𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗥𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗞 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗡 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗩𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠.𝗜.𝗧., 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝟲𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦

              by Jim Barton                Sources: Border Report, New York Times                         

President Donald Trump has abruptly reversed course on a hallmark of his immigration agenda, announcing that his administration will welcome as many as 600,000 students from China into American universities, despite having spent years seeking to block or expel foreign students through restrictive visa rules and targeted enforcement. 

The shift, framed as part of ongoing trade negotiations with Beijing, highlights the competing impulses of Trump’s presidency: a hardline stance on immigration and national security alongside a pragmatic acknowledgment of the economic and diplomatic importance of international education.

Throughout his presidency, Trump sought to impose stricter vetting and tighter visa rules on foreign students, with particular focus on China and Muslim-majority nations. His administration introduced rigorous social media screening for visa applicants, sought to end the long-standing practice of “duration of status” that allowed students to remain in the U.S. for the length of their academic program, and attempted to limit or dismantle the Optional Practical Training program, which gives international graduates work opportunities in the United States. Reports during his first term showed a sharp rise in visa denials and lengthy delays for students applying from abroad, contributing to declining international enrollment.

Enforcement efforts were equally aggressive. In 2020, Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a directive that would have forced international students in online-only courses during the pandemic to leave the country. The rule was rescinded only after lawsuits from Harvard, MIT, and other universities. 

More recently, the State Department revoked hundreds of visas for students involved in campus protests, particularly those connected to pro-Palestinian activism, often citing vague security concerns. The administration also used data-sharing tools to revoke visas for minor infractions such as traffic violations, a policy later overturned after a wave of lawsuits. In high-profile cases, individual students and scholars from China were singled out for deportation based on unspecified national security grounds, fueling accusations that the administration was conflating academic ties with espionage.

Trump’s rhetoric consistently amplified those measures. He accused elite institutions such as Harvard and MIT of harboring students connected to the Chinese Communist Party and warned that Chinese nationals were exploiting the U.S. student visa system to steal intellectual property. At one point, his administration openly discussed steep cuts to Chinese student visas, leaving many undergraduates and graduate students uncertain about their academic futures.

Now, Trump has adopted a strikingly different tone. At a recent Cabinet meeting, he dismissed the idea of restricting Chinese enrollment, declaring, “It’s very insulting to say students can’t come here. If you take out 300,000 or 600,000 students out of the system, our college system would go to hell very quickly.”

                                     

He added that he had assured President Xi Jinping the United States was “honored to have their students here.” The comments underscore a shift from framing Chinese students as potential security threats to presenting them as crucial to the survival of American higher education, where international tuition often helps sustain budgets. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made that point explicit, warning that without international enrollment “the bottom 15% of universities and colleges would go out of business in America.”

The reversal has ignited sharp criticism on the right. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia denounced the plan as a national security risk, while conservative commentators accused Trump of betraying his “America First” message. Some argued that if universities cannot survive without foreign students, they should be allowed to collapse. “Let them go under, then! What is this madness?” wrote columnist Kira Davis. Others went further, alleging that Chinese students in the United States were uniformly tied to espionage efforts and intellectual property theft.

Yet some supporters of the new approach contend that hosting Chinese students is strategically beneficial, offering the United States a soft power advantage. By bringing future Chinese leaders, scientists, and innovators to study in the U.S., they argue, Washington has an opportunity to shape perspectives and build long-term influence.

The contradiction is difficult to ignore. Trump is proposing to more than double the number of Chinese students in the U.S., even as his administration continues to enforce tougher screenings and revoke visas under the banner of national security. 

For universities that once sued his administration to stop expulsions and restrictions, the about-face offers relief, though tempered by uncertainty over how long such a policy can last. For Trump, the move represents a delicate balancing act between nationalist politics and global economic realities, one that risks alienating both allies and critics as he navigates the competing pressures of ideology and pragmatism.

           

Top: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Bottom: Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick

---

𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗕𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬; 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗔 𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗡𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗕𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘?

