BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – WIVB News 4 is working to learn more about a heavy police presence on Buffalo’s East Side on Monday night.
Police were on the scene on Olympic Avenue in Buffalo around 10 p.m. Monday.
Crews remain on the scene, and News 4 has reached out to city officials for more information.
https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/buffalo/heavy-police-presence-on-olympic-ave/
Since the launch of “Operation Midway Blitz,” the tiny suburb of Broadview has become the focal point of weekly protests and clashes.
These ongoing events have put significant strain on the local police force, challenging their capacity to maintain order and safety.
Residents of Broadview have also been deeply affected, expressing frustration and concern over the disruptions to their community.
As the situation continues to unfold, the suburb remains on edge, balancing between public safety and the right to protest.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251020/news/how-the-small-suburb-of-broadview-became-a-flash-point-in-ices-crackdown/
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The Wake County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating after a teenager was shot on Monday afternoon.
Deputies responded around 1 p.m. to the 4200 block of Ruby Drive near Raleigh, where they found a juvenile suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was immediately taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
Law enforcement officials remained at the scene to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The sheriff’s office confirmed that there is no known threat to the community at this time.
No further details have been released. Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Wake County Sheriff’s Office at (919) 856-6911.
ABC11 continues to track crime and safety updates throughout Raleigh and your neighborhood.
https://abc11.com/post/teen-injured-wake-county-shooting/18045726/
Sigfrido Ranucci, the host of the investigative program *Report*, was previously placed under police protection due to his courageous reporting on organized crime.
His work shed light on dangerous criminal activities, which led to concerns for his safety. As a result, law enforcement provided him with protection to ensure he could continue his important investigations without threat.
Ranucci’s commitment to uncovering the truth highlights the risks journalists often face when exposing powerful criminal networks.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/world/europe/sigfrido-ranucci-car-bomb.html
A suspect has been arrested in connection with the deadly shooting of a man in Long Beach.
The Long Beach Police Department identified the suspect as 25-year-old Jose Garcia-Linares.
On October 12, shortly before 1:30 a.m., police responded to a shooting on the 200 block of Falcon Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, Thomas […].
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/suspect-arrested-after-man-shot-to-death-in-long-beach/
**U.S. Drug War Under Trump Echoes Post-9/11 War on Terror Legal Framework**
**WASHINGTON (AP)** — Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. drug war is increasingly mirroring the war on terror. To support military strikes against Latin American gangs and drug cartels, the Trump administration is relying on a legal argument that gained prominence after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. This framework allowed U.S. authorities to use lethal force against al-Qaida combatants responsible for the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.
However, the criminal groups currently targeted by U.S. strikes represent a very different adversary. These groups, such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, were spawned in prisons and are fueled not by anti-Western ideology but by drug trafficking and other illicit enterprises. Legal scholars warn that Trump’s use of overwhelming military force and authorization of covert action inside Venezuela—possibly aimed at ousting President Nicolás Maduro—push the limits of international law.
This shift comes as Trump expands the military’s domestic role by deploying the National Guard to U.S. cities and expressing openness to invoking the nearly 150-year-old Insurrection Act, which permits military deployment in only exceptional civil unrest cases.
—
### Lethal Strikes Without Formal War Declaration
So far, U.S. military strikes have killed at least 27 people in five separate incidents targeting vessels alleged to be carrying drugs. The most recent strike occurred on Tuesday, killing six people. These actions have taken place without any legal investigation or a formal war declaration from Congress.
Such circumstances raise questions about the legal justification for these strikes and their potential impact on diplomatic relations, especially with Latin American countries that recall the U.S.’s contentious Cold War-era military interventions.
Meanwhile, the U.S. intelligence community disputes Trump’s central claim that Maduro’s government collaborates with the Tren de Aragua gang to orchestrate drug trafficking and illegal immigration into the United States.
—
### “You Can’t Just Call Something War”
Trump’s assertion that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels hinges on the same legal authority the Bush administration used to declare a war on terror after 9/11. This authority permits the capture and detention of combatants and the use of lethal force against their leaders.
