The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief was in Phoenix on Friday to oversee deportation flights for what the agency said were “dangerous illegal aliens.”
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin oversaw the deportation flights headed for Mexico. Among the deportees were illegal aliens identified as pedophiles, violent assailants, drug traffickers, drunk drivers, burglars, and gang members.
DHS quoted Mullin in a press release as saying that these latest deportation flights out of Phoenix are part of this administration’s continued promise to mass deport illegal aliens.
“The American people voted for mass deportations, and that’s exactly what we’re giving them. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are removing dangerous illegals like these from our communities and from our country every single day,” said Mullin. “We will not stop until we have deported as many illegals as possible, so that we can make America safe again.”
Friday’s deportees included:
Jaime Velasquez Orozco, convicted in the past of child sexual abuse, attempted rape, domestic abuse, burglary, battery, driving under the influence, hit-and-run, and drug possession.
Jiovany Baray-Acosta, convicted in the past of driving under the influence with a minor in the car, drug possession, illegal weapon possession, and kidnapping.
Noe Ochoa Torres, convicted in the past of child abuse, sexual assault of a child, and drug possession.
Luis Antonio Vasquez Encinas, convicted in the past of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor under 15.
German Garcia-Ordonez, convicted in the past of assault and battery in the presence of a minor.
Filiberto Preciado-Gamboa, a gang member convicted in the past of domestic abuse, drug possession, and shoplifting.
Jose Cruz Estrada, convicted in the past of domestic abuse, terroristic threats, driving while intoxicated, and evading arrest.
Rolando Carbajal Villegas, convicted in the past of driving while intoxicated and assault.
Octavio Felipe-Olivera, convicted in the past of driving under the influence and disturbing the peace.
DHS reported last December that more than 2.5 million illegal aliens have left the country since Trump took office in January of last year. Of those exits, more than 600,000 were reportedly formal deportations and approximately 1.9 million were voluntary self-deportations.
Approximately 10 million illegal aliens reside within the country.
DHS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also announced on Friday that the preliminary data for this fiscal year indicate a 95% drop in southwest border apprehensions compared to the last administration, along with what they allege to be the “lowest annual encounters in American history and the first-ever fiscal year with zero Border Patrol releases.”
According to CBP, encounters of illegal aliens along the southwest border have dropped from an average 177,000 encounters per month during the final year of President Joe Biden’s administration to about 11,000 encounters per month under President Donald Trump.
In CBP’s 2026 fiscal year — which runs from October 2025 through September 2026 — there have been just over 128,000 encounters. Under Trump’s first month in office, monthly encounters dropped by about 20%.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Federal authorities arrested a third grade teacher in Phoenix on child pornography charges last week.
Gabriel “Gabe” Lorenzo Chacon, 32, taught at Encanto Elementary School in the Osborn School District. Chacon was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and charged with two counts of distributing, possessing, and accessing child pornography.
Investigators report that Chacon was a member of The Ganymedean Brotherhood, a group chat in which users shared child pornography and sexual abuse material, with a focus on babies and infants.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operation Unit learned of Chacon after receiving a tip from an undercover law enforcement officer in Australia monitoring The Ganymedean Brotherhood.
In the complaint against Chacon filed with the Arizona District Court, Chacon admitted to authorities that he was in a child pornography group chat and had saved child pornography to a website, but denied ever acting on what he described as his “fantasy.” The illicit files connected to Chacon contained visuals of victims that ranged in age from infants to teenagers.
Messages included in court documents reflect that Chacon appeared to have considered acting on his fantasies. In one message, Chacon asked his group chat what they would do alone in their classrooms if they were teachers. Chacon reportedly sent the message under his handle, “ND Dom,” during parent teacher conferences earlier this month.
“Hey friends, let’s say hypothetically you were a teacher and you had 3 hours to kill alone in your classroom afterschool [sic], what would you do [3 devil emojis],” asked Chacon.
The complaint reported that the undercover officer saw Chacon’s message and began to converse with him in a direct message. Chacon admitted to the officer that he was interested in children 10 years old and younger, mostly boys; revealed that he was a third grade teacher in Phoenix; and divulged that he would give “bj’s” between classes if he could.
Chacon also said he was into “brutal” sex acts with children. Between messaging nude pictures of himself and describing his pedophilic fantasies, Chacon repeatedly expressed his allegiance to Satan.
“Hail satan,” wrote Chacon.
When the undercover officer asked if Chacon had any sexual experience with children, Chacon claimed that he had while he was “babysitting back in high school.”
