Trump boots Venezuelan gang suspects under wartime law, but judge orders plane to bring them back

Hours after President Donald Trump invoked a wartime law to target terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) Saturday, a federal judge ruled the law could not be used to deport five Venezuelans and ordered the plane they were believed to be on to return to the U.S.

The Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows deportation of natives and citizens of an enemy nation without a hearing, has been invoked three times, during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II.

All Venezuelan citizens 14 years or older who are members of TdA, are within the U.S. and are not naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the U.S. may be apprehended, restrained, secured and removed as “alien enemies,” according to Trump’s proclamation.

‘WEAPONIZED MIGRATION’: US FACES DEADLY CONSEQUENCES WITH MADURO IN POWER, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION WARNS

Hours before the proclamation was signed, a lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Democracy Forward and the ACLU of the District of Columbia, claiming it could be used to deport any Venezuelan in the country, regardless of whether they are a member of TdA.

At a hearing Saturday afternoon, Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the D.C. Circuit granted a temporary restraining order preventing the deportation of the five Venezuelans, who had already been in federal custody for two weeks.

Two planes that may have been en route to deport illegal immigrants were ordered returned by the judge. However, it is unclear as of Saturday night if they have done so.

“Tonight, a DC trial judge supported Tren de Aragua terrorists over the safety of Americans. TdA is represented by the ACLU,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “This order disregards well-established authority regarding President Trump’s power, and it puts the public and law enforcement at risk. The Department of Justice is undeterred in its efforts to work with the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, and all of our partners to stop this invasion and Make America Safe Again.”

The Trump administration appealed the restraining order, alleging it is improper to delay a presidential act before it is announced, affiliate FOX 32 Chicago reported.

“The United States is not at war, nor has it been invaded. The president’s anticipated invocation of wartime authority — which is not needed to conduct lawful immigration enforcement operations — is the latest step in an accelerating authoritarian playbook,” Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, wrote in a statement. 

“From improperly apprehending American citizens to violating the ability of communities to peacefully worship to now improperly trying to invoke a law that is responsible for some of our nation’s most shameful actions, this administration’s immigration agenda is as lawless as it is harmful.”

An in-person hearing on the lawsuit’s merits is scheduled for D.C. Monday.

The move fulfills a campaign promise made during an October rally, when Trump announced he would use the law to combat Tren de Aragua (TdA) members in the U.S.

Tren de Aragua (TdA), designated a foreign terrorist organization Feb. 20 by the Department of State, has thousands of members, many of whom the White House says have unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are “conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States.”

Colorado officials confirmed TdA occupied entire apartment complexes in Aurora, noting a special task force had to be established to combat its activity.

TRUMP TO INVOKE WARTIME ALIEN ENEMIES ACT OF 1798 TO FAST-TRACK DEPORTATIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

As of Sept. 11, 2024, the Aurora Police Department linked the gang to nearly a dozen people, resulting in eight arrests. 

“Two of the eight individuals who were taken into custody were involved in a July shooting at one of the specific properties in the city that have experienced issues with TdA activity,” according to a statement. “In line with these arrests, we can also now confirm that criminal activity, including TdA issues, had significantly affected those properties.”

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The White House said the gang has continued to engage in mass illegal migration to the U.S. to “further its objectives of harming United States citizens,” undermining public safety.

TdA operates in conjunction with Cártel de los Soles, the Nicolás Maduro regime-sponsored narco-terrorism enterprise based in Venezuela, and commits brutal crimes, including murders, kidnappings, extortion and human, drug, and weapons trafficking, according to the White House.

It grew significantly while Tareck El Aissami served as governor of Aragua between 2012 and 2017. In 2017, El Aissami was appointed vice president of Venezuela. 

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Soon after, the Treasury Department designated El Aissami a specially designated narcotics trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and he remains a U.S. fugitive.

In 2020, Maduro and other regime members were charged with narcoterrorism and other crimes in an alleged plot against America.

Death toll rises as violent tornadoes carve path of destruction across heartland

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A dangerous tornado outbreak which started on Friday evening continued into the first half of the weekend with nearly 2 dozen deaths across the nation’s heartland and South.

