The horrific immigration policies of the previous administration has create an enormous array of tragic consequences our country must overcome. Will we - only time will tell!

 

Feds dismantle huge human smuggling ring that funneled 20,000 Guatemalan aliens into US, leaders face death penalty

Paul Sacca March 06, 2025 theblaze.com

US authorities nabbed leaders from 'one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States.'

Federal authorities in California have arrested and charged alleged leaders of a criminal organization said to have smuggled more than 20,000 illegal immigrants from Guatemala to the U.S. over five years — including seven who died in a car crash in 2023.

The U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement said in a recent statement, "An illegal alien from Guatemala was arrested on a four-count indictment alleging he led one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States."

'The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations.'

U.S. officials said the huge human trafficking ring "smuggled approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants from Guatemala to destinations nationwide over a five-year span." U.S. federal authorities estimated that illegal immigrants paid the human smuggling ring "between $15,000 and $18,000 for each illegal immigrant smuggled into the United States."

The human smuggling ring allegedly smuggled illegal aliens into Arizona, "where they were held in stash houses and eventually picked up by Renoj-Matul’s lieutenants." Illegal aliens were reportedly offered to be transported to Los Angeles for an additional fee.

ICE noted that the illegal immigrants who did not pay the fees were "held hostage in a stash house in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles."

"The defendant held some victims in stash houses as hostages and is responsible for the deaths of seven illegal immigrants — including a 4-year-old child — who were killed in a November 2023 car accident in Oklahoma," the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement.

Federal officials said that 51-year-old Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul – also known as "Turko" – was arrested in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 28.

Authorities also noted that Renoj-Matul's "right-hand man" – 49-year-old Cristobal Mejia-Chaj – was also arrested on the same day.

In all, four suspects in significant roles in the human smuggling ring were reportedly arrested. All the suspects are purportedly Guatemalan nationals who are or were illegally living in the U.S. at the time of the alleged offenses.

U.S. officials said they also arrested 41-year-old Helmer Obispo-Hernandez — a lieutenant in the criminal organization. ICE also allegedly nabbed 44-year-old Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj — a driver for the smuggling organization who is incarcerated in Oklahoma.

In a separate federal criminal complaint filed on March 2, Obispo-Hernandez is accused of threatening to cut off the heads of an ICE task force officer and members of his family on Feb. 28.

The feds said all four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, transporting aliens in the United States, and harboring aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death.

“These smuggling organizations have no regard for human life and their conduct kills,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Their members pose a danger to the public and law enforcement. We must vigorously enforce our immigration laws so that these organizations cannot operate. The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations. This work saves lives, and the members of the organization will now face significant consequences.”

ICE Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco said, "These arrests illuminate the dangers and victimization associated with aliens attempting to unlawfully enter our country. Every day, similar human smuggling organizations put profits ahead of safety in these reckless and illegal endeavors. ICE Los Angeles and our partners are committed to continue identifying and dismantling these organizations so no further lives are lost and our borders are secure.”

The U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement noted that if the defendants are convicted of all charges, they would face a statutory maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.

 

Isn't it amazing how elected officials blame 'others' for their mistakes and failed policies?

 

Mayors of "sanctuary cities" blame immigration crisis on federal policy, act wary of ICE warrants

By Steven Richards justthenews.com 3-6-25

The mayors — all Democrats — acknowledge Republicans' criticism of the Biden administration and now say that the large influx of legal and illegal immigrants to their cities was the result of federal policy choices under the Biden administration.

At a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday, mayors from four of America’s major sanctuary cities — all located in solidly blue states — testified that the federal government caused the immigration crisis, forcing them to expand services, and sparred with Republicans over cooperation with immigration enforcement operations. 

Mayor of New York City Eric Adams, Mayor of Denver Mike Johnston, Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu, and Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson appeared before the committee to defend their cities’ immigration policies. They collectively claimed that they continue to cooperate with “criminal warrants” from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Just the News reported. 

But, the Democratic mayors also acknowledged what Republicans had been criticizing the Biden administration for the last four years, specifically, that the large influx of legal and illegal immigrants to their cities was the result of federal policy choices. 

Severity and urgency

“When I was sworn into office 20 months ago, buses with immigrants were arriving in Denver with little-to-no notice or coordination. At the peak of the crisis, we saw ten-to-eleven buses per day, dropping off as many as 300 people, mostly women and children, on the streets of Denver in 10-degree weather with only sandals and a t-shirt, leaving them in danger of freezing to death,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston told lawmakers.

“All told, 42,000 people arrived over 18 months—the largest per capita influx of any city in America,” he said. 

Mike Johnston, the Mayor of Denver, expressed that the severity and urgency of the immigration crisis that unfolded over the last four years required his city to take action to take care of migrants who were dumped there by providing shelter and other services. 

“Denver faced the fundamental question: what our community would do with a mom and two kids dropped on the streets of our city with no warm clothes, no food, and no place to stay, while maintaining public safety in the city,” he said. “This was not a question of immigration reform; it was a question of what was the best course forward for the people of Denver and their safety and security.” 

New York City's Mayor Adams blamed federal immigration policy for the influx of illegal immigrants, saying that his city was forced to respond to the crisis and that his hands were tied by federal, state and local laws. 

“Federal law did not allow me to stop buses from entering New York City. State law required me to provide all in our city with housing and meals, and to educate children. City law makes it unlawful to collaborate with ICE for civil enforcement,” Adams told the committee.

Biden's 340% increase in immigrants granted interim legal status

The scope of the immigration crisis under the Biden administration was staggering. 

