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Karen Read loses double jeopardy appeal in Boston cop slaying case, will receive new trial

The Massachusetts woman accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend in a snowy collision has lost her Massachusetts Supreme Court appeal seeking to have her case tossed on the grounds of double jeopardy after a chaotic murder trial ended in a hung jury.

Karen Read, 45, is expected to go on trial for the second time as previously scheduled in April on charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.

Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe died from blunt force trauma to the head and hypothermia during a January snowstorm in Canton, Massachusetts, about 15 miles outside Beantown. Prosecutors say Read hit him with her SUV and fled the scene after a drunken fight. She claimed it was an elaborate cover-up and that she had left before he suffered any injuries. Jurors couldn't reach an agreement on which side to believe.

After a lower court denied her motion to dismiss following the mistrial, she appealed to the state's highest court, which handed down a decision Tuesday rejecting her argument that jurors only deadlocked on one of the three charges. She wanted the remaining two thrown out.

WATCH KAREN READ: KILLER OR CONVENIENT OUTSIDER?

"The jury clearly stated during deliberations that they had not reached a unanimous verdict on any of the charges and could not do so," Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Serge Georges Jr. wrote in the court's 35-page decision.

Jurors told the judge in a series of notes that they were "deeply divided" over Read's guilt of murder and other charges and could not reach an agreement. 

"Only after being discharged did some individual jurors communicate a different supposed outcome, contradicting their prior notes," Georges wrote.

KAREN READ MISTRIAL PUTS COPS IN TOUGH SPOT, OPENS DOOR FOR ACCUSED KILLER OF BOYFRIEND OFFICER TO WALK FREE

Because the jurors broke their silence only after the trial, it was too late, the court ruled.

"Such posttrial disclosures cannot retroactively alter the trial's outcome -- either to acquit or to convict," Georges wrote. "Accordingly, we affirm the trial judge's denial of the motion to dismiss and the defendant's request for a posttrial juror inquiry."

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Read's new trial is expected to be led by a special assistant prosecutor, Hank Brennan, who once represented the mobster James "Whitey" Bulger and has already begun trying to obtain unpublished records from Massachusetts reporters who have interviewed Read.

Read the court's decision

WATCH: DASHCAM FROM THE NIGHT JOHN O'KEEFE WAS FOUND DEAD

"I don't see how that was going to fly, because it was a mistrial, she wasn't found guilty or not guilty," said Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector and attorney. "Double jeopardy applies when you have a verdict. It's in the Constitution."

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"This is settled law," he added. "This is not double jeopardy, I agree with the court. Let's get to a new trial and resolve this."

The new trial is scheduled to begin on April 1.

She is also facing a wrongful death lawsuit from O'Keefe's family.

Read, in a recent round of interviews, argued that she was framed by the real killers, whom she believes are other members of law enforcement O'Keefe got into a fight with after she dropped him off at the home of fellow Boston Police Officer Brian Albert. O'Keefe was found dead in the snow on Albert's front lawn.

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Testimony from Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, one of the key investigators, severely hurt prosecutors in court.

Jurors were seen shaking their heads in court as Read's defense team read some of his text messages.

In them, he called Read a "wack job," a "babe … with no a--" and a "c---." He wrote that he wished she would kill herself and joked about looking for nude selfies while searching her phone.

Boston lawyer found dead on houseboat as mystery woman faces murder charge

A 24-year-old woman accused of knifing a 65-year-old Boston lawyer to death on his houseboat before taking measures to dump his body out at sea found her protests drowned out in the courtroom during her arraignment Friday morning.

Joseph Donohue suffered multiple stab wounds before police found him around 11 p.m. Sunday wrapped up on his vessel after his son asked for a wellness check at a marine in Charlestown, according to authorities.

Suspect Nora Nelson, who appeared in court wearing white sweats and shackles, answered his door when officers arrived, Assistant District Attorney Rita Muse told the court during the hearing.

"When asked about Mr. Donohue's whereabouts, she was evasive and unresponsive," Muse said. "Her statements were contradictory, and frankly, she lied."