However, the United Nations Charter expressly forbids the use of force except in self-defense. Claire Finkelstein, a professor of national security law at the University of Pennsylvania, commented, “You just can’t call something war to give yourself war powers. … It makes a mockery of international law to suggest we are in a noninternational armed conflict with cartels.”
Unlike al-Qaida, which was actively plotting attacks designed to kill civilians after 9/11, the cartels’ primary goal is drug trafficking. Geoffrey Corn, a Texas Tech law professor and former senior Army adviser on law-of-war issues, described the government’s position as politically motivated: “Even if we assume there’s an armed conflict with Tren de Aragua, how do we know everyone in that boat was an enemy fighter? I think Congress needs to know that.”
—
### Trump Defends Military Strikes and Signals Possible Escalation
When asked at the White House why the U.S. does not use the Coast Guard to intercept Venezuelan vessels and seize drugs, Trump responded, “We have been doing that for 30 years and it has been totally ineffective.”
He also suggested that the U.S. might strike targets inside Venezuela, a move that would markedly escalate tensions and legal concerns. So far, the strikes have occurred in international waters outside any single country’s jurisdiction.
Trump said, “We’ve almost totally stopped it by sea. Now we’ll stop it by land.”
Regarding a New York Times report that he authorized a covert CIA operation in Venezuela, Trump declined to confirm whether he had given the CIA authority to take out Maduro, calling it “ridiculous” to answer.
—
### Legal and Historical Context of Covert Operations
Numerous U.S. laws and executive orders since the 1970s prohibit the assassination of foreign officials. Yet, by declaring Venezuelan criminals “unlawful combatants,” Trump may be attempting to circumvent these restrictions, possibly reviving a historical pattern of covert regime-change operations akin to those in Guatemala, Chile, and Iran.
Finkelstein noted, “If you pose a threat, and are making war on the U.S., you’re not a protected person.”
During Trump’s first term, Maduro was indicted on federal drug-related charges, including narcoterrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. This year, the Justice Department doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, labeling him “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world.”
—
### Drug Trade Realities and Geographic Focus
Despite the intense focus on Venezuela, the bulk of American overdose deaths stem from fentanyl, primarily transported by land from Mexico. While Venezuela is a significant drug transit zone, about 75% of the cocaine produced in Colombia—the world’s largest producer—is smuggled through the eastern Pacific Ocean, not the Caribbean.
—
### Congressional and International Oversight Lacking
Under the U.S. Constitution, only Congress can declare war. Yet no indications suggest congressional pushback against Trump’s broad interpretation of presidential authority to target drug cartels blamed for tens of thousands of American overdose deaths annually.
The GOP-controlled Senate recently voted down a war powers resolution sponsored by Democrats, which would have required the president to seek congressional authorization for further military strikes.
Even amid calls from some Republicans for more transparency, the Trump administration has yet to provide compelling evidence to lawmakers that the targeted vessels were carrying narcotics, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Senator Angus King (I-Maine) revealed that members of the Senate Armed Services Committee were denied access in a classified briefing to the Pentagon’s legal opinion on whether the strikes complied with U.S. law.
—
### Legal Challenges and International Court Prospects
Legal opposition is unlikely to deter the White House. A 1973 Supreme Court ruling, stemming from a lawsuit aimed at halting the Vietnam War’s spread to Laos and Cambodia, set a high legal threshold for challenging military orders.
Families of those killed in the boat strikes also confront legal hurdles after several high court decisions have limited the ability of foreign citizens to sue in U.S. courts.
The strikes occurred in international waters, which could open the door for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, similar to its probes into alleged war crimes in Russia and Israel—both countries, like the U.S., do not recognize the ICC’s authority.
However, the ICC’s work is currently hampered by a sexual misconduct investigation that led to its chief prosecutor stepping aside. Additionally, U.S. sanctions related to the ICC’s indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have complicated the court’s operations.
