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.

Bloomberg [3/23/2025 10:44 PM, Hadriana Lowenkron, 16228K] reports US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will visit El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico for a trip to highlight the Trump administration’s border and migration crackdown, including a visit to the notorious facility in El Salvador housing migrants flown there by the US. The three-day trip to Central and South America “underscores the importance of our partner countries to help remove violent criminal illegal aliens from the United States,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. The deportation flights have sparked controversy, with lawyers for some of those removed saying they were wrongly targeted as gang members, and a judge who moved to block some flights to the prison demanding information about whether administration officials defied his written order. Trump has defended the deportations, and heavily criticized the judge in the case, though said his administration didn’t defy the order. While in El Salvador on March 26, Noem plans to meet with President Nayib Bukele, one of Trump’s closest allies in the Americas. Noem will then head to Colombia on March 27 for meetings with President Gustavo Petro, as well as senior ministers, police and migration officials. Noem finishes her trip in Mexico with a March 28 meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum, just days before the US is set to impose additional tariffs on imports from its southern neighbor. FOX News [3/23/2025 6:50 PM, Andrea Margolis, Emma Colton, 52868K] reports that on Sunday, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that Noem’s trip "underscores the importance of our partner countries to help remove violent criminal illegal aliens from the United States." "President Trump and Secretary Noem have a clear message for criminal aliens considering entering America illegally: don’t even think about it," McLaughlin said. "If you come to our country and break our laws, we will hunt you down, and lock you up." Noem’s visit will kick off with a stop at the Terrorist Confinement Center on Mar. 26, which she will tour with the Salvadoran Minister of Justice, Héctor Gustavo Villatoro. The Trump administration official will meet with President Nayib Bukele later that day. On Mar. 27, Noem plans to visit Colombia to meet with President Gustavo Petro and the Colombian National Police (CNP)’s specialized group aimed at countering organized crime. The former South Dakota governor will wrap up her trip in Mexico on Mar. 28, where she’ll convene with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The visit will come over a week after El Salvador released gritty footage of hundreds of illegal aliens being deported and rounded up into jail cells last weekend. The video showed the alleged gang members with their heads in their hands, as heavily-armed Salvadoran authorities surrounded them and transported them into facilities one by one. A senior Trump administration official confirmed to Fox News that a total of 261 illegal aliens were deported to El Salvador on Mar. 15. The majority of them were deported via the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows for the expulsion of an enemy nation’s natives and citizens without a hearing. 101 of the migrants were Venezuelans removed via Title 8, while 21 others were Salvadoran MS-13 gang members, the official added. Two were MS-13 ringleaders and "special cases" for El Salvador.

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Washington Examiner [3/23/2025 9:20 PM, Zach LaChance, 2296K]
Telemundo [3/23/2025 9:02 PM, Staff, 2454K]

CBS New York [3/23/2025 4:24 PM, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, 51661K] reports the Trump administration will be revoking the legal status of hundreds of thousands of Latin American and Haitian migrants welcomed into the U.S. under a Biden-era sponsorship process, urging them to self-deport or face arrest and removal by deportation agents. The termination of their work permits and deportation protections under an immigration authority known as parole will take effect in late April, 30 days after March 25, according to a notice posted by the federal government. The move will affect immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who flew to the U.S. under a Biden administration program, known as CHNV, that was designed to reduce illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border by giving would-be migrants legal migration avenues. A total of 532,000 migrants entered the U.S. under that policy, which was paused soon after President Trump took office, though it’s unclear how many have been able to secure another status that will allow them to stay in the country legally. CBS News first reported in early February that the Trump administration was planning to revoke the legal status of individuals who entered the U.S. under the CHNV process. The Department of Homeland Security said it will seek the arrest and deportation of those subject to the policy change if they fail to depart the U.S. in the next 30 days. Officials are urging migrants to use the newly repurposed CBP Home smartphone app to register for self-deportation. But DHS said it retains the authority to target migrants who arrived under this program before the 30-day period lapses. Officials say those prioritized for arrest will include migrants who have failed to apply for another immigration benefit like asylum or a green card. In a statement, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the migrants allowed into the U.S. under the CHNV process were "loosely vetted," and argued the program undercut American workers. "The termination of the CHNV parole programs, and the termination of parole for those who exploited it, is a return to common-sense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First," McLaughlin added. Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 8:23 AM, James Ford, 52868K] reports that on Friday, an official statement signed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that the legal status of everyone in the program would be revoked as early as Monday, March 24. That could make them vulnerable to deportation 30 days later. The developments could significantly impact a variety of New York City communities. One of those communities is the Little Haiti neighborhood in Flatbush, Brooklyn. It’s the largest Haitian community in the U.S. Since Noem’s order applies to legal immigrants from Haiti, as well as Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, people in Little Haiti were talking about.

NBC News [3/23/2025 3:52 PM, Megan Lebowitz and Fiona Glisson, 44742K] reports Attorney General Pam Bondi once again attacked members of the judiciary in a Fox News interview Sunday, criticizing federal judges who have struck down or paused portions of President Donald Trump’s agenda and saying the Supreme Court will ultimately hear the court battle over the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. "The Supreme Court will get involved," Bondi said on Fox News’ "Sunday Morning Futures." "This is an out of control judge, a federal judge, trying to control our entire foreign policy, and he cannot do it.". Trump administration officials and the president himself have repeatedly criticized judges who have ruled against the administration. Trump has called for the impeachment of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who is presiding over the case involving the administration’s use of the rarely invoked Alien Enemies Act to deport what officials claim are gang members to El Salvador. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump doubled down on his attacks against Boasberg, writing that he is a "Constitutional disaster.". Bondi echoed Trump on Sunday, saying, "These judges are out of control.". The judges she criticized were Boasberg; U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over a case involving the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to cancel up to $20 billion in grants for climate initiatives; U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who blocked Trump’s ban on transgender people enlisting or serving in the military; and U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, who ruled that the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development "likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways.". "We are going to fight back, and we are going to win, and the Supreme Court will be ready to hear these cases again," she said. "These are federal district judges who are trying to control our nation’s agenda.".

Washington Examiner [3/23/2025 2:19 PM, Asher Notheis, 2296K] reports Attorney General Pam Bondi detailed how Judge James Boasberg had requested "national security information" in a recent meeting with the Justice Department, saying it is something he is "absolutely" not entitled to see. The Trump administration’s legal battle with Boasberg comes after he ordered a pause on the White House’s deportation flights of illegal immigrant gang members. Bondi accused the chief justice of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of attempting to control foreign policy for the United States, detailing how the judge "dragged us into court on a Saturday" without giving proper notice. "He’s trying to ask us about national security information, which he is absolutely not entitled to!" Bondi stated on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. "We are appealing, we will be in court Monday again. We will win. We will prevail. There are 261 reasons why Americans are safer today, and that’s because those people are now in an El Salvador prison.". Bondi also contended that the reason that the Democratic Party’s favorability is at 29% is because many members of the party did not advocate for border security, and people "want to be safe." As such, public safety through border security has become a major part of President Donald Trump’s agenda to "make America safe again.".

Miami Herald [3/23/2025 4:11 PM, Mark Moran, 3973K] reports "Border czar" Tom Homan on Sunday said the Trump administration will follow a judge’s orders blocking it from deporting migrants from the United States after invoking a more than 200-year-old law to sidestep traditional deportation procedures. Homan’s comments come after federal judge James Boasberg last week ordered the administration to halt deportations of any migrants under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act and to turn planes around that were already in the air, which the administration did not do. The aircraft, carrying people who the Trump administration has alleged are members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that the administration has labeled a terrorist organization, later landed in El Salvador. The migrants were sent to the notoriously hostile Terrorism Confinement Center under a deal between the Trump administration and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, where they will be held for a "renewable" period of one year. "That plane removed 240 terrorists from the United States," Homan said during an interview on ABC’s This Week. "Look that’s will be litigated in the courts with this judge," Homan continued, referring to Boasberg and adding, in reference to the more than 200 migration-related cases filed in the courts that he was "not going to get into every specific case.".

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USA Today [3/23/2025 11:32 AM, Staff, 52868K]

Newsweek [3/23/2025 5:43 PM, Mandy Taheri, 52220K] reports President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, was confronted by ABC News’ Jonathan Karl about the Trump administration’s claims that recent deportation flights to El Salvador were filled with only gang members, despite emerging incidents of non-gang affiliated individuals having been involved. Newsweek has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment via email on Sunday. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that around 250 people, some allegedly members of the MS-13 and Tren de Aragua (TdA) gangs, were sent to El Salvador. The move followed Trump’s invocation of the Aliens Enemies Act of 1798 last Saturday. The news of the deportation flights came after U.S. District Judge James "Jeb" Boasberg ordered to temporarily halt the removals and turn back any planes carrying deportees. The Trump administration is currently embroiled in a legal battle over the issue, with Trump remaining adamant about his authority to carry out the deportations and calling for the impeachment of Boasberg. The U.S. and El Salvador reached an agreement last month in which the U.S. will pay $6 million to hold about 300 gang members at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). Trump has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history, a key campaign promise that received widespread backing from his Republican base and others. While most Democrats oppose Trump’s approach, many agree on the need for immigration reform. On ABC News’ This Week on Sunday, Karl questioned Homan about the deportation flights, asking for specifics on how more than 250 people ended up on the plane and what their backgrounds were. Homan responded: "Some of them have been in custody for a little bit, and some on that plane were Title 8 removals, which means they were ordered to be removed by an immigration judge, and some other ones were removed under the Alien Enemies Act.". Karl then inquired about the process of determining someone as a gang member, to which Homan noted they rely on "various methods.". The Washington Examiner [3/23/2025 3:51 PM, Jenny Goldsberry, 2296K] reports "Well, look, they can make those claims. Of course, we have information that says the complete opposite: he’s a member of TDA or affiliated with TDA," Homan said. "There’s 260 cases. We have to count on the men and women who do this every day for a living, who designated these people as members of the TDA through, like, you said, various law enforcement methods. This will be litigated. As of right now, I’ve been assured by the highest levels in ICE every one of these Venezuelans were members of TDA. There’s going to be more litigation on this case, I’m sure.". Among these recently received deportees, just under two dozen were members of MS-13. Both of these gangs were labeled as terrorist organizations by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Hill [3/23/2025 11:28 AM, Rachel Scully, 52868K] reports "A lot of officers, a lot of criminal investigators, special agents who’ve done this for decades looked at the intelligence information, the criminal investigation information, all their various social media and surveillance and government records and public records, and they are confident that they’re all members of the TdA," he said. "We’re actually using the laws on the books to enforce immigration law and secure the border at the highest levels ever been," Homan added.

