CBS, NEW YORK TIMES REPORT U.S. CAPTURED MADURO

 

BREAKING: U.S. Captures Venezuelan Leader, Trump Says

Special to El Rrun-Rrun
Various Sources

President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces had carried out “a large scale strike against Venezuela” and were flying President Nicolás Maduro and his wife out of the country. The Trump administration had been building pressure on Mr. Maduro for months.

A fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions amid U.S. military strikes in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026. AFP/Getty

What to know about the U.S. military strikes on Venezuela

President Trump said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of the Country" early Saturday morning, confirming a "large scale strike" had been carried out by U.S. forces, as explosions were reported in Caracas and elsewhere.

The U.S. Army's Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, carried out the operation to capture Maduro, officials told CBS News.

A Republican senator said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had indicated that Maduro would face criminal charges in the U.S., where he was indicted years ago, and that Rubio "anticipates no further action in Venezuela." The Trump administration has long accused Maduro of drug trafficking and working with gangs designated as terrorist organizations, which Maduro denies.

The strikes follow months of U.S. military buildup in the region, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and numerous other warships positioned in the Caribbean.

\In recent weeks the U.S. has seized two oil tankers off Venezuela, launched deadly strikes on more than 30 boats the administration says were carrying drugs, and struck what President Trump called "the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs."

Maduro's capture comes exactly 35 years after U.S. arrested Panama's Noriega

President Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro early Saturday morning 35 years to the day after U.S. forces arrested another indicted Latin American leader, the late Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.

A onetime U.S. ally and CIA informant, Noriega led Panama for much of the 1980s, but he fell out of favor with Washington toward the end of his reign due to allegations of drug trafficking.

Former President George H.W. Bush ordered the U.S. military to invade Panama in late 1989, leading Noriega to hide out in the Vatican embassy before surrendering to U.S. authorities on Jan. 3, 1990. He was convicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges and spent 20 years in an American prison before being sent to France to serve a money laundering sentence, and then to Panama where he was imprisoned on murder and other charges.

Noriega died in Panama in 2017.

GOP senator says Rubio told him "no further action in Venezuela" expected

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah Utah early Saturday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him he "anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody."

In a post on X, Lee said he spoke with Rubio on the phone. He said he was told Maduro was arrested, "to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States," and "the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant."

Maduro was captured with a $50 million U.S. bounty out on him

The U.S. government has sought Maduro's arrest for years. He was indicted by a U.S. court in March 2020, accused along with more than a dozen other individuals of narco-terrorism.

Last summer, the Trump administration doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's capture to $50 million.

Federal prosecutors alleged in 2020 that Maduro and other senior Venezuelan government officials collaborated with the Colombian guerilla group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC, to traffic cocaine and weapons to the United States.

At the time, the Justice Department also accused Maduro of leading a criminal ring called Cártel de Los Soles, which the Trump administration designated a foreign terrorist organization last year.

Some experts have questioned the administration's characterization of Cártel de Los Soles, arguing the term refers to a loosely defined group of corrupt government officials with links to drug trafficking, not a centrally organized group.

But the Venezuelan leader has long portrayed Trump’s anti-drugs campaign as an excuse to get America’s hands on the country’s vast, and under-exploited, oil reserves in a 21st-century neocolonial adventure. The country has estimated crude oil reserves of around 300 billion barrels, the world’s largest.

Narcotics experts say Venezuela is in fact a relatively minor player in the Latin American drugs trade—virtually no coca is grown in the country and it serves as a secondary transit route for just 5 percent of the cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia, the world’s largest producer.

This is a developing story.

LIFE IMITATES ART: BIFF WAS BASED ON TRUMP, SAYS SCREENWRITER

By Tessa Stuart

Rolling Stone

The similarities between the megalomaniacal billionaire hotel-casino owner with hair the texture of cotton candy, a penchant for surgically enhanced arm candy and outsize ambitions that appears in Back to the Future Part II and the one presently appearing on the presidential campaign trail?

Not so coincidental after all!

Back to the Future Part II screenwriter Bob Gale confirmed in an interview with the Daily Beast that Donald Trump was the inspiration for the character he and director Robert Zemeckis created back in 1989.

“We thought about it when we made the movie! Are you kidding?” Gale told the Dily Beast. “You watch Part II again and there's a scene where Marty confronts Biff in his office and there’s a huge portrait of Biff on the wall behind Biff, and there’s one moment where Biff kind of stands up and he takes exactly the same pose as the portrait? Yeah.”

