Evening Brief: Homeland Security Secretary Defends Hyundai Plant Raid, Belarusian Spy Network Dismantle in Europe

· Guy D. McCardle

Immigration officials raid Hyundai’s battery plant in Georgia on September 4. (Screenshot)

Top headlines for Monday evening, September 8, 2025.

 

Supreme Court Allows ICE to Resume Sweeping Immigration Patrols in Los Angeles

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Monday to lift a lower court order that had restricted immigration agents from conducting broad patrols in Los Angeles, granting the Trump administration a temporary win.

The decision allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to resume operations that critics say rely on race, language, and occupation to justify stops.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that limiting such discretion would chill enforcement, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in dissent, warned that the ruling erodes constitutional protections.

The case stems from a lawsuit by advocacy groups accusing ICE of targeting Latino communities, with US citizens also detained in raids. Federal officials said more than 5,200 arrests have been made since June and pledged to “flood the zone” in LA.

California leaders condemned the decision, warning it could lead to further civil rights violations, while the case continues in lower courts.

 

Jury Selection Begins in Trial of Man Accused of Attempting to Assassinate Trump

Jury selection began Monday in Fort Pierce, Florida, for the trial of Ryan Routh, a 59-year-old man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump during a golf outing in South Florida last year.

Prosecutors say Routh aimed a rifle at Trump on September 15, 2024, but was spotted by a Secret Service agent who fired, causing him to drop the weapon and flee before being arrested nearby.

Routh, who has pleaded not guilty, faces charges including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and firearms violations.

US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who allowed Routh to represent himself with standby counsel, rejected several of his proposed jury questions as irrelevant.

The trial is expected to last up to four weeks, with opening statements scheduled for Thursday.

Routh, a former construction worker with a history of criminal charges and extremist behavior, has also pleaded not guilty to related state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

 

Noem Defends Hyundai Plant Raid, Says Tough Immigration Actions Won’t Deter US Investment

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday the detention of 475 workers, including more than 300 South Koreans, in a September 4 raid at Hyundai’s battery plant in Georgia would not discourage investment in the US.

She argued the operation showed foreign companies that Trump administration policies are clear and consistent, urging firms to prioritize hiring Americans and follow immigration laws.

Speaking in London at a Five Eyes security meeting, Noem said most of the detained Koreans will be deported for ignoring removal orders, while a few face other criminal charges. She added that US immigration enforcement would continue “full speed ahead,” denying suggestions of delays.

The comments came as Noem and ministers from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand discussed migration, border security, and organized crime.

The UK, meanwhile, faces pressure to curb record migrant crossings in the English Channel, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warning countries must take back citizens who have no right to remain in Britain.

 

Killing of Ukrainian Refugee on Charlotte Train Sparks Criticism Over Crime, Mental Health Failures

The recent fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte commuter train has fueled criticism of city officials for failing to address violent crime and mental health crises.

Police say Zarutska was randomly attacked on August 22 by 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., a man with a history of schizophrenia, 14 prior criminal cases, and a five-year prison term for armed robbery. Brown had been briefly committed earlier this year but was released without bail after another arrest in January.

Video shows him slashing Zarutska’s neck without provocation before being arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

The killing has drawn national attention, with President Donald Trump calling the suspect “a madman” and Republican officials blaming Charlotte’s leadership for keeping Brown on the streets.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and North Carolina GOP lawmakers said the case reflects lenient policies, while Mayor Vi Lyles called the attack a tragic loss and pledged to examine city safety. Crime data shows most violent crime in Charlotte has declined in recent years, though homicides spiked in 2024 before easing again this year.

 

US Defense Leaders Visit Puerto Rico as Military Expands Anti-Drug Operations in Caribbean

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine visited Puerto Rico on Monday as Washington intensifies operations against drug cartels in the Caribbean.

Their trip follows the deployment of hundreds of Marines for training and comes ahead of plans to station 10 F-35 fighter jets on the island.

Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González praised the move, calling the territory a strategic US border, while local activists protested the heightened military presence, citing past harm from training exercises.

The visit also comes amid escalating tensions with Venezuela, after a US strike on a suspected drug vessel killed 11 people. Venezuelan officials deny involvement in drug trafficking and accuse Washington of using the issue as a pretext for regime change.

Caribbean leaders have called for clearer communication from the US as it expands its military role in the region.

 

Spain Expands Sanctions on Israel as Sánchez Accuses Netanyahu of ‘Extermination’

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday announced new measures against Israel over its war in Gaza, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of committing “extermination” and violating humanitarian law.