AMERICAN WOMAN ON PARIS TO BOSTON FLIGHT DIES IN MIDAIR

She allegedly claimed her name was "Casey" and told police Donohue was at a strip club. An officer, suspicious of her claims, searched the houseboat anyway.

"He made his way through the residence towards the back bedroom," Muse said. "When he opened the sliding doors in the bedroom leading to a patio area, he saw what would later be identified as 65-year-old Joseph Donohue's body, wrapped in a white and blue covering, secured with duct tape and affixed with weights."

Additional officers arrived and found Donohue's dog dead in the water nearby and alleged evidence that someone had tried to clean up the crime scene.

Nelson allegedly gave "nonsensical answers" to homicide detectives along with a second fake name, Muse said. 

KAREN READ MISTRIAL PUTS COPS IN TOUGH SPOT, OPENS DOOR FOR ACCUSED KILLER OF BOYFRIEND OFFICER TO WALK FREE

Police arrested her at the scene on unrelated warrants. She was formally charged with Donohue's murder Thursday after an autopsy found his cause and manner of death to be a homicide by stabbing. 

Without going into specifics, Muse told the judge that forensic evidence recovered from Donohue's remains linked Nelson to the crime.

The defendant, who had her eyes turned downward as Muse spoke, appeared to wipe a tear from her eyes when the prosecutor told the judge there was probable cause to believe she had murdered Donohue.

Defense attorney Ian Davis asked for time to review discovery before filing a potential bail request. 

The court entered a not guilty plea on Nelson's behalf before the judge granted the prosecution's request to have her held without bail, prompting the defendant to speak up.

"No one ever told me that this –" Nelson began, before her voice was drowned out by others in the courtroom trying to cut her off. "This is the first time I've ever heard this –."

She is due back in court on March 6.

The investigation is ongoing and Boston police are asking anyone with information on the case to call homicide detectives at 617-343-4470.

Donohue's connection to his suspected killer was not immediately clear. Public records show he lived on the houseboat and has been licensed to practice law since the 1980s.

ICE crackdown sees 7,400 illegal migrants arrested in 9 days

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested more than 7,400 people in nine days across several states amid its aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration since the new Trump administration came into office. 

ICE officers have been seen carrying out raids of homes, work sites, and other establishments, while deportations have also ramped up, with the Trump administration also vowing to send the most violent migrants to Guantánamo Bay.

According to a compilation of daily totals of arrests, as of Jan. 31, ICE has so far arrested 7,412 people who the agency says are in the country illegally. The agency says that nearly 6,000 ICE detainers have been placed on individuals.

NYC RESIDENTS PRAISE ICE RAIDS AFTER VIOLENT GANG MEMBER CAPTURED

ICE has posted nine daily arrest totals to X and has also posted details from various raids across sanctuary cities like New York City, Chicago and Boston where they have scooped up illegals accused of sex crimes against minors, rapes, guns and drug offenses, while violent gang members belonging to Tren de Aragua and MS-13 have also been taken off the streets. 

Border czar Tom Homan has said the administration is currently only targeting violent illegal aliens while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees ICE, says federal immigration authorities are arresting the "worst of the worst" in raids. She says the streets are now safer as a result.

Many of the ICE raids have been carried out alongside other federal agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Noem joined an immigration enforcement raid in New York City Tuesday morning in which officers picked up Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, 26, an alleged ringleader of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. Zambrano-Pacheco is the same man caught on camera in a viral video showing heavily armed men kicking down an apartment door at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, last summer.

Luis Adolfo Guerra Perez, 19, a Guatemalan citizen and MS-13 gang member, was arrested by ICE in Massachusetts last week. He was facing state gun charges and had previously been ordered to be deported before he was released by a Boston court.

ICE has published details of more than 60 cases while the White House X account has posted details of at least 20 others.

NOEM SAYS 'WORST OF THE WORST' ARRESTED IN NYC RAID TARGETING CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

However, for the vast majority of the 7,412, details on their criminal histories are not yet available.

The arrests total come as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that the "worst of the worst" criminal migrants will be temporarily housed at Guantánamo Bay detention camp and that "all options will be on the table" for military action against the cartels.

