Mexico is expelling 26 high-ranking cartel figures to the United States in the latest major deal with the President Donald Trump ’s administration, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The cartel leaders and other prominent figures were being flown from Mexico to the U.S. on Tuesday, the person said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the operation that was still ongoing.
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office and Security ministry confirmed the transfers, which were carried out after a promise from the U.S. Justice Department that U.S. officials would not seek the death penalty in any of the cases.
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DC officials say they are making additional beds available at shelters
Officials in the nation’s capital say they have made additional shelter space available after Trump said federal agents would remove homeless people in the city.
Kevin Donahue, the city administrator for the District of Columbia, says outreach workers were stopping at homeless encampments to do outreach work on Tuesday. He said the city also has a building available that could house as many as 200 people, if needed.
Donahue made the comments Tuesday evening during a conversation with community advocates and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser. The conversation was broadcast on the social platform X.
He said the outreach would continue through the week with a “greater level of urgency.â€
Bowser said that when Trump sees homeless encampments in the city it “triggers something in him that has him believing our very beautiful city is dirty, which it is not.â€
Expelled cartel figures include leader of group aligned with notorious cartel CJNG
Those being handed over to U.S. custody include Abigael González Valencia, the brother-in-law of CJNG leader , a top target of the U.S. government. He was arrested in February 2015 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and had been fighting extradition to the United States since then.
Alongside his two brothers, Valencia led “Los Cuinis,†which financed the founding and growth of the CJNG, one of the most powerful and dangerous cartels in Mexico. CJNG traffics hundreds of tons of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl into the United States and other countries and is known for extreme violence, murders, torture and corruption.
Another person, Roberto Salazar, is accused of participating in the 2008 killing of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The Trump administration made dismantling dangerous drug cartels a key priority, designating CJNG and seven other Latin American organized crime groups
Transfers of cartel leaders come ahead of US tariffs on Mexico
The transfers come days before 25% are to take effect. Late last month, Trump spoke with Mexican President and agreed to put off threatened 30% for another 90 days to allow for negotiations.
Sheinbaum has shown a willingness to cooperate more on security than her predecessor, specifically being more aggressive in pursuit of Mexico’s cartels.
But she has drawn a clear line when it comes to Mexico’s sovereignty, rejecting suggestions by Trump and others of intervention by the U.S. military.
DC National Guard still awaiting mission assignment
As National Guard troops begin to report to the armory in eastern Washington, D.C., officials say they are still waiting to be assigned a mission.
An Army spokesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity to freely describe ongoing operations said Tuesday that, so far, what troops have been told “clearly and distinctly†is that they will be in a support role to law enforcement.
What form that support will take remains to be determined.
The Army spokesperson also said they are expecting the process of mobilizing up to 800 National Guard troops to take until the end of the week, meaning that whatever mission they are ultimately assigned will likely not begin until early next week.
Appeals court sides with Trump administration in fight over DOGE access
A federal appeals court says a lower court was wrong to block billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing people’s private data at the Education Department, the Treasury Department and the Office of Personnel Management.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 2-1 decision Tuesday that the lower court’s preliminary injunction ruling “miscalculated†the likelihood that the plaintiffs’ lawsuit would succeed. The appeals court had already put the block on hold, so Tuesday’s ruling will not have any practical effect.
Led by the American Federation of Teachers, the the Trump administration violated federal privacy law when it gave DOGE access to systems with personal information on tens of millions of Americans without their consent.
An email to a spokesperson for the union was not immediately returned.
The appeals court said the privacy law at issue “does not prohibit sharing information with those whose jobs give them good reason to access it.â€
Mexico expels cartel figures wanted by US authorities in deal with Trump
Mexico is expelling 26 high-ranking cartel figures to the United States in the with the Trump administration, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The cartel leaders and other prominent figures were being flown from Mexico to the U.S. on Tuesday, the person said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the operation that was still ongoing.
