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 AP [1/6/2026 8:20 PM, Rebecca Santana and Mike Balsamo, 19051K] reports the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that it launched what it described as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out by the agency — with 2,000 federal agents and officers expected in the Minneapolis area for a crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. “The largest DHS operation ever is happening right now in Minnesota,” the department said in a post on X, dramatically expanding the federal law enforcement footprint in the state amid heightened political and community tensions. The government planned to send about 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and officers to Minnesota, according to a U.S. official and a person briefed on the matter. The agents are expected to be dispatched in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, the person said. The people were not authorized to publicly discuss operational details and spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Immigrant rights groups and elected officials in the Twin Cities reported a sharp increase Tuesday in sightings of federal agents, notably around St. Paul. Numerous agents’ vehicles were reported making traffic stops, outside area businesses and apartment buildings. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was also present and accompanied U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during at least one arrest. A video posted on X showed Noem wearing a tactical vest and knit cap as agents arrested a man in St. Paul. In the video, she tells the handcuffed man: “You will be held accountable for your crimes.” DHS said in a news release that the man was from Ecuador and was wanted in his homeland and Connecticut on charges including murder and sexual assault. It said agents arrested 150 people Monday in enforcement actions in Minneapolis. The Hill [1/6/2026 12:42 PM, Sarah Davis, 12595K] reports that in a statement shared with The Hill on Tuesday, DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the department “has already made more than 1,000 arrests of murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and gang members.” “While for the safety of our officers we do not get into law enforcement footprint, DHS has surged law enforcement,” she added. While McLaughlin would not confirm the total number of agents involved in the operation, CNN and CBS News have reported around 2,000 Homeland Security agents are expected to be deployed as part of this operation. This deployment effort comes amid a welfare fraud scandal in the state, which contributed to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s (D) recent decision not to run for reelection. The Trump administration has repeatedly blamed the state’s Somali population for this alleged fraud and threatened to revoke the citizenship of any Somali Americans involved. On Tuesday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted a video of an arrest in Minneapolis and claimed the detained man was an immigrant in the country illegally “who has an active warrant for murder and sexual assault in Ecuador.” “Another murderer and sexual predator off of Minneapolis’s streets thanks to @ICEgov,” Noem posted.

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USA Today [1/6/2026 2:31 PM, Christopher Cann, 67103K] reports that as a fraud scandal envelops Minnesota state politics, federal officials "surged" immigration agents to Minneapolis and surrounding areas. Federal immigration agents are "surging" into Minnesota, officials said, amid a deepening fraud scandal that’s enveloped state and national politics. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons described the deployment in an interview on Newsmax as "the largest immigration operation ever." He did not say how many agents the deployment would involve or how long it was expected to last. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told USA TODAY the agency does not "get into law enforcement footprint" for the safety of officers. The development comes as Hilton said it severed ties with a hotel franchise in Minneapolis that had allegedly canceled the reservations of ICE agents working in the area. The company apologized and said it would contact all of its franchises nationwide to "reinforce the standards we hold them to" and "help ensure this does not happen again. Immigration agents have been operating in Minneapolis for several weeks as pressure ramps up amid the fraud scandal that’s led to federal probes and political shakeups. According to McLaughlin, agents have made more than 1,000 arrests since first deploying resources to Minnesota. On Monday, Dec. 5, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he plans to end his reelection bid, saying the election would distract him from "defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity." FOX News [1/6/2026 3:05 PM, Michael Dorgan, 40621K] reports Lyons said that Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under the leadership of Secretary Kristi Noem, has surged to Minneapolis to target fraud, arrest perpetrators and remove criminal illegal aliens. It comes amid the massive welfare fraud scandal that continues to unfold in the state. "We have the largest immigration operation ever taking place right now. It is a great effort by ICE," Lyons said in a video interview posted by DHS to X. Lyons said Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations are conducting the investigations. "They’re on the ground… been going door-to-door to a lot of these suspected companies that are not only hiring illegal aliens that shouldn’t even be in the country but also being involved with potential human smuggling, human trafficking cases, but also look at these fraud cases as well," Lyons said. Lyons praised Noem for her leadership, which led to the capture of dangerous criminals. "[Noem] ran an awesome, successful operation. Got a suspected murderer and a wanted rapist that was hiding again in plain sight in Minneapolis," Lyons said. "They’re up there in the fight to these sanctuary jurisdictions that allow these criminal, illegal aliens to roam the streets and take advantage of the public assistance that should be there for every taxpaying American.” NewsMax [1/6/2026 2:09 PM, Staff, 4109K] reports "States like Minnesota that have a strong sanctuary city policy and sanctuary protections do attract other illegal aliens to come there to take advantage of welfare, public assistance, SNAP benefits," [Lyons] said, calling those programs "a magnet" that can allow a "criminal element" to "hide in plain sight.” Lyons also said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in Minnesota during the operation and that authorities apprehended individuals he described as serious suspects. "She ran an awesome, successful operation: got a suspected murderer and a wanted rapist that was hiding in plain sight in Minneapolis," Lyons said. He said ICE agents are operating in what he described as sanctuary jurisdictions and said enforcement actions aim to remove "criminal, illegal aliens" from communities.

NewsNation [1/6/2026 1:13 PM, Ali Bradley and Jeff Arnold, 8017K] reports that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived in Minneapolis on Tuesday ahead of what is expected to be a large-scale immigration enforcement operation that could bring upwards of 2,000 federal agents to the Twin Cities. Agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division are surging to the region to conduct immigration enforcement, as well as activity linked to the alleged widespread fraud allegations connected to Somali nationals. DHS sources confirmed that more federal agents, along with Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, are expected to arrive this week. Noem joined federal agents on Tuesday when an Ecuadorian national, who officials say is in the United States illegally and who was previously convicted of robbery and wanted for murder and sexual assault, was arrested. Like previous federal operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, North Carolina and New Orleans, DHS officials continue to tout the enforcement actions as going after what the Trump administration characterizes as the "worst of the worst". DHS sources told NewsNation that there are 133,790 immigrants living in the U.S. illegally who reside in the greater Minneapolis area. Of those migrants, 33,780 have previously been ordered to leave the U.S. but have not. Another 11,010 are convicted criminals and 3,020 are Somali nationals, sources said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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NewsMax [1/6/2026 11:28 AM, James Morley III, 4109K] reports that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was present Tuesday as DHS agents detained an Ecuadorian national in Minneapolis who is wanted on charges of murder and sexual assault in Ecuador, according to statements from the department. DHS identified the suspect as Tomas Espin Tapia, an illegal immigrant previously convicted of robbery and extortion in Ecuador. Authorities said he had an active warrant for murder and sexual assault in his home country at the time of his arrest. "@Sec_Noem and our brave DHS law enforcement have taken Tomas Espin Tapia off the streets," the Department of Homeland Security announced on X, adding that the arrest was part of ongoing efforts to remove dangerous criminals from U.S. communities. Noem, who accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during the operation, praised the arrest, calling it another example of DHS enforcement targeting violent offenders. "Another murderer and sexual predator off of Minneapolis’s streets thanks to @ICEgov," Noem added on X. The arrest came as the Trump administration has intensified immigration enforcement efforts, with DHS officials emphasizing a focus on illegal immigrants accused or convicted of violent crimes. DHS did not immediately release details on Tapia’s immigration timeline or the next steps in the case.

CBS News [1/6/2026 8:06 PM, Nicole Sganga, Michael Kaplan, Elizabeth Campbell, 39474K] reports that, amid an ongoing fraud scandal in Minnesota and a nationwide immigration crackdown, President Trump has recently taken aim at Somali immigrants, describing them in disparaging terms and saying they’re "ripping off our country." Asked about Mr. Trump’s comments and whether legal Somali immigrants should be worried, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS News in an exclusive interview, "I’m focused on policing the streets, not policing President Trump’s words." Noem has deployed 2,000 agents to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to conduct immigration raids and assist in the widening fraud investigation. Asked how she justified the expense to the taxpayers of sending that many agents in, Noem said, "The American taxpayer is grateful that that resource allocation has been put here. We’ve never seen this kind of fraudulence and abuse of programs before in recent history." Over the past three years, prosecutors in the area have charged more than 90 people with fraud, 78 of whom were arrested in connection with a fraud scheme involving a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future, which was supposed to help feed vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of those charged in that scheme are Somali Americans, although the program’s leader, Aimee Bock, who was convicted earlier this year, is not. The ongoing fraud scandal prompted Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to drop his reelection bid this week. Last month, a viral video from conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley alleged nearly a dozen day care centers in Minnesota were receiving public funds are not actually providing any service, prompting calls for further investigations. Nine of those child care centers were "operating as expected" when state investigators conducted on-site checks last week, officials said on Friday. One of the centers had been closed since 2022. A CBS News review of those centers found dozens of citations related to safety, cleanliness, equipment and staff training, among other violations, but there was no recorded evidence of fraud. But Mr. Trump has continued to lash out at the Somali community, and has called Minnesota a "hub of fraudulent money laundering activity." The president’s words, and the show of force behind them, have shaken the Somali community. Youth counselor Mohamed Jama told CBS News he was recently interrogated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. "The line has been blurred. You could be a citizen and still get detained," Jama, who is an American citizen, said. The vast majority of Somali Americans in Minnesota are U.S. citizens, and Noem said agents are not targeting any one community. Asked what Noem’s message to Jama would be, she told CBS News, "Every individual that we have focused on the last year, as far as the Department of Homeland Security, has been someone who has broken our laws." She insisted people like Jama have nothing to worry about. "Law-abiding citizens of this country should be grateful that we are here today and that we’re making their streets safer," Noem said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [1/6/2026 9:01 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports DHS Secretary Kristi Noem discusses the investigation into alleged Minnesota fraud and responds to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s comments about DHS potentially heading to California on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Bloomberg [1/6/2026 11:00 AM, Alicia A. Caldwell, 18207K] reports the Department of Homeland Security is spending about $85,000 on parkas for what it calls an “urgent enforcement mission” in Minnesota, where federal agents have fanned out for a monthlong immigration crackdown in the middle of winter. The department moved to buy the coats last month from a Tennessee workwear company, ordering gear designed for prolonged exposure to bone-chilling cold. Minnesota, which hugs the Canadian border, is known for long, harsh winters, and forecasters say the 2025–2026 season is expected to be colder than normal. Temperatures in the Twin Cities reached 11 degrees below zero (-24 C) last month, and a storm last week was severe enough that drivers in parts of the state were warned to stay off the roads.

CBS News [1/6/2026 6:28 PM, Staff, 39474K] Video: HERE reports the Trump administration is launching a massive deployment of federal agents to Minneapolis as part of its ongoing immigration crackdown and a new investigation into alleged fraud. CBS News’ Nicole Sganga spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the operation and rode along with agents on an immigration raid.

FOX News [1/6/2026 2:28 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports that the Department of Homeland Security released video of Secretary Kristi Noem and agents taking Tomas Espin Tapia, an Ecuadorian illegal alien convicted of robbery and wanted for murder and sexual assault, off Minneapolis’ streets. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NBC News [1/7/2026 12:31 AM, Staff, 34509K] reports DHS agents make hundreds of arrests in Minnesota. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reuters [1/6/2026 3:33 PM, Doyinsola Oladipo, 36480K] reports Hilton Worldwide Holdings has removed from its system a Minneapolis hotel that has refused to accept the bookings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the hotel operator said on Tuesday. A Hampton Inn hotel, a Hilton brand, outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, refused to accommodate ICE agents, the Department of Homeland Security said in a post on social media platform X on Monday. The Trump administration has increased the number of officers in the area after allegations of fraud involving Somali immigrants. "We are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems. Hilton is - and has always been - a welcoming place for all," the company said on X. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the department welcomed Tuesday’s move by Hilton. "Discriminatory business practices targeting DHS and deliberately undermining federal law enforcement are unAmerican and have real business consequences,” she said in a statement on X. The New York Times [1/6/2026 6:11 PM, Christine Chung, 135475K] reports that other travel sites, including Expedia and Booking.com, had also stopped offering reservations at the Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis. Hilton, which owns the Hampton Inn brand, said in a statement posted on X on Tuesday that it took the action after a conservative influencer posing as a Department of Homeland Security employee posted a video on X in which he tried to book several rooms late Monday night and was turned away. The Hill [1/6/2026 9:55 AM, Ashleigh Fields, 12595K] reports that the statement follows a video posted by conservative commentator Nick Sortor, who visited the Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis and attempted to book accommodations early Tuesday morning while posing as a representative from the DHS. “Even the FRONT DESK manager said he had spoken with the owner shortly before I walked in around 10:50pm, and confirmed the ANTI-DHS POLICY REMAINED IN EFFECT,” he wrote on X. NewsNation [1/6/2026 2:33 PM, Taylor Delandro, 8017K] reports that a Hilton spokesperson told NewsNation on Monday the Lakeville Hampton Inn is independently owned and operated and has apologized for its actions. The spokesperson said that the incident "is not reflective of Hilton values." In a separate statement, Everpeak Hospitality — which operates the Lakeville hotel — said the group was in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated. After the statement was issued, conservative influencer Nick Sortor reported the location was still enforcing an "anti-DHS policy" and claimed to be "in touch" with DHS officials to resolve the issue. New York Post [1/6/2026 10:40 AM, Ariel Zilber, 42219K] reports Hilton’s stock price fell by around 2% on Monday after the Trump administration accused the hospitality giant of abruptly cancelling reservations made by ICE agents over their involvement in immigration enforcement actions. Shares of Hilton recovered at the start of trading on Tuesday as the stock rose 0.6%. As of 10 a.m. Eastern Time, it was trading at around $288 per share. The Department of Homeland Security accused the hotel chain of denying service to ICE agents on the ground in Minnesota, where they were deployed to investigate claims of rampant fraud allegedly perpetrated by members of the Somali immigrant community. The department accused Hilton of having "launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement.”

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Wall Street Journal [1/6/2026 7:28 PM, Chip Cutter, 646K] reports the controversy started with a post on X. The Department of Homeland Security alleged that Hilton Worldwide Holdings had launched a “coordinated campaign” to refuse hotel rooms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Screenshots appeared to show a Hampton Inn outside Minneapolis canceling the reservations of ICE and other law-enforcement agents. Reaction online was swift—and familiar. Some online called for an immediate boycott of Hilton, which owns the Hampton Inn brand. Robby Starbuck, the conservative activist, posted on X that he was following the matter, using the eyes emoji. Some users likened Hilton to Bud Light, the beer brand that endured intense backlash after a social-media promotion with a transgender advocate. Others, though fewer in number, defended the hotel’s decision to prevent ICE from booking rooms. Less than 24 hours after the first posts began circulating, Hilton took the relatively rare step of removing the hotel from its system. The hotel company pulled the Hampton Inn in Lakeville, Minn., from its booking channels and website, effectively severing ties with the property. The speed of Hilton’s response underscored how quickly online outrage can escalate into a reputational crisis for major brands, and how decisively companies must act to contain the fallout. The hotel chain’s actions reflected what some marketing specialists saw as a new corporate playbook for handling a politically sensitive crisis in the Trump era. “It’s like a fire out of control,” said Jim Fielding, a former chief executive of the retailer Claire’s Stores and a former president of Disney Stores, who closely tracks corporate-response tactics. “These companies are learning.” Even though the Hampton Inn at the center of the dispute was independently owned and operated, the distinction mattered little to the general public. “Their brand is tarnished by this,” Fielding said. “You can’t explain licensing or franchising to a customer.” Hilton tried to quiet the matter swiftly. That might have helped cool down the simmering online blowback. But a conservative influencer, Nick Sortor, visited the hotel. In a video he said he recorded on Monday evening, Sortor appears to show an interaction with an employee who said the hotel’s owner would still not accept reservations for immigration or DHS agents. Hilton quickly issued a new statement Tuesday, and took action. The property was no longer bookable on Hilton.com, and the hotel’s webpage was removed.

CBS News [1/6/2026 2:05 PM, Anthony Betting and Eric Henderson, 39474K] reports that Gov. Tim Walz, addressing the media’s questions for the first time since he announced he was dropping his bid to be reelected to a third term, lashed out at the Trump administration and claimed the state was "under attack" by the federal government. Walz added that he believes Minnesota is "under assault like no other time in our state’s history because of a petty, vile administration that doesn’t care about the well-being of Minnesotans." The comments come amid a surge in Department of Homeland Security agents to the Twin Cities area, as the agency escalates its federal crackdown amid a widening fraud scandal in Minnesota. The current plans involve a 30-day surge in the area, and may represent one of the largest concentrations of DHS personnel in an American city in recent years. As many as 2,000 federal agents may be involved in the surge, though the department told WCCO on Tuesday, "For the safety of our officers we do not get into law enforcement footprint.” Walz on Tuesday afternoon accused the GOP of wanting "to tear this state down." He also called the renewed federal immigration and fraud crackdown a "ridiculous surge" that has not been coordinated with the state. He also called it a "show" for the cameras. "I don’t think any governor in history has had to fight a war against the federal government every single day," Walz said.

