INTERNACIONAL
Inside the teen takeovers threatening to explode this summer as cities remain on edge: ‘Very worried’
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A wave of social media-fueled teen takeovers in cities from Chicago to Washington, D.C., is putting officials on alert for a potentially volatile summer as experts warn the large youth gatherings could strain police, fuel violence and threaten recent public-safety gains.
«It usually increases during the summer,» Zack Smith, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital of crime trends. «I think anyone who has looked at crime data and some kind of criminological studies recognized that that will increase and I think that is something that the city should be very worried about.»
The warning comes after a wave of spring incidents across the country, where large teen crowds organized or amplified online have led to arrests, fights, weapons charges and emergency curfew debates.
«So many of these incidents are fueled by two things: social media and boredom. That’s it,» Amy Swearer, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, told Fox News Digital.
GOP SENATOR TARGETS DC ‘YOUTH OFFENDER’ LAW AS TRUMP DEMANDS TOUGHER SENTENCES FOR VIOLENT TEENS
«There is potential for this to escalate, and to really damage some really good progress that we’ve made in cutting back on that post-COVID violent crime spike,» Swearer added. Violent crime surged nationally during the pandemic, with homicides rising sharply in 2020 as cities were also rocked by protests and riots following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Social media has contributed to «under-the-radar» meetups, Swearer said, explaining that many teens are working to boost their «clout» online with outrageous videos.
«There are massive accounts that are just dedicated to showing the chaos and the carnage and the street takeover events, where it’s almost like a social media clout thing,» she said.
Teen takeovers continue to spread nationwide
A Chicago teen takeover erupted Wednesday night when a car rammed a police cruiser as teen mobs cheered and filmed. In a similar incident last week, 22 people were arrested, ages 12 to 21, in Tampa, Florida, after a «teen takeover» at Curtis Hixon Park erupted into fights and disruptions, resulting in charges of affray, drug possession, resisting arrest and unlawful weapon possession.
In March, about 200 teens swarmed D.C.’s Navy Yard, where fights broke out and a 15-year-old was arrested after allegedly firing a gun, days after a temporary curfew was imposed. Nearly a dozen more juveniles were arrested a month later after street brawls in Southwest D.C., prompting a push to extend emergency powers. A large crowd returned to Navy Yard a week later, where police reported no major incidents or arrests.
The D.C. Council approved a long-term youth curfew earlier in May in an 8-5 vote after weeks of debate. The legislation still needs the mayor’s signature and congressional review before taking effect.
PROGRESSIVE PROSECUTORS LIT THE FUSE, AND TEEN MOBS ARE THE EXPLOSION
Police officers responded to a teen takeover in Tampa, Florida, on May 8, 2026, deploying air patrols and making arrests to control the situation. (Tampa Police Department)
Chicago was also hit with more chaos in March and April. Hundreds of teens flooded streets, filled intersections and broke out into fights, resulting in multiple arrests and curfew violations.
Mayor Brandon Johnson warned parents about the «teen trends» following the incidents, saying they «are dangerous and can often turn violent.» Johnson avoided using the term «takeover.»
Struggles among teens, like poverty and mental health, could be fueling the «chaos,» Swearer said.
«There’s a huge overlap between juvenile delinquency and poverty and mental health issues, and even delinquencies from school, truancy,» she said.
Despite those broader challenges, she said the takeovers are not justified.
«None of that is an excuse for allowing this type of large-scale chaotic disruption in this planned way,» she said.
Authorities have made multiple arrests nationwide this year tied to the meetups, with several in the nation’s capital. President Trump, who campaigned on lowering crime and has warned criminals will face prosecution, has carried that message into efforts such as the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.
Takeovers in Trump’s backyard
The incidents have also created a political and public-safety test in Trump’s backyard, where the president has made D.C. crime a signature issue and deployed federal muscle to back it up.
Trump’s Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force has made more than 10,000 arrests and recovered more than 1,000 illegal firearms since its launch, but the continued teen takeovers show how juvenile disorder remains a stubborn challenge even amid the broader crackdown.
WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES FEDERAL SECURITY BLITZ AS PRESIDENT VOWS TO END DC ‘CRIME PLAGUE’
President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on April 18, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
However, the concern over an escalation in teen takeovers persists.
The White House told Fox News Digital that the administration is ready to tackle potential rising crime «head on» when asked about concerns the teen takeover trends could spike in the warm summer months.
«President Trump’s Safe and Beautiful Task Force has yielded tremendous results in a very short period of time – driving down crime rates in all categories and making the city safer for residents and visitors alike,» White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. «As new law enforcement challenges arise, the Task Force remains committed to addressing them head on.»
CHICAGO TEEN TAKEOVER MOB RAMS POLICE CRUISER BACKWARD, SWARMS CAR AS ONLOOKERS CHEER: VIDEO
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. marshal personnel perform a traffic stop on a individual allegedly with expired tags and no driver’s license on August 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
Pressure mounts over juvenile crime response
The D.C. incidents have revived a broader fight over juvenile accountability in the capital.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Friday that parents who let kids take part in violent D.C. teen takeovers could now face fines and up to six months in jail under the city’s curfew law.
«As we grapple with this problem, there is one area that hasn’t been discussed,» Pirro said. «Parent involvement has been a noted gap in any discussion, and I am here to say, as the United States attorney in the District of Columbia, that ends today.»
«If the evidence shows the parent knew or should have known, permitted or failed to prevent participation, we’re gonna charge them,» she added.
She criticized the city’s response to teen takeovers in April, saying the disorder falls largely outside her office’s jurisdiction because most juvenile cases in D.C. are handled by the local attorney general.
«These alleged social gatherings turn into criminal chaos,» Pirro told Fox & Friends. «Families are affected by it, businesses end up being shuttered, there’s violence that occurs.»
The U.S. Attorney’s Office generally handles adult felonies and only a narrower set of serious juvenile cases charged as adult matters, including certain violent crimes involving 16- and 17-year-olds.
«Since I have been here, my mission has been to change the law to make some of the young punks criminally responsible for what they’re doing,» Pirro told Navy Yard residents at an Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting in March.
Smith said the D.C. attorney general’s office, led by Brian Schwalb, has repeatedly mishandled juvenile prosecutions.
«This narrow slice of crime that’s committed by juvenile offenders, primary responsibility lies to prosecute those offenders with the D.C. attorney general’s office, and frankly, he’s just not doing his job right now,» he said.
DC CURFEW ENDS AS TEEN TAKEOVER FEARS CLOCK IN – CITY BRACES FOR CHAOS AMID SPRING BREAK MAYHEM
Members of the Mississippi National Guard patrol near the cherry blossom trees along the tidal basin on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Fri., March 27, 2026. (Tom Brenner/AP Photo)
The Department of Justice, Pirro’s office, and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
«You can put more officers on the street, you can put more National Guard members on the streets, and they can arrest individuals who break the law, but if those juvenile offenders are not being held accountable at the end of the day, they recognize that there are no real consequences,» Smith said.
He said teens who don’t fear punishment are more likely to commit crimes.
«Too many juveniles, particularly juvenile offenders in the District, recognize that there is a lack of consequences for their violent actions,» he said.
A small group of repeat offenders may actually be driving the crime, and authorities already know who many of them are, Swearer said.
«Juvenile crime tracks the same way as adult crime,» she said. «It’s driven predominantly by a small number of repeat, almost incorrigible offenders who are well known to the criminal justice system.»
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She said leaders can address these problems, but whether they’re willing to act is unclear.
«In many respects, we saw that this was a willpower issue,» she said. «Did we have the power to actually do something about this?»
blue city crime, crime, washington dc, politics, donald trump, justice department
INTERNACIONAL
Rubio announces framework deal between Israel and Lebanon as experts warn Iran will fight to sabotage it
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the U.S.-brokered framework agreement between Jerusalem and Lebanon on Friday as a robust first step toward peace and a rejection of Iranian interference in the region.
