Texas

Gutfeld on the Texas ambush murder of police

PRESS CONFERENCE, MCALLEN, TEXAS POLICE CHIEF: “The suspect of the incident met our officers at the door, and shot both of our officers, both officers suffered fatal wounds// our officers did not draw their weapons, did not fire, never stood a chance.” So on Saturday, 2 police officers were ambushed and killed in Texas. Their names: Edelmiro Garza, age 45 and Ismael Chavez, age 39. Responding to a domestic disturbance — in the effort to stop violence, they became its victims. That’s the story of many cops’ lives. We report it, on this show because we realize the proportion of media coverage on such crimes, compared to other stories, is sorely lacking. When a violent act occurs that fits a narrative, it’s amplified to suit the media need. What need does it serve to report a story of two dead cops? For the rest of the media, very little. So they shrug it off. Fox News won’t. Today we’re living in an experiment. One conducted by mad social scientists, where a media and its internet platforms choose stories that manipulate emotion for the sake of clicks. They’ve put a price on rage and sell it by the minute So the bravery and hardships of law enforcement are ignored in favor of visual content untethered to data but tied to a narrative. In 2020, ironically, the media refuses to clearly see the truth of policing, instead of pushing stories that alarm and divide citizens. This rift is now energizing violent criminals, as Democratic mayors and other politicians follow the same path: deserting law and order — and you. And they laugh at those who now try to protect themselves. Politicians are scared of the mob. Scared of the media. As both cheer mayhem over peace officers. And if you cheer the police you’re made an unperson by the mob. Say “blue lives matter,” and see what happens. So even if you haven’t read Orwell, you get to live it. How long will we endure this? Until we decide enough is enough. So we report this story, not to make you angry, or sad. But to help you decide, when enough is enough.

As usual, Greg Gutfeld nails it with his biting commentary.  That was adapted from Greg’s “Gregologue” on “The Five” on July 13, 2020.  To see the video of this, and the following discussion on The Five, click on the text above.  Thanks Greg.

Trend of Armed Human Smuggler Arrests Continues in Texas near Border

Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents arrested another armed human smuggler in South Texas near the Rio Grande border with Mexico. Del Rio Sector agents patrolling Val Verde Road near the Mexican border with Texas attempted to stop a 2004 GMC Yukon SUV. As the vehicle stopped, about 16 people bailed out of the vehicle and fled on foot toward the Rio Grande, according to information provided by Del Rio Sector Border Patrol officials. Joined by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations aircrew, Border Patrol agents arrested the two U.S. citizen human smugglers and one of the Mexican illegal aliens before they could get to the river. Officials said the remainder of the group made it into the river and crossed back into Mexico. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Sector Foreign Operations Branch contacted the Mexican government and provided the location of the illegal crossing. Mexican law enforcement responded and rounded up the migrants. Mexican authorities turned them over to civil services in Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila, for processing. Agents searched the SUV and found a loaded .380 caliber Ruger pistol. They also found drug paraphernalia. A records check on the driver identified him as a 24-year-old U.S. citizen with a criminal record for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The smugglers now face a felony charge under 8 USC 1324, alien smuggling. They could also face a federal charge for being a felon in possession of a firearm. “With effective cooperation between our law enforcement partners, our reach to disrupt their dangerous activities is greatly enhanced.” Del Rio Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Doyle E. Amidon Jr. said in a written statement. “Collaboration continues to be an invaluable key to our success in capturing these dangerous criminals.” Under coronavirus protection protocols put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mexican illegal alien will likely be returned to his home country after clearing a medical screening and criminal background check.

This sorta thing is happening EVERY day in Texas, California, and other states on our border with Mexico.  It is just another reason (we’ve documented so many) why it is absolutely critical that we BUILD THE WALL NOW!!!….and put U.S. Army National Guard troops physically ON the border, until that wall/fence is finally built, above and below ground to prevent tunneling, etc.  Securing our southern border needs to be our federal government’s #1 domestic national security priority.  Period.  The Trump Administration is making big strides.  But, it’s nowhere near enough.

