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REP MARIO DIAZ-BALART: We are stopping Cuba from trafficking doctors for profit
A new law authored by me and passed by Congress in February 2026 punishes countries that are complicit in the human trafficking of Cuban doctors by way of the Castro regime’s medical missions abroad. The same law for the fiscal year 2027 is expected to be voted on in the House soon.
For decades, the Cuban dictatorship has made billions by coercing its medical professionals to work in places no one wants to go, under the worst labor conditions.
But the doctors themselves see very little of that money. The regime on the island earns an estimated $4-8 billion per year from the program, and regime operatives keep 75-95% of what the doctors are paid.
US SANCTIONS FIVE CUBAN ENTITIES, CASTRO FAMILY MEMBER IN LATEST PRESSURE CAMPAIGN, RUBIO SAYS
The U.S. State Department says the regime confiscates the doctors’ passports, forces their families to stay in Cuba as leverage, assigns handlers to watch them and punishes families if a doctor defects.
Since 2010, State Department reports have called the program exploitative. Appropriately, State labeled the practice "human trafficking" or "forced labor" run by the Cuban regime in 2020.
A new provision in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 targets countries that pay the authoritarian dictatorship for these exploited medical workers. The State Department must now list every country or group that pays for these personnel and notify them they’re on the list.
If a country stays on the list for two years in a row, it loses all U.S. foreign aid. Foreign officials involved can be banned from entering the United States, and their finances and property here may also be frozen.
The law is already obtaining results. Guatemala, Jamaica, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Paraguay and Honduras are reducing or outright ending their use of Cuban doctors.
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Some, like the Bahamas, are changing terms by trying to pay doctors directly instead of paying the regime – something the dictatorship has rejected before. Consequently, the Trump administration has enforced this law by imposing visa restrictions on officials from Brazil, Grenada and some African countries tied to the program.
This legislation ensures accountability, something that past Democratic administrations were willing to overlook. It exposes those who benefit from the program and hits them with real punitive consequences: the loss of U.S. aid, travel bans and financial sanctions. The law also strongly supports the oppressed Cuban people by protecting Cuban doctors from exploitation and abuse, while cutting off a critical financial lifeline to the regime.
Prince William’s surprising American roots trace back to patriots who battled the British: book
The future king of Britain descends from American patriots who fought against the crown he is destined to inherit, according to a new book tracing Prince William's family tree.
In "American Crown," Stephanie Green traces the Prince of Wales' extraordinary American lineage to Revolutionary War patriot Nathan Hale and other colonial ancestors.
"The more I read about the family, the more interesting it was," Green told Fox News Digital. "All the characters in the family tree are so fascinating, and it's an American success story. The fact that he has this American bloodline — I don't even know if he's aware of it."
PRINCESS DIANA, HOT DOGS AND A PRESIDENTIAL MATCHMAKING ATTEMPT: ICONIC ROYAL VISITS TO AMERICA
Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment. A spokesperson for the palace previously told Fox News Digital it does not comment on books.
Green said that through William's mother, the late Princess Diana, his lineage traces back to Benajah Strong.
"The Strongs have been in this country for a very long time, since the 1600s," Green said. "Benajah was from Coventry, Connecticut, which places him not only in the heart of the American Revolution but at its very beginning. Coventry was a hotbed of anti-monarchist sentiment, and Benajah's role during the American Revolution was to spread the word that the British were on the march. He was part of what we call 'The Lexington Alarm.'"
WATCH: PRINCE WILLIAMS SURPRISING TIES TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION REVEALED
"Benajah's grave is still in Coventry," Green added.
The first Strong ancestor emigrated from England to New England in 1635, according to The Washington Post. William's sixth-great-grandfather was born in Coventry in 1740 and enlisted as a private in the Connecticut militia.
Strong's nephew was Nathan Hale, whom Green described as "our most famous American martyr and one of our most famous American patriots."
"He was the son of Benajah's sister," Green said. "He was captured and hanged by the British in 1776, shortly after the American Revolution began. Unfortunately, his remains have never been found. People in Coventry have memorials in his honor and still hope his remains will one day be found and returned to his hometown."
Hale, who studied at Yale, was a teacher in Connecticut when the Revolutionary War began, according to The Washington Post. Like his uncle, Hale joined the Connecticut militia. The outlet reported that Hale later joined Knowlton's Rangers, widely considered the first organized U.S. military intelligence unit.
In 1776, Hale traveled to British-occupied Long Island on a spying mission, posing as an unemployed Dutch schoolteacher. Some historians have argued that Hale's fatal mistake was carrying his Yale diploma with him. He was captured by British forces in Queens.
After being interrogated, Hale was hanged at age 21, about two months after the Declaration of Independence.
