DHS Sets the Stage for Another Historic, Record-Breaking Year Under President Trump

 

Secretary Noem Keeps America Safe, Transforms DHS

On November 5, 2024, the American people gave President Donald Trump a clear mandate to secure our borders, end illegal immigration, take criminal aliens off our streets, protect the American taxpayer, and Make America Safe Again. Since taking office on January 20, 2025, President Trump has delivered on this mandate from the American people in historic fashion thanks to the hardworking men and women the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Under the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s leadership this past year, DHS has been hard at work restoring the rule of law, delivering the most secure border ever, removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens, creating safer communities, strengthening cyber defense, fixing disaster response, launching initiatives that are reshaping American travel and national security, and making America safe for generations to come.

DHS has set the stage to break even more records and make even more history in President Trump’s second year.

“In President Trump’s first year back in office, nearly 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, including an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations and more than 675,000 deportations.”

“In the last year, fentanyl trafficking at the southern border has also been cut by more than half compared to the same period in 2024,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “The U.S. Coast Guard alone seized enough cocaine to kill more than 177 million Americans.”

“Meanwhile, we have saved taxpayers more than $13.2 billion here at DHS. Countless lives have been saved, communities have been strengthened, and the American people have been put first again.”

Securing the Border to Historic Levels

President Trump ran on securing the border and fixing the border crisis that took place under his predecessor Joe Biden. In his first year in his office, President Trump delivered the most secure border in U.S. history.

Since May, the United States Border Patrol has released zero illegal aliens into the country. Apprehensions at the southern border have reached historic lows.

In fact, total U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) apprehensions along the southwest border in the first year of the current administration (90,084) were less than the average month during the Biden administration (155,485). USBP apprehensions over the last 12 months were the lowest ever recorded in CBP history (i.e., both Jan. 20-Jan.20 and Jan-Dec.)

In President Trump’s first year, USBP recorded 95% fewer encounters per day along the southwest border than during the Biden administration, with daily average encounters along the southwest border 1,936% higher during the Biden administration than during the first year of the current administration.

Currently, USBP’s daily average southwest border encounters under the current administration to date are 251. Meanwhile, USBP’s daily average southwest border encounters under the Biden administration were 5,110.

USBP nationwide apprehensions have averaged under 9,000 per month since President Trump took office – a level of sustained deterrence unmatched in modern border history. USBP had never previously recorded a single month below 10,000 nationwide apprehensions dating back to 1992.

In January 2026, the border received additional reinforcement when CBP commenced installation of the first waterborne barriers funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in the Rio Grande Valley Sector. 

During the first year of the current administration, CBP also implemented 42 Presidential Actions on trade, addressing illicit drugs, public safety threats, and critical imports.

Through the end of December, CBP collected $297 billion from all tariffs, taxes, and fees (total customs revenue).

CBP will continue to play a central role in executing the President’s tariff policy as trade enforcement and revenue collection authorities and will continue working closely with DHS and other partner agencies to deliver a world-class, seamless, and secure experience for all travelers and participants at the FIFA World Cup 2026.  These efforts will include implementing robust security measures while ensuring efficient facilitation, utilizing advanced technologies, strengthening strategic partnerships, and executing extensive operational planning across all U.S. host cities and key ports of entry.

The border wall will also be receiving reinforcement in 2026, with CBP moving quickly to obligate funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed in July 2025, with over $11 billion of the $46.5 billion in funds obligated to date, for border wall construction.

In 2026, CBP will continue to deliver the most secure border ever and continue to support ICE operations by arresting and removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our nation’s interior.

Ending the Scourge of Illegal Immigration

President Donald Trump promised to end the scourge of illegal immigration and deport illegal aliens.

Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, DHS has arrested and deported hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal aliens across the country, including gang members, rapists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers, thanks to the brave men and women of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), CBP, and other law enforcement immigration enforcement agencies. Seventy percent of those arrested by ICE are criminal illegal aliens who have been charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.

Nearly 3 million illegal aliens are out of the country, as DHS has removed more than 675,000 illegal aliens and estimated 2.2 million illegal aliens have self-deported.

ICE and CBP have conducted operations in cities nationwide, resulting in hundreds of thousands of arrests.

In late December, for example, ICE announced the successful conclusion of Operation Angel’s Honor, a 14-day operation named in honor of Laken Riley, during which the agency arrested more than 1,030 criminal illegal aliens under the authority of the Laken Riley Act — a law signed by President Trump in 2025 that mandates that any illegal alien who has been accused of a violent crime such as theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, or any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury must be placed under arrest.   