Armed Texans Defend Alamo from Potential Rioters

Armed Texans placed themselves at the Alamo Cenotaph Saturday afternoon in advance of George Floyd protests in San Antonio, Texas. Protesters defaced the monument early Friday with downward-facing arrows placed next to the statements “white supremacy,” “profit over People” and “the ALAMO,” according to an article by the San Antonio Express-News. Texans consider the Cenotaph sacred because it is a memorial to those who died fighting at the Alamo. “Well, it’s all pretty simple. If you’re mad that George Floyd got murdered, well good. So am I,” David Ahmad with Open Carry Texas said in a video posted on Facebook. “If you want to respond to that by burning Target, or a drug store, or looting a liquor store, or destroying the Alamo, you can kiss both sides of my ass. We’re going to put a stop to you.” He was very clear that some of those there would use “any means necessary” to put a stop to it. “So, just do it right. Protest the man’s death because it should be protested. Things need to change. This bullshit’s got to stop.” He warned protestors not to use Floyd’s death to “tear up the Alamo or tear up a restaurant,” or use it as an excuse to burn or steal. “This Is Texas Freedom Force,” warned that “the Brown Berets and Black Lives Matter” would be rallying at a park close to the Alamo. The nonprofit organization describes its mission as “Protectors Of All Things Texas.” The group posted on Facebook: “Given the incident that took place Thursday night (Cenotaph Vandalized) and the fact that PD did not protect that site, it is up to Texans to watch over our most valuable historical monument and ensure its safety.” A self-identified Second Amendment advocate who is a pastor and college instructor said he was there to support those armed and ready to protect the Cenotaph. He explained that the memorial had been defaced less than 48 hours ago. “They are showing up here to do what they have been doing for a long time. For months. And that’s protecting this place. For years for that matter.” He said they were standing up for what’s right.” He then invoked the names of Walter Scott of South Carolina, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and George Floyd of Minneapolis. “To make sure that 184 years ago when our true patriots were fighting to protect the Alamo, that I too can stand and let them know that it’s worth fighting for.” When asked about the “white supremacy” graffiti, he answered, “It’s saddening because they obviously don’t know the history of what has taken place.” He explained that 200 men fought for 13 days. “That was not just for white people. Or Hispanics. It was for Americans. That was the point whereby we still call the ‘rally cry.’ That rally cry is ‘Remember the Alamo.’ That rally cry is something that has affected me as an African American, as a black man in American, because that rally cry led toward the freedom for all of us.” Some said the group was not really concerned about any damage being done at the Alamo. Officers arrived at the Alamo Plaza dressed in riot and protective gear. They had batons and zip ties, and a few had shields, reported the San Antonio Express-News.

Good for these guys protecting the Alamo.  More people need to follow their fine lead, and stand up against these thugs and losers destroying businesses, government bldgs, and so on.  We have a Second Amendment, and the right to self-defense.  If you’re home or business is threatened, then stand firm and protect what’s yours.  Don’t let these thugs, losers, and punks win.

Texas fears losing oil-rich lands in Chinese takeover of weakened energy companies

