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.

The Washington Post [11/15/2025 11:11 PM, Gaya Gupta, Peter Whoriskey, and Alex Horton, 32099K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has begun law enforcement operations in Charlotte, federal officials said Saturday, the latest Democratic-run city to brace for the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, as the administration pulls back troops in two other cities after legal challenges. As President Donald Trump’s deployment of federalized National Guard members to protect federal agents and facilities continues to face setbacks in court, all 200 members of California’s Guard will leave Portland and 200 members from Texas will depart from Chicago, a defense official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing decisions. In Charlotte, the administration is relying on law enforcement from agencies under the control of Homeland Security rather than troops. “We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, said in an email. “There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens, and President Trump and [DHS Secretary Kristi] Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t.” Garry McFadden, sheriff of Mecklenburg County, where Charlotte is located, said earlier this week that federal officials had confirmed a plan for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin operations as early as Saturday. McFadden said his office had not been asked by federal authorities to assist. The New York Times [11/15/2025 5:09 PM, Eduardo Medina and Bernard Mokam, 153395K] reports that on Saturday, Charlotte’s immigrant hubs were largely deserted as word spread that federal agents were in town. El Salvadoran restaurants were closed. Street vendors who usually sell mangos on weekends were absent. And residents shared videos of masked Border Patrol agents arriving at small businesses and Home Depots across the city, searching for people. It was not immediately clear how many undocumented immigrants had been detained as of early Saturday afternoon, but the reach of the operation, dubbed “Charlotte’s Web” by the agency, appeared to be spreading. Reuters [11/15/2025 9:18 PM, Doina Chiacu and Mike Stone, 36480K] reports that DHS, which oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, did not provide details on the operation, including how many law enforcement officers took part or the number of people detained. But the agency blamed North Carolina officials, saying their refusal to detain suspects sought by immigration authorities led to Saturday’s operation. DHS said North Carolina has not honored almost 1,400 "detainers" — requests by immigration officials to hold suspects for up to 48 hours beyond the time they would ordinarily be released. The North Carolina governor’s office and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York Post [11/15/2025 7:23 PM, Anna Young, 42219K] reports US Border Patrol agents were spotted making multiple arrests in Charlotte during an operation targeting "violent criminal illegal aliens" in the Democratic-run city, a move widely condemned by local officials. "Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. While the exact number of arrests remains unclear, local officials blasted the operation for "causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty" in a city home to more than 150,000 immigrant residents. "We want people in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to know we stand with all residents who simply want to go about their lives," Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, Mecklenburg County Board Chair Mark Jerrell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board member Stephanie Sneed said in a joint statement. "Each of our organizations have made commitments to the people we serve to protect their rights and dignity. We are committed to following the law and to protecting the rights of all people who call Charlotte and Mecklenburg County home. It is important for people to understand their rights.” Officials went on to tout the city’s diversity, urged any protesters to remain peaceful, and reminded residents to call local police — who are not involved in the raids — if they need assistance. As rumors swirled about federal agents flooding Charlotte this weekend, locals reported more Border Patrol and ICE traffic stops since Friday, prompting some businesses to shut their doors in fear. Mecklenburg County Republican Party Chairman Kyle Kirby welcomed the federal sweep. "Let us be clear: President Trump was given a mandate in the 2024 election to secure our borders," he said in a statement, blasting Democrats for abandoning "their duty to uphold law and order.” "Individuals who are in this country legally have nothing to fear." [Editorial note: consult video at source link] The Hill [11/15/2025 8:04 PM, Ashleigh Fields, 12595K] reports "We still don’t know any details on where they may be operating and to what extent. I understand this news will create uncertainty and anxiety for many people in our community," Mayor Vi Lyles (D) said in a statement on X. "Everyone in our community deserves to feel secure and I am committed to doing all that I can to inform our community, help make sure everyone feels safe, and understands their rights," she added. Lyles has encouraged all residents to exercise caution and call local police for emergencies, as officers are not involved in the federal immigration enforcement activities. Schools are bracing for impact as teachers, parents and students prepare for the increased presence of law enforcement. In a joint statement from city leaders, Lyles, Board of County Commissioners Mark Jerrell, and Board of Education Chair Stephanie Sneed said, "operations are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty in our community as recent operations in other cities have resulted in people without criminal records being detained and violent protests being the result of unwarranted actions.” Charlotte is home to approximately 58,000 unauthorized immigrants, making it the largest in the state, according to city data. North Carolina has a total of 350,000 unauthorized immigrants, which ranks 9th nationally for the population. FOX News [11/15/2025 9:14 PM, Sophia Compton, 40621K] reports that on Friday, local leaders encouraged Charlotte residents to protest peacefully and record agents’ actions from a distance, condemning the Trump administration’s actions in targeting migrants during sweeps in other cities across the country. "We are living in the strangest of times," Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell said Friday. The leaders came together a day after Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden announced that federal officials notified him that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents would begin an immigration enforcement operation in the community by Saturday or early this coming week.

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NewsMax [11/15/2025 6:26 PM, Jim Thomas, 4109K] reports Border Patrol agents are expanding nationwide support for federal immigration enforcement by assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Chief Michael Banks told Newsmax on Saturday. Banks said the Trump administration is intensifying operations aimed at removing criminal illegal immigrants, citing a renewed national mission and the support of additional agents deployed across the country. Banks appeared on Newsmax’s "The Count" after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem released details on what she called Operation Dirtbag. DHS said the effort led to the arrest of 150 illegal alien sex offenders across Florida and more than 230 criminal illegal immigrants statewide. Asked about the administration’s priority of removing criminal offenders, Banks criticized the prior administration and emphasized the need for expanded cooperation between Border Patrol and ICE. "Promises made, promises kept. And the fact is this, under the Biden administration, over 10 million illegal aliens were let into this country," he said. "The Biden administration would have you believe they were vetting them. That was all a lie.

