Via The Cradle

The Iranian military warned on 7 Wednesday that Tehran could potentially launch a pre-emptive attack on Israel in response to the escalatory rhetoric recently from both Tel Aviv and Washington. “Iran views the escalation of hostile rhetoric against the Iranian nation as a threat and will not leave its continuation unanswered,” said the Iranian army’s Commander in Chief Amir Hatami.

“Any act of aggression against Iran will have far-reaching consequences …  Iran will act with full force to defend the its independence, territorial integrity, and political system,” he added. “The readiness of Iran’s armed forces today is far higher than before the [12-day] war. Any enemy miscalculation would be met with a more decisive response,” he went on to say, warning that “the hands of any aggressor would be cut off.” The military chief’s statement followed violent and escalatory rhetoric from US Senator Lindsey Graham on Tuesday.

Graham told Fox News that US President Donald Trump will assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei if Iranian authorities continue ‘suppressing protests.’

“Donald Trump is not Barack Obama; he is not turning his back on the people of Iran … To the Ayatollah and his thugs, if you keep killing your people in defiance of President Trump, you’re gonna wake up dead … Iran is on the verge of falling,” Graham said. “Help is on the way,” he added.

The interview came hours after Iran’s Supreme National Defense Council issued a warning also signaling potential pre-emptive action in response to growing threats.

“Within the framework of legitimate self-defense, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not confine its response merely to reactive measures, and considers clear indications of threat to be part of the broader security equation,” the council said. 

“The intensification of threatening rhetoric and intervention – going beyond verbal positioning – can be understood as hostile conduct. Any path that continues in this direction will be met with an appropriate, firm, and decisive response, and full responsibility for the consequences will lie with the architects of this course,” it added.

The new threat coincides with protests that erupted across several cities and provinces in Iran nearly two weeks ago due to a collapse in currency and difficult living conditions resulting from years of harsh US sanctions. Many of the protests have turned violent, with armed rioters attacking security forces repeatedly in recent days.

Over a dozen people have been killed, including police and security members. Counterprotests are also taking place, and thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to reject violence against security forces and call for peaceful expression.

Since the protests began, Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack the Islamic Republic. “We’re watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the US,” Trump said recently, after vowing days earlier that Washington will “rescue” Iranian protesters.

The Mossad also publicly urged Iranians to go out in the streets, saying, “we are with you.” According to a report by Israel’s Channel 12, Tel Aviv is preparing for the possibility of a “sudden” conflict with Iran.

Senator Graham:

To the Ayatollahs: you need to understand—if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life—Donald J. Trump is going to kill you.

Change is coming to Iran. It’ll be the biggest change in the history of the Mideast to get rid of this Nazi regime.… pic.twitter.com/DuS55xpHFz

— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 7, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the US recently and discussed potential new strikes on the Islamic Republic with Trump. During a press conference last week, the US president said he would potentially support a new Israeli attack.

Iran has ruled out any new nuclear talks with Washington until it drops its demands for a curb on the Iranian missile program and an end to uranium enrichment. Reports from the past few months have said the Islamic Republic is working to build up and enhance its stockpile of ballistic missiles, which caused extensive damage across Israel and hit multiple key military sites during the 12-day war in June.

Washington’s bipartisan dealmakers are inching toward reviving lapsed Obamacare subsidies – but this time with tighter strings attached.

A cross-party group of roughly a dozen senators is close to finalizing an agreement that would restore enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits that expired Jan. 1, according to negotiators familiar with the talks. Draft legislative text could be released as early as Monday.

“We could realistically be there, probably Monday,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-ME), a key Republican negotiator, speaking Wednesday.

The developing deal would extend the subsidies for two years, while imposing new restrictions designed to limit eligibility and curb abuses. Among the changes under discussion: income caps that would cut off subsidies for households earning more than roughly 700% of the federal poverty level, and a new requirement that enrollees pay at least $5 per month toward their premiums.

Senators are also weighing tougher enforcement against insurers accused of enrolling people in subsidized coverage without their knowledge. Under the proposal, insurance companies that add so-called “phantom enrollees” could face steep new fines.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said she was “encouraged” by the group’s progress and agreed that a deal appears close. Two people granted anonymity to discuss the private negotiations likewise described the talks as nearing a conclusion.

