Former world leader thanks Trump for pardon: ‘You changed my life’
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández thanked President Donald Trump for pardoning him, writing on social media that he was “wrongfully convicted.” “My profound gratitude goes to President @realDonaldTrump for having the courage to defend justice at a moment when a weaponized system refused to acknowledge the truth. You reviewed the facts, recognized the injustice, and acted with conviction. You changed my life, sir, and I will never forget it,” Hernández wrote on X in his first remarks since he was released by the Bureau of Prisons. “I was set up by the Biden Harris administration and the deep state through a rigged trial. There was no real evidence, only the accusations of criminals who sought revenge. Yet the truth of my innocence prevailed,” he said in part. Hernández was sentenced to 45 years in prison in June 2024 for conspiring to distribute more than 400 tons of cocaine and for related firearms offenses. FORMER HONDURAN PRESIDENT RELEASED FROM US PRISON AFTER TRUMP PARDON Former Attorney General Merrick Garland said the ex-two-term president used his power to support one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking conspiracies in the world. “Hernández received millions of dollars of drug money from some of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico, and elsewhere, and used those bribes to fuel his rise in Honduran politics,” the Department of Justice said. DHS TERMINATES TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR AROUND 76K HONDURAN, NICARAGUAN MIGRANTS Hernández’s brother, Juan Antonio Hernández Alvarado, was also convicted in October 2019 and sentenced to life in prison. Trump said he pardoned the former Honduran leader because “a lot of people in Honduras” asked him to, adding he feels “very good about it.” “Well, he was the president, and they had some drugs being sold in their country, and because he was the president, they went after him – that was a Biden horrible witch hunt,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. Several GOP lawmakers criticized the pardon amid the White House’s targeting of alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela. TRUMP ANNOUNCES PARDON FOR DEMOCRATIC REP HENRY CUELLAR Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., criticized the decision to pardon Hernández, saying it made little sense to free him while the U.S. continues to pursue Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on federal narco-terrorism charges. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., also criticized the move in an interview on CNN, saying he couldn’t understand how the U.S. could “threaten a potential land war against a thug and a narco-terrorist who plays like he’s the president of Venezuela, and then go easy on someone whose investigation that led to an indictment started in the Trump administration.”
Afghan evacuees with child-fondling, terror arrests swept up in DHS crackdown after botched vetting exposed
EXCLUSIVE: Afghan evacuees with rap sheets that include convictions for sexual battery and lewd acts with a minor and arrests for alleged child-fondling and terror-group support were among the “worst of the worst” recently swept up by ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. DHS released the list days after one former Afghan evacuee allegedly shot two West Virginia National Guard members, killing one, and another was charged in a Newark, Del., terror plot. The agency says the arrests reveal explosive failures in the 2021 vetting system that rushed evacuees into the country after Kabul fell. Biden administration officials insisted their 2021 Operation Allies Welcome vetting was sound, but a senior DHS official said the president’s “trust without verification” approach to evacuee backgrounds helped drive the recent surge in attacks and plots. “Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been going full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and criminal illegal aliens that came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “When Joe Biden let 190,000 Afghan nationals in, they didn’t do criminal background checks, vet social media, someone just vouched for them, and they took the words as truth.” BONDI WARNS OF VETTING FAILURES AFTER ‘FRIGHTENING’ ARREST OF AFGHAN NATIONAL FOR BOMB THREATS IN TEXAS DHS has captured sexual predators, terror suspects, pedophiles and other violent “unvetted” foreigners in their persistent daily work of executing President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement orders, the agency added in a statement. Not all of the arrests have involved Afghan evacuees. ICE arrests have included Iraqi “criminal illegal alien” Ziaulhaq Faqiri, who entered the U.S. as a “special immigrant Iraqi employee” during former President Joe Biden’s term. Faqiri’s criminal history includes convictions for “carnal abuse” and sexual assault. PATEL BLASTS BIDEN’S ‘EMBLEMATIC FAILURE’ AFTER AFGHAN NATIONAL CHARGED IN GUARD SHOOTING But many arrests have involved those who came to America in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. One of the evacuees from Operation Allies Refuge – the mass exodus upon the immediate fall of Kabul often involving