Brevard County, FL sheriff’s deputies working with U.S. Border Patrol, March 2025.

As we are well underway in President Donald Trump’s second term, his base has increasingly gotten antsy over the pace and aggressiveness for deportations. Many view carrying out one million deportations per year as the bare minimum to achieve any long lasting effect.

The Trump administration has said the federal government carried out over 600,000 deportations and around 2 million illegal aliens self-deported in 2025. Some dispute the self-deportation numbers as it is hard to say for certain how many decided to leave on their own accord if they do not tell DHS. That said, self-deportations has been a very real trend under Trump 2.0.

In my recent interview with Mike Howell, who is part of the Mass Deportation Coalition, he said he believes the Trump administration could have achieved that one million benchmark last year in spite of the many legal challenges and violence from the far-left but feels they were not aggressive enough.

While the purpose of this piece is not to excuse away any valid criticisms of how the Trump administration has been handling deportations, keyword being valid, it seems that red states also avoiding much deserved criticisms for not doing enough to help the federal government.

Naturally, states like California, Illinois, and New York are going to do everything in their power to make it as hard as possible for DHS and ICE to do their work. The easiest way for state and local law enforcement to help DHS beyond allowing access to jails is participation in the 287(g) program. The federal initiative allows local law enforcement to carry out immigration-related duties, often in conjunction with ICE or Border Patrol.

“We, states and local governments, should be proactive. Relying on the federal government is abdication of responsibility and duty to Idahoans and Americans.”

ICE reports there have been 1,637 Memorandums of Agreement for 287(g) programs covering 39 states and 2 U.S. territories as of April. It needs to be said this is a dramatic increase from the Biden-Harris administration.

I have reported extensively on the program and have seen it in action in states like Florida. It has been required since last year for all law enforcement agencies to enroll in the 287(g) program. In that time, Florida law enforcement has arrested and turned over 20,000 illegal aliens to DHS. This is in addition to helping with capacity by operating Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades.

With the successes Florida has seen with enhance cooperation with the federal government, not all red states have been as eager to replicate those results.

Take Idaho. A similar bill to Florida’s law that mandates 287(g) participation has been proposed and hotly debated, but unlike Florida, the idea was strongly opposed by law enforcement.

The Idaho Sheriffs’ Association, the Idaho Fraternal Order of Police, and the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association all opposed the legislation, according to the Idaho Capital Sun.

The author of the original bill in the Senate offered a watered-down version to address law enforcements’ criticisms and they still said no.

“We don’t need a law to tell us to go out and work with ICE. We’re working with ICE, and we don’t have the manpower to go out and do ICE’s job. That’s ICE’s job. So we really just want the relationship that we’ve had, and we have had for decades, where we work with ICE, we assist ICE, but they do their job and we do ours,” Payette County Sheriff Andy Creech told the Sun.

A third attempt to pass the 287(g) requirement made it beyond the House but it died in the Senate because the “procedure by which the bill was brought violated Senate rules.”

Gregg Diacogiannis, a Republican who is running for Idaho’s House District 9B, told MP.M the resistance to greater cooperation is frustrating when he sees Florida walking the walk.

“Both are seen as ruby red states, but only Florida is keep up with their reputation,” Diacogiannis, an Army veteran, said. “Governor Little is nearly silent on the biggest issue in Idaho. The Idaho Sheriffs Association has been actively lobbying against immigration enforcement at the state and local level. They send a few sheriffs to committee meetings, in uniform, to testify against any and all immigration related bills.”

Diacogiannis accused Creech of “trying to gaslight the public on what the 287(g) program is and how it works” after the sheriff got public backlash.

“We, states and local governments, should be proactive. Relying on the federal government is abdication of responsibility and duty to Idahoans and Americans,” Diacogiannis added.

Other states like Iowa saw their Department of Public Safety enter into a 287(g) agreement, but reporting at the time revealed it was only for a three-member task force. Dubuque County Sheriff Joe Kennedy, a Democrat, said last year he would not want to be required to work with ICE because of capacity and monetary concerns.

