CBP seizes nearly 300 pounds of pork products in El Paso
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists, working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso, seized nearly 300 pounds of prohibited pork products this week, CBP announced in a news release.
Agriculture specialists seized 25 large rolls of prohibited pork bologna, two packages of pork ham, and 16 rolls of pork chorizo on Thursday, May 8, CBP said.
The discovery was made just before 8 p.m. when a 61-year-old male presented himself for inspection in the vehicle lanes at the port of entry. After obtaining a negative declaration for fruits, vegetables, and meat products, a CBP officer at the primary booth spotted multiple rolls of meat under the floor mats, CBP said in its news release.
The driver was referred for a secondary agriculture inspection. During the secondary exam, CBP agriculture specialists located 275 pounds of bologna, 17.6 pounds of pork ham, and 7 pounds of pork chorizo hidden in various locations in the vehicle, CBP said.
The prohibited pork products were seized and destroyed by CBP, per U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations.
The seizure marks the second time the individual was caught attempting to smuggle pork bologna from Mexico to the U.S. at the El Paso port of entry. The man was previously assessed a $1,000 penalty after CBP agriculture specialists discovered 30 rolls of bologna in the vehicle he was driving, CBP said.
'It is important that members of the traveling public clearly understand that pork products have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases to the U.S. The impact to the U.S. economy and to our agriculture industry could be devastating,' CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector A. Mancha said.
'Travelers should not try to cross pork products from Mexico to the U.S. If they are unsure, it is best for travelers to declare any items acquired abroad to help CBP stop the introduction of potentially harmful products,' Mancha said.
The smuggling case is being referred to USDA Investigative and Enforcement Services who enforce alleged violations related to animal and plant issues, CBP said.
CBP is also exploring civil penalties which may be applied.
'The USDA and the Department of Homeland Security are partners in the effort to protect American agriculture against the introduction of pests and diseases at our nation's ports of entry. Undeclared prohibited agriculture items will be confiscated and can result in a civil penalty for failure to declare,' the news release said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Fox News
27 minutes ago
- Fox News
Law firm that worked to keep SJSU trans player eligible also cleared athlete of conspiring to harm teammate
Print Close By Jackson Thompson Published June 24, 2025 EXCLUSIVE: Back in November, attorney Tim Heaphy of the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher led a third-party investigation into allegations against San Jose State's transgender volleyball player Blaire Fleming of conspiring with an opponent to harm a teammate. Heaphy carried this out in the same month that other partners in his firm worked to protect Fleming's eligibility to compete in women's college volleyball. Heaphy later offered the school legal counsel to help it navigate a federal Title IX investigation over the same situation. The offer was declined. Fleming, the trans athlete at the center of a national controversy last fall, was accused in a Title IX complaint and a separate lawsuit of discussing plans to have teammate Brooke Slusser spiked in the face during a game against Colorado State on Oct. 3. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Slusser told Fox News Digital she previously had a concussion her junior year in 2023. She claims she has since made conscious efforts to avoid blows to the head out of fear of potential long-term brain damage from a second concussion. "It could have possibly ended my career or really affected me long term," Slusser said. "Because my first concussion was so bad, sometimes just getting bonked in the head by a serve, which is not even that bad, would make me a little dizzy sometimes. So it did scare me, if I did even get another little minor concussion, how it would affect me." Slusser was never spiked in the face during the Oct. 3 game. However, allegations brought by an SJSU teammate who claimed she witnessed Fleming conspiring with an opposing player still prompted the Mountain West Conference to launch an official investigation. The Mountain West Conference hired Willkie Farr & Gallagher to lead the investigation, and Heaphy was assigned to lead it. Heaphy corresponded with Dustin May, University Counsel for California State University and San José State University, to coordinate interviews, as seen in public records obtained by Fox News Digital. "The Mountain West has hired the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher to conduct a review of the allegations. Attorney Timothy Heaphy is taking the lead on this investigation and is copied here," read Nov. 12 emails sent by San Jose State athletics director Jeff Konya to SJSU head volleyball coach Todd Kress and former assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose. Heaphy previously served as the chief investigative counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives select committee to investigate