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Grieving mom testifies about Marine vet son’s death at hands of violent illegal aliens
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In testimony to Congress on Tuesday, a mother shared the heartbreaking details of how her son, a U.S. Marine veteran, was gunned down by illegal immigrants on their property in South Texas under the Obama administration.
Marie Vega, a legal immigrant from Mexico, shared the harrowing experience in testimony in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee’s hearing on «Biden’s Border Betrayal» on Tuesday.
According to Vega’s testimony, her family was enjoying a barbecue on their property in La Feria, Texas, when two illegal immigrants «ambushed» them without any warning in July 2014.
«Our beautiful day turned into a nightmare when two criminal illegal aliens decided to ambush us in an attempt to steal both four-wheel drive trucks. The two illegals jumped out of the stolen vehicle they were driving, and without hesitation or a warning, they began shooting at us,» she shared.
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Marie Vega, a South Texas mother and legal immigrant from Mexico, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on July 22, 2025. Vega recounted the 2014 murder of her son, Marine veteran and Border Patrol officer Javier «Harvey» Vega Jr., by illegal immigrants on their family’s property. (U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary website and Texas General Land Office)
Her son and husband attempted to return fire. But in the attack, her son, Javier «Harvey» Vega Jr., a former Marine and Border Patrol officer, was killed. Her husband, meanwhile, suffers from permanent injuries from the incident.
Besides the death and physical injuries her family sustained, she said that she, her daughter-in-law and young grandchildren were left traumatized.
«Open borders have consequences,» Vega said. «And you can see from what I have experienced because of the crimes committed by illegals, the pain lives with us for the rest of our lives.»
Vega said she attempted to protect her grandchildren and watched helplessly as her son was shot in the chest.
Through tears, Vega asked, «Do you know what it is like to see your son go down after being shot? Do you know what it is like to hear the gunshots, bullets whizzing past you? Do you know what it’s like when your mind is trying to process everything, telling your grandchildren to duck while thinking your son is on the ground with a bullet in his chest?
«Do you know what it’s like to hear your son’s last words to his father? ‘Keep shooting, Dad.’ Keep shooting were his last words,» she asked, adding, «That should never have happened.»
ILLEGAL ALIEN WHO RAPED, IMPREGNATED HIS OWN DAUGHTER AT GOVERNMENT-RUN SHELTER LEARNS PRISON SENTENCE
Migrants from Venezuela walk toward U.S. Border Patrol after crossing the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas, on Jan. 8, 2024. Border security remains a flashpoint as witnesses like Marie Vega testify on Capitol Hill about their experiences as victims of violence from criminal illegal aliens. (John Moore/Getty Images)
She called the ordeal a «nightmare,» saying, «Had my husband and I not returned fire, the illegals would have killed everyone there, leaving no witnesses.»
According to Vega’s testimony, the two illegals had prior criminal records, had menaced other neighbors in their community and had been previously deported. She said that she continues to live with «survivor’s guilt» and struggles to sleep at night because of the trauma.
«Open borders have consequences. And you can see from what I have experienced because of the crimes committed by illegals, the pain lives with us for the rest of our lives.»
«11 years is how much I have struggled to survive without my baby,» she said. «11 years I have lived with flashbacks during every waking moment. 11 years we have celebrated the boys’ birthdays, graduations, weddings, starting new families, new careers, and amazing accomplishments, without my baby.
«Illegal aliens have impacted American lives in a very negative way,» Vega went on. «They have no regard for human life. As I witnessed firsthand, the illegals that killed Harvey also shot my husband in the back and shot at innocent children and women. My grandbabies and their friend were only eight and 11 years old. Take a moment and imagine your child or grandchild witnessing this horror.»
TRUMP’S TREASURY DEPARTMENT TARGETS DANGEROUS VENEZUELAN PRISON GANG WITH SANCTIONS ON 6 TOP LEADERS
Border Patrol agents and National Guard members monitor a checkpoint near the Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, in this 2021 photo. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
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She concluded that «had our immigration laws been enforced, our son would be here.»
«Barack Obama failed me, my family and our community and our nation,» she said.
Addressing the senators on the subcommittee, Vega said, «You took an oath to uphold the Constitution and work for we the people. That means working with your fellow politicians regardless of which side of the aisle you are on. You are supposed to work together, representing us, ensuring that those coming in are obeying our immigration laws. They need to be properly vetted, not only for their safety, but yours and ours.»
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Congressional Democrats are trying to get on the same page and display a unified front after threatening to derail the government funding process.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., met behind closed doors Tuesday night, along with the top Democrats in the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, to plot a course forward in the forthcoming government funding fight.
SENATE WEATHERS DEM OPPOSITION, ADVANCES FIRST GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., turns to an aide during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The meeting came after Democrats in the upper chamber overwhelmingly supported the first government funding bill to hit the Senate floor, one that would fund military construction and Veterans Affairs. Ahead of the vote, Senate Democrats had signaled they may vote against the bill and further obstruct the appropriations process because of highly partisan legislation rammed through the upper chamber by Senate Republicans.