In the movie, Biff Tannen – Hill Valley’s number-one citizen, America’s greatest living folk hero and Marty McFly’s arch nemesis – resides in a palatial penthouse atop a casino, which bears a striking resemblance to the Trump Plaza Hotel, which opened its doors five years before the film premiered.

“Yeah,” Gale said. “That’s what we were thinking about.”

The only thing Gale and Zemeckis seemed to have gotten wrong was Biff’s signature insult — it’s “butthead” not “loser.” Still, pretty close, and as Gale noted, “We don’t have Jaws 19, but we have Sharknado 3.”

The film’s protagonists traveled through time to Oct. 21, 2015, in “Back to the Future Part II,” marking Wednesday as “Back to the Future Day.”

Several of the movie’s predictions about the future have been prescient. Although writers whiffed on the hover board, they successfully envisioned staples of modern-day life such as the self-checkout line and the IMAX Theater.

“Nobody gets it right,” Gale said. “You might get a few things right, but you’re gonna get a lot of things wrong. We missed the smartphone entirely. How did we miss that?”

A CLUB IN THE BEST AMERICAN TRADITION: IT BURNS ITS CROSSES

JRS_562 3W

They traded their hoods for suits and now occupy our government.

Like

williamstanley_4w

But the Black Panthers got raided, and Fred Hampton was executed for tryna bring people together.

Like

johnalanphoto 4w

It is America sir. It's "an inconvenient truth" that some want to bury without caring it still has a heartbeat. 😏

Like

mvegpena 4w

Wow

Like

shadowman 4w

💯 now it's called ICE

Like

glamode 4w

And now they’re ICE agents covering their faces still

Like

sanchezjoe 4w

Correct me if I’m, but didn’t David Duke even run for president at one time?

Like

brandonjallday 4w

This is Amerikkka

DEJA TU, TODAVIA SIGUEN LOS THREE WISE MAGOS

  

DAR, Submitted to Platicas by Alex Moreno

"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa, 

 Not a creature was stirring, caramba que pasa?

Los ninos were all tucked away in their camas

Some in vestidos and some in pijamas,

While mama worked late in her little cocina,

El viejo was down in the corner cantina.

the stockings were hanging con mucho cuidado,

in hope that San Nicolas would feel obligado

To bring all the children both buenos and malos

A nice batch of dulces and other regalos.

Then outside in the yard there arose such a grito

That I jump to my feet like a frightened cabrito

I ran to the window and looked afuera,

And who in the world do you think que era?

San Nicolas in a sleigh and a big red sombrero

Came dashing along like a crazy bombero!

And pulling his sleigh instead of venados,

Were eight little burritos approaching volados.

I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre

Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:

"Ay, Pancho! Ay, Pepe! Ay, Cuca! Ay, Beto!

Ay, Chato! Ay, Chopo! Maruca! Y Nieto!"

Then standing erect with his hands on his pecho,

He flew to the top of our very own techo

With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,

He struggled to squeeze down our own chimenea.

Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala,

With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala,

He filled all the medias with lovely regalos,

For none of the ninos had been muy malos.

Then chuckling aloud, seeming very contento,

He turned like a flash and was gone like el viento.

And I heard him exclaim and this is verdad.

"Merry Christmas to all and Feliz Navidad!!!!!!!!"

GOING INTO THE 2026 RACE FOR GOVERNOR, FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT

Team Gina

I learned one of the most important lessons of my life on the floor of the Texas House — more specifically, the lesson came the moment I chose to walk off of it.

In 2021, the GOP was ramming through an extreme anti-voter bill. I felt something rising in me that I couldn’t ignore. I knew staying put meant letting Texans lose their freedom to vote.

So I took a leap of faith.

I stood up, texted other legislators:

“A leap of faith only works if you take it.”

Together, we ran out the clock and stopped a bill designed to silence Texas voters. That quorum break protected Sunday morning voting — a sacred tradition in Black churches — and blocked a provision that would have let partisan judges overturn election results without evidence. And we earned that victory together.

So I’ll repeat that to you today:

A leap of faith only works if you take it.

And when you do, others will leap with you.

I’m taking another leap of faith with this campaign.

Texas is on another precipice. Our schools are under attack, our freedoms are eroding, and right-wing corporate donors have more influence in the Governor’s Office than everyday Texans ever will unless we change course immediately.

