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Trump Administration Moves To Deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia – To Uganda

Gage Skidmore Flickr

New court filings reveal that the Trump administration is threatening to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda — a move his attorneys describe as coercive. Abrego, a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year, declined a plea deal tied to human smuggling charges. In response, prosecutors withdrew an offer that would have allowed him to enter Costa Rica — a safe, Spanish-speaking country where he’d face no detention after serving time — and instead pursued deportation to Uganda.

His attorneys argue immigration authorities are essentially offering a forced choice: accept guilt and a path to Costa Rica, or refuse and risk being sent to Uganda, where his safety — and legal protections — are uncertain at best.

As The Hill reports:

Federal prosecutors on Thursday offered Abrego Garcia the option to “live freely” with refugee or residency status in Costa Rica after serving prison time for federal human smuggling charges in exchange for a guilty plea, per his lawyers in the Saturday filings.

Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to a notorious prison in his native El Salvador, declined the offer on Friday to instead return to his family in Maryland. He had been imprisoned in a Tennessee jail.

After his return to Maryland, Abrego Garcia’s attorneys were notified later in the day that he must report to an Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) field office in Baltimore on Monday — and that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to deport him to Uganda.

“The only thing that happened between Thursday—Costa Rica—and Friday—Uganda— was Mr. Abrego’s exercise of his legal entitlement to release under the Bail Reform Act and the Fifth Amendment…,” Abrego Garcia’s defense team wrote.

Saturday’s revelations mark a significant escalation, as Uganda recently entered into a U.S. agreement to accept third-country deportees— but explicitly excluding individuals with criminal records or unaccompanied minors. Abrego’s legal team contends that his criminal charges make such deportation both inappropriate and potentially dangerous.

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Trump Eyes Chicago In Crime Crackdown Expansion

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he plans to expand his crime crackdown strategy to Chicago, calling the city “a mess” and signaling more federal involvement in local law enforcement.

This move comes after the recent federal takeover of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the deployment of federal agents — including National Guard troops — across Washington, D.C., as part of the administration’s ongoing law-and-order agenda.

“After we do this will go to another location, and we’ll make it safe, also. We’re going to make our country very safe,” Trump said to reporters while seated at the Resolute desk. “We’re going to make our cities very, very safe. Chicago’s a mess.”

Unsurprisingly, progressive Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t on board. In recent weeks, he has fired back at Trump’s threats, touting a supposed drop in crime under his leadership. Johnson points to homicides being down more than 30% and shootings nearly 40% compared with last year.

He also warned that bringing in the National Guard would only make matters worse, calling it “destabilizing.” Johnson pointed to the Trump administration’s record, arguing that its $158 million cut to violence prevention funding created upheaval in underserved communities.

Gov. JB Pritzker — widely seen as a likely 2028 presidential contender — also pushed back, accusing Trump of making personal attacks and defending Illinois’ progressive approach to criminal justice reform.

Fox News continues:

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump threatened to federalize D.C. because of the city’s struggle to control crime. The Aug. 3 attempted carjacking and brutal beating of a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer brought the issue back to the spotlight, sparking national debate. The following week, on Aug. 11, Trump declared a crime emergency in D.C., sparking the federal takeover.

“The city government’s failure to maintain public order and safety has had a dire impact on the federal government’s ability to operate efficiently to address the nation’s broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence,” Trump’s executive order read.

On Friday, Trump declared on Truth Social that D.C. was “safe again” and that it would soon “be great again.” He also praised law enforcement personnel for “doing a fantastic job.”

Under the Posse Comitatus Act and the 10th Amendment, the president can’t deploy federal or National Guard troops into a state without the governor’s approval — unless certain rare conditions are met. Without that consent, the move would almost certainly trigger a constitutional fight.

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Smartmatic Execs Accused Of Bribery Scheme Tied To $300M LA Voting Contract

Federal prosecutors in Miami say top Smartmatic executives funneled money from a $300 million Los Angeles County voting contract into an illegal slush fund.

According to the Justice Department, Smartmatic co-founder Roger Alejandro Piñate Martinez and two others used shell companies and fake invoices to siphon off cash from the taxpayer-funded deal. That money allegedly ended up in bribes paid to government officials in Venezuela and the Philippines.