the January 6 capitol protests. In the same month of Heaphy's investigation into allegations against Fleming, partners at Willkie Farr & Gallagher represented the Mountain West in a request for a preliminary injunction filed by Slusser, Batie-Smoose and 10 other Mountain West women's volleyball players seeking to keep the trans athlete out of the conference tournament. That request for a preliminary injunction was filed on Nov. 13, at which time Heaphy and May were in the process of coordinating interviews with witnesses for the investigation. The firm's legal battle to keep the trans athlete in the women's tournament was successful, as federal judge Kato Crews, appointed by former President Joe Biden in January 2024, ruled in favor of Fleming's eligibility on Nov. 25. Two days later, after a failed appeal by the plaintiffs, the firm posted an online press release announcing the legal victory to keep Fleming eligible to play. But that webpage has since been deleted. Fox News Digital asked why the page no longer exists, but Willkie Farr & Gallagher did not respond to the inquiry. Archived data shows the original press release stating, "Willkie secured a high-profile win for collegiate athletic conference Mountain West Conference in a suit brought by members of San Jose State University's women's volleyball team and other Mountain West teams that played against SJSU." It later added, "The Willkie team was led by partners Wesley R. Powell, Matt D. Basil and Jared Bartie, and included counsel Emerson Girardeau, and associates Autumn Adams-Jack, Jacey Norris, Emma Rosen, Chloe Smeltzer and William Weber." None of the firm's attorneys have been accused of violating any applicable rules of professional conduct. Meanwhile, Heaphy's investigation into Fleming's misconduct allegations closed just three days after Konya's Nov. 12 email to Batie-Smoose, on Nov. 15. Heaphy and May corresponded via email with at least five other witnesses, as seen in public records. California State University redacted the identities of those five witnesses that corresponded with Heaphy and May during the investigation in the public records provided to Fox News Digital. Slusser and Batie-Smoose told Fox News Digital that they each declined to interview with investigators. SJSU ATHLETE WHO SUED OVER TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL TEAMMATE FLEES CAMPUS AFTER ALLEGED HARASSMENT AND THREATS Email correspondence between Heaphy, May, Konya and Willkie Farr & Gallagher associate Fiona Carrol repeatedly incorrectly dated the SJSU vs. Colorado State game as taking place Oct. 2, as seen in public records. The game was played Oct. 3. A Nov. 15 letter obtained by Fox News Digital, sent by the Mountain West to both universities announcing the investigation closed without finding "sufficient evidence," also incorrectly dated the game as Oct. 2. In the Mountain West's letter announcing the investigation closed, the conference stated "there is insufficient evidence to corroborate the allegations of misconduct," later adding, "the Conference office has determined no disciplinary action is warranted and considers this matter closed." Slusser's attorney, William Bock of the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS), responded to the conference closing the investigation in a Nov. 17 statement, calling the investigation "inadequate, and anything but thorough." "All such evidence should be immediately and publicly disclosed along with the full written investigative report of the MWC's investigator," the statement added. No evidence was ever disclosed by the conference, as Fleming went on to finish out the season, earn all-conference honors and even led SJSU all the way to the Mountain West championship game. The trans athlete traveled and roomed alongside female teammates to Las Vegas in the final week of November for the tournament. Slusser previously told Fox News Digital that she and her family even had to share the same dining room with Fleming for Thanksgiving in a Las Vegas hotel on Nov. 28. That morning, the team had just learned it would advance to the conference tournament after Boise State announced it would forfeit the conference semifinal game to Fleming's Spartans, after forfeiting twice in the regular season. Boise State did not give a reason for those forfeits, but it is widely believed the players were protesting being forced to play against a trans athlete. Fleming's collegiate career then came to a close that Saturday, Nov. 30, in a conference championship game loss to Colorado State — the same opponent the athlete was accused of conspiring with to harm Slusser, which Heaphy's investigation cleared. Heaphy reached back out to May on Feb. 6 of this year with an offer. President Donald Trump, who had just returned to office partially based on a vow to "keep men out of women's sports," signed an executive order to try and enforce that mandate just weeks into his presidency on Feb. 5. And just one day after that, Trump's administration launched an investigation into SJSU over the Fleming situation. "I saw an ESPN report that the Department of Education has opened an investigation of San Jose State University regarding the participation of a transgender volleyball player. I am familiar with those facts from my work for you and the Mountain West conference last fall," Heaphy wrote to May in a Feb. 6 email. "I also do a lot of work on OCR