Seventy percent of those arrested by ICE are convicted criminals or have criminal charges. During President Trump’s first year, ICE arrested 43,305 potential national security risks. ICE has arrested 1,416 known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) and has removed 1,392 KSTs, and more than 7,000 gang arrests.

Now, in 2026, ICE has the ground running with 120% more officers and agents after hiring 12,000 Americans to help President Trump deliver on his signature promise.

In 2025, DHS paved the way for state and local law enforcement to arrests criminal illegal aliens off our streets in President Trump’s second year.

In President Trump’s first year, DHS secured more than 1,255 signed agreements with state and local partnerships under Immigration and Nationality Act Section 287(g).

Thanks to the 287(g) program, DHS partnered with the State of Florida on Alligator Alcatraz, the State of Indiana on the Speedway Slammer, the state of Nebraska on Cornhusker Clink, and the State of Louisiana on Louisiana Lockup to expand detention space by the thousands. 

This tremendous enforcement of the law has resulted in safer cities, plummeting fentanyl overdoses, cheaper rents, higher wages, and a better quality of life for millions of Americans.

Finding 132,000 Children Biden’s Lost

Under President Trump, DHS and the Department of Health and Human Services have located 132,720 unaccompanied children that the Biden administration lost. Too many of these children were exploited and abused before, during, and after being trafficked over our borders. All told, the Biden administration lost more than 450,000 children because of its open border policies. We will continue to ramp up efforts and will not stop until every last child is found.

Putting the U.S. Citizen First in America’s Immigration System

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is restoring integrity to our nation’s immigration policies and has instituted dynamic changes to ensure that only individuals who love America, align with our culture, and share our values, are welcomed into the country. Most importantly, Secretary Noem and President Trump are making sure that any form of legal immigration will benefit the U.S. citizen and does not pose harm to our well-bring and way of life.

In President Trump’s first year, USCIS made history with its fraud investigation, Operation Twin Shield, the agency’s largest enforcement operation to date. Launched in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, USCIS focused on more than 1,000 cases that had fraud or ineligibility indicators, attempted over 2,000 site visits to homes and workplaces, and completed nearly 1,500 in-person interviews with aliens during the operation. USCIS found evidence of fraud, non-compliance with immigration law, or public safety or national security concerns in more than 500 of cases.

In year two, USCIS is implementing the Department of Homeland Security’s new rule to prioritize the allocation of H-1B visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens, which will better American protect wages, working conditions, and job opportunities for American workers.

Last week, USCIS announced a new rule that reduces wait times for thousands of religious organizations and their communities—including priests, nuns, and rabbis—who previously were required to remain outside the United States before returning to resume their essential services. This rule protects and preserves freedom and expression of religion while easing burdens on those who shape the social and moral fabric of the country.

Under an updated policy confirming USCIS’ role as an immigration enforcement agency, agency officers are once again empowered to enforce immigration law by issuing Notices to Appear. So far, they have done so in historic numbers. Since January 20, USCIS officers have issued approximately 196,600 Notices to Appear to place aliens in removal proceedings.

USCIS has begun recruiting Homeland Defenders, who will better support the agency’s mission and bolster efforts to combat fraud and other threats.

Since launching the hiring campaign on September 30, USCIS has received more than 50,000 applications — the highest in agency history. The first Homeland Defenders began reporting for duty in early December 2025.

Within hours of the November 26 attack where an Afghan national murdered one National Guard member and severely wounded another, Secretary Noem directed USCIS to put asylum processing on hold for aliens from every country, implemented a full-scale reexamination of every green card for aliens from every presidentially designated high-risk country, and placed a hold on the processing of immigration applications and petitions for all Afghan nationals and aliens from those countries of concern.

USCIS is advancing the administration’s and Secretary Noem’s goal of ending the abuse and exploitation in certain immigration programs. This includes stopping broad abuse of humanitarian parole authority and terminating the family reunification and the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) parole programs and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, South Sudan, Syria, Somalia, and Venezuela.

Revitalizing the Coast Guard for the 21st Century

President Trump’s plan was simple when he became President of the United States. He wanted to revitalize the Coast Guard, equip it with the best technology, ships, and aircraft available, and then recruit the men and women that were necessary to run it all.

