District Court Revokes U.S. Citizenship of Convicted Drug Dealer

 

Today, following a two-day trial in September 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida revoked the naturalization of Melchor Munoz, also known as Melchor Munoz-Correa, a native of Mexico who became a U.S. citizen in September 2009. The court held that, during his naturalization proceedings, Munoz concealed that he had previously engaged in a drug trade leading to his guilty plea in 2012 of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.

“This Administration has once again kept its promise to go after the worst of the worst” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate. “The Department of Justice is proud to take citizenship back from a drug dealer who lied to become a U.S. citizen by concealing his criminal past.”

“United States citizenship is a valuable privilege that this individual obtained with lies and deceit about his past criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin for the Northern District of Florida. “Today’s judicial action to revoke that fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship reinforces the commonsense position of this Administration that criminal activity will not be tolerated, and dangerous criminal aliens must be held accountable for violating our country’s laws.”

As admitted in his criminal proceedings, Munoz distributed to co-conspirators an average of 80 pounds of marijuana on approximately 60 separate occasions between 2008 and 2010, keeping 400 to 500 pounds of marijuana, gallon zip-lock bags of methamphetamine, and multiple blocks of cocaine on hand most of the time.

The sole issue at trial was whether Munoz’s drug activity predated his naturalization. At his guilty plea hearing in his criminal case and in an April 2013 proffer interview with federal agents, Munoz stated he began trafficking marijuana as early as in late 2008. Munoz argued in his denaturalization case that he was mistaken when he made those statements, and he testified at his denaturalization trial that he began drug trafficking only after his 2009 naturalization.

The court “found his testimony not credible,” and noted that throughout his testimony, “Munoz was evasive and did not answer questions directly.” Ultimately, the court held that “the government has proven by clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence that Munoz engaged in drug trafficking in 2008, just as he stated under oath at his change-of-plea hearing.”

The court held that Munoz illegally procured his citizenship, and it revoked his certificate of naturalization. The court also ordered Munoz to surrender to the government his certificate of naturalization, any and all U.S. passports, and any other indicia of United States citizenship, and it ordered that he is “forever restrained and enjoined from claiming any rights, privileges, benefits, or advantages under any document which evidences United States citizenship obtained as a result of his September 8, 2009 naturalization.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.

The Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation litigated the case with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.

Attorney General James Sues to Stop Nexstar-Tegna Merger

 

Merger Would Limit Competition in Local TV Markets, Raising Fees for Cable Customers While Hurting Local News

New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of seven other attorneys general in suing to stop the merger of Nexstar Media Group (Nexstar) and Tegna, Inc. (Tegna), two of the biggest owners of local television stations in the nation. The proposed merger would create the largest broadcast station group in the country and consolidate ownership of popular local television stations in media markets across the nation, including in Buffalo. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that this merger would be illegal, could raise costs for consumers, and would degrade the quality of local news that tens of millions of Americans rely on. The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring the merger illegal and preventing it from being completed.  

“Competition among local TV stations allows consumers to enjoy a variety of affordable options for quality coverage of news, sports, and more,” said Attorney General James. “This illegal merger threatens local news and could raise fees for consumers by combining hundreds of TV stations under the same owner. I’m suing to stop Nexstar’s illegal merger with Tegna to keep cable bills down and ensure New Yorkers can access the independent local news options they count on.”  

Nexstar is currently the country’s largest local television broadcasting group, controlling more than 200 stations in 116 U.S. markets reaching 220 million people. Tegna owns 64 television stations in 51 different media markets. If the merger is completed, 31 media markets across the country where Nexstar and Tegna each own competing stations would see diminished competition. In New York, the Buffalo media market would be one of those 31 affected markets. These local stations are affiliates of the “Big Four” networks – ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX – which provide critical local news in addition to coverage of sports, prime time events, and more. Nexstar owns dozens of Big Four stations nationwide, including 49 CBS affiliates, 51 FOX affiliates, 35 NBC affiliates, and 33 ABC affiliates. Providers like Comcast, DirecTV, DISH, and Charter typically pay the owner of each local Big Four broadcast station in any given media market a fee to retransmit the station’s content to their subscribers.  

