An MS-13 member and Honduran national, illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 147 months in prison for kidnapping, retaliating against a federal witness, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on Nov. 5, 2023, Bayron Wuifredo Santos-Recarte, 27, of Honduras, together with other associates of La Mara Salvatrucha 13, better known as MS-13, kidnapped a former federal witness at gunpoint in the parking lot of a laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee. The witness was kidnapped because, eight months prior, he had testified during a federal racketeering trial against MS-13 members. Specifically, the witness testified that MS-13 members tried to shoot and murder him on two occasions over a drug dispute.

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EL PASO, TEXAS — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso seized 94.5 pounds of cocaine April 17. The drugs were hidden in a vehicle being driven by a 29-year-old Mexican woman.

“The attention to detail demonstrated by a single CBP officer resulted in this seizure,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. “Because of the efforts of the CBP workforce a large amount of cocaine did not reach its intended destination. That’s a win for us all.”

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Unleashing American Energy was one of President Donald J. Trump’s first actions, and it includes infrastructure like pipelines and oil and gas export facilities. Recently, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) secured four wins in court that underpin the intentions of the president’s executive order.

The Dakota Access Pipeline crosses Lake Oahe in North Dakota. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently preparing a supplemental environmental impact statement which the District Court for the District of Columbia ordered for the pipeline’s easement. Last year, the Corps was sued again to shut down the pipeline while they work on that statement, but ENRD last month was granted its motion to dismiss that lawsuit.

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Narcotics discovered during outbound inspection near Ambassador Bridge

DETROIT — U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Field Operations intercepted 339 pounds (154 kilograms) of cocaine near the Ambassador Bridge port of entry, Tuesday.

A Canada-bound commercial vehicle was selected for examination and a subsequent physical inspection conducted by officers revealed bricks of a white powdery substance concealed within two duffel bags and four moving boxes. The illicit cargo was confirmed to be cocaine through subsequent testing.

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This federal order paves the way to halt future offshore wind projects with similar permitting failures.

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Van Drew announced that following his direct engagement with the Department of the Interior, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Justice, the Empire Wind project off the coasts of New Jersey and New York will be ordered to halt construction.

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EL PASO, TEXAS — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso seized fentanyl and methamphetamine April 13. The drugs were hidden in the rectum and vagina of a 33-year-old female U.S. citizen pedestrian border crosser.

The smuggling case was not an isolated incident. Over the weekend, CBP officers working at the PDN and Ysleta crossings stopped a total of nine internal carriers who were transporting fentanyl and methamphetamine from Mexico to the U.S.

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