31 PM, Valerie Gonzalez] reports once busy river landings near the Texas border city of Mission were barren of the migrants who previously crossed there, though the river bank was littered with clothes, plastic bracelets issued by smugglers and a teddy bear on an unusually cold Thursday morning. Arrests for illegal crossings have fallen dramatically from an all-time monthly high of 250,000 in December 2023, perhaps most strikingly in the Rio Grande Valley, the epicenter for migrant arrivals from 2013 to 2022. Associated Press journalists accompanying Border Patrol agents in an SUV and on speedboats that traversed 30 miles along the Rio Grande Valley and river for five hours Thursday didn’t encounter a single migrant. Arrests, already at their lowest levels since 2019 when President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, have fallen sharply in recent weeks. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said Friday they are currently about 350 a day, down from more than 1,500 daily in December, the last month of published data.

Border Report [2/14/2025 5:52 PM, Sandra Sanchez, 153K] reports the Humanitarian Respite Center in downtown McAllen recently has had days without immigrants released to the shelter for help by Border Patrol since President Trump took office. And because of that the director says they are spending less federal funds to help them, Border Report has learned. Republicans in Congress are pushing for no funds allocated for the reimbursement of immigrant care to nonprofits, communities or municipalities as they have yet to still finalize the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and are arguing over border spending, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee says.

CBS Austin [2/14/2025 10:20 AM, Erika Esquivel, 581K] reports that a migrant was sentenced to one year in prison Tuesday after biting a Border Patrol agent on May 29. The court documents stated the incident happened near the border wall in Santa Teresa, New Mexico when the Border Patrol agent saw 27-year-old Erika Lobato-Melendez walking along the border wall with other people and children. The agent addressed the group speaking in Spanish and announced herself as a Border Patrol agent, according to officials. When the agent told the group they were going to have to get in her Border Patrol unit Lobato-Melendez said "We are not coming with you," according to the document. The agent then went "hands-on" on Lobato which caused a struggle, the document states. The agent was able to handcuff one of the migrant’s hands before another agent arrived to assist. Officials said Lobato then bit the agent on her leg and left forearm through her jacket. The migrant was then retrained and detained.

FOX News [2/14/2025 5:38 PM, Adam Shaw, 49889K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio is using waivers to keep programs in Mexico and related to border security and anti-fentanyl efforts going amid a federal funding freeze – as he seeks to put pressure on Mexico to increase its efforts. A senior State Department official told Fox News Digital on Friday that Rubio has been granting waivers to the administration-wide pause on federal funding for efforts under the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Program.

Miami Herald [2/14/2025 12:37 PM, Christopher Flavelle, 6595K] reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has decided to stop enforcing rules designed to prevent flood damage to schools, libraries, fire stations and other public buildings. Experts say the move, which has not been publicly announced, could endanger public safety and may be in violation of federal law. The change in policy was laid out in a Feb. 4 memo by FEMA’s chief counsel, Adrian Sevier, that was viewed by The New York Times. The rule in question, called the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, was one of the Biden administration’s most significant efforts to address the growing costs of disasters. The rule says that when public buildings in a flood zone are damaged or destroyed, those structures must be rebuilt in a way that prevents future flood damage if they are to qualify for FEMA funding. That could include elevating a structure above the expected height of a future flood or relocating it to a safer spot. In some cases, the standards also apply to private homes repaired or rebuilt in a flood plain. The goal wasn’t just to protect people and property, according to Deanne Criswell, the head of FEMA at the time. It was also to save taxpayers’ money as climate change made flooding more frequent, causing buildings in flood plains to be repeatedly damaged and then repeatedly rebuilt with government help. "We are going to be able to put a stop to the cycle of response and recovery, and rinse and repeat," Criswell said at the time.

Politico [2/14/2025 12:00 PM, Thomas Frank, 57114K] reports that the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency undercut President Donald Trump’s false statements that the agency spent disaster aid on undocumented migrants, noting in court papers that the money came from a special fund that is separate from recovery efforts. Cameron Hamilton, acting administrator of FEMA, wrote in a court filing this week that FEMA migrant aid is funded through a program intended "to provide temporary shelter and other services to aliens released from custody." Trump and his supporters, including Republicans in Congress and Hamilton himself, have spread misinformation in accusing the agency of diverting disaster aid to help migrants who illegally crossed the southwest border into the United States. Hamilton used his personal X account to amplify the false accusations months before Trump appointed him to run the agency. He tacitly walked those claims back in Tuesday’s court filing by citing laws that Congress — including the Republican-controlled House — passed in 2023 and 2024 to create and fund the Shelter and Services Program, which offers hotel rooms to migrants who were released from federal custody after entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico.

Reuters [2/14/2025 5:01 PM, Nichola Groom, 48128K] reports the Trump administration has halted funding for federal programs to reduce wildfire risk in Western states and has frozen hiring of seasonal firefighters, as part of broad cuts to government spending, according to organizations impacted by the moves. The reduction in resources for wildfire prevention comes a month after devastating blazes in Los Angeles that are expected to be the costliest in U.S. history, with some expecting losses as high as $35 billion. A spokesperson for the Interior Department, the parent agency of the BLM and National Parks Service, said it was reviewing funding decisions. Senate Democrats have called on the administration to unlock fire mitigation funding, and separately have asked Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture leadership to exempt seasonal firefighters from a broad federal hiring freeze.