New York Times [1/6/2026 6:05 PM, Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, 135475K] reports two small Caribbean nations, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, said on Monday that they had agreed to start receiving foreign nationals seeking asylum in the United States. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica told reporters at a news conference that his country and the United States had signed “an agreement to facilitate third-country refugees to be sent to Dominica.” He added that concerns about receiving violent people or individuals who would compromise the security of the island nation were “acknowledged and well-received” by the U.S. State Department. It is unclear how many people Dominica is willing to accept, or from which countries, and Mr. Skerrit did not go into detail about any kind of housing plan for them. But with a population of roughly 66,000 and limited resources, the island would not be able to receive big groups of asylum seekers. Also on Monday, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda said on social media that his administration had signed a “nonbinding” memorandum of understanding with the United States to accept “noncriminal refugees,” but with no commitment to specific quotas. He added that the agreement could be terminated “at any time” at his country’s discretion.

NewsMax [1/6/2026 9:16 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 4109K] reports then-President Joe Biden’s FBI placed a Catholic school teacher, the wife of a federal air marshal, on a terrorist watchlist based on unverified information, a Senate committee said Tuesday. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released newly obtained FBI records detailing a 23-month probe into Christine Crowder, a Texas Catholic school teacher who traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend President Donald Trump’s rally on Jan. 6, 2021. According to the committee’s release, the FBI labeled Crowder a "domestic terrorist" based solely on an unverified tip from a former friend despite early investigative checks showing negative facial recognition results, negative geolocation data, and no criminal history or extremist activity. The documents, Paul said, reveal the kind of sweeping post-Jan. 6 federal dragnet conservatives have long warned about: Ordinary Americans treated as suspects for political proximity rather than provable wrongdoing. In a statement included in the Senate release, FBI Director Kash Patel called the case "political overreach," saying America crosses a dangerous line when "a Catholic kindergarten teacher from Texas" can be surveilled for years without evidence of a crime. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who ended Quiet Skies, said the program had become a "political rolodex" under Biden, weaponized against opponents and misused while real security threats demanded attention. FOX News [1/6/2026 11:11 AM, Leo Briceno, 40621K] reports Christine Crowder wasn’t at the U.S. Capitol when a mob overran the building to prevent the certification of the 2020 election, according to findings released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. She was, however, in D.C. for a rally for President Donald Trump earlier that day, and the FBI spent 23 months tracking her for it, the report said. The committee’s chairman, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., called the move an overreach of federal power based on insufficient evidence. "A free society cannot tolerate a system in which programs and authorities intended to keep the public safe are instead weaponized against them due to mere suspicion," Paul said. "The records released today show how an unverified tip that the FBI failed to substantiate led to nearly two years of surveillance of an innocent American." With regard to the Crowder case, FBI Director Kash Patel called the effort a misapplication of the bureau’s focus and resources. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the Quiet Skies Program cost taxpayers $200 million annually. "When a Catholic kindergarten teacher from Texas can be surveilled for more than two years simply for being in Washington, D.C., without entering the Capitol, without committing a crime, we have crossed from legitimate investigation into political overreach." Paul echoed Patel’s framing, thanking the administration for terminating the program. "I am grateful for FBI Director Kash Patel’s cooperation in producing these records, and I appreciate Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for ending the Quiet Skies program. The conduct revealed by these documents underscores the need to limit the power of faceless bureaucrats who have too often infringed on the rights of the people," Paul said.

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Daily Caller [1/6/2026 10:12 AM, Jason Hopkins, 835K] reports the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will be tightening its licensing requirements for drivers as pressure mounts to boot poorly vetted migrants from the trucking industry. The major federal agency is working with its contracted trucking providers to "phase out" the use of non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) operators who have not been thoroughly screened by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, according to a statement released late Monday. USPS says the move is in line with the Department of Transportation’s efforts to tighten regulations over non-domiciled CDLs. "The safety of our employees, our customers, and the American public is of the utmost concern to the Postal Service," Amber McReynolds, chairwoman of the Postal Service Board of Governors, said in a prepared statement. "In order to maintain the highest possible safety standards, we have decided to phase out any use of non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s License operators who have not been thoroughly vetted by the Postal Inspection Service," McReynolds continued.

Blaze [1/6/2026 12:30 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1442K] reports two illegal alien truck drivers who obtained commercial driver’s licenses from California are accused of smuggling $7 million worth of cocaine across the Midwest. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Sunday lodged detainers against 25-year-old Gurpreet Singh and 30-year-old Jasveer Singh after local authorities arrested the two Indian nationals in Putnam County, Indiana. The men were driving a semitruck along I-70 when an Indiana State Police trooper pulled them over for a routine traffic stop on Saturday, according to local reports. The trooper’s K-9 unit gave a positive alert, prompting the officer to conduct a more thorough search of the truck. The trooper allegedly discovered 309 pounds of cocaine hidden in the truck’s sleeper berth. The men were reportedly traveling from Joplin, Missouri, to Richmond, Indiana. They were charged with a Level 2 felony of dealing narcotics. The DHS blamed California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom’s policies for allowing the illegal aliens to obtain CDLs amid growing concerns about the surge of unqualified foreign nationals in the American trucking industry. Newsom’s office has repeatedly rebutted these criticisms by claiming that California’s CDLs for foreign nationals are issued in compliance with federal guidelines, based on work authorization documents provided by the U.S. government. "Thanks to Gavin Newsom’s reckless policies, these two criminal illegal aliens were granted commercial driver’s licenses by the state of California and were arrested for trafficking a whopping 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. "Gavin Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians even refused to honor an arrest detainer on one of these criminal illegal aliens in December. Sanctuary policies put American lives at risk. ICE law enforcement lodged arrest detainers to ensure these drug traffickers are not allowed back into American communities."

Washington Examiner [1/6/2026 6:23 PM, Kaelan Deese, 1394K] reports Kilmar Abrego Garcia told a federal judge Monday evening that the Trump administration still does not have the legal authority to take him back into immigration custody, even after an immigration judge ordered him deported last month. The latest claims by the Salvadoran national in court pertain to two separate rulings issued on the same day, Dec. 11, by two different judges. That morning, an immigration judge entered a removal order against Abrego Garcia in immigration court. Later that day, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, ruling in a separate federal habeas case, ordered Abrego Garcia released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, finding that the government lacked a lawful basis to continue detaining him at the time. Since then, the Justice Department has argued that the immigration judge’s deportation order gives ICE a new basis to re-arrest Abrego Garcia. In a Dec. 30 sworn declaration, ICE Assistant Director for Field Operations Liana Castano told the court that Abrego Garcia remains subject to immigration detention because he entered the United States illegally and was never formally admitted. Castano said ICE intends to detain Abrego Garcia if the court lifts its current order blocking his re-arrest. "If the Temporary Restraining Order enjoining his re-detention be dissolved," Castano wrote, "ICE does intend to re-detain Mr. Abrego Garcia.” Castano also argued that Abrego Garcia would not be entitled to a bond hearing if detained under the immigration statutes cited by the government and said his release does not serve the public interest. The declaration asserted that Abrego Garcia poses a danger to the community, and authorities have previously alleged he is an MS-13 gang member. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys pushed back in a Tuesday response filing, arguing that the government is misreading what the deportation order actually allows. Their core argument is that a deportation order alone does not automatically authorize continued detention. The attorneys stated that Abrego Garcia has waived his right to appeal the immigration judge’s Dec. 11 ruling, rendering the order final. They argue that once the order became final, the government could only continue to detain him if deportation were realistically likely.

Bloomberg Law News [1/6/2026 5:53 PM, Andrew Kreighbaum, 91K] reports a Washington, DC federal judge pressed lawyers for the Trump administration on how Haitian immigrants targeted for removal from the US could safely return to a country deemed unsafe for travel by the government. Judge Ana C. Reyes noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio identified "immediate security challenges" in the country last year. The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits civilian US aircraft from operating in portions of Haitian airspace because of security forces’ inability to prevent attacks from terrorist groups, she said. Reyes probed government lawyers over the decision to remove protections for Haitians. She also asked why it’s a national interest to remove Haitians. The government has argued that the secretary has broad discretion to make determinations of the national interest that can’t be reviewed by the courts. Reyes asked whether Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem could decide it’s in the national interest to remove Haitians because she "doesn’t like vanilla ice cream." Hearings on the litigation will continue Wednesday. Reyes said before adjourning that her critiques of government attorneys have generated significant press coverage. She added that counsel for DHS had done a "phenomenally good job" in the hearing.

Breitbart [1/6/2026 6:48 PM, Jasmyn Jordan, 2416K] reports President Donald Trump announced Tuesday on social media that an investigation into alleged fraud in California has begun, pointing to what he described as deep corruption under Governor Gavin Newsom. The statement comes as California faces mounting scrutiny over welfare, education, and unemployment fraud, amid a broader national crackdown following high-profile fraud cases in states like Minnesota. In a post published to Truth Social, Trump wrote, "California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP". Trump’s post follows months of growing attention on fraud allegations involving state-run programs in California. These concerns echo similar developments in Minnesota, where multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have deployed thousands of agents to investigate a welfare fraud scandal involving billions in misappropriated funds. Investigations there have already led to dozens of convictions and the freezing of hundreds of millions in federal aid. Federal investigations and reports have linked California to extensive misuse of public funds, particularly in unemployment and welfare programs. According to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), California was responsible for the majority of a reported $382 million in fraudulent unemployment payments made since 2020. In one breakdown, California alone accounted for $305 million in improper claims, including benefits collected by individuals with implausible birthdates—some reportedly born in the future—and others with ties to terrorist watchlists.

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Daily Wire [1/6/2026 5:21 AM, Zach Jewell, 2494K]

CBS Baltimore [1/6/2026 4:09 PM, J.T. Moodee Lockman, 39474K] reports members of the Teachers Association of Baltimore County (TABCO) called on the school board Tuesday to protect immigrant students from unlawful enforcement efforts. It comes after the TABCO Representative Assembly voted to advocate for stricter protections for immigrants and students from mixed-status households, the group said in a statement. Through the "Mandating Formal Policy to Protect Students from Immigration Enforcement" initiative, the union aims to protect students from immigration enforcement that occurs on school grounds without a proper legal basis or without a warrant signed by a federal judge. Union leaders are calling on Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) officials and school board members to create a policy that protects students from being unlawfully removed from learning environments. According to TABCO leaders, the requested policy would deny immigration enforcement officials access to school grounds or access to students without a signed warrant. The requested policy would also prohibit the collecting, tracking or sharing of a student’s immigration status unless it is required by state or federal statutes, the group said. According to the union, the policy would also ban the use of BCPS resources for immigration enforcement operations and create a way to hold staff accountable for any policy violations. The union is also requesting that the policy include training for staff on immigration enforcement responses and training for school counselors on trauma-informed best practices to support students. The policy would also include a guarantee that BCPS employees will not face disciplinary action for refusing to cooperate with immigration enforcement that lacks a proper legal basis, union leaders said.

AP [1/6/2026 7:25 AM, Claudia Lauer, 31753K] reports deaths of on-duty law enforcement officers in the U.S. decreased by nearly 25% in 2025, according to an annual report. The report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, shared with The Associated Press ahead of its release Tuesday, shows a drop in all categories of fatalities, from 148 total deaths in 2024 to 111 last year. Officer firearm fatalities dropped to 44, a 15% decrease from 52 in 2024 and the lowest number in at least a decade, according to the Fund’s previous annual officer fatality reports. "I always like to see that firearms deaths are down. They are the tip of the spear for egregious acts," said Bill Alexander, the chief executive officer of the Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that works to memorialize fallen officers, educate the public about the profession and improve officer safety. Traffic-related deaths also decreased nearly 23% between 2024 and 2025, including both fatal traffic accidents and officers killed after being struck by a vehicle — usually during traffic stops. The National Fraternal Order of Police tracks the number of officer shootings, both fatal and non-fatal. That report does not include incidents where officers were shot at and not struck by gunfire. The 2025 FOP report, released this week, showed there was a small increase in officers shot while on-duty last year — increasing from 342 in 2024 to 347 in 2025.

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [1/6/2026 7:01 PM, Staff, 1394K]

Reuters [1/6/2026 5:56 PM, Nolan D. McCaskill, Richard Cowan, and Bo Erickson, 36480K] reports five years after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Democrats in Congress accused Republicans of a "whitewash" of history while President Donald Trump delivered an upbeat speech to Republican lawmakers that made little mention of the riot by his supporters. The contrasting events laid bare the balance of power in Washington. Democrats sought to revive memories of the attack, in which thousands of Trump supporters sent lawmakers scrambling for their lives in an unsuccessful attempt to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election. Trump, meanwhile, delivered jokes and danced to his signature song, "YMCA," at an iconic performing arts venue in Washington named for former President John F. Kennedy, which his administration has now renamed the "Trump-Kennedy Center." In an 82-minute speech to House Republicans, he briefly mentioned the riot, criticizing a congressional investigation and news coverage of the attack. Trump’s White House unveiled a website that blamed Capitol Police for turning a "peaceful demonstration into chaos." Later on Tuesday, roughly 150 Trump supporters traded insults with counterprotesters as they marched to the Capitol, where they sang the national anthem and other songs to commemorate the event.

New York Times [1/6/2026 7:21 PM, Charlie Savage, 135475K] reports the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel produced a signed memo declaring it lawful for President Trump to order the military operation that seized President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela over the weekend, according to officials familiar with the matter. The specifics of the memo are unclear. But Attorney General Pam Bondi promised members of Congress in briefings this week that the administration would share the memo with lawmakers, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe details intended to remain private. At least 80 people were killed during the incursion into Venezuelan territory, including military personnel and civilians, according to a senior Venezuelan official. The operation raised a host of legal issues about international law and presidential power. In particular, legal scholars say, it appears to have violated international law. Under the United Nations Charter, a treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate, a nation cannot use force inside the sovereign territory of another country without its consent, a self-defense rationale or the permission of the U.N. Security Council. Before the United States invaded Panama to seize its strongman leader, Gen. Manuel Noriega, in 1989, the Office of Legal Counsel issued a memo saying that President George H.W. Bush had inherent constitutional power to violate — or “override” — international law constraints and authorize “forcible abductions” of criminal suspects in a foreign country without that country’s consent. The memo was signed by William P. Barr, who later served as attorney general in Bush’s administration and during Mr. Trump’s first term. Mr. Barr is known for pushing an unusually expansive view of executive power. After his claim came to light, legal scholars disputed it. The Office of Legal Counsel, now led by T. Elliot Gaiser, earlier issued a memo, dated Sept. 5, 2025, that blessed as lawful Mr. Trump’s extrajudicial killings of people suspected of smuggling drugs in international waters. That operation initially focused on Venezuelans, and has now killed at least 115 people in 35 attacks. The memo, according to people who have read it, accepts and relies upon Mr. Trump’s determination that the United States is in a formal state of armed conflict with a secret list of two dozen drug cartels and gangs he has deemed terrorists. The military is not permitted to target civilians who pose no imminent threat, even if they are suspected of crimes. A broad range of specialists in use-of-force laws have rejected the idea that there is an armed conflict with drug traffickers and that the killings are lawful. The Trump administration has not made that memo public, nor has it disclosed any detailed account of its legal reasoning for the operation capturing Mr. Maduro.

Roll Call [1/6/2026 5:06 AM, John M. Donnelly, 548K] reports congressional leaders, emerging Monday from a classified briefing on Venezuela, offered sharply contrasting takes on both the president’s odds of overhauling that country’s government and whether leaving Congress out of the decision to strike was constitutional. The full House and Senate are expected to be briefed behind closed doors this week on the Jan. 3 operation that extracted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas and brought him to the United States. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters after Monday night’s classified briefing for a select group of lawmakers that he expects all-members briefings to take place Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, the Senate will vote on a war powers joint resolution by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., that would bar U.S. military action in or on Venezuela without congressional authorization, a Kaine aide said. Senators are also said to be considering another war powers measure that would cover new military actions that could take place in other nations — such as Cuba, Columbia, Mexico, Iran or Greenland — all of which President Donald Trump suggested on Sunday could become targets for U.S. military action.

Federal Newswire [1/6/2026 11:30 PM, Staff] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a call with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa to discuss regional stability in Venezuela and the recent law enforcement operation that took place there on January 3. According to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, Secretary Rubio expressed appreciation for Ecuador’s partnership in addressing narcoterrorism and efforts to enhance security across the Western Hemisphere. Rubio also emphasized the United States’ ongoing commitment to working closely with Ecuador to promote security in the region. “Secretary Rubio thanked President Noboa for Ecuador’s partnership in confronting narcoterrorism and strengthening security throughout our hemisphere. Secretary Rubio noted the United States’ commitment to continue close coordination to advance regional security,” said Pigott. The conversation comes as both countries seek to address challenges posed by criminal organizations and instability in neighboring Venezuela.