The breakthrough could lead to a path of diplomatic normalization between the two countries, Lebanon and Israel, that are in a formal state of war. The framework agreement may impede the Iran-backed terrorist movement Hezbollah that has gained control over parts of the Lebanese state, according to experts.
Hezbollah and Israel have fought two wars since the terrorist organization joined Hamas’ invasion of Israel in Oct. 7, 2023 and following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran in February.
US ENVOY NEARS LEBANON-ISRAEL CEASEFIRE THAT WOULD DISARM HEZBOLLAH TERROR GROUP
Hezbollah launches long-range missiles from Lebanon into northern Israel within 48 hours of strikes on Iran, escalating the widening conflict amid Operation Epic Fury. (Hadi Mizban/AP)
Rubio said, «Today is a good day in that we are happy to announce a framework agreement between the sovereign government of Lebanon and, of course, the government of Israel, with a mediation and support of the United States of America, that begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security.»
He added, «And that’s what these two nations deserve.»
According to the Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL), Netanyahu termed the deal «a severe blow to Iran.» He added that the Islamic Republic seeks to force an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and «essentially Israel, Lebanon and the United States are telling them: This is none of your business. You have no role in southern Lebanon — neither you, nor Hezbollah nor any other terrorist organization.»
U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, wrote on X:» Was there all week but had to fly back to Israel Thursday night. Historic opportunity but key is disarming Hezbollah, evil terrorists who have killed Americans. Israel, Lebanon sign framework peace agreement following US-backed negotiations.»
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter applaud after signing a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon with State Department Counselor Daniel Holler, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh, at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 26, 2026. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, in an Arabic-language X Post, thanked the U.S. administration, led by President Donald Trump, «for its efforts in hosting and facilitating the negotiations and for supporting Lebanon’s position.»
Rubio’s optimistic announcement encouraged some veteran Lebanon experts about a historic opportunity for peace, while others warned about the necessity to proceed with caution.
Guila Fakhoury, whose father, Amer, was kidnapped by Hezbollah in 2019, told Fox News Digital that «Today marks a historic achievement. For the first time since 1983, Lebanon and Israel have reached an agreement through direct negotiations. It also represents a fundamental shift in regional dynamics, demonstrating that Lebanon’s future need not be contingent upon broader regional negotiations or arrangements negotiated through proxy influence. In that sense, this agreement supersedes previous efforts to tie Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty to external agendas.»
Fakhoury, added, «If these commitments are fulfilled, this agreement could become the foundation for long-term cooperation, security, economic opportunity and shared stability that benefits both the Lebanese and Israeli people.»
HEZBOLLAH DISARMAMENT DEADLOCK RISKS CIVIL WAR, ANALYSTS SAY, AS US PREPARES FOR ISRAEL–LEBANON TALKS
Hezbollah al-Mahdi scouts parade with large portraits of Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Khomeini and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during an event for Jerusalem Day in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon, on Aug. 1, 2013. (Hussein Malla/AP Photo)
She continued, «However, whether this agreement brings lasting peace and stability will depend entirely on its implementation. The Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions must be the ones to create stability, not external actors or armed organizations operating outside government authority.»
Walid Phares, a leading U.S. expert on Lebanon and the Mideast, told Fox News Digital, «This agreement is just a ceasefire not a conduit to a larger peace deal. Hezbollah take orders from Iran. It’s clear Tehran will complain about such a deal and pressure the negotiators to get some statement from Washington asserting the Islamic Republic’s say over Lebanon. Hezbollah will attack the deal but will pray Israel won’t strike. The Trump administration will have to calibrate between the Rubio-sponsored agreement on Lebanon and the fragility of the situation in the Gulf.»
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. (Avi Ohayon / GPO)
He added, «The regime is telling Hezbollah ‘keep the narrative up and radical but let us get the money first.’ Israel is giving its public something and mindful of Trump’s concerns about the deal with Iran. The Lebanese government is hoping their army does not have to engage. The only unknown is the ability of the Lebanese opposition to rise and resist Hezbollah. We are still inside the Lebanese status quo.»