Joe DePaolo of Mediaite offers further insights:

Smartmatic is suing Fox News for $2.7 billion — alleging the network defamed them by promoting President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election in the days and weeks after the 2020 vote.

The new filing is part of a corruption case in Florida against the three Smartmatic executives for allegedly operating a bribery and money-laundering scheme in which they are accused of paying off an election official in the Philippines to help secure $182 million in contracts. The DOJ also claims the executives carried a similar plot with a Venezuelan official — whom the executives gave a home with a pool in 2019, according to prosecutors.

The DOJ hasn’t charged Smartmatic as a company, nor has it accused any L.A. County officials of wrongdoing. Still, the department is clearly using the L.A. contract to establish a pattern of corrupt practices tied to the voting tech firm.

DePaolo continues:

Notably, the original case against the Smartmatic executives was brought in August 2024, during the final months of the Biden administration.

In a statement provided to the Los Angeles Times, Smartmatic spokesperson Samira Saba said the DOJ’s filing contained misrepresentations that were “untethered from reality.”

The DOJ’s latest move builds on earlier charges against the same executives. Federal prosecutors had previously accused Piñate of laundering money through a similar slush fund to bribe election officials in the Philippines during the 2016 elections.

To be clear, no one is alleging votes were tampered with or election results altered. The charges focus strictly on financial corruption — kickbacks, shell firms, and international bribery.

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Police Apprehend Suspects Linked To DOGE Staffer Beating

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A former staffer from President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — affectionately known by insiders as “Big Balls” — was the target of a violent attempted carjacking early Sunday morning in the heart of the nation’s capital.

Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old software engineer and one of the standout young voices behind Trump’s government-cutting initiative, was ambushed around 3 a.m. in the Logan Circle neighborhood — a once-proud district now plagued by rising crime and emboldened youth gangs.

According to police, a pack of teens approached Coristine and his girlfriend near their vehicle. The thugs made threats about stealing the car before Coristine — in true America First fashion — pushed his girlfriend to safety and prepared to defend himself.

The mob attacked him until law enforcement officers, thankfully patrolling nearby, intervened. The suspects scattered, but two 15-year-old males were later apprehended and charged with unarmed carjacking.

This disturbing incident is yet another example of what happens when Democrat-run cities allow lawlessness to fester

Trump on Tuesday called for the District of Columbia to change its laws to allow for teenagers 14 and older to be prosecuted as adults and face lengthy prison sentences.

He shared on Truth Social a graphic image of the bloodied former DOGE employee, but did not name Coristine, and included a lengthy message attacking violent crime in Washington. Trump blamed the city’s crime on local “youths,” who he said were not fearful of consequences.

“They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” the president wrote. “The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these ‘minors’ as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14. The most recent victim was beaten mercilessly by local thugs.”

“Washington, D.C., must be safe, clean, and beautiful for all Americans and, importantly, for the World to see,” Trump added. “If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore.”

Trump Mulls Deploying National Guard To DC

President Donald J. Trump is presented with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade challenge coin following an air assault and gun rain demonstration at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13. The demonstration was part of President Trump's visit to the 10th Mountain Division (LI) to sign the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, which increases the Army's authorized active-duty end strength by 4,000 enabling us to field critical capabilities in support of the National Defense Strategy. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Scaggs) 180813-A-TZ475-010

President Donald Trump is seriously considering deploying up to 1,000 National Guard troops to Washington D.C., a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News.

The troops would likely be pulled from the DC National Guard, although the decision about sending National Guard troops is not final, the official said. 

Federal agents have deployed to DC streets in recent days, including officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Trump said on social media on Sunday that the news conference on crime and “beautification” will “not only involve ending the Crime, Murder, and Death in our Nation’s Capital, but will also be about Cleanliness and the General Physical Renovation and Condition of our once beautiful and well maintained Capital.”

“Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today!,” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. “Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will, MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN! The days of ruthlessly killing, or hurting, innocent people, are OVER! I quickly fixed the Border (ZERO ILLEGALS in last 3 months!), D.C. is next!!!” 