FOX News [1/6/2026 7:54 AM, Elizabeth Elkind, 40621K] reports a Miami-area congressman whose district is home to a significant number of Venezuelan refugees says the failed communist state should hold new elections sooner rather than later. "It can’t be years, I’ll tell you that right now," said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla. "This is what these regimes do, they just negotiate for time, try to wait you out, so you weaken your will. So it can’t be — I’m talking months, I am not talking years." Gimenez is the sole Cuban-born member of Congress, having fled the communist dictatorship as a child and settled in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. He was also among the first members of Congress to speak with Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the U.S. government executed strikes on Caracas before capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Celia Flores. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said the U.S. would "run" Venezuela until the country could hold fair democratic elections — which Gimenez warned its people needed to see in the relatively near future. "Now the number of months, you know, I don’t know what the number would be, but certainly not years," the Florida Republican said. "And the people inside Venezuela need to see changes happening pretty quickly. People out here that live in the diaspora need to see that also." Gimenez said there were "millions of Venezuelans" outside the country "that are waiting to go back home.”

FOX News [1/6/2026 7:26 AM, Anders Hagstrom, 40621K] reports Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s wife arrived to court in New York City wearing bandages on her face and complaining of bruises on her ribs, according to her lawyer. Her attorney, veteran prosecutor Mark Donnelly, told the court that Cilia Flores suffered "significant injuries" when U.S. forces raided the couple’s compound in Caracas on Saturday. Donnelly requested that Flores receive a full X-ray to determine whether she fractured a rib in the incident. Flores was already wearing two bandages on her face, one on her forehead and another above her eye. Both she and her husband pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism and other charges in their first appearance on Monday. Maduro faces four charges: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. Flores faces three charges, including cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

FOX News [1/6/2026 6:51 PM, Morgan Phillip, 40621K] reports seven U.S. service members were injured in the Venezuela operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, an administration official told Fox News Digital Tuesday. Five service members already have returned to duty and two are still recovering from the operation. "They are receiving excellent medical care and are well on their way to recovery," the official said. "The fact that this extremely complex and grueling mission was successfully executed with so few injuries is a testament to the expertise of our joint warriors.” On Saturday, service members landed in Caracas, Venezuela, during a secretive mission to strike Venezuelan territory and capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, known as Operation Absolute Resolve. The mission was led by the Army’s elite special operations unit Delta Force. Officials said Tuesday that 24 Venezuelan security officials were killed during the raid, along with 32 Cuban military and police officers, who were responsible for guarding Maduro. Venezuelan officials have claimed the operation also killed civilians, but those claims have not been independently verified. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Trump ordered the "apprehension mission" Friday night, and it involved 150 planes, including B-1 Lancer bombers and helicopters from 20 bases.

Washington Post [1/6/2026 7:25 PM, Dan Lamothe and John Hudson, 24149K] reports the U.S. government assesses that about 75 people were killed during Saturday’s military raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, including dozens of fatalities that resulted from a gun battle at his compound in Caracas, according to officials familiar with the matter. One person said that at least 67 people were killed in the predawn strike, while another said that about 75 to 80 people were left dead. The officials, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity, said the assessments account for Venezuelan and Cuban security forces as well as civilians caught in the fray. The figures roughly match an estimate that Venezuelan officials have shared in recent days. The sizable death toll adds meaning to President Donald Trump’s public remarks that the operation he approved was “effective” but “very violent.” About a half-dozen U.S. troops were injured in the operation, with some suffering gunshot wounds in the firefight at Maduro’s compound. Some were transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, where they underwent surgery, two other officials said. The Pentagon said in a statement Tuesday that two U.S. service members were still recovering from injuries suffered during the operation. Five others who were hurt have returned to duty. “The fact that this extremely complex and grueling mission was successfully executed with so few injuries is a testament to the expertise of our joint warriors,” the Pentagon said. The raid was led by elite members of the Army’s Delta Force, who were teamed with Special Operations soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which flies some of the military’s most dangerous missions. Helicopters launched from numerous warships off the coast of Venezuela and swooped in, flying low over the water to limit detection. The details — disclosed to congressional officials this week as lawmakers demanded clarity on the Trump administration’s aims after forcibly removing Maduro and bringing him to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism charges — indicate that while the operation was “an astonishing feat,” it was somewhat miraculous there were zero U.S. fatalities, one of the officials said. The details were disclosed after top administration officials — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs chairman — held a classified briefing Monday night for senior lawmakers. A larger briefing for other lawmakers is expected Wednesday morning. People familiar with Monday’s briefing said Rubio, who also functions as Trump’s national security adviser, did the majority of the talking and told congressional officials that he is confident he can work with Delcy Rodríguez, who had served as vice president under Maduro and is Venezuela’s acting president. Administration officials also voiced confidence during Monday’s briefing that they have leverage over Rodríguez in part because they assess that unless she cooperates, Venezuela will run out of money within weeks and be unable to pay security forces and other government officials. Rubio did little to address whether an election is envisioned, people familiar with the matter said, and Trump suggested in an interview with NBC News on Monday that none will be held until the country is “fixed.”

FOX News [1/6/2026 8:04 PM, Louis Casiano, 40621K] reports Cuba’s official mouthpiece for its ruling communist party confirmed Tuesday that 32 members of its armed forces were killed during the U.S. military operation to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The 32 military and police officers were part of a mission carried out at the request of Venezuela’s government, according to a government statement. On Tuesday, Cuba released their names, ranks and ages. "Victims of a new criminal act of aggression and state terrorism perpetrated against the sister Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela by the United States, 32 Cubans lost their lives in combat actions and after fierce resistance," a statement published by Granma, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba. "They were carrying out missions representing the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, at the request of counterpart bodies in the South American country." Cuba announced two days of mourning. Among the deceased were colonels, lieutenants, majors and captains and some reserve soldiers, ranging in age from 26 to 60, The Associated Press reported. They belonged to the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior, Cuba’s two main security agencies. The publication did not specify their missions or disclose how they died.

Washington Examiner [1/6/2026 6:16 AM, Staff, 1394K] reports House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) issued a calming message to those concerned about the fallout from the arrest of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro over the weekend. To those concerned about a looming war between the countries, Johnson said not to "expect boots on the ground" in the South American country. Johnson implied further calmness by suggesting he anticipated a new presidential election in the country, which would occur in "short order." The speaker’s comments came after a two-hour briefing on the events in Venezuela with senior legislators, according to multiple sources. "We don’t expect troops on the ground," Johnson said to the media after the briefing. "We don’t expect direct involvement in any other way beyond just coercing the … interim government to get that going.” "I expect that there will be an election called in Venezuela," he added. "It should happen in short order." He also emphasized that this was not a regime change operation. "The way this is being described — this is not a regime change," Johnson said. "This is a demand for change of behavior by a regime.” Johnson also said that all House and Senate members will get a full briefing on Wednesday. However, the details have not been finalized yet, Politico reported.

Reuters [1/6/2026 6:47 PM, Matt Spetalnick, 36480K] reports the Trump administration has put Venezuela’s hardline interior minister on notice that he could be at the top of its target list unless he helps Interim President Delcy Rodriguez meet U.S. demands and keep order following the toppling of Nicolas Maduro, according to three people familiar with the matter. Diosdado Cabello, who controls security forces accused of widespread human rights abuses, is one of a handful of Maduro loyalists that President Donald Trump has decided to rely on as temporary rulers to maintain stability during a transition period, said one source briefed on the administration’s thinking. U.S. officials are especially concerned that Cabello, given his record of repression and history of rivalry with Rodriguez, could play the spoiler and are seeking to force his cooperation even as they look for ways to eventually push him out of power and into exile, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. In the meantime, they have communicated to Cabello via intermediaries that if he is defiant, he could face a similar fate to Maduro, the authoritarian leader captured in a U.S. raid on Saturday and whisked away to New York to face prosecution on "narco-terrorism" charges, or could see his life in danger, the source said. But taking out Cabello could be risky, possibly motivating pro-government motorcycle groups, known as colectivos, to take to the streets, unleashing the chaos Washington wants to avoid. Their reaction may depend on whether they feel protected by other officials, however. Also on the list of potential targets is Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, who, like Cabello, is under a U.S. drug trafficking indictment and has a multimillion-dollar bounty on his head, according to two sources. "This remains a law enforcement operation, and we are not done yet," said a U.S. Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

New York Times [1/6/2026 6:02 PM, Matthew Cullen, 135475K] reports Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, declared today that the country remained under the control of officials who rose to power under Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime — directly contradicting President Trump. “The government of Venezuela runs our country,” Rodríguez said. “No one else. There is no external agent governing Venezuela.” A large crowd of Venezuelans marched through the streets of Caracas demanding Maduro’s release from a U.S. jail. They were joined by senior government officials who condemned the U.S. intervention. There was virtually no visible dissent, perhaps because the Venezuelan government had declared an emergency that gave it broad powers to arrest citizens. Just yesterday — two days after U.S. troops detained Maduro and brought him to New York to face charges — Trump said that he was the top person in charge of Venezuela, and that the U.S. would be involved in governing the country for the foreseeable future. “We have to nurse the country back to health,” the president said. One of Trump’s top aides said that the president had assigned Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who helped engineer the ouster of Maduro, to take the lead in overseeing Venezuela. So far, Rubio and Trump have signaled that they would rather work with the current regime than put a new government in place. That poses a challenge for Rodríguez.

Breitbart [1/6/2026 10:14 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez insisted Tuesday no foreign power was governing her country, even as US President Donald Trump announced Caracas will be swiftly turning over millions of barrels of oil to the United States. Rodriguez, who was vice president under toppled leader Nicolas Maduro, has given mixed signals about how much she is prepared to cooperate with Trump, at times sounding conciliatory, at others defiant. Speaking three days after US special forces snatched Maduro and his wife in a stunning raid in Caracas, Rodriguez said: "The government of Venezuela is in charge in our country, and no-one else.” Trump insists Washington is now "in charge" of the Caribbean country but has said he is prepared to work with Rodriguez — provided she submits to his demand for access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. The US leader was startlingly direct about his intent regarding the South American country’s reserves, announcing on his Truth Social platform late Tuesday that Rodriguez "will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil" to the United States. "This oil will be sold at its market price, and that money will be controlled by me" as president, Trump said, adding that he has tasked Energy Secretary Chris Wright with "immediately" executing the plan. Rodriguez has offered an olive branch but also appeared anxious to keep on her side the hardliners who control the security forces and paramilitaries, which have patrolled the streets since Maduro’s capture. "We are a people that does not surrender, we are a people that does not give up," she declared, paying tribute to the "martyrs" of the US attacks. She said the country is holding seven days of mourning for those killed. In its first confirmation of losses, Venezuela’s military on Tuesday published a list of 23 troops, including five generals, killed in the US strikes. Top ally Havana separately issued a list of 32 dead Cuban military personnel, many of whom were members of Maduro’s security detail. Venezuela has not yet confirmed the number of civilian casualties in the operation in which US forces grabbed Maduro and Flores and took them to the United States to face trial.

AP [1/7/2026 12:44 AM, Regina Garcia Cano, 4109K] reports Venezuela’s opposition supporters have long hoped for the day when Nicolás Maduro is no longer in power — a dream that was fulfilled when the U.S. military whisked the authoritarian leader away. But while Maduro is in jail in New York on drug trafficking charges, the leaders of his repressive administration remain in charge. The nation’s opposition — backed by consecutive Republican and Democratic administrations in the U.S. — for years vowed to immediately replace Maduro with one of their own and restore democracy to the oil-rich country. But U.S. President Donald Trump delivered them a heavy blow by allowing Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control. Meanwhile, most opposition leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, are in exile or prison. "They were clearly unimpressed by the sort of ethereal magical realism of the opposition, about how if they just gave Maduro a push, it would just be this instant move toward democracy," David Smilde, a Tulane University professor who has studied Venezuela for three decades, said of the Trump administration. The U.S. seized Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores in a military operation Saturday, removing them both from their home on a military base in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. Hours later, Trump said the U.S. would "run" Venezuela and expressed skepticism that Machado could ever be its leader. "She doesn’t have the support within, or the respect within, the country," Trump told reporters. "She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.” Ironically, Machado’s unending praise for the American president, including dedicating her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump and her backing of U.S. campaigns to deport Venezuelan migrants and attack alleged drug traffickers in international waters, has lost her some support at home. Machado rose to become Maduro’s strongest opponent in recent years, but his government barred her from running for office to prevent her from challenging — and likely beating — him in the 2024 presidential election. She chose retired ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia to represent her on the ballot. Officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner mere hours after the polls closed, but Machado’s well-organized campaign stunned the nation by collecting detailed tally sheets showing González had defeated Maduro by a 2-to-1 margin. The U.S. and other nations recognized González as the legitimate winner.

The Hill [1/6/2026 1:10 PM, Rachel Tucker, 12595K] reports that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said the state’s attorney general is “looking very seriously” at bringing charges against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured in a military operation last week and brought to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges in New York. Speaking at a Clearwater news conference Tuesday, DeSantis accused Maduro of allowing Venezuelan gangs to bring drugs to the U.S. and emptying “his prisons” to send criminals across the southern border. “We’d end up with some of these people in Florida,” he said. “Tren de Aragua gang members that were in prison there. He did that, and to me, that is a very hostile act.” The governor said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office is reviewing state statutes on narcotics and those that concern “importing” criminals. “We’ve had people in Florida that have been victimized by Tren de Aragua gang members,” DeSantis said. “And many of those people likely would not have been able to come here legally, even with Biden’s open border, if Maduro had not been releasing people from prison.” Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges in a New York courtroom on Monday, where he claimed he was “kidnapped” and a “prisoner of war.” As Maduro left the room, a man in the audience denounced him as an “illegitimate” president.

Reported similarly:
NewsMax [1/6/2026 11:13 AM, Jim Mishler, 4109K]

CNN [1/7/2026 5:10 AM, Priscilla Alvarez and Catherine E. Shoichet, 18595K] reports the fate of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants in the United States remains in limbo after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as the country grapples with an uncertain future. President Donald Trump’s tough line on government abuses in Venezuela helped buoy him to a resounding victory in South Florida, where Venezuelans make up a large share of the population. But the relationship between his administration and the Venezuelan community has been turbulent. Last year, a series of moves by the Trump administration stripping deportation protections for Venezuelans, many of whom fled their country amid deteriorating economic conditions and fear of political persecution, sparked a sense of betrayal. Now, while many Venezuelans in the US celebrated the capture of Maduro and his wife by US forces in Caracas, they also remain concerned about the regime that remains in charge there — and what might await them if the Trump administration sends them back. “There could be progress. We don’t know when. We don’t know if there will be progress. But what we know is what we’re living in the present time and it looks ridiculously bad for anyone to go to Venezuela right now,” said Adelys Ferro, executive director of the Venezuelan American Caucus. “The uncertainty is huge and bigger than ever — and the desperation is something that I can’t even explain.” The Trump administration made clear its intent to continue to deport Venezuelans, including by using the Alien Enemies Act, in a Monday court filing that cited the Justice Department’s indictment against Maduro to justify the use of the wartime authority, which is ensnared in ongoing litigation. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also said over the weekend that the administration’s decisions over immigration programs benefiting Venezuelans haven’t changed in the wake of Maduro’s capture.

NewsMax [1/6/2026 10:26 PM, Michael Katz, 4109K] reports more than 600,000 Venezuelans stripped of Temporary Protected Status by the Trump administration last year are being encouraged to return home following the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. "President [Donald] Trump’s decisive action to remove Maduro marks a turning point for Venezuelans. Now, they can return to the country they love and rebuild its future," Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said in a statement. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is granted to people whose home country has experienced a natural disaster, armed conflict, or other extraordinary conditions. It provides eligible migrants with work authorization and temporary protection from deportation. In April, the Trump administration terminated TPS granted to about 348,000 Venezuelans by the Biden administration in 2023. In November, the administration terminated TPS for about 268,000 Venezuelans who were given the designation by the Biden administration in 2021. Venezuela is "more free today than it was yesterday," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday. Noem said former TPS holders could apply for "refugee status." But according to a December policy memo from USCIS, all pending asylum applications are on hold as part of a national security review. Venezuelans are also affected by the Trump administration’s pause on immigration benefit decisions for nationals of countries on the travel ban list, which includes Venezuela. The Department of Homeland Security rejected interpretations that Noem’s comments meant Venezuelans who lost TPS would now be considered for refugee admissions. "This is not what Secretary Noem said," DHS wrote Sunday in a post on X. "President Trump is bringing stability to Venezuela and bringing to justice an illegitimate Narco Terrorist dictator who stole from his own people. Secretary Noem ended Temporary Protected Status for more than 500,000 Venezuelans, and now they can go home to a country they love.” South Florida has the largest concentration of Venezuelans in the U.S., including many who were granted TPS. Following Maduro’s capture, celebrations broke out Saturday and Sunday across South Florida, reviving hopes among Venezuelans there that they may one day return home. Maria Teresa Moreno, director of Vente Miami, a Venezuelan political movement aligned with opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, said the moment could have implications beyond Venezuela’s borders. "The liberation of Venezuela may also represent the liberation of Nicaragua and Cuba, Colombia — all of the region that has been victims of these evil projects spread across the continent," Moreno said.