 "Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." 

Saint Matthew, Chapter 25, verses 36-40, King James Version

As a non-Christian, but a respecter of the teachings of the historical Jesus, I wonder if those teachings are alive and well today in Brownsville and the RGV where we have actual immigrants on our bridges.

Of course, we do have the Diocese of Brownsville Immigration Services, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Proyecto Juan Diego, and the South Texas Immigration Council to help immigrants navigate the legal hurdles, but also the Good Neighbor Settlement House, where meals are served, hygiene kits are offered, and dignity is restored daily to migrants, the poor, and the unhoused. These are not just services, but acts of compassion that seem to harmonize with Jesus' words quoted above.

OK, I know Trump once held up a Bible, but does he reflect what it teaches and, if you're a MAGA follower, do you?

                  

𝗨.𝗦. 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗬𝗡𝗢𝗦𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗦𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗖 𝗔𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗬 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗦 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗨𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗦𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗦

                

Davinci Cosmetic Clinic, Santander Hospital, both in Reynosa

A woman, a resident of the United States, died at a Reynosa cosmetic clinic (DAVINCI) while undergoing liposuction. According to initial reports, the patient suffered cardiac arrest and, although she was rushed to Santander Hospital, she was admitted without vital signs.

This incident has sparked controversy, as just a few days ago a similar case was reported in Monterrey, where another patient died during a cosmetic procedure.

Many of these establishments do not have certified plastic surgeons, but rather general or "cosmetic" physicians who lack the training or facilities necessary to handle serious medical complications.

A certified plastic surgeon undergoes years of training, official endorsements, and certified hospitals, while so-called "cosmetic clinics" often lack equipment, emergency protocols, and trained personnel.

The situation has raised a serious question: who is actually operating on patients and under what conditions are these surgeries performed?

       

𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗢𝗟𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗛𝗨𝗧 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘; 𝟭𝟯 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗨𝗘𝗗

      by Jim Barton   Sources: WRBL News, Border Report

Texas authorities have intensified their crackdown on massage parlors linked to human trafficking, shutting down dozens of establishments across the state while rescuing a 13-year-old girl who was being forced to work at one of them.

According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), since late 2023 the agency has issued 51 emergency orders affecting 70 locations, resulting in the permanent or indefinite closure of 53 massage parlors suspected of ties to human trafficking and prostitution. The closures stem from a 2023 law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott granting TDLR’s executive director authority to issue immediate shutdown orders if there is reason to believe human trafficking is taking place.

One of the most disturbing cases surfaced this month in Houston, where a joint investigation by TDLR, the FBI, a Harris County constable Precinct 4, and the Harris County Sheriff’s Department revealed that employees at Rainbow Foot Relax Massage were being coerced into prostitution. Investigators also discovered that the business was advertising sexual services on illicit websites. During the operation, deputies rescued a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly being forced to work at the parlor. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed that the girl is now safe and receiving support services, crediting the rescue to a tip from a concerned resident.

Three people connected to the business, 76-year-old owner Shi Shin Chow, his wife, 52-year-old Chenxi Zou and 43-year-old manager Yuqin McGee, were arrested and charged with promotion of prostitution. All three were booked into the Harris County Jail before bonding out. In addition to the arrests, TDLR has prohibited the operators from running another massage establishment at the Houston location for at least 12 months.

The case highlights the broader scope of illicit massage operations uncovered across Texas. In Austin, investigators recently shut down two businesses, including Rejuve Wellness LLC, where unlicensed workers were discovered and advertisements offering sexual services were found online. In Laredo, a parlor known as 168 Foot Spa was permanently banned after inspectors linked it to human smuggling and prostitution. Similar violations, including unlicensed workers, evidence of employees living on-site, and sexual paraphernalia, were documented at parlors in Midland, Katy, Spring, Plano, Big Spring, and Houston, many owned by the same operator.