—
### Conclusion
President Trump’s approach to the drug war, invoking a war-on-terror legal framework to justify lethal strikes on Latin American criminal groups, challenges established international and constitutional norms. As this policy unfolds, it raises critical questions about legality, transparency, and long-term geopolitical impacts in the region.
https://ktar.com/national-news/a-war-on-drugs-or-a-war-on-terror-trumps-military-pressure-on-venezuela-blurs-the-lines/5762491/
Federal prosecutors have charged two North Texas men accused of helping orchestrate a violent July 4 attack on a U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Alvarado, alleging the pair were part of an “Antifa cell” that plotted to target law enforcement officers with gunfire and explosives. Cameron Arnold and Zachary Evetts were federally charged with providing material support to terrorists, attempted murder of officers and employees of the U. S., and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, according to the indictment from the Department of Justice. The night of July 4, several masked individuals dressed in black, some of them armed, arrived at the Prairieland ICE detention facility, vandalizing vehicles and security cameras in the parking lot, according to authorities. When an Alvarado police officer tried to engage with a person from the group, an unknown number of people opened fire. At least one bullet struck the officer in the neck, police said. What is antifa? The DOJ said in the indictment that “Antifa is a militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to a revolutionary anarchist or autonomous Marxist ideology, which explicitly calls for the overthrow of the U. S. government, law enforcement authorities and the system of law.” The indictment claims the group that Arnold and Evetts were a part of did extensive preplanning before the incident, and that Arnold trained others on firearm use and close-quarters combat. The group was heavily armed with over 50 firearms that were purchased in Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Dallas and elsewhere, according to the indictment. The document also noted that Arnold allegedly built numerous AR-platform rifles, some of which he distributed to his co-defendants, and at least one of which featured a binary trigger, allowing the gun to shoot at a higher rate by causing two bullets to fire with each trigger cycle. Arnold, Evetts and others also used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate their moves, according to the DOJ. The investigation found that one member of the group wrote “I’m done with peaceful protests” and “Blue lives don’t matter” as part of those conversations. A federal judge in Fort Worth previously decided that Arnold and Evetts must remain behind bars, along with six others tied to the case. Short for “anti-fascist,” antifa activism can be traced back to antiracists who opposed the activities of members of the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis, according to a June 2020 report from the Congressional Research Service. The report describes antifa as “decentralized” and lacking a “unifying organizational structure or detailed ideology.” Instead, it consists of “independent, radical, like-minded groups and individuals” that largely believe in the principles of anarchism, socialism and communism. “There is no single organization called antifa. That’s just not the way these activists have ever organized themselves,” Michael Kenney, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who has studied antifa, recently told CBS News. “There’s tremendous variation inside that movement, even on issues like political violence.” The FBI has warned about violence perpetrated by antifa adherents, and in 2017, then-FBI Director Chris Wray told Congress that the bureau was looking into “a number of what we would call anarchist extremist investigations, where we have properly predicated subjects who are motivated to commit violent criminal activity on kind of an antifa ideology,” according to CRS. Defense argues “antifa thinking” is not a crime Defense attorneys for Arnold and Evetts argued that anti-government beliefs and “antifa thinking” are not grounds for a crime. They downplayed their clients’ role in the Fourth of July incident, discounting the certainty of gunshot residue evidence, arguing that owning guns is legal, and laying the majority of the blame on Benjamin Hanil Song, one of 17 people initially arrested in connection with the attack. One defense attorney argued that their client did not know what was going to happen that night, thinking they were just driving to protest. July 4 attack at a Texas immigration detention The attack occurred around 11 p. m. on July 4 outside the Prairieland ICE detention facility, which houses between 1, 000 and 2, 000 immigration detainees. According to the Alvarado Police Department, officers responding to the scene saw a person carrying what appeared to be a firearm. When one officer attempted to engage, multiple suspects opened fire Body camera footage captured the chaos as gunfire erupted. One officer was struck in the neck and flown to a Fort Worth hospital. He was treated and later released. Authorities said more than 50 weapons were seized in connection with the group. Additional firearms were recovered days later when Song was found hiding in a Dallas apartment.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-men-involved-in-ice-attack-in-north-texas-officially-charged-and-linked-to-antifa-terrorism/
**Former U.S. Embassy Security Guard in Norway Convicted of Espionage for Russia and Iran**
A former security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Norway was convicted of espionage on Wednesday after a court in Oslo found that he had spied for both Russia and Iran. The 28-year-old Norwegian man, whose name has not been made public, was sentenced to three years and seven months behind bars.