Then we have a case like Texas. The 287(g) map shows there are many agreements throughout the state and Operation Lone Star, which was started in response to the Biden-Harris border crisis, is still ongoing.

That said, there are still areas working to undermine the cooperation.

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The free YouTube version of my interview can be found here:

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It should really not be a surprise anymore, but I admit every time I see the “peaceful” protest talking point, it makes me want to start my own riot.

As I previously reported, the gathering outside the Roybal Federal Building during the “No Kings” protest on Saturday quickly turned violent after anti-ICE rioters tried to breach the security fence. The attacks against federal agents continued for nearly two hours. Multiple dispersal orders were given to the crowd, not to mention the tear gas, but many refused to leave on their own accord.

This is why the Los Angeles Police Department was deployed to help make arrests for the rioters who refused to leave the street.

Despite the multiple videos and photos showing the crowd was violent, it has not stopped local Democrats from claiming it was a “peaceful” gathering and it was the police who were in the wrong.

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LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The “No Kings” protest brought out tens of thousands of people out by City Hall. Unlike many other “No Kings” locations, there was a good mix of older and younger people in attendance. It is because there were a lot of younger people in the crowd, it was no surprise when some of them made their way to the Roybal Federal Building to battle against federal agents once again.

The loading dock location for the federal building has long been the site of many riots since last June. The open parking space usually provides crowds easy access to the rear of the building in order to cause damage or prevent vehicles from entering or leaving. Because of the repeated attacks, there have been security fences installed to stop the crowd’s easy access.

As usual, however, the presence of a fence provides the anti-ICE rioters a target to go after. It did not take long before people started to kick the fence’s gate in an attempt to break it or try to peel apart the panels of the fence. The Federal Protective Service came out to get the agitators to stop. When the agents got close, rioters started to throw bottles and spit at them, resulting in pepper balls and tear gas being used.

Because I was so focused on the skirmishes at the fence, I did not notice other people in the crowd had broken apart concrete barriers to make small pieces in order to throw at the agents. Federal agents deployed more canisters once the concrete chunks were being thrown. The Department of Homeland Security later stated two agents were injured by the thrown concrete.

Once most of the tear gas dissipated, the crowd came back to continue their attacks. It took some more time before the Los Angeles Police Department showed up. Dozens of protesters and rioters remained in the street despite several dispersal warnings from police. Federal agents and LAPD did make arrests, targeting those who threw concrete or did not leave the area. The Los Angeles Times reported 70 people were arrested.

“To those who were smashing concrete blocks and throwing them at our officers, we have you on video. We will find you and arrest you too. You’ve been warned,” said Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.

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Florida sheriffs and police chiefs who are on the state’s Immigration Enforcement Council made headlines this week after six out of eight members came out in favor of mainly targeting illegal aliens with criminal records, instead of anyone who is in the country illegally.

“We are 100 percent full throttle in favor of it and support it,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri “But what’s right’s right and what’s not’s not.”

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who is no stranger to national headlines due to his comments on being tough on crime, said he wants Congress to create a pathway to citizenship for illegals who are, otherwise, following the law and contributing to the community.

Judd has since doubled down on his stance following heavy criticism.

The board said they will be writing a letter to President Donald Trump to urge him to shift immigration enforcement priorities and to call for Congress to create that pathway to citizenship for those who qualify.

What made their recent comments more head turning was the fact that the members were appointed by Republicans such as Governor Ron DeSantis and Senate President Ben Albritton.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters opposed the majority’s opinion, saying, “I was not on the call referenced and do not share or endorse the comments made by others. Our focus remains on enforcing the law and continuing our mission to make Jacksonville a safer place for all residents.”

DeSantis addressed the debate on Thursday during his press conference in Bradenton.

“This idea that unless you’re an axe murderer you should be able to stay, that is not consistent with our laws and it’s also not good policy,” he said.

“’You come illegally and you stay until you commit a really violent crime,’ that just doesn’t work. It’s incoherent and it’s not what the President ran on,” he continued, adding that sending a letter to the president to go back on his campaign promise would be a bad idea.