If Texans take a leap of faith together next year, I know we can win this fight.

FROM ALL OF US, TO ALL OF YOU: LET'S MAKE 2026 A BETTER YEAR

FROM EL RRUN-RRUN: A MAYA NUMERICAL HAPPY NEW YEAR ACROSS THE CENTURIES

 

“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been, full of work that has never been done, full of tasks, claims, and demands; and let us see that we learn to take it without letting fall too much of what it has to bestow upon those who demand of it necessary, serious, and great things.”

Rainer Maria Rilke

BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO: THE TRUE STORY BEHIND ABEL LIMAS AND THE CARTEL?

What we heard locally from the US Attorney:

U.S. Attorney’s Office
August 21, 2013

Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, who accepted the guilty plea, handed Limas a total sentence of 72 months in federal prison. At the hearing, additional testimony was presented concerning the impact suffered by victims with one victim testifying there was “outrage and shock at the magnitude of the corruption.” Limas admitted to the court that his conduct was “not a mistake, it was intentional,” and he had destroyed the public’s view of the local judiciary. Limas was further ordered to pay restitution of approximately $6,777,270.50 and will serve a term of three years of supervised release following completion of the prison sentence. An additional amount of $257,300 was ordered forfeited as proceeds derived from the offense.

(Investigators intercepted some 40,000 phone calls and collected surveillance photos documenting how Limas had converted his courtroom into a criminal enterprise, collecting bribes and kickbacks totaling $257,000. Limas pleaded guilty in 2011 and became the government's star witness in four related trials that shook Cameron County's justice system. He could have faced up to 20 years in prison but received credit for cooperation.)

At the time of his guilty plea, Limas admitted his part in use of the office of judge of the 404th District Court as a criminal enterprise to enrich himself and others through extortion. Limas accepted money and other consideration from attorneys in civil cases pending in his court in return for favorable pre-trial rulings in certain cases, including a case involving a helicopter crash at South Padre Island in February 2008. Limas specifically admitted to receiving $8,000 in May 2008, a payment described as eight “golf balls,” for favorable rulings.

Evidence also showed Limas participated in a series of meetings with attorneys Marc Garrett Rosenthal and Jim Solis in the summer of 2008 during which they planned and negotiated the terms of Limas’ employment as an “of counsel” attorney with the firm. During those meetings, Rosenthal promised Limas an advance of at least $100,000, as well as a percentage of attorneys’ fees earned in the helicopter crash case in return for favorable rulings on the case. Limas’ employment arrangements were confirmed in calls on August 28, 2008, between Limas and his wife and son. Limas was expecting to be “cut in” on 10 percent of the settlement/judgment of the helicopter crash case pending in his court and the $100,000 advance. On December 31, 2008, Limas received a check for $50,000 payable from the Rosenthal & Watson Law Firm. On January 2, 2009, Limas received a check for $50,000 from Solis.

A total of eight defendants entered guilty pleas to related violations in the FBI’s four-year public corruption investigation, including Jose Santiago “Jim” Solis, former Texas State Representative; local attorney Jose “Joe” Valle; former Cameron County District Attorney’s Office investigator Jaime Munivez; Jose Manuel “Meme” Longoria; Armando Pena; and his wife, Karina. Three others—attorneys Ray Roman Marchan, Marc Garrett Rosenthal, and former Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos were found guilty of public corruption-related charges involving their association with Limas after separate jury trials. Marchan was previously sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment, which was vacated upon his death. Solis was sentenced August 2, 2013, to 47 months.

HOW SOON WE FORGET: IT WAS TRUMP WHO APPOINTED POWELL

Thursday, November 2, 2017

President Donald Trump is choosing Federal Reserve board member Jerome Powell to become the next chair of the U.S. central bank.

Trump says Powell has the "wisdom and leadership" to guide the U.S. economy through any challenges it may face.

He is calling Powell, "strong," ''committed" and "smart."

Trump announced Powell's nomination Thursday at a White House ceremony. If confirmed by the Senate, Powell would succeed Janet Yellen when her term ends in February.

Yellen is the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve; she'll also be the first Fed leader in decades to be denied a second term after completing a first.

The 64-year-old Powell is seen as a safe choice. He supported the cautious approach to interest rate hikes that Yellen pursued during her tenure.

TALKING TRASH: TETREAU HURLS INVECTIVE, TINO DODGES SLUNG MUD!