The defendant acknowledged the facts presented in the indictment but denied any criminal guilt. Prosecutors revealed that he handed over sensitive information, including details about the embassy’s diplomats, floor plans, and security routines, Norwegian state broadcaster NRK reported.
According to NRK, the man’s actions were reportedly influenced by American ties to Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza, which motivated him to reach out to Russia and Iran.
### Defense Response
In a statement issued Thursday, the man’s defense attorneys questioned the espionage verdict under Norwegian law. Attorney Inger Zadig of Elden Law Firm stated:
“He lied about having security clearance to agents from other countries and exaggerated his own role. He had roughly the same level of access as a janitor at the embassy. The information he shared was worthless and neither separately nor collectively capable of harming individuals or the security interests of any state.”
The defendant was found guilty of five espionage-related charges but was acquitted of gross corruption.
### Next Steps
The defense team is currently considering whether to appeal the verdict. Prosecutor Carl Fredrik Fari has also indicated that his team may appeal the sentence, as the state had originally requested a prison term of more than six years.
### Background
At the time of his arrest last November, the man was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in security and preparedness at Norway’s Arctic University (UiT). This case marks the second espionage-related incident linked to UiT in recent years.
In a notable prior case, a guest researcher at UiT, arrested on espionage allegations in 2022, was revealed to be a Russian national named Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin, who had been posing as a Brazilian named José Assis Giammaria. He was later involved in a major prisoner exchange between the West and Russia last year.
### Norway-Russia Relations
Norway shares a 198-kilometer (123-mile) border with Russia in the Arctic. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Norway has implemented strict entry restrictions for Russian nationals, reflecting heightened security concerns in the region.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/world/2025/10/16/a-former-security-guard-at-the-us-embassy-in-norway-is-convicted-of-spying-for-russia-and-iran/
**Night Patrols in the City: How Police Detect Crimes Hiding in the Dark**
*TOKYO, Oct 15* — A police officer approaches a parked car in a dark city parking lot. What emerges from inside is shocking. How do professionals detect crimes that hide in the night? This investigation delves into the work of officers on the front line.
The focus today is on the specialist patrol unit conducting street-level checks at night to prevent crime: the Automobile Patrol Unit.
—
“Please pull over to the left side of the road. Stop your vehicle on the left,” the officer instructed, stopping a man driving a white car. From the trunk, something unexpected appeared.
“What’s this? Be honest.”
“This is for smoking cannabis, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“How long ago?”
“About three or four years ago.”
The man had tools used for smoking marijuana. But why were they still in his trunk?
“I didn’t have anywhere else to put them, and I thought I might need them again,” he explained.
—
Alongside drugs, another serious problem is illegal immigration.
Suddenly, a man bolts from the scene — a foreigner.
“This isn’t his neighborhood.”
“He’s an overstayer.”
The problem is deep-rooted.
“Do you have other friends?”
“Yes, lots of them.”
“Also overstayers?”
“Many. A lot.”
With this in mind, the patrol investigated what kinds of crimes hide in the city at night, and how police spot them.
—
At around 11 p.m. in Saitama, a black car left a convenience store.
“Look, one of the license plate lights is out,” an officer noticed that one of the lights illuminating the license plate was broken. He signaled the driver to pull over.
“Please stop completely.”
Because the car violated maintenance standards, the officer stopped it and spoke with the driver.
“You don’t often see this, but please fix it as soon as possible.”
The driver, a man in his 20s, appeared unaware that the light was out.
“I also don’t have my driver’s license with me,” he admitted.
The man had committed two violations: driving with faulty equipment and not carrying his license.
—
Sensing something suspicious, the officer checked inside the car.
“What’s this? Pepper spray?”
Yes, a canister of pepper spray was found in a pocket beside the driver’s seat.