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Hale's reported last words were, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."
During her research, Green said she discovered a surprising connection to America's first president.
"Everyone who follows the royal family knows about the Spencer family, a very aristocratic family from England," Green said. "Diana, of course, was Lady Diana Spencer when she married the Prince of Wales in 1981, but people probably don't know that the Spencer family and George Washington's family go way back."
"I have a whole chapter on Sulgrave Manor, which is George Washington's ancestral home in England," Green said. "It's right down the road from Althorp, the Spencer family estate. In fact, the Spencers and the Washingtons were quite friendly. The Spencer girls worked at the Washington home, and the Washington children were friends with the Spencer children. The families were very close."
"The Washington family moved to America, as many families did," Green continued. "But Sulgrave Manor is still there. You can visit it and learn more about George Washington's family."
One ancestor, Green said, instantly reminded her of Diana.
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"The most shocking and fascinating character is Fannie Work, later known as Fannie Roche, or Frances Burke Roche," Green said. "She's the great-great-great-grandmother of the future king."
"She was a fascinating woman," Green said. "She was an American heiress born around 1857. She came of age during the Gilded Age and was associated with many of the era's luminaries. She knew Alice Roosevelt."
"What fascinated me most was that she lived life on her own terms. She had two scandalous divorces during a time when people rarely even said the word 'divorce' in polite society. She was determined to live life her own way. The more I read about her, the more I realized how many similarities she shared with Diana."
"They were both beautiful," Green said. "They were both glamorous. They both courted scandal. They seemed to have everything going for them. People were fascinated by them, yet they were rebels at heart."
Depending on the account, Work either never regained her social standing or lived lavishly between New York, Newport, Rhode Island, and Paris while avoiding another marriage, according to American Aristocracy. She later bought an apartment on New York City's Fifth Avenue, where she died in 1947 at age 90.
Green believes that, had Diana lived, she would have embarked on a new life across the Atlantic.
"She was spending a lot of time in America during the last years of her life," Green said. "She had many American friends. She was also planning to move here. I interviewed her priest and, according to him and other sources, she loved America and planned to settle here. She was looking into buying a home in Beverly Hills or the Malibu area. How ironic and wonderful that she might have returned to the land of her ancestors."
What would William's ancestors say today, knowing their descendant will become king? It depends on whom you ask, Green said.
"I think some of them would be delighted that one of their own will be king," Green said. "I think William's ancestors would be delighted not only that he will be king, but that he is a good man. He's a devoted family man. He has a wonderful wife and wonderful children. I think they would admire the fact that he has many American qualities."
"He's very independent," Green said. "He has a rebellious streak. He can be stubborn, and he loves his family. He loves his country, and he's a patriot in his own way. I think that even though they might be amused that their descendant is part of the monarchy they once fought against, they would be very proud that one of their own has become such a good and beloved man."
Murdaugh wants Idaho murders DNA dream team behind Kohberger case to help rewrite second murder trial
Alex Murdaugh’s attorneys want a Texas forensic DNA lab known for helping crack some of the nation’s most notorious murder cases to test unknown male DNA found beneath Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails as the disgraced South Carolina attorney heads toward a new double-murder trial.
Murdaugh, once a powerful personal injury attorney in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, was convicted in 2023 of killing his wife, Maggie, 52, and their younger son, Paul, 22, at the family’s hunting estate in June 2021. His convictions were later overturned, and a new trial has been tentatively set for April 2027.
His attorneys have pointed to DNA found beneath Maggie's fingernails that they say belonged to an unknown, unrelated male. They have asked for independent testing by Othram Inc., a Houston-area forensic genetic genealogy company whose technology has been used in high-profile murder investigations and decades-old cold cases.
ALEX MURDAUGH RETRIAL FIGHT BEGINS AS JUDGE WEIGHS DNA TEST, SHACKLES AND TRIAL DATE
Prosecutors disputed the significance of additional DNA testing, arguing that the evidence has already been tested by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and produced only a mixture of Maggie’s DNA and what the state described as a "very partial and incomplete" profile from another contributor. The unknown profile, prosecutors said, did not contain enough identifying information to be submitted to CODIS, the national DNA database.
Othram, based in The Woodlands, Texas, specializes in advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy, a method that can help investigators identify suspects or unknown victims when traditional law enforcement databases do not produce a match.
Here are some of the high-profile cases Othram has helped crack.
COLD CASE CRACKED AS ILLINOIS SUSPECT CHARGED IN BRUTAL 1993 KILLING OF MOTHER FOUND SLAIN IN FIELD
Othram’s work came under national scrutiny in the investigation into the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students: Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
Investigators recovered DNA from a knife sheath found near one of the victims inside the off-campus Moscow, Idaho, home where the students were killed. Othram has said Idaho State Police Forensic Services, Moscow police and the FBI teamed with the company to help identify Bryan Kohberger as the suspect.