Chacon also told the officer that education was the perfect employment for alleged child predators such as himself, and that Phoenix was big enough to find “like minded [sic] friends.” Chacon went on to send the officer five videos of pre-pubescent boys being sexually abused by adult men.
“It’s a great gig for brothers like us,” wrote Chacon.
Chacon’s public social media activity indicated that he was a supporter of progressive causes and Democratic candidates, and that he practiced witchcraft.
In one X post, Chacon said he was “vaguely associated with the occult.” On the Reddit forum r/witchcraft, Chacon advised a user that hyacinth, a plant, was “great for curse breaking and love spells” in his practice.
Chacon received his master’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University last year while teaching. Prior to settling in Phoenix, Chacon’s Facebook page reflects that he resided in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Osborn School District issued a statement denying any knowledge of Chacon’s illegal activities. This semester marked Chacon’s third year teaching at Encanto Elementary School. Chacon previously taught at Solano Elementary School.
“We were assured that law enforcement had no information that any Osborn Elementary School students were connected in any way to the reported criminal behavior,” read the statement. “The District is fully cooperating with law enforcement in its investigation. Immediately upon learning of Mr. Chacon’s arrest, the District placed him on administrative leave, restricted his access to district technology and buildings, and reported the information to the Arizona State Board of Education.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
A progressive advocacy group plans to host election crisis training in Arizona less than a week before Election Day.
Interfaith Alliance planned stops for Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson in its “The Vote Is Sacred Tour,” a series of events across Arizona and 14 other states slated to begin the first week of October.
The Arizona Republican Party’s Latino group brought attention to the organization’s planned activities, alleging that “partisan operatives” were gathering “to rehearse election disruption.”
EXPOSING THE ELECTION MANIPULATION GAMES!
While hardworking Arizonans prepare to make their voices heard, partisan operatives are setting the stage in Phoenix to rehearse election disruption. The voters deserve transparency, order, and honest elections.
The Phoenix event is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27; the Tucson event is scheduled for Thursday, October 29; and the Flagstaff event is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3.
The organization says the events are intended to provide voter education on ballot items, voter registration, and funds to local activists, in addition to providing a “trained, peaceful presence at the polls and crisis-ready communities.”
An election crisis scenario planning toolkit provided by the organization, in partnership with Protect Democracy, floated six sample scenarios occurring during early voting and on Election Day concerning ICE operations, President Donald Trump invoking the Insurrection Act or declaring premature victory in races, right-wing claims of foreign interference and unverified ballots, and federal takeover of election operations.
One scenario proposes that in mid-October a posted video of a faith leader being violently arrested sparks nationwide protests, resulting in the Trump administration federalizing the National Guard and filing federal criminal charges against pro-migrant organization leaders partnering in election advocacy work.
Interfaith Alliance reported that it selected the location for each of the trainings based on the “2026 Election Risk Heat Map” by the Voting Rights Lab. Arizona was ranked as 87 out of 100 for election risk, with Maricopa County ranked as 100 out of 100 for election risk and Pima County ranked as 90 out of 100 for election risk.
The risk index reportedly measures counties for “close contests, bad actors, and systemic weaknesses.”
The organization previously held a similar tour during the 2024 election across six states.
Interfaith Alliance scheduled a kick-off of this latest tour with a No Kings-affiliated event on Wednesday.
Several key members of the organization have held prominent roles within Democratic presidential administrations and the party.
Maggie Siddiqi, the senior advisor for the organization, held a directorship within the Biden administration’s Education Department. Siddiqi advised former Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on religious freedom issues and led efforts to address antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Derrick Harkins, board member, was the Democratic National Committee’s director of interfaith outreach, a faith leader for former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, and faith leader for the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Jake Siewert, board member, was the White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton and counselor to the secretary of the treasury under Obama.
Interfaith Alliance began with seed funding from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 1994.
Since then, its foundation has grown to pull in millions every year: around $1 to $3 million annually since 2011. Its schedule of contributors isn’t public, though some contributors have named the nonprofit in their tax filings, including the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, which gave $1 million in 2024; Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc., which gave $300,000 in 2023; the Rockefeller Family Foundation, which gave $170,000 between 2022 and 2024; and the William B. Wiener Jr. Foundation, which gave $80,000 between 2018 and 2019.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
The city of Phoenix has rezoned more than five acres to continue legalized camping for the homeless.
The city council unanimously approved the zoning amendment during its formal meeting on September 9. The space costs approximately $4.8 million a year to operate.
The city’s legalized camping area for the homeless is its safe outdoor space. The campground is operated by Keys to Change, a 24-hour operator, and Community Bridges Inc., which provides case management on site seven days a week.