Hegseth made the announcement in an interview with "Fox and Friends" on Friday and it came on the heels of an announcement made by President Donald Trump on Wednesday that he will be instructing the Pentagon to prepare Guantánamo Bay to detain 30,000 "criminal illegal aliens."

"Today I'm also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantánamo Bay," Trump said. "Most people don't even know about it."

It was later learned that Trump signed a presidential memorandum, not an executive order, on the matter.

News of the arrests has been generally well-received by locals living in these areas. 

Ramses Frías, a local Queens activist who’s voiced concerns over a crime crisis gripping his neighborhood, which is partially represented by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said the raids have also been warmly received by the community.

"Many residents, from immigrants to citizens, welcome ICE coming in and taking the criminals out of these communities," Frías, a city council candidate, told Fox News Digital. "They welcome law and order and want safe streets."

However, not everyone agreed with the raids and Mayor Brandon Johnson recently "reaffirmed" his commitment to keep Chicago a sanctuary city, as did Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. 

Earthquake off coast of Maine shakes Northeast

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake off the coast of Maine shook parts of the Northeast on Monday morning, with residents as far away as Boston feeling the rumble, officials said.

The quake occurred about 6.5 miles southeast of York, Maine, just before 10:30 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which initially reported the magnitude as 4.1 before adjusting the temblor to 3.8.

"Today's M3.8 near Bar Harbor, Maine, reminds us that earthquakes are unusual but not unheard of along the Atlantic Seaboard," USGS wrote on X.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Caribou, Maine, said there was no threat of a tsunami.

TIPS FOR SURVIVING AN EARTHQUAKE AND PREPARING IN ADVANCE

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Residents in the Northeast reported feeling the surprise shock on social media.

"Earthquake! Did anyone else feel it?? I'm in Southern Maine and the whole house shook like a vehicle ran into it," one user wrote on X.

TRUMP'S VISIT TO SMALL-TOWN NORTH CAROLINA BRINGS HOPE TO HURRICANE SURVIVORS WHO LOST EVERYTHING

"Pretty decent jolt here. Big WTF moment," the user wrote in a second post. "I rushed to the windows to see if something hit the house."

NWS Boston, about 65 miles south of York, asked residents if they felt the rumble.

Other residents in New Hampshire and Rhode Island also reported the rattle.

USGS said that New England, and as far south as Long Island, N.Y., have felt small earthquakes and suffered damage from infrequent larger ones since colonial times.

"Moderately damaging earthquakes strike somewhere in the region every few decades, and smaller earthquakes are felt roughly twice a year," USGS said. "The Boston area was damaged three times within 28 years in the middle 1700's, and New York City was damaged in 1737 and 1884."

Trump administration carries out multiple raids targeting ‘criminal aliens’ in first weekend

Federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and their partners conducted nationwide roundups of more than 1,200 illegal immigrants over the weekend who were charged or convicted with committing crimes on American soil.

In a series of photos shared by ICE Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) from coast to coast, agents can be seen taking handcuffed suspects away.

In Atlanta, which is more than 1,000 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border but became a lightning rod in the immigration debate after an illegal immigrant brutally murdered a jogging college student in broad daylight, ERO teamed up with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations to grab "criminal aliens" off the streets and prepare them for deportation flights.

COLOMBIAN LEADER QUICKLY CAVES AFTER TRUMP THREATS, OFFERS PRESIDENTIAL PLANE FOR DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

Miami-based federal agents arrested at least four illegal immigrants accused of committing crimes on U.S. soil over the weekend, including a Nicaraguan jailed in Broward County for an alleged shooting.

Up north, a joint operation including ICE, the FBI, ATF, DEA, Border Patrol and U.S. Marshals was underway in Chicago, a struggling blue city where Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson has vowed to "protect" illegals from enforcement operations.

The "enhanced targeted operations" in the Windy City were designed to "enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety and national security by keeping potentially dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities," ICE said in a statement.

Boston ERO announced the arrest of a Haitian man with 17 criminal convictions in Massachusetts, suspected gang member Wisteguens Charles.

TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW

"Mr. Charles is illegally present in the United States and has consistently broken our laws, causing significant harm to the residents of Massachusetts," Patricia Hyde, the acting director of the Boston Field Office, said in a statement. "ERO Boston will not tolerate the repeated victimization of our New England neighborhoods. We will continue our mission to apprehend such illegal alien offenders and remove them from our communities."

Charles, 25, first entered the U.S. illegally in 2013 and between 2022 and 2024, he racked up 17 criminal convictions. ICE filed an immigration detainer request in 2023, but a Massachusetts jail ignored it and released him back into the community, authorities said. 

The arrests come as part of what ICE said would be an operation targeting "known criminal aliens who threaten national security or public safety."

President Donald Trump campaigned heavily on border security after his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, appeared ineffective or unwilling to stop an influx of illegal immigration for years. 

By the time he finally acknowledged the issue, a wave of high-profile migrant crimes had shocked the country and shattered victims’ families. The parents of some of those murdered American women and girls went to Capitol Hill to lobby for the Laken Riley Act, the first bill Congress sent to Trump after his return to the White House.

HECKLERS SHOUT DOWN ATHENS MAYOR AS HE DENIES SANCTUARY CITY, ANNOUNCES PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDS

Riley, a 21-year-old Georgia nursing student, was brutally killed at random while jogging in Athens, about 75 miles east of Atlanta, by a Venezuelan illegal with suspected ties to the Tren de Aragua gang. 

Jose Ibarra, 26, was convicted of 10 counts in November and sentenced to life without parole. He had entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and received border parole, freeing him to travel within the country.

He racked up criminal charges in New York City, where authorities released him before ICE could lodge a detainer. He then made his way to Georgia, where he attacked and murdered Riley.  

"Removing criminal aliens from our communities isn’t just enforcement — it’s protection," HSI's Atlanta office said in a statement over the weekend as part of the deportation sweep. "Ensuring the safety and security of our neighborhoods starts with upholding the law."

Fox News' Heather Lacy contributed to this report.

Haitian Migrant Arrested by ICE: 'Thank Obama for Everything He Did for Me!'

An illegal Haitian migrant who U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials said is a gang member yelled, "F*ck Trump," "Biden forever," and "Thank Obama for everything he did for me!" as he was being taken into custody to be deported, video shows.

The post Haitian Migrant Arrested by ICE: ‘Thank Obama for Everything He Did for Me!’ appeared first on Breitbart.

'F*ck Trump, Biden Forever!': Illegal Alien from Haiti Yells After ICE Arrest 

A Haitian illegal alien in Boston appeared very upset on Thursday that President Donald Trump allowed ICE’s elite Boston team to arrest him.

The post ‘F*ck Trump, Biden Forever!’: Illegal Alien from Haiti Yells After ICE Arrest  appeared first on Breitbart.

WATCH: ICE Boston Arrests Criminal Illegals as President Trump's Mass Deportations Begin

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Boston rounded up several criminal illegal aliens as President Donald Trump's mass deportation efforts began.

The post WATCH: ICE Boston Arrests Criminal Illegals as President Trump’s Mass Deportations Begin appeared first on Breitbart.

Trump goes toe-to-toe with sanctuary cities over deportation as illegal immigration crackdown set to begin

President Trump is taking on defiant sanctuary cities as he seeks to fulfill a vital campaign pledge to mass deport illegal immigrants while blue city leaders dig in their heels, resisting any form of assistance to federal authorities that could lead to migrants' removal. 

Tom Homan, Trump's designated border czar, has promised to unveil a series of "game-changing" executive orders that have prompted sanctuary cities to cement their statuses as safe havens for migrants.

The cities, from Chicago to San Diego, have doubled down by reaffirming local ordinances to prohibit local law enforcement from assisting federal authorities in immigration removal operations.

President Trump put illegal immigration front and center in his inaugural address on Monday, promising: "All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came." 

TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Los Angeles, in November following Trump's election win, formalized policies prohibiting city resources from being used to support federal deportation efforts and further solidifying its stance as a sanctuary city. 