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As I previously reported when I was with the Florida Highway Patrol, due to Florida law that requires all law enforcement agencies to actively work with ICE and Border Patrol, state and local agencies have made over 20,000 arrests since spring of last year.

As someone who has been covering immigration and the southern border since 2019, I can tell you the recent weak-kneed response to leftist violence and media distortions…

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I interviewed the team of Starts With One Today who I was with last month as they showed me the rampant dog abuse in Los Angeles’ Skid Row. Victoriah Parker, Jonathan Parker, and Joey Tuccio provided an update on the dogs featured in my report, their response to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass calling them dishonest about the city’s efforts, and how people can help even if they do not live in Los Angeles.

You can read the first report here:

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It wasn’t too long ago that Mexico was in our national headlines because of an outbreak of violence. For those who need a refresher, the Mexican military carried out an operation against the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the largest and most violent cartel in Mexico.

El Mencho reportedly died from his wounds while he was being transferred to Mexico City. As a result, CJNG sicarios unleashed mayhem in the parts of Mexico they control. It was in a lot of places.

Even the resort city of Puerto Vallarta was caught in the violence and acts of arson, spooking many vacationers. Though no foreigners were killed in the day of violence, the rampage of revenge has given many people pause on whether to go to Mexico on vacation or business.

My Mom and I have a saying when it comes to Mexico: When things are good, they are great! The food, culture, people, and yes, the good exchange rate for U.S. dollars, is why I love visiting whenever I can. But, when things are bad, they are really bad. CJNG’s reaction to their leader’s death was another reminder of that.

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As someone who has been to Mexico multiple times throughout the years, the sad reality is there is an uneasy peace that can be shattered in an instant because of the cartels’ power in many parts of the country. The main reasons for dangerous zones in Mexico is because different cartels or different factions of the same cartel fight for control. The flip side, some “safe” cities or states are simply due to one cartel being firmly in control. Which is why Puerto Vallarta is technically safe, so long as nothing happens to piss off CJNG. Naturally, the death of their leader pissed them off.

That said, there are places you can still go to where such concerns are minimal. As my headline states, I just returned from Mexico and I felt safe because of where I went.

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BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — After putting on his playlist that features highway-themed songs, Florida Highway Patrol Investigator Robert Valenzuela raced to the scene of two illegal aliens who barricaded themselves in a house after fleeing a traffic stop.

In what was supposed to take 30 minutes from where we started, we made it to the scene in less than 20 minutes thanks to the flashing lights and sirens. By the time we arrived, other members of the task force, which included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, and Diplomatic Security Service, were ordering the suspects to come out of the house. Fort Lauderdale police were also on standby.

Another FHP trooper told them in Spanish they had until the count of five to come out or else the door was going to be busted down. Right before ICE agents broke down the door, the two suspects came out and were quickly taken into custody.

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I was embedded with FHP last week as they worked with federal immigration agents, which is possible thanks to ICE’s 287(g) program. The 287(g) agreements allow trained local law enforcement to carry out certain federal immigration-related enforcement.

By the end of the three-day operation, FHP and its federal partners made 171 arrests. Unlike sanctuary cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, or Los Angeles, the cooperation between the feds and state did not have unrest or riots in response to the operation.

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Florida, as usual, has taken the lead and has the most 287(g) agreements in the country after Governor Ron DeSantis pushed for a bill that mandated law enforcement agencies in the state participate in the initiative. The reason was so that all localities do more than just allowing ICE access to county jails. DeSantis signed the bill into law last year.

In the time since then, Florida law enforcement have arrested more than 20,000 illegal aliens. FHP accounts for nearly 9,000 of those arrests. At the start of the week’s operation, 1,567 of them had criminal histories beyond being in the U.S. illegally.

The way it works is troopers who are accredited through 287(g) initiate traffic stops after obtaining probable cause. Reasons for stops range from speeding, improper placement of registration tags, reckless driving, or not wearing seatbelts.

If people do not run after coming to a stop (several bailouts took place during the week), it does not take long to determine the driver or passengers need to have their legal status checked. The driver often does not have a driver’s license, does not speak any English, or presents a passport from a foreign country. ICE or Border Patrol agents then check the person’s information to see if they have any pending immigration proceedings or have some form of legal status.