Secretary Noem put his plan into action, and now the Coast Guard is better positioned today than at any point in history to control, secure, and defend the U.S. southern border and maritime approaches; facilitate the uninterrupted flow of commerce; and rapidly respond to national and global contingencies.

In President Trump’s first year, the Coast Guard stopped drugs before they reached our shores, kept illegal aliens out of the country, rescued Americans, made the economy work, and saw a recruitment surge:

• Record-Setting Counter-Drug Operations:
  • Since January 20th, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard seized nearly 470,000 pounds of cocaine — enough to kill up to 177 million Americans at a 1.2g lethal dose.
• Controlling, Securing, and Defending U.S. Borders and Maritime Approaches:
  • Coast Guard operations such as Operation Border Trident and Operation River Wall increased interdictions of illegal aliens by 44% in key regions and secured over 100,000 miles of U.S. border. Advanced unmanned systems and intelligence-driven patrols have strengthened America’s maritime domain dominance.
• Facilitating Commerce and Rapid Crisis Response:
  • The Coast Guard enabled the safe movement of 1.8 billion tons of cargo, an increase of 13% from the previous year, supporting an economic engine projected to move $5.4 trillion in goods in 2026.
  • Coast Guard crews also saved nearly 5,000 lives and protected nearly $1 billion in property through thousands of search and rescue missions and rapid responses to major contingencies.
• Transforming Workforce Readiness and Recruitment:
  • Force Design 2028 drove record-setting recruitment, exceeding 110% of active-duty enlisted goals and accessing over 5,200 new members, the highest since 1991.
  • The Coast Guard is on track to expand the force by 15,000 members, ensuring a healthier, more resilient, and mission-ready workforce to meet evolving demands.
• Accelerating Modernization and Future Capabilities:
  • Looking ahead to 2026, the Coast Guard will implement major structural reforms, including the establishment of a Deployable Specialized Forces Command, expansion of training capacity, and rapid acquisition of next-generation assets.
  • Investments from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will further accelerate capability delivery, ensuring the Coast Guard remains the world’s most agile, capable, and responsive maritime fighting force.

These historic accomplishments are further illustrated in the Force Design 2028 Initial Update, which the Coast Guard released on January 15.

The report details the reforms the service has implemented under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, and it highlights the significant, measurable impacts these changes have delivered for the American people—including the historic 6-to-1 return on investment these efforts provided to the taxpayer.

Improved Federal Law Enforcement Training

Thanks to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and Secretary Noem’s vision, the American people provided Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) with $750 million in taxpayer funding, more than doubling its annual resources, to enhance the training and readiness of U.S. Border Patrol, CBP, and ICE personnel.

As a result, FLETC provided federal law enforcement with the skills, leadership, and training necessary to tackle the threats of tomorrow and to keep the peace.

President Trump’s first year in office saw FLETC focus on:

• Expanding nationwide law enforcement collaboration by facilitating ICE’s 287(g) Training Program.
  • To date, approximately 18,500 officers across 50 states and five territories have registered and over 12,500 have completed the training, strengthening partnerships between federal and local law enforcement agencies.
• Training over 73,000 law enforcement personnel, the second highest number in FLETC’s 55-year history.
  • That includes thousands of personnel from state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement personnel from 51 states and five territories.
• FLETC achieved record-breaking training—the highest attendance levels since 2007—by supporting over 1,000 USBP trainees daily at FLETC in Artesia, New Mexico, and demonstrating a commitment to scaling operations to meet growing security demands.
• Producing America’s frontline during the 43-day lapse in appropriations – the longest in United States history – sustaining the safety and security of the nation at a time when uninterrupted law enforcement capability was essential.
• Enhancing maritime training by developing and piloting the U.S. Coast Guard Opposing Force Vessel Program.

Now, FLETC projects to train approximately 90,000 law enforcement personnel over the course of President Trump’s second year in office, fulfilling the operational requirements and expectations of our training partners within DHS and across other federal agencies.

Ushering in the Golden Age of Travel

The Transportation Security Administration is ushering in the Golden Age of Travel and will continue to thrive in President Trump’s second year.