Saturday’s round of tornadic storms caused damage in parts of Mississippi and Louisiana and triggered the issuance of a rare Tornado Emergency around the town of Taylorsville.

Farther south, emergency crews reported a tornado strike in Kentwood, Louisiana, causing damage to several homes and downed power lines, according to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. One person needed rescue, but there were no known significant injuries, deputies said.

WHAT IS A ‘TORNADO EMERGENCY’?

Days ahead of the event, the Storm Prediction Center issued a threat level of a 5 out of 5 on its severe storm risk scale and warned of the potential of EF4 or greater tornadoes.

The first tornadoes of the event were reported in Arkansas and Missouri on Friday before the threat moved over the South on Saturday.

The SPC received at least a dozen reports of twisters on Saturday, with most occurring in Mississippi and Alabama.

EARTHQUAKE STRIKES MISSISSIPPI AS TORNADOES TEAR THROUGH STATE

Radar imagery covering Walthall County in Mississippi showed at least two significant tornadoes just about 45 minutes apart on Saturday afternoon.

Widespread damage was reported around Tylertown, Mississippi, and at least 3 deaths are being blamed on the severe weather.

First responders said they were still performing damage surveys in the region and the number of victims could change as they comb through debris in the hardest hit areas.

Data from Findenergy.com showed more than 50,000 customers from the three states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were without power as of Saturday afternoon.

Initial surveys conducted by National Weather Service meteorologists of the strongest tornadoes indicate that winds were at least EF3 in strength, which is upwards of165 mph.

Damage surveys were expected to continue for several more days, and the FOX Forecast Center said it was possible that survey crews could find evidence of even stronger twisters on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

The rating scale runs from EF0 to EF5, with EF0 representing weak tornadoes and EF5 being the most extreme with winds over 200 mph.

“Tragically, as of now, 6 deaths have been reported – one in Covington County, two in Jeff Davis County, and three in Walthall County. Also, as of now, three additional people are currently missing – two from Covington County and one from Walthall County. Preliminary reports indicate 29 injuries statewide – 15 in Covington County, two in Jeff Davis County, two in Pike County and 10 in Walthall County,” Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said in a statement.

MULTIPLE DEATHS IN MISSOURI, ARKANSAS AFTER MONSTER TORNADOES CAUGHT ON VIDEO AMID SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK

THE SPC 5-POINT SEVERE THUNDERSTORM RISK CATEGORY SCALE EXPLAINED

Storms threaten I-95 corridor Sunday

The end of the multiday severe weather outbreak will happen Sunday when nearly 70 million people from the Northeast to Florida face a risk of severe weather. 

The worst of the storms are expected from Virginia to Florida, where a Level 2 out of 5 risk exists. 

Hail and damaging winds are the primary concerns, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out, especially over the Carolinas. 

The threat of thunderstorms has already altered some early St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations and tee times at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

Authorities seize passport of key witness in American student’s disappearance

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Authorities in the Dominican Republic have seized the passport of Joshua Riibe, the man seen with University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki before she went missing, Fox News has learned.

Riibe’s attorneys said Saturday that Riibe’s travel document was taken by authorities “several days ago.” He has not been named a suspect in the 20-year-old student’s disappearance, but authorities have said he is a “person of interest” in the matter, which they consider a missing person case.

“It was confiscated by authorities when he tried to check out several days ago, when the investigation began,” lawyers from Guzmán Ariza, a Dominican Republican law firm, said. “He hasn’t had access to it since then.” 

Though Riibe, from Rock Rapids, Iowa, and a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, has not been accused of any crime, the 22-year-old has been intensely scrutinized since Konanki’s disappearance March 6. A source close to the investigation told Fox News Digital Friday that Riibe, the only publicly known eyewitness, is considered a “key element in the investigation.” 

KEY WITNESS IN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENT’S DISAPPEARANCE TELLS POLICE HOW THEY MET, WHAT HAPPENED ON BEACH

Konanki, of Loudon County, Virginia, was staying at the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana with five fellow Pitt students before she vanished. She was last seen on surveillance camera footage entering a beach with five other people after 4:15 a.m. March 6.