New York Times [3/23/2025 6:15 PM, Jonah E. Bromwich, 145325K] reports when Mahmoud Khalil, who helped lead pro-Palestinian demonstrations while a Columbia University student, was detained this month, the Trump administration argued he should be deported to help prevent the spread of antisemitism, invoking a rarely used law. Lawyers for Mr. Khalil, a legal permanent resident who is being detained in Louisiana, quickly responded that the administration was retaliating against their client for his constitutionally protected speech criticizing Israel and promoting Palestinian rights. Last week, the government quietly added new accusations to its case against Mr. Khalil, saying that he had willfully failed to disclose his membership in several organizations, including a United Nations agency that helps Palestinian refugees, when he applied to become a permanent U.S. resident last March. It said he also failed to disclose work he did for the British government after 2022. The Trump administration appears to be using the new allegations in part to sidestep the First Amendment issues raised by Mr. Khalil’s case. On Sunday, in a filing opposing his release, Justice Department lawyers argued that the new allegations reduced the importance of concerns about Mr. Khalil’s right to free speech. “Khalil’s First Amendment allegations are a red herring,” they wrote. Given the new allegations, they added, there was an “independent basis” for his deportation. “The new deportation grounds are patently weak and pretextual,” said one of Mr. Khalil’s lawyers, Ramzi Kassem, a co-director of CLEAR, a legal clinic at the City University of New York. “That the government scrambled to add them at the 11th hour only highlights how its motivation from the start was to retaliate against Mr. Khalil for his protected speech in support of Palestinian rights and lives.” Mr. Khalil’s lawyers are expected to argue that the new accusations are pretext for continued retaliation against their client’s speech and his continued detention far from his home and family. They’re fighting for his release in a New Jersey federal court. Mr. Khalil’s wife, an American citizen who lives in New York City, is expected to give birth next month.

ABC News [3/23/2025 11:49 AM, Staff, 34586K] Video: HERE reports the Trump administration alleged many of the migrants are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

New York Times [3/23/2025 1:03 PM, Genevieve Glatsky, Farnaz Fassihi and Julie Turkewitz, 145325K] reports when the first buses of newly freed migrants arrived this month in Panama City from a detention camp at the edge of a jungle, three people were visibly ill. One needed H.I.V. treatment, a lawyer said, another had run out of insulin and a third was suffering from seizures. Confusion, chaos and fear reigned. “What am I going to do?” one migrant wondered aloud. “Where am I going to go?” These are questions being asked by dozens of migrants deported to Panama last month by the Trump administration, part of the president’s sweeping efforts to expel millions of people from the United States. At first, Panamanian officials had locked the group of about 300 people in a hotel. Then, those who did not accept repatriation to their home countries were sent to a guarded camp at the edge of a jungle. Finally, after a lawsuit and an outcry from human rights groups, the Panamanian authorities released the deportees, busing them back to Panama City. Now, the remaining migrants — from Iran, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan and elsewhere — are free but stranded in a country that doesn’t want them, many sleeping in a school gymnasium made available by an aid group, with no real sense of what to do next. Interviews with 25 of the deportees offered a revealing look at who is being pushed out of the United States by the Trump administration, and what happens once they arrive in Central America. The region has emerged as a key cog in the deportation machinery President Trump is trying to kick into high gear.

FOX News [3/23/2025 8:08 AM, Anders Hagstrom, 52868K] reports Venezuela will resume accepting deportation flights from the US after Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro suspended the flights earlier this month. Jorge Rodríguez, the president of Venezuela’s Assembly and chief negotiator with the U.S. announced the change in policy on Saturday. "We have agreed with the U.S. government to resume the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants with an initial flight tomorrow, Sunday," Rodriguez said. He added that the deal with the U.S. secured the "return of our compatriots to their nation with the safeguard of their Human Rights.". Rodriguez referenced the deportation of some Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador in his statement. President Donald Trump’s administration has sent some Venezuelan members of the Tren de Aragua gang to the country. "Migrating is not a crime and we will not rest until we achieve the return of all those who require it and until we rescue our brothers kidnapped in El Salvador," Rodríguez said in a statement. Maduro himself referred to the Venezuelans held in El Salvador as "kidnapped" on Saturday. Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro says his country will accept deportation flights from President Donald Trump’s administration.

CNN [3/24/2025 4:37 AM, Michael Rios and Omar Fajardo, 22131K] reports the first flight carrying Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States landed in Venezuela early Monday, after the two governments reached an agreement to resume repatriation flights. Nearly 200 deportees were on the plane, which landed at an airport just north of capital Caracas. Video of the arrival shows some deportees celebrating with their hands in the air as they walked down stairs on to the tarmac, where a heavy presence of security staff was stationed. Others made the sign of the cross as they disembarked. The US Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said the flight departed from the US and stopped in Honduras, where a change of planes took place. "Today, deportation flights of Venezuelan illegal aliens to their homeland resumed via Honduras," the department wrote on X. "These individuals had no legal basis to remain in the United States. We expect to see a consistent flow of deportation flights to Venezuela going forward. Thank you to Honduran President Castro and her government for partnering to combat illegal immigration.” Honduras’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs said 199 citizens of Venezuelan origin were on the flight. The transfer took three and a half hours and occurred "in an orderly and safe manner," Enrique Reina said in a post on X. Following the transfer the "Venezuelan-flagged vessel departed for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," said Reina. Repatriations to Venezuela had stalled over the Trump administration’s decision in February to revoke a license allowing American oil company Chevron to carry out some operations in the South American country. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said at the time that the decision "affected" the flights to Venezuela, prompting the Trump administration to threaten further sanctions on the South American country. The resumption of repatriation flights follows growing outrage in Venezuela over the US deporting 238 Venezuelans to El Salvador, who were then transferred to the notorious Cecot mega-prison.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [3/23/2025 5:47 PM, Annie Correal and Shawn McCreesh, 145325K]
Washington Examiner [3/23/2025 7:22 PM, Zach LaChance, 2296K]

Wall Street Journal [3/23/2025 4:03 PM, Mary Anastasia O’Grady] reports that, on a sunny Saturday afternoon last week, the cafes here were crowded and the Jose Cuervo distillery bustled with visitors. As evening fell, the sidewalks and the main cobblestone thoroughfare filled with young people in cowboy hats mingling to strains of ranchera music. A full moon rose over red rooftops. Mexico was living up to its folkloric image. But some 12 miles away, the other Mexico had raised its ugly head again. On March 5, in the municipality of Teuchitlán, burned human remains and piles of personal items belonging to perhaps hundreds of missing persons were discovered on an abandoned ranch. The find was made not by local officials or the National Guard but by a nongovernmental organization known as the Warrior Searchers of Jalisco. In recent years in Mexico, homicides have been declining but disappearances have increased. With some 110,000 Mexicans reported missing since 2006 and families getting little or no assistance from law enforcement to find them, civil society groups now do their own research in hopes of learning what happened to their vanished loved ones. The Jalisco NGO is one of them. Its leader, Indira Navarro, told the news outlet Aristegui Live on March 11 that the group had received an anonymous tip leading it to comb the rural property unannounced. The search team says it turned up three underground incinerators, bone fragments, ID cards, shell casings, many pairs of worn shoes and discarded clothing and luggage. The photographs are chilling. Ms. Navarro said the group has also taken testimony from people who claim to have escaped what was essentially a training camp for gangsters at the site. They allege that the “Jalisco New Generation Cartel” also lured young adults to the site with fake job offers. Once there, the recruits became captives, forced to learn how to torture and kill. Those who refused to follow orders faced threat of execution. Decades into Mexico’s fight against organized crime, these allegations are beyond discouraging. The problem isn’t criminality alone but the loss of public trust in local officials and the National Guard, which former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador created to replace the federal police. He put it under the command of the military.

FOX News [3/24/2025 5:00 AM, Jim Desmond, 46189K] reports one of the worst environmental and public health crises in America is happening right now in Southern California — and it’s being ignored. If you’ve lived here, you know the truth: we are being poisoned by sewage from another country, and no one is stopping it. Over the past five years, more than 100 billion gallons of raw sewage, industrial waste and toxic runoff from Tijuana have flooded across the border into our communities. Let that sink in: 100 billion gallons. In 2023 alone, 44 billion gallons crossed into the U.S. — the most ever recorded. This sewage isn’t just disgusting — it’s dangerous. It contains E. coli, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, arsenic and other toxic chemicals. Our water is contaminated. Our air is polluted with aerosolized waste. Residents are reporting everything from skin infections to viral pharyngitis — and even family pets have gotten sick after exposure. And some beaches have now been closed for over 1,000 consecutive days. That’s nearly three years of lost access to one of the greatest natural assets in America. Our Navy SEALs are training just north of this toxic flow. Local families can’t enjoy the ocean. Tourism is taking a hit. And still, the crisis continues. Millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent. Just like the homelessness crisis, we’ve seen government throw money at the problem with nothing to show for it. The pollution keeps coming. The promises keep breaking. The leadership keeps failing. Let’s be honest: Mexico has failed to fix this, and the United States has failed to hold them accountable. Across multiple administrations, we’ve seen weak oversight, delayed action and zero results. That must end. I’m hopeful that with EPA Commissioner Lee Zeldin and a Trump administration willing to stand up to Mexico, we will finally get the leadership this crisis demands. It’s time for action. No more delays. No more finger-pointing. Just solutions. Hold Mexico accountable. Protect Southern California. Protect our country.

ABC’s This Week With George Stephanopoulos [3/23/2025 10:26 AM, Staff, 1950K] reports last week Presidents Trumps Boarder Czar said he didn’t care about what judges think. Since then he said the administration will abide by court orders President Trump sharing the sentiment. "I don’t care what that judge thinks as far as this case. We’re going to continue to arrest public safety threats and national security threats. We’re going to continue to deport them from the United States. I understand this case is in litigation through the Alien Enemies Act and we’ll abide by the court order as litigated. But my point was, despite what he thinks, we’re going to keep targeting the worst of the worst, which we’ve been doing since day one, and deporting them from the United States through the various laws on the book. We’re not making this up. The Alien Enemies Act was actually a federal law, it’s a statute, enacted by Congress and signed by a president. Now that’s our litigation." Border Czar Homan states.

