Texas Weekly Online

FBI Director Kash Patel says bureau ramping up AI to counter domestic, global threats

FBI Director Kash Patel says bureau ramping up AI to counter domestic, global threats

FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday the agency is ramping up its use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to counter domestic and international threats. In a post on X, Patel said the FBI has been advancing its technology, calling AI a “key component” of its strategy to respond to threats and stay “ahead of the game.” “FBI has been working on key technology advances to keep us ahead of the game and respond to an always changing threat environment both domestically and on the world stage,” Patel wrote. “Artificial intelligence is a key component of this. ‘PEOPLE WOULD HAVE DIED’: INSIDE THE FBI’S HALLOWEEN TAKEDOWN THAT EXPOSED A GLOBAL TERROR NETWORK “We’ve been working on an AI project to assist our investigators and analysts in the national security space — staying ahead of bad actors and adversaries who seek to do us harm.” Patel added that FBI leadership has established a “technology working group” led by outgoing Deputy Director Dan Bongino to ensure the agency’s tools “evolve with the mission.” EXCLUSIVE: FBI CONCLUDES TRUMP SHOOTER THOMAS CROOKS ACTED ALONE AFTER UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL INVESTIGATION “These are investments that will pay dividends for America’s national security for decades to come,” Patel said. A spokesperson for the FBI told Fox News Digital it had nothing further to add beyond Patel’s X post. The FBI uses AI for tools such as vehicle recognition, voice-language identification, speech-to-text analysis and video analytics, according to the agency’s website. DAN BONGINO TO RESIGN FROM FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROLE IN JANUARY Earlier this week, Bongino announced he would leave the bureau in January after speculation rose about his departure. “I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January,” Bongino wrote in an X post Wednesday. “I want to thank President [Donald] Trump, AG [Pam] Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you. God bless America, and all those who defend Her.”

ICE lodges detainer for illegal immigrant charged in brutal killing of New York taxi driver

ICE lodges detainer for illegal immigrant charged in brutal killing of New York taxi driver

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Saturday that federal agents issued an arrest detainer for a criminal illegal immigrant charged with homicide and robbery after allegedly strangling a New York taxi driver to death earlier this month. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged the detainer for Santos Paulino Vasquez-Ramirez, an illegal migrant from Guatemala accused of brutally murdering a cab operator during a fare dispute Dec. 1 in Brewster, New York. The body of the victim, Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez, was found floating in a local reservoir Dec. 7, according to DHS. “Santos Vasquez Ramirez should’ve never been in our country in the first place and provided the opportunity to gruesomely take the life of Aurelio Zhunio-Orbez,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. DHS LAUNCHES ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ WEBPAGE TARGETING ALLEGED CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NATIONWIDE Vasquez-Ramirez illegally entered the country in 2013, DHS said, and was later released into the country under the Obama administration. An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal in early 2016. “Open border policies have deadly consequences,” McLaughlin said, adding that Santos Vasquez Ramirez will be transferred to federal custody. “ICE lodged an arrest detainer with local authorities to ensure this criminal illegal alien is never allowed back into American neighborhoods.” DHS RIPS DEM-RUN COUNTY AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, ALLEGED MURDERER RELEASED: ‘BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS’ McLaughlin added that, under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, “ICE is targeting the worst of the worst.” In a year-end report released Friday, the DHS said more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the U.S. since President Donald Trump returned to office this year, leading to the “most secure border in American history.” An estimated 1.9 million migrants have been self-deported, and more than 622,000 have been forced out since Trump took office Jan. 20, according to DHS. DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

DHS fires back at Senate Dems over ICE detainee death claims: ‘Trying to twist data’

DHS fires back at Senate Dems over ICE detainee death claims: ‘Trying to twist data’

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is pushing back against claims from Senate Democrats that 2025 has become the deadliest year in decades for immigrants held in federal custody.  In a post to X Saturday, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin slammed allegations made by the Senate Judiciary Democrats’ account, claiming “30 immigrants have died in ICE custody since Donald Trump took office, making 2025 the deadliest year in ICE detention since the early 2000s.” McLaughlin swiftly fired back, accusing Senate Democrats of “trying to twist data to smear ICE law enforcement.” “There has been NO spike in deaths. Consistent with data over the past decade, death rates in custody are 0.00007%,” she said. ICE IS NICE: AMFEST ATTENDEES OVERWHELMINGLY CALL FOR DHS TO TARGET THEIR HOMETOWNS AS DEMS SPURN AGENTS McLaughlin also argued that those held in ICE custody receive appropriate medical care and a “higher standard of care” than most U.S. prisons. “As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained a higher standard of care than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens, including providing access to proper medical care,” she said. “For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.” DHS FIRES BACK AFTER DEM LAWMAKER CLAIMS SHE WAS ‘PUSHED ASIDE AND PEPPER SPRAYED’ DURING ICE RAID  The response came just one day after DHS touted that ICE’s “Christmas gift to Americans” came early as agents pulled more illegal immigrants with criminal records off the streets. “This holiday season, ICE is working around the clock to ensure silent nights and safer streets,” DHS said in its announcement. DHS PACKAGES LATEST ICE ARRESTS AS ‘CHRISTMAS GIFT TO AMERICANS’ On Friday, DHS said that ICE had arrested illegal immigrants across the country whose criminal records include burglary, robbery and aggravated kidnapping. Homeland Security declared the latest defendants to be some of the “worst of the worst.” A spokesperson for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Trump endorses Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for New York governor after Stefanik’s exit

