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Woman exposed running visa fraud scheme spanning years, posing as immigration officer
Federal agents raid 22 Minneapolis businesses in massive fraud investigation
Federal agents are currently raiding 22 businesses in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as part of a major federal fraud investigation. Brooke Taylor reports live that the raids are connected to a viral YouTube video from Nick Shirley, which exposed alleged childcare funding fraud in December. The Trump administration previously froze childcare funding and called for a full audit of certain daycare centers.
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A 29-year-old Texas woman is now in custody and facing federal fraud charges after being exposed for impersonating an immigration officer in a multi-year visa fraud scheme.
Mayra Collins, a resident of Brownsville, a city on the far southern tip of Texas, is facing five counts of fraudulently posing as a federal agent with various agencies in 2022 and 2025, Acting U.S. Attorney John Marck announced.
The charges against Collins are for two counts of wire fraud and three counts of impersonating a federal agent, according to local affiliate Fox 26.
The DOJ said Collins first allegedly posed as a federal immigration officer. She allegedly falsely represented that she could expedite the process for obtaining U.S. visas and took money from four victims. In 2025, Collins also allegedly impersonated a Border Patrol agent with influence over the hiring of federal employees. She allegedly told one victim there were job positions available, but that they needed to send her money for uniforms and ballistic vests before beginning employment with Border Patrol.
ILLEGAL ALIEN ALLEGEDLY RAN FAKE DHS BRANCH, PASSED OUT ‘IMMUNITY’ CARDS DURING A $400 FRAUDULENT COURSE
U.S. Border Patrol officers apprehended drivers of two vehicles involved in an incident and recovered eight of nine migrants missing from a boat, leaving a 10-year-old child unaccounted for.
According to the DOJ, Collins «never worked for the United States» and «had no power to provide victims of her schemes with Visas or employment» with Border Patrol.
The woman is now facing up to 20 years in federal prison for the two counts of wire fraud and another three years for the impersonation charges. She is also facing a maximum fine of $250,000.
She is expected to make her initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Julie Hampton this Thursday.
Lora Ries, an immigration policy expert with the Heritage Foundation, explained that «the needless complexity of immigration law and the fragmented immigration bureaucracy spread across five federal departments are fertile ground for fraudsters.»
Ries, who is director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital that Democrats «helped create these systemic conditions because they facilitate illegal immigration.»
CBP SEIZES MASSIVE METH HAUL WORTH MILLIONS STASHED IN SECRET TILE SHIPMENT
People return to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande river in Brownsville, Texas, on May 11, 2023, after dropping off migrants on the U.S. side. The U.S. ended its 40-month Covid-19 emergency and discarded the Title 42 law on the same day. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)
«This perpetrator exploiting that confusing and scattered system is a consequence of their own making,» Ries said.
She noted that «Congress should greatly simplify immigration law and consolidate many of the immigration agencies for a better immigration system and to prevent such fraud.»
This comes as the DOJ and Department of Homeland Security ramp up the federal government’s investigation into a massive fraud scheme largely involving the Somali immigrant community in Minnesota. Federal officials raided 22 alleged fraud sites Tuesday morning.
The raids center on federal fraud investigations into largely Somali-owned businesses, including childcare facilities that registered their daycare with the state but were allegedly billing for care that was not provided.
EMMER SAYS MN FRAUD RAIDS SEND ‘CRYSTAL CLEAR’ MESSAGE AFTER FEDS HIT DOZENS OF SITES
Law enforcement officers seen getting into a vehicle outside of Quality learning center in Minneapolis on April 28, 2026. (Fox News)
Following news of the raids breaking, Vice President JD Vance, head of the administration’s fraud task force, remarked that the «task force and the DOJ will be relentless in exposing these fraudsters wherever they may be hiding.»
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Commenting on the Minnesota crackdown, Ries told Fox News Digital that «Americans, particularly Minnesotans, are pleased to see the ongoing pursuit of justice against fraud in that state.»
