Category: Judicial Watch
Democrats Are Willing To Die To End Deportations. That Can’t Stop Law Enforcement
Law enforcement loses legitimacy the moment officials indicate they’re unwilling to engage in it because of political opposition — even when that opposition is fatalistic.
Video: Crooks plow car through jewelry store entrance in broad daylight smash-and-grab. But the suspects got sloppy.
Crooks crashed a car through a jewelry store entrance in a brazen, broad-daylight smash-and-grab heist caught on surveillance and cellphone video Friday afternoon in Southern California.
The Anaheim Police Department said officers responded to Classic Jewelers on East Santa Ana Canyon Road around 2:30 p.m., KTLA-TV reported.
‘My life flashed before my eyes.’
Employees told police that multiple suspects intentionally rammed a dark-colored Nissan Rogue into the front of the business to gain entry and steal jewelry, the station said.
“Eight to 10 guys run in with masks, trash cans, and crowbars, hammers, and smash every showcase,” the store owner told KTTV-TV.
The owner added to KABC-TV that he told the crooks “‘I have a gun. Get out. I have a gun.”
Well, they allegedly took the gun, too.
“My gun was on the table. They grabbed my gun, and at that point I thought I was going to get shot,” the owner recalled to KTTV.
“My life flashed before my eyes,” he added to KTLA.
The store owner said the group got away with about $1 million in gold and jewelry, as well as his gun, KTLA noted.
“They took everything within a matter of a minute,” he recounted to KTTV. “This is our livelihood.’
The suspects then fled in two Dodge Charger sedans, police told KTLA, adding that the Nissan used to plow through the store’s entrance — which was stolen — was driven from the scene.
But one thing ultimately worked in the jewelry store’s favor: An employee recorded cellphone video of the escaping vehicles — and their license plates were on the clip.
Subsequently, cops were on the lookout and soon caught up to the cars.
Police told KTLA one of the cars was involved in a multi-vehicle collision, and all four occupants — the driver and three passengers — fled but were soon located and arrested.
Then an Anaheim Police Department air unit located what was believed to be the second suspect vehicle — and that car also was involved in a multi-vehicle crash, police told KTLA. Immediately two males believed to be involved in the jewelry store heist were arrested, and a handgun was recovered at the scene, police added to the station.
Police found trays loaded with stolen jewelry in one of the cars, KTTV said.
Two additional males were arrested hours later in the rear yards of separate residences, police added to KTLA.
Police told KTLA a total of eight suspects — all of whom are under the age of 24 — were identified as:
- Jose Andres Martinez-Colindres, 24, of Inglewood
- Leontrey Gipson, 23, of Los Angeles
- Deondre Jones, 23, of Los Angeles
- Tylaind Brown, 20, of Compton
- Khilen Toles, 20, of Inglewood
- Khamari Toles, 20, of Inglewood
- Latrell Mathews, 19, of Los Angeles
A 17-year-old male from Los Angeles also was among the arrestees, KTLA said.
The seven adult suspects were booked on suspicion of multiple felonies, pending review by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, police told KTLA, adding that the juvenile was released to a guardian pending further proceedings.
Several uninvolved motorists were hospitalized in the two vehicle crashes, KTLA reported, adding that their injuries were “non-life-threatening.”
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‘F**k off’ and ‘Get ICE the hell out of Minnesota’: Democrats rattle sabers after Bondi demands voter rolls
Attorney General Pam Bondi demanded that Minnesota leaders share detailed records on the state’s federally funded welfare programs, repeal its sanctuary policies, and grant access to voter rolls. The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party responded with a sharp, dismissive rejection.
On Saturday, Bondi sent a letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) describing how the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce immigration laws have been hindered by local leaders. She noted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and agents are facing a 1,300% increase in violence, including a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks.
‘Donald Trump and Pam Bondi are demanding access to Minnesotans’ voter rolls in exchange for relieving us from the federal siege we are under.’
“The lawlessness in the streets is matched by the unprecedented financial fraud occurring on your watch,” Bondi told Walz. “And the out of control fraud in your state also implicates election security.”
Bondi made three requests.
First she demanded that Walz provide the federal government with all of the state’s records on Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Service programs to allow for an investigation.
She pressed Walz to repeal Minnesota’s sanctuary policies, blaming them for an increase in crime and violence by preventing the state’s detention facilities from cooperating with ICE.
“I urge you to reach an agreement with ICE that allows them to remove illegal aliens in custody of Minnesota’s prisons and jails and avoids pushing these interactions into your streets,” Bondi wrote.
RELATED: Rioter bit off part of federal agent’s finger amid Minneapolis ‘rampant assault,’ DHS says
Photographer: Jack Califano/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Lastly she demanded that Walz allow the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to access the state’s voter rolls to confirm they comply with federal law.
