HOW VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO WAS ABLE TO GET TO OSLO

Inside the very tense, very wet secret mission to get María Corina Machado out of Venezuela

 

By Tucker Reeals, Lilia Luciano and Norman Oliver 

 

CBS News

Dec 11, 2025

 

Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition figure and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, attends a press conference on Dec. 11, 2025 in Oslo, Norway. 

 

It took an American private rescue team 15 to 16 hours to get Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado out of her country and safely on her way to Norway to collect her Nobel Peace Prize, and to be reunited with her family on Wednesday. The vast majority of that time was spent in rough seas, and the man who led the operation and met Machado on a boat told CBS News, "no one was enjoying that ride, especially Maria!"

"No one's blood pressure was low, throughout any phase of this operation, including mine," said Bryan Stern, a U.S. special forces veteran who heads the Grey Bull Rescue Foundation. "It was dangerous. It was scary. The sea conditions were ideal for us, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see. That's how it works."

In an interview Wednesday with CBS News, Stern gave some insight into the complex operation his organization undertook to get Machado out of Venezuela and on a plane to Norway, where she was reunited with her children for the first time in about two years. A representative for Machado confirmed to CBS News on Thursday that Grey Bull was behind the rescue operation that began on Tuesday.

Of the hundreds of rescues his organization has carried out, he said this was both one of the most challenging and the most rewarding. Machado has lived in hiding in her own country for almost a year, fearing persecution by the regime of President Nicolas Maduro, who is under increasing pressure from President Trump amid a U.S. military buildup off his shores.

"She has a very large target on her back," Stern said of Machado. "This is not a random shopkeeper who doesn't wanna be in Venezuela anymore. This is moving around a rock star."

"She's the first Nobel Prize winner that we've ever rescued, you know? She's the first person that we've ever rescued that has billboards with her face all over it in a country, where there's protests in her favor. We've never rescued anybody with her status, with her stature," he said. 

Her high profile, combined with the Maduro regime taking "a very defensive posture because of the American military buildup," meant huge risks for the operation, and Stern was reluctant to divulge much detail about the operation on land, "because we still have other work to do in Venezuela, and we don't want to put sources and methods and people who worked on this at risk."

But once Machado had been spirited off Venezuelan soil onto a boat, she was ferried to a rendezvous at sea, and Stern was there himself to welcome her onto his boat for a 13-14 hour journey to an undisclosed location where she caught her flight to Oslo.

He said around two dozen people were involved directly within his team, but many more played a role - from providing intelligence to translation and logistics - including some who may never even know that they helped.

Stern and Grey Bull were in charge of the land and maritime portion of the extraction, which he said had to be planned in only about four days, though his organization has been preparing for operations in Venezuela for months.

He said the operation was funded by "a few generous donors," none of whom – to his knowledge – were U.S. government officials. 

"The U.S. government did not contribute a single penny to this operation, at least not that I know of," Stern said. 

He acknowledged that he and his organization did "unofficially collaborate" with the U.S. military about positioning and plans, largely to avoid being targeted inadvertently.

Asked about reports that a private extractions specialist contracted by the Trump administration had met Machado in the small Caribbean island nation of Curaçao, Stern told CBS News: "I'm the contractor who specializes in extractions, and I've never been hired by Donald Trump."

"I did not meet her in Curaçao. I met her somewhere else. I met her really far away from Curacao. Extremely far," he said. 

The moment when Machado climbed onto his boat was among the "moments of transition" that present the most risk for any rescue operation, he said. 

Stern wouldn't say where exactly that happened, beyond it being on a boat in the Caribbean, but he did say the nighttime rendezvous, and the conversation he had with the Venezuelan "freedom fighter" in the ensuing hours, made an impression on him.

"Personally, I was starstruck. She's a hero of mine," said Stern. "When I got to see her for the first time and validate that it was her, my heart skipped a beat."

The rough seas and dark skies on Tuesday night were perfect for operating covertly, he said, but they didn't make for an enjoyable ride.

"The maritime domain is the most unforgiving domain. This was in the middle of the night - very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, boats have no lights."

By the time she climbed aboard, "all of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey."

"She was very happy. She was very excited. She was very tired," he said. 

Asked about the fact that Machado eventually arrived in Oslo too late to attend Wednesday's Nobel Prize ceremony in person, Stern said "nothing went wrong, it just took time."

"From my perspective at least, her life was the most important aspect of this. A ceremony is great, but I don't look at this operation as getting Maria to a ceremony on time," he said. "I look at this operation as saving a freedom fighter's life, as saving a mother's life."

"We talked about her seeing her children for the first time in two years and I almost cried," Stern told CBS News. "She's a tough-as-nails, hard-as-woodpecker-lips woman, person, but she's still a mom, and she talked about how excited she was to see her children. It's been two long years."

He said being able to facilitate that reunion "truly was a blessing. We could not feel more privileged or honored to support this operation. She truly is a hero of mine. I've looked at her as an inspirational defender of freedom as long as I've known of her. So to be asked to support this, to conduct this operation, truly was a huge honor, a privilege for us."