Data from Customs and Border Protection show that from 2021 to 2023 the number of “gotaways” at the border exploded by more than 340% from where it was at the highest point of the Trump administration. Border Patrol also recorded over 10 million encounters since the beginning of Biden’s term. 

The Biden administration also granted historic increases in Temporary Protected Status designations, leading to a 340% surge of foreign nationals protected from deportation and granted interim legal status in the United States. These designees included those who had immigrated to the country illegally.  

But, despite the mayors’ repeated insistence that they did—and would continue to—comply with all federal laws, Trump administration border czar Tom Homan expressed frustrations about local jurisdictions failing to collaborate with ICE enforcement operations.

Homan: "The immigrant community is behind me”

In particular, he has criticized sanctuary city mayors for their failures to hold aliens in detention after ICE issues administrative warrants, which start the deportation process. He blames the cities for forcing ICE to conduct enforcement operations in neighborhoods since they will not allow agents into local prisons.“More agents in jail means fewer agents in your neighborhoods,” Homan said.  

“You have forced me into the neighborhoods to find these people. It’s safer for the community, and safer for the agents to arrest the bad guy in the jail. And I think the immigrant community is behind me.”

However, local jurisdictions sometimes draw a distinction, often claiming that the administrative warrants do not bind a local law enforcement to act and only reflect the opinion of an ICE agent who issued it, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.

Rep. Jim Jordan raised the case of an illegal alien and Venezuelan gang member, Abraham Gonzalez, who assaulted the ICE agents who attempted to take him into custody after he was released from a Denver prison. Jordan, in a tense exchange at the hearing with Mayor Johnston, slammed the city for failing to provide federal immigration officials a more than one-hour notice that Gonzalez was being released. 

"Three hundred and forty-five days you had him in custody, and ICE said, ‘Hey can you give us 48 hours heads up?' You gave them one-hour notice,” Jordan said. "Guess what happened in that parking lot … one of the ICE officers got assaulted, didn’t he? They had to tase the guy, didn’t they?” the lawmaker asked. 

Jordan blamed the violence on the city’s sanctuary policy, under which officials released Gonzalez to the “streets,” instead of into ICE custody. “An officer got assaulted because your policy, which says, ‘We’re going to release him to — in your words, not mine — to the streets.’ They have to arrest him in the parking lot. They bring six officers when they could have just had one or two just come in your facility, into your jail, and take the guy there. But you won’t do it that way,” the lawmaker said. 

House Oversight Chairman James Comer confronted Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson about a separate case where a violent illegal immigrant, arrested in connection with a murder and a suspected member of a foreign gang, was released. The alien, associated with the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, was released in Chicago even though police believed they had sufficient cause to keep him in custody as a suspect in a murder, Fox News reported. The U.S. Department of State announced on February 20 that the gang was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization. 

City cooperation with ICE turns on criminal warrant

“Will you turn the criminal over to ICE?” Comer asked. 

“With a criminal warrant from the federal government our local law enforcement repeatedly collaborates with federal agents,” Johnson replied. 

Chicago’s “Welcoming City Ordinance” prevents local law enforcement and city employees from becoming involved in civil immigration enforcement or assisting federal authorities in such operations. 

“So you’re saying publicly today that you will turn that alien over to ICE in a safe place, like a jail, instead of turning them out on the street and saying ‘here you go, ICE, good luck.’ You will turn them over to ICE?” Comer asked. 

“With a criminal warrant, as we have done for 40 years,“ Johnson reiterated.

 

To overcome a national tragedy will take time - but the current Administration WILL accomplish the impossible!

 

JD Vance says mass deportations have been stalled because Biden 'gutted' immigration enforcement

Blaze News March 05, 2025 theblaze.com

He also hinted at new policies that would ramp up deportations soon.

Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that the greatest obstacle to the mass deportations promised by President Donald Trump was policies implemented by the previous Biden administation.

Vance was responding to a question from Blaze Media national correspondent Julio Rosas about some disappointment in the number of deportations since Trump took office 44 days ago. The vice president took questions after visiting the Mexico-U.S. border at Eagle Pass, Texas.

'We don't have to go around and arrest every person, but we will enforce the American people's immigration laws.'

"A lot of attention has been turned to the interior, since obviously there's been a lot of illegal immigrants. What is, in your opinion, the biggest obstacle to actually carrying out President Trump's mass deportations?" asked Rosas. "Even though, yes, apprehensions and arrests and deportations have gone up in his first month, but a lot of people were expecting a bigger capacity for deportations."

"So let me say a few things about that," Vance responded.

"First of all, Rome wasn't built in a day. And we have seen pretty significant increases in deportations and apprehensions and arrests, but we have to remember that President Biden gutted the entire immigration enforcement regime of this country. We are trying to rebuild so that we actually empower people to enforce the immigration laws of the American people," he added.

"It's common sense; it's what the American people want us to do," Vance said.

"There's a couple of other things that we are working on, and I don't want go get ahead of any public announcements, but one of the ways that we wanted to make sure that we're enforcing our border is that we make it easier for people who are here illegally to go back home of their own accord," he continued.

"We don't have to go around and arrest every person, but we will enforce the American people's immigration laws," Vance said. "If you're here illegally, the message from our administration is: You should go back home, and if you want to come to the United States, apply through the proper channels. That's an important thing that we're doing."

He went to say that another obstacle is the cost of enforcement, which he said the administration is prioritizing in order to continue increasing immigration enforcement.

"We've made a lot of progress, but we're gonna keep working on it over the remainder of the president's term," he concluded.