A Government in Need of Protection?

On Wednesday, March 11, it was widely reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi had been moved to a secure military base in the Washington, DC, area. Law enforcement agencies were informed of an increase in threats, most notably from a combination of drug cartels and those dissatisfied with her handling of the Epstein files release. And while one might wonder why the world’s most powerful nation is having trouble protecting its “top cop,” Ms. Bondi’s predicament is far from unprecedented.

Venezuelan Fallout?

The New York Times cites a senior official familiar with the situation, saying, “One catalyst was an increase in threats following the capture and prosecution of President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela in January.” If further proof were needed that the former South American leader was knee-deep in the trafficking of drugs, cartel involvement in response to his arrest should provide added clarity.

Outside of Iran, President Donald Trump has been waging a different type of war south of the border. Last week, he convened the first Shield of the Americas summit, gathering a host of world leaders to plot the downfall of these international criminal organizations. He said the goal was to “eradicate the criminal cartels plaguing our region.” Notably, beyond his imposition of tariffs on nations that allow cartels to operate, he suggested that all neighboring countries had to do was “just tell us where they are.”

A concerted effort to halt drug and human trafficking might well have been the catalyst behind Bondi’s relocation. After all, as attorney general, she will spearhead the attempt alongside recently reassigned Kristi Noem, who has been appointed “special envoy” to the project. One might imagine that the nation’s left-leaning press would have some sympathy for Bondi; after all, she is in the crosshairs of foreign criminal cartels who have inflicted massive damage on the United States. And yet, a pervasive theme is emerging from the reporting.

Protection Money?

Is AG Pam Bondi paying rent to stay on military bases? That’s what seems to have the Fourth Estate animated in the wake of her relocation. Among others who have recently been placed under protective circumstances are policy advisor Stephen Miller, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Times took the opportunity to ponder: “It is not clear how much, if anything, officials are paying to stay at some of the most historic properties in the government’s possession.”

Because, of course, in the topsy-turvy media world that holds such animus to the Trump administration, the first concern is good stewardship of taxpayer dollars. This is the same press that downplays billions lost to fraud in Minnesota but demands a dollars and cents accounting for government officials under threat from the cartels.

The fact is that these cartels have a transactional relationship with death. They flood America with drugs, knowing that profits will flow despite overdoses. They traffic people into short, brutal lives of pain and misery because there is a margin to be made. And if targeting US officials who may prove an impediment to their bottom line makes financial sense, they’ll do just that. After all, it seems from a public relations perspective that the left-leaning media is more than willing to take the focus and the heat off their nefarious activities.