Machado and her daughter, who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her mother's behalf Wednesday, said the opposition leader intended to return to Venezuela. Stern said he advised her point blank against it. 

"I think she's crazy. She's such a tough — you know, they call her the iron lady for a reason. I told her, 'Don't go back.'" 

Asked if Grey Bull would help her get back into the country, Stern told CBS News, "we've never done an infil, we've only done exfil. So, I don't think so … That's for her to determine and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational."

ACT OF WAR OR MAYBE PIRACY ??

By Bob Walsh

 

 

United States Navy and Coast Guard forces took over a Venezuelan flagged tanker on the high seas Wednesday.  If Donald is trying to push Venezuela into a shooting war with us that would certainly be one possibly effective way to do it.  Of course it is possible he just wants to put the screws to Maduro and sees this as a way of doing it.  

I am not saying that that would be a bad thing, but......

CHINA AIN'T VENEZUELA

Top secret war document reveals China would crush the US and 'destroy' the world's largest aircraft carrier

 

By Nick Allen 

 

Daily Mail

Dec 10, 2025

 

 

  

Chinese naval troops and amphibious armor advance ashore during an amphibious exercise designed to prepare its forces for a forthcoming invasion of Taiwan

 

The United States would suffer a devasting defeat and lose its biggest aircraft carrier if it tried to stop China invading Taiwan, according to a top secret Pentagon report.

War games showed the U.S. would be overwhelmed by China's arsenal of around 600 hypersonic weapons, along with missiles and nuclear submarines.

The grim assessment, revealed by the New York Times, confirmed the conclusions of previous war games, but it also highlighted wider concerns about the future direction of the U.S. military and its continued reliance on outdated methods.

It means Pentagon chiefs are set to face accusations that they are 'generals fighting the last war' and have failed to adapt to rapidly advancing, cheaper, more disposable forms of weapons technology including drones.

The domination of the U.S. military-industrial complex by a small group of behemoth contractors will also be called into question following the report, which was said to have made one White House official 'turn pale' when he saw it. 

Ships like the $13 billion USS Gerald R. Ford - the largest aircraft carrier in the world - were often destroyed in scenarios gamed out for a U.S. defense of Taiwan.

Despite that, the Pentagon still has plans to build nine more similar ships. 

 

President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping meeting at the Gimhae Air Base, South Korea on October 30, 2025

The world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford would be lost in many scenarios in a war over Taiwan, according to Pentagon war games

A map shows how China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been conducting drills in the waters around Taiwan

 

Advocates for a different route forward will argue that some of that funding should be spent on drone and cyber capabilities instead.

The war in Ukraine has shown the fading power of traditional weapons including tanks, they will suggest.

The latest bombshell for the Pentagon comes after President Xi Jinping ordered his generals to be prepared for a possible invasion of Taiwan as early as 2027.

Beijing claims the self-governing democracy is part of China and has not ruled out seizing the island by force.

With the U.S. set to defend Taiwan, China could launch cyber attacks against American power and water networks.

 

Xi Jinping says Taiwan is part of China and has told his military to be ready to take it in 2027

Taiwanese tanks and armored vehicles fire during a live-ammunition drill on a beach

 

The Pentagon's secret 'Overmatch' report was recently sent to the White House.

It reportedly gave disturbing details of how China would be able to take out U.S. ships, jets and satellites.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has previously said that 'we lose every time' in Pentagon simulations of a Taiwan conflict

Earlier this year, he said China is 'rehearsing for the real deal' and added: 'We are not going to sugarcoat it, the threat China poses is real and it could be imminent.'

China has accused Hegseth of making 'groundless accusations.'

During President Trump's second term so far U.S. military resources have been regularly pulled away from the Indo-Pacific to support military needs in the Middle East and Europe.

During the Biden administration, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, said the US would rapidly run out of artillery shells in a war over Taiwan.

Michael D Swaine, a senior research fellow in the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said: 'I agree with this call for the United States military to drop many of its legacy weapons and transition to a force that more accurately reflects the kinds of threats and capabilities the country faces.'

But he added: 'The assumption is that the United States needs to maintain its global military dominance, which is entirely unrealistic and prohibitively costly. Does the United States really need hundreds of overseas bases housing tens of thousands of soldiers? And is it in the vital interest of the United States to wage a war with China over Taiwan?'

 

The USS Gerald R. Ford is the world's largest aircraft carrier

A missile is being launched to strike a low-altitude target during a live-fire tactical drill in Jiuquan, China

A Chinese fighter jet pilot from the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) takes part in exercises near Taiwan

 

Trump's National Security Strategy document, released last week, made clear the U.S. must attempt to deter a Chinese invasion by having a superior military.

It said: 'Given that one third of global shipping passes through the South China Sea there are major implications for the U.S. economy.

'Hence, deterring conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority.'

Any Chinese move to take Taiwan could start with a naval blockade.

