Spend the night with us in one of D.C.’s nightlife hubs, as federal police roam, crowds are smaller, bartenders worry and clubgoers try to enjoy themselves.

The sunlight dimmed along this stretch of U Street to the familiar soundtrack of a city ready for the weekend: rumbling buses taking home tired commuters, high heels clacking along sticky sidewalks and chattering crowds ready to order their first round.

Then a group gathered on a street corner with pots and pans, jingling them as the darkness grew closer. They whooped and cheered for a few minutes, a brief moment of joyful resistance seeking to counteract the image of the crime-ridden city described by the president.

Among the clubgoers in miniskirts and sweat-soaked T-shirts, there were federal agents hopping in and out of unmarked cars. A protester held a sign reading “America has no kings.” Police officers were met with boos and phones ready to record.

Welcome to the first Friday night in D.C. since President Donald Trump announced he was placing the local police under federal control and sending in National Guard troops to a city where 9 in 10 voters cast ballots for his opponent. The next morning, the White House would announce that the overnight operation yielded 52 arrests and the seizure of three illegal firearms. Twenty-two multiagency teams were deployed throughout the city.

Trump justified the exertion of executive power to reduce crime by depicting the city as a lawless wasteland, despite violent crime reaching 30-year lows. But many of those gathered around the bars and clubs in Northwest Washington on Friday night said they felt more unsettled by the federal presence than any other safety concerns.

Washington Post journalists spent Friday night in a popular section of U Street — a nightlife hub that is among the areas of the city with the highest number of crimes reported this year. Earlier this summer, D.C. police implemented a youth curfew over concerns about rowdy crowds in some areas.

Nearby, two nights earlier, a mix of local and federal authorities pulled over drivers for seat belt violations or broken taillights while onlookers chanted: “Go home, fascists.”

On Friday, crowds were smaller, bartenders and club managers said, and they wondered if patrons were staying inside to avoid federal authorities. And yet, there were still people ready to party.

The largest police response The Post witnessed Friday night was over a claim of a stolen bike. It was around 8:30 p.m., and the sky was ink blue.

One couple heading home from an event at a nearby synagogue looked on with furrowed brows. They spotted a few D.C. police cruisers blocking traffic and agents donning vests labeled “HSI” — Homeland Security Investigations. They hadn’t seen that before, not here.

A pair of French tourists, in D.C. for the first time and looking for a bar, paused when they saw the police cruisers and growing crowd. Earlier, they had strolled by the White House and marveled at the Capitol, and now they were trying to make sense of the flashing lights.

They had loosely followed the week’s headlines and were still thrilled to be visiting.

“We’re on vacation, so we try to cut [out] the news,” Solène Le Toullec said, and they walked on.

At the sight of local and federal law enforcement throughout the night, people pooled on the sidewalk — watching, filming, booing.

“Get out!”

“Go!”

“Quit!”

Such interactions played out again and again as the night drew on. Onlookers heckled the police as they did their job and applauded as officers left.

…

Click the links below to read the rest:

A night in D.C. after Trump’s National Guard deployment

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-night-in-d-c-after-trump-s-national-guard-deployment/ar-AA1KFJnn

Law Professor Amelia Wilson stated, “The law contained within the Immigration and Nationality Act is clear.” She added, “The Department of Homeland Security cannot unilaterally ‘revoke’ a permanent resident’s status.”

Hernan Rafael Castro and Gonzalo Ladron de Guevara are two of the latest permanent residents arrested amid heightened immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump. Castro faces charges for allegedly providing false information on his naturalization application, while Guevara was detained after returning from Mexico. These cases have raised concerns among Democratic leaders over the treatment of legal residents and potential violations of due process.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stated, “Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right.”

Law Professor Amelia Wilson stated, “The law contained within the Immigration and Nationality Act is clear.” She added, “The Department of Homeland Security cannot unilaterally ‘revoke’ a permanent resident’s status.”

Wilson said, “There is a process the agency must follow, including serving the individual with a ‘Notice of Intent to Rescind,’ at which time that individual is entitled to a hearing before an immigration judge.”

Wilson wrote, “During these proceedings, it is the government that bears the burden of proving by clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence that the permanent resident should have their status taken away. At that point it is the immigration judge—and only the immigration judge—who can effectively strip an individual of their green card.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona charged Castro with falsely denying a past drug arrest on his naturalization form. He has pleaded not guilty and now faces possible deportation.

