Biden did that? No, it’s Marco Rubio making gas prices skyrocket this time



Last month’s termination of Chevron’s license to operate in Venezuela marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy. It also has grave implications for U.S. interests in South America.

The decision, which effectively forces Chevron — responsible for nearly 30% of Venezuela’s oil revenue — to cease operations within 30 days, moves U.S. policy back toward ill-fated interventionism.

Rubio’s adventurism arguably undercuts American dominance of the Western Hemisphere.

At first glance, this shift may appear to be a classic recalibration within the Trump administration. Insider reports suggest, however, that it was driven by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a leading neoconservative, who has seized a moment of political leverage to advance a hard-line stance on Venezuela.

A hard-line shift

With much of Washington’s focus on Ukraine, Rubio worked with Cuban-American lawmakers from Florida, including Republican Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez, and Maria Elvira Salazar, to pressure the administration into taking a more aggressive position against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Rubio has long sought the removal of Maduro — whose leftist politics he detests — but his current approach poses a serious threat to U.S. national security.

This move is based on the assumption that by cutting off American engagement with Venezuela’s oil sector, Maduro will be weakened, potentially leading to his ouster.

But history suggests that this kind of economic pressure, typical of neoconservative thinking, has not — that is, never — yielded the desired results.

A similar “maximum pressure” strategy on Venezuela during Trump’s first term did not lead to regime change. Instead, it exacerbated instability in the region and contributed to the surge of migration at the southern U.S. border.

This was hardly an outcome that had conservatives jumping for joy.

Economic consequences

Beyond border security, Rubio’s decision could have severe economic consequences. U.S. oil refiners, particularly along the Gulf Coast, rely on Venezuela’s heavy crude to operate properly and keep pump prices as low as possible for working Americans.

Consequently, restricting access to this supply will likely increase fuel costs for American consumers — something that contradicts the president’s commitment to boosting U.S. energy production to supercharge our flagging economy.

The immediate market response has been telling, with oil prices rising more than 2% following last month's announcement. A neoconservative State Department, therefore, looks set to hit Americans where it hurts.

Strengthening our adversaries

Rubio’s adventurism also arguably undercuts American dominance of the Western Hemisphere.

Rather than halting Venezuelan oil production, hamstringing Chevron leaves Maduro’s government with little choice but to deepen ties with China and Russia. These antagonists are more than ready to fill the gap left by Western firms and American technology.

The U.S. had been making progress in reducing Venezuela’s reliance on Beijing, but this policy reversal could undo all that — strengthening adversaries at America’s expense.

This is not to say that engagement with Venezuela should come without conditions, but a more measured approach would have preserved American leverage rather than ceding ground to geopolitical competitors.

A pivot from MAGA

For example, President Trump last month outlined the framework of a U.S.-Venezuela détente: ramping up crude oil imports in exchange for Venezuela’s agreement to accept the return of its nationals who are in the United States illegally.

This would be a boon for the MAGA movement, strengthening energy and border security in one policy shot.

But Rubio has other ideas. His influence in shaping this turn away from Venezuela is evident. But the broader question remains: Will America return to the failed policies of the past, or will it stick to the optimistic realism of the Trump-Vance ticket?

The right answer, for me at least, is clear as day.

ICE deports illegal immigrant wanted for human smuggling that led to the deaths of 3 minors



An illegal immigrant was deported back to his home country of the Dominican Republic, where he was wanted for human smuggling, which resulted in the deaths of three minors.

Edgar Batista Matos is a Dominican national who was deported last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE coordinated with the Dominican National Police to deport Batista Matos.

'ICE prioritizes the arrest and removal of criminal alien fugitives.'

On March 4, Batista Matos was placed aboard an ICE removal flight that transported the illegal alien from Miami International Airport to Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Local law enforcement in the Dominican Republic took the illegal migrant into custody at the airport.

Batista Matos has reportedly been deported at least five times.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement that Batista Matos was first deported in October 2010 "when he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol after he entered illegally near Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico."

Batista Matos was also deported in 2011, 2019, and 2023. ICE did not provide details of the prior deportations.

In September 2024, Batista Matos was arrested by police in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after law enforcement in the Dominican Republic issued a warrant for his arrest for his connection with the fatal illegal alien smuggling venture.

"The return of this fugitive to the Dominican Republic is a prime example of how ICE works closely with our international law enforcement partners to identify, locate, and remove criminal aliens who are wanted in their country for allegedly committing crimes," said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Miami acting Field Office Director Juan Lopez Vega. "ICE prioritizes the arrest and removal of criminal alien fugitives. As a result, our communities are safer and more secure."