Results from a previous set of war games, played out by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank, suggested that would have dire consequences.

It showed the U.S. could lose thousands of men, hundreds of aircraft, submarines, and dozens of ships including aircraft carriers .

A blockade, rather than an immediate full-scale invasion, would squeeze Taiwan into submission, and trigger a desperate race to evacuate one million foreign nationals from the besieged island.

President Trump would face the monumental and historic decision of whether to try to bust the blockade militarily with convoys, or leave Taiwan to its fate.

 

Taiwan's Patriot air defense system is deployed at a park

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducts missile tests

 

He would also have to consider a dangerous ongoing airlift - like the allies did for Berlin in the aftermath of World War II.

A total of 26 war games scenarios were played out by CSIS.

In the worst-case scenario, busting the blockade cost the U.S. 21,000 casualties, 45 ships, an aircraft carrier, two submarines and over 1,000 aircraft.

China suffered 13,000 casualties and lost 42 submarines, nearly 100 ships and around 1,000 aircraft.

I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM AS LONG AS THE AMERICAN FLAG IS IN ITS RIGHT PLACE

Vermont school district sparks outrage after raising Somali flag on campus

By Patrick Reilly

 

New Yprk Post

Dec 9, 2025

 

 

 

The district held a Somali flag-raising ceremony on Monday. The flag-raising sparked national backlash after video was widely shared on social media.

 

A Vermont school district has sparked national outrage after district leaders raised the flag of Somalia on campus.

The Winooski School District — located just outside Burlington, where roughly 9% of students are Somali — raised the light-blue flag on Monday to honor the “Somali youth and families in Winooski and Vermont.”

The clip of the flag-raising was shared online and was quickly flooded with hundreds of furious messages. It came after bombshell revelations about a massive $1 billion aid fraud scandal involving Somali immigrants in Minnesota.

The backlash forced district officials to shut down its website and disconnect many of its phones on Monday, VT Digger reported.

“First, we want to assure everyone that the United States flag remains in its proper place at the highest point, in full compliance with the U.S. Flag Code,” the district said in a statement.

“The district has three flag masts: the U.S. flag on the top mast, the Vermont state flag on the second, and— this week — the Somali flag on the third.”

The Winooski School District said it planned to raise the flag for one week “as a gesture of support for Somali students and families.”

“Winooski is a proudly diverse community, and we are committed to recognizing and uplifting the cultures and identities represented in our schools,” it added in the statement.

President Trump last week raged against Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future fraud scandal and torched “Squad” Rep. Ilhan Omar — who represents the North Star State — as a “terrible person.”

Wilmer Chavarria, the Winooski schools superintendent, claimed the school was the target of a “coordinated national campaign.”

As the calls began pouring in, the district routed callers directly to voicemail. Some callers screamed racial slurs while others issued explicit threats, officials said.

 

The Somali flag was raised beside an American and Vermont state flag.

 

It also temporarily shut down its website, which was replaced by a warning that its site had been “removed from public view” while it worked to “address and mitigate an unprecedented volume of illegitimate traffic targeting our services.”

The school district notified the Winooski Police Department, which was visibly present on campus on Monday.

Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson commented on the flag-raising video on X, writing, “I’ve got a suggestion for ICE’s next stop.”

“Is the American flag burning ceremony next week?” another critic commented in response.

“I hope the school district loses all federal funding. There is only one flag — the American flag,” another wrote.

JUST SO LONG AS THAT PUTTYCAT DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH THE FOOTBALL GAMES

Gilmer High School outdoor events suspended due to Mountain Lion sighting 

 

by Avery Peck 

 

KETK 

Dec 9, 2025 

 

 

 

GILMER, Texas — Gilmer High School suspended all outdoor activities for Tuesday after reports of a mountain lion in the area. 

The Gilmer Police Department released a safety alert advising residents to secure their pets and avoid approaching any wild animals.

“Gilmer PD has been made aware of a possible mountain lion sighting in the area. Keep your domestic animals secured and do not approach wild animals,” The Gilmer Police Department said. “We have been speaking with state officials about what steps to take if there are more sightings in the future. Last seen in the area of Allen and Pecan.”

As a safety measure, school administrators canceled outdoor events and urged students who typically walk home to arrange alternative transportation.

THEY'VE GOT CROOKED COPS IN ISRAEL TOO

Israel's Lahav 433 commander suspected of leaking information to suspects, police reveal

                                     

By Fraidt Moser and Maariv

 

The Jerusalem Post

Dec 10, 2025 

 

Assistant-Chief Meni Benjamin, head of Lahav 433 - The National Crime Unit, pictured on April 20, 2025.

 

Assistant-Chief Meni Benjamin allegedly maintained personal contact with Salam without reporting the relationship to the proper authorities and is also suspected of sharing police information

Commander of Israel's Lahav 433 national crime unit, Assistant-Chief Meni Benjamin, is suspected of acting in a conflict of interest during an investigation involving the Bakri crime organization, it was revealed on Wednesday following the lifting of a gag order by Israel Police.

