First lady Melania Trump’s new official portrait revealed
Strike a pose. That’s exactly what first lady Melania Trump is doing in her new official White House portrait that was released Monday afternoon. The first lady is seen in a striking power pose – leaning slightly forward with her hands resting on a table. The black and white portrait was captured by esteemed photographer Régine Mahaux. It was taken on January 21, 2024, in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House, according to the office of the first lady. Trump, a former fashion model, is seen posing in business attire – opting for a dark-colored suit with a crisp white shirt underneath.
Republican state AGs await Trump-brokered TikTok deal, remain skeptical on app safety
President Donald Trump signaled Saturday a deal could be underway soon to “save” TikTok from a looming ban, and Republican state attorneys general – many skeptical of the app’s security – are waiting to see if it comes to fruition. “I have spoken to many people about TikTok and there is great interest in TikTok,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on a flight to Florida, Reuters reported. The reported deal Trump is working on involves partnering with software company Oracle and a group of outside investors to take control of the app’s operations. According to sources familiar with the matter, ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, would maintain a stake in the platform under the proposed deal. However, Oracle would take control of data management and software updates, leveraging its existing role in supporting TikTok’s web infrastructure, two sources told Reuters. ‘NO BETTER DEALMAKER’: TRUMP REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING EXECUTIVE ORDER TO ‘SAVE’ TIKTOK “President Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to save TikTok, and there’s no better dealmaker than Donald Trump,” Trump’s national press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously told Fox News Digital. Several Republican state attorneys general have actively pursued actions to ban TikTok, citing national security concerns and potential data privacy issues. In December 2024, 22 attorneys general, including those from Virginia and Montana, filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the “divest-or-ban” law against TikTok. The law mandates that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, divest its U.S. operations or face a potential ban due to national security concerns. TRUMP’S ‘BLACKLIST’: PRESIDENT-ELECT DESCRIBES THE TYPE OF PEOPLE HE DOESN’T WANT TO HIRE Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also initiated legal action against TikTok earlier this month, alleging “TikTok lied about its safety standards and concealed the truth about the prevalence of inappropriate and explicit material,” according to his office’s news release. Paxton’s lawsuit doesn’t mention the app’s ban. A source close to several Republican state attorneys general told Fox News Digital on Monday that they’re confident if anyone can make a deal to protect the U.S. from the Chinese Communist Party, it’s Trump, but if it poses a threat to national security, then it should be banned. FROM TIKTOK TO TULSI: HOW MIKE PENCE IS TAKING AIM AT TRUMP 2.0 Republicans aren’t the only ones concerned about TikTok. Several Democratic state attorneys general have actively pursued legal actions against the social media app, too. In October 2024, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with 12 other states and the District of Columbia, filed a lawsuit alleging that TikTok exploits and harms young users and deceives the public about the social media platform’s dangers. While Trump tried to ban the app from U.S. access during his first administration, he credited TikTok for reaching young voters during the 2024 presidential campaign. TikTok went dark earlier this month after ByteDance had nine months to sell TikTok to an approved buyer but opted, along with TikTok, to take legal action against the law. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law, citing national security risks because of its ties to China. The app was reinstated for U.S. users the following day, with Trump promising an executive order to extend TikTok’s sale. “Welcome back!” the TikTok message read. “Thank you for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!” Fox News Digital has reached out to TikTok for comment. Fox Business’ Alexandra Koch, Bradford Betz and Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Justice Department fires more than a dozen key officials on former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team
