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Pentagon cites ‘meritocracy’ as reported officer promotion removals draw Democratic criticism
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War Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly removed multiple officers from a military promotion list — a decision that diverges from standard practice and is now under review at the White House, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital.
The list included candidates for dozens of senior roles, but four were removed after they had been approved by a promotions board.
The U.S. official said the officers were not under investigation and were not facing misconduct allegations, and that no formal explanation for the decision was provided to military leadership.
PETE HEGSETH TOUTS HIGHER PHYSICAL STANDARDS FOR MILITARY, SAYS ‘SO BE IT’ IF IT EXCLUDES WOMEN
Fox News Digital has learned that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll initially declined to remove the officers from the promotion list before Hegseth ultimately intervened to strike their names. The disagreement caught the attention of the White House, an official said, which reviews the revised promotion list before it is sent to the Senate.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth removed multiple officers from a military promotion list, a decision that diverges from standard practice and is now under review at the White House, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Initial New York Times reporting and congressional criticism have focused in part on claims that some of the officers removed were women and minorities, prompting military officials to question whether they were singled out on account of race or gender — an assertion Pentagon officials have strongly disputed.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in response: «This story, like many others at the failing New York Times is full of fake news from anonymous sources who have no idea what they’re talking about and are far removed from actual decision-makers within the Pentagon.»
«Under Secretary Hegseth, military promotions are given to those who have earned them,» he went on. «Meritocracy, which reigns in this department, is apolitical and unbiased.»
Pentagon chief of staff Ricky Buria added: «This is completely false. Whoever placed this made up story is clearly trying to sow division among our ranks and within the department and the administration. It’s not going to work, and it never will work when this department is led by clear-eyed, mission driven leaders unfazed by Washington gossip.»
The Pentagon has not publicly detailed the specific rationale behind the reported removals.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll initially declined to remove the officers from the promotion list, before Hegseth ultimately intervened to strike their names, sources told Fox News Digital. (Cheriss May/Getty Images )
The reported move has drawn scrutiny on Capitol Hill, where senior military promotions require Senate confirmation. Individual lawmakers can delay or block nominations through procedural holds.
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that if the reports are accurate, removing officers after a promotion board already has selected them based on merit and performance would be «outrageous» and potentially unlawful.
Military promotions to senior ranks typically are vetted through formal boards and approved as a group, with limited intervention at the individual level.
According to multiple reports, one of the officers removed from the list served in a logistics role during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, while another had previously authored academic work examining why Black service members are more likely to serve in support roles.
The U.S. official said those explanations had not been formally communicated as justification for the decision.
The White House reviews promotion lists before they are sent to the Senate. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press )
PETE HEGSETH SLASHES MILITARY ‘FAITH CODES’ FROM OVER 200 TO 31 IN PENTAGON CHAPLAIN CORPS OVERHAUL\
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said: «Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth have launched an unprecedented politicization of the military promotion process, most recently, reportedly blocking promotions for Black and female officers,» Wyden said.
Wyden on Wednesday placed holds on the promotions of Marine Lt. Col. Vincent Noble, Col. Thomas Siverts and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Thomas MacNeil, citing past wartime controversies and concerns about judgment.
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The White House could not immediately be reached for comment.
conflicts defense, pete hegseth, army, donald trump, white house
INTERNACIONAL
Se recalienta la guerra contra Irán: Trump dice que negocia, pero EE.UU. ya tiene 50.000 soldados desplegados en el Golfo Pérsico y crece la amenaza de una invasión terrestre
INTERNACIONAL
Homeland Security vows deportation operations ‘will continue’ as ICE agents help TSA, agency defunded
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FIRST ON FOX: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are continuing deportation operations despite a lapse in federal funding and being deployed to assist with massive airport security lines across the country, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital.
According to the department, ICE officers continuing immigration enforcement operations nationwide arrested child predators, rapists, drug traffickers and a member of the violent Salvadoran MS-13 gang over the weekend.
This comes as ICE officers were seen assisting the understaffed Transportation Security Administration and airport staff at terminals across the country, including New York City, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Atlanta and New Orleans. On Sunday, Trump border czar Tom Homan told CBS News that ICE agents will «continue a nice presence» at airports until they «feel like they’re 100% … in a posture where they can do no normal operations.»
DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis addressed concerns that ICE would not be able to sustain its normal operations while assisting TSA by telling Fox News Digital that ICE «will continue arresting public safety threats from our communities and will not allow the Democrats to slow us down from making America safe again.»