“Why do you have this?”
“For when someone tries to tailgate me.”
“I see. It’s for self-defense?”
“Yes.”
Even if not used, carrying such an item in public without a legitimate reason can violate the Minor Offenses Act.
“Please come with us to the station.”
“You’re not under arrest, but we need to investigate.”
Police escorted the man for questioning on suspicion of violating the Minor Offenses Act.
—
Just before 1 a.m. in Kawaguchi, officers on patrol spotted a man who, upon noticing the police car, suddenly ran away.
“What happened? Why did you run?”
The man’s erratic behavior was suspicious. Officers followed him into a nearby building.
“Why did you run? What’s going on?”
The man, in his 20s and Vietnamese, was brought outside and questioned.
“Do you have a residence card?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a visa?”
“No.”
After further questioning, the man finally admitted he had overstayed his visa.
“Are you overstaying?”
“Yes.”
Although he initially claimed there was “nothing” wrong, his passport revealed his visa had expired in 2023—two years earlier.
He had been working illegally at demolition sites since then.
—
While officers were questioning him, his phone rang repeatedly.
“Who’s calling you?”
“Friends.”
“Friends who are also overstayers?”
“Yes, many.”
The man was arrested on the spot for violating immigration laws.
—
In another case at 9 p.m. in Kawaguchi, police attempted to question a Vietnamese man in a parking lot.
The man ran, dropping his jacket as an officer grabbed it.
He was eventually surrounded by police and collapsed on the road.
His shoes and jacket were left behind during the chase.
“Are you overstaying?”
“Yes.”
Japan currently has around 75,000 people living illegally, some involved in criminal activities.
Police are strengthening their crackdown on such offenses.
—
Drug crimes are another major focus of these patrols.
While on patrol, officers noticed a man trying to avoid eye contact.
As they approached his vehicle, they asked, “Do you have anything dangerous in the car?”
The man complied at first but then became agitated.
“I’m in trouble.”
“Why are you in trouble?”
He tried to hide something inside the car.
“Police! Don’t resist!”
The officers restrained him, and after about 30 minutes, drug enforcement officers arrived.
“We suspect you’re involved with drugs.”
“Are you using?”
“No.”
“Are you carrying?”
“No.”
The man refused to provide a urine sample.
However, over an hour later, his statements became vague.
“Did you use today?”
“I don’t know. Maybe three days ago.”
He eventually hinted that he had used drugs.
—
The man, a single father, admitted he had turned to drugs due to stress from work.
A search of his bag revealed MDMA and methamphetamine.
He was arrested on suspicion of violating the Stimulants Control Act.
A woman with him also tested positive for drugs and was arrested.
—
Another patrol in Saitama stopped a black car leaving a parking lot after its driver appeared startled by police presence.
“Do you have anything dangerous with you?”
“No.”
But when asked to allow a search, the man became defensive.
“Please tell us what’s inside.”
“There’s nothing.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
The officer persisted, saying, “We can smell something.”
The man eventually admitted he had marijuana in his possession and had used it that day.
“How long have you been using?”
“For over a year.”
The man, a construction worker in his 30s, had two children in elementary school.
The officer urged him to stop, warning, “If you keep this up, it could lead to stronger drugs like cocaine or methamphetamine, and then it’s too late.”
A further search of the car found marijuana residue under the seat.
The man tested positive and was arrested.
—
Through these cases, the work of the Automobile Patrol Unit shows that crimes can be found in the most ordinary places.
Police officers remain vigilant, noticing even the smallest irregularities to protect the safety of the community.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147288.php
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西日本新聞の有料会員限定記事よりお届けします。
兵庫県宝塚市でクロスボウを使い3人を殺害したとして、野津英滉被告（写真は2020年撮影、兵庫県警宝塚署でのもの）に対し、検察側は死刑を求刑しました。被告は家族ら4人を標的にしていたとされています。
※本記事は有料会員限定です。残り330文字の全文は以下のリンクよりご覧いただけます。
7日間無料トライアル 1日37円で読み放題。年払いならさらにお得です。
