An owner of a Tucson beauty spa said she has plans to poison ICE agents.
Tucson spa owner Helen Barayeva posted a video to her since-deleted spa business account on TikTok describing her goal to give food poisoning to ICE agents. Barayeva also indicated her intention to come up with other “biological weapon” tactics to employ against immigration enforcement.
“I know what we can do. We can figure out where they’re giving their food, right? The ICE agents? And we can at least give them food poisoning. That’s easy to do,” said Barayeva. “All you have to do is not wash your hands when you’re prepping their food. I mean, how easy is that, right? That is a biological weapon. Okay, I’m going to come up with more.”
Barayeva owned Refreshed Looks Aesthetics, at the time housed inside the Les Cheveux Salon and Boutique.
🚨🚨Now she is talking about poisoning ICE agents!
Time to start reporting her MAGA! 🔥🔥🔥
Her name is Helen and she works at Refreshed Looks Aesthetics Med Spa in Tucson, AZ on Tanque Verde Road.
Barayeva, a former dental hygienist, has also used her Facebook business page to air some of her political views on President Donald Trump, though her “biological weapon” video from TikTok was not on that page as of this report.
Since Barayeva’s post received criticisms online, Barayeva has deleted her Instagram, X, TikTok, and Threads accounts. Her Facebook page remains active as of this report.
The available archived posts from Barayeva indicate long-standing support for progressive politics.
“Joy [Behar], I absolutely love and adore you. Keep speaking the truth,” said Barayeva in one X (then Twitter) post from 2021. “God bless you and give you many great years ahead. I watch the View every day and love your perspective.”
Multiple individuals on social media indicated that they reported Barayeva to authorities for her threats of violence.
This month, the Department of Homeland Security reported an 8,000 percent increase in death threats against federal law enforcement and their families, notably on the deep web. DHS also reported over 1,300 percent increase in assaults and 3,200 percent increase in vehicular attacks.
The agency says Democratic leadership is to blame for encouraging political violence among their followers.
“We’re having our ICE lawyers stalked and being followed on their way home,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, in an interview with Fox News. “I think it’s about time the left looks in the mirror and says ‘enough is enough.’ And they have to put public safety and law enforcement safety ahead of their own political gain.”
Arizona’s Democratic congressional leaders are working to stop the expanded immigration enforcement efforts.
Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego introduced a bill last week to remove ICE agents’ ability to apply use of force. Their press release on the bill cited the shooting of Renee Good, an anti-ICE activist who sustained a fatal gunshot wound earlier this month when she attempted to drive forward into an ICE agent during a protest in Minnesota.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero depicted ICE agents as unnecessary agents of violence.
“No community should be subjected to fear, intimidation or violence in the name of immigration enforcement,” said Romero. “The unchecked violence, masked agents, and excessive use of force is creating fear and chaos in our communities.”
In a video posted earlier this week to Instagram, Romero advocated for protesters to abstain from violence.
“I ask that you be peaceful and nonviolent in your protests. They’re so much more powerful to make your point,” said Romero. “Stay safe and please stay nonviolent.”
Phoenix City Councilman Kevin Robinson accused ICE of undermining trust in law enforcement.
“Clear standards and transparency help ensure enforcement is conducted responsibly and with respect for the people it affects,” said Robinson.
In his statement on the bill, Sen. Kelly also came to the defense of ICE protesters, even those impeding immigration enforcement operations. Kelly claimed the present budget for ICE is excessive because it exceeds that of the Marine Corps.
Rep. Eli Crane said Kelly was wrong to defend the protesters and criticize the ICE budget. The congressman said ICE’s increased budget and show of force were necessary to bring the illegal immigration crisis to heel.
“Why, Senator [Kelly], does the budget of ICE have to be larger than the U.S. Marine Corps? Oh, that’s because you and President Joe Biden and all the other Democrats let 15 to 20 million illegal aliens into this country, and now the American people after they saw the ramifications of that gave President Trump and Republicans a mandate to fix it,” said Rep. Crane.
Thank you to the heroes at ICE who are reversing the consequences of the Democrats’ premeditated border invasion.
Credit to the Trump administration for having their backs despite shameful gaslighting and attacks from the very people that created the crisis.
Data centers are coming to Pima County, whether residents like it or not.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors has approved a new data center despite major community opposition and no end user formally lined up.
Amazon was outed earlier this summer as the longtime, unofficial end user lined up for the 290-acre data center, Project Blue, but the e-commerce giant reportedly backed out around the beginning of this month after the developer, Beale Infrastructure, nixed water cooling in favor of the more electricity-dependent air cooling process.
Amazon’s departure was uncovered during the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) hearing earlier this month by sources first reported on by the Arizona Daily Star. ACC approved, 4-1, a decade-long Energy Supply Agreement between Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and the developer to power Project Blue.