Attorney General James and the coalition argue that Nexstar and Tegna are direct competitors and that a merger of the two would significantly limit competition in local television markets, raising costs for consumers and limiting the quality and diversity of local news. By eliminating competition, the merger would give Nexstar the power to charge cable providers higher fees for its stations’ programming, and those fees would likely be passed on to subscribers. If cable providers refuse to pay the increased fees post-merger, Nexstar would have the power to black out multiple Big Four channels in a given local market, depriving consumers of access to the channels they have come to rely on.  

Attorney General James and the coalition also argue that the merger would severely threaten consumers’ access to high-quality local news. A recent study found that Nexstar is the worst offender of “news duplication,” a practice in which station owners air identical local news content across multiple stations. Nexstar also has an established track record of consolidating newsrooms when it owns more than one station in each media market. These tactics eliminate independent news operations and diminish diversity in news coverage at a time when local news is already under threat. If the merger succeeds, communities would face fewer choices for local news in media markets across the country. 

Attorney General James and the coalition allege that the proposed merger violates the federal Clayton Act by unlawfully limiting competition. The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring the merger illegal and preventing it from being carried out.  

Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia.  

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - JOIN US: Fire Safety & Education Workshops

 

Dear Neighbor, 

In response to the recent fires in our borough, we are continuing our fire safety education workshops in partnership with the FDNY and local community organizations.

These workshops focus on fire prevention, safety tips, and the steps families can take to protect their homes and loved ones. We encourage everyone to participate and to share this vital information with friends, family, and neighbors.

Warm Regards,

Vanessa L. Gibson

Bronx Borough President

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State Senator Gustavo Rivera Introduces Bill To Provide Legislature Greater Oversight of Publicly Subsidized Health Programs

 

Today, Senator Gustavo Rivera (NY-33) introduced the “Oversight of Health Programs Act” (S.9512), a bill that will establish a routine process for the Legislature to request and receive records from private contractors that help operate publicly subsidized health programs. These contractors have cited protections for sensitive information, such as trade secrets, as a reason to withhold information from the Legislature and the Executive.

“My Oversight of Health Programs Act will empower the Legislature to perform our oversight duties and ensure that private contractors running publicly subsidized health programs cannot shield important information under the veil of trade secrets. We cannot allow contractors receiving billions of dollars from the state to operate government programs in obscurity. New Yorkers deserve proper oversight by their elected representatives. I look forward to engaging with my colleagues to pass this common sense proposal,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera.  

During the tenure of the previous Governor, we saw an explosion in the use of private contractors for state government programs and operations. Since then, billions in tax payer dollars have been spent on them. There are legitimate concerns that these private entities withhold basic operational information from the state and bypass the Legislature’s oversight despite the precedent set by federal protections of such trade secrets. 

Currently, the only formal option the Legislature has to compel testimony from a contractor that declines to provide information in response to a request is through a public hearing or by subpoena, both of which are burdensome processes. The Legislature should reasonably expect the private contractors that are working for the State to participate in regular oversight activities.

This bill will codify enumerated powers that the Legislature already has under the state constitution and in doing so, it will:

•   Establish a definition of “trade secret” modelled after current federal law.

•   Create a process for record requests from vendors providing services in conjunction with the operation and delivery of a public health program.

 

•   Authorize the Temporary President of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, the chairs of either the Senate or Assembly Health Committees, the chair of the Senate committee on Investigations and Government Operations, and the Chair of the Assembly Oversight, Analysis and Investigation committee to request and receive records from either the Commissioner of Health (COH) or a vendor. 