Guevara was detained after returning from Mexico, where he reportedly scattered his mother’s ashes. His family has reportedly been unable to visit Guevara for over a month.

Two Legal Residents Arrested, Sparking Outrage

Hernan Rafael Castro and Gonzalo Ladron de Guevara are two of the latest permanent residents arrested amid heightened immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump. Castro faces charges for allegedly providing false information on his naturalization application, while Guevara was detained after returning from Mexico. These cases have raised concerns among Democratic leaders over the treatmentContinue reading “Two Legal Residents Arrested,…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/two-legal-residents-arrested-sparking-outrage/ar-AA1KGMBw

Women should not be allowed to vote, according to the cult to which Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth belongs:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently shared on X an interview with Moscow Pastor Doug Wilson, a key figure in the Christian nationalist movement who argues that women should be subordinate to men – even to the point that they should not be allowed to vote.

The movement has been emboldened by the re-election of President Donald Trump, and the CNN report Hegseth shared details the ongoing effort among Wilson and his allies to gain political power.

And the episode contains another important lesson: That the essential part of Christian nationalism is right-wing nationalism, while Christianity is a secondary, accidental feature.

The point is to gain power for a reactionary kind of political and cultural view – hence the movement’s constant insistence on the submission of women to men; the sympathy for the Old South, even to the point of defending slavery; constant attacks on gay and transgender people; occasionally downplaying the Holocaust and so on – and Christianity is a pretty cloak to wrap that foul project in.

This explains their consistent embrace of individuals who relentlessly exhibit personal debauchery – so long as they have political power – people like Hegseth and Trump.

To recite the obvious: Trump has been found liable for sexually abusing a woman, has bragged about his ability to sexually assault women at will, faced complaints about leering at teenage contestants in the locker rooms of beauty pageants, has cheated (often ostentatiously) on all three of his wives and faces numerous other credible allegations of sexual misconduct.

Hegseth, Trump’s moral clone, has faced credible allegations of sexual assault and admitted cheating on the mother of his children with five different women. His former sister-in-law has alleged he abused his next wife. His drunken escapades have become notorious.

“I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego,” wrote one of his critics. “You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth.”

When the idea is that only families, led by a husband, can vote, Hegseth dons the demeanor of a pious Christian and declares, “All of Christ for All of Life.” But the moment his marriage requires him to be faithful, his Bible hits the floor just before his pants.

We are all poor sinners, it’s true. But doesn’t it seem strange that the Kingdom of God would be brought forth by the most degenerate among us? Maybe it’s worth thinking about false prophets and the idea that “you will know them by their fruit.”

The Christian nationalist movement’s embrace of people like this can be understood in much the same way as the massive hoard of pornography found on the outwardly pious Osama bin Laden’s hard drives after his death: It shows that terrorism was his primary commitment, and his religion was a situationally dispensable secondary matter.

In the CNN segment, Wilson argued that working for a theocratic takeover of Idaho government is nothing but tending “our little corner of the vineyard.” Asked if Muslims in Idaho should have to live by Christian law, Wilson responded: “If I went to Saudi Arabia, I would fully expect to live under their God’s rules.”

But Idaho is not Wilson’s little corner of the vinyard.

What the Christian nationalist movement proposes is not a return to Idaho’s older and better days. It is the imposition of a new and fundamentally alien order. The equality of women, even if never perfectly realized, has been deeply threaded through Idaho’s history and tradition from the very beginning.

Unlike in many eastern states, the right of women to vote was not a late development in Idaho’s history. Only six years after Idaho’s 1890 founding, the right of women to vote was enshrined in the state Constitution – with the overwhelming approval of the then-all-male electorate – making ours the fourth state to protect universal suffrage.

That is our heritage.

Two years later, in 1898, Permeal J. French became Idaho’s first female constitutional officer when she was elected state superintendent. After that, Idaho has always had at least one woman in statewide office or Congress, except for a brief period between 2013 and 2014 between the resignation of State Controller Donna Jones and the election of Superintendent Sherri Ybarra.

That is our history.

The point isn’t for America or Idaho to be Saudi Arabia with a different religion. The point is for America and for Idaho to be free.

