Free Republic

Huawei, China’s answer to Nvidia, is rapidly expanding its AI technology into other countries and signaling a rapid acceleration in the global AI race. It’s a move AI experts predicted would not occur. Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, South Africa, and Turkey will now be able to build on Huawei’s Model-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform, which includes AI models like DeepSeek. Much like individual consumers who become dependent on Apple’s ecosystem, companies that build on Huawei’s models and cloud infrastructure risk becoming deeply tied to that platform. At scale, this creates a ripple effect — as companies that...

The shooting of Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez by federal immigration agents on Tuesday is a sickening reminder. It is a sign of what’s to come if California doesn’t do more to protect its communities from government agents behaving like a lawless occupying force

Colorado attorneys are starting to push back after a certification prompt began appearing when they log into the state’s court e-filing system. The requirement traces back to Senate Bill 25-276 and related statutes, including C.R.S. § 24-74-105, which deal with how the state handles nonpublic personal identifying information. Under that law, access to certain data comes with a certification—made under penalty of perjury—about how it will be used. On paper, the statute applies broadly to third parties accessing protected data. In practice, though, the certification has now been built into Colorado Courts E-Filing (CCE), meaning attorneys are being asked to...

The House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation that gives the U.S. president the power to restrict U.S. port access for countries with governments that have seized American property abroad. The Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026, introduced by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, passed 247 to 164. In March 2023, the Mexican government seized a U.S. company's port at Punta Venado. “When countries violate trade agreements and illegally seize assets from U.S. companies, it puts American job security, economic security, and national security at risk. This legislation is critical because it ensures there are enforceable consequences for those actions,” Pfluger...

A California Marine has been hauled into federal custody after authorities say he treated a military armory like a personal pawn shop, stealing high-tech missile systems and selling them off in Arizona. Corporal Andrew Paul Amarillas, an Arizona native who served as an ammunition technician at Camp Pendleton, is accused of making off with a terrifying haul of restricted “weapons of war,” including Javelin missile systems and military-grade ammo, according to federal court documents.

A California bishop who allegedly frequented Mexican brothels is facing more than a dozen felony charges stemming from allegations that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his church. Bishop Emanuel Shaleta of Saint Peter’s Chaldean in San Diego pleaded not guilty to eight counts of embezzlement, eight counts of money laundering and one count of aggravated white collar crime enhancement at a court hearing on Monday, according to KUSI. Shaleta was arrested at the San Diego International Airport while trying to leave the country on Thursday, March 5, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The eldest daughter of “El Mencho” quietly snapped up a suburban California home after serving time for laundering drug money — and baffled neighbors say she’s had no shortage of cash to renovate the place. They say strange cars — some bearing Mexican license plates — appear and disappear from the property while mysterious visitors come and go. Jessica Johana Oseguera Gonzalez, 39 — known as “La Negra” — purchased a newly built five-bedroom house in Winchester, Southern California, for $590,000 in September 2023. She apparently paid cash for the property about 18 months after being released from federal prison....

Costa Rica authorities handed over a Syrian national to the United States after his arrest last year on charges of running a human smuggling operation. The man, known by the last name Maklad, led a group that moved migrants from Egypt, Venezuela, and Guatemala through New Mexico between 2022 and 2025, according to Osvaldo Ramírez, who heads Interpol operations at the Judicial Investigation Agency. Officers captured the 39-year-old in May 2025 as he crossed into the country from Nicaragua. Ramírez shared details in a video briefing, confirming the transfer went smoothly. Maklad escaped the U.S. after agents there broke up...

Ultra-rich Americans were forced to flee by boat when one of Mexico’s top tourist destinations turned into a cartel hellscape following the killing of a murderous drug kingpin. Wealthy vacationers escaped Puerto Vallarta via the ocean when its airport shut down and narco-terrorists set up roadblocks across the state of Jalisco this week. An insider told The California Post that people were hiring well-armed mercenaries or security teams to smuggle them to the port, where they chartered vessels up to Cabos before flying back to the US. Mexico descended into a war zone when special forces killed cartel boss Nemesio...