Los Angeles Times [2/14/2025 2:36 PM, James Rainey, 17996K] reports that President Trump has insisted that "raking" of the forests and other fuel reduction measures would help prevent wildfires from devastating the West. But early actions by his administration have frozen one of the key programs to complete that sort of work, weeks after a pair of giant fires devastated broad stretches of Altadena and Pacific Palisades. The administration’s block on some Bureau of Land Management contracts comes at the same time that it has frozen most federal government hiring - an action that has led to confusion at the U.S. Forest Service, where the hiring of some firefighters has been postponed. Officials who oversee the BLM contracts said that they are trying to make sure that spending approved under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act comply with Trump’s executive orders. A pair of firefighter unions and dozens of Democrats in Congress have condemned the Trump administration’s hold on the contracts and the hiring delay, saying the actions defy common sense and Trump’s own admonitions about the way to reduce the threat of wildfires. California’s two U.S. senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, joined a dozen other Western senators in demanding that the BLM lift its hold on the wildland "treatment" contracts that pay private companies to remove brush and trees in fire-prone areas. Fifty-seven House members - including Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and Scott Peters (D-San Diego) - joined in demanding restoration of the fire prevention work and resumption of hiring of firefighters by the chronically understaffed Forest Service.

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 12:00 PM, Madylin Goins, 57114K] reports that ahead of the upcoming rainfall, Gov. Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency. The governor’s office reported that a flood watch is in effect from early Saturday morning through midday Sunday. Anywhere from two to five inches of rainfall is expected. Following the snow and rain over the past week, precipitation is expected to result in significant flooding across the state. River flooding is also likely through next week. "We want everyone to be careful," Beshear said. "The amount of rain coming down will make it hard to drive, and flash flooding, especially across our roads, can create dangerous conditions. And remember, don’t drive through standing water; it can have a current, and it is incredibly dangerous." If you must travel, drivers should check traffic conditions before hitting the road, as roadways may be flooded. Never drive through floodwaters. According to the National Weather Service, it only takes 12 inches of rushing water to carry away a vehicle. The governor’s office said that the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center has been activated and Kentucky National Guard units are on standby.

New York Times [2/14/2025 12:25 PM, Hiroko Tabuchi, 161405K] reports that a Texas county is taking steps to declare a state of emergency and seek federal assistance over farmland contaminated with harmful “forever chemicals,” as concerns grow over the safety of fertilizer made from sewage. Johnson County, south of Fort Worth, has been roiled since county investigators found high levels of chemicals called PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, at two cattle ranches in the county in 2023. The county says the PFAS, also known as forever chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment, came from contaminated fertilizer used on a neighboring farm. That fertilizer was made out of treated sewage from Fort Worth’s wastewater treatment plant. A New York Times investigation into the use of contaminated sewage sludge as fertilizer focused in part on the experience of ranchers in Johnson County. PFAS, which is used in everyday items like nonstick cookware and stain-resistant carpets, has been found to increase the risk of certain types of cancer, and can cause birth defects, developmental delays in children, and other health harms. County commissioners passed a resolution this week calling on Texas governor Greg Abbott to join the declaration, and seek federal disaster assistance.

CNN [2/15/2025 3:45 AM, Karina Tsui, 987K] reports a 5.0 magnitude earthquake was detected in western Texas Friday night, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake at 10:23 p.m. MT (11:23 p.m. CT) had a depth of roughly 4.1 miles, with its epicenter 33 miles northwest of Toyah, Texas –– a town around 160 miles east of El Paso. Aftershocks were detected within five minutes near the same location, according to the USGS. The National Weather Service in El Paso said on social media it felt an earthquake. Tremors were also reportedly felt in New Mexico cities, including Carlsbad, Roswell and Las Cruces. There are no immediate reports of injuries in the area. CNN has reached out to the Reeves County Sheriff’s Office in Texas for further details.

Los Angeles Times [2/15/2025 6:00 AM, Tony Briscoe, 17996K] reports federal officials are standing by their decision to skip soil testing after cleanup crews remove debris from properties destroyed in the L.A. wildfires. The decision comes amid a torrent of criticism and concerns from wildfire survivors and California elected officials. FEMA officials say that in the future, they won’t order soil testing after wildfires in the Southwest and Pacific Islands. In the face of mounting backlash from wildfire survivors and California elected officials, federal disaster agencies are defending their decision to forgo soil testing after cleanup crews remove debris from properties that burned in the Los Angeles County fires. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have said that federal cleanup workers will remove toxic wildfire ash and rubble, along with a 6-inch layer of topsoil from properties. But, this week, federal officials told The Times they won’t order soil testing to confirm that properties aren’t still contaminated after the removal. Follow-up soil testing — conducted after every major wildfire in California since 2007 — is intended to ensure that properties are remediated to state standards and don’t still contain dangerous levels of toxic substances. But now FEMA, the agency responsible for allocating funding and outlining cleanup procedures in the aftermath of wildfires, insists that scraping 6 inches of topsoil from each property is sufficient to protect public health. Brandi Richard Thompson, a spokesperson for FEMA Region 9, which oversees disaster response in the southwestern U.S. and Pacific islands, said the agency’s cleanup strategy is "based on scientific best practices and FEMA’s longstanding policies." She said any contamination deeper than 3 to 6 inches "is unlikely to be attributable to the fire itself and does not pose an immediate threat to public health and safety.” "While FEMA is committed to supporting communities in their recovery, decisions regarding additional soil testing and over-excavation are left to local and state authorities," Richard Thompson said in a statement to The Times. "These measures are not required under existing public health or rebuilding regulations, and FEMA is unable to fund activities that are not directly linked to fire-related contamination. However, local governments are free to conduct additional testing if they wish to do so.”