Authorities say these investigations demonstrate a troubling trend of massage parlors doubling as fronts for human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Since September 2023, when the new state law went into effect, TDLR has issued nearly 40 additional emergency orders targeting such establishments.

While the statewide closures reflect growing law enforcement pressure on these operations, officials emphasized that the rescue of the Houston teenager underscores what is at stake. “This young girl is safe today because someone spoke up and because agencies worked together to stop this criminal enterprise,” Sheriff Gonzalez said.

Investigators are urging the public to remain vigilant and to report suspicious activity, stressing that community involvement is critical in combating human trafficking and rescuing victims hidden in plain sight.

𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗔𝗗𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗣𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗚𝗘 𝗨𝗣𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗪𝗔𝗬

         by Jim Barton    Sources: Texas Tribune, Border Report, Office of Vicente Gonzalez, Jr.

President Donald Trump has approved construction of a new pedestrian-only international bridge connecting Brownsville and Matamoros, a project long sought by local officials to improve safety and reduce congestion at one of the busiest border crossings.

On Wednesday, Trump issued a presidential permit authorizing Cameron County to begin building the new Gateway Pedestrian International Bridge. The two-lane span will cross the river just upstream of the existing Gateway International Bridge and is expected to cost $10 million.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. announced Thursday that work could now move forward: “Yesterday, the Trump administration granted a presidential permit to Cameron County to construct, maintain and operate a pedestrian border crossing at the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville, Texas,” Treviño said.

The project, which has been in the works since December 2024, was made possible through a federal law that allows presidential permits to be fast-tracked for international crossings in Cameron, Maverick, and Webb counties while environmental reviews are still underway. However, construction must stop if environmental concerns arise during the process.

County officials said the dedicated pedestrian crossing will help ease traffic for the roughly 12,000 people who walk across the bridge each day, while separating them from passenger vehicles. Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) praised the approval. “I would like to thank the Trump administration for granting this permit. Every day people cross to go to work and attend school,” Gonzalez said. “This project will provide students and families a safer way to travel while also reducing traffic that slows down commerce and daily life for our border community. This is an excellent example of how bipartisan support leads to great results for everyone involved.”

Gonzalez, who has advocated for expansion of the Gateway International Bridge, secured $133 million in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and worked with Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other lawmakers to pass language in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act supporting new crossings in South Texas.

The presidential permit, issued under 33 U.S.C. 535d, lays out conditions to ensure compliance with federal laws, mitigation of environmental impacts, and cooperation with relevant agencies. It requires Cameron County to secure additional authorizations, fund construction, and operate and maintain the facilities. The President retains the authority to revoke or amend the permit at any time, and construction must begin within five years or the permit will expire. The document also makes clear the permit does not create enforceable rights against the U.S. government.

In addition to the new pedestrian crossing, the Trump administration has also issued permits for the $25 million Flor de Mayo International Bridge, a four-lane vehicular bridge linking north Brownsville and Matamoros that could open by May 31, 2029. 

Local officials say the Gateway Pedestrian International Bridge will not only improve safety and mobility but also bolster downtown economies on both sides of the Rio Grande. “Over the past year, Cameron County and the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority have actively advanced the project by collaborating with legislators to address the county’s infrastructure needs,” officials said in a statement, noting that federal legislation passed in late 2023 helped accelerate the timeline by up to five years.

The administration described the permit’s issuance as “a major milestone in strengthening our nation’s border infrastructure, supporting economic growth, and reinforcing our bilateral relationship with Mexico.” The new crossing, it said, will promote “safe, efficient and legitimate travel and commerce between the United States and Mexico, bringing tangible benefits to communities on both sides of the border.”

𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗢𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗢𝗥 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗚𝗗𝗔𝗗 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗚𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗞𝗜𝗗𝗦, 𝗔 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗕𝗔𝗚𝗗𝗔𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗛 𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗢

From the editor: A couple days ago, Matamoros Mayor Beto Granados paid a visit to the Bagdad community, now a small cluster of homes occupied by fishermen and their families on the northern coast of Tamaulipas, directly across the river from Boca Chica Beach.