Beale Infrastructure made the cooling process switch after the Tucson City Council voted unanimously to deny access to their reclaimed water system back in August. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero also pledged to place limits on future data centers.
The days leading up to the council vote were filled with contentious community information meetings on the project.
Per 13 News, multiple unnamed sources told Pima County Supervisor and Tucson City Councilman Paul Cunningham that up to eight other companies expressed interest in taking Amazon’s place. Sources conflicted on whether one of the companies is Meta, or whether Meta had already backed out as Amazon had.
Project Blue’s developer, Beale Infrastructure, presented the proposed data center as both an economic driver and environmentally friendly operator: “no risks or financial burdens [will be] passed on to other customers,” their representatives promised in their presentations during the community information meetings.
Opponents argue these data centers will further strain an already stressed water supply and electric grid, ultimately leading to scarcity as well as higher fiscal and health costs for the consumer.
It was the promised economic benefits that won over the 3-2 majority of Pima County supervisors. The two supervisors against the data center, Andres Cano and Jen Allen, expressed concerns over the long-term unknown impacts on the environment and community health.
Pima County’s vote came several weeks after ACC approved Beale Infrastructure’s application for Project Blue.
Data centers are the powerhouse for platforms covering virtually every aspect of modern life online: government, streaming, remote work, cloud storage, e-commerce, education, finance, and healthcare.
An independent Economic Impact Study on Project Blue projects a $3.6 billion total capital investment, $250 million in tax revenues, 180 new jobs by 2029, and over 3,000 direct construction jobs during the building phase.
The project will be located north of Pima County Fairgrounds, at the I-10 and Houghton interchange. The development site is over a mile away from the nearest resident, located within an unincorporated area that’s part of the Southeast Employment & Logistics Center.
Beale Infrastructure is also moving on another, equally controversial data center development in Marana totaling 600 acres. Two rezoning applications were filed recently for potential data center development: Luckett North and Luckett South. Earlier this month, the town’s planning commission recommended rezoning for development.
As with Project Blue, the closest resident lives about a mile away from the proposed data center campus. It will also be an air-cooled facility.
In preparation for consideration of the data center, town officials produced two podcast episodes on the town’s data center ordinance and potential for development.
Marana Town Council is scheduled to consider the data center project on Jan. 6, 2026. Progress on the project is available for viewing on the town’s development projects and activity portal.
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Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), a declared candidate for Arizona governor in 2026, has accused Tucson Mayor Regina Romero of encouraging obstruction of a federal law-enforcement operation after she posted on social media during active immigration enforcement last week.
In a post on X that drew hundreds of reactions, Biggs criticized Romero for alerting residents to the presence of a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation near Flowing Wells and Miracle Mile on the morning of Dec. 10.
“Unbelievable,” Biggs wrote. “Why is the mayor of Tucson encouraging obstruction of a lawful federal police operation? Could it be because she favors those who are illegally in the country over American citizens?”
Biggs’ post included a screenshot of a Facebook message Romero published during the operation. In the post, Romero told residents that federal agents were active in the Miracle Mile area and urged people to remain peaceful while protesting or documenting the activity.
“You have the right to protest and document these activities,” Romero wrote. “It is very important to remain peaceful while you do.”
Romero later defended the post in comments on KOLD News 13, saying the alert was intended to calm the situation and keep the community informed about ongoing immigration enforcement activity. “I just want to make sure that we don’t provoke any confrontations,” Romero said.
Reaction locally was mixed, with some residents praising transparency and others questioning whether publicly sharing the location of an active law enforcement operation could endanger agents or allow enforcement targets to evade arrest.
Video of Romero’s Facebook post and surrounding commentary circulated widely on social media, including a clip shared by Libs of TikTok, which amplified both the mayor’s message and Biggs’ criticism.
BREAKING UPDATE: I’m told by DHS that the mayor of Tucson, AZ has been referred to the DOJ for potential obstruction after DOXXING ICE’s live location to help illegals evade ICE.
According to federal officials cited by local media, the Dec. 10 enforcement action involved executing a search warrant at a business park near Flowing Wells and Miracle Mile, which includes AG Trucking, as part of an investigation into alleged cabotage violations and unlawful labor practices.
The Dec. 10 action marked the second major federal enforcement operation in Tucson in less than a week.
On Dec. 5, HSI, working with IRS Criminal Investigation, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and U.S. Border Patrol, executed 16 federal search warrants across southern Arizona, according to ICE. The coordinated operation targeted multiple Taco Giro restaurant locations, associated residences, and other properties as part of a multiyear investigation into a transnational criminal organization.
Federal authorities reported that 46 individuals were taken into custody on immigration-related allegations, along with two additional arrests connected to interference with law enforcement activity during the Dec. 5 operation.
