(The Epoch Times)—The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has arrested and detained more than 17,500 criminal illegal immigrants under the Laken Riley Act, the department said in a Dec. 24 statement.
The Laken Riley Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Jan. 29, in honor of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Hope Riley from Georgia, who was murdered by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant in February 2024.
The Act requires DHS to detain illegal immigrants who have been arrested for theft, burglary, shoplifting, or larceny. It also allows states to sue the federal government for any violation of federal immigration laws that endanger American citizens.
Earlier this week, DHS cited results from Operation Angel’s Honor, a 14-day nationwide operation launched in honor of Riley that targeted illegal immigrants who committed crimes that come under the purview of the Laken Riley Act.
During the operation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested 1,030 criminal illegal immigrants, the department said.
Some of the arrested individuals include a Cuban illegal immigrant convicted of 17 counts of larceny, a Guatemalan national charged with cruelty toward a child and convicted of aggravated assault on an officer, a Jamaican illegal immigrant convicted of sexual assault, and a Mexican national convicted of kidnapping and drug possession.
According to the DHS, Riley’s murderer was a “member of the Tren de Aragua, who was previously arrested and released into the United States under the Biden administration in September 2022.” Tren de Aragua was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the State Department in February.
“He was previously arrested by NYPD for acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and released back into American neighborhoods. He then went on to commit the heinous murder of Laken Riley,” the DHS statement said.
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Riley went missing on Feb. 22, 2024, during her morning jog around a wooded area at the University of Georgia. Her body was discovered along her usual route later the same day after a friend reported her missing when she failed to return to her campus.
Riley was murdered by Jose Antonio Ibarra, who was previously arrested and released several times for various offenses, including theft.
“President Trump has empowered us to arrest and remove the millions of violent criminal illegal aliens unleashed on the United States by the previous administration,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.
“Now, these criminals will face justice and be removed from our country. We can never bring Laken back, but we can do everything in our power to bring these heinous criminals to justice.”
The Laken Riley Act faced opposition from some groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Before Trump signed the Act into law, the ACLU said the legislation was exploiting Riley’s death to escalate a “false, xenophobic narrative about immigrants.”
Sarah Mehta, ACLU senior border policy counsel, alleged that the bill would strengthen Trump’s mass deportation efforts.
“It will force immigration authorities to detain individuals accused of nonviolent theft offenses like shoplifting regardless of whether or not law enforcement even deems them as a threat,” Mehta said.
In a Jan. 22 statement, two days after Trump began his second term, the Executive Office of the President supported the need for the bipartisan Laken Riley Act.
“This commonsense legislation would provide law enforcement with the tools they need to protect our communities and prevent future senseless tragedies, and is consistent with the Administration’s broader efforts to strengthen enforcement of our immigration laws and improve the security of the Nation’s borders,” the statement said.
The DHS said in a Dec. 19 statement that the department has deported “hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal aliens” under the Trump administration, including kidnappers, rapists, drug traffickers, and gang members.
Multiple operations have been carried out to arrest criminal illegal immigrants, it said. For instance, in Chicago and the Midwest, Operation Midway Blitz resulted in the arrests of more than 4,500 illegal immigrants. In Portland, Oregon, Operation Black Rose has led to the arrests of more than 1,240 illegal immigrants.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.