Kohberger later pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
COLD CASE CRACKED AS ILLINOIS SUSPECT CHARGED IN BRUTAL 1993 KILLING OF MOTHER FOUND SLAIN IN FIELD
Othram also played a role in the investigation into the killing of Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five whose body was found near the Ma & Pa Trail in Bel Air in August 2023. Harford County authorities and the FBI worked with Othram after DNA evidence did not immediately identify the unknown male suspect through traditional methods.
Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was later arrested and charged in Morin’s rape and murder. He was convicted in 2025.
The 1974 murder of 17-year-old Carla Walker in Fort Worth, Texas, went unsolved for more than four decades before advanced DNA testing helped investigators identify her killer. Walker was abducted, raped, tortured and murdered after attending a Valentine’s Day dance with her boyfriend.
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A break came in 2020 after crime scene DNA was uploaded to a public genealogy website, leading to the identification of then 77-year-old Glen Samuel McCurley. Authorities confirmed the match after obtaining his DNA from trash.
Othram worked with Fort Worth police to identify McCurley as the man responsible. McCurley later pleaded guilty to murder, giving Walker’s family answers after 46 years.
One of New England’s most infamous unidentified victim cases was solved with help from Othram nearly 50 years after a woman’s body was found in the dunes of Provincetown, a summer vacation hot spot at the tip of Massachusetts in 1974. The 49-year-old cold case was eventually solved in August 2023.
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The woman, long known only as the "Lady of the Dunes," was found dead in 1974. For decades, authorities could not determine her name. The FBI, Massachusetts State Police, Provincetown police and prosecutors partnered with Othram to identify her as Ruth Marie Terry. Her husband at the time, Guy Rockwell Muldavin, was identified as her killer, Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois said.
Terry was a 37-year-old Tennessee native newlywed when her nearly decapitated body was found in the sand dunes. Muldavin and Terry were married only a few months before she vanished. For decades, she was only known as "Lady of the Dunes" until her jaw was tested using genetic genealogy at Othram.
Othram’s technology was also used to help identify Karen Vergata, previously known as "Fire Island Jane Doe," in a case tied to the broader Gilgo Beach investigation on Long Island.
Vergata’s remains were found in 1996, but she was not publicly identified until decades later. In 2022, the Suffolk County Police Department in collaboration with the FBI teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to identify "Fire Island Jane Doe."
Vergata was 34 years old at the time of her death and she went missing on Valentine's Day in 1996.
In April 2026, Rex Heuermann admitted that he intentionally killed Vergata, along with seven other women, as part of a plea agreement.
The request for Othram testing does not mean the unknown DNA will change the outcome of Murdaugh’s case. Still, Murdaugh’s attorneys are expected to argue the testing could support an alternate-suspect theory as they prepare for a second trial.
"They decided that night he was the guy and everything they did after that excluded any other thought," Murdaugh's lead defense attorney, Dick Harpootlian, previously told Fox News Digital. "And that's why they have no evidence connecting him with the murder scene."
The state, however, characterized the request as unsupported and aimed more at "public consumption" than viable forensic evidence.
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During Murdaugh’s first status hearing on Monday, June 29, Judge Debra McCaslin did not rule on the DNA evidence, telling defense attorneys to clarify if the sample was viable.
Fox News Digital reached out to Othram.
China’s robot-run hotel opens to public in 2027
Pudu Robotics has announced what it calls the first "full-scenario robot-serviced hotel." The project will use robots across the entire guest experience, from reception and room service to cleaning, food preparation and guest support.
The hotel is set to open in 2027, with trial rooms and robot-powered services expected to begin in late 2026. Early guests will be able to try robot check-in and autonomous in-room delivery before the full launch.
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COULD THE NEXT CHINESE THREAT WALK INTO YOUR KITCHEN ON TWO BATTERY-POWERED LEGS?
The hotel will sit on West Artificial Island, a man-made island tied to the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link in Guangdong Province. That cross-sea bridge and tunnel project is one of the Pearl River Delta's biggest transportation projects.
The location feels fitting. Shenzhen already has a reputation as one of China's major technology hubs. Room-service delivery robots are already common in hotels across many large Chinese cities.
However, this project goes much further. Instead of adding a few robots to assist hotel staff, Pudu wants to create a connected robot service system that can handle the entire guest experience.
The planned hotel will include 44 high-end rooms, a restaurant, a gym and other guest spaces. Robots will take on roles across the property, including reception, room service, cleaning, food preparation and guest support.