The New York Times [11/16/2025 12:06 AM, Mark Walker, 153395K] reports at least four people died and four others were taken to a hospital after a boat suspected of carrying migrants overturned off the coast near San Diego on Friday night, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Border Patrol agents alerted the Coast Guard at about 11:40 p.m. that a panga boat — a flat-bottomed fishing vessel with sharp bows that is powered by a single motor — had overturned, an agency spokeswoman said. About five minutes later, the authorities received a report of six people who washed up on Imperial Beach, just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, near San Diego. One person was declared dead at the scene and another, who was found trapped under the vessel, was taken to a hospital, the Coast Guard spokeswoman said. Three other people were taken to a hospital, but their conditions were not immediately known. Another survivor found on the beach was taken into custody and sent to the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard said it was unclear where the boat came from, but said some of the survivors said they were Mexican nationals. Though initial reports indicated that up to 10 people were believed to be on board the boat, it was unclear precisely how many people were on it, the Coast Guard spokeswoman said. The Coast Guard said on Saturday night that it had suspended its search-and-rescue operation. The authorities did not release the identities of the passengers. “Our crews and partner agencies responded immediately, but this case demonstrates the severe risks posed to aliens attempting to enter the United States by sea in unstable vessels,” Capt. Robert C. Tucker, the sector San Diego commander for the Coast Guard, said in a statement. The New York Post [11/15/2025 11:19 PM, Ariel Zilber, 42219K] reports Imperial Beach Border Patrol agents had been monitoring the small vessel as it crossed out of Mexican waters before receiving reports that it had overturned, throwing passengers into the Pacific, Imperial Beach Fire Chief John French told NBC San Diego. Within minutes of the capsizing, emergency responders found six people on the beach just before midnight, the Coast Guard said. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, while another was pulled from beneath the overturned boat and rescued. Roughly two hours later, at 1:45 a.m. local time, a Good Samaritan reported seeing someone in the water near Imperial Beach Pier. A Coast Guard boat crew from Station San Diego responded and recovered three people from the ocean. All three were pronounced dead after being transferred to Ballast Point, according to the Coast Guard’s official timeline. One body was discovered floating near homes on Seacoast Drive and Encanto Avenue, NBC San Diego reported. Emergency medical services transported four survivors to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to multiple outlets. One person was taken into custody by Imperial Beach Border Patrol and later transferred to a Department of Homeland Security agency, the Coast Guard said. Several of those aboard claimed Mexican nationality, while others remained unidentified Saturday, authorities said. Reuters reported that Homeland Security Investigations has taken over the investigation of the incident. "Our crews and partner agencies responded immediately, but this case demonstrates the severe risks posed to aliens attempting to enter the United States by sea in unstable vessels," Coast Guard Capt. Robert Tucker, commander of the San Diego sector, said. The AP [11/15/2025 7:41 PM, Gene Johnson, 31753K] reports that a strong storm system hit Southern California over the weekend, prompting warnings of flash flooding and mudslides. The vessel was a panga — single- or twin-engine open fishing boat that is also commonly used by smugglers. Migrants are increasingly turning to the risky alternative offered by smugglers to travel by sea to avoid heavily guarded land borders, including off California’s coast. Pangas leave Mexico in the dead of night and sometimes chart hundreds of miles (kilometers) north. There have been several incidents in recent years of migrant vessels capsizing en route to California. In May, at least three people died when a panga flipped off the coast about 35 miles (56 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2023, eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach in heavy fog and one of them capsized in the surf. It was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling incidents in waters off the U.S. coast. A federal judge sentenced a San Diego man to 18 years in prison in 2022 for piloting a small vessel overloaded with 32 migrants that smashed apart in powerful surf off the coast, killing three people and injuring more than two dozen. Worldwide, nearly 9,000 people died last year attempting to cross borders, according to the U.N. agency for migration. The death toll set a record for the fifth year in a row. The U.N. Missing Migrant Project puts the number of dead and missing in the central Mediterranean at over 24,506 between 2014 and 2024, many of them lost at sea. The project says the number may be greater as many deaths go unrecorded.

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NBC 5 Chicago [11/15/2025 3:59 PM, Matt Stefanski, 43603K] reports the Department of Homeland Security closed its command center at Naval Station Great Lakes on Friday, more than two months after increased immigration enforcement began in the Chicago area, a local official confirmed. Gregory Jackson, chief of staff to North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr., said the city received notification DHS vacated the property on Friday afternoon. The naval station provided support for Homeland Security agents during Operation Midway Blitz, the immigration enforcement operation to "target the criminal illegal aliens" in the Chicago area. It remains unclear how DHS’ departure from Naval Station Great Lakes will impact the ongoing immigration crackdown. In recent days, there have been signs the federal immigration surge may be slowing down in Chicago. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino left the city, and on Saturday, federal officials confirmed immigration enforcement had begun in Charlotte, North Carolina. In an interview on Fox News on Thursday, the Border Patrol commander said he was in West Virginia. Two days ahead of Bovino’s departure from Chicago, a spokesperson challenged reporting from multiple outlets that he and numerous federal agents were preparing to leave the city. Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for Homeland Security, disputed reports that operations would be wound down in Chicago in a social media post. “We aren’t leaving Chicago,” she said, not referring to Bovino by name. She made similar remarks on Fox News Tuesday. McLaughlin cited statistics showing crime had decreased in the city during the ramped-up federal intervention, but it was unclear how those statistics were calculated.

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NewsMax [11/15/2025 11:45 AM, Jim Mishler, 4109K] reports FBI Indianapolis and Homeland Security Investigations are leading a new Homeland Security Task Force that brings together agencies across the country to target major criminal organizations. The effort is designed to coordinate investigations involving cartels, foreign terrorist groups, and transnational gangs involved in major crimes such as homicide, kidnapping, human trafficking, extortion, and large-scale drug smuggling. The initiative will combine federal, state, and local resources in all 50 states and U.S. territories with the primary goal of disrupting organized networks that operate across borders and pose threats to U.S. public safety. The Crossroads of America Homeland Security Task Force includes the FBI; HSI; the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for both Indiana districts; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Internal Revenue Service; and the Indiana State Police. It also includes the Indiana National Guard, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Plainfield Police Department.

CBS News [11/15/2025 10:34 PM, Staff, 4109K] Video: HERE reports Tension is continuing to grow between some states and the federal government over ICE involvement at the local level, and that includes here in Maryland. Several state lawmakers joined CASA members in Baltimore on Friday to introduce legislation that they say will protect immigrant families. In the last eight months, five new Maryland counties have opted in to the 287(g) program that allows collaboration between ICE and local law enforcement. The new legislation will prevent that, meaning local resources will not be allowed to be used as an extension of ICE. One Marylander and a member of CASA says the government is being used as a weapon against immigrant communities. "Where infants are being ripped away from their parents and torn to the side, leaving them behind and grappling with the trauma, ICE is manufacturing a crisis in our communities and that is impacting the lives of thousands of Marylanders," said CASA Baltimore and Central Maryland Director, Crisaly De Los Santos. The new legislation is through the launch of the Brave of Us campaign, which is calling on leadership in the state to help protect immigrants against what they call an authoritarian regime. While Baltimore County has not opted into the collaboration program, it did recently sign a memorandum of understanding with ICE. In a statement to WJZ in response to the legislation, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, called out state democrats: "Maryland sanctuary politicians have made it abundantly clear that they would rather stand with criminal illegal aliens than the law-abiding citizens of Maryland...DHS will not be deterred from our mission. We will continue to stand up for law and order in Maryland and every other state of this union."