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Hanin Ghaddar, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote on X: «Absolutely a breakthrough,» This is the first agreement between Israel and Lebanon since 1983. A clear and loud ‘NO’ to Iran as it challenges its efforts to control Lebanon ‘s file.»
She added, «But as the 1983 agreement was toppled by the bad guys then (Assad regime), Iran will try everything to make sure this one fails as well. Lebanon and Israel have a responsibility in making sure this agreement is protected, and its implementation is successful. We will probably not have another chance.»
lebanon, marco rubio, benjamin netanyahu, treaties, iran, israel, donald trump
INTERNACIONAL
Ministerios de Ambiente y de Agricultura de Costa Rica intensifican charlas sobre el Fenómeno de El Niño en zonas vulnerables
Las autoridades de Costa Rica refuerzan las acciones preventivas frente al Fenómeno de El Niño con una serie de charlas informativas dirigidas a las regiones con mayor riesgo de afectación. El Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (MINAE) y el Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG) organizaron siete encuentros en la zona del Pacífico Norte, donde se concentra la mayor exposición a los efectos climáticos adversos previstos para 2026.
Según los organizadores, las jornadas forman parte de la Estrategia Nacional Contingente 2026-2027 y buscan dotar de información actualizada tanto a productores agropecuarios como a representantes de comités locales de emergencia, municipalidades, asociaciones administradoras de acueductos (ASADAs) y otros actores comunales. El enfoque principal radica en la capacitación para la adaptación y la mitigación de impactos en sectores clave como la agricultura, la ganadería, la pesca y la acuicultura.
La meteoróloga Karina Hernández, coordinadora de la Comisión Consultiva Técnica del ENOS (COENOS), explicó que los encuentros permitieron abordar consultas de los participantes, aclarar conceptos y adquirir compromisos para el envío de información adicional, así como el acceso a los pronósticos climáticos mensuales más recientes. “En todas las etapas de las reuniones se atendieron consultas, se explicaron conceptos, se escucharon propuestas, se adquirió el compromiso de enviar información adicional y el acceso a la actualización de los pronósticos climáticos mensuales”, detalló Hernández.
Las primeras charlas se realizaron entre el 25 y el 29 de mayo en localidades seleccionadas de la región de Chorotega y el Pacífico Central. La mayoría de los asistentes se dedica a la ganadería, aunque también participaron productores de melón, arroz, maíz, apicultores, agricultores de naranja y mango, y representantes de sectores pesquero y acuícola. Los especialistas enfatizaron la importancia de la prevención y la adaptación en cada finca para minimizar los posibles daños.
Durante las sesiones, el Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) brindó una explicación detallada sobre el comportamiento actual del clima y las particularidades del Fenómeno de El Niño previsto para este ciclo. Los técnicos del MAG ofrecieron recomendaciones específicas para mitigar los efectos en el sector agropecuario, como la elaboración de ensilajes para alimentación animal, la gestión integral del recurso hídrico, la construcción de infraestructura verde para reducir las islas de calor en zonas urbanas y las medidas de hidratación para prevenir enfermedades en trabajadores.
En algunas de las charlas, personal del Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Acuicultura (INCOPESCA) expuso los posibles impactos sobre la pesca y la acuicultura, además de sugerencias para proteger la calidad del agua en los reservorios destinados al uso agropecuario. Entre las recomendaciones figura la cosecha de agua, el uso de alternativas para almacenar y oxigenar el recurso hídrico, la implementación de peces y sistemas de recirculación para evitar la proliferación de zancudos, así como la utilización de coberturas para reducir la evaporación.
Uno de los ejes destacados fue la asociatividad como mecanismo para acceder a recursos del Instituto de Desarrollo Rural (INDER), con el objetivo de fortalecer la infraestructura de almacenamiento de insumos como el ensilaje. Además, se insistió en la priorización del agua potable para el consumo humano ante la posibilidad de escasez.
La COENOS lleva a cabo sesiones extraordinarias mensuales desde marzo debido al incremento en la vigilancia del Fenómeno de El Niño. La información y la estrategia nacional pueden consultarse en la plataforma habilitada por la Comisión Nacional de Emergencias.
