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7/21/26 After forty years of "poisoning American
communities", Ismael Zambada Garcia, aka "El Mayo", was kidnapped by a fellow gangster and shoved
into a plane. He was flown to the U.S., where the Feds were waiting. Characterized by DOJ as "the most
prolific drug trafficker in modern history," the 76-year-old Sinaloa Cartel leader recently pled guilty
to RICO charges. And he just drew life in prison. Of course, his shoes have already been filled.
Mexico's drug trade, and the systemic corruption on which it feasts, undoubtedly continues.
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Authorities detected about 1,600 illegal drones in the skies near the 11
U.S. World Cup sites. And the FBI reports that about 700 were seized after electronic countermeasures
forced them to return to their launch areas. Violators of the three-mile restricted areas around each
site face stiff fines and prosecution.
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7/20/26 Eighty-two percent. Philadelphia PD's 2025 homicide clearance rate set a local record. Stuck
in the 40-50% range for a decade, it climbed from 42 to 49 percent between 2021-2022, then kept on
going. It's believed that the concurrent, pronounced decrease in homicides during this period gave
detectives more time and attention to devote to each case. Improvements in technology and forensics
are also thought to have played a role.
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Twenty-five active cases. That, according to Bloomberg Law, is the minimum
that every Federal prosecutor must now carry. With Asst. US Attorneys departing in droves - news reports
indicate over 20 percent have left - keeping DOJ stats up has become difficult. To increase hiring,
entrance requirements have reportedly been lowered and signing bonuses are being offered. DOJ insists
that pressures to produce won't harm case quality. Instead, "it will result in low productivity AUSAs
leaving the department and patriotic AUSAs taking their place and sending terrible criminals to federal
prison."
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In California,
"Perkins operations" have reportedly led to "hundreds" of murder convictions. In current use, the
supposedly widespread tactic sends undercover agents into jails to pose as inmates and garner
incriminating statements from suspects in custody. Agents are either cops or civilians, and the latter
can earn as much as $3,000 per day. Widely endorsed by police and prosecutors, the practice is drawing
criticism for picking on minorities and using tactics, such as sending in multiple robust agents who
pose as gang members, that produce extorted and/or false confessions.
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In a first-ever decision by a Federal appeals court, the Third Circuit ruled that
provisions of New Jersey's assault weapons law which ban AR-15 style rifles and
magazines that hold more than ten rounds are unconstitutional. Like bans are being presently
considered by the Supreme Court. Ruling
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Skydio's drones are reportedly used by ICE. And that apparently led the Minneapolis
City Council to side with the technology's skeptics and reject a proposal for drones as first-
responders. Mayor Jacob Frey and a councilmember in beset North Minneapolis favored the test program,
which would have sent drones on 9-1-1 calls to livestream things, help decide if cops are needed, and
guide their response. MPD currently has drones, but they're only for special use. And so it will remain.
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7/17/26 "Nearly anyone with a brain" could assemble a working Glock
pistol. That is reportedly how Husky Armory LLC promoted a build-it-yourself parts kit on its website.
Kentucky teen Henry Willis was 18 - three years shy of the legal age to buy a handgun - when he ordered
the kit. He built the "ghost" gun, then used it to commit suicide. That was in 2023. Alleging that Husky
purposely circumvented Federal gun laws, his family sued. And a jury just awarded them $104.2 million.
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"A history of terrifying and violent behavior." That's what members of his
family told AP reporters about the 37-year-old ICE officer who recently shot and killed a
Colombian national as he drove away from a Maine residence. Late last year the officer told the first
of his two ex-wifes, who left him over physical abuse, that ICE hired him. She didn't believe it. In
2021 his second ex-wife, who had also been abused, wrote in an application for a protective order that
her estranged spouse "needs counseling or something for his PTSD & depression". Four years later,
he was hired.
