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Man Arrested After Brawl at Galveston Port

Man Arrested After Brawl at Galveston Port

Epoch Times29-04-2025

Police arrested a man and detained several individuals after a physical melee broke out inside a cruise ship terminal in Galveston, Texas, on Saturday.
The Port of Galveston Police Department said it responded to a call on April 26 regarding an altercation at Cruise Terminal 25 as passengers were disembarking.
'U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained several individuals,' Port of Galveston Police Department spokesperson Kathryn Thomas told NTD, a sister publication of The Epoch Times, in an email. 'Port police arrested and charged one individual.'
The man was charged with injury to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual, according to Thomas.
The Galveston County Jail declined to comment until the individual's name is released.
The debarking passengers had just completed a cruise to the Caribbean aboard the Carnival Jubilee, according to a person who posted a video of the incident on social media.
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'It went down this morning,' Trelle Ray
NTD reached out to Ray for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Carnival Cruise Lines said it had placed 24 people on its 'do not sail' list following the incident.
'It is not temporary,' Carnival told NTD when asked about the ban.
'The incident occurred in the debarkation area under the authority of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol,' Carnival said in an email. 'The matter was turned over to law enforcement. We will not tolerate such behavior.'
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
Justin Alexander, a cruise ship social media influencer since 2018, said he's never surprised when there's fighting on a cruise ship.
'People start drinking and they get into their emotions,' Alexander told NTD by phone. 'Mix that with multiple demographics and multiple cultures that have different upbringings and different meanings for what's considered disrespect.'
Alexander, who cruises up to 30 times a year on various ships and posts reviews on his YouTube channel 'The Ship Life,' said he was surprised, however, that that this incident happened in the terminal 'because it creates a potential national security [breach].'
'Carnival's one of my favorite lines,' Alexander added. 'It's an average Joe cruise line. You see normal people there.'
From January 1 to March 30, Carnival Cruise Lines reported three assaults involving passengers, according to
Last year during the same time period, Carnival Cruise Lines

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Hooked By An Instagram Ad: The Shocking $47,000 Scam That Shattered One Man's Life In Days
Hooked By An Instagram Ad: The Shocking $47,000 Scam That Shattered One Man's Life In Days

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time3 days ago

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Hooked By An Instagram Ad: The Shocking $47,000 Scam That Shattered One Man's Life In Days

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. A single click. A friendly voice. A promise of guaranteed profits. In 2025, that's all it takes to lose everything. A California resident's life changed forever when they scrolled past what seemed like just another Instagram advertisement. 'Guaranteed profits through crypto trading,' the ad promised. 'Professional guidance from financial experts.' The Bond Finance platform at looked legitimate, professional, trustworthy. Don't Miss: — no wallets, just price speculation and free paper trading to practice different strategies. Grow your IRA or 401(k) with Crypto – . It was anything but—a reality that California's Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has documented extensively through its crypto scam tracker, which reveals the alarming frequency of such schemes targeting unsuspecting investors. Within days of clicking that ad, the victim found themselves ensnared in a sophisticated web of deception orchestrated by criminals who had perfected the art of financial manipulation. 'Grigory' reached out almost immediately, introducing 'Alexander'—supposedly a seasoned financial analyst ready to guide them toward crypto riches. The script was flawless. Alexander patiently walked the victim through creating an account, explained how to buy cryptocurrency, and provided step-by-step instructions for transferring funds to the Bond Finance platform. The trades looked successful. The account balance grew. At one point, it showed $47,000 in profits. Then came the trap. When the victim attempted to withdraw their earnings, Bond Finance claimed their account was frozen due to a trade that allegedly exceeded available funds. The solution? Pay $13,000 for 'account insurance' to unfreeze everything. The victim couldn't pay. The website vanished. Every dollar was gone. This isn't an isolated incident—it's part of a financial pandemic destroying lives across America. According to FBI data, an estimated $5.6 billion was lost to cryptocurrency-related scams in 2023, representing a staggering 45% increase from the previous year. Investment fraud involving cryptocurrency specifically rose from $2.57 billion in 2022 to $3.96 billion in 2023—a devastating 53% increase. These aren't just numbers on a government report. They represent thousands of families destroyed, retirement savings wiped out, dreams shattered. The sophistication of these operations has reached terrifying new heights. Cryptocurrency romance scams have escalated in recent years, leading to billions of dollars in losses worldwide, with criminals employing psychological manipulation tactics that would make professional therapists uncomfortable. Trending: New to crypto? on Coinbase. With Instagram hosting over 1.4 billion active users, the platform provides scammers with an ideal hunting ground for their fraudulent schemes. The platform's algorithm-driven advertising system can precisely target individuals based on their financial interests, recent searches, and demographic profiles. The Bond Finance case illustrates the evolution of crypto scams beyond simple romance fraud. These operations now employ: Professional Website Design: Fake trading platforms that mirror legitimate exchanges with real-time charts, professional layouts, and convincing testimonials. Multi-Person Teams: 'Grigory' and 'Alexander' represent different roles in a coordinated operation designed to build trust and maintain the illusion of legitimacy. Psychological Manipulation: The gradual building of trust, small initial successes, and the creation of artificial urgency around 'account insurance' fees. Technical Sophistication: Platforms that can display fake trading results, manipulate account balances, and create the appearance of profitable investments. The Bond Finance scam contained multiple warning signs that every cryptocurrency investor must recognize: Guaranteed Profits: No legitimate investment offers guaranteed returns. Period. The crypto market's volatility makes such promises mathematically impossible. Unsolicited Contact: 'Grigory' reaching out after a simple ad click represents a major red flag. Legitimate investment platforms don't cold-call potential clients. Withdrawal Restrictions: Any platform that prevents withdrawals or demands additional fees to access your money is operating a scam. Pressure Tactics: The demand for $13,000 in 'account insurance' represents a classic extortion technique designed to extract additional funds from victims. Unverified Platforms: The domain was likely registered recently and lacked proper financial licensing or regulatory oversight. Protection in the cryptocurrency space requires a multi-layered defense strategy that treats every investment opportunity with extreme skepticism: Verify Everything: Search for any cryptocurrency or platform using the word 'scam' and examine what you find. Visit official consumer protection sites like the FBI, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Federal Trade Commission. Use Only Established Platforms: Stick to well-known, regulated exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, or Binance that have proper licensing and insurance protections. Never Share Private Information: Do not disclose private keys, passwords, or sensitive details over the phone to unverified individuals. Verify legitimacy through official company emails or verified social media interactions. 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What's next for Edan Alexander? American freed, but trauma lingers for Hamas hostages
What's next for Edan Alexander? American freed, but trauma lingers for Hamas hostages