Protests erupted outside a Taco Giro location at 610 N. Grande Ave., where demonstrators temporarily blocked federal agents inside a gated parking area using a bike lock. According to Fox News, agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and smoke grenades to disperse the crowd. Two HSI Special Response Team operators were injured during the incident, one suffering a ruptured bicep and another a knee injury.
The Tucson Police Department assisted with traffic control during the incident but did not deploy force, according to a statement cited by Tucson.com.
U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07) later claimed she was pepper-sprayed while attempting to gather information at the scene, referring to ICE as “a lawless agency under this Administration – operating with no transparency, no accountability, and open disregard for basic due process.”
ICE is a lawless agency under this Administration – operating with no transparency, no accountability, and open disregard for basic due process.
No family in our community should live in fear, and I will not rest until we get clear answers and accountability. pic.twitter.com/Z2mUuRxHuX
Mayor Romero and Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz condemned the federal response, in statements to AZ Luminaria, describing the deployment of smoke grenades and pepper balls as a “disproportionate use of force” against protesters, including an elected member of Congress.
Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin stated, however, that Grijalva was in the vicinity of protesters who were obstructing officers, but was not directly targeted by federal agents.
She wrote in a post to X, “If her claims were true, this would be a medical marvel. But they’re not true. She wasn’t pepper sprayed. She was in the vicinity of someone who *was* pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement. In fact, 2 law enforcement officers were seriously injured by this mob that @Rep_Grijalva joined. Presenting one’s self as a ‘Member of Congress’ doesn’t give you the right to obstruct law enforcement. More information forthcoming.”
If her claims were true, this would be a medical marvel.
But they’re not true. She wasn’t pepper sprayed.
She was in the vicinity of someone who *was* pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement. In fact, 2 law enforcement officers were seriously… https://t.co/U0zspIuGxQ
Two protesters from the Dec. 5 incident, Sheryl Anna Rowe and Ryan Michael Seal, now face federal charges, according to KOLD. Rowe is charged with assault on a federal agent, while Seal faces charges related to damage to government property.
The raids led to temporary closures at seven Taco Giro locations as of Thursday. As of this report, no criminal charges have been announced in connection with either the Dec. 5 or Dec. 10 enforcement actions beyond the protest-related cases.
The newest member of the Tucson City Council is further left than the rest of the council’s Democrats.
That’s because newly elected Tucson Councilwoman Miranda Schubert is a socialist. Schubert’s victory can be credited in part to several powerful national players in progressive politics.
One of those key players is the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The DSA endorsed Schubert; she is also a member of their Tucson chapter.
@MirandaForWard6 is a member of @dsa_tucson and founding organizer of CWA Local 7065 United Campus Workers of Arizona running for Tucson City Council. If elected, Miranda will prioritize housing justice, racial justice, and fighting climate change. pic.twitter.com/pQ5ShEWviJ
— DSA National Electoral Commission (@DsaElectoral) July 28, 2021
The DSA platform is the furthest to the left, policywise, on every issue.
The DSA advocates for:
making all healthcare, college, and childcare free;
cancelling all student loan debts;
decriminalizing all drugs;
abolishing prisons, mandatory minimum sentencing, and cash bail;
stripping police departments of military-grade weapons and equipment;
establishing universal rent control;
providing free counsel for all tenants;
expanding subsidized housing;
mandating paid family leave for all workers;
reducing the regular workweek to 32 hours;
establishing more unions in the workforce;
eliminating fossil fuels;
transferring ownership of transportation and energy infrastructure to the public;
raising taxes on wealthier families, corporations, and private colleges and universities;
mandating a permanent ceasefire in Gaza;
ending military support and commerce to Israel;
closing overseas bases and reducing the military budget;
abolishing borders and immigration enforcement;
ending economic sanctions on foreign countries;
restoring voting rights to felons;
granting voting rights to noncitizens;
establishing statehood for Washington, D.C.;
abolishing the electoral college;
adding more House seats;
ending the Senate filibuster;
and limiting the Supreme Court’s powers
Schubert’s local DSA in Tucson aligns with this platform, and also supports progressive causes like allowing gender transitions for minors.
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the Democratic party machine do not believe in abolition of police, prisons, or incarcerated labor.
Another key player integral to Schubert’s victory was Run For Something (RFS), a political action committee devoted to recruiting and providing campaign assistance to progressive candidates across all 50 states. A former staffer from Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, Amanda Litman, and a Democratic Party consultant, Ross Morales Rocketto, launched RFS in 2017.
Schubert was one of two 2025 candidates in Arizona to receive support from RFS. They also provided Schubert support for her unsuccessful council run in 2021; that year she was their only endorsed candidate for Arizona.
IRS records show the social welfare nonprofit arm for RFS — formed in 2020 with the same name as its parent organization — reported over $6 million in revenue, over $9 million in expenditures, and nearly $7 million in total assets in the last available reporting (2023).
