[FoxNews] The executive order signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared the situation a 'major disaster'.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order activating the Florida National Guard to assist with the "alarming influx of migrants landing in the Florida Keys" and to aid in efforts to prevent additional landings along the Florida Keys.
The order also directs state law enforcement agencies and other state agencies to provide resources to support local government in responding to the sharp increase in migrant landings in South Florida. The majority of the migrants are fleeing Cuba and other Caribbean nations.
"As the negative impacts of Biden’s lawless immigration policies continue unabated, the burden of the Biden administration’s failure falls on local law enforcement who lack the resources to deal with the crisis," DeSantis said. "That is why I am activating the National Guard and directing state resources to help alleviate the strain on local resources. When Biden continues to ignore his legal responsibilities, we will step in to support our communities."
According to a news release, the state will "will deploy air assets, including airplanes and helicopters from the Florida National Guard, and will bolster Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission marine patrol to support water interdictions and ensure the safety of migrants attempting to reach Florida through the Florida Straits."
DeSantis' move comes after the Coast Guard picked up over 300 migrants at Dry Tortugas National Park, the park is 70 miles west of Key West, on Wednesday and transported them to Key West on Thursday. Seven chartered buses were needed to take them to U.S. Border Patrol stations.
The Park Service was forced to close the park after hundreds of migrants arrived at the islands over the New Year's weekend. The park will reopen its doors to residents and visitors on January 8.
Since August 2022, federal, state and local law enforcement have encountered more than 8,000 migrants in waters off the coast of Florida, the governor's office said.
On Friday, the U.S. Border Patrol announced that over the previous 24 hours, agents responded to five landings and apprehended 90 Cuban migrants in the Florida Keys.
DeSantis' announcement comes a day after the Biden administration announced a new policy for immigration from Cuba and other countries at America’s land border with Mexico. On Thursday, Biden announced that the U.S. would allow 30,000 individuals a month from Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua.
"We anticipate this action is going to substantially reduce the number of people attempting to cross our southwest border without going through a legal process," Biden stated.
PRINCE HARRY PISSES OFF THE ENTIRE WORLD – The Royal ignited a firestorm after quotes from his recently released memoir, “Spare,” was criticized by the Taliban and by many of his former comrades in arms. In what appears to be an honest accounting of his combat tour in Afghanistan, he writes about ‘eliminating Baddies’ with a lack of remorse that appears to have infuriated a number of his acquaintances while simultaneously extending an invitation to the Taliban leadership to call for a war crimes investigation. Some comrades who served with the Prince have also criticized the recounting and say it puts him, his family, and those he fought alongside at risk of retaliation.
SUPREME LEADER SNUBS INTERNATIONAL MUSLIM SCHOLAR GROUP – In another sign that all is not well between Kandahar and Kabul, a delegation of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) was snubbed by the Supreme Leader, and their request for an audience was denied. The delegation had arrived in Afghanistan on a fact-finding trip to ascertain whether their organization could help the fledgling government by funding several priority areas of need. The delegation was received by the Minister of the Interior, Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is rapidly assuming the mantle of a ‘moderate’ in the Taliban. A source within the Ministry of the Interior says there is already a palpable sense of division between the old-guard Taliban and the younger generation embodied by both the Minister of Defense and the Interior.
LANDSLIDE IN BADAKHSHAN TRAPS SEVERAL MINERS – A landslide occurred at a gold mine in the Yawan District on Thursday night and at least 10 miners were reportedly trapped. It is believed the slide occurred after a moderately powerful earthquake struck the region. Rescue teams have been sent to the site and are working to free the trapped miners. The region suffers many of these catastrophes each year as artisanal mining is one of the few economic opportunities available to residents of the Province.
