Illegal Chinese cannabis grow operations in the US have become a growing concern for law enforcement and local communities. These operations are often run by Chinese nationals and have been linked to transnational criminal organizations. The profits from these illegal operations are suspected to be sent back to China or used to fund other criminal activities.

These illegal grow sites are not only a threat to public safety and national security but also pose a significant challenge to local law enforcement agencies. In some cases, these operations have been linked to human trafficking, forced labor, drug trafficking, and violent crime.

There have been numerous reports of Chinese nationals operating thousands of illicit marijuana farms across the country, with a large concentration in states with legal marijuana programs. In Maine alone, the Department of Homeland Security has identified 270 suspected Chinese illegal marijuana grow operations that could be making an estimated $4.37 billion in revenue.

Despite the efforts of law enforcement agencies to crack down on these illegal operations, the problem persists. The increasing amount of Chinese funding and potential influence of the Chinese Communist Party has caught the attention of lawmakers and law enforcement alike. It is crucial for authorities to continue to investigate and address these criminal enterprises to protect American farmland and communities.

War between Armenia - Azerbaijan imminent?

It seems that tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been escalating in recent years, with several bouts of fighting occurring in 2022 and 2023. The conflict primarily revolves around the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In the past year, there have been numerous reports and discussions about the possibility of renewed war between the two countries. Some sources, such as the Caucasus-War-Report and the Kyiv Independent, have mentioned that a full-scale war could be approaching as early as this summer.

In 2023, the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, even warned lawmakers about a potential Azerbaijani invasion of Armenia. Additionally, the former NATO Secretary-General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has also expressed concerns about the possibility of renewed conflict.

However, it is important to note that these are speculations and opinions from various sources. The likelihood of a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot be accurately predicted, as it depends on various factors and the actions of both countries and their allies.

It is crucial for both sides to engage in diplomatic efforts to resolve their differences and prevent further escalation of the conflict. Another question could be who will come to Armenia's aid in case of conflict with Azerbaijan?

Trouble brewing in the middle east? Could the Israel - Hamas war spread to neighboring countries?

Largest movement of US/UK aircraft I've seen since the start of the last Iraq war - Operation Iraqi Freedom [2003]. I believe this to be a significant signal to our enemies that now is not the time to mess around, and potentially cause the break-out of a much larger global conflict. Iran seems to be signaling at this time they're in no position to be facing off against the United States and its allies, and neither is Hezbollah. Therefore, right now the threat against Israel from someone outside their borders is low. But as most of you that know about this middle east conflict, Jerusalem could be the tinder box to a holy war, if perhaps the red heifer is sacrificed and the Al-Aqsa Mosque is destroyed, in-order to build the third temple, I do not foresee the Arab nations surrounding Israel not getting involved to some degree if something like this were to take place. Gaza Strip could only be the beginning of a much larger war to come in the coming days, if you believe in the prophecy of the Bible.  

Open-Source Intelligence Collection, Definition [to include human-intelligence, signals-intelligence, & cyber-intelligence]: 

Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) is the collection and analysis of data gathered from open sources to produce actionable intelligence. In the past it's been used primarily in national security, law enforcement, and business intelligence functions. OSINT sources can be categorized into six different subjects of information flow. Media, printed newspapers, magazines, radio, and television from across and between countries. Internet [changed OSINT fundamentally], online publications, blogs, discussion groups, citizen media, YouTube, and other social media platforms. Public government data, government reports, budgets, hearings, telephone directories, press conferences, websites, and public speeches. Professional and academic publications, information acquired from journalists, conference symposia's, academic papers, dissertations, and theses. Commercial data, commercial imagery, financial and industrial assessments, and databases. Grey literature, technical reports, preprints, patents, working papers, business documents, unpublished works, and newsletters. OSINT is defined by the United States of America by public law 109-163 as intelligence "produced by publicly available information that is collected, exploited, and disseminated in a timely manner to an appropriate audience [subjective] for the purpose of addressing a specific intelligence requirement." According to NATO, OSINT is intelligence "derived from publicly available information, as well as other unclassified information that has limited public distribution or access." It's important to note that information does not equal intelligence. Without giving meaning to the data we collect, open-source findings are considered raw-data. It only becomes "intelligence" once the data is looked at from a critical thinking mind-set and analyzed that it becomes intelligence [subjective anyone with the internet and the ability to navigate social media with efficiency can collect OSINT]. For instance, conducting OSINT is not simply saving someone's Facebook friends list. It's about finding meaningful information that is applicable to the intelligence question and being able to produce actionable intelligence in support of an investigation.