LEAVITT CALLS ON CONGRESS TO END EASTER RECESS TO WORK ON DHS SHUTDOWN
Immigration agents and travelers are seen inside Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A in Newark, New Jersey, on March 23, 2026. President Donald Trump states that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be deployed to airports nationwide beginning Monday. The agents are expected to assist TSA officers with security. (Matthew Hoen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Bis said that «over the weekend, ICE arrested more dangerous criminals, including an MS-13 gang member, child predators, rapists and drug traffickers.»
In the New York City area, where ICE was seen at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports, the agency arrested Pierre Bell, a criminal illegal from Jamaica, who was convicted of rape in the Bronx.
In Illinois, where dozens of ICE agents were seen assisting TSA at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, ICE agents arrested Miguel Benitez-Campos, from Mexico, who was convicted of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon in Cook County.
Two criminal illegal aliens were also arrested in Harris County, which is home to Houston, the largest city in Texas, where two airports experienced massive delays and saw a heavy ICE presence. ICE officers arrested Jose Santos Vigil-Mendez, from El Salvador, and Jorge Luis Carrera-Hernandez, from Mexico. Vigil-Mendez was convicted of deadly conduct, and Carrera-Hernandez was convicted of deadly conduct and possession of a controlled substance.
WATCH: DEMOCRATS TOLD AMERICANS TO FEAR ICE, HERE’S HOW AIRPORT TRAVELERS ACTUALLY FEEL
Left to right: Pierre Bell, Miguel Benitez-Campos, Jose Santos Vigil-Mendez, Jorge Luis Carrera-Hernandez, Pedro Antonio Luna, Luis Calderon-Martinez, Angel Navarro-Camarillo, Higinio Gonzalez Machorro and Alfredo Luna-Ruiz. (DHS; Peter Pinedo/Fox News Digital)
Meanwhile, in Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., ICE arrested Pedro Antonio Luna, from El Salvador, who was convicted of three counts of aggravated sexual battery of a victim under 13 years old and aggravated sexual battery by a family member of a child under 15 years old. This comes as nearby Fairfax County, Virginia, is embroiled in a scandal involving 19-year-old Salvadoran illegal alien Israel Flores Ortiz, who is accused of groping several minor girls at a high school he was attending.
DHS also shared that over the weekend it arrested six illegal aliens with serious criminal convictions in California.
ICE officers arrested Luis Calderon-Martinez, who, according to DHS, is a Salvadoran illegal alien and a member of the MS-13 gang. Calderon-Martinez has several felony convictions in New Jersey, Arizona and California, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine, carjacking, hit-and-run, property damage and driving under the influence.
In Fullerton and Santa Barbara, California, near Los Angeles, ICE also arrested Angel Navarro-Camarillo and Higinio Gonzalez Machorro, both from Mexico. Navarro-Camarillo is a registered sex offender and active gang member. He was convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old. Gonzalez Machorro was convicted of rape by use of drugs.
Just north of San Francisco, ICE also arrested Alfredo Luna-Ruiz, also from Mexico, who is convicted of false imprisonment, domestic violence, providing a false ID to a peace officer and driving under the influence in Sonoma County, California.
This comes as Homeland Security continues to undergo a lapse in funding due to disagreements in Congress about immigration enforcement operations. Democrats have made resumed funding for the department contingent on changes to ICE and Border Patrol’s enforcement tactics.
AIRPORTS BEG FLIGHT PASSENGERS TO CHANGE THEIR TRAVEL HABITS AFTER DHS SHUTDOWN JAMS LINES
A massive line at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport stretches well past the terminal doors. (Peter Pinedo/Fox News Digital)
Bis told Fox News Digital that «Democrats must stop playing political games and reopen DHS now.»
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She added that TSA «is extremely grateful to the patriotic men and women of ICE who have deployed to airports that are facing a high number of callouts because of the Democrats’ shutdown.»
«At the direction of President Trump and the Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, TSA officers should begin seeing paychecks as early as today,» said Bis, adding, «Working without pay forced more than 500 officers to leave TSA and thousands were forced to call out. ICE will continue working with TSA for as long as the President determines necessary to ensure Americans are able to travel safely nationwide.»
immigration, illegal immigrants, airports, enforcement, homeland security, migrant crime, government shutdown
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Guerra en Medio Oriente: Irán amenazó con retirarse del Tratado de no Proliferación de Armas Nucleares
En una nueva amenaza que aumenta la incertidumbre en Medio Oriente en plena guerra, Irán advirtió este lunes con retirarse del Tratado de no Proliferación de Armas Nucleares (TNP).