San Diego's board of supervisors passed a similar policy that prohibits county agencies from working with federal immigration authorities. California's history as a shelter for migrants was cemented in 2017 after former Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation making California a sanctuary state. 

During Trump's first term, he cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in law enforcement grants to sanctuary cities. The Biden administration restored the grants in 2021, Reuters reported.

San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, a vocal critic of the state's immigration policies, told Fox News Digital that he hopes to see "America return to the rule of law."

"I will fight to secure our border and oppose any handouts or incentives that encourage illegal immigration," he said. "We must put Americans first and uphold the integrity of our nation."

BLUE STATE COUNTY IGNORES ICE DETAINERS AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH RAPE

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston made headlines after saying he would go to jail over his opposition to Trump’s mass deportation plan, sharing that he predicted a "Tiananmen Square moment" if federal immigration officials attempted to do their job.

"More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there," Johnston said in the interview with Denverite. "It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants."

But in a subsequent interview with 9News, he walked back those comments.

"Would I have taken it back if I could? Yes, I probably wouldn't have used that image," Johnston said. "That's the image I hope we can avoid. What I was trying to say is this is an outcome I hope we can avoid in this country. I think none of us want that."

But he said he was prepared to protest against anything he believes is "illegal or immoral or un-American" in the city — including the use of military force — and was then asked if he was prepared to go to jail for standing in the way of policies enacted by the administration.

"Yeah, I'm not afraid of that, and I'm also not seeking that," Johnston said. "I think the goal is we want to be able to negotiate with reasonable people how to solve hard problems."

Denver has seen an unprecedented influx of migrants arriving in the city under former President Biden's administration, and Johnston has slashed city services to house and feed migrants.

TRUMP DHS PICK NOEM PLEDGES TO END CONTROVERSIAL APP USED BY MIGRANTS ON ‘DAY ONE’ 

On Sunday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's opposition rang loud and clear when he vowed to oppose Trump's plans.

"Chicago stands strong: regardless of the circumstances, our commitment to protecting and supporting this city remains unwavering," Johnson wrote in a social media post on Sunday. "We will continue to fight for the justice and safety of all who call this place home."

Johnson's statement came after he assured the city would continue to comply with the 2017 Illinois Trust Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration enforcement.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLANNING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS THROUGHOUT US ON ‘DAY ONE’ 

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu reiterated Boston's status as a sanctuary city following Trump's election, saying that she doesn't want migrants to "retreat into the shadows."

"The last thing we want is for people who are part of our economy, part of our school system, part of our community and the fabric of our city, to feel that all of a sudden they have to retreat into the shadows," Wu said during an interview on WCVB's On The Record.

Like many sanctuary cities, Boston passed legislation prohibiting local law enforcement from asking people about their immigration status or sharing information with ICE. The Boston Trust Act was signed into law in 2014 under Mayor Marty Walsh, and amendments were made in 2019.

"The Boston Trust Act puts strict prohibitions on local law enforcement from being pulled into becoming the enforcement arm for the whims of whatever the sort of approach of the federal immigration law might be," Wu said during an interview on WGBH

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has echoed the Boston mayor's sentiment, saying that the Massachusetts State Police would "absolutely not" assist in immigration enforcement. 

MAJOR BLUE CITY MAYOR SILENT AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT USES SHELTER FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

WATCH TRUMP'S BORDER CZAR ON DEPORTATION PLANS:

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday night that Trump’s team is planning an immigration raid in Chicago to begin on Tuesday morning, citing four sources familiar with the planning. Between 100 and 200 officers will be there to carry out the operation, which will last all week, the Journal reported. 

Trump's incoming border czar Tom Homan promised large-scale raids as part of Trump's crackdown on immigration.

"We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE and let them go arrest criminal aliens, that’s what’s going to happen," Homan said Friday on Fox News' "Jesse Waters Primetime." "What we’re telling ICE: You’re going to go enforce the immigration law without apology. You’re going to concentrate on the worst first, public safety threats first, but no one is off the table. If they’re in the country illegally, they got a problem."

"There are going to be big raids all across the country," Homan continued. "Chicago is just one in many places. If we got 24 field offices across the country on Tuesday, you can expect ICE." 

