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Francesca D'Annunzio

@FrancescaDnunz

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investigative reporter covering US-MX border for @TexasObserver | work in @GuardianUS @NewsHour @GIJN @dallasnews @RNS @ArizCIR 📩 dannunzio @texasobserver .org

Texas
https://t.co/4KOzHr70Ds
Joined November 2019
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
In January, @TxDPS encountered several members of a militia, who were armed, and trespassing on private property, as they stood over five young migrants and questioned them. Police didn’t charge the group for trespassing that day — but they did document it in a report. 🧵
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
This is just one example @AverySchmitzCT and I found where armed border vigilantes appeared to break the law in front of police, but were not charged with a crime — even when officers documented violations in a report.
Tweet card media
Border Vigilantes Are Blurring the Lines of Law Enforcement

Armed groups in Arizona and Texas are collaborating with and courting police and immigration agents—with alarming results.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
No one was arrested for pointing a gun at migrants—though one of the armed men had a domestic violence conviction and could not legally carry a weapon, according to a police report.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
SCOOP: @TxDPS is committing to a five year, $5.3 million contract for Tangles, an AI surveillance tool that can track cell phones w/o a court order. ICE, IRS, BIA + other fed agencies have used Tangles. DPS' contract is far larger than even ICE's.
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Texas State Police Gear Up for Massive Expansion of Surveillance Tech

DPS plans to spend millions in taxpayer dollars on a controversial software, used first as part of Governor Abbott’s border crackdown, to “disrupt potential domestic terrorism.”

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
Law enforcement collusion with vigilantes in TX + AZ runs the gamut from sheriff’s deputies showing groups around to police collaborating with—and not arresting—ppl with prior criminal convictions who illegally carried guns, according to social media, public records, interviews.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
Sometimes I peruse IRS filings just to see if there's anything interesting. That's how I learned that a south Texas border militia has been tax-exempt since 2008. The group's leader, Michael Vickers, told me his members have zip tied migrants' hands.
Tweet card media
A Rancher Who Leads a Paramilitary-Style Group Sues Biden over Border Policies

The rancher is joined by a rural Texas sheriff, who has collaborated with vigilantes, in the legal challenge to federal immigration policies.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
DPS showed up that day because spotters in an FBI surveillance plane reported that migrants were "possibly being held at gun point", on a ridge overlooking the Rio Grande River north of Eagle Pass.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
We worked on this story for months, as a collaboration between @TexasObserver and @ArizCIR .
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
One group we investigated, Patriots for America (PFA), has a few members with previous criminal convictions, ranging from drug charges and multiple DUIs, to burglary and domestic assault.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
Yet, PFA members with criminal convictions filmed and photographed themselves or each other, armed and in military fatigues and tactical vests — sometimes in front of law enforcement — as they patrolled the borderlands, stopping and questioning migrants.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
In March 2022, PFA member Terry Anderson was arrested by @TxDPS for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and unlawful possession of body armor by a felon. However...
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
TX DPS recently arrested two right-wing bloggers riding in a caravan with a NC militia near Eagle Pass after finding a plastic bag containing a “white powdery substance,” marijuana, and THC edibles in their Mercedes SUV, which also reeked of cannabis, per a police report 🧵
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
You can read the whole investigation here:
Tweet card media
Border Vigilantes Are Blurring the Lines of Law Enforcement

Armed groups in Arizona and Texas are collaborating with and courting police and immigration agents—with alarming results.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
A Kinney County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told me the department ran background checks on PFA members when they showed up to volunteer in fall 2021 — and some people could not pass the background check. (The KCSO denies any formal relationship with PFA.)
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
In December 2021, PFA's leader posted video footage online of Anderson armed in the presence of Kinney County Sheriff’s Office deputy Sergeant Manuel Pena. Anderson was arrested by state police three months later on firearms charges. His trial is next month in Del Rio.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
I asked for records related to the background checks. The department PIO told me the sheriff "checked about 50 or 60 names at the time" — but had no lingering records. “If the Sheriff even took notes," the PIO wrote to me. "This was three years ago. He says he's 'got nothing.’”
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
1 year
NEW: Records show Arizona’s defunct shipping container border wall cost twice the initial estimate and raise questions about the state’s oversight of the controversial, $194 million project. w/ @aappel2 + @JoshShimkus for @HowardCenterASU
Tweet card media
Arizona shipping container wall raises questions about state spending, oversight

