Northeast
Suspected Sinaloa Cartel members apprehended in 23-state sweep by DEA
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A massive nationwide crackdown on the deadly Sinaloa Cartel has culminated in more than 600 arrests, officials say.
The big swoop included 171 suspects in New England, as part of a week-long operation that targeted one of the world’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations, according to officials.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced Monday that from Aug. 25 to 29, agents arrested 617 people with ties to the cartel across 23 field divisions in the U.S.
The enforcement action, billed as a DEA surge, also netted a massive haul of drugs, firearms, and cash.
TRUMP-SIGNED FENTANYL LAW WILL END ‘CAT AND MOUSE’ WITH TRAFFICKERS, STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL SAY
DEA officers detain two suspects outside a Franklin, N.H., residence during a fentanyl trafficking raid on Aug. 27, 2025. (@DEANEWENGLAND via X)
Among the seizures: 480 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 2,209 kilograms of methamphetamine, 7,469 kilograms of cocaine, 16.5 kilograms of heroin, more than 714,000 counterfeit pills, 420 firearms, and $11 million in cash.
“These results demonstrate the full weight of DEA’s commitment to protecting the American people,” DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said in a statement.
“Every kilogram of poison seized, every dollar stripped from the cartels, and every arrest we make represents lives saved and communities defended. DEA will not relent until the Sinaloa Cartel is dismantled from top to bottom.”
DEA, FBI SEIZE $10 MILLION IN CRYPTOCURRENCY ‘DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE SINALOA CARTEL’
Investigators display cash seized during a DEA raid in Franklin, N.H., targeting cartel-linked fentanyl distribution on Aug. 27, 2025. (@DEANEWENGLAND via X)
In New England, officials said 171 suspected cartel members were arrested, and 244 kilograms of drugs, 22,115 counterfeit pills, $1.3 million in cash, and 33 guns were seized.
Arrest totals included 64 in Connecticut, 49 in Massachusetts, 33 in New Hampshire, 11 in Maine, 10 in Rhode Island, and three in Vermont.
“They’re our public enemy number one in New England,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New England Division.
One of the largest coordinated takedowns in the region came on Aug. 27 in Franklin, New Hampshire, where 27 people were arrested after a three-month investigation.
Authorities said the suspects had trafficked fentanyl and methamphetamine from Lawrence, Massachusetts.
The operation underscored the cartel’s reach into both large urban centers and small rural communities.
“This shows that the Sinaloa Cartel’s tentacles spread far and deep; no community is spared,” said Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Division, which covers Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Drug Enforcement Administration for comment.
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New Hampshire
High winds, heavy rains lead to scattered NH outages
High winds and widespread rain contributed to more than 12,000 power outages Saturday as a low pressure system passes over New Hampshire.
A high wind advisory remains in effect for southeastern New Hampshire until midday.
There is a high surf advisory in effect for the Seacoast area until 8 p.m. Saturday, with large-breaking waves in the range of 6-9 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
The forecast warns of dangerous wintry winds for hikers and campers, with heavy wet snow likely at higher elevations and a foot of snow possible on summits in the White Mountains.
In southeastern New Hampshire, the wind advisory calls for steady winds of 15-25 mph, and potential wind gusts up to 50 mph.
Eversource reported over 10,000 outages as of 9:30 a.m. Unitil had about 1,400 outages at that time.
The Mount Washington Observatory has recorded winterlike weather over the past 24 hours. Weather observers there say over half a foot of snow and sleet has fallen at the summit.
New Jersey
Dueling protests face off at New Jersey ICE detention center over detainee conditions
Tensions rose at a Newark, New Jersey, immigration detention center on Saturday as a group of pro-ICE protesters faced off with demonstrators who have maintained a presence outside the facility for more than a week in support of detainees who they say are enduring inhumane conditions inside.
Saturday morning’s protests outside the Delaney Hall facility saw a heavy police presence, including a group of officers with riot shields blocking the entrance. At one point, a group of federal agents, some carrying long guns, and an armored vehicle were stationed outside.
A day earlier, New Jersey’s Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced that the state would establish a protected peaceful protest zone outside the facility, citing safety concerns following protests in Minneapolis earlier this year where federal agents killed two American citizens.
Sherrill said Saturday that she was “grateful to the vast majority of protesters who have assembled peacefully and raised their voices about Delaney Hall’s conditions.” She reiterated calls to “keep the temperature down” following the arrest of six people outside the facility late Friday night after protesters failed to follow police orders to disperse. The governor said five of the six arrested were from out of state.
“To the people coming from out of state to create chaos and dangerous situations, you should not be here,” she said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. “You are not helping the people detained at Delaney Hall. You’re not helping detainee families, and you’re certainly not keeping New Jersey safe.”
Sherrill’s announcement followed days of tensions outside the Delaney Hall facility over allegations of abysmal conditions and the use of violence against detainees, which the Department of Homeland Security denies. Nine people demonstrating in support of detainees were arrested Thursday following clashes with ICE officers.
Shouting matches between protesters
The atmosphere on Saturday was tense but peaceful. Police set up fencing to establish protest areas and separate the groups. Later, police officers blocking the entrance to the facility were seen without riot gear.
Protesters rallying in support of immigrants inside the facility banged on drums and chanted, “Shut down Delaney Hall, free them all!” and “Shut this racist system down!”
Some held signs saying “ICE OUT NOW,” and a group of healthcare workers held signs reading “Doctor against deportations” and “Health care worker against deportations.”
