Trump Says Venezuelan Airspace Closed Off
'CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY'
Feds, local cops rescue over 100 kids in Florida, just in time for Thanksgiving
A multi-agency operation led to the recovery of over 100 children from Florida and several other states.
Operation Home for the Holidays was led by the U.S. Marshals Service and involved partnerships with the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and other federal, state, and local entities.
'Many of these kids have been victimized in unspeakable ways. We will prosecute their abusers to the fullest extent of the law.'
Jason Carley, the FBI field office’s special agent in charge, explained that the mission aimed to “find missing and potentially trafficked children.”
“In these types of operations, partnerships are essential,” he added.
The law enforcement operation, which ran over two weeks, resulted in the recovery of 122 children, FBI Jacksonville reported on Monday. The children were connected to care and services.
“Protecting our children is at the core of the FBI’s mission. This operation represents the very best of what can be accomplished when state, local and federal partners come together with a shared commitment,” FBI Jacksonville stated.
Law enforcement agents rescued 57 children from Tampa, 14 from Orlando, 22 from Jacksonville, 29 from Fort Myers, and 13 from other states and internationally, according to the Florida Attorney General's Office.
"The children ranged in age from 23 months to 17 years old, and many had experienced various levels of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or exposure to other criminal activity," a statement from the AG's office read.
— (@)
Six individuals were reportedly arrested on felony charges, including child neglect, custodial interference, narcotics possession, sexual assault, terroristic threats, and endangerment.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called the operation one of the nation’s largest child-recovery efforts.
“Many of these kids have been victimized in unspeakable ways. We will prosecute their abusers to the fullest extent of the law,” Uthmeier stated.
“What allows our Middle Florida-based child recovery initiatives to stand out is the emphasis placed on what happens after,” said William Berger, the U.S. marshal for the Middle District of Florida. “We know these children will have needs once we find them. It only makes sense to build these operations alongside like-minded partners from across the child welfare space.”
“The United States Marshals Service is proud to stand with our partners across the state of Florida in pursuit of the safety and welfare of our children,” Berger continued. “This operation was built based upon the wants and needs of our communities. We are honored to play a leading role in answering those calls. Welcome Home and Happy Holidays!”
— (@)
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Not a ‘feminist’: Allie Beth Stuckey defends speech condemning porn amid ‘conservative’ backlash
BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey’s Turning Point USA speech where she condemned pornography as “evil in every way” sparked a wave of attacks from men who claim to share her Christian and conservative values.
These men claimed that she was a “feminist” who should not be directly speaking to men. In fact, she was simply reciting a message that Charlie Kirk himself was very passionate about.
“There is a segment of males on the right, presumably the political right, who also profess to be Christians, who have been expressing their utter indignation that I gave a speech at a Turning Point USA campus stop and that in that speech, I talked about the dangers of pornography,” Stuckey explains on “Relatable.”
“I was called a feminist. I was called a bad mom, a negligent wife who was trying to act like a man. I was told that I should only talk to women or that I should not talk at all, that women have no place in the public square,” she continues.
Stuckey was asked by Kirk to join her on this campus tour before he was assassinated, so in order to honor him, her speech reflected the most controversial truths that he taught.
One of these truths is that porn has “weakened men,” which was the catalyst for all the outrage that followed.
“Charlie was so good at talking about this and so good at talking so courageously and sternly and clearly to the young men,” Stuckey said during her “controversial” speech, before explaining why it “is so detrimental not only to men” but also “objectifies women and children.”
“It commercializes sex, which is a gift from God for a married couple, between one man and one woman. And it glorifies violence. It creates addiction and shame. It destroys marriages. It ruins your perception of other people. It is the legal loophole for sex trafficking. It is evil in every way, and it will destroy your life,” she said.
“And this is what I would want to say to men, and I hope that you hear it from strong men in your life, that men, we need you. And we need your masculinity, and we need your strength, and we need your boldness, and we need your courage, and we need those things to be harnessed for good,” she continued.
“We need really strong men, and porn makes you weak,” she concluded.
Some “Christian conservative” men who heard this part of Allie’s speech took to X to mislabel her a “feminist” who should not be speaking to men.