Under President Trump and Secretary Noem:

• TSA ended the Obama-era “Quiet Skies” program, which was used to spy on Americans, including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, as well as members of Congress.
• TSA launched the “Shoes On” Campaign, allowing travelers to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints.
• TSA successfully implemented REAL ID on May 7 and achieved 94% compliance, which continues to steadily increase.
• TSA launched two targeted campaigns including the “Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease” campaign and the “Families on the Fly” campaign, and the first-ever TSA PreCheck® Buy One, Get One.
• TSA screened a record 3.1 million individuals screened on November 30.
• 8 of TSA’s 10 highest screening days were in 2025.
• 2.5 billion checked and carry-on bags screened in President Trump’s first year.

Fixing Federal Disaster Response

For decades, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was bloated by waste, fraud, and abuse. Now, under President Trump and Secretary Noem, FEMA is being transformed, empowering disaster response that is federally supported, state led, and locally executed:

At Secretary Noem’s direction, FEMA has conducted a critical evaluation of all grant programs and recipients to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and deliver accountability for the American taxpayer.

As a result, FEMA has achieved:

• Radical Transparency and Contract Management FEMA’s rigorous contract reviews led to the termination of 118 contracts, generating $31.2 million in savings and $82 million in total cost avoidance, ensuring mission alignment and cost-effectiveness.
• Historic Recovery of Excess Funds FEMA recovered $8 billion in excess funds—the largest in agency history—rechanneling resources into high-priority operations and setting a new standard for fiscal responsibility.
• Fraud Prevention and Investigations FEMA conducted 2,092 fraud investigations, safeguarding up to $1.2 billion from external fraud and identifying 27 internal cases totaling $250,000, protecting taxpayer resources and disaster assistance funds.
• Accelerated State-Led Recovery Funding FEMA expedited 106 Public Assistance projects across 9 states, delivering $762 million in upfront funding—empowering states to lead and streamline their own recovery.
• Record Disaster Assistance to Communities and Individuals FEMA approved nearly $2.2 billion in Individual Assistance to households and obligated $15.3 billion in Public Assistance for communities and critical infrastructure, ensuring resources reach those most in need.
• Modernized Survivor Assistance Tools FEMA improved the disaster assistance process by launching new digital tools—including an application status tracker, clearer help text, guided videos, simplified letters, and expanded payment options. The digitized payment system accelerated delivery of assistance from 2–3 weeks to 1–2 days.

In President Trump’s second year, FEMA will empower states to lead disaster response and recovery while ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Continued improvement will strengthen local resilience when natural disasters strike, and deliver efficient, accountable support to communities across the nation to protect the American people when its needed most.

Bringing Back “The Best of the Best” to the Secret Service

President Trump and Secretary Noem made it a priority to restore the American people’s confidence in the Secret Service by demanding excellence from the Secret Service, recruiting the best of the best, and giving them the training necessary to carry out their mission.

As a result of that focus, which led to a roughly 46% increase in applications compared to the year before. From January 20 to December 18, 2025, the U.S. Secret Service received 91,273 applications, versus 62,160 applications during the same period in 2024.

Likewise, the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center delivered the highest number of trainings and briefings in the agency’s history - more than 364 trainings and briefings to more than 56,713 participants. NTAC training recipients included law enforcement agencies, schools, mental health providers, faith-based organizations, government agencies, and private sector entities.

Time and time again, the Secret Service made sure our nation’s biggest sports and cultural events were safe and secure.

In President Trump’s first year in office, the Secret Service:

• Successfully developed and executed the security plan for four National Special Security Events:
  • The 2025 Inauguration of President Trump, President Trump’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress, the 2025 UN General Assembly (UNGA, 80th Session), and the Army’s 250th Birthday Celebration.
• Provided Presidential protection during multiple major events, including:
  • Super Bowl LIX (New Orleans, LA), Daytona 500 (Daytona Beach, FL), Charlie Kirk’s Funeral (Glendale, AZ), Ryder Cup (Farmingdale, NY), Washington Commanders Game (Salute to Service) (Landover, MD), and the 126th Army-Navy Game (Baltimore, MD).
• Completed 22 anti-card skimming and electronic benefits transfer fraud outreach operations in various locations around the United States. These outreach operations prevented an estimated $428 million in fraud loss.

In President Trump’s second year, the U.S. Secret Service will expand its electronic benefits transfer fraud outreach operations around the country, beginning with a 10-day, five city operation this winter. 

The Service will continue to aggressively recruit and hire the best of the best in order to meet our goal of hiring 4,000 new employees by 2028, for a total of 6,800 law enforcement personnel and 10,000 total employees on board by the end of President Trump’s first year.