“Do not obstruct federal immigration enforcement; do not allow rioters to take over the streets and houses of worship; do not hinder federal officials from investigating financial fraud and violations of election laws,” Bondi stated. “Whether state and local politicians stand in the way or not, we will work every day to protect Americans and make Minnesota Safe Again. I request that you join us in that effort.”
The DFL Party issued a statement on Sunday responding to Bondi, accusing the attorney general and President Donald Trump of attempting to “extort our state voter rolls.”
“Donald Trump and Pam Bondi are demanding access to Minnesotans’ voter rolls in exchange for relieving us from the federal siege we are under,” DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom said.
“Let us be direct: F**k off,” Carlbom remarked.
RELATED: Democrats threaten to shut down government over ICE funding: ‘We are not powerless’
Ken Martin. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
In a separate statement, the DFL Party accused Trump and Bondi of trying to “threaten and intimidate us with violence,” following a deadly shooting involving federal immigration agents and Illinois native Alex Pretti, 37.
The DFL Party shared a statement from Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin.
“Last night, following the heinous murder of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti at the hands of a federal immigration agent, Pam Bondi drafted and sent a threatening letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz attempting to extort the state into handing over its voter rolls as part of an ongoing campaign to undermine local elections and build a national database for Trump’s political revenge and retribution,” Martin stated.
He vowed that the DNC would “stand with local elected officials and fight like hell, including in the courts.”
“For Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem, and Greg Bovino, we have one message for you: Get ICE the hell out of Minnesota. Now,” Martin concluded.
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Trump ‘reviewing everything’ following Minneapolis shooting
President Trump declined to say Sunday whether the Border Patrol agent who fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in a Minneapolis shooting this week did the right thing, saying his administration is “reviewing everything” and will reach a conclusion. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the president did not answer directly when asked twice whether he thinks the agent acted appropriately, even as members of his administration…
Bill Clinton on Minneapolis shooting: ‘The people in charge have lied to us’
Former President Bill Clinton accused the Trump administration of lying to the American people about the shootings that have taken place in Minneapolis at the hands of federal immigration officers. In a statement Sunday, the Democratic former president fiercely condemned the “horrible scenes” in Minneapolis “that I never thought would take place in America.” “People, including children, have been seized from their homes, workplaces, and the…
North Carolina Republican calls for ‘thorough and impartial’ investigation after latest Minneapolis shooting
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Sunday called for a thorough investigation into the latest fatal shooting involving a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent in Minneapolis, saying the American people are entitled to that “basic standard” of accountability from law enforcement. “There must be a thorough and impartial investigation into yesterday’s Minneapolis shooting, which is the basic standard…
Why Canada’s Chinese EV bet is a big mistake
Canada’s decision to slash tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles is being sold as a pragmatic trade adjustment. In reality, it looks more like a self-inflicted wound to the country’s auto industry, workforce, and long-term economic sovereignty.
Lower prices today may come at the cost of lost manufacturing tomorrow — along with vehicles that struggle with quality and cold-weather reliability in a country where winter is not a minor inconvenience but a defining reality.
A vehicle that looks competitive on paper may tell a very different story after several Canadian winters.
Under an agreement announced earlier this month, Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs into the country each year at a tariff of just 6.1%, down from the 100% rate imposed in 2024.
Officials emphasize that this represents less than 3% of the domestic market. But auto markets are shaped at the margins. Even a relatively small influx of aggressively priced vehicles can disrupt pricing, undercut domestic producers, and discourage future investment.
Under pressure
Canada’s auto sector is deeply integrated with the United States, with parts, vehicles, and labor flowing across the border daily. That system has supported hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs for decades. Introducing low-cost Chinese imports into that ecosystem does not simply add consumer choice; it destabilizes a supply chain already under pressure from regulatory mandates, rising costs, and declining market share.
That pressure is already visible. The combined market share of General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis in Canada has fallen from nearly 50% to roughly 36%. These companies are not just brands on a dealership lot. They are employers, investors, and anchors for entire communities. When their market position erodes, the consequences ripple outward through plant closures, canceled expansion plans, and lost supplier contracts.
Cold comfort
Supporters argue that Chinese EVs will make electric vehicles more affordable, accelerating adoption and helping Canada meet emissions targets. But affordability without durability is a hollow promise. Many Chinese EVs entering global markets have yet to prove themselves in extreme climates. Cold weather is notoriously hard on batteries, reducing range, slowing charging times, and increasing mechanical stress — conditions Canadian winters deliver in abundance.