In an investigation dubbed by police as the ''Maze of Money" case, Benjamin allegedly maintained personal contact with Nazareth mayor Ali Salam without reporting the relationship to proper authorities, and shared sensitive police information.

After learning that evidence had been gathered against him, Benjamin reportedly contacted northern district police officials to have the investigation materials concerning him reassigned to another unit.

He is currently being questioned on suspicion of breach of trust and abuse of office. The Police Investigation Department (PID) has imposed restrictions on him, including a ban on contacting other parties involved in the case. The investigation is being conducted by an exposure team and remains ongoing.

WARTHOGS FOREVER

By Bob Walsh

 

Congress has just refused Air Force requests to permanently scrap the A-10.  They are too good at what they do, though admittedly they fill a niche.  In fact we are sending a fair number of them to Israel.  They are a superb air-to-ground platform and are very useful in the sort of war they are fighting over there.

It is my understanding the air frame is essentially constructed around the gun and the titanium armored tub that encloses the pilot to protect from ground fire.

A BIT OF NEWS FROM THE STOCKTON MASS SHOOTING ... A LACK OF WITNESSES BECAUSE MOST OF THE 100+ PARTYGOERS WERE IN THE JOHN AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING

By Bob Walsh

 

All four victims who were killed in the Stockton mass shooting have been identified. They are Journey Rose, Maya Lupian, Amari Peterson and Susano Archuleta. (left to right)

 

 

The S O. has released some info about the mass shooting ten days ago.  There were five different guns used.  That of course does not necessarily mean there were five shooters but there was certainly more than one.

Two people who were guests at the party have been arrested for parole violations.  They are not suspects in the shooting.

There was a very well attended city council meeting last night.  Overflow crowd.  Pretty much everybody decried the situation.  People talked at length about how bad the DON'T SNITCH culture is.  SS, DD.  

The reward is now about $135,000.  So far the cops seem to have zero suspect information.  The Sheriff is asserting that this investigation is likely to take months.

A truly remarkable number of attendees of the party were in the john during the shooting.  A lot of people heard stuff but practically nobody saw anything.  There is a general agreement that there were several men wearing dark clothes and masks.  No vehicle description either, at least not that anybody is talking about.

FIRST HOME AFTER THE PALISADES FIRE, BUT...

By Bob Walsh

 

 

A four-bedroom house owned by homebuilder Thomas James Homes is the first property rebuilt in Pacific Palisades following the massive wildfires in January 2025.

 

The first new home is now up and ready in the Pacific Palisades since the fire in January.  

The trick is, it is a developers "model" home and all the permits for it were pulled BEFORE the fire.  It is not intended to ever be lived in.

Property owners are (allegedly) being told off the record that their homes are unlikely to be rebuilt for 2-3 years, if then.

AMERICA'S ASSHOLE IN CHIEF

By Howie Katz

 

ABC News Senior Political  Correspondent Rachel Scott

 

“You are the most obnoxious reporter in the whole place,. Let me just tell you, you are an obnoxious—actually, a terrible reporter. And it’s always the same thing with you. I told you, whatever Pete Hegseth wants to do, is OK with me.”

That's how President Trump responded to respected ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott on Monday when she pressed him about his previous statement that he had no problem with the release of the second strike video.

Trump did say that on December 3 as recorded on TV, but has backtracked since, calling the ABC News reporting fake news. 

That's what Trump does best, venomous personal attacks against people who disagree with him or put him on the spot like Rachel Scott did. And that's what assholes do.

This is just the latest example of Trump's deranged rants against people. Trump even called his most loyal and strident supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene a "ranting lunatic" when she dared to disagree with some of his policies. MTG is well known for some of her lunatic rants, but Trump must have been looking in the mirror when he called her that.

I am still very glad that the disgraceful idiot Kamala Harris is not our president and that we have the Asshole in Chief instead. 

HEGSETH'S LAME 'FOG OF WAR' EXCUSE

By Howie Katz

 

During a cabinet meeting on December 2, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth blamed the "Fog of War" for the attack on the two men clinging onto the boat wreckage. Add Hegseth to the crazies - RFK Jr. and Kristi Noem - in Trump's cabinet.

 

For those who do not believe there was anything wrong with the second strike, here is a lesson from AI Overview:

 

The Geneva Conventions and

customary international law protect shipwrecked individuals and prohibit attacking vessels no longer posing a threat, treating them as "hors de combat" (out of the fight). Attacking a vessel that's already struck, disabled, or its crew trying to survive at sea (shipwrecked) is a war crime, requiring humane treatment, rescue, and prohibiting further attacks, as detailed in Geneva Conventions I, II, and Additional Protocol I, emphasizing protection for all, including civilians, in such helpless states.  

 

The US is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions. Thus the second strike is a war crime and Hegseth's lame Fog of War excuse is farfetched. 