EXCLUSIVE: The Justice Department is firing more than a dozen key officials who worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team prosecuting President Donald Trump, after Acting Attorney General James McHenry said they could not be trusted in “faithfully implementing the president’s agenda,” Fox News Digital has learned. McHenry has transmitted a letter to each official notifying them of their termination, a Justice Department official exclusively told Fox News Digital. TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY ONE It is unclear how many officials received that letter. The names of the individuals were not immediately released. “Today, Acting Attorney General James McHenry terminated the employment of a number of DOJ officials who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump,” a DOJ official told Fox News Digital. “In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda.” This action “is consistent with the mission of ending the weaponization of government,” the official told Fox News Digital. The move comes after the Justice Department reassigned more than a dozen officials in the first week of the Trump administration to a Sanctuary City task force and other measures. DOJ RELEASES FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S REPORT ON INVESTIGATION INTO TRUMP ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE It also comes after Trump vowed to end the weaponization of the federal government. Former Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith, a former Justice Department official, as special counsel in November 2022. Smith, a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief to the DOJ’s public integrity section, led the investigation into Trump’s retention of classified documents after leaving the White House and whether the former president obstructed the federal government’s investigation into the matter. HOUSE WEAPONIZATION PANEL RELEASES 17,000-PAGE REPORT EXPOSING ‘TWO-TIERED SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT’ Smith was also tasked with overseeing the investigation into whether Trump or other officials and entities interfered with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, including the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021. Smith charged Trump in both cases, but Trump pleaded not guilty. The classified records case was dismissed in July 2024 by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Smith charged Trump in the U.S. District Court for Washington D.C. in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request. Both cases were dismissed.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams limits public schedule for ‘routine medical tests’
Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams will have a limited public schedule this week, with his office saying that he will be undergoing medical tests. “Over the last few days, Mayor Adams hasn’t been feeling his best,” New York City Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy said in a statement. Levy did not specify a condition or medical concern. ADAM SAYS NYC IS COORDINATING WITH ICE AS MASS MIGRANT DEPORTATIONS LOOM “As a result, this week, the mayor will have a number of doctors’ appointments and undergo routine medical tests,” Levy continued. “While Mayor Adams will continue to communicate constantly with staff and ensure city business continues undeterred, during this time, the mayor will have a limited public schedule.” Adams’ office said that New Yorker City Hall would continue its everyday functions as Adams focuses on his health this week. NYC MAYOR ADAMS TO ATTEND INAUGURATION AT TRUMP TEAM’S REQUEST “New Yorkers can rest assured that their local government will continue to deliver for them every day as our committed workforce at City Hall, and more than 300,000 employees at dozens of city agencies, continue to show up on the most important issues,” Levy said. “Like every other New Yorker, Mayor Adams has a right to privacy when it comes to personal matters, but we will continue to communicate in the unlikely event he is unable to fully discharge his duties on any particular day.” Adams has cozied up to President Donald Trump this month, visiting West Palm Beach for a lunch meeting and then accepting Trump’s invitation to the Inauguration in Washington. Last week, the Democratic mayor agreed to work with the Trump administration on deporting migrants who commit violent crimes in New York City, earning a nod from President Trump’s own border czar Tom Homan. Adams was indicted in Sept. 2024 for corruption and bribery charges. President Trump said Adams was treated “pretty unfairly” and that he was targeted for his tough stance on illegal immigration. Trump said he would consider a pardon for the New York City mayor.