Another DSA member won a significant seat across the country on Tuesday night: Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor.
Along with the strength of progressive powerhouses DSA and RFS, Schubert had significant support from the corporate sector: specifically, those assisting in transitioning the state to “clean” energy.
Schubert’s partner, Amanda Maass, is senior managing consultant at Illume Advising, a progressive research and advisory firm with headquarters in Tucson and Madison, Wisconsin. Illume assists utilities, states, and governments with the adoption of “clean” and “green” initiatives such as decarbonization and renewable energy.
Both Arizona Public Service (APS) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) have been Illume clients. In recent years, Illume worked with both to craft a DEI-driven plan to electrify transportation across Arizona.
Illume has close ties to local and state leaders, including Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Pima County Deputy Administrator Steve Holmes, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and Attorney General Kris Mayes. Romero’s communications and policy advisor, Victor Mercado, was Illume’s marketing and business development principal.
Illume founder and co-owner Anne Dougherty is board chair of the LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund of Southern Arizona, and director for the Arizona Technology Council as well as Groundswell Capital.
Prior to running for council, Schubert founded a labor union for Arizona’s public universities and some community colleges, CWA Local 7065 United Campus Workers of Arizona, and a local housing and transit advocacy group, Tucson for Everyone.
Schubert also served on two city commissions, the Complete Streets Coordinating Council and the Board of Adjustment.
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In a departure from the “soft on crime” approach, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero announced she will allow law enforcement to address crime.
Romero called the city’s approach the “Safe City Initiative.” The mayor announced the initiative on Sunday following months of community outcry over the ever-worsening levels of homelessness and crime in the city.
Tucson Police Chief Chad Kasmar said felony arrests increased by 50 percent and misdemeanor arrests increased by 100 percent over the last five years. Kasmar told KGUN9 that fentanyl’s rise is largely to blame; per the chief, 80 percent of addicts on the streets will refuse treatment because they know there are no consequences for breaking the law.
“It’s the reality that they know, if they only get caught with a lower level of possession, that they’re likely to have those charges dismissed during initial appearance, and they think, well, I’ll just be out. I’ll just be out in six or eight hours,” said Kasmar. “It’s not a big deal [to them].”
One Tucson native since 1999 described it this way in a Reddit post last November:
“The nightly shootings, open drug use and dealing, street prostitution, and gang activity is unlike anything I’ve seen here,” said the user. “It used to be the case that there were a half dozen bad intersections. Now it seems like every intersection is bad. Half of the bus stops have people slumped over or doing drugs. It feels like Gotham in a Batman movie.”
When a Tucson resident pointed out the Tucson Police Department’s reported crimes data site shows a slight decline in recent years, another native pointed out that Tucson residents don’t see the point in reporting the crimes anymore.
“Have you tried to report a crime lately? No officer shows up except for certain felony crimes. You have to make an online report that may as well be routed to some computer’s trash bin,” said the native. “Crime is ‘declining’ because people no longer see the point in reporting it, much like the declining unemployment rate that resulted because people simply stopped looking for work. An opinion column isn’t necessarily the best unbiased source for this info.”
The council may also pass an ordinance making drug possession a misdemeanor in order to work around the unwillingness of the Superior Court to prosecute drug offenses, even though those are felony offenses. With such an ordinance, the city could prosecute drug cases in the Municipal Court.
“Everyone deserves to be safe — in your neighborhood, at work, and in our public spaces,” said Romero. “We hear your current concerns about safety in our community loud and clear, and we share them. That is why we are launching the Safe City Initiative.”
As a precursor to the initiative, Romero defended the many social services aimed at the homeless population including the “low barrier” shelters, Violence Interruption Vitalization Action, Community Safety Health and Wellness, and Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Teams. And yet, Romero said these many services don’t stymie the major source of crimes: the homeless individuals with mental illnesses and/or drug addiction.
Romero said the city would continue investment in those programs. Additional investing will come from the opioid settlement funds to establish a Sobering Alternative Facility for Recovery Center, said Romero.
The Safe City Initiative will create a task force under the city manager, Tim Thomure, to help shape ordinances and policies that combine law enforcement action and drug addiction treatment. It will also increase police presence on public transit and in other high-crime areas, and social service outreach presence in areas with high levels of homelessness.
The mayor alluded to seeking greater state and regional funding and establishing more partnerships for treatments of mental and behavioral illness, and substance abuse.
The initiative also promises to expand the sessions offered by Community Court, which provides diversion programs for criminals dealing with mental illness and/or drug addictions.
Last week, the Tucson Police Department deployed officers to clear out a major homeless encampment.
Romero, first elected in 2019 and reelected in 2023, is coming up on the last leg of her second term, which ends in December 2027. The mayor may serve three consecutive four-year terms before being termed out.
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