Tag: border patrol

Shooter opens fire at Border Patrol agents in Chicago, feds confronted by rowdy mob

Authorities are searching for a man who allegedly opened fire Saturday on Border Patrol agents in Chicago.

The shooter was behind the wheel of a black Jeep when they fired off the shots near 26th Street and Kedzie Avenue, as the agents conducted immigration enforcement operations on the city’s Southwest side, the US Department of Homeland Security wrote on X.

Agitators also hurled a paint can and bricks at the agency’s vehicles during the incident. 

Chicago cops cleared the scene, and the shooter remains at large.

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Appeals Court to Lefty Judge and Her Insane Border Patrol Ruling: Lady, You’re Not Doing This Right Now

A federal appeals court ruled that a lunatic judge’s ruling for the Border Patrol can be ignored at this time. Judge Sarah Ellis decided that she had appointed herself the chief of operations for immigration enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security with her silly ruling about mandatory body cameras for ICE agents. On this ruling, she ordered Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino to meet with her daily. Luckily, the Seventh Circuit put the kibosh on that, at least for now (via CBS News).

A federal appeals court granted a request from the U.S. Department of Justice for an administrative stay pausing an order that requires Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino to meet in person with Judge Sara Ellis each day.

Judge Ellis ordered the meetings after a hearing on Tuesday in federal court over alleged violations by Bovino and other federal agents of her temporary restraining order largely prohibiting the use of tear gas and other riot control measures on journalists, protesters and clergy during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. 

In response to numerous filings regarding violations of that order, Ellis instructed Bovino to meet with her every weekday evening to go over the events of the day until a preliminary injunction hearing on Nov. 5. 

In their filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, lawyers for the government argue the order “far exceeds the recognized bounds of discovery” and “significantly interferes” with Bovino’s function, which the government argues is “ensuring the Nation’s immigration laws are properly enforced.” 

They also argue the meetings are “untethered to the plaintiffs’ underlying claims” and go beyond reasonable necessity to comply with the court orders already in place.

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El Paso family claims Border Patrol killed their dog during search, CBP reviewing incident

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says they are reviewing a “use of force incident” in El Paso, after a family says a Border Patrol agent unjustifiably shot and killed their dog.

According to CBP, the incident happened on Tuesday at around 7:15 a.m.

Without offering specifics, CBP said that during a migrant smuggling investigation in El Paso, a U.S. Border Patrol Agent “was involved in a use of force incident” involving a dog.

CBP stressed that it is taking the matter seriously and said it will provide more information when it becomes available, providing no mention of any migrants being found.

However, KFOX14/CBS4 spoke with a distraught family from the Upper Valley who claimed to have been the victims of this incident and said the agents went into the home and shot and killed their dog.

The father, who wished to remain anonymous, said Border Patrol agents in jeans and t-shirts showed up at his son’s home looking for migrants after receiving a tip.

The son answered the door and, while he permitted the agents to search his home, claiming he had nothing to hide, he asked if they could wait first while he put the family dog, Chop, a Rottweiler, away in the bathroom before they walked in, as the dog could be aggressive.

Border Patrol agents then asked the son if he could show them some identification.

According to the family, it is at this point that the son went to his pickup truck to retrieve his ID and a Border Patrol agent entered the home and, as a result, ended up shooting the dog.

The family stressed that the agents knew– the son had told them– that Chop was put in the bathroom for their safety and that the agents opened the door, let Chop out and shot him.

The family appeared upset and disgusted by the agent’s actions, saying that they were following orders and trying to be upstanding citizens, only for an agent to kill “a family member.”

Furthermore, the family said none of the Border Patrol agents helped the family, who desperately tried to render aid to the dog, which bled to death on the kitchen floor.

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OUTRAGEOUS: Cook County Chief Judge BANS ICE and Border Patrol from Making Civil Arrests of Illegal Aliens at Chicago Courthouses

The Democrats are protecting the illegal aliens more than their constituents.

Cook County Circuit Chief Judge Timothy Evans has issued an administrative decree that effectively bars ICE and Border Patrol agents from making civil immigration arrests at or near county courthouses, even as aliens appear for hearings.

The edict, signed late Tuesday night and going into effect Wednesday, proclaims that “no person attending or returning from a court proceeding shall be subject to a civil arrest” unless there is a judicial warrant or order.

The order explicitly limits it to civil immigration arrests. The order also includes the walkways, entryways, driveways, and parking lots contiguous to courthouses.

“The fair administration of justice requires that courts remain open and accessible, and that litigants and witnesses may appear without fear of civil arrest,” the order states.

“The common law has long recognized this privilege to ensure individuals can fulfill legal duties without risking further legal jeopardy.”

This comes after thirteen far-left “social justice” and legal organizations have filed a petition with Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans.

According to the petition, groups such as the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, and the Public Defender’s Office claim that ICE enforcement is causing “fear” among those attending court, especially in Domestic Violence Court.

Sharilyn Grace from the Public Defender’s Office said people were “so alarmed” by the sight of an armed individual outside the courthouse that they called 911, FOX 32 Chicago reported.