Arrests take place if it is determined they are in the country illegally or can have a court appearance to determine their legal status at a closer date.

At no point did I witness racial profiling. In fact, Investigator Valenzuela pulled over many vehicles for blatant reckless driving, a south Florida staple, and the drivers were U.S. citizens.

Criminal histories discovered during last week’s operation included:

• MS-13 gang member with a final order of removal

• Aggravated child abuse

• Battery

• Burglary

• Possession and Conspiracy to Sell Heroin

• Firearm and Drug Trafficking

• Illegal Possession of a Firearm

“There are some really bad people being taken into custody,” FHP Captain Ryan Martina told me at the end of the three-day operation. “What people have to realize is bad people have jobs too. Murderers have jobs too. Murderers work in landscaping. Rapists have jobs and bad people have to drive.”

As previously stated, there was no major incident of unrest or violence from the general public. However, it does not mean there are no obstacles FHP has to deal with…

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Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass each have put out statements after my recent report about dog abuse on Skid Row and after many years of public pressure from groups like Starts With One Today. The responses came as attention to the problem and calls to do something have grown in recent weeks.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, yes that PETA, recently sent a letter to Newsom, urging him to get involved to stop the dog abuse and neglect since LA officials are not doing enough.

“We realize that addressing the needs of the humans living on Skid Row is difficult and complex, but enforcing existing to protect animals is not,” PETA wrote. “It is illegal to breed dogs in Los Angeles as long as shelters are at 75% capacity (which they are well over). People on Skid Row are breeding dogs. Therefore, action needs to be taken.”

In an unsurprising turn of events, Newsom passed the buck to Los Angeles and Bass’ team accused animal rescuers of being dishonest about the situation.

“The state does not condone mistreatment of animals, which should be protected from abuse or neglect. We urge local communities, including Los Angeles, to address any abuse or neglect occurring within their jurisdiction,” a spokesperson for Newsom told FOXLA reporter Matthew Seedorf.

Bass’ office said the accusations of not doing anything to crackdown on animal abuse are “entirely false and irresponsible,” pointing to how 50 LAPD officers have been trained to identify and act on such cases.

If that is the best excuse Bass and Newsom have, then it falls apart when confronted with reality. As my recent report showed…

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LOS ANGELES, Calif. — “We have to hurry up. They’re about to leave,” Victoriah Parker told me as we were walking through Skid Row. We were heading towards the first dog in need while Parker was giving me the lay of the land of what she and volunteers with Starts With One Today see in their efforts to help the dogs who are trapped living on the streets.

Unsurprisingly, it’s beyond vile. I know the tendency is to not want to watch dogs suffering. I didn’t either. However, I ask you to not look away and join me in sharing their suffering and misery so their story gets amplified loudly enough to end this for good.

In addition to overbreeding to maintain an income, drug users also test their drugs on dogs to avoid overdosing and, according to Parker, they have seen cases of humans raping the dogs.

“The dog is literally about to die,” Parker emphasized to the others in our group to pick up the pace. We ran the last block.

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Once we got to where the dog was, I could see Parker was not exaggerating.

The dog, Bishop, was covered in wounds that were infected, her fur was mangy, she was so thin her ribs could be seen, and she had a look of defeat in her eyes. What made the situation even worse was Bishop had been seen in much better condition by SWOT only a few months ago. The abuse and neglect she suffered in a short amount of time had brought her to the brink of death. A SWOT volunteer quickly drove Bishop away to the veterinarian.

Parker and Joey Tuccio were my guides for this assignment. While SWOT provides care to the humans of Skid Row, they focus on the four-legged residents as well. In a city that is filled with dog owners, Parker and Tuccio are heavily critical of the city and county governments of Los Angeles for allowing the abuse to continue.

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It did not take long before SWOT found another dog needing urgent medical care. Kit Kat broke her legs after jumping out a window of a car and got tangled up by her leash, her caretaker claimed. Kit Kat laid in the front seat, whining in pain. The man said he tried to take her to a veterinarian but could not afford the evaluation. SWOT ordered a Lyft to bring Kit Kat and the man to one of the veterinarians the organization works with. Kit Kat cried out in pain as she was transferred to the Lyft.

