Latest news with #hoax
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Homeland security denies reports that Ice ‘secretly deported' Pennsylvania grandfather
Confusion swirled around the fate of a Chilean resident of the US after the Department of Homeland Security called reports of his deportation to Guatemala a 'hoax'. On 18 July, the Morning Call newspaper of Allentown, Pennsylvania, reported that the family of the man, Luis Leon, said he was handcuffed after showing up at to immigration office on 20 June to report a lost green card. They said he was first sent to a detention facility in Minnesota, then to Guatemala, where they said a Chilean relative informed them he was in a hospital. The report said Leon was 82 years old and had come to the US after being granted political asylum in 1987 after being tortured under the regime of the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. It said in his nearly 40 years living in the US he spent his career working in a leather manufacturing plant, raised a family and had since retired. DHS, however, denied in a statement that Leon had been deported and that there was no record of Leon having a green card appointment in Philadelphia on that date. The department also said that its only record of Leon entering the US 'was from 2015 from Chile under the visa waiver program'. The Guatemalan government also denied that Leon had been deported. In a statement, the Guatemalan Migration Institute said it coordinates with Ice on all deportations from the US and that no one matched Leon's name, age or citizenship, according to the Associated Press. The AP added that Guatemala agreed in February to receive people deported from the US who are from other Central American countries, but that its agreement does not extend to Chileans. On Monday, Morning Call published a new story reflecting DHS and Guatemala's claims, and noting that it 'repeatedly requested information from Ice during its reporting; an Ice spokesperson previously refused to confirm details, including whether or not Leon was even at the Philadelphia office, and said Monday that Ice investigators were not able to contact the family'. It added that Leon's granddaughter, Nataly, who refused to provide her last name, said she had visited Leon in a hospital in Guatemala City, where she claimed he was being treated for pneumonia. But the outlet also reported that a Chilean journalist, Jose Del Pino, said a doctor at the hospital in question had no record of him. Del Pino also reportedly provided a copy of an alleged death certificate to the Morning Call for a man with the same name and date of birth who died in Santiago, Chile, in 2019. It added that Del Pino said Chilean citizens all have national identification numbers, and none matches another person with that name and birthday. Late on Sunday her family issued a statement saying they would no longer speak to media and asked for privacy, and Leon's granddaughter did not respond to the Morning Call's further requests for comment on Monday. The Guardian has approached Ice, the Chilean embassy in the US, the municipality of Allentown and various immigration organizations for comment. An attorney at Campos Firm said multiple immigration attorneys had tried to contact the family asking to represent them, but could not reach them.
Khaleej Times
4 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Ahmedabad airport receives bomb threat, security force sweeps premises: Indian media
The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in the Indian city of Ahmedabad received a bomb threat on Tuesday, July 22. The Crime Branch received a threatening email, ANI reported, citing Sharad Singhal, Joint Commissioner of Police. Security forces conducted a search immediately, and nothing suspicious has been found so far, police added. A spokesperson from the airport said, "Following the receipt of a threatening email on 22 July 2025, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, activated the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee, and the threat was assessed as non-specific." "CISF's Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad conducted comprehensive checks in line with standard security protocols. After a thorough sweep of the premises, no suspicious object or activity was found. Airport operations have continued without disruption," the spokesperson added. On June 29, a similar hoax threat email was received by the Ahmedabad airport, followed by another such threat after nine days. The email mentioned that an IED bomb was hidden in the bathroom pipeline, according to the Indian media. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport came into spotlight last month after the devastating Air India plane crash. The Boeing 787 aircraft crashed moments after taking off from this airport, killing 241 out of 242 passengers onboard, along with additional casualties on the ground.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fox News Reporter Asks Karoline Leavitt What We're All Thinking About 'Epstein Hoax'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is probably used to tough questions from journalists. But she seemed a little taken aback by one that she was asked on Thursday by Jacqui Heinrich of Fox News. And, yes, it was about Donald Trump's recent handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. After Trump's DOJ and FBI heads issued a memoclaiming there is no evidence that the convicted sex offender had a 'client list' he used to blackmail powerful figures, the president dismissed the idea as a 'hoax' and called Epstein truthers 'weaklings' who are doing the Democrats' work. 