Trump endorses Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for New York governor after Stefanik’s exit

President Donald Trump endorsed Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for governor of New York on Saturday, throwing his support behind the Long Island Republican one day after Rep. Elise Stefanik withdrew from the race. Trump announced the endorsement in a lengthy post on Truth Social, calling Blakeman “highly respected and very popular” and praising his record on immigration enforcement, public safety and economic issues. “Highly Respected and very popular Nassau County Executive, Bruce Blakeman, is running to be the next Governor of New York,” Trump wrote. INSIDE STEFANIK’S EXIT AND HOW THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT THAT NEVER CAME WAS ‘BIGGEST PIECE’ OF THE ‘PUZZLE’ The endorsement follows Fox News Digital’s exclusive reporting that Stefanik’s surprise decision not to run was driven in part by concerns over Trump’s lack of a clear commitment to backing her in the New York governor’s race, according to sources. “Bruce is MAGA all the way, and has been with me from the very beginning,” Trump added. In his post, Trump praised Blakeman’s work with federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement, framing the race around border security and crime, issues Republicans have emphasized in historically blue states. “As Nassau County Executive, he is working tirelessly with the Brave Heroes of ICE, Border Patrol, and Law Enforcement to Keep Our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Safeguard our Community, and Ensure LAW AND ORDER,” Trump wrote. EXCLUSIVE: STEFANIK STEAMROLLS TOP CONSERVATIVE OPPONENT AS GOP LEADERS HAND HER COMMANDING EDGE IN NY PRIMARY Blakeman welcomed Trump’s endorsement, aligning himself closely with the president’s policy agenda. “I am blessed and grateful to have the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump,” Blakeman said in a statement obtained by Fox News. “President Trump is driving down gasoline prices and slashing the cost of prescription drugs. Securing our borders has made America safer. President Trump loves New York, and we will be partners in making New York safe and affordable.” Trump said Blakeman would continue that agenda statewide if elected. AS NYC ELECTS SOCIALIST MAMDANI, NEIGHBORING COUNTY DOUBLES DOWN ON TRUMP-STYLE LEADERSHIP WITH BLAKEMAN’S WIN “As your next Governor, Bruce will continue to fight hard to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes, and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote. Blakeman serves as Nassau County Executive, leading New York’s largest suburban county. He has positioned himself as a tough-on-crime executive and a vocal critic of New York’s immigration and criminal justice policies. Trump framed the endorsement as part of a broader effort to reclaim what he described as a state in decline under Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul‘s leadership. “Bruce Blakeman is a FANTASTIC guy, will win the big November Election and, without hesitation, has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Governor of the ONCE GREAT STATE OF NEW YORK (IT CAN BE GREAT AGAIN!),” Trump wrote. The endorsement follows Stefanik’s announcement Friday that she would not enter the race, a decision that immediately reshaped the gubernatorial playing field.  Stefanik, a close Trump ally and member of House GOP leadership, had been widely viewed as the top candidate heading into 2026. The campaign for Elise Stefanik for Governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Vivek Ramaswamy turns to conservative youth to shape the movement’s next phase, analyzes 2026 races

Vivek Ramaswamy turns to conservative youth to shape the movement’s next phase, analyzes 2026 races

