[00:00] Talia Brooks: From Neural Newscast, I'm Talia Brooks.
[00:03] Thatcher Collins: And I'm Thatcher Collins.
[00:04] Talia Brooks: Today, we report on the departure of over 1,000 federal agents from Minnesota.
[00:10] Talia Brooks: This move comes as a major immigration operation begins to wind down.
[00:16] Thatcher Collins: We will also look at escalating hunger strikes in Venezuela.
[00:19] Thatcher Collins: Families there are demanding the release of political prisoners.
[00:23] Thatcher Collins: Plus, we have the latest on United Kingdom defense spending.
[00:26] Talia Brooks: White House border czar Tom Holman says the massive immigration enforcement surge
[00:32] Talia Brooks: in Minnesota is coming to an end.
[00:34] Talia Brooks: More than 1,000 agents have already left the Twin Cities area.
[00:39] Thatcher Collins: Hohmann stated on Sunday that several hundred more will follow by Tuesday.
[00:44] Thatcher Collins: This marks a return to the original enforcement footprint.
[00:48] Thatcher Collins: The Department of Homeland Security previously called this its largest operation ever.
[00:53] Talia Brooks: The administration says Operation Metro Surge was successful.
[00:58] Talia Brooks: However, it drew intense criticism.
[01:01] Talia Brooks: The shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Preddy by federal officers led to widespread condemnation and local protests.
[01:11] Thatcher Collins: Residents in the Twin Cities even form networks to film officers and warn neighbors about approaching agents.
[01:18] Thatcher Collins: A small security force will remain for now.
[01:21] Thatcher Collins: These agents are tasked with protecting staff from what Homan calls agitators.
[01:25] Talia Brooks: Holman confirmed that agents will continue to investigate fraud and recent protests that
[01:31] Talia Brooks: disrupted a local church service.
[01:34] Talia Brooks: While the surge is ending in Minnesota, he noted that mass deportations will continue
[01:40] Talia Brooks: nationwide.
[01:42] Thatcher Collins: Turning now to South America, pressure is mounting on the interim government of Venezuela
[01:47] Thatcher Collins: to free remaining political prisoners.
[01:50] Thatcher Collins: Activists report that health conditions for some detainees are deteriorating rapidly.
[01:55] Talia Brooks: The group Foro-Panal has verified that 444 prisoners have been released since U.S. forces seized Nicola's Maduro last month.
[02:06] Talia Brooks: However, hundreds more remain behind bars in facilities like Zona 7.
[02:12] Thatcher Collins: Ten people began a hunger strike on Saturday outside that detention center in Caracas.
[02:18] Thatcher Collins: They are part of a vigil that has been ongoing since early January.
[02:22] Thatcher Collins: That is when officials first promised a significant number of releases.
[02:26] Talia Brooks: The interim government, led by Delce Rodriguez, has proposed an amnesty bill.
[02:32] Talia Brooks: It passed a first reading unanimously on February 5th.
[02:37] Talia Brooks: However, lawmakers have struggled to agree on how it should be applied.
[02:42] Thatcher Collins: Opposition members are also concerned that those released are not truly free.
[02:47] Thatcher Collins: They point to the case of Juan Pablo Guanipa.
[02:50] Thatcher Collins: He was re-arrested hours after his release and is now under house arrest.
[02:55] Talia Brooks: Finally, we turn to the United Kingdom.
[02:58] Talia Brooks: Prime Minister Kier Starmer says the country must move faster on defense spending.
[03:04] Talia Brooks: He emphasized the need for Britain to bolster its capabilities as European security shifts.
[03:12] Thatcher Collins: This push comes as European nations weigh their security options independently of traditional U.S. support.
[03:20] Thatcher Collins: It reflects a broader move across the continent to prioritize military readiness and regional stability.
[03:26] Talia Brooks: I'm Talia Brooks.
[03:27] Thatcher Collins: And I'm Thatcher Collins. Thank you for joining us.
[03:30] Thatcher Collins: Neural Newscast is AI-Assisted Human Reviewed.
[03:34] Thatcher Collins: View our AI transparency policy at neuralnewscast.com.