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time5 days ago

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What's next for Edan Alexander? American freed, but trauma lingers for Hamas hostages

The world cheered as the last living American hostage under Hamas control was reunited with his family. In an exuberant scene caught on video after his May 12 release, Edan Alexander threw his arms around his parents and shrieked with joy when he spied his siblings. Later, he posted on Instagram wearing shades and holding a bottle of Corona. But after the initial euphoria, the journey is not always easy for freed hostages. Israeli doctors who have worked with the dozens of captives released in recent months told part of the USA TODAY Network, that many face a complex rehabilitation. It's still too early to know the full extent of the suffering that Alexander, 21, endured during his nearly 600 days in captivity in Gaza. In an interview published May 14, his father, Adi Alexander, told The New York Times that his son, an Israeli soldier, was held with a bag over his head at times and handcuffed, beaten and interrogated about his military service. Yael Alexander, Edan's mother, said at a news conference that her son was plagued by hunger, thirst and unsanitary conditions during his time in Gaza, not to mention constant anxiety about the war raging around him. With bombs and military strikes shaking the tunnels where he was kept, he feared that any moment could be his last, his mother said. Alexander, who volunteered for the Israel Defense Forces after graduating from Tenafly High School in suburban New Jersey in 2022, was guarding an outpost near Israel's southern border during Hamas' 2023 terror attack, in which 1,200 people died and 251 hostages were taken. The attack triggered a war that has also claimed 58,000 lives in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Israel says about 20 hostages are still believed to be alive in Gaza, along with the remains of 37 others. Four of the dead are Americans. Roughly 147 have returned home in ceasefire deals or through rescue operations. Doctors who have treated them say freed captives have expressed relief and joy to be home – but also a difficulty resuming their old lives. Many suffer from emotional and physical scars, including anxiety, flashbacks and PTSD. Some feel survivor's guilt because there are still hostages remaining in Gaza, said Irwin Mansdorf, a clinical psychologist and senior fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. That emotional weight can complicate the rehabilitation process, because many returnees feel they can't avail themselves of their new lives while hostages are still suffering, said Mansdorf, who also served in the emergency division of the IDF Homefront Command. Some are still held captive by the horrors they experienced in the underground tunnels where they were held for months. "The hostages went through severe physical and emotional abuse, including maltreatment, lack of food or medical treatment, and physical interrogations, regardless of whether they were civilians or military," said professor Asher Ben-Arieh, dean of the School of Social Work and Social Welfare at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. "Many were subjected to sexual abuse as well." Ben-Arieh, who has met with prisoners of war, Holocaust survivors and hostages, said he's optimistic about the chances for rehabilitation for the returnees. He recalls a former POW telling him he "had a good life but always had the scars. I believe this can be true for the hostages: They can have a good life but will have to live with the scars." The time it could take to heal physically and emotionally from such an ordeal depends on a variety of factors, including a victim's resilience, their age and their experience during captivity, said Ben-Arieh, who also directed the Haruv Institute in Jerusalem, which developed protocols for reintegrating Oct. 7 hostages. Dr. Noya Shilo, head of the Returned Hostages Clinic at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, which has treated 46 released captives, said that in many cases, recovery is a lifelong journey. 'We are all mourners': NY writer's Oct. 7 book finds common ground in victims' stories That's especially true given the shock of Oct. 7, when Hamas gunmen overran villages and a music festival, shattering Israeli civilians' sense of security. "Very early on, we understood that this was like nothing else ever done before,' Shilo said. Without any precedent or medical literature to rely on, her team had to think outside of the box to create a new clinical discipline. 'Civilians had been taken hostage from their own homes and saw their world destroyed," she said. "This wasn't just going to take a few days at the hospital." Recoveries involved working with a team of experts in social work, psychology, yoga therapy, spirituality and alternative medicine, she said. "This kind of trauma affects the body and mind as well as the spirit," Shilo said. Medical experts learned that the trauma affected the mental health of everyone in the hostage's social and familial circle. "It was like their entire family was also taken hostage," she said. "We have to also treat the family members or loved ones of those captured or killed." The therapeutic community took lessons from Holocaust survivors, who were often haunted their entire lives by the atrocities they experienced. Despite the PTSD, she said, many of them 'managed to transform that into growth and led productive lives. We want to make this possibility present for the hostages.' But Holocaust survivors – many of whom declined to speak about their experience until old age – didn't have to grapple with the pressures of social media or the paparazzi. "The hostages were abducted as anonymous individuals, and now they are famous for the worst thing that happened to them and to Israel," Shilo said. "This is something that requires a lot of process." Ayelet Noam-Rosenthal, a lecturer in the psychology department of Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College and one of the writers of the Haruv guidelines for the reintegration of child hostages, noted that the "emotional recovery for many of the returning hostages is deeply tied to the remaining hostages in Gaza." "Many of those who returned found themselves at the center of the public campaign to bring the others home and, as a result, have not been able to focus on their own healing process," she said. One of the most important aspects of supporting the returning hostages is to help them regain a sense of control, Noam-Rosenthal advised. "Restoring agency is key to healing, and the role of the surrounding environment is to provide quiet support, respect boundaries and follow the returnee's lead," she said. The protocol also recommends asking the returnee's permission before giving a hug or turning on a light, and offering choices of what to eat. After Edan Alexander's release, it appeared that the Alexanders were heeding the words of the experts. They told a reporter at the Tel Aviv hospital where their son was being monitored that it was a blessing just to sit next to him and relax together. "We are chilling and trying to listen," Adi Alexander said. Yael Alexander added, "He needs time. ... We will give him whatever he needs." This article originally appeared on Hamas hostage, American Edan Alexander, released; trauma lingers