Records show Arizona’s defunct border wall cost twice the initial estimate and raise questions about the state’s oversight of the controversial, $194 million project.

cronkitenews.azpbs.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
In social media posts and interviews with journalists, Hall describes his team as a militia — though private paramilitary groups are illegal under the Texas Government Code. Here's a fact sheet on that from @GeorgetownICAP :
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
(Members of PFA went beyond the police line at the scene of the Robb Elementary School shooting, as @AverySchmitzCT reported earlier this year: )
Tweet card media
Worst Responders: The Far-Right Extremists Mobilizing to Mass Shootings

Right-wing extremists mobilized to the scenes of mass shootings in Uvalde and Lewiston, geolocated footage shows.

www.rollingstone.com
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
In March 2022, the @ATFDallas sent a letter to officials in Collin County requesting documents related to Tredway’s domestic assault conviction as part of an “official federal firearms investigation.” (The ATF did not respond to questions about the investigation.)
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
PFA's leader, Samuel Hall, has also posted photos or boasted on social media of relationships with law enforcement in Uvalde, Val Verde, and Maverick counties, along with the former mayor of Uvalde, Don McLaughlin.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
It's not just sheriff's offices. Other vigilantes have also showcased their rapport with Border Patrol agents in Arizona. One vigilante gave drone footage to a Tucson sector Border Patrol agent, according to dashcam video of the interaction.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
A huge thank you to my reporting partner and OSINT wizard @AverySchmitzCT , our wonderful editors, @LiseDigger , @bquester , and @gusbova , to our meticulous fact checker, @BCDerr .
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
In the video, the agent nonchalantly said he’s “not the FAA,” referring to the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates airspace. Then, addressing the vigilante, he said this: “If you guys can see [migrants], we can get ‘em.”
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
10 months
this week, I joined the @TexasObserver as investigative reporter via the Roy W. Howard Fellowship. I'll be focusing on immigration/the US-Mexico border, the environment, and extremism with a focus on Christian nationalism.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
A rancher who runs a tax-exempt, paramilitary-style ranch patrol group and a sheriff who is buying pepper ball and tear gas launcher rifles to potentially use on migrants are teaming up to sue the Biden administration new for @TexasObserver
Tweet card media
A Rancher Who Leads a Paramilitary-Style Group Sues Biden over Border Policies

The rancher is joined by a rural Texas sheriff, who has collaborated with vigilantes, in the legal challenge to federal immigration policies.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
3 months
NEW: A Texas border sheriff is buying pepper ball and tear gas launcher rifles to potentially use against migrants who "try to storm the point of entry", to prevent them from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.🧵
Tweet card media
Kinney County Sheriff to Buy Pepper Ball Guns for Deterring Migrants Who ‘Try To Storm The Point of...

Following the Texas National Guard’s example, the border county approved the purchase of “less lethal” weapons using state funds.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
April Sparks and Jerry Pena, who self-identify as “independent journalists,” told the me that they were stopped while giving a tour of the area to members of the United Patriot Party of North Carolina, described by police as a militia group, on Jan. 20.
Tweet card media
Right-Wing Bloggers Busted During Militia Border Tour

Bloggers arrested for drug possession after receiving information that someone in a caravan was pointing a gun at migrants, DPS report says.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
In January, DPS officers came across a group of anti-immigrant vigilantes trespassing on private property in Maverick County. Officers didn't charge them with trespassing, according to a police report. Read our story @TexasObserver here:
Tweet card media
Border Vigilantes Are Blurring the Lines of Law Enforcement

Armed groups in Arizona and Texas are collaborating with and courting police and immigration agents—with alarming results.

www.texasobserver.org
@LtChrisOlivarez
Chris Olivarez
@LtChrisOlivarez
5 months
. @TxDPS responded to a large group on private property in Maverick County. Troopers arrested 24 illegal immigrants for criminal trespass. Among the large group were 19 unaccompanied minors, including a 12 & 9-year-old traveling alone. Troopers transported the 24 to the Val Verde
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
1 month
not providing all the responsive records is not very demure it's not very mindful it's not in compliance with public records laws
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
At the time of their arrests, they had been traveling with militia members who had allegedly pointed guns at migrants, according to DPS. DPS troopers arrived to investigate reports from an FBI surveillance plane that migrants were possibly being held at gunpoint, per the report.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
reporting this story on DPS required a lot of FOIA requests. I've filed ~250+ requests this year. sometimes public records can cost a lot of money. if you want to support future @TexasObserver work covering state surveillance, consider donating:
Tweet card media
Texas Observer | Hype