Plunging prices have wreaked havoc on Texas oil companies struggling to avoid a wave of bankruptcies that has ravished the industry during the past five years, leaving them ripe takeover targets for rivals from China and elsewhere. Ninety-eight exploration and production companies in Texas with $75.7 billion of debt filed for bankruptcy from 2015 through 2020, according to the international law firm Haynes and Boone. That number is expected to grow even larger after West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices plunged 52 percent this year as stay-at-home orders designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 wiped out 30 million barrels per day of demand while Saudi Arabia and Russia ramped up production amid a price war. The companies’ vulnerability to foreign buyers raises the risk that the U.S. might lose control over valuable oil-producing lands in the Permian Basin, a swath of land in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico that helped the country become the world’s largest crude producer amid a shale boom. “We have discovered this volume of natural gas and oil that is more than any time in history,” said Wayne Christian, commissioner of the Texas Railroad Commission — the agency that regulates the state’s oil and gas industries. “I believe it’s a national security concern to allow unfriendly foreign countries to come in and buy land and oil in Texas and the United States,” he told FOX Business. A 2018 oil discovery in the Permian uncovered 46.3 billion barrels of crude, 281 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 20 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, according to an assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey. The discovery effectively doubled America’s oil and gas reserves and puts the country on a path for years of energy independence. A separate estimate from RS Energy Group found the discovery could be as large as 230 billion barrels. The oil industry is critical for the Texas economy, accounting for $16.3 billion of revenue in 2019 and about 10 percent of the state’s labor force. An oil worker makes about $132,000 a year, 1.6 times the state’s average wage. Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and BP are the major players in the industry, but there are also hundreds of companies that produce less than 1,000 barrels of oil per day. The scope of the industry reaches far beyond the oil and gas producers, also including midstream companies that operate pipelines, service rigs and more. To help smaller companies navigate the industry’s crisis, Christian said Texas is working on measures that include cutting regulations and permit costs. When the industry is prospering, such firms get bought out at a premium by the big international companies such as Exxon Mobil, leaving money in Texas and giving workers bonuses, Christian said. When markets sour, however, the firms can be snapped up at fire-sale prices. “The federal government should watch very carefully and raise their standards on who can buy,” Christian said. China and other countries are already “starting to look for deals,” said Malcolm McNeil, international practice co-leader at the law firm Arent Fox. He said that while recent volatility in oil prices has left some Chinese companies “cash poor,” those that have money are “going to be seeking bargains.” The uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the 2020 election will cause Chinese firms to “explore deals now, but wait to bargain-hunt until companies are really hurting” and there is more clarity on the political front, he added. Should President Trump win re-election, prospective acquisitions might be less appealing to Chinese buyers, given his administration’s prickly relationship with Beijing and efforts to limit Chinese control of vital U.S. resources. Any oil deal, unless it’s rudimentary, will likely involve the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which would require arduous reviews. U.S. law prohibits foreign companies from directly holding many oil, gas and mineral leases, but does allow them to form U.S. corporations to make purchases. Chinese acquisitions of U.S. oil and gas companies have faced increased scrutiny since China National Offshore Oil Corporation in 2005 attempted a takeover of the El Segundo, California-based explorer Unocal, now a subsidiary of Chevron, causing public uproar. While that deal was blocked, the Chinese firm Yantai Xinchao Industry Co. in 2015 received CFIUS approval to forge ahead with a $1.3 billion purchase of oil assets in the Permian Basin owned by Tall City Exploration and Plymouth Petroleum. Stewart Glickman, an energy analyst at New York-based CFRA Research, told FOX Business that barring a “rapid V-shaped recovery in oil prices,” there are going to be a “fair number of new Chapter 11 filings.” While Texas is an attractive investment destination for companies from China and elsewhere, it’s difficult for them to “swoop in” and start acquiring acreage “like a vulture feasting on a carcass,” he said. Though companies from China, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere may have experience in oil and gas, shale is a “U.S. phenomenon,” Glickman noted. A more plausible way for foreign companies to gain access to the rock, according to Glickman, is to enter a joint venture that gives them financial exposure but not operational exposure. He added that such a route would also be the way to go for those seeking to gain access through midstream and downstream businesses. But while the tactic might help eager overseas buyers reach lucrative deals, such developments are precisely what Christian, the Texas railroad commissioner, hopes to avoid. “I don’t want to wind up five years from now with, all of a sudden, some foreign country shutting down production in Texas because they own it, and prefer buying from their own reserves overseas,” Christian said. “I think that would be inefficient use, and I would think it would threaten national security.”

Court Rules Texas Can Ban Abortions During Pandemic

A federal appeals court backed the state of Texas Tuesday by allowing its enforcement of a ban on most abortions during the coronavirus pandemic. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans has overturned the decision of a lower court and affirmed the state’s right to ban elective abortions during the current crisis situation. Abbott and governors of other states have banned elective medical procedures, including abortions, in order to preserve personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers caring for victims of the infection caused by the novel coronavirus. The Texas Tribune reported Judge Kyle Duncan, a Donald Trump appointee, cited precedent from the U.S. Supreme Court in his decision, writing that “individual rights secured by the Constitution do not disappear during a public health crisis, but … Rights could be reasonably restricted during those times.” Duncan added: ” When faced with a society-threatening epidemic, a state may implement emergency measures that curtail constitutional rights so long as the measures have at least some “real or substantial relation” to the public health crisis and are not “beyond all question, a plain, palpable invasion of rights secured by the fundamental law.” The Fifth Circuit said U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, who blocked the Texas ban stating, “before fetal viability outside the womb, a state has no interest sufficient to justify an outright ban on abortions,” had erred in his order. According to the Tribune, Duncan said Yeakel’s order “[bestowed] on abortion providers a blanket exemption from a generally-applicable emergency public health measure.” Duncan said Yeakel had represented Abbott’s order as a total ban on abortions. “Properly understood,” he wrote, the governor’s executive order is a “temporary postponement” of many procedures, such as colonoscopies. Members of the abortion industry condemned the Fifth Circuit’s decision and vowed to take further legal action.

Of course they do.  Judge Kyle Duncan’s decision was well-thought out, and consistent with the “elective surgery” ban in TX and other states.

Disabled Woman Shoots, Kills Alleged Home Invader

A disabled woman in Houston, Texas, shot and killed an alleged home invader Saturday afternoon just before 3 p.m. KHOU reports that the woman was home alone when a 17-year-old and 18-year-old allegedly broke out a window, which allowed them to reach inside and unlock the exterior door. The 18-year-old allegedly led the way into the apartment thereafter and, because he was first in the door, ended up being the one who was shot. The deceased suspect has not been identified. However, the second suspect has been identified as Aren Lacour. Eighteen-year-old Ayanna Harrison has also been identified as the alleged getaway driver.

