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Dem Rep Frederica Wilson announces retirement days after denying ‘crazy rumor’ she would leave Congress
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Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., announced Friday she will not seek reelection, ending a long House career just days after she dismissed reports of her looming retirement as a «crazy rumor.»
Wilson, 83, known for her bedazzled cowboy hats and brightly colored suits, represents Florida’s 24th Congressional District, a heavily Democratic South Florida seat that includes parts of northern Miami–Dade County and southeastern Broward County. In Congress since 2011, Wilson has been a frequent critic of President Donald Trump across both of his administrations.
Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-FL) speaks at a press conference with other House Democrats on temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants, set to expire in early February, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 22, 2026. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«I think it’s time, and I think I really held on as long as I did because of the 5000 Role Models program, and my concern about the future of it,» the Democratic lawmaker told the Miami Herald, referring to the mentorship program she created for minority boys more than 30 years ago.
The Herald reported that Wilson had made her decision a while back, but wanted to be «politically strategic» about how she went about it.
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«I figured if I announced that I was retiring, what would the Legislature and the governor do? What would they say? Would District 24 be an easy target because Frederica is no longer there? I’m a strong candidate,» she told the Miami Herald. «With me not here, would that weaken the survival of District 24?»
Wilson’s future has been in question following a prolonged absence from Capitol Hill. The absence has been attributed to recovery from left eye surgery, though the weekslong stretch away from Washington also fueled broader questions about the 83-year-old lawmaker’s health and future in Congress.
Wilson’s announcement comes after Axios reported several days ago that Wilson had told allies she was preparing to retire, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. But, Wilson denied the report at the time, telling the outlet it was «a crazy crazy rumor.»
«I’m almost distraught. It’s not true. I am still planning on running,» Wilson reportedly said.
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The outlet added that Wilson had returned to Capitol Hill to vote May 21 following her hiatus from Washington that included missing more than 40 votes, which Republican critics highlighted earlier in May.
One of Wilson’s highly publicized clashes with Trump came in 2017 after Army Sgt. La David Johnson, a soldier from Miami, was killed in an ambush in Niger. Wilson said she was in the car with Johnson’s widow, Myeshia Johnson, when Trump called to offer condolences.
Meanwhile, Wilson claimed that Trump said on the call that the Army Sgt. «knew what he signed up for» when he became a soldier, a characterization Trump and his aides denied.
The feud escalated further when then-White House chief of staff John Kelly defended Trump from the White House briefing room and attacked Wilson for having a history of politicizing solemn moments to score political points.
Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., speaks during a House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials hearing on «Rail Safety. On Thursday, Wilson blamed the Trump administration for a sharp increase in illegal migrant detentions. (Getty Images)
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Wilson and her supporters subsequently demanded an apology from Kelly, arguing he painted her in a false-light about allegedly seeking credit for obtaining funding for a new FBI field office in Miami at a dedication ceremony that included remarks from survivors of a 1986 clash between law enforcement and drug traffickers.
So far, Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert are among those who have reportedly been mulling runs if Wilson retires, NOTUS reported earlier in May.
maxine waters, florida, congress, donald trump, democrats
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Narcos brasileños del grupo Comando Vermelho fueron enviados a la guerra en Ucrania para entrenarse en combate y en el uso de drones
Una investigación de la Subsecretaría de Inteligencia de la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública de Río de Janeiro reveló que integrantes del Comando Vermelho (CV), la mayor facción criminal de Río y una de las más poderosas de Brasil, fueron enviados a la guerra entre Rusia y Ucrania para recibir entrenamiento militar y aprender técnicas avanzadas de combate y operación de drones de alta capacidad.
Según las autoridades brasileñas, la organización criminal financió pasajes aéreos y logística para que miembros sin antecedentes penales viajaran al conflicto europeo bajo la fachada de voluntarios.
El objetivo era que, tras permanecer en zonas de combate y adquirir experiencia táctica, regresaran a Brasil para transmitir esos conocimientos al resto de la estructura criminal.
La investigación identificó al menos a dos sospechosos que combatieron en Ucrania y luego retornaron directamente al Complexo do Alemão, uno de los principales bastiones del Comando Vermelho en la zona norte de Río de Janeiro. Incluso mientras permanecían en territorio ucraniano, los hombres continuaban intercambiando mensajes con integrantes de la facción para compartir información sobre estrategias militares y manejo de armamento.
El subsecretario de Inteligencia de la Policía Civil carioca, Pablo Sartori, afirmó que la principal preocupación de las fuerzas de seguridad es el entrenamiento con drones agrícolas adaptados para uso bélico. Estos equipos tienen capacidad para transportar hasta 80 kilos de carga, equivalentes a cerca de 20 fusiles, y podrían recorrer hasta 12 kilómetros sin necesidad de utilizar rutas terrestres.
“Comenzaron utilizando los drones para monitorear comunidades y operaciones policiales, pero ya fueron adaptados para lanzar granadas y otros explosivos”, explicó Sartori en declaraciones a la cadena CNN Brasil.
La policía incluso obtuvo imágenes de entrenamientos realizados por miembros del CV, en los que se observa el manejo de uno de estos aparatos de gran porte.
Las autoridades sospechan que la facción pretende utilizar los drones para transportar armas, municiones y drogas entre favelas controladas por el grupo, evitando controles policiales y reduciendo riesgos durante los desplazamientos. Cada dispositivo tendría un valor cercano a los 20.000 dólares y requeriría una compleja red logística y financiera para su adquisición.
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El uso de drones por parte del Comando Vermelho no es nuevo. En octubre de 2024, durante una megaoperación policial en los complejos da Penha y Alemão, integrantes de la facción utilizaron pequeños drones para arrojar explosivos y vigilar movimientos de las fuerzas de seguridad. Ese operativo derivó en un enfrentamiento de nueve horas que dejó más de un centenar de muertos, entre sospechosos y policías.
