[RedState] Reports are emerging indicating that the Venezuelan Ambassador's residence in Washington D.C. may have been raided Thursday evening by the FBI and United States Secret Service officers. However, other outlets are saying that the response was due to a trespasser.
As of this writing, no official sources have commented, so RedState can neither confirm nor deny the details, but clearly something is going on:
Mazza wrote:
FBI and United States Secret Service officers have raided the Venezuelan Ambassador's Residence in Washington, DC on February 15, 2024. Heavy police activity could be seen in the area and FBI agents had raid jackets on as well as long guns. At approximately 8:50 PM, agents yelled "surrender" after calling out that they were on site and "police".
Back in February 2023, the State Department took custody of the residence:
The State Department took custody of Venezuela's embassy and official residences in Washington and New York after Juan Guaidó was voted out as interim president and the country was left without diplomats recognized by the US, people familiar with the matter said.
The embassy had ceased operations in January 2023.
The action comes after President Nicolás Maduro’s government expelled the U.N. Human Rights Agency Thursday.
A United Nations agency that monitors and defends human rights was ordered on Thursday to leave Venezuela by the government of President Nicolás Maduro, an extraordinary move that will further strip the country of foreign oversight at a time when its government stands accused of intensifying repression…
Mr. Gil [Yván Gil, Venezuela’s foreign minister] said he was giving the staff of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights 72 hours to “abandon” the country.
As I mentioned, there are conflicting reports about the nature of the law enforcement presence. According to ABC's Washington, D.C. affiliate, there wasn't a raid at all – it was just a simple case of trespassing:
U.S. Secret Service agents are investigating a possible trespassing incident at the Venezuelan Ambassador's home in D.C. Thursday night, officials said.
According to officials, agents began investigating the incident after an alarm call around 5:30 p.m.
“At this time there is no known public safety risk to the community,” officials said.
Another source said that "other Venezuelan buildings" near the residence are being searched.
Yet another angle to consider in this drama is the issue of missing paintings -- could those have anything to do with what's going down? You can be sure Maduro doesn't want to lose the priceless artwork:
United States Department of the Treasury in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Italian Carabinieri opened an investigation into missing pieces of European and Latin American artwork that could not be found when Guaidó's representative moved into the embassy in May 2019, believing they were being discreetly plundered by Venezuelan authorities. The paintings, including a landscape of Caracas by Manuel Cabré, the portrait of "Juanita" by Armando Reverón, and a social realism piece by Héctor Poleo [es], were exhibited at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington in 2008. The estimated value of the paintings was $1 million. The last known sighting of the paintings was in a photo taken in the Venezuelan embassy in 2012.
It’s unclear exactly what took place Thursday evening and what may still be unfolding in Washington, D.C. However, it’s evident that some action went down, and we will likely know more by Friday.
Posted by: Grom the Reflective ||
02/16/2024 01:11 ||
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#2
They buried the lead. It was abandoned and taken over by the State Department and hes been unoccupied since January, 2023. Just criminal trespass, not a raid!
[RedState] Disney is facing a major civil rights lawsuit over claims that it has discriminated against various racial, sexual, and religious groups.
America First Legal (AFL) announced this week it was filing a claim against the Walt Disney Company for violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through a variety of illegal and discriminatory practices.
The organization announced in a press release:
The law prohibits Disney from using race, color, religion, sex, or national origin merely as a motivating factor for hiring, training, or promotions. But a document on Disney’s “Reimagine Tomorrow” website strongly suggests that race, color, religion, sex, or national origin are often the only motivating factor in Disney’s hiring, training, and promotion decisions and that the company is intentionally discriminating against white American men, Christians, and Jews simply because of their race, sex, religion, and citizenship.
The lawsuit will cite numerous examples of Disney's discriminatory practices, including its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program which requires 50 percent of many jobs must be filled by individuals from supposedly "underrepresented groups."
Posted by: Grom the Reflective ||
02/16/2024 01:21 ||
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#2
If ever there was a situation that demanded a penetrating study of success to failure, of an American institution to woke nexus, the Disney company is it.
#7
Dollar Galifianakas in a dress hanging around the little girls' changing room.
If they really wanted to twist the tittie, Florida would launch an investigation into where and what happens to all the facial & imaging files of the visitors who are 12 and younger.
#1
I remember Gorilla Monsoon loosing a fight beyond retirement. The urge to fight on is strong. Mike should just train or suffer damages that he will have to live with. His marijuana business is making him millions now.
#2
Mike could still win fights, hell he was knocking out grown men at age 12.
Posted by: Chris ||
02/16/2024 8:21 Comments ||
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#3
Mike Tyson's Gummy Bites is marketing genius.
He's lived a life, let nobody say otherwise. Perhaps my favorite moment of his is he was at some convention, and a youngster dressed like 'Little Mac' made a visit.
#4
No one asks a lot of "simple" questions. I mean, we would not want to disrupt a fraudulent narrative now, would we? I mean, the Middle East, awash with oil and natural gas, wouldn't have been covered in water at one time now, would it? Shame on me for asking, but that's a heck of a lot of plankton.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/16/2024 7:05 Comments ||
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#7
Well, well. Now they admit that there was a medieval warm period.