And it will design and execute security plans for multiple National Special Security events:

2025 State of the Union, UN General Assembly, G20 Summit, and support security efforts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Restoring American Air Superiority

On January 12, DHS announced the launch of a new office dedicated to rapidly procuring and deploying drone and counter-drone technologies, marking a major step forward in restoring American airspace sovereignty – a top priority for the Trump administration.

Drones are transforming industries nationwide, but they are also increasingly exploited by malicious actors. The new DHS Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems will oversee strategic investments in drone and counter-drone technologies that can outpace evolving threats and tactics.

The Program Executive Office has already begun its work and will soon finalize a $115 million investment in counter-drone technologies that will be critical in securing America250 and 2026 FIFA World Cup venues, underscoring the historic responsibility of protecting events that commemorate 250 years of American independence and welcome the world for the largest World Cup in history.

President Trump has championed the protection of the country from drone threats, initially signing the law in 2018 that gave DHS Components the authority to detect and mitigate drones. Since then, the Department has conducted over 1,500 missions to protect the United States from illicit drone activities.

The new Program Executive Office will be taking the threat of hostile drones head-on and innovating ways drones can keep us safe from other threats on the ground, equipping the Department with the technology and expertise we need to keep us Americans safe.

Restoring Cyber Security

Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, CISA returned back to its mission and remains steadfast in safeguarding the systems Americans rely on every day in the first year.

In year two, as our nation commemorates America’s 250th anniversary and global communities come together for the FIFA World Cup, CISA has released a new guide to empower stadium and arena owners to fortify operations, mitigate vulnerabilities, and elevate emergency preparedness.

The agency also issued three guides to help venue owners and law enforcement safeguard against risks from drones near their events and continues to support pre-World Cup 2026 exercises in host cities around the country.

Already in 2026, CISA started off the new year by retiring ten Emergency Directives, marking a significant milestone in federal cybersecurity. This is the highest number of Emergency Directives retired, after CISA determined that required actions have been successfully implemented or are now encompassed elsewhere.

CISA has co-sealed 38 joint cybersecurity advisories that continually demonstrate operational collaboration in action. By sharing timely, actionable threat intelligence and driving resilience, we help ensure our collective security.

Protecting Americans from Weapons of Mass Destruction

In its first year under President Trump and Secretary Noem, DHS’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office protected Americans throughout the country from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

CWMD conducted a total of 1,020 operations, engagements, trainings, and exercises across 48 states and territories, including operations to protect high-profile events, including the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, and the Club World Cup.

In the coming year, CWMD will deploy to protect the FIFA World Cup across eleven host cities, the largest deployment in CWMD history, as well as other major events like America 250.

Maximizing Intelligence & Analytics to Keep Americans Safe

President Trump and Secretary Noem are using DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis like never before to coordinate a robust defense of the Homeland.

In 2025, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) nominated over 4,600 people to the terrorist watchlist in 2025, working with DHS components, federal partners, and state and local law enforcement to ensure the Worst of the Worst are removed from America’s communities.

• Last year, following encounters with CBP at various ports of entry, I&A successfully discovered derogatory information on 80 percent of the devices encountered from persons of interest seeking entry into the U.S.
• This includes Rasha Alawieh, the Lebanese doctor and assistant professor at Brown University who attended Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral.
• I&A discovered that Alawieh had numerous contacts with known or suspected terrorists, affirming CBP’s decision to deny entry and the State Department’s decision to revoke her visa.
• In coordination with fusion center partners, I&A identified and watchlisted Rawy Javier Mogolon Morillo—one of the first known members of the gang Tren de Aragua in Orange County, California.
• As a result, the Homeland Security Task Force arrested this cartel associate on September 15, 2025.

Increasing Transparency, Direct Communication to the Public

President Trump and Secretary Noem understand have worked to provide historic levels of transparency and open communication to the American people U.S. citizens.

To that extent, DHS’s Office of Public Affairs delivered timely, accurate, and accessible information to the American through traditional media and social media.

In President Trump’s first year, OPA sent nearly 650 press releases and released more than 2,550 press statements to thousands of press inquiries.

 OPA also harnessed the power of social media to speak directly to the American people without legacy media’s bias and fake news getting in the way.