Check out Texas Observer on Hype. Create your own page for free at hype.co.

hype.co
@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
SCOOP: @TxDPS is committing to a five year, $5.3 million contract for Tangles, an AI surveillance tool that can track cell phones w/o a court order. ICE, IRS, BIA + other fed agencies have used Tangles. DPS' contract is far larger than even ICE's.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
The report says Allred admitted to police that he “did brandish a rifle in the presence” of migrants. According to DPS, Allred has a prior conviction for domestic assault.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
Both Sparks and Pena-Ahuyon (online, he just goes by Pena) said that day was their first time meeting with the United Patriot Party of North Carolina. Both said they were unaware that the group was an armed militia and that they are not members.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
The @TXMilitary says that Eagle Pass' Shelby Park is open to the public, and the media. City leaders say it's open to local residents — but only if they show ID. Residents have said they've been denied entry. 🧵
Tweet card media
The State Says Shelby Park in Eagle Pass Is Open. Some Locals Beg to Differ.

The experiences of Eagle Pass residents and a journalist contradict government statements, which themselves are inconsistent, about access to a public park.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
The report says that DPS officers were told that federal prosecutors “did not want to accept charges on Allred, but later advised they will now accept federal weapons charges on Allred if he is encountered again.”
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
Tangles is an artificial intelligence-powered web platform that scrapes information from the open, deep, and dark web. Tangles’ premier add-on feature, WebLoc, is controversial among digital privacy advocates.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
9 months
requiring reporters to get state licenses and drug tests was not on my authoritarian bullshit bingo card for 2024
@TheOklahoman_
The Oklahoman
@TheOklahoman_
9 months
Oklahoma bill making journalists get licenses, drug tests sparks First Amendment pushback
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
Members of the United Patriot Party of North Carolina, who were out patrolling with Sparks and Pena, were not arrested that day, though one man with the group, Jeremy Allred, was stopped and had multiple guns in his possession, according to the DPS report.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
4 months
@BayouBikeyBoi nope, not a myth… and if you wanted to sit down and not say the pledges of allegiance, you’d get in trouble generally, when I was growing up, teachers told us we had to stand for the pledges, and that it was disrespectful to not participate
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
Any client who purchases access to WebLoc can track different mobile devices’ movements in a specific, virtual area selected by the user, through a capability called “geofencing.” Users of software like Tangles can do this without a search warrant or subpoena.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
DPS’ Intelligence and Counterterrorism division has used Tangles since 2021, as first reported by @samfbiddle and @rdevro :
Tweet card media
Texas State Police Purchased Israeli Phone-Tracking Software for “Border Emergency”

Texas state police bought Israeli phone-tracking software as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s troubled border crackdown.

theintercept.com
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
Device-tracking services rely on location pings and other personal data pulled from smartphones, usually via in-app advertisers. Surveillance tech companies then buy this information from data brokers and sell access to it as part of their products.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
6 months
I’m at UT Austin’s campus on the South Lawn. A few DPS troopers seized protestors and people from tents, who are encircled by protestors and police in riot gear
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
WebLoc can even be used to access a device’s mobile ad ID, a string of numbers and letters that acts as a unique identifier for mobile devices in the ad marketing ecosystem, according to a US Office of Naval Intelligence procurement notice.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
While a device’s mobile ad ID is technically an anonymous piece of information, it is easy to cross reference other data points to determine the owner, according to Beryl Lipton, an investigative researcher at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
DPS' acquisition plan does not mention the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, when 91 DPS officers formed part of a massive botched law enforcement response.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
3 months
NEW: In a speech on Tuesday to attendees at the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas’ annual conference, TX Governor Greg Abbott compared attacks on Israel by Hamas to crime and immigration in Texas.
Tweet card media
Greg Abbott Compares Hamas Attacks to Texas Border Crossings at Sheriffs’ Conference