That means you could check in with a robot, have luggage delivered by a robot and order drinks from your phone without calling the front desk. Then, cleaning robots would handle waste detection and room upkeep using AI.
Pudu says its robots will work from one shared intelligence framework. In other words, different machines will handle different jobs while staying connected through the same software system.
Pudu's FlashBot will run an intelligent vending system, allowing guests to order drink deliveries by smartphone. The PUDU T300 will move luggage from the lobby to rooms.
Meanwhile, the PUDU CC1 Pro and PUDU MT1 cleaning robots will handle cleaning tasks using AI waste-detection technology.
At the Shenzhen launch event, BellaBot Pro served coffee while KettyBot Pro delivered refreshments and snacks. That kind of robotic service may still surprise many travelers. In Shenzhen, though, it already fits into a broader tech culture where robot baristas and drone food delivery are becoming more visible.
HUMANOID ROBOTS WORK NONSTOP IN PACKAGE TEST
The hotel will rely on PuduFM 1.0, the company's embodied intelligence foundation model. It will also use PuduAgent to manage intelligent operations across the hotel.
"This partnership represents an important step toward large-scale deployment of embodied intelligence in premium hospitality environments," said Cong Guo, co-founder and CTO of Pudu Robotics.
He also said the project gives the company a chance to explore new service models where AI and robotics work together to deliver connected service experiences.
That may sound ambitious, yet the rollout will be gradual. The first public trial is expected in late 2026. A broader hotel opening is planned for 2027.
China has already embraced service robots in hotels, restaurants, airports and public spaces. The robot-run hotel takes that trend into a more advanced phase.
Shenzhen Culture & Tourism Industry Development will work with Pudu Robotics to turn West Artificial Island into a robotics and technology destination. The hotel is only one part of that larger plan.
Over the next four years, the island is expected to add more robotics across tourism and hospitality. That could turn the area into a testing ground for how travelers react when robots handle nearly every service touchpoint.
If this hotel works well, it could change what you expect from travel in the future. Faster check-in, automated deliveries and round-the-clock service may sound convenient, especially when you arrive late or need something quickly.
However, there is another side to this. A robot-run hotel also raises questions about jobs, privacy, safety and what kind of hospitality guests actually want.
Some travelers may love the speed and efficiency. Others may miss the warmth of a person who can read the room, handle a strange request or help when something goes wrong.
That is where this project becomes important. It may show whether people are ready for hotels where AI handles the stay from start to finish.
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China's first robot-run hotel feels like a major test of how far hospitality automation can go. We have already seen delivery robots roll through hotel hallways. Yet this project puts robots at the center of the entire stay. The convenience could be impressive. You could check in, order drinks, receive luggage and get room support without waiting on a busy front desk. For travelers who value speed, that may feel like a win. Still, hospitality has always been about more than efficiency. A great hotel stay often comes from small human moments. A kind greeting, a helpful suggestion or a quick fix when something goes sideways can make a trip feel easier.
If a robot-run hotel can give you faster service, would you miss the human touch or happily skip the front desk altogether? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Grand Canyon rafting guide becomes first American woman to row solo across Pacific in record-breaking fashion
Grand Canyon rafting guide Kelsey Pfendler completed a record-breaking solo row across the Pacific Ocean on Friday, arriving in Hawaii after a more than 2,400-mile journey from California.
Pfendler arrived at Honolulu Harbor aboard her 21-foot boat, Lily, after rowing alone for just under 44 days. Hundreds of supporters gathered to cheer her arrival after nearly a month and a half at sea.
She launched from Monterey, California, in May with the goal of becoming the first American woman, the youngest woman and the fastest woman to row solo across the mid-Pacific, according to her website.
She appears to have achieved all three milestones.
YOSEMITE, GRAND CANYON LEAD NOTABLE LIST OF NATIONAL PARK CAMPGROUNDS FOR AMERICA'S 250TH
According to records maintained by Ocean Rowing Society International, which adjudicates ocean-rowing achievements for Guinness World Records, Pfendler's time of just under 44 days broke both the previous women's record of 86 days and the men's record of 52 days for the same route.
Throughout the journey, Pfendler documented life alone at sea for hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, sharing the physical and mental challenges of crossing one of the world's largest oceans.
Her videos showed blistered hands, sleepless nights battling wind and currents, and the daily routines that kept her alive, including making fresh water, cooking meals, washing clothes and protecting herself from the relentless sun.
SIX FLAGS MYSTERY COASTER ALREADY DOMINATES SKYLINE, WITH MORE RECORD-BREAKING HEIGHT TO COME
Some updates captured emotional moments as she reflected on the isolation of the voyage, while others highlighted lighter moments, including joking about her pronounced hat tan line and reliance on caffeine pills.
