Exclusive: Four States Accused Of Continuing Race-Based DOT Policies Trump Eliminated
WILL alleges the states continue to employ state-based Minority Business Enterprise programs to achieve 'racial goals.'WILL alleges the states continue to employ state-based Minority Business Enterprise programs to achieve 'racial goals.'Ed Martin Challenged The D.C. Bar’s Political Vendetta. Then They Charged Him
The charges against Ed Martin didn't emerge in a vacuum. They came from the very disciplinary authority he had publicly accused of bias.House GOP subpoenas Pam Bondi over Epstein files
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) issued a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi Tuesday over her handling of the Epstein files.
The committee voted to approve the subpoena requiring Bondi to appear for a deposition over the Department of Justice's handling of the investigation and in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
In the subpoena, Comer said Bondi's deposition could "inform legislative solutions" to improve the government's response to sex trafficking and to "reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements" related to sex crimes.
'This subpoena is completely unnecessary.'
Although the subpoena refrained from harshly criticizing Bondi, it was ultimately greenlit on March 4 by committee Republicans who have expressed concerns about Bondi's leadership.
Every committee Democrat voted in favor of the subpoena, as well as Republican Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Michael Cloud of Texas, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.
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The DOJ called the subpoena "completely unnecessary," arguing that Bondi has "made herself available" to lawmakers with respect to the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
“This subpoena is completely unnecessary," a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement. "Lawmakers have been invited to view the unredacted files for themselves at the Department of Justice, and the Attorney General has always made herself available to speak directly with members of Congress."
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"She continues to have calls and meetings with members of Congress on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which is why the Department offered to brief the committee tomorrow," the spokesperson added. "As always, we look forward to continuing to provide policymakers with the facts.”
Bondi is now called on to appear before the committee on April 14.
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'Deeply disturbing': Florida man enters plea in monkey torture video case
A Florida man entered a plea at the beginning of the month following a particularly disturbing case involving monkeys investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Francisco Javier Ravelo, 36, of Coral Gables, Florida, pleaded guilty on March 2 to distributing videos depicting the torture of monkeys. Ravelo was charged in October 2025.
'It reflects a willingness to dominate, torture, and inflict suffering without remorse.'
The Department of Justice's press release, citing court documents, explains that Ravelo, a U.S. citizen, "created some and administered some online chat groups dedicated to the distribution and discussion of sexual and violent videos depicting monkeys being mutilated and burned, including baby and adult monkeys."
The DOJ said Ravelo personally distributed "more than 40 of these obscene crush videos."
RELATED: 'Staged armed robberies': 11 Indian nationals catch visa fraud charge amid conspiracy allegations
U.S. law defines "animal crushing" as "actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury."
"In his first term, President Donald J. Trump signed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act into law to end animal crushing," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "If you are involved in this sadistic activity, we will prosecute you."
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said: "Deliberate cruelty to animals is one of the clearest red flags. It reflects a willingness to dominate, torture, and inflict suffering without remorse. The defendant didn't merely view this material. He created and administered online groups devoted to it and distributed dozens of obscene animal torture videos. That conduct fuels a market built on brutality."
HSI New Orleans, HSI Pensacola, the local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division investigated the case that led to Ravelo's guilty plea, according to an ICE press release.
Ravelo faces a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.
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'Staged armed robberies': 11 Indian nationals catch visa fraud charge amid conspiracy allegations
In a years-long case, more suspects are being charged in connection with an alleged visa fraud conspiracy ring.
On Friday, the Department of Justice charged 11 individuals in connection with "a conspiracy to carry out staged armed robberies of convenience stores for the purpose of allowing store clerks to falsely claim they were crime victims on immigration applications."
The DOJ claimed the purpose of the scheme was to allow the 'victims' of the 'robbery' to falsely claim they were victims of a violent crime on an application for a U visa.
Ten of the 11 suspects, all of whom are Indian nationals, were arrested in states where they were "unlawfully residing," including Massachusetts, Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio, according to the DOJ's press release.
"An 11th Indian nat'l who was deported to India has also been charged," the Boston FBI announced on social media. The 11th Indian national was deported after "unlawfully residing" in Weymouth, Massachusetts.
According to the DOJ's press release, the scheme involved staging armed robberies in which the "robber" would threaten store clerks with an apparent firearm, take cash from the register, and flee. The clerk would then wait five minutes or more before calling police to report the incident.
The store owners were compensated by Rambhai Patel, sentenced in August for his role in the scheme, and his alleged co-conspirators, while the "victims" allegedly paid Patel to participate in the scheme.
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The fraud scheme appears to have begun in March 2023. Those charged on Friday are alleged to have "either arranged with the organizer to set up each robbery or paid for themselves or a family member to participate as a 'victim.'"
According to an August 2025 sentencing announcement from the DOJ, Patel and Balwinder Singh, who was also charged in December 2023, organized "at least 18" staged armed robberies.
Singh pleaded guilty and was set to be sentenced in September 2025.
Citing charging documents, the DOJ claimed the purpose of the scheme was to allow the "victims" of the "robbery" to falsely claim they were victims of a violent crime on an application for a U visa.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the U nonimmigrant status visa is "set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity."