NPR [1/7/2026 5:00 AM, Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, 34837K] reports the last few days have been full of emotions for Sebastian, a 28-year-old Venezuelan architect who lives in Miami. Sebastian, who asked to be identified by his first name because of his ongoing immigration case, says he was happy to learn U.S. forces had captured President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in the early hours of Jan. 3. "I felt a relief, because I thought that there’d be a radical change in the country," he told NPR. "Maybe things were going to be different." But in a press conference later that day, President Trump said his administration had a conversation with Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s deputy and vice president. Trump said his administration was working with her toward U.S. plans to run the country. That announcement left Sebastian disappointed. He said he feels the danger is still as present in Venezuela. But the Trump administration says it is safe for Venezuelans to go back to their country, especially those who were in the U.S. with temporary protected status, or TPS. The administration ended the program for more than 600,000 Venezuelans last year, saying then that conditions in the country had improved. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, told Fox News on Sunday, "the great news for those who are here from Venezuela on temporary protected status is that now they can go home with hope for their country — a country that they love — that there is going to be peace, prosperity and stability." [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

AP [1/6/2026 8:28 PM, Regina Garcia Cano, Aamer Madhani, and Megan Janetsky, 1538K] reports that President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Venezuela would be providing 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S., and he pledged to use proceeds from the sale of this oil “to benefit the people” of both countries. The White House is organizing a meeting Friday with U.S. oil company executives to discuss Venezuela, which the Trump administration has been pressuring to open its vast-but-struggling oil industry more widely to American investment and know-how. Representatives of Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips are expected to attend the White House meeting, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the plans. Earlier Tuesday, officials in Caracas announced that at least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in the dead-of-night U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro and spirit him to the United States to face drug charges. And the country’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, pushed back on Trump, who earlier this week warned she’d face an outcome worse than Maduro’s if she does not “do what’s right” and overhaul Venezuela into a country that aligns with U.S. interests, including by granting access to American energy companies. Rodriguez, delivering an address Tuesday before government agricultural and industrial sector officials, said, “Personally, to those who threaten me: My destiny is not determined by them, but by God.”

NBC News [1/6/2026 6:42 PM, Carmen Sesin and Orlando Matos, 34509K] reports the ripple effects from the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday could make their way quickly here, devastating this island that has been in a yearslong economic crisis. Following the dramatic operation that ousted Maduro in the dead of night, President Donald Trump suggested Cuba’s government will fall, something reiterated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Since the rise of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela in 1999, Cuba has depended heavily on Venezuela for subsidized oil in exchange for Cuban medical professionals, military advisers, security forces and others. Without Venezuelan oil, Cuba’s economy, which is already in a deep crisis, will likely spiral even further. "If oil supply were to cease entirely, the Cuban economy would grind to a halt," said Pavel Vidal, a former Cuban central bank economist who teaches at Javeriana University in Colombia. "This would represent a devastating blow to a Cuban economy already in recession for six years and lacking the productive capacity, competitiveness and foreign currency to replace these flows.” In Cuba, where everyday people are accustomed to the dire economic situation, many are bracing themselves for even tougher conditions following the U.S. actions in Venezuela. The island and its government survived the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s when its economy shrank by roughly 30%. "The situation here is going to become very difficult," said Rey Rodriguez, a butcher. "Imagine what awaits us. Less oil, more blackouts … young people are going to become even more pessimistic.” There are no oil tankers leaving Venezuela for Cuba based on satellite tracking services, according to Jorge Piñón, an energy expert at the University of Texas at Austin Energy Institute. It doesn’t mean "ghost ships" with their transponders turned off haven’t slipped in. Venezuela usually sends three or four tankers per month, which adds up to 30,000 to 35,000 barrels per day.

Wall Street Journal [1/6/2026 12:03 PM, William A. Galston, 646K] reports although no one knows how events in Venezuela will play out, the seizure of Nicolás Maduro and his wife crystallizes key shifts in U.S. foreign policy that are likely to endure for the rest of President Trump’s second term. We can learn at least four things about this administration’s approach to international affairs from this event: First, we should take seriously the 2025 National Security Strategy, which the White House published last November. The document states: “After years of neglect, the United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere.” It argues that America’s hemispheric pre-eminence is “a condition of our security and prosperity—a condition that allows us to assert ourselves confidently where and when we need to in the region.” Our actions in Venezuela provide a clear example of this policy. Second, our Venezuela policy and the administration’s justification for it are consistent with America’s continuing move away from the global responsibilities of the postwar era toward a “spheres of influence” approach to foreign policy. The National Security Strategy states bluntly: “The days of the United States propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over.” The idea is that some regions, chief among them the Western Hemisphere, are more essential to our core national interests than others, and we will concentrate our resources on those areas. This means shifting our military presence away from regions whose “relative import to American national security has declined” to address “urgent threats” in our hemisphere. This shift toward spheres of influence may help explain why the new National Security Strategy doesn’t use forceful language characterizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an act of aggression. Instead, it uses noncondemning turns of phrase such as “hostilities in Ukraine” and “Russia’s war in Ukraine.” This suggests that Mr. Trump may have some sympathy for Vladimir Putin’s claim that his country has a special relationship with its “near abroad” and is entitled to deference from powers outside this region. This is, after all, the logical extension of the Monroe Doctrine.

Los Angeles Times [1/6/2026 6:00 AM, Russell Jeung, 14862K] reports more than 30 people died while being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2025, marking it as the deadliest year for those held in custody by the agency in two decades. At least five of the detainees who died were Asian nationals: Chaofeng Ge, Nhon Ngoc Nguyen, Tien Xuan Phan, Kaiyin Wong and Huabing Xie. So far their deaths have received little public attention, even as ICE increases raids, expands capacity at its facilities and accelerates deportations across the country. As I grieve these deaths, I’ve also witnessed ways that mass deportations have induced palpable fear throughout the Asian American community. Like the Hispanic and Latino communities, as well as other migrant groups across the U.S., Asian families live under constant threat of unlawful detentions, family separations, neglect, abuse and trauma at for-profit prisons. Given the widespread and devastating impact of ICE arrests, more than 70% of Asian Americans now disapprove of President Trump’s immigration policies, arguing that his mass deportation practices have gone too far.

Federal Newswire [1/6/2026 8:30 AM, Staff] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a series of arrests over the New Year holiday, targeting individuals described as some of the most serious criminal offenders among undocumented immigrants. The agency reported that those arrested had prior convictions for crimes such as aggravated sexual assault of a child, murder, fraud, and other offenses. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “ICE law enforcement secures our streets every single day including over the holiday season. They rang in the New Year with the removal of more disgusting monsters including pedophiles, murderers, and fraudsters from American neighborhoods. Thanks to our brave law enforcement officers, American families have safer communities in 2026.” ICE indicated that these actions are part of ongoing efforts to remove individuals with serious criminal records from U.S. communities.

Telemundo [1/6/2026 12:44 PM, Staff, 2218K] reports that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) received the green light earlier this week to begin sharing data on immigrant Medicaid recipients with agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other officials, fulfilling President Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations. A federal judge ruled in late December that, while a lawsuit against the measure is pending, HHS can begin sharing certain beneficiary information with immigration agents, such as biographical data and age. Judge Vince Chhabria, however, set limits on the type of information that Medicaid can share. ICE wanted more comprehensive access, including immigrants’ medical history and Social Security numbers. The judge ruled that he saw no justification for sharing that data. The judge’s ruling went into effect while a pending lawsuit filed by about twenty states is being resolved. These states allege that sharing the information violates patient privacy rules, such as HIPAA, and that doing so could discourage sick individuals from seeking medical help. There has been no clarity "on exactly what information would be shared, why it would be necessary for immigration enforcement purposes, or what the risks would be of the Department of Homeland Security having that data," Chhabria wrote in his December ruling. Among Medicaid users, the public health insurance program that covers low-income individuals, are some immigrants, such as recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or asylum seekers. These immigrants already share a great deal of information with the DHS as part of their legal processes. It remains unclear why ICE would need even more data through Medicaid. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid benefits. However, some program funds cover emergency situations.

Axios [1/6/2026 6:31 AM, Russell Contreras, 12972K] reports immigrants are turning to traditional Catholic and unofficial folk saints for protection and courage in a political climate of mass deportations where they often feel hopeless. The spiritual panic blended with cultural revival comes as the immigration crackdown continues with no end in sight — despite consistent legal challenges and declining public support for the harsh tactics. Figures like St. Jude and Santa Muerte have popped up at protests and on car dashboards as the Trump administration orders aggressive ICE raids and tightens legal immigration channels. "When folks feel like they have no other recourse but the divine, or the supernatural, these types of saints become really important," Andrew Chesnut, the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan chairman in Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, tells Axios.

CBS News [1/6/2026 1:20 PM, Staff, 39474K] reports that two teenage girls who were previously reported missing have been found in Georgia as a result of an investigation by the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and other law enforcement agencies. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced indictments Monday against three people in Columbia County accused in separate cases of trafficking the underage girls. Carr said the indictments involve two alleged sellers and one alleged buyer, all charged in cases connected to the commercial sexual exploitation of minors. "This is exactly why we expanded our Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit to the Augusta region, and we’re fighting each day to keep Georgians safe," Carr said in a statement. "With each new case, we’re sending a message that human trafficking won’t be tolerated anywhere in this state, and both buyers and sellers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Carr expanded the unit to Augusta last year using funding approved in the state’s amended fiscal year 2025 and fiscal year 2026 budgets.

Univision [1/6/2026 9:03 PM, Staff, 5004K] reports two brothers of Hispanic origin, residents of North Carolina, reported mistreatment and alleged assaults by immigration agents who tried to detain them because they did not believe they were born in the country. Kellin Godínez told Univision that the incident occurred on February 5 at the intersection of Laurel and North Long Street in Salisbury , a city located about 40 kilometers from Charlotte, where they reside. The 29-year-old and his mother, Teresa de la Rosa, explained that the family owns a construction business and were notified that two migrants from Guatemala had been detained by the agents. Kellin and his half-brother went to the aforementioned intersection to pick up the truck in which the arrested men were traveling. It was then that they were intercepted by the agents, who tried to arrest them even though the young men had told them they were American citizens and had shown them identification to prove it. The events were recorded by both Kellin and her mother, who shared the videos with Univision. The videos show an officer wearing a balaclava trying to snatch the phone from the young man , while another tries to pull his brother out of the car they arrived in. “The officer on my side got really angry, really aggressive, and suddenly told me I couldn’t record anymore, and I said, ‘But why? I haven’t done anything wrong, and that’s my right.’ Then he got even angrier and opened my door,” Kellin recounted. “They were also pulling my brother away, they opened his door and wanted to take my brother out ,” he said. “Well, we hadn’t done anything until finally one of their colleagues told them: yes, you are citizens and he let us go, but they still misbehaved, they told us: next time obey and get out of here.” The family indicated that they do not agree with the way the officers treated the brothers because they feel they were discriminated against. “For me, it’s racism because several times they told him: You are not a citizen and he would say ‘Yes I am’,” Teresa de la Rosa denounced. “It’s discrimination because of color, because of how they see you. They thought that since the other boys were Hispanic and didn’t have documents, they thought they would too.” At the time of publication of this material, immigration authorities had not commented on the incident. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Washington Examiner [1/6/2026 11:00 AM, Emily Hallas, 1394K] reports over ten thousand illegal immigrants have been arrested in Florida over the past eight months after the state expanded cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced on Monday. "This is the largest joint immigration enforcement operation in ICE’s history, and we’re proud that it will continue here in Florida," DeSantis said. The governor said 287(g) agreements, state and local law enforcement agencies signed with the Department of Homeland Security, allowed authorities to help ICE and other federal partners, such as Customs and Border Protection and the FBI, target illegal immigrants "in all 67 counties" across Florida. The agreements also authorized local police officers to perform certain immigration duties while on patrol. Over 10,400 illegal immigrants have been detained since "Operation Tidal Wave" launched in April, according to DeSantis. He revealed during a press conference that 63% of the arrests were made due to the state’s 287(g) agreements. The countries of origin for those detained include over 3,400 from Guatemala, 3,300 from Mexico, and 1,300 from Honduras, the governor’s office said.

Reported similarly:
Breitbart [1/6/2026 12:56 PM, Amy Furr, 2416K]
Univision [1/6/2026 9:29 PM, Staff, 5004K]

Breitbart [1/6/2026 2:40 PM, John Binder, 2416K] reports that a pair of illegal aliens from India, both given Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) by the sanctuary state of California, are accused of smuggling more than 300 pounds of cocaine across the state of Indiana in their semi-truck. On January 4, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents lodged detainers against 25-year-old illegal alien Gurpreet Singh and 30-year-old illegal alien Jasveer Singh, both from India, after they were arrested in Putnam County, Indiana, on charges of narcotics trafficking. According to local police, Singh and Singh had more than 300 pounds of cocaine concealed in the sleeper berth of the semi-truck that they were allowed to operate after the state of California issued them both CDLs. For perspective, that is enough cocaine to kill more than 113,000 Americans. "Thanks to Gavin Newsom’s reckless policies, these two criminal illegal aliens were granted commercial driver’s licenses by the state of California and were arrested for trafficking a whopping 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck," the Department of Homeland Security’s Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement: “Gavin Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians even refused to honor an arrest detainer on one of these criminal illegal aliens in December. Sanctuary policies put American lives at risk. ICE law enforcement lodged arrest detainers to ensure these drug traffickers are not allowed back into American communities.”

CBS Chicago [1/6/2026 4:05 PM, Todd Feurer, 39474K] reports the Broadview Village Board on Monday approved changes to its zoning laws to place new restrictions on prisons and detention centers, following months of protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in the suburb. The 5-0 vote by the board came after the village’s zoning board of appeals voted against the proposed changes last month. At least one member of that panel testified at Monday night’s village board meeting that they had since changed their mind and urged village leaders to back the new restrictions. The ordinance would not affect operations at the existing ICE facility in Broadview, but would limit where any new ICE facilities in Broadview could be located amid reports that ICE is exploring a substantial expansion of its facilities in both Broadview and downtown Chicago. The plan would require any prisons and detention centers to obtain a special use permit from the village. Such facilities and could not be located within 1,000 feet of residential areas, schools, daycare centers, cemeteries, public parks, forest preserves, senior living facilities, and public housing, and other prisons and detention centers. Prisons and detention centers also would not be allowed within 750 feet of a house of worship. The ordinance would also require secured fencing and gates, and establish minimum parking requirements for such facilities.

Chicago Tribune [1/6/2026 9:51 PM, A.D. Quig, 4829K] reports the high-profile prosecution of six people charged in connection with their protests outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview claimed its first political victim as one of the six — a candidate for Cook County Board — has dropped out of her race for office. Catherine “Cat” Sharp, one of the so-called Broadview Six, announced late Monday she was no longer running for the County Board seat because she needed to “focus on winning the legal battle against the Trump administration.” “Navigating this unimaginable legal process and all the costs — emotional and financial — that come with it, have made running for office much more difficult,” Sharp wrote in a post on X. “When I launched this campaign for the Cook County Board back in the summer, I said I was running because we need principled, bold leadership at the local level at a time when our communities are under attack from the federal government. I had no idea how true that statement would prove to be over the last several months.” Sharp’s political decision came hours before more than 50 Border Patrol agents arrived Tuesday afternoon. A U.S. Coast Guard plane carrying the agents arrived at DuPage Regional Airport. After a quick meeting inside the terminal, they headed to a suburban hotel in a 15-vehicle caravan that included cargo vans with U.S. Department of Homeland Security license plates and several SUVs with out-of-state tags. The charges against Sharp and the five others by Republican President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice have been highly controversial, as the defendants and some legal observers have called the prosecution a politically motivated effort to punish opponents who pushed back against the administration’s deportation actions in the Chicago region as part of its Operation Midway Blitz.