Goalpost moved.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
02/16/2024 8:36 Comments ||
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#8
And what were ocean levels 1000 years ago, when all that Greenland ice was melted? Was Europe awash in melted ice? Or does only climate-change ice do that?
Posted by: Bobby ||
02/16/2024 9:04 Comments ||
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#9
Don't expect them to do science. It's hard and .... dirty.
You have to leave the office even to do it. It's just so...icky.
[Facebook] One of the illegal immigrants jailed for beating two NYC police officers, out on $15,000 bail provided by a "church", was arrested for robbing a Macy's and beating a security guard. I hope he rots in jail. The "church" just lost 15 grand.
Perhaps this will be a learning experience for them.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/16/2024 00:00 ||
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#1
Perhaps this will be a learning experience for them.
I'm not holding my breath.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/16/2024 11:44 Comments ||
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#2
I dunno about that loss of bail money claim. The bail is forfeit if the guy doesn't show up to court. Not much danger of that while he's locked up. Still, it is not a good look.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/16/2024 11:58 Comments ||
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[WND] Consumers cut back on retail spending in January as factors like inflation and high credit card debt weighed on Americans, according to a report from the Department of Commerce.
U.S. retail sales were $700.3 billion in January, a decline of 0.8% from December adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, but were up 0.6% from January 2023 without taking price changes into account, according to a report from the Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau. Prices increased 3.1% year-over-year in January due to inflation, placing downward pressure on Americans’ spending power.
Three statisticians are interviewed for a government position. The boss asks the first one, how much is 2+2 and is told 4. The boss asks the same of the second applicant and gets the same reply. Finally, the boss asks the third candidate who replies - "what do you want it to be". He hires the third.
[X] Journalist Tucker Carlson expressed his approval after a visit to the fast-food restaurant "Vkusno - i Tochka" (lit. Tasty, period) during his stay in Moscow, calling the Russian cheeseburger and fries "excellent".
"Vkusno - i Tochka" is a Russian fast-food restaurant chain created on the model of "McDonald's" after its closure in Russia due to Western anti-Russia sanctions.
#3
It's the "They're like us, only different" Tour.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/16/2024 10:54 Comments ||
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Looks like he's taking the plebeian tour, for lack of a better phrase.
And the subway, and a grocery store.
I saw somebody else a little while back do a thorough shopping run and comparison at 'a typical Moscow grocery store', shopping items, selection, and price. The conclusion was plenty of choice at much lower prices.
To be fair, I will make a play on the olde law of capitals: Moscow is not Russia, and Russia is not Moscow
[GEO.TV] Greece's parliament has shattered traditional norms by legalising same-sex marriage and adoption, positioning the nation as a pioneer among Orthodox countries.
The historic decision, championed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the New Democracy party, comes despite strong opposition from the influential Orthodox Church. The parliament approved a bill that not only legalizes same-sex marriage but also adoption by same-sex families.
The bill received overwhelming support with 176 votes in favour out of 245 MPs present, following two days of impassioned debates. Prime Minister Mitsotakis hailed the decision as a "milestone for human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. " and a reflection of Greece as a "progressive and democratic country, passionately committed to European values."
Despite strong opposition from the influential Orthodox Church, the reform prevailed with support from opposition parties, including the leftist Syriza party led by Stefanos Kasselakis, an openly gay figure. The clash between tradition and progressive ideals underscores a societal shift towards acknowledging and protecting the rights of the LGBTQ community.
Stefanos Kasselakis's personal experiences added a human dimension to the debates, emphasising the real-world impact of legal inequalities on same-sex couples and their families. The resounding approval of the bill signifies a departure from traditional norms within the Orthodox community.
As rainbow flags waved in front of the parliament building in central Athens, LGBTQ families celebrated a historic moment. The reform addresses critical issues faced by these families, providing legal recognition and rights previously denied.
Greece's journey towards inclusivity began in 2015 with the legalisation of civil unions for same-sex couples. The latest reform, marking Greece as the first Orthodox nation to allow same-sex marriages, sends ripples of change beyond its borders, challenging other conservative societies to reevaluate their stance on LGBTQ rights.
"This is a landmark for human rights, reflecting today's Greece—a progressive, and democratic country, passionately committed to European values," proclaimed Prime Minister Mitsotakis, encapsulating the essence of a momentous step towards equality in the Orthodox world.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/16/2024 00:00 ||
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#1
The "New Normal agenda" seems geared at promoting ways that will reduce population growth.
#3
Skidmark - If they really want to beat the others to that moon water... Biden needs to tell the FAA/EPA/InteriorDept/FCC/and all the frcking greenies to go to hell and let MUSK TEST and DEVELOP STARSHIP his damn way ... and launch whenever he needs to.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[RedState] Disney is facing a major civil rights lawsuit over claims that it has discriminated against various racial, sexual, and religious groups.
[GEO.TV] Greece's parliament has shattered traditional norms by legalising same-sex marriage and adoption, positioning the nation as a pioneer among Orthodox countries. 