On X alone, @DHSGov made a whopping 1.9 billion impressions in President Trump’s first term. @Sec_Noearm earned more than half a billion with 527.4 million. On Facebook and Instagram, Secretary Noem’s official account had more than 83 million views combined. DHS’ official Facebook and Instagram account had 716.8 million views combined

In President Trump’s first year, DHS also launched the critically acclaimed, groundbreaking new web page, “Worst of the Worst” (wow.dhs.gov), which allows visitors to search through some of the hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal aliens arrested during enforcement operations since the start of the Trump administration.  

The Best Is Yet to Come

These accomplishments helped usher in a historic first year in President Trump’s return to office. The work, however, is just getting started. Under Secretary Noem’s guidance, vision, and leadership, DHS will continue to deliver monumental victories to the American people.

Two Plead Guilty to Drug-Involved Murder

Two individuals connected to a drug trafficking organization (DTO) pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a 2022 murder in Miami. Tsvia Kol, 37, of Hallandale, Florida, and Jimmy Sanchez, 37, of Spring Valley, California, face up to life imprisonment for their crimes.

“This case illustrates that drugs and violence go hand in hand,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As part of their drug operation, these defendants shipped large amounts of methamphetamine, and when they thought the victim stole their product, they killed him in cold blood. The Criminal Division will continue prosecuting serious drug crimes, with and without violence involved, to protect the public from the grave consequences that occur, like they did here.”

“These guilty pleas lay bare the deadly reality of drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This was a cold-blooded murder driven by the drug trade, where intimidation and greed turned narcotics trafficking into violence and death. Our Office will use every federal tool available to dismantle these organizations and hold accountable anyone who chooses violence as a means of doing business.”

“This transnational investigation is the result of law enforcement partners pulling resources and working together to bring these criminals to justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Bobbitt of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division.

“Illegal drug trafficking inherently results in violence which is inflicted by the criminal drug networks that distribute them,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office. “The impact on our communities is real and devastating. The FBI is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners in our common goal of making our communities safe by combating drug-related violence.”

“Postal Inspectors are committed to maintaining the safety of the community and employees of the U.S. Postal Service,” said Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue anyone who uses the nation's mail system for illegal or dangerous use.”

Court documents and statements made in court show that the defendants admitted to murdering a Miami man (the victim) in connection with a missing package containing about 11 pounds of methamphetamine, the street value of which totaled approximately $90,000. Kol and Sanchez believed that the victim stole the package of drugs. In retaliation, Kol and Sachez met the victim in a hotel room. Kol armed Sanchez with a firearm. While inside the room, the victim called 911 and attempted to provide his location, but the audio of the call portrayed a physical altercation ensuing and gunshots firing. Sanchez admitted that he shot and killed the victim in the hotel room and left his body, which was not discovered until the following morning. Hotel security footage revealed Kol and Sanchez fleeing the property after the murder.

As part of their plea agreements, the defendants admitted that they each committed the murder and that they distributed almost 11 pounds of methamphetamine. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled to take place later this year.

The DEA, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Miami Dade Sherriff’s Office, the Hialeah Police Department, and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.

Trial Attorney Jessica A. Massey from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monique Botero and Jacob Koffsky for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Miami. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute offenders and prevent violence. 

Governor Hochul Announces French Company Reju Selects New York State to Establish First-of-its-Kind $390 Million Textile Regeneration Hub in North America

Forward-Thinking Company’s Project is Expected To Create Approximately 70 New Jobs at Eastman Business Park in the City of Rochester, Monroe County

Bolstering Next Generation Ideas is an Important Part of the Region’s Focused Strategy To Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that French textile-to-textile regeneration company Reju plans to establish a $390 million textile regeneration hub on an 18.9-acre vacant lot at Eastman Business Park in the City of Rochester — its first in North America. Reju, a materials regeneration company, focuses on creating innovative solutions for regenerating polyester textiles and post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate waste from discarded textiles. Reju’s technology brings the concept of a circular economy to life. At the Rochester facility, the company expects to regenerate the equivalent of 300 million articles annually that would otherwise have ended up as textile waste in a landfill. Reju’s plans call for the creation of approximately 70 new jobs, including engineers, technicians, machinists, and a variety of production roles. The company expects to be operational at the site by the end of 2029.

“New York State is committed to creating good paying jobs, and supporting innovative projects and companies that are working to keep materials out of landfills and protecting our planet,” Governor Hochul said. “Reju’s ambitious project will create approximately 70 new jobs at Eastman Business Park, and will show how smart investments can turn waste into opportunity, further supporting our state’s overall green economy efforts and creating a brighter future for everyone.”