If Wilson doesn’t like that, maybe he should find another vineyard. Maybe the aforementioned Saudi Arabia, where it’s illegal to be gay, where women can’t vote, where institutions quite like slavery persist, where most of what Wilson and his cohort want for Idaho is already accomplished.

Sure, there may theological differences, but what’s a minor philosophical disagreement between friends, especially when they agree about pretty much everything else?

Idaho Christian nationalists embrace the immoral if they have power | Opinion

The moment Hegseth’s marriage requires him to be faithful, his Bible hits the floor just before his pants. | Opinion

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/idaho-christian-nationalists-embrace-the-immoral-if-they-have-power-opinion/ar-AA1KAseo

Washington officials are suing the Trump administration over what they call a “baseless power grab” after the Department of Justice ordered a new “emergency” head of District police.

“By illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law,” Schwalb wrote in an X post Friday. “This is the gravest threat to Home Rule DC has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.”

The lawsuit, filed in federal court, warns that the attempted takeover could “wreak operational havoc” on the Metropolitan Police Department because of the confusion about who has operational control. The city’s lawyers say the push by President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam [“Bimbo#3”] Bondi violates the law in multiple ways — exceeding the president’s legal power to intervene in city affairs and rescinding policies adopted by local government.

They’re asking a federal judge to immediately rescind Bondi’s attempted takeover and effort to rewrite Washington police policies, declaring them to be unlawful. It’s unclear how quickly a judge will act, but the emergency nature of the filing could lead to proceedings as soon as Friday.

The suit is the biggest pushback from city officials since Trump invoked a provision of the Home Rule Act — the 1970s law that allows for limited self-governance by Washington’s government — that allows the president to direct the Metropolitan Police Department’s services to address “special conditions of an emergency nature.”

The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee known for her take-no-prisoners approach from the bench. Reyes, most notably, blocked Trump’s transgender military ban before her injunction was paused by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Amid the litigation, the Justice Department filed a complaint against Reyes for her pointed comments to government attorneys — though she at times also praised their advocacy and made similarly pointed comments to lawyers for the transgender service members.

In a declaration accompanying the city’s bid for an immediate restraining order, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said the administration’s gambit is “endangering the safety of the public and law enforcement officers.”

“In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive.”

The suit underscores that no president in history has invoked the authority to manage the city’s police department. And the city’s lawyers say the president’s power to do so requires cooperation between city officials and the federal government, not a hostile takeover.

Bondi on Thursday issued an order that directed Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole to assume “all the powers and duties” of the city’s police chief as the new “Emergency Police Commissioner,” “effective immediately.”

[“Bimbo#3”] Bondi’s order also purported to rescind or suspend several Washington police orders — including one issued by Smith earlier on Thursday that allowed for limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and Schwalb — both Democrats elected by Washington residents — insisted late Thursday that [“Bimbo#3”] Bondi could not legally disrupt the typical chain of command for MPD officers by requiring them to report to Cole.

“Therefore, members of MPD must continue to follow your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the Mayor,” Schwalb wrote in a letter Thursday to Smith that was circulated by Bowser. “Regardless of the [“Bimbo#3”] Bondi order, no official other than you may exercise all the powers and duties of the Chief of Police.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Democrats’ attempts to “stifle” [“Bimbo#3”] Bondi’s orders are “par for the course” for the party.

“The Trump Administration has the lawful authority to assert control over the D.C. Police, which is necessary due to the emergency that has arisen in our Nation’s Capital as a result of failed leadership,” Jackson said in a statement.

A Department of Justice spokesperson declined to comment.

Trump on Monday issued an executive order invoking the Home Rule Act, insisting that the District was overrun by violence. He also deployed the National Guard to the city.

But before [“Bimbo#3”] Bondi’s order Thursday looking to replace the MPD chief, city officials have largely limited their criticism of the Trump administration, noting that Washington was in a fairly unique situation that gave the federal government broad powers and authorities.

“The feds have an outsize role in D.C., we all know that,” Bowser told POLITICO Wednesday morning. “Right now, having a surge of officers enhances our MPD forces on a temporary basis. We’re going to stay focused on hiring more MPD or, when this temporary surge is over, figuring out more permanent partnerships to tap into when we need a surge of officers.”

