Tag: crime

Attempted Murder Charges for Left-Wing Extremists Involved in Planned Ambush on ICE Officers in Texas with “Intent to Kill”

On Monday, acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson announced that attempted murder charges are being brought against ten individuals involved in a coordinated attack on ICE officers in Alvarado, Texas.

The individuals are alleged to be part of an Antifa cell from North Texas.

According to the criminal complaint, the defendants, dressed in black military-style clothing, began shooting fireworks at the facility as part of an organized attack.

A statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Texas shares:

After approximately 10 minutes of convening, one or two individuals broke off from the main group and began to spray graffiti on vehicles and a guard structure in the parking lot at the facility. An Alvarado police officer responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911 to report suspicious activity. When the Alvarado police officer arrived, one alleged defendant positioned in nearby woods shot the officer in the neck area. Another alleged assailant across the street fired 20 to 30 rounds at unarmed correctional officers who had stepped outside the facility.

As alleged in the complaint, AR-style rifles were found at the scene. The assailants fled from the detention center but were stopped by additional law enforcement officers. Some defendants were wearing body armor, some were armed, and some had two-way radios. A total of twelve sets of body armor were found during searches of vehicles associated with the defendants, on their persons, and in the area around the Prairieland Detention Center.

Additionally, officers found spray paint, flyers stating, “FIGHT ICE TERROR WITH CLASS WAR!” and “FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS,” and a flag stating, “RESIST FACISM – FIGHT OLIGARCHY.” One of the alleged attackers had cell phones inside a “Faraday bag,” used to block phone signals and commonly used by criminal actors to try to prevent law enforcement from tracking their location.

Ten individuals were charged in one complaint with three counts of attempted murder of federal agents and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

The statement identifies ,Cameron Arnold, Savannah Batten, Nathan Baumann, Zachary Evetts, Joy Gibson, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda Seth Sikes, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto.

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Gunmen Hijack 33 Tons of Gold, Silver Concentrate in Truck on Mexican Highway

Authorities in Mexico are remaining tightlipped about how a team of gunmen was able to hijack a truck carrying 33 tons of gold and silver concentrate. The high-stakes robbery comes as Mexico’s government continues to claim that public safety is improving and that the country is safe.

The robbery took place on Monday when a tractor-trailer carrying minerals was traveling from the Mexican state of Durango to the Port of Manzanillo in Colima State, where it was expected to be shipped out. However, while the truck was moving through the state of Jalisco, a group of gunmen in at least two vehicles intercepted the truck, overpowered the security detail, and kidnapped the driver.

According to information released by Grupo Bacis, the mining company that owned the precious metals, the gunmen held the security detail and driver for almost two hours while they stealing the cargo. After the gunmen released the victims, they made their way to a nearby tollbooth where they asked for help.  Mexican authorities were able to find the tractor-trailer soon after, but the cargo was gone. The company has not placed a value on the stolen cargo; however, it is expected to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

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The BIZARRE reason why the ABC shielded the Mushroom Killer

A series of leaked internal emails has revealed that ABC News Editorial Policy Manager Mark Maley ordered journalists not to publish “unflattering” photos of Erin Patterson, a woman convicted of murdering three people, out of concern they might cause her emotional “distress”.

The taxpayer-funded images, captured in May by international agency Agence France-Presse, showed Patterson being led into Latrobe Valley court in Morwell. Legal restrictions had initially blocked their release, but those lapsed following Patterson’s conviction on Monday for the murders of her ex-husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and family friend Heather Wilkinson. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson.

Despite the photos being taken legally in public, and made available to global media, Maley instructed ABC producers not to use them. “Gratuitous invasion on her distress/privacy,” he described them in an internal email, according to media reports.

ABC’s 7.30 executive producer Joel Tozer pushed back, arguing the images were vital for coverage of a highly significant, visually restricted case. “No one has been able to see (Patterson) for the past 10 weeks,” Tozer wrote.