The package wouldn’t stop at subsidies. Negotiators are also discussing new cost-sharing reduction measures and expanded access to health savings accounts. According to Moreno, Americans receiving Obamacare subsidies would have the option in the second year of the extension to divert that money into a pre-funded health savings account instead.

Still, the path to passage remains uncertain.

Even if the Senate group locks in an agreement, there’s no guarantee it can muster the votes to get the bill through Congress. Lawmakers have been keeping party leadership informed and are scheduled to brief House members on the proposal later this week.

Not everyone involved is convinced the finish line is near.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) cautioned that there are “still some major stumbling blocks” left to resolve.

One unresolved flashpoint is abortion. Moreno declined to say how negotiators would address concerns that the tax credits could indirectly subsidize abortion coverage. He insisted the framework, as described, would not alter existing policy and said abortion remains a “peripheral” issue in the talks.

“We’re trying to resolve how we ensure compliance with the spirit” of the Hyde Amendment, Moreno said, referring to the long-standing restriction barring taxpayer funding for abortions.

For now, senators are racing the calendar — and their own internal divisions — to see whether a bipartisan Obamacare revival can survive its latest rewrite.

President Trump says that Russia and China “have zero fear of NATO” without the US being in the alliance, in a Wednesday Truth Social post, which comes not only as the White House says it intends to acquire Greenland – which has set up a diplomatic fight with European NATO allies – but also soon on the heels of the ultra controversial US military ouster of Venezuela’s Maduro.

Trump in the post expressed doubt that “NATO would be there for us if we really needed them” and simultaneously touted that “We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us.”

He focused his explanation on Ukraine, saying that “Without my involvement, Russia would have ALL OF UKRAINE right now” – in reference to the nearly four year long Russian-Ukraine war, which has a definite and deep NATO vs. Moscow proxy war element to it.

He continued: “Everyone is lucky that I rebuilt our military in my first term, and continue to do so.”

Trump’s main sentiment actually echoes the words of his top advisory official Stephen Miller, who the day prior was discussing that no one gave fellow NATO-member Denmark the ‘right’ to control Greenland.

Miller had expressed: “The US is the power of Nato. For the US to secure the Arctic region to protect and defend Nato and Nato interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the US. And so that’s a conversation that we’re going to have as a country. That’s a process we’re going to have as a community of nations.”

Despite the somewhat absurd diplomatic circus surrounding the lingering Greenland question, which has of course remained highly entertaining, both Trump and Miller actually have an indisputable point on America’s role in the Western military alliance.

If Washington were to ever pull out of NATO, the military alliance would simply become one only on paper – akin to a mere ‘EU Army’. Indeed Russia and China would not at all ‘fear’ NATO – and maybe they don’t fear it too much already (though there’s probably some significant fear and anxiety in dealing with a United States under highly unpredictable Donald Trump).

The quiet part in all this – and not often enough discussed – is that NATO has left a legacy of ashes and destruction in many places it has intervened over several decades – from Belgrade (in 1999) to the regime change war against Libya’s Gaddafi, and involvement in the Afghan forever war. For example, NATO still touts its ‘successful’ so-called ‘responsibility to protect’ mission in Libya, but now Libya is divided into at least three rival power centers, and there may yet be new civil war on the horizon. Another result was that ISIS popped up there, where it wasn’t before.

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The U.S. State Department has expanded its list of nations whose citizens will be subject to visa bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, adding 25 more nations, according to its website.

The latest additions will bring the total number of nations to 38, according to the department’s website, with visa bonds for the newly listed countries set to take effect on Jan. 21.

The newly added countries include Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Côte D’Ivorie, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Tajikistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

The expansion came just a week after the department added Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan to the list, with visa bonds going into effect on Jan. 1.

Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia were placed on the list in August and October of last year.

Citizens of those nations who are deemed eligible for B1/B2 visas, which are used for short-term tourism and business travel, are required to post a bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, with the amount being determined during the visa interview.

The department said that the visa bond policy is intended to deter visa overstays by citizens of the listed nations.

Bond payments will be returned when a visa holder departs from the United States before the expiration of the authorized date of stay, or if the person is denied admission at a U.S. port of entry, it stated.

“A bond does not guarantee visa issuance. If someone pays fees without a consular officer’s direction, the fees will not be returned,” the department states on its website.

The list of nations stems from a 12-month visa bond pilot program the department launched in August last year. It targeted countries with high visa overstay rates, insufficient screening and vetting, or those that offer citizenship to individuals via investment.