Following remediation of the site, Reju will construct a 145,000 square-foot facility where it will use proprietary technology developed with IBM Research to regenerate textile waste, starting with polyester, into high-quality Reju Polyester. This regenerated material has a 50 percent lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester and is engineered to be recyclable multiple times, reducing the industry’s reliance on fossil-based inputs. Through partnerships with global brands, mills, and waste aggregators, Reju transforms garments destined for landfills or incineration into yarns and fabrics ready for consumer use.

Reju is owned by Technip Energies, a leading engineering and technology company with over 17,000 employees across 34 countries. Reju has been operating a pilot facility in Frankfurt, Germany since October 2024, and in May 2025, the company announced the selection of a site for its first full-scale operation in Europe in The Netherlands.

DHS Calls on the Public to Report Any Tips that Could Lead to the Arrest of Two Criminal Illegal Alien Sex Offenders who are at Large in St. Paul, Minnesota

 

Any sighting of these violent criminals should be reported to the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE

Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is calling on the public to assist with the arrest and capture of two sexual predators taking sanctuary in St. Paul, Minnesota. ICE is calling on the public to report any sightings of these two sexual predators to the ICE tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or visiting www.ice.gov.

ICE is seeking any information leading to the arrest of:

Kongmeng Vang, a criminal illegal alien from Laos, is wanted for sexual assault, gang activity, and assault. An Immigration Judge ordered him a final order of removal in 2016.

Lue Moua, a criminal illegal alien from Laos, is wanted for sexual assault of a minor, rape, kidnapping, and domestic violence. An Immigration Judge issued him a final removal order in 2012.

“These two violent illegal alien sexual offenders are at large in St. Paul,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We are asking the public to provide any information leading to the arrests of these two heinous sexual predators. Any tips or sightings can be reported to 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. These monsters are the exact type of criminal illegal aliens ICE is targeting in Minnesota. If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will find you, we will arrest you, and you will never return.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to call on Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey to stop releasing criminal illegal aliens from Minnesota’s jails to re-perpetuate their crimes. ICE has more than 1,360 arrest detainers for the criminal illegal aliens in their custody. It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.

High-Ranking Sinaloa Cartel Member Extradited to Atlanta to Face Cocaine Trafficking Charges

 

Following his extradition from Mexico to the United States, Roberto Najera Gutierrez, a/k/a Kunfu Panda and a/k/a La Gallina, pleaded not guilty in the Northern District of Georgia to a federal charge of conspiring to manufacture and distribute cocaine that he knew would be imported into the United States. 

“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and our brave DEA agents, the cartels are no longer free to import poison into our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We appreciate the work of our Office of International Affairs which secured the extradition of this alleged narco-terrorist, and our attorneys in the Northern District of Georgia will ensure he’s met with swift justice in the United States.”

“As a senior member of the brutal Sinaloa Cartel, Najera Gutierrez is allegedly responsible for distributing massive amounts of cocaine from South America and through Mexico that were intended to poison communities in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This federal indictment, as well as the recent arraignment in Atlanta of alleged Sinaloa Cartel trafficker Zhi Dong Zhang, demonstrates the global reach of the Drug Enforcement Administration and underscores that narco-terrorists abroad will ultimately face justice in American courtrooms.” 

“This indictment is part of a multi-agency collaboration dedicated to dismantling transnational criminal organizations responsible for drug trafficking and violence,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Through sustained cooperation, we are holding cartel leaders accountable and reducing the harm they cause to our communities.”

“IRS-CI is proud to stand alongside our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks responsible for trafficking massive amounts of cocaine and other illegal drugs into the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office.

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: In 2013, agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation of drug traffickers working with the Sinaloa Cartel to transport cocaine from South America to Mexico for importation into the United States, including into the Northern District of Georgia. The Sinaloa Cartel is a transnational criminal group based in Mexico. On February 20, 2025, the Sinaloa Cartel was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. 

As part of the investigation, agents identified Roberto Najera Gutierrez as a then-high-ranking member of the cartel who allegedly led and coordinated the transportation of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine by boat from Colombia and Ecuador to Honduras and Guatemala. Once the drugs were in Central America, they were smuggled across the Guatemalan border into Mexico. Najera Gutierrez allegedly distributed that cocaine to other high-level drug traffickers in Mexico who imported the cocaine into Atlanta, Chicago, and the states of Florida, New York, and California. Najera Gutierrez also allegedly coordinated the collection and remission of drug proceeds through bank accounts.

