US warships nearing Venezuela coast as Maduro deploys 15,000 troops to defend border

US warships nearing Venezuela coast as Maduro deploys 15,000 troops to defend border

CHERYL: A SHOCKING ARREST AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER, AN AMERICAN CITIZEN IS UNDER ARREST CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF HUMAN SMUGGLING. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY SHARING THIS VIDEO WITH “MORNINGS WITH MARIA.” TROOPERS PULL OVER A 29-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IDENTIFIED AS SHAKIRA JORDAN FROM MISSISSIPPI. SHE WAS PULLED OVER FOR SPEEDING, THEN DETAINED. IN THE CAR, FOUR ILLEGAL ALIENS WERE DISCOVERED. COPS SAY THEY’RE FROM CUBA AND EL SALVADOR BUT ONE IS A SPECIAL INTEREST ALIEN FROM AFGHANISTAN. SHE WAS DRIVING THE FOUR ILLEGAL ALIENS ACROSS THE BORDER FROM MEXICO. SHE IS FACING FOUR FELONY COUNTS OF HUMAN SMUGGLING. THE SAME DAY DPS CAPTURED TWO SPECIAL INTEREST ALIENS FROM PAKISTAN AFTER THEY TRIED TO EVADE LAW ENFORCEMENT ON A PRIVATE RANCH. I WANT TO BRING IN TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER OLIVAREZ. TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS ARREST. >> WELL, GOOD MORNING, CHERYL. THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON. OF COURSE, WE TALK ABOUT ESPECIALLY THE LAST FEW YEARS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND NATIONAL SECURITY RISK ESPECIALLY GOT AWAYS AND I THINK THIS INVESTIGATION, THE HUMAN SMUGGLING INVESTIGATION BY ONE OF OUR TROOPERS UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR TROOPERS BEING OUT THERE, STOPPING THE CRIMINAL SMUGGLERS. THE WOMAN, A U.S. CITIZEN FROM MISSISSIPPI, CAME TO THE BORDER FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE TO SMUGGLE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND ONE WAS A SPECIAL INTEREST INDIVIDUAL FROM AFGHANISTAN. THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY AND NATION NAIL SECURITY RISK. WE DON’T KNOW THE INDIVIDUALS ARE THAT ARE BEING SMUGGLED INTO THE INTERIOR. A GREAT JOB BY THE TROOPERS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE FACT THAT TEXAS WE’RE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS BORDER OPERATION THAT WE’VE BEEN DOING SINCE 2021 SINCE GOVERNOR ABBOTT LAUNCHED OPERATION LONE STAR. IT PRIORITIZES THE ENHANCEMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND BORDER SECURITY FROM THE STATE TROOPERS WORKING IN TEXAS. GREAT JOB BY OUR TROOPERS. YOU ALSO HAVE TO THINK IF OUR TROOPER WASN’T OUT THERE, THESE ARE FOUR POTENTIAL GOT AWAYS THAT WOULD HAVE MADE IT INTO THE INTERIOR AND NOT KNOWING THIS SPECIAL INTEREST ALIEN FROM AFGHANISTAN, WHAT HIS INTENTION WAS, WHERE WOULD HE END UP. THAT SHOWS THAT WE STILL HAVE ACTIVE ACTIVITY ON THE BORDER ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AND INCLUDE GOT AWAYS AND SPECIAL INTEREST ALIENS SO AGAIN, GREAT WORK BY OUR TROOPER AND THE FACT THAT WE’RE STILL OUT THERE, WE’RE CARRYING OUT OUR MISSION IN TEXAS AND COMMITTED TO BORDER SECURITY. CHERYL: OBVIOUSLY THE QUESTION HERE, THOUGH, IN MY MIND, WHO IS PAYING HER? WAS IT A CARTEL? IS THAT THE WORKING THEORY? CAN YOU GIVE US ANY MORE IDEA? >> TYPICALLY THAT’S HOW IT WORKS, CHERYL. THIS PARTICULAR WOMAN SHE TOLD ONE OF OUR TROOPERS SHE WAS GETTING PAID $500 PER PERSON