In an Aug. 5, 2025, federal register document, the department said the program is “intended to encourage foreign governments to take immediate action to reduce the overstay rates of their nationals when traveling to the United States for temporary visits, and to encourage countries to improve screening and vetting and the security of travel and civil documents, including in the granting of citizenship.”

The Trump administration has sought to tighten entry requirements for foreign nationals, including imposing visa restrictions and entry limits on citizens of certain countries identified as having “severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing,” according to a White House fact sheet published in December.

Other steps include adding an online presence review to the vetting requirements last year for H-1B visa applicants and their dependents, as well as for student visa and exchange visitor applicants, in an effort to safeguard Americans and national interests, according to the department.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newly installed tenant advocate, Cea Weaver – a limousine liberal (socialist), popped out of her apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn Wednesday (a historically black neighborhood until people like Weaver priced out longtime residents) – only to start crying and run back inside when reporters asked her about her mother’s $1.6 million home in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Weaver came under fire on Monday after resurfaced tweets on her now-deleted X account called for the government to “seize private property,” and called home ownership a “weapon of white supremacy.”

In December, she pushed to “Elect more communists” while a street in Harlem was being renamed after former communist Rep. Vito Marchantonio of Manhattan. 

And in May of 2020 she slammed law enforcement following the death of George Floyd, writing “The Police Are Just People The State Sanctions To Murder W[ith] Immunity.” 

The 37-year-old weaver began running down the street after seeing a Daily Mail reporter outside her home, only to say “no” when asked if she wanted to comment on her professor mother Celia Appleton’s ownership of the pricey property in Nashville. 

Weaver – apparently walking towards a nearby subway station – reversed course and ran inside her home, which has a ‘Free Palestine’ poster taped to one of its windows, the Mail reports. 

In a press conference on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he stood by Weaver, but his team is understood to have been caught by surprise by her anti-white tweets.

Weaver deleted her X account after her old posts were unearthed by anti-woke campaigner Michelle Tandler.  

She attempted to distance herself from them yesterday in a statement that said: ‘Regretful comments from years ago do not change what has always been clear –  my commitment to making housing affordable and equitable for New York’s renters.’ -Daily Mail

Yes, we’re sure she’s totally changed her mind…

Update (1640ET):

Gov. Tim Walz activated Minnesota’s Emergency Operations Center within hours of an ICE-involved shooting in south Minneapolis, as concerns grow that a coalition of left-wing activist groups could mobilize in the streets, evoking familiar and uneasy parallels to the unrest that followed the death of George Floyd.

“To Minnesotans, know that our administration is going to stop at nothing to seek accountability and justice,” Walz told reporters at a press conference in the late afternoon hours.

He added, “We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed if necessary.”

BREAKING: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issues a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard following the ICE shooting in Minneapolis.

“To Minnesotans, know that our administration is going to stop at nothing to seek accountability and justice.”

“We have soldiers in… pic.twitter.com/cWAqagzdQq

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 7, 2026

Walz’s meeting with public safety officials and his comments to the press come shortly after citizen journalist Andy Ngo warned that far-left extremists could soon begin mobilizing.

“Far-left extremists in Minnesota have announced a vigil for their comrade who was shot dead after accelerating an SUV toward an ICE agent in Minneapolis. They’re claiming the woman was a peaceful “legal observer.” Video showed the car block DHS agents on the road before the driver accelerated at an agent,” Ngo wrote on X.

Far-left extremists in Minnesota have announced a vigil for their comrade who was shot dead after accelerating an SUV toward an ICE agent in Minneapolis. They’re claiming the woman was a peaceful “legal observer.” Video showed the car block DHS agents on the road before the… pic.twitter.com/c7Dx9c6naw

— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) January 7, 2026

Ngo posted a flyer about a vigil service that the left-wing nonprofit Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) is expected to hold tonight at 1700 local time.

“EMERGENCY VIGIL IN RESPONSE TO ICE SHOOTING ICE shot and killed an observer today in Minneapolis. Say her name! We witnessed an atrocious attack on our community today. Community members were taken from us and an observer was shot dead. ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA NOW!” MIRAC’s flyer read.

MIRAC is a left-wing grassroots immigrant-rights activist network based in Minnesota that focuses on direct action, protest organizing, and resistance to immigration enforcement rather than traditional policy advocacy.