As Blaze News reported last month, Venezuela has agreed to repatriate its citizens who are illegally living in the United States, including members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. The deal also brought back six U.S. citizens who were being detained by the regime of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro following the country’s July presidential election.

President Donald Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, "It is so good to have the Venezuela Hostages back home and, very important to note, that Venezuela has agreed to receive, back into their Country, all Venezuela illegal aliens who were encamped in the U.S., including gang members of Tren de Aragua."

“Venezuela has further agreed to supply the transportation back,” Trump noted. “We are in the process of removing record numbers of illegal aliens from all Countries, and all Countries have agreed to accept these illegal aliens back. Furthermore, record numbers of criminals are being removed from our Country, and the Border numbers are the strongest they have been since the First Term of the Trump Administration!”

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‘Facts Do Matter’: Tom Homan Slams Mayorkas As Liar ‘From Day One’ On Border Crisis

'He was a failure'

Feds dismantle huge human smuggling ring that funneled 20,000 Guatemalan aliens into US, leaders face death penalty



Federal authorities in California have arrested and charged alleged leaders of a criminal organization said to have smuggled more than 20,000 illegal immigrants from Guatemala to the U.S. over five years — including seven who died in a car crash in 2023.

The U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement said in a recent statement, "An illegal alien from Guatemala was arrested on a four-count indictment alleging he led one of the largest human smuggling organizations in the United States."

'The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations.'

U.S. officials said the huge human trafficking ring "smuggled approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants from Guatemala to destinations nationwide over a five-year span." U.S. federal authorities estimated that illegal immigrants paid the human smuggling ring "between $15,000 and $18,000 for each illegal immigrant smuggled into the United States."

The human smuggling ring allegedly smuggled illegal aliens into Arizona, "where they were held in stash houses and eventually picked up by Renoj-Matul’s lieutenants." Illegal aliens were reportedly offered to be transported to Los Angeles for an additional fee.

ICE noted that the illegal immigrants who did not pay the fees were "held hostage in a stash house in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles."

"The defendant held some victims in stash houses as hostages and is responsible for the deaths of seven illegal immigrants — including a 4-year-old child — who were killed in a November 2023 car accident in Oklahoma," the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement.

Federal officials said that 51-year-old Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul – also known as "Turko" – was arrested in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 28.

Authorities also noted that Renoj-Matul's "right-hand man" – 49-year-old Cristobal Mejia-Chaj – was also arrested on the same day.

In all, four suspects in significant roles in the human smuggling ring were reportedly arrested. All the suspects are purportedly Guatemalan nationals who are or were illegally living in the U.S. at the time of the alleged offenses.

U.S. officials said they also arrested 41-year-old Helmer Obispo-Hernandez — a lieutenant in the criminal organization. ICE also allegedly nabbed 44-year-old Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj — a driver for the smuggling organization who is incarcerated in Oklahoma.

In a separate federal criminal complaint filed on March 2, Obispo-Hernandez is accused of threatening to cut off the heads of an ICE task force officer and members of his family on Feb. 28.

The feds said all four defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, transporting aliens in the United States, and harboring aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death.

“These smuggling organizations have no regard for human life and their conduct kills,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Their members pose a danger to the public and law enforcement. We must vigorously enforce our immigration laws so that these organizations cannot operate. The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations. This work saves lives, and the members of the organization will now face significant consequences.”

ICE Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco said, "These arrests illuminate the dangers and victimization associated with aliens attempting to unlawfully enter our country. Every day, similar human smuggling organizations put profits ahead of safety in these reckless and illegal endeavors. ICE Los Angeles and our partners are committed to continue identifying and dismantling these organizations so no further lives are lost and our borders are secure.”

The U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement noted that if the defendants are convicted of all charges, they would face a statutory maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.

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Inside JD Vance’s Tone-Setting Trip To The Southern Border

Inside JD Vance's Tone-Setting Trip To The Southern Border

Red States Snap Into Gear To Help Trump Enforce Immigration Laws

'Having employers that are knowingly coming in and bringing in illegal aliens who they know should not be in our country ... there needs to be stiff penalties.'

Why coexistence with the left is impossible



President Donald Trump’s MAGA Supreme speech to Congress on Tuesday made one thing clear. After a Democrat responded to the speech who promotes trans propaganda and MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace attacked a kid with brain cancer, it is clear: We can’t share a country with these people.