The steps include formalizing an arms embargo, banning ships carrying fuel for Israel’s military from Spanish ports, blocking goods from Israeli settlements, restricting entry to Spain for those involved in the Gaza campaign, and boosting humanitarian aid for Palestinians to €150 million ($176 million) by 2026.

Israel responded by banning two left-wing Spanish ministers, Yolanda Díaz and Sira Rego, from entering the country, citing their calls to label Israel a genocidal state and support for boycotts.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed Spain’s actions as “antisemitic” and politically motivated, saying they would not affect Israel’s security.

Spain has been among Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel, having already recognized a Palestinian state and joined South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the United Nations court.

 

Israeli Airstrikes Kill Five, Including Four Hezbollah Members, in Northeastern Lebanon

Israel carried out rare airstrikes Monday in northeastern Lebanon near the Syrian border, killing five people, including four Hezbollah members, and wounding five others, according to Lebanese officials.

The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hezbollah positions and infrastructure, including a training site for the group’s Radwan Forces.

While Israel has conducted near-daily strikes in southern Lebanon since last November’s US-brokered ceasefire, attacks this far north are uncommon.

The strikes come as international pressure grows for Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah. The Lebanese government has endorsed a gradual disarmament plan but rejects direct confrontation.

Hezbollah has not fired at Israel since November, but insists it will not disarm until Israel halts its attacks and withdraws from disputed border positions.

 

Congo Soldiers Accused of Shooting Protesters in Uvira, Leaving at Least Three Dead

At least three protesters were killed and several wounded Monday in Uvira, South Kivu province, when Congolese soldiers allegedly opened fire on demonstrators accusing a senior military officer of collaborating with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.

Witnesses from a militia and civil society group said four people were killed and seven injured, while Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki confirmed three deaths and five wounded but declined to say who fired.

The protesters had marched to demand the removal of General Olivier Gasita, who denied ties to rebels and urged unity.

Walazendo militia members, who joined the protest, accused Gasita’s bodyguards of firing on the crowd as they tried to deliver a resignation petition.

The governor appealed for calm, warning that divisions would benefit M23 and its Rwandan backers.

 

Czech, Hungarian, and Romanian Agencies Dismantle Belarusian Spy Network in Europe

Intelligence services from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania disrupted a Belarusian spy network operating across Europe, the Czech counterintelligence agency BIS announced Monday.

The operation revealed that Belarus’ KGB recruited agents in multiple countries, including a former deputy head of Moldova’s SIS intelligence service who allegedly passed classified information to Belarus.

Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, said the Moldovan suspect, arrested on treason charges, met Belarusian spies in Budapest in 2024 and 2025 to exchange instructions and payments.

The Czech Republic also expelled a Belarusian diplomat identified as an undercover agent.

BIS chief Michal Koudelka called for restrictions on the movement of Russian and Belarusian diplomats within the Schengen area to curb such activities.

The investigation, coordinated by Eurojust, highlights Belarus’ growing intelligence efforts under President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Vladimir Putin.

 

Ukraine Shows Foreign Diplomats Damage After Russia’s Largest Air Attack Since Invasion

Ukrainian leaders escorted 60 foreign diplomats through Kyiv’s central government building on Monday, a day after Russia launched its biggest aerial assault since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

The attack involved more than 800 drones and decoys, killing four people, including a mother and infant, and setting parts of the 10-story Soviet-era building ablaze.

Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said the strike showed Russia’s rejection of peace efforts, while European Union Ambassador Katarina Mathernova confirmed the building was hit by an Iskander missile that failed to detonate.

The tour came as US-led peace initiatives stall and President Donald Trump reportedly hesitates to impose new sanctions despite his warnings to Moscow. Ukraine and European officials are pressing Washington for stronger economic measures against Russia, whose war economy remains fueled by oil exports.

Analysts warn Russia may escalate to more than 1,000 drone strikes daily by year’s end.

 

Police Kill 17 as Protests Erupt in Nepal Over Social Media Ban

Police in Kathmandu opened fire Monday on tens of thousands of demonstrators protesting Nepal’s new restrictions on social media, leaving at least 17 dead and 145 wounded.

The protests erupted after the government blocked major platforms including Facebook, X, and YouTube for failing to register under new oversight rules.

Protesters broke through barricades and forced riot police to retreat into Parliament before gunfire broke out. Officials imposed a curfew around key government sites as unrest spread. Rights groups have condemned the bill as censorship, while officials argue it ensures accountability.

TikTok, Viber, and a few other platforms have complied with the rules and remain accessible.

Families of victims crowded hospitals where many of the wounded were treated for gunshot injuries to the head and chest.

 

Sources: News Agencies