New York Times [11/16/2025 3:00 AM, Dionne Searcey, 153395K] reports after an Afghan immigrant entered a New York asylum office for a routine appointment last month, his family and friends cheered at the text he soon sent them from the interview room. Ali Faqirzada, 31, tapped out a message that he had passed a crucial screening, putting him on track to become a U.S. citizen. An asylum official, he told them, had determined that he would be in danger if he returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where he had worked for U.S.-backed organizations and a group that supported women’s education. But then came another text moments later: “They are detaining me.” The circumstances of Mr. Faqirzada’s detainment by immigration officials have become increasingly common as President Trump uses more aggressive tactics to expel immigrants, including those like Mr. Faqirzada who have followed legal procedures to gain citizenship. While some immigration cases have been thrust into the limelight, tens of thousands of migrants have wound up in federal facilities and been quietly deported without their stories spilling into public view. But Mr. Faqirzada’s detainment has led to a flurry of activity to free him, set in motion by two powerful New York institutions: Bard College and the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Those involved see his case as particularly compelling. In their view, the country owes him for his work in Afghanistan. In the course of helping him, they say a kind of blueprint is emerging for trying to free detainees caught in the Trump administration’s crackdown: make the case visible, work every connection, don’t engage in partisan tactics. But not every detainee gets the kind of attention that Mr. Faqirzada is receiving. And even for him, the outcome of this high-powered effort to free him is far from certain. In the wake of the U.S. military’s chaotic retreat from Afghanistan in 2021, the Biden administration allowed 76,000 evacuated Afghans to enter the United States for humanitarian reasons. Mr. Faqirzada and his family were not among the evacuees. Fearful that Taliban members would track them down, they made their way to the Mexican border in 2022. They entered the United States illegally and immediately sought protection from the Department of Homeland Security. They were processed as asylum seekers, and then paroled and released. Asked for comment, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Homeland Security Department, said that Mr. Faqirzada’s 2022 release after being arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border posed a “serious national security risk for the United States and its citizens” and noted that it had occurred under the Biden administration. She said his claims would be heard before an immigration judge. A hearing date has been set for Nov. 26.

FOX News [11/15/2025 6:35 PM, Michael Dorgan Fox, 40621K] Video: HERE reports Border czar Tom Homan slammed the Catholic Church on Friday, saying its opposition to mass deportations undermines U.S. law enforcement and costs lives. "The Catholic Church is wrong," Homan said. "I’m sorry. I’m a lifelong Catholic. I’m saying it not only as a border czar — I’ll say it as a Catholic. They need to spend time fixing the Catholic Church, in my opinion.” Homan made the remarks at the White House when asked about the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which this week condemned President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and warned of "a climate of fear and anxiety" around immigration enforcement, according to Reuters. Homan urged the Church to "fix itself" before criticizing U.S. immigration policy and accused faith leaders of hypocrisy, noting that the Vatican imposes harsh penalties for trespassing on its grounds. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

New York Times [11/16/2025 5:01 AM, Nicholas Nehamas, Michael H. Keller, Alexandra Berzon, Hamed Aleaziz, and Zolan Kanno-Youngs, 153395K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has diverted thousands of federal agents from their normal duties to focus on arresting undocumented immigrants, undermining a wide range of law enforcement operations in response to mounting pressure from President Trump, a New York Times investigation has found. Homeland security agents investigating sexual crimes against children, for instance, have been redeployed to the immigrant crackdown for weeks at a time, hampering their pursuit of child predators. A national security probe into the black market for Iranian oil sold to finance terrorism has been slowed down for months because of the shift to immigration work, allowing tanker ships and money to disappear. And federal efforts to combat human smuggling and sex trafficking have languished with investigators reassigned to help staff deportation efforts. The changes have extended deep into D.H.S.’s public-safety mission, as the Coast Guard has diverted aircraft to transport immigrants between detention centers and the department’s law enforcement academy has delayed training for many agencies to prioritize new immigration officers. The Times investigation is based on previously undisclosed internal documents from D.H.S. — including statistical reports about department workloads, search warrants and arrests — obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The Times also spoke with more than 65 officials who have worked in the federal government during the current Trump administration, in addition to local authorities and others who collaborate with the department. Most of them spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters and out of fear of retribution. Administration officials defended Mr. Trump’s approach, saying the immigration crackdown was paramount to protecting public safety and national security. They also disputed that the intensified focus on immigration had undermined D.H.S.’s work. “Child exploitation, human trafficking, terrorism, financial scams and smuggling all have a nexus to illegal immigration,” Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the department, said in a statement. “D.H.S. is mobilizing federal and state law enforcement to find, arrest and deport illegal aliens. We are prioritizing the worst of the worst and aliens with final removal orders. Nearly every day we are arresting pedophiles, known or suspected terrorists, kidnappers, child smugglers and sex traffickers, including those who entered our country illegally.” Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, said that “any insinuation that the Trump administration isn’t successfully combating dangerous crime is false and uninformed.”

Breitbart [11/15/2025 5:13 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports President Donald Trump has issued second pardons to supporters who breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, this time on separate related offenses. The clemancy for Dan Wilson and Suzanne Kaye were announced online on Saturday by Ed Martin, a longtime supporter of the Jan. 6 rioters who is the Justice Department’s pardon attorney. They were signed Friday by Trump. "Thank you: Post! Danny Wilson is now a free man. When I was DC’s U.S. Attorney, and now as U.S. Pardon Attorney, I advocated for this clemency, which the president granted Friday.@POTUSThank you," Ed Martin posted on X with a copy of the pardon." In another post with the document, Martin wrote: "Thank you: POTUS! The Biden DOJ targeted Suzanne Kaye for social media posts-and she was sentenced to 18 months in federal lock up. President Trump is unwinding the damage done by Biden’s DOJ weaponization, so the healing can begin."

Latin Times [11/15/2025 2:56 PM, Pedro Camacho, 277K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has spent millions of dollars running recruitment and immigration-related ads for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across major streaming platforms, according to new reporting from Rolling Stone. The campaign, which calls on users to "fulfill your mission," has appeared on Spotify, YouTube, Hulu, HBO Max, Facebook, Instagram, and Pandora. According to advertising data reviewed by Rolling Stone, DHS and ICE have spent $2.8 million on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram since March, and nearly $3 million on Spanish-language ads on Google and YouTube that officials said were designed to encourage "self-deportation." Spotify in the meantime received $74,000 for ICE advertising, representing less than 3% of the total amount spent on Meta and Google platforms. However, the Spotify ads have prompted massive backlash from some users, who reported hearing the ads on free service and vowed to cancel subscriptions in protest. A Spotify representative told Rolling Stone the ads were part of a "broad campaign" from DHS and did not violate the company’s advertising policies. "Hiring law enforcement officers is mission critical," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement to Rolling Stone. She attributed the campaign to the Trump administration’s goal of hiring 10,000 new deportation officers by the end of the year, funded through a $30 billion appropriation. McLaughlin called the campaign a "resounding success," claiming more than 150,000 applications had been received. ICE’s current job listings offer signing bonuses of up to $50,000 for new recruits. The agency’s ad spending across digital and broadcast media has now exceeded $6.5 million, with placements reported in major markets including Seattle, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Miami. DHS said the effort is aimed at "removing criminals" from the United States.