ABC’s This Week With George Stephanopoulos [3/23/2025 10:26 AM, Staff, 1950K] reports Jerce Reyes Barrios was a professional soccer player in Venezuela was recently deported to El Salvador. His lawyers say he was caught up in the deportations because he had a tattoo that looked similar to the logo of his famous favorite soccer team, Real Madrird. Jerce lawyer says that he has no criminal record whatsoever and has never been a gang member. In El Salvador he has no ability to contact his lawyer and no rights from what can be seen, no rights to defend himself or prove himself innocent. Tom Homan says they have information that says otherwise but he avoids the question. "That’s going to be -- that -- look that would be litigated in the courts with this with this judge. I’m not going to get into every specific case because, you know, there’s 260 cases. We got to count on the men and women who do this every day for a living, who -- who -- who designated these people as a members of TDA, through, like I said, various law enforcement methods. This will be litigated. But as of right now, I’ve been assured by the highest levels in ICE that every one of these members -- every one of these Venezuelans are members of TDA." Homan comments.

CBS’ Face The Nation [3/23/2025 11:46 AM, Staff, 4201K] reports Iran-backed Houthis, they continue to fire at Israel. What has the last week of bombing achieved? And is Iran being held responsible, what’s next? "Well, we’ve taken out key Houthi leadership, including their head missileer. We’ve hit their headquarters. We’ve hit communications nodes, weapons factories, and even some of their over the water drone production facilities. Just in the last couple of days, President Trump has decided to hit the Houthis and hit them hard, as opposed to, in the last administration, where literally weeks or months would go by with these kind of one-off, pinprick attacks. And as a result, we’ve had one of the world’s most critical sea lanes get shut down. I mean, these guys are like al Qaeda or ISIS with advanced cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and some of the most sophisticated air defenses, all provided by Iran. Just to- so everybody understands the impact here, the last time one of our destroyers went through the straits there, it was attacked 23 times. 75% of our U.S. flag shipping now has to go around the southern coast of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal. And keeping the sea lanes open, keeping trade and commerce open, is a fundamental aspect of our national security. The last administration was not effective. The Trump administration and President Trump have decided to do something much harder, much tougher and much- and what- you know, we’ll see, but I think will be much more effective." Waltz comments. Envoy Steve Witkoff said in an interview that Iran had responded to this U.S. outreach via multiple channels. In regard to a letter sent by the president, Witkoff described it as an offer to Iran to "create a verification program so [that] nobody worries about weaponization of [your] nuclear material." Is the U.S. seeking the dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program, or verification, like what President Obama put in place back in 2015 and President Trump pulled out of? "Full dismantlement. Iran has to give up its program in a way that the entire world can see. As President Trump has said, this is coming to a head. All options are on the table, and it is time for Iran to walk away completely from its desire to have a nuclear- nuclear weapon. That- and they will not and cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapons program." Waltz states.

CBS’ Face The Nation [3/23/2025 11:46 AM, Staff, 4201K] reports Tren de Aragua, TdA, has been designated by the Trump administration as terrorists. Last Saturday, 238 Venezuelan men were handed over to the government of El Salvador. 137 of them were deported using this rarely used, 1789 Alien Enemies Act. This is important because it gives the power to detain and deport without a court hearing first, if they come from countries at war with the U.S. In the hearing on Friday, it was revealed that El Salvador, where they’re being held, rejected two of the people: one on the basis of gender, because it was a woman and they can’t be held at a maximum security prison. The other because the person wasn’t even Venezuelan at all. How does that kind of high consequence mistake happen? "These kind of one-offs we’ll deal with on an individual basis. I can’t speak to those individual cases and the details of the individual cases, but what I can speak to is, President Trump has determined that this group is acting as a terrorist organization. It is terrorizing our communities through attacks, torture, rape, and the most awful of situations for those communities, number one, and number two, the Alien and Sedition Act fully applies, because we have also determined that this group is acting as a proxy of the Maduro regime." Waltz states.

CNN [3/23/2025 1:54 PM, Kevin Liptak, 908K] reports the IRS is close to finalizing an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to help locate migrants suspected of being in the US illegally, a person familiar with the matter said, as President Donald Trump continues his hardline deportation push. The agreement would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement to submit names and addresses of people it suspects of living in the country illegally to the IRS, which the tax agency would then cross-reference and confirm, the person said. Tax information has generally been closely held within the IRS, and laws prohibit improper disclosure of taxpayer information. The IRS has encouraged undocumented migrants to file taxes, a process that includes providing the agency with their addresses, employers and earnings. CNN reported earlier this year that DHS had circulated a draft memo to the IRS that represented a sweeping request for information about suspected undocumented immigrants, including the home addresses of several hundred thousand individuals who paid federal taxes based on their individual taxpayer identification numbers, according to a source with direct knowledge of the document. Privacy experts say that would be a violation of the strict disclosure laws that the IRS operates under which prohibit the release of tax information by an IRS employee. The draft the person described Sunday appears to be a narrower version of the earlier draft. Under the current iteration, the IRS would confirm migrants’ addresses rather than provide the information to ICE. Still, it would amount to a major shift by the agency. Requests would need to be submitted by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem or acting ICE director Todd Lyons, and must include the name and address of the taxpayer, and the date of their removal order, which would allow the IRS to confirm the information.

Axios [3/23/2025 7:44 AM, Brittany Gibson, 13163K] reports days without a shower. Sleeping on floors. Two hundred people confined in a space meant for 85. The Trump administration’s goal of deporting "millions" of people has led officials to jam more than 46,000 detainees into a system designed to hold no more than about 40,000, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records. Officials are scrambling to arrange more detention space across the U.S. and abroad. They’re sending detainees they’ve deemed as dangerous on controversial — and legally questionable — flights to foreign prisons without giving them court hearings. And they’re monitoring other unauthorized immigrants who’ve been arrested and released after agreeing to return for their court dates. At a time when the Department of Homeland Security is desperate for billions more to build an infrastructure that could come close to handling the surge, conditions in the system’s detention facilities are deteriorating. Oftentimes conditions aren’t great, but this seems definitely out of the norm, this type of extended overcrowding," said Paul Chavez, director of the litigation program at Americans for Immigrant Justice.

Miami Herald [3/23/2025 8:00 PM, Maya Rao, 3973K] reports the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is transferring immigrants arrested in Minnesota to jails in Texas, Louisiana and Colorado as the agency runs out of space in the three local jails contracted to provide beds for ICE detainees. The practice is leading to delayed hearings and longer detention times - and sometimes panic for people stranded a thousand miles from home. "I’m going crazy," one Ecuadorian man said from a private detention center in Louisiana during a virtual hearing with Fort Snelling Immigration Judge Audrey Carr last week. The 24-year-old illegally crossed into the U.S. in late 2022 and lived in Minneapolis until Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested him. He was then moved to the detention center in the city of Monroe, about an hour south of the Arkansas border. The Ecuadorian was distraught to learn his proceedings would be delayed because of the transfer from Minnesota. "I’m a family man, and I would like to do my hearing today," he insisted. The detainee said his 4-year-old daughter cried every time he called her from jail. She didn’t want to be with anyone else, he said; she didn’t want to eat. He spoke in such long, rapid, anguished sentences that the Spanish interpreter had to interject so that his words could be relayed in English. Then the judge asked him to please listen. "I hear you that you’re a family man," Carr said. "I hear that your daughter is missing you." But, she said, she could not hear his case that day because he was not being detained in Minnesota. If he wanted to be released, he would have to ask a judge in a Louisiana court.

Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 9:20 PM, Moisés Ávila, 52868K] reports Franco Caraballo was arrested while at a US immigration center for an appointment. Shirly Guardado was detained while at work. Camila Munoz was taken into custody on her way home from her honeymoon. US President Donald Trump’s hunt for migrants to expel from the country is sparing no one. And while the government claims only criminals are being targeted, many of those in the crosshairs tell a different story. At a checkpoint in Texas, immigration agents stopped an undocumented Mexican couple on their way to a Houston hospital for their 10-year-old daughter’s cancer treatment. The family was deported, separating the parents from their children, five of whom are US citizens, rights group Texas Civil Rights Project said. "We had to decide between being separated from our children or being deported together," the children’s mother told the rights group. "Now we are in Mexico without access to the urgent medical care our daughter needs," she said, speaking on condition of anonymity. According to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), the Trump administration detained 32,809 migrants in its first 50 days in office, almost half of whom were convicted criminals.

CBS New York [3/23/2025 10:41 AM, Erin Moriarty, 51661K] Video: HERE reports "My husband was taken away from me in the middle of the night," said Noor Abdalla. "It was one of the most terrifying times of my life. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything scarier than that.". Abdalla, a 28-year-old-dentist, born and raised in Michigan, has suddenly found herself in the center of a storm she never saw coming. She and her husband, 30-year-old graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, had been living in Columbia University housing while he completed his master’s degree and they awaited the birth of their first child. "I was so excited," Abdalla said. "We were setting everything up for, like, the nursery and his clothes. And Mahmoud is so excited, too.". That all changed on the evening of March 8, when federal agents arrived at their door. She recalled one man confronting her husband, asking him, "‘Are you Mahmoud Khalil?’ Mahmoud said yes, and the man said, ‘We’re with the police. You have to come with us.’". Abdalla’s reaction: "I was scared; I was terrified.". She used her phone to document what happened next: "At this point Mahmoud was like, ‘Go, take the keys, grab my green card.’ He thought maybe, like, if he shows the green card, you know, we’ll be fine.". Abdalla also believed that her husband would be okay once he proved that he is a legal resident. "I was like, this is just a misunderstanding," she said. "They’re gonna take him away, they’re going to take him to 26 Federal Plaza, and see that he has a green card, he’ll be home in a few hours.". She has not seen her husband since. Khalil, who has been in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana for two weeks, is one of many international students that the Trump administration says it plans to deport for their alleged actions in student protests on college campuses.

CNN [3/23/2025 4:25 AM, Hanna Park, Zoe Sottile and Matthew Rehbein, 52868K] reports a 21-year-old man from Honduras accused of killing a mother of five in an Atlanta suburb was in the United States illegally, CNN affiliate WSB-TV reported, citing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Hector Sagastume Rivas crossed the US border illegally just over four years ago, an ICE spokesperson told WSB-TV. US Customs and Border Protection arrested him initially, and an order for him to be removed from the country was issued more than two years later, in July 2023. "President Trump and Secretary Noem will not allow criminal illegal aliens, including accused murderers, to be loose on America’s streets," the Department of Homeland Security wrote Sunday in a post on X, with a screenshot of a news story about the case. CNN has reached out to ICE, the Department of Homeland Security and the Cobb County Police Department for further details. CNN is also working to identify an attorney for Sagastume Rivas. Sagastume Rivas faces a felony murder charge in the death of Camillia Williams in Marietta, according to an arrest warrant obtained by WSB. Police accuse Sagastume Rivas of killing Williams late on March 11 or early on March 12 by placing her in a chokehold, then kneeling on her neck with his "full body weight," according to the warrant.