«We’ve only seen a glimpse of both the immigration fraud and welfare fraud that have occurred in Minnesota,» she said, adding, «Significant criminal and immigration consequences are needed for all the perpetrators to achieve justice and to send a message to others throughout the country not to engage in fraud.»
immigration, crime, texas, somali immigrant community, minnesota fraud exposed, homeland security
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After a month on the sidelines, the 2026 primary season is back with a vengeance.
A dozen states from coast to coast hold primaries or runoffs in May, and the results of those nomination contests may ultimately determine the outcomes of November’s midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their slim Senate and razor-thin House majorities.
Also on the line in some of the ballot box showdowns: President Donald Trump’s immense sway over the GOP, as his endorsements in key races will be tested.
ONLY ON FOX NEWS: TRUMP WILL ‘DELIVER’ – RNC CHAIR SIGNALS MIDTERM CONFIDENCE DESPITE ‘DOOM AND GLOOM’
Ed Gallrein launched a congressional campaign to challenge Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky after President Donald Trump endorsed him. The announcement took place in the Oval Office at the White House in March. (Fox News)
Indiana and Ohio kick off the action on May 5, with Nebraska and West Virginia holding primaries a week later, on May 12. Louisiana’s nominating contest follows on Saturday, May 16. Three days later marks the busiest day of the month, with Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon and Pennsylvania holding primaries. Texas wraps up May with runoff showdowns on May 26.
Here’s a closer look at some of the top races.
MAY 5 – Indiana and Ohio
The first major test of Trump’s grip on the GOP comes in Indiana.
Five months ago, Republicans in the GOP-dominated state Senate withstood immense pressure from Trump and his allies and voted down congressional redistricting, which would have given solidly red Indiana two more right-leaning U.S. House seats ahead of the midterms. Seeking retribution, the president endorsed challengers to eight GOP state senators who voted against the redistricting bill.
The president’s allies have spent millions of dollars to try to oust the state lawmakers who opposed Trump’s redistricting push. Among those in the political fight on behalf of the president are Turning Point USA’s political wing and the Club for Growth.
WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS NATIONAL POLL SAYS ABOUT DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS
Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith announces the results of a vote to redistrict the state’s congressional map at the Statehouse in Indianapolis on Dec. 11, 2025. (Michael Conroy/AP Photo)
The intra-party battle is seen not just as a test of fealty to Trump but rather a fight between MAGA forces and more traditional conservatives for the future of the GOP.
«We’ve got to change those old-style Republicans, put in people who will fight, fight against the Democrat gerrymandering,» Club for Growth President David McIntosh told Fox News Digital.
McIntosh, a former congressman from Indiana, said «I want to see my state do the right thing.»
In neighboring Ohio, there’s a lot less drama.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and business leader who grabbed national attention during his bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before dropping out and becoming a top Trump surrogate, is all but certain to capture the Republican gubernatorial nomination in his home state. Ramaswamy, who is backed by Trump, will face off in November against Dr. Amy Acton, a doctor and researcher who served as director of the state Department of Health from 2019 to 2020. Acton is unopposed in the Democratic primary. The winner will succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.
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Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2025 in Phoenix on Dec. 19, 2025. (Jon Cherry/AP)
It’s the same story in Ohio’s Senate primary, where appointed Republican Sen. Jon Husted, a former lieutenant governor, is unopposed in the GOP primary. Former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is expected to cruise to his party’s nomination. The winner will serve the final two years of the term of Vice President JD Vance, who stepped down from the Senate after the Trump-Vance ticket won the 2024 presidential election.
Once a top general election battleground state, Ohio has shifted to the right over the past decade, with Trump carrying the state by 11 points in the 2024 election. But this year’s races for the Senate and governor are expected to be very competitive. And the Senate race is one of a handful across the country that may determine if the GOP holds the majority or if the Democrats flip the chamber.
May 16 – Louisiana
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is facing primary challenges from two Republicans: Rep. Julia Letlow and former Rep. John Fleming, who is currently the state treasurer. Trump earlier this year weighed into the race by endorsing Letlow.