Jitendrakumar Patel; Maheshkumar Patel; Sanjaykumar Patel; Amitabahen Patel; Sangitaben Patel; Mitul Patel; Rameshbhai Patel; Ronakkumar Patel; Sonal Patel; Minkesh Patel; and Dipikaben Patel all face one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Those charged on Friday were released after initial appearances and will appear in federal court in Boston "at a later date," the DOJ said.
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Veteran Affairs' newest effort to help homeless vets sparks mixed reactions
In a large shift in the war against veteran homelessness, the Trump administration has updated its policies to allow the government to step in to intervene on veterans' behalf — but not everyone is happy about the change.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Wednesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Justice in an effort to give veterans, some of whom are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, "the ongoing care they need."
'We owe our Veterans a debt we can never fully repay — but we can give them the support they deserve.'
The agreement, according to the VA's announcement, allows the DOJ to appoint VA attorneys as special assistant U.S. attorneys. Thus appointed, VA attorneys will have the legal authority to "initiate and participate in state court guardianship or conservatorship proceedings in cases where a legal decision-maker is required for post-acute transitions of care for these vulnerable Veterans."
The VA called these legal guardianships a "lifeline" for vulnerable veterans who do not have other options to protect their rights.
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“Our new partnership with the Justice Department reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring that every Veteran receives timely, appropriate care, even in complex cases,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins.
“The Department of Justice is proud to partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs to support our nation’s brave Veterans by ensuring that they have the best legal resources available when it comes to making medical decisions and receiving timely care,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “We owe our Veterans a debt we can never fully repay — but we can give them the support they deserve.”
The Trump administration made efforts in its first year to address homelessness in the pursuit of restoring public order.
Specifically, President Trump signed an executive order near the end of July 2025 with the goal of "shifting individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment."
Michael Figlioli, the director of the National Veterans Service for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, commended the change, which he told the New York Times recognizes “that some of our nation’s most vulnerable veterans must be approached through a public health and social services framework."
However, others have raised concerns about veterans' civil liberties.
“The Trump-Vance administration is pursuing policies that would push hundreds, if not thousands, of veterans into institutions and court-ordered guardianships,” Rep. Mark Takano of California, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, said to the New York Times.
“Guardianship should always be a last resort, after all less restrictive options have been exhausted, to ensure veterans’ rights are respected,” Takano continued.
According to the most recent data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, an estimated 32,882 veterans were homeless on a single night in January 2024. Veterans make up roughly 5% of the homeless population in the United States, according to the same report.
When asked for comment, Veterans Affairs directed Blaze News to the general number of the U.S. House of Representatives, a senator's office, and the White House, none of which responded to a request for comment. The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment.
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Trump DOJ Is Finally Taking On The Corrupt DC Bar Association
Federal lawyers cannot be held hostage by a lawfare apparatus that threatens their destruction for daring to represent GOP administrations.'Massive scheme': Federal visa fraud indictment in Dallas intensifies pressure on Abbott over H-1B visas
As more people begin to investigate potential fraud in the legal immigration system in the United States, many major cases of alleged fraud are finally getting the attention they deserve.
The Dallas Express reported Tuesday on an ongoing case started in May 2025 involving "two Texas residents ... originally from Pakistan, a law firm, and a business entity" who are "charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States, visa fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) conspiracy."
'These advertisements were placed in order to satisfy a Department of Labor requirement to offer the position to United States citizens before hiring foreign nationals.'
According to a Department of Justice press release, Abdul Hadi Murshid, Muhammad Salman Nasir, the Law Offices of D. Robert Jones PLLC, and Reliable Ventures Inc. "engaged in a scheme to commit visa fraud to enrich themselves and others, and to cause individuals to fraudulently obtain entry into and immigration status in the United States."
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Murshid and Nasir are also charged with unlawfully obtaining and attempting to obtain United States citizenship, according to the DOJ.
The scheme allegedly involved exploiting the EB-2, EB-3, and H-1B visa programs, including placing advertisements in a daily periodical for nonexistent jobs. The DOJ explains, "These advertisements were placed in order to satisfy a Department of Labor requirement to offer the position to United States citizens before hiring foreign nationals."
“These defendants are charged with engaging in extensive measures to hide a massive, multi-year, immigration fraud scheme through which they reaped substantial personal financial gain,” Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham said. “Pursuing criminal charges to deter and punish this type of flagrant disregard for the lawful immigration process is a top priority of this Office.”///
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) quoted the Dallas Express' report, saying, "Finally, the feds are cracking down on their H-1B visa fraud in Dallas. H-1B visas are issued only by the federal government. That said, I was the first Governor to halt any state entity from applying for H-1B visa workers. More to come on this."
However, many comments pointed out the governor's past openness to legal immigration as his state continues to fill with H-1B and other visa holders.
"You haven’t done this so you’re still contributing to the displacement of highly skilled Texas workers," Virgil Bierschwale, a candidate for the Senate Texas seat, wrote, including a graphic that encourages prioritizing hiring Texans in state contracts.
"Texas leads the nation with H-1B visas thanks to you," former congressional candidate Valentina Gomez snapped at Abbott.
Texas has closely followed California in the number of approved H-1B visas in recent years. In 2025 alone, Texas brought in over 83,200 H-1B visas, while California crossed the 100,000 threshold, according to an analysis of Department of Labor data performed by Blaze News.
The Dallas Express reported that while it is unclear when the case will head to trial, the final pretrial conference is set for September 4, 2026.
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