New York Post [11/15/2025 11:29 AM, Staff, 42219K] reports if ICE or other immigration agents go out of bounds, the place to fight them is the courts, not the streets —and New York pols from Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on down are courting chaos if they play the issue otherwise. Consider City Councilman Shaun Abreu’s smear Wednesday, posting an inflammatory video that he claimed showed Homeland Security officers pulling a migrant out of an SUV in Washington Heights without due process. Abreu blasted the arrest as "deeply disturbing" and part of a "despicable pattern of intimidation," huffing that agencies "carrying out [President Donald] Trump’s agenda of detaining people without due process have no place in our city." In reality, the arrestee was Alpha Amadou Diallo, who hopped the border in 2021 and received full due process before a Biden-era immigration judge ordered his removal last year. "Abreu should stop fearmongering and smearing our brave law-enforcement, who are facing 1000% increase in assaults against them and a nearly 8000% increase in death threats," warned Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

New York Times [11/15/2025 7:34 AM, David Herzberg, 153395K] reports it’s one of President Trump’s favorite stories: The Democrats weakened the borders, allowing Mexican drug cartels to smuggle fentanyl into the United States, where it devastated white suburban and rural communities. To stop this “evil scourge,” he has imposed tariffs on China for its role in fentanyl production. His administration is reportedly considering military strikes in Latin America. And Mr. Trump has built up the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean. “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country,” he told reporters of his campaign of deadly strikes. The killing has already started. Since September, the military has carried out 20 strikes on boats supposedly smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, killing at least 80 people. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth celebrates these “lethal kinetic strikes” by posting aerial footage of the explosions on social media. Mr. Trump falsely boasts that each destroyed boat saves the lives of 25,000 Americans. The brazenness is shocking. There is apparently no time to nitpick about imposing the death penalty on civilians never formally accused of a crime or to consider the destructive precedents of extending U.S. military force into the Americas. The fentanyl story is based on an argument about history: The United States went from greatness to crisis because open-border Democrats betrayed the honest, hardworking people of America by exporting jobs and allowing in foreign drugs. Stopping the drugs, Mr. Trump wants us to believe, will let the wholesome, traditional American culture that he idealizes to flourish again. As a historian of drugs, I can tell you that this argument is wrong in almost every way.

San Diego Union Tribune [11/15/2025 10:00 AM, Agustina Vergara Cid, 1538K] reports not long ago, quoting the Ku Klux Klan would’ve been a career-ending scandal for any politician. But now, it’s a recruitment strategy for the federal government. In October, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared three posts on social media containing the phrase "America for Americans." To those unaware of the history of this slogan, its usage may seem innocuous. But this slogan has a shameful history: it was used as a rallying cry by the infamous Know-Nothing Party and was later adopted by the Ku Klux Klan in the early 1920s. The slogan was used as part of DHS’ efforts to recruit ICE agents. In one of the posts, the slogan accompanied an all-caps message saying that "EVERY CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN MUST GO." It’s true that actual criminals should be deported— but when we look at the history of the slogan used by DHS, it becomes evident that the federal government is signaling much more than deporting criminals and reveals what its immigration agenda is really about. "America for Americans" first gained traction with nativists in the 1850s. The Know-Nothing Party used it as an anti-immigrant rallying cry aimed largely at Irish and German newcomers at the time. The Know-Nothings were immigration hardliners, calling to dramatically reduce immigration and exclude foreigners from political life. Those unfamiliar with the history of the "America for Americans" slogan may not look twice when encountering this phrase coming from the Department of Homeland Security. But by knowing this history, which government officials obviously know as well, the message behind that slogan becomes crystal clear: this administration’s immigration agenda has commonalities with the nativist organizations that first coined and popularized it. When government officials say "America for Americans," that’s precisely what they mean. An "American" doesn’t, in this view, include anyone not born here. The government is transparently telling Americans the type of country they’re trying to engineer. Why else quote the KKK?

The Daily Caller [11/15/2025 3:01 PM, Mark Tanos, 835K] reports Immigration officials removed an allegedly violent criminal from the country after a Milwaukee judge tried to help him escape arrest. The Department of Homeland Security deported Eduardo Flores-Ruiz on Nov. 13 following his April arrest at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, according to a press release. FBI officials assisted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during the targeted operation after Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan directed officers away from the Mexican national. "Judge Hannah Dugan’s actions to obstruct this violent criminal’s arrest take ‘activist judge’ to a whole new meaning," said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this criminal is OUT of our country." Flores-Ruiz first entered the U.S. illegally in 2013. Border Patrol agents arrested him in Nogales, Ariz., and authorities removed him to Mexico. He committed a felony by reentering the country at an unknown date. The Hill [11/15/2025 12:56 PM, Ryan Mancini, 12595K] reports Flores-Ruiz, 31, pleaded guilty earlier this year to illegally reentering the U.S. after being arrested in Arizona by Border Patrol in 2013. At the time, he was deported back to Mexico. When reached for comment, DHS confirmed the man was deported again on Thursday but did not disclose if he was sent to Mexico or another country. In the press release, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Flores-Ruiz had a "laundry list" of violent criminal charges — including "strangulation and suffocation, battery and domestic abuse." "If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and remove you from our country," she added later. "That’s a promise.”

Univision [11/15/2025 3:58 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports of the more than 600 people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Chicago , only 16 allegedly have criminal records , reveals a list provided by the Trump administration at the request of a federal judge. The list is headed by 16 names of people who were identified as “high risk to public safety” by the federal administration, due to their alleged criminal records. The charges allegedly attributed to these 16 people are aggravated assault, domestic violence, driving under the influence, and kidnapping. These 16 individuals represent only 2.6% of the more than 600 people detained by ICE in Operation ‘Midway Blitz’ , meaning that the remaining 97.4% of those arrested likely had no criminal record. The list reveals their full names, country of origin, date of detention, whether they have been deported, whether they are still in custody, or whether they have signed a voluntary departure from the United States. This list was released by the Trump administration at the request of a court, where the judge will decide whether most of these people will be released next Friday, November 21. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Law Enforcement Today [11/15/2025 7:30 AM, Pat Droney] reports Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is under fire after one of her staffers was snagged posing as a lawyer in an attempt to free an illegal alien from custody, The Gateway Pundit reports. The Department of Homeland Security is livid after Edward York, the staffer, lied to federal agents, misrepresenting himself as legal counsel for Jose Ismeal Ayuzo Sandoval, a four-time deported illegal alien with a prior DUI conviction. In a letter, DHS said York entered the ICE facility on Oct. 29, lying on an official DHS form. York met with Sandoval, who signed a G-28 form, authorizing York to represent him as a client, The Gateway Pundit reported. Citing Fox News Digital, the outlet reported that York initially tried to submit the G-28 form without Sandoval’s signature. “Four days later, a Suarez Law Office in Collinsville, Illinois, filed an electronic copy of a G-28 form that did not have Sandoval’s signature even though York, who claimed to work for that law firm, had already obtained a signed form,” the letter said, according to Fox News Digital. Homeland Security believes York was collaborating with the law firm. “It appears as if Mr. York may have collaborated with the firm to cover his misrepresentation,” the letter stated.