•   Establish clear deadlines for vendors to submit records asked by the requesting party. Failure to comply will trigger further reporting requirements to the requesting party.  

With healthcare being one of our State’s biggest budgetary expenses and with the Legislature being required to approve appropriations for these programs as well as establish laws to govern the operation of various programs, this bill empowers the Legislature to perform their oversight duties and protect New Yorkers from entities that in bad faith, shield access to information, even sensitive information from our State’s duly elected representatives.

NY-11: Statement from Ed Cox on Discontinuance of NY-11 Litigation

 

 

NYGOP Chair Ed Cox released the following statement:

 

“Governor Hochul, Speaker Heastie, and Senate Leader Stewart-Cousins have finally admitted what we all knew: that their effort to racially gerrymander NY-11 was done in reckless disregard for the federal and state constitutions.

 

“In addition, our feckless and legally incompetent Attorney General Letitia James again demonstrated that she is unqualified for her office.

 

“Acting Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman was clearly conflicted based on his prior representation of Kathy Hochul and other Democrats. He should never have heard this case due to his conflicts. Just as shocking was his flawed legal reasoning, which ignored the Constitution and the state laws over redistricting. Similarly, the Appellate Division First Department made itself a laughingstock in its refusal to stay Pearlman’s decision despite the onset of the electoral season.

 

“If the United States Supreme Court had not issued a Stay, the entire Congressional map of New York State would have been thrown into chaos. The electoral season began February 24^th and candidates across the state could not be certain as to whether the Congressional map might be changed. 

 

“This entire litigation was based on a lie, one that Kathy Hochul, Letitia James and the Democrat legislative leaders were happy to promote. The Staten Island/Brooklyn congressional district has been in place since 1983, and it does not racially discriminate against black and Hispanic voters. Rep. Malliotakis is herself of Cuban/Greek heritage and the first Latina to represent the district. Indeed, the so-called New York Voting Rights Act that Democrats relied upon to bring this case specifically does not apply to Congressional redistricting. The Governor and Attorney General blithely ignored the law in their legal filings.

 

“By moving to discontinue the case, Democrats have finally thrown in the towel. But they owe the people of Staten Island and South Brooklyn an apology for their reckless accusations of racial discrimination and their frivolous use of taxpayer resources in advancing this case."

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S STATEMENT ON THE CREATION OF OFFICE OF COMMUNITY SAFETY

"After many years of advocacy from myself and others, and many rounds of fearmongering from past leaders, I’m encouraged that the city is acting to challenge old assumptions and advance new approaches.

"With so far to go to reshape our systems, I’m glad that the Mamdani administration is taking these first steps, and moving with the deliberate pace this work demands. We cannot overhaul public safety overnight, and to try would threaten both success and safety. Nor can we continue to do what has already failed our communities. By gradually rebuilding existing infrastructure and creating innovative systems, we can sustain transformational change in the long term.

"I’m ready to help steer and shepherd this initiative in whatever ways I’m able. I’ve been on this path for over a decade, and I’m glad to have an administration willing to move in the direction we need to produce true community safety."

MAYOR MAMDANI APPOINTS RENITA FRANCOIS AS DEPUTY MAYOR FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY

 

Francois brings more than 15 years of experience in evidence-based community safety initiatives, cross-government coordination and executive leadership 

 

Mayor signs Executive Order creating first-ever Office of Community Safety, a major step toward core campaign commitment

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani appointed Renita Francois as Deputy Mayor for Community Safety and signed an Executive Order to create the first-ever Mayor’s Office of Community Safety.

Francois brings more than 15 years of strategic and operational experience spanning major city agencies, nonprofit advocacy organizations and think tanks. Most recently, she served as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Program Officer at Tides Advocacy, where she set the organization’s long-term strategy, oversaw millions of dollars in grants and managed relationships with political leaders and community organizations nationwide.