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Does Medicaid demand accountability for doctors for dishonorable or even illegal behavior?

ATexas pediatrician’s controversial social media post mocking flood victims, insinuating that it would be good if Trump supporters were not protected from the disaster, and suggesting that people who voted for Trump deserve to die, raises larger questions about whether federal health officials are using any tools to hold doctors registered to provide services under Medicaid or other government programs accountable. 

In fact, a review of the federal database used for Medicaid billing shows that the federal government has repeatedly failed to remove doctors from the system who have been convicted of crimes ranging from fraud to improperly distributing opioids, calling into question the health administration’s willingness to hold medical professionals accountable for the appropriate standards of conduct and care.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), individual Medicaid programs vary according to each state’s statutes within broad Federal guidelines. Medical professionals are responsible for knowing and abiding by state-specific rules where they furnish services and for each of the programs for which they furnish services.

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Chinese state-sponsored contract hacker arrested in Italy at US request: DOJ

The US Department of Justice said on July 8 a Chinese state-sponsored contract hacker was arrested last week in Italy at the request of Washington, but the arrested man claimed he is a victim of mistaken identity.

Xu Zewei, 33, was arrested on July 3, the Justice Department said, adding a nine-count indictment was unsealed on July 8 in the Southern District of Texas alleging the involvement of that individual and a co-defendant in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021.

Xu was arrested in Milan, Italy, and will face extradition proceedings, the DOJ said in a statement.

It alleged China’s ministry of state security had directed theft of Covid-19 research and the exploitation of Microsoft email software vulnerabilities.

The Chinese government has denied allegations of being involved. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Xu’s lawyer said on July 8 that he is a victim of mistaken identity, that his surname is quite common in China and that his mobile phone had been stolen in 2020.

The 33-year-old IT manager at a Shanghai company appeared on July 8 before an appeals court in Milan, which will decide whether to send him to the United States. The man was arrested last week after he arrived at Milan’s Malpensa airport for a holiday in Italy with his wife.

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Understanding the RICO Charges in Atlanta

Since the beginning of 2023, prosecutors in Georgia have threatened to charge activists protesting against a planned police militarization facility known as “Cop City” with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Last week, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr indicted 61 people on RICO charges in Fulton County.

In indiscriminately lumping together scores of arrestees, many of whom have ostensibly never met, into a fabricated conspiracy case, the prosecution is attempting to criminalize protest itself. This case represents politically driven repression aimed at suppressing all forms of activism and dissent, in the style of Vladimir Putin. It should be of interest to anyone who is concerned about civil liberties such as the freedom to protest or the freedom to advocate against police brutality and authoritarianism or in favor of preserving the environment.

The indictment does not seem to indicate that prosecutors have any previously unreleased information at their disposal indicating the existence of a conspiracy, in the sense that the word is ordinarily employed. Rather, they have brought new charges against those whose names they already had as the result of previous arrests, and are now clumsily endeavoring to frame them as participants in a cohesive criminal enterprise.

The defendants include 42 people already charged with “terrorism” for allegedly participating in the movement to #StopCopCity, many of them on the basis of actions as simple as entering a forest or posting to social media; three more people already charged with felonies for allegedly distributing handbills; and another three people charged last May with “money laundering” and other crimes for organizing legal support for activists. None of these previous charges has resulted in a single conviction.

The only thing that connects all of these indictees is that they all appear to have been arrested or detained at some point, however randomly, on suspicion of protesting against the government’s plan to destroy the Weelaunee Forest.

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Germany Begins Process to Restart Deportations to Syria, Starting with Criminals

The German government has begun the process of lifting the protection status for some Syrian refugees with the aim of returning them to their homeland now that the civil war has ended.

Germany has long been one of the top destinations for Syrian asylum seekers after civil war broke out in 2011. This was ramped up during the 2015 Europe Migrant Crisis when then-Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the gates of the EU, allowing in around a million migrants into Germany, including hundreds of thousands of Syrians.