THAT SHE SMUGGLED WHICH OBVIOUSLY THAT’S PRETTY LOW ESPECIALLY FOR SOMEONE THAT’S BEING SMUGGLED FROM AFGHANISTAN. BUT THAT’S WHAT SHE TOLD OUR TROOPERS BUT AGAIN, TYPICALLY WHEN WE SEE SMOG LETTERS FROM OUT OF STATE IT’S — SMUGGLERS FROM OUT OF STATE E IT’S ORGANIZED. THEY’RE TALKING TO A CRIMINAL ORG. NO SAYS, THEY FACILITATE A RENTAL CAR. THIS WAS A RENTAL CAR IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE, THE WOMAN WAS DRIVING AND THEY COME TO THE BORDER. THEY KNOW WHERE TO GO. THEY USEEN CRYPTED MESSAGING, GPS COORDINATES TO PICK UP PEOPLE AND SMUGGLE THEM FROM POINT A TO POINT B AND THAT’S WHERE THEY RECEIVE PAYMENT SO IT’S STILL VERY ORGANIZED. WE’RE NOT SEEING IT TO THE LEVEL WE SAW THE LAST FOUR YEARS BUT NONETHELESS THE CARTELS ARE VERY DISCRETE. THEY’RE VERY CAREFUL NOW IN HOW THEY’RE CONTINUING TO CARRY OUT THE SMUGGLING OPERATIONS. THAT’S WHY IT IS VITAL TO HAVE STATE TROOPERS ON THE MAJOR HIGHWAYS INTERDICTING THE SMUGGLERS FROM MAKING IT INTO THE INTERIOR. CHERYL: THE CARTELS ARE STILL DANGEROUS OPERATIONS AND DANGEROUS PEOPLE AND THIS IS ABOUT FENTANYL TRAFFICKING AND ABOUT MONEY AND UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY. THE CARTELS WEREN’T JUST GOING TO WALK AWAY AND PUT THEIR GUNS DOWN BECAUSE PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS ELECTED. THAT’S NOT HOW THIS WORKS AND WE KNOW THAT UNFORTUNATELY. I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS, THE PENTAGON ORDERED AN UNUSUALLY LARGE NAVAL BUILDUP IN LATIN AMERICA THERE’S THREE GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS OFF THE WATERS OF VENEZUELA. THE WHITE HOUSE IS ACCUSING PRESIDENT MADURO OF HEADING UP A DRUG CARTEL. HE’S DEPLOYING 15,000 TROOPS TO THE COLUMBIAN BORDER. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU? I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS WE’VE SEEN AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS HAS BEEN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF VEINS RA VENEZUELANS. >> VENEZUELA ALLOWED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VENEZUELANS INTO THE COUNTRY THAT CROSSED THROUGH TECHS HE AS TO INCLUDE NOW THE DESIGNATED FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION KNOWN AS TDA. WE HAVE SEEN WHAT THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS HAVE CAUSED IN OUR COUNTRY, HOW IT IMPACTED U.S. CITIZEN’S LIVES, SOME HAVE COMMITTED HEINOUS CRIMES AND MURDER. WE’RE SEEING AN AGGRESSIVE POSTURE BY THE UNITED STATES AND THE CARTELS ARE GOING TO EXPLOIT VULNERABLEITIES ESPECIALLY IN COUNTRIES LIKE VENEZUELA WHEN THERE’S INSTABILITY, THEY’LL USE THE COUNTRIES TO SMUGGLE LARGE SHIPMENTS OF DRUGS, COCAINE, METHAMPHETAMINE OR FENTANYL. THE U.S. NAVAL SHIPS WILL INTERDICT THE DRUGS BEFORE THEY MAKE IT TO VENEZUELA OR CENTRAL AMERICA AND GET INTO OUR COUNTRY. THIS SHOWS HOW THE ADMINISTRATION, THE UNITED STATES IS TAKING A MORE ACTIVE POSTURE. THE CARTELS ARE GOING TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGES. WE MAY NOT SEE THE LEVEL THAT WE SAW THE LAST FOUR YEARS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED AS YOU MENTIONED ALSO BY HUMAN SMUGGLING, THAT WAS A MULTI BILLION DOLLAR CRIMINAL NETWORK FOR THE CARTELS. THAT HAS HE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY SO NOW WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO DO IS INCREASE SHIPMENTS OF COCAINE, MET AM MET AT THE TIME MEAN BY USE — METHAMPHETAMINE, BY USING THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE CARIBBEAN TO GET THE DRUGS INTO THE UNITED STATES. IT SHOWS THE PROACTIVENESS OF THE ADMINISTRATION HOW THEY’RE WORKING TO STOP THE LARGE SHIPMENTS OF DRUGS AND HOW WE ARE THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE BECAUSE WE WANT TO STOP THE FLOW OF DRUGS MAKING IT INTO THE STATE AND TO THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. CHERYL: THAT’S WHY THEY PUT SO MUCH FOCUS ON THE TUNNELS IN ARIZONA. I’VE SEEN REPORTING THAT THE CARTELS IN MEXICO ARE MOVING TOWARDS OTHER COUNTRIES TRYING TO EXTEND THEIR REACH INTO COLOMBIA AND OTHER CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES TO BROADEN OUT THEIR ENTERPRISE BECAUSE THEY’VE TAKEN A FINANCIAL HIT FROM THE UNITED STATES. I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP, HE’S REALLY GAINING SOME POLITICAL LEVERAGE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST LATIN AMERICAN DRUG CARTELS THAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT. THERE WAS A GUILTY PLEA OF A CARTEL CO-FOUNDER ELMAYO. HE ADMITTED TO DECADES OF K50RD COORDINATION WITH MEXICAN OFFICIALS TO SMUGGLE DRUGS INTO THE U.S. HE WILL LIKELY BE BEHIND BARS FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. I THINK IT’S THE FACT THAT THE CARTEL MEMBERS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WORKING TOGETHER, IT’S SOMETHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW, YOU BELIEVE, BUT HE SAID THAT WAS HAPPENING. >> WELL, OF COURSE, ELMAYA IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CARTEL LEADERS IN CARTEL HISTORY. THE FACT THAT HE HAS PLED GUILTY, IT IS A REALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE ORGANIZATION BUT CARTELS OPERATE LIKE CORPORATIONS. >>> YOU HAVE ONE LEADER FALLS, SOMEONE ELSE WILL STEP IN AND FILL THE GAP AND THAT’S WHAT’S HAPPENING ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOOK BACK WHEN EL CHAPO GOT ARRESTE, THE CARTEL CONTINUED TO MOVE ON AND WE SAW THE FLOW OF FENTANYL AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN LAST FOUR YEARS. THE CARTEL WILL ADAPT TO CHANGES. THEY’RE LIKE CORPORATIONS AND THEY’RE A GLOBAL THREAT. THAT’S WHY WE NEED TO FOCUS ON TRYING TO STOP THE FLOW OF DRUGS AND REALLY GOING AFTER NOT ONLY THE LEADERS, BUT REALLY STOPPING THAT SUPPLY CHAIN OF DRUGS AND REALLY GOING AFTER THE FINANCES, TRYING TO DISRUPT FINANCES, THAT’S GOING TO IMPACT THE CARTELS. THIS IS A TIME TO GO AFTER THEM ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE AT THE WEAKEST POINT TO GO AFTER THESE ORGANIZATIONS. CHERYL: IT SEEMS THAT THAT’S WHY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS GOING SO HARD AFTER MEXICO’S PRESIDENT, THE TARIFF FIGHT, BECAUSE OF THIS. IT’S ALL CONNECTED UNFORTUNATELY. LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER

Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Christopher Olivarez discusses the agency arresting an American citizen for attempting to smuggle illegal migrants through the southern border and U.S. warships approaching Venezuela to combat cartels. #foxbusiness #illegalimmigration #venezuela

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