'There's been a lot of discussion about the Epstein files and the president's comments yesterday calling it a 'hoax,'' Heinrich noted before bluntly asking Leavitt to 'clarify which part of the Epstein 'hoax' is the 'hoax' part?' Leavitt's response was more pointed than anything Trump has claimed himself, but could still be summed up as 'Democrats are bad, m'kay?' 'The president is referring to the fact that Democrats have now seized on this as if they ever wanted transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, which is an asinine suggestion for any Democrat to make,' Leavitt began. 'The Democrats had control of this building, the White House, for four years, and they didn't do a dang thing when it came to transparency in regards to Jeffrey Epstein and his heinous crimes,' she said. Here's a clip of the exchange. Leavitt's explanation wasn't well-received on social media, however. Related... Gen. Mike Flynn Has A Teeny Tiny Request For Donald Trump Trump Melts Down Over 'Jeffrey Epstein Hoax' — And The Internet Explodes Former WH Chief Of Staff Contradicts Trump On Whether Prez's Name Is In The Epstein Files Mike Pence Joins Calls To Release Epstein Files: 'The Time Has Come'
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Dem mayor mocked for pushing ICE kidnapping story that ended up being alleged hoax
Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, a critic of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, is being mocked for pushing a story about an LA woman being kidnapped by ICE that ended up allegedly being an elaborate hoax. The Department of Homeland Security posted on its official X account on Friday, "Mayor, you pushed a HOAX. There is still time to delete this." This comes after Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, a 41-year-old Mexican illegal alien living in Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, according to the DOJ. On July 1, Bass posted a link to a local news story about Calderon's supposed kidnapping, commenting, "She's a mother from L.A. — taken out of her car on her way to work, and then held in a warehouse as officers hoped she would 'self-deport.' "No hearing. Just fear," Bass added. "This doesn't make anyone safer." After the charges went public, DHS slammed Bass for her comments, saying, "Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon was NEVER arrested or kidnapped by ICE or bounty hunters—this criminal illegal alien scammed innocent Americans for money and diverted limited DHS resources from Los Angeles." RNC Research, a page run by the Republican National Committee, also chimed in, commenting on X that "Karen Bass spreads a false story demonizing ICE agents." According to the Justice Department, Calderon claimed to have been kidnapped by masked, uniformed men in unmarked cars at a Jack in the Box parking lot June 25. She claimed to have been forcibly taken to the border and presented to an ICE staffer who demanded she sign self-deportation papers. Calderon said that when she refused to sign the document, she was taken to a warehouse to be held indefinitely. The Los Angeles Police Department launched a missing person investigation and notified DHS, which, after determining Calderon was not in its custody, launched its own investigation. During the investigation, HSI noticed several irregularities, including that the phone calls to loved ones that Calderon had supposedly made via borrowed phones were made from her cell phone, intentionally masked to appear as an unknown number. According to the affidavit, video surveillance of Calderon's alleged forced abduction further showed her calmly leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and getting into a nearby sedan. Despite the video showing a marked LAPD car in the vicinity, Calderon did not make any attempts to alert officers that she was in danger. The affidavit states that "when confronted with true information that contradicted their kidnapping story," Calderon and others lied to federal agents and "attempted to thwart law enforcement efforts" by keeping her whereabouts from law enforcement. According to a DOJ statement, HSI agents tracked Calderon down July 5 at a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield, California. The statement said Calderon continued to claim she was taken by masked men and held in custody with others. Calderon's daughter also attempted to raise money from Calderon's alleged kidnapping by creating a GoFundMe page. A spokesperson for GoFundMe told Fox News Digital the page was removed and that the family did not access any of the money raised. Calderon is in U.S. immigration custody and is facing a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to five years for false statements if convicted of the charges. Fox News Digital reached out to Bass' office for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
LA mayor slammed for sharing alleged ICE kidnapping hoax
By Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass unwittingly spread a suspected hoax by an immigrant mom who allegedly faked her own kidnapping for GoFundMe cash. The city leader took to X to share an article about the 'abduction' of Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon by ICE agents earlier this month. Bass, 71, claimed that Calderon had been snatched from her car by officers urging her to 'self-deport'. 'She's a mother from L.A. — taken out of her car on her way to work, and then held in a warehouse as officers hoped she would 'self-deport.' No hearing. Just fear. This doesn't make anyone safer.,' Bass wrote on July 1. However, since then Calderon, 41, has been charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers. The charges came after family of Calderon – an illegal immigrant from Mexico living in Los Angeles – claimed she was ambushed by armed men in two unmarked trucks at a Jack in the Box parking lot in the downtown LA area. They then set up a now-deleted GoFundMe account demanding $4,500 to help with the case. Bass's humiliating defense of Calderon emerged following the charges against her and prompted fury from The Department of Homeland Security who blasted the mayor. 'Mayor, you pushed a HOAX,' the DHS X account posted. 'There is still time to delete this. Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon was NEVER arrested or kidnapped by ICE or bounty hunters — this criminal illegal alien scammed innocent Americans for money and diverted limited DHS resources from Los Angeles.' The Daily Mail has reached out to Bass for comment. Bass's post came just one day after Calderon's f amily members and attorneys held a press conference on June 30, where they said she was brought to San Ysidro, a district of San Diego close to the Mexican border. Her family alleged that she was then, 'presented to [a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] staffer' and, 'presented with voluntary self–deportation paperwork,' according to officials. The family's attorney said Calderon refused to sign the paperwork, and was then 'punished' by being held in a warehouse, a report from the US Attorney's Office, Central District of California detailed. Footage of the press conference show supporters of Calderon holding signs saying, 'our mom is missing,' 'stop the abduction,' and 'where is Yuli?' Following attention from the media, the family then created the fundraiser, which raked in a measly $80 before it was shut down. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) vehemently denied claims that the immigrant mother was abducted. The DHS launched an investigation into the 'kidnapping,' during which they spent days looking for Calderon and even had ICE agents searching 'detention cell to detention cell', officials said. Ultimately, agents said they found Calderon in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield on July 5. She allegedly continued to insist that she had been kidnapped and held 'with others'. Video footage of the Jack in the Box parking lot Calderon claimed to be taken from showed her leaving the lot and getting into a sedan, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Phone records also show the abduction to be a hoax, according to officials. Calderon's family has allegedly tried to keep up the ruse even after she was discovered. They allegedly fabricated pictures of her 'rescue' to make it seem as though ICE agents abused her, according to officials. On July 6, the family planned to host another press conference and increase the donation request, but then their plan was foiled by the DHS. 'Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon was never arrested or kidnapped by ICE or bounty hunters — this criminal illegal alien scammed innocent Americans for money and diverted limited DHS resources from removing the worst of the worst from Los Angeles communities,' the DHS said. 'Calderon will now face justice and the media and politicians who swallowed and pushed this garbage should be embarrassed,' the agency added. US Attorney Bill Essayli also released a statement on the matter, saying: 'Dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are "kidnapping" illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents.' Calderon now faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison if convicted for each charge. The DOJ indicated that additional individuals involved could also face charges. According to a statement provided by GoFundMe to KTLA , the organizers of the campaign will not have access to the $80 their page raised in donations. 'GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform, or any attempt to exploit the generosity of others, and cooperates with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing,' the statement read. 'This fundraiser was removed from the platform and the $80 raised was refunded; at no point did the organizer have access to any of the funds.' The Daily Mail has reached out to DHS and ICE, as well as Calderon's family and attorney for comment. Calderon's kidnapping claims come at a contentious time for migrants in the US, as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up his tough-on-immigration policies. Recent ICE raids have seen mass deportations, and the White House claims that Trump has deported more than 100,000 illegal migrants since returning to office in January 2025. Last Thursday, a raid of a cannabis farm in Camarillo - a city in Southern California - saw 200 migrant workers being detained. Chaos ensued at the raid, with protestors violently clashing with ice agents. Trump directed federal law enforcement officials to use 'whatever means necessary' to arrest anyone who throws rocks or other projectiles at ICE agents during immigration raids.