Large crowds of displaced Palestinians head to northern Gaza
NewsFeed Thousands of displaced Palestinians walked along the main roads leading to northern Gaza, carrying what they can as they return to their homes. Israel opened the roadblocks along the Netzarim Corridor following a deal between Hamas and Israel for the release of six more captives. Published On 27 Jan 202527 Jan 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli air strike kills two Hamas fighters in the occupied West Bank
The attack in Tulkarem comes as Israeli raids on the nearby Jenin area of the occupied West Bank entered a seventh day. An Israeli air strike has killed two Hamas fighters in the city of Tulkarem, the Palestinian group said, underscoring Israel’s renewed focus on the occupied West Bank since the start of the ceasefire deal in Gaza. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said that the two men killed on Monday were members of its armed wing. The Israeli military said that it targeted a man who served as Hamas’s leader in Tulkarem, who it said was behind numerous attacks on Israelis, in addition to another Hamas member. Meanwhile, witnesses in Tulkarem told the Reuters news agency that an Israeli raid was under way in the city. That operation comes as Israeli raids on the nearby Jenin area continued into a seventh day. Backed by armoured vehicles and drones, Israeli forces launched a series of attacks on Jenin – a crowded township to the north of Tulkarem – on January 21 as part of Israel’s “Iron Wall” campaign. Since the start of the operation, at least 16 Palestinians have been killed in Jenin and the surrounding areas, according to Palestinian health authorities. Advertisement Mohammad Jarrar, the mayor of Jenin, said on Sunday that some 15,000 people have been forced to flee the camp due to Israeli attacks. He added that according to initial estimates, the Israeli army has completely demolished between 30 and 40 homes in Jenin, and hundreds of others have been partially damaged. “The Israeli army is bulldozing and destroying streets and infrastructure, creating pathways for its vehicles through the rubble of demolished Palestinian homes,” Jarrar said. Last week, the Israeli military said in a statement that it carried out aerial attacks on “terror infrastructure sites” in Jenin, adding that “numerous explosives planted on the routes” were “dismantled”. Late on Saturday, Israeli forces shot a two-year-old girl during a raid on the village of Ash-Shuhada, just to the south of Jenin, Palestinian officials said. “They started to shoot at us through the windows without any warning,” Reuters quoted Ghada Asous, grandmother of Laila Muhammad al-Khatib, the infant girl, as saying. “All of a sudden, the special forces raided us and were shooting through the windows.” The Israeli military said troops on a “counterterrorism” operation had fired at a structure where suspected militants had barricaded themselves. It was reviewing reports that uninvolved civilians were injured, it said in a statement. The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed at least 838 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
China’s DeepSeek causes rout among AI-linked stocks
Wall Street’s superstars are tumbling as a competitor from China threatens to upend the artificial-intelligence frenzy that has created a spending bonanza. The S&P 500 was down 1.7 percent in midday trading on Monday and heading for its worst day in more than a month. Big Tech stocks took some of the heaviest losses with Nvidia down 14.4 percent, and they dragged the Nasdaq composite down 2.8 percent. Stocks outside AI-related industries held up much better, though, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down just 54 points, or 0.1 percent, as of 11:05 am in New York (16:05 GMT). The Dow, whose companies have much less of an emphasis on tech than the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, had briefly been on track for a small gain earlier in the morning. The shock to financial markets came from China, where a company called DeepSeek said it had developed a large language model that can compete with United States giants at a fraction of the cost. DeepSeek’s app had already hit the top of Apple’s App Store chart by Monday morning, and analysts said such a feat would be particularly impressive given how the US government has restricted Chinese access to top AI chips. Advertisement Marc Andreessen, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, said in a post on X on Sunday that DeepSeek’s R1 model was AI’s “Sputnik moment”, referencing the Soviet Union’s launch of a satellite that marked the start of the space race with the US in the late 1950s. “DeepSeek R1 is one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs I’ve ever seen — and as open source, a profound gift to the world,” he said in a separate post. Scepticism, though, remains about how much DeepSeek’s announcement will ultimately shake the AI supply chain from the chipmakers making semiconductors to the utilities hoping to electrify vast data centres gobbling up computing power. “It remains to be seen if DeepSeek found a way to work around these chip restrictions rules and what chips they ultimately used as there will be many sceptics around this issue, given the information is coming from China,” according to Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. DeepSeek’s announcement nevertheless rocked stock markets worldwide. In Amsterdam, Dutch chip supplier ASML slid 6.6 percent. In Tokyo, Japan’s Softbank Group Corp lost 8.3 percent to pull closer to where it was before leaping on an announcement trumpeted by the White House that it was joining a partnership to invest up to $500bn in AI infrastructure. And on Wall Street, shares of Constellation Energy sank 19 percent. The company has said it would restart the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to supply power for data centres for Microsoft. Advertisement All the worries sent investors towards bonds, which can be safer investments than any stock. ‘Magnificent seven’ It’s a sharp turnaround for the one-time AI