third-party countries, versus “Allies Welcome,” the process that utilized domestic military bases as housing – was arrested recently as a “criminal alien” residing in the U.S. Qesmat Din Zafran was apprehended around the fourth anniversary of the 2021 Afghan withdrawal and has convictions for lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. Other recent captures include the October arrest of Operation Allies Refuge participant Mansour Walizada, who has convictions for sexual battery and an arrest for child fondling, according to DHS. ALLEGED DC SHOOTER ENTERED US UNDER AFGHAN RESETTLEMENT PUSH MAYORKAS VOWED WOULD BE DONE ‘SWIFTLY AND SAFELY’ Mohammad Tabesh Rasoli was recently arrested by ICE, which found him to have a conviction for hit-and-run. The case involved Rasoli seriously injuring a pedestrian he struck while driving 50 miles per hour, the agency said. Iowa authorities honored a request to transfer another Afghanistan evacuee: Javid Ghamgeen. Ghamgheen had been convicted of two meth-possession counts, as well as burglary and assault on a public officer. DC NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTING SUSPECT FORMALLY CHARGED Two others arrested after coming to the U.S. following the American withdrawal were Asirullah Khalid-Khan and Said Mohammad Tanai. Tanai had a prior conviction for assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, while Khalid-Khan’s record included sexual assault and kidnapping. In yet another incident, an Afghan evacuee was arrested in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley on allegations he provided support to the Khorosan Group, also known as ISIS-K. USCIS HALTS ‘ALL ASYLUM DECISIONS’ AFTER DC SHOOTING OF NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS Jaan Shah Safi was arrested on Wednesday in Waynesboro – just outside Staunton. DHS officials said Safi’s father is currently a commander of an Afghan militia group. Safi was brought to Philadelphia about one week after the Afghanistan evacuation commenced and applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – but saw it terminated by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this year. NATIONAL GUARD KILLING REIGNITES IMMIGRATION WAR IN CONGRESS AS REPUBLICANS DEMAND SWEEPING REFORMS Officials said Safi was the third Afghan terror suspect arrested in “recent days” who was brought to the U.S. during the Biden-era operations. Meanwhile, a Mideast-born student at Biden’s alma mater was arrested in Delaware on Wednesday after police conducted a traffic stop near Newport. Police encountered 25-year-old University of Delaware student Luqmaan Khan with a Glock handgun, multiple magazines, a ballistic-armored plate and a notebook that included handwritten descriptions of how the weapons could be used in an attack. The book also included the name of a University of Delaware police officer, the layout of a university building and the words “UD Police Department.” Pakistan’s foreign office disputed reports Thursday that Khan was of “Pakistani-origin,” with spokesman Tahir Andrabi telling Arab News that Islamabad’s investigation of the situation found Khan to instead be an Afghan national who fled to Pakistan with his family as a refugee. Biden graduated from UDel in 1965 with a double-major in history and political science before heading to Syracuse for law school. Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Walz bears ‘full responsibility’ for $1B fraud scandal, GOP challenger Demuth declares
As the House Oversight Committee opens an investigation into Gov. Tim Walz’s role in what federal prosecutors have described as the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the country, Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth told Fox News Digital it’s just the “tip of the iceberg.” In a crowded Republican primary of candidates hoping to unseat Walz, one of Demuth’s core campaign promises is to eliminate the fraud she said has “exploded” under Walz’s administration. The governor bears “full responsibility” for the roughly $1 billion in fraud uncovered so far, Demuth said in an exclusive interview. “This is probably the tip of the iceberg,” Demuth said, adding: “This falls squarely on his shoulders. He’s the governor of the state and needs to take full responsibility.” The scandal rocking the North Star State stems from allegations that a Minnesota nonprofit and its associates defrauded federal child-nutrition programs for hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID-19 aid — a failure Walz’s Republican challengers have described as a breakdown in systemic oversight. COMER TARGETS WALZ IN NEW HOUSE INVESTIGATION, CITING NEARLY $1B IN ALLEGED MINNESOTA FRAUD “There has been that lack of accountability and lack of oversight that’s been needed,” Demuth said. “The governor has chosen the commissioners, put them into place, and there needed to be an accountability where he or his office were overseeing the work done by the commissioners in every agency.” “That is not what we’re finding, to the best of my knowledge. Now, if that oversight was going on and this continued under his watch, knowing that it was going on, that’s even more concerning,” she added. MINNESOTA GOVERNMENT WORKERS BLAME WALZ FOR ‘MASSIVE FRAUD’ AMID ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SOMALI COMMUNITY Federal prosecutors said about $300 million in taxpayer funds that were allocated to feed low-income children through COVID-era nutrition programs was diverted through the Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future. As of late November, at least 78 defendants have been charged in what has widely been considered the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme in the U.S. While the Feeding Our Future scandal spans the COVID-19 pandemic, Demuth said she heard concerns about fraud in the childcare assistance program in 2017 and 2018 before she even served in the legislature. “This has been bubbling,” Demuth said before adding, “When I think about someone leading the state, regardless of how it happened, the fact that it has continued on this far, and I don’t think we’re done yet. I think this is probably the tip of the iceberg, and I’ve heard others say that also.” House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has claimed that “because of Governor Walz’s negligence, criminals — including Somali terrorists — stole nearly $1 billion from the program while children suffered.” He is leading the probe into Walz’s role in the Feeding Our Future scandal. When asked about the accusations that Walz was more worried about losing political points than accountability against groups tied to Somali Minnesotans, Demuth told Fox News Digital: “Fraud in any way is wrong, no matter where it occurs, who is committing the acts of fraud. That is wrong. But to not handle the investigations or to not handle things and investigate things further because of a fear of some type of accusation is not leadership.” While Demuth cautioned against “[demonizing] an entire community,” she said fraud in any community cannot be allowed to continue. “To ignore things or not handle it because you are afraid of how that would be perceived, I think the worst thing is knowing that our tax dollars from the entire state have been wasted and lost in fraud. That is wrong for all Minnesotans,” she said. As Demuth vies for the Republican nomination to challenge Walz for his gubernatorial seat next year, she said her administration would immediately open an investigation, look into every agency, hold those responsible accountable and work to ensure it doesn’t happen again. According to Demuth’s campaign website, as governor, she would commit to ending “the culture of fraud and corruption in state government and demand accountability from state workers responsible for managing the state programs that have been abused by fraudsters.” “I will work with the legislature to pass a non-partisan Office of Inspector General who will be empowered to root out fraud in all parts of government, and be a partner for my administration in stopping fraud before it starts instead of waiting until the fraudsters have walked out the door with your money,” Demuth said on her website. Walz’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” on Sunday asked Walz if he would take “responsibility” for failing to stop fraud in his state. “Well, certainly I take responsibility for putting people in jail,” Walz said. “Governors don’t get to just talk theoretically. We have to solve problems, and I will note, it’s not just Somalis. Minnesota is a generous state, Minnesota is a prosperous state, a well-run state, we are AAA bond-rated, but that attracts criminals. Those people are going to jail, and we are doing everything we can, but to demonize an entire community on the actions of a few, it’s lazy.” Demuth responded to those comments while speaking to Fox News Digital. “If we are a well-run state and prosperous and doing what we need to, this would be the last place criminals would come and try to do any type of criminal activity,” she said. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
Reporter’s Notebook: House exodus threatens Johnson’s grip on power as over 40 members head for exit
Over 40 House members plan to exit Congress this year, posing risks to Speaker Mike Johnson’s narrow majority and reflecting a wider trend driven by safety worries, reduced civility and dwindling enthusiasm for the job. Recent cycles show similar churn: 36 members had exited by this point in 2023, 34 in 2021 and 46 in 2017. DEM REP MIKIE SHERRILL SKIPS 145 HOUSE VOTES AS NJ GOVERNOR’S RACE HEATS UP The House was inactive for nearly two months during the government shutdown. When lawmakers returned, they faced five efforts to rebuke or discipline colleagues. But frustration with leadership isn’t the only issue. JASMINE CROCKETT CALLS OUT MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE FOR RESIGNING FROM CONGRESS AMID TRUMP FEUD Surging threats to lawmakers, their families and aides have many questioning whether the job is worth it. History shows parties with more pre-election departures often lose seats and even the majority. Johnson, however, doubts more members will resign soon. SHOWDOWN FOR THE HOUSE: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM CLASH “You have a duty here when you run for office, run for a two-year term, you know, you should stay and fulfill that,” said Johnson. Still, Fox News is told some disgruntled Republicans may leave early.
Who is Brian Cole Jr, the DC pipe bomb suspect?