investigations with the Dept of Ed — including a large resolution of a Title VI matter that I recently resolved with that office for the University of Washington. If you're looking for outside counsel to engage with the Dept on this matter, I'd be glad to help." May responded on Feb. 18, declining Heaphy's offer. Heaphy responded the next day, writing, "Please let me know if we can help in any way on this or other issues." The DOE's investigation into SJSU's handling of the situation involving Fleming is ongoing. The allegations involving Fleming first came to light in a Title IX complaint filed by Batie-Smoose on Oct. 29 and were reiterated in Slusser's lawsuit against SJSU and the Mountain West. Both documents allege Fleming and two other San Jose State players snuck out of the team hotel in Colorado the night before the Oct. 3 match, and went to the dorm room of Colorado State player Malaya Jones. Fleming is alleged to have discussed plans with Jones there to have Slusser spiked in the face during the game. Slusser has told Fox News Digital and alleged in her lawsuit against the Mountain West and SJSU that the night before the game, one of her teammates approached her with a warning after the teammate received a text message. "One of my teammates got a DM, basically saying that she, and then my team, needed to keep my distance from me on gameday against Colorado State, because it wasn't going to be a good situation for me to be in and that my team needed to keep their distance," Slusser previously said. It is unclear whether the warning stemmed from Fleming's alleged plan to have Slusser spiked in the face. When players arrived at Moby Arena for that game, there was a notable police presence, with several officers stationed throughout the venue. And while the spike to Slusser's face never came during that Oct. 3 game, Batie-Smoose told Fox News Digital that she had suspicions about Fleming's intentions during play, before the assistant coach was ever even informed about the allegations. Fleming led the game with 10 errors as San Jose State lost in straight sets. "In set one, I call blocking, Blaire was not looking at me, would not even give me eye contact when [Fleming] kept setting up the block wrong, didn't follow the game plan," Batie-Smoose said. "[Fleming] wouldn't look at me, wouldn't acknowledge me, so then I told [Kress] 'I know this is crazy, but I think that she's throwing the match and she's definitely not listening to a word I'm saying about blocking.'" Batie-Smoose said she recalls an alleged moment at the end of the first set that prompted further concern. "Close to the end of that set was when [Fleming] overpassed a serve right on top of the net for Malayla to hit toward Brooke Slusser, and then those two were kind of always doing eye contact and making smirks up to that point. But then when that happened, they both laughed and [Fleming] said, 'Thank you,' and that's when Blaire blew her a kiss," Batie-Smoose alleged. NEVADA VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS WERE PRESSURED WITH 'LEGAL ISSUES' TO PLAY SJSU TRANS PLAYER DURING FEUD WITH SCHOOL "And then I turned to [Kress] and I said, 'don't you see this interaction, this s--- that's going on?'" By the third set, Batie-Smoose said she was so unnerved by Fleming's disobedience that she felt compelled to ask Kress when he would be taking the trans player out of the game. "I was like, 'You would take anybody else out for a third of those errors'… but then he is literally behind my back on purpose telling [assistant volleyball coach] Julian [Abreu], 'Oh my God, this is so horrible for Blaire, all this stuff is taking such a toll on Blaire, I feel for her!' and I was just like, 'This is crazy,'" Batie-Smoose said. Batie-Smoose claimed she then learned about the misconduct allegations against Fleming from another player on the team when the team returned to San Jose after the game. After Batie-Smoose filed the Title IX complaint, which first publicized the allegations against Fleming, the coach was suspended from the team on Nov. 2 and did not return. She was informed on Jan. 31 that her contract would not be renewed. Batie-Smoose's home was then vandalized with a pellet gun on the night of Feb. 10, Scotts Valley Police Department Captain Scott Garner previously confirmed to Fox News Digital. No motivation was determined. Around the same time, Slusser fled the SJSU campus. It was shortly after the start of the spring 2025 semester, due to receiving alleged threats and harassment from other students for her stance in opposing trans inclusion in women's sports. She finished her degree from her family home in Texas. Slusser has become a recurring speaker in her home state's legislature, advocating on behalf of bills that would grant protections for women and women's spaces from biologically male transgender people. Meanwhile, Fleming celebrated graduation from San Jose State in a social media post in May. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Mountain West, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, San Jose State University, Kress, Colorado State University and Jones' current school, Southern Methodist University (SMU), for a response. Jones transferred to SMU after the end of last season. No response has been provided by those parties. May's office initially responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment after providing the public records, requesting a list of questions and background information be provided before speaking. Fox News Digital did not provide the information or list of comments, and requested a virtual or phone interview. May's office then responded with the statement, "Any speculation that the firm or attorney mentioned in your inquiry represented SJSU or the CSU is unfounded." Fox News Digital had not posed that question or any other stipulation, only an interview request, at that point. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital later followed up with May's office requesting an interview to address other questions, and fulfilled his office's request to provide background information on what would be discussed. May's office responded saying, "He will not be available," and has not responded to request for further comment. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Print Close URL
CBS News
29 minutes ago
- CBS News
Jury orders man to pay $500,000 for assaulting D.C. police officer who died by suicide after Capitol riot
A federal jury on Monday awarded $500,000 to the widow and estate of a police officer who died by suicide nine days after he helped defend the U.S. Capitol from a mob of rioters, including a man who scuffled with the officer during the attack. The eight-member jury ordered that man, 69-year-old chiropractor David Walls-Kaufman, to pay $380,000 in punitive damages and $60,000 in compensatory damages to Erin Smith for assaulting her husband, Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. They awarded an additional $60,000 to compensate Jeffrey Smith's estate for his pain and suffering. The judge presiding over the civil trial dismissed Erin Smith's wrongful-death claim against Walls-Kaufman before jurors began deliberating last week. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said no reasonable juror could conclude that Walls-Kaufman's actions were capable of causing a traumatic brain injury leading to Smith's death. Walls-Kaufman, who lived a few blocks from the Capitol, denied assaulting Smith. He says any injuries that the officer suffered on Jan. 6 occurred later in the day, when another rioter threw a pole that struck Smith around his head. On Friday, the jury sided with Erin Smith and held Walls-Kaufman liable for assaulting her 35-year-old husband — an encounter captured on the officer's body camera. "Erin is grateful to receive some measure of justice," said David P. Weber, one of her attorneys. Walls-Kaufman said the outcome of the trial is "absolutely ridiculous." "No crime happened. I never struck the officer. I never intended to strike the officer," he said. "I'm just stunned." After the jury left the courtroom, Reyes encouraged the parties to confer and discuss a possible settlement to avoid the time and expense of an appeal and for the sake of "finality." "You guys settle, you can move on with your lives," the judge said. Walls-Kaufman's attorney, Hughie Hunt, described the jury's award as "shocking." "We're talking about a three-second event," he told the judge. "It's not shocking, Mr. Hunt. A lot of things can happen in three seconds," Reyes replied. Jeffrey Smith was driving to work for the first time after the Capitol riot when he shot himself with his service weapon. His family said he had no history of mental health problems before the Jan. 6 riot. Erin Smith claims Walls-Kaufman struck her husband in the head with his own police baton, giving him a concussion and causing psychological and physical trauma that led to his suicide. Body camera footage obtained by CBS News appears to show that Jeffrey Smith was the target of multiple assaults on Jan. 6, at least once inside the Capitol and then again a few hours later — outside at the west front of the Capitol. The images of the attack were pivotal to Erin Smith's efforts to change the designation of her husband's death. "I think the physical attack on him changed him," Erin Smith told CBS News in 2022. "If he didn't go to work that day, he'd still be here." Undated: Erin and Jeffrey Smith Jack Reznicki, photo provided by Erin Smith The police department medically evaluated Smith and cleared him to return to full duty before he died by suicide. In 2022, the District of Columbia Police and Firefighters' Retirement and Relief Board determined that Smith was injured in the line of duty and the injury was the "sole and direct cause of his death," according to the lawsuit. Walls-Kaufman served a 60-day prison sentence after pleading guilty to a Capitol riot-related misdemeanor in January 2023, but he was pardoned in January. On his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of cases for all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in the attack. More than 100 law-enforcement officers were injured during the riot. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick collapsed and died a day after engaging with the rioters. A medical examiner later determined he suffered a stroke and died of natural causes. Howard Liebengood, a Capitol police officer who responded to the riot, also died by suicide after the attack. Erin Smith's quest isn't over. She applied for the National Law Enforcement Memorial to add her husband's name as a line-of-duty death. Weber said they're hoping for a decision soon. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Crypto Kidnappings Are on the Rise. Should Investors Be Worried?