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7/16/26 Firearms buyers must presently appear
in person to do the paperwork, go thru the background check and get their toy. But a
proposed Federal rule
would allow the entire process to happen online. Once all the dots are crossed, guns would be mailed to
their buyers. There are concerns that taking gun shops out of the equation would make it easier for
criminals to get guns. But GrabAGun, which sells guns online but must ship them to dealers for delivery,
is delighted. As is Donald Trump Jr., who has a stake in the company and sits on its Board.
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"We CANNOT give up one of ICE's most important and effective Crime Fighting tools,
THE TRAFFIC STOP!" Only a day after ICE reacted to the shooting deaths of two immigrants in six days
by publicly banning "most" immigration enforcement-related traffic stops, President Trump jumped to the
agents' defense in a social media post. "The men and women of ICE are doing a GREAT job, one that has
to be done." Where that leaves ICE enforcement policy is impossible to say.
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James Dailey is on Florida's death row for a 1985 stabbing. His accomplice, who drew
life, said Dailey wasn't involved. But Paul Skalnik, a one-time cop who repeatedly wound up in and out
of jail for theft and fraud, testified that Dailey confessed to him. Dailey is one of 37 defendants who
supposedly confessed their sins - mostly, murder - to Skalnik while both were locked up. And yes, that
usually earned Skalnik his freedom, or a significant break.
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7/15/26 ICE officers were watching a Maine residence when Johan Sebastian Duran-
Guerrero exited the home. And as he drove off, they opened fire, killing the 26-year-old Colombian
national. It turns out that ICE was actually there to arrest another person, who was on a final order
of removal. ICE is no longer insisting that officers fired because Duran-Guerrero tried to run over an
agent. This, the second such deadly shooting in an week, just led the Administration to order that ICE
discontinue making vehicle stops.
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7/14/26 In 2024 gun homicides took 15,364 lives in the U.S. That's
the fifth worst toll ever. But it's 15.8% less than in 2023, when gun murders cost 17,927 lives. Gun
suicides, though, actually increased slightly, going from 27,300 in 2023 to 27,593 in 2024. Meanwhile
gun deaths by "legal intervention" went from 604 to 636. But that's thought to undercount shootings by
police. 2023 data
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The five
victims, all members of the same family, were between 21 and 74 years of age. And their alleged
killers (at least one is supposedly a relative) are 15 and 16. Both were arrested. This "targeted mass
shooting" took place in East St. Louis, pop. 17,500. Dubbed by HUD as "the most distressed small city in America" in 1989, it had "only" 15 murders
in 2025, down from 34 in 2020. Related posts
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7/13/26 According to his family, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, a
Houston-area homebuilder, had been in the U.S. for over three decades. And ICE confirmed that
Salgado Araujo was not its objective when agents tried to stop his truck as he hauled three employees
to a job site. But ICE alleges that the truck "rammed" one of their vehicles, leading an agent to open
fire. A bullet entered through a window and fatally wounded Salgado Araujo. He reportedly had no
criminal record. And there's been no mention that any of his passengers - each was detained for an
immigration violation - was a threat. All four supposedly dispute
that a "ramming" occurred. And so the outrage grows.
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"...the presence of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines is strongly
correlated with the severity of the societal problem..." Overturning a lower court decision, a Seventh
Circuit panel ruled 2-1 to reinstate Illinois' ban on assault-style rifles such as the AR-15. Enacted
in 2023, the law was spurred by the 2022 mass shooting at a parade in Highland Park, which killed six
and wounded thirty. But the law drew strong opposition from gun rights advocates and county sheriffs,
and was soon enjoined by a Federal judge. Such bans are now in the hands of the Supreme Court, which
has agreed to rule on two similar disputes. One is over Cook County's (Chicago) ban, which precedes
Illinois'. Related posts
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"Racist, sexist and homophobic." In 2021, eight years after coming on the job,
LAPD officer Daniel Flores became a recruiter. But the chronically biased, derogatory chatter that was
commonplace among his new peers stressed him out. Two years ago it led a female colleague to pull a
knife. That's when Flores began secretly recording the banter. He soon turned over his tapes to
superiors. Flores is now under an internal investigation, and faces possible prosecution, for allegedly
violating a California law that bars secret recordings. Related posts
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Proud Boys Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola
can now rest a bit easier. Each had been convicted of seditious conspiracy over the Capitol assault.