Ohio gubernatorial candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy warned conservatives not to take any political races for granted, including his own, and commented on what AmericaFest means for the future of the right as it draws in thousands of voters and activists, including youth. Ramaswamy spoke to Fox News Digital shortly after arriving at the Phoenix Convention Center Friday and said he had already met several people there who told him they were energized to join him at the conference. “Funny enough — and I often like to do this when I travel west — I went for a hike earlier today to what’s called Camelback Mountain, and we saw tons of young people who are going to be here tonight that were getting their outdoor time, so I got to talk to a lot of them,” he said. “I would say the mood is a combination of enthusiastic and determined, but with a sober sentimentality as well. It’s clear that a lot of these young people were, I mean, just like me and the rest of us, affected by Charlie’s death. And they’re hungry for direction.” CONSERVATIVES NEED TO EMBRACE ‘FUSION’ OF POPULISM, TOP LEADER SAYS, CALLING AMFEST SCENES ARE ‘ENCOURAGING’ Many of the young conservatives he met appeared to want to find the direction the conservative movement and TPUSA would go after Kirk’s death. In Ohio, where he is seeking to succeed term-limited moderate Republican Mike DeWine, Ramaswamy stressed that even though Ohio has been reliably red, he isn’t taking the race for granted. Republicans are reeling from a string of losses from Florida to Pennsylvania just weeks ago. VIVEK RAMASWAMY CRITICIZES POCKETS OF ‘ONLINE RIGHT’ FIXATED ON HERITAGE IN TURNING POINT ADDRESS “I think we’ve got to worry less about just defeating the left because we did that last year. That’s not good enough. We have to offer our own vision of what do we actually stand for,” Ramaswamy said. “And, in Ohio, what I know I’m going to be able to deliver is two things that Ohio needs and I believe this country needs: No. 1 is to put more money back in people’s pockets,” he said. He noted that government cannot immediately rein in rising commodity costs as voters demanded in selecting President Donald Trump over Kamala Harris’ continuation of the Biden agenda. “We can do certain things, like bring down electric bills by producing more energy. We’ll do those things. But the direct way we can help people is put more money in people’s pockets by bringing down the property tax burden, by taking the income tax rate down to zero so people are actually able to have more money to afford things, not just waiting for costs to come down,” he said. GEN Z IS STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE — AND REPUBLICANS CAN’T AFFORD TO LOOK AWAY “And, No. 2, is preparing our young people to be useful, contributing members of the workforce with a better education system.” Ramaswamy said the education system has failed American youth for years, through “woke indoctrination” and “victimhood psychology” is something that states should be able to fix. “As someone who did run for president, I can tell you that a governor can make an even bigger difference than a president when it comes to education,” he said. CHARLIE KIRK ALLY WARNS GOP NOT TO TAKE GEN Z FOR GRANTED, CALLING FOR ‘SENSE OF URGENCY’ “I hope we in Ohio set an example of what the other 49 states can actually aspire to.” Looking past Trump’s term limit in 2028, Ramaswamy said the conservative movement will continue so long as it maintains its “aspirational” focus. “That’s my message to those young people tonight, and it is a challenging message. It’s not sugar-coated. The No. 1 factor that determines whether you achieve your goals in life is actually you. That’s a tough message, but it’s the truth. JFK, who famously said, right, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ Now’s the moment to remember that message,” he said. HUSTED FILES FOR 2026 SENATE RACE, LAUNCHING AGGRESSIVE STATEWIDE RE-ELECTION PUSH Turning to another Kennedy, Ramaswamy, who founded biotech pharma company Roivant Sciences, was asked his view of the MAHA agenda being pursued by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Ramaswamy said MAHA has established youth health as paramount to healthy future generations. Kennedy’s pursuit of healthier foods in schools and returning to stronger physical education standards underlies the “core thesis behind MAHA.” “That is, that the best way to bring down health care costs — who would have ever thought? —  is actually to have a healthier population in the first place,” Ramaswamy said. “That’s something that most Americans are behind. The ‘how’ is, of course, easier said than done, but there are commonsense state-level changes that I’m confident we can implement in Ohio that aren’t about right versus left. It’s about right versus wrong. It’s common sense, and I’m sure we’re going to be able to get those delivered quickly after I win this election.”

Woman who filed a complaint against Epstein to Clinton FBI vindicated after DOJ release of files

Woman who filed a complaint against Epstein to Clinton FBI vindicated after DOJ release of files

A woman whose concerns about Jeffrey Epstein were brushed off by the FBI three decades ago was vindicated Friday after the Department of Justice finally made her complaint public. Maria Farmer’s complaint was buried in the thousands of files related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases that the DOJ published as part of its obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The document was dated Sept. 3, 1996, more than 10 years before Epstein first faced prosecution for sex crimes involving girls. In it, Farmer accused Epstein of stealing and selling photos of her young sisters. Farmer worked as an artist for Epstein and has long been outspoken about what she said was his abusive behavior. Farmer has said the photos of her sisters cited in the 1996 complaint included nudity, and the complaint is labeled as a possible “child pornography” case. DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE Names on the complaint were redacted, but The New York Times confirmed with Farmer that she was the person who filed it. Farmer told the outlet she felt “vindicated.”  “I’ve waited 30 years. … I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore,” she said. The complaint noted that Farmer was a professional artist whose work included the images of her sisters, who were 12 and 16 at the time.  SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE “Epstein stole the photos and negatives and is believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers,” the complaint stated. “Epstein at one time requested [redacted] to take pictures of young girls at swimming pools. Epstein is now threatening [redacted] that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down.” Farmer and her sister Annie brought separate lawsuits in 2019 alleging Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted them, but the suits were dropped as part of a settlement involving accepting compensation from Epstein’s estate. Farmer also sued the DOJ in July, alleging the Clinton administration FBI “chose to do absolutely nothing” with her complaint in 1996 and that, in the years since, Epstein was able to victimize more women. Farmer said she also complained again to the FBI in 2006 during the Bush administration. Farmer’s complaint was among the tens of thousands of documents related to Epstein and Maxwell that the DOJ released on Friday, the transparency bill’s deadline. Other accusers, such as Marina Lacerda, have spoken out about their dissatisfaction with the file release, observing that it was incomplete and contained heavy redactions. The department has said more files are coming within the next two weeks.