“There is probably not another Christian woman in the conservative commentary space who has made more of an effort than I have to pull women away from progressivism, to try to change women’s minds and hearts when it comes to abortion, to try to change women’s minds and hearts when it comes to marriage,” Stuckey says in response.
“So, to say that I am a feminist who preaches to men really is just laughable. And it just goes to show you that people will just lie,” she adds.
Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?
To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Former Wall Street star, ex-Soros financier 'tortured' women in secret soundproof BDSM 'sex dungeon': Feds
A former famed financier with money ties to George Soros is accused of torturing women at a secret BDSM "sex dungeon," according to authorities.
Howard Rubin, 70, used to be a high-profile money manager at Salomon Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Merrill Lynch.
'The defendants allegedly exploited Rubin’s status to ensnare their prospective victims and forced them to endure unthinkable physical trauma before silencing any outcries with threats of legal recourse.'
On Friday morning, FBI agents arrested Rubin at his home in Fairfield, Connecticut.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a Friday statement, "A 10-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging retired New York-based financier, Howard Rubin, also known as 'Howie' and 'H,' along with his personal assistant, Jennifer Powers, with sex trafficking and transporting women in interstate commerce for sex acts with Rubin."
Federal authorities said Powers became Rubin's personal assistant around 2011 and "managed the logistical aspects of their commercial sex operation."
Federal officials added that Rubin additionally was charged with bank fraud in "connection with misrepresentations made to a bank in the course of financing Powers' mortgage for the Texas home of Powers and her husband."
Powers also was arrested Friday at her home in Southlake, Texas.
The alleged sexual abuse crimes occurred between 2009 and 2019 when Rubin and Powers "recruited multiple women to travel to New York City to engage in commercial sex acts with Rubin involving bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, and sadomasochism, referred to as 'BDSM' sex, and some of the women were trafficked."
ABC News reported that Rubin "lured dozens of women, including former Playboy models, to be sexually and physically assaulted during encounters in his Central Park penthouse in a soundproofed room described in court papers as 'The Dungeon.'"
The feds said the alleged sexual encounters took place at luxury hotels and at Rubin's two-bedroom penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan, where one of the bedrooms was converted into "what they referred to as a sex 'dungeon' that was painted red, soundproofed, and furnished with BDSM equipment and devices, including a device to shock or electrocute the women."
"During many of these encounters, Rubin brutalized women's bodies, causing them to fear for their safety and/or resulting in significant pain and injuries," the statement says.
"Rubin also used force, fraud, and coercion to traffic another woman in 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada," the statement reads.
Rubin and Powers are accused of requiring the women to sign nondisclosure agreements, which would "require the women to assume the risk of the hazards and injury of the BDSM encounters with Rubin, prohibit the disclosure of information about the BDSM sex with Rubin, and require the payment of damages in the event of a breach."
Federal investigators said Rubin used the NDAs to intimidate the women, warning of legal action and public humiliation if they pursued legal recourse.
Joseph Nocella Jr. — interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York — stated, "As alleged, the defendants used Rubin's wealth to mislead and recruit women to engage in commercial sex acts, where Rubin then tortured women beyond their consent, causing lasting physical and/or psychological pain, and in some cases physical injuries."
Christopher G. Raia — assistant director in charge of the FBI — revealed, "For many years, Howard Rubin and Jennifer Powers allegedly spent at least one million dollars to finance the commercial sexual torture of multiple women via a national trafficking network."
"The defendants allegedly exploited Rubin’s status to ensnare their prospective victims and forced them to endure unthinkable physical trauma before silencing any outcries with threats of legal recourse," Raia said. "The FBI will continue to apprehend any trafficker who sexually abuses others for twisted gratification."
Harry Chavis — acting special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation of the New York Field Office — noted that the alleged sexual abuse "was not a one-man show."
"While Rubin dehumanized these women with abhorrent sexual acts, Powers is alleged to have run the day-to-day operations of the enterprise and got paid generously for her efforts," Chavis said. "IRS-CI and FBI partnered to see fit that all the facts are detailed in this case and ensure that this pair realizes the full consequences of their ghastly behaviors."