Telemundo [3/23/2025 10:07 PM, Staff, 171K] reports relatives of detainees at the Krome Detention Center denounce the alleged harsh conditions at the facility. A video that has gone viral shows people sleeping on the floor and a man begging for help, while explaining that there is little and sometimes no help. Maria Bilbao, of the American Friends Service Committee, spoke this week with Osiris, who "was deported to Mexico. He was detained in Krome for several days without water, sleeping outdoors." Marlene Amador Costafreda’s fiancé was released from the Tampa Correctional Center. After violating his parole for previous arrests, he was put on a bus and taken to the Krome Detention Center. "I honestly know he has to serve whatever he did, I’m not that ignorant, but not that treatment they’re getting, not just him," Amador Costafreda said. "They are treating them like dogs. There is no air conditioning, they are all sick, who knows what they will have, there is no medical attention, let alone access to the bathroom." In February, Telemundo 51 reported on a Ukrainian man who died in the hospital after allegedly falling ill at Krome and not receiving proper care. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated in a release that while it cannot provide population figures due to operational and security concerns, some ICE facilities are experiencing temporary overcrowding due to the recent increase in the detainee population. We are actively implementing measures to manage capacity while maintaining compliance with federal standards and our commitment to humane treatment.

FOX News [3/23/2025 9:37 PM, Peter D’Abrosca, 52868K] reports three illegal immigrants have been charged in connection with a deadly drunk-driving crash Saturday night on a highway in Arlington, Texas. According to the Arlington Police Department, 25-year-old Cesar Ramirez Castro was driving a Ford-150 when he swerved onto the shoulder of I-20, slamming the truck into a parked vehicle. The vehicle then collided with a concrete barrier, setting it ablaze. When the fire was extinguished, a 22-year-old man was found dead inside the vehicle. Police charged Ramirez Castro with one count of intoxication manslaughter and one count of collision involving death. According to jail records, he has an immigration hold. Two passengers in the vehicle, 30-year-old Marcelino Ramirez-Ramirez and 24-year-old Daniel Castro Zammarron, were both arrested on one count of public intoxication. Both men also have immigration holds.

Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 8:17 PM, Staff, 52868K] reports two months into President Donald Trump’s second term and his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, federal officers continue to make arrests across the U.S., including in Southern California. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began targeting major sanctuary cities immediately after Trump’s inauguration, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. The following day, Trump lifted longtime guidelines that restricted ICE from operating at "sensitive locations" such as schools, churches or hospitals. Since then, protests and demonstrations opposing the president’s immigration policies continue to take place across the U.S. In Los Angeles, protesters have gathered in downtown LA, Riverside, Santa Ana, San Diego, and other major cities to show their support for keeping California safe for immigrants. On March 11, an unidentified "Mexican citizen illegally present in the U.S." was arrested. He had prior aggravated felony convictions and was previously removed from the country, HSI Los Angeles tweeted. On March 5, Juan Corona Covarrubias was taken into custody and removed, according to ERO Los Angeles. He is a "Mexican national wanted in his home country for aggravated robbery, aggravated homicide, and aggravated bodily injuries.” Also on March 5, HSI Los Angeles officers partnering with ERO Los Angeles arrested an unnamed Taiwanese citizen, "illegally present in the U.S." and "wanted in Taiwan for sexual assault.”

CNN [3/23/2025 7:34 PM, Merlin Delcid, 52868K] reports families of Venezuelan deportees held in El Salvador’s infamous Cecot prison can petition the Salvadoran government for their release – but the fruitfulness of that process is an open question in a country accused of arbitrary detention by rights groups and even the US State Department. The head of El Salvador’s Human Rights and Freedom of Expression Commission, Andrés Guzmán, told CNN those who believe their relatives are “unjustly” held in the country’s notorious Cecot mega-prison can bring their grievances into the office. Families of 238 Venezuelans deported from the United States have been anxiously waiting for news about their loved ones. US President Donald Trump deported the Venezuelans, along with 23 Salvadorans, to El Salvador last weekend, accusing them of having ties to gangs like Tren de Aragua. The deportees were then transferred to the Center for Terrorism Confinement, known as Cecot, the largest prison in the Americas. Several relatives say they’ve identified family members among the deportees and have denied the allegations. Venezuela’s government and multiple families have criticized the treatment their loved ones have received in El Salvador, saying that neither the Salvadorans nor the US have presented evidence that the deportees are gang members. The mega-prison with a 40,000-person capacity has long been criticized by rights groups for the alleged inhumane treatment of detainees. The US State Department even acknowledged “torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by security forces” in a 2023 report that also pointed to “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions” and “arbitrary arrest or detention” by the country’s law enforcement.

Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 5:00 PM, Rhian Lubin, 52868K] repots the Trump administration’s proposal to vet social media profiles of green card applicants already legally in the U.S. has been condemned in initial public feedback as an attack on free speech. Visa applicants living abroad already have to share their social media handles with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, but the proposal under President Donald Trump would expand the policy to those already legally in the country who are applying for permanent residency or seeking asylum. USCIS said the vetting of social media accounts is necessary for "the enhanced identity verification, vetting and national security screening.". The agency also said it was necessary to comply with Trump’s executive order titled "Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.". "In a review of information collected for admission and benefit decisions, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) identified the need to collect social media identifiers (‘handles’) and associated social media platform names from applicants to enable and help inform identity verification, national security and public safety screening, and vetting, and related inspections," the agency announced on March 5. The agency is collecting feedback from the public on the proposal until May 5, the majority of which are overwhelmingly opposed at the time of writing. "So the US is heading for authoritarian now," an anonymous commenter said. "Anything that the current administration doesn’t like means bad. Pure ideology means total destruction. This is a violation to the First Amendment.". The new proposal comes as the Internal Revenue Service is close to an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to allow officials to use confidential tax data to confirm names and addresses of people they suspect are in the country illegally, according to the Washington Post.

Reported similarly:
Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 1:36 PM, Peter Wade, 52868K]

Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 5:49 PM, Rachel Uda, 52868K] reports that, in recent weeks, several foreign nationals and tourists have been arrested or deported, as the Trump administration ramps up its immigration enforcement. Some of the cases appear to be over legitimate issues, others seem highly politicized. One of the most controversial is that of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestine activist who helped orchestrate the protests at Columbia University. Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident, was detained earlier this month by federal immigration authorities who were reportedly acting on a State Department order to revoke his green card, per the Guardian. “We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it,” President Trump wrote on his social media site, adding that Khalil’s arrest would be the first of “many to come.” Several tourists have also been caught in the crosshairs, prompting Canada, the U.K., Germany, and other European countries to issue advisories about traveling to the U.S. As the crackdown continues, we’ll be keeping an eye on the most prominent cases. Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, was detained last week and had his J-1 visa revoked. The Indian national has been accused by the DHS of “actively spreading Hamas propaganda.” Suri’s lawyers have denied this, and have argued that he is being punished for his wife’s ties to Gaza. Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, is a U.S. citizen of Palestinian descent whose father, Ahmed Yousef, is a former advisor to Hamas, the Associated Press reports. Yousef, who left his role with the organization over a decade ago, told the Times that his son-in-law wasn’t involved in “political activism.” The State Department has detained Suri under the same rarely used federal provision it invoked to detain Khalil. The provision allows the Secretary of State to remove any alien they “believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” A federal judge last week ruled that Suri can’t be removed from the U.S. “until the Court issues a contrary order,” NPR reports. Earlier this month, Rasha Alawieh, MD, a kidney transplant specialist at Brown University’s medical school, was deported despite a court order temporarily blocking her deportation. The 34-year-old, who has a valid visa, was detained last week after returning from her native Lebanon. The DHS said Dr. Alawieh was deported because she had attended a funeral in February for Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and “openly admitted” to supporting him. “A visa is a privilege not a right,” a spokeswoman for the agency told New York Times. “Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be denied. This is common-sense security.”

Axios [3/23/2025 4:06 PM, Avery Lotz, 13163K] reports several European countries have adjusted travel guidelines for citizens seeking to enter the U.S. as the Trump administration has implemented several rollbacks on transgender rights. Finland, Denmark and Germany urged cautionary planning for trans and nonbinary travelers seeking to enter the U.S. following an executive order requiring the federal government to recognize only two sexes: male and female. The advisory changes come as citizens from several European countries and beyond have been detained by U.S. immigration authorities over issues with travel visas. "If your passport has the gender designation X or you have changed gender, it is recommended to contact the US embassy prior to travel for guidance on how to proceed," the Danish foreign ministry’s page, updated Thursday, now reads. It makes no specific mention of Trump’s executive order but notes that there are "there are two gender designations to choose from: male or female" when applying for a visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorization approval. The change on Denmark’s travel page came around one week after Finland made a similar update, the Hill reported. "If the gender listed on the applicant’s passport does not match the gender assigned at birth, the US authorities may deny the application for a travel permit or visa," the Finnish page reads, citing Trump’s order. The German Federal Foreign Office also notes on its updated page that travelers to the U.S. must state "either ‘male’ or ‘female’ on ESTA or visa applications." It advises travelers with the gender marker "X" or those whose gender does not reflect the one assigned to them at birth to check with U.S. authorities about entry requirements before entering the country.

Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 7:48 PM, Jace O’Barto, 52868K] reports that, since Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022, millions of lives have been upended. Many survivors still live amongst the rubble, while others fled. Nearly 300,000 of them came to the United States. Using a translator, Tetiana Soloshchuk, a Ukrainian refugee and advocate, said, “The war every single day is becoming harder and worse for everybody around us. Even if the media doesn’t keep up with the war, it’s still happening, and it’s still there.” 3 years ago, Soloshchuk fled to the United States with her husband and children. She said at that time, the border was open for Ukrainians to enter the U.S. through Mexico, and they had to walk across the border. “Whenever they got to the border, it was around 9 p.m., and they were not letting them go through, so they were scared to go back to Mexico. So, they just slept there on the bridge on the concrete floors,” said Soloshchuk. But with the Trump Administration ending some Biden-era immigration programs, Soloschuk and thousands of other Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. are worried about protection programs being revoked. She said, “Ukrainians are terrified of what Trump might be doing because there’s nowhere to return to. They cannot return back to where they came from.” Soloshchuk started “With Ukraine in Heart,” an organization that helps these refugees get back on their feet when they come to Kentucky. She told FOX 56 that there are as many as 3,000 of them in the state alone. She said she does all that she can to help them but says people and their children are scared. “Sadly, it’s not helping Ukrainians to settle down and to not panic because the future is not holding any stability. They don’t know what’s in front of them. They don’t know what they’re heading for,” said Soloshchuk.

Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 1:00 PM, Chris Stoodley, 52868K] reports Canada is amongst a list of countries in Europe that have issued advisories about travelling to the United States. As the Trump administration cracks down on immigration enforcement, foreign nationals are being warned they could run into problems if they fail to follow American entry rules. On Friday evening, the Canadian government updated its travel advice for people planning to travel south of the border. The update indicated visitors are required to register with the U.S. government if they plan to stay in the country for longer than 30 days. "Failure to comply with the registration requirement could result in penalties, fines and misdemeanor prosecution," the travel advisory noted, adding people can check the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website to see if they must register and how they can do so. The updated guidelines come as other countries advised their own citizens to take caution when it comes to entering the U.S. In Europe, countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and Finland have issued similar advisories.

NPR [3/23/2025 8:02 AM, Ayesha Rascoe, 78K] Audio: HERE reports the Wall Street Journal’s Michelle Hackman tells NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe about the "extreme vetting" tactics international visitors say U.S. border officials are employing.

CBS News [3/23/2025 7:00 AM, Cara Tabachnick, 51661K] reports on Monday, a century-old tradition that allowed Canadians and Americans to freely access the front entrance of the Haskell Free Library and Opera House that straddles Vermont and Quebec will come to an end. Canadian members used to walk down the approximately 70 feet of American sidewalk with their identifying documents, such as a passport or license, and enter through the library’s main entrance, which sits on the Vermont side. But last week, U.S. authorities said that this easy access will end, with most Canadians needing to enter through a separate entrance on Canada’s side. "It’s been in effect for 104 years, and suddenly, with this new administration, it’s not," said Sonia De Paoli, 71, a Canadian who moved to the area from Montreal after she retired. De Paoli joined the library’s board of trustees — consisting of four Americans and three Canadians — a few years ago to help this "unique" private organization. Beginning Monday, Canadians with proof of library membership will still be able to use the front entrance on the Vermont side, but nonmembers will need to enter through the Canadian side, the library said. But by Oct. 1, all Canadians, including members, will be required to use the entrance on Canada’s side — although once inside the library Canadians and Americans can still freely intermingle. The private library was founded in 1901 between Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont, to encourage cooperation between the border towns. The historic building, which also houses a 400-seat opera house, has thick tape running throughout its interior, denoting where the U.S. border ends and the Canadian one begins.

CBS News [3/23/2025 7:50 PM, Cecilia Vega, 51661K] reports that, on February 1st, President Trump imposed 25% tariffs on nearly all goods imported from Canada. Since then, his administration has engaged in an on again off again trade war with our longtime ally. The tariffs were imposed based on the exaggerated claim that millions of criminals and tons of deadly fentanyl have been pouring over the border into the United States— and that Canada has allowed it to happen. Last month we went to the northern border, to the Chazy River, where even in the middle of winter, migrants continue to cross its frozen banks, often guided by human smugglers who openly advertise their services on Facebook and TikTok. If President Trump and the Canadian government really want to tackle illegal immigration there, they might want to start online. Search for ‘border excursions’ on TikTok and Facebook and you’ll find a black market set to music that guarantees migrants safe passage across the northern border. There are posts in Spanish, English, and Punjabi. And reviews like you’d find on Yelp. These men in the back of a car, on their way to a new life in the United States, give their smugglers five stars and a thumbs up. Stretching more than 5,500 miles, the U.S.-Canadian border is the longest international land border in the world. That’s the U.S. on the right and Canada on the left. In February, we traveled to an area the U.S. Customs and Border Protection calls the Swanton Sector, which runs from New Hampshire to upstate New York. Last year, more than 80% of migrant apprehensions at the northern border happened here.

CBS News [3/23/2025 7:51 PM, Brit McCandless Farmer, 51661K] reports that, to get drugs and people across the United States border, a Mexican man named Javi carefully traces a route through dangerous terrain. A self-described member of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, he says the cartel never loses: If a situation ever becomes unsafe and he has to turn people around mid-route, Javi says he still must give the cartel their cut of the deal. Not only does he have to be on the lookout for border guards eager to arrest him, but he also must keep himself and the people he is smuggling physically safe. President Trump has said the situation on America’s northern border has contributed to deterioration of America’s alliance with Canada. Trump recently imposed 25% tariffs on some Canadian goods, saying America’s northern neighbor has allowed fentanyl and undocumented migrants to flood the United States. Since smugglers bring both, 60 Minutes spoke with one to get a sense of the situation. Javi, the man 60 Minutes spoke with, is a pseudonym. He agreed to speak only if his identity was not revealed. Interviews with him were conducted in Spanish. Finding a smuggler on the northern border was easy. There is a black market of human traffickers who openly advertise their services on social media and guarantee safe passage across the northern border for migrants from all over the world. Their social media posts are written in languages like English, Spanish, and Punjabi. They use global languages for a global trade: There were 97 nations represented in the undocumented migrants apprehended at Canada’s border last year. Convincing someone who works for the Sinaloa Cartel to do an interview, however, was more challenging. It took months of phone calls and texting between Javi and CBS News producer Louisa Garcia to earn his trust and convince him to speak with 60 Minutes. Javi was frank when asked what might happen if members of the cartel found out he spoke with American media. "They would kill me," he said in Spanish. "The cartel doesn’t forgive." Although it’s not possible to verify everything Javi said, a source in Canadian intelligence told 60 Minutes that Javi’s story is consistent with the cartel’s human and drug smuggling operations. To prove his account, Javi sent photos of guns he says he carries and videos of migrants he says he has smuggled into the United States. He said they come from all over the world, including India, Spain, Brazil, and Colombia. He said he leads them through the woods, while others drive migrants to and from the border. According to Javi, each migrant pays $3,000 for the trip. Javi said $500 of that goes to the cartel, a cut goes to drivers, and to Javi, about $1,000 for each migrant he guides. He said the knowledge he has cultivated makes the money worth it for the migrants. "The route is learned through experience," he said. "You have to know the terrain. The only way to know the routes is by exploring on your own. For example, we recognize the spots because all of us who work in this have worked as guides on the Mexico-U.S. border. That’s a much more heavily monitored and guarded border, so it’s easy to spot the cameras and sensors."

Miami Herald [3/23/2025 8:19 AM, Alisha dos Santos, 3973K] reports as European countries issue new warnings about travel to the U.S. amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, some cruise passengers are becoming concerned about their travel plans. For Canadians with plans to cruise from U.S. departure ports, the reports of European and Canadian tourists being turned away and even detained at airports and border crossings are unsettling. Canadian lawmaker Charlie Angus, a member of Canada’s parliament, held a news conference on March 20 urging Canadians to avoid all travel to the U.S. "What concerns me is the targeting of Canadian citizens who are crossing the border to work or to visit," Angus explained. "We have seen too many stories of citizens being pulled out of airport lines and being fingerprinted and deported as though they were criminals.". Although Canadians are taking these threats seriously, some don’t want to call off cruise vacations that they’ve been looking forward to, even though they leave from U.S. ports. Canadian Disney cruise passenger seeks reassurance on U.S. travel. One Canadian Disney cruise passenger recently turned to the DCL community on Reddit for advice on the worrisome U.S. travel situation. "With the UK and Germany both issuing formal travel advisories to the US, Canada is close to doing the same thing, and more countries will be doing the same - I am starting to get really worried about my upcoming cruise in July," Reddit user Minimum-Landscape120 posted. "Please reassure me because I really don’t want to cancel. But at the same time, I want to be realistic.". "Canadian. Leaving for Florida next month. Still going," Jitsoperator shared. "To my understanding, if you are coming for tourist stuff, U.S. is ok with that. It’s if you are coming for a longer stay and don’t have your story and documents in order - that’s the trouble.".

AP [3/23/2025 4:08 PM, Staff, 908K] reports that, a month after an official with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection was found slain at her home, the woman’s wife has been arrested in Mexico on suspicion of murder, authorities said. Investigators had named Yolanda Olejniczak Marodi as the prime suspect in the Feb. 17 stabbing death of Cal Fire Capt. Rebecca Marodi, 49, in Ramona, near San Diego. Olejniczak Marodi was arrested Saturday at a hotel in the city of Mexicali, just south of the U.S. border, according to officials in Mexico. Mexican state security agents transferred her to U.S. marshals and she was returned to the United States, according to a statement from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. It wasn’t known Sunday if Olejniczak Marodi, 53, has an attorney. She will be booked into custody in San Diego, and the investigation into Marodi’s killing remains ongoing, the statement said. Marodi, a decorated captain with the state agency, was part of the battle against the Eaton fire in January near Los Angeles. She and Olejniczak Marodi had been married for just over two years. Olejniczak Marodi was previously convicted in the fatal stabbing of her then-husband, James Joseph Olejniczak, the Los Angeles Times reported. She pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter after the stabbing in 2000 and served nearly a decade in prison. Olejniczak Marodi had been at large since Marodi’s death and had driven into Mexico the night of her death, according to the statement from the sheriff’s office. She was seen on surveillance video earlier in the evening “arguing with Rebecca and physically assaulting her” before leaving the house, the statement said. Home security footage from a surveillance camera at the couple’s home depicted a brutal scene on the evening of Feb. 17, according to an arrest warrant obtained by the Times. A woman believed to be Marodi can be heard in the video screaming “Yolanda! Please ... ! I don’t want to die!” before appearing on video with blood on her back, according to the warrant. The footage shows Olejniczak Marodi packing items into a silver SUV, which is seen about an hour later crossing the border into Mexico, according to the warrant.

Reported similarly:
AP [3/23/2025 4:08 PM, Staff, 24727K]
USA Today [3/23/2025 10:36 PM, Thao Nguyen, 75858K]
Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 9:55 AM, Anna Ashcraft, 52868K]
Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 2:42 PM, Michele McPhee, 52868K]

Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 12:43 PM, Rebecca Rommen, 52868K] reports an Orthodox Jewish passenger on a United Airlines flight says a pilot forcibly removed him from the airplane’s bathroom while he was experiencing constipation. In a lawsuit filed this week, Yisroel Liebb said the "visibly enraged" pilot broke the lock on the restroom door and forced Liebb out while his pants were around his ankles, exposing his genitalia to other nearby passengers. Liebb and another passenger he was traveling with, Jacob Sebbag, who is also Jewish, claim they suffered physical injuries, emotional distress, and discrimination at the hands of airline staff and federal agents on the flight from Tulum, Mexico, to Houston, Texas. According to the complaint, seen by Business Insider, the events unfolded on January 28, 2025, after a flight attendant woke Sebbag and asked him to check on Liebb, who had been in the bathroom for about 20 minutes. Liebb responded that he was experiencing constipation and would exit shortly, but the pilot demanded he leave immediately, the lawsuit said. The plaintiffs claim that after Liebb was removed from the restroom, the pilot "proceeded to repeatedly push" them back to their seats while making discriminatory remarks about their Judaism. Upon arrival in Houston, agents from the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and the Transportation Security Administration boarded the plane and restrained Liebb, forced his arms behind his back, and handcuffed him, according to the complaint. Sebbag was also detained after confirming that Liebb was in his phone contacts, the lawsuit states. According to the lawsuit, both men were placed in separate holding cells, subjected to searches, and endured excessive force, including painfully tight handcuffs. As a result of their detention, the plaintiffs say they missed their connecting flight and were forced to incur additional expenses.