(After we published the post yesterday about the COB-Redfish Recycling project that starts January 1, a heated online exchange erupted between former city commissioner Jessica Tetreau and commissioner Tino Villarreal where veiled accusations of the city robbing the residents were hurled – and denied – over the question. Residents, even if they decline to separate recyclables in a Redfish bin, will still be charged a $5 monthly recycling fee. Questions also arose of Tetreau's role in the Tenaska Scam, former mayor Tony Martinez's real estate speculation with tax-delinquent properties under commission consideration, etc...where she held her tongue and discretely separated herself from the controversies. The argument deteriorates over time, but you can't beat it for comedy relief!)

TRUMP BUTT-HURT OVER PUTIN LIE THAT UKRAINE TARGETED HIS CRIB

A man removes belongings Tuesday after a strike in Kyiv. Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos via Getty Images

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

BREAKING: Trump says he’s “VERY ANGRY” that Ukraine allegedly attacked Putin’s house…because Putin told him so!

In yet another stunning show of deference to the Russian dictator, Trump sided with Putin after Putin told him that Ukraine’s army had tried to attack his personal residence with drones.

Speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, the president was asked about the alleged attacks, which has not been confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry.

“Yeah, I don't like it. It's not good. I heard about it this morning. You know who told me about it? President Putin told me about it. Early in the morning, he said he was attacked. That's no good. That's no good.

“Don't forget, you know, the tomahawks. I stopped the tomahawks. I didn't want that. Because we're talking about, you know, it's a delicate period of time. This is not the right time. It's one thing to be offensive, because they're offensive. It's another thing to attack his house. It's not the right time to do any of that. And can't do it. And I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it.”

Just this weekend, Putin barraged the city of Kyiv with hundreds of missiles and drones, knocking out power and heat in the middle of winter, killing two people, and wounding 46 more in a terrifying ten-hour raid. The people of Kyiv huddled in their homes, terrified that every moment might be their last.

Trump had no condemnation for these acts of terror and destruction — but somehow trying to give Putin a taste of his own medicine was somehow a bridge too far?

Ukraine is trapped between a rock and a hard place. How can someone negotiate when the mediator is so clearly on the side of the aggressor? Trump’s deference to Putin is beyond disgraceful.


David Ferguson
I would have loved for a reporter to have asked them what the evidence was apart from a call from Putin given that neither the Department of Defense nor the Russian Defense Ministry have confirmed it.


Mike Rosenwasser
If you don’t want to be attacked Don't attack someone.

Katherine Smith
Even if Putin was attacked he's gotten what he deserves. What goes around comes around it's war

Joann Harris Killen 

He must talk to Putin quite often, because he said sooo casually...yah I talked to him this morning and he told me about the attack, I was so angry. WTF

THINK IT'S COLD OUTSIDE? YOU AIN'T SEEN REAL COLD!

 By Juan Montoya

The recent cold snap we're experiencing brought back some memories.

It was the Fall of 1975 and I had just transferred from Texas Southmost College to the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. (The UM had accepted 41 out of 43 TSC hours and I had placed out of Spanish.)

When I arrived at the end of August, the scenery was overwhelming. Not only is Ann Arbor a city graced with classic and modernistic structures, it was also one of the first "green" municipalities in the country. I am not lying when I say that virtually every tree in the city's properties and rights-of-ways had been catalogued and one had to ask permission from the city forester to touch one of them.

In the late fall, the palettes of greens, yellows, oranges and reds were breathtaking as one walked through the campus to classes. Coming as I was, from a land of one perpetual season, the changes seemed dramatic.

It was nice while fall lasted. But going into winter, I began to experience a certain discomfort as did my fellow Hispanics from New Mexico, California and Texas. Each succeeding week, it just seemed to get colder and colder. It got to the point where it was unbearable to be outside unless you really had to.

What we didn't know was that we were about to be submerged into a season of indescribable cold because that year the Midwest was hit with the Blizzard of 1975-76.

Historians now tell us that the winter  was one of the harshest on record over much of the Great Lakes and eastern United States. It had started early with record cold and snows in November which continued through December and January.

January 1976 was particularly brutal, with no thaw for the first time in recorded history in neighboring Southern Ontario. The persistent cold and frequent snowfalls allowed a record snow pack to form, especially over Lake Erie which had frozen solid by the end of December.