If convicted of sex trafficking, Rubin and Powers each face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment. Rubin and Powers face a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment if convicted of transporting women to engage in commercial sex acts.
Rubin faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years if he is convicted of bank fraud.
Rubin pleaded not guilty in a federal court in Brooklyn.
Rubin's lawyer did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Reuters.
Rubin is a former high-profile Wall Street trader and hedge fund manager who became notorious for making unauthorized trades.
CNBC said of Rubin, "He first gained public notoriety in 1987 for making unauthorized trades at Merrill Lynch, which the firm at the time said contributed to a massive $250 million loss from mortgage securities. Rubin's action at Merrill, which led to his termination, is detailed in Michael Lewis' Wall Street memoir 'Liar's Poker.'"
"Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street" was written by best-selling author Michael Lewis, known for penning popular books such as "Moneyball," "The Blind Side," and "The Big Short."
The premise of "Liar's Poker" as per Goodreads:
Michael Lewis was fresh out of Princeton and the London School of Economics when he landed a job at Salomon Brothers, one of Wall Street’s premier investment firms. During the next three years, Lewis rose from callow trainee to bond salesman, raking in millions for the firm and cashing in on a modern-day gold rush. 'Liar's Poker' is the culmination of those heady, frenzied years — a behind-the-scenes look at a unique and turbulent time in American business. From the frat-boy camaraderie of the forty-first-floor trading room to the killer instinct that made ambitious young men gamble everything on a high-stakes game of bluffing and deception, here is Michael Lewis's knowing and hilarious insider's account of an unprecedented era of greed, gluttony, and outrageous fortune.
Bloomberg reported that Rubin was described in the book as a "young trader who studied behavioral research into which homeowners were likely to prepay their mortgages."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Male HS choral director arrested on sex trafficking charges, accused of meeting underage student through LGBTQ dating app
A Massachusetts music teacher is accused of sex trafficking by paying a minor — whom he met through an LGBTQ dating app — for sex acts.
The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said in a press release, "A Brockton High School instructor has been arraigned on human trafficking charges after an investigation by the Massachusetts State Police and Brockton Police, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced."
'We are deeply troubled by the allegations in this case.'
Matthew Cunningham, 35, was arrested at his Brockton home around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday by members of the Massachusetts State Police Special Services Section High Risk Victim Squad and Brockton Police.
Cunningham pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual conduct for a fee and trafficking of a person for sexual servitude during his arraignment in Brockton District Court.
Cunningham's bail was set at $25,000.
However, the judge set specific conditions if he is released on bail.
The Enterprise reported that bail conditions include "home confinement with GPS monitoring, staying away from and not contacting the victim, staying away from Brockton High School, refraining from using social media, relinquishing his passport, and staying in Massachusetts."
The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said the child sex crime charges stem from months-long investigations by Massachusetts State Police and Brockton Police.
"The allegations are that on April 27, 2025, Cunningham met up with an underage male victim, performed a sexual act on the victim, and then paid the victim on an app," the DA's office stated. "App administrators contacted the FBI after flagging the monetary transaction between an adult and a minor."
Assistant District Attorney Jason Blanchette claimed Cunningham asked the alleged victim if he was willing to engage in sex acts for money through Grindr — a dating app geared toward the LGBTQ+ community, the Enterprise reported.
More from the outlet:
After connecting on the app, Cunningham allegedly picked up the victim and drove him to his house, where he paid the victim for sex acts, Blanchette said. [...]
After the encounter, the prosecution said the victim recognized Cunningham as the choral director at his school and grew uncomfortable with the encounter.
Brendan Kelly — Cunningham's court-appointed defense attorney — said his client was not aware that the alleged victim was under 18 years old or that he was a student at Brockton High School.
According to Grindr's community guidelines, users on the dating app must be at least 18 years old.
Brockton Public Schools said Cunningham was placed on paid administrative leave as soon as school officials found out about the allegations.
