President Donald Trump's Department of Justice announced Wednesday the results of a nationwide sting led by the FBI.
Operation Restore Justice was a five-day joint effort between 55 FBI field offices, the DOJ's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and United States Attorney's Offices across the country.
'In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department police officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.'
The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrest of 205 alleged child sexual abuse offenders.
The suspects were charged with a number of crimes against children, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, the DOJ stated.
"In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department police officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims," the department said.
The FBI's Charlotte field office reported that it nabbed six people across North Carolina. One arrested individual, previously convicted of sexual battery and a registered sex offender, was charged with sex trafficking of a minor. If convicted on all counts, the suspect could face up to life in prison.
FBI Cleveland arrested 11 individuals, Boston arrested seven, Newark arrested five, and Baltimore arrested three.
FBI Director Kash Patel explained that some of the alleged offenders included teachers and law enforcement personnel.
Patel said, "Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us."
"Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we're sending a clear message: There is no place to hide for those who prey on children," he added.
The DOJ credited "parental vigilance and community outreach" for the successful sting operation.
Attorney General Pam Bondi called the operation "historic" and "unprecedented."
"The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us," Bondi stated. "I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate."
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Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) ratified a bill on Friday requiring priests to break the seal of confession if informed of abuse.
As this law invites the government into the confessional, likely violates the Constitution's Establishment Clause, and puts priests at risk of automatic excommunication, Catholic bishops in Washington state have vowed defiance and the Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation.
Senate Bill 5375, which passed the state Senate in a 28-20 vote and the state House in a 64-31 vote, requires any person operating in an official supervisory capacity with a nonprofit or a for-profit organization — including priests, ordained ministers, and rabbis — who has "reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect" to notify law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Unlike a previous version of the legislation, SB 5375 offers no carve-out for allegations learned as a result of a confession.
The final bill report actually clarifies that the Democratic law mandates no one except for members of the clergy to report abuse when that information is obtained solely as a result of a privileged communication.
'He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives.'
By mandating priests to divulge information gleaned in the confessional, the Democratic law puts priests at risk of excommunication.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the "sacramental seal," because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains "sealed" by the sacrament.
The Code of Canon Law cited by the Washington State Catholic Conference in its oppositional statements is similarly clear on the issue: "The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason."
Canon Law notes further that a "confessor who directly violates the sacramental seal incurs a latae sententiae — automatic — excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See."
Democratic state Sen. Noel Frame, a prime sponsor of the bill, did not appear to be concerned about such consequences, stating, "There are some things that it doesn't matter what religion you are in; you never put somebody's conscience over the protection of a child," reported KXLY-TV.
During debate in February, Republican state Sen. Leonard Christian noted that the legislation would force "somebody who's given their entire life — raised their hand, made an oath with God almighty — to choose between God's law and man's law."
'After the apostles were arrested and thrown into jail for preaching the name of Jesus Christ, St. Peter responds to the Sanhedrin: "We must obey God rather than men."'
Catholic bishops in the state have made clear which law takes precedence.
The Most Rev. Thomas Daly, Bishop of Spokane, reassured Catholics in his diocese Friday that their priests and bishop "are committed to keeping the seal of the confession — even to the point of going to jail.
"For those legislators who question our commitment to the safety of your children, simply speak with any mom who volunteers with a parish youth group, any Catholic school teacher, any dad who coaches a parochial school basketball team or any priest, deacon, or seminarian, and you will learn firsthand about our solid protocols and procedures," said Bishop Daly. "The Diocese of Spokane maintains an entire department at the Chancery, the Office of Child and Youth protection, staffed by professional laypeople. We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding child sexual abuse."
Seattle Archbishop Paul Etienne underscored in a statement Sunday that while the Church "agrees with the goal of protecting children and preventing child abuse" and already has policies requiring priests to be mandatory reporters, the seal of confession will not be broken.
"This weekend at Mass, the first reading was from the Acts of the Apostles. After the apostles were arrested and thrown into jail for preaching the name of Jesus Christ, St. Peter responds to the Sanhedrin: 'We must obey God rather than men' (Acts 5:29)," wrote the archbishop. "This is our stance now in the face of this new law. Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession — or they will be excommunicated from the Church."