Trump described D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser – who publicly clashed with Trump during the George Floyd riots in 2020 – “a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the Crime Numbers get worse, and the City only gets dirtier and less attractive.” 

“The American Public is not going to put up with it any longer,” the president wrote. “Just like I took care of the Border, where you had ZERO Illegals coming across last month, from millions the year before, I will take care of our cherished Capital, and we will make it, truly, GREAT AGAIN! Before the tents, squalor, filth, and Crime, it was the most beautiful Capital in the World. It will soon be that again. Thank you for your attention to this matter — See you tomorrow at 10 A.M.!” 

The president has reignited his warnings about a federal government takeover of Washington, and said he may even deploy the National Guard over recent crime. 

Bowser told MSNBC on Sunday that “it is always the president’s prerogative to use federal law enforcement of the National Guard.” 

On Sunday, police instituted a juvenile curfew in the popular Navy Yard neighborhood, after a stolen gun was discharged during a large gathering of young people late on Saturday. The incident came even as the White House had deployed a surge of federal law enforcement officers in the city over the weekend. 

Trump also said the homeless population would have to move “immediately,” posting photos of encampments and trash on the streets. 

“There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY,’” Trump posted. “We want our Capital BACK.”

Last week, Trump teased taking federal control of D.C. after former Department of Government Efficiency employee Edward “Big Balls” Coristine was brutally beaten during an attempted carjacking by teenage suspects. 

Senate Panel Blocks Trump’s FBI HQ Plan

I, Aude, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

A Senate committee voted Thursday afternoon to block President Donald Trump’s plan to keep the FBI headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C., escalating a simmering power struggle over the agency’s future location.

The dispute pits the White House against a bipartisan coalition in Congress that had long backed moving the agency’s headquarters out of the decaying J. Edgar Hoover Building and into suburban Maryland.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced an amendment to the fiscal 2026 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill that would restrict funding exclusively to the original relocation site in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The measure gained unexpected bipartisan traction, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) siding with Democrats. The decision to cross party lines prompted a backlash from several Republican senators, who argued the decision was outside the committee’s authority.

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) pushed back, saying the panel does not “get to choose sites.”

The dispute led Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) to call for a “very long recess,” delaying further consideration of the bill. Collins said she hopes the standoff can be resolved before the next markup session.

“I think it’s better we withdraw the bill for now than watch this bill go down,” she said.

The panel is not expected to reconvene before next week.

Trump’s plan would relocate the FBI to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center — a federal property just blocks from the White House. The administration argues the move keeps the FBI close to other national security agencies while avoiding the massive cost of building a new complex from scratch.

But Maryland officials aren’t backing down, determined to secure the economic and strategic benefits of hosting the new FBI campus.

Politico has more on the reaction and outlook from lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

The blowup exasperated some Democrats on the panel, who questioned why the Republican majority could not accept Van Hollen’s provision. “Because there was a bipartisan amendment adopted we’re going to tank this bill?” asked Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz.

Others expressed confidence the issue would ultimately get settled.

“I honestly think we’ll be able to resolve it,” said Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the panel’s top Democrat. “We’ve always been able to work out issues.”

Murkowski, who was spotted chatting on the floor on Thursday afternoon with Murray, said she had “volunteered” a path for members to hit pause on the bill and “get a little more information about what it is the administration is seeking to do with the [new headquarters plan], because it seems to me that is kind of the blank spot right now.”

Despite cautious optimism, Thursday’s vote throws another wrench into the increasingly politicized debate over the FBI’s future headquarters — and highlights the broader friction between Congress and the Trump administration.

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Secret Service Suspends 6 Agents Over Trump Assassination Attempt

By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,

Without Pay or Benefits…

The U.S. Secret Service has acknowledged disciplinary action against six agents, citing operational lapses during the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The agency confirmed to Fox News that the disciplinary action occurred in February. A Senate report on the near-assassination is scheduled for imminent release.

The attack occurred when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a rooftop roughly 400 feet from the rally stage. One bullet grazed Trump’s ear. Another fatally struck firefighter Corey Comperatore, who had shielded his family. Increasingly erratic gunfire from Crooks wounded two others before Secret Service counter-snipers neutralized him.