Hopefully that’s a lesson for other would-be home invaders.  Just because the owner is a disabled woman, doesn’t mean you’re gonna be able to take advantage of her.  We love stories like this which demonstrate the importance of owning a firearm.     🙂

Texas churchgoers are training to fight off attackers wielding guns

Beneath the Christmas lights still hanging in the church’s fellowship room, Jack Mills pointed a Glock handgun at his enemy’s chest and pulled the trigger. A loud crack rang out as a shell casing flew from the weapon, but the man facing the gunfire didn’t fall. Instead a red light on his high-tech vest began blinking, signaling a hit from the laser in Mills’ gun. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Mills began designing the equipment a year ago to help armed churchgoers learn how to confront a gunman. Shooting a paper target is one thing, Mills said. Firing at a real person is another. “If you haven’t shot somebody in the face, how do you know you can?” he said. Mills is part of a growing cottage industry in Texas that uses police-like tactics to train churchgoers who fear the next attack could target their house of worship. Requests for help spike after each tragedy, businesses said. The most recent came in December, when a man opened fire during Sunday service at a White Settlement church and killed two worshippers, before he was fatally shot by an armed congregant. There’s no official count of how many congregation members pack heat in Texas churches. But security businesses said the number is growing thanks to recent changes by the Legislature that make it easier for worshippers to carry guns in church and form teams of armed protectors. With few industry standards, however, the training offered in Texas runs the gamut from active shooter drills, to programs that demand congregants pass a psychological evaluation and train for hours in life-like scenarios. One Texas firm has a trainer walk the church halls shooting blanks, so parishioners learn what approaching gunfire sounds like in their own sanctuary. “What’s driving it is an awareness,” said Carl Chinn, president of the national Faith Based Security Network. “We were under some illusion that because we had a cross on the roof and a name over the door that we were somehow immune from these kinds of attacks.” Still, congregations grapple with whether to welcome guns in the door. Just under half of 1,000 Protestant pastors nationwide reported arming their members, according to a survey released in January by Lifeway Research. Roughly 6% of the pastors said they hire police or armed security during services, a step that can be out of reach for smaller churches that don’t have the funding. Some critics warn that letting congregants carry guns without any training could lead to catastrophe if a firefight erupts in a crowded church. It can be a delicate balance stationing armed congregants at the church doors, while still maintaining an atmosphere inviting to newcomers.

To read more, click on the text above.

Tomi Lahren: Why Dems don’t want to talk about the Texas church shooting

Sunday morning’s Texas church shooting is proof for why Americans need the Second Amendment, Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren said Tuesday. Appearing on “Fox & Friends” with hosts Dean Cain, Griff Jenkins and Rachel Campos-Duffy, Lahren said that the only way to “root out evil” is for “good people to stand up, step up, and do what they have been trained to do.” Two men were killed when a gunman opened fire Sunday at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas. More than 240 parishioners were inside. Within seconds, he was shot to death by two congregants who fired back. “It’s not just for hunting. It’s not just for recreation. It’s for incidents just like this,” said Lahren. “Well, you have a lot of Democrats and a lot of anti-gun rights advocates being very quiet right now because they don’t want to talk about what happened in Texas,” she noted. “Because they know that it’s a win for the Second Amendment and they know that it’s exactly why gun rights advocates talk about the Second Amendment and how important it is.” Lahren said that Democrats don’t want to “fess up” and “own that” because “they know it doesn’t do anything to their anti-gun narrative that they’re going to be pushing all through this election cycle.” She added that states’ gun-free zones neuter law-abiding citizens like the Texas churchgoers, adding that bad guys don’t care about laws. “If they cared about your laws, they would respect the laws in the book and not carry a shotgun into a church to destroy innocent lives,” she told the “Friends” hosts.

Exactly!  And well said, Tomi.  What happened in that church in Texas completely undermines the Dem, anti-gun narrative.  Good guys with guns neutralized a bad guy within 6 seconds…SIX SECONDS, and countless other lives were saved.  Period.  Those two law abiding gun owners stopped a bad guy and demonstrated the value of owning a firearm for personal protection.  That was the lesson/take-away from that incident.  And, the anti-gun Nazis are doing everything they can to downplay this event, because they know it undermines their narrative as we get ready to go into an election year.  Kudos to those two church parishioners in Texas for standing up and doing the right thing without giving it a moments thought.