All group members except Konanki returned around 6 a.m. The 20-year-old stayed on the beach with Riibe. 

On Wednesday, Riibe completed a nearly four-hour interview with detectives, answering over 50 questions about the events leading up to Konanki’s disappearance.

MISSING AMERICAN IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: NO SUSPECTS AS SEARCH FOR SUDIKSHA KONANKI REACHES ONE WEEK

Riibe’s parents, Albert and Tina Riibe, have denounced the investigation of their son, saying he has “been detained under irregular conditions and subjected to extensive questioning without the presence of official translators or legal counsel until Wednesday, March 12.”

“He has remained in his hotel room under police surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the police station since March 6, where he has been interrogated for long hours,” the statement, shared through the Riibes’ attorneys, said. “This situation has raised serious concern within his family, which has led us to retain legal counsel to initiate legal actions ensuring his safety and the protection of his rights throughout this process.”

Riibe has reportedly told varying stories about Konanki’s disappearance to authorities. According to local outlet Noticias SIN, Riibe told police he went swimming with Konanki but left after falling ill from the waves, leaving Konanki in the water.

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In a second version of the story, he reportedly said that he left Konanki in knee-deep water before he passed out sick on the beach. In a third story, Riibe said he saw Konanki walking on the beach before he fell asleep.

Every political party leader in Greenland joins together to send unified message to Trump

The government of Greenland called President Donald Trump‘s comments about taking control of the country “unacceptable” in a statement Friday.

Officials noted the statement was prompted by Trump’s meeting with the NATO secretary general Thursday, when he reportedly “reiterated his desire for annexation and control of Greenland.”

In response, the leaders of all political parties elected to Inatsisartut, the Parliament of Greenland that includes the Demokraatit, Naleraq, Inuit Ataqatigiit, Siumut and Atassut parties, issued the statement on X.

GREENLAND PM SEEKS INDEPENDENCE FOLLOWING TRUMP ACQUISITION COMMENTS

“We — all the party leaders — cannot accept the repeated statements regarding annexation and control of Greenland,” leaders wrote. “We find this behavior toward friends and allies in a defense alliance unacceptable.”

They added they “must underscore that Greenland will continue serving ITS people through diplomatic relations, in accordance with international law.”

AMB. CARLA SANDS: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S FOCUS ON GREENLAND — WHY WE HOPE TO STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONSHIP

The document was signed by Greenlandic politicians Jens Frederik Nielsen of the Demokraatit party, Pele Broberg of the Naleraq, Múte B. Egede of the Inuit Ataqatigiit, Vivian Motzfeldt of the Siumut and Aqqalu C. Jerimiassen of the Atassut.

“We all support this wholeheartedly and strongly distance ourselves from attempts to create discord. Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people, and we (as leaders) stand in unison,” they wrote.

In the country’s recent parliamentary elections, the Demokraatit party defeated Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede’s party, Inuit Ataqatigiit.

Independence from Denmark became a core election issue in Trump’s continued comments about U.S. acquisition of Greenland.

Trump tried in his first term to buy the mineral-rich, key geographical territory in what he called a “large real estate deal.”

TRUMP: US CONSIDERING POSSIBLY BUYING GREENLAND 

Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede said in January the country was “not for sale and will never be for sale.”

American interest in Greenland dates back to the 1800s. 

In 1867, the State Department looked into purchasing Greenland and Iceland, but after World War II, Denmark rejected a proposed $100 million deal from President Harry Truman.

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Acquiring the land would mark the largest expansion of American territory in history, topping the Louisiana Purchase.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Starbucks ordered to pay customer $50,000,000 after drive-thru mishap

Coffee giant Starbucks has been ordered to pay a California drive-through customer $50 million after an unsecured hot drink spilled on him, causing burns.

Michael Garcia underwent skin grafts and other procedures on his genitals after he was handed a takeout tray of venti-sized drinks at a drive-through on Feb. 8, 2020.

His lawyers successfully argued that a barista failed to wedge one of those drinks into the tray and when Garcia took it into his possession, the scorching hot drink spilled out, causing severe burns. 