Driving around Skid Row, Tuccio and Parker point out seemingly every few feet to where they either rescued a dog from its drug-addled “owners,” broke up a dog fighting ring, or where a dog died from an overdose after eating drugs or was tested on.

The dogs here are “disposable,” Tuccio lamented.

“They lose a dog, they get another one. A dog dies, they get another one…It just never ends.”

We passed by another dog that was tied up to an RV. Nobody was “home.” While the dog had access to food and water, it was out in the sun with no bed. If the dog wanted to get shade, it would have to crawl under the RV.

Right before we called it a day, we saw a man walking a dog who had a big limp. We got out of the car and went down the block to see if we could help.

The man claimed a large piece of glass on the ground cut his paw three days ago. The paw had swollen to the point where it did not look like a dog’s paw, but rather a twisted version of a hoof. The dog licked his paw, in vain, every couple of seconds. Used syringes and hypodermic needles laid on the ground a few feet away. The man accepted SWOT’s offer to bring the dog to the veterinarian to be treated.

Tuccio and Parker admit their efforts to get medical care and supplies to the dogs on Skid Row is not the solution to end the animals’ suffering. As is a common thread when it comes to quality of life in Los Angeles, the problem lies with leaders not doing enough to enforce the laws already on the books. If you’re living on the street, the rules of pet ownership seemingly do not apply to you or are haphazardly imposed.

When Mayor Karen Bass was asked about the lack of enforcement in July of last year, she at first said there was “suffering” but then said the animals are “not neglected” because dogs are allowed to go into shelters for the homeless. She did not directly address the question about the lack of enforcement.

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Border Czar Tom Homan revealed on Wednesday that due to the “unprecedented” cooperation with county jails in Minnesota, he is ordering 700 federal agents to be withdrawn from the state since they will not be needed.

At its peak, Operation Metro Surge deployed 3,000 extra ICE and Border Patrol agents to conduct mass arrests of illegal aliens in the Twin Cities. Far-left locals responded with acts of insurrection, leading to two fatal shootings by federal agents. With Homan now in charge, he stressed the goal is to end Operation Metro Surge but that will only happen if the local population ends its violent acts and threats against agents.

“We will not draw down on personnel providing security for our officers, I will not let our officers be put at risk,” Homan added.

There will now be around 2,000 federal agents in the Twin Cities.

Homan also made it clear to the Antifa and far-left networks, who have set up checkpoints in neighborhoods to screen for ICE/CBP vehicles, those those tactics will not stop ICE and Border Patrol.

“The only thing you’re doing is irritating your community...I talked to the chief of police and he committed to taking swift action on those illegal roadblocks. They’re illegal and we shouldn’t tolerate them,” he said.

We have already seen the disastrous and deadly results when leftists are allowed to set up “autonomous zones,” like 2020’s CHAZ/CHOP in Seattle. My friend and fellow reporter Jorge Ventura was attacked this week by the “guards” at one checkpoint before it was dismantled by Minneapolis police.

Highlights from Homan’s press conference:

From my time recently in Minneapolis, I would generally agree the tactics currently used by the far-left agitators are not effective in stopping federal agents from arresting illegal aliens. There have been times, however, where the whistles used by agitators have prevented arrests because the target then doesn’t leave the house or business.

During my first trip to Minneapolis in January, I saw how the tailing of federal vehicles affected operations…

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At the time of this piece going out, it appears that there will be a drawdown of some federal immigration agents who are currently in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities area. The reduction in force comes after the Border Patrol-involved shooting of Alex Pretti.

While the shooting is still under investigation, this time it looks as though the bad PR from the incident has resulted in the Department of Homeland Security implementing significant changes. To be clear, the agents leaving are with Border Patrol. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will still be active in the region.