Now, with the fall of the Assad regime in Damascus and the recent election of Christian Democrat Friedrich Merz in Berlin, Germany finally appears set to begin the process of returning at least some Syrians home.

According to broadcaster NTV, this will start with Syrians convicted of crimes, with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) being ordered to “start revocation activities” for criminals from Syria.

Previously, even criminal migrants from Syria were allowed to remain in Germany as Berlin had determined that their homeland was not safe for them to return to.

However, others have argued that the government needs to go further, with the anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party saying that previous refugees must also be returned home, not just criminals.

AfD MP Gottfried Curio said: “After more than half a year has passed since the fall of the Assad regime, a new government has been established and the fighting has essentially ended. It is time for the federal government to also take these new realities into account in its asylum policy.”

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Ringleader of $30M grandparent scam network preying on unsuspecting seniors finally arrested

The ringleader of a $30 million scam network that preyed on seniors across a staggering 46 states has finally been arrested and now faces decades in prison for the alleged fraud.

Gareth West of Canada was taken in custody Friday for the scamming ring, in which callers phoned the older Americans, pretending they were their grandchildren who had been arrested or hurt and were desperate for cash, according to the Economic Times.

The worried elders were pressured to act fast and not tell other family members about the dire situation.

The scammers would then connect the victims to phony lawyers or bail agents and facilitate getting the money, even using ride-share services or couriers, the outlet reported.

West, who was taken into custody by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the request of US officials, hired dozens of people to help him with the intricate scam, with operated from call centers in the Montreal area and spoofed American phone numbers.

Under the guise of being a successful Montreal real estate developer, West allegedly used the money he racked up from the scams for his high-end lifestyle that included luxury cars, properties and travel.

In all, 23 people who were part of the scam had been arrested in the months before the RCMP, working with US Homeland Security Investigations, the IRS and provincial police, were able to nab West, authorities said.

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Feds seize $1M OC home at center of corruption scandal

The U.S. government has seized a home in unincorporated Tustin at the center of the corruption scheme involving former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do. The home was purchased by Do’s daughter Rhiannon Do for a little more than $1 million in 2023.

The downpayment came from taxpayer money awarded to a nonprofit led by Rhiannon Do. That money was supposed to be used to feed needy seniors.

The backstory: Andrew Do was sentenced to five years in prison last month for accepting bribes disguised as payments to his two adult daughters, including the $385,000 downpayment for Rhiannon Do’s home in unincorporated Tustin.

The forfeited assets: As part of Do’s sentencing, Judge James V. Selna found that he had an interest in the Tustin home, another property, and $2.4 million in bank accounts. Selna ordered the immediate transfer of the assets to the federal government.

What happens now? Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said the Tustin home would be “sold just like any other property,” and the money will be returned to Orange County.

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Gunmen kill Mexico city councillor during basketball game

Gunmen burst into a sports hall in central Mexico and shot dead a local government official attending an amateur basketball game on July 5, local authorities said.

Families and children had gathered at the sports centre in the violent state of Guanajuato, where Mr Ignacio Alejandro Roaro, a city council secretary in Apaseo el Grande, was killed.

The city council “strongly condemns the treacherous, despicable, and cowardly attack that occurred this Saturday, in which our colleague and friend, city council secretary Ignacio Alejandro Roaro, lost his life”, it said in a statement.

Local media said an armed man had been arrested.

Guanajuato is a thriving industrial hub and home to several popular tourist destinations, but it is also Mexico’s deadliest state due to gang turf wars, according to official homicide statistics.

In June, 11 people were shot dead and about 20 others injured in a shooting targeting a neighbourhood party in Irapuato, about 80km west of Apaseo el Grande.

A month earlier, 17 bodies were found by investigators in an abandoned house in Irapuato.

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