Carnival Cruise Line bans TikTok influencer after booze scam
Carnival Cruise Line bans TikTok influencer after booze scam

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time6 days ago

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Carnival Cruise Line bans TikTok influencer after booze scam

Carnival Cruise Line bans TikTok influencer after booze scam originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Carnival Cruise Line takes its cruise rules very seriously — so seriously that it even has a team of people who monitor social media for posts about passengers doing things they shouldn't on board its ship. The cruise line is well aware that some social media influencers like to brag about 'cruise hacks' for breaking cruise rules in an effort to get views on social media platforms like one influencer thought it would be clever to wait until after her cruise to post a video about how she (allegedly) broke a crucial cruise rule during a Bahamas getaway aboard Carnival Conquest. What she didn't realize was that Carnival could still take disciplinary action against her after she disembarked from the ship. Now, the TikTok influencer is changing her tune after her social media stunt landed her on Carnival's "Do Not Sail" list for her cruise on Carnival Conquest, Courtney Murley posted a video on TikTok that showed her travel companion checking their suitcase to see if the alcohol they (allegedly) hid in feminine product packaging and shampoo bottles made it on the cruise. 'Def waited until after I got home to post this…but it worked,' Murley wrote in the video caption, 'Forget a drink package…okay we ended up drinking probably what we would of paid for a drink package anyways but still was fun to try and see if the rum runners would work.'Although Murley succeeded in her alleged cruise alcohol smuggling endeavor and racked up more than 300,000 views on TikTok, she's now dealing with the consequences of her actions. Carnival Cruise Line didn't think her video, which she claims was created solely for entertainment value, was entertaining at all. 'This letter is to inform you that you will not be able to sail onboard any Carnival Cruise Line vessel in the future due to the smuggling of alcohol onboard the Carnival Conquest on March 31st, 2025, and subsequently posting about it on social media platforms,' Carnival wrote in a letter to Murley that she also posted in a TikTok video. 'Your attempt to book a future cruise will result in cancellation and a possible loss of deposit monies.'After receiving the letter and sharing it on TikTok, Murley is now claiming that she's being accused of something she didn't do. In a more recent video, she defended herself saying that she did not smuggle alcohol on board, but faked it with juice to create a video that would drive engagement on TikTok. She's even suggested that Carnival owes her an apology. 'Can I get an apology, Carnival? Like can somebody reach out to me? Is there a good lawyer you guys know that I can talk to about this?' she asked her followers. 'Because we did not break a rule.' More Carnival cruise news:'I didn't smuggle alcohol. All I did was make a video,' she insisted. 'You guys saw an edited video.' Murley says that she'll accept the ban, but asserts that she has integrity and will defend herself because she won't accept being accused of something she didn't do. If you're a loyal Carnival cruiser who wants to post cruise content on social media, let this be a lesson to you. If you're going to post about 'cruise hacks," stick with helpful tips and entertaining posts that don't encourage others to break cruise line rules. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.

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