Alexa Van Brunt of the MacArthur Justice Center claimed that the presence of ICE creates a “chilling effect” that discourages illegal immigrants from attending court proceedings, saying many are now “afraid to show up” because they fear deportation.

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Alleged Chicago Gang Member Charged for Putting Bounty on Border Patrol Chief

Federal authorities have charged an alleged Chicago gang member with plotting to kill a senior immigration enforcement officer spearheading a large-scale operation in the city.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday that Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, an alleged member of the Latin Kings gang, faces charges of soliciting fellow gang members and others to gather intelligence on the officer and offering $10,000 for his murder.

According to court documents unsealed the same day, the target of the alleged plot was Gregory Bovino, commander-at-large of the U.S. Border Patrol. Bovino has been leading federal enforcement operations in Chicago since mid-September, after previously overseeing a similar mission in Los Angeles as part of the Trump administration’s campaign to combat crimes committed by illegal immigrants in some of the nation’s largest cities.

Investigators said Espinoza Martinez used Snapchat to circulate a photo of Bovino, offering $2,000 for information leading to his capture. He later appeared to raise the offer to “10k if you take him down.”

DHS said it learned of these messages after receiving a screenshot from a source on Oct. 3. Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) identified Espinoza Martinez as the account holder and arrested him on Oct. 6 in Burr Ridge, a suburb 20 miles southwest of Chicago.

DHS said Martinez is from Mexico and entered the United States illegally at an unknown time.

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Federal Agents Arrest Chicago Gang Leader for Allegedly Ordering $10,000 “Murder-for-Hire” Plot on Border Patrol Officer

A high-ranking Latin Kings gang member in Chicago has been charged in a federal murder-for-hire plot targeting a U.S. Border Patrol senior officer leading “Operation Midway Blitz,” according to a criminal complaint unsealed in the Northern District of Illinois.

Federal prosecutors allege that Juan Espinoza Martinez, a known Latin Kings leader known by his street name “Monkey”, offered a $10,000 reward for the murder of a senior Border Patrol official and an additional $2,000 for information on his whereabout.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem revealed on “Fox & Friends” that specific law enforcement officers have bounties on them put out by cartel members, terrorist organizations, and gangs.

“Intelligence indicates that these people are organized. They are getting more and more people on their team as far as attacking officers and they are making plans to ambush them and to kill them,” Noem said.

“We have specific officers and agents that have bounties that have been put out on their heads. It’s been $2,000 to kidnap them, $10,000 to kill them. They’ve released their pictures. They’ve sent them between their networks and it’s an extremely dangerous situation and unprecedented,” Noem warned.

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What is a sleeper cell, and why are US officials on high alert?

As tensions escalate between the United States and Iran, the threat of sleeper cells has “never been higher,” according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, although no specific or credible threats have yet emerged.

In a memo obtained by NewsNation, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said, “Thousands of Iranian nationals have been documented entering the United States illegally and countless more were likely in the known and unknown got-a-ways.”

While there is no current actionable intelligence, Scott emphasized the need for vigilance: “Though we have not received any specific credible threats … the threat of sleeper cells or sympathizers acting on their own, or at the behest of Iran has never been higher.”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” to be phased in over 24 hours.

Trump said on Truth Social that the ceasefire would bring an “Official END” to war, a major change in the hostilities that follows a U.S. strike over the weekend on three Iranian nuclear sites.

What are sleeper cells, and how do they operate?

Sleeper cells are spies or terrorists who operate in rival countries and remain inactive until they are essentially ordered to act.

NewsNation national security contributor Tracy Walder explained that while the concept of Iranian sleeper cells in the U.S. is not new, there may have been a recent influx of agents.Timeline: How US conducted bombings on Iranian nuclear sites 

“They have sleeper cells here. Quite frankly, they have for decades. … They are just waiting for the right moment,” Walder said.

A recent Homeland Security threat assessment confirms that Iran remains a primary state sponsor of terrorism and continues efforts to target both current and former U.S. officials. That assessment echoes similar warnings issued by the Biden administration in 2024.

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Watchdog finds Border Patrol failed to screen possible terror-linked aliens, lacks a uniform policy

The Department of Homeland Security watchdog found that at least one Border Patrol office failed to adequately screen aliens with possible links to terrorism because the agency did not have a consistent policy under the Biden administration. 

A review conducted by Homeland Security’s Inspector General’s Office found that the Border Patrol Office in San Diego did not have a set policy to deal with so-called Special Interest Aliens (SIAs), which are defined by the department as “a non-U.S. person who, based on an analysis of travel patterns, potentially poses a national security risk to the United States or its interests.” 

The finding from the DHS watchdog is only the latest evidence of significant deficiencies in the past administration’s handling of the southern border, especially when it came to proper vetting and tracking of immigrants. 

The inspector general found that despite other Border Patrol offices on the southern border successfully developing screening policies for SIAs, the San Diego office failed to do so. 

No agency-wide policy was in place

The watchdog squarely blamed the wider Customs and Border Protection agency for the failure because it had not promulgated a uniform policy for the screening of such aliens. 