The suspect who allegedly planted pipe bombs blocks from the U.S. Capitol on January 5, 2021, has been identified as Brian Cole Jr. of Woodbridge, Va., according to two sources briefed on the arrest. The sources say Cole, 30, is in FBI custody as of Thursday following roughly five years of investigation. The FBI arrested Cole in northern Virginia. Authorities have not released further details about the man, but one federal law enforcement source told Fox that the FBI is carrying out “court-enforced activity” at Cole’s residence. FBI ARRESTS SUSPECT IN DC PIPE BOMB CASE AFTER 5-YEAR INVESTIGATION Authorities discovered the two pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic National Committees’ headquarters around the same time that thousands of protesters a few blocks away began to storm the Capitol over the 2020 election results. FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR CLAIMS BUREAU ‘CLOSING IN’ ON SUSPECTS WHO PLANTED JAN. 6 PIPE BOMBS Neither bomb detonated, but authorities say both were viable and dangerous. Video footage released by the FBI showed the suspect placing the pipe bombs near the two headquarters more than 16 hours before law enforcement found them. The suspect was seen wearing a gray hoodie, Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers, a mask, glasses and gloves, but Cole’s identity had long been unknown.
Schumer unveils Democrats’ Obamacare fix plan, likely dead in the water
Senate Democrats now have their plan to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies, but it’s unlikely that Senate Republicans will give it the green light. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., unveiled Democrats’ plan to prevent the subsidies from expiring by the end of this year on Thursday. Senate Democrats’ strategy, which mirrors the option on the table put forth by House Democrats, would extend the subsidies for three years with no tweaks or reforms. “I’m announcing that Senate Democrats will introduce legislation for a clean, three-year extension of the current [Obamacare] tax credits,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “This is the bill, a clean, three-year extension of [Obamacare] tax credits that Democrats will bring to the floor of the Senate for a vote next Thursday. And every single Democrat will support it.” BIPARTISAN DEAL ON OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES FADES AS REPUBLICANS PUSH HSA PLAN Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., guaranteed Senate Democrats a proposal of their choosing, but the hope in the upper chamber is that a bipartisan compromise would emerge in time for the vote next week, which is expected to come by Dec. 11. However, no such plan has materialized given a litany of issues both sides have with moving forward. Senate Republicans want reforms, like income caps and the inclusion of language that would prevent the enhanced subsidies from using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, while Democrats, who are open to some reforms, largely want a clean extension of the subsidies as illustrated by Schumer’s plan. Schumer’s plan is also farther reaching than what Senate Democrats initially offered as the government shutdown still raged last month. At the time, the top Senate Democrat pitched a clean, one-year extension of the subsidies, which was universally panned by Senate Republicans, who demanded that healthcare would be considered only after the government reopened. CONGRESS RACES AGAINST 3-WEEK DEADLINE TO TACKLE MASSIVE YEAR-END LEGISLATIVE AGENDA Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., railed against the proposal, and charged that after shutting the government down for 43 days, Democrats had, “finally, after all this time, decided what they want.” He predicted that not enough Republicans would support the offer for it to advance. “It is a complete failure, and the best they can do is say three-year extension,” Barrasso said. “It’s not really a credible offer at all. That’s what the Democrats are talking about. I don’t, I cannot in any way, imagine supporting such a thing, because it just highlights the fact that they don’t have a solution for the problem they’ve created with the failure of Obamacare.” Then there is the factor of President Donald Trump, who has signaled that he is not open to just a simple extension of the subsidies, further adding to the futility of Democrats’ pitch. Whether Senate Republicans put forth their own plan also remains in the air. GOP WRESTLES WITH OBAMACARE FIX AS TRUMP LOOMS OVER SUBSIDY FIGHT Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, have been working on a Republican proposal, which likely largely centers on funneling the subsidy money into Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) rather than directly to insurance companies. The duo pitched ideas and proposals to Republicans during their weekly closed-door meeting on Tuesday, but no unified strategy emerged. Schumer argued that Democrats’ proposal would be the last shot the Republicans and Congress would have to prevent the subsidies from lapsing and stopping healthcare premiums from skyrocketing. “If Republicans block our bill, there’s no going back,” he said. “We won’t get another chance to halt these premium spikes before they kick in at the start of the New Year. Those insurance premiums in January will land like a hammer blow on the American people.”
