Venezuelan nationals arrested for alleged human trafficking operation
Eight Venezuelan nationals have been arrested for allegedly operating a human trafficking ring, forcing Hispanic women into prostitution. The group, two of whom have ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, is charged with conspiracy and sex trafficking.
The victims were lured to the U.S. with false promises and intimidated into prostitution to pay off alleged debts.
All defendants are in custody, with arrests made in Texas and Tennessee.
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Eight Venezuelan nationals have been arrested for allegedly running a human trafficking operation, acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Robert McGuire, announced.
Authorities say all of the individuals were in the country illegally. Two have ties to the Tren de Aragua gang.
McGuire announced a multi-count, multi-defendant indictment Tuesday, Feb. 11, stating that the eight individuals conspired to force Hispanic women into prostitution.
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants lured women from South America with the false promises of a better life,” McGuire said during a Tuesday news conference. “Once victims were here, far from home, the indictment describes how they were bullied –– bullied and intimidated to have sex with total strangers for illegal profits.”
McGuire said the defendants intimidated the women by leveraging their Tren de Aragua affiliation. They allegedly told the victims they had large amounts of debt that could only be paid back by committing prostitution.
McGuire announced that all defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution and conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises.
Three are charged with sex trafficking conspiracy, and one is charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal person.
All the defendants are behind bars. Some were arrested in Texas and others in Tennessee.
“Right now, our focus is on the criminal prosecution,” McGuire said. “We are focused on holding these offenders accountable. If they get deported –– if they get deported, is not really what we’re focused on right now. What we are focused on is holding these defendants accountable for the crimes that we’ve alleged they’ve committed in the indictment.”
Republican congressman introduces amendment allowing 3rd Trump term
A Republican congressman from Tennessee introduced a proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution, which would allow President Donald Trump to potentially serve a third term. Rep. Andy Ogles’ resolution targets the 22nd Amendment, which restricts presidents from serving more than two terms.
Would this mean ‘Trump vs. Obama’ in 2028?
As Ogles’ amendment is written, it would allow a president to serve up to three terms but blocks those who served two consecutive terms from serving a third.
That language would disqualify former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama from running again. However, it would allow President Trump or former President Joe Biden to serve up to three terms.
“He has proven himself to be the only figure in modern history capable of reversing our nation’s decay and restoring America to greatness, and he must be given the time necessary to accomplish that goal,” Ogles said.
Ogles faces ethics probe
The push from Ogles comes as the Tennessee Republican faces a widening investigation. The House Ethics Committee said earlier this month that it has officially taken up a referral of the case.
Ogles has been the subject of an investigation into potential violations of campaign finance law. The FBI seized his cell phone for a search last August.
The investigations have centered on a $320,000 loan Ogles made—and later retracted—to his 2022 congressional campaign, despite his financial reports suggesting he didn’t have enough money to cover such a loan.
Uphill path to enacting the amendment
As far as Ogles’ proposal for a constitutional amendment, it faces a nearly impossible path forward.
It would need a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate and ratification by 38 states, which would not be possible unless many Democrats agree to support the amendment.
The Trump administration is beefing up security at the U.S.-Mexico border. And a new California wildfire is raging, with at least one fire official calling it “a completely different beast.” These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025.
Pentagon deploys 1,500 troops to southern border
President Donald Trump has swiftly followed through on his Day 1 executive orders. On Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Pentagon announced it was deploying 1,500 active-duty troops, including U.S. Army soldiers and Marines, to the southern border with Mexico. They will arrive in El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California by next week.
“This is just the beginning,” Acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said.
The troops will assist border patrol agents and help in the construction of barriers. However, as of now, there is no plan for the troops to engage in law enforcement, as they have for decades past.
The Pentagon said it will also provide military aircraft for Department of Homeland Security deportation flights for more than 5,000 detained migrants. Defense officials said the department is prepared to send even more troops if needed, including up to 2,000 additional Marines.
The active-duty troops will join the roughly 2,500 National Guard and reserve members already at the southern border. This is a 60% increase as the Trump administration gets started.
Trump expected to sign ‘Laken Riley Act’ into law
The 119th Congress passed its first bill of its new session, and Trump is expected to sign it into law. The Laken Riley Act, named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an undocumented migrant in February 2024, passed Congress with bipartisan support on Wednesday.