winners, whose stocks had soared in recent years on hopes that all the investment pouring in would remake the global economy and deliver gargantuan profits along the way. Before Monday’s drop, Nvidia’s stock, for instance, had soared from less than $20 to more than $140 in less than two years. Other Big Tech companies had also joined in the frenzy, and their stock prices had benefitted too. It was just on Friday that Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg was saying he expected to invest up to $65bn this year while talking up a datacentre Meta is building in Louisiana that is so large it would cover a significant part of Manhattan. A small group of such companies has become so dominant that they’ve come to be known as the “Magnificent Seven”. These companies — Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla — alone accounted for more than half of the S&P 500’s total return last year, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. Their immense sizes in turn have also given them huge sway over the S&P 500 and other indexes that give more weight to bigger companies. It shows the risk of betting too much on just a few winning stocks, something that market experts call “concentration risk”. That “can feel good when those few names or ideas are on the ascent, but it is even more dangerous when disruptions take place”, said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. Advertisement Still, he suggested not overreacting to Monday’s sharp swings. “It is possible that the news out of China could be overstated, and then we could see a reversal of the recent market moves,” Jacobsen said. “It is also possible that the news is true, but then that would present new investment opportunities.” Adblock test (Why?)
Air Force reinstates Tuskegee Airmen training following backlash from Pete Hegseth and Katie Britt
The Air Force has resumed a course on the first Black pilots unit that was temporarily yanked in what officials claim was an effort to ensure compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order banning DEI in the federal government. Following backlash from legislators and even the new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Air Force claimed reports it had yanked a course teaching new recruits about the 15,000 Black pilots, mechanics and cooks in the segregated Army of World War II known as the Tuskegee Airmen were “inaccurate.” However, Hegseth wrote on X Sunday that the course’s removal had been “immediately reversed.” Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, Air Education and Training Command commander, said in a statement that the segment that included videos on the Tuskegee Airmen was temporarily yanked on Jan. 23 because a section of it that included DEI material was directed to be removed. A video on the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), a paramilitary group of female pilots in World War II, was also temporarily removed. “We believe this adjustment to curriculum to be fully aligned with the direction given in the DEI executive order,” he said. “No curriculum or content highlighting the honor and valor of the Tuskegee Airmen or Women Air Force Service Pilots has been removed from Basic Military Training.” TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN ON TRANS TROOPS: NEW ORDER NIXES PREFERRED PRONOUNS AND RESTRICTS FACILITY USE “No Airmen or Guardians will miss this block of instruction due to the revision, however, one group of trainees had the training delayed. The revised training, which focuses on the documented historic legacy and decorated valor with which these units and airmen fought for our nation in World War II and beyond will continue on 27 January.” Gen. David Allvin, Air Force chief of staff, explained further, “Allow me to clearly dispel a rumor – while we are currently reviewing all training courses to ensure compliance with the executive orders, no curriculum or content highlighting the honor and valor of the Tuskegee Airmen or Women Air Force Service Pilots has been removed from Basic Military Training.” “From day one, I directed our Air Force to implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the president swiftly and professionally – no equivocation, no slow-rolling, no foot-dragging. When policies change, it is everyone’s responsibility to be diligent and ensure all remnants of the outdated policies are appropriately removed, and the new ones are clearly put in place,” he went on in a statement. “Despite some inaccurate opinions expressed in reporting recently, our Air Force is faithfully executing all the president’s executive orders. Adhering to policy includes fully aligning our force with the direction given in the DEI executive order. Disguising and renaming are not compliance, and I’ve made this clear. If there are instances of less-than-full compliance, we will hold those responsible accountable.” Before the Air Force announced it would resume training on the airmen on Monday, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., had accused it of “malicious compliance.” “I have no doubt Secretary Hegseth will correct and get to the bottom of the malicious compliance we’ve seen in recent days. President Trump celebrated and honored the Tuskegee Airmen during his first term,” she said. PETE HEGSETH CONFIRMED TO LEAD PENTAGON AFTER VP VANCE CASTS TIE-BREAKING VOTE “Amen! We’re all over it, Senator. This will not stand,” Hegseth echoed. WASP were vital to ferrying warplanes throughout World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen, an active fighter unit from 1940 to 1952, were the first soldiers who flew during World War II. The group destroyed more than 100 German aircraft. The nation’s armed forces were not desegregated until 1948, under an executive order from then-President Harry Truman. Trump is expected to issue a new executive order focused on rooting out DEI in the military on Monday, in addition to one restricting accommodations for transgender troops. Another executive order will reinstate service members who were fired over refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.