'The law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges.'
"All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential, and protected by the law of the Church," added Archbishop Etienne.
The archbishop also raised the question of why privileged communications between priest and penitent were singled out but not the communications between attorney and client, doctor and patient, and spouses.
"This new law singles out religion and is clearly both government overreach and a double standard," wrote Archbishop Etienne.
The Justice Department announced a First Amendment investigation into the Washington state law on Monday, calling SB 5375 an "anti-Catholic law."
Like Archbishop Etienne, the DOJ also expressed interest in why Washington Democrats singled out members of the clergy as the only "supervisors" who may not rely on applicable legal privileges as a defense to mandatory reporting.
"SB 5375 demands that Catholic priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot [sic] stand under our constitutional system of government," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division said in a statement.
"Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals," continued Dhillon. "We take this matter very seriously and look forward to Washington State's cooperation with our investigation."
Gov. Ferguson, who identifies as a Catholic, said in a statement obtained by the Seattle Times, "We look forward to protecting Washington kids from sexual abuse in the face of this 'investigation' from the Trump administration."
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A former Department of State budget analyst pleaded guilty on Wednesday to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported.
Levita Almuete Ferrer, 64, admitted to stealing over $650,000 from taxpayers between March 2022 and April 2024, according to the Department of Justice.
'As a result, anyone viewing those entries in the QuickBooks system did not see Ferrer's name as the payee on the checks unless they accessed an audit trail.'
Ferrer was a senior budget analyst for the State Department's Office of the Chief of Protocol. As a part of her role with the federal agency, she had the authority to print and sign checks.
According to prosecutors, Ferrer wrote 60 checks to herself and three checks to an individual with whom she had a personal relationship. Ferrer printed and signed the checks, depositing $657,347.50 into her personal accounts.
She attempted to hide the illegal activity by utilizing a State Department QuickBooks account, where she entered her name as the payee, printed the checks, and then changed the account's listed payee to an agency vendor.
"As a result, anyone viewing those entries in the QuickBooks system did not see Ferrer's name as the payee on the checks unless they accessed an audit trail," the DOJ stated.
As part of her guilty plea, she agreed to pay back the embezzled funds.
Ferrer's sentencing is scheduled for September 18. She faces up to 10 years in prison.
In response to Ferrer's guilty plea, the Diplomatic Security Service, the law enforcement arm of the State Department, said, "At DSS, we're doing our part to ensure accountability and uphold public trust. Thank you to our partners for their work on this case."
President Donald Trump's State Department has made it a top priority to root out government waste.
On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement reflecting on the administration's first 100 days.
He noted that the department "is becoming a leaner machine, eager to deliver for the taxpayers."
"With an impending reorganization that will unleash the Department's talent from the ground up, the State Department is set to continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety, security and prosperity of the American people over the next four years," he stated.
On Tuesday, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture program director, Kirk Perry, pleaded guilty to participating in a kickback scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The DOJ reported that Perry and his nephew, Jamarea Grant, "conspired to bill the government nearly $400,000 for work that Grant did not actually perform."
"Perry also had access to Grant's bank account. As part of the criminal scheme Perry transferred approximately $125,000 of the USDA payments from Grant's account to his own account," the DOJ stated.
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According to the left, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon is responsible for a “bloodbath” in the Department of Justice. The ACLU has claimed her record consists of restricting voting rights, transgender rights, and abortion access.
Worse yet, the NAACP calls her a “grave threat to democracy.”
Glenn Beck of “The Glenn Beck Podcast” couldn’t like her more, saying, “She’s the woman who will wrestle back that one piece of the DOJ from the clutches of wokeness and that has the deep state quaking in its boots.”
And considering her stance on the issues the federal government uplifted and protected under Biden, the deep state certainly should be “quaking in its boots.”
“We don’t want people in the federal government who feel like it’s their pet project to go persecute police departments based on statistical evidence, or persecute people praying outside abortion facilities instead of doing violence. That’s not the job here. The job here is to enforce the federal civil rights laws, not woke ideology,” Dhillon tells Glenn.