The bill will require illegal immigrants in the country arrested for certain nonviolent offenses, like burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting, to be detained until trial.
Lauren Taylor has more on the legislation’s history and what it means for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. here.
Trump taps head of personal security detail to lead Secret Service
The president tapped his personal security director, Sean Curran, to head the Secret Service. Curran was one of the first agents to rush on stage when a gunman opened fire at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
A bullet grazed Trump’s ear while he was speaking to the crowd.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called Curran a “brilliant leader” and said he “proved his fearless courage when he risked his own life to help save mine from an assassin’s bullet.”
Curran will replace Ronald Rowe as the agency’s director. Rowe took over as the head of the Secret Service in July after then-Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned in the wake of Trump’s first assassination attempt. Many believe the attack happened due to failures by agents to secure the building where the shooter fired from.
A second assassination attempt was thwarted on Trump’s life in September while he was golfing in Florida. An agent spotted a gunman in the bushes. The suspect escaped but was later captured by local sheriff’s deputies.
New Los Angeles fire threatens thousands, prompts evacuations
Another massive wildfire now burns north of Los Angeles and has led to more evacuations. The Hughes Fire started Wednesday and quickly grew to more than 10,000 acres.
As of CalFire’s last update, the Hughes Fire is only about 14% contained. Authorities said it “blew up overnight” and is likely to grow as more Santa Ana winds sweep across Southern California.
More than 50,000 people remain under evacuation orders or warnings.
This comes as the area deals with the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have scorched more than 40,000 acres. Since the fires broke out earlier this month, 28 people have died in the infernos.
The Palisades fire was 70% contained and the Eaton fire was 95% contained as of Thursday morning.
Teen opens fire in Nashville high school cafeteria, killing 1 student
Authorities are investigating a deadly shooting at a high school in Nashville, Tennessee. Police said a 17-year-old gunman opened fire just after 11 a.m. CST on Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the school cafeteria.
Police said a bullet struck and killed a 16-year-old girl before the teen gunman turned the gun on himself. A 17-year-old boy was also grazed in the shooting.
Police have not identified any connection between the gunman and the victims. Authorities said they might have been struck by random gunfire.
The high school remains closed for the remainder of the week.
Post Malone, Oreo collaborate for a new twist
In just a little over one week, the best in the music industry will be honored at the 67th annual Grammy Awards. One of those looking to win big is artist Post Malone. He is up for eight Grammys, including Best Country Album and Record of the Year for his collaboration with Taylor Swift.
But before Post Malone gets to the Grammys, he’s working on another collaboration: the Post Malone Oreo.
The singer, known for his hit “Circles,” worked with the maker of Oreo to create a new version of the popular cookie. The limited-edition Oreo features a first-of-its-kind swirled creme combining salted caramel and shortbread flavors, sandwiched between one chocolate and one golden cookie.
The Post Malone Oreos will be available nationwide starting Feb. 3, the day after the Grammy Awards.
Tenn. governor proposes immigration legislation ahead of special session
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S. southern border and signed a series of executive actions aimed at immigration reform. State legislatures are now determining how to proceed as the president intends to implement his plan to deport immigrants living in the country illegally en masse.
Tennessee’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee recently proposed an immigration agenda, which will be presented to the state’s General Assembly during a special session.
“Tennessee has a long track record of stepping up to secure our nation’s borders and strengthening public safety,” Lee said in a statement. “President Trump has made it clear that states will play a major role in partnering with his administration to enforce immigration laws and keep communities safe, and Tennessee is heeding the call.”
Lee is proposing that Tennessee appoint a chief immigration enforcement officer. He says the officer would “coordinate directly with the Trump administration on federal immigration policies and implementation.”
The governor also wants to incentivize local governments to participate in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287(g) program. The program authorizes local law enforcement to “perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight.”
Another proposal would charge local officials with a Class E felony offense if they adopt or maintain sanctuary status in violation of state law.
Last week, Straight Arrow News reported that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also laid out similar proposals. He hopes the legislature will convene for a special session to adopt immigration policies that would aid Trump’s mass deportation plan.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) announced the group will mobilize the state’s immigrant community against Gov. Lee’s proposals and Trump’s mass deportation plan.