 

Today, Trump tried to justify killing the two survivors of the first strike by claiming the men were trying to right the boat. If you believe Trump's big lie that two men who were clinging to the wreckage of a capsized boat tied to right it after it had been destroyed by an airstrike, you must still believe in the tooth fairy. Even if that were true, the attack on a disabled vessel or its survivors is still a war crime according to the Geneva Conventions.

 

This is not what the American people voted for. Trump was elected president not by those who voted for him, but by the people who voted against that disgraceful idiot Kamala Harris. If the Democrats had fielded a good candidate, Trump would now be at home in Florida, spending his time on the golf course or watching football games on TV.

 

To the rest of the world, the second strike does not make America great again. 

WE MUST NEVER FORGET DECEMBER 7, 1941

By Howie Katz

 

 

THE PRINCIPAL IS OBVIOULY A MAMDANI SUPPORTER

Adams backtracks and admits pro-Israel Holocaust survivor should’ve spoken at NYC school

By David Propper

 

New York Post

Dec 4, 2025 

 

 

Holocaust survior Sami Steigmann tells his life story and gives a motivational speech to seventh and eighth graders  Mr. Steigmann was a baby during the Holocaust, born in 1939, and was medically experimented on by Josef Mengele, the "Angel of Death."

 

Mayor Eric Adams reversed course early Thursday and admitted that a Holocaust survivor with pro-Israel views should’ve been allowed to speak about antisemitism at a Brooklyn middle school.

The mayor’s office initially said it agreed with MS 447 principal Arin Rusch’s decision to keep 85-year-old Sami Steigmann from appearing at the Boerum Hill school — but Adams claimed that statement “went out prematurely.”  

“Let me be very clear, I’ve previously met with Sami Steigmann and he is ABSOLUTELY the right person to speak with kids about the atrocities of the Holocaust,” Adams said in a post on X late Wednesday.

Controversy erupted this week when The Post reported that Steigmann was denied an opportunity to speak at the school last month by Rusch because of his strong support of Israel. 

 

Principal Arin Rusch said Steigmann’s strong support of Israel would not be “right” for the Boerum Hill school. 

 

 

Steigmann argued that he had no intention of discussing Middle East current events with the youngsters, and would only keep his talk to the Holocaust and antisemitism. He said he would have told the principal that if she had spoken to him.

Nevertheless, he was still denied a speaking spot and the Mayor’s Office put out a statement this week confirming Rusch’s ruling.

A mayoral spokesperson said Monday that Steigmann “wasn’t the right fit,” but was committed to featuring other speakers with a similar experience.

Steigmann slammed the Adams administration’s statement, and accused the school of censorship.

Hizzoner finally backtracked in an X post he put online around midnight.

“I’m in New Orleans for the Combat Antisemitism conference and read a report about an unfortunate incident involving New York City Schools not allowing a Holocaust survivor to speak at a local school,” Adams said. “Unfortunately, a statement went out prematurely from my office that said he was not the right speaker.”

 

Eric Adams backtracked on a statement. James Messerschmidt

 

“As our Jewish community faces increased antisemitism and persecution across the globe, it’s more important now than ever that we learn the lessons and stories of the Holocaust,” he added.

Adams, a Democrat who’s about to leave office at the end of the month, has been a consistent supporter of Israel.

The DOE, which also originally said it backed Steigmann not speaking, appeared to change its stance in a statement Thursday.

School Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos has already reached out to Steigmann Thursday about “upcoming plans for student engagement,” a spokesperson said.

“We firmly believe in the importance of educating our children about acceptance and respect and the tragic consequences of intolerance and hate, so our next generation can never again perpetrate such an atrocity,” the spokesperson said. 

“We are very proud of the Holocaust education work taking place across our public schools.”

SUICIDE NEAR THE STATUE OF ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST HEROES

Man dies by suicide in parking lot at Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, SAPD says

Police say the man told a 911 dispatcher where he was before he died

 

By Nate Kotisso and Sandra Ibarra

 

KSAT

Dec 5, 2025

 

 

 

The Audie Leon Murphy statue and marker are shown in front of the Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital in San Antonio.  

 

San Antonio police said a man died by suicide in the parking lot of the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital on Thursday afternoon.

Officers responded to the parking lot around 12:45 p.m.

A 911 caller, who the San Antonio Police Department said was the man who took his own life, told a dispatcher where he was.

The 33-year-old man has yet to be identified.

The South Texas Veterans Health Care System, which operates the hospital, told KSAT in a statement that the facility remains “secure, open and operational.”

A similar death happened earlier this year in the vicinity of the same hospital.

In April, decorated U.S. Navy veteran Mark Miller, 54, died by suicide outside the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital.

Miller and his father co-authored a book in 2021 titled “Suicide Stalks the Sniper." The novel details Miller’s struggle with suicidal thoughts and his efforts to heal.

While KSAT does not typically report on suicides, it is in this case because it happened in a high-traffic area and had similar circumstances as the April death.

 

UPDATE: Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as Enrique Ramos, 33. 

WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN A GUN-HAPPY FAMILY FAILS TO SECURE ITS GUNS

Judge's sensational rant at 13-year-old boy who shot and killed his brother while playing with his parents' pistol

 

By Rachel Bowman 

 

Daily Mail

Dec 5, 2025

 

 

 

Judge William 'Cruz' Shaw shredded a 13-year-old boy accused of accidentally killing his younger brother for violating the conditions of his release 

 

A Texas boy accused of accidentally killing his younger brother was shredded by a judge after he was rearrested for violating the conditions of his release.

The 13-year-old boy, who has not been named due to his age, was handling an unsecured gun when it accidentally went off and shot his eight-year-old brother Daniel Casares on July 24, according to the San Antonio Police Department.

Casares died from a gunshot wound to the head and neck, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office. 

The brother has been charged with manslaughter, and was released to his grandmother in August under strict conditions.

However, he was back in court on Wednesday and ordered to remain in juvenile detention after violating those conditions, KSAT reported. 

Bexar County 436th Juvenile District Court Judge William 'Cruz' Shaw reprimanded the teen for failing to comply.  

'All you had to do was follow the rules. You broke two conditions on a very serious charge,' Shaw said. 

'You are here on a serious offense, and I gave you that one shot to show everybody you could behave. And you blew it.

 

The teen was handling an unsecured gun when it accidentally went off and shot his eight-year-old brother Daniel Casares (pictured) on July 24, according to police

 

Shaw added, 'You're trying to harden up, and you are not a gangster. At all.'

The teen broke curfew and was caught hanging out with kids who he was legally banned from contacting. He also picked up an additional evading charge.

His father even expressed his frustration with the teen to judge. 

'I can't excuse him for what he did wrong. He knows right from wrong. I would love to have him home, but a part of me wants him to learn,' he said.

The teen was ordered to remain in detention and his next court hearing is scheduled for December 18.

At his August hearing, the teen's defense attorney, Neil Calfas, described the boy as a good student with no previous disciplinary record.

'This is a real accident, and it's an accident that obviously is very, very serious,' Calfas said. 

The boy's father had slammed the court for not letting his son attend the funeral for Casares. At an earlier hearing, he had pleaded for his release into his custody, a request that was denied.  

 

Shaw reprimanded the teen for failing to comply, telling the boy 'you blew it' and 'you are not a gangster'

The 13-year-old boy was ordered to stay away from the friends he was with when the shooting happen, but he violated that condition and stayed out past his curfew 

 

'I wanted my son to see his brother before he was buried,' he said. 'I kept calling everybody and I didn't get a response from nobody. I just got told it would get passed along.'

Shaw apologized directly to the teen for this apparent mix-up, telling him he 'deserved to be there'.

'If I would have known, I would've made special arrangements for you to see your brother. I just want to make sure you know that,' Judge Shaw added.

In an exchange with the judge at a hearing in July, the teen confessed that the shooting 'was an accident'.

'Okay, and I believe you. The problem is this. You shouldn't have had your hand on that gun in the first place,' the judge responded. 'That gun should have been locked up. And this is what happens when they're not.'

ICE BARBIE PILOTING A US CIAST GUARD BOAT ..... GOD SAVE AMERICA!

Incredible moment Coast Guard sniper takes out drug boat before seizing 20,000 pounds of cocaine

 

By Melissa Koenig 

 

Daily Mail

Dec 5, 2025

 

 

The USCG is speeding up their operation in the Eastern Pacific Ocean as massive amounts of illegal narcotics are transported from Central and South America. US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is pictured piloting a US Coast Guard Response Boat-Small in March

 

Incredible footage shows the moment a US Coast Guard sniper fired on a drug boat in the Pacific Ocean before seizing more than 20,000 pounds of cocaine. 

The shocking footage shows the go-fast vessel wading in the water in the Pacific Ocean, just south of Mexico on Tuesday, when a US Coast Guard helicopter approaches.

A member of the Coast Guard's Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron could then be seen lining up the shot before opening fire several times.

The sniper ultimately struck the boat's propulsion system, disabling the boat's engine as part of a drug interdiction mission for Operation Pacific Viper, according to Fox News. 

The strike rendered boat's engine useless. The vessel could be seen languishing in the water following the successful strike.

At that point, a Coast Guard boat could be seen pulling up to the go-fast vessel and personnel are then able to board the vessel and capture the illegal drugs stowed away.

Authorities now say they seized more than 20,000 pounds of cocaine from the drug boat, which amounts to more than 7.5 million lethal doses. 

That greatly increases the Coast Guard's total, after it announced that it had snatched 100,000 pounds of cocaine in the eastern Pacific over the course of just a few weeks in October.

Those 100,000 pounds translates to roughly 1,600 pounds of cocaine seized each day, military officials have said. 