Cassidy was one of only seven Senate Republicans who voted in early 2021 to convict Trump after he was impeached by the House for his role in the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters who aimed to upend congressional certification of former President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump was acquitted by the Senate.
CRUZ WARNS ‘RADICAL DEMOCRATS’ WILL ‘BURN IT DOWN’ IF THEY WIN BACK CONGRESS
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., seen speaking during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17, 2025, is facing a rough road to re-election this year. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
But since the start of Trump’s second term 15 months ago, Cassidy has been supportive of the president’s agenda and his nominees.
If no candidate cracks 50% of the primary vote, the top two finishers will face off for the nomination in a June 27 runoff election.
May 19 – Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, Pennsylvania
The third major test of Trump’s endorsement power this month is in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, where Rep. Thomas Massie is facing a challenge from Trump-backed Ed Gallrein.
Massie has long been one of Trump’s most vocal GOP critics in Congress, repeatedly taking aim at the president over the Epstein files and foreign policy.
Rep. Thomas Massie arrives for a House vote on the funding bill to reopen the government in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 3, 2026. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Trump allies have spent big bucks to boost Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, and to take aim at Massie.
The president’s endorsement is also being tested in Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial nomination, in the 2026 race to succeed popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term limited.
Trump has endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is trading fire in a competitive and combustible battle with healthcare executive and mega GOP donor Rick Jackson, who has infused millions of his own money in his bid. Among the others battling for the nomination in a crowded Republican field are state Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
GOP candidates for Georgia governor, Rick Jackson, left, and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, right, are pictured with President Donald Trump as they campaign as Trump loyalists. (Getty Images/Rick Jackson)
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who later served in then-President Joe Biden’s administration, is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Among the other contenders in the crowded field of candidates are Mike Thurmond, a former DeKalb County CEO and former state Labor Commissioner, and former Republican lieutenant governor turned Democrat Geoff Duncan.
Republicans are hoping to flip the U.S. Senate seat up for grabs this year in Georgia. The GOP views first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat seeking re-election this year. But beating Ossoff, who has built a massive war chest, won’t be easy in the southeastern battleground state.
Making matters worse for the GOP: There’s a nasty primary between major contenders Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former college football coach Derek Dooley, who is backed by Kemp. Trump has remained neutral to date in the Senate primary in Georgia.
May 26 – Texas
Longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn is fighting for his political life as he faces off in a runoff election against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is a MAGA firebrand and major Trump supporter.
Trump has stayed neutral in the showdown between the two Republican titans in right-leaning Texas.
Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, left, faces Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a GOP primary runoff election. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Antranik Tavitian/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Cornyn narrowly edged Paxton in an early March GOP primary that also included Rep. Wesley Hunt, but with no candidate topping 50%, Cornyn and Paxton advanced to the runoff.
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The winner of the runoff will face off in November with Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state representative and rising Democratic Party star who hauled in an eye-popping $27 million in fundraising the first three months of this year.
Democrats are confident, and Republicans are concerned, that if Paxton wins the GOP nomination, Republicans will have a harder time in the general election holding the seat. And similar to the Senate race in Ohio, the showdown in Texas is one of a handful across the country that may determine if the GOP holds the majority.
elections, midterm elections, indiana, primary results, republicans elections, donald trump
INTERNACIONAL
Estados Unidos retirará más de 5.000 soldados de sus bases en Alemania tras las tensiones con líderes de la OTAN
El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump anunció el sábado que Estados Unidos reducirá significativamente su presencia militar en Alemania, decisión que tensa aún más su relación con el canciller Friedrich Merz mientras busca disminuir el compromiso de Washington con la seguridad europea.
El Pentágono informó el viernes que unos 5.000 soldados de las fuerzas de EEUU serían retirados del territorio alemán. Consultado sobre la medida, el mandatario republicano indicó que la reducción será aún mayor: “Vamos a reducir muchísimo. Y vamos a reducir mucho más que 5.000”.