Did a military lawyer witness the Venezuela ‘double tap’ boat strike? Experts say one should have
The Pentagon’s account of the September 2 “double tap” strike that killed two survivors of an initial attack on a suspected Venezuelan drug boat is coming under renewed scrutiny after ABC News reported that a military lawyer was present when Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley authorized the follow-on strike. The new detail raises a sharper legal question: if real-time legal counsel was available, what advice did the judge advocate general (JAG) provide when Bradley approved a second round of lethal force? Pentagon officials have framed the operation as a counterterrorism mission targeting members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua criminal network. Experts say that distinction matters because U.S. counterterrorism missions normally embed a JAG in the operations center to determine whether a target remains lawful — oversight not typical for routine maritime counter-narcotics patrols. Todd Huntley, a former Navy JAG officer at U.S. Special Operations Command, said the presence of a lawyer would fit that framework. “In normal maritime counter-narcotics operations, a JAG isn’t advising in real time because those missions rarely involve lethal force,” Huntley said. “But these strikes are being handled as counterterrorism strikes. The targets just happen to be on the water.” In those missions, he said, the JAG participates directly in the real-time targeting cycle. “The JAG works with intelligence and operations personnel to make sure the target is lawful, that the planned strike is lawful, and whether the commander has the authority to approve it or needs to send it higher.” He emphasized that commanders, not attorneys, ultimately make the call. “JAGs only advise. They can’t override the commander’s decision.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES US MILITARY CONDUCTED ‘LETHAL STRIKE’ ON VENEZUELAN DRUG BOAT IN CARIBBEAN The central legal dispute now turns on the condition of the survivors at the time of the second strike. According to ABC News, U.S. personnel believed the two men in the water may have been calling for help, potentially attempting to bring reinforcements. The Pentagon did not respond to Fox news digital’s requests for comment. Under the U.S. Law of War Manual, attacking persons rendered “helpless” due to “wounds, sickness or shipwreck” is explicitly prohibited and described as “dishonorable and inhumane.” Shipwrecked individuals are protected unless they resume hostile action or otherwise regain the capacity to pose an immediate threat. Calling for help does not automatically remove those protections. Legal experts say the key question is whether U.S. forces had credible evidence that the survivors were attempting to direct further hostilities — or whether they were simply clinging to debris and making distress calls. The Pentagon has said Bradley authorized the second strike that killed the two alleged traffickers, and that War Secretary Pete Hegseth was not involved in that decision. Officials say Hegseth monitored the first strike but did not view the footage of the follow-on strike. Rachel VanLandingham, a former Air Force JAG who advised on operations at U.S. Central Command, said she “would be surprised that there wasn’t a JAG” present if the administration viewed the mission as armed conflict. With ABC now reporting that a lawyer was in the room, she said attention shifts to what the operations center understood about the men’s status in the water. SPEC OPS CHIEF ORDERED DEADLY CARIBBEAN STRIKE ‘IN SELF-DEFENSE’ WITH HEGSETH’S SIGN-OFF, WHITE HOUSE SAYS But she cautioned that the presence of an attorney does not change the underlying legal standards. Shipwrecked personnel, she said, remain protected unless they take clear steps to rejoin the fight. “Whether a JAG was consulted is almost irrelevant here,” she said. “You don’t need a lawyer to know you can’t kill shipwrecked survivors. This is the classic example we use in professional military education of a clearly unlawful order.” “Even if they’re the worst criminals in the world, you don’t kill them once they’re helpless and clinging to the side of a boat,” she said. “Killing shipwrecked persons is a textbook war crime.” She also rejected the Pentagon’s claim that the survivors could have summoned additional boats. “The idea that survivors could have called for backup is absolutely irrelevant,” she said. “Unless they were actively shooting, they remained protected and could not be lawfully targeted.” Hegseth and Bradley have continued to defend the operation. Hegseth wrote on X that Bradley “is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support,” adding that he stands by Bradley’s decisions “on the September 2 mission and all others since.” President Trump has also repeatedly highlighted the strikes, releasing video of the second engagement on Truth Social and praising the campaign against what he calls “narcoterrorists.” With new reporting that a JAG was physically present, and with legal experts emphasizing that shipwrecked personnel retain protection unless they rejoin the fight, the unresolved issue is what specific intelligence the operations center relied upon when Bradley approved the second strike. Did the JAG conclude that the survivors had regained the capacity to pose an imminent threat? Did the attorney object? Did the operations team interpret the alleged call for help as an active step toward hostile action? Until the Pentagon releases a fuller accounting, the legality of the follow-on strike — and the role of the military lawyer who reportedly witnessed it — remains sharply contested.