Washington Post [11/15/2025 1:22 PM, Victoria Craw, 24149K] reports an Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient who served 15 years in prison for attempted murder has been deported from the U.S., his lawyer said, marking the latest chapter in a high-profile case that has raised questions over the rights of noncitizen veterans who have committed a crime. José Barco — who was injured while serving for the U.S. Army in Iraq — was granted parole in January after serving 15 years for an aggravated felony. On his release in Colorado, he was detained by ICE officers and held in detention, slated for deportation under a federal law that allows noncitizens to be stripped of legal residency and removed from the United States if they are convicted of a crime. On Friday, advocates for Barco said he had been removed from the country from a facility in Arizona. Barco’s lawyer, Kevin T. O’Connor Jr., said ICE has since confirmed Barco has been deported to Nogales, Mexico. “No additional information regarding his post-removal whereabouts or custodial status has been provided,” he told The Washington Post in an email Saturday, adding that his team was “assessing all legally available avenues for further action.” A spokesperson for ICE told The Post that Barco was released from prison “after serving time for a conviction of attempted murder … and felony menacing with a real or simulated weapon,” adding that he was removed to Nogales on Friday morning. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, previously sent a statement to The Post noting the severity of Barco’s crime and calling him a “heinous criminal.”

KJZZ 91.5 Phoenix [11/15/2025 11:51 AM, Tufan Neupane] reports Solitary confinement at immigration detention centers has surged since President Donald Trump returned to office, even as the Department of Homeland Security’s internal oversight network has been gutted. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in Arizona account for much of the increase. The rise in solitary confinement tracks a major expansion of immigration detention during the second Trump administration. ICE held about 60,000 people as of Sept. 21, the most recent data available. In the prior month, 1,151 detainees were held in isolation for at least one day – the most ever. The count has topped 1,000 every month since April. By comparison, in November 2024 – the month Trump won his second term but with President Joe Biden still in office – ICE held 551 people in isolation. “The vast majority of people are … not there under criminal conditions, and so they don’t need to be detained” in isolation, said Katherine Peeler, the lead investigator on a recent report from Physicians for Human Rights on ICE’s use of solitary confinement. “We need to recognize people’s humanity who are seeking refuge at our shores,” said Peeler, a Harvard Medical School professor who runs an immigration advocacy lab. DHS defends the conditions at its facilities. “ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an email statement. “The average illegal alien gets far more due process than most Americans.” McLaughlin said ICE is “regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards.” Human rights groups have long criticized the Eloy Detention Center, one of six ICE facilities in Arizona.

Univision19 [11/15/2025 1:01 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News that work visas are being processed faster, a lawyer explains which immigration procedures have been expedited and which take up to years. Noem’s statement comes after President Donald Trump defended H1B visas, saying they need more skilled workers in certain sectors to enter the country. Secretary Noem also added that more people than ever are naturalizing as American citizens; 18% of these cases are usually from Sacramento, according to the Immigration Service. In addition, there are more approvals for people seeking to adjust their status to permanent resident. In Sacramento alone, from April to June 2025, more than 2,000 applications were approved. However, not all immigrants benefit in all cases. This could be because of the stricter processes, according to reports. Although some processes now take months, rather than years as they used to, the USCIS website displays a warning that processing times are not accurate.

Univision [11/15/2025 4:50 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports when he first arrived in the United States after escaping the civil war in Sierra Leone and spending nearly a decade in a refugee camp, Dauda Sesay had no idea he could become a citizen. But he was told that if he followed the rules and stayed out of trouble, after a few years, he could apply. As a U.S. citizen, I would have protection. That’s what led him to decide to apply: the premise—and the promise—that, when he became a naturalized U.S. citizen, a bond would be created between him and his new home. He would have rights and responsibilities, such as voting, and, by committing himself to the country, the country would commit itself to him. "When I raised my hand and took the oath of allegiance, I believed in that moment in the promise that I belonged to this country," said Sesay, 48, who came to Louisiana more than 15 years ago and now works as an advocate for refugees and their integration into American society. But in recent months, as President Donald Trump deports thousands of people, that belief has been shaken for Sesay and other naturalized citizens. There are now fears that the pressure to drastically increase deportations and change who can claim the United States as their home, through measures such as trying to end birthright citizenship , is having a domino effect. What they once considered the fundamental protection of naturalization now feels more like quicksand.

Los Angeles Times [11/15/2025 8:00 AM, Ruben Vives, 14862K] reports California will cancel 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses that had been issued to immigrants after officials said they extended beyond the date the drivers were allowed to work in the country — a violation of state law. California requires driver’s licenses and work permits to have the same expiration dates, officials said. Notices were sent out on Nov. 6 to affected drivers warning their licenses would expire in 60 days. The move comes amid an ongoing clash between the Trump administration and Gov. Gavin Newsom over California’s non-domiciled commercial driver’s licensing program. It also follows a nationwide audit of such programs after officials said a truck driver living in the U.S. illegally made a U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people. State officials, however, said the drivers were not "illegal immigrants" and that they were authorized to work in the country by the federal government. That audit found irregularities in the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses. Duffy said the audit found 25% of the licenses issued in California violated federal rules, including by extending well beyond an individual’s work permit end date. Officials have refuted Duffy’s claims and said the state has complied with federal laws and regulations. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles said on its website that it was not issuing or renewing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses as of Sept. 29. Proposed new federal rules that would include mandatory federal immigration status checks, limiting the duration of the license and limiting eligibility to certain immigration visas, were temporarily put on hold by a federal appeals court this week.