“In July 2023, CBP’s Office of Field Operations (OFO) San Diego Field Office and the U.S. Border Patrol (Border Patrol) Yuma and El Centro sectors had a process to identify and provide additional screening of SIAs, yet San Diego sector did not,” the inspector general wrote. “This inconsistency occurred because CBP did not have an agency-wide policy stating whether to identify aliens from certain countries as SIAs,” the watchdog added. 

Because San Diego lacked a sufficient vetting process, the inspector general found “aliens from countries with links to terrorism entered at least one CBP region that did not provide additional screening.”

You can read the report below: 

File

OIG-25-29-Jul25-REDACTED.pdf

No country-specific screening published

The inspector general initiated its review to evaluate Customs and Border Protection’s screening of “Central Asian aliens” who entered the country via “smuggling networks” from June to October 2023, the report says. 

It is unclear what countries the watchdog is referring to because the specific characteristics of the aliens are redacted. However, several countries in Central Asia are home to terrorist activity, including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. 

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Former CBP Officer Sentenced for Smuggling Cocaine from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Atlanta

Ivan Van Beverhoudt, 45, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, will serve a 20-year prison sentence following his convictions for importing and possessing with intent to distribute over 15 kilograms of cocaine.

“Van Beverhoudt betrayed his badge by committing one of the very crimes he was entrusted to prevent—smuggling dangerous drugs into our country,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office and its agency partners will hold accountable any law enforcement officer who abuses his authority for criminal ends, and Van Beverhoudt’s twenty-year sentence demonstrates that such abuse will be met with severe consequences.”

“This case highlights the severe repercussions for law enforcement officers who abuse their positions of trust,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and Alabama. “Ivan Van Beverhoudt’s attempt to smuggle over 15 kilograms of cocaine into the country was a grave violation, and thanks to the efforts of HSI and our partners, he will spend 20 years behind bars.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On January 10, 2020, Van Beverhoudt, a CBP officer, boarded a commercial flight from St. Thomas to Atlanta with 16 bricks of cocaine in his two carry-on bags. To avoid TSA screening in St. Thomas, Van Beverhoudt traveled in his official capacity with his loaded CBP-issued firearm. Upon arriving at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a CBP-trained narcotics K-9 officer in the jetway alerted to Van Beverhoudt’s luggage, which led to the discovery of the cocaine. 

On February 24, 2025, following a five-day jury trial, Van Beverhoudt was convicted of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, importation of cocaine into the United States, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. 

On July 8, 2025, United States District Judge J.P. Boulee sentenced Van Beverhoudt to 20 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General. 

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Nigerian Woman Breaks Down After Being Detained and Denied Entry at U.S. Airport Over Social Media Posts That Revealed Her True Reason for Visiting the Country

Another wake-up call in the era of law and order: Biden may have thrown open the borders, but under Trump-era immigration policies still on the books, fraud doesn’t fly — no matter how many tears are shed.

A Nigerian businesswoman, Chinelo Ejianwu, learned the hard way that U.S. immigration doesn’t play around when it comes to visa fraud — especially not under rules put in place during President Donald Trump’s administration.

As of June 18, 2025, the Trump administration’s policy requires F‑, M‑, and J‑visa applicants to make all social media accounts public and disclose usernames from the last five years for enhanced vetting.

This policy targets student, vocational, and exchange programs — not tourist, business, or temporary visit categories.

However, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officers can search phones or computers and review digital content during entry inspections, regardless of visa type.

If they find posts or content flagged as politically sensitive, extremist, or related to national-security concerns, you may face denial of entry or detainment—even with a valid visa.

Ejianwu, the owner of “Onyx Hair by Nelly,” sobbed in a viral video after being detained for 24 hours and ultimately denied entry into the United States upon arrival for what she claimed was a “business meeting” trip.

She was heading to Houston to participate as an exhibiting vendor at a major Nigerian-backed trade fair — a violation of her B1/B2 visa.

A B1/B2 visa is a nonimmigrant visa issued by the United States to foreign nationals for temporary stays, typically for business (B1) or tourism (B2) purposes, or a combination of both.

This visa allows individuals to enter the U.S. for a limited period to engage in activities like attending business meetings, visiting family, or sightseeing.

“This has to be one of the hardest posts I have made . But I told myself I was always going to tell my story no matter how bad or ugly it is. I know social media life doesn’t really show the messy side, but here is one of mine,” Chinelo wrote on her Facebook.

“I really don’t even know how I feel at the moment. I have dealt with different emotions anger, anxiety,rejection,regret ,you name it. I wish there was a way I can clear the image of how I Was handled like a criminal literally, detained for more than 26 hours, my phones and passport taken from me and escorted back to the plane like a fugitive off my head or all the funds in thousands of dollars that went down the drain but this won’t break me.”

According to her, U.S. officials scanned her Instagram messages and posts, uncovering clear-cut evidence that she was promoting her presence at the “Naija Brand Chick Trade Exhibition” in Houston, scheduled for June 27–29.

Her role? Officially listed as an exhibiting vendor — the type of commercial activity that squarely violates the terms of a tourist/business visa.

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