It’s the second time in months Mexico has expelled cartel figures accused of narcotics smuggling, murder and other crimes amid mounting pressure from the Trump administration to curb the flow of drugs across the border.
DC residents criticize federal takeover
Residents emphasized reductions in crime in recent years and concerns over the removal of homeless encampments in interviews Tuesday criticizing the federal takeover of the city’s police department.
Jeraod Tyre, who’s lived in the city for 15 years, said “crime has been slowing down lately†and argued that federal troops would only escalate tensions because they don’t have “relationships with the people in the community†like local police do.
Sheiena Taylor, 36, said she’s more fearful as a result of the presence of federal forces in D.C., where she was born and raised.
Taylor said she’s seen federal officers around her home and on the subway and worries about their targeting of young people and people experiencing homelessness.
“Being homeless isn’t a crime,†she said, emphasizing the need for solutions to the root causes of homelessness or crime rather than policing.
State Department spokesperson wraps up briefings to take up UN role
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has conducted her final press briefing after just six months in the job following Trump’s nomination of her to be deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Bruce thanked Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, her colleagues at the State Department and the press corps for their professionalism as she wrapped up her tenure as the face of the administration’s America First foreign policy.
“You’ve kept me sharp, grounded and on more than a few occasions, laughing,†she said. “The relationship between the spokesperson and the press is a unique one, and I’m grateful that I know all of you.â€
Bruce, a former Fox News personality who had no government or foreign policy experience before taking the role, had a somewhat contentious relationship with reporters and had cut back the number of press briefings from four or five per week to just two.
DEA administrator says feds will be ‘embedded’ with DC police
Terry Cole, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said federal officers will be “embedded with the Metropolitan Police Department†starting Tuesday night.
“You will see federal agents working hand-in-hand on patrol with the Metropolitan Police Department,†he said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday. “You will also see an increase of patrol activity in certain sectors to go after the violent criminal offenders that are the drivers of this crime.â€
Cole said the city’s police chief has been “very accommodating†and applauded intel sharing between federal forces and local law enforcement.
His remarks continue a tone of cooperation that contrasted with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s initial reactions to the federal takeover of the city’s police department.
Cole did not offer specific details on what will change in the chain of command amid the federal takeover, only saying that the move “brings so much power to allow the police officers to do their job.â€
He also blamed the D.C. City Council for not previously empowering city law enforcement, arguing that the federal government is helping rectify “concerning†dynamics for police officers created by the council.
Senior Democrat calls on Republicans to hold confirmation hearing for Trump’s new BLS pick
Sen. Patty Murray, a senior Democrat, is calling for Republicans to hold a confirmation hearing for E.J. Antoni, whom Trump has nominated to lead the agency that compiles the nation’s employment and inflation figures.
Murray in a statement slammed Antoni as “an unqualified right-wing extremist†and demanded that the GOP chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, hold a confirmation hearing for him.
Some Senate Republicans were critical after Trump fired the previous director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, and have said they want someone in the job who can reliably compile and report data on the nation’s economy. But they have also mostly gone along with Trump’s Cabinet picks.
Trump’s choice of Antoni, who was the chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation and often made overtly political arguments, sets up a key test for GOP senators and their willingness to go along with the president.
Philadelphia DA says Trump’s seizure of policing in DC is unjustified
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said during a Tuesday news conference with faith leaders that Trump’s effort to seize policing in Washington, D.C., is unjustified and will be resisted if it comes to Pennsylvania’s largest city.
Krasner said crime is actually down in many major cities, including Philadelphia and the nation’s capital. He described Trump’s declaration of federal control of D.C. police, and threat to do so elsewhere, as a “bogus†attempt to assert authority.
“What we have going on in Philadelphia and elsewhere is actually good news, but that’s not the news that Donald Trump needs,†he said.
He said Trump’s threat to send members of the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and other cities could bring chaos in a time of relative peace.
Trump administration cuts down human rights reports
The Trump administration released human rights reports for countries worldwide that eliminate mentions of discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ people and reduce a previous focus on reproductive rights.