FOX News [11/15/2025 9:50 AM, Staff, 40621K] reports Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to discuss record lows of illegal border crossings under President Donald Trump and how the agency intends to continue defending the U.S. border. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

AP [11/15/2025 6:27 PM, Staff, 31753K] reports Willy Aceituno, a Honduran-born U.S. citizen, was stopped twice by Border Patrol agents in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the second encounter, they forced him from his vehicle after breaking the window and threw him to the ground. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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Univision [11/15/2025 10:43 PM, Staff, 5004K]

Washington Post [11/16/2025 12:49 AM, Kelly Kasulis Cho, 24149K] reports that, when Customs and Border Protection Officers asked Jesse Agus Martinez about the suspicious bulge in his pants, he claimed that the protrusion was natural — using a Spanish word for a male appendage. But on further inspection, officers say they found two heavily sedated parakeets in his underwear. Martinez, a 35-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Tijuana, Mexico, was indicted Friday after authorities say he attempted to smuggle a protected species — orange-fronted parakeets — into the United States last month without following proper quarantine and clearance procedures. Border agents found the two juvenile birds “breathing but heavily sedated” inside brown sacks that were then tucked into Martinez’s crotch, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of California said. Martinez had repeatedly claimed that the bulge was his “pirrin,” a Spanish word for penis. The birds were confirmed to be in “stable condition” after receiving care from border veterinarians and were transferred to the Department of Agriculture for quarantine. A photo shared by the U.S. attorney’s office shows one of the birds appearing healthy and upright in a cage after the sedative wore off. Customs and Border Protection records suggested that Martinez had smuggled birds into the United States before, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of California said. He has been charged with importation contrary to law and, if convicted, faces up to 20 years in prison as well as fines of up to $250,000. Orange-fronted parakeets, also known as Eupsittula canicularis, are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which means they are at risk of becoming endangered. The birds have been a protected species since 2005, when an international agreement regulating the sale of wild animals determined that the bird trade was threatening the species’ survival. Mexico banned the trapping and export of its native parrots in 2008. The parakeets, also known as orange-fronted conures or half-moon conures, are native to tropical forests in Central America and are known for a vibrant orange band of feathers that lines their beaks. They are typically green, with deep blue feathers on their crown, and they usually grow to about 9 and a half inches in length. About 570,000 orange-fronted parakeets were captured and trafficked between 1995 and 2019, according to the World Parrot Trust, which says the species has been heavily impacted by the bird trade.

FOX News [11/15/2025 8:45 PM, Landon Mion, 40621K] reports a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for accepting payment in exchange for allowing smugglers to transport vehicles filled with drugs into the U.S. through the southern border. Diego Bonillo, 31, was charged with conspiracy to import controlled substances and importation of controlled substances. "This sentence holds Bonillo accountable for betraying the public trust," Adam Gordon, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, said in a statement. "He weaponized his badge for personal profit, funneling deadly narcotics through a port of entry and putting communities at risk. Corruption like this will be met with the full force of the law, and we will not hesitate to pursue and punish those who trade duty for dollars.” Bonillo admitted to working for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization and agreeing to accept payment to allow drug-laden vehicles into the U.S. without inspection, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The former officer confessed to allowing at least 75 kilograms of fentanyl, 11.7 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than one kilogram of heroin into the country. Prosecutors said he allowed at least 15 vehicles to enter the country without inspection from October 2023 to April 2024. Bonillo was using a second phone unknown to law enforcement to communicate his lane assignments to drug smugglers so they would know from which lane and what time he could ensure their entry. He used the money from the scheme to travel internationally, purchase luxury items and tickets to a boxing match, attempt to purchase property in Mexico and spend time at the Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club in Tijuana, Mexico. "Former CBP Officer Diego Bonillo allowed massive amounts of drugs into the U.S. without regard for the deadly consequences it could have on our communities," Mark Dargis, special agent in charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office, said in a statement. "He disgraced the badge and violated his oath to protect the American people," he continued. "This conduct betrays the public’s trust and is contradictory to the values and standards expected of a federal law enforcement officer. FBI San Diego and our partners will not tolerate such dishonorable behavior. This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to hold accountable anyone who corrupts their role at the expense of our citizens’ safety.”

Los Angeles Times [11/15/2025 6:57 PM, Rong-Gong Lin II, Gavin J. Quinton, Clara Harter, and Jasmine Mendez, 14862K] reports the most powerful band of a large atmospheric river storm slammed into Southern California on Saturday, dumping much-needed rain across the region but also bringing mudslide dangers to communities still reeling from January’s firestorms. The storm flooded some streets and highways, sent mud and rocks sliding onto some canyon roads and made for treacherous driving conditions. The weather probably contributed to at least two deaths in Northern California and on the Central Coast. But as of Saturday evening, there were no immediate reports of major damage to property in Southern California, including in the burn-scarred neighborhoods of Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu. As of Saturday afternoon, the storm had dumped 2 to 3 inches of rain across the greater Los Angeles area, and 3 to 6 inches in the foothills and mountains of the Transverse Ranges. A few spots got as much as 8 inches of rain, said Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard. "This was indeed a significant storm system. And many folks experienced significant impacts, with numerous reports of flooded roadways/freeways, rockslides and mudslides," Cohen said. "What’s key is the tremendous preparedness efforts that have been ongoing many days in advance of the storm ... have helped mitigate impacts — preventing some reasonable worst-case impacts from coming to fruition.” Scattered showers were expected through Sunday. There remained a slight chance of thunderstorms late Saturday, and an accompanying risk of gusty winds, hail and heavy rain that could produce flash flooding anywhere, given the saturation of the soil, the National Weather Service said. Two more storms are potentially on the horizon — one Monday through Tuesday, and another Thursday through Friday. The first storm is expected to bring light to moderate rain, a half-inch to an inch in most areas, but there is a chance of thunderstorms. The potential intensity of the late-week storm is unclear at this point.

New York Times [11/15/2025 12:50, Maia Coleman, 153395K] reports law enforcement officials said on Saturday that they had arrested a man who earlier this week brought a bat to the office of Alina Habba, the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey. The man, Keith Michael Lisa, 51, was taken into federal custody on Friday night, two days after he appeared outside Ms. Habba’s Newark office, according to a spokeswoman for the F.B.I. He was charged with depredation of federal property, as well as possession of a dangerous weapon in a federal facility. It is possible that the latter crime may be charged as an attempted crime, as Mr. Lisa arrived with the bat but did not bring it inside the building. The U.S. attorney general, Pam Bondi, announced the arrest in a social media post on Saturday, thanking a slate of federal agencies who had assisted her office. “No one will get away with threatening or intimidating our great US Attorneys or the destruction of their offices,” she wrote. The aggression with which the Justice Department pursued Mr. Lisa was somewhat unusual, given that no evidence that he threatened Ms. Habba specifically has been publicly released. Ms. Bondi posted on social media about the case twice, and her deputy, Todd Blanche, also acknowledged it. The F.B.I. released a wanted poster for Mr. Lisa on Friday evening, offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to his arrest.

CBS News [11/15/2025 8:44 AM, Staff, 39474K] reports two law enforcement vehicles crashed in Tennessee on Friday night while supporting Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade, sending a police officer to the hospital in critical condition, authorities said. The crash in Maryville, about 17 miles south of Knoxville, involved a state trooper and a Maryville Police Department motorcycle officer, the city said in a statement. One of the two ambulances that were part of the motorcade immediately stopped to provide rapid medical assistance, said Special Agent Jason Pack, director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Safety, in a statement to CBS News. The officer is in critical condition, the city of Maryville said on social media. No other details were immediately available. The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the incident, Pack said. Katherine Pierce, the U.S. Secret Service’s resident agent in charge in Knoxville, said the agency was closely monitoring the situation.