Reports from colder regions already using Chinese EVs raise concerns about performance degradation, software issues, and inconsistent build quality. Battery thermal management systems that perform adequately in mild climates can struggle in deep cold. Door handles freeze, sensors fail, and range estimates become unreliable. These are not minor inconveniences when temperatures plunge and drivers depend on their vehicles for safety as much as transportation.
Quality concerns extend beyond climate performance. Chinese automakers have made rapid progress, but speed has often come at the expense of long-term durability testing. Western manufacturers spend years validating vehicles under extreme conditions precisely because failure carries real consequences. A vehicle that looks competitive on paper may tell a very different story after several Canadian winters.
Cheap creep
There is also the question of what happens to Canada’s manufacturing base as these imports gain a foothold. History offers a clear lesson. When markets are flooded with low-cost vehicles produced under different labor standards and supported by state-backed industrial policy, domestic production suffers. Plants close, jobs disappear, and skills erode — losses that are extraordinarily difficult to reverse.
Europe offers a cautionary example. In the rush to meet climate targets, policymakers opened the door to inexpensive Chinese vehicles, only to see domestic automakers squeezed between regulatory costs and subsidized foreign competition. The result has been declining investment, layoffs, and growing concern about long-term competitiveness. Canada risks repeating that mistake but without Europe’s scale or leverage.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Image
Spy game
The geopolitical implications cannot be ignored. Modern EVs are data-collecting machines, equipped with cameras, sensors, GPS tracking, and constant connectivity. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that Chinese-built vehicles pose national security risks. Whether or not those fears are fully realized, perception matters. The United States has already signaled that Chinese EVs will not be allowed across its border, even temporarily.
That leaves Canadian consumers in a difficult position. A vehicle purchased legally in Canada could become a barrier to travel, commerce, or even family visits. The idea that a car could determine whether a driver can cross the world’s longest undefended border should give policymakers pause. Instead the Carney government appears willing to accept that risk as collateral damage.
Realism over resentment
Some Canadians, frustrated by U.S. tariffs and rhetoric, may view this pivot toward China as an act of defiance. But trade policy driven by resentment rather than realism rarely ends well. Replacing dependence on the United States with dependence on China does not restore sovereignty; it simply shifts leverage from one superpower to another, often with fewer shared values and less transparency.
President Donald Trump has made his position clear. He is open to Chinese companies building vehicles in North America if they invest in domestic factories and employ domestic workers. What he opposes are imports that bypass production, undermine jobs, and introduce security risks. Canada’s deal does nothing to address those concerns. Instead it places Canadian workers and consumers squarely in the crossfire.
The promise of cheaper EVs may sound appealing in the short term, but the long-term costs are becoming harder to ignore. Lost manufacturing jobs, weakened supply chains, unresolved quality and cold-weather issues, and strained relations with Canada’s largest trading partner are not abstract risks. They are predictable outcomes.
Canada built its auto industry through integration, investment, and a commitment to quality. Undermining that foundation for a limited influx of low-cost imports is not a strategy. It is a gamble — and one Canadian workers, manufacturers, and drivers are likely to lose.
The Soviet Defector Who Did the Most Damage
During the past 30 years, extraordinary material released from American and Russian archives has enormously expanded our understanding about Soviet espionage directed at the United States and its allies during the 20th century. The Venona decryptions were the product of American decoding of KGB messages. The Vassiliev Notebooks were based on documents the KGB provided to a researcher as part of a negotiated book deal. The only material provided by a genuine spy was the Mitrokhin material, several thousand pages of notes made surreptitiously by a KGB archivist. While British historian Christopher Andrew collaborated with Vasili Mitrokhin to write two books based on his notes, Mitrokhin himself has not received the attention he merits. Venona and Vassiliev exposed a great deal about Soviet espionage from the 1930s and ’40s. Mitrokhin’s information covered more recent operations and did far more damage to Soviet intelligence than any other defector.
The post The Soviet Defector Who Did the Most Damage appeared first on .
DHS: Armed suspect fatally shot by federal agent in Minneapolis; suspect ‘violently resisted’ disarming attempt
The Department of Homeland Security said an armed suspect was fatally shot Saturday by a federal agent in Minneapolis and that the suspect “violently resisted” a disarming attempt.
DHS indicated a firearm and two magazines were recovered.
‘They have encouraged these reckless confrontations and attacks on our agents and officers.’
“At 9:05 AM CT, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun,” DHS said.
“The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted,” DHS added. “Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene.”