Leadership Fallout and Push for Reform

In the wake of the incident, then–Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned, acknowledging it as the agency’s most serious operational failure in decades.

Acknowledging the desire for institutional reform, Deputy Director Matt Quinn stated, “We aren’t going to fire our way out of this.” Among the measures already underway: deploying military-grade drones, upgrading communication systems, and enhancing cooperation with local law enforcement.

Heated Congressional Oversight

Yet tensions boiled over in December 2024 during a public hearing held by the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump. Then–Acting Director Ronald Rowe Jr. and Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) engaged in a heated, nearly unintelligible shouting match over the agency’s preparedness.

Lawmakers across party lines expressed deep frustration. Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) criticized the agency’s outdated communications and a culture that discouraged agents from voicing security concerns.

Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) described the Secret Service’s posture during the Butler rally as “almost lackadaisical,” citing “really basic” lapses that hinted at complacency.

The bipartisan panel released a scathing report, outlining multiple preventable failures and calling for sweeping structural reforms.

Restoring Trust Under New Leadership

In January 2025, President Trump appointed Sean Curran — the agent who shielded him that day in Butler — as the new director of the Secret Service, signaling a commitment to restoring trust and accountability within the agency.

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Former Coast Guard Officer Arrested After Allegedly Threatening To Assassinate Trump

Arrest image via Pixabay

A former Coast Guard lieutenant was recently arrested for allegedly making threats to kill President Donald Trump.

Peter Stinson, a Virginia resident and retired U.S. Coast Guard officer, has been charged with making threats to assassinate former President Donald Trump, according to a newly unsealed FBI affidavit.

Stinson, who served from 1988 to 2021 and held posts as a sharpshooter and FEMA instructor, allegedly made numerous violent and graphic threats across multiple social media platforms over the past year. He is now facing a federal charge of making threats against a former U.S. president — a serious federal crime — and is scheduled to make his first court appearance this Wednesday.

The affidavit, filed Friday and reviewed by multiple news outlets, alleges that Stinson made detailed threats involving guns, poison, and knives. His posts were discovered by the FBI through monitoring of open-source platforms, including BlueSky, X (formerly Twitter), and others.

In a particularly disturbing May 9 post, Stinson reportedly stated that Trump needed to be “[L]uigied,” — a dark reference to Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2023. Authorities allege that Stinson used the nickname as a coded call for violence.

In another post, Stinson reportedly doubted his own capability to carry out such an act, saying he “lacked the necessary skills,” only to contradict himself by hinting he wasn’t “being entirely truthful.”

Federal officials also cite at least 13 references to “8647,” a number they believe ties back to a 2020 Instagram post made by former FBI Director James Comey, which some in the media interpreted as an oblique threat toward Trump. That post led to an internal review by the Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service, though no public charges were brought at the time.

Stinson openly identified as a member of Antifa, the loosely organized far-left extremist network that has been associated with political violence in cities such as Portland, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

On February 2, he allegedly wrote on X:

“Sure. This is war. Sides will be drawn. Antifa always wins in the end. Violence is inherently necessary.”

Despite Antifa being linked to multiple incidents of property destruction and direct confrontations with law enforcement, mainstream media and some political leaders have often downplayed or denied its organized nature. However, federal law enforcement continues to monitor Antifa activity as a potential domestic threat.

Stinson’s last cited threat came just days before the affidavit was filed, in a June 11 post on BlueSky. He reportedly wrote:

“When he dies, the party is going to be yuge.”

Stinson has been formally charged with making threats against a former president and could face years in federal prison if convicted. The U.S. Secret Service and DHS are continuing to investigate his digital footprint and any possible associates.

He is scheduled to appear in court for an initial hearing this week.

Trump Greenlights ‘Largest Deportation Operation’As Unrest Spreads

By U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/ero, Public Domain,

President Trump is doubling down…

Over the weekend, President Trump announced ICE must “expand efforts to detain and deport” illegal immigrants in “America’s largest [c]ities,” including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.”