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Daily Caller [11/15/2025 12:22 PM, Caden Olson, 835K]
NewsMax [11/15/2025 1:55 PM, Solange Reyner, 4109K]

AP [11/15/2025 9:09 AM, Joshua Goodman and Jim Mustian] reports in justifying American military strikes on boats suspected of smuggling drugs, President Donald Trump has asserted that the longtime U.S. strategy of interdicting such vessels at sea has been a major failure. Trump’s comments came around the same time that the U.S. Coast Guard announced it had set a record for cocaine seizures — a haul of 225 metric tons of the drug over the previous year. That milestone, however, has not dissuaded the Republican president from upending decades of U.S. counternarcotics policy. Under Trump, the U.S. military has blown up 20 suspected drug boats, resulting in 80 deaths, in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Trump and other top officials have contended that such boats are being operated by narco-terrorists and cartel members with deadly drugs bound for America. The strikes have generated international pushback from foreign leaders, human rights groups, Democrats and some Republicans who have raised concerns that the United States is engaging in extrajudicial killings that undermine its stature in the world. Veterans of the drug war, meanwhile, say U.S. resources would be better spent doubling down on the traditional approach of interdicting drug boats, especially in the long term. That is because crews of drug boats frequently have valuable intelligence that can help authorities better target cartels and trafficking networks. The Coast Guard has fought the drug war a long time. The Coast Guard’s recent record cocaine seizure was almost 40% higher than the past decade’s annual average. The haul included 38 tons of cocaine offloaded by the cutter Hamilton when it returned from a two-month patrol. It was the largest amount confiscated by a single Coast Guard ship during a deployment, the Coast Guard reported.

Yahoo! News [11/15/2025 4:18 PM, Jennifer Bowers Bahney, 49624K] reports Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the U.S. Coast Guard Academy football team in the locker room at Boston’s Fenway Park on Saturday to share an inspirational poem and make sure they knew she was on their side. The Coast Guard Academy, which falls under the auspices of DHS, was scheduled to take on the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in the 2025 Secretaries’ Cup. According to the Coast Guard Academy web site, "The event, which dates to 1949, was originally known as the Secretary’s Cup since both service branches were part of the Department of Transportation…The rivalry was christened the ‘Secretaries’ Cup’ in 2003 after the Coast Guard moved to Homeland Security."

NBC News [11/15/2025 4:06 PM, Mirna Alsharif, Steve Strouss and Erick Mendoza, 34509K] reports the desperate search for a 5-year-old girl who was swept into the Pacific Ocean Friday as her father drowned attempting to save her continues while southern California braces for more heavy rainfall that brought life-threatening floods to the region. At around 12:50 p.m., the young girl’s father was attempting to rescue her after she was pulled into the ocean by waves that were 15 to 20 feet high at Garrapata State Beach in Monterey, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. A lifeguard was able to pull the man from the water, but he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. The sheriff’s office, U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies resumed the search for the 5-year-old on Saturday morning. She was last seen wearing a white shirt, according to the sheriff’s office. In northern California, a 71-year-old man was killed in Sutter County after his car was swept away by the overflowing Pleasant Grove Creek, according to the California Highway Patrol. Southern California continues to brace for more inclement weather as a strong Pacific storm enhanced with moisture from an atmospheric river brings moderate to heavy rain to the region Saturday. Around 23 million people are still under flood watches across the region, including San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

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ABC News [11/15/2025 12:36 PM, Emily Shapiro, 30493K]

CNN [11/16/2025 5:15 AM, Sarah Boxer, 18595K] reports they live in New Jersey, Michigan and Washington state — six young men arrested in recent weeks and charged in an alleged ISIS-inspired terror plot. The suspects, among others, are accused of using encrypted messaging and social media apps "to share extremist and ISIS-related materials that encourage attacks" in the US, including on the LGBTQ+ community in Michigan, according to a criminal complaint. The Michigan plot, which may have been planned for Halloween, was intended to be possibly on the scale of the 2015 Paris terror attacks before it ultimately was foiled, authorities say. The arrests illustrate "how people are self-radicalizing, operating in echo chambers online," NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner told CNN. "This isn’t as simple as there is an entity called ISIS that’s operating overseas that’s reaching into our homeland, recruiting and radicalizing people," Weiner said. "This is a much more nuanced dynamic, where people are finding each other online, doing that mutually reinforcing self-radicalization, finding like-minded people overseas, some of whom may have connections to the actual terrorist organization. So it’s much more muddy, but it is also much more dangerous than a simple model that we’ve dealt with before."

AP [11/15/2025 12:39 PM, Staff] reports federal prosecutors in Texas have charged six more people with a new terrorism-related charge in the July shooting outside an immigration detention center near Dallas, and said six others are scheduled to enter guilty pleas in the case. The latest indictment in the case, issued Friday, expands on previous charges and relies on President Trump’s recent declaration that deems the decentralized movement known as antifa a domestic terrorist organization. Trump blames antifa for political violence. The case stems from the July 4 shooting outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, that injured a police officer. The charges also include rioting, attempted murder and weapons and explosives charges. Prosecutors said the group threw fireworks at the facility, vandalized vehicles and then shot at responding police and correctional officers, striking an Alvarado officer in the neck. He was later released from a hospital. Patrick McClain, a lawyer for defendant Zachary Evetts, said he has seen no evidence to support the government’s view of the case. He said his client would again plead not guilty at the Dec. 3 arraignment on the new charges.

Washington Examiner [11/15/2025 5:20 PM, Zach LaChance, 1394K] reports Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) said on Saturday that he is monitoring unverified reports the Maduro regime is preparing to sabotage "key" Venezuelan infrastructure in order to blame either the United States or the opposition in the country. Gimenez, who serves on multiple House Homeland Security and Armed Services subcommittees, said such attacks could target bridges, tunnels, and refineries in the oil-rich South American country. "We are following reports that the narco-regime of Maduro might be preparing acts of sabotage against key infrastructure in Venezuela, including bridges, tunnels, and refineries, in order to later blame the United States or the democratic opposition," Gimenez said in a statement. "Although they have not been verified, these allegations align with the desperate tactics of a collapsing dictatorship. The United States will continue to firmly support the Venezuelan people against tyranny, corruption, and any attempt by the regime to manufacture chaos or manipulate the truth for its political survival." The warning from Congress follows a Reuters report this week that Venezuela is preparing a guerilla-style resistance, which would include acts of sabotage, in the event the U.S. launches strikes inside the country.