Las próximas actividades están previstas para Santa Bárbara de Heredia, Grecia, León Cortés, Tierra Blanca, San Ramón y Poás, ampliando así la cobertura de capacitación y prevención en todo el país.
“La labor conjunta entre instituciones y comunidades resulta fundamental para enfrentar los desafíos climáticos asociados al Fenómeno de El Niño”, remarcaron los organizadores en el cierre de la última jornada.
corresponsal:Desde San José, Costa Rica
INTERNACIONAL
‘Baked to death’: Homan rips media while sharing horrific scenes from border enforcement career
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White House border czar Tom Homan erupted at critics of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda Friday, recalling horrific scenes from his decades in border enforcement — including migrants he said were «baked to death» in a tractor-trailer — as he argued that secure borders save lives.
Homan used the graphic stories during remarks at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., to push back on critics who have accused the Trump administration of being inhumane, arguing instead that tougher border enforcement saves lives by deterring migrants from making dangerous journeys controlled by cartels.
«I want to talk about why I’m pissed off this morning,» Homan told the crowd, arguing that media coverage has falsely portrayed Trump’s immigration policies as cruel or inhumane.
BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN SLAMS CATHOLIC CHURCH, SAYS ‘SECURE BORDER SAVES LIVES’
White House border czar Tom Homan is seen as he holds a press conference along the border wall between San Diego, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico, on Dec. 13, 2025, to announce increased security along the Southwest border. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)
«There’s nothing further from the truth,» Homan said. Rather, the border czar said critics have it backward, arguing that lax border enforcement creates the conditions for migrants to be exploited, assaulted or killed by smugglers and cartels. «What President Trump is doing is saving lives,» Homan told the crowd.
He then described one of the most graphic scenes he said he witnessed during his career in border enforcement.
«I’ve stood in the back of a tractor-trailer with 19 dead people at my feet,» Homan told the crowd at the Washington Hilton Friday morning, adding that the victims included a young boy and that they were found in their underwear while trying to escape extreme heat in the back of the truck.
«They all baked to death,» Homan said. «I got to that crime scene. They’re all in underwear, trying to get some relief from the 170 degree heat in the back of a steel truck with no air. Think of the way these people died.»
TRUMP BORDER CZAR HAS BLUNT MESSAGE FOR SELENA GOMEZ: ‘WHERE’S THE TEARS’ FOR SEX TRAFFICKED CHILDREN?
Texas Department of Public Safety said about 50 illegal immigrants were found in a junkyard tractor trailer in Webb County and turned over to Border Patrol. Five adult males who initially exited the trailer were apprehended. (Texas DPS)
Homan also said he has spoken with young girls who were raped by cartel members while making the journey to the U.S. border.
«I’ve gotten on my knees to talk to little girls as young as 9 that were raped multiple times by members of a cartel,» Homan said.
«That’s what happens when you have an unsecured border,» he added. «Well, guess what? There’s no little 9-year-old girl right now that everybody’s getting on their knees and talking to. President Trump has closed the border down.»
Homan repeatedly defended Trump personally and politically, saying the president has delivered the «most secure border in the history of this nation» and arguing that the administration’s immigration crackdown is aimed at preventing more deaths, trafficking and cartel exploitation.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda has faced criticism from Democrats and immigrant-rights advocates. (Michael M. Santiago and Nathan Howard / Getty Images)
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«Secure borders save lives,» Homan said near the end of his remarks. «Secure borders protect our national security. No one’s done it better than President Trump. And we ain’t finished yet.»
The remarks came as the Trump administration continues to face criticism from Democrats and immigrant-rights advocates over its mass deportation push, expanded immigration enforcement and efforts to reverse Biden-era border policies. Homan, however, framed the crackdown as a moral necessity, saying the administration is making the country safer while reducing incentives for migrants to place themselves in the hands of criminal cartels.
border security, tom homan, immigration, border wall, mexican cartel violence
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