1000 Migrants Apprehended at Texas Border in Largest Group Ever

El Paso Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended a historic 1,036 migrants in a single group near El Paso on Wednesday morning. The group included more than 60 unaccompanied minors. Agents patrolling the border near El Paso encountered the largest-ever single group of Central American migrants crossing the border at one time. The previous record migrant group consisted of a group of 430 migrants who crossed the border near El Paso on Monday, according to information obtained from El Paso Sector officials. Prior to that agents apprehended a single group of 424 Central American migrants who crossed the New Mexico border near Antelope Wells one month ago. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials reported that the 1,036 migrants apprehended early Wednesday morning consisted of mostly Central American migrants including 934 family units, 63 unaccompanied minors, and 39 single adults, NBC News reported. The migrants traveled to the U.S. from Guatemala (515), Honduras (135), and El Salvador (76). “Immigration advocates say more immigrants are traveling in large groups because they believe in ‘safety in numbers,’ as conditions along their journey are treacherous,” NBC News reported. “U.S. officials say the large groups overwhelm medical teams and border agents, who are most often patrolling in pairs.” It has been a very busy week for El Paso Sector agents who are responsible for a largely unsecured border that covers far West Texas and the New Mexico boot-heel. On Memorial Day, El Paso Sector agents established a new single-day record by apprehending more than 2,200 migrants, according to information obtained by Breitbart News from El Paso Sector officials. The migrants crossed the border in two large groups and several smaller groups, officials reported. Early Monday morning, agents patrolling near Antelope Wells, New Mexico, apprehended the first large group of the day. The agents captured more than 200 migrants. A few hours later, agents in El Paso apprehended what would be short-lived record group of 430 migrants who crossed near Bowie High School. By the end of the day, El Paso Sector agents would be tasked with processing more than 2,200 migrants. Of those, 1,850 were taken into custody in small groups who crossed in an area of El Paso bounded by Executive Boulevard and Midway Street, officials stated. The migrants will be processed and provided a health screening and criminal background check. Migrants who are suspected of making false family claims will be interviewed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents to determine the validity of their claim. It is likely that most of the migrant family units will be released after processing due to overcrowding. “This fiscal year to date the El Paso Sector has arrested over [130,000] illegal aliens, compared to over 16,000 during the same time last fiscal year,” El Paso Sector officials said in a written statement. “The numbers continue to rise and agents see no end in sight for this current situation.”

Holy crap!!  The need to BUILD THE WALL NOW!!…and put U.S. Army National Guard troops physically ON the border with Mexico, to prevent them stepping one foot on U.S. soil (and secure all sorts of freebies that we-the actual citizens of America pay for), is more urgently needed then ever before!  Call, or email, your member of Congress and BOTH U.S. Senators today, and tell them to fund the wall NOW!  No more playing politics with this one.  If you hear some Democrat or member of the dominantly liberal mainstream media (i.e. CNN, MSNBC, NBC, PBS/NPR, etc) spout off some ridiculous talking point that its a “manufactured crisis” or some other such nonsense, refer them to this article.  We have over 22 MILLION illegal aliens here in America, and this is what is coming across every day, adding to that number.  By definition, this is an invasion on our southern border.  And, if it were N. Koreans, Chinese, or Russians, we’d consider it an act of war.  Well, its WAY past time we treated this problem as such.  We need to BUILD the WALL, and at the same time  start deporting illegals by the hundreds of thousands (and yes, you read that correctly).  That’s just for starters, folks.  To do anything less is NOT in our national security or economic interests.

Border Patrol Arrests Previously Deported Child Rapist 75 Miles into Texas

Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a previously deported child rapist in a town located about 75 miles north of the Texas-Mexico border. Immigration officers deported the convicted sex offender in 2018. Agents assigned to the Rocksprings Border Patrol Station arrested a 26-year-old man they determined had illegally entered the U.S. The agents transported the subject to the station in Rocksprings, Texas, where they conducted a biometric background investigation. The investigation revealed that a court in Seattle, Washington, convicted the Mexican national in 2011 for rape of a child. Despite an extensive criminal history, the court in Seattle sentenced the criminal alien to only one year in state prison. Immigration officers removed the violent sex offender in 2018, according to information obtained from Del Rio Sector Border Patrol officials. “Violent criminals continue to illegally cross the border to make their way further into the United States,” Del Rio Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Matthew J. Hudak said in a written statement. “Our agents are committed to preventing these types of criminals from entering and harming our communities.” Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas are expected to file felony charges for illegal re-entry after removal as a sex offender. If convicted under the 8 USC § 1326 charge, the illegal immigrant could face up to 20 years in federal prison. “All individuals arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol undergo record checks using biometrics to ensure those with criminal history or gang affiliation are positively identified,” Del Rio Sector officials stated.