FOX News [1/7/2026 2:06 AM, Michael Sinkewicz, 40621K] reports Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted last month of obstructing federal agents attempting to arrest an illegal immigrant, has resigned from her position. In a letter to Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Saturday, Dugan said the case against her threatens judicial independence and vowed to keep fighting it. "As you know, I am the subject of unprecedented federal legal proceedings, which are far from concluded but which present immense and complex challenges that threaten the independence of our judiciary," she wrote. "I am pursuing this fight for myself and for our independent judiciary. However, the Wisconsin citizens that I cherish deserve to start the year with a judge on the bench in Milwaukee County Branch 31 rather than have the fate of that Court rest in a partisan fight in the state legislature.” Dugan’s resignation is expected to take effect immediately. A 12-person jury found Dugan guilty on Dec. 18 of obstructing federal immigration agents during an attempt to serve a warrant at a courthouse last April. She was arrested after prosecutors said she helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz evade plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents attempting to serve a warrant. Prosecutors said Dugan directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to leave her courtroom through a back door on April 18, 2025, after learning ICE agents were in the building to arrest him. Dugan pleaded not guilty, and she was acquitted on a lesser misdemeanor charge. Attorneys for Dugan filed a motion late last month indicating they will seek a new trial. She faces up to five years in prison on the felony obstruction count. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman has not set a sentencing date. Dugan was suspended by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in April, but continued to collect her roughly $175,000 annual salary while awaiting trial. After Dugan’s conviction, Wisconsin Republican leaders said they would initiate the impeachment process if she did not resign from her office immediately. Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August argued that the state Constitution bars any person convicted of a felony from serving in an "office of trust, profit or honor" unless pardoned. "Wisconsinites deserve to know their judiciary is impartial and that justice is blind," they said in a statement last month. "Judge Hannah Dugan is neither, and her privilege of serving the people of Wisconsin has come to an end.” Following the verdict, Dugan’s defense team said they were prepared to keep fighting to clear her name. "While we are disappointed in today’s outcome, the failure of the prosecution to secure convictions on both counts demonstrates the opportunity we have to clear Judge Dugan’s name and show she did nothing wrong in this matter," Dugan’s defense team said in a statement. They added, "We have planned for this potential outcome and our defense of Judge Dugan is just beginning. This trial required considerable resources to prepare for and public support for Judge Dugan’s defense fund is critical as we prepare for the next phase of this defense.”

Breitbart [1/6/2026 11:55 AM, John Binder, 2416K] reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has shared another string of arrests, including the arrest of an illegal alien convicted on 13 counts of indecency with a child, Breitbart News has learned. "President Trump and Secretary Noem built a larger, stronger ICE for one reason: To make America safe again. Every day our officers put their lives on the line to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods," a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said. Among those arrested on Monday is Raul Gonzalez-Lopez, an illegal alien from Mexico, whom the DHS official called "a monster with 13 convictions for indecency with a child." Gonzalez-Lopez’s convictions occurred in Guadalupe County, Texas. "These types of sickos have no right to be in our country and prey on innocent children," the spokesperson said. "Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, this pedophile will soon be out of our country."

Washington Examiner [1/7/2026 2:11 AM, Staff, 1394K] reports a budget airlines company announced on Tuesday it was ending deportation flights as part of its operations. Avelo Airlines revealed that it would halt its deportation flights out of Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona for the Department of Homeland Security. The airline company cited costs associated with the operations as the reason for its decision. "The program provided short-term benefits but ultimately did not deliver enough consistent and predictable revenue to overcome its operational complexity and costs," said a spokesperson from Avelo Airlines regarding the decision to end the illegal immigration enforcement flights. The company’s Mesa location is scheduled to cease operations on Jan. 27, according to reports. However, it is currently unknown as to when the last deportation flight will occur from the location since the flights are scheduled by the Department of Homeland Security.

New York Post [1/6/2026 3:29 PM, Jeremy Louwerse, 42219K] reports ICE nabbed 118 illegal immigrants in a series of sweeps targeting central California — with the "worst of the worst" crew including convicted pervs with disturbing rap sheets, federal officials said. The six-day surge between Christmas and New Year’s saw federal agents cuff pedophiles, sex offenders, burglars and domestic abusers, including a man found guilty of committing lewd acts with a child under 14, the Department of Homeland Security announced Monday. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the "surge operation" to close out 2025 targeted "the worst of the worst criminals in the country illegally — as she took a shot at Gov. Gavin Newsom and local sanctuary city policies.

Blaze [1/6/2026 12:30 PM, Candace Hathaway, 1442K] reports that two illegal alien truck drivers who obtained commercial driver’s licenses from California are accused of smuggling $7 million worth of cocaine across the Midwest. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Sunday lodged detainers against 25-year-old Gurpreet Singh and 30-year-old Jasveer Singh after local authorities arrested the two Indian nationals in Putnam County, Indiana. The men were driving a semitruck along I-70 when an Indiana State Police trooper pulled them over for a routine traffic stop on Saturday, according to local reports. The trooper’s K-9 unit gave a positive alert, prompting the officer to conduct a more thorough search of the truck. The trooper allegedly discovered 309 pounds of cocaine hidden in the truck’s sleeper berth. The men were reportedly traveling from Joplin, Missouri, to Richmond, Indiana. They were charged with a Level 2 felony of dealing narcotics. The Department of Homeland Security reported that the men were allegedly smuggling enough drugs to kill over 113,000 Americans. "Thanks to Gavin Newsom’s reckless policies, these two criminal illegal aliens were granted commercial driver’s licenses by the state of California and were arrested for trafficking a whopping 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. "Gavin Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians even refused to honor an arrest detainer on one of these criminal illegal aliens in December. Sanctuary policies put American lives at risk. ICE law enforcement lodged arrest detainers to ensure these drug traffickers are not allowed back into American communities."

Los Angeles Times [1/6/2026 6:00 AM, Ruben Vives, 14862K] reports there were no stars in the October sky. No moon that 64-year-old Masuma Khan could see from the narrow window of the California City Immigration Processing Center. "No planes," she said, recalling her confinement. Once a prison, the facility in the Mojave Desert, located 67 miles east of Bakersfield, reopened in April to hold people in removal proceedings, including Khan. It was not the kind of place where she imagined ending up — not after living in the country for 28 years, caring for her daughter and surviving one of California’s deadliest wildfires, the Eaton fire. Khan was fortunate not to have lost her west Altadena home to the Jan. 7 fire, which destroyed more than 9,000 structures and killed 19 people. But in the months that followed, Khan faced another threat — deportation. Khan worried. She was in the process of adjusting her immigration status and was required to check in every year with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. An immigration attorney reassured her that there was no cause for concern: Her husband and daughter were citizens, she had no criminal record, and her case was still under review. And so, on Oct. 6, Khan drove to downtown Los Angeles for her routine immigration check-in and found herself caught up in Trump’s deportation surge. Khan was taken into custody by ICE agents and kept in a cold room for almost an entire day. She said agents denied her access to a lawyer and a phone until she signed deportation papers. Khan resisted but later signed. She was placed in a van with other detainees and driven three hours north to the detention center in California City. At the facility she was denied access to medications for high blood pressure, asthma, peripheral arterial disease, general anxiety and hypothyroidism, she said. Khan’s experience at the facility was similar to that of other detainees who filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. They alleged inhumane conditions at the facility that included inadequate food, water and medical care, frigid cells and lack of access to medications and lawyers. In an email response, Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, said any claims about "subprime conditions at ICE detention facilities are false." "All detainees are provided with proper meals, certified by dietitians, medical treatment and have the opportunities to communicate with lawyers and family members."

FOX News [1/6/2026 10:19 PM, Michael Sinkewicz, 40621K] reports the Trump administration is dramatically expanding a policy requiring some foreign travelers to post bonds of up to $15,000 before entering the United States. The State Department on Tuesday added 25 countries to its visa bond list, nearly tripling the total shortly after adding seven more as part of the Trump administration’s moves to tighten immigration enforcement. There are now 38 countries subject to the requirement, most of them in Africa with others in Latin America and Asia, a move that could make obtaining a U.S. visa unaffordable for many travelers. The bond requirement for the latest additions, including Venezuela, will take effect Jan. 21. Travelers eligible for a B1/B2 visa from countries on the list must post a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, with the amount set during the visa interview, according to a notice posted on the State Department’s website. Paying the bond will not guarantee a visa’s approval, but the amount will be refunded should the visa be denied, or when a visa holder demonstrates compliance with the terms of the visa. The expansion follows a pilot program launched by the State Department in August that requires certain visa applicants from countries with high overstay rates and deficient document security controls to post a bond. The Trump administration rolled out numerous immigration policy changes last year, impacting the way people travel, obtain visas and become citizens in the United States, with some measures scheduled to take effect in 2026. The Trump administration requires citizens from all countries that require visas to sit for in-person interviews and disclose years of social media history, along with information about their families’ previous travel and living arrangements. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented a new rule on Dec. 26, 2025, expanding facial recognition for non-citizens entering and leaving the United States. President Donald Trump also recently announced the launch of the much-anticipated "Trump Gold Card," an immigration initiative designed to provide a new, streamlined path to U.S. citizenship, which he has said could generate billions of dollars. The new countries added to the visa bond requirement beginning Jan. 21 are Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Countries already on the list include Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Turkmenistan and Zambia.

Reported similarly:
Axios [1/6/2026 6:23 PM, Julianna Bragg, 12972K]

Axios [1/6/2026 3:24 PM, Brittany Gibson, 12972K] reports hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans are being encouraged to go home or face deportation following the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan immigrants had temporary U.S. legal protections until last year, in part due to poor economic conditions and human rights abuses under the Maduro government. "President Trump’s decisive action to remove Maduro marks a turning point for Venezuelans. Now, they can return to the country they love and rebuild its future," said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson Matthew Tragesser in a statement. Venezuela is "more free today than it was yesterday," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday, the day after the Maduro raid became public. Noem said TPS holders can apply for "refugee status." But asylum isn’t currently an option. A December policy memo from USCIS ordered a pause on all asylum applications. Venezuelans are also affected by the Trump administration’s pause on all immigration decisions because Venezuela is on the travel ban list.

Newsweek [1/6/2026 12:30 PM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports a growing share of O‑1B visas are now being granted to social media influencers and OnlyFans models, according to an immigration attorney. "Influencers are the new niche field where the O-1 historically has recognized the world’s talent in the arts, business, entertainment, and athletics," immigration attorney Michael Wildes told Newsweek. "The new endeavors and the new frontiers are influencers and OnlyFans provocateurs. We saw this being bridged in recent years by game streamers and lifestyle content creators who are expanding all the different fields." Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for comment. Government data cited in the Financial Times report shows that overall O-1 visa issuances have increased by more than 50 percent between 2014 and 2024, though they still represent a small fraction of total non-immigrant visas issued by the United States each year. Lawyers representing online creators say these standards are increasingly being met using metrics such as follower counts, subscriber numbers, audience reach, and revenue from brand partnerships or subscriptions.

CBS News [1/6/2026 3:26 PM, Staff, 39474K] reports U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz promised to explore new ways for migrants to work legally in the construction industry. The Edinburg Republican announced on Monday her plans to meet with the U.S. Department of Labor, after South Texas builders voiced frustration with how immigration arrests at construction sites were negatively impacting their industry. De La Cruz suggested the U.S. should create a special visa program for construction workers, similar to the H-2A visa program that allows foreign nationals to work in the agriculture sector. There’s ongoing interest among Republicans to create a new category of legal workers — a softening to the hardline stance many in the party have taken for years. Republicans in Texas and Washington, led by Mr. Trump, have argued in part that stricter immigration enforcement would open up more jobs for Americans. De La Cruz’s open support for a new status for construction workers comes after a meeting with the South Texas Builders Association on Monday. The bill aimed to streamline the application process for agriculture employers and launch a regional pilot program that would allow workers to change jobs within a state without having to reapply for a visa. It would also have set wages for H-2A workers to match the state minimum of where the contract is taking place, plus $2 per hour and expanded H-2A contracts from 10 to 12 months. While the bill has not been put to a vote, the Department of Homeland Security enacted a new rule to streamline the application process for H-2A workers in October.

Washington Post [1/7/2026 5:00 AM, Lauren Kaori Gurley, 24149K] reports Stephen Miller has been the public face of the Trump administration’s unprecedented immigration crackdown and deportation campaign, but a Cuba-born Harvard University economist who prefers a lower profile provided the intellectual underpinnings of President Donald Trump’s sweeping policy changes until he left the White House on Friday. In the 1980s and 1990s, George Borjas pioneered the field of immigration economics. In seismic papers, Borjas’s research described the drawbacks of immigration, including his oft-cited, though much-disputed, findings that the arrival of lower-skilled immigrants hurts American workers who compete for jobs, especially poor people and African Americans. More recently, his research has found new attention and urgency in President Donald Trump’s second term: Borjas, 75, worked as a top economist on the Council of Economic Advisers, a post he stepped down from last week. Borjas is an immigrant and refugee who escaped Cuba for the United States in 1962 and later obtained citizenship — a point of tension he has referenced in his writing. “Not only do I have great sympathy for the immigrant’s desire to build a better life, I am also living proof that immigration policy can benefit some people enormously,” he wrote in a 2017 opinion piece for the New York Times. “But I am also an economist, and am very much aware of the many trade-offs involved. Inevitably, immigration does not improve everyone’s well-being.” One of Borjas’s direct contributions to the Trump administration this past year was his extensive behind-the-scenes work on Trump’s overhaul of the H-1B visa system for highly skilled workers that added a $100,000 fee, according to three people familiar with his work and a White House official, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to share internal deliberations. Borjas had previously written about the “well-documented abuses” of that program over the years. The White House official said Borjas was among many Trump administration members involved in redesigning the H-1B visa program and confirmed that Borjas provided intellectual support for other Trump immigration initiatives last year. Borjas declined to comment at length for this story. But he confirmed to The Washington Post that Friday was his last day on the job, which he had always intended to be temporary, saying that the commute from Massachusetts to Washington “was just too much.”

Federalist [1/6/2026 2:22 PM, Breccan F. Thies, 785K] reports that Alabama’s Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen announced Tuesday that his office found 186 noncitizens who were registered to vote, 25 of whom had allegedly cast ballots illegally. Allen’s office used the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to cross-reference voter rolls in his state with federal records. SAVE is a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) tool designed for federal, state, and local governments so they can ensure illegals and other noncitizens are not leeching public benefits from American taxpayers. Allen has directed the "immediate removal" of all 186 noncitizens from the rolls. "Our elections must be decided by American citizens and only American citizens," Allen said in a press release. "While liberal organizations and media outlets claim noncitizen voting is not a problem, my office has proven otherwise. Under my watch, illegal registration and illegal voting by noncitizens will not be tolerated in Alabama. As of November, only 26 states were either using SAVE to verify their voter rolls or in the process of establishing an MOA to do so, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). That means that the states with some of the largest voter (and illegal alien) populations, like California, New York, and Illinois, are still allowing fraud to take place in their states, disfranchising American citizens.

Newsweek [1/6/2026 8:09 AM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports a Texas Republican is reportedly planning to press the Trump administration to pursue new avenues that allow some undocumented migrants to work legally in the U.S. construction industry. Representative Monica De La Cruz, a Republican from Edinburg, said she plans to explore ways for migrants to work legally in the construction sector, and intends to meet with officials from the U.S. Department of Labor to explore options after local industry leaders described the impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions at construction sites. De La Cruz suggested creating a visa program specifically for construction workers, drawing a parallel with the existing H‑2A agricultural worker visa program, which permits foreign nationals to work seasonally in U.S. farming operations. "They elected me to represent them in Washington, D.C., and to be their voice, even when it pushes against the Trump administration," De La Cruz reportedly said at the closed-down meetings, according to the Texas Tribune. "At the end of the day, I want to represent South Texas, and I want to represent our community and make sure that we continue to be prosperous."

Houston Chronicle [1/6/2026 6:21 PM, Julián Aguilar, 2983K] reports a national effort to free a Texas DACA recipient arrested over his social media posts came to Houston on Tuesday with a small protest outside the Consulate General of the Philippines. Yaakub "Jacob" Vijandre has been detained since October when he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Vijandre, a mechanic and freelance video journalist, was arrested while leaving his home in Arlington after speaking out against the war in Gaza and for supporting people he believes have been unjustly incarcerated, according to court filings. Vijandre came to the United States in 2001 from the Philippines, and at the time of his arrest held a valid Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, designation. The Trump administration has revoked that protection, claiming Vijandre made statements "glorifying terrorism.” He had a scheduled appearance before an immigration judge in Georgia on Tuesday morning after his DACA status was revoked and he sought asylum. He has a separate petition pending in federal court seeking his release from detention. Maria Kari, a Houston attorney who is part of Vijandre’s legal team, said her client sought asylum after he converted to Islam. His religion and the Trump administration’s claims about Vijandre’s support for so-called terrorist organizations put him at risk in his native country, she said. Advocates who gathered in Houston on Tuesday said Vijandre’s case reflects the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants’ free speech, creating a chilling effect meant to silence others from speaking out.