US Institute of Peace officially renamed for Trump as White House moves to dismantle agency: ‘Congratulations’
The U.S. Institute of Peace has been formally rebranded as the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, marking the latest step in the president’s months-long effort to dismantle the congressionally created agency. The name change comes after a turbulent year for the organization, which the Trump administration has sought to shut down while shifting its authority to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The institute has been fighting the move in federal court, but layoffs proceeded after an appeals court stayed a lower-court ruling that temporarily blocked the administration’s plan. The agency’s website briefly went offline Wednesday morning before returning with promotion for Trump’s upcoming peace-agreement ceremony between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. TRUMP CAPS WEEK WITH BOLD MILITARY MOVES FROM PENTAGON NAME CHANGE TO CARTEL CRACKDOWN White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the renaming, telling Fox News Digital the former institute had been “a bloated, useless entity that blew $50 million per year while delivering no peace.” “Now, the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, which is both beautifully and aptly named after a President who ended eight wars in less than a year, will stand as a powerful reminder of what strong leadership can accomplish for global stability,” Kelly said. She added Trump “ended eight wars in less than a year,” framing the institute’s new name as recognition of his “peace through strength” approach. “Congratulations, world!” Kelly said. DAVID MARCUS: THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR MARKS THE END OF AMERICA AS THE WORLD’S POLICEMAN Secretary Marco Rubio echoed that sentiment in a post responding to the announcement. “President Trump will be remembered by history as the President of Peace,” Rubio wrote. “It’s time our State Department display that.” The U.S. Institute of Peace was created by Congress in 1984 as a nonpartisan organization supporting conflict-prevention and peace-building efforts abroad. The dismantling and rebranding into a Trump-named entity represents one of the most sweeping agency overhauls of Trump’s second term. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the administration’s shutdown effort was unlawful. But the ruling was stayed on appeal, clearing the way for terminations to move forward in July as the administration restructured the agency and continued transferring functions elsewhere. The institute did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment on the rebranding or the status of its ongoing legal challenge. The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Model, DJ linked to violent Tren de Aragua gang leader sanctioned by Trump administration
An actress and model who moonlights as a DJ and is romantically linked to the leader of the bloodthirsty Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) transnational gang was sanctioned by the Trump administration on Wednesday. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the designation against Jimena Romina Araya Navarro, also known as Rosita. Navarro, a Venezuelan model with millions of social media followers, has helped launder money for TdA along with other entertainers, the department said. She also helped Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as “Niño Guerrero,” escape from Tocorón prison in Venezuela in 2012, the agency said. TRUMP’S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY’ “Under President Trump, barbaric terrorist cartels can no longer operate with impunity across our borders. The Tren de Aragua network’s narco-trafficking and human smuggling operations have long posed a grave threat to our nation,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “At the direction of President Trump, we will continue to use every tool to cut off these terrorists from the U.S. and global financial system and keep American citizens safe.” Navarro reportedly performs in nightclubs in Colombia, with a portion of the proceeds from the events going to TdA leadership, the Treasury Department said. She has also performed at the Bogotá nightclub Maiquetia VIP Bar Restaurant, which is owned by her former bodyguard and manager, Eryk Manuel Landaeta Hernandez. She is additionally a shareholder and the president of a Venezuela-based company, Global Import Solutions S.A. Hernandez was arrested by Colombian authorities in October 2024. He allegedly organized events featuring international artists and DJs, including Navarro, where drugs were sold for TdA and the proceeds were laundered, authorities said. MADURO CLAIMS US SEEKS ‘REGIME CHANGE THROUGH MILITARY THREAT’ AMID CARIBBEAN BUILDUP Hernandez also allegedly laundered money for Guerrero and sanctioned senior TdA leader Mosquera Serrano. He owns the creative, arts and entertainment services company Eryk Producciones SAS and reportedly served as the gang’s financial and logistics chief in Colombia. Additional sanctions were levied against TdA leaders Richard Jose Espinal Quintero, Noe Manases Aponte Cordova, and Asdrubal Rafael Escobar Cabrera and Cheison Royer Guerrero Palma, Niño Guerrero’s half-brother, who was expanding the gang’s activity into Chile. Kenffersso Jhosue Sevilla Arteaga, known as “El Flipper,” was also sanctioned. He was arrested in Cúcuta, Colombia, in November 2025 and “was involved in extortions, kidnappings, and homicides,” the Treasury Department said. The Trump administration has targeted TdA members in the United States in an effort to deport them to Venezuela. An April intelligence assessment from the National Intelligence Council said some Venezuelan officials have facilitated the migration of TdA members into the United States. In February, the gang was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department.