Potential of U.S.A Military intervention in Mexico, due to Drug Cartel(s) and border crisis.

According to some U.S Republican Leaders, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, Former President Donald Trump, the U.S should use its military force to fight the Mexican Drug Cartels that are responsible for producing and trafficking of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that has caused tens of thousands of U.S citizens deaths. They argue this would send a clear message to the drug cartels and limit the flow of fentanyl over the southern border. Some of them have even suggested sending U.S Special Forces into Mexico proper or use missile strikes against known locations of drug cartel labs. I should also mention this would be done without the permission of the Mexican Government's approval or proper authorization by U.S Congress. However, many experts and critics have questioned the feasibility, legality, and morality of such military actions. They warn that using military force against the drug cartels would violate international laws, and trigger a diplomatic crisis, escalate violence, harm innocent civilians, and undermine the sovereignty and cooperation with Mexico. They also doubt that military operations with be all that effective in targeting the cartels, which are decentralized, adaptable, and embedded in local communities in which they operate making it extremely difficult to target them using conventional military means. They suggest that fentanyl overdoses be treated as a public health crisis, rather than a war, and that more effort should be made to address the root causes of drug demand and supply, such as poverty, inequality, corruption, addiction, and lack of treatment and prevention centers.  

Has the War for the U.S. Southern border begun?