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I talked about how we can look to the recent past to learn to not give in to the leftist mob during an interview with Real America’s Voice:

The fact is President Donald Trump has a mandate to carry out mass deportations. Early on in his second term, the Left organized to resist, sometimes violently, those deportation efforts. Whether it was Los Angeles, Chicago, or Minneapolis, the street activists have done nearly everything to grind the operations to a halt (Don’t forget about the attacks on ICE facilities in Texas last year). Those agitators have been given tacit or full-throated support from Democrats, resulting in even more confrontations that have become deadly.

On social media, anti-ICE activists are going as far as to say that, “[M]inneapolis could be our Fallujah.” Never mind how the battles for Fallujah turned out for the insurgents, that is the mindset many on the Left are adopting.

In 2020, the BLM riots in Minneapolis were the blueprint for other leftists to follow. It showed them if they can put enough pressure on police through violence, they can force officers out of their own buildings. The evacuation and arson attack on the 3rd Precinct was the most damaging thing for policing in modern history. Minneapolis is still dealing with those disastrous decisions to this day.

Should the anti-DHS contingent sense a victory with a drawdown of federal agents from Minneapolis, it will only embolden others across the country to carry out similar tactics, like in 2020.

Speaking with Minneapolis police officers during the recent unrest in Minnesota…

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Controversial January 6er and anti-Islam activist Jake Lang was supposed to officially start his rally at 1:00 PM central time on Saturday. He stated his plans to burn a Quran on the steps of city hall. As you can imagine, this did not sit well with the progressive community of the Twin Cities.

Lang and a small group of supporters gathered at city hall an hour before the advertised start time, which quickly devolved into chaos when Antifa and other counter protesters got into fights with Lang’s outnumbered group.

Lang was sprayed with water and water balloons were thrown at him, though most of the balloons either missed him entirely or hit other counter protesters. As you can see in the video, it got to the point where it clear he needed to leave for his own safety, but that was no easy task. Despite trying to leave, many in the crowd wanted to continue their assaults. I heard at least one person yelling for the crowd to “Kill him!”

Lang was able to get away and got into a random car, but other people in Lang’s group were hunted down and attacked. Minneapolis police officers showed up after the violence was done. The officers were also forced out of the protest area because the crowd knew they could get away with it.

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Anyone who has followed my work for awhile knows I consider the spring to be the start of riot season. As much as the Left loves to consider themselves to be part of “The Resistance,” they typically like to “resist” when the weather is warmer.

But that is not always the case as proven in 2021 in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Riots broke out there in the aftermath of a female police officer accidentally shooting and killing a black driver when she meant to use her taser as he resisted and drove off. The timing couldn’t have been worse since the area was already primed for riots as it waited for the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial. Despite it being April, it was still quite cold and snowed at various times. Still, that did not deter angry mobs from attacking the Brooklyn Center police station and looting nearby stores.

“It just had to be Minneapolis in January.”

This is what I have been telling friends during my recent trip there. So it comes as no surprise to have Minneapolis kick off the riot season during the first full week of the new year.

Being in Minneapolis during another round of unrest certainly brings back memories, even fond memories. The question now is what does this year hold if things are already hot in the frozen landscape of Minnesota?

Going off of the protesters and rioters, I’d say we are in it for the long haul once again.

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DORAL, Fla. — Venezuelans and Venezuelan-Americans gathered on Saturday to bask in an answer to prayer. The daring raid by U.S. military and law enforcement personnel to arrest dictator Nicolas Maduro was extremely successful in not only achieving the objective with no U.S. life lost, but in showing our adversaries around the world that the U.S. military is still number one.

For those unaware, the city of Doral is the Venezuelan equivalent to Little Havana or Hialeah for Cubans, which is why it is no surprise the party there lasted all day once people woke up to the news.

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Joel, who was in attendance with his daughter, told me he fled Venezuela 16 years ago. He thanked President Trump for freeing the country of Maduro. With the conditions there seemingly on the way to radically improve, Joel said he is ready to get back to work in the oil industry.

You can watch my interviews with the Venezuelans here:

As always, the big question is what happens next?

Starting off my day at Mar-a-Lago…

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It’s hard to describe this year’s stories in one word, but if I had to, it would be: chaos.