The reports, which cover 2024 before Trump took office, also criticize restrictions on political speech by U.S. allies in Europe that American officials believe target right-wing politicians.
They offer a glimpse into the administration’s view of dire human rights conditions in countries like Eswatini, South Sudan and Rwanda that have agreed to accept migrants deported from the United States under Trump’s immigration crackdown.
South Africa also was singled out for its human rights situation “significantly worsening.†The report pointed to unfair treatment of white Afrikaners, a minority that ran the country’s apartheid government.
US attorney for DC says, ‘There is a whole community that is suffering’
Pirro argued during a Tuesday press briefing that violent crime in the nation’s capital is significant and causing suffering throughout the community.
She displayed poster boards that she said showed teenagers who were shot and killed in D.C. in 2024 and 2025 so far. She said anyone who argues crime is down or an emergency designation is not needed should “talk to the loved ones and the family members of these individuals, all shot and killed long before their time.â€
As she backed the Trump administration’s argument for placing the city’s police department under federal control, Pirro pointed to violent crime rates that spiked in the nation’s capital in 2023.
“I don’t need any more statistics,†she said.
A recent Department of Justice report shows that violent crime is down 35% since 2023, returning to the previous trend of decreasing crime that puts the district’s violent crime rate at its lowest in 30 years.
Officials brief the media on the indictment of a Haitian gang leader
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro and other federal officials briefed the media on Tuesday’s unsealed of Jimmy “Barbecue†Cherizier, whom many consider Haiti’s most powerful gang leader.
The State Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information that leads to Cherizier’s arrest or conviction, the officials said.
Pirro said Haiti is a “hotspot†where “incredible violence†is taking place right now.
Health secretary, after the shooting at CDC, criticizes agency's pandemic response
Trump’s Health Secretary, , refused to directly answer when asked during an interview with Scripps News on Monday what message he had for CDC employees who are worried about the culture of misinformation and skepticism around vaccines.
Although law enforcement officials have made clear the shooter was targeting the public health agency over the COVID-19 vaccine, Kennedy said in the interview that not enough was known about his motives.
He described political violence as “wrong†and said his job is to protect employees.
He went on to criticize the public health agency’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the things that we saw during COVID is that the government was overreaching in its efforts to persuade the public to get vaccinated and they were saying things that are not always true,†Kennedy said.
White House not ruling out ‘future plans’ for Trump to travel to Russia
Leavitt said Trump will be traveling to Alaska on Friday and meeting one-on-one with Putin -- even amid lingering questions about whether Zelenskyy will be involved.
But asked if Trump might then head to Russia -- or go there in the future -- Leavitt was less committal.
“Perhaps there are plans in the future to travel to Russia,†she said.
Business as usual in Chinatown
The intersection of 7th and H street in Chinatown is one of the more high-profile battlegrounds in the effort to bring down crime rates in Washington D.C.
Residents and business owners have long complained about the open drug dealing, aggressive panhandlers and 24/7 marijuana smell around the Metro exit, one block from Capitol One Arena.
Folks on the street corner — none of whom would give their names — said federal law enforcement officers swept through the area Sunday night, but there’s disagreement if it was FBI or DEA or both.
On Tuesday afternoon, the corner was relatively tranquil. But two young men did offer to sell marijuana to a reporter as soon as they were introduced.
Another man, sitting in a wheelchair and rolling a joint, predicted that any crackdown would just temporarily push illegal activity down the block.
“They’re never going to stop crime,†he said. “You know why? Because crime gets people paid.â€
White House says monthly jobs report will continue
The White House press secretary said the government will continue to issue the monthly jobs report, which includes the nation’s unemployment rate, despite comments by an administration’s nominee that suggested suspending it.
“I believe that is the plan and that’s the hope,†Leavitt said.