New York Times [1/6/2026 7:49 PM, Miriam Jordan, 153395K] reports the Trump administration’s effort to revoke protections for 350,000 people from Haiti who fled their troubled homeland is facing what could be the last legal challenge before Temporary Protected Status for Haitians expires early next month. Ending T.P.S. for Haitians was part of a wave of actions by the Department of Homeland Security last year as President Trump launched his campaign to carry out mass deportations and remake the U.S. immigration system. T.P.S., which provides a shield against deportation for people from countries in the throes of a humanitarian crisis or armed conflict, has been a target of Trump officials, who say the program has become anything but temporary and no longer serves its intended purpose. But revoking protections for Haitians, Venezuelans and people from several other countries has prompted more than a dozen legal challenges, including the case involving Haitians that is being heard this week in federal court in Washington, D.C. Lawyers challenging the decision to end T.P.S. for Haitians have argued that the move was driven by politics and racial animus rather than by a required assessment of safety conditions in Haiti, where gangs have taken control of much of the capital since the 2021 assassination of the last elected president. The lawyers have asked the judge in case, Ana C. Reyes of the Federal District Court, to put the revocation of T.P.S. for Haitians on hold while the lawsuit proceeds. Judge Reyes said on Tuesday that she expects to rule on that request by Feb. 2, the day before the status is scheduled to expire for Haitians. During the hearing, Judge Reyes pressed government lawyers about whether the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, had adequately reviewed conditions in Haiti before terminating T.P.S. The administration, which is seeking to dismiss the lawsuit, has argued that ending T.P.S. for Haitians is in the national interest and that Secretary Noem is “unfettered by any statutory standard whatsoever.”

Reuters [1/6/2026 4:20 PM, David Lawder, 36480K] reports President Donald Trump’s administration faces the possibility of having to refund more than $133.5 billion in tariffs to importers if the U.S. Supreme Court declares unlawful the duties he has imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. That is the total assessed through December 14, when the agency issued its most recent statistical update on imports since the Republican president first imposed tariffs last February under the 1977 economic sanctions law meant to be used only during national emergencies. The court, which in November heard arguments concerning the legality of Trump’s IEEPA-based tariffs, is set to issue rulings in cases on Friday, but has not disclosed which ones. Online betting markets Kalshi and Polymarket give Trump a 30% and 23% chance of prevailing, respectively, versus around 40% on each platform prior to the arguments, when the justices signaled skepticism toward the tariffs. It is also unclear whether the court would order refunds if it deems the duties illegal or leave that issue to lower courts or to the federal government to sort out.

NewsMax [1/6/2026 1:08 PM, Andrew Chung, 4109K] reports that the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue rulings on Friday as it weighs cases with major implications both nationally and around the world, including the legality of President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs. The court indicated on its website on Tuesday that it could release decisions in argued cases when the justices take the bench during a scheduled sitting on Friday. The court does not announce ahead of time which rulings it intends to issue. The challenge to Trump’s tariffs is among the most closely watched of the cases awaiting decisions by the top U.S. judicial body that could impact the global economy and marks a major test of presidential powers. During arguments heard by ⁠the court on Nov. 5, conservative and liberal justices appeared to cast doubt on the legality of the tariffs, which Trump imposed by invoking a 1977 law meant for use during national emergencies. The case involves appeals by Trump’s administration after lower courts ruled that his unprecedented use of that law exceeded his authority. The Republican president has continued to express concern about the possibility of losing the case. In a social media post on Friday, Trump said such a ruling would be a "terrible blow" to the United States. "Because of Tariffs, our Country is financially, AND FROM A NATIONAL SECURITY STANDPOINT, FAR STRONGER AND MORE RESPECTED THAN EVER BEFORE," Trump said in another post ⁠on Monday.

San Diego Union Tribune [1/6/2026 4:38 PM, Alex Riggins, 1538K] reports the city of San Diego sued several federal agencies Monday seeking to halt construction of razor wire fencing along city-owned property near the U.S.-Mexico border, arguing that federal personnel, including U.S. Marines, trespassed on the land and caused irreparable environmental damage to sensitive habitat that’s protected by a longstanding conservation agreement between the city, state and federal government. According to the lawsuit, the land in question, located in the undeveloped Marron Valley area east of Otay Mesa and south of Dulzura, is protected by a conservation agreement signed in 1997 by the city, California’s fish and wildlife agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The lawsuit asserts that last month, city personnel discovered about 12 U.S. Marines on the property constructing “illegal and unauthorized” razor wire fencing. The suit contends that the construction of the fencing has caused property damage and “adverse environmental impacts,” including damage to plants, vernal pools and wildlife habitats for endangered and protected species. Among the defendants named in the suit are the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the leaders of each of those agencies.

Axios [1/6/2026 4:40 PM, Jason Lalljee, 12972K] reports travelers who don’t have the required Real ID will have to pay up to board their flights starting next month. New penalties for those who still don’t have Real IDs kick in beginning Feb. 1. Flying without one will set you back an extra $45 — more than double what the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) originally estimated. That $45 will clear travelers for a 10-day period, after which they would have to pay the fee again. The TSA "will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID," the agency said in December. "This fee ensures the cost to cover verification of an insufficient ID will come from the traveler, not the taxpayer," Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for TSA Adam Stahl said in a press release. Travelers can pay the fee at the airport, but the TSA recommends paying for it online beforehand. The other 94% are already using compliant IDs, according to figures shared by senior TSA officials in December.

NewsMax [1/6/2026 8:18 AM, Staff, 4109K] reports the Department of Homeland Security has drafted plans to sharply reduce the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s workforce in 2026, including cutting thousands of disaster response and recovery positions, according to internal documents. The documents, obtained by The Washington Post, outline potential reductions across much of FEMA’s workforce, including large cuts to its Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery, or CORE, which makes up the bulk of the agency’s disaster-specific staff. Emails sent to senior leadership in late December include tables showing a proposed 41% reduction in CORE disaster roles, or more than 4,300 positions, along with an 85% reduction in surge staffing totaling 6,500 jobs, the Post reported Tuesday. In a statement, FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargués said the agency has "not issued and is not implementing a percentage-based workforce reduction." "The materials referenced from the leaked documentation stem from a routine, pre-decisional workforce planning exercise conducted in line with OMB and OPM guidance," Llargués said. "The email outlining that exercise did not direct staffing cuts or establish reduction targets." However, three people familiar with the plans said the terminations are expected to occur in waves. The documents describe the reductions as an "exercise" and state that they are "pre-decisional in nature," saying no personnel actions were being directed or implemented. However, two officials familiar with the process said the tables reflect targets set by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Internal emails refer to the spreadsheets as "planning documents" and show what one person familiar with them described as "deliberate" discussions about workforce reductions. The emails ask senior leadership to review staffing levels and ensure retained positions are "absolutely necessary." Noem has long supported reducing FEMA staffing, according to two former senior officials, and previous reports indicated that she has recommended cutting the agency’s workforce by about half.

New York Times [1/6/2026 10:20 PM, Scott Dance, 153395K] reports Federal Emergency Management Agency supervisors are advising their staff to prepare for the elimination of 1,000 jobs this month as part of changes that Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, is overseeing at the agency, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions. The dismissals would apply to contractual FEMA staff whose assignments, which typically last for two or four years, expire this month. The workers, known as FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees, or CORE, help facilitate disaster recovery and emergency preparedness in communities across the country and have historically made up nearly 40 percent of the agency’s work force. Three FEMA employees, including senior officials and supervisors, all of whom requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the news media, confirmed the dismissals. A spokesman for FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Federal News Network [1/6/2026 6:09 PM, Justin Doubleday, 986K] reports the Secret Service is aiming to hire 4,000 staff through 2028, but it faces stiff competition, especially from other federal law enforcement agencies. The Secret Service is aiming to boost its ranks by thousands of officers over the next two years, part of a still swelling recruiting push across federal law enforcement agencies. The Secret Service is aiming to hire 4,000 new employees by 2028, an agency spokesman confirmed. That would bring the Secret Service’s ranks to 6,800 law enforcement personnel and 10,000 total employees. The Secret Service currently employs about 8,300 staff, according to agency budget figures. That includes 3,200 special agents and 1,300 uniformed division officers, per the Secret Service website. "Last year, the agency launched a dynamic recruitment strategy aimed at both reducing inefficiencies in the hiring process and increasing the visibility of agency jobs to audiences with the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the mission," the Secret Service spokesman said. "We are focusing on targeting our recruitment efforts to individuals with a demonstrated track record of excellence, teamwork and trustworthiness — this includes former military, law enforcement, and top university graduates.” The agency is also aiming to retain retirement-eligible agents, the spokesman added. Group retention incentives are being offered to special agents, uniformed division officers, cybersecurity professionals and specialty teams. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security this week announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has already hired more than 12,000 officers and agents over the last 11 months. The recruiting drive, backed by billions in funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, has spiked ICE ranks from 10,000 to 22,000 law enforcement personnel, DHS said. Though the Trump administration’s original goal was to hire roughly 10,000 new ICE agents, DHS said this week that ICE is continuing to accept job applications.

The AP [1/6/2026 6:03 PM, Julie Carr Smyth, 31753K] reports an individual accused of vandalizing the Ohio home of Vice President JD Vance in the dark of night and causing other property damage was behind bars Tuesday, awaiting action in separate state and federal cases. William D. DeFoor, 26, appeared in two different courtrooms after being detained early Monday by Secret Service agents assigned to Vance’s Cincinnati home in the upscale East Walnut Hills neighborhood east of downtown. The vice president and his family were not home. According to an affidavit filed in federal court, the Secret Service saw someone run along the front fence of Vance’s residence and breach the property line around midnight. The person later identified as DeFoor was armed with a hammer and tried to break out the window of an unmarked Secret Service vehicle on the way up the driveway before moving toward the front of the home and breaking its glass windows, the affidavit says. Fourteen historic window panes were broken and damage was done to security enhancements around the windows valued at $28,000, according to the filing. A judge set bonds totaling $11,000 on state charges of vandalism, criminal trespass, criminal damaging and obstruction of official business that were brought in Hamilton County court. There, DeFoor was previously deemed incompetent to face trial on a 2023 criminal trespassing charge and referred for treatment after a 2024 vandalism charge. A grand jury hearing was scheduled for Jan. 15. A hearing in the federal case to determine whether DeFoor can be released on bond from the Hamilton County jail was set for Friday in federal District Court in Cincinnati. NBC News [1/6/2026 3:44 PM, Will Ujek, Ava Kelley, Selina Guevara, and David K. Li, 34509K] reports William D. DeFoor, 26, faces federal and local charges stemming from the vandalism that unfolded at about 12:15 a.m. on Monday in Ohio, while Vance and his wife were in Washington, D.C. DeFoor made his first appearance on local charges on Tuesday and Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Janaya Trotter Bratton set his bond at $11,000. Hours later, he appeared in federal court and was ordered to remain in custody until a detention hearing on Friday. The suspect’s mother, Catherine DeFoor, said her son was a straight -A student who plays multiple instruments. "Mental illness is a terrible thing," she said in a statement to reporters outside federal court. "It is a struggle which can take over the life of a beautiful person and the people who love and support them. Unfortunately for our child, it has taken over his life in a way that we can never have imagined." Defense attorney Paul Laufman insisted his client’s actions were not politically motivated, saying Monday’s attack “had nothing to do with the specifics of the vice president.” DeFoor writes “peaceful” poetry, according to Laufman, who added: “I just don’t think there’s anything political going on. This is purely a mental health issue.”

FOX News [1/6/2026 7:41 AM, Stephen Sorace and Greg Wehner, 40621K] reports the 26-year-old man arrested in connection with the vandalism at Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home on Monday morning demanded that authorities call him "Julia," according to federal sources, as his prior run-ins with the law highlight questions surrounding his mental competency. William DeFoor was identified as the suspect, and jail records show he was booked Monday on charges of vandalism, obstruction of official business, criminal damaging or endangering and criminal trespass. When DeFoor was arrested, he demanded to be called "Julia," FBI sources told Fox News. Court records show DeFoor has faced multiple criminal cases in Hamilton County in recent years, with each proceeding intersecting with findings related to his mental competency. In his latest arrest, Defoor is accused of causing property damage, including breaking windows on the exterior of a personal residence belonging to Vance, the Secret Service said. After the Secret Service detained him, DeFoor was taken into custody by the Cincinnati Police Department.

FOX News [1/6/2026 2:04 PM, Stephen Sorace, 40621K] reports that the suspect charged with vandalizing the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance was not politically motivated, according to his defense attorney. During a court appearance on Tuesday, defense attorney Paul Laufman insisted the actions of 26-year-old William DeFoor "had nothing to do with the specifics of the vice president," and were instead related to mental health. "I just don’t think there’s anything political going on. This is purely a mental health issue," Laufman said, describing DeFoor as someone who writes "peaceful" poetry. A judge set DeFoor’s bond at $11,000 for four non-federal charges of vandalism, criminal trespass, criminal damaging or endangering and obstructing official business. DeFoor was set to appear in federal court later Tuesday on federal charges of damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers. DeFoor is accused of running along the front fence of Vance’s protected residence before breaching the property line at the driveway, according to an affidavit filed Monday. DeFoor allegedly tried to run away before Secret Service agents and Cincinnati police officers detained him.

The Wall Street Journal [1/6/2025 7:29 PM, Shelby Holliday, Costas Paris, and Georgi Kantchev, 646K] reports Russia has sent a submarine and other naval assets to escort an empty, rusting oil tanker that has become a new flashpoint in U.S.-Russia relations, according to a U.S. official. The tanker, formerly known as the Bella 1, has been trying to evade the U.S. blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela for more than two weeks. The vessel failed to dock in Venezuela and load with oil. Although the ship is empty, the U.S. Coast Guard has pursued it into the Atlantic in a bid to crack down on a fleet of tankers that ferry illicit oil around the world, including black-market oil sold by Russia. The vessel’s crew repelled an effort by the U.S. to board the vessel in December and steamed into the Atlantic. As the Coast Guard followed it, the crew sloppily painted a Russian flag on its side, changed its name to the Marinera and switched its registration to Russia. Russia has been concerned by U.S. seizures of tankers that ferry its illicit oil around the world and power its economy, and it has made the unusual move of allowing the tanker to register in Russia without an inspection or other formalities, experts say. Russia has asked the U.S. to stop pursuing the vessel, according to three other U.S. officials. On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it was monitoring “with concern” the situation surrounding the tanker, according to state news agency RIA. The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment, but the U.S. military’s Southern Command said on social media Tuesday that it was ready to “stand against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region.” The Coast Guard has continued to trail the ship into the Eastern Atlantic, where it is now sailing about 300 miles south of Iceland toward the North Sea, according to AIS positioning. Russia’s state-controlled foreign media outlet RT posted a video apparently taken from the deck of the oil tanker showing the U.S. Coast Guard cutter trailing the vessel. In a separate post on social media, the outlet said the U.S. was attempting to intercept the tanker, bound for Murmansk, Russia, despite its “clear civilian status.” The New York Times [1/7/2026 12:15 AM, Adam Sella, Nicholas Nehamas and Christiaan Triebert, 135475K] reports that the ship, which started its journey in Iran, had been on its way to pick up oil in Venezuela. At the time, the United States said it had a seizure warrant on the vessel because it was not flying a valid national flag. But the Bella 1 refused to be boarded and sailed into the Atlantic, with the United States in pursuit. Then came a series of moves to ward off the United States. The fleeing crew painted a Russian flag on the hull, the tanker was renamed and added to an official Russian ship database, and Russia made a formal diplomatic request that the United States stop its chase. But none of those actions appear to have worked. On Tuesday, a video filmed from the vessel’s bridge and published by the Russian state-owned broadcaster RT showed the ship’s being trailed by a U.S. Coast Guard vessel in foggy weather. New York Times was not able to determine when the video was recorded. The tanker is part of a so-called shadow fleet that has transported oil for Russia, Iran and Venezuela in violation of sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries. The United States has borne down on them since President Trump ordered a “complete blockade” on oil tankers under sanctions going to and from Venezuela. The tankers appear to be an increasing point of friction between the United States and Russia, amid strains created by the U.S. attack on Venezuela, a longtime ally of Russia’s. FOX News [1/6/2026 8:32 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports that U.S. forces have pursued the vessel since December, as Washington intensified enforcement against Venezuelan oil shipments. Intelligence sources said Venezuela had considered placing military personnel aboard oil tankers disguised as civilians to help vessels evade U.S. blockades and that U.S. forces are likely preparing to intercept the tanker. The pursuit of the vessel follows strikes in Venezuela under the Trump administration and the Jan. 3 capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro appeared in a New York court on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges and said he was a "prisoner of war.” On Jan. 1, Russia had formally asked the U.S. to stop its pursuit of the vessel, according to Reuters. Citing two people familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that Moscow made the diplomatic request as U.S. forces continued tracking the vessel for nearly two weeks in the Atlantic. The request came as Trump simultaneously sought to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters added. TankerTrackers.com alleges the vessel previously transported millions of barrels of Iranian and Venezuelan crude to China between 2021 and 2025. "Bella 1, now known as Marinera, is not alone," Windward said.