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AZCentral [3/23/2025 2:47 PM, James Powel, 4457K]

Newsweek [3/23/2025 5:11 PM, Adeola Adeosun, 52220K] reports North and South Carolina have declared states of emergency as multiple wildfires continue to burn, forcing evacuations and threatening communities, with the National Weather Service (NWS) warning of increased fire danger in the Carolinas—mainly due to critically dry fuels and low relative humidity. Newsweek reached out to the North Carolina and South Carolina Department of Public Safety via email on Sunday for comment. The wildfires pose immediate danger to communities already struggling to rebuild after Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on western North Carolina when it struck last year. Earlier this month, more than 175 fires burned across 6.6 square miles in South Carolina. Officials warn that deteriorating conditions could trap residents who delay evacuation, with reduced visibility and blocked roads creating potentially life-threatening situations. The emergency declarations enable rapid mobilization of resources as dry conditions elevate fire risks throughout both states. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has emphasized that anyone violating the burning ban "can and will go to jail," highlighting the severity of the situation. In North Carolina, a mandatory evacuation order was issued Saturday evening for parts of Polk County as three active fires spread in an area still recovering from Helene. The state is battling three active fires in Polk County alone, with the two largest spanning between 1.7 and 1.9 square miles. Additional fires are burning in Burke, Madison, and Stokes counties.

CNN [3/24/2025 4:58 AM, Karina Tsui, 908K] reports high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity are causing a group of wildfires to spread rapidly through western North Carolina, risking further damage to areas already ravaged by Hurricane Helene. “In my career, 20-year career, this is the most fuel I’ve seen on the ground,” North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop told CNN affiliate WLOS, describing the large number of leaves and trees that fell during the hurricane. It is not immediately clear how many residents would be affected by the order, though a shelter has been set up in Columbus, North Carolina. “A lot of heavy fuels we’ve seen on the ground currently,” Waldrop added. While South Carolina the governor declared state of emergency because of the wildfires, in both South and North Carolina the fires have been similarly difficult to contain due to timber downed by Hurricane Helene. In North Carolina, videos obtained by WLOS show visibly dry forests burned and charred by flames, with multiple helicopters dropping water from above thick clouds of smoke. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety announced a mandatory evacuation Saturday night for parts of Polk County, home to roughly 20,000 people, 80 miles west of Charlotte. “We live in a rural area, and so not everyone has internet here or even has great cell service,” Polk County resident Melissa Holland told fire officials at a recent community meeting. “It’s very spotty,” she added. Holland said many residents are relying on word of mouth to hear about orders, but she’s hoping for a more consistent line of county communication. CNN has reached out to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for more information on how many residents were affected by the order, though a shelter was set up in Columbus.

Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 6:45 AM, Kristen Lawrence, 52868K] reports in February, catastrophic flooding devastated Kentucky and West Virginia, prompting thousands of water rescues, damaging homes, and killing at least 17 people. Just a few days later, a snowstorm and Arctic temperatures slammed the region, hampering cleanup efforts. As The Washington Post reported, when several inches of rain fell in the Appalachian Mountains, which had recently been hammered by several rain systems, it led to historic flooding that left many rural communities without heat and power. Eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia bore the brunt of the impacts. And since some parts of the region had already received up to twice their normal winter precipitation, the soil couldn’t absorb all the rainfall. Several rivers breached their banks, causing widespread flooding and road closures. Saturated soils also led to mudslides and landslides, leaving homes full of mud and towns in shambles. "It’s catastrophic across the region," Rev. Brad Davis, a West Virginia resident, told the Post. After the rounds of rain moved through, some of which broke records in Kentucky, the area had to contend with snow and subzero temperatures. With nearly 1 in 4 households still without power, many had to put cleanup efforts on hold and seek emergency shelters to stay warm. Recently, communities in the area haven’t been able to catch a break, as back-to-back Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated North Carolina and South Carolina, among other states, in fall. Some remote towns are still rebuilding and waiting for disaster relief funds, though Congress allocated $100 billion in emergency aid.

AP [3/24/2025 2:29 AM, Staff, 48304K] reports wildfires forced a mandatory evacuation Sunday in a North Carolina county still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and South Carolina’s governor declared an emergency in response to a growing wildfire in that state. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [3/23/2025 6:47 PM, Nazaneen Ghaffar, 145325K] reports two wildfires, each greater than 2,000 acres, more than doubled in size on Sunday and raged uncontained in Polk County, N.C., after residents were ordered to evacuate among warnings of dire conditions. At 8:20 p.m. on Saturday, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety announced a mandatory evacuation for parts of the county. It was not immediately clear how many people were affected by the evacuation order. Officials warned of dangerous conditions, saying on social media that “visibility in the area will be reduced and roads/evacuation routes can become blocked; if you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured, or killed.” As of Sunday evening, the North Carolina Forest Service reported four active fires in the county. The largest two — Black Cove, which grew on Sunday to 2,076 acres, and Deep Wood, which also grew, to 2,545 acres — were at zero percent containment. Both fires are burning in timber on steep terrain on a mix of state-owned and private land in the Green River Gorge, according to the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Nearly 250 firefighting personnel from across North Carolina and other states are working to prevent the fires from spreading to neighborhoods and structures, the department said. Kellie Cannon, a spokeswoman for the county, said on Sunday afternoon that the Black Cove and Deep Woods fires “are coming close to meeting and they are separated by a road.” She added that a code red air quality alert was in place in for the county “because the smoke is very dense.” The alert means that the air is unhealthy for anyone if exposed to it.

ABC News [3/23/2025 4:07 PM, Bill Hutchinson, 34586K] reports evacuation orders were issued Sunday for parts of Polk County, North Carolina, where three large wildfires have burned more than 3,000 acres combined and two of the blazes remain out of control, according to authorities. The three separate fires -- the Black Cove Fire, Deep Woods Fire and the Fish Hook Fire -- were all burning about 30 miles southeast of Ashville, according to the North Carolina Forest Service. The fire ignited last week but grew rapidly over the weekend, fueled by low humidity and dry vegetation, officials said. The fires are burning in an area where Hurricane Helene swept through in September, leaving behind numerous downed trees, which are also helping to fuel the fires, officials said. As of Sunday, the Black Cove fire had burned 1,239 acres and was 0% contained, according to Kelly Cannon, spokesperson for Polk County government. The Deep Woods fire was also 0% contained on Sunday after burning 1,713 acres, Cannon said. Evacuation orders issued Saturday evening by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety remained in effect Sunday for residents in the area of the Black Cove Fire, officials said.

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NBC News [3/23/2025 2:19 PM, Phil Helsel, 44742K]

Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 1:44 PM, Michaela Ratliff, 52868K] repors containment efforts continue for a wildfire that started Saturday in Stokes County near the Rockingham County line, according to the North Carolina Forest Service. As of Sunday at 12:23 p.m., the approximately 276.6-acre fire was 50% contained. Stokes County Public Services, volunteer fire departments, forestry officials, the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies are assisting with the fire. According to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, the fire is in the area of Goinstown School Road, Bennett Road and Victory Hill Church Road. Residents are asked to stay away from the area to allow fire personnel access to the area. As of Sunday morning, 125 wildfires have recently burned more than 3,500 acres across the state.

The San Diego Union Tribune [3/23/2025 9:12 AM, Gary Robbins, 1682K] reports the San Diego-based destroyer USS Spruance was sent to sea Saturday to help "restore territorial integrity at the U.S. southern border", the United States Northern Command said in a statement. The deployment came one week after the U.S. Northern Command ordered the destroyer USS Gravely, which is based in Norfolk, Va., to travel to the Gulf of Mexico for the same reason. The movements are part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to more effectively patrol the southern border by air, sea and land. The Northern Command said that Spruance, a 14-year-old Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, will be accompanied by an embedded U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment, whose duties include border control, counter-terrorism and homeland security. Saturday’s deployment represents a quick turnaround for Spruance, which returned from deployment to the Indo-Pacific and Middle East barely three months ago. Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 10:25 AM, Jake Epstein, 52868K] reports Gen. Gregory Guillot, the NORTHCOM commander, said that the Spruance’s deployment as part of the southern border mission "brings additional capability and expands the geography of unique military capabilities working with the Department of Homeland Security.". "With Spruance off the West Coast and USS Gravely in the Gulf of America, our maritime presence contributes to the all-domain, coordinated DOD response to the Presidential Executive Order and demonstrates our resolve to achieve operational control of the border," Guillot added. The Spruance and Gravely are being deployed for a mission very different from the Red Sea conflict in which both vessels fought. KTRH 740 AM Houston [3/23/2025 1:30 PM, Jarett Lewis] reports Coast Guard officials said earlier this month that hundreds of migrant boat encounters were logged near the San Diego coast in the last 90 days. The destroyer will be accompanied by an embedded U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment created in 1982.

Reported similarly:
News Nation [3/23/2025 7:07 PM, Staff, 2K]
WDC News [3/23/2025 9:58 AM, Staff, 125K]

NBC 3 Savannah [3/23/2025 6:06 PM, Eric Dorsch, 191K] reports the Savannah Fire Department (SFD) is assisting with a capsized boat on the Savanna River. SFD currently has a unit on the scene and is awaiting the Coast Guard and Chatham Marine Unit to arrive. According to an official, no spilling of fuel has occurred and no individuals were reported in the water.