Dhillon’s been on the job for a little over two weeks, and she’s already put multiple pieces of her plan into play.
“The president signed an executive order targeting anti-Christian bias in federal agencies, and that tallies with some of our civil rights agenda, which is to protect the rights of people of faith throughout the United States, whether they’re in federal agencies or not,” Dhillon tells Glenn.
“We’re aso going after the notorious anti-Semitic violence and discrimination happening throughout the United States, but specifically on American college campuses. The most elite campuses in the United States are the places where the most egregious violations are occurring,” she continues.
Under the Biden administration, elderly and young Americans were also arrested and persecuted for the “crime” of praying outside abortion facilities under the FACE Act, which Dhillon is also taking a hammer to.
“One of the first things that was done under the new administration was to dismiss multiple cases in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Ohio,” she explains. “We are not going to be pursuing these FACE Act cases other than an extraordinary circumstance involving death, serious bodily harm, or extreme property damage. And none of the recent cases have any of those fact patterns.”
However, pro-life facilities that involve prenatal care have been violently attacked in the last few years.
“We will aggressively go after them,” Dhillon says. “There were more than 200 incidents in the last few years of those kinds of facilities where people were counseled about their choices, about adoption, about keeping the baby.”
“Those facilities have been violently attacked by activists with no action by law enforcement, federal or state. We will be going after those cases because every woman has a right to go into those facilities and get fair, open, and even, in some cases, religious-inflected advice about their choices with respect to the baby that they are growing in their body,” she adds.
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A 19-year-old Kansas City man was arrested in Massachusetts last month in connection with the March 17 firebombing of the Missouri Tesla Center.
Owen McIntire, a University of Massachusetts physics student who returned home for spring break, allegedly tossed a pair of Molotov cocktails into the Kansas City dealership, damaging a pair of charging stations and two Cybertrucks, each valued at over $105,000. McIntire was slapped with federal criminal charges: one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce.
Despite protest from attorneys for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of Missouri, a progressive Boston-based judge granted McIntire's petition for release from federal custody on April 24, partly to ensure that he could continue his sex change.
'This care, along with mental health support, is integral to his wellbeing.'
Government attorneys argued for keeping McIntire locked up ahead of his trial, citing a statutory presumption of detention for terrorism-related offenses and the public risk he might pose, reported KMBC-TV.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica Hedges of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts appears, however, to have been alternately persuaded by the claims of McIntire's lawyers — that he is a mentally fragile pillar of the community who desperately needs to be home to continue his so-called "gender-affirming medical care."
Court records reviewed by KMBC claim the alleged firebomber has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, gender dysphoria, depression, and ADHD — a supposed disorder experts have indicated may not have any basis in biology.
"He also receives gender-affirming medical care, which began in March of this year and is likely to be interrupted or terminated entirely if he remains in pretrial detention," states a court filing from Hedges. "This care, along with mental health support, is integral to his wellbeing. By moving back home with his parents, he will have access to the care providers who are familiar with him and his specific needs."
'You will spend decades behind bars.'
Hedges reportedly agreed to release McIntire on the conditions that he stay at his parents' home with electronic monitoring and remain within Wyandotte and Johnson counties.
According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, a Kansas City Missouri Police Department officer saw billowing smoke coming from a Cybertruck parked outside the Tesla dealership around 11:16 p.m. on March 17. The officer found an unbroken Molotov cocktail near the burning vehicle.
As the officer was unable to extinguish the flames, the blaze spread to a second Cybertruck. The Kansas City Fire Department ultimately subdued the inferno.
On the basis of surveillance footage, witness testimony, and DNA evidence, police identified McIntire as their prime suspect.
Investigators linked a vehicle observed parking nearby the Tesla dealership before the incident then departing afterward to McIntire, then confirmed on the basis of his cellular phone's historical GPS location, flight records, social media posts, and other information that he was indeed in the Kansas City area at the time.
"Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us," Attorney General Pam Bondi said following McIntire's arrest earlier this month. "You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it."
McIntire is scheduled to appear in federal court on Thursday.
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