On Aug.4., E.J. Antoni, a conservative economist at the Heritage Foundation, said on Fox News Digital that the agency should pause the issuance of the reports while it works to improve its data collection. Antoni a week later was to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that compiles the jobs data as well as monthly inflation report.
The jobs report is closely watched by Wall Street and many businesses around the country, and suspending it would be unprecedented.
Trump slammed the last report Aug. 1 after it showed hiring weakened in July and was much lower in May and June than originally reported, the BLS commissioner, .
Leavitt says DC homeless will face fines or jail if they refuse shelter or treatment
Leavitt says people living in Washington homeless encampments will be offered space in a homeless shelter or treatment for addiction. She says those who refuse will face fines or jail time.
With Trump taking control of law enforcement in the nation’s capital, Leavitt said authorities will enforce anti-homelessness laws that she says have been ignored.
The National Park Service has removed 70 homeless encampments from parks controlled by the federal agency, she said.
“We want to make DC safe and beautiful,†and that requires removing “mentally disturbed individuals†and homeless encampments, Leavitt said in the White House briefing room.
Army leaders visit DC National Guard as troops report in
Two top Army leaders made a visit to the Washington, D.C., National Guard armory Tuesday morning as activated guard members began reporting for duty to support law enforcement in the capital.
An Army spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press that Secretary Driscoll, the Army’s top civilian official, and Gen. James Mingus, the service’s second highest ranking officer, visited the armory this “to visit with Soldiers and leaders.â€
“Secretary Driscoll wanted the D.C. National Guard Soldiers to know first-hand that they have support from the very top of the Army and that we have every confidence in their skill, discipline, and professionalism to support our law enforcement partners and accomplish this mission,†Lt. Colonel Jeff Tolbert said in an email.
White House says Trump is ‘considering’ lawsuit against Fed Chair Jerome Powell
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expanded on Trump’s social media post indicating that a lawsuit might be forthcoming on the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion renovation project.
Leavitt said at the Tuesday news briefing that Trump is weighing whether he as president should sue the U.S. central bank.
“The president is considering a lawsuit against the Fed, and I will leave it to him to comment further on it,†Leavitt said.
DC police takeover may last longer than 30 days
The federal takeover of the District of Columbia’s police department could last longer than 30 days.
During a press briefing, the White House press secretary said the administration would “reevaluate and reassess and make further decisions†after the 30-day period is over.
The White House would need approval from both House and Senate in order to extend the takeover the police department.
Trump remains “very much engaged†with Ukraine, Europe, Leavitt says
Leavitt said Trump has “deep respect for all parties involved†in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
She said that the president continues to be “very much engaged†with Ukrainians and allies in Europe.
Trump is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this Friday in Alaska.
White House calls judge’s ruling on Maxwell grand jury testimony ‘unfortunate’
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says a judge denying the Trump administration’s motion to unseal grand jury testimony from the criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell “unfortunate.â€
“We think that decision is unfortunate,†Leavitt said, adding that the information should be unsealed because Trump has said he wanted it released.
Those comments came a day after U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer of the Southern District of New York criticized the Department of Justice for using “demonstrably false†reasoning to justify the release of grand jury testimony.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prion sentence for sex trafficking and other crimes in connection with Jeffrey Epstein.
Putin meeting is ‘a listening exercise’ for Trump, Leavitt says
Leavitt says Trump’s goal for his meeting with Putin this week is “to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war.â€
The White House press secretary downplayed the president’s aims for the summit on Friday in Alaska. She described the meeting as “a listening exercise for the president†that he agreed to after Putin requested a meeting.
Leavitt declined to discuss Trump’s conversations with Zelenskyy but said Trump has “deep respect†for all parties.
White House says federal officers arrested 23 in DC
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says approximately 850 federal law enforcement officers were deployed in Washington and made 23 arrests overnight.
Leavitt says the arrests include charges of homicide, gun and drug crimes, reckless driving, fare evasion and drunken driving. Leavitt said six illegal handguns were seized.