Meet the warriors:

Their core activities include:

• Anti-ICE protests and rapid-response actions during enforcement operations

• Courthouse and street blockades aimed at preventing arrests or removals

• Public shaming and disruption campaigns targeting law enforcement, politicians, and institutions

• Coalition actions with other left-wing activist groups in Minneapolis–St. Paul

MIRAC’s organization structure:

Earlier…

Protest/riot threats in the Minneapolis area are elevated for this evening.

 *   *   * 

A federal immigration officer shot and killed a person whom Homeland Security described as a “violent rioter,” while local Democratic lawmakers said she was a “legal observer,” after DHS said she attempted to run over an agent. The incident comes as ICE officers in Minneapolis conduct targeted operations to deport criminal illegal aliens, and Democrats ramp up rhetoric and pressure campaigns on the ground against these agents.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the incident in an X post in the early afternoon:

Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking  ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.

An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.

He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers.

The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. The ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.

This is the direct consequence of constant attacks and demonization of our officers by sanctuary politicians who fuel and encourage rampant assaults on our law enforcement. These men and women who are simply enforcing the law on the books are facing 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats.

This is an evolving situation, and we will give the public more information as soon as it becomes available.

Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.…

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) January 7, 2026

Video of the deadly shooting has surfaced on X, showing an ICE agent asking the woman, who was blocking the street with an SUV, to step out of the vehicle. She did not comply and instead accelerated toward another agent, at which point the agent fired multiple rounds into the vehicle, striking the woman, who died moments later.

X has disabled the embed. View here. 

New angle: 

🚨 BREAKING: New angle from the ICE involved shooting in Minneapolis shows the woman CLEARLY hitting the agent with her car before he fires at her

A vehicle is a deadly weapon. And she used that deadly weapon against an agent.

Self-defense. pic.twitter.com/kw3SbBzSrP

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 7, 2026

The office of Senator Tina Smith, a Democrat of Minnesota, and Representative Ilhan Omar, another Democrat whose congressional district includes the scene of the shooting, said the woman was a “legal observer.”

Gov. Tim Walz’s office said the shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood in South Minneapolis. He asked people in the community to remain calm.

The New York Times noted, “Hundreds of people gathered at the scene in protest of the presence of immigration agents. The shooting took place in a middle-class residential neighborhood in Minneapolis, about a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.”

Protest/riot risks are rising. 

“DHS correctly identifies the causal link between Democrat rhetoric and domestic terrorism. These politicians painted targets on federal agents, and a violent extremist acted on their orders. The officer responded with the only currency the mob respects. Force. When you attempt to murder the enforcers of our sovereignty, you invite your own destruction. The blood is on the hands of every sanctuary city official who encouraged this insurrection. We stand with ICE and the rule of law,” X user Saggezza Eterna said.

*Developing…

Update (1014ET):

“Donroe Doctrine” to clean up the Western Hemisphere was busy Wednesday morning, with the seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1) in the North Atlantic, followed by U.S. forces seizing a stateless dark-fleet tanker in the Caribbean region.

The seizure of Marinera is the headliner this morning, given that Russian warships and a submarine are nearby, raising the risk that the situation could spiral out of control after Moscow warned the Trump administration in recent days to back off the tanker.

Within the last hour, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) wrote on X that U.S. forces “apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark-fleet motor tanker without incident.” SOUTHCOM said, “The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and conducting illicit activities in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Coast Guard is escorting M/T Sophia to the U.S. for final disposition.”

SOUTHCOM concluded the post by signaling the Donroe Doctrine: “Through Operation Southern Spear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere. We will defend our Homeland and restore security and strength across the Americas.”

In a pre-dawn action this morning, the Department of War, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident.

The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and… pic.twitter.com/JQm9gHprPk

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 7, 2026

Welcome to the era of the Donroe Doctrine.

*   *   * 

Update (0920ET):

U.S. European Command (EUCOM) confirmed on X that the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Department of Defense, seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1) for violating U.S. sanctions.

“The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by the USCGC Munro,” EUCOM said.

The @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov, in coordination with the @DeptofWar today announced the seizure of
the M/V Bella 1 for violations of U.S. sanctions. The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro. pic.twitter.com/bm5KcCK30X

— U.S. European Command (@US_EUCOM) January 7, 2026

EUCOM continued…

pic.twitter.com/E0hii3A6Zo

— U.S. European Command (@US_EUCOM) January 7, 2026

Read the earlier updates: Russian warships and submarines are nearby.