"Brockton Public Schools learned today of the arrest of Brockton High School teacher Matthew Cunningham, and he was immediately placed on paid administrative leave," Brockton Public Schools said in a statement released on Tuesday, according to CBS News. "We are deeply troubled by the allegations in this case."
The ongoing investigation will include a forensic examination of Cunningham’s cell phone, according to the district attorney's office.
Cunningham is scheduled for a Sept. 18 court appearance.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Human trafficking is up, prosecutions are down. Here's how to change that.
The American court system currently struggles with an overwhelming volume of human trafficking cases — which is why BlazeTV contributor Jaco Booyens has a plan to help them better adjudicate these horrific crimes.
“Congress has really done a great job codifying the law, criminalizing trafficking, writing great policies, 41 task forces funded through Congress awareness campaigns,” Booyens tells BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” “but we’ve never touched the judiciary, the Justice Department.”
“And if you look at where human trafficking is falling apart, it’s in the Justice Department,” he continues, noting that many human traffickers are released to commit the same crimes again.
That’s why Booyens set up Jaco Booyens Ministries, an anti-trafficking organization led by the Holy Spirit to help those affected by human trafficking. And an actionable idea Booyens had for his organization could make the difference these victims need to truly be helped.
“We are asking Congress to go with us and institute an Article 3 constitutional specialized human trafficking court, a federal court where if it’s a human trafficking case in your county, in your city, that the judges, the current judges are cross designated, where that case goes to a specialized human trafficking court where the judges know what they’re doing,” Booyens explains.
“You don’t have Comey’s daughter representing or building the case. You have an actual prosecutor that understands human trafficking. They get monitored. They’re appointed and confirmed,” he continues.
And a change is needed, as many traffickers plea down to other charges and don’t face repercussions for their crimes.
“Tens of thousands of people are trafficked in America every year. We’ve only had 148 federal prosecutions in the last five years,” he says, adding, “Prosecutions are going down, trafficking is going up.”
“Every other felony,” he continues, “outside of human trafficking on a federal level and a state level, guess what the number is of prosecutions?"
"92%.”
Want more from Sara Gonzales?
To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
‘Epstein is a CIA op’: How far up does the scandal REALLY go?
While just a few days ago the Trump administration told Americans that the case was closed on the Epstein investigation, a newly released FOIA request by Judicial Watch shows that the DOJ and FBI are still investigating Jeffrey Epstein.
“Is this a play? Is the DOJ still investigating Jeffrey Epstein, and maybe this is why they’re making the decisions that they are?” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales speculates, noting that as far back as February 2025, Judicial Watch filed three separate FOIA requests for records depicting the identities of clients or associates of Epstein.
Judicial Watch sued the Justice Department and FBI in April 2025 after they failed to respond all three times. Their delayed response came on July 7, and they claimed that “the FBI’s search efforts are ongoing.”
Gonzales is skeptical.
“It’s like, okay, did you guys have a bunch of documents deleted that you’re still looking for? Because if that’s the case, can you just tell us?” she says, to which BlazeTV contributor Jaco Booyens responds with his own theory.
“The CIA is who’s being protected here. The whole Epstein operation from the get-go is a CIA op — from Robert Maxwell to Ghislaine Maxwell. Jeffrey was a target. Robert handled Jeffrey. Robert gets killed on his yacht, gets thrown overboard. This is a CIA op,” Booyens tells Gonzales.
“With the breadth of information, of national intelligence, of people involved that they will never, never release,” he continues.
Booyens, who has been fighting human trafficking through Jaco Booyens Ministries, is well aware that Epstein’s conviction as a human trafficker means “he sold people to people for sex.”
“So to tell me,” he continues, “as a 31-year veteran expert in this, that Epstein and Maxwell had no clients is dead on its face.”
Want more from Sara Gonzales?
To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
ICE Rescued Kids From Likely ‘Exploitation’ At Marijuana Farm And Democrats Are Furious
Democrats are continuing their assault on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by faking outrage over a raid where officers saved illegal alien children from an alleged child labor operation on a marijuana farm in Southern California. ICE agents on Thursday executed a federal search warrant at a Camarillo, Ventura County, marijuana growing operation, Glass House […]Today's top stories
www.theblaze.com