“This is only the beginning,†she said, pledging that federal authorities would continue policing in the nation’s capital for a month.
“President Trump will not be deterred by soft on crime democrats and media activists,†Leavitt said.
California Gov. Newsom mimics Trump’s social media style
“THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!!†Newsom’s press office wrote Tuesday in a X post urging the president to back off efforts to redraw congressional maps.
California Democrats are planning to introduce new partisan maps on Friday to counter efforts to help GOPs in 2026 in Texas.
“STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES,†the post reads.
The new maps in California would still need state lawmakers and voters approval. State Republicans vow to challenge the effort.
Switzerland’s pivotal gold industry is breathing some relief
The Swiss Association of Precious Metals Manufacturers and Traders on Tuesday said it was awaiting a formal decision after Trump wrote “Gold will not be Tariffed!†on his Truth Social platform late Monday.
“President Trump’s statement is an encouraging signal for trade stability,†said Christoph Wild, the president of the association, which counts 15 companies that process and trade in precious metals like gold. “However, only a formal and binding decision will provide the certainty the gold sector and its partners require.â€
The Swiss National Bank, citing figures from the Swiss government, in April issued a report saying that gold refineries in Switzerland supply about one-third of refined gold worldwide.
Last year, gold accounted for some 27% of goods trade value from the country, making it Switzerland’s most-traded product — ahead of pharmaceuticals at 22%, the SNB said.
The precious metals association, known as ASFCMP, last week expressed concern following news reports and other indications that the Trump administration might apply whopping 39% U.S. tariffs on Swiss products -- among the highest it has imposed anywhere -- to gold products.
DC mayor emphasizes ‘working collaboratively’ with feds amid Trump takeover
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser says the city will aim to “make the most of†the increase in federal resources in the city after Trump’s announcement that he’s taking over Washington’s police department and activating 800 members of the National Guard.
Bowser also emphasized that the Metropolitan Police Department will retain its independence, including over hiring and firing, saying “our organizational chart, how we do business, how we fund the police, none of that has changed.â€
“We have more police, and we want to make sure we use them,†Bowser added after a meeting with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The remarks mark a change in tone from Monday when Bowser called Trump’s executive order “unsettling and unprecedented.â€
Pamela Smith, chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, spoke about reduced crime in the city and said increased federal resources “will only help us build upon that.â€
Bondi called the meeting with Bowser “productive†, adding that the Justice Department will work closely with city government and police.
A UFC fight at the White House? Dana White says it’s happening as part of deal with Paramount
Hours after Paramount and UFC announced a Dana White said he had yet to hear from Trump on his thoughts about the fight company’s new streaming home.
That was fine with White. The UFC CEO was set to travel to Washington on Aug. 28 to meet with Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, to catch up and discuss logistics on the proposed Fourth of July fight card next year at the White House.
Trump said last month he wanted to stage a UFC match on the White House grounds with upward of 20,000 spectators to celebrate 250 years of American independence.
“It’s absolutely going to happen,†White told The Associated Press. “Think about that, the 250th birthday of the United States of America, the UFC will be on the White House south lawn live on CBS.â€
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Trump’s moves toward taking over Washington are unprecedented. Here’s what the law says
Trump took command of the police department and deployed the National Guard under laws and Constitutional powers that give the federal government more sway over the nation’s capital than other cities. The measure still leaves significant power to the president and Congress, though no president has exercised the police powers before.
Here’s a look at what the law says about Trump’s actions:
1. Trump activated the National Guard. The president can still call up the National Guard in Washington. His authority is less clear in Los Angeles, where a legal battle continues over his recent deployment of the National Guard despite the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
2. Trump took over the local police. Section 740 of the Home Rule Act allows for the president to take over Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department for 48 hours, with possible extensions to 30 days, during times of emergencies. No president has done so before.
3. Trump didn’t specify how long the takeover would last. Congress still has power over things like the budget and laws passed by the city council, but would have to repeal the Home Rule Act to expand federal power in the district.
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