«We all want to pursue a bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process,» Schumer said. «That’s how it’s always been done, successfully, and we believe that, however, the Republicans are making it extremely difficult to do that.»
The meeting just off the Senate floor was meant to get congressional Democrats on board with a messaging plan over the next weeks and months ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government.
CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS FACE BRUISING BATTLE TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is seen after the Senate luncheons in the U.S. Capitol on June 24, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
It was also likely designed to prevent a repeat of the Democratic debacle in March, when Schumer broke with Jeffries and threatened to shutter the government before ultimately caving and providing Republicans the votes necessary to advance yet another government funding extension, known as a continuing resolution.
Republicans are quick to point out that when Schumer led the upper chamber, none of the House GOP’s spending bills made it to the floor — in Congress, the spending process begins in the lower chamber.
Since taking over earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has committed to returning to regular order, or passing each of the dozen spending bills to fund the government, and trying to get the appropriations process back to normal.
However, it’s a feat that hasn’t been successfully done in Washington since the late 1990s.
«Frankly, I think a lot of us around here think [this] is long overdue,» Thune said.
However, Democrats contend that their trust in Republicans is wearing thin after two major partisan bills, one being President Donald Trump’s «big, beautiful bill,» and the other the president’s $9 billion clawback package, were pushed through the chamber without any Democratic input.
‘BAIT AND SWITCH’: SCHUMER WARNS OF BITTER FUNDING FIGHT OVER GOP CUTS PLAN
Representative Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 6, 2025. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Thune argued that Senate Democrats were using the rescissions package to shut down the appropriations process and effectively shut down the government.
In the Senate, most bills that come to the floor require at least 60 votes to smash through the filibuster, meaning that most legislation requires bipartisan support to some extent.
Earlier this year, the House GOP produced a partisan government funding extension that was a tough pill for Senate Democrats to swallow, but they still ultimately opted to vote for it. This time around, they’re demanding more involvement in the process.
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Jeffries said that congressional Democrats would play ball if the process was «bipartisan and bicameral in nature» and put the onus of a partial government shutdown at the feet of congressional Republicans.
«House Republicans are, in fact, marching us toward a possible government shutdown that will hurt the American people,» he said.
However, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., threw the responsibility on Democrats over whether the government would shutter or stay open come the end of September.
«They’re gaming out how they can shut the government down,» Johnson told Bloomberg Government.
INTERNACIONAL
Ucrania: el presidente Volodimir Zelenski enfrenta críticas y protestas por una nueva ley anticorrupción
Advertencia de funcionarios de la UE
El presidente ucraniano, Volodimir Zelenski, convocó a los jefes de todas las agencias de investigación y de lucha contra la corrupción del país. Foto EFENegociaciones en Estambul
Ucrania,Volodímir Zelenski,Rusia,Guerra Rusia-Ucrania
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Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Israeli and Qatari officials in Rome on Thursday as the U.S. pushes for a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Hamas and Israel are engaging in indirect negotiations to end the war that has raged on for nearly two years. However, Witkoff’s itinerary depends on the progress made in the talks. If the parties make enough progress in Rome, Witkoff will reportedly travel to Doha to finalize the deal, according to Axios.
The outlet also reported that sources indicated the meeting in Rome could suggest that a deal is near — possibly just days away.
Earlier this month, Israel agreed to a U.S.-backed, 60-day ceasefire proposal that would lead to the end of the war. This deal includes a phased release of hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of Gaza and talks on ending the conflict, according to Reuters.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Israeli and Qatari officials in Rome on Thursday to secure a deal to end the war in Gaza. (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
ISRAEL, HAMAS TALKS DRAG AS AID GROUP CHAIR TELLS UN TO STOP ACTING LIKE THE ‘MAFIA’
«My representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the war. The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring peace, will deliver this final proposal. I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this deal because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,» President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on July 1.
President Donald Trump holds a bilateral dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in attendance, at the White House in Washington, D.C., July 7, 2025. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
ISRAEL ACCEPTS TRUMP-LED CEASEFIRE PLAN THAT COULD END GAZA WAR WITHIN 60 DAYS
Trump appeared optimistic about the possibility of Israel and Hamas reaching a deal to end the war. On July 16, while signing the HALT Fentanyl Act, Trump thanked Witkoff, praising him for doing «a fantastic job» and said that there was «some good news on Gaza,» though he did not elaborate.
From left to right, Foreign Affairs Minister of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump and Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 15, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
TRUMP PRESSURES ISRAEL TO END GAZA CONFLICT AS HE EYES ABRAHAM ACCORDS EXPANSION
If Trump can secure an end to the war, it could mean an expansion of the Abraham Accords, one of the signature efforts of Trump’s first administration, which saw Israel sign normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. However, Trump has yet to detail which countries would be added.
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar said on June 30 that Israel was «serious» about seeking an end to the conflict. He added that Jerusalem has an interest in «countries, such as Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors, to the circle of peace and normalization.»
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Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
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