AP [1/6/2026 5:41 PM, Staff, 31753K] reports after a dead whale was found on the bow of a container ship docked in New Jersey, authorities were working Tuesday to remove the carcass and determine the endangered animal’s cause of death. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center, a New Jersey-based animal rescue service, said in a social media post that the whale was reported Sunday by the U.S. Coast Guard at the Gloucester Marine Terminal. The port is at the base of the Walt Whitman Bridge linking New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The center said in a follow-up post Tuesday that it was working to tow the carcass away in order to conduct a necropsy and determine how the whale died. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday confirmed its enforcement office has opened an investigation into the death but declined to comment further. It said anyone with information about the dead whale should call the agency’s hotline.

Reported similarly:
USA Today [1/7/2026 1:19 AM, Thao Nguyen, 67103K]

AP [1/6/2026 6:54 PM, Mark Thiessen, 31753K] reports nine crew members were hoisted to a helicopter off a commercial crab boat amid near gale force winds, strong downward drafts from a nearby cliff and rough seas after the fishing vessel grounded on an Alaska island in the Bering Sea. The Coast Guard said there were no injuries to the crew members of the Arctic Sea, a 134-foot (41-meter) boat owned by the Coastal Villages Region Fund and fishing for tanner crab. The ship grounded Monday on the northern shore of Saint George Island, the southernmost of the small Pribilofs islands group with fewer than 100 residents, predominantly Aleuts. The group of islands is located about 750 miles (1,207 kilometers) west of Anchorage. "I’m on the fog, I’m on the beach, we lost our steering," someone from the Arctic Sea reports to the Coast Guard when calling in a mayday, according to audio provided by the Coast Guard. "We’re taking on water.” The vessel came to a stop near a cliff face that rose hundreds of feet above the water, Lt. Cmdr. Conor Regan and Lt. Cmd. Josh Womboldt, the pilots of the rescue helicopter, said in a joint statement to The Associated Press. The pilots positioned the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter about 50 feet (15 meters) above the Arctic Sea and hovered in the rough conditions to conduct the rescue. "Due to how strong the winds were, we made sure to consider downdrafts coming off the cliffs and severe turbulence when hoisting the crewmembers from the Arctic Sea," Regan said in an email to AP. "The aircrew also conducted the hoists of all nine crewmembers and the rescue swimmer in about 25 minutes, a testament to the skill and professionalism of the aircrew," Regan said.

Nextgov [1/6/2026 3:56 PM, Alexandra Kelley and David DiMolfetta] reports various groups are keeping their eyes peeled for hacking and information warfare efforts launched in response to an unprecedented U.S. operation conducted over the weekend that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and brought him to New York to face criminal charges. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is continuing to monitor the cyber landscape in the raid’s aftermath. In a written statement, CISA acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala did not acknowledge any disinformation tracking, but said that the recent events in Venezuela demand “heightened vigilance” across sectors. The Maduro capture has raised concerns that foreign adversaries aligned with Venezuela, like China or Russia, may launch retaliatory cyberattacks on U.S. soil in response to the operation. “While CISA has not identified a specific threat at this time, we remain steadfast in monitoring for any indicators of malicious activity and are working shoulder-to-shoulder with our government and industry partners to defend against today’s risks and strengthen resilience for the future,” Gottumukkala said. CISA has removed employees doing much of its work tracking false information online, amid a broader effort launched under Trump 2.0 to rework the agency after GOP accusations that the cyber agency had used its counter-disinformation resources to censor Americans’ free speech.

CNN [1/6/2026 6:23 PM, Danya Gainor, 18595K] reports the suspect in last month’s mass shooting at Brown University and subsequent killing of an MIT professor admitted to the attacks in a series of short videos authorities recovered from an electronic device, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said Tuesday. The office released transcripts of the four videos taken after the deadly December shootings by suspect Claudio Neves Valente, translated from Portuguese to English. Valente did not offer a motive – or apologies – for the attacks in the videos. The federal investigation into Valente’s motives will continue, the US attorney’s office said. Two students — Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov — died in the attack at Brown, while Nuno F.G. Loureiro, an MIT professor, was fatally shot at his home near Boston. In one video, Valente said he didn’t care about being famous or leaving a legacy in the wake of the shooting, and "even though I would have a lot to say and write," he lacked the patience for a manifesto. Valente said he had been planning the attack for more than six semesters and had "plenty of opportunities" to carry out the shooting earlier, but "always chickened out." In the more than 11 minutes Valente spoke, he offered vague misgivings about unnamed people, addressed how he was portrayed in the media in the days after the shooting and detailed what he saw in the Brown auditorium that he attacked. Valente said he had no regret in the attacks, only that they resulted in a serious eye injury after he was struck by a shell round.

ABC News [1/6/2026 5:00 PM, Aaron Katersky and Josh Margolin, 30493K] reports Claudio Valente killed three people and wounded nine others, officials said. A lengthy grudge was at the heart of the deadly mass shooting at Brown University and subsequent murder of an MIT nuclear physics professor, law enforcement sources told ABC News. According to the sources, the alleged killer, Claudio Valente, recorded a video in his native Portuguese explaining his motive for opening fire on a study group at Brown’s engineering and physics building on Dec. 13, killing two students and injuring nine others, before fatally shooting MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts. On the video, Valente, a former Brown graduate student, said he was planning the shooting for a long time, according to sources. The violence stunned the nation and launched a six-day manhunt across New England just before Christmas. Valente died by suicide before investigators found his body in a New Hampshire storage facility. Federal agents spent the holidays poring over electronic devices found with the body and in an adjacent storage unit. The sources said there are additional devices to access and additional information to be learned about the twin shootings that cast a pall over two of the nation’s elite universities.

FOX News [1/7/2026 3:50 AM, Landon Mion, 40621K] reports a New York City man with a criminal history that includes sexual assault was indicted after prosecutors say he posted explicit threats online to kills Jews, members of the New York City Police Department and federal officials. Nathan White, 54, was arraigned on Monday in Queens Supreme Court on charges of making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, making a terroristic threat and aggravated harassment in the second degree, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Prosecutors say the charges stem from a series of threatening posts White made on his X account in November. "Imma kill ALL you FILTHY Zionist!!! I CURSE ALL of YOU, and DEATH will come to YOU soon by ME MF!!!" White said in one post. In another post, White bragged that he attacked an Israeli on a subway in New York City. White was arrested by the NYPD on Nov. 10, according to Katz. White was homeless and living in a men’s shelter when he was taken into custody, the New York Post reported. "As alleged, the defendant used his social media accounts to issue explicit threats targeting Jewish and Israeli New Yorkers, in addition to members of the NYPD and federal law enforcement," Katz said in a statement. "At a time when antisemitic vitriol is rising at an alarming rate, we know that words of hate often escalate into real-world violence. This defendant has now been indicted on felony hate crime charges and I thank our law enforcement partners in the NYPD for their work on this case," the district attorney added.

Daily Caller [1/6/2026 6:01 PM, Ashley Brasfield, 835K] reports Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie called on the judge overseeing the January 6 pipe bomb case to release the alleged perpetrator Tuesday. Massie called for Brian Cole Jr.’s release, arguing the evidence against him was weak, he had no prior criminal record and he posed no threat to public safety. The congressman also alleged U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) "botched the legal work" in the case. The DOJ announced on Dec. 4 that Cole was arrested on charges of transporting an explosive device and attempting a malicious destruction using explosives. He allegedly began buying bomb-making materials in 2019 and 2020. He told investigators he "just snapped" and wanted to punish both major political parties, according to a Dec. 28 court filing. He also allegedly claimed to be inspired by The Troubles, the decades-long ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland. Prosecutors charged Cole in an unsealed federal complaint with transporting and planting two improvised explosive devices outside the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in Washington on Jan. 5, 2021, the eve of the Capitol riot, according to the DOJ.

AP [1/7/2026 12:21 AM, Valerie Gonzalez and Jim Vertuno, 19051K] reports families whose loved ones died in the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school massacre sobbed in court while listening to frantic 911 calls during the first day of testimony in the trial of a police officer accused of failing to protect the children by not doing enough to stop the attack. A prosecutor told jurors Tuesday that former school officer Adrian Gonzales arrived outside the school just before the teenage gunman went inside but didn’t make a move to stop him even when a teacher pointed to where he was firing in a parking lot. The officer went into Robb Elementary only "after the damage had been done," special prosecutor Bill Turner said during opening statements. The judge overseeing the case and attorneys warned jurors that the testimony and images will be emotional and difficult to process. Among those expected to testify will be some of the victims’ families. Tissue boxes were brought to the families as the testimony began. Some shook their heads as they listened to audio from the first calls for help. Their cries grew louder as the horror unfolded on the recordings. Defense attorneys disputed that Gonzales — one of two officers charged in the 2022 attack — did nothing, saying he radioed for more help and evacuated children as other police arrived. "The government makes it want to seem like he just sat there," said defense attorney Nico LaHood. "He did what he could, with what he knew at the time.” Prosecutors focused sharply on Gonzales’ steps in the minutes after the shooting began and as the first officers arrived. They did not address the hundreds of other local, state and federal officers who arrived and waited more than an hour to confront the gunman, who was eventually killed by a tactical team of officers. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty to child abandonment or endangerment and could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison if convicted. Witness testimony will resume Thursday morning. Defense attorneys said Tuesday that Gonzales was focused on assessing where the gunman was while also thinking he was being fired on without protection against a high-powered rifle. "This isn’t a man waiting around. This isn’t a man failing to act," defense attorney Jason Goss said.

NPR [1/6/2026 5:07 PM, Camille Phillips, 28013K] Audio: HERE reports a former Uvalde, Texas, police officer goes to trial for his response in the 2022 school shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead. He faces 29 charges of child endangerment.

Reuters [1/6/2026 1:42 PM, Brad Brooks, 36480K] reports the trial of one of the first police officers on the scene of the 2022 attack at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 students and two teachers opened on Tuesday, with prosecutors accusing him of criminally failing to try to stop the slaughter, while the defense said the officer did the best he could at the chaotic and confusing scene. Former Uvalde school district police officer Adrian Gonzales, 52, was one of 376 officers from local, state and federal agencies who responded to the shooting and have since come under sharp criticism for waiting 77 minutes before entering a Robb Elementary classroom where the gunman was holed up. Teachers and children made lengthy calls to 911 emergency services, saying they were in the room with the gunman and surrounded by bodies. Gonzales, who had spent a decade as a Uvalde city police officer before joining the school district’s force about a year before the shooting, was charged in 2024 with 29 counts of child endangerment, according to his indictment, which said that he "failed to engage, distract, and delay the shooter" and that he also failed "to follow his active shooter training to respond to gun fire by advancing toward the gun fire." Each count carries the possibility of two years in prison. Gonzales pleaded not guilty on Tuesday before opening statements began in the courtroom in Corpus Christi, Texas, where the trial was moved after the defense successfully argued he could not get a fair trial in Uvalde.

ABC News [1/6/2026 10:59 PM, Peter Charalambous, Jim Scholz, Josh Margolin, and Jenny Wagnon Courts, 30493K] reports defense attorneys in the trial of a police officer accused of endangering children in the May 2022 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, say a key witness’ testimony about the shooting changed -- and prosecutors never told them. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the rampage at Robb Elementary School. Former Uvalde school police officer Adrian Gonzales is being tried on 29 counts of child endangerment. He could spend the rest of his life in prison, if convicted on all counts. He has pleaded not guilty. Late Tuesday, after a witness acknowledged that her recounting of the shooting changed over time, defense lawyers accused prosecutors of ambushing them by failing to disclose a significant change in the testimony of a key witness. In testimony earlier Tuesday on the first day of Gonzales’ trial, former Uvalde elementary school teacher Stephanie Hale initially told jurors that she saw the shooter on the south side of the Robb Elementary School on the day of the shooting and remembered she and her students being shot at. In emotional testimony, Hale -- formerly a third-grade teacher at the school-- said her students ran from the playground to the school building to find shelter. "As we were all running into the classroom, I saw the -- I don’t know if you call him -- horrible person walking," she testified, saying she identified the gunshots based on dust kicked up. However, prosecutors soon acknowledged that, in an interview with state investigators four days after the shooting, Hale didn’t mention seeing the shooter or being shot at. "You would agree with me in listening to the totality of your interview four days after that, you never tell the (investigator) that you saw anybody that was dressed in black with long hair and a fire and a gun?" a defense lawyer asked. "Correct," she said. "You agree that you never told him that you saw dirt flying up on the playground ... You felt like you were being shot at, which was your opinion?" Hale was asked. "Correct," she said. According to defense attorney Jason Goss, prosecutors did not provide the required notice that Hale’s account had changed from when she spoke to investigators years later. "If she did report these things to the prosecution, we were entitled to that to prepare for this. And this is a trial by ambush," Goss said. In a rarely seen move, Judge Sid Harle allowed Goss to cross-examine Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell and one of her investigators about the change in testimony. "Neither the prosecutor nor anyone in the room thought to ask her, where did you see the shooter? That wasn’t a question that came up in anybody’s mind to ask her where the shooter was?" Goss asked. "You know, you’re getting very nitpicky. Let me tell you something. When we were prepping these witnesses, I was running a law office," Mitchell responded. "I was in and out of interviews, so I can’t say that ... I, like, ‘Oh my God,’ you know it wasn’t that type of reaction for me." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

CNN [1/6/2026 12:50 PM, Shimon Prokupecz,, Matthew J. Friedman and Rachel Clarke, 606K] reports the trial of former school police officer Adrian Gonzales began Tuesday with emotional opening statements from the prosecution and defense about the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas. Gonzales is accused of failing to protect children before the shooter got into the school and massacred 19 children and two teachers. His lawyers say the only person responsible for the worst school shooting since Sandy Hook is the gunman himself, who was killed by Border Patrol officers. Special prosecutor Bill Turner said May 24, 2022, started as a "day of celebration" for the fourth-graders receiving their end-of-year certificates of achievement, before the gunman walked onto their campus. He described how – after shots were fired outside and Gonzales became the first officer to arrive – a coach, Melodye Flores, told Gonzales where to go, and repeated that the danger was evident. "His shots are ringing out," Turner said of the gunman. "This is not confusion.” "He knows where (the shooter) is, but Adrian Gonzales remains at the south side of the school. The gunman makes his way up the west side of the west building where the fourth-graders are.” While still outside, the gunman "fired shots into a classroom full of children, (room) 102. Adrian Gonzales remains. He moves down to classroom 104, fires shots into the classroom of 104. Adrian Gonzales remains," Turner said, at times choking up. "(The gunman) then hurries to the west door and enters. It’s been a minute, and there’s a break in the shooting, and Adrian Gonzales remains.” Gonzales reported on his police radio he thought the shooter had made it into the building, the prosecutor said. "This isn’t confusion. Adrian Gonzales remains," he said. Gonzales, now 52, has pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of child endangerment or abandonment. Defense lawyer Jason Goss acknowledged the emotions of the prosecutor. "I could understand why he had emotion. I can’t talk to you without it either," he told the jury. "This is one of the worst things, one of the worst things that ever happened in this country," he went on. "It’s awful, but Adrian Gonzales did the best he could with what he knew at the time.”

Washington Times [1/6/2026 10:49 AM, John T. Seward, 852K] reports that U.S. military spending on small drones has quadrupled since the war in Ukraine demonstrated the devastating capabilities of these remote systems, and data shows that the money is being spent among dozens of American companies amid Pentagon plans to enable troops to build and 3D-print their own drones. The spending is slated to increase this year. The defense authorization recently passed by Congress earmarked some $1.7 billion for small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), a significant jump from the $398 million spent in 2022, when the Russia-Ukraine war began. Obviant, a Virginia-based firm that uses artificial intelligence to track military spending across various areas, shared data analytics with Threat Status at The Washington Times. The data shows that the vast majority of the sUAS funding is being spent on contracts under Army programs. The Times and Obviant collaborated to examine how U.S. companies have scrambled to compete for a total of $4.7 billion that the Pentagon has spent on sUAS since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine and the world took notice of small drones’ drastic change in warfare. Ukrainian forces have shown that a solitary soldier can carry and launch small drones with dramatic effect, often using off-the-shelf commercial drones strapped with improvised explosive devices to exact damage on Russian front-line positions.

