Close the Camps Protests Scheduled Nationally

Posted on July 1, 2019July 1, 2019 by Denise Simon

Here we go: Go to Closethecampsnow dot org to get the information.

This Tuesday, July 2, while members of Congress are home for the Fourth of July holiday, we will gather at their local offices in protest. Our demands:

Close the Camps
Not One Dollar for Family Detention  and Deportation
Bear Witness and Reunite Families

Will you join a local Close the Camps protest near you this Tuesday, July 2? Find an event and bring everyone you know.

***

Meanwhile, just published:

ICE Removals by Arresting Agency: FY2019 Q2 (01/01/2019 - 03/31/2019)

Statement attributable to Nathalie R. Asher (ICE Executive Associate Director) – The enforcement statistics from January-March 2019 illustrate that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is committed to arresting and removing unlawfully present aliens, with criminal histories, who threaten public safety and endanger immigrant communities. During this time period, more than 85 percent of aliens arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers, and more than 91 percent of aliens removed from the interior of the United States, had received criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.

The situation at the border continues to impact interior enforcement, with ERO personnel routinely detailed to support the processing and detention of arriving aliens. Administrative arrests of criminal aliens over the first two quarters of FY19 are down 14 percent versus the same time period in FY18. And, ICE removals stemming from U.S. Customs and Border Protection apprehensions have increased 10 percent in the first two quarters of FY19 over FY18. The agency is dedicated to using its authorities to enforce U.S. immigration laws, and ICE officers will continue to conduct enforcement humanely, respectfully and with professionalism.

ICE Removals by Arresting Agency: FY2019 Q2 (01/01/2019 – 03/31/2019)
Arresting Agency	Convicted Criminal	Pending Criminal Charges	Other Immigration Violator	Total
Total	34,960	6,024	22,556	63,540
CBP	19,281	2,512	20,708	42,501
ICE	15,679	3,512	1,848	21,039

Editor’s Note: The arrest and removal statistics provided in this announcement include preliminary data. Official numbers can vary slightly from preliminary data depending on when statistics are reported and collected. Enforcement data is not considered final and static until the end of the fiscal year.

***

How bad is it really?

For months, Democrats denied the illegal immigration crisis at the southern border, with Sen. Chuck Schumer, flanked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, going so far as to accuse President Donald Trump of working to “manufacture a crisis, stoke fear and divert attention from the turmoil in his administration.”

The president, on the other hand, has made the situation on the southern border a top priority, in January declaring it both a “humanitarian and security crisis,” and stressing it ever since. Read the full summary here.

ANTIFA and the CVE Program(s)

Posted on July 1, 2019July 1, 2019 by Denise Simon

So far we can label this a failure…gotta wonder if residents in Portland were told to shelter in place or they just do it on their own.

The DHS website last updated in 2016 with respect to Countering Violent Extremism reads in part as follows:

Terrorism Prevention Partnerships

Violent extremist threats come from a range of groups and individuals, including domestic terrorists and homegrown violent extremists in the United States, as well as international terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL. Lone offenders or small groups may be radicalized to commit violence at home or attempt to travel overseas to become foreign fighters. The use of the Internet and social media to recruit and radicalize individuals to violence means that conventional approaches are unlikely to identify and disrupt all terrorist plots.

Here in the United States, acts perpetrated by violent extremists can have far-reaching consequences. Terrorism Prevention Partnerships (TPP) have therefore become a key focus of DHS’s work to secure the homeland. TPP aims to address the root causes of violent extremism by providing resources to communities to build and sustain local prevention efforts and promote the use of counter-narratives to confront violent extremist messaging online. Building relationships based on trust with communities is essential to this effort.

See something say something? Okay….Did the Portland Police report anything? The Mayor? The Governor? The citizens of Portland?

According to OregonLive, authorities knew well in advance:

Multiple demonstrations are taking place in downtown Portland on Saturday.

Online postings indicate two right-wing demonstrations are scheduled for Saturday: one involving the Proud Boys, a fraternal organization known for street fighting, and another organized by conservative activist Haley Adams and the “HimToo Movement.” Counterprotesters, including supporters of Rose City Antifa, are planning to gather in opposition.

Portland police say three sites — at Pioneer Square, Chapman Square and Waterfront Park — will be involved, and that the events will begin around noon. Lt. Tina Jones declined to comment on the groups that police were anticipating at each protest, or how many people they expected to be there.

UPDATED 6:49 p.m.: 3 arrested in downtown Portland protests involving antifa, right-wing groups

UPDATED 5:29 p.m.:

The protests are over. We’ll have a story up shortly.