AP [11/16/2025 3:33 AM, Staff, 31753K] reports Ukraine is working to resume prisoner exchanges with Russia that could bring home 1,200 Ukrainian prisoners, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday, a day after his national security chief announced progress in negotiations. "We are ... counting on the resumption of POW exchanges," Zelenskyy wrote on X. "Many meetings, negotiations and calls are currently taking place to ensure this.” Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Saturday he held consultations mediated by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on resuming exchanges. He said the parties agreed to activate prisoner exchange agreements brokered in Istanbul to release 1,200 Ukrainians. Moscow did not immediately comment on the claim. The Istanbul agreements refer to prisoner-exchange protocols established with Turkish mediation in 2022 that set rules for large, coordinated swaps. Since then, Russia and Ukraine have traded thousands of prisoners, though exchanges have been sporadic. Umerov said technical consultations would be held soon to finalize procedural and organizational details, expressing hope that returning Ukrainians could "celebrate the New Year and Christmas holidays at home — at the family table and next to their relatives.” In other developments, energy infrastructure was damaged by Russian drone strikes overnight into Sunday in Ukraine’s Odesa region, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. A solar power plant was among the damaged sites. Ukraine is desperately trying to fend off relentless Russian aerial attacks that have brought rolling blackouts across Ukraine on the brink of winter. Combined missile and drone strikes on the power grid have coincided with Ukraine’s efforts to hold back a Russian battlefield push aimed at capturing the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk. Russia fired a total of 176 drones and one missile overnight, Ukraine’s air force said Sunday, adding that Ukrainian forces shot down or neutralized 139 drones. Russia’s defense ministry said Sunday that its forces shot down 57 Ukrainian drones overnight.

CNN [11/16/2025 5:15 PM, Kylie Atwood, 18595K] reports US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spent weeks trading threats to restart nuclear tests, an escalation kicked off by Putin’s boasts about tests of the Poseidon nuclear powered missile in late October. Days later Trump declared that he had ordered the first US nuclear test in three decades. The leaders’ provocative public statements, including a Russian reply that it too would explore restarting nuclear weapons testing, have raised global concerns about a new nuclear arms race. Behind the scenes, both sides are also eyeing a critical upcoming deadline: February 4, when the singular remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the nations is set to expire. The New START treaty limits both countries to a maximum of 1,550 deployed long-range nuclear warheads on delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and bombers. After a five-year extension signed by President Joe Biden, the treaty is set to expire early next year with little indication of momentum towards a new agreement. Trump’s National Security Council called a meeting with nuclear weapons experts during the lead-up to summit between Trump and Putin in August, according to four sources familiar with the meeting. The wide-ranging discussion included the potential benefits of extending the current cap on deployed nuclear weapons that the US and Russia have agreed to, whether or not to expand the size of the US nuclear arsenal and the status of the US nuclear triad, the sources said. The White House wanted to be prepared for any possible nuclear discussion between the two leaders of the world’s greatest nuclear arsenals. But the leaders’ meeting ended without momentum towards ending the Ukraine War or the announcement of any nuclear weapons agreement. When Putin publicly proposed an extension of the single lasting nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia weeks later Trump responded positively. “It sounds like a good idea to me,” Trump said. Still, more than a month later, neither side says ongoing talks to achieve that goal are ongoing. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday there are conversations about “potentially” speaking to Russia about the treaty.

New York Post [11/15/2025 5:07 PM, Ariel Zilber, 42219K] reports Iranian forces seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the first confirmed capture of a commercial vessel by Tehran since its June clashes with Israel and the United States, according to multiple governments and maritime agencies. The Talara, sailing from the United Arab Emirates toward Singapore, broke from its course in the Gulf of Oman Friday after several small craft converged on the vessel, maritime security firms reported. A US defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity said an American military drone tracked the takeover from overhead. Flight-tracking data showed that a US Navy MQ-4C Triton drone had been circling above the area where the Talara was for hours on Friday, observing the seizure. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps acknowledged responsibility a day later.

AP [11/15/2025 7:00 PM, Staff, 31753K] reports Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations of the United States, visited HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to witness the company’s world-class shipbuilding capabilities and discuss cooperation under the MASGA (Make America Shipbuilding Great Again) initiative. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries recently announced that Adm. Caudle and Kevin Kim, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Korea, along with their delegation, visited its Ulsan headquarters on Saturday, November 15. During the visit, HD Hyundai Chairman Chung Kisun met with Adm. Caudle in person to introduce HD Hyundai’s advanced shipbuilding technologies and competitiveness, and to exchange views on future collaboration through the Korea–U.S. shipbuilding cooperation project, MASGA. At the meeting, Chairman Chung and Adm. Caudle discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation aimed at improving the operational readiness of the U.S. Navy fleet through strategic partnerships in naval shipbuilding. After the meeting, Chairman Chung guided Adm. Caudle on a tour of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ commercial shipbuilding facilities, followed by a visit to the company’s Naval Ship Division, where the world’s most advanced Aegis destroyers are built.

Reuters [11/15/2025 10:06 PM, Staff, 34509K] reports a China Coast Guard ship formation passed through the waters of the Senkaku Islands on Sunday on a "rights enforcement patrol", the China Coast Guard said in a statement, as Beijing ramps up tensions with Japan over its prime minister’s remarks on Taiwan. A diplomatic spat between China and Japan has intensified since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on November 7 that a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically-ruled Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo. The remarks sparked an angry response from Beijing, which has signalled that it expects Takaichi to retract them in some fashion. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of the island, which sits just 110 km (68.35 miles) from Japanese territory. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. "China Coast Guard vessel 1307 formation conducted patrols within the territorial waters of the Diaoyu Islands. This was a lawful patrol operation conducted by the China Coast Guard to uphold its rights and interests," the statement said. China and Japan have repeatedly faced off around the Japan-administered islands, which Beijing calls Diaoyu and Tokyo calls the Senkaku. The Japanese Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Japan has been facing mounting pressure from China since Takaichi made her remarks, with China’s Consul General in Osaka commenting: "The dirty head that sticks itself out must be cut off," prompting a formal protest from Tokyo. Beijing then summoned the Japanese ambassador for the first time in more than two years, and China’s defence ministry declared that any Japanese intervention would be doomed to fail. On Friday, China cautioned its citizens against travelling to Japan, prompting Tokyo to urge Beijing to take "appropriate measures" though it did not elaborate. Three Chinese airlines said on Saturday that tickets to Japan could be refunded or changed for free. In Taiwan, the defence ministry said on Sunday morning it had detected 30 Chinese military aircraft operating around the island and seven navy ships over the past 24 hours. Late on Saturday, the ministry said China had been carrying out another "joint combat patrol" to "harass the air space and sea around us". It added Taiwan had sent its own aircraft and ships to monitor the situation. Taiwan reports such Chinese patrols a couple of times a month as part of what Taipei says is an ongoing military pressure campaign. Taiwan’s government says only the island’s people can decide its future. Japanese leaders have previously avoided publicly mentioning Taiwan when discussing such scenarios, maintaining a "strategic ambiguity" also favoured by Tokyo’s main security ally, the United States.

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