El ministro de Defensa alemán, Boris Pistorius, restó importancia a la noticia y recordó que la reducción ya estaba prevista. Pistorius señaló que las naciones europeas deben asumir una mayor responsabilidad en su propia defensa, aunque destacó que la cooperación en seguridad beneficia tanto a Europa como a Estados Unidos.
Trump anunció la reducción militar tras sus críticas a los aliados europeos por su falta de apoyo a la campaña conjunta con Israel contra el régimen iraní. El inquilino de la Casa Blanca cuestionó a líderes como el canciller alemán Friedrich Merz, el presidente español Pedro Sánchez y el primer ministro británico Keir Starmer.
La semana pasada, Merz criticó la estrategia estadounidense utilizada contra el país persa, acusó a Estados Unidos de ser “humillado” por el liderazgo iraní y señaló la ausencia de un plan claro de Washington.
En otro frente de tensión, Trump acusó a la Unión Europea de incumplir su acuerdo comercial con Estados Unidos y, por este motivo, anunció que incrementará al 25% los aranceles a automóviles y camiones producidos en el bloque a partir de la próxima semana. Esta medida impactaría especialmente a Alemania, importante fabricante de vehículos.
Cabe mencionar que la salida de 5 mil soldados estadounidenses del país germano representa cerca de una séptima parte de los 36.000 militares estadounidenses desplegados actualmente en el país. El Pentágono no precisó qué unidades u operaciones se verán afectadas por la decisión castrense.
El retiro de los 5.000 efectivos está programado para concretarse en los próximos seis a doce meses, según el Departamento de Guerra de EEUU. Trump ya había anunciado un retiro de 9.500 militares durante su primer mandato, medida que no se implementó, y que fue cancelada formalmente por el ex presidente Joe Biden tras asumir en 2021.
En términos generales, entre 80.000 y 100.000 efectivos estadounidenses suelen estar desplegados en Europa, dependiendo de ejercicios y rotaciones. Washington reforzó su presencia tras la invasión rusa a Ucrania en febrero de 2022.
La portavoz de la OTAN, Allison Hart, señaló en la red social X que la alianza transatlántica “trabaja con Estados Unidos para comprender los detalles de su decisión sobre el despliegue en Alemania” y subrayó la necesidad de que Europa aumente la inversión en defensa y asuma una mayor cuota de responsabilidad en la seguridad compartida. Hart mencionó avances hacia el objetivo de que cada país aliado invierta el 5% de su producción económica en defensa.
Desde Washington, el vdel Pentágono, Sean Parnell, informó que la decisión de reducir la presencia militar responde a “una revisión exhaustiva del emplazamiento de fuerzas del Departamento de Defensa en Europa” y toma en cuenta los requisitos operativos y condiciones sobre el terreno.
“La decisión de retirar soldados en Alemania sigue a un proceso integral y de múltiples capas que incorpora perspectivas de líderes clave en EUCOM y a lo largo de la cadena de mando”, señaló en un correo electrónico el secretario de prensa interino del Pentágono, Joel Valdez, en referencia al Comando Europeo de Estados Unidos.
(Con información de Associated Press)
armed forces,military,military;armed forces
INTERNACIONAL
La guerra en Medio Oriente redefine las rutas marítimas de los buques, con África como eje central
En los últimos dos meses, el bloqueo en el estrecho de Ormuz obligó a los armadores a buscar corredores terrestres alternativos para transportar alimentos y productos manufacturados por camión, ya que ya no pueden llegar a los países costeros del Golfo por mar.
El puerto saudí de Yeda, en el Mar Rojo, se está convirtiendo en un nuevo “centro neurálgico” regional, donde arriban, a través del Canal de Suez, buques de gigantes marítimos como MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk y Cosco.
La carga se transporta luego en camión por una carretera desértica para ser entregada en lugares como Sharjah, Bahréin y Kuwait, que no han tenido servicio marítimo durante los últimos dos meses.