That was to be expected with the return of President Donald Trump and his administration going full speed with policies that were sure to enrage the Left. It is that rage that has kept me busy. While the disarray did not rise to the same level as it did in 2020, it is the closest it has ever been since that year.

That chaos certainly makes time go by fast, which is why it is hard to believe it is almost 2026. With the new year on the horizon, I wanted to give the top five stories I did in 2025.

One: The first on the list has to be the first major set of riots that I covered in Los Angeles back in June. I admit I was caught off-guard by it because I started vacation on the same day it started. I was eager to come back, so much so that I went to straight to Los Angeles from said vacation. It was surreal to see the riots spread from city to city that first week because it brought me right back to 2020. The mindset of, “We’re in this for the long haul.”

Year-End Giving

Before I continue to the countdown, I want to say, thank you for being a subscriber to my Substack. Having become an independent journalist at the end of this year has meant that every paid subscriber as either monthly, annual or supporting member has become crucial to the continuance of my work so thank you! For those that choose to upgrade to a supporting member, you will get additional videos shared with only you throughout the year. You can upgrade your subscription to founding member in your settings.

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I want to extend an invitation for anyone who has the ability to do a donation to my work to please consider giving a year-end donation. You can make your donation here:

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If there are any business owners in this community that could use additional write-offs before the end of the year, I can add you as a sponsor to my podcast or social media videos which generate millions of views. I have a media production team available to me that can do anything from voiceover to media production if you would need that type of work for your business that can form part of your sponsorship. To become a sponsor, please email me at julio@juliorosas.com.

2026 will undoubtedly continue to require that I be at the frontlines reporting on the on-going mayhem we have seen so far so every penny counts to continuing my work.

Two: While I obviously enjoy running around riots and protests, I was fortunate enough to tag along with DHS Sec. Kristi Noem to see how the Trump administration was working in South America. The most recent update relating to this story is that Chile, one of the countries we went to, just elected a right-wing candidate to the presidency and it will be much easier working with the new president on the issue of immigration. Coincidentally, Chile was my favorite country we, briefly, visited.

Three: It is still hard to believe Charlie Kirk is no longer with us. It has also been disheartening to see the subsequent infighting among conservatives as the movement tries to find its footing after such a devastating loss. How it ends, as usual, I don’t know. That said, being at Charlie’s memorial was important, even with the powerful mix of emotions. It was a field assignment that I truly wish did not need to take place.

Four: This one was exciting to write about because it showed how asking the Trump administration and following up, to make sure it was top of mind can, can pay off. This was the result of the recommendations we made to President Trump during a roundtable about Antifa. I was able to ask the White House about the progress a month after, leading to this a few weeks later.

Five: Like the first, the last story on this list was certainly a passion project. The Riot Squad goes international! This marked the first time I had to dodge rocks being thrown by the police. Similar to the United States, Latin America as a whole is going through significant changes and those changes bring my favorite word for one reason or another: chaos.

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PALM BEACH, Fla. — Today, I had the opportunity to ask President Donald Trump two questions during a press event at the Winter White House. The event was to announce the new “Trump class” of battleships for the U.S. Navy, which will feature the latest technology and be the most armed in our fleet.

I first asked Trump about what he said during his opening remarks. Trump revealed there has been an over 90% drop of boats carrying illegal drugs through the Caribbean Sea after the U.S. military started striking the boats. At least 100 people have been killed since the operations started in September. Due to that success, Trump said the military will start that same program on land soon.

I asked Trump if he was referring to just Venezuela or other Latin American countries.

“No, anywhere. Anywhere drugs are pouring in... not just Venezuela,” Trump said.

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My second question was about Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The left-wing president recently said that it is unfair for the U.S. to seize sanctioned oil tankers because Texas, California, and the southwest are stolen lands through past invasions.

“A Latin American president cannot say, ‘Give it back, they stole it from us’” while Trump can say about Venezuelan oil, “‘Give it back,…Let’s make a pact and they return what they took from us,” Petro said.

I asked Trump for his response to Petro.

