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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Why the demise of Trump's NASA pick is different from his other personnel failures
Donald Trump's personnel failures tend to fall into three distinct categories. Some of his nominees have failed, for example, because of intractable bipartisan opposition (see Matt Gaetz and Ed Martin). Others failed because some on the far-right decided that the president's choices weren't quite radical enough (see Dr. Janette Nesheiwat). The third category, however, is the most unusual: Some of Trump's personnel failures have come after the White House admitted that it dropped the ball on vetting and neglected to do its due diligence. It's what happened with Chad Chronister's failed nomination to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration; it's what happened with Kathleen Sgamma, who was the president's choice to run the Bureau of Land Management; and at least at first blush, it's what appears to have happened to Jared Isaacman, who was Trump's pick to serve as the new administrator of NASA. NBC News reported: President Donald Trump said Saturday he is pulling the nomination of billionaire Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator, citing 'a thorough review of prior associations.' Trump, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, did not elaborate on what associations he was referring to. The president's statement was uncharacteristically brief. 'After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,' he wrote. 'I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" The news was, among other things, sudden: Isaacman's nomination had already cleared a committee vote — he was approved with bipartisan support, which was relatively unusual for a Trump nominee — and his confirmation was practically a foregone conclusion. Nevertheless, just a few days before the Senate was poised to approve the nominee, the president pulled his choice to lead NASA from consideration. As for the 'prior associations' that the Republican referred to, The New York Times reported, 'Mr. Trump in recent days told associates he intended to yank Mr. Isaacman's nomination after being told that he had donated to prominent Democrats, according to three people with knowledge of the deliberations who were not authorized to discuss them publicly.' This was an odd explanation. After all, it stood to reason that Isaacman's background as a political donor was well known before he was even nominated. Indeed, the Times reported a day later that the former nominee did, in fact, freely disclose his record in this area and the details of his donations 'were old news.' While Mr. Trump privately told advisers in recent days that he was surprised to learn of Mr. Isaacman's contributions and that he had not been told of them previously, he and his team were briefed about them during the presidential transition in late 2024, before Mr. Isaacman's nomination, according to two people with knowledge of the events. One of those people said Mr. Isaacman, who had already been approved by a Senate committee and was headed to a confirmation vote this week, directly told Mr. Trump about those donations when they met in person weeks after the 2024 election. So what happened? The Times' report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, added that in recent days, the president's associates 'began pressing him on Mr. Isaacman's Democratic donations,' and the behind-the-scenes lobbying appears to have had an impact. What's more, Isaacman was closely aligned with Elon Musk, and Trump's biggest campaign donor has exited his White House office. As for who Trump's next NASA nominee might be, watch this space. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘Corrupt' Tallahassee ICE raid hits close to home, drums up community protest
Luis Arreguin of Tallahassee sits among shouting protesters in front of the Florida Capitol on May 30, 2025. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) Vacated construction sites, rapid protest organizing, and confusion — the immigration raid in Tallahassee this week hit close to home for many Panhandle residents. Some protesters in front of the Florida Capitol Friday evening had politics on their mind, while others told the Phoenix they were there because others, who had been detained or are scared to leave their homes, couldn't be. ICE raids FSU College Town construction site, buses away workers The protest drew hundreds of people, a day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement and state police raided a construction site in Tallahassee and detained many of the workers. 'There's a lot of people who can't be out here right now. A lot of them are scared to leave their house, so I gotta do it for them,' Luis Arreguin said. Arreguin moved to Tallahassee 10 years ago from Mayo, Florida, where people had more respect for laborers, he said. 'Blindsided, corrupt,' Arreguin said of the raid. 'They're not doing it for right reasons but, whatever, it is what it is. All we can do is do this right here, what we're doing. There's a god up there, he sees it all, he knows what happened yesterday.' Wearing a white button-up shirt, Arreguin sat quietly on a bollard in front of the Capitol, holding a sign reading, 'IMMIGRANTS ARE WELCOME HERE,' while others chanted, encouraged honking from drivers-by, and cheered for speakers. 'We're not bad people,' Arreguin said, referring to 'Mexicans, Hispanics, immigrants.' 'This nation was built on immigrants. So, I don't know what the hell happened in the last 10-20 years that we forgot,' Arreguin said. 'Some of the greatest inventions that's come out of this country have come from immigrants. It's just the passing of the torch, man, you just gotta wait it out.' According to ICE, '100+ illegal aliens' were arrested during the 'targeted enforcement operation Thursday.' The agency said people arrested were from Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Honduras 'to name a few.' The operation was directed by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee and assisted by Florida Highway Patrol, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who called a special legislative session earlier this year to create laws cracking down on illegal immigration, characterized the raid as a 'Major bust in Tallahassee!' Ivette Martinez, a daughter of immigrants, traveled from Bainbridge, Georgia, to join the protest. 'It's inhumane,' said Martinez, whose husband works five minutes away from the construction site. 'It could've been my husband.' 'My question is, we present a birth certificate, Social Security, a Real ID that we have, and they still be saying it's fake,' Martinez said, concerned about cases such as one the Phoenix reported on in which a U.S. citizen was detained under the new immigration laws after showing his ID. 'So what, me as a USA citizen, do I have to prove in order to prove that I am a USA citizen? If they don't take my word, they don't take my real ID, Social Security, or birth certificate, what else? Am I just supposed to let them detain me or fight back?' After entering the construction site near the Florida State University campus, federal and state officials asked workers for identification and separated them into two categories, witnesses told the Phoenix. According to ICE, one worker during Thursday's raid was charged with four counts of assault on law enforcement officers and another attempted to pull a weapon on officers. Some were free to go; others were handcuffed and led onto white buses with metal-plated windows to be transported away from the worksite, escorted by the Highway Patrol. Officials, many masked, on the scene declined to provide information about the operation. Construction workers who'd been allowed to leave told the Phoenix that law enforcement officers had surrounded the site on West Gaines Street in FSU-adjacent College Town before the raid began at about 9 a.m. Kat Spiegel drove an hour and half from Jennings, Florida, with politics on her mind. 'I'm here because Trump is dismantling our entire democracy. He's trampling over the Constitution,' Spiegel told the Phoenix. 'ICE is out of control and they're running around, they're not identifying themselves, we have no idea who they are, they're masked, it's disgusting, he needs to go.' DeSantis posted to social media Friday that federal officials 'are pursuing the subcontractor responsible for hiring the illegal alien workers…' 'These types of enforcement actions aim to eliminate illegal employment, holding employers accountable and protecting employment opportunities for America's lawful workforce,' said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno in a news release. 'HSI Tallahassee, working alongside our state, local, and federal partners, will continue protecting public safety by enforcing the immigration laws of our nation.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Tony Alas, who works in construction, was at the protest with his family, holding a sign covered in stars and hearts that read, 'Immigrants Make America Great.' 'They say we come here to steal. We're not stealing anything. We're just doing the job that nobody else wants to do,' Alas told the Phoenix. 'They say, 'Come here, do it the right way.' The immigration system is broken and they need to fix it,' Alas said. 'Because sometimes it's people with no papers and it's not about money, it's about your kin. Some of my friends, they had to go back. When you have a wife and kids, you don't want to go back to your country and wait like, like, what? Three or four years, 10 years to get your papers straight? So you take the risk to stay with no papers.' Tony Alas' 19-year-old daughter Wendy, joined him. 'Me and my siblings, this country is all we've ever known. This country is where we grew up, we know everything here,' Wendy Alas said. 'It's so heartbreaking, and I don't know what I would do in a situation where my family or any of my other families like my aunts, my uncles, were sent back and I wouldn't be able to see them again,' Wendy Alas said. As the crowd formed and speakers aired concerns, protesters chanted, 'One, two, three, four, immigrants are worth fighting for,' and, 'Five, six, seven, eight, no more ICE in our state.' 'Say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ICE,' they chanted, accompanied by drums and megaphones. Groups involved in the protest included Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance, Leon County Democratic Environmental Caucus, Young Democratic Socialists of America, Students for a Democratic Society, Voices United Gadsden, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Food Not Bombs Protesters held up signs reading things like, 'Abolish ICE,' 'Due process for all,' 'Let people work,' 'No 287(g),' and 'Melt ICE.' 'When our communities are under attack, we stand up and fight back. Politicians won't help us, the people in power don't want to help us, so we have to show them that we won't stand for it and the people will rise up,' Joelle Nunez, an organizer with Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance, said through a loudspeaker. 'If they're focused on gang members and drug dealers, why are they focusing on arresting people that are simply trying to earn a living for their family?' Nunez told protesters. Nunez, an FSU senior in biology, said she would ask politicians to 'stop facilitating these immigration raids.' 'Florida, of all the states in the whole United States, has the most 287(g) agreements; we have a Immigration Enforcement Council now and, all in all, we're not only taking Trump's immigration policies in hand, but actually like stepping them up on the local level, and I think that's not right. What we need to be seeing is a sort of, some type of opposition to the immigration policies,' Nunez told the Phoenix. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Two Utah men charged with supporting Mexican cartel designated as terrorist group