Social media reactions reveal why both parties celebrated after GOP candidate won special election
After Republican candidate Matt Van Epps defeated Democrat candidate Aftyn Behn in Tuesday’s special election race for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, both parties cheered the results. Republicans touted a rejection of far-left radical policies and their ability to retain the GOP-held seat vacated by retired GOP Congressman Mark Green. Democrats, on the other hand, cheered the slim nature of Van Epps’ victory in a district President Donald Trump won by more than 20 points last year, as Green did in his last two elections. Van Epps won Tuesday night by a nine-point margin. DEMOCRATS’ SURGE IN TENNESSEE THROWS NEW UNCERTAINTY ONTO GOP’S 2026 HOUSE MAP “Last night was the latest flashing red light, indicating that Americans are fed up with Republican policies, particularly how much they have to pay for the things they really need,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said after the race was called. “A deep red Tennessee district that Trump won by 22 points, swung by double digits in Democrats’ direction.” Progressive strategists and organizations described Behn’s campaign, despite her loss, as “amazing,” “well run” and “great,” noting she “gave Democrats in the South and across the country a reason to believe.” After the results were called, President Trump touted Van Epps as a “fantastic” addition to Tennessee’s congressional delegation and called the win “BIG” for the GOP. The president pointed out that “Radical Left Democrats threw everything at him, including Millions of Dollars,” but Van Epps was still able to pull out a victory. “Millions of dollars of dark money wasted,” longtime attorney and legal commentator Mark Pulliam noted. “Aftyn Behn discovered that Middle Tennessee will not elect lunatic leftists to Congress.” Behn’s campaign was riddled with criticism about her history of radical activism, such as pushing to “dissolve” the Nashville police department and defending rioters and looters who took to the streets during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. “I’m currently involved in a transformative justice seminar, and so it’s how to imagine a world without police and what that looks like and what community mechanisms look like,” Behn said during an interview with a local activist group prior to entering elected office. A video of Behn being dragged out of Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s office by police during an attempted sit-in and comments about how she “hate[s]” the city she hoped to represent in D.C., citing her distaste for Nashville’s country music scene and other elements that make Nashville a popular city, also haunted Behn during her run. DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST SAYS TENNESSEE NOMINEE WAS ‘FRINGE OF A FRINGE,’ DOMED PARTY’S CHANCES CNN’s Manu Raju noted in an interview ahead of Tuesday’s election how, during her campaign, Behn was dubbed the “AOC of Tennessee.” “Aftyn Behn (D) lost tonight’s special election in TN, but make no mistake: She’s the median Democrat, a lunatic radical progressive,” CNN conservative political commentator Scott Jennings said of Tuesday night’s election results. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Dems continue to run the most Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs candidates they can find.” Former Congressman David McIntosh, the co-founder of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy and a member of FedSoc’s Board of Directors, said Jennings “nails it” in his post-election analysis. “It wasn’t exactly a nail-biter, but 9 points is not a landslide,” The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh pointed out. “It should have gone Republican by like 40 points yesterday. Looking at it objectively, that’s what should have happened when you consider who [Behn] is.” However, despite the reservations permeating throughout the GOP following Tuesday’s election, Trump and other Republican leaders praised the victory. Republican National Committee Co-Chair KC Crosbie, said Behn “way underperformed” Tuesday and said she is hopeful heading into the midterms. “I’ve seen a lot of the spin that the Democrats have been trying to put on it today, but if you look at the 2025 special elections, I mean Democrats in 2025 overperformed by 18 points. [Behn] way underperformed last night, and it’s because their message is so far off,” Crosbie said. “They are just bowing to the far-left, woke side of their party and people just aren’t buying into their message. … So, we feel really good going into the midterms.” “Tennesseans voted in this resounding win to reject socialism, to reject the far-left radical ideology and to support common-sense conservatism,” Van Epps told Fox News following his election victory Tuesday. “We are so happy with our margin of victory, and I think it’s setting the tone for 2026. And we are going to win decisively there and hold the House.” “Common sense prevails,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., added. “We had a great candidate in Matt Van Epps, and you can’t deny the Donald Trump effect.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has indicated he hopes to swear in Van Epps as soon as this week after his special election win.