In a thread on X, the group said: “As we prepare for Trump’s continued scapegoating, demonization, and attacking of our community, we want to send a message loud and clear: Immigrants are integral to this country’s past, present, and future and we are here to stay. Even as Donald Trump returns to the White House, our vision remains the same. Together, we’ll continue educating, fighting & organizing for a stronger, more inclusive TN, and country, where all people can belong and thrive. We know we are more resilient, united, and ready to face the incoming administration with power, not panic.”
Tennessee’s special session is set to convene on Jan. 27.
Motive unknown in deadly Nashville school shooting: Police
Two high school students are dead and another wounded after a shooting inside Antioch High School in Nashville Wednesday morning, Jan. 22. Investigators say a 17-year-old male student opened fire on a 16-year-old girl in the school’s cafeteria.
Nashville police identified the female victim as Josselin Corea Escalante and the shooter as Solomon Henderson.
After killing Escalante, Henderson turned the gun on himself. Police declared him dead at the scene.
As multiple shots rang out, a third student suffered a graze wound to the arm. Nashville Police Chief John Drake said the third student has been treated and released from the hospital.
One student who was in the cafeteria at the time of the shooting described the scene to WKRN News. “It was a shooting and then we was all running, and so I was trying to help people who was falling on the ground,” the student said. “And the shooter was like in the front of the cafeteria just shooting up, and we ran out the side door.”
Police say Henderson arrived at school in the morning on a school bus. They believe he retrieved his weapon from the bathroom before confronting Escalante in the cafeteria and opening fire.
Chief Drake said investigators are in the preliminary stages of the investigation and are looking at materials on the internet as evidence of a possible motive.
California joins GOP-led states in raising US flags for Trump inauguration
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is joining Republican-led states in raising American flags to full height for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony. Flags have been ordered at half-staff across the U.S. to honor the late President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29.
The standard period for lowering flags in honor of a deceased president is 30 days, under an Eisenhower-era proclamation setting the length of the honor. However, Trump expressed his desire to have flags raised for the inauguration, and fellow Republicans supported the move.
Trump posted on Truth Social, writing, “The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my inauguration. They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our country … Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it.”
Newsom’s office confirmed that flags will be raised to full height on Monday, Jan. 20, making California the first Democrat-led state to do so.
States raising American flag to full height for Inauguration Day:
On Tuesday, Jan. 14, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also announced that flags at the U.S. Capitol will fly at full staff on Monday, Jan. 20, and be lowered Tuesday, Jan. 21, to continue honoring former President Carter.
They said even though the law is meant to keep kids from accessing sexually explicit content online, it’s vague and “imposes significant burdens on adults’ access to constitutionally protected expression.” Opponents also said it also presents privacy and security concerns because adults are forced to share personally identifying information to access the sites.
The law, signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2023, requires porn sites to verify official documentation like government-issued IDs or face large fines. The law says any website that contains “one-third” sexual material is considered a site that requires age verification, though social media sites are exempt.
The Texas law also requires sites to display health notices on their landing page that says viewing pornography is potentially addictive, weakens brain function and is associated with low self-esteem and body image, among other issues.
A U.S. district judge temporarily blocked the law in September 2024, but then the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals undid that, saying requiring age verification does not violate the First Amendment.
The Supreme Court’s ruling will impact more than just Texas. Multiple other states have passed laws mandating age-verification for porn sites including Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Organization sues McDonald’s over college scholarships for Latinos
The American Alliance for Equal Rights is suing restaurant chain McDonald’s for alleged discrimination. The organization, led by Edward Blum, who successfully argued against affirmative action in colleges before the U.S. Supreme Court, is now targeting the golden arches and its scholarship program for Latino and Hispanic students.
The lawsuit alleges that McDonald’s Hacer National Scholarship discriminates against non-Hispanics and racial minorities, such as Black people, Arab people and Native Americans. It claims those groups are barred from receiving the scholarship based on their ethnic heritage and that discrimination is unlawful.
The lawsuit was filed in Nashville, Tennessee, where the program is administered by a company named International Scholarship and Tuition Service.
Hacer is one of the biggest corporate awards for high school seniors in the country. Those scholarships range from $5,000 to $100,000. The scholarships are limited to students with at least one parent who is of Latino or Hispanic heritage.
Since the mid-1980s, McDonald’s says it has awarded more than $33 million to more than 17,000 Hispanic and Latino students. The company selects recipients based on their academic achievement, community involvement, personal statement and financial need.
