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Major Guatemalan human smuggling operation busted in Arizona, California | National

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www.thecentersquare.com – Bethany Blankley contributdor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-23 20:25:00

(The Center Square) – One of the largest human smuggling operations in U.S. history has been dismantled by federal and local law enforcement officers.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol and Inglewood Police investigators in California launched an investigation that led to the arrests of four Guatemalan human smuggling ringleaders who were all living illegally in the U.S.

They were charged and indicted on multiple counts for orchestrating what law enforcement said was one of the largest human smuggling organizations in America.

They were indicted on charges of smuggling roughly 20,000 Guatemalans into the U.S. over a period of five years. Overall, the smuggling operation was active for roughly 12 years nationwide, according to a recently unsealed indictment.

Authorities arrested the alleged ringleader, Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, and his alleged right-hand man, Cristobal Mejia-Chaj, in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. They were arraigned the same day, ordered jailed without bond; a trial is set for next month.

Two others charged include Guatemalans Helmer Obispo-Hernandez, a lieutenant in the criminal organization who remains a fugitive, authorities said, and Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, a driver for the smuggling organization.

Paxtor-Oxlaj is currently incarcerated in Oklahoma for causing a November 2023 car accident that killed seven, authorities said, including three minors in Elk City, Oklahoma. The accident occurred during a smuggling operation when he was transporting illegal foreign nationals from New York to Los Angeles, authorities said. He was arrested and charged in the Western District of Oklahoma.

He had previously been removed from the U.S. in 2010 and illegally reentered as a gotaway – those who illegally enter between ports of entry and intentionally evade capture. A record more than two million gotaways illegally entered the U.S. under the Biden administration, The Center Square exclusively reported.

Each of the four Guatemalan men were charged with “conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, transporting aliens in the United States, and harboring aliens in the United States for private financial gain and resulting in death,” according to the indictment.

Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj were also charged with two counts of hostage-taking. According to the indictment, from April 2024 to July 2024, they held hostage two Guatemalan nationals who were smuggled into the U.S. who hadn’t paid their smuggling fees and allegedly threatened to kill them until third parties paid for their release.

In a separate and more recent complaint, Obispo-Hernandez was charged with threatening to cut off the heads of an ICE task force officer and his family members. He allegedly made the threats after search warrants were executed at his residence.

The Renoj-Matul transnational criminal organization operated for at least a dozen years, specializing in smuggling Guatemalans into the U.S., primarily transporting illegal foreign nationals from Phoenix to Los Angeles, according to the indictment.

Renoj-Matual’s associates based in Guatemala allegedly solicited Guatemalans to come to the U.S., charging between $15,000 and $18,000 for each to be smuggled into the U.S., investigators say. Once they reached Mexico, Mexican cartel smugglers transported them through Mexico and across the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. They were then held hostage in stash houses in Arizona and eventually picked up by Renoj-Matul’s lieutenants, according to the indictment.

For an additional fee, the smuggled Guatemalans paid to be transported throughout the U.S., including to Los Angeles. Those who couldn’t pay were allegedly held hostage in a stash house in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, according to the complaint.

Renoj-Matul also orchestrated a process for the human smuggling proceeds to be transported from Los Angeles to Phoenix, given to Mexican smugglers “to pay the expenses incurred by Renoj-Matul’s transnational criminal organization,” according to the complaint.

If convicted of all charges, each of the four Guatemalan ringleaders face a maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.

Authorities also arrested two additional illegal foreign nationals and alleged lieutenants in the Renoj-Matul transnational criminal organization. Rolando Gomez-Gomez, who was previously deported, was arrested in South Los Angeles, charged with “one count of being an illegal alien found in the United States following removal.” Juan Lopez Garcia was arrested in Downtown Los Angeles on a civil removal matter.

The smuggling bust occurred after a record nearly one million Guatemalans illegally entered the U.S. under the Biden administration, The Center Square reported.

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The Center Square

Alcohol limits at odds in upcoming dietary guidelines | National

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www.thecentersquare.com – Andrew Rice – (The Center Square – ) 2025-07-05 09:00:00


The House Oversight Committee is investigating a Biden administration-funded study on alcohol consumption as the U.S. prepares its 2025 dietary guidelines. The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking’s draft report claims that even one drink per week increases the risk of alcohol-related death, especially for ages 15 to 39. Rep. James Comer criticized the study for bias and duplicating research by the National Academies. The 2023 WHO report aligned with these findings, stating no safe alcohol level exists. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy aims to release concise guidelines by August emphasizing whole foods. The final stance on alcohol limits remains unclear.

(The Center Square) – The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is investigating a study funded by the Biden administration on alcohol guidelines for Americans, as the U.S. Health and Human Services Department prepares to release its five-year dietary guidelines for Americans.