Increasing numbers of crypto investors have been victims of kidnapping, wrench attacks, and home invasions. Thieves are using social media to profile potential crypto targets. Don't let criminals change your investment strategy, but do take precautions. 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin › Crypto kidnappings and so-called wrench attacks have been in the news recently. In one high-profile case, kidnappers in France abducted Ledger co-founder David Balland and his wife and demanded a significant crypto ransom for their release. Closer to home, criminals allegedly held and tortured an Italian entrepreneur for 17 days in a Manhattan apartment. Sadly, it isn't a new phenomenon. Last year, a Florida resident was sentenced to 47 years for a series of crypto-related home invasions that started in 2022. However, these crimes are on the rise. And the Coinbase data breach that revealed the home addresses of over 69,000 customers does not help investors feel safe. According to Bloomberg, there have been 23 attacks on crypto holders this year, up from just six in the same period last year. The name "wrench attacks" comes from a comic strip that suggested complex encryption wouldn't help against criminals who drugged and beat their victims to get their passwords. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has soared to record highs this year. Not only are digital currencies becoming more valuable, but they're also more mainstream. TRM Labs Director Phil Ariss says that makes it more attractive to criminals, including violent ones. "As long as there's a viable route to launder or liquidate stolen assets, it makes little difference to the offender whether the target is a high-value watch or a crypto wallet," he said. TRM Labs specializes in analyzing blockchain data to fight fraud and financial crime. One key reason for the rise in attacks on cryptocurrency holders is that the criminals think crypto transactions are both anonymous and irreversible. The transfer takes place instantly. And, unlike a bank transaction, if someone hands over their crypto keys under duress, there's a perception that transfers can't be traced. That's not actually entirely correct. Authorities are getting better at tracking and prosecuting these types of illicit transactions. Sadly, that message hasn't gotten through to the thieves. Another crypto-specific risk is that potential attackers can use peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions to identify crypto holders. The nature of P2P trading means that individuals talk directly to one another, which can expose their personal information. Finally, the thieves target people who post about their crypto gains. From influencers to key players in the industry, bad actors glean information online. Take, for example, the Taihuttu family, who have travelled the world using only Bitcoin since 2017. Recently, strangers told them they'd used YouTube videos to work out where they were staying, so the family stopped posting. Although home jackings aren't unique to crypto, there are elements of digital currencies that can amplify the risks. For some, one of the attractions of crypto is that you can become your own bank. But if you go that route and store your assets in a non-custodial crypto wallet, you are responsible for security. The idea that your investment decisions could make you a target for criminals is certainly unnerving. But don't let dramatic headlines put you off investing in Bitcoin or any other crypto. There are many reasons you might put a small percentage of your portfolio into cryptocurrency, including a desire to hedge against economic uncertainty. However, cryptocurrency doesn't always work in the same way as stocks or money in the bank. Even with increased adoption, it is still a relatively new asset class, and it doesn't have the same investor protections. If you buy crypto, think about how to store it safely. Here are some steps you can take: Buy crypto through an exchange-traded fund (ETF): If you invest in crypto through an ETF, it is the fund -- not you -- that needs to safeguard the assets. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has already approved spot ETFs for Bitcoin and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) and looks likely to greenlight others shortly. Be careful what you post on social media: Criminals are using social media to build profiles of potential targets. If you've built a profitable crypto portfolio (or from any other investments), try not to share that information online. Make a plan to store your crypto: If you use a non-custodial hardware wallet, consider storing it in a bank safety deposit box. Most crypto wallet companies offer additional security features, so find out what's available. For example, a multisignature wallet requires several keys to authorize transactions. There are also tools that split your seed phrase into several parts and ways to set up fake dummy wallets. Depending on the size of your crypto holdings, you might consider crypto insurance. An increasing number of insurance companies now offer specific packages for Bitcoin holders. Look for policies that specifically protect against wrench attacks. Cryptocurrency investing is still a new frontier. If you buy into a crypto ETF through a brokerage account, the fund takes care of the custody and security. However, if you buy through an exchange, think carefully about how you will store your assets to minimize both cyber and physical risks. Before you buy stock in Bitcoin, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Bitcoin wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $664,089!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $881,731!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 994% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 23, 2025 Emma Newbery has positions in Ethereum. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Crypto Kidnappings Are on the Rise. Should Investors Be Worried? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