COFFEE CONFLICT COULD SIGNAL ‘DOOMED RELATIONSHIP’ FOR SPARRING COUPLE 

He suffered permanent and life-changing disfigurement, according to his attorney.

The lawsuit accused Starbucks of breaching its duty of care. A Los Angeles County jury agreed and awarded the massive payout.

“This jury verdict is a critical step in holding Starbucks accountable for flagrant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility,” one of Garcia’s attorneys, Nick Rowley, said in a statement to The Associated Press. 

Three of the jurors dissented and wanted the payout to be $125 million, Garcia’s attorney, Nicholas Rowley said, according to the Daily Journal. 

The Seattle-based company said it plans to appeal.

“We disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive,” Starbucks said in a statement to media outlets, per The AP.

The company added it is “committed to the highest safety standards” in handling hot drinks.

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Starbucks had argued that Garcia had failed to exercise ordinary care on his own behalf and that his own negligence and carelessness contributed to the spill, which took place at the company’s 1789 West Jefferson Blvd. location.

The company made a $3 million pre-trial offer and later $30 million to settle the case, Rowley told the Daily Journal. 

Garcia initially agreed on the condition the company apologize and revised its safety standards but refused, Rowley said, per the outlet.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Starbucks for further comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

Trump unleashes airstrikes on Iranian-backed Houthis with ultimatum: ‘Hell will rain down’

President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to a fiery Truth Social post published on Saturday.

In the post, Trump wrote that he had “ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen.”

“They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones,” Trump wrote.

Trump also criticized his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, writing that the Democratic president’s response to the terrorist group “was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis just kept going.”

US NAVY SHIPS REPEL ATTACK FROM HOUTHIS IN GULF OF ADEN

“It has been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden,” Trump continued. “The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times….These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk.”

“To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!” HIS POST CONCLUDED.

TRUMP RE-DESIGNATES IRANIAN-BACKED HOUTHIS AS TERRORISTS: ‘THREATEN[S] SECURITY OF AMERICAN CIVILIANS’

The latest military action comes three weeks after the Houthis fired surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) at a U.S. F-16 fighter jet. Three senior U.S. defense officials told Fox News that the Feb. 19 incident marked the first time the Houthis  had fired SAMs at a U.S. jet.

The missiles did not impact the F-16, and the Houthis unsuccessfully fired another SAM at an American MQ-9 Reaper drone on the same day.

In January, Trump re-designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), four years after his first administration made an identical move that the Biden administration later reversed.

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“Supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF), which arms and trains terrorist organizations worldwide, the Houthis have fired at U.S. Navy warships dozens of times since 2023, endangering American men and women in uniform,” the order noted.

Bill Belichick’s 24-year-old gal pal names and shames critic as couple flaunts hot beach date

Bill Belichick’s 24-year-old cheerleader girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, posted a screenshot of a hostile exchange with an Instagram user who criticized the couple’s relationship Friday. 

Hudson posted the screenshot to her Instagram story that shows a message responding to one of her photos from someone who wrote, “but you do realize your relationship is insane right?” Hudson displayed the name and handle of the person who sent it and even tagged the person in the post. 

Hudson’s post also shows her response that says, “But you do realize direct messaging a stranger on Instagram with the intent of harassing them regarding their own relationship is insane, right?” 

In the post, Hudson also asked her follower which was more offensive, the commenter’s manners or punctuation, referencing a missing comma between “insane” and “right.” 

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Hudson leaked the exchange after a string of recent posts by the model showcasing her romance with the 72-year-old Belichick. 

On Saturday, she posted a series of photos showing Belichick and her while she posed in a bathing suit on a beach. 

That post drew a series of mixed reactions. 

NEW EX-COWBOYS TEAMMATES GET INTO SOCIAL MEDIA SPAT AFTER FREE AGENCY DECISION: ‘CLOWN S–T’

“I’m loving this new Bill,” one user wrote. 

Another wrote, “Is this not weird as f—?” 

The relationship has become a subject of fascination and controversy for fans due to the 48-year age difference. But that hasn’t stopped them from regularly showing off in public. 