The safe outdoor space provides a maximum of 200 camping spaces and can accommodate a maximum of 300 individuals.
The property is fenced in and provides shade for camping spaces; restrooms and showers; supportive services such as case management; on-site security 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and trash and recycling.
Homeless individuals camping within the safe outdoor space may not use drugs, consume alcohol, or start fires on the property.
Surrounding businesses may email Keys to Change to notify of any potential issues.
According to the Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) Director Rachel Milne, the city employs five behavioral health technicians through Community Bridges and brings in outside partners like Circle the City, which provides medical and behavioral health services twice a week, to serve the safe outdoor space.
Milne reported that there are 56 shelters and transitional housing projects in the Phoenix area as of the 2026 Point in Time Count. The city owns three of those 56.
Councilwoman Anna Hernandez said that safe outdoors spaces were a vital housing option for Phoenix residents and a necessary response to reduced funding under the Trump administration.
“We are not perfect in how this space has been maintained. There are always improvements that can happen and need to happen,” said Hernandez. “Two things can be true at the same time, that we have done amazing work in this space, but also that there’s always a need to continue to improve that. So I do believe that we can hold these two things together, especially in a time where we are seeing our federal administration cut funding for housing and homeless services.”
Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington commended OHS staff for innovating on the safe outdoor spaces as a solution for homelessness.
“They have always heeded the opportunity to grow and learn from the residents’ concerns. I think this definitely shows this is a partnership between the residents and the Office of Homeless Solutions,” said Hodge Washington.
OHS reported that, on average, the homeless stay for 100 days at the campground. Margaret Adams, OHS special projects administrator, told KTAR that the safe outdoor space has served more than 2,500 homeless individuals since its opening in late 2023.
Based on the $4.8 million spent last year, that would mean that it costs the city around $5,700 on average to provide services to each homeless individual at the safe outdoor space.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
The U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in August, accelerating from July’s 0.1% increase, while annual inflation remained at 3.4%, according to the latest release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gasoline prices accounted for more than one-third of the monthly increase.
In the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area, consumer prices increased 2.5% over the year ending in August, below the national rate, but eased back from June’s 2.8%. Local energy prices rose 19.1% over that period, including a 32.5% increase in gasoline prices.
Nationally, gasoline prices increased 3.9% during August, and the broader energy index rose 2.1%. Shelter costs increased 0.3%, while food prices rose 0.1%. Grocery prices were unchanged for the month, and food away from home increased 0.3%.
CPI-U increased by 0.40% in August & rose to 3.40% over the past year. Core CPI, which excludes food & energy, +0.29% in Aug & +2.45% over the past year. Energy inflation +2.10% in Aug & +16.28% over the past year. Food inflation +0.12% in Aug & +2.67% over the past year.…
— Joint Economic Committee Republicans (@JECRepublicans) September 11, 2026
Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, increased 0.3% in August following a 0.2% rise in July. Over the preceding 12 months, core prices increased 2.4%, energy prices rose 16.3%, and food prices increased 2.7%.
The national monthly figures are seasonally adjusted. The annual changes are measured before seasonal adjustment.
The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) Republicans’ August inflation update, released this month, provided calculations to two decimal places. It reported monthly headline inflation of 0.40% and core inflation of 0.29%, compared with Cleveland Federal Reserve forecasts of 0.36% and 0.20%, respectively.
The committee’s calculations placed annual headline inflation at 3.40% and annual core inflation at 2.45%. Its report notes that differences in change figures can result from rounding.
Across the four regions identified in the committee’s accompanying release, annual inflation was highest in the Northeast at 3.9%, followed by the Midwest at 3.6%, the West at 3.2%, and the South at 3.1%. In its release accompanying the update, JEC Republicans reported annual inflation of 3.9% in the Northeast, 3.6% in the Midwest, 3.2% in the West, and 3.1% in the South.
Phoenix-area prices increased 0.5% over the two months ending in August. During that period, local energy prices increased 4.6%, food prices declined 1.6%, and prices excluding food and energy rose 0.5%. The local BLS figures are not seasonally adjusted and cover a two-month period.
Over the year, Phoenix-area food prices increased 1.7%, including a 1.0% increase in grocery prices and a 2.5% increase in food away from home. Local core inflation was 1.3%, while shelter prices declined 0.3%.
Inflation-adjusted earnings were mostly steady in August. Real average weekly earnings for employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased 0.16%, while real average hourly earnings declined 0.09%. Over the year, real hourly earnings declined 0.3% and real weekly earnings increased 0.3%.