In January, the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking issued a draft report on its findings analyzing the impact of alcohol intake on overall health.

“The risk of alcohol attributable death increases linearly with alcohol consumption,” the report said.

The draft study found that even one drink a week poses a risk of alcohol attributable death for both males and females.

“Even at low levels of consumption, alcohol had a significant impact on the health of individuals 15 to 39 years of age,” the report said.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, slammed the report’s findings and promised a further investigation.

Comer said the report “skewed widely available information about the effects of alcohol consumption on Americans to favor the Biden administration’s predetermined narrative.”

Comer said the study is “duplicative” of another conducted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine at the direction of Congress.

A 2023 World Health Organization report appeared to align with the Interagency Coordinating Committee’s draft report.

“When it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health,” the WHO report found.

The reports funded by the federal government were designed to contribute to the upcoming dietary guidelines for Americans, a set of recommendations released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the  U.S. Health and Human Services Department. The guidelines come out every five years.

“The ICCPUD study’s formation outside the transparency of the typical Dietary Guidelines process raises scientific integrity and conflict of interest concerns,” Comer said.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said in a May House hearing that the dietary guidelines could be released by August.

“It is imperative that the dietary guidelines are based on rigorous, sound, and objective scientific evidence, efficiently steward taxpayer dollars, and adhere to congressional intent,” Comer said.

The guidelines have been largely unchanged regarding alcohol consumption recommendations since 1990. However, studies limiting alcohol intake in 2020 were rejected by the first Trump administration for inclusion in the dietary guidelines.

The studies were brought back and funded by the Biden administration. 

While Comer is pushing back on new recommendations, it remains unclear which alcohol consumption study will prevail for the final draft of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Kennedy said his guidelines will be shorter than previous administrations and will “tell people, essentially, eat whole food, eat the food that’s good for you.”

• Andrew Rice is an intern reporter and member of the 2025 Searle Freedom Trust and Young America’s Foundation National Journalism Center Apprentice and Internship initiative. 

The post Alcohol limits at odds in upcoming dietary guidelines | National appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The article primarily reports on the investigation initiated by Republican Representative James Comer into a Biden administration-funded study on alcohol consumption guidelines. It presents Comer’s criticisms and concerns about scientific integrity and political influence, using direct quotes that emphasize skepticism toward the administration’s approach. While it includes references to supporting scientific reports and official statements, the framing leans toward highlighting Republican objections and portraying the administration’s efforts as potentially politically motivated. The tone and language subtly align with a center-right perspective by focusing on government oversight, transparency, and skepticism of federal studies under a Democratic administration, without overt editorializing or strong ideological rhetoric.

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The Center Square

Green officially resigns from Congress | Tennessee

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www.thecentersquare.com – Kim Jarrett – (The Center Square – ) 2025-07-04 08:55:00


U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) officially resigned from Congress on July 4, choosing the date intentionally. As chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, Green said he is leaving for a private sector opportunity to start a business aimed at helping America compete against the Chinese Communist Party. Green served in the Tennessee Senate from 2013 to 2018 before winning Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District in 2018. His final vote was on the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which included border security measures. Several candidates have announced their intentions to run for his seat, including Matt Van Epps and Jay Reedy.

(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep Mark Green, R-Tenn., announced his official resignation on Friday, July 4, a date he said he selected on purpose.

Green, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said in June he was stepping down from Congress for an opportunity in the private sector. He said in a video published Friday on X that he will start a new business.

“While I cannot give the details here, I will be doing something specifically designed to help America compete against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), but this time in business,” Green said.

Green served in the Tennessee Senate from 2013 to 2018. He won Tennessee’s Seventh District Congressional seat in 2018 after incumbent Marsha Blackburn decided to run for Senate.

The vote on the ‘big beautiful bill” was his last, Green said in a post on X.

“My time here started with a fire to serve veterans, it continued with leading the historic impeachment of a cabinet secretary, and now it ends with achieving real border security. I am grateful my last vote was for the one Big Beautiful Bill,” Green said.

Candidates began lining up in June to replace Green. Matt Van Epps, who served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, Tennessee state Rep. Jay Reedy, Montgomery County Commissioner Jason Knight and combat veteran Jon Thorpe have announced their intentions.

State Rep. Jody Barrett said on X that he is praying about a possible run and could make a decision as soon as next week.

The post Green officially resigns from Congress | Tennessee appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article primarily reports factual information about U.S. Rep. Mark Green’s resignation and his future plans without endorsing or criticizing his actions. It presents statements from Green and mentions his political achievements, but it does so in a straightforward manner. The language is neutral and lacks emotionally charged or persuasive wording. The inclusion of multiple candidates seeking to replace him also reflects balanced reporting. While it notes Green’s opposition to the Chinese Communist Party and highlights some of his political positions, these are presented as his views rather than the article’s stance, maintaining an objective tone throughout.