VOA News [2/14/2025 9:42 PM, Staff, 2717K] reports that, after days of heavy rain, the strongest storm of the year brought dangerous debris flows and rock- and mudslides across Southern California on Friday, including in several areas that last month were ablaze with devastating fires. Some areas in the region received as much as 12 centimeters of rain this week, the National Weather Service said. "There are plenty of reports of debris flow," meteorologist Scott Kleebauer of the weather service said Friday. The scorched earth left behind by the fires is now particularly vulnerable to the water-fueled rock- and mudslides, as the vegetation that once anchored the soil was burned away. While this week’s rain is beginning to ease, that does not mean the slides will stop. The drenched soil can continue to move even after the rain subsides. Parts of the iconic Pacific Coast Highway were shut down Thursday because of flooding and mudslides. In Pacific Palisades, a highway intersection was under a meter of sludge. Photographs posted on social media showed parked cars in Pacific Palisades covered in mud up to their windows. Bulldozers have been assigned to the area to clean up the muck. In one harrowing experience Thursday, a member of the Los Angeles Fire Department was driving along the Pacific Coast Highway when a debris flow swept his vehicle into the ocean. Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the fire department, said the driver was able to get out of his vehicle and reportedly suffered only minor injuries. In Sierra Madre, a city of 10,000 that was the site of last month’s Eaton Fire, a boulder-strewn mudslide damaged several homes. “It happened very quickly but it was very loud, and you could even hear the ground or feel the ground shaking,” Bull Duvall, who has lived in Sierra Madre for 28 years, told The Associated Press. City officials issued an evacuation order warning residents that emergency responders would not enter locations with active mud and debris flows. The National Weather Service confirmed Friday that a weak tornado hit a mobile home community Thursday in Oxnard, California. There were no reports of deaths or injuries at Country Club Mobile Estates, but property damage included ripped roofs and downed power lines.

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 11:05 AM, Hailey Clevenger, 57114K] reports that credit card skimmers were found at Trucchi’s Supermarket in West Bridgewater, Abington, Taunton and New Bedford, West Bridgewater Police Chief Timothy Nixon said. Nixon said police are looking for a male suspect, approximately 5-feet-10-inches tall and weighing 195 to 200 pounds. He was wearing a dark tan Carhartt-style winter jacket and a gray winter hat with a square logo, the chief said. On Thursday, Feb. 13 an employee of the Trucchi’s at 53 East Center St. in West Bridgewater reported the possible discovery of credit card skimmers, Nixon said in a written statement. The skimmers were found on Feb. 10 by store employees and were believed to be there since Feb 8. On the evening of Monday, Feb. 10, at approximately 4:45 p.m. skimmers were found in the Abington store at 858 Bedford St. in lanes 5, 7 and 8. Also on Monday evening, Feb. 10, skimmers were found at 8 p.m. in the West Bridgewater store at 53 East Center St. in lanes 1 and 2. On the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 11, at approximately 8:30 a.m., a skimmer was found in the Taunton store at 534 County St. in lane 1. Also on Feb. 11, at 9 a.m., skimmers were found in the New Bedford store, 2941 Achushnet Ave. in lanes 3 and 5. No, no skimmers were found at the stores on Tremont Street in Taunton and West Grove Street in Middleboro, according to Trucchi’s. This is being investigated by local police departments and the U.S. Secret Service.

KEDM 90.3 Public Radio [2/14/2025 12:40 PM, Staff, 3K] reports that acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Elijah D. Brown, 24, has been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Brown was sentenced to 63 months in prison, to run consecutive to a 42-month federal prison sentence he is currently serving for illegal possession of a machine gun, for a total of 105 months (8 years, 9 months) in prison. In addition, Brown was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,254,790. In April 2024, a federal grand jury in Shreveport returned an indictment charging 21 defendants in connection with a federal bank fraud case in the Shreveport area. All of those defendants have now entered guilty pleas or entered into pretrial diversion agreements. A summary of the 20 remaining defendants and their status is as follows: Sentenced to 3 years supervised probation and ordered to pay $34,261.81 in restitution. Sentenced to 9 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $9,317.50. Pleaded guilty to possession of a counterfeit security. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police and Shreveport Police Department and was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.

Miami Herald [2/14/2025 1:40 PM, Clyde Hughes, 6595K] reports that the U.S. Coast Guard in San Diego said on Thursday that it offloaded more than 37,000 pounds of cocaine from nearly a dozen smuggling interdictions from December through February worth $275 million. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche offloaded the drugs in San Diego after encounters off the coast of Mexico as well as and Central and South America. "The Waesche crew faced numerous challenges during this patrol, overcoming the hardest adversities and still had 11 successful drug interdictions," Coast Guard Capt. Tyson Scofield, commander of the Waeshe said in a statement. "Their dedication, strength of character, and resilience ensured the success of our mission, preventing over $275 million worth of illicit narcotics from reaching the United States and protecting our communities from the devastating effects of transnational crime.” The Coast Guard said the departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security also contributed to the operation. The branch also received contributions from the Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean requires unity of effort in all phases, from detection, monitoring, and interdictions to criminal prosecutions by international partners and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in districts across the nation," the Coast Guard said in a statement.