La expansión tecnológica del crimen organizado preocupa cada vez más a las autoridades brasileñas. El Comando Vermelho, surgido en las cárceles de Río de Janeiro a fines de la década de 1970, ya extendió su presencia a 25 estados brasileños y diversificó sus actividades ilegales más allá del narcotráfico, incluyendo el control de servicios clandestinos de internet, minería ilegal de criptomonedas y tráfico de armas.
Miembros de un grupo narcotraficante en una favela de Río de Janeiro. (Foto: Felipe Dana/AP/Archivo)
El avance de estas organizaciones llevó a que Estados Unidos designara esta semana tanto al Comando Vermelho como al Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) como organizaciones terroristas internacionales.
La decisión generó una dura reacción del presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, quien acusó a Washington de “jugar con la soberanía” de Brasil. “No aceptamos que nos traten como si fuésemos un país de segunda categoría”, afirmó el mandatario durante un acto oficial, en referencia a la medida estadounidense.
Las investigaciones también apuntan a posibles vínculos entre integrantes del crimen organizado y sectores políticos y policiales corruptos, además de la existencia de estructuras financieras destinadas al lavado de dinero y la compra de tecnología militar.
(Con información de AFP)
Brasil, Ucrania, narco, Comando Vermelho
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Christian farming communities under siege as US report names Fulani militants Nigeria’s deadliest threat
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JOHANNESBURG — An estimated 30,000 mostly Muslim Fulani militants are operating in Nigeria, causing «worsening insecurity and religious freedom violations,» according to an influential new report.
The report, by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), states «violence by Fulani militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the last year, as compared to attacks by organized insurgent groups and criminal gangs.»
The Fulanis, so-called herders of livestock, have, according to the USCIRF report, «targeted Christian (farming) communities in the Middle Belt and, increasingly, the South, burning homes and churches as well as kidnapping, raping, and murdering.»
CHRISTIANS TARGETED IN SYSTEMATIC KIDNAPPING CAMPAIGN IN NIGERIA BY JIHADI HERDSMEN, EXPERTS SAY
Funerals were held for about 27 Christians reportedly killed by Islamist Fulani tribesmen in Bindi village, Plateau State, Nigeria, on July 28, 2025. (Christian Solidarity International)
But a former counterterrorism expert at the State Department told Fox News Digital that the kind of strikes the U.S., working with Nigerian government forces, have recently carried out in Nigeria’s North against Islamist terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram and Islamic State, wouldn’t work against the Fulanis in the predominantly Christian central areas of the country.
Sterling Tilley, former acting director within the Bureau of Counterterrorism, who has worked in Nigeria for the State Department, said that the U.S. «militarily dealing with the farmer-herder conflict is not advisable because it is likely to bring more instability in the country.» Tilley, now director of the Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship at Howard University, added, «There are some steps that can be taken to quell the violence, but there must be Nigerian political will to do so.»
Young people protest against the killings following a deadly attack by Fulani militants on Christian-majority villages in Benue state, that left 218 people dead and 6,000 displaced. The protest took place in Benue state in June 2025. (Open Doors UK)
This week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth commented on the recent strikes ordered by President Donald Trump on Nigeria, saying, «Maybe a year ago, [the president] heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS. And he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians.’»
NIGERIA NAMED EPICENTER OF GLOBAL KILLINGS OF CHRISTIANS OVER FAITH IN 2025, REPORT SAYS
Christians make up approximately 48% of Nigeria’s population. Fulani militants, the USCIRF report stated, «have often carried out operations during Christian holidays such as Christmas or Easter to further maximize the psychological impact, terrifying those communities from gathering to celebrate or worship. During attacks, assailants sometimes utter slogans with religious connotations, such as «Allahu Akbar« (Arabic for «God is great»).
But, according to the report, Muslims are being attacked too. «Fulani assailants have not spared Muslims, raiding herders’ cattle and violently attacking non-Fulani Muslim communities,» the report added.
Coffins arrive at Ibrahim Babanginda Square in Makurdi, Benue State, on Jan. 11, 2018, during a funeral service for victims of clashes between Fulani herdsmen and natives of Guma and Logo districts. (Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP)
«Violence at the hands of militants from the Fulani tribe far outnumbers violence from all other militant groups such as Boko Haram or ISWAP (Islamic State West African Province),» Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK & Ireland, an organization that highlights the persecution of Christians, told Fox News Digital.
While her organization was not part of the report, she said, «My heart has been broken as I have heard stories from women and men who have seen their beloved family members butchered in front of them or carried off into a life of slavery.»
AFRICAN UNION CHIEF DENIES GENOCIDE CLAIMS AGAINST CHRISTIANS AS CRUZ WARNS NIGERIAN OFFICIALS
Fulani Muslim men pray in Masallacin Shehu Mosque, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria, on April 24, 2019. (Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images)
Blyth added: «The situation is complicated, and as the report concludes, it is too simplistic to say all perpetrators are religiously motivated. What is undisputable is that Christians are highly vulnerable and often the victims, paying the price in blood. They desperately need protection and, for hundreds of thousands driven from their homes, the chance to heal and rebuild their lives.»
The USCIRF report also stated, «Criticism of responses to Fulani militant violence from federal and state authorities has often described their responses as unsatisfactory at best and complicit at worst.»
Tilley told Fox News Digital that elections are to be held in Nigeria next year, and «the Fulani do have considerable political influence as a voting bloc. Thus, the Nigerian government seems reluctant to take actions necessary to quell the violence for fear that they could lose their base of support in the North and Middle Belt.»
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Nigerian government for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
africa, christianity religion, persecutions, terrorism
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