Not only has the Biden Administration changed its tune on the border, considering they recently announced - breaking several federal laws, in-order to build/construct a border wall with Mexico. Source: Daily Mail, "America's border war has begun: Todd Bensman's eyewitness report on Texas invasion of a Mexican Cartel Island crawling with Gang members and ringed with sniper nests. In the early dawn's orange glow, a Texas Ranger's commander briefs a heavily armed force. They're preparing to seize a remote, 170-acre Mexican cartel-controlled island, in the middle of the Rio Grande River overlooked by sniper nests and its potentially booby-trapped.  Some of the dozens of assembled men shift from one foot to the other or reposition their M4 rifles, as they listen to their commanders' instructions. 'Keep a close eye on those structures up there have the height advantage on us,' he warns. 'In case we do get engaged and someone is shot' medical evacuation plans are in place and there are blood bags if the wounded needs a transfusion, he assures them. "Any questions?" This may seem like a scene from a far-flung warzone. But it's just a glimpse of the hot war on America's southern border – a direct consequence of an out-of-control crisis that has resulted in nearly five million illegal migrants entering the United States since President Joe Biden was inaugurated in 2021. As federal Border Patrol agents have been overwhelmed by the mass migration and pulled away from the front lines to process illegal crossers, criminal Mexican gangs have gone largely unchecked and are now operating with near impunity inside America. This week, I embedded with the Texas state mission to retake a densely overgrown island near the isolated village of Fronton, 250 miles south of San Antonio, that has fallen under the control of these ultra-violent criminal organizations. As a condition of my exclusive access, the identities of these Texas officers and troopers are being kept secret for their safety. After all, they're operating in enemy territory. For decades, neither the U.S. nor Mexico claimed Fronton Island as their own and that ambiguity provided the cartels – specifically the Gulf Cartel and Cartel del Noreste (CDN) – with an opportunity. When the cartel members are not killing each other, they use the island as a safe haven when fleeing the Mexican military or American law enforcement. The lawlessness has transformed the region into a major drug trafficking corridor. The cartels stash drugs in the thick vegetation while smuggling their illicit commodities north, then stop there again as they return south with cash and weapons. They also have no compunction against shooting at anyone – be they rival cartel members or Americans – who might get in their way. In November 2016, gunmen opened fire on Mexican state police and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers, who were surveilling them. A Texas officer was shot in the leg. In 2019, four shooters armed with fully automatic weapons fired more than 50 rounds from the Mexican side of the river at a U.S. Border Patrol boat. Miraculously, no one was hurt. Just this August, trail cameras captured grainy images of three suspected cartel gunmen carrying rifles and dressed in body armor crossing into Fronton from Mexico. Months earlier five alleged Cartel Del Noreste members were arrested in the same area. They too were armed and dressed in tactical gear. 'It's an island of death,' said Jaeson Jones, a retired captain in DPS's intelligence division who fought against the cartels for years and knows Fronton well. 'It's dangerous man,' Jones insisted, especially now that cartels are cashing in on the burgeoning human smuggling business. Indeed, each night hundreds of immigrants cross through the Fronton area and the cartels blend in with them. Texas DPS Regional Director Victor Escalon said the state was forced to act. 'The federal government is not able to cover all these areas and provide for the safety and security of landowners,' Escalon told me. 'You have people out here saying, 'hey man, I'm out feeding my cows and I see three men coming across with backpacks and they're armed. Why do I have to live like that?' Texas Governor Gregg Abbott's answer is they don't have to live like that. But before the island could be seized the issue of ownership had to be settled. So, the state conducted surveys that determined Fronton Island was, in fact, Texas territory. Now, Abbott's men could move in. On the Fronton border with operation about to start the Rangers commander wrapped up his briefing. Don't disturb backpacks or piles of clothes, he cautioned the men. Last month, an improvised explosive was found buried amid a stash of weapons and semi-automatic rifle ammunition. Mark the caches and call in the bomb squad, he told them, there's a fair chance the cartels left booby traps. Above all, the commander seemed most concerned with the burned out, bullet-pocked structures spray-painted with cartel acronyms on the bluffs overlooking Fronton Island from Mexico. Those are the sniper perches. 'We have not seen people in there this morning, but we know that that's what they're used for,' he said. And, oh yeah, watch out for Africanized killer bees on the island. 'They're aggressive.' With the instructions complete, the men boarded All-Terrain Vehicles and roared off in a convoy through thick brush and deep mud created by a rare overnight rainfall. At least today no one shot at the Texas troopers, but that's no guarantee they won't find themselves under attack in the future. These vanguards will secure the island to allow for Texas National Guard engineers to safely bring in bulldozers and heavy machinery to completely denude the landscape of trees and brush before they fortify it with concertina wire. After that the island will be constantly patrolled as if it were a warzone, though few think this takeover will do much to encourage the cartels to find another line of work. '[The cartels] will still be able to move whatever commodity north or south,' Mike Salinas, a recently retired Border Patrol of 30 years told me. 'It's going to be a speed bump for them. They have the resources, money and time.' The state of Texas also knows this to be true, but they're determined to carry on. 'If the cartels move somewhere else, we'll identify it and just follow them up and down the river,' DPS' Escalon told me. 'The way we look at this is - this is a forever operation.' What happens if or when Americans get between the cartels and the billions of dollars, they reap from drug smuggling and human trafficking is anyone's guess. And whether or not Texas or federal government want to admit it, the border with Mexico has now been militarized for the first-time against foreign criminal organizations. And this war has just begun. Special Law enforcement teams under the Texas Department of Public safety have begun operations on a large Island in the Rio Grande to stop drug cartels and other foreign criminal organizations from using it in their schemes. 

NEAR FRONTON, Texas — Dawn was breaking on Monday as a Texas Rangers commander spoke to a heavily armed assembly of state police and Texas military personnel, much like a World War II military commander pep-talking soldiers about to invade an enemy-held Pacific Island.