The governor’s comments followed a screening of raw October 7 footage for Texas lawmen.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
When asked about past allegations that members of the group had tied migrants’ hands with shoelaces, Vickers first blamed any bad behavior on leftist infiltrators, then later admitted it happened—but said the group used zip ties, not shoelaces.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
DPS first purchased the software as part of Governor Greg Abbott’s multi-billion dollar Operation Lone Star border crackdown, doling out an initial $200,000 contract as an “emergency award” with no public solicitation.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
for more beyond what's in this thread, read our story here:
Tweet card media
Texas State Police Gear Up for Massive Expansion of Surveillance Tech

DPS plans to spend millions in taxpayer dollars on a controversial software, used first as part of Governor Abbott’s border crackdown, to “disrupt potential domestic terrorism.”

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
Thank you to @TexasStandard @AngelaKBorder for sharing our @TexasObserver story on Texas DPS' plan for a five-year, $5.3 million USD contract for Tangles, a AI-powered surveillance tool that can track phones without a court order.
Tweet card media
Texas state police gear up for massive expansion of surveillance tech

DPS plans to spend millions in taxpayer dollars on a controversial software, used first as part of Governor Abbott’s border crackdown, to “disrupt potential domestic terrorism.”

www.texasstandard.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
1 year
State officials used emergency powers to sign a no-bid contract to build the wall — which circumvented competitive procurement laws — even though a barrier along the border was under consideration for a year, and it could have been handled competitively.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
1 year
Not only did the cost of the shipping container wall end up costing double the initial estimate, but the state paid Ashbritt, the contractor, millions of dollars to idle its equipment and workers during the legal standoff and other work stoppages.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
“I’m not going to discount that," he said. "We did have a sheriff’s deputy with us that was involved in that.” He claimed that all the migrants whose hands were tied were gang members from El Salvador.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
It is unclear how DPS has used Tangles or whether the software has helped stop any potential mass shootings. DPS did not respond to written questions or an interview request for this story.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
4 months
I'm leaving tomorrow for my first #IRE24 @IRE_NICAR conference. Excited to meet folks and learn from a bunch of smart people!!
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
Each year since, DPS has expanded the contract: In 2022, it paid $300,000, and in 2023, more than $400,000, according to contracting records on DPS’ website. The agency’s new plan for a 5-year Tangles license, from 2024 through 2029, will cost about $1 million per year.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
After DPS purchased its initial license for Tangles in 2021, local Texas law enforcement agencies followed suit. The Dallas and Houston police depts have both purchased the software. Several rural sheriffs' offices have cooperative use agreements for the software.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 years
@stevanzetti for journalists interested in using Google more efficiently, I found this contract using these search terms: ["cellebrite" "city of" date signature terms black and white] h/t to @henkvaness for teaching me this trick
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
In a five-year acquisition plan obtained via a public records request, DPS states that Intelligence and Counterterrorism division personnel need the tool to “identify and disrupt potential domestic terrorism and other mass casualty threats.”
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
The plan references two Texas mass shootings. In August 2019, a racist white man from Allen killed 23 at a Walmart in El Paso. A few weeks later, a different perpetrator went on a deadly shooting in Midland and Odessa.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
Agencies across the globe have used Tangles. From at least 2021 to 2022, Salvadoran police used it, according to the investigative outlet El Faro. Police in Mexico have also purchased the software, according to Excelsior, a Mexico City newspaper.
Tweet card media
Gobierno compró $2.2 millones en equipo de espionaje a empresa de amigo israelí de Bukele

Documentos y correos oficiales revelan que la Policía Nacional Civil de El Salvador adquirió equipo y software para espiar a ciudadanos y que abre la oportunidad de hacerlo al margen del control...