MeriTalk [2/14/2025 11:45 AM, Andrew Rice, 31K] reports that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended this week that the U.S. Coast Guard update its oversight standards and cybersecurity protections for vessels and facilities within maritime transportation system (MTS) which include waterways, ports, and land connections. The GAO report released on Feb. 11 found that MTS already face significant cybersecurity risks including from threat actors and technology vulnerabilities, along with cybersecurity incidents which have already impacted port operations. While the Coast Guard has measures in place to address these threats, GAO found that the Coast Guard remains unable to access complete inspection results about MTS cybersecurity. "Updating its system to provide ready access to complete information on all cybersecurity-related deficiencies would help the Coast Guard better provide oversight of owners and operators and help position the service to prevent cyberattacks that could impact the MTS," the report reads. The GAO report also finds the Coast Guard’s current cybersecurity strategy does not address key characteristics for an "effective national strategy." The report says that the current cyber strategy only "partially addresses" four key components of national strategy on cybersecurity including: problem definition and risk management, goals, subordinate objectives, activities, and performance measures, resources and investments, and roles, responsibilities, and coordination. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) concurred with all of GAO’s recommendations.

WAVY [2/14/2025 4:28 PM, Kenzie Finch] reports a fuel spill in Chesapeake is currently being reported on the Elizabeth River, estimating more than 2,100 gallons, on Friday. The Chesapeake Fire Department responded to the scene and is assisting the Coast Guard and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to investigate the incident. The spill was reported at 7 a.m. at 2801 S. Military Hwy while personnel on site were doing routine safety checks. IMTT Virginia personnel immediately isolated the pipeline and shut it off. Response crews included the Chesapeake Fire Department, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, U.S. Coast Guard and Hepaco.

CBS News [2/14/2025 4:51 PM, Cara Tabachnick, 52225K] reports three people were rescued after a fishing vessel capsized Thursday 40 miles offshore from Caillou Bay, Louisiana, the Coast Guard said in a news statement. Coast Guard watchers received a satellite distress alert from the fishing vessel Anthony via the vessel’s emergency position-indicating radio locating beacon at 8:30 a.m. that morning, the agency said. The Coast Guard sent a rescue raft to the fishing vessel and images show the rescue of the three sailors. The raft headed back to the Coast Guard boat Yellowfin and images show the rescued sailors climbing onto the boat.

Border Report [2/14/2025 11:31 AM, Amber Coakley, 153K] reports that the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche crew offloaded over 37,000 pounds of cocaine in San Diego on Thursday, with an estimated street value exceeding $275 million, military officials noted in a press release. The massive haul follows a series of successful drug interdictions by the Cutter Waesche off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America. The cocaine, seized between December 2024 and February 2025, was intercepted during 11 separate operations targeting suspected drug smuggling vessels. According to Coast Guard officials, the interdictions were part of the branch’s ongoing efforts to combat the flow of illicit narcotics into the United States. "The Waesche crew faced numerous challenges during this patrol, overcoming the hardest adversities and still had 11 successful drug interdictions," said Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of the Cutter Waesche. "Their dedication, strength of character and resilience ensured the success of our mission, preventing over $275 million worth of illicit narcotics from reaching the United States and protecting our communities from the devastating effects of transnational crime." The successful interdictions were the result of coordinated efforts involving multiple U.S. agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security. The U.S. Coast Guard also worked closely with the Navy, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and international partners in the fight against transnational organized crime.

Reported similarly:
Los Angeles Times [2/14/2025 4:30 PM, Clara Harter, 17996K]

CyberScoop [2/14/2025 5:30 AM, Matt Kapko] reports Microsoft threat researchers discovered a series of what they are calling “device code” phishing attacks that allowed a suspected Russia-aligned threat group to gain access to and steal data from critical infrastructure organizations, the company said in research released Thursday. The group, which Microsoft tracks as Storm-2372, has targeted governments, IT services and organizations operating in the telecom, health, higher education and energy sectors across Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East. Microsoft observed attackers generating a legitimate device code sign-in request and then duping targeted users to input the code into a login page for productivity apps. By exploiting the device code authentication flow, Storm-2372 has gained access to targeted systems, captured authentication tokens and used those valid tokens to achieve lateral movement and steal data. “They’ve been successful in these attacks, though Microsoft itself is not affected,” Sherrod DeGrippo, director of threat intelligence strategy at Microsoft, said in a video summarizing the report’s findings. Microsoft declined to answer questions about the threat intelligence and did not say how many accounts or organizations have been impacted by the campaign, which started in August 2024. Storm-2372 likely set phishing lures by targeting potential victims via messaging apps, such as Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp and Signal. Microsoft observed attackers posing as a person of importance to develop false rapport with targets before sending follow-up phishing emails disguised as Microsoft Teams meeting invitations. The fake Teams meeting invitations have tricked targets to complete a device code authentication request with the code Storm-2372 included as the phony meeting ID. According to Microsoft, this attack chain has allowed Storm-2372 to gain initial access to victim accounts, enabling attackers to use the valid session for lateral movement within the compromised network.