"I just love boats in the middle of nowhere," Pfendler said in one video.
As she neared Oahu, Pfendler said she hoped the journey would inspire others to take on challenges they might think are beyond their reach.
"If any part of this made at least one person feel a little bit more powerful in their own skin, I couldn't ask for anything else, and I'm happy," she said.
Pfendler has worked as a professional river guide since she was 18 and has spent the past eight years leading rafting trips through the Grand Canyon along the Colorado River, according to her website.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
American Culture Quiz: Test yourself on Founding Fathers and vaccine victories
The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people — including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.
This week's quiz highlights America's Founding Fathers, vaccine victories — and much more.
Can you get all 8 questions right?
Give it a try and see how you do!
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To try your hand at more quizzes from Fox News Digital, click here.
Also, to take a recent News Quiz — published every Friday — click here.
Expert who fled Cuba warns of ‘vicious cycle’ that will lead to ‘communists in double digits’ in Congress
A national security expert who fled to the U.S. from Cuba is warning that one "vicious cycle" currently dominating American politics could lead to "communists in double digits" serving in Congress.
Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation who fled communist Cuba in the 1970s, said in an interview with Fox News Digital that the socialist "threat is real now."
Gonzalez likened this trend to a "takeover of a host body, the Democratic Party," saying, "It's being taken over by body snatchers and they're not able to mount any defense of it whatsoever even if they wanted to."
Under the current political environment, Gonzalez predicted, "We're going to get communists in double digits in the House of Representatives at least, there's no doubt of that."
BILL MAHER'S DIRE MIDTERM ELECTION WARNING TO DEMS AFTER 'REALLY CRAZY' SOCIALISTS WIN PRIMARIES
Over the course of a year, New York City elected a socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, while three of his endorsed socialist congressional candidates — Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier — defeated establishment Democrats, including two incumbents. On the other side of the country, Seattle elected a socialist mayor, Katie Wilson. Just this week, Colorado congressional candidate Melat Kiros defeated 15-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, further illustrating socialists’ ability to topple entrenched party figures.
While these politicians identify as socialist, Gonzalez pointed out that to the authors of the communist manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, "there was no difference between socialism and communism, they were interchangeable."
"These people are communists, and when you catch them unawares, they actually say, ‘Oh, yeah, I know we want communism,’" he said.
According to Gonzalez, the widespread success of socialist candidates in races across the U.S. is due to several factors, including the breakdown of immigrants assimilating to American culture, increased hatred of the U.S. and even White guilt combined with a real affordability crisis in cities like New York.
"A very important component of this and one that conservatives sometimes forget is that a lot of these votes are White votes, White young kids who have come in from the suburbs, who feel guilty about a number of things," he explained.
SOCIALISM GOES WEST AS DSA-BACKED CHALLENGER OUSTS LONGTIME DEMOCRAT
"They have gone to very expensive Ivy League schools and they're trying to make a living in New York City without being a banker. And you can't make a living in New York City if you're not a banker, sorry, you're going to have an affordability crisis."
This, Gonzalez said, makes socialist promises of handouts, such as free tuition, free bus fares and public-run grocery stores, an easy sell.
"So, they end up voting for this. This is a very bad vicious cycle that is taking place and that is going to produce communism in this country if we're not careful."
Meanwhile, Neetu Arnold, a young immigrant to the U.S. who now works as a policy analyst for the Manhattan Institute, emphasized that the socialist trend is not just isolated to cities like New York but becoming increasingly prevalent in cities across the U.S.
"The rise in the socialism in America, it's going to shape our politics. I think it's going to make things more extreme," Arnold said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
DSA CO-CHAIR PUSHES BACK ON SOVIET UNION COMPARISONS, WANTS PRISONS TO BE 'LESS NECESSARY'
"What the socialist candidates have tapped into are real frustrations and grievances, but the solutions that they're offering is essentially more government involvement rather than trying to address the underlying problems," she explained. "What a lot of younger people are finding out is that it's not that easy to get housing. They're in student debt, they are struggling to find stable jobs, and so the things that they were promised are not necessarily coming true."
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As a naturalized U.S. citizen, Arnold said she hopes both sides of the political aisle recognize that "socialist policies are a threat to the American way of life."
"In this country we value merit, we value wealth, and the ability to move upward in this society," she said. "I've seen my life change before my eyes by being here in this county, by having the opportunities that I did, and that I saw for my family, and I think that was only possible because of free markets and the opportunities that we had in this country."
"Socialist policies essentially restrict what we are able to do," Arnold continued. "So, I do take it seriously and I hope that Democrats, Republicans, they all take the rise of socialism seriously."