Another generation of my family was born last year, and I want to be able to tell them honestly that they can pursue their dreams in the greatest country on Earth. But that vision feels increasingly out of reach when much of our culture appears to sympathize more with a fired federal worker than with a girl who was raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant or with a young athlete harassed by a troubled boy in her sports team’s locker room or bathroom.

These people hate us. There’s no point in pandering to them, no point in negotiating, and no point in making concessions. Just defeat them.

Trump’s speech sharply underscored the real problem: If we can’t live peacefully with our neighbors and don’t trust our institutions, how can we maintain a country?

This issue goes far beyond theoretical debates in political science 101. Democrat women attended Trump’s speech dressed in all pink to promote so-called women’s rights, despite every Democrat in the U.S. Senate recently voting against protecting female athletes from transgender terrorism.

This absurd and unsustainable reality was a point we drove home to weak-kneed Iowa Republicans who were poised to block efforts to remove gender identity from Iowa’s civil rights protections. My show called out about 10 of them by name, exposing how their actions aligned more with the governor of Maine’s betrayal of girls than with the interests of Iowans. In less than 24 hours, a potentially close vote turned into a landslide victory.

If you agree with Democrats on their insanity, just be honest and switch sides. But never bow to people who will never vote for you, no matter how many woke boxes you check while keeping an “R” next to your name. The math is simple now, and it doesn’t matter if it makes you uncomfortable. This is Thunderdome: Two enter, one leaves. Which side are you on?

As bloody and terrible as it was, the European countries that fought each other in World War I had far more in common with each other than a Blaze News subscriber has with modern progressives. It’s not even close. Life in early 20th-century Berlin wasn’t much different from life in early 20th-century London. They shared similar values, the same ruling families intermarrying, and even the same DNA strands. Yet they still went to war. Meanwhile, a century later, modern blue-state Americans let politicians like Boston’s mayor offer empty thoughts and prayers for a lunatic who had to be shot by an off-duty police officer to stop him from stabbing innocent bystanders at a Chick-fil-A.

The cosmic gap between worldviews and the duties of citizenship in America has grown so vast that it’s hard to imagine so-called Americans — like the 45 U.S. senators who can’t figure out the difference between male and female — ever agreeing on enough to fight alongside us in a war. Our fundamentals aren’t just different; they’re in direct opposition. The debate over women’s sports is just the starting point for a much larger battle about the very nature of reality and whether we can continue to coexist.

Have we become existential enemies? Our opponents seem to think so. That’s why they constantly label us as racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, and homophobic bigots at every opportunity. Those are the kinds of accusations you throw when the time for compromise has passed and the only thing left is to fight for the best possible outcome. These people hate us. There’s no point in pandering to them, no point in negotiating, and no point in making concessions.

Just defeat them. No apologies, no remorse. Have some dignity and do what needs to be done, for the love of God and the future of your children. Take back this country — and do it now, before it’s too late.

Soaring Levels Of Non-English Speaking Students May Be Driving National Reading Test Scores Into Ground

English learners by far scored the lowest

Democrats Refused To Stand Up For The Mothers Of Laken Riley And Jocelyn Nungaray

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-04-at-11.33.40 PM-e1741149338374-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-04-at-11.33.40%5Cu202fPM-e1741149338374-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]Democrats in the room refused to stand and show respect for the victims' families, opting instead to ignore their suffering.

Trump paints optimistic picture of America's golden age during historic congressional address



President Donald Trump delivered a hopeful speech in his 90-minute address to the joint session of Congress on Tuesday, recapping the resurgence of American greatness and success.

"Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden age of America," Trump said. "From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of the country."

Throughout the speech, Trump addressed the importance of restoring the economy, rescuing the working class, bolstering American energy, cracking down on illegal immigration, and reclaiming American sovereignty.

President Trump: "To my fellow citizens, AMERICA IS BACK!" pic.twitter.com/dTGy7SHg70
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) March 5, 2025

"We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplish in four years or eight years, and we are just getting started," Trump said. "I return to this chamber tonight to report that America’s momentum is back. Our spirit is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back. And the American dream is surging, bigger and better than ever before.

"The American dream is unstoppable, and our country is on the verge of a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed and perhaps will never witness again," Trump said.

President Trump: "The days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are OVER!" pic.twitter.com/NFdnZwwCPh
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) March 5, 2025

Trump noted the sweeping accomplishments his administration has made in just six weeks since he was inaugurated. Trump signed nearly 100 executive orders and has taken over 400 executive actions to implement the MAGA mandate and to restore "common sense, safety, optimism, and wealth" across America.

"The people elected me to do the job, and I'm doing it," Trump said. "In fact, it has been stated by many that the first month of our presidency is the most successful in the history of our nation."

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