We've long been intrigued by the former city of Bagdad, Tamaulipas, once connected by a wooden bridge across the Rio Grande River with Boca Chica Beach.  

Bagdad, founded in 1848, the same year scallywag Charles Stillman founded Brownsville, ballooned to a population of 20,000 or so, at the time more critical than either Brownsville or Matamoros, until it was wiped from the map in the 1880's by two consecutive hurricanes.  We've reposted below the 2022 article by Rich Tenorio of "Mexico News Daily" laying out the history of Bagdad:

Top: Brownsville Mayor Beto Granados bringing food and school supplies to the children of the fishing village of Bagdad, a wooden bridge across the Rio Grande connecting Bagdad with Boca Chica Beach, Austrian troops supporting the monarchy in Mexico, Free Black men who fought for the Union forces in the Civil War and Charles Stillman, founder of Brownsville

As the American Civil War began in 1861, Mexico was beginning its own battles, as President Benito Juárez began a fight against the French intervention in Mexico. A little-known fact is that the conflicts coalesced on a single spot that doesn’t exist anymore today: the Mexican port of Bagdad, Tamaulipas, located on the Rio Grande, on the United States-Mexico border.

Now vanished as a result of hurricanes, the memorably named port became a boomtown for a brief moment during the Civil War, making it a prize target for both Mexico’s French-backed imperialistas, who wished to restore a monarchy in Mexico, and the forces of the Mexican Republic.

Bagdad achieved prominence because of a loophole in Union policy at the outset of the Civil War. Although President Abraham Lincoln had declared a blockade of southern Confederate ports in order to block the seceded Confederacy’s access to resources, it did not apply to the international waters of the Rio Grande, leaving Bagdad open to trade with the Confederate states. It helped that Juárez’s government had declared neutrality in the Civil War, allowing Confederate states to get their prize cotton crops to international markets.

“Suddenly, there was great interest in the one little square point that would get you around the Union blockade,” said Richard B. McCaslin, the TSHA Professor of Texas History at the University of North Texas.

“It was the only port [where] Lincoln could not block cotton,” said Teresa Van Hoy, a professor of history at St. Mary’s University. “The lifeline of the Confederacy went through the Port of Bagdad.”

Bagdad ceased to exist in the 1880s after several hurricanes. All that remains is Playa Bagdad beach, part of the Matamoros municipality.

Located tantalizingly close to south Texas, Bagdad saw its population increase dramatically. A wide variety of establishments sprang up, including gambling houses and brothels.

Asked about the origins of its name, historians were unsure.

“I don’t know,” Van Hoy said. “It was at the bottom of the river, the mouth of the river. It was not spelled like Baghdad in Iraq, there was no ‘h’.”

“I have no idea,” McCaslin said. “It could be because of the wild nature, the exotic nature, of the place.”

Confederates sent cotton through Texas to Bagdad, where it was loaded onto ships and sent across the world. Meanwhile, supplies arrived in Bagdad for the South, including guns, ammunition, clothing and medicine. Goods were unloaded and brought upriver to Matamoros, then transported across the border to Brownsville, Texas.

“Since Matamoros did not have an outlet to the sea, one was improvised – Bagdad,” said Miguel Ángel González-Quiroga, an affiliated researcher in Mexican history and borderlands studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. “Many [people] became fabulously rich building their opportunities through Bagdad. It became a really fast boomtown, with maybe 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 people overnight, to take advantage of the Civil War trade.”

The trade there attracted interest not only from the South but also from Mexico and France – and even in the northern U.S., officially at war with the Confederacy.

“Lincoln couldn’t stop New York textile manufacturers from importing cotton,” Van Hoy said. “He dared not upset the flow of cotton supplies … It was a very delicate balancing act. One bale was worth US $10,000.”

“The number one product of the U.S. was cotton from the South,” McCaslin said. “The number one export from Texas was cotton. It was how you made serious money.”