Homeowners terrorized by pro squatters turning dreams into nightmares in palm-lined paradise, experts say
Professional squatters are exploiting fake leases, forged documents and legal loopholes to take over homes in Los Angeles, experts say, leaving some homeowners locked in costly legal battles while investigators and former law enforcement officials warn that unlawful occupancy has become a growing public safety concern.
Former Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Moses Castillo and veteran private investigator Michael Youssef told Fox News Digital that some squatter cases extend far beyond traditional landlord-tenant disputes, involving allegations of fraud, identity theft, forged property documents and, in some instances, gang activity, narcotics activity and extortion-style demands for money.
Both men argue Los Angeles should consider creating a dedicated anti-squatter task force to help law enforcement distinguish legitimate tenant disputes from cases involving criminal conduct.
'SQUATTERS' HOST FLASH SHELTON SLAMS BROKEN SYSTEM THAT HANDS INTRUDERS THE KEYS TO YOUR HOME
Castillo said the creation of such a task force is "way overdue," arguing that California's laws have too often favored unlawful occupants over property owners.
"These professional squatters know how to work the system," Castillo said. "They know how to cause the worst nightmare for a property owner."
Castillo said many homeowners are forced to endure months of financial losses, legal expenses and emotional stress while attempting to regain possession of their own properties.
"It impacts their health, their stress levels, and their finances," he said. "They're literally losing money while somebody else is taking over their property."
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According to Castillo, one of the most significant failures has been the tendency to treat many squatter complaints as civil disputes rather than criminal investigations.
"When somebody breaks locks, breaks windows, gains access to a vacant property and then claims residency, that's not a housing dispute," Castillo said. "That's a burglary. You're breaking and entering to commit a crime. It should be investigated as a crime from the very beginning."
Castillo said responding officers are often left trying to determine whether they are dealing with a legitimate tenancy dispute or criminal conduct, but argued that obvious cases of unlawful entry should not automatically be pushed into the civil court system.
"But they're not doing that," Castillo said. "They're saying it's a civil matter, go to the courts and get an eviction. They wash their hands of it and leave the victims, the clients and the landlords hung out to dry."
Youssef, chief investigator for Blue Systems International and a licensed private investigator with more than three decades of experience investigating property fraud, unlawful occupancy and real estate-related crimes, said many squatter cases involve far more than a disagreement between a property owner and a tenant.
"They basically hijack the property and they hold it hostage until you pay them off," Youssef said. "Most landowners describe it as hijacking. Their houses get hijacked."
"They're basically holding the house hostage," he added. "It's almost like the property is being held for ransom."
Youssef said many squatters have become increasingly sophisticated, using online forums, social media groups and what he described as "criminal consultants" who provide step-by-step instructions on exploiting tenant-protection laws.
"They have forums and I call them criminal consultants that actually teach these people how to squat and what to do and how to deal with law enforcement," Youssef said. "They give you step-by-step what to do and what laws to invoke."
According to Youssef, many occupants learn how to exploit procedural delays, create documentation designed to support false residency claims and remain in properties for extended periods of time.
WATCH: 'Squatters' host Flash Shelton uses handyman ruse to confront alleged squatter in home
"They'll make fake leases. They'll try to get mail to them so they can prove their residency to law enforcement," Youssef said. "It's crazy."
Castillo said professional squatters are often unconcerned by the prospect of police involvement because they understand how the system works.
"They're not afraid of the police. They're not afraid of attorneys," Castillo said. "What they do fear is when a private investigator gets involved because they know somebody is going to start digging into their background and exposing what they've been doing."
One investigation in particular, Youssef said, illustrates how quickly an unlawful occupancy complaint can evolve into a serious public safety threat.
According to Youssef, individuals associated with documented gang activity allegedly occupied a Long Beach residence, attempted to transfer ownership through a fraudulent quitclaim deed and demanded approximately $500,000 in exchange for vacating the property.
The situation escalated far beyond a property dispute, he said.
"They were asking for half a million bucks," Youssef said. "They fraudulently transferred title to the house."
WATCH: LA home inspectors send squatters packing before changing locks
Youssef said the homeowner's wife had died and the homeowner was hospitalized when the alleged scheme unfolded, allowing the occupants to establish themselves at the property.
Youssef alleged the property later became associated with gang activity, narcotics activity, prostitution and violence.
"We had a very aggressive case in Long Beach where a gang was squatting in a house and there was prostitution, selling drugs," Youssef said. "This nice neighborhood in Long Beach was completely ruined. It went as far as a shooting."
Youssef said investigators assisted in exposing the allegedly fraudulent ownership claims and helped the owners regain possession of the property without paying the $500,000 demand.
The case, he said, demonstrates why squatting can create risks not only for homeowners but also for entire communities.
"It's very dangerous, not just for the homeowners and landlords, but also dangerous for the communities," Youssef said. "All of a sudden, your neighbors are criminals."
Both men argue that cases like the Long Beach incident demonstrate why squatting should not automatically be viewed as a landlord-tenant issue.
"These are simply criminals," Youssef said. "They go from one property to another property and continue doing it because they know nobody is going to stop them."
Castillo said the impact on homeowners can be deeply personal.
"I've heard this described when a victim of a sexual assault gets violated — it's a huge violation," Castillo said. "These squatters, it's like a house rape. It's horrible to even say that, but that's what it's like for these homeowners. Their castle has been taken over."
Castillo said many owners are left feeling as though they can no longer enjoy their own homes after unlawful occupants have damaged the property, engaged in criminal activity or left behind significant destruction.
The financial burden can also be staggering.
Castillo said some homeowners are forced to hire attorneys, private investigators and eventually pay so-called "cash for keys" settlements simply to persuade unlawful occupants to leave.
"You want me out? Then pay me $20,000. Pay me $40,000," Castillo said. "That's what's happening."
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Youssef said he has seen even larger demands.
"In the Long Beach case, they were asking for half a million dollars," he said.
Youssef added that one of the biggest shortcomings in many squatter investigations is the lack of follow-up fact gathering.
"A simple investigation could reveal who these people are and how they got into the property," Youssef said.
He argued that investigators who identify occupants, verify documents, interview neighbors and conduct background checks can often uncover evidence that fundamentally changes how a case should be viewed.
Youssef said investigators conducting background checks during the Long Beach investigation discovered that one occupant allegedly had an outstanding warrant for battery and assault.
"If they had simply identified him and ran his name, they would have found the warrant," Youssef said.
Youssef said responding officers are often required to make immediate decisions based on limited information and frequently classify complaints as civil matters before additional facts can be developed through investigation.
"A lot of times law enforcement is going to ask a couple of questions and tell the property owner to evict the person," Youssef said. "A thorough investigation can reveal what's really going on."
Castillo said he hopes Los Angeles officials will consider creating a dedicated anti-squatter task force that would provide property owners and investigators with direct access to officials who can quickly assess complaints and intervene when criminal activity is suspected.
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"I want to know how people can connect with these detectives or police officers or officials if a task force is created," Castillo said. "How can we have access to them so they can get some justice and hopefully minimize the harm they've already suffered?"
He also argued Los Angeles should serve as a model for other jurisdictions facing similar problems.
"I think Los Angeles should create a task force, and other cities throughout this country should follow that lead," Castillo said. "Property owners are being held hostage in their own homes, and that's not acceptable."
Fox News Digital reached out to the LAPD, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' office, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and the Long Beach Police Department for comment. The LAPD and Long Beach police said they could not confirm the alleged Long Beach case based on the limited information provided. The mayor's office and the district attorney's office did not immediately respond.
For Youssef, the issue has grown beyond a housing dispute and into a broader public safety concern.
"This is a growing crime," he said. "A task force is really needed right now more than ever."
As America marks 250 years, our greatest chapters are still ahead of us
Our Founding Fathers are still with us. The story of America that they started in 1776 is only just beginning—and they will be with us all the way.
That’s because their legacy lives on not just in our laws, our Constitution and their fundamental proposition that all men are created equal with the same unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—rights that are God-given, not government-given.
Their legacy also lives on in the spirit with which they wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago. That spirit animated our Founders’ bold vision of the future; their drive to take decisive action to make that vision happen; and their willingness to risk it all, including "their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor," to accomplish their goal. It didn’t die with the revolutionary generation.
AMERICA’S NEXT 250 YEARS DEPEND ON PASSING FAITH AND FREEDOM TO OUR CHILDREN
It lives on in what we can call founders’ fire. That same combination of bold vision, relentless drive and the willingness to see risk as opportunity is baked into our American culture. It’s the core of what is called American exceptionalism.
Because no other country or society has embraced that founders’ fire to the same extent or made it part of the original creation of a nation and a people.
In fact, it predates our founding. It grew up with the very first settlers on this continent, with their "errand into the wilderness" to create a new church under God, a new society and a new life for themselves, by taking on the risks and challenges of an unknown land in order to build what John Winthrop and then Ronald Reagan called a shining city upon a hill.
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That founders’ spirit grew and thrived along the American frontier, turning a vast continent into a land of opportunity for all, an "empire of liberty" in Thomas Jefferson’s phrase.
It was fundamental to how the Founding Fathers in 1776 were able to seize the moment to create a new nation. It also lives on with the two great gifts the original Founders left for the nation they created—and for the founders of American businesses, enterprises and institutions that followed.