Last week, Hudson praised President Donald Trump’s administration for renegotiating Maine Sea Grant funding.

Hudson, 24, pleaded in a social media post with Trump and the White House to reinstate the Maine Sea Grant after the program was “abruptly” cut. Trump’s administration adhered to her pleas, agreeing to reinstate the funding.

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Hudson took to social media to extend her gratitude to the Trump administration and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. 

“It is with a full, full heart that I share this most wonderful news with you all,” Hudson wrote in her caption of her post that included her next to Collins.

“This effort could not have been achieved without (Collins) and her commitment to Maine’s fishing community. Senator Collins, on behalf of all fisherman (sic) of Maine, thank you for your continual support in preserving our heritage, tradition and economy.”

Hudson began her post with “The Fisherman have been heard!” and used the hashtags #TrumpDOESLoveFisherman and #TrumpLovesFisherman to sign off her post. 

Hudson spoke during the 50th Maine Fisherman’s Forum in Rockport Saturday and talked about how the cut to grant funding affected fisherman. 

“The news came like a tsunami to the Forum on Saturday that the federal funding program ‘Maine Sea Grant’ was abruptly cut. This program has been a pillar of support for marine research, sustainability, and economic growth for more than 50 years. The forum floors filled with tears and fears as if everyone were drowning, and we were,” Hudson wrote in a separate recent post.

“The decision only amplified the uncertainty, anxiety and existential fears that already plague the fisherman of Maine.”

This upcoming football season will be Belichick’s first as a college football head coach. The 72-year-old will lead the North Carolina Tar Heels after parting ways with the New England Patriots after the 2023 season after a run that included six Super Bowl victories. 

Hudson will reportedly be involved in Belichick’s operation of the team after he instructed that she be copied on all emails sent to him, according to an email leaked by The Assembly. 

Authorities find grisly horrors at abandoned ranch, including ovens, shoes and children’s toys

For families in Mexico searching for missing loved ones, the grim discovery of what is being called an “extermination” site with human remains and ovens, could be their worst fears some true. 

Mexican authorities are now investigating the site in the western state of Jalisco, first found last week by a group of volunteers that was believed, by the volunteers, to have been used by one of the area’s cartels known as the New Generation Jalisco Cartel. 

Inside its iron gates were an increasing number of horrors, including cremation ovens, bone fragments, hundreds of pairs of shoes, clothing and even children’s toys. 

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROMISES TO BE ‘RUTHLESSLY AGGRESSIVE’ IN RESPONSE TO SUSPECTED CARTEL KILLING OF US CITIZEN

“They’d see the shoes and say: ‘those look like the ones my missing relative was wearing when they disappeared,’” Luz Toscano, one of the volunteers, told BBC News. 

The ranch, near the village of Teuchitlán, was raided last September by Mexican authorities who failed to find or reveal the discovery of human remains. 

At the time of the raid, 10 arrests were made, two hostages were released, and a body was found wrapped in plastic. 

After authorities began searching this week, they said they also found almost 100 shell casings. 

MEXICO EXTRADITES DOZENS OF CARTEL LEADERS AND MEMBERS TO US, INCLUDING DRUG LORD RAFAEL CARO QUINTERO 

None of the remains have been identified, and the number is not yet known, but the number of personal items left behind is around 700. 

“The number of the victims that presumably could have been buried there is enormous,” Eduardo Guerrero, a security analyst in Mexico City, told The New York Times. “And it resurfaced the nightmarish reminder that Mexico is plagued with mass graves.”

The discovery, based on an anonymous tip, has dominated the headlines, shocking a country that has become inured by mass graves and promoted citizens to call on authorities to crack down on cartel violence. 

There are 120,000 “forcibly disappeared” people in Mexico. 

Jalisco state Gov. Pablo Lemus told critics in a video message this week that his office is fully cooperating with federal investigators and no one is “washing their hands” of the case, according to BBC News. 

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The ranch in Teuchitlan, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) west of Guadalajara was allegedly being used as a training base for cartel recruits when National Guard troops found it last September.