Se trata de una amenaza que, según advirtieron analistas, podría provocar un fuerte impacto en la región y llevar a varios países del área, como Arabia Saudita, enemigo histórico de Teherán y aliado militar de Estados Unidos, a dotarse de ese tipo de armamento.
La Cancillería iraní anunció que esta cuestión está siendo examinada por el Parlamento.
“¿Qué beneficio tiene formar parte de un acuerdo cuando ciertas potencias no nos permiten utilizar sus derechos y beneficios?”, dijo el portavoz del ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Esmaeil Baghaei.
El tratado, del que forman parte 191 países, garantiza el uso pacífico de la energía atómica y pone un freno al desarrollo de armas nucleares a través de inspecciones periódicas del Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica (OIEA) que preside el argentino Rafael Grossi.
Estados Unidos e Israel acusan a Irán de buscar dotarse de armas nucleares. Israel nunca adhirió al tratado y es considerado una potencia nuclear. El Instituto Internacional de Investigación para la Paz de Estocolmo (SIPRI), uno de los “think tanks” más influyentes a nivel mundial, calcula que Israel posee 90 armas nucleares.
Qué es y para qué sirve el Tratado de No Proliferación Nuclear
El TNP es un instrumento creado por la ONU en 1968 para frenar la carrera armamentística nuclear e impulsar el uso pacífico de la energía atómica bajo un estricto control internacional. Entró en vigencia dos años después.
Entonces había solo cinco potencias nucleares declaradas: Estados Unidos, la entonces Unión Soviética, el Reino Unido, Francia y China.
El guía supremo de Irán, Mojtaba Jamenei (Foto: EFE)
Actualmente hay 191 países firmantes del tratado, entre ellos la Argentina. Todos están comprometidos a aceptar inspecciones del OIEA, el organismo de Naciones Unidas encargado de supervisar la actividad nuclear y su uso con fines pacíficos.
India, Israel y Pakistán, otras tres potencias nucleares, nunca firmaron el acuerdo y desarrollaron este tipo de armamentos. En el caso israelí, nunca lo admitió ni lo negó. En tanto, Corea del Norte desarrolló armas nucleares tras su retiro del tratado en 2003.
El analista internacional Federico Gaón, especializado en Medio Oriente, dijo a TN que la amenaza iraní de retirarse del acuerdo tendría un fuerte impacto en la región.
“Probablemente sea cierto, en tanto el gobierno iraní no vea beneficio alguno en someterse al régimen del TNP. De hecho, es probable que la guerra incremente los incentivos para que Irán y otros países en la región busquen alcanzar el estado de latencia nuclear, es decir, la condición de fabricar rápidamente armas nucleares”, afirmó.
Para el analista, “la experiencia demuestra que los Estados buscan esta capacidad para disuadir a terceros y evitar por ejemplo ser invadidos. Si el régimen iraní sobrevive al embate, es posible que busque acelerar el desarrollo de su programa nuclear, indistintamente de si se retira o no del TNP”, indicó.
Leé también: Trump concentra más tropas y analiza un plan de invasión a Irán: ¿cuánto tiempo podría extenderse la guerra?
Israel y Estados Unidos sostienen que el gobierno iraní violó el tratado y busca enriquecer uranio a valores que le permitan fabricar armas nucleares. Ambos países atacaron las centrales nucleares iraníes a mediados del 2025 y buscan hoy reducir la capacidad bélica del país al mínimo.
Teherán siempre afirmó que busca enriquecer uranio con fines pacíficos.
Según The Wall Street Journal, entre los planes de ataque que estudia Donald Trump se encuentra una operación militar para apoderarse de 1000 libras (unos 453 kilos) de uranio enriquecido.
Pero en una entrevista reciente, el titular del OIEA, Rafael Grossi, dijo que el uranio se almacena en forma gaseosa dentro de cilindros y advirtió que “son muy difíciles de manejar y transportar”.
Una fuente oficial citada por The Wall Street Journal dijo que Trump busca que Irán entregue en forma voluntaria su uranio enriquecido.
El diputado israelí Ram Ben Barak, exsubdirector del Mossad, habló con The Media Line sobre el riesgo de que Irán mantenga en su poder el uranio enriquecido después de la guerra.
“Si la guerra termina con uranio enriquecido todavía en manos iraníes y su programa de misiles sin limitaciones ni supervisión, entonces todo lo que hicimos habrá sido en vano”, alertó.
Irán, Israel, Donald Trump
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