WATCH:

While there are key sanctuary cities that are intent on dissuading Trump's policy plan, there are pockets of cities and states intent on assisting Trump.

In Colorado, Douglas County's board of commissioners approved a resolution in support of Trump’s mass deportation plan. The unanimous vote confirmed the county, which is neighboring the sanctuary city of Denver, as a "non-sanctuary county."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

"We are going to follow and adhere to federal immigration law," Douglas County Chairperson Abe Laydon told Fox News Digital. "We will continue to support the U.S. Constitution and follow federal immigration law."

"We want to empower our local law enforcement, our sheriff's office, and communicate with federal immigration officials, to get information and keep people safe in our community," he said. "The three of us, as the board of county commissioners, are going to hold the line in Douglas County and ensure that our community stays safe."

In the border state of Texas, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham offered the administration a tract of more than 1,400 acres to stage its mass deportation operation.

Her letter to Trump, obtained by Fox News Digital, says her office is "fully prepared to enter into an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or the United States Border Patrol to allow a facility to be built for the processing, detention, and coordination of the largest deportation of violent criminals in the nation’s history."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor's offices in Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago and Denver.

Fox News' Michael Dorgan and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

Migrant Caught Hiding Guns, $1M Worth of Drugs in Boston-Area Shelter

An illegal migrant from the Dominican Republic was caught hiding guns and up to $1 million in drugs in a state-sponsored shelter near Boston.

The post Migrant Caught Hiding Guns, $1M Worth of Drugs in Boston-Area Shelter appeared first on Breitbart.

Major blue city mayor silent after illegal immigrant uses shelter for criminal activity

Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu is keeping silent after an illegal immigrant was caught using a taxpayer-funded migrant shelter in the Boston suburbs for criminal activity, including storing a weapon and nearly $1 million worth of drugs.

Wu failed to respond to repeated requests for comment from Fox News Digital, despite the migrant shelter involved being just a short drive from Downtown Boston.

Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, a 28-year-old illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, is facing criminal charges in federal court for illegally possessing an AR-15 and ammunition and over 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Boston 25 News also reported that Sanchez was also caught possessing cocaine with "an estimated street value of at least $750,000." He is currently being kept in custody by state authorities.

BLUE STATE GOV CHANGES TUNE AFTER VOWING TO FIGHT TRUMP DEPORTATION EFFORTS, NOW HOPES HE FIXES BORDER

Sanchez was storing his weapon and drugs in his room at the Quality Inn Hotel in Revere, Massachusetts, which is a government-funded shelter for migrants.  

Boston and Massachusetts both have sanctuary policies in place and both Wu and Governor Maure Healey have vowed to resist President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to crack down on illegal immigration.

Despite this, Healey expressed anger over the incident, saying, "It’s outrageous that this individual took advantage of our shelter system to engage in criminal activity."

Healey ordered an inspection of all shelters, starting with the Quality Inn Hotel in Revere, as well as a "full review" of the state’s shelter intake processes.

SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY BELIEVE TRUMP WILL 'CONTROL ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION': POLL

"This further underscores our broken federal immigration system and the urgent need for Congress and the White House to act on a border security bill to prevent criminals from entering our communities," said Healey. "The people of Massachusetts should not continue to have to deal with the impacts of federal inaction."  

However, Wu, who has said Boston’s sanctuary policies "make everyone safer," has remained silent. Although Fox News Digital spoke with Wu’s office, neither she nor her office have issued any response to Sanchez’s arrest. 

Since Trump’s 2024 electoral victory, Wu has doubled down on Boston’s sanctuary city status, saying police and city officials would not assist federal authorities with deportations.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has seen a recent spike in illegal immigrants arrested for sex crimes in the Boston area and throughout Massachusetts.

Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan has called out Wu for pledging resistance to the administration’s immigration agenda, telling Newsmax in November that "she’s not very smart."

"President Trump is going to prioritize public safety threats," said Homan. "What mayor or governor doesn’t want public safety threats out of their communities? I mean that’s your number one responsibility is to protect your communities and that’s exactly what we’re going to do."

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