Latest news with #D.E.A.
NBC News
01-07-2025
- NBC News
Exclusive access into D.E.A. fentanyl sting that led to conviction of two Chinese nationals
Two Chinese nationals were arrested in a D.E.A. sting for selling the raw materials that are used to make fentanyl. Agents lured them to Fiji, where they were arrested and extradited to the United States. They were later convicted on money laundering and drug charges. NBC News' Stephanie Gosk 1, 2025
CBC
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Brian Tyree Henry felt like an inconvenient child. Now, he's taking up space
Brian Tyree Henry got his first taste of the spotlight in preschool and never stepped out of it. He may have forgotten the one line he had in his starring role as Santa Claus (which was "Merry Christmas"), but still, he remained unfazed. Throughout his childhood, Henry was obsessed with performing. With his classmates cheering him on, he'd read storybooks and act out each of the characters. None of the kids were able to take their eyes off him, and Henry liked that, especially because the adults he lived with couldn't always give him the attention he craved. "It felt like a kind of glory for me to know that people outside of my home saw potential of what I could do and that gave me space to be unafraid to do things," he tells Q 's Tom Power in an interview. WATCH | Brian Tyree Henry's full interview with Tom Power: Since his preschool debut, Henry has jumped from the stage to the screen. His first big acting job was in the original cast of The Book of Mormon on Broadway. In 2018, he picked up a Tony nomination for his performance in the play Lobby Hero. Although musical theatre didn't end up being the right fit, it showed Henry what a stable, sustainable career in the performing arts could look like. He stuck with The Book of Mormon for three years, then got an audition for the TV show Atlanta just under a year later. Atlanta spoke to Henry in a way that theatre hadn't. He knew this would be something special. "I just remember everything so fondly about how we all came together. It also makes it even better when you don't care how people feel about it. At the end of the day, I was like, 'We are telling the stories we wanna tell.'" In his most recent project, a TV show called Dope Thief, Henry plays the main character, Ray. Posing as D.E.A. agents, Ray and his best friend rob drug dens while also working through generational trauma, addiction and grief. WATCH | Official trailer for Dope Thief: It is one of the more challenging roles Henry has had to take on — not because it's unfamiliar territory, but because Henry sees a bit too much of himself in the character's struggles. "The fear was coming from the visibility of having a character go through all these things — to have this Black man have to confront dealing with addiction and recovery, dealing with being abandoned," he says. "That was incredibly intriguing but terrifying at the same time, because that also meant that that didn't really give me anywhere to hide." Henry's father passed away right before they began shooting an episode about Ray's relationship with his father, which bore striking similarities to Henry's dynamic with his own. In the process of shooting an intense scene, Henry looked up from the floor to see a photo from his childhood that had made its way into the set — it was him, as a young kid, standing in front of the house that he was born in, and that his father had recently died in. I was not that man that was going to shrink himself to make other people feel better about themselves. Henry points out that although he can't choose when grief or other challenging emotions will strike, he's worked hard to do his own healing before taking on this role. "Five years ago, I don't think I would have had the tools to absolutely be able to give Ray the shine he deserved," he says. "I think I would have confused his pain with my pain." Thinking back to his somewhat isolating childhood of being passed between his parents, Henry says that like Ray, he often felt like an inconvenience. "I knew when I stepped into Ray, I was not that man anymore," Henry says. "I was not that man that was going to shrink himself to make other people feel better about themselves…. All the male characters that I've played have given me an opportunity to expand myself, to truly realize that I deserve to exist." Part of that learning, for Henry, is accepting that the success of his acting career hasn't just been brought upon by him being in the right place at the right time — he makes these projects special. "At some point, I had to stand and look at myself and be like, 'Fool, it's you. It must be something you're bringing to the recipe," Henry says. "'All the things that you have been a part of have done these great things, so when are you going to start pouring that stuff into yourself? '"
New York Times
27-02-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Mexico Released Dozens of Cartel Figures Into U.S. Custody