Adam & John were at same Portland protest where @MrAndyNgo was beaten, but on other side at Pioneer Courthouse Square. They were there to support Haley Adams & speakers. Adam is foreground left – tall red-bearded man. John -older, white-haired man- was center/right being rushed. pic.twitter.com/1Sfegu2VyZ

— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) July 1, 2019

So, seems this CVE/DHS program did not work out so well, right? Read on and ask yourself, is this the best we can do?

Terrorism Prevention Lines of Effort

OTPP implements a full-range of partnerships to support and enhance efforts by law enforcement, faith leaders, local government officials, and communities to prevent radicalization and recruitment by terrorist organizations. OTPP also provides these stakeholders with training and technical assistance to develop CVE prevention programs in support of resilient communities. OTPP leads the Department’s CVE mission with the following objectives:

Community Engagement. OTPP works with the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to facilitate community engagements to build awareness and promote dialogue with community partners, which includes engagements with DHS senior leadership;

Field Support Expansion and Training. OTPP supports DHS field staff across the country to develop and strengthen local partnerships and to provide training opportunities;

Grant Support. OTPP worked with FEMA to provide $10 million in grants to community-based programs under the FY2016 Countering Violent Extremism Grant Program. Those projects have a period of performance that runs through July 2019.

Philanthropic Engagement. OTPP works with the philanthropic community to maximize support for local communities, and encourage long-term partnerships;

Tech Sector Engagement. OTPP engages the tech sector to identify and amplify credible voices online and promote counter-narratives against violent extremist messaging.

There is some kind of procedure to be listed as a domestic terror group, but those details are fleeting in open source information. We have some big work to do and some questions to be answered. However, according to the FBI website here is a sample list for gangs/extremist groups:

11.30.10

Black September

11.30.10

Aryan Nation

12.06.10

Mexican Mafia

12.06.10

Mafia Monograph

12.06.10

Bloods and Crips Gang

11.30.10

Clarence Smith (aka 13x)

05.05.11

White Hate Groups

03.27.11

WACO / Branch Davidian Compound

03.23.11

Imperial Gangsters

Imperial Gangsters The Imperial Gangsters was a violent street gang based in Miami. In 1994, the FBI’s Miami Division proposed an undercover operation against the gang. In 1995, the division requested a reauthorization of the operation.

03.02.11

Black Guerilla Family

03.02.11

Black Mafia Family

05.17.11

Original Knights of the KKK

03.02.11

Gangster Disciples

11.30.10

Weather Underground (Weathermen)

11.30.10

American Nazi Party

11.30.10

Aryan Brotherhood

The Aryan Brotherhood, a violent white supremacist gang, formed within the California state prison system in the late 1960s. On August 9, 1982, the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office opened a racketeering enterprise investigation into the gang. The case was closed in 1989.

12.06.10

Nuestra Familia

12.06.10

Aryan Circle

11.30.10

George Jackson Brigade

12.06.10

The Covenant The Sword The Arm of the Lord

12.06.10

White Supremacist Groups

12.06.10

George Lester Jackson

(1941-1971)

12.06.10

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

12.06.10

The Hells Angels

11.29.10

Five Percenters

The Five Percenters was an offshoot of the Nation of Islam founded in Harlem in 1965 under Clarence Edward Smith, also known as Clarence 13X and other names. This release covers from 1965 to 1967 and consists of one main file primarily concerned with the group’s potential to foment public disturbances and containing a number of references to the group found in other FBI files.

11.30.10

Black Panther Party

The Black Panther Party (BPP) is a black extremist organization founded in Oakland, California in 1966. It advocated the use of violence and guerilla tactics to overthrow the U.S. government. In 1969, the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office opened an investigative file on the BPP to track its militant activities, income, and expenses. This release consists of Charlotte’s file on BPP activities from 1969 to 1976.

05.24.11

National Gang Threat Assessment

05.24.11

Almighty Latin Kings

03.02.11

El Rukns

The El Rukns, a violent street gang that trafficked in narcotics and stolen property, was established in the 1960s. FBI offices in Chicago, Springfield, Illinois, and Minneapolis investigated the gang in cooperation with local police and federal drug enforcement authorities. The materials in this release range from 1982 to 1991.

03.29.11

White Aryan Resistance

The White Aryan Resistance—also known as the White American Resistance (WAR)—is a white supremacist group. This release consists of two sections from an FBI investigation into the group. The dates range from 1987 to 1988.

A List of the Criminals Protected by Sanctuary Mayors/Governors

Posted on June 26, 2019June 26, 2019 by Denise Simon

Sanctuary cities and states are building a new condition of terror where innocent Americans are living in fear and with extreme caution….