NPR [1/6/2026 5:00 AM, Tom Bowman, 28013K] reports the Pentagon is mounting a six-month review of women in ground combat jobs, to ensure what it calls the military "effectiveness" of having several thousand female soldiers and Marines in infantry, armor and artillery, according to a memo obtained by NPR. Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel Anthony Tata wrote in a memo last month that the effort is to determine the "operational effectiveness of ground combat units 10 years after the Department lifted all remaining restrictions on women serving in combat roles." Tata requested Army and Marine leaders to provide data on the readiness, training, performance, casualties and command climate of ground combat units and personnel. The services are to provide points of contact no later than January 15th to the Institute for Defense Analyses, a non-profit corporation that assists the government on national security issues. The memo says the data should include "all available metrics describing that individual’s readiness and ability to deploy (including physical, medical, and other measures of ability to deploy.)" Moreover, the seven-page memo calls for any internal research and studies — not publicly available — on "the integration of women in combat."

Wall Street Journal [1/6/2026 4:51 PM, Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman, and Dustin Volz, 646K] reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that recent administration threats against Greenland didn’t signal an imminent invasion and that the goal is to buy the island from Denmark, according to people familiar with the discussions. Rubio’s statements, which were made Monday during a closed briefing, come as the White House has been offering increasingly belligerent statements about controlling the island. President Trump and senior administration officials have publicly declined to rule out seizing the territory by force. “President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in chief’s disposal.” The State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. NATO members have said an American attack on Greenland, a self-governing island that is part of Denmark, would effectively spell the end of the decadeslong political-military alliance. t is unclear if Rubio sought to assuage lawmakers’ concerns, but the Trump administration has long signaled it sought to persuade Denmark to hand over control of Greenland, the world’s largest island. U.S. and European officials say they have seen no signs of the White House preparing a military invasion of Greenland. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), a staunch Trump congressional ally, said what the administration is doing about Greenland “is all about negotiations.” “We need to have the legal control and the legal protections to justify building the place up and putting our people on the ground,” he said. Polling shows that most Greenlanders are opposed to becoming a part of the U.S.

AP [1/6/2026 8:35 AM, Danica Kirka, 852K] reports location, location, location: Greenland’s position above the Arctic Circle makes the world’s largest island a key part of security strategy. But for whom? Increasing international tensions, global warming and the changing world economy have put Greenland at the heart of the debate over global trade and security, and U.S. President Donald Trump wants to make sure his country controls this mineral-rich island that guards the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America. Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally that has rejected Trump’s overtures. Greenland’s own government also opposes U.S. designs on the island, saying the people of Greenland will decide their own future.

Reported similarly:
Bloomberg [1/6/2026 10:18 AM, Staff, 18207K]

Politico [1/6/2026 7:39 PM, Meredith Lee Hill, 2100K] reports Speaker Mike Johnson Tuesday evening swatted down the idea of any U.S. military action to take over Greenland, just after the White House said President Donald Trump wanted to acquire the territory and would not take military action off the table. “No, I don’t think that’s appropriate,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday evening. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Tuesday that “utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal.” The speaker, who said he hadn’t seen the statement, appeared to not believe the White House would make such a comment. Johnson did say he believed “Greenland is viewed by a lot of people as something that would be a strategic positioning for the U.S.” Johnson said the issue didn’t come up in conversations with Trump earlier Tuesday at the House GOP retreat.

Daily Caller [1/6/2026 6:37 PM, Mariane Angela, 835K] reports the White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump and his senior advisers are actively weighing options to acquire Greenland, with the potential use of the U.S. military remaining on the table as part of that effort. In a statement responding to questions from Reuters, the White House framed Greenland as a national security priority, saying that American control or alignment with the Arctic territory would help counter growing activity by Russia and China in the region. Officials said the president views Arctic dominance as central to U.S. defense strategy. "The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal," the White House said, as reported by Reuters. A senior U.S. official confirmed that discussions inside the Oval Office have intensified in recent days, with advisers reviewing multiple pathways for bringing Greenland into closer alignment with Washington. Those talks have continued despite vocal objections from Greenland’s leaders, who have repeatedly rejected any move to join the United States. Expressions of support for Greenland from NATO leaders have not slowed the administration’s push, according to the official, per Reuters. "It’s not going away," the official said of Trump’s effort to secure Greenland during his remaining three years in office. "President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to The Hill.

USA Today [1/6/2026 1:07 PM, Kathryn Palmer, 67103K] reports one of President Donald Trump’s closest aides, Stephen Miller, questioned Denmark’s claim on Greenland and suggested the U.S. could seize it without pushback, stoking concern among European allies. Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper, Miller sidestepped questions of whether the U.S. will use military force to take Greenland, a territory of Denmark, and said the president has been "clear for months" that the U.S. should have it. "Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland," Miller said in the Jan. 5 interview. Miller also questioned Denmark’s control over the resource-rich territory. "It wouldn’t be military action against Greenland. Greenland has a population of 30,000 people, Jake," Miller said. "The real question is, by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland?".

Wall Street Journal [1/6/2026 10:27 AM, Marcus Walker and Matthew Dalton, 646K] reports President Trump’s embrace of military interventionism in Latin America has led to the diplomatic equivalent of embarrassed coughing from the U.S.’s allies in Europe. But his renewed designs on the Danish territory of Greenland are causing growing alarm. Since Saturday’s U.S. military raid on Caracas that captured Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, Trump has threatened to use force elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere and redoubled his demand for a U.S. takeover of Greenland. Denmark has urged the U.S. to stop threatening the territory of a historically and warned that any U.S. military operation to seize Greenland would spell the end of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Major European NATO members rallied to Denmark’s side, calling on the U.S. to choose cooperation, not coercion, in a joint statement on Tuesday. The past few days have renewed fears in Europe that the Western alliance is fracturing. Trump’s growing taste for big-stick diplomacy in the Americas is adding to fears among traditional allies that the U.S. is actively dismantling the post-World War II international order, based on principles such as protecting the sovereignty of states and limiting the use of military force. In its place, allies fear, is a division of the world into great-power spheres of influence, with the U.S., China and Russia becoming regional hegemons while curtailing the sovereignty of smaller countries.

FOX News [1/6/2026 1:12 PM, Anders Hagstrom, 40621K] reports that Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., introduced legislation aimed at blocking President Donald Trump from invading Greenland on Tuesday. Gallego announced the legislative push on X, saying Congress must stop Trump "before he invades another country on a whim." The bill is one of several Democrat-backed efforts seeking to stop Trump from taking military action against other countries following the capture of now former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. "Families are getting crushed by rising grocery and housing costs, inflation is up, and Trump’s name is all over the Epstein files. Instead of doing anything to fix those problems, Trump is trying to distract people by threatening to start wars and invade countries – first in Venezuela, and now against our NATO ally Denmark," Gallego said in a statement. "What’s happening in Venezuela shows us that we can’t just ignore Trump’s reckless threats. His dangerous behavior puts American lives and our global credibility at risk. I’m introducing this amendment to make it clear that Congress will not bankroll illegal, unnecessary military action, and to force Republicans to choose whether they’re going to finally stand up or keep enabling Trump’s chaos," he added. President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One over the weekend that the U.S. needs Greenland, a Danish territory, for "national security.”

CBS Chicago [1/6/2026 11:54 AM, Haley Ott, 39474K] reports European leaders released a joint statement Tuesday, outlining the importance of Arctic security, but stressing that "Greenland belongs to its people," hours after White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller said it was "the formal position of the U.S. government... that Greenland should be part of the United States." Miller also said, in an interview Monday with CNN, that "the United States is the power of NATO. For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the United States." Greenland has been a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, and has been tied the small European nation for 300 years, though it has its own elected government. The largest island in the world, it is located to the northeast of Canada and is about the size of Sweden. It is largely covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet and is home to only around 60,000 people. Its location between the U.S., Russia and Europe makes it strategic for both economic and defense purposes — especially as melting sea ice has opened up new shipping routes through the Arctic. It is also the location of the northernmost U.S. military base. "NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up. We and many other Allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries," the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the U.K. and Greenland said in their joint statement on Tuesday. "Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them. The United States is an essential partner in this endeavor, as a NATO ally and through the defense agreement between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States of 1951," the U.S. allies said. "Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland."

New York Times [1/6/2026 10:02 AM, Catherine Porter, 135475K] reports European leaders began meeting on Tuesday in Paris for the latest round of talks on peace for Ukraine, focusing on security commitments for the country in a potential cease-fire with Russia. National leaders and representatives of more than 30 countries gathered at the Élysée Palace for the meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing to also discuss how a potential cease-fire would be monitored, and what steps they would commit to take if Russia breached it. Among the attendees were President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The French hosts took their presence as a sign of an American commitment to a Ukraine security plan, after a tumultuous year in which Mr. Trump proved fickle and at times even hostile to Europe and Ukraine. The presence of Trump administration advisers is complicated somewhat by the U.S. military raid on Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the country’s former authoritarian leader. Ukrainians have been divided about whether to celebrate his apprehension because he is an ally of Russia or to condemn the military intervention. Mr. Trump’s subsequent threat to seize the semiautonomous Danish territory of Greenland, made on Air Force One and then reinforced by a top aide, similarly risked overshadowing the meeting. “It has stirred very strong emotions across Europe,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland said Tuesday, according to the state-owned Polish Press Agency, before making his way to Paris from Warsaw. He added, “NATO would lose its meaning.” As for Ukraine, any cease-fire appears remote for now because Russia is not involved in the negotiations. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has expressed more skepticism about the peace talks in recent days. “I understand that we are very close to results, but at some point, Russia may block everything,” he has said. Tuesday’s meeting comes 11 months after President Emmanuel Macron of France hastily organized European leaders in response to Mr. Trump’s signals that he could withdraw American support for Ukraine while engaging with Russia, leaving Europeans — who view the war on their continent as an existential threat — on the sidelines.

FOX News [1/6/2026 9:57 AM, Max Bacall, 40621K] Video: HERE reports negotiations over security guarantees for Ukraine may be nearing a breakthrough. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said allied nations are close to locking in a framework that would pave the way for a peace deal with Russia during an appearance on "Fox & Friends First" as talks begin in Paris. "What we should expect is really a finalization of a couple of agreements. One is the Coalition of the Willing, which is about 50 allied countries, many of them in NATO are going to agree to a certain security framework for Ukraine," he said Tuesday. "And so is the United States, both as part of that Coalition of Willing and separately.” This agreement could pave the way for a final peace deal with Russia. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reuters [1/6/2026 1:50 PM, Staff, 36480K] reports that the so-called Coalition of the Willing made fresh progress on a framework for NATO-style security guarantees for Ukraine during a meeting of Kyiv’s allies in Paris, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday. The gathering was meant to finalize as much as possible contributions to future security guarantees to reassure Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, which launched a full scale invasion of its neighbor almost four years ago. The talks, Meloni said in a statement, were constructive and underscored a high degree of alignment among Ukraine, the U.S., Europe and other partners on measures designed to ensure a durable and just peace. "Central to the discussions was the refinement of security commitments inspired by NATO’s Article 5, a model long advocated by Italy, which would be embedded in a broader package of agreements coordinated closely with Washington," the statement released by Meloni’s press office said. The proposed system aims to safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty through strengthened military capabilities and a robust mechanism to monitor any eventual ceasefire, Italy added. According to the statement, the declaration adopted in Paris highlights the voluntary nature of countries’ participation in a future multinational force and the requirement that national constitutional procedures be followed before providing assistance in the event of a renewed attack. No Italian troops will be deployed on Ukrainian soil, Meloni reiterated during the meeting.

New York Times [1/6/2026 2:37, Christina Goldbaum, 153395K] reports Syria and Israel resumed U.S.-mediated talks about reducing tensions along their border, Syria’s state news agency reported, the latest effort to reset relations between the two countries after decades of hostilities. The talks were held in Paris on Tuesday, according to a Western diplomat and French, Israeli and Syrian officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Thomas J. Barrack Jr., the American special envoy to Syria and Lebanon, mediated the discussions, the officials said. The discussions were focused on reviving a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone between the two countries’ forces, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing a Syrian government source. The Syrian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and the country’s intelligence chief, Hussein al-Salama, according to SANA. The news agency said the team was pushing for Israel to withdraw troops from territory that it seized after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.

AP [1/7/2026 12:16 AM, Jon Gambrell, 30493K] reports Iran faces a new round of protests challenging the country’s theocracy, but it seems like the only thing people there want to talk about is half a world away: Venezuela. Since the U.S. military seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a longtime ally of Tehran, over the weekend, Iranian state media headlines and officials have condemned the operation. In the streets and even in some official conversations, however, there’s a growing question over whether a similar mission could target the Islamic Republic’s top officials including the supreme leader, 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The paranoia feeds into wider worries among Iranians. Many fear that close U.S. ally Israel will target Iran again as it did during the 12-day war it launched against Tehran in June. Israel killed a slew of top military officials and nuclear scientists, and the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear enrichment sites. Khamenei is believed to have gone into hiding for his protection. “God bless our leader, we should be careful too,” said Saeed Seyyedi, a 57-year-old teacher in Tehran, worried the U.S. could act as it did in Venezuela. “The U.S. has always been after plots against Iran, especially when issues like oil, Israel are part of the case. In addition, it can be complicated when it is mixed with the Russia-Ukraine war, the Lebanese (group) Hezbollah and drug accusations.” The U.S. long has accused the Iranian-backed Hezbollah of running drug-smuggling operations to fund its operations, including in Latin America, which the group denies. Immediately after Maduro’s seizure, an analyst on Iranian state television claimed, without offering evidence, that the U.S. and Israel had plans during the war last year to kidnap Iranian officials with a team of dual-national Iranians. Even for conspiracy-minded Iranian television, airing such a claim is unusual. Then on Sunday night, the prominent Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Javedan warned an audience at prayers in Tehran University that Khamenei’s life was in danger. “Someone said he had a bad dream that the leader’s life is in danger,” Javedan said, without elaborating. “Please pray.” However, Iran is roughly twice the size of Venezuela and has what analysts consider to be a much stronger military and robust security forces. The memory of Operation Eagle Claw, a failed U.S. special forces mission to rescue hostages held after the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran, also haunts Washington. Then there’s the political situation in Iran, with its theocracy protected by hard-liners within the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, who answer only to Khamenei. They could launch assassinations, cyberattacks and assaults on shipping in the Mideast, warned Farzin Nadimi, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who studies Iran’s military. And crucially, Iran also still has fissile nuclear material. “In the grand-strategy scheme of things, they need to think about the day after,” Nadimi said of anyone considering a Venezuela-style raid. “Iran is a much more complex political situation. They have to calculate the costs and benefits.”

NBC News [1/6/2026 9:55 PM, Babak Dehghanpisheh and Henry Austin, 34509K] reports protesters in Iran defied authorities Tuesday, hitting the streets in the capital, Tehran, and smaller cities to chant anti-government slogans amid an ongoing violent crackdown that one human rights group says has left at least 36 dead. The protests began last week with economic grievances as the Iranian currency, the rial, tanked. They quickly turned political, with demonstrators chanting slogans against the ruling clergy. The rial dropped to a record low of 1.46 million against the dollar Tuesday. If it continues to drop, it is unlikely that the protests will stop anytime soon, analysts say. HRANA, a network of rights activists, noted in a report Tuesday that 36 people have been killed since the demonstrations began 10 days ago — including 34 protesters and two members of the security forces — and more than 2,000 people have been arrested. Dramatic videos posted on social media and verified by NBC News show security forces firing tear gas at Tehran’s main bazaar on Tuesday as protesters scramble for cover into passageways and narrow streets. Gunshots can be heard in some videos, and protesters can also be heard chanting slogans directly against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in the Islamic Republic. Unrest at the Tehran bazaar is particularly unsettling for officials because the shuttering of shops at the ancient marketplace and protests from the merchant class were key elements that led to the overthrow of the monarchy in 1979. President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is seen as a relative moderate, in the past week called for the demands of protesters to be heard and said he was asking the interior minister to meet with the leaders of the protest movement. But the demonstrations are diffuse and largely leaderless, and Pezeshkian’s efforts at mediation — and the killings and arrests by security forces — have not convinced the protesters to stay off the streets. "The system has responded to these protests with a combination of conciliatory rhetoric and brute force," Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, said in a text message response to questions. "The fact that neither has worked indicates that the former falls well short of what the protesters want, and the latter has failed to deter them from expressing it.” Protesters got an unexpected offer of support last week when President Donald Trump warned that the U.S. would intervene if violence against protesters continued, though he did not specify what actions the U.S. might take. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Friday in a post on X that Trump’s threat of intervention makes U.S. bases in the region "legitimate targets.” Analysts say Trump’s message fed into the conspiracy theories of the most hardline elements of the government, who were already on high alert for any foreign interference after a devastating 12-day war with Israel last summer, partly joined by the U.S. military, which left the country reeling. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

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