Two family members were charged with conspiring to support a Mexican cartel designated as a terrorist organization. Maxwell Sterling Jensen, 25, and James Lael Jensen, 68, both from Sandy, Utah, were charged with conspiring to materially support a Mexican cartel designated as a terrorist organization and conspiracy to commit money laundering, as well as related smuggling charges. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the pair allegedly provided material support to the Jalisco New Generation cartel. The men allegedly conspired to conceal and disguise the source of proceeds from illegally smuggled crude oil, in addition to aiding and abetting the fraudulent entry of 2,881 shipments of oil. The DOJ said they allegedly operated an enterprise in Rio Hondo, Texas, named Arroyo Terminals. When the men were arrested, authorities seized four tank barges that contained crude oil, as well as three commercial tanker trucks, one personal vehicle and an Arroyo Terminal pickup. Violent Mexican Drug Gang's High Ranking Members Sanctioned By Trump The Jalisco cartel was designated as a foreign terrorist organization on Feb. 20 by the State Department. Read On The Fox News App Prosecutors said they intend to seek a $300 million judgment if the men are convicted. If found guilty, the men could face over 20 years in prison. Bondi, Patel Announce Seizure Of Over $509M In Cocaine Linked To Cartels William Kimbell, acting special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Houston, said their arrests came from an investigation initially looking into drug trafficking. "What began as a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) drug trafficking investigation evolved into a multifaceted case involving an alleged complex criminal operation generating millions of dollars from crude oil — the largest funding source for Mexican drug cartels," Kimbell said. "Given the charges have profound implications for both the United States and Mexico, we will continue to explore all leads and identify any believed to be involved. The collaboration with federal law enforcement, prosecutors and state agencies proved critical to unraveling these alleged crimes and will continue until such operations are destroyed." Fox News Digital reached out to attorneys representing Maxwell Jensen and James Jensen for article source: Two Utah men charged with supporting Mexican cartel designated as terrorist group
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Pasco drug leader gets 22 years in hot sauce torture kidnapping case
TAMPA — As drug cases go, this one was horrendous. It involved one dealer accusing another of stealing his business, a kidnapping plot and torture by hot sauce. It ended Wednesday when a federal judge sentenced Mario Espino, a young man a prosecutor called 'a victim of his own ambition,' who aspired to be the 'No. 1 drug dealer in Pasco County,' to 22 years in prison. Yet, in a 90-minute sentencing hearing, Espino was at once condemned for his crimes and praised for his candor in helping prosecutors take down other dealers who dominated the flow of fentanyl and methamphetamine in areas north of Tampa. The government sought close to 30 years in prison. He could have gotten life. His sentence balanced what the government said was substantial assistance Espino gave to investigators, testimony of a dismal childhood and his leadership of a ruthless criminal enterprise. 'This is not someone who's just selling drugs on the corner,' Assistant U.S. Attorney David Sullivan said in court. 'This is a high-level trafficker who we know, without a doubt, is extremely violent.' Yet, U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven observed, the government made deals with him. The prosecutor responded with an adage: 'You can't cast a play in hell with angels.' Said the judge: 'All plays that can be cast don't have to be cast.' The prosecutor agreed. No more deals would be made in this case. Espino's downfall began one morning almost two years ago. Pasco sheriff's deputies and federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents had been watching a little house with a front yard of gravel and concrete on a straight street called Eisenhower Drive in Holiday. The cops descended on a Dodge Durango SUV that pulled up. Espino and two other men got out and ran, but didn't get far. In the SUV's back seat was a man, his wrists and ankles bound with zip ties, his head covered with a blue pillowcase. His name was Gadiel Leger. He is described in court records as a fellow drug trafficker. Bad blood brewed when Espino learned Leger was dealing with some of his clients. Cops had spoken to Leger the day before — Oct. 21, 2023 — after he stepped off a plane at Tampa International Airport. They'd told him that Espino was planning to kidnap and kill him. They'd learned as much from a confidential informer, who said Espino planned to hold Leger for ransom. Leger apparently ignored their warnings. Espino recruited two other men — Joey Young and Jacob Guest — to help in the kidnapping plot, prosecutors said. Court documents describe Espino as luring Leger to Tampa with the promise of paying a debt he owed. The three men were waiting at Espino's home when Leger showed up that night. After he walked inside, Young and Guest pulled guns as Espino grabbed Leger's neck from behind and wrestled him to the floor. The three men used zip ties to bind Leger's wrists and ankles. They hit him with fists and guns in his face, chest and body, according to court records. The beating lasted hours. Espino phoned someone, not named but identified in court records as a Leger's 'source of supply.' He demanded 22 pounds of fentanyl in exchange for his release. He went through Leger's phone, photographing his contact lists in search for his other drug suppliers, court records state. The men dragged Leger into the home's garage and put him in the back of a Dodge Charger. They shrouded his head with a T-shirt and covered his eyes with a sweat band, court records state. They drove somewhere, then returned to the home. All the while, the beating continued. Amid the melee, the men poured hot sauce into Leger's eyes, records state. Espino, according a police report, removed Leger's pants and poured the hot sauce into his rear end. While Leger was being tortured, another