“He has to watch because he’s got drug factories…He’s no friend to the United States, he’s very bad, very bad guy, and he’s gotta watch his ass because he makes cocaine…We love the Colombian people…But their new leader is a troublemaker,” Trump said.

Trump further warned Petro better close down the cocaine factories because “we know where they are.”

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As for Trump’s endgame in Venezuela, he said it is going to be up to dictator Nicholas Maduro on what he does in response to the United States’ actions, which apparently will include land strikes soon.

“Venezuela did terrible things to the United States... they sent their criminals, they sent their prisoners, they sent their drug dealers... and we just let them come right in because we were run by a stupid president — but you don’t have a stupid president anymore,” he explained.

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Sources within the Minneapolis Police Department told MostlyPeaceful.media there is extreme frustration after the department’s leadership ordered its officers to not respond to a call for help from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this week.

ICE agents were confronted by locals on Monday and according to the Department of Homeland Security, were attacked by rioters who “threw rocks, chunks of ice, assaulted officers and used pepper spray against law enforcement officers. Rioters were also shouting death threats at ICE officers.”

At one point, agents attempted to arrest a woman who DHS says tried to vandalize one of their vehicles. The agents gave up the arrest attempt after being swarmed by the crowd.

The federal agents called MPD for assistance. Alpha News Senior Reporter Liz Collin revealed Assistant Minneapolis Police Chief Katie Blackwell gave the order for MPD officers to leave the scene. While still being confronted by the crowd, ICE agents had to then call Hennepin County to get sheriff deputies to respond, who eventually arrived on scene.

When initially asked for comment in response to MPD’s stand down order, one MPD source quipped, “How many swear words do you want?”

“As a fellow cop, it’s infuriating to see this play out in this manner. This whole silly act of ‘We’re not assisting ICE’ is nothing but performative. It’s a slap in the face to fellow cops, and it would be decried as outrageous if the roles were reversed,” the source said.

“I truly hope the citizens of Minneapolis know that their police force stands for the rule of law, and these actions are only being forced by a select few in command,” the source continued.

DHS said two U.S. citizens – Noor Abdikadir and Maxwell Collyard – were arrested for assaulting federal officers and remain in custody. Collyard was previously convicted in Rice County District Court for offensive conduct and has a pending case in the Hennepin County Court District for obstructing legal process, interfering with a police officer, and fleeing from law enforcement.

“This dangerous riot is the direct result of sanctuary politicians and the media emboldening rioters to engage in violent and unlawful behavior, undermining the rule of law and putting officers and the public at risk. Despite being attacked by rioters and taking on great personal risk, ICE officers conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism and successfully apprehended the two illegal aliens,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico — There was less tension in the air on Sunday as a few hundred protesters silently marched from the Angel of Independence to the outskirts of the historic center of Mexico’s capital.

Barely a month ago, tens of thousands marched the same route, audibly angry over the cartel killing of Mayor Carlos Manzo, and went to the National Palace. It did not take long before a riot broke out that lasted for hours. Rocks were thrown, tear gas was used by Mexican police, and the National Palace’s security wall was torn down.

No major acts of violence were repeated on Sunday. While Mexicans are still upset over cartel violence and government corruption, it seems the street fury over Manzo’s killing is largely over. That does not mean last month’s high-profile assassination won’t have long-lasting effects, but with the anger having simmered down a little bit with the passage of time, can the ruling Morena party continue on business as usual?

As previously mentioned, the attitude of the march that took place this weekend was significantly different compared to November. There were no large lines of riot police walking alongside the protesters, some businesses along the route temporarily closed, but almost none boarded up their windows. It is almost as if everyone expected the outcome to be completely different compared to November 15th.

The only significant clash was between a few protesters and supporters of President Claudia Sheinbaum, from what I could gather.

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The Mexican government’s response to Manzo’s assassination has resulted in arrests, but it has also been met with mixed results as the new security plan championed by Sheinbaum has come under criticism. Manzo’s widow, who is the new mayor of Uruapan, said she has received complaints from locals of extortion by the new security forces. The issue of extortion by criminal groups is wide-reaching in the country and was something Manzo spoke against before his death.

What was interesting…

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