elfaro.net
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
In 2021, Meta banned seven companies—including Cobwebs—that it had identified as participating in an online surveillance-for-hire ecosystem.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
7 months
today, my boss called me a "records request goblin" I am....so proud 😊
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
10 months
House Speaker Mike Johnson gave a keynote speech at National Association of Christian Lawmakers/ @ChristLawmakers gala. Most people have not heard of the NACL, and Johnson's visit undoubtably raises the organization's profile. This is significant. Here's why...
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
UPDATE: After this story published, NC United Patriot Party leader called back to apologize. “I did not mean to lie to you”, he said, adding that he did in fact know Paul Faye, but knew him by the name Gunny. (He said he realized last night that they're the same person.)
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
Cobwebs Technologies (which owned Tangles prior to a 2023 acquisition by PenLink, a Nebraska-based tech firm) received backlash for how clients used its products.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
As part of its sanctions, Meta removed 200 accounts operated by Cobwebs + its customers. In a company report, Meta investigators wrote that they identified Cobwebs customers in Bangladesh, Hong Kong, the United States, New Zealand, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Poland, + other countries.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
... From a technology perspective, we want to note that we operate only according to the law, adhering to strict standards and regulations.” The spokesperson did not answer other specific questions.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
3 months
POV: a state agency sends you hundreds of pages of mostly unredacted documents ... earlier than they said they would
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
6 months
I just made a pun so atrocious that my boss audibly sighed and pulled his hat over his eyes (I am very proud of this, obviously)
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
In 2022, a Cobwebs Technologies sales rep asked a DPS employee if the state agency could serve as a customer referral for a police agency in Israel, according to an email obtained by the Observer.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
4 months
Thank you @michaelpmarks @TexasStandard for interviewing me about our @TexasObserver / @ArizCIR story on vigilante groups along the U.S.-Mexico border!
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Border vigilantes are blurring the lines of law enforcement

Armed groups in Arizona and Texas are collaborating with and courting police and immigration agents—with alarming results.

www.texasstandard.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
In a written statement, a PenLink spokesperson told the Observer their “open-source intelligence (OSINT) solutions are used to protect our communities from crime, threats, and cyber-attacks by providing seamless access to data that is publicly available. ...
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
Gibson said they spoke on the phone a few times, and that Faye never talked to him about committing violence against police or immigrants. “I did not get that vibe from the guy,” Gibson said.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
For our @TexasObserver / @ArizCIR investigation into border vigilantes + law enforcement, we requested an interview with @CBP . They only agreed to talk on background. We sent a list of questions, but they didn't reply before our deadline. CBP just responded with a statement:
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
7 months
y'all better be on your best behavior ... I've filed almost 30 records requests this week
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
6 months
These are from 3:27 pm, but posting them now that my phone has more battery. Here’s Sammy, the student who was studying and writing a paper on the lawn:
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
6 months
I’m at the South Lawn on UT Austin’s campus. Students are sitting on the lawn, chanting, clapping. A professor read a poem she wrote. State police in riot gear aren’t on the lawn anymore — although there are a couple drones buzzing overhead
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
14 days
Last month, TX gov. Greg Abbott designated Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization with roots in a Venezuelan prison, as a foreign terrorist organization. It appears that no other governor or state has ever taken this action 🧵
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Abbott’s Border 'Theatrics' Now Include Acting Like the State Department

Abbott’s latest bid to expand the bounds of his authority might introduce confusion abroad, experts say.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
@lmcgaughy wouldn’t they just….be legally required to just hire an outside contractor with the appropriate tech for redactions? Instead of saying “oops sorry can’t give you the footage” ? That’s wild
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
1 year
For @News21 , @hemrylarson and I reported on The National Association of Christian Lawmakers. The group's goal is to change the social fabric of the country, and return the US to what they say are its Judeo-Christian origins.
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Christian lawmakers push battle over church and state after Roe v. Wade

After Dobbs, a group of conservative state lawmakers has been busy reshaping America’s relationship with abortion, LGBTQ issues and religion. But their ultimate goal – bridging the separation between...

americaafterroe.news21.com
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
Per @SeamusHughes reporting on Faye: "Authorities say Paul Faye wanted to bring explosives and weapons to border", and was planning to join a NC militia in Eagle Pass on Jan. 20. He was arrested for possession of an unregistered firearm.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
I have a scoop coming soon..... the lede in the draft starts with "everything is bigger in Texas"
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
1 year
@aappel2 @JoshShimkus @HowardCenterASU I couldn't be at @IRE_NICAR this week, but s/o to the organization that taught me how to file and organize FOIA/PIR requests for investigations. I had to file 30+ for this investigation and it wouldn't have been possible to keep track without your tips. Thank you!!!
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
28 days
🚨 student journalists🚨 @TexasObserver is hiring an intern next year from January to June to cover the #txlege . the intern will report to the great @by_jmiller it's mostly for undergrads, but grad students can apply too.
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Work for the Texas Observer