Roberto Najera Gutierrez, 48, of Tizimín, Yucatán, Mexico, is in federal custody. The recently unsealed indictment against Najera Gutierrez was returned in March 2018. In October 2023, Najera Gutierrez was served with a warrant pursuant to the U.S. request for his extradition. On January 8, 2026, he was extradited from Mexico and surrendered to the United States.  

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges.  The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the DEA and IRS Criminal Investigation.  The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in transporting Najera Gutierrez from Mexico to appear before the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Georgia.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Milam and Jonell L. Lucca are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department Criminal Division Office of Enforcement Operations assisted in the investigation, and the Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and January 8, 2026, extradition of Najera Gutierrez.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 

These prosecutions are also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

Statement from New York City Comptroller Mark Levine on Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget Plan

 

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine issued the following statement after the release of Governor Kathy Hochul’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) executive budget:

“Governor Hochul’s executive budget balances investing in the programs that will address our affordability crisis while proactively protecting the essential social services that are being cut by the federal government. By increasing funding for Medicaid, child care, and school aid, New York will safeguard the health and education of millions of New York families.

“The Governor’s commitment to funding child care access for thousands of families across New York will transform the lives of our youngest New Yorkers and their families. This is mission-critical funding for our work to lower costs and ensure New Yorkers can afford to raise a family in the greatest city in the world.

“We are in a time of increased fiscal uncertainty in New York City. My office has projected a $2 billion budget deficit for FY26 and $10 billion deficit for the coming year. The threats of federal budget cuts and the turbulence of the federal government’s economic policies add further uncertainty to our fiscal outlook.

“As full details on the State budget become available, my office will conduct an analysis of the impact of this proposal on the City’s budget. We are mindful of the fact that the city’s status as economic engine for our state has not historically been reflected in allocation of State resources.

“I look forward to working with Governor Hochul, Mayor Mamdani, and leaders in Albany to pass a budget that will protect New York City’s hardworking families and people.”

Bronx River Art Center Exhibitions - Living Matter: Artist Talk Saturday January 24th at 5pm

 

Living Matter

Artist Talk

Saturday, January 24th 5-7pm

Join us for an Artist Talk discussing the work in Living Matter Saturday January 24th 5-7pm Living Matter, featuring 15 artists whose works in ceramic, fiber, metal & light reveal matter in flux. Living Matter occupies the space between transformation and stillness, where materials like ceramic, mycelium, fiber, light, metal, paper, and glass are both held and in flux. The artists in this show channel the life force within these materials, evoking a sensitivity to their texture, energy, and potential to grow and change. Here, matter is never static; it shifts, bends, and speaks, reflecting an empathy for the world around us. The works invite us to feel, not just observe—reminding us of the unspoken connections between things, human and otherwise. In this constant state of becoming, the exhibition is not about certainty, but about presence, transformation, and the quiet pulse of living matter itself. Join us for the Living Matter Artist Talk on January 24th, where artists' evocative work invites reflection on the shifting relationships between nature, material, and human intervention. Experience a dynamic ecosystem shaped through a meticulous and experimental process, revealing matter in a state of continual change. Gallery hours are Tuesday–Friday, 3–6 p.m., and Saturday–Sunday, 12–5 p.m. Curated by Stephanie Germosen Salazar (a former BRAC Studio Artist). Artists: Clare Hu, Sasha Fishman, Paz Sher, Rabeeha Adnan, Aida Lizalde, Umico Niwa, Häsler Gomez, Ali Kaeini, Tyna Ontko, Peter Rylander, taehee yoonseul, Rossana Romero, Bradley Sinanan, Destinie Adélakun, Hannah Rotwein. RSVP for Artist Talk

Permits Filed for 2968 Valentine Avenue in Bedford Park, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a six-story residential building at 2968 Valentine Avenue in Bedford Park, The Bronx. Located between Bedford Park Boulevard and East 201st Street, the lot is one block from the Bedford Park Boulevard subway station, served by the B and D trains. Franc Gjini of Paramount Homes Management is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 69-foot-tall development will yield 15,953 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 31 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 514 square feet. The masonry-based structure will also have a cellar and a 20-foot-long rear yard.

Jakov Saric of Node Architecture, Engineering, Consulting is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits were filed earlier this month for the two-story residential building on the site. An estimated completion date has not been announced.