Free Republic

Alvarado police officer shot while responding to suspicious person call near Prairieland Detention Facility The shooting of a Texas police officer near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility and the firing of shots at federal officers over the weekend was a "planned ambush" on the building, resulting in 11 people being charged, authorities said Monday. An Alvarado, Texas, police officer was shot Friday night near the Prairieland Detention Facility, authorities said. "This was an egregious attack on federal and local law enforcement officers and it is part of an increasing trend of violence against them," said Nancy...

TAIBAD, Iran (AP) — In the face of Afghanistan’s unprecedented boom in opium production, neighboring Iran is trying to baton down its border to slow down smuggling, building moats, walls and other large-scale projects. ... Neighboring Afghanistan has all the makings of a narco-state and is the main source of drugs coming into Iran and headed to other markets in Europe and the United States. Last year, 209,000 hectares (806 square miles) of poppies were planted across Afghanistan, up 36 percent over the year before. They produced an estimated 5,500 metric tons (6,062 tons) of opium, according to the United...