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The Center Square

New fine process in place for those in U.S. illegally | National

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www.thecentersquare.com – Bethany Blankley – (The Center Square – ) 2025-07-03 08:54:00


A new joint federal rule by Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice Department removes the 30-day notice for fines on foreign nationals who illegally enter or overstay in the U.S., allowing DHS to mail fines directly and speeding appeals. Fines range from $100 to $500 per unlawful entry, $1,992 to $9,970 for ignoring voluntary departure orders, and up to $998 daily for willful refusal to comply with removal orders. Nearly 10,000 fines have been issued since May. Those who self-deport using the CBP Home app receive a $1,000 stipend, forgiveness of fines, and reduced detention risk.

(The Center Square) – A new fine process is underway for foreign nationals illegally living in the country.

The departments of Homeland Security and Justice announced a new joint federal rule went into effect with a public comment period extended through July 28.

The rule amends existing DHS and DOJ regulations authorizing DHS to issue civil monetary penalties as stipulated by the Immigration and Nationality Act “for aliens who fail to depart voluntarily during the voluntary departure period, willfully fail or refuse to depart after a final removal order … or are apprehended while improperly entering or attempting to enter the United States.”

The current process requires giving illegal foreign nationals 30 days’ notice of intent to fine them before a fine is issued. The rule eliminates the 30-day notice period, authorizes DHS immigration officers to mail fines to illegal foreign nationals who have addresses on record and shortens the appeal process. It also transfers the appeals process from the DOJ Board of Immigration Appeals to DHS.

The fine process applies to “aliens who enter the United States illegally; aliens who ignore removal orders or delay their removal; aliens who do not honor agreements to comply with judges’ voluntary departure orders,” DHS says.

The fines are incremental, including between:

  • $100 to $500 for each unlawful entry or attempted entry;
  • $1,992 to $9,970 for those who fail to honor a voluntary departure order;
  • up to $998 per day for those who willfully refuse to comply with a removal order from a federal judge.

Under federal law, 8 USC 1324d imposes civil penalties for failure to depart. It stipulates that “Any alien subject to a final order of removal who- (1) willfully fails or refuses to-(A) depart from the United States pursuant to the order, (B) make timely application in good faith for travel or other documents necessary for departure, or (C) present for removal at the time and place required by the Attorney General; or (2) conspires to or takes any action designed to prevent or hamper the alien’s departure pursuant to the order, shall pay a civil penalty of not more than $500 to the Commissioner for each day the alien is in violation of this section.”

This provision of the law wasn’t enforced by any administration until the first Trump administration. The Biden administration halted any enforcement of it. The second Trump administration announced it was reinstituting it in May.

As of June 13, ICE has already issued nearly 10,000 fine notices, DHS says.

“For decades, this law has been ignored – not anymore,” DHS said when announcing it was requiring all noncitizens living in the U.S. legally and illegally to register with the federal government in accordance with the law,” The Center Square reported.

“An alien’s failure to depart the U.S. is a crime that could result in significant financial penalty. An alien’s failure to register is a crime that could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both,” DHS warned.

By contrast, those who self-deport using the CBP Home App will receive a $1,000 stipend after they arrive in their home country, confirmed on the app, The Center Square reported.

“Self-deportation is a dignified way to leave the U.S. and will allow illegal aliens to avoid being encountered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement” agents, DHS said.

Those who self-deport using the app will receive forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties for previously failing to depart the U.S.

They “will also be deprioritized for detention and removal ahead of their departure as long as they demonstrate they are making meaningful strides in completing that departure,” and “may help preserve the option … to re-enter the United States legally in the future,” DHS said.

Qualifying illegal foreign nationals are encouraged to submit their “Intent to Depart” using the CBP Home app here.

The post New fine process in place for those in U.S. illegally | National appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com



Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The article primarily reports on a new federal rule related to immigration enforcement, outlining the specifics of civil fines for illegal immigrants who fail to depart voluntarily. It references actions taken by both the Trump and Biden administrations to provide historical context. The overall tone is factual and descriptive, focusing on the regulatory changes and governmental statements without overt editorializing or emotional language. However, the choice of specific quotes, such as DHS characterizing self-deportation as “a dignified way to leave” and emphasizing law enforcement, along with the focus on penalties for illegal immigration, traditionally aligns more closely with conservative or Center-Right perspectives on immigration policy. There is no strong critique or praise, but the framing centers on enforcement and compliance, which suggests a moderate Center-Right leaning, rather than a purely neutral stance or a left-leaning immigration advocacy perspective.

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