When the French army of Napoleon III invaded Mexico and chased Juárez northward, the Mexican president hung on to Bagdad, where he got crucial financial support.

“[Bagdad] also becomes a lifeline for the Juaristas (partisans of Benito Juárez,” Van Hoy noted. “It’s the only source Juárez has of revenue throughout his resistance [in] Mexico to the French intervention — customs duties. He had no other source of revenue. The French blockaded the major ports — Veracruz and Acapulco.”

Yet, McCaslin said, “I’m not sure [Bagdad] helped Juárez much.”

The infantry of free Black men that fought for the Union forces in the American Civil War. Library of Congress

There was a lot of money for locals, McCaslin said. “How far it got into Mexico, I’m not sure,” he added. “It was so balkanized along the borderlands. To get money to trickle down into central Mexico … I’m not sure. How much Juárez [received], I’m not sure.”

Bagdad found itself in the center of a cross-border controversy, one that made Juárez consider cutting off his Bagdad lifeline.

A Confederate force crossed into Bagdad to capture two Union sympathizers – future Texas governor Edmund Davis and William Montgomery. The pair was brought to Texas, where Montgomery was lynched from a mesquite tree on March 10, 1863.

“This particular atrocity becomes a major international uproar,” Van Hoy said. “Mexico protested the armed invasion, the kidnapping, the lynching. They threatened to close Bagdad to all Confederate exports and imports.”

Although the Confederates mollified Juárez by releasing Edmund Davis, opportunities in Bagdad decreased due to the South’s worsening situation. Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s triumph in the Siege of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, split the Confederacy in two.

After Vicksburg, supplies from Bagdad could only support Confederate areas west of the Mississippi River. From late 1863 to early 1864, Union forces occupied the Rio Grande and shut off Bagdad entirely to the South before withdrawing for another campaign along Louisiana’s Red River.

In a further complication, the French finally captured Bagdad on Aug. 22, 1864. That spring, France had installed Archduke Maximilian of Austria on the throne of the Second Mexican Empire.

“[The French] established good relations with the Confederates across the river,” Van Hoy said. “Now the imperialistas occupied the south side of the river. The Confederates controlled the north [side].”

McCaslin said that “some of the local [Confederate] commanders … had very good working relationships with [imperialista general] Tomás Mejía and Maximilian’s army.”

In the wider sphere, he said, “The French looked to gain Confederate support. They courted [the South] a little bit … Lincoln made a deal with the French: If you don’t interfere with the Confederacy, if there’s no overt recognition, no negotiating, then I won’t interfere in Mexico.”

After the Civil War, however, Union forces occupied Texas. These forces – including free Black soldiers – ended up pressuring the French to leave Mexico.

“There were a lot of Black troops in Texas,” Van Hoy said. “It was already a tense situation: the Texans are furious with the 33rd Regiment [of Black troops in the Union army]. The last enslaved people to be freed in the U.S. are Texan… It made things very volatile in Bagdad.”Austrian troops brought in by the imperalist forces fighting for a monarchy in Mexico.

Some of the Black soldiers fought with the Juaristas in their victory over the imperialistas in the Battle of Bagdad on Jan. 4, 1866. 

However, the imperialistas reoccupied the port 20 days later with the help of 650 Austrian reinforcements. Bagdad fell to the Juaristas for the second and final time in June 1866, when it was surrendered and evacuated by Mejía, who also relinquished Matamoros.

“It was a turning point, the beginning of the end of the empire,” Van Hoy said.

Following the defeats of the Confederacy and the French, Bagdad shrank in importance and was eventually destroyed by hurricanes.

“Bagdad’s history itself is not very long,” Gonzalez-Quiroga said. “It only lasted 30 to 40 years.”

Yet its heyday blazed with intensity.

“Bagdad was a very huge hot spot,” Van Hoy said. “It was probably the hottest spot in all of Mexico, with Matamoros, for a few months.”

𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐏 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 (𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐉𝐎𝐒) 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊!