However, in Michigan, the first blizzard blast lasted for almost an entire week. For us southern folk, it was a bone-marrow numbing cold. We literally had to walk from building to building to reach our classes and not venture into the frigid wind tunnels that the streets had become. The sun never shone during all that time. The horizontal wind just blew across the land and created whiteouts with the snow and ice.

I had noticed that I was developing hives all over my body and I ventured out of my Alice Lloyd dorm to visit student health services to see what was happening to me. One of the doctors at the UM Hospital asked where I was from and I told him South Texas.

He then took some skin samples from my arms and told me to come back later that afternoon. I did.

When I returned he told me that he had found the remains of tropical microbes invisible to the naked eye that lived naturally in the warm climate of the south among us and when they began to feel the frigid temperatures, had burrowed into the pores of my skin causing the hives when their organisms decayed. 

I was floored. He gave me some antibiotic lotion and in a few days, then hives were gone.

But if I thought that my the cold was over after the week-long blizzard, I was in for a nasty surprise. The cold persisted through day and night that winter. We actually went through a six-week stretch where the temperature never went above freezing, even during the day.

I remember one clear day weeks after the blizzard blew over as I was walking to class and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sky was the brightest hue of blue. Whatever ice or snow lay on the ground or on buildings was frozen solid.

By then I had acquired thermal long johns, a down jacket, a woolen scarf, gloves, winter boots, and a wool cap. As I walked down the sidewalk, I noticed through the slit between my cap and my scarf what appeared to be sprinkles of glitter falling in front of me as I walked. I turned and glanced around me and I could see no snow or ice on the tree limbs (now bare) that lined the walk. There were no buildings nearby from where the ice bits could have been blown by the wind.

I was mystified and stopped to look around when I noticed that every time I breathed out the glitter fluttered in the sunlight to the ground in front of me before I realized where it came from.

It was the vapor from my breath that was freezing instantly as it hit the frigid air and the ice particles were the "glitter" that I had seen falling to ground in front of me. There's a saying there that it ain't so bad if you stand under the sun. It's not true. Like Ohio Buckeyes, they're nuts.

And you still think it's cold outside now? 

LOOKING FOR WORK? THE CITY IS LOOKING FOR APPLICANTS.

To see positions available, click on link:

https://careers.brownsvilletx.gov/jobs/search/non-civil

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD OPT OUT OF COB-REDFISH RECYCLING PROGRAM?

By Juan Montoya

Did you know that city residents – if they do not want to participate in the city's recycling program with Redfish Recycling starting January 2026 – can ask the company to remove the bins from their homes?

Apparently, this option not to participate is available, but it appears that residents will have to continue paying the monthly $5 fee, even if the bin is removed because they don't want it or for repeated violations of not following the directions on what materials are suitable for recycling. Does that sound right?

The city announced in November that it would launch launch a citywide curbside recycling program in January 2026, calling it "a major step toward expanding local sustainability efforts."

Recycling bins were distributed starting November as part of the city’s agreement with Redfish

Recycling, a Brownsville-based company. The new program gives residents the opportunity to recycle many common household materials that are used every day, such as newspapers, cardboard boxes, books, magazines, mail, cartons, paperboard food boxes, plastic bottles, jugs, and containers that are labeled with a recycle 1 or 2, aluminum, and tin cans.

The new bins look like regular trash bins, but will not be picked up if they contain the following items: glass bottles and jars, light bulbs, food scraps, yard waste, pet waste, Styrofoam products, to-go containers, cellphones, batteries, and electronics.

A local resident who did not wish to participate in the program called Redfish and his call was taken by Rose Timmer, Consultant and Education Coordinator with Redfish, as well as Executive Director of  Healthy Communities of Brownsville, Inc.

The resident had told Redfish that he did not want a recycle bin and was out of town and returned to find one had been left in front of his home He said he called Redfish and spoke with Timer.

"We're going around in January to pick up carts that people don't want," Timmer told him. 

  

According to the city-Redfish agreement, Redfish Recycling will provide curbside pickup every other week, and will collects, sort, and reuse materials that would otherwise be thrown away, turning items like paper, plastic, and metal into new products rather than sending them to the landfill.

City officials claim that the launch of curbside recycling will extend the life of Brownsville’s landfill and encourage residents to become familiar with what materials can and cannot be placed in the bins.

Each household will receive one recycling cart at no cost. Those who would like an additional cart may request one free of charge.

Starting in January, Brownsville homeowners will be required to have a recycling bin at their home.