The Mexican newspaper El Financiero reported on Monday that CJNG’s wave of terrorist violence forcefully left 1,080 tourists stranded at the Guadalajara Zoo. The stranded visitors reportedly came from other states neighboring Jalisco and had arrived on Sunday morning before the violent acts broke out. The visitors were unable to return to their places of origin due to the “narco-blockade” roadblocks that CJNG deployed across the city and were reportedly placed under law enforcement protection at the zoo. “We have 1,080 people of all ages, from babies to seniors, sheltered at the Guadalajara Zoo. They are people from other states...

Cartel warfare has threatened to spill into California as a Mexican border city was engulfed in violence following the killing of a notorious drug kingpin. Suspected narco-terrorists torched vehicles at the border wall in Tijuana, a stone’s throw from San Diego, set up roadblocks and targeted local businesses on Monday. Haunting footage showed a major highway that runs parallel to the United States completely shut down while cops cautiously inspected a burning car. Violence has also spread farther up the west coast, with local media reports detailing attacks in parts of Baja California and as close to the US as...

Drug lords have been killed or captured, and cartels have splintered or collapsed, only to see more violent ones replace them and the illicit trade expand. So, 60years of war on drugs, what has actually worked? ...The Sinaloa Cartel, after all, did not go away after its chief, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the notorious drug lord known as El Chapo, was captured and extradited to the United States. ...Rather than simply going after kingpins like Mr. Oseguera, the authorities need to take a holistic approach to dismantle these groups more completely, analysts say. The Mexican government has to use a combination...

Mexico has quietly shipped nearly 100 suspected cartel drug traffickers to the US to stand trial charges after President Trump branded the groups foreign terrorist organizations last year — and pressured the Mexican government to cooperate. The suspects include the brother of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes — the brutal Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG) leader who was killed by the Mexican army on Sunday. The Justice Department said many of the 92 defendants released to the Americans had US extradition requests that were not honored during the Biden administration.

The Mexican army killed the boss of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho. The cartel is not happy about the fact, and major parts of the country have erupted in violence, requiring citizens and tourists to shelter in place as terrorists blow up cars, set fires, destroy businesses, and generally act like activists in Minnesota when they are unhappy about something. Maybe even worse. Multiple sources report dozens of coordinated narcobloqueos paralyzing key areas in Jalisco (including Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta), Tamaulipas, Nayarit, and Michoacán today.Cartel gunmen are torching trucks and cars to...

A major Mexican resort town was under siege on Sunday and an airport was reportedly attacked as the leader of the brutal Jalisco New Generation Cartel was killed by the army on Sunday. Tourists in Puerto Vallarta were warned to stay indoors as narco gangs lashed out following the death of drug kingpin Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the powerful boss of the violent crime outfit. The US State Department urged Americans to shelter in place, and some American tourists have reported being trapped in the region.

Violent clashes erupted in parts of western Mexico on Sunday amid a military operation that led to the death of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader, triggering widespread security concerns throughout the region. Mexican security forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as "El Mencho," during an operation in the western state of Jalisco, Mexico's Ministry of Defense said in a statement on X. It said he was wounded during the raid in the town of Tapalpa and died while being flown to Mexico City. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who also confirmed the cartel leader's death,...

WASHINGTON — Delivering a major blow to President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court on Friday ruled that he exceeded his authority when imposing sweeping tariffs using a law reserved for a national emergency.

WASHINGTON — The sudden and surprising airspace closure over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday stemmed from the Pentagon's plans to test a laser for use in shooting down drones used by Mexican drug cartels, according to three people familiar with the situation who were granted anonymity to share sensitive details. That caused friction with the Federal Aviation Administration, which wanted to ensure commercial air safety and the two agencies sought to coordinate, according to two of the people. Despite a meeting scheduled later this month to discuss the issue, the Pentagon wanted to go ahead and test the laser, prompting...

Less than 14% of nearly 400,000 immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in President Trump's first year back in the White House had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security document obtained by CBS News. The official statistics contained in the DHS document, which had not been previously reported publicly, provide the most detailed look yet into who ICE has arrested during the Trump administration's far-reaching deportation operations across the U.S. The internal DHS figures undermine frequent assertions by the Trump administration that its crackdown on illegal immigration is primarily targeting...

WASHINGTON – Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who was among the FBI’s top fugitives and faces charges related to multinational drug trafficking and the killing of a federal witness, has been arrested in Mexico, top Justice Department officials said Friday. Wedding, 44, is accused of running a drug trafficking operation, and officials say he orchestrated several killings to further the drug crimes. He was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, and authorities had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel...