steven monacelli
@stevanzetti.bsky.social
special investigative correspondent @texasobserver.org • columnist @thebarbedwire.com • contributor @coolzonemedia.bsky.social • publisher @proteanmag.com • send tips via Signal: stevanzetti.12
Read & support my work: https://linktr.ee/Stevanzetti
Read & support my work: https://linktr.ee/Stevanzetti
Pinned
ICE Prosecutor Who Runs Racist X Account Returns to Dallas Immigration Court
James Rodden, who the Observer identified last year as the operator of the account that routinely posted hateful statements, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.
www.texasobserver.org
BREAKING: James Rodden, an ICE prosecutor who the Observer identified last year as the operator of an X account that posted “America is a White nation," “‘Migrants’ are all criminals,” and apparent praise of Adolf Hitler, appeared to be back at work Tuesday.
www.texasobserver.org/ice-prosecut...
www.texasobserver.org/ice-prosecut...
Reposted by steven monacelli
The Guardian - NSA detected a phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to President Trump. A whistleblower says DNI Tulsi Gabbard blocked sharing of the report and took it to the White House chief of staff. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...
NSA detected phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump
Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 11:31 PM
The Guardian - NSA detected a phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to President Trump. A whistleblower says DNI Tulsi Gabbard blocked sharing of the report and took it to the White House chief of staff. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...
POV: you order a round of milks at the steakhouse
February 7, 2026 at 11:29 PM
POV: you order a round of milks at the steakhouse
"Limited interactions," as in forming a limited partnership or LLC
(CBS News) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said he had "limited interactions" with Jeffrey Epstein, but documents show they were in business together as recently as 2014.
@cbsnews.com
www.cbsnews.com/news/howard-...
@cbsnews.com
www.cbsnews.com/news/howard-...
Lutnick and Epstein were in business together, Epstein files show
Though the commerce secretary has called his interactions with Epstein as "limited," the two were in business together four years after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea.
www.cbsnews.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:44 AM
"Limited interactions," as in forming a limited partnership or LLC
Thread: emails from the Jeffrey Epstein library strongly suggest that Epstein and/or Ghislaine Maxwell were in communication with the Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Secret Service Field Office in 2009, after Epstein was initially convicted in 2008
In an email exchange with Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell wrote that a man named Mike Lee's current position as of 2009 was "Head of dalas" (sic), and clarified she meant Dallas and that it was not a codeword.
Hmm...
Hmm...
February 7, 2026 at 12:24 AM
Thread: emails from the Jeffrey Epstein library strongly suggest that Epstein and/or Ghislaine Maxwell were in communication with the Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Secret Service Field Office in 2009, after Epstein was initially convicted in 2008
In an email exchange with Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell wrote that a man named Mike Lee's current position as of 2009 was "Head of dalas" (sic), and clarified she meant Dallas and that it was not a codeword.
Hmm...
Hmm...
February 6, 2026 at 10:50 PM
In an email exchange with Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell wrote that a man named Mike Lee's current position as of 2009 was "Head of dalas" (sic), and clarified she meant Dallas and that it was not a codeword.
Hmm...
Hmm...
Reposted by steven monacelli
Apparently the Trump administration now has a ‘MAGA-style slush fund’ to fund far right causes across Europe.
archive.ph
February 6, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Apparently the Trump administration now has a ‘MAGA-style slush fund’ to fund far right causes across Europe.
Two schools in Texas, Williams High School and Plano East High School, are expecting student walkouts this afternoon to protest ICE.
February 6, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Two schools in Texas, Williams High School and Plano East High School, are expecting student walkouts this afternoon to protest ICE.
My racist emotional support staffer
POLITICO reporting that the White House has now claimed the ape video was an accident and removed it.
February 6, 2026 at 5:38 PM
My racist emotional support staffer
Learning about the particulars of local permitting as it relates to privately owned buildings leased out to the federal government in order to become a problem
February 6, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Learning about the particulars of local permitting as it relates to privately owned buildings leased out to the federal government in order to become a problem
Reposted by steven monacelli
Screwston Antifascist Committee, I should note, mostly hands out food and zines at local anarchist fairs and shows up at protests + counter protests in the Houston area. They table at DIY shows. A paramilitary group this is not.
Texas AG Ken Paxton has announced legal action against the Houston area Screwston Antifascist Committee, alleging commission of terrorism and doxing. Their account has been quiet for some time, but this was one of their last posts — identifying a neo-Nazi.
February 6, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Screwston Antifascist Committee, I should note, mostly hands out food and zines at local anarchist fairs and shows up at protests + counter protests in the Houston area. They table at DIY shows. A paramilitary group this is not.
Texas AG Ken Paxton has announced legal action against the Houston area Screwston Antifascist Committee, alleging commission of terrorism and doxing. Their account has been quiet for some time, but this was one of their last posts — identifying a neo-Nazi.
February 6, 2026 at 4:18 PM
Texas AG Ken Paxton has announced legal action against the Houston area Screwston Antifascist Committee, alleging commission of terrorism and doxing. Their account has been quiet for some time, but this was one of their last posts — identifying a neo-Nazi.
Trad for thee but not for me
An explosive sex scandal has rocked the “trad” online right.
I break it all down in my latest False Flag newsletter for @thebulwark.com. www.thebulwark.com/p/shocking-s...
I break it all down in my latest False Flag newsletter for @thebulwark.com. www.thebulwark.com/p/shocking-s...
A Shocking Sex Scandal Rocks the Trad Right
Sex, lies, and audiotape—and the hypocrisy of the trad lifestyle project.
www.thebulwark.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Trad for thee but not for me
Explaining Cameron Winter to my wife: so there's this guy who looks like the default Mii character and has the voice of a 72 year old angel
February 6, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Explaining Cameron Winter to my wife: so there's this guy who looks like the default Mii character and has the voice of a 72 year old angel
Reposted by steven monacelli
I spoke to @juliango.bsky.social about the imperial boomerang and how US war tactics abroad are being employed at home by ICE
"America’s cities are treated as colonial zones of conquest and imperial borderlands because that’s all ICE knows. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail"
"America’s cities are treated as colonial zones of conquest and imperial borderlands because that’s all ICE knows. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail"
The 'Imperial Boomerang' Explains Why We've Seen What ICE Is Doing Before
The boomerang is already in flight in the U.S., a sociologist says.
www.huffpost.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:23 AM
I spoke to @juliango.bsky.social about the imperial boomerang and how US war tactics abroad are being employed at home by ICE
"America’s cities are treated as colonial zones of conquest and imperial borderlands because that’s all ICE knows. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail"
"America’s cities are treated as colonial zones of conquest and imperial borderlands because that’s all ICE knows. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail"
Reposted by steven monacelli
if anyone here tries to use one of these TrumpRx coupons at a pharmacy, please let me know how it goes……..
February 6, 2026 at 1:03 AM
if anyone here tries to use one of these TrumpRx coupons at a pharmacy, please let me know how it goes……..
Reposted by steven monacelli
This is like a scene out of Monty Python.
ICE agents get a name back from face recognition and multiple agents start calling out "Maria! Maria!" to see if a woman in custody reacts. (Presumably if she does that's a match???)
It didn't work, so they ran the app again and got another name.
ICE agents get a name back from face recognition and multiple agents start calling out "Maria! Maria!" to see if a woman in custody reacts. (Presumably if she does that's a match???)
It didn't work, so they ran the app again and got another name.
February 5, 2026 at 9:05 PM
This is like a scene out of Monty Python.
ICE agents get a name back from face recognition and multiple agents start calling out "Maria! Maria!" to see if a woman in custody reacts. (Presumably if she does that's a match???)
It didn't work, so they ran the app again and got another name.
ICE agents get a name back from face recognition and multiple agents start calling out "Maria! Maria!" to see if a woman in custody reacts. (Presumably if she does that's a match???)
It didn't work, so they ran the app again and got another name.
Reposted by steven monacelli
JUST IN: A federal judge has barred ICE and DHS from using taxpayer information provided by the IRS.
Judge Talwani says that DHS' view that noncitizens lack 4th amendment rights — combined with ICE use of administrative warrants — is a recipe for abuse.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Judge Talwani says that DHS' view that noncitizens lack 4th amendment rights — combined with ICE use of administrative warrants — is a recipe for abuse.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 5, 2026 at 9:55 PM
JUST IN: A federal judge has barred ICE and DHS from using taxpayer information provided by the IRS.