The Mexican government sent nearly 30 significant cartel operatives to the U.S., where American authorities have been seeking to charge them in federal courts. Among those flown to the U.S. today was Rafael Caro Quintero, a founding member of the Sinaloa drug cartel who was convicted in Mexico of having masterminded the 1985 murder of the D.E.A. agent Enrique Camarena. For decades, American officials have obsessed over getting hold of him. The transfer came as a high-level delegation from Mexico arrived in Washington to meet with senior U.S. officials on a security agreement at a moment of tension between the nations. It was hailed in American law enforcement circles as a major victory and a clear signal that Mexico's president planned to cooperate with the Trump administration in cracking down on the cartels. Inside the White House, there are also tensions. Some U.S. officials have pushed for unilateral military action against the cartels. Others have argued for increased partnership with the Mexican government, in part to ensure cooperation on migration. The Pentagon said it would push out transgender troops The Trump administration released a memo last night declaring that transgender troops would be forced out of the military. An earlier executive order by President Trump had asserted that being transgender 'conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle.' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has described trans troops as 'weird' and 'a distraction.' Some service members are challenging the policy in court. My colleague Dave Philipps interviewed dozens of transgender service members — three pilots, an explosives expert, a special operations officer, a nuclear reactor supervisor and others — who said their military experience looked nothing like the portrayal of them in the political arena. Read about their experience. In other politics news: Southeast Asia's scam centers keep flourishing Hundreds of people were rescued in recent days from forced-labor facilities in Myanmar that were dedicated to a multibillion-dollar industry of online scams. Tens of thousands more remain imprisoned in the fraud factories, many lured by false promises of good-paying jobs in I.T., engineering or customer service. The rescue missions were described as a major blow to the industry. But as Hannah Beech, our correspondent in Thailand, reported, the enormous business of grift keeps growing. For more: One of the rescued workers described being tortured for not reaching targets. 'All I did was scam and sleep,' he said. New A.I. tools can turn anyone into a coder Over the last couple of years, I've heard from readers who question the significance of artificial intelligence: Sure it's powerful, but when would I use it? If that might be you, our tech columnist Kevin Roose recommends 'vibecoding' — a word for the way relatively new A.I. tools can allow just about anyone to build fully functioning apps and websites. For example, one A.I. tool built Kevin an app to help him decide what to pack for his son's school lunch. Here's how to get started. More top news Remembering Gene Hackman Gene Hackman, who never fit the mold of a Hollywood movie star but became one all the same, has died at 95. Authorities found the bodies of Hackman; his wife, Betsy Arakawa; and a German shepherd at their home in New Mexico. Here's what we know about the circumstances of their deaths. Onscreen, Hackman could be both paternal and terrifying, and had the ability to almost goad you into liking otherwise despicable men. He won two Oscars, and he was hailed for his performances in films like 'The French Connection' and 'Unforgiven.' Here's where you can stream some of his hits. Also, check out his life in images. Original looks in Milan So far, this fashion season has seemed to be as much about the designers as it has been about the clothes. Gucci just showed off a collection without a designer, and another pair of creative directors — the husband-and-wife team at Jil Sander — just announced their departure. Luckily, my colleague Vanessa Friedman said that there had been at least two fresh ideas at Milan Fashion Week. Diesel's show was an inventive view of the classics, Friedman said in a review, and Marni riffed on the building blocks of wardrobe. Both took risks and let their imaginations go. The big talker: Diesel presented rear-end-revealing men's jeans. Would you wear them? Dinner table topics Cook: Celebrate Mardi Gras with homemade beignets. Watch: Here are three great documentaries to stream. Read: Our critic picked 10 books to help you get through winter, including 'Every Summer After.' Listen: Check out these five new classical music albums. Exercise: The run-walk method can benefit people of all fitness levels. Clean: Letting go of sentimental objects is hard. Here's how to start. Hunt: Which New Orleans home would you buy with a budget of $1 million? Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. She helped Japanese food flourish in America When Saori Kawano arrived in New York City in 1978, most Americans' ideas of Japanese food ended at instant ramen and onion volcanoes. Since then, if you've enjoyed hand-cut soba noodles or an omakase dinner, or stocked your kitchen with a Japanese knife, you can probably thank her. Kawano has been teaching American chefs about the precise pleasures of Japanese cuisine for decades. She began by cold-calling buyers and insisting that they order authentic bowls and plates. Now, she's the main supplier of Japanese knives and tableware for several of New York's finest restaurants. Have an influential evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@