“Every household will be provided a cart for recycling, and they will pay a monthly fee whether they use that cart or not,” Brownsville interim City Manager Alan Guard said. The initiative was approved by city commissioners during an August meeting.

Guard said the purpose is to not only rid the city of litter, but to also extend the life of the city's landfill.

“It’s the environmentally right thing to do, the city operates a landfill and that landfill only has so much life to it,” Guard said. “The longer we can get that landfill to last, the better for the community."

The city does not have its own recycling center. It’s why they're contracting with Redfish Recycling in the effort. The seven-year contract is worth around $4 million.

Homeowners will pay a monthly service fee of around $5 that will be added to their utilities bill. Channel 5 News was told money made from those fees will go toward paying for recycling costs — including vehicles and drivers.

“We have over 14,000 residents who have two garbage bins right now, they pay over $30 a month,” Guard said. “If they start recycling and they get rid of one of their garbage bins and substitute for a recycling cart, their monthly costs will drop by $5."

The city’s new curbside recycling program will begin servicing more than 46,000 households, each equipped with a new 96-gallon red recycling bin.

Bins containing non-recyclable items will be tagged, and repeated offenses may lead to service suspension, although a monthly fee will still be applied to residents’ utility bills.

“We hope residents call us if they get tagged. We want to explain what went wrong. Recycling the right way helps our whole community.”

TUBMAN A HUMAN TRAFICKER, ROSA PARKS A TERRORIST BUS HIJACKER

La Cebolla

WASHINGTON—As the Trump administration continues to alter the version of American history that appears in government publications, sources confirmed Monday that a page on the National Parks website had been revised to describe Harriet Tubman as a human trafficker. 

“Operating between 1851 and 1862, the notorious human trafficker Harriet Tubman stole approximately 70 African Americans away from their homes in the southern United States,” reads a post on the National Park Service page, which now refers to the Underground Railroad as one of the most prolific human trafficking rings ever to operate on American soil. 

“Tubman would kidnap people in their sleep, including children, and carry them off to locations as far away as Canada. Despite the best efforts of American lawmen to bring her to justice, Tubman remained at large over the course of 13 separate kidnapping raids into southern states. 

"Even in her later years, she never once expressed remorse for displacing her victims or violating the property rights of their owners.” 

At press time, the Parks Service had reportedly rewritten its page on Rosa Parks to describe her as a terrorist bus hijacker.

CBP ENFORCING NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-CITIZENS CROSSING BORDER STARTING THIS WEEK

By Daniel Sanchez Dorame
Excélsior

(In order to detect fraud and illegal stays, starting today, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) will require non-U.S. citizens to provide fingerprints, undergo iris and full-body scans, voice recordings, and in some cases, even DNA samples.)

NOGALES, Sonora. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that starting today, at all ports of entry and exit, Border Patrol agents will be required to collect biometric and genetic data from foreign nationals, with the goal of maintaining strict immigration control.

The program, officially named the Biometric Entry/Exit Program, is also known as the Final Rule.

The measure includes foreign nationals, tourists, and immigrants: those with visas, temporary work permits, permanent residents (green card holders), minors, and senior citizens—in other words, all non-U.S. citizens will be required to provide fingerprints, iris scans, full-body scans, voice recordings, and in some cases, even DNA samples for genetic identification.

The measure will particularly affect permanent residents, who will undergo more rigorous screening upon returning from or departing on trips, in order to detect fraud committed during the green card application process.

Agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be required to collect biometric and genetic data at absolutely all ports of entry, by air, land, or sea: airports, seaports, and land border crossings, whether traveling on foot, by vehicle, or by private plane.

Until a few weeks ago, many of these entry procedures into the United States were done manually, and migrants with residency, temporary workers, and even some tourists took advantage of their visas to circumvent immigration laws and stay to work illegally. However, modern cameras with artificial intelligence, facial recognition, and biometric detection will make it more difficult for foreign nationals to enter and exit the country.

U.S. authorities have justified these measures as an effort to combat terrorist threats, the fraudulent use of travel documents, visitors overstaying their visas, and inaccurate or incomplete traveler information.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that the genetic and biometric information of foreign nationals will be stored in databases for 75 years. 

This action is in addition to the authorities' intention to require travelers to disclose up to five years of their social media history upon entering U.S. territory. The Trump administration's measure also applies to visitors from countries included in the Visa Waiver Program, which includes about twenty European countries and others such as Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan.