Judge Talwani says that DHS' view that noncitizens lack 4th amendment rights — combined with ICE use of administrative warrants — is a recipe for abuse.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Judge Talwani says that DHS' view that noncitizens lack 4th amendment rights — combined with ICE use of administrative warrants — is a recipe for abuse.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by steven monacelli
“No more weekends off, more work than ever before in 18 years. No more union. No more down time,” the post continues. “This is not what any of us envisioned for our last years of career when we are in our 50's.”
🤡
🤡
Inside the ICE Forum Where Agents Complain About Their Jobs
“I'm all for removing illegals, but snatching dudes off lawn mowers in Cali and leaving the truck and equipment just sitting there? Definitely not working smarter,” writes one forum user.
www.wired.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:47 PM
“No more weekends off, more work than ever before in 18 years. No more union. No more down time,” the post continues. “This is not what any of us envisioned for our last years of career when we are in our 50's.”
🤡
🤡
Reposted by steven monacelli
NEW: Records reviewed by WIRED show DHS’s facial recognition app (Mobile Fortify) isn’t designed to actually "verify" identity—despite DHS claims and its agents relying on its matches to support probable cause in the field.
ICE and CBP’s Face-Recognition App Can’t Actually Verify Who People Are
ICE has used Mobile Fortify to identify immigrants and citizens alike over 100,000 times, by one estimate. It wasn't built to work like that—and only got approved after DHS abandoned its own privacy r...
www.wired.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:29 PM
NEW: Records reviewed by WIRED show DHS’s facial recognition app (Mobile Fortify) isn’t designed to actually "verify" identity—despite DHS claims and its agents relying on its matches to support probable cause in the field.
One fun thing about my job is that I'm always learning about new ways to catch somebody in a lie
February 5, 2026 at 9:42 PM
One fun thing about my job is that I'm always learning about new ways to catch somebody in a lie
The "it's actually ephebophilia" crowd is really having a moment
This level of apologia (from Megan McArdle in a podcast with Josh Barro and Ross Douthat) is fucking appalling. Idk what else there is to say.
February 5, 2026 at 9:40 PM
The "it's actually ephebophilia" crowd is really having a moment
Reposted by steven monacelli
NEW: since last year, a pair of "highly trained" feds have been involved in an array of incidents attacking crowds with chemical weapons.
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
Identified: the El Paso BORTAC crew rampaging through the Midwest
One violent duo in particular, U.S. Border Patrol agents Michael Sveum (EZ-2) and Edgar Vazquez (EZ-17), have been frequently seen alongside former commander-at-large Greg Bovino terrorizing crowds wi...
unraveledpress.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:24 PM
NEW: since last year, a pair of "highly trained" feds have been involved in an array of incidents attacking crowds with chemical weapons.
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
We used public records and open source analysis to identify Edgar Vazquez and Michael Sveum, alongside some other members of their tactical team.
Read more:
Thanks to The Raid Podcast for having me on to discuss my reporting that revealed an attorney for ICE who represents the government in immigration court proceedings operates a racist and pro-fascist X account — and is still on the job.
www.youtube.com/watch?si=VQU...
www.youtube.com/watch?si=VQU...
ICE Prosecutor with Racist X Account Back on the Job
YouTube video by The Raid with John Carlos Frey
www.youtube.com
February 5, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Thanks to The Raid Podcast for having me on to discuss my reporting that revealed an attorney for ICE who represents the government in immigration court proceedings operates a racist and pro-fascist X account — and is still on the job.
www.youtube.com/watch?si=VQU...
www.youtube.com/watch?si=VQU...
Reposted by steven monacelli
A 45-year-old man has been charged with two counts of assault after getting into a fistfight with a group of Texas teenagers who were protesting Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/05/m...
thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/05/m...
45-Year-Old Man Beaten Up By High Schoolers After Allegedly Attacking Them During ICE Walkout
A Texas man has been charged after getting into a fistfight with a group of teenagers who staged an ICE walkout
thebarbedwire.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:11 PM
A 45-year-old man has been charged with two counts of assault after getting into a fistfight with a group of Texas teenagers who were protesting Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/05/m...
thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/05/m...