 

Dramatic footage caught the moment a US Coast Guard sniper struck a go-fast boat carrying 20,000 pounds of cocaine

The sniper struck the boat's propulsion system while hovering in a helicopter above, disabling the boat's engine, allowing other Coast Guard members to board the vessel and search for the illicit drugs

 

The Coast Guard also reported in November that it had seized 510,000 pounds of cocaine in fiscal year 2025 - the largest amount of the illicit substance snatched in the service's history.

That translates to 193 million potentially lethal doses - enough to jeopardize more than half of the US population, and amounts to more than three times the service's annual average - which comes out to roughly 167,000 pounds each year. 

The USCG is speeding up their operation in the Eastern Pacific Ocean as massive amounts of illegal narcotics are transported from Central and South America, the service has said.

It is now working with international partners to seize and disrupt the transport of cocaine and other criminal drugs.

The process starts with the US Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force-South detecting the transit of illicit drugs, at which point, the operation shifts to the USCG to carry out the law enforcement actions and arrest the perps.

The Coast Guard is the lead federal agency for ocean drug interception, and is a joint force with the Department of Homeland Security team as the Trump administration takes on what they have described as 'narco-terrorists.'

In addition to the Coast Guard's efforts, the military has been conducting air strikes on boats suspected of transporting drugs. 

 

The US conducted a deadly military strike against an alleged drug boat tied to the cartel Tren de Aragua, President Donald Trump said in early September. The president said 11 people were killed in the strike in 'international waters.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the 'lethal strike' as taking place in the 'southern Caribbean' against 'a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela

 

But the Trump administration's decision to fire upon ships from Venezuela on September 2 have been derided as 'war crimes,' after it was discovered that at least two men aboard the vessels survived the initial devastating blast. 

Follow-up strikes then killed two survivors of the initial bombardment.

There are strict rules regulating follow-up strikes under international law, which Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is now accused of ignoring as he ordered his officers to kill all the individuals aboard the boats and leave no survivors.

Both the White House and Hegseth have refuted the allegations, but questions remain over whether the follow-up attacks were necessary.

After seeing footage of the attacks, Senator Jack Reed - the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee - said he was 'deeply disturbed' by what he saw and said the video 'confirmed by worst fears about the nature of the Trump administration's military activities.'

House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Jim Himes, a Democrat, also told reporters he was deeply disturbed as well.

'What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things that I've seen in my time in public service,' Himes said.

'You have two individuals in clear distress, without any means of locomotion, with a destroyed vessel, who were killed by the United States.'

 

Senate Intel Committee Chairman Tom Cotton said the US struck a Venezuelan narco-terrorist boat four times in the controversial September 2 strike. He said he would've taken the same actions had he been the commander

 

But the Trump administration has gained the support of Senate Intel Chairman Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, who declared Thursday that the four strikes were necessary. 

 'About the strikes on September 2, which were righteous strikes; these are narco-terrorists who are trafficking drugs that are destined for the United States to kill thousands of Arkansans and millions of Americans,' Senate Intel Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told reporters after exiting the briefing. 

'The first strike, the second strike, and the third and the fourth strike on September 2, were entirely lawful and needful survivors,' he added. 

Cotton went on to say he saw 'two survivors trying to flip a boat loaded with drugs bound for the United States back over so they can stay in the fight.

'We heard of other narco-terrorist boats in the area coming to their aid to recover their cargo and recover those narco-terrorists.'

If the men were still actively trying to pursue their drug-running mission, as the Pentagon and Cotton claim, there is leeway in accepting that they are lawful targets for a secondary engagement. 

Still, most Americans want Trump to fire Hegseth over the incident, an exclusive Daily Mail poll found. 

 

The majority of Americans want Donald Trump to fire Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for his strikes against narcoterrorism in the Carribean

 

It showed that 54 percent of Americans say they think Hegseth should be fired for his recent actions heading the Pentagon, while 26 percent say he should keep his job and another 20 percent were unsure.

But when the uncertainty option was taken away from the 1,013 voters polled, a whopping 63 percent wanted Hegseth ousted.

The poll conducted December 3-5 – after revelations of the second strike circulated and criticism ensued – still indicates support for the Trump administration actions against Venezuela.

Nearly half of respondents say they support anti-narcoterrorism operations, while 30 percent say they are against the strikes.  

FAIRLY OR UNFAIRLY, HEGSETH APPEARS TO BE AN ALBATROSS AROUND TRUMP'S NECK

Poll shows majority of Americans want Pete Hegseth FIRED amid 'war crime' furor

 

By Katelyn Caralle 

 

Daily Mail

Dec 5, 2025

 

 

 

The majority of Americans want Donald Trump to fire Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for his strikes against narcoterrorism in the Carribean 

 

Most Americans want Donald Trump to stay true to his 'you're fired' slogan and kick Secretary of War Pete Hegseth out of his cabinet.

Hegseth is facing a barrage of criticism for approving strikes on Venezuelan drug ships – and especially regarding the now-infamous second strike on the first attack in September that neutralized two survivors.

And now 54 percent of Americans say they think Hegseth should be fired for his recent actions heading the Pentagon, according to a new Daily Mail/JL Partners poll.