UPTICK IN ANTI-CHINA SENTIMENT ON JIHADIST SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS – After the December 12th attack on a hotel used primarily by Chinese nationals in Kabul. ISIS-K published a detailed editorial about the attack in its official al-Naba newsletter (15 December). The al-Naba article has since been translated into multiple languages and shared extensively among affiliate groups. Pakistan recently had to intervene and disperse an anti-China protest at the Gwadar Port. With the announcement of the recent long-term oil deal between the Taliban and China, ISIS-K will likely target more Chinese activities in Afghanistan.
CONFLICT TRACKER Helmand: The ALM claims to have assassinated the Taliban leader of the Musa Kala district in a targeted attack. Mullah Mudasar was said to have been killed by gunfire, and an aid was wounded.
NEXT 24 HOURS: No Known Threats Received At This Time
[ShabelleMedia] Heavy explosions followed by sustained gunfire erupted on Friday morning at a Somali military base in Hilowle Gaab, a key area located near Run-nirgood.
The villagers said the battle raged on for several hours in the morning and both sides in the conflict traded heavy and small weapons, including RPGs, bombs, and machine guns.
The details add that soldiers and their commanders perished in the complex al-Shabaab ...... Somalia's version of the Taliban ...Arabic for students... , functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... in the town, which is one of the newly liberated areas in the Middle Shabelle region.
Al-Shabaab claimed its fighters ransacked the bases of the army and retook control of the town which sits on the Middle Shabelle-Galgadud regions’ border, a which is volatile zone.
The army officials say they repelled the attack and inflicted irretrievable losses on the snuffies who detonated boom-mobiles at the gates of the camps before beginning a shootout.
Hilowle Gaab was the latest area recaptured by SNA and local clan fighters from al-Shabaab during an offensive in the country’s Middle Shabelle, Hiran, Galgadud regions.
[Garowe] Three youthful al-Shabaab ...... the personification of Somali state failure... members have surrendered in Somalia amid an ongoing crackdown against the turbans in central and southern parts of the country, which has yielded positive results according to government statistics.
The government with the help of the US Africa Command, the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], and the local militia have managed to topple the group from most strategic places in the last four months, leading to accolades from members of the international community.
According to reports, the three youthful al-Shabaab members surrendered in Hudur District within Bakool region and were received by security and intelligence agents within the area. The security teams have granted amnesty to detectors who are ready to be repatriated.
The three men addressed the media after their defection, with Abdullahi Moalim Ibrahim claiming that he wanted to join school before he was lured to the al-Shabaab sect. The al-Shabaab usually take advantage of vulnerable youths during their recruitment across the country.
Ibrahim also confessed to taking part in battles as an al-Shabaab turban, particularly in the Aato district of the Bakool region. He asked for forgiveness while blaming ignorance for his decision to join the killer group which has been designated across the world.
The Deputy Governor for Bakool Ali Hussein Hassan said the room for defectors was still open noting that the government amnesty grant will be taken seriously. He also noted that the room for defection will not be granted once the government forces hit the ground running in the coming days.
Somalia's government has promised to help youths who drop out of school to resume studies once they defect from the al-Shabaab. The poverty levels in the country have significantly contributed to the high number of youths joining the turbans in the Horn of Africa nation according to reports.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS] A civilian was killed and seven others were wounded on Thursday by Saudi army fire in the border areas of Saada province, north of Yemen.
A local source reported that a civilian was killed as a result of Saudi artillery shelling on the border district of Shada.
This comes hours after the Saudi artillery targeted the same district, leaving five wounded, including an African immigrant, and the areas of Al-Raqaw and Afra in the border district of Monabbih , which resulted in the injury of two African immigrants.
Since the beginning of the week, the border areas of Saada have witnessed a major escalation by the Saudi army and continuous targeting of civilians, which left dozens of dead and wounded.
Commentary from Telegram channel of favelas
[ColonelCassad] About the fighting between the army and drug cartels in Mexico after another arrest of one of the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel.
Situation as of January 6, 2023.
According to official statements by the Mexican authorities, a law enforcement operation is currently underway in the north of the country amid the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán López, one of the sons of former Sinaloa cartel leader El Chapo.