The president’s comment came in a Truth Social post on Sunday evening after a week of anti-ICE protests that have taken place in major cities across the country, with most demonstrations remaining peaceful while others turned into violent riots in places like LA and Portland.

“Our Nation’s ICE Officers have shown incredible strength, determination, and courage as they facilitate a very important mission, the largest Mass Deportation Operation of Illegal Aliens in History,” Trump wrote. “Every day, the Brave Men and Women of ICE are subjected to violence, harassment, and even threats from Radical Democrat Politicians, but nothing will stop us from executing our mission, and fulfilling our Mandate to the American People.”

“ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” the president added.

The immigration protests began in LA on June 7, after local ICE raids resulted in hundreds of arrests.

The president immediately deployed the National Guard to the area when protests started two weeks ago, garnering criticism from Democrats insisting their presence would only escalate tensions.

As the protests and riots expanded nationally, continuing into this weekend, violence also took hold of certain crowds, injuring both federal and local law enforcement officials, as well as demonstrators. 

On Saturday, an innocent bystander was fatally shot during an organized protest in Salt Lake City, Utah, when two event peacekeepers in neon vests opened fire on a suspect, Arturo Gamboa, 24, who ran toward the crowd with a rifle, and ended up shooting the wrong person.

In spite of the protests, Trump doubled down on his efforts to deport illegal immigrants in his Sunday post.

“In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside,” he said. “These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.”

He added that he wants ICE officers “to know that REAL Americans are cheering [them] on every day.”

“The American People want our Cities, Schools, and Communities to be SAFE and FREE from Illegal Alien Crime, Conflict, and Chaos,” he wrote. “That’s why I have directed my entire Administration to put every resource possible behind this effort, and reverse the tide of Mass Destruction Migration that has turned once Idyllic Towns into scenes of Third World Dystopia. Our Federal Government will continue to be focused on the REMIGRATION of Aliens to the places from where they came, and preventing the admission of ANYONE who undermines the domestic tranquility of the United States.”

The Trump administration called for a halt on deportation raids on agricultural sites, hotels and restaurants, and not to arrest “noncriminal collaterals” the New York Times reported. The move came out of fears that the sweeping raids were hurting key industries in the U.S.

Musk Apologizes To Trump After Public Feud

Waving the white flag…

Early Wednesday morning, billionaire Elon Musk publicly apologized to President Donald Trump, putting an end to the online feud.

Musk, who recently deleted posts warning that Trump was named in the files relating to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, had mostly broken with Trump over the “One Big Beautiful Bill” currently moving through the Senate. He went so far in a number of posts to call for people to vote against anyone in Congress who supported it.

In his Wednesday morning post, however, he voiced regret for how far he’d taken his attacks: “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.”

Many began to question whether a reconciliation between the two billionaires was on the table as Musk voiced his support for Trump’s actions in California.

On several occasions, Musk either reposted or commented positively on posts from Trump or his team regarding the administration’s actions to control the rioting in Los Angeles County.

Musk also shared Trump’s statement criticizing California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass for their failure to restore order once the protests turned violent. Rioters have been seen specifically targeting law enforcement and federal agents, including throwing rocks at federal vehicles.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Monday that 40-year-old Elpidio Reyna, a resident of Compton, California, was the man seen on video throwing rocks at law enforcement vehicles in Paramount, injuring one federal officer and damaging government vehicles.

“Elpidio Reyna can run, but he can’t hide. He threw rocks at federal officers leaving a command post in Paramount on Saturday, a brazen attack caught on film and that could have resulted in deaths. Reyna, 40, is charged with assault on a federal officer, and faces up to eight years in prison if convicted,” Essayli posted on X. 

A video shared with the post shows a man wearing a motorcycle helmet pelting rocks at federal vehicles on Saturday afternoon. 

Reyna has not yet been arrested, and the FBI is offering $50,000 for information that leads to his capture. 

Trump authorized sending another 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Monday and deployed hundreds of Marines. 

“The Insurrectionists have a tendency to spit in the face of the National Guardsmen/women, and others,” he posted on Truth Social. “These Patriots are told to accept this, it’s just the way life runs. But not in the Trump Administration. IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!”