And while President Trump commuted their sentences, the convictions nonetheless stood. But Federal
Judge Timothy Kelly said there was "little mystery" about Trump's goals. Hoping that it might help our
beset nation "last another 250 years," he just threw out the convictions as well.
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Concerns that Flock shares license-plate reader data with other agencies,
including ICE, led LAPD to suspend the use of 138 Flock readers. While privacy activists oppose readers
on principle, L.A. indicates it will resume using Flock readers when a no-sharing contract is worked
out. But sharing across jurisdictions is useful for police and also serves as a powerful marketing tool,
and truly exclusive arrangements are rare. Only Boston is known to have one.
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7/10/26 Chicago has more cops per capita in high-violence areas. But according to
a new essay in Vital City, "those numbers pale in comparison to the need." And that "need", the
author insists, should be measured in terms of homicide numbers. When that's done, the city's
murderous "South Chicago" neighborhood comes in at 6.4 cops per homicide, while its prosperous (and
safe) cousin to the north, "Town Hall," boasts a staggering 94.3. These proportional disadvantages are
true throughout the city, severely burdening officers in hard-hit areas and making it impossible to
implement supposedly proven strategies such as "problem-oriented policing". Hot-Spots special topic Related posts
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Three years ago "a respected" Pasadena, CA radiologist admittedly tried to
kill himself, his wife and two kids by driving off a cliff during a family trip. All were injured but
survived. "Multiple psychologists" (assumedly paid by the accused) confirmed that Dharmesh Patel
suffered from "major depressive disorder." A judge agreed with Patel's lawyer that instead of being
jailed for attempted murder, as the D.A. demanded, Patel qualified for mental health diversion under a
2018 California law. Patel went to live with his parents. Criminal charges
were recently dropped and Patel's back with his wife and kids. But he did lose his medical license.
Meanwhile Calif. Gov. Kevin Newsom just signed a Bill that gives judges more leeway to deny diverting mentally
afflicted but potentially dangerous persons from criminal sanctions.
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7/9/26 Her child's erratic behavior had brought police to their home before, said the
15-year-old boy's mother. But Santa Ana, CA police insist that officers weren't aware of the youth's
mental health problems when they responded to the residence on June 14. They had been called by the
mother's boyfriend, who told 9-1-1 that the youth had just stabbed him. When officers arrived, the boy
was reportedly "arguing" with his mother. And he indeed had a knife. Precise circumstances haven't been
released, but officers opened fire, killing the youth. A claim for damages has been filed.
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Former Milwaukee County judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted of a Federal felony
for helping an alien who appeared in her court dodge ICE agents, was sentenced to a $5,000 fine. Ms.
Dugan, 67, who had been a judge for nine years, says that her actions were only taken to maintain the
"decorum and safety of the courtroom." She resigned in January after "Red" state lawmakers moved
to impeach her. Ms. Dugan says that she and her family had also received other threats.
Related post
Although he "never barred his teeth,
growled at either officer" or mounted an attack, Jameson, a 2-year-old, 106-pound Golden Saint
Berdoodle, was nonetheless shot down "in cold blood." According to the Federal lawsuit just filed
against Los Angeles, LAPD officers failed to follow their own agency's rules, which only authorize
using force against an animal when it poses an "immediate threat of injury." What's more, California
POST guidelines clearly distinguish between "energetic" and "aggressive" behavior, and Jameson's was
clearly not of the latter kind.