▪️Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar and Alfredo Guzmán Salazar are the leaders of the Los Chapitos group. The structure claims to be part of the Sinaloa cartel, but other factions do not recognize them as part of the cartel.
These comrades have the most definite reputation - all the largest outbreaks of violence in the state are recorded on the account of Los Chapitos, which even the local criminals are recognized as incapable of negotiating.
▪️Many in Sinaloa were ready for Guzmán's "unexpected" arrest - they prepared shelters in the mountains in advance or left the country. A month before, military equipment began to be transferred to the state, and American planes from the Drug Enforcement Administration patrolled the sky.
A few hours before the capture of Guzman, the commander-in-chief of the 9th military zone of the Secretariat of National Defense in the state of Sinaloa changed - and this happened, in fact, in the dead of night.
▪️Cartel members continue to resist, although they retreat, burning civilian cars and seizing hospitals with doctors. It is known that American specialists are taking part in the special operation in Culiacan.
▪️Outbreaks of violence were recorded in the states of Sinaloa, Sonora and Nayarit - roads are blocked, shootings do not subside, airports are closed and mass events are canceled.
▪️To a greater extent, the public is shocked that the cartels took part in the air battle on a par with the Mexican troops. At the same time, the fact that helicopters and planes were at the disposal of the bandits is not surprising, if we recall that in some states entire units leave the army for cartels - and take with them everything they can. Some even go to the army to get the necessary training there for service on the narcos.
▪️It is noteworthy that chaos erupted in Mexico amid preparations for the North American Summit (which should be attended by Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau). In addition, just a few hours after the start of the special operation, former US President Donald Trump published a video message ( https://t.me/sex_drugs_kahlo/3898 ) about the need to use the US military in the fight against drug cartels.
▪️In fact, we can observe a partial cleansing of the local drug market and increased control of American structures over Mexico and other countries of the Western Hemisphere. Not only the redistribution of the drug market (relatively small, by the way) is beneficial here, but also the liberation of territories for the activities of companies relocated from Europe.
At the same time, it will not become safer here after the completion of the special operation - but these will already be the difficulties of the civilian population.
https://t.me/favelasemrus/4873 - zinc
Mexican security forces capture drug cartel leader Ovidio Guzman, a son of jailed kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, triggering a wave of violence ahead of a visit by #US President Joe Biden next week.https://t.co/mBtZMmcsHy
#2
Mexico is a failed, narco-state, and with a few exceptions, the cartels own almost every major aspect of economic, political and governmental power. It has been this way for decades, and shows zero chance of significant change as long as it exists, Remora-like, as a parasite on the soft under-belly of the United States.
The real threat is the way the ChiComs have harnessed the illegal alien trafficking and the fentanyl trade as a massive, corrosive tool to further de-stabilize the fractured political/cultural/economic landscape that is preesent-day America. Their penetration of the Puppet Show/demokrat thuggocracy is the deepest ever, and one only had to witness the despicable, dishonest, brazen speech by Hakeem Jefferies last night to see the face of it.
Attackers armed with guns and hand grenades ambush a police van assigned to guard polio workers in northwestern #Pakistan, wounding five policemen, authorities say.https://t.co/nnD5gGqsNb
Attackers armed with guns and hand grenades ambushed a police van assigned to guard polio workers in northwestern Pakistan, wounding five policemen, authorities said.
Police returned fire after coming under attack near a bridge in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to local police chief Aman Ullah.
The police chief, who was traveling with the convoy to a nearby vaccination site, said between six to eight suspected militants ambushed them, opened fire and threw hand grenades at the police van.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack but extremist militants often target polio teams and police protecting them, falsely claiming the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children. The latest anti-polio campaign started this week, the first in 2023.
[Shafaq News] On Friday, gunnies believed to be affiliated with ISIS attacked the Iraqi forces north of Baghdad.
A security source told Shafaq News agency, "the attack targeted a tower of the security forces in the al-Tarmiyah district and resulted in the injury of one soldier.
Recently, ISIS resumed its activities in al-Tarmiyah and clashed with the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization forces, killing and wounding many from both sides
[IsraelTimes] Shin Bet, police say investigation of 17-year-old from Umm al-Fahm led to arrests of two West Bank men; bomb-making materials seized
The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police on Friday said they recently foiled an attempt by two Paleostinians from the West Bank and an Arab Israeli minor to carry out a bombing attack.
According to a joint statement, the two Paleostinians were detained several weeks ago. An indictment is expected to be filed against them next week.
Their arrests followed that of a teenager from the northern Arab town of Umm al-Fahm,
...home of the militant arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Israel, which calls itself the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement....
who has since been charged for alleged affiliation with an unnamed terror group and possession of bomb-making materials.
The 17-year-old’s older bother, 18, was also detained, on November 28, but was later released without charge under restrictive conditions.
The family that bombs together...
At their home, police said officers found "diagrams and chemical materials for making bombs."
Full details of the teen’s indictment were withheld by the court as the identity of the minor is barred from publication.
The statement said the interrogation of the Umm al-Fahm teen led to the arrest of the two West Bank Paleostinians, both in their 20s.
The pair are set to be charged by a military court with affiliation with an unnamed terror group and other security offenses related to the planned bombing attack, the statement said. Their identities were not immediately published.
The arrests came at a time of rising violence in the West Bank, with the military pressing on with an anti-terror offensive following a series of terror attacks that left 31 people dead in 2022.
The military’s operation has netted more than 2,500 arrests in near-nightly raids. It has also left over 170 Paleostinians dead in 2022, and another four since the beginning of the year, many of them while carrying out attacks or during festivities with security forces, though some were uninvolved civilians.
In November, the Israel Defense Forces said the arrest operations had foiled some 500 terror attacks over the past year.
Also on Friday, the IDF and Shin Bet said troops had recently arrested several suspects over a shooting attack at the West Bank settlement of Shaked on December 23. One home was damaged by the shooting, which caused no injuries.
A local wing of the Paleostinian Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... terror group grabbed credit for that attack, but did not provide evidence.
[IsraelTimes] No injuries in attack near village of Jalamah; army says troops return fire at button men, hit fleeing vehicle
Paleostinian button men opened fire from a passing vehicle at a military post near the security barrier in the northern West Bank on Friday night, the Israel Defense Forces said.
According to the IDF, troops stationed near the post, close to the Paleostinian village of Jalamah, returned fire at the button men who fled and identified hitting the vehicle.
No Israeli soldiers were hurt, the military added.
There were no immediate reports of Paleostinians maimed as a result of the troops returning fire, and there was no immediate claim by local terror groups for the attack.
The incident came less than a day after a settlement security guard and a military post in the northern West Bank were targeted in shooting attacks.
The Nablus-based Lion’s Den terror group grabbed credit for both attacks Thursday night, publishing unclear videos purporting to show the moment of the shootings.
In recent months, Paleostinian button men have repeatedly targeted military posts, troops operating along the West Bank security barrier, Israeli settlements and civilians on the roads.
The Jalamah area specifically, including a nearby checkpoint, has been targeted numerous times. In September, two Paleostinian button men carried out a deadly attack in the area, killing Maj. Bar Falah, 30, the deputy commander of the elite Nahal reconnaissance unit.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[FoxNews] The executive order signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared the situation a 'major disaster'.
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
...... Somalia's version of the 
...... the personification of Somali state failure...
[Shafaq News] On Friday, 
[IsraelTimes] Shin Bet, police say investigation of 17-year-old from Umm al-Fahm led to arrests of two West Bank men; bomb-making materials seized
[IsraelTimes] No injuries in attack near village of Jalamah; army says troops return fire at 