Yahoo! News [2/14/2025 5:46 PM, Gabrielle Chung, 57114K] reports two people have been hospitalized with gunshot wounds sustained during the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2025 Super Bowl victory parade. The shooting occurred on Feb. 14 around 2:35 p.m. near the 2300 block of Ben Franklin Parkway, the Philadelphia Police Department told E! News. Authorities said the victims were injured "outside the parade footprint.” A 27-year-old woman was struck in the left leg, while a 20-year-old woman was shot in the upper thigh, per police. Both were transported to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where they were listed as stable condition. The parade—which celebrated the Eagles’ 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs—started around 11 a.m. near the Novacare Complex in South Philadelphia. It then traveled north for three miles to City Hall, where it continued west toward Love Park before making its way onto Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Investigators have not determined an exact crime scene, recovered a weapon or made an arrest in connection to the shooting, according to police. An investigation is ongoing.

CBS 7 [2/14/2025 1:30 PM, Mary LeBus and Akim Powell, 11K] reports that a high school student in Indiana is accused of planning to kill masses of students at his school on Valentine’s Day. Authorities said 18-year-old Trinity Shockley is facing conspiracy to commit murder and intimidation charges, Morgan County court records show. Authorities said the 18-year-old’s motivation for the school shooting was to prove to Nikolas Cruz that he was his "number one fan." However, Shockley decided against the school shooting for several reasons: He did not want to be escorted to a police car afterward. He did not want to go to court and "listen to all the stuff.” He now wants to become a gun activist to get people "out of that mindset." He would feel guilty about it. Investigators said Shockley planned to commit the crime at lunchtime "because that would present the most target-rich environment." Investigators explained that Shockley identifies as a transgender man and often goes by Jamie or Dex. The FBI obtained Discord messages between "Jamie" and another user, "TCC Mama." Jamie: "Yeah. I’ll be honest. I’m close to shooting mine up. I have an AR-15." Authorities said he collected bullets, magazines, protective gear and named at least one specific target. A tipster reported the threat to the FBI’s Sandy Hook Tip Line, stating that the suspect had access to an AR-15, ordered a bulletproof vest, admires Nikolas Cruz and that he would kill his best friend in the shooting first. The AP [2/14/2025 11:06 AM, Staff, 47097K] reports that this attack was planned for February 14, the same date of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. Law enforcement states the Indiana suspect was a "fan" of the Parkland shooting perpetrator and had written to them in prison. According to local media sources who cite court documents in this recent case, the tip about this planned attack initially came in through Sandy Hook Promise’s Say Something Anonymous Reporting System. The National Crisis Center of the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System immediately reported these threats to the FBI, per protocol.

Reported similarly:
Newsweek [2/14/2025 12:01 PM, Aliss Higham, 56005K]

CNN [2/15/2025 6:00 AM, Rebekah Riess, 987K] reports a call to an anonymous tip line created after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, set off a chain of events that helpedthwart a potential Valentine’s Day mass shooting in Indiana, authorities say. Trinity Shockley, 18, is facing conspiracy to commit murder and two terrorism-related charges after being accused of plotting a school shooting on Friday at Mooresville High School in Morgan County, Indiana, according to police and court records. Shockley is charged under the name Trinity but is transgender and goes by the name Jamie, according to an affidavit obtained by CNN affiliate WISH. It’s unclear which pronouns Shockley uses. Shockley’s arrest came after a person contacted the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System on Monday. The tipster said a friend had access to an AR-15 rifle, had just ordered a bulletproof vest, and admired Nikolas Cruz, who carried out a February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where he killed 14 students and three school staff members. The reporting system operated by Sandy Hook Promise, the violence prevention group launched by parents who lost children in the Sandy Hook massacre, then notified the FBI per their protocol, and sent them screen shots of messages Shockley appeared to have sent on the messaging app Discord, according to an arrest affidavit. Investigators sent Discord an emergency disclosure request and received an IP address to the account, which Comcast linked to a phone number that led authorities to Shockley’s address, the affidavit said. Shockley also spoke with a school counselor Tuesday at the end of the school day and expressed an "obsession" with and sexual attraction to Cruz, the affidavit said. After the conversation, the counselor contacted the school’s administration and a "proactive response plan was being scheduled for prior to the next school day," Mooresville Schools said in a statement. Police executed a search warrant at Shockley’s home on Wednesday, according to the affidavit. Shockley was arrested and is currently being held in the Morgan County Jail, police said. "I am incredibly grateful for the quick response of our local, state, and federal law enforcement whose actions prevented what could have been a devastating situation," Superintendent of Mooresville Schools Jake Allen said in a statement.

Miami Herald [2/14/2025 12:17 PM, Ewan Palmer, 6595K] reports that to prepare for potential major cuts by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Pentagon is reportedly compiling lists of weapons and military programs it has long sought to cancel as cost-cutting measures. This includes the Army eliminating drones and vehicles that have been produced in surplus, and the Navy cutting frigates and littoral combat ships, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. DOGE members were expected at the Defense Department as soon as Friday. Musk has taken steps to dismantle government agencies and departments under his cost-cutting and government waste removal mandate. He and President Donald Trump appear to be targeting military spending for a drastic restructuring, which would likely have significant implications for U.S. national defense. In a recent Fox News interview with Bret Baier, Trump said he intends to "check the military," adding they could find "hundreds of millions of dollars in fraud and abuse.” Pentagon officials hope DOGE’s cost-cutting efforts will allow them to reduce spending on weapons that lawmakers previously blocked due to local political and economic interests, according to The Wall Street Journal. In response to the report, a Department of Defense spokesperson told Newsweek: "We have nothing to provide."