NBC 2 Fort Myers [3/23/2025 11:06 PM, Staff] reports unfortunately, the search has been called off right now to find the people missing for a boat that flipped over in Jacksonville on Friday. So far, authorities say one person is dead but thee others, they are still missing, including children. United States Coast Guard suspended the search for the three other missing boaters. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

WFLA 970 AM Tampa [3/23/2025 9:00 PM, Staff, 31K] reports the search for three missing boaters, which includes two children, is suspended. Their eighteen-foot boat capsized Friday, sending several people into the water where one person died. The U.S. Coast Guard said it happened on St. Johns River. [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

FOX 13 Seattle [3/23/2025 7:22 PM, Ramsey Pfeffinger] reports there is an active rescue operation underway for a 28-year-old woman who reportedly fell into the Carbon River on Sunday morning. She fell into the water around 11:30 a.m. with her dog, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. Early reports indicate a man she was with had to hike out of the area to be able to make the 911 call. First responders were able to find the dog with a drone a couple miles down the river. However, search operations from the Swiftwater Rescue Team have been called off this afternoon due to dangerous conditions. Drone searches are ongoing Sunday evening, with additional drone teams being called to the scene by PCSO. FOX 13 crews confirmed the road was blocked about three miles from the Fairfax Bridge. The closest town to the scene of the woman’s disappearance is Carbonado. "The challenging part too is you have huge rocks, sharp rocks. You’ve got debris in that river, you’ve got logs, heavy thick brush of forest and trees. This isn’t like terrain that you can just go and have a brisk walk in. It definitely requires strategic ways of getting down there safely…" said PCSO Deputy Carly Cappetto. Coast Guard, fire, search and rescue teams, along with PSCO, have been working together on the afternoon of Mar. 23 to try and find the woman.

Reported similarly:
ABC 4 Seattle [3/23/2025 7:10 PM, Staff, 2K]
Tacoma News Tribune [3/23/2025 7:09 PM, Rolf Boone]

Marine Link [3/23/2025 7:10 PM, Staff, 94K] reports the U.S. Coast Guard decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Naushon during a ceremony in Homer on March 21. Rear Adm. Megan Dean, the commander of Coast Guard District 17, presided over the ceremony honoring the nearly 40 years of service Naushon and its crews provided to the nation. Commissioned on October 3, 1986, Naushon was the 11th Island-Class cutter to join the fleet. Naushon has been stationed in Homer since 2016 and has since responded to over 50 search-and-rescue cases and completed nearly 900 law enforcement sorties.

CNN [3/23/2025 7:50 PM, Chris Boyette, 257K] reports four people have been arrested in connection with a mass shooting in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Friday night that left three teenagers dead and 15 others injured, police said early Sunday. Tomas Rivas, 20, and a 17-year-old boy were arrested Saturday, according to Las Cruces Police. On Sunday, another 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy were arrested, police said in an update. “About 12:20 p.m. Sunday, March 23, police arrested a 15-year-old boy and charged him with three open counts of murder,” police said in a social media post. “The three previous arrests on this case – two 17-year-old boys and 20-year-old Tomas Rivas – all face the same charges.” Additional charges are pending for all four suspects, police added. Rivas was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center Sunday morning and is being held without bond. The three teenagers are being held in the juvenile section of the detention facility, police said. It’s unclear if Rivas or the teens have attorneys. Andrew Madrid, 16; Jason Gomez, 18; and Dominick Estrada, 19, were killed in the shooting, according to police. Nine male and six female victims ranging in age from 16 to 36 were injured, police said. Their names were not released. An investigation is ongoing, police said. The violence marked the 53rd mass shooting of 2025, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

Reported similarly:
New York Times [3/23/2025 6:55 AM, Paul Ratje, Jonathan Wolfe and Simon J. Levien, 2778K]

Newsweek [3/23/2025 12:50 PM, Ellie Cook, 52220K] reports former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jessica Aber, who was found dead at the age of 43 by Virginia authorities on Saturday, was at the helm of high-profile investigations into intelligence leaks, allegations of war crimes against Russian-linked individuals and people suspected of providing sensitive U.S. technology to Moscow before she stepped down at the start of the year. Aber, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, resigned in January after President Donald Trump was inaugurated. She had risen to lead one of the most important federal prosecutor’s offices and roughly 300 prosecutors, civil litigators, and support personnel, regularly tasked with national security and terrorism-related cases. The Alexandria Police Department said on Saturday that officers responded shortly after 9 a.m. local time to reports of an unresponsive woman at Beverley Drive, north of downtown and south of Arlington. In mid-January, Asif Rahman, a former CIA analyst, pleaded guilty to retaining and transmitting top secret national defense information to people who were not entitled to receive it, before the information then appeared on social media in October 2024. Aber said at the time that Rahman had "disclosed top secret American documents in violation of his oath, his responsibility, and the law," and his actions had "placed lives at risk, undermined U.S. foreign relations, and compromised our ability to collect vital intelligence in the future.".

AP [3/23/2025 1:33 PM, Will Weissert, 24727K] reports second lady Usha Vance plans a trip to Greenland, the self-governing, mineral-rich territory of American ally Denmark that President Donald Trump has suggested the United States should take control over. Vance will leave on Thursday and return Saturday, according to her office. Vance and one of her three children will be part of a U.S. delegation set to “visit historical sites, learn about Greenlandic heritage, and attend the Avannaata Qimussersu, Greenland’s national dogsled race.” The race features around 37 mushers and 444 dogs and offers what Vance’s office described as a “remarkable display of speed, skill, and teamwork. The statement said that Vance and the delegation “are excited to witness this monumental race and celebrate Greenlandic culture and unity.” Media outlets in Greenland and Denmark reported that during her trip this week, Vance would be accompanied by Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz. The White House and the National Security Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

CNN [3/24/2025 4:00 AM, Evan Perez and Priscilla Alvarez, 22131K] reports that, as part of the deportation flights of alleged terrorists at the center of a legal and political storm, the US quietly dropped charges against a key alleged MS-13 leader and returned him to the pro-Trump leader of El Salvador. César Humberto López-Larios, an alleged top leader of the MS-13 gang who US investigators believe has information that could implicate top Salvadoran government officials in possibly corrupt deals with the violent gang, was deported on one of the controversial flights, according to current and former US officials and court documents. It’s a deal that would benefit President Nayib Bukele, the brash Salvadoran leader who has become a star among pro-Trump US conservatives. "He’s a friend of mine," President Donald Trump said of Bukele in the Oval Office on Friday. The deportations are part of a plan by the Trump administration to pay El Salvador to imprison immigrants accused of crimes and expelled from the US. MS-13 deportations, particularly of leaders, who are a priority for Salvadoran officials, and Trump officials agreed, according to a US official. But bringing MS-13 leaders to face charges in the US has been a top priority for the Justice Department, and the transfer is a major loss of potential intelligence for investigators who helped track down López-Larios for his arrest in Mexico last year, current and former officials say. "It’s a historical loss," says a former federal agent who spent years working on MS-13 and other gang cases. "He was a potential high-level source. And he doesn’t get to face US justice.” López-Larios was arrested last year and charged by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn with directing the transnational gang’s activities in the US, El Salvador, Mexico, and other countries. He was flown a week ago Saturday to Central America as part of a broader deal under which El Salvador accepted 238 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua held by the US, along with 22 other MS-13 members, according to court documents and US officials briefed on the matter.

Reuters [3/24/2025 2:34 AM, Pavel Polityuk and Pesha Magid, 44742K] reports Ukrainian and U.S. delegations discussed on Sunday proposals to protect energy facilities and critical infrastructure, Ukraine’s defence minister said, part of a diplomatic push by U.S. President Donald Trump to end three years of war. The meeting in Saudi Arabia, which precedes talks on Monday between the U.S. and Russian delegations, came as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism about the chances for ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two. "I feel that (Russian President Vladimir Putin) wants peace," Witkoff told Fox News on Sunday. "I think that you’re going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that, you’ll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire." Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his country’s delegation to Sunday’s talks was working in "a completely constructive manner", adding: "The conversation is quite useful, the work of the delegations is continuing. "But no matter what we say to our partners today, we need to get Putin to give a real order to stop the strikes," Zelenskiy said in a televised statement. Ukraine’s delegation was headed by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who said the aim of such contacts was helping to "bring a just peace closer and to strengthen security", though Zelenskiy also said Sunday’s talks were essentially "technical". Putin agreed last week to Trump’s proposal for Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure for 30 days, but that narrowly defined ceasefire was soon cast into doubt, with both sides reporting continued strikes. A large-scale Russian drone attack on Kyiv overnight killed at least three people, including a 5-year-old child, causing fires in high-rise apartment buildings and damage throughout the capital, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday. Meanwhile Russian authorities said on Sunday that their air defences had destroyed 59 Ukrainian drones targeting the country’s southwestern regions, adding that the strikes had killed one person in Rostov. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Yahoo! News [3/24/2025 2:54 AM, Kieran Kelly, 52868K] reports Putin has sent a disgraced FSB officer and a former Russian ambassador to Britain to lead negotiations with US officials in Saudi Arabia on Monday. Sergey Beseda served in Russia’s federal security service (FSB) until he resigned after his unit was accused of sharing faulty intelligence with Putin on the eve of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He will be joined by Grigory Karasin, who served as ambassador to the UK between 2000 and 2005, for talks with a US delegation in Riyadh on Monday. The Russian delegation will arrive amid concerns Putin is delaying a ceasefire to buy time on the battlefield. Monday’s negotiating team represents an effective downgrade in seniority from when Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, met with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov in initial talks in February. The talks will take place after initial discussions between the US and Ukraine – also in Riyadh – on Sunday. Rustem Umerov, the Ukrainian defence minister leading Kyiv’s delegation, said he expected discussions to centre on proposals to protect energy facilities and critical infrastructure. Mr Beseda’s FSB unit had reportedly been providing Putin with intelligence on the eve of his country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. His unit worked inside Ukraine gathering intelligence and reportedly mustering support for Russia, but its failures led to Mr Beseda’s arrest and detention in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison. He eventually resigned his post in June last year.

Reuters [3/24/2025 4:34 AM, Staff, 41523K] reports U.S. and Russian officials began talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday aimed at making progress towards a broad ceasefire in Ukraine with Washington eyeing a separate Black Sea maritime ceasefire deal before securing a wider agreement. The talks, which followed U.S. negotiations with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, come as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies his drive to end the three-year-old conflict after he last week spoke to both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. A source briefed on the planning for the talks said the U.S. side was being led by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the White House National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior State Department official. The White House says the aim of the talks is to reach a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, allowing the free flow of shipping, though the area has not been the location of intense military operations in recent months. Russia will be represented by Grigory Karasin, a former diplomat who is now chair of the Russian upper house of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and by Sergei Beseda, an adviser to the director of the Federal Security Service, the main successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB. The talks are taking place amid deep scepticism in some European countries and in Britain about whether Putin is ready to make meaningful concessions or will stick to what they see as his maximalist demands that do not appear to have changed since he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022. Trump, who has expressed broad satisfaction over the way talks have been going and who has been complimentary about Putin’s engagement in the process so far, said on Saturday that efforts to stop further escalation in the Ukraine-Russia conflict were "somewhat under control". White House national security adviser Mike Waltz told CBS’ "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the U.S., Russian and Ukrainian delegations were assembled in the same facility in Riyadh. Beyond a Black Sea ceasefire, he said, the teams will discuss "the line of control" between the two countries, which he described as "verification measures, peacekeeping, freezing the lines where they are.” He said "confidence-building measures" are being discussed, including the return of Ukrainian children taken by Russia.

