200 Pounds of Meth, Cocaine Seized in California by Border Patrol
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U.S. Border Patrol agents seized nearly 200 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine in two separate vehicle inspections this past weekend in California. The alleged seizures resulted in the arrest of a Mexican national and a U.S. citizen on drug smuggling charges.
In the first seizure this past Saturday, agents assigned to the Indio Station in the El Centro Sector contacted a male driver in a 1997 Ford F-250 at a designated immigration checkpoint on Highway 86 at 8:50 am. Agents referred the male, identified as Rene Elizalde, a 22-year-old U.S. citizen, to a secondary inspection after a K-9 alerted to an odor, according to Border Patrol officials. The K-9 pointed to the driver’s side of the vehicle and agents utilized a fiber-scope camera to inspect the two gas tanks. In one, agents noted that the liquid did not have the appearance or characteristics of gasoline. Agents then tested the substance and discovered it was methamphetamine. The liquid methamphetamine had a total weight of 75 pounds with an estimated street value of $198,750.
“Liquid methamphetamine is an extremely dangerous form of the narcotic and thankfully our agents were able to prevent it from advancing further into the United States,” saidChief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez.
Breitbart TV
Elizalde, along with the reportedly seized drugs, was handed over to the custody of the Drug Enforcement Administration for a review of criminal charges.
In the second seizure this past Sunday, agents assigned to the Indio Station in the El Centro Sector contacted a 35-year-old driver in a brown 2015 Renault Duster Expression at 3:30 pm. Agents referred the driver, who was determined to be a 35-year-old Mexican national, to a secondary inspection, according to the Border Patrol. Agents discovered 61 individually wrapped packages concealed within an aftermarket floor compartment underneath the driver and passenger seats.
A total of 56 of 61 packages reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine. The other five contained cocaine. The packages containing methamphetamine weighed 109.65 pounds and had an estimated street value of $284,856. The five packages of cocaine weighed 13.12 pounds, valued at $170,560.
The driver was turned over to the DEA for processing, according to a news release.
Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce has worked in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year assignment in Monterrey, Mexico, working out of the Consulate for the United States Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program, where he was the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico (Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas.) You can follow him on Twitter. He can be reached at robertrarce@gmail.com
ICE Arrests 118 in New York
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Nearly all of the 118 immigration violation arrests made in New York by ICE over five days were convicted criminals or those with pending charges.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) made 188 arrests from January 14-18. Of those arrested, 107 were convicted criminals or facing charges, and 55 failed to leave the country after a final order of removal or were previously removed and returned to the U.S.
ERO New York field office director Thomas R. Decker said of the enforcement:
In spite of the significant obstacles that ICE faces due to the dangerous policies created by local jurisdictions, which hinders the cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement, ICE will continue to devote the full efforts of our agency to protecting citizens and enforcing federal immigration law despite challenges being pursued by politically motivated individuals.
ICE named 14 of those foreign nationals arrested, six of which had sexual offense convictions or pending charges.
“More than 35 individuals arrested during this operation were previously released from local law enforcement on an active detainer,” according to an ICE detailing of the enforcement action. The release emphasized, “When law enforcement agencies fail to honor immigration detainers and release serious criminal offenders onto the streets, it undermines ICE’s ability to protect public safety and carry out its mission.”
ICE pointed to sanctuary cities and their practice of releasing those on ICE detainers, including many with “significant criminal histories.”
More than 80 percent of American voters want a crackdown on illegal alien crime, according to a recent Harvard/Harris poll.
“Ultimately, efforts by local NYC politicians have shielded removable criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and created another magnet for more illegal immigration, all at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect,” Tuesday’s ICE announcement stated. “ICE seeks straightforward cooperation with all local law enforcement and elected officials.”
Michelle Moons is a White House Correspondent for Breitbart News — follow on Twitter @MichelleDiana and Facebook.
Shutdown Shudders: Consumer Confidence Falls Again as Outlook for the Future Dims
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Consumer confidence took another hit in January, as the government partially shut down while Capitol Hill Democrats and the Trump White House battled over funding for a border wall.
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index decreased in January, the third consecutive steep monthly decline.
The index fell to 120.2 from December’s revised down 126.6. Economists had expected a milder decline to 124.3.
Despite the government shutdown, consumers’ view of current conditions was little changed. The percentage of consumers claiming business conditions are “good” was virtually unchanged at 37.4 percent, while those saying business conditions are “bad” actually fell from 11.6 percent to 11.1 percent.
But optimism about the future turned much more pessimistic in January, the third consecutive monthly steep decline in expectations. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions will improve over the next six months fell from 18.1 percent to 16.0 percent, while those expecting business conditions will worsen increased from 10.6 percent to 14.8 percent.
Consumers’ assessment of labor market conditions was mixed. Those stating jobs are “plentiful” increased from 45.5 percent to 46.6 percent, while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” also increased, from 12.2 percent to 12.9 percent. But the outlook was less favorable. The share expecting more jobs in the months ahead decreased from 16.6 percent to 14.7 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs increased, from 14.6 percent to 16.5 percent.
And fewer consumers expect their incomes to improve in the near-term future. The share expecting an improvement declined from 22.4 percent to 18.2 percent, while the proportion expecting a decrease also declined, from 7.6 percent to 7.1 percent.
Although consumer confidence has declined in recent months, it remains at a very high level. Consumer confidence remains well above levels that persisted for years prior to the election of President Donald Trump.
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