While 26 percent say he should keep his job and another 20 percent were unsure, when the uncertainty option was taken away from the 1,013 voters polled, a whopping 63 percent wanted Hegseth ousted.

The poll conducted December 3-5 – after revelations of the second strike circulated and criticism ensued – still indicates support for the Trump administration actions against Venezuela.

Nearly half of respondents say they support anti-narcoterrorism operations, while 30 percent say they are against the strikes.  

The Trump administration justifies all actions against narcoterrorism in the Caribbean and Atlantic thus far and asserts they have not violated any laws of armed conflict.

But bipartisan voices in Congress and legal experts warn that the second strike constitutes a war crime because it targeted hors de combat individuals – or attacks against those out of action due to injury.

 

New details of a second strike against the alleged drug boat on September 2, 2025 is raising concerns that the US commit war crimes by killing hors de combat individuals

 

Unsurprisingly, three-fourths of Republicans still back the former Fox News host keeping his position in President Trump's cabinet. 

And nearly eight in 10 Democrats want him gone.

The controversy all stems from the September 2, 2025 boat strike in the Caribbean Sea against a vessel the Trump administration claims was carrying cocaine en route to the US.

A US missile strike disabled the speedboat and killed most on board. But two survivors were observed clinging to the wreckage and thought to be attempting to radio for help.

Then a second missile strike was conducted that killed them.

Many have cited the Geneva Conventions, UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, international law on use of force and the US Law of War Manual as reasons why international law was violated in this case.

Hegseth authorized the operation, including a contingency for follow-up action if the first strike failed to neutralize targets.

But he has denied specific 'kill everybody' orders.

The White House and Pentagon appear to be making on-scene commander Adm. Frank Bradley the fall person, saying he was the one who ordered the second strike. 

Bradley testified before Congress on Thursday and confirmed it was his decision to authorize the strike based on a perceived ongoing threat.

Trump had signaled discomfort with the second strike, claiming he 'wouldn't have wanted that' but insisting he trusts Hegseth's leadership and Bradley's decision-making.

The president has also indicated preference towards escalating actions against Venezuela and Nicolas Maduro's regime – even going as far to say US land strikes within the country's borders could be the next step.

WHITE LIVES DON'T MATTER ... AN OREGON JURY FELT THAT A WHITE MAN CALLING A BLACK MAN 'NIGGER' CONSTITUTES AN ASSAULT

Portland jury clears black man of assault because white man he stabbed had said the n-word

 

By Rachel Bowman 

 

Daily Mail

Dec 5, 20o25

 

 

 

Gary Edwards admitted to knifing the victim, but claimed it was in self-defense because the other man called him a racial slur 

 

A black man was acquitted of stabbing a white man in Oregon after he claimed the attack was self-defense because the victim called him a racial slur. 

Gary Edwards, 43, was charged with second-degree assault for stabbing a man in Portland near a light rail stop on July 8, KPTV reported.

However, he was found not guilty of the crime on October 31 after the jury learned the victim was using racial slurs in the aftermath of the altercation.

Edwards, who is homeless and has a previous assault conviction, admitted to knifing the victim, Gregory Howard Jr., but claimed it was in self-defense because the other man called him the n-word, according to Oregon Live.

Security cameras, with no audio, captured Edwards, with a fixed-blade knife in hand, approaching Howard as he sat on a beach.

Howard immediately jumped up and pushed Edwards, then the two scuffled until Edwards stabbed Howard in the shoulder.

Edwards defense attorney Daniel Small reportedly told the jury that his client was approaching Howard to see if he would trade his knife for cigarettes. 

'What other than racism could explain why Mr. Howard perceived hatred, animosity and aggression from a complete stranger,' Small said.

Moments later, body camera footage from security officers captured Howard shouting a racist slur at Edwards after he had been stabbed.

It is unclear if there is any evidence to suggest that Howard used the slur before he was stabbed.

Prosecutor Katherine Williams told the jury it did not matter what the victim said after he was stabbed.

'The defendant is not scared for his life. He didn't retreat, he sauntered up - and he sauntered away after he stabbed someone. The defendant created the situation,' Williams said.

Despite the prosecutors pleas, the jury found Edwards not guilty.

Edwards lawyer insisted the case never should have gone to trial.

'I laid my cards out on the table and told the state how the trial would go, but it didn't matter,' he told Oregon Live.

Edwards, who is homeless, spent about three months in custody before the trail after prosecutors argued he was a threat to the public due to his lengthy criminal record, according to the outlet.

 

Security cameras, with no audio, captured Edwards, with a fixed-blade knife in hand, approaching Howard as he sat on a beach. It is unclear if Edwards used the racial slur before he was stabbed

 

He was convicted of attempted second-degree assault in 2021 and was sentenced to three years in prison for another stabbing in 2020, records show.

Edwards was accused of fourth-degree assault for fighting with a shop clerk, but the case was dismissed because he could not secure a public defender.

Daily Mail contacted the prosecutors office, Portland police and Edwards attorney for comment.