*   *   * 

Update (0855ET):

NBC News reports that the U.S. Special Forces operation in the North Atlantic to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker, the Marinera (formerly Bella 1), was successful.

U.S. officials told the outlet that the Marinera “has been secured” following a dramatic, weeks-long chase on the high seas.

The U.S. seized two oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela last month as part of President Trump’s gunboat diplomacy. But why would a U.S. Coast Guard cutter and surveillance planes chase an empty, rusted, Russian-flagged tanker across the Atlantic unless there was potentially something far more valuable on board?

*   *   * 

Update (0814ET):

The Russian outlet RT News has posted footage that appears to show U.S. military forces attempting to board the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera early Wednesday morning in the North Atlantic.

❗️ Military forces, presumably American, are attempting to board Russian-flagged civilian tanker ‘Marinera’ RIGHT NOW — RT source

RT has obtained first exclusive visual confirmation of the boarding attempt https://t.co/lWf62lN7hH pic.twitter.com/rn9xfLmNxi

— RT (@RT_com) January 7, 2026

Reuters reports that the U.S. is “attempting” to seize the Venezuela-linked oil tanker after a two-week chase involving a U.S. Coast Guard vessel and surveillance aircraft.

From like an hour ago or more, as the Americans got into position to attempt boarding.

A massive swarm of RAF jets were patrolling around the north sea, potentially shadowing the Russian Naval fleet on route to escort it. pic.twitter.com/DxxioNbLw6

— Lee Mitchell (@Lee_Mitchell91) January 7, 2026

More color on the operation from the outlet:

The officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation is being carried out by the Coast Guard and the U.S. military.

They added that Russian military vessels, including a submarine, were in the general vicinity when the operation took place.

Marinera made an abrupt heading change as the US MH-6 Little Bird, the 160th SOAR’s smallest helicopter, approached the vessel. 

MARINERA (9230880) just made a sudden southbound turn at 11:26 UTC at 60.9386, -16.37014. Decelerated from 9kn to 8kn speed. pic.twitter.com/dH8BnpF6r5

— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) January 7, 2026

This is what the “Donroe” doctrine to clean up the Western Hemisphere looks like. However, certainly appears that conflict fears are on the rise … 

*   *   * 

In what can only be described as straight out of a Cold War techno-thriller, The Hunt for Red October vibes, the U.S. Coast Guard is chasing a rusting oil tanker formerly known as Bella 1, now renamed Marinera, flying the Russian flag about 300 miles south of Iceland as it heads toward the North Sea.

On Tuesday, Russian outlet RT News posted an exclusive video on X showing Marinera being chased by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter in the North Atlantic.

BREAKING WORLD EXCLUSIVE: RT obtains FIRST footage of Russian-flagged civilian Marinera tanker being CHASED by US Coast Guard warship in the North Atlantic https://t.co/sNbqJkm5O5 pic.twitter.com/XtbBML3a6j

— RT (@RT_com) January 6, 2026

The Wall Street Journal then reported overnight that Russia is countering the Trump administration’s attempt to seize Marinera by deploying a submarine and other warships to escort the allegedly now-empty tanker.

The chase in the North Atlantic follows last month’s incident near Venezuelan waters, when the tanker – then stateless and flying a false flag – was subject to a U.S. judicial seizure order. As the Coast Guard attempted to board, the crew switched the ship’s registration to Russia, prompting Moscow to demand that the U.S. halt its pursuit.

Trump’s gunboat diplomacy in the Caribbean, along with a broader push for Western Hemisphere defense – what some have called the “Don-roe Doctrine” – has set the tone for the year: U.S. forces intend to control the seas in the Americas, not China and not Russia.

One key question is why Washington is hyper-focused on this particular tanker, given that the global dark fleet numbers more than 1,000 tankers hauling sanctioned crude worldwide. The ship’s quick registration in Russia, without inspection or formalities, may only suggest that the tanker, which departed Venezuelan waters, could be carrying other cargo bound for Russia.

Submitted by American Truckers United, 

America’s interstate highways, the backbone of its economy and critical infrastructure, are increasingly traversed by an invisible fleet of truck drivers tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Through lax enforcement of non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs), Beijing-linked networks are exploiting glaring gaps in U.S. visibility and oversight, placing unvetted operators behind the wheels of 80,000-pound vehicles. This is not merely a safety issue—it represents a deliberate national security vulnerability.