Many of the demonstrators have said they were protesting what they described as unsafe and inhumane conditions inside Delaney Hall.
Ashley Kussman said she was protesting for the detainees who were being held “in cruel conditions and who are being abused by our government and by a private corporation acting for our government,” referring to DHS and GEO Group, the private company that runs the facility.
“I am very worried for the state of our country,” she told The Associated Press. “I support the Constitution. I support democracy and I support the freedom to speak, the freedom to gather, the freedom to live without having to worry that you’re going to get kidnapped off the street by somebody in a mask and a uniform.”
Separated by fencing, the group of pro-ICE protesters held American flags and chanted, “USA, USA.”
They held signs that read “Make America Great Again” and “Support ICE.”
“We’re here basically to support ICE and the situations and the dealings that they’re unfortunately coming about. They’re just trying to do their jobs,” protester Michael, who declined to give his last name, told the AP.
“These officers are just under crazy scrutiny,” he said. “They just go out every day to risk their lives on the line and make sure that we make it home safe.”
Some protesters shouted across the fencing at each other.
“For days, we’ve heard reports of unsafe, inhumane and unconstitutional conditions there,” Sherrill said at a news conference Friday. “We’ve seen increasing violence, arrest and pepper spray at Delaney Hall, as well as public threats from the Trump administration, and we’ve seen the risk to public safety rising outside of Delaney Hall.”
DHS said on social media Saturday that ICE agents had “been bitten and faced death threats and assaults from violent rioters in New Jersey.” The agency thanked New Jersey law enforcement.
DHS and GEO Group did not respond to NBC News’ requests for comment on Saturday.
Regarding allegations of violence against the detainees inside the facility, GEO Group said in a statement Friday that staff responded to a “physical altercation involving detainees at Delaney Hall” on Thursday and that, in accordance with its policies, staff used “control measures to safely resolve the situation, including the limited use of chemical agents.”
The company added that its response was “carried out in strict adherence to federal standards and comprehensive training,” and that affected detainees were evaluated by on-site medical personnel and “were cleared with no serious injuries.”
GEO Group also said it categorically rejected what it called “baseless accusations” against the facility, which it said were “politically motivated,” adding that its services are monitored by ICE and DHS.
It said its support services include “around-the-clock access to medical care,” dietitian-approved meals, religious and specialty diets and access to medical care, the statement said.
Another night of tension
The protests remained tense on Friday night. As police erected protest barriers, ICE agents who had formed a line in front of protesters moved inside the building’s perimeter fence, according to NBC New York. New Jersey State Police Lt. Col. David Sierotowicz said ICE officers agreed to stand down as state police assumed responsibility.
Demonstrators had mixed reactions to the barriers. Some staged a sit-in and refused to move into one of the new protest areas police established using metal barriers and concrete blocks.
Around 10 p.m. on Friday night, a large team of state police carrying riot shields moved on protesters after reportedly giving those outside the facility a 15-minute warning.
Police began pushing the group of protesters back and deployed pepper spray. Moments after the chaos unfolded, police approached a marked WNBC news vehicle parked near the commotion and ordered the crew to exit the car into the cloud of tear gas.
Sierotowicz said at the news conference alongside the governor on Saturday that authorities spent several hours the previous night directing protesters to move to a designated area.
After some protesters failed to comply, police issued dispersal orders at 15-, 10- and 5-minute intervals, he said.
“During these announcements, agitators surrounded a marked enforcement vehicle car and made threats towards personnel, creating immediate safety concerns due to escalating safety risks,” he said.
Sierotowicz said some protesters “were observed retrieving face coverings, gas masks, fireworks, rocks, and other projectiles” and a public safety response team was deployed to move the crowd away from the area and create “safe passage for personnel with no significant injuries to the public or law enforcement.”
The ACLU of New Jersey said Saturday that the protests at the facility “have been overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations of people exercising their constitutional right to call out the inhumanity of the immigration detention and deportation system.”
“New Jersey’s response must prioritize the safety and well-being of people — not mimic the dangerous and overly militarized tactics of the federal government,” John Butler, the political director of the ACLU of New Jersey, said in a statement. “The New Jersey State Police’s actions against protesters at Delaney Hall were an unnecessary response to free speech and the right to peaceful protest.”
“The real harm we’re facing isn’t from peaceful protests, but from the rampant ICE raids tearing apart our communities, the brutality of the immigration detention system, and the retaliation and excessive force being used against detainees, observers, journalists, and protesters,” he said.
Pennsylvania
Man accused of using excavator to destroy home with family inside
Court records show a man is facing numerous charges after local news outlets reported he was accused of partially demolishing his Pennsylvania home with members of his family still inside.
Erik Pierwsza, 48, is charged with three counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count each of causing a catastrophe and disorderly conduct, according to court documents reviewed by USA TODAY.
According to local media outlet WTAE, Pierwsza allegedly destroyed a portion of his home with an excavator, while his wife and two children were inside. Pierwsza is a resident of Buffalo Township, roughly 30 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
The Buffalo Township Police Department did not immediately return USA TODAY’s request for more information. Court records did not list representation for Pierwsza and noted that he is not currently represented by a public defender.
According to a criminal complaint reported on by WTAE and WPXI, Pierswza had allegedly got into an argument, at which point Pierswza threatened to tear down the house.
He then allegedly climbed into the excavator and began demolishing the home, per the outlets.
According to WPXI, no one was injured.
Pierwsza is being held at Butler County Prison on $10,000 bond, per court documents.
Drew Pittock covers national trending news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
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