CBP (Customs and Border Protection) has advocated for the rule to include an updated list of the traveler's phone numbers from the last five years, IP addresses, and email addresses.

Fear of Stigma

One of the first negative effects of the new immigration directive was the drastic reduction in the number of Mexican nationals who visited Mexico this past holiday season.

Interviewed by Excélsior at the toll booths on Federal Highway Mexico 15, Mexican nationals coming from the U.S. to visit their loved ones in various parts of the country expressed distrust regarding their return because, even though they have already met the requirements under U.S. law to obtain legal residency with a green card, Latinos are judged by ICE and CBP agents based on their physical appearance, accent, or skin color, and are deported without hesitation despite having their papers and requirements in order.

Although the DHS intended for the measure to go into effect on December 26, immigration agents at various international land border crossings, such as the Port Director in Nuevo Laredo, have stated that they still do not know how the biometric data collection will be implemented.

“We have heard about this issue and the concerns of people who use the international ports of entry, but what I can tell you is that this law has already been passed and approved. What remains is to determine how it will be applied at land crossings. So far, we have not received any information or instructions on how we will do this (collect biometric and genetic data), but when we do, we will be ready to collect that information,” said Alberto Flores, head of the Laredo Field Office.

He assured that the land border crossings would not begin collecting data today. Among the potential inconveniences are additional delays, more frequent inspections, and initial confusion regarding the new procedures, especially for older individuals or travelers unfamiliar with biometric technology.

There is also the risk of technical errors, such as image capture failures, which would necessitate manual verification and could prolong the process.

In light of this new situation, Mexican travelers are advised to exercise extra caution in complying with the conditions of their visas.

TRUMP TO THE FISHING INDUSTRY: FISH, BABY , FISH!

La Cebolla

WASHINGTON—Claiming that preservation efforts had impeded U.S. seafood production for far too long, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he had opened up the nation’s aquariums to commercial fishing. 

“Starting today, fishermen will finally be allowed to sail into America’s protected aquariums, drop a net in any marine exhibit they please, and begin trawling,” Trump said at a press conference, adding that commercial fishing would now be permitted in all glass-enclosed fish tanks, coastal mammal habitats, and interactive tide pools at the more than 150 aquariums across the United States, regardless of whether spectators were currently enjoying them or not. 

“How can Democrats stand by and watch hardworking fishermen suffer when the Monterey Bay Aquarium has an entire kelp forest filled with sharks, jellyfish, and an absolutely enormous sunfish just sitting there, going to waste. That’s why I’ve decided to waive the entrance fees nationwide and open every exhibit to fishing, even the ones with penguins, dolphins, and otters.” 

At press time, Trump announced an additional executive order allowing commercial seafood vessels to fish in exotic pet stores, home aquariums, and private backyard koi ponds.

WILL THEY BE RECOGNIZED AS "THE RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS?"

Palestinian doctors graduate in ruins of Gaza’s destroyed al-Shifa Hospital 

Terry Ťürkoğlu Rawther: "Perseverance.. hope, resilience, resistance.. despite the overwhelming despair. Inspiring."

Beth Habbel: "If ever there was a picture of resilience, this is it.

Aliy A. Matazu: "People who possess resilience, patience, and perseverance turn obstacles into stepping stones. They stay focused through hardship and keep moving forward until their efforts bear fruit. Long Live To the people of Palestine."

Edgardo Valenzuela: "This is one of the saddest image I've ever seen, while at the same time it is an image evoking the resiliency, bravery and humanity of the Palestinian people. God bless the Palestinian people and their Land."

MAMACITA, DONDE ESTA SANTO CLAUS? SE ESCONDIO FROM ME

HEY, VLADIMIR! LONG MAY SHE WAVE...

 

TAKE THE TIME TO SEE THIS: IT'S HAPPENING HERE, NOW

In this one-hour special, Rick travels back a century to learn how fascism rose and then fell in Europe — taking millions of people with it. We'll trace fascism's history from its roots in the turbulent aftermath of World War I, when masses of angry people rose up, to the rise of charismatic leaders who manipulated that anger, the totalitarian societies they built, and the brutal measures they used to enforce their ideology. We'll see the horrific consequences: genocide and total war. 