Francois previously served as Executive Director of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety within the Office of Criminal Justice under Mayor Bill de Blasio, where she oversaw more than $500 million in investments in neighborhood safety initiatives—particularly in communities experiencing high-crime—and led strategic efforts across more than a dozen city agencies.

She is a respected leader in the criminal justice space, advising citywide campaigns such as Campaign Zero and providing policy insight to leading institutions including the Vera Institute for Justice.

The Office of Community Safety marks a major step toward fulfilling Mayor Mamdani’s pledge to create a Department of Community Safety, a whole-of-government approach to crime prevention and public safety that addresses gun violence prevention, mental health and substance abuse treatment, hate crime prevention, victims services, and subway safety.

The Office will focus on addressing the root causes of crime and violence, streamlining and expanding evidence-based crime prevention programs and strengthening wraparound services so no New Yorker is left behind.

“The cornerstone of a dignified life is true community safety — and that safety is built through relentless investment in the services that keep New Yorkers safe,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Our administration will not wait for change, we will build it. With the creation of the Office of Community Safety and the appointment of Renita Francois as Deputy Mayor, we are taking a decisive step toward a city where everyone, in every neighborhood, can live free from violence. Renita will lead this work with clarity, compassion and an unwavering commitment to New Yorkers too often left behind — from families confronting gun violence to people navigating mental health crises, hate crimes or substance use issues.”

The Executive Order establishes the Office of Community Safety, to be led by a Commissioner who reports directly to the Deputy Mayor. The Office will develop citywide community safety strategies and coordinate the work of the Office of Crime Victim Services, Office to Prevent Gun Violence, Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and Office of Community Mental Health.

It will also coordinate citywide mental health crisis response programs, including B-HEARD, and convene interagency community safety committees, to ensure New Yorkers receive appropriate care in moments of crisis.

“The evidence is clear: addressing what ails our communities, whether that be crumbling physical infrastructure, social disconnection, or lack of access to economic opportunity, is how we best ensure that our communities are safe. Yet, for decades, these communities have been left waiting. That ends today,” said Deputy Mayor Renita Francois. “I’m proud to join the Mamdani Administration as Deputy Mayor for Community Safety and to develop the vision for the Department of Community Safety. Every New Yorker from Highbridge to Stapleton to Bushwick deserves to feel safe and be safe, and we will invest the resources to ensure well coordinated responses rooted in dignity and care, centered in community and informed by the experiences of those closest to the solutions meet our fellow New Yorkers who need it most.”

“I am proud to celebrate the appointment of Renita Francois as Deputy Mayor of the first-ever Mayor’s Office of Community Safety,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “Throughout her years of dedicated service to the people of New York City, Renita has demonstrated a commitment to identifying solutions that keep our communities safe and supports that help them thrive. I look forward to her leadership.”

“We are so excited to have Renita Francois join our Administration as the Deputy Mayor for Community Safety. Renita has dedicated her career to fighting for the communities far too often forgotten — working with them to deliver solutions that create true safety,” said First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan. “Renita is an innovator and champion for justice, and there is no one better to lead this work that will address the root causes of violence and change our city for generations to come.”

“Keeping New Yorkers safe requires more than one approach,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “It means making sure people have access to the resources and services they need, whether that’s career training, an afterschool program, or a police response. I look forward to working with Deputy Mayor Francois to ensure New Yorkers get the supports they need, while our officers remain focused on the work they are trained to do.” 

Permits Filed for 2609 Marion Avenue in Fordham, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a seven-story mixed-use building at 2609 Marion Avenue in Fordham, The Bronx. Located between East 193rd Street and East 194th Street, the lot is near the Kingsbridge Road subway station, served by the B and D trains. Leapold Zicherman is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 74-foot-tall development will yield 35,382 square feet, with 29,793 square feet designated for residential space and 5, 589 square feet for commercial space. The building will have 52 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 572 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar.

Lester Katz of XPdite Group LLC is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will likely not be needed as the lot is vacant. An estimated completion date has not been announced.