CNN [2/14/2025 10:01 AM, Alex Marquardt, Christian Edwards, Steve Contorno, and Michael Williams, 22417K] reports that US Vice President JD Vance vented at European leaders Friday, telling them that the biggest threat to their security was "from within," rather than China and Russia. Vance used his first major speech as vice president to lambast European politicians, claiming they are suppressing free speech, losing control of immigration and refusing to work with hard-right parties in government. The audience at the Munich Security Conference was expecting to hear about the Trump administration’s plans to end the war in Ukraine, but instead were treated to a bombastic rejection of liberal orthodoxies that have prevailed in Western Europe since the Second World War, in a speech that downplayed the threats to the continent posed by Russia and China. "The threat that I worry most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values," Vance told a stone-faced audience. The vice president - who met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at the conference - said "shutting down" unorthodox viewpoints is the "most surefire way to destroy democracy," and called on European leaders - who have been elected by their respective peoples - to "embrace what your people tell you." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CNBC [2/14/2025 1:44 PM, Karen Gilchrist, 36472K] reports that European leaders reeled Friday after U.S. Vice President JD Vance lambasted the continent’s democratic institutions, warning that its greatest threats came from internal factors. "The threat that I worry the most about vis a vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within," he told the Munich Security Conference. "The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United State of America," he continued, to a chilly reception from delegates. Global defense and security officials are gathered in Munich, Germany for the annual three-day conference. The future of Ukraine, peace talks with Russia and Europe’s evolving security and defense architecture are all at the fore of discussions. Attendees had been hoping for details from Vance on U.S.-led peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, which were tabled earlier this week by U.S. President Donald Trump. Instead they faced criticism from the American vice president over the health of their democracies, their migration policies and freedom of speech. "In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat," said Vance. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who addressed delegates shortly after Vance, called his remarks "unacceptable."

Newsweek [2/14/2025 2:47 PM, Jordan King and John Feng, 56005K] reports that Newsweek has broken down where U.S. troops are stationed in Europe amid fears that President Donald Trump’s administration will withdraw them. Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Department of Defense via email and the United States European Command (EUCOM) via online contact form for comment. European fears about the U.S. pulling its troops from the continent have been brewing for some time, with the head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, saying: "The U.S. will likely announce a massive withdrawal of American soldiers from Europe." Heusgen believed the announcement would take place at the Munich Security Conference, which Vice President JD Vance is attending through Sunday. Last month, a European diplomatic source told the Italian news agency ANSA that Trump wants to reduce the American contingent in Europe by about 20 percent and plans to ask for a "financial contribution" for the maintenance of the remaining troops. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.

NBC News [2/14/2025 6:30 PM, Alexander Smith and Alexandra Marquez, 50804K] reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that it would be "very, very, very difficult" for Ukraine to survive without U.S. military support, both now as it tries to repel Russia’s invasion and in the future after the war ends. "Probably it will be very, very, very difficult. And of course, in all the difficult situations, you have a chance," Zelenskyy told NBC News’ "Meet the Press" on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. "But we will have low chance, low chance, to survive without support of the United States. I think it’s very important, critical.” "I don’t want to think about" fighting against Russia without American support, Zelenskyy told "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker. "I don’t want to think that we will not be strategic partners," he added. The Ukrainian president also spoke about his concern that Ukraine would be vulnerable to another major attack by Russia in the future if the U.S. does not continue providing military support. Zelenskyy said that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to come to the negotiating table not to end the war but to get a ceasefire deal that would lift certain international sanctions on Russia and would allow its military to regroup. "This is really what he wants. He wants pause, prepare, train, take off some sanctions, because of ceasefire and et cetera," Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy’s comments came during a fractious summit in Germany, where Vice President JD Vance criticized European leaders on a host of issues unrelated to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including failing to stand up for "values shared with the United States of America.”

Yahoo! News [2/15/2025 2:31 AM, Staff, 57114K] reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged that the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin wants to start peace talks, but his goal is a ceasefire agreement to regroup and rebuild Russian forces. Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Meet the Press on NBC News, speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, as reported by European Pravda. Details: Zelenskyy stated that Putin’s participation in the talks is not aimed at ending the war but at reaching a ceasefire agreement. He said this agreement would help lift international sanctions from Russia and allow it to regroup. "This is really what he wants. He wants pause, prepare, train, take off some sanctions, because of ceasefire and et cetera," Zelenskyy emphasised. In the same interview, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that it would be "very difficult" for Ukraine to survive without US military support in the war against Russia. On 13 February, the Kremlin announced that it had begun putting together a negotiating team to arrange a meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. Trump announced that he had instructed US Secretary of State Mark Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead talks with Russia. In addition, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Russia will be "reintegrated" into the global economy and European energy system once a peace agreement is reached and the Russo-Ukrainian war ends.