At the center stands the Chinese American Trucker Organization USA Inc. (CATOU), a New York-based nonprofit whose chairwoman, Geng Hang, has held leadership roles in organizations affiliated with the CCP’s United Front Work Department, a known influence and intelligence arm.

CATOU boasts training over 1,000 Chinese nationals—many entering via the southern border—to obtain CDLs with a claimed 100% pass rate. Social media videos document migrants crossing illegally, rapidly securing California licenses, and hitting the road in months, often without verifiable backgrounds or strong English proficiency. Such was the case with this driver who failed a roadside English proficiency check.

🚨Another California truck driver pulled over—this time in Arkansas—unable to speak basic English or read common traffic signs.

California’s treasonous Non-Domicile CDL standards are endangering motorists nationwide. How long before other states revoke all reciprocity for… pic.twitter.com/ISrbwNg3PU

— American Truckers 🚛🦅 (@atutruckers) October 28, 2025

These drivers integrate into opaque California-based trucking webs, hauling freight nationwide. The lack of visibility is profound: foreign-owned electronic logging devices can store data overseas, evading U.S. scrutiny, while undeclared cargo risks—including controlled substances or strategic materials—can go completely undetected. The most recent example showed a non-domiciled truck driver with a native language of Mandarin in possession of undeclared hazardous material (“puffing gas”) that is widely known to be abused by young teens.

🚨NON-DOMICILE CDL DRIVER CAUGHT HAULING HIDDEN HAZMAT LOAD THRU ARKANSAS – AND ARKANSAS HIGHWAY POLICE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FAIL TO CHECK HIS IMMIGRATION STATUS

A non-domiciled CDL driver, licensed in California—unable to speak English and appearing to speak Mandarin… pic.twitter.com/dS0Schd3a9

— American Truckers 🚛🦅 (@atutruckers) January 6, 2026

Federal audits in 2025 exposed systemic abuses, with nearly 200,000 non-domiciled CDLs issued improperly, prompting an emergency FMCSA rule in September restricting issuances to specific employment visas and mandating federal immigration checks. None of them were revoked at that time, and currently only 17,000 have been revoked in California over a technicality in the expiration date. What about the fact that they never should have been given to people without proper legal status to begin with? They should all have been immediately revoked.

Yet today, enforcement remains inconsistent and not in any way meaningful. A November 2025 court stay paused full implementation, and random operations have arrested hundreds of foreign CDL holders—including Chinese nationals—but thousands more operate below the radar. Deadly 2025 crashes involving non-domiciled drivers underscore the peril, as cartels and foreign networks exploit the same loopholes.

China’s calculated infiltration grants strategic access to America’s supply chains, ports, and infrastructure. An 18-wheeler can become a weapon or smuggling vector with minimal oversight. As DHS warns of cartel exploitation threatening homeland security, the question looms: How long will Washington allow this enforcement vacuum to persist?

We cannot trust the people that created this mess to be the ones cleaning it up. They will fumble the ball on purpose. You don’t call the arsonist to put out the fire.

Secretary Duffy must fire everyone at FMCSA involved in fumbling this Interim Final Ruling. The same…

— American Truckers 🚛🦅 (@atutruckers) November 11, 2025

Meaningful reform—revoking all non-domiciled CDLs, mandating immigration status checks at roadside stops, banning issuance and renewal of non-domiciled CDLs, and investigating CCP-linked training networks—is overdue. Elevating this to a top national security priority is essential to close the gaps Beijing is actively widening.

Earlier we featured the headline Chinese Social Media Explodes: US Invasion Of Venezuela A ‘Template’ For Move On Taiwan – which featured Chinese Weibo users complaining that if Washington can quickly invade and remove the leader of a ‘nuisance’ government in its own backyard, then China can forcibly reunite Taiwan.

There is a growing number of pro-Kremlin figures and Russian military bloggers now saying something very parallel but related to Ukraine. They are upset that Russia has dragged its feet in directly moving against President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, and they want more muscular direct action against the ‘illegitimate’ leader (as Putin has frequently called him) or at least his top officials.

Among the most prominent Russian figures to draw this parallel is hardline nationalist Alexander Dugin, who tragically lost his daughter in a car-bombing executed by Ukrainian intelligence, who described the fast-moving events in Venezuela as “a critical and urgent challenge for Russia.”