Trump looks to enforce trans inmate crackdown as new acting federal prisons chief tapped
A new interim director has been tapped to lead the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) as President Donald Trump looks to enforce a crackdown on transgender inmates in facilities that do not match their biological sex. William W. Lothrop was named the new BOP director after Colette Peters resigned on Inauguration Day. It’s unclear when the Trump administration will appoint someone to permanently fill the role. “As we face ongoing challenges, including staffing shortages and operational issues, I am committed to working alongside you to find real solutions that strengthen our facilities,” Lothrop said in the statement. “We will continue collaborating with our law enforcement partners and stakeholders to maintain robust programming and support services for inmates.” TRUMP’S ‘TWO SEXES’ EXECUTIVE ORDER COMES ON HEELS OF SCOTUS ACCEPTING ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO LGBT AGENDA On his first day in office, Trump announced a temporary hiring freeze for federal positions and reversed former President Joe Biden’s ban on private prisons. His executive order, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” defines sex strictly as male or female, based on biological characteristics, and mandates that federal agencies adopt this definition in their policies and practices. The order specifies that individuals should be housed in federal prisons according to their biological sex rather than their gender identity, which will apply to the 2,300 transgender inmates currently housed in federal prisons across the U.S. It also halts federal funding for transgender procedures and treatments for inmates. “The Attorney General shall ensure that the Bureau of Prisons revises its policies concerning medical care to be consistent with this order, and shall ensure that no Federal funds are expended for any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate’s appearance to that of the opposite sex,” the order reads. PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST PROSECUTED BY BIDEN DOJ REACTS TO TRUMP PARDON: ‘I WANT TO GIVE HIM A HUG’ During the Biden administration, several U.S. states implemented policies allowing transgender inmates to be housed in facilities that align with their gender identity. In 2021, California became the first state to enact a policy permitting transgender inmates to request housing based on their gender identity. Since then, the state has seen a significant increase in such requests, with a 234% rise in the transgender inmate population. In January 2022, New York state revised its policies to allow transgender individuals to choose their prison housing. And Colorado reached a legal settlement to house biological men in women’s facilities last year, which was part of a case involving 400 transgender women. Fox News Digital has previously reported multiple cases of male inmates, serving sentences for sexual assault, murder and other violent offenses, in federal prisons being transferred to women’s facilities. Many of them have received taxpayer-funded medical procedures to medically transition genders. Lothrop, who was formerly the BOP deputy director, is replacing Peters, who was appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 and touted as a reform-minded outsider tasked with rebuilding an agency plagued for years by staff shortages, widespread corruption, misconduct and abuse. ‘SCARED’ AND ‘TRAUMATIZED’ WALZ’S SUPPORT FOR TRANS WOMEN IN MINNESOTA WOMEN’S PRISON ‘ENDANGERING’ INMATES The agency has nearly 36,000 employees and is responsible for more than 155,000 federal inmates. The BOP director is not subject to Senate confirmation, according to the legal news service Law 360. During her tenure, Peters appeared before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and spoke about the challenges the BOP faced, but she had trouble getting results. During the end of Trump’s campaign, he pledged he would crack down on left-wing gender ideology and ran a successful ad campaign attacking his opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, for her role in ushering in sex change procedures for incarcerated people in California. “Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you,” the narrator of Trump’s campaign advertisement said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and BOP for comment. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
‘Catastrophic threat’: Conservative group’s roadmap shows how Trump can use military to thwart cartels