We’re a nonprofit with a strong public service mission; we seek to expose injustice and to produce the kind of impact journalism that makes a difference.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
also wanted to mention: our work at the @TexasObserver is ✨free✨ to republish. here are our terms for republishing:
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Syndication

Access to information is a fundamental human right. All of the Texas Observer’s articles are available for free syndication for news sources.

www.texasobserver.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
Initially, Gibson told me his group is not the NC Patriot Party, which was mentioned in a criminal complaint first reported by @SeamusHughes In a phone call after this story published, Gibson said Faye must have been referring to his group — the United Patriot Party of NC
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
I’m honored to serve on the @IRE_NICAR international committee with this wonderful group. Excited to get to work!!
@HyuntaekLeehere
Hyuntaek Lee
@HyuntaekLeehere
2 months
Happy to launch @IRE_NICAR international committee. Some are the authors of my textbooks, and many esteemed journalists. So honored to cowork. @andylehren @FrancescaDnunz @charlottealfred @GoldenMatonga @ethicsmith @TrujiYo @thecribby @ClavelRangel @Freshly_Prest @LiseDigger
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 years
my first for @GuardianUS :
@GuardianUS
Guardian US
@GuardianUS
2 years
Their Arizona community was ideal. Then their neighbor cut off the water
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
10 months
@oyousef did incredible reporting about Johnson's ties to the Christian far-right, with key experts @TaylorMatthewD @ndrewwhitehead @FredClarkson
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Speaker Mike Johnson draws scrutiny for ties to far right Christian movements

House Speaker Mike Johnson is set to keynote an event for lawmakers who promote conservative Christian dominance — the latest connection illustrating his close relationship with Christian extremists.

www.npr.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
8 months
I’m headed to Baltimore this week for #NICAR24 it’s also my first in-person (!!) @IRE_NICAR conference 🤩🥳
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
6 months
I better not see anyone getting scab bylines!! solidarity with @AustinNewsGuild workers ✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼
@AustinNewsGuild
Austin NewsGuild
@AustinNewsGuild
6 months
. @gannett is trying to hire temporary workers to fill the jobs of striking Austin American-Statesman employees. Please stand in solidarity with @statesman journalists and don’t take these jobs. You can support us by not clicking on @statesman sites or donating to our strike
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
5 months
for any reporters who are new to covering the New Apostolic Reformation, you should be reading and following @FredClarkson @TaylorMatthewD (and lots of other brilliant ppl, but start with these two!)
@FredClarkson
Frederick Clarkson
@FredClarkson
5 months
Anyone left a little baffled about the New Apostolic Reformation after reading the NYT's story about Justice Alito flying the battle flag of the NAR, may find relief in A Reporters Guide to the New Apostolic Reformation, by André Gagné & me. @RDispatches
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
1 year
Despite being a relatively new group, @ChristLawmakers has been busy reshaping America’s relationship with abortion, LGBTQ issues and religion. But their ultimate goal – bridging the separation between church and state – is far more ambitious. 🧵
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
3 months
Also of note: Kinney County does not have an official point of entry.
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
4 months
. @TxDPS regularly shares images of the immigrants officers arrest for trespassing. In January, DPS encountered vigilantes trespassing in Maverick Cty w/ guns. They even told police they didn't have permission to be there. Officers didn't charge them.
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Border Vigilantes Are Blurring the Lines of Law Enforcement

Armed groups in Arizona and Texas are collaborating with and courting police and immigration agents—with alarming results.

www.texasobserver.org
@LtChrisOlivarez
Chris Olivarez
@LtChrisOlivarez
4 months
Border Weekly Summary - Maverick County: 6/9 - 6/14: @TxDPS Troopers arrested a total of 131 illegal immigrants for criminal trespass. The groups included 80 males & 51 females from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Cuba, & the Dominican
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
4 months
Help @TexasObserver continue to safeguard the future of independent, investigative journalism in the Lone Star State by making a gift today. Help us reach our goal of raising $10K in 10 days.
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Join | Texas Observer

Texas Observer is supported by people like you. Support Texas Observer today.

texasobserver.fundjournalism.org
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@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
the Texas Observer's pizza thief is still at large please DM me if you have information about this crime thank you
@FrancescaDnunz
Francesca D'Annunzio
@FrancescaDnunz
2 months
the offender in question
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