The American Alliance for Equal Rights is seeking an injunction because the deadline to apply is less than one month away on Feb. 6. The suit notes that an unnamed high school student from Arkansas, who is not Latino or Hispanic, wants to apply for a scholarship.
Blum wants McDonald’s to put the program on hold “so it can be opened to all under-resourced high-school students, regardless of their ethnic heritage.”
McDonald’s says it is now reviewing the lawsuit. It comes at a time when big companies, including McDonald’s, have begun to roll back their diversity initiatives.
Titans have top pick in 2025 NFL draft, fire general manager
The Tennessee Titans wrapped up the number one overall pick in April’s NFL draft after losing to the Houston Texans on the final day of the regular season. They fired General Manager Ran Carthon 48 hours later, who likely would have made that pick.
Carthon lost his job after posting a 9-25 record over his two seasons in charge.
Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement, “I’ve loved the time I’ve spent with Ran –– he’s a talented football mind, a great man, and friend to everyone along his path. It’s impossible to ignore that our football team hasn’t improved over the past two years. I am deeply disappointed in our poor win-loss record during this period, of course, but my decision also speaks to my concern about our long-term future should we stay the course. I love this team more than you can imagine. To our fans: We know this level of performance isn’t acceptable. We’re humbled by your support as we continue to work towards building the team you expect and deserve.”
The draft order from pick 18 to 32 will be decided by 14 teams in the playoffs, with the Super Bowl champion making the 32nd pick in the first round.
Several teams that finished near the .500 mark for the season will look to retool after many of the top picks are off the board.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said they’ll immediately get to work preparing for the draft.
“The silver lining of being in this situation and the opportunity that you’re presented is that you do have a head start on the rest of the league to a certain extent. So this is something we really have to take advantage of. This is a position we don’t want to be in ever again, so hopefully, make the most of it and springboarding into creating those opportunities,” Macdonald said.
In Las Vegas, one day after the Raiders let interim head coach Antonio Pierce speak to the media about the season and the state of the team, they fired him. Six teams are now looking for new head coaches, and two teams are looking for new general managers.
Coaches brace for change as NFL’s ‘Black Monday’ approaches
The day after the NFL’s regular season ends is known as “Black Monday,” when struggling teams inform coaches their services are no longer needed. This year, it falls on Monday, Jan. 6, and there is plenty of speculation surrounding what could be more than half a dozen moves.
Three job searches are already underway, as the Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints fired their coaches during the season.
Current NFL job openings
Chicago Bears –– Thomas Brown (interim)
New York Jets –– Jeff Ulbricht (interim)
New Orleans Saints –– Darren Rizzi (interim)
Those teams currently have interim head coaches, all of whom will reportedly interview for the head job with their respective teams. But there will also be multiple outside candidates brought in.
Three teams have made it clear they will give their coaches at least one more season in charge. New England’s first-year coach, Jerod Mayo, is the shakiest on this list; he has posted a 3-14 record. Right now, the Patriots are in line for the number one pick in April’s draft.
Titans head coach Brian Callahan has seen good and bad reports concerning his tenure.
“I don’t really pay much attention to those reports. I just try to come in and do my job as best I can and do it as long as they allow me to do it,” said Callahan. “If for some reason, and hopefully it’s years from now, they say your services are no longer needed, then that’s how it goes.”
Coaches in the ‘hot seat’
Las Vegas Raiders –– Antonio Pierce
Jacksonville Jaguars –– Doug Pederson
New York Giants –– Brian Daboll
Indianapolis Colts –– Shane Steichen
Dallas Cowboys –– Mike McCarthy
Although it’s pure guesswork, these five coaches are most mentioned in the debate about whether the teams need a change.
For those like Doug Pederson and Brian Daboll, it would not be a surprise if they were let go Monday.
For Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys, the jury truly is still out. He has heard both praise and criticism from team owner Jerry Jones. On New Year’s Eve, Jones talked about the possibility of retaining McCarthy on a local Dallas radio station, saying he’s been thinking about the issue for weeks.
“What I’m not gonna do this morning is get into any indication one way or the other that I’m not interested in having Mike back. I don’t want that to be the case at all,” Jones said.
Not exactly a vote of confidence. In any case, McCarthy is in a different situation. His contract expires Jan. 14, so he‘ll be free to sign with any team –– whether he’s officially fired or not. There are also reports that other teams could be interested in McCarthy.