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7/8/26 Are bans on the popular (and highly lethal) AR-15 "consistent with the nation's
historical tradition of firearm regulation" as set out in Bruen? Challenges to such laws in Cook County, IL and
the state of Connecticut will soon be heard by the Supreme Court. On the one hand, the AR-15 is
unquestionably highly lethal. On the other, it's unquestionably highly popular. Which aspect will
"rule"? Related posts
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Illinois ex-con Alphonso Talley is pending trial for using a Glock pistol
that he snuck in to a hospital to shoot two Chicago police officers, one fatally. That gun was bought
for him at an Indiana gun store by his 23-year-old ladyfriend, Olivia Burgos. And she just pled guilty
to Federal charges for lying on the gun purchase form about the identity of the "real" buyer, who was
legally prohibited from having a gun. She could draw ten years, but it's assumed that her punishment
will be far less severe.
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An officer asked if a Taser was available. But it wasn't. And when
autistic and suicidal 28-year-old Alex Lamorie kept advancing, knife in hand, three Howard County, MD
cops opened fire. LaMorie was killed. That happened in March, And after reviewing the facts, the state
Attorney General just declined to prosecute: "There is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a
reasonable doubt that the subject officers committed a crime under Maryland law."
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7/7/26 Southern California's tony Newport Beach descended into chaos on July 4th. Illegal
fireworks, grocery store lootings and street fights led to over four-hundred arrests, mostly of youths.
Anticipating a "TikTok takeover", police had launched a "Not in Newport" campaign on social media. But
"a large group of agitators" nonetheless showed up.
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As of August 1st., Coloradoans who want to acquire semi-auto handguns and rifles with detachable
magazines will have to complete a rigorous vetting and training process. Otherwise they can only buy a
gun with a permanently attached magazine limited to 15 rounds. This law only affects purchase, not
possession. Devices that enable rapid fire are altogether banned. Related posts
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An "annual family cookout" in
New York's Coney Island was shattered by gunfire. Eight were wounded, including four kids ages 6, 7,
12 and 14. Police suspect the slaughter was a gang's retaliation for a fatal shooting days earlier. One
of the wounded - the six-year old - had lost his father to gunfire before his birth. So far, no
suspects. Police recovered a "Tec-9 style" gun and ten cartridge casings.
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7/6/26 "I've never backed down from a fight," he wrote to his colleagues, "as long as
it meant our personnel could continue serving the FBI's mission." But Douglas DePodesta regretfully
added that doing so "has proved unpopular over time." So after two years as the FBI's lead agent in
Chicago, and twenty-four in the Bureau, he's retiring. According to the AP, an FBI post about his
departure noted that "Anyone who is not on board with THIS FBI under the leadership of President Trump -
which has achieved the lowest murder rate ever - is free to leave."
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Ballotpedia reports
a major flip-flop in State ballot measures about punishment. Between 2012-2020 most proposals
endorsed easing criminal sanctions. But beginning in 2022, that drastically changed. Alabama voters
recently restricted granting bail for certain crimes. Voters in Indiana, Louisiana and Tennessee
will soon decide on like restrictions. And voters in Colorado will decide whether to sharply increase
the penalties for fentanyl and for trafficking children.
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In an apparent act of retaliation, a New Orleans special prosecutor secured a 16-count
indictment of Louisiana A.G. Liz Murrill for "intimidation and malfeasance." This most recent rift between
the "Red" state and its "Blue" city came when the state abolished the New Orleans court clerkship to which
noted exoneree Calvin Duncan was recently elected. High-ranking Louisiana officials still insist that
Duncan, who spent nearly three decades in prison for a 1981 murder, was in fact guilty. As for the charges
against his A.G., Louisiana's very "Red" Gov. Jeff Landry has promised a swift pardon.
Related post
A decade ago Vermont severely restricted police use of license-plate reader cameras. So its
cities gave up on their use. Burlington, presently the only city with readers, would like to use them for
traffic enforcement. But concerns about privacy present a major obstacle. There is also no longer a
statewide license-plate database, making it impossible to learn if a driver is wanted or has a record.
However, a "loophole" lets Vermont agencies run license plates
through a New-England wide database, which stores information on plates captured in other states.
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