“The capture of Maduro demonstrates that international law no longer exists – only the law of force applies,” he said, framing this as a call for Russia to begin moving faster in Ukraine “at an accelerated pace”.

“The war in Ukraine must under no circumstances be stopped – not before victory is achieved,” he argued on Telegram. Dugin explained stridently:

“Look at Venezuela. If we do not destroy them now, they will destroy us tomorrow – or even today. If necessary, we must be prepared to fight the United States as well. We may not be able to conquer them, but we will be able to defend ourselves.”

Another example is pro-Kremlin war correspondent Alexander Kots, who has over 500,000 followers on Telegram. He wrote:

“Judging by the footage published from Venezuela, U.S. forces encountered no resistance in the air or on the ground. I cannot imagine Russian helicopters operating freely over Kyiv. Ukraine had been preparing for a war with Russia for eight years, while Venezuela spent years putting on military parades.”

Kots then criticized, “Today, we are fighting an enemy that is formidable in its own right and enjoys unprecedented support…We tripped over our own rake in 2022” – and added: “But the world is still full of examples from which lessons can be learned.”

Starshe Eddy, which is a pro-war Telegram channel with around 600,000 followers, also heaped ample criticism on how Moscow leadership has executed the ‘special military operation’ – saying it should be more efficient in moving against top Ukrainian officials::

“Clearly, no one is tasking the military with abducting [Zelensky]. He is of far greater use where he is in his current role rather than in Lefortovo Prison [in Moscow]. That said, there are many lower-ranking figures whose elimination would bring prestige and acclaim.”

Another pundit, Alexander Kartavykh, said, “If you launch the next ‘special military operation’ without removing the military and political leadership and with naive ideas of brotherly nations in your head, you’re f***ing idiots and your descendants will curse you.”

-Banned opposition media

-Banned opposition parties

-Banned the right to collectively bargain

-Killed his own countrymen on behalf of NATO

-Runs one of the most corrupt governments in the world

Zelensky is everything they tell us Nicolas Maduro is. United States is the… pic.twitter.com/pe93wdxzFU

— Nick Cruse 🥋 (@SocialistMMA) January 6, 2026

A federal immigration officer shot and killed a person whom Homeland Security described as a “violent rioter,” while local Democratic lawmakers said she was a “legal observer,” after DHS said she attempted to run over an agent. The incident comes as ICE officers in Minneapolis conduct targeted operations to deport criminal illegal aliens, and Democrats ramp up rhetoric and pressure campaigns on the ground against these agents.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the incident in an X post in the early afternoon:

Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking  ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.

An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots.

He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers.

The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. The ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.

This is the direct consequence of constant attacks and demonization of our officers by sanctuary politicians who fuel and encourage rampant assaults on our law enforcement. These men and women who are simply enforcing the law on the books are facing 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats.

This is an evolving situation, and we will give the public more information as soon as it becomes available.

Today, ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism.…

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) January 7, 2026

Video of the deadly shooting has surfaced on X, showing an ICE agent asking the woman, who was blocking the street with an SUV, to step out of the vehicle. She did not comply and instead accelerated toward another agent, at which point the agent fired multiple rounds into the vehicle, striking the woman, who died moments later.

X has disabled the embed. View here. 

New angle: 

🚨 BREAKING: New angle from the ICE involved shooting in Minneapolis shows the woman CLEARLY hitting the agent with her car before he fires at her

A vehicle is a deadly weapon. And she used that deadly weapon against an agent.

Self-defense. pic.twitter.com/kw3SbBzSrP

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 7, 2026

The office of Senator Tina Smith, a Democrat of Minnesota, and Representative Ilhan Omar, another Democrat whose congressional district includes the scene of the shooting, said the woman was a “legal observer.”

Gov. Tim Walz’s office said the shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood in South Minneapolis. He asked people in the community to remain calm.

The New York Times noted, “Hundreds of people gathered at the scene in protest of the presence of immigration agents. The shooting took place in a middle-class residential neighborhood in Minneapolis, about a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.”

“DHS correctly identifies the causal link between Democrat rhetoric and domestic terrorism. These politicians painted targets on federal agents, and a violent extremist acted on their orders. The officer responded with the only currency the mob respects. Force. When you attempt to murder the enforcers of our sovereignty, you invite your own destruction. The blood is on the hands of every sanctuary city official who encouraged this insurrection. We stand with ICE and the rule of law,” X user Saggezza Eterna said.

*Developing…