But Trump’s Monday press conference went far beyond what his executive order said, with the president saying his administration would “take our capital back.”

“Giving us additional resources is a good thing, but that’s also quite different than federalizing our police force,” D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson said Wednesday in an interview. “Donald Trump is not going to tell our police how to police.”

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have introduced dueling legislation over Trump’s moves. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) announced a resolution Friday to grant Trump “the authority to maintain federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, D.C. for as long as necessary to restore law and order.”

Democratic lawmakers also introduced a joint resolution Friday to terminate the administration’s control of D.C. police by voiding Trump’s proclamation of a crime emergency in Washington. But without control of either chamber of Congress, the effort among Democrats is almost certainly futile.

“Trump has made clear that his efforts in D.C., where 700,000 taxpaying American citizens lack the protections of statehood, are part of a broader plan to militarize and federalize the streets of cities around America whose citizens voted against him,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) in his statement.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/15/dc-police-trump-lawsuit-00511086

A.G. Rejects Federal Takeover of Police, Declares City “Not Legally Obligated” to Follow Order

The nation’s capital is the scene of a high-stakes legal and political showdown after D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb fired a shot across the bow of the federal government, declaring the city is “not legally obligated” to comply with an executive order aimed at dismantling its sanctuary policies.

The clash began Thursday when Attorney General Pam [“Bimbo #3”] Bondi issued an executive order that sought to end the city’s protections for undocumented immigrants and place the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control. The order even named Drug Enforcement Administrator chief Terrence C. Cole as the new head of the MPD.

But in a swift and sharp rebuke, Schwalb penned a letter to MPD Chief Pamela Smith, urging her to ignore [“Bimbo #3”] Bondi’s directive. “It is my opinion that the [“Bimbo #3”] Bondi order is unlawful, and that you are not legally obligated to follow it,” Schwalb wrote in a letter shared by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on social media.

Schwalb’s letter reinforced the local chain of command, reminding Chief Smith that she was “duly appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council” and that MPD members must follow her orders—not those from a federally appointed official.

The dramatic back-and-forth unfolds as the Trump administration continues its federal takeover of the city, citing rampant crime as the justification for deploying federal law enforcement and National Guard troops.

Earlier on Thursday, Chief Smith had already signaled a shift, issuing a memo that increased cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That memo, praised by Department of Homeland Security officials as an “important first step,” still maintained some restrictions, prohibiting officers from arresting individuals solely on immigration warrants.

But [“Bimbo #3”] Bondi’s subsequent order went much further, rescinding not only those restrictions but also putting the federal government in charge of the city’s police force—a move that local leaders say oversteps federal authority and infringes on D.C.’s limited autonomy.

The Department of Justice and the MPD have remained silent on the matter, leaving the city in a state of legal limbo. The outcome of this unprecedented dispute could have far-reaching implications, setting a precedent for the balance of power between the federal government and local jurisdictions across the nation.

Turf War In The Capital: D.C. Attorney General Declares Federal Order On Immigration Unlawful

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/turf-war-in-the-capital-d-c-attorney-general-declares-federal-order-on-immigration-unlawful/ar-AA1KB4B4

Wednesday evening on the MAGA cable channel OAN, as Defense Department spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson gushed to host Matt Gaetz about an alleged year-over-year increase in female military recruits, four images of women soldiers in combat fatigues were displayed on-screen.

All four images were AI fakes.

The images appear to have been generated using Elon Musk’s Grok, as small watermarks in the bottom corners seem to indicate.

“These numbers are fantastic,” Wilson told Gaetz as the AI images scrolled on-screen. “Under the previous administration, we had about 16,000 female recruits last year; now we’ve got upwards of 24,000,” she continued. “It is a testament to Secretary Hegseth and President Trump’s leadership.” (The Pentagon has not officially released detailed data on female recruitment, but it told Fox News those same figures.)

A DOD spokesperson said the images were not provided by them, so CNN asked OAN whether its staff generated the photos and if the network has any policy regarding AI-generated content. The far-right network did not respond.

OAN, short for One America News, launched in 2013, and during Trump’s first administration, it quickly morphed into a conspiracy-heavy, MAGA-boosting outlet.