“El puerto de Yeda no tiene la capacidad para gestionar tales volúmenes de importación y se está generando una situación de congestión portuaria”, declaró a la AFP Arthur Barillas de The, cofundador de la empresa de transporte de mercancías Ovrsea.
Según datos de Kpler Marine Traffic, el jueves atracaron en Yeda 11 buques portacontenedores, nueve de ellos en espera, con un tiempo de demora promedio de 36 horas antes de la descarga, en comparación con las 17 horas de la semana anterior.
Los armadores declararon que utilizarán tres puertos situados fuera del estrecho de Ormuz: Sohar, en Omán, y los puertos emiratíes de Khorfakkan y Fujairah, que están conectados por tierra con los Emiratos Árabes Unidos.
El puerto de Aqaba, en Jordania, sirve de base para el envío de mercancías a Bagdad y Basora, en Irak, mientras que un corredor turco también permite la entrada de mercancías al norte de Irak.
La situación comenzó mucho antes de la guerra en Irán, pero está estrechamente relacionada con el conflicto.
La práctica de evitar el Mar Rojo desde el estrecho de Bab el-Mandeb hasta el canal de Suez se remonta al 19 de noviembre de 2023 y al primer ataque contra un buque portacontenedores por parte de las milicias hutíes respaldadas por Irán desde la costa de Yemen, según CyclOpe, especialista en el mercado de materias primas.
El desvío de rutas de los buques se ha vuelto algo sistemático, afirmó Ronan Boudet, jefe de inteligencia de contenedores de Kpler. Bordean África siguiendo su costa oriental hasta el Cabo de Buena Esperanza, en el sur de Sudáfrica, antes de dirigirse de nuevo hacia el norte, hacia Europa y el Mediterráneo.
“Con la situación actual en el Golfo, hemos metido varias monedas más en la máquina, y no va a mejorar pronto”, declaró a la AFP Edouard Louis-Dreyfus, presidente del gigante naviero francés Louis Dreyfus Armateurs.
“Actualmente, el 70% del tráfico de mercancías que pasó por el Mar Rojo en 2023 se está desviando a través del Cabo de Buena Esperanza”, añadió Yves Guillo, experto en cadenas de suministro de Efeso, una consultora de gestión con sede en París.
Según datos de la plataforma PortWatch del Fondo Monetario Internacional, basados en las señales GPS de los buques, el tráfico de buques comerciales a través del Cabo de Buena Esperanza se ha triplicado con creces en tres años, mientras que el tráfico a través del estrecho de Bab el-Mandeb se ha reducido a menos de la mitad.
Entre el 1 de marzo y el 24 de abril de este año, un promedio de 20 buques comerciales rodearon el Cabo de Buena Esperanza cada día, en comparación con los seis que lo hicieron en el mismo período de 2023.
En comparación, el tráfico en el Mar Rojo se desplomó: de 18 tránsitos diarios a través de Bab el-Mandeb entre marzo y abril de 2023, el promedio cayó a 5 tres años después.
Según Guillo, los tiempos de transporte entre Asia y Europa se han alargado una media de dos semanas y los costes han aumentado porque se necesita entre un 30 y un 50% más de combustible y entre un 10 y un 20 por ciento más de barcos para garantizar la misma frecuencia de servicio.
El precio medio para transportar un contenedor estándar de 40 pies en las principales rutas marítimas aumentó un 14% en abril en comparación con el mismo período del año pasado, añadió, citando cambios en el índice de fletes de Drewry.
Existen grandes diferencias entre las rutas: algunos puertos africanos están experimentando un aumento en su actividad. La Autoridad Portuaria de Tanger Med informó que gestionó 11 millones de contenedores estándar en 2025, lo que representa un incremento del 8,4%.
Pero Egipto perdió los ingresos por peajes del Canal de Suez, que constituyen una parte importante de sus ingresos. Según CyclOpe, en 2024 perdió 7.000 millones de dólares, una caída de más del 60% en comparación con 2023.
(AFP)
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