The first is embedded in the Constitution itself, in Article 1, Section 8: the right to own intellectual property and to acquire government-licensed patents to protect that right. Since George Washington signed the Patent Act in 1790, and for more than 200 years, that right has unleashed what Abraham Lincoln — who was himself a patent holder — called the "fire of genius" to grow and sustain the freest and richest economy on earth, from Samuel Morse’s telegraph and Edison’s light bulb to Henry Ford’s automobile and Steve Jobs’ personal computer, right down to today’s AI companies and the builders of tomorrow’s quantum computers.
HOW AMERICAN ENERGY HELPED BUILD 250 YEARS OF FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY
The second gift is contained in the Declaration’s commitment to upholding "the pursuit of happiness" as every person’s unalienable right. Unlike property or life, or even liberty, it’s a right that’s entirely subjective: It’s left to the individual to decide what path is best for him or her, not government or some megacorporation, not even our family or neighbors.
We — and no one else — decide as individuals what path to take and where it leads in order to achieve a happy life in the United States.
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That’s why tens of millions of immigrants, both legal and illegal, have come to these shores for more than two centuries. The best of them understand that, while happiness is not guaranteed, they are freer to pursue the path that’s best for them than in any other society on earth.
And when that pursuit is suffused with the founders’ fire—including with immigrant founders like Andrew Carnegie, Elon Musk and NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang—the result is the fountainhead of creative possibilities and invention that characterizes American life. A fountainhead that empowers and expands the pursuit of happiness for other Americans, and ultimately for the entire world.
That’s why the American story has just begun. Because it still carries within it that founders’ spirit, which will always inspire someone to commit, regardless of the risks, their body and soul to the enterprise of making our country stronger, safer and more prosperous, both to our benefit today and to future generations.
9/11 Museum CEO reflects on lasting impact of terror attacks as America marks 250th birthday
As America marks its 250th anniversary, 9/11 Memorial and Museum President and CEO Elizabeth L. Hillman said this year's milestone coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, highlighting the nation's past and its resilience.
"This year, America's 250th birthday coincides with the 25th anniversary of 9/11, which means that what's happening at our site is very much connected to the history of the country and to the recognition of this important milestone," Hillman told Fox News Digital.
"9/11 is an important part of our nation's history, but especially now as the nation turns 250."
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
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Hillman said it is more important than ever for future generations to learn about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to understand how they helped shape the nation and "where we are today."
"Now, 25 years have passed since that date, so if we don't elevate 9/11 in the eyes of the 100 million Americans who were born since or were too young to remember 9/11 when it happened, we'll lose the opportunity for them to understand what happened on that day and how the world came to heal, how the nation came together, and how this city and the other sites, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, worked to recover afterward," she said.
Hillman said the nation's recovery after 9/11 shows that even after a devastating tragedy, people can come together, heal and rebuild.
"I think everyone's hungry for evidence that we can survive things that are difficult," she said. "There's nothing like 9/11 to help people realize, given how the nation has recovered since, that it is possible to persevere, to heal, to recover, even in the face of really unfathomable loss, and that's what 9/11 has the chance to teach us."
Reflecting on the museum's role, Hillman said the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks affected not only New York City but the entire country, calling the museum "a testament to the resilience of the city" and to "the perseverance that enabled us to actually rebuild."
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"At the center of the rebuilt World Trade Center is a monument to the people who were killed that day and a testimony, really, to what we can do when we come together after that kind of catastrophe," she said.
This year, the museum opened "Our Flag Was Still There," an exhibition featuring flags, artifacts and photographs that tell stories of resilience from first responders, veterans and Americans who lived through 9/11. The exhibit includes the Ground Zero flag raised by FDNY firefighters, the flag draped over the Pentagon by soldiers and firefighters, a flag raised over the last column of the South Tower, and one carried during the mission that killed Usama bin Laden.
"It reveals how important the flag was in the healing and the coming together that happened after 9/11," Hillman said.
Hillman said commemorating 9/11 is especially important at a time when "many things seem to be splitting us apart."
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"The opportunity to bring people together around a symbol like the flag and around a symbol like the rebuilding of the World Trade Center after 9/11, it's a great opportunity, especially right now," she said.
On July 4, Hillman said the museum will place an American flag at each victim's name on the memorial, "to recognize how important the flag was as a symbol of the country on its birthday, but also of the recovery from 9/11 that happened and continues to happen now as we remember that day at this site."
Looking ahead to fall, Hillman said the museum will also start offering free admission to veterans whose "willingness to serve after 9/11" helped rebuild the World Trade Center and unite the nation.
"If there's one message that we feel we can elevate now that we couldn't do 25 years ago because we didn't know enough about what would happen afterward, it's that so many people were inspired to serve their country, serving in the military," she said.