Most recently, Washington State governor, Jay Inslee explained the following when signing new sanctuary law, now the strongest in the nation: “We will not be complicit in the Trump administration’s depraved efforts to break-up hard-working immigrant and refugee families“. Okay governor, dude…..perhaps a lawsuit for aiding and abetting criminals may be in order…(BTW, Inslee is running for president as he announced in March)

Try some of these cases…(in part)

According to ICE, Rosalio Ramos-Ramos was arrested last January for murder and dismembering his victim.

It happened just months after Ramos was released from a Washington jail despite ICE’s request for an immigration detainer and notification of his pending release, neither of which were honored.

ICE also cites the case of Mexican national Martin Gallo-Gallardo, who was in a Clackamas County Oregon jail.

The statement said jail officials ignored ICE’s request for an immigration detainer and notification of release.

Gallardo was released and within months was re-arrested, this time for allegedly murdering his wife.

***

The most recent case involves Francisco Carranza-Ramirez, who was also in the U.S. illegally.

He was convicted of raping a wheelchair-bound Seattle woman twice.

He was sentenced to time served and released, under the judge’s order that he self-deport back to Mexico.

King County Sheriff’s officials say he eventually did return to Mexico, but not before assaulting his victim a third time.

***

Meantime, Washington state just passed what some immigration advocates are calling the strongest sanctuary state law in the country.

It forbids local jails and state prisons from honoring ICE immigration detainers and even prevents corrections officials from even letting ICE know about the pending release of a criminal illegal immigrant.

The law also instructs the attorney general to draft new rules restricting ICE agents from making immigration arrests at courthouses and hospitals.

Illegal alien arrested for murdering, dismembering victim after local police fail to notify ICE of his release

In October 2017, ICE identified Rosalio Ramos-Ramos who is an illegally present Honduran citizen with prior criminal convictions and four prior removals from the United States at a city jail in Washington.

ICE lodged a detainer, but he was released without notification to ICE. In January 2018, Ramos-Ramos was arrested again and booked at a local county jail for murder.

ICE has lodged another detainer with local jail officials.

County jail ignores ICE detainer, illegal alien suspected of killing wife after release

In March 2018, ICE located and lodged a detainer on Martin Gallo-Gallardo, a citizen of Mexico who was unlawfully present in the United States, after locating him in an Oregon county jail. Jail officials did not honor the immigration detainer and released the convicted criminal two days later, without notifying ICE.

Following his release, ICE made multiple, unsuccessful attempts to locate and arrest the man.

In October 2018, Gallo-Gallardo was arrested again, this time on a felony murder charges for allegedly killing his wife.

County jail ignores ICE detainer, Honduran mans suspected of murder after release

In September 2016, ICE located Elder Carceres-Coello, an illegally present Honduran man with multiple prior criminal convictions being held at a county jail in Washington.

ICE lodged a detainer with the jail, but in February 2017, county officials did not honor the detainer and released him.

In July 2017, Carceres-Coello was again arrested, this time for theft and property destruction.

In July 2017, despite criminal charges, convictions and previous immigration removals going back to 2005, county jail officials released Carceres-Coello without notifying ICE.

In August 2017, Carceres-Coello was arrested yet again, this time for homicide and robbery.

As of June 2019, he being held on both murder and robbery charges at a local county jail.

County jail releases illegal alien, man later kills wife and self in apparent murder-suicide

In December 2016, ICE located and lodged a detainer on Christian Octavio Parra, who was being held in a county jail in Washington.

Octavio Parra was a Mexican citizen who was illegally present in the U.S. and had prior immigration encounters.

Local jail officials did not honor the immigration detainer and released the convicted criminal in August 2017 without notifying ICE.

A little over a month later, Octavio Parra shot and killed his estranged wife before taking his own life.

County jail refuses to honor immigration detainer, releases child rapist

In January 2014, ICE encountered Jorge Luis Romero-Arriaga, an illegally present citizen of Honduras, at a county jail in Kent, Washington. Romero-Arriaga was being held on a charge of rape of a child. I

CE officers interviewed the man and determined that he was a citizen of Honduras and lodged an immigration detainer.

That same month, the immigration detainer was not honored and Romero-Arriaga was released to the community pending the disposition of his case.

In August 2015, the subject was convicted of multiple counts of assault.

In February 2017, ICE took the Romero-Arriaga into custody and removed him from the U.S. in March 2017.

County jail refuses to honor ICE detainer, releases illegal alien convicted of rape

In June 2013, ICE officers encountered Luis Fernandez-De La Torre at a local county jail in Kent, Washington.