man, Jacob Arjona, arrived in a minivan. He walked inside carrying a black suitcase that held 50 pounds of methamphetamine, court records state. He collected a cash payment of $113,100. While he was there, he saw Leger, tied up and bleeding, and joined in the beating, records state. After he drove away, cops stopped Arjona and found the cash. Back at the house, the men put Leger in the SUV and drove him somewhere. When they returned, the cops were there. Leger was hospitalized with numerous injuries, including a brain bleed. In Espino's house, agents seized large quantities of meth and fentanyl and a backpack that held more than $13,000. Espino, 26, became the first defendant in the case to plead guilty and the first to offer information to investigators. Young, Guest and Arjona also eventually pleaded guilty to various crimes related to the kidnapping. Guest and Young received 20 and 25 years in prison respectively. Espino helped agents identify several other drug dealers, the prosecutor said. He became a key witness against two in particular. Marcus and Pierre Fowler were described in court as the top dealers in Pasco County. Marcus pleaded guilty to drug charges and got 24 years in prison. Pierre was convicted at trial, in which Espino testified, and awaits sentencing. 'They were the people Mr. Espino went to for most of his drug supply,' Sullivan said. 'They are who Mario Espino was trying to be.' Beyond his drug crimes, Espino was alleged to be responsible for at least four shootings in Pasco County. After his arrest, the prosecutor said, violent crime in Pasco County saw a marked decline. In court Wednesday, Espino stood with shoulders slumped, wearing orange. A large tattoo of a U.S. 19 road sign marked the center of his neck. He insisted that he has changed. He told the judge he was broken mentally and spiritually when he committed the crimes. He asked for a chance at an education, a legitimate career and fatherhood. Leger, 36, who faces federal drug charges unrelated to Espino's case, was not in court. The judge asked: Why did he torture the man? Espino explained that he blamed Leger for the loss of some of his drug supply. He was also angered when he learned Leger was dealing with some of his biggest clients behind his back. 'I didn't plan on killing him,' Espino said. 'I just planned on putting fear in him. But I did go overboard.' His older brother Dionicio Espino, a Marine veteran and investment banker, read a lengthy statement detailing their troubled upbringing. He described their father as a violent criminal who was murdered in Mexico. Their mother, he said, suffered from mental illness and died from the long-term effects of substance abuse. He spoke of a home life that lacked stability, where the children would come home from school to find their mother passed out near burnt spoons and empty liquor bottles. The younger Espino was in and out of group homes. He dropped out of school. His lack of education kept him from following his brother into the military. With few other prospects, he turned to drug dealing. 'So many people have failed Mario,' his brother said. Before Espino was led away by U.S. Marshals, the judge closed the courtroom so he could visit alone with his baby daughter. It was the first time he'd seen her in person.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Repeat Kent, WA drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prison
The Brief Mexican citizen and Kent resident Ramon Duarte Garcia was arrested in June 2024 for drug trafficking. Duarte Garcia was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Duarte Garcia had been stopped by law enforcement on multiple occasions across the West Coast, and was previously charged with drug trafficking in California. SEATTLE - A Kent resident was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking, officials announced. The backstory Ramon Duarte Garcia, 38, was arrested in June 2024 following a four-year drug investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Seattle Police Department, and resulted in investigators seizing more than 32 kilograms of cocaine, 14 kilograms of meth, 83,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 3 kg. of heroin, 1 kg. of fentanyl powder and multiple firearms. "In this investigation, federal and state investigators worked from the streets of Seattle to drug suppliers in Mexico and Colombia," said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller in a statement. "Significant prison time is needed to stop his trafficking." Duarte Garcia continued his drug trafficking activity despite being stopped by law enforcement twice in 2023. During those stops, law enforcement seized two firearms, meth, cocaine and over $11,000 from Duarte Garcia's vehicle. During a July 2023 stop in California, authorities seized 12 lbs. of trafficked meth, a handgun and $10,000, where he would later be charged with drug trafficking by California officials. After authorities stopped him from driving back to the Pacific Northwest with more trafficked drugs in June 2024, Duarte Garcia will now face 10 years in prison. Prosecutors pushed for a 12-year sentence, stating that Duarte Garcia made the repeated choice to endanger communities by trafficking and distributing drugs on multiple occasions while armed, but the court ultimately decided on the 10-year sentence. Duarte Garcia will likely be deported following his prison term, as he has overstayed his visa to be in the U.S. If Duarte Garcia stays in the country following his sentence, he will have three years of supervised release. The investigation was a joint effort between U.S. law enforcement and the Colombian National Police. The Source Information in this article came from a Department of Justice press release. A religious group is set to protest outside Seattle City Hall. Here's why Crews battle Second Creek Fire near Leavenworth, WA 2 injured in separate Seattle shootings Teen, child killed in Lacey, WA mobile home fire Dave's Hot Chicken to open 4 new locations in Seattle area. Here's where To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
