South
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives at Guantanamo Bay, calls it 'front lines of the war' on southern border
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Tuesday, his first trip to the naval installation since being confirmed to his post in January.
Hegseth, who served as a U.S. Army lieutenant at Guantánamo from 2004-05, was expected to receive briefings on all mission operations at the base, including the detention facility where illegal migrants deported from the United States are being housed before being flown to their native countries.
“Arrived at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay on the front lines of the war against America’s southern border,” the secretary wrote on X.
He was also expected to meet with troops at the base and aboard the USS Thomas Hudner. Images posted to Hegseth’s X account show him meeting and eating with troops stationed at Gitmo.
TRUMP ADMIN ENDS DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR MASSIVE NUMBER OF VENEZUELANS AMID ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth greets troops at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Hegseth arrived at the military installation on Tuesday, his first visit there since being confirmed in January. (@SecDef via X)
“These warriors are directly supporting the apprehension and deportation of dangerous illegal aliens,” he wrote. “We cannot thank them or their families enough.”
The base is best known for detaining terrorism suspects, including those behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. President Donald Trump authorized the detention of illegal immigrants at the facility shortly after taking office on Jan. 20.
In January, Trump said he wanted to expand immigrant detention centers at Guantánamo to hold as many as 30,000 people.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS SKYROCKET UNDER TRUMP ICE COMPARED TO BIDEN LEVELS LAST YEAR
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ate with troops stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Tuesday. (@SecDef via X)
“Some of them are so bad that we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re going to send ‘em out to Guantánamo,” Trump said at the time.
Last week, nearly 200 Venezuelan illegal immigrants arrested in the U.S. were flown back from Guantanamo Bay after Venezuela expressed interest in accepting its citizens.
Earlier this month, two Venezuelan flights carried 190 illegal immigrants from the U.S. to the South American nation.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks with troops at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (@SecDef via X)
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The U.S. government has alleged that Venezuelan illegal immigrants transferred to the naval base are members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. Trump has turned the gang into the face of the alleged threat posed by immigrants living in the country illegally.
Miami, FL
Future of Miami historic landmark continues in limbo after redevelopment plan rejected by zoning board
The fight over the future of the Coconut Grove Playhouse continues after a controversial redevelopment plan was rejected by a city zoning hearing on Wednesday.
The historic landmark, built in 1927, has been a dilapidated eyesore since it closed its doors in 2006. Developers had previously come in for renovations, but the project stalled following a partial collapse. The site is currently covered under a black tarp as the city continues to disagree on its final plans.
The city zoning hearing reviewing the proposal for the Coconut Grove Playhouse went late into the night on Wednesday. Miami-Dade County leaders plan to redevelop the site into an open campus with a new theater, shops, and parking. However, not all residents are for it.
“This is a place that is a treasure in Coconut Grove,” said Carl Hawks, a Coconut Grove resident.
Marlene Erven, with the Coconut Grove Women’s Club, explained the neighborhood’s concerns.
“We are fighting to preserve as much as we can for the intent of the property, which is a cultural use and to help the neighborhood be protected from the commercial intrusion of all of the development,” Erven said.
In the end, the plan was rejected, which thrilled residents like Erven.
“I think yesterday was a win to some extent for saving the Playhouse and the residents of West Grove,” Erven said.
While most “Grovites” disagree with the county’s major plan, they do say something needs to be done, all while keeping the history of the site alive.
The developers will now have to return to the drawing board. It is unknown when those new plans will be presented. The saga of the Coconut Grove Playhouse continues.
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are gearing up for rookie minicamp this weekend after a flurry of player moves over the last several weeks. General manager Ian Cunningham is not finished making changes to his roster, and the front office has reunited with another former player.
According to a press release from the team, the Falcons have signed cornerback Darren Hall and released safety Tysheem Johnson in a corresponding move.
Hall was originally selected by the franchise in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of San Diego State. Over his four seasons with the Falcons (2021-22) and Arizona Cardinals (2024-25), he has appeared in 48 games (12 starts), registering 85 total tackles, three tackles for loss, six passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
In the time between his stints in Atlanta and Arizona, Hall was a member of the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad (2023).
As a college player for the Aztecs, he tied the FBS lead for pass breakups with 16 in 2019. He appeared in 34 games (22 starts) over his three seasons (2018-20) with San Diego State, recording 134 tackles (101 solo), 31 passes defensed, eight tackles for loss, six interceptions, three forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery. He was a first-team All-Mountain West selection following the 2020 season.
As a pro, Hall’s career has not gone exactly as he would have hoped. 10 of Hall’s starts came with the Falcons, and he largely struggled in 2022. He surrendered 362 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 27 receptions against 37 targets. The Falcons waived him in August 2023 in favor of rookie Clark Phillips III, Jeff Okudah, Tre Flowers, and Mike Hughes.
Hall is still a versatile player with solid tackling ability, giving him a shot at being a depth cornerback on this roster or earning a spot on the practice squad. He will face stiff competition to earn that spot, with Phillips, Cobee Bryant, Darnay Holmes, Mike Ford Jr., C.J. Henderson, and Natrone Brooks all standing in his way.
For now, he is the second player from that 2021 draft class (Terry Fontenot’s first as a general manager) to receive some form of a second contract (Kyle Pitts was franchise tagged earlier this offseason) – it just did not happen the way anyone expected. Hall now becomes the third former Falcon to join the roster via free agency this offseason after stints with other franchises (Austin Hooper and Olamide Zaccheaus).
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