Yahoo! News [3/23/2025 2:23 PM, Staff, 52868K] reports US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz believes the United States may ask Russia to release illegally deported Ukrainian children "as part of confidence-building measures". Source: Waltz in an interview with CBS News on Sunday 23 March. Details: The host asked why the State Department had stopped funding a Yale University programme that helped locate Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. Waltz replied that "Secretary Rubio is conducting a review of all of those programmes" and that he could not comment on that particular one. Quote: "But I can say that President Trump has spoken to both leaders about prisoner exchanges. Both the Russians and Ukrainians exchanged prisoners, nearly 200, immediately following their call. And he’s also talked about the future of these children. So that’s certainly, first and foremost, and, kind of, confidence-building measures.". When asked to clarify whether the US was requesting the return of Ukrainian children "as a confidence-building measure", Waltz said: "We’re talking through a number of confidence-building measures. That’s one of them". Elon Musk’s large-scale cuts to funding in the US government have suspended the work of a Yale University team that helped rescue hundreds of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. A group of Democratic lawmakers said there was reason to believe that evidence of Russia’s abduction of around 30,000 children from Ukraine had been lost after US funding was withdrawn.

CBS News [3/23/2025 4:14 PM, Staff, 51661K] reports Palestinian officials said the war in Gaza has killed more than 50,000 people after Israel ended the ceasefire last week in a wave of strikes that killed hundreds. Israel, which threatened Gaza with "complete destruction and devastation" if Hamas didn’t hand over the remaining hostages, has continued striking what it says are militant targets. It also launched ground incursions in northern Gaza. Overnight into Sunday, Israeli strikes across the southern Gaza Strip killed at least 26 Palestinians, including a Hamas political leader and several women and children. Residents said tanks had advanced into an area of the southern city of Rafah as the military ordered it evacuated. Palestinian men, women and children could be seen walking along a dirt road and carrying their belongings in their arms, a recurring scene in a war that has forced most of Gaza’s population to flee from the territory. "It’s displacement under fire," said Mustafa Gaber, a local journalist who left Tel al-Sultan with his family. In a video call, he said hundreds of people were fleeing as tank and drone fire echoed nearby. "There are wounded people among us. The situation is very difficult," he said. The Israeli Defense Forces said the operation in Tel al-Sultan targeted "terror infrastructure sites" and sought to "eliminate terrorists in the area, in order to reinforce control and expand the security zone in southern Gaza.". "The IDF will continue to operate against terrorist organizations in Gaza to protect Israeli civilians," it said in a statement.

Bloomberg [3/23/2025 9:02 PM, Galit Altstein, 3973K] reports Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet on Sunday took the first big step toward dismissing the attorney general in the latest attempt to reduce judicial oversight over the government’s actions. Moves to fire the nation’s top security and legal officials - including Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar - sparked nationwide demonstrations over the weekend. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets to oppose what they see as an alarming dilution of checks and balances that poses a threat to Israel’s democracy. Protests, the largest since the start of war in October 2023, continued Sunday in Jerusalem as the cabinet voted on a no-confidence resolution against Gali Baharav-Miara, Israel’s attorney general since 2022. Social and political unrest is on the rise after Israel resumed fighting in Gaza last week, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. The military renewed air strikes on the Palestinian territory and has launched a limited ground operation as well. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas war have passed 50,000. Netanyahu, though, is largely brushing off public displays of opposition after recently securing a firm majority of 68 out of 120 seats in parliament after Itamar Ben Gvir rejoined the government. Negotiations on a new temporary ceasefire or a permanent end to the conflict are at a standstill, and Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel will permanently annex land in Gaza if Hamas - designated a terror organization by the U.S. and other countries- keeps up its refusal to free Israeli hostages. The government resolution on Baharav-Miara expresses "a lack of confidence in the attorney general in light of her inappropriate conduct and given substantial and prolonged differences of opinion between her and the government which prevent effective cooperation." To oust her, the government needs to reconvene after deferring the matter to the same committee who appointed her and hearing its recommendation. Netanyahu didn’t take part in Sunday’s deliberations given his conflict on interest while he’s on trial for corruption charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which Baharav-Miara oversees.

FOX News [3/23/2025 2:22 PM, Stephen Sorace, 52868K] reports the Trump administration is calling on Iran to give up its entire nuclear program or face the consequences, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said Sunday. Waltz said it was time for Iran to "walk away completely" from its pursuit of nuclear weapons, pushing for a "full dismantlement" during an appearance on CBS’ "Face the Nation.". "This isn’t some kind of, you know, kind of tit-for-tat that we had under the Obama administration or Biden," Waltz said. "This is the full program. Give it up or there will be consequences.". Waltz did not specify what kind of consequences Iran could face, though he said President Donald Trump is keeping "all options on the table," including diplomacy. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on Sunday said the Trump administration wants a "full dismantlement" of Iran’s nuclear weapons program or face "consequences.". Waltz said the Trump administration wants Iran to give up its nuclear program "in a way that the entire world can see.". "If [Iran] had nuclear weapons, the entire Middle East would explode in an arms race," he said. "That is completely unacceptable to our national security. I won’t get into what the back-and-forth has been, but Iran is in the worst place it has been from its own national security since 1979.". Tensions between Tehran and Washington have been high since Iran’s proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, launched attacks on Israel in the past few years. Iran directly traded fire with Israel twice last year. Trump has threatened U.S. military action if Iran doesn’t negotiate a new agreement on its nuclear program. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said he isn’t interested in talks with a "bullying government," though Iranian diplomats, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, previously suggested that talks could be possible. Araghchi later toughened his stance, following Khamenei’s lead.

CBS News [3/23/2025 12:59 PM, Staff, 51661K] Video: HERE reports Mike Waltz, the Trump administration national security adviser, tells "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that U.S. airstrikes have "taken out key Houthi leadership, including their head missileer." Waltz says the Trump administration is seeking "full dismantlement" of Iran’s nuclear program.

Wall Street Journal [3/23/2025 11:01 AM, Brian Spegele] reports the U.S. and China stepped up diplomatic efforts as a visiting Republican senator met China’s premier and said he was laying the groundwork for an in-person summit between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “This was the first step to an important next step, which will be a meeting between President Xi and President Trump,” Sen. Steve Daines (R., Mont.), an ally of the president, said in an interview after meeting Premier Li Qiang on Sunday. “When that occurs and where it occurs is to be determined.” The Trump administration has said it is using tariffs to force Beijing to take more aggressive steps to address its role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis. In recent weeks, Chinese officials have gone on the offensive against the U.S. over the issue, alleging that Washington was using it as a pretext to attack China’s economy. The meeting between the senator and China’s premier came as dozens of global executives convened in Beijing for an annual forum focused on China’s development. Against the backdrop of U.S.-China frictions, Chinese officials sought to present their country as a force for global stability and open trade, courting business leaders as allies. In that light, Daines is a potentially useful interlocutor for China. He previously lived in China for several years while working for Procter & Gamble, a part of his background that he specifically raised with Li when they met on Sunday, according to a transcript of his remarks. Daines said in the interview that he conveyed Trump’s concerns over China’s role in the fentanyl crisis and that the meeting with Li was productive. Chinese companies make many of the chemicals used in the production of fentanyl. The chemicals are sold to cartels in Mexico, which then make the drug and transport it over the border to the U.S. “I felt good as we wrapped up the conversation today that they understood clearly how seriously we view this issue,” Daines said. Daines said he didn’t know when the Trump-Xi meeting would take place. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that U.S. and Chinese officials had begun discussions about a potential June summit.

Washington Examiner [3/23/2025 10:37 AM, Jenny Goldsberry, 2296K] reports National security adviser Mike Waltz implied the Trump administration is preventing further spying threats from China by demonstrating military strength. The Trump administration is adopting an offensive position over the previous Biden administration’s defensive position when it comes to China. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in recent weeks that made sweeping cuts at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America and other state-funded news agencies such as Radio Free Asia that broadcast to authoritarian regimes. This followed the president’s tariffs against China and pressure on TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company. "President Trump realizes this is the competition of this century. China has the economy, military wherewithal, a navy that now by numbers larger than ours, a nuclear arsenal that is tripling, everything they’re doing in space, but he also knows the way we win is through the strength of our economy and our markets," Waltz said on Fox News’s My View with Lara Trump on Saturday. "It’s about revitalizing our pharmaceuticals, our steel, our shipyards and shipbuilding. Of course, infusing that culture change of getting back to meritocracy and lethality in our military. That’s how you prevent wars. That’s how you show strength.”

NBC News [3/23/2025 7:00 AM, Rob Wile, 44742K] reports markets whipsawed further Friday in response to President Donald Trump’s latest comments on tariffs, with stocks briefly turning higher after he hinted that there may be "flexibility" in his plan to impose blanket tariffs on most U.S. trading partners next month before retreating back into the red. In remarks in the Oval Office, Trump said he was not interested in making exceptions to the broad "fair and reciprocal" duties he’d foreshadowed in February that he now says will be imposed April 2. But he nevertheless offered some daylight. "I don’t change. But the word flexibility is an important word," Trump said. "Sometimes it’s flexibility. So there’ll be flexibility, but basically it’s reciprocal.". The president singled out China, saying there would be room for "talk" on trade issues with the country while adding he hoped to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the near term. Despite that bit of give, it has become clear that the Trump administration is not backing down on its plan to establish sweeping trade levies, even as those efforts have sharply curbed near-term U.S. growth expectations while putting pressure on global GDP. "Every member of the Trump administration is aligned on finally levelling the playing field for American industries and workers," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement to NBC News this week. "President Trump has assembled the best and brightest trade team in modern American history to reignite American Greatness, and they are hard at work following the same playbook — President Trump’s playbook — to deliver for the American people.".

Reuters [3/24/2025 4:23 AM, Mikhail Flores, 24727K] reports soldiers from the Philippine and the U.S. armies began three weeks of joint military exercises on Monday, with drills focused on territorial defence and commanding large-scale deployments of forces, the Philippine Army said. Around 5,000 soldiers from the Philippine Army and the U.S. Army Pacific will take part in warfighting and exchange of expertise in the first phase of this year’s Exercise Salaknib. A second phase is scheduled for later this year. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to travel to Manila this week to meet Philippine leaders and forces, the Pentagon announced last week. The exercises will focus on enhancing combined operations between their army, large-scale manoeuvres, live-fire exercises and territorial defence, the Philippine Army said in a statement. The Salaknib exercises began in 2016 and are annual engagements between the two treaty allies, part of the broader Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) training drills.

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