Wall Street Journal [2/15/2025 8:20 AM, Ian Lovett] reports a Russian drone struck the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant early Friday, setting fire to the shelter that contains radiation from the site of the largest nuclear disaster in history, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the fire had been extinguished and no increase in radiation levels had been recorded. Speaking to reporters at the opening day of the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky said the drone flew at about 280 feet, below radar level. “The blow to the sarcophagus was very dangerous,” he said. He also wrote on social media that the damage was significant. Videos posted by Ukrainian officials showed a large explosion igniting a fire on the containment shell at around 2 a.m. Photos and videos showed a hole in the outer layer of the structure. The containment shell was installed in 2016 to enclose radiation from the power plant’s reactor 4, which exploded in 1986, sending plumes of radiation across Europe. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors nuclear safety, posted on X that its personnel at Chernobyl had heard the explosion, but that there was no indication that the inner containment shell had been breached. The agency said radiation levels remained normal but warned that military activities around nuclear power stations in Ukraine posed risks.

Wall Street Journal [2/15/2025 8:00 AM, Bojan Pancevski and Alexander Ward] reports a Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the U.S. would hit Moscow with sanctions and potentially military action if Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t agree to a peace deal with Ukraine that guarantees Kyiv’s long-term independence. Vance said the option of sending U.S. troops to Ukraine if Moscow failed to negotiate in good faith remained “on the table,” striking a far tougher tone than did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who on Wednesday suggested the U.S. wouldn’t commit forces. Vance said the U.S. could pursue a range of measures, giving President Trump ample negotiating flexibility with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “There are economic tools of leverage, there are of course military tools of leverage” the U.S. could use against Putin, Vance said. “There’s a whole host of things that we could do. But fundamentally, I think the president wants to have a productive negotiation, both with Putin and with Zelensky.” In an interview with The Wall Street Journal hours after Trump said he would start negotiating with Putin to end the war in Ukraine, Vance said: “I think there is a deal that is going to come out of this that’s going to shock a lot of people.” The vice president’s remarks, coming a day before a meeting with Zelensky, offered the Trump administration’s strongest-yet support for Kyiv in the face of Russian demands that it disarm and replace the current government. “The president is not going to go in this with blinders on,” Vance said. “He’s going to say, ‘Everything is on the table, let’s make a deal.’”

FOX News [2/14/2025 7:32 PM, Brie Stimson, 49889K] reports a U.S. citizen who was allegedly carrying cannabis gummies has been detained at an airport in Moscow, Russian media reported. The 28-year-old American was detained at the Vnukovo Airport Feb. 7 after a K-9 with the Russian Federal Customs Service detected something in his luggage, Russia’s TASS news agency said. He had arrived in Russia via Istanbul. The U.S. State Department told Fox News Digital it is aware of reports of a citizen being detained and had no further comment. "A chemical analysis revealed the presence of narcotic substances from the cannabinoid group," the customs service reported, according to TASS, adding the man claimed his U.S. doctor had prescribed the gummies. He has been charged with smuggling narcotic drugs into the country and could face five up to 10 years in prison, TASS reported. Marc Fogel, a U.S. citizen who was detained on drug charges in Russia four years ago, was released on Tuesday in exchange for Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik, who had been detained by the U.S. government on cryptocurrency fraud charges. Vogel’s plane landed safely in the U.S. Tuesday night.

Wall Street Journal [2/15/2025 12:01 AM, Bojan Pancevski] reports Russia’s spy services have a shadowy new unit taking aim at the West with covert attacks across Europe and elsewhere, Western intelligence officials say. Known as the Department of Special Tasks, it is based in the Russian military-intelligence headquarters, a sprawling glass-and-steel complex on the outskirts of Moscow known as the aquarium. Its operations, which haven’t been previously reported, have included attempted killings, sabotage and a plot to put incendiary devices on planes. The department’s creation reflects Moscow’s wartime footing against the West, the officials said. It was set up in 2023 in response to Western support for Ukraine and includes veterans of some of Russia’s most daring clandestine operations in recent years, according to two European intelligence chiefs and other U.S., European and Russian security officials. The Kremlin sees the West as complicit in Ukraine’s attacks on Russia such as the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, the killings of senior officials in Moscow, and Ukrainian strikes using long-range Western missiles, according to these officials. Ukraine has denied it was behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. “Russia believes it is in conflict with what it calls ‘the collective West,’ and is acting accordingly, up to and including threatening us with nuclear attack and building up its military,” said James Appathurai, deputy assistant secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in charge of hybrid warfare. “These are, as usual, completely unsubstantiated accusations,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The new department, which is known to Western intelligence officials by its Russian acronym SSD, is believed to be behind a host of recent attacks against the West, including the attempted killing of the chief executive of a German arms maker and a plot to put incendiary devices on planes used by shipping giant DHL.