FIRST ON FOX: A top conservative group is offering a roadmap as to how President Donald Trump can effectively deploy the military to secure the southern border, arguing that there is a “substantial historic precedent” for such a use. “A broad and diverse set of options and legal authorities are available to the second Trump Administration for using the resources and capacities of the U.S. military to ensure the integrity of the border with Mexico,” the Heritage Foundation report, obtained first by Fox News Digital, says. “Additionally, there is substantial historical precedent for an active U.S. military role in border security and managing migration crises.” The report, “How the President Can Use the U.S. Military to Confront the Catastrophic Threat at the Border with Mexico,” argues that an “unchecked growth” of Mexican cartels, as well as illegal immigration and narcotics have “deepended and accelerated,” posing a destabilizing threat to the U.S. TRUMP DHS MAKES KEY MOVE AGAINST MIGRANTS ALLOWED IN VIA CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN PAROLE PROGRAMS Simultaneously, it argues that there has been a “rapid deterioration” in U.S.-Mexico security cooperation and Mexico’s own anti-cartel operations. It is a view shared by the new Trump administration. Trump issued an executive order on day one to deploy the military to the border as part of a slew of broader efforts to secure the southern border and crack down on illegal immigration. TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW Authors Robert Greenway, Andres Martinez-Fernandez and Wilson Beaver argue for a number of follow-up measures to confront the threat of the cartels and what they see as a “reluctant” Mexican government. “The first steps on this front should consist of measures, such as substantial bolstering of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) border security capacities, increasing restrictions on formal and informal border crossings, ramping up U.S. law enforcement efforts, targeting illicit financial flows tied to the cartels, and sanctioning corrupt Mexican officials,” they wrote. The report stressed the need for appropriate funding from Congress and planning from agencies in order to prevent impacting other missions. It highlighted the potential for military equipment for immigration purposes, including deportation. “When it comes to large-scale illegal-alien detention and deportation, some of the underused but most impactful resources include U.S. military transport vehicles and facilities around the world which could support detention and repatriation of illegal aliens, including to higher-risk and extra-hemispheric countries of origin,” it says. As for direct military action against cartels, the authors say that it should be a “last resort,” with joint military action with Mexican coordination being the ideal condition. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “However, in the appropriate context, unilateral U.S. military action may be employed to disrupt cartel activity and prompt cooperation from a resistant Mexican government,” it says. It argues that Mexico is unlikely to change its stance with the election of President Claudia Sheinbaum, even in response to what the authors argue is a dramatically escalating threat from the cartels. “Today, drug cartels are the fifth-largest employer in Mexico, with between 160,000 and 185,000 members,” they wrote. “Cartels are also equipped with military-level weaponry, including anti-aircraft weapons and armored vehicles, while increasingly employing advanced technologies, such as drones and signal jamming systems.” The report also touts other uses for the military, including aiding border wall construction, helping supplement an overstretched Border Patrol, and the use of intelligence and surveillance methods to detect cross-border activity, as well as migrant detention at U.S. military facilities. The report comes after a flurry of activity from the administration, including the deployment of the military to the border, to tackle the border threat and limit illegal immigration. Troops began arriving in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego on Thursday evening, providing 1,000 U.S. Army personnel and 500 Marines from Camp Pendleton in California. “This represents a 60% increase in active-duty ground forces since President Trump was sworn-in Monday,” then-acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said in a statement late Wednesday. There are already 2,500 U.S. service members stationed at the southern border. Fox News’ Christina Shaw contributed to this report.