ICE officers determined he was a citizen of Mexico and lodged an immigration detainer.

Fernandez-De La Torre was later convicted of rape and sentenced to more than a year in jail. After completion of his sentence, the Department of Corrections transferred Fernandez-De La Torre to a county jail on warrants for driving while impaired and violating a no contact order.

In February 2014, ICE lodged a subsequent detainer at the county jail.

The detainer was not honored, and that same month, Fernandez-De La Torre was released to the community.

In July 2014, ICE took the criminal alien into custody, and he was removed to Mexico in May 2015.

County jail refuses to honor ICE detainer of man who sexually assaulted dog

In February 2019, Fidel Lopez, an illegally present Mexican citizen, was encountered by ICE officials at a local Oregon county jail.

ICE lodged an immigration detainer on Lopez the same day for violating immigration laws.

In April 2019, Lopez was convicted of multiple charges involving animal abuse.

The county jail did not honor the immigration detainer and released him without notice to immigration officials.

ICE apprehended Lopez at his residence and served him a notice to appear.

He is currently being held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma pending immigration proceedings.

A detainer is a request to local law enforcement agencies that ICE be notified as early as practicable – ideally at least 48 hours – before a removable alien is released from criminal custody and then briefly maintain custody of the alien for up to 48 hours to allow ICE to assume custody for removal purposes.

Corpus Christie and Philadelphia Busts Prove the U.S. Cocaine Problem

Posted on June 26, 2019June 26, 2019 by Denise Simon

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On their latest trip to South America, a CBP Air and Marine Operations aircrew spoiled cocaine smugglers’ best efforts when they contributed to the arrest of 11 smugglers and the seizure of almost $300 million worth of narcotics between June 17-21.

Small vessel carrying narcotics — This low-profile vessel is designed to be hard to detect
when moving in open waters.

“No one can hide from us on our watch,” said Director of Air and Marine Operations Bob “Thor” Blanchard. If smugglers are trying to bring drugs into the U.S., our dedicated and experienced crews will find them and they’ll go to jail.”

The crew of an AMO Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft began its work by detecting a small fishing vessel or “panga” loaded with 1,656 pounds of cocaine. The next day, the crew was on patrol using its sophisticated radar system detected a purpose-built smuggling vessel. The “Low Profile Vessel” or, LPV, was loaded with 4,134 pounds of cocaine. On the last day of its trip and while heading back to the United States, the crew detected a hard to find semi-submersible vessel. That load was one of the Corpus Christi office’s largest ever seizures. The 16,938-pound load on this vessel brought their weekly total to 22,728 pounds, or roughly the weight of three heavy-duty pickup trucks.

An AMO P3 — A P-3 Orion Long Range Tracker patrols
the Gulf of Mexico.

The National Air Security Operations Center—Corpus Christi is a division of Air and Marine Operations and operates the Lockheed P-3 Orion conducting counterdrug patrol missions over the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Together with the National Air Security Operations Center in Jacksonville, Florida, Customs and Border Protection P-3 crews seized or disrupted 261,939 pounds of cocaine in 2018.

The mission of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations is to serve and protect the American people. It applies advanced aeronautical and maritime capabilities and employs its unique skill sets to preserve America’s security interests. With 1,800 federal agents and mission support personnel, 240 aircraft and 300 marine vessels operating throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, Air and Marine Operations uses its sophisticated fleets to detect, sort, intercept, track and apprehend criminals in diverse environments at and beyond U.S. borders.

*** It was earlier this month that yet another cargo ship arrived at the Philadelphia shipping yard containing 15,000 kilos of cocaine. This ship named the MSC Gayane had traveled from Chile, Panama and the Bahamas before reaching the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal Port on the Delaware River were the actual bust occurred. The MSC Gayane is a newer cargo ship that flies a Liberian flag yet is Swiss owned. The value of the cocaine aboard was over $1 Billion.

photo

Six crew of the cargo ship are in Federal custody.

The six men have been identified as Ivan Durasevic, Nenad Illic, Aleksandar Kavaia, Bosko Markovic, Laauli Pulu, and Fonofaavae Tiasaga, according to NBC10. Tiasaga and Durasevic were the first charged last Thursday with conspiracy to possess cocaine. Four of the five suspects waived their preliminary hearings while the fifth suspect asked from a continuance through his attorney, which was granted by the judge.

The nationalities of the six crew members had not been confirmed as of Monday. According to an attorney, one of the defendants is from Montenegro. There were two interpreters present in the court room that spoke Serbian and Samoan with the defendants, according to the Associated Press.