And we'll be inspired by the stories of those who resisted. Along the way, we'll visit poignant sights throughout Europe relating to fascism, and talk with Europeans whose families lived through those times. Our goals: to learn from the hard lessons of 20th-century Europe, and to recognize that ideology in the 21st century. (Rated TV-PG)

DETAILS EMERGE OF X-MAS DAY RIVERA COACH-POLICE CONFRONTATION

By Reshma

PlayersBio

In Brownsville, Texas, what started as a foggy early morning domestic dispute escalated into a terrifying ordeal involving gunfire, a high-speed chase toward safety, and an officer-involved shooting that left a local high school coach in custody.

On December 24, 2025, 41-year-old Gerardo Enrique Garcia, better known in the community as Jerry Garcia, a dedicated teacher and head coach for boys’ track and varsity football at Rivera Early High School, allegedly turned a family argument into a life-threatening nightmare for his wife and daughter.

According to Brownsville Police Department reports, officers responded to a frantic 911 call around 6:36 a.m. from the 5500 block of Rawhide Drive, where Garcia’s wife reported that her husband was firing shots at her vehicle as she fled with their daughter toward a nearby hospital.

Miraculously, neither the woman nor the child was hit by the gunfire, but both were taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the chaotic incident.

Police Chief Felix Sauceda described the scene as tense and volatile, with Garcia standing defiantly in the middle of the street when officers arrived.

When Garcia allegedly opened fire on the responding officers, they returned fire, striking him with a non-life-threatening wound.

No officers were injured in the exchange, and the one who fired the shot has been placed on paid administrative leave as per standard protocol.

Garcia, a longtime resident of Brownsville and a respected figure in the local sports scene, has been with the BISD for years.

At Rivera, he not only teaches but also leads the boys’ track team and serves as head coach for varsity football, mentoring young athletes and fostering school spirit in a community where high school sports are a cornerstone of life.

The school, known for its focus on early college preparation and strong athletic programs, sits in southeast Brownsville, a city along the Texas-Mexico border with a population of about 180,000.

A statement from BISD confirmed Garcia’s employment but emphasized that they could not comment further due to it being a personnel matter under investigation.

The district noted:
“The Brownsville Independent School District can confirm that an employee from Rivera Early College High School was involved in an officer-involved shooting this morning, In accordance with district policies, we cannot comment further as this is a personnel matter. The situation is currently under investigation by the appropriate authorities.”

Parents and students at the school have expressed shock, with many recalling Garcia as a passionate coach who pushed his teams to excel both on the field and in the classroom.

The Texas Rangers have taken the lead on investigating the officer-involved shooting, a standard procedure to ensure transparency and accountability in such cases.

Brownsville PD, meanwhile, continues to probe the domestic aspects of the incident.

Garcia now faces a slew of serious charges that paint a grim picture of the events: seven counts of aggravated assault against a peace officer, two counts of aggravated assault in a family violence context, two counts of unlawful restraint, one count of discharging a firearm within city limits, and one count of criminal mischief.

These charges stem not only from the shots fired at police but also from allegations that Garcia attempted to harm or restrain his wife and daughter during the initial altercation at home.

Authorities have described the incident as stemming from family violence, though specific details about what sparked the dispute remain under wraps as the investigation unfolds.

This case highlights the often-hidden dangers of domestic violence, even in seemingly stable households.

In Brownsville, a city known for its close-knit communities and vibrant culture, incidents like this serve as a stark reminder of the resources available for those in crisis, such as local shelters and hotlines.

As the community is faced with the news on this Christmas Day, many are hoping for healing for the family involved and justice through the legal process.

The investigation remains active, with more details expected to emerge in the coming days.

FRIDAY FUNNIES: HEGSETH PLACES SANTA ON HIS NAUGHTY LIST

 

NOW TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR LATINOS FOR TRUMP

 

Antifa, Republicans, Democrats & Independents United Against Trumpism

Scott Pehrson

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA....

Ron Lopstain

With liberty and justice for all..... how it used to be...sadly.. now. . it's Just Us..... and no Liberty..!

Ed Lindley

We said the pledge every morning when I was in grade school

Karen Fox

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!

Bob Wright

Lots of people have lost interest in the "with liberty and justice for all" part.

 

SILENT NIGHT. HOLY NIGHT. ALL IS CALM. ALL IS BRIGHT...

Just a reminder that He was a dark skinned, humble, poor man, who was born in a stable, in a town He didn't belong. His message was so abundantly clear. Treat everyone with the same love and respect you would like to receive.

Merry Christmas. Peace to all!