 

Trump's soon-to-be black border wall, Jagger, 81

𝗠𝗘𝗫𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗦, 𝟰𝟬𝟬 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗔𝗦, 𝟭𝟱𝟬 𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗢𝗦

Jaqueline Yamileth Briones, Denisse Reyes, both plastic surgery fatalities

The rise of unlicensed plastic surgeons in Tamaulipas is fueling a public health crisis that has already left behind deaths, infections, and countless stories of malpractice. The city of Matamoros draws patients from both Mexico and the United States, and has become one of the most notorious hotspots, where local authorities and medical associations warn of a dangerous surge in unlicensed plastic lqqsurgeons.” 

According to the Tamaulipas College of Plastic Surgeons, more than 400 general practitioners and doctors from other specialties are illegally performing cosmetic procedures across the state with at least 150 operating in Matamoros alone. These individuals, who often advertise their services aggressively on social media, attract clients from Texas, Oklahoma, Chicago, and even Miami with promises of quick and affordable transformations.

The risks, however, are devastating. Infections such as E. coli, tissue death, blood clots, and fungal meningitis have all been linked to unlicensed procedures carried out in unsafe conditions. 

In 2023, a fungal outbreak traced to surgical instruments at clinics in Matamoros triggered an international investigation involving U.S. and Mexican health authorities. More than 20 patients, many of them American, contracted fungal meningitis after undergoing surgeries that used contaminated anesthesia. Authorities later discovered that makeshift operating rooms had been set up in converted homes, with kitchens repurposed as sterilization areas and dining rooms turned into surgical theaters. By the end of that year, 16 cosmetic clinics were shut down for lacking qualified staff and proper accreditation.

The case of Estela, a young woman now fighting for her life after a botched liposuction in Ciudad Madero, illustrates the dangers. The procedure was carried out by José Luis “N,” who falsely claimed to belong to professional medical associations. Investigators later confirmed he had no valid license, despite running a fully functioning clinic. His case mirrors dozens of others where unlicensed doctors operate under the guise of belonging to cosmetic or aesthetic associations that do not actually authorize surgical practice.

Between 2021 and 2023, at least 10 people died in Matamoros after undergoing procedures at uncertified clinics, according to data from the college.  The organization’s president-elect, Dr. José Daniel Sauza Franco, stresses that the public must demand proof of certification from surgeons and verify their credentials through official channels. “Many of these people have already been banned from practicing, but they continue operating, advertising online,” he warned. “They present master’s or doctorate degrees in aesthetics as credentials, but these are not licenses to practice surgery.”

Patients are often lured by the perception of lower prices, but Sauza Franco explains that fake surgeons may charge the same, or even more, than qualified specialists. While a licensed plastic surgeon with accredited facilities may charge around 100,000 Mexican pesos($5,309.40 USD) for a procedure, unlicensed operators frequently match or exceed those fees, banking on their ability to recruit foreign patients who are less familiar with Mexico’s medical regulations.

The problem extends far beyond Tamaulipas. Across Mexico, similar tragedies have been reported, including the death of influencer Denisse Reyes after a liposuction in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, and the death of 25-year-old Jaqueline Yamileth Briones Torres in Monterrey, Nuevo León, which led to the closure of the clinic where she was treated. Both cases highlight how widespread the phenomenon of unlicensed cosmetic surgery has become.

Authorities and medical associations continue to urge the public to exercise caution. Patients are advised to verify a surgeon’s credentials through the Consejo Mexicano de Cirugía Plástica Estética y Reconstructiva, confirm their professional licenses with the Secretaría de Educación Pública, and check that the clinic is accredited by the Consejo de Salubridad General or international bodies such as the Joint Commission International. Specialists also stress the importance of seeking second opinions, reviewing patient testimonials, and avoiding clinics that pressure clients into rushed decisions or advertise suspiciously low prices.