The crew members allegedly admitted to helping load cocaine onto the cargo ship while it was at sea off the west coast of South America, according to an affidavit. Authorities said 14 boats approached the ship on two separate occasions. Records show the previous ports of call were the Bahamas on June 13, Panama on June 9, Peru on May 24, and Columbia on May 19.

More Executive Action Against Iran

Posted on June 24, 2019June 24, 2019 by Denise Simon

Due to timing, it is assumed rather than a U.S. military strike campaign against designated targets as a result of Iran shooting down a U.S. drone, Cyber Command initiated a cyber operation. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard maintains control of the rocket and missile systems and they have been disabled as the U.S. response. Iran has confirmed the cyber-attack but also says it failed. Iran expected a response by the United States and in advance shut down several radar sites.

The United States has been inside several cyber operations in Iran for a very long time and was ready for a go order. Meanwhile, The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is warning that Iran has been advancing their own cyber operations against select US targets. It is unclear what those targets are.

President Trump spent the weekend at Camp David while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Saudi Arabia and to Abu Dhabi while NSC John Bolton is in Israel. Bolton has on his calendar meetings with the Israeli national security and atomic energy officials as the introduction of the coming peace plan proposal dealing with the Palestinians will be introduced in Bahrain.

Photo: Alex Brandon AP

Trump has signed yet another addition to the sanctions architecture on Iran. There is talk of sanctions relief if Iran is willing to negotiate on key topics including escalating uranium enrichment. So far, Iran has said they will not meet with the United States and will shoot down other aircraft if they impede Iran airspace. The FAA has ordered all U.S. commercial aircraft to reroute outside of the existing Iran airspace buffer zone.

There are now heavy decisions for Europe to make in their economic trade with Iran versus that of the United States and remaining in the JCPOA, the Obama nuclear deal with Iran.

The Executive Order signed by President Trump goes right to the top of the regime yet does not yet include Mohammad Javad Zarif, the top Iran diplomat, however it is said that could come later in the week.

The new round of sanctions is all about existing monies controlled by the IRGC and the Iran Supreme leader and his associates. This includes access to revenues from oil exports and freezes the financial assets of key officials where the Iran Central Bank is listed.

***

Additional Executive Order sanctions details:

Today’s action targets commanders of the IRGC’s Navy, Aerospace, and Ground Forces, in addition to the commanders of the IRGC Navy’s (IRGCN) five naval districts. These include the naval district commanders who are responsible for the IRGCN’s activities off the coast of the southern provinces of Khuzestan, Bushehr, and Hormozgan, which lie adjacent to the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

OFAC is designating IRGCN Commander Ali Reza Tangsiri pursuant to E.O. 13224 for acting for or on behalf of the IRGC. As recently as February 2019, Tangsiri threatened that the Iranian regime’s forces would close the Strait of Hormuz, an international waterway, if U.S. sanctions stopped Iran’s oil exports, and that the Iranian regime is prepared to target U.S. interests in the region. As the commander of the IRGCN, Tangsiri sits atop a structure—including those regional IRGCN commanders sanctioned today—that is responsible for the sabotage of vessels in the international waters.

Also designated today pursuant to E.O. 13224 for acting for or on behalf of the IRGC is Amirali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, whose bureaucracy was responsible for downing the U.S. unmanned aircraft on June 20, 2019. Hajizadeh oversees Iran’s provocative ballistic missile program.

OFAC is also designating pursuant to E.O. 13224 Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the IRGC’s Ground Forces, for acting for or on behalf of the IRGC. Under Pakpour’s command, the IRGC Ground Forces have deployed to fight in Syria in support of the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and the brutal Assad regime. In 2017, Pakpour said that the IRGC Ground Forces were in Syria to help the IRGC-QF.

OFAC is also designating the commanders of the IRGCN’s five naval districts pursuant to E.O. 13224 for acting for or on behalf of the IRGC. The IRGC is responsible for the Regime’s destabilizing and provocative naval actions in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
IRGCN commanders of five naval districts designated today are:

IRGCN 1st Naval District Commander Abbas Gholamshahi
IRGCN 2nd Naval District Commander Ramezan Zirahi
IRGCN 3rd Naval District Commander Yadollah Badin
IRGCN 4th Naval District Commander Mansur Ravankar
IRGCN 5th Naval District Commander Ali Ozma’i

The IRGC was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 by OFAC on October 13, 2017 and it was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Secretary of State on April 15, 2019.

Sanctions Implications

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of these individuals that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons.

In addition, persons that engage in certain transactions with the persons designated today may themselves be exposed to designation. Furthermore, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or provides significant financial services for any of the individuals designated today could be subject to U.S. correspondent account or payable-through sanctions.