The little-watched cable channel has become best-known for promoting Trump’s 2020 election lies, and it has settled multiple defamation lawsuits resulting from those on-air claims. Last year, the network settled a lawsuit from voting technology company Smartmatic alleging the channel boosted the election lies in order to “increase viewership and revenue.”

The network also settled a defamation suit from a Dominion Voting Systems executive, but it still faces a separate defamation lawsuit from the company.

OAN’s viewership and revenue have dwindled since DirecTV dropped it in 2022. However, earlier this year, it received a PR boost when Kari Lake, Trump’s pick to run a hollowed-out Voice of America, claimed that OAN will provide “newsfeed services” to VOA and other US-funded international broadcasters.

MAGA = one big lie after another

Trump-favored MAGA network uses AI-generated images of women soldiers while touting military recruitment jump | CNN Business

The images of female soldiers appear to have been generated using Elon Musk’s Grok.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/15/media/oan-gaetz-ai-images-women-military-kingsley-wilson

President Trump’s latest executive order will anger environmental groups while appearing to boost SpaceX and Blue Origin

On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order titled “Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry”, saying it was crucial to national security that the private rocket-ship industry increase launches “substantially” by 2030.

The order directs the U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to “eliminate outdated, redundant, or overly restrictive rules for launch and reentry vehicles.” Duffy called Trump’s executive order “visionary”.

According to the executive order, this would mean that commercial spaceship companies may be able to bypass the environmental reviews that are required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Usually private space companies are required to get launch permits from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and are subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Space companies have complained that the FAA has taken too long to review launch permits, and environmental groups have criticized the agency for not using NEPA reviews to require more protections at launch sites.

Environmental reviews are in place because rocket launches and landings can be hugely disruptive to local towns and residents, along with the nature and wildlife in the area.

For example, toxic chemicals, noises and fumes created at launch can injure and kill endangered species, while exploded rocket parts returning to Earth can harm marine life.

…

The suit looked at SpaceX’s Starship rocket launch in Texas in April 2023, which had a concerning impact on the surrounding environment. The spaceship annihilated its launchpad, sending chunks of concrete flying 6 miles (10km) away. It also sparked a grassfire that burned nearly 4 acres of a state park.

A six-mile circle of damage and destruction!

Click on the links below to read the entire article:

Trump signs order to relax environmental rules for Bezos and Musk’s spaceships

President Trump’s latest executive order will anger environmental groups while appearing to boost SpaceX and Blue Origin

https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/180335/trump-signs-order-relax-environmental-rules-musk-bezos-spaceship

Elon Musk’s rocket company relies on federal contracts, but years of losses have most likely let it avoid paying federal income taxes, according to internal company documents.

SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite internet company, has received billions of dollars in federal contracts over its more than two-decade existence.

But SpaceX has most likely paid little to no federal income taxes since its founding in 2002 and has privately told investors that it may never have to pay any, according to internal company documents reviewed by The New York Times.

The rocket maker’s finances have long been secret because the company is privately held. But the documents reviewed by The Times show that SpaceX can seize on a legal tax benefit that allows it to use the more than $5 billion in losses it racked up by late 2021 to offset paying future taxable income. President Trump made a change in 2017, during his first term, that eliminated the tax benefit’s expiration date for all companies. For SpaceX, that means that nearly $3 billion of its losses can be indefinitely applied against future taxable income.

Tax experts consulted by The Times said that not having to pay tax on $5 billion in taxable income was substantial and notable for a company that has relied on contracts with the U.S. government to an unusual degree. SpaceX works closely with the Pentagon, NASA and other agencies, giving it a vital role in national security. In 2020, federal contracts generated almost 84 percent of the rocket maker’s revenue, according to the documents, a figure that had not been previously reported.

Larger tech companies — including some that have taken advantage of the tax benefit — often pay billions in federal income taxes. Microsoft, for one, said it expected to pay $14.1 billion in federal income taxes in its last fiscal year.

Tax F’Elon!

Tax SpaceX!

Fund Social Security!

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/15/technology/spacex-musk-government-contracts-taxes.html

Just 40% of conservative voters are supporting Republican Curtis Sliwa

The chances of New York City electing a member of the Democratic Socialists of America as mayor seem to be growing by the day.

A shock poll released this week by the Siena Research Institute shows 23% of self-described conservative voters plan to back socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who is running as a Democrat. Election Day is November 4.