The Tamaulipas College of Plastic Surgeons insists that reporting malpractice is essential to combating this underground industry. Complaints can be filed with Cofepris, Mexico’s federal health regulator, and in cases of severe harm, with the Public Prosecutor’s Office. As demand for cosmetic procedures grows, experts fear that unless patients learn to recognize and avoid unlicensed practitioners, tragedies like those in Matamoros will continue to multiply.

         

"𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗚𝗢𝗧 '𝗘𝗠, 𝗦𝗠𝗢𝗞𝗘 '𝗘𝗠!". . . 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗦𝗠𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗥 𝗜

 submitted by Rene Torres

 "LIGHT THEM UP!" SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE WITHOUT A SMOKE!

Smoking in the United States military has been observed through other wars, but close association with the U.S military started in WW I as tobacco companies began to target military personnel through the distribution of cigarettes in rations.

It was during that first world conflict that the local newspaper started the “Brownsville Herald Tobacco Fund,” a project supported by the U.S. government with arrangements to partner with the American Tobacco Company, a relationship that allowed companies to sell 45 cents worth of tobacco for 25 cents.

Donations in Brownsville were dropped off at the following businesses: Eagle Pharmacy, Harry’s Cigar Store, the Merchant Bank, Dreamland Theater, Rutledge Jewelry Store, Putegnat Pharmacy, Lawrence Olmstead, Willman Pharmacy, Jno. E. Putegnat, Texas Confectionery, Bollack Department Store and Olympia Confectionery.

A final declaration by the Herald read as follows:

“Do you know what it means to a soldier, at the end of a hard day’s work, to be without a smoke? Remember how often at home you were stranded, but think of your soldier friend at the front and what a “smoke” means to him. Thousands of our boys are

somewhere in France without their favorite smoke. Won’t you contribute 25 cents to your provide your soldier friend a week’s supply of tobacco?”

A returned post card was enclosed in each package so that every contributor would receive a personal acknowledgement of his gift. A last reminder by the daily newspaper: “Contribute! Organize your clubs, your church, your town, your office, your factory and give the boys a little comfort, their favorite smoke!"

𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗖 "𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘, 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗔" 𝗔𝗗

submitted by Rene Torres 

𝐕𝐋𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄

                                    

Perhaps Brownsville's MAGA faction is proud of Trump's effort in his Alaska meeting with Vlad Putin, but no deal was reached, not on Day One nor on Day 207, as the summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska ended without an agreement.  Putin just gets more time to plunder and kill in Ukraine.

Trump had promised he'd walk out of the talks if Putin wasn't "serious," but rolled out the red carpet for the savage dictator while thoroughly kissing his ass.

“We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,” Trump told reporters after the talks, describing them as “extremely productive” even as he admitted that no progress had been made on a ceasefire. Trump said he found Putin's idea of holding the next talks in Moscow "interesting."

So, Putin avoids increased U.S. sanctions, instead getting a very warm reception from a President who talks tough but acts weak.

Evelyn Farkas, of the McCain Institute and a former senior Pentagon official, said Putin had achieved his goal of stalling. “Unfortunately, I don’t think we made any progress at all,” she said. “President Trump literally rolled out a red carpet for a war criminal. That weakens the U.S., Europe, Ukraine, and the international order.”

Farkis continued: “The Ukrainian people have been very clear that they want their own sovereignty. Under international law, they have the right to that. Putin is challenging not just Ukraine, but the entire post–World War II system that was designed to prevent great wars.”

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy understands that, while nothing was accomplished, it could have been worse.  Trump and Putin could have announced a settlement pressuring the Ukraine leader into compliance. Instead, Zelenskyy now gets to meet with Trump along with leaders from Britain, France and Germany.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has raised the possibility of offering Ukraine “Article 5-like” security assurances, though he has stopped short of promising NATO membership or the full collective defense guarantees that come with it. Speaking about ongoing diplomatic discussions, Witkoff described the talks as a potential pathway toward stronger protection for Ukraine, but key details about how such guarantees would work remain absent.

