Crime
Secret Service Tells Senators They ‘Identified’ Shooter Roughly 50 Mins Before Trump Took Rally Stage, Sources Say
From the Daily Caller News Foundation
By NICK POPE
“I have no confidence in the leadership of Director Cheatle and believe it is in the best interest of our nation if she steps down from her position.”
The U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and the FBI told lawmakers Wednesday that former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin was identified well before shots rang out at the Pennsylvania rally, according to sources familiar with the briefing.
Federal law enforcement held the briefing with lawmakers to go over specifics of the shooting that nearly killed Trump on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the call, USSS and FBI officials stated that the gunman, later identified as Thomas Crooks, was noticed about an hour before the shooting, or approximately 50 minutes before Trump took the stage to address the crowd, according to two sources familiar with the briefing.
“There was zero accountability from Secret Service,” one source familiar with the briefing told the DCNF. “They identified the shooter 60 minutes prior to the assassination attempt.”
Given that the shooter opened fire about 60 minutes after being identified, and about ten minutes into Trump’s speech, this means that the identification occurred roughly 50 minutes before the former president took the stage.
Another source familiar with the briefing confirmed this particular detail to the DCNF. One of the sources said the officials told senators that Crooks was spotted with a range finder.
Both sources familiar with the briefing described it as a major disappointment given the gravity of the subject it addressed.
“Multiple members” who wanted to ask questions on the video call were not granted the opportunity to do so, according to another source familiar with the briefing. “They did not have answers to basic questions,” the source told the DCNF in reference to USSS and FBI.
USSS also spotted Crooks on the roof from which he opened fire about 20 minutes before shots rang out, according to ABC News, citing its own sources familiar with the briefing.
The security lapses that allowed Crooks to get several clean shots off at Trump from close range have raised serious questions from Republicans, who have widely and sharply criticized the USSS’ performance on Saturday as one of the worst failures in the agency’s history.
USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle has been lambasted for her response to the situation, which has included a statement to ABC News that security was not present on the roof from which Crooks opened fire because it is sloped.
Several lawmakers went public with their criticisms after the briefing as well.
“I just got off a briefing with the Secret Service and FBI. I am appalled to learn that the Secret Service knew about a threat prior to President Trump walking on stage,” Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn wrote in a Wednesday post to X. “I have no confidence in the leadership of Director Cheatle and believe it is in the best interest of our nation if she steps down from her position.”
Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee expressed a similar view in his own post to X after the briefing.
“Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle needs to step down immediately. Today’s (mostly) information-free briefing only confirmed that,” Lee wrote. “What little information she gave us was at once deeply troubling and glaringly incomplete.”
Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming also ripped the Secret Service after the briefing concluded.
“This was a 100% cover-your-ass briefing. He was identified as being suspicious one hour before the shooting. He had a range finder and a backpack. The Secret Service lost sight of him,” Barrasso said in a statement shared on X. “No one has taken responsibility. No one has been held responsible. Someone has died. The President was almost killed. The head of the Secret Service needs to go.”
The FBI and USSS did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Alberta
Coutts border officers seize 77 KG of cocaine in commercial truck entering Canada – Street value of $7 Million
News release from RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region
Calgary resident charged with attempted drug importation
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at the Coutts port of entry found nearly 77 kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of $7 million during a secondary examination of a commercial truck seeking entry into Canada from the United States. The CBSA arrested the driver, a resident of Calgary.
The Integrated Border Enforcement Team in Alberta, a joint force operation between the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region, CBSA and Calgary Police Service, was notified and a criminal investigation was initiated into the individual.
Surj Singh Salaria (28), a resident of Calgary, was arrested and charged with:
- Importation of a controlled substance contrary to section 6(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act;
- Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking contrary to section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and,
- Attempting to export goods that are prohibited, controlled or regulated contrary to section 160 of the Customs Act.
Salaria is scheduled to appear in Lethbridge Provincial Court on Oct. 27, 2025.
“The CBSA remains vigilant in preventing dangerous drugs from reaching our communities. This significant seizure shows CBSA’s detection capabilities and the important role our officers play to stop drug trafficking. We are committed to securing and protecting the border alongside our law enforcement partners.”
- Janalee Bell-Boychuk, Regional Director General, Prairie Region, Canada Border Services Agency
“Through coordinated efforts between law enforcement agencies, a substantial quantity of cocaine was seized before it could reach communities across Alberta. This investigation reinforces the value of a secure border and the vital role that collaboration and intelligence-sharing play in safeguarding the public from the harms of illegal drug trafficking.”
- Supt. Sean Boser, Officer in Charge of Federal Serious and Organized Crime and Border Integrity – Alberta, RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region
“This investigation highlights the strength of our collaborative efforts through the Integrated Border Enforcement Team. By working together with our law enforcement partners, we are able to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs and protect our communities from the violence and harm associated with organized crime.”
- Acting Supt. Jeff Pennoyer, CPS, Criminal Operations & Intelligence Division
IBET’s mandate is to enhance border integrity and security along the shared border, between designated ports of entry, by identifying, investigating and interdicting persons, organizations and goods that are involved in criminal activities.
A months-long RCMP investigation has led to the takedown of a massive synthetic-drug operation resembling the “super labs” often found in British Columbia — but this one was discovered just forty-five minutes north of Toronto. Officers uncovered an industrial-scale facility capable of producing millions of dollars’ worth of fentanyl, methamphetamine, MDMA, and GHB.
The RCMP’s Ontario Federal Policing unit announced Friday that search warrants executed on September 7 in Schomberg, northwest of Toronto, resulted in the seizure of nearly $10 million in suspected controlled substances, along with prohibited weapons, chemical precursors, and a range of illegal production equipment.
In addition to cash, drugs, and chemicals, officers discovered a pill press, firearms, handwritten drug “recipes,” flasks, chemical glassware, and other lab components. Approximately 20,000 litres of hazardous waste were also removed from the site.
Investigators say the probe began in spring 2025, when officers detected a suspicious bulk-chemical order placed by Christopher O’Quinn, operating under the business name O’Quinn Industries. “The chemicals ordered are known to police to be used in the production of fentanyl, MDMA, methamphetamine, and for cannabis extraction,” the RCMP said.
After weeks of surveillance, RCMP officers uncovered what they describe as a large-scale clandestine lab hidden on a Schomberg property. Dismantling the facility required coordination with the Ontario Fire Marshal, Health Canada, and municipal emergency services — a hazardous-materials operation that lasted ten days.
Three suspects — O’Quinn, Liang Xiong Guo, and Katie King — were arrested and face a combined 33 criminal charges.
O’Quinn faces 20 offences, including production and trafficking of Schedule I substances, possession of precursor chemicals, and multiple weapons violations involving a bullpup-style shotgun and a .22-calibre rifle.
Guo faces nine counts linked to the production and trafficking of methamphetamine and MDMA.
King faces four counts related to meth trafficking and illegal firearm possession.
RCMP officials said additional substances are undergoing Health Canada testing to determine whether synthetic opioids such as fentanyl were present.
Authorities also seized $8,000 in cash, multiple firearms, laboratory glassware, and chemicals capable of producing further drug batches valued in the millions.
“The complexity and danger of the operation required extensive inter-agency collaboration,” the RCMP said, thanking partners including the Ontario Provincial Police, Niagara Regional Police, York Regional Police, South Simcoe Police, the Ontario Fire Marshal, Health Canada, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Canada Border Services Agency.
Health Canada testing and court proceedings are ongoing.
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