DHS also said “the suspect also had 2 magazines and no ID — this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”
RELATED: Vance crushes false narrative about ICE ‘arresting’ 5-year-old boy
Gun that the Department of Homeland Security says fatally shot suspect was carrying Saturday in Minneapolis.Image source: Department of Homeland Security
“About 200 rioters arrived at the scene and began to obstruct and assault law enforcement on the scene, crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement,” DHS also said.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the fatally shot man was 37 years old, the Associated Press reported, adding that the chief “urged people to remain peaceful and not to destroy the city.” O’Hara said there was limited information about the shooting and called on people to leave the area and said it’s “not sustainable,” the AP added.
Democrat Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as well as Democrat U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith of Minnesota seized on the shooting as another opportunity to demand the ouster of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the Gopher State.
Walz, who indicated that he has spoken with the White House, stated, “Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
Klobuchar wrote, “To the Trump administration and the Republicans in Congress who have stood silent: Get ICE out of our state NOW.”
“Another catastrophic shooting in Minneapolis by federal agents,” wrote Smith. “ICE must leave now so MPD can secure the scene and do their jobs.”
In the wake of the shooting, the Border Patrol Union suggested a shooting likely would have been defensive and condemned the incendiary rhetoric spread in recent weeks by politicians and the liberal media.
“Border Patrol agents are trained extremely well to protect themselves, their fellow agents, and innocent third parties. When a supposed ‘peaceful’ protester brings a weapon (such as a loaded handgun) and brandishes it, there are going to severe consequences and repercussions,” said the union.
“We have pleaded with and warned the media and the politicians that their irresponsible, hate-filled and false rhetoric is going to get people unnecessarily hurt, or worse, killed when they portray our agents and officers as the aggressors,” continued the union. “They have encouraged these reckless confrontations and attacks on our agents and officers who are performing their lawful duties and enforcing the laws that Congress has put on the books.”
Editor’s note: This story was edited after publication to include the age of the fatally shot individual as well as commentary from the Minneapolis Police Chief.
This is a developing story; updates may be added.
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‘Maga maggots’: Guns, body armor, ammo, Palestinian flag found at home of man accused of threatening to murder ICE agents
Democrats and the liberal media have been working overtime to vilify and dehumanize the men and women of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This demonization campaign — which opened a new front Sunday with the mob action against Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota — has coincided with unprecedented spikes in assaults and death threats against ICE agents.
‘Alright, you got me.’
The growing left-wing animus is not, however, going unanswered.
Two men were charged in separate cases this week for allegedly threatening to murder ICE agents.
Justin Mesael Novoa, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, was federally charged Thursday with making threatening interstate communications. Novoa apparently has been stewing for months, allegedly issuing threats on X which were brought to the attention of Homeland Security Investigations.
According to the Justice Department, HSI investigators came across a June 2025 post in which Novoa allegedly wrote, “They should blast every ice agent they find.”
Apparently it was far from a one-off articulation of bloodthirst.
In November, Novoa allegedly wrote, “Can’t wait to shoot these p***y ice agents and r*****d maga maggots.”
Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images
Court documents indicate that Elon Musk’s X Corp. provided HSI with account details, including an email in Novoa’s name as well as his phone number, reported WSYX-TV.
Investigators subsequently found other troubling posts on Novoa’s alleged X account including numerous anti-Semitic posts calling Jewish people “subhuman” and “filthy” as well as posts referencing Adolf Hitler.
When federal agents executed a search warrant at the radical’s residence in December, they found body armor, a pair of military-issue helmets, two rifles, two shotguns, a handgun, and a wealth of ammunition.
A Palestinian flag reportedly also was found in Novoa’s room.
Novoa allegedly told federal agents conducting the search, “Alright, you got me. That was me,” adding, “Damn, so Elon [Musk] does give you access to that,” reported WSYX.
Novoa, whose preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 5, apparently did not have an adult criminal history, and court documents indicate he was not prohibited from possessing firearms.
In a separate case, a man from Harrison County, West Virginia, also was arrested this week for allegedly threatening to murder federal immigration agents and supporters of President Donald Trump. Cody Smith, 20, has been charged with making terroristic threats and was being held at North Central Regional Jail.
West Virginia State Police learned that Smith had posted videos of himself online in which he allegedly said he was going to attack and kill ICE agents and made threats against Trump. Smith also allegedly indicated on social media that he intended to murder Trump supporters and service members willing to “bootlick,” reported WBOY-TV.
Blaze News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
These alleged terroristic threats also come amid Democratic officials’ increasingly incendiary rhetoric.
Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey, for instance, characterized ICE as an “occupying force.” In a recent interview, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes accused federal immigration officers of engaging in “thuggish, brutish behavior” and discussed scenarios in which it may be reasonable to shoot masked ICE agents.
Earlier this month, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin noted that “the unprecedented increase in violence against law enforcement is a direct result of sanctuary politicians and the media creating an environment that demonizes our law enforcement and encourages rampant assaults against them.”
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