The poll, of 813 registered voters taken August 4-7, found just 40% of conservative voters are supporting Republican Curtis Sliwa. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams captures 9% while former Gov. Andrew Cuomo earns 18% of votes from conservative voters.

Oddly, the same poll found Mamdani with just a 7% favorable rating among conservative voters. 42% of conservatives view Sliwa favorably.

The poll found Mamdani well under the significant 50% threshold, indicating Mamdani opponents could theoretically consolidate their support to thwart the socialist who has pledged higher taxes for rich city residents, government-owned grocery stores, and less privately owned property.. 44% of voters plan to support him in the general election. Cuomo is in second at 25%.

Meanwhile, 76% of conservative voters have a favorable view of President Donald Trump. 77% of voters who identify as Republicans view him favorably. Those results are significantly lower than other surveys that find support for Trump among Republicans in the high 80s or low 90s.

This is a good omen for the 2026 mid-terms!

SHOCK POLL: 23% of CONSERVATIVE New York voters back socialist mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani – The Midwesterner

The chances of New York City electing a member of the Democratic Socialists of America as mayor seem to be growing by the day. A shock poll released this week by the Siena Research Institute shows 23% of self-described conservative voters plan to back socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who is running as a Democrat. Election […]

https://www.themidwesterner.news/2025/08/shock-poll-23-of-conservative-new-york-voters-back-socialist-mayor-candidate-zohran-mamdani

The US military is deploying more than 4,000 Marines and sailors to the waters around Latin America and the Caribbean as part of a ramped-up effort to combat drug cartels, two US defense officials told CNN — a dramatic show of force that will give the president a broad range of military options should he want to target drug cartels.

The deployment of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to US Southern Command, which has not been previously reported, is part of a broader repositioning of military assets to the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility that has been underway over the last three weeks, one of the officials said.

A nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, several destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser are also being allocated to US Southern Command as part of the mission, the officials said.

A third person familiar with the matter said the additional assets are “aimed at addressing threats to US national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region.”

On Friday, the US Navy announced the deployment of the USS Iwo Jima, the 22nd MEU, and the two other ships in the Amphibious Ready Group — the USS Fort Lauderdale and the USS San Antonio — but did not say where they were going.

One of the officials emphasized that the military buildup is for now mostly a show of force, aimed more at sending a message than indicative of any intention to conduct precision targeting of cartels. But it also gives US military commanders — and the president — a broad range of options should Trump order military action. The ARG/MEU, for example, also features an aviation combat element.

The deployment of the Marine Expeditionary Unit, however, has raised concerns among some defense officials who worry that the Marines are not trained to conduct drug interdictions and counter drug-trafficking. If that is part of their mission set, they will have to lean heavily on the Coast Guard, officials said.

MEUs have been instrumental in the past in supporting large-scale evacuation operations; a MEU was stationed for months in the eastern Mediterranean, for example, amid tensions between Israel, Hamas and Iran.

A Marine official told CNN that the MEU “stands ready to execute lawful orders and support the combatant commanders in the needs that are requested of them.”

The US military deployed destroyers to the areas around the US-Mexico border in March to support US Northern Command’s border security mission and reinforce the US’ presence in the western hemisphere. The additional assets being moved now, however, will fall under US Southern Command, and are set to support SOUTHCOM for at least the next several months, one of the officials said.

CNN previously reported that a memo signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year stated that the US military’s “foremost priority” is to defend the homeland, and instructed the Pentagon to “seal our borders, repel forms of invasion including unlawful mass migration, narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, and other criminal activities, and deport illegal aliens in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.”

The same memo also formally asked Pentagon officials for “credible military options” to ensure unfettered American access to the Panama Canal, CNN reported at the time.

So when do we invade Mexico, our future 52nd state (after Canada)?

US military deploying over 4,000 additional troops to waters around Latin America as part of Trump’s counter-cartel mission | CNN Politics

The US military is deploying more than 4,000 Marines and sailors to the waters around Latin America and the Caribbean as part of a ramped-up effort to combat drug cartels, two US defense officials told CNN — a dramatic show of force that will give the president a broad range of military options should he want to target drug cartels.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/15/politics/us-military-deploying-caribbean-latin-america-cartel-mission