Unlike NATO’s Article 5, which commits all alliance members to defend one another in the event of an attack, the assurances being floated do not represent a binding commitment from the United States or other NATO members. Instead, they are being positioned as an alternative framework aimed at addressing Russia’s longstanding opposition to Ukraine’s entry into the alliance.

According to CNN, Witkoff has also suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be open to concessions on territorial demands. However, no clear outline of what Moscow might be willing to yield has emerged, and Kyiv has repeatedly rejected the idea of ceding land in exchange for peace.

Even if an agreement on security guarantees is reached, uncertainty persists over enforcement and whether such measures would be strong enough to deter future Russian aggression. 

𝗨𝗧𝗥𝗚𝗩'𝗦 𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗧 & 𝗝𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗧 𝗩𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗨𝗠 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡!

 

𝗚𝗔𝗦 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗘𝗫𝗜𝗖𝗢 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗫 𝗞𝗘𝗘𝗣𝗦 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗨𝗕𝗔

 by Jim Barton, Sources: El Bravo, Reuters

While motorists in Mexico City, Nuevo León, the State of Mexico, and Chiapas report gasoline shortages, state oil company Pemex has continued shipping fuel to Cuba in large volumes. Between May 29 and June 27 of this year, Pemex registered with customs authorities the departure of 39 hydrocarbon shipments bound for the island, valued at more than $850 million, about 16 billion pesos. That figure nearly equals the $1 billion worth of oil exports Pemex sent to Cuba during the previous two years combined.

According to foreign trade databases such as Veritrade, the shipments included more than 10,000 barrels of crude oil and 132.5 million liters of jet fuel, oil, diesel, and regular gasoline. The exports were carried out through Gasolinas del Bienestar, a Pemex subsidiary created to handle hydrocarbon sales to Cuba. Satellite data reviewed by Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI) confirmed that shipments continued into July, with the Cuban tanker Sandino recently observed anchored in front of Pemex’s Pajaritos terminal in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz.

Gasolinas del Bienestar has reported heavy losses since its creation. In its first year of operations, the company recorded 5.836 billion pesos in debt, much of it tied to fuel donations to Cuba. An external audit found that Pemex subsidizes shipments to the island, with sales reported in 2023 and 2024 totaling nearly 19 billion pesos, almost identical to costs, leaving minimal profit.

President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in October 2024, has pledged to continue the policy initiated by Andrés Manuel López Obrador of sending fuel to Cuba, calling it a humanitarian measure. Customs records show that of the 38 shipments registered so far this year, all but one departed from Coatzacoalcos; the exception left from Tampico, carrying 6.8 million liters of diesel. The Cuban company Coreydan, SA, headquartered in the same building as state oil firm CUPET in Havana, appeared as importer on most transactions. In at least one case, the Mexican Foreign Ministry was listed as importer.

The shipments have been carried on a mix of Pemex-owned and Cuban-flagged vessels, including the Bicentenario, Ocean Mariner, and the Sandino. Records show repeated voyages between Mexican ports and Cuban refineries since 2023.

Meanwhile, Pemex’s domestic operations have faced mounting difficulties. In recent days, drivers in Mexico City and Monterrey have found stations closed or limiting service due to a lack of Magna and Premium gasoline. Shortages have also been reported in Chiapas, where protests have erupted over Pemex’s unpaid debts to suppliers.

President Sheinbaum has insisted that the problem is not a lack of fuel but a logistics bottleneck, tied in part to contracts for tanker trucks. She said vehicles acquired in 2019 under López Obrador’s government to fight fuel theft are now being transferred from the Defense Ministry to Pemex to improve distribution. “There is no shortage, and any issues related to transport contracts are being resolved,” she told reporters on Thursday.

Pemex issued a statement late Thursday acknowledging “temporary” problems in gasoline distribution in the capital and surrounding areas due to fewer available tankers but said it is implementing measures to reinforce supply, with additional delivery units expected to come online in the coming hours.