Bloomberg [2/15/2025 3:52 AM, Galit Altstein and Fadwa Hodali, 21617K] reports three hostages were released from captivity in Gaza, preserving the durability of a six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The three men — including an American citizen and a Israeli-Russian national — were handed over to Israeli security forces in the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning. They have crossed the border into Israeli territory and “are currently on their way to an initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will be reunited with members of their families,” the IDF said in a statement. Earlier this week the truce deal seemed on the verge of collapse following mutual accusations of violations between the Iran-backed militant group and Israel. US President Donald Trump had encouraged Israel to call off the truce if hostages are not freed by noon on Saturday. Israel is expected to release a total of 369 jailed Palestinian once the hostage handover is complete, including 26 prisoners serving life sentences and 333 detainees who were taken into custody during Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Prisoners Media Office. This is the sixth in a series of phased exchanges since the ceasefire went into effect on Jan 19. The three hostages released were: Russian-Israeli national Sasha Troufanov, 29, American Sagui Dekel-Chen, 26, and Iair Horn, 46. All were kidnapped from Nir Oz, a small Israeli border-adjacent community that was one of the hardest-hit by Hamas, with some 76 of its several hundred residents taken hostage. Hamas is designated a terror organization by the US and many other countries.

New York Times [2/14/2025 5:03 PM, Euan Ward, 161405K] reports a U.S. official overseeing the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah indicated on Friday that Israel would by next week withdraw from occupied towns in southern Lebanon. But his comments added to the uncertainty over whether Israel would remain in a handful of strategic points within Lebanese territory. In a statement released by U.S. Central Command, Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers — who chairs the U.S.-led cease-fire committee in Lebanon — said he was confident that Lebanon’s military would control “all population centers” in the country’s south once the deadline elapses for Israeli troops to withdraw next Tuesday. But Mr. Jeffers’s phrasing left the window open for the continued presence of Israeli troops at five key points along the border. The Israeli plan was reportedly relayed to the Lebanese government this week by U.S. officials. The speaker of Lebanon’s Parliament, Nabih Berri, said on Thursday that U.S. officials had told him that Israel intended to remain in five areas inside Lebanese territory, a plan that Mr. Berri said the Lebanese government had firmly rejected. Lebanon’s government has repeatedly said that Israel must completely withdraw from the country when the deadline for its pullout elapses on Feb. 18. Under the terms of a 60-day cease-fire deal signed in November that ended the deadliest war between Israel and Hezbollah in decades, Israeli troops were supposed to withdraw last month from Lebanon. But they have not done so, and thousands of Lebanese still cannot return to border towns in the country’s south that are still occupied by the Israeli military. More than two dozen people were killed by Israeli forces last month when they tried to enter their southern towns and villages, according to the Lebanese government. With the truce deal now extended until Feb. 18, many in Lebanon fear the prospect of another prolonged Israeli occupation.

Wall Street Journal [2/15/2025 12:01 AM, Adam Chamseddine, Jared Malsin and Dov Lieber] reports Israel is seeking to keep control of five strategic points on high ground in southern Lebanon after the deadline for its forces to withdraw, setting up a diplomatic test for the Trump administration as it works to manage shaky cease-fires in the region. Israel says it needs the positions to defend its communities after a year of war with Hezbollah. But Lebanon has rejected the idea, creating friction around a deal that ended months of fighting that included thousands of Israeli airstrikes and an invasion of southern Lebanon. The push to hold the high ground follows Israel’s earlier moves to seize positions including the peak of Mt. Hermon in Syria after the collapse of the Assad regime and to carve out a bigger buffer zone inside the Gaza Strip after 16 months of war with Hamas. Israel is also successfully pressing Lebanon’s government to block Iranian flights it says are transporting cash for Hezbollah. A flight was stopped Thursday after Israel flagged that it might be carrying money, and flights from Iran will be halted until Feb. 18, a person familiar with the matter said. Another flight was stopped Friday, Iranian state media said. A spokesman for the Israeli military called out the cash-smuggling efforts on Thursday and said it raises such incidents with the committee overseeing the cease-fire in Lebanon.

Reuters [2/15/2025 2:36 AM, Ryan Woo and Ethan Wang, 48128K] reports Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday that China will "play along to the end" if the United States is bent on suppressing the country even though Beijing does not wish to be in conflict with Washington. Wang, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, said China would respond resolutely to unilateral "bullying" practices, but hopes the U.S. can work together with it in the same direction. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump slapped an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods despite having what he had described as a "good" telephone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping weeks earlier. The levies spurred China to hit back with up to 15% in duties on some U.S. imports, reigniting fears of a full-blown trade war between the world’s largest economies. In the weeks before Trump was sworn in, the Biden administration declared more curbs on advanced technology that can be sold to China, in further efforts to stop Chinese firms from developing high-tech chips that can be used by Chinese military applications. Beijing said the curbs had been part of a long-running plan to contain the technological progress of China.

VOA News [2/14/2025 10:49 AM, William Yang, 2717K] reports that the Philippines is increasing efforts to strengthen defense cooperation with several like-minded democracies amid ongoing tensions with China in the disputed South China Sea. Manila is trying to conclude major defense pacts with Canada and New Zealand and explore possibilities of expanding joint military drills with the United States, its main defense partner. Analysts say the development is part of Manila’s effort to counter China’s aggressive maritime activities near several disputed reefs in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost the entirety as its territory. "The Philippines is trying to boost their capabilities to sufficiently deter China by putting a lot of emphasis on the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States while broadening the net of cooperation to other like-minded democracies," said Collin Koh, a maritime security expert at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. described the defense pacts with Canada and New Zealand as part of Manila’s efforts to "build and strengthen" alliances with like-minded countries. "The status of visiting forces agreement with New Zealand is an important part of… both countries’ and multilateral countries’ initiatives to resist China’s unilateral narrative to change international law," he told journalists on the sideline of an event on Feb. 6.

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