As everyone who isn’t willfully blind knows, “President” Biden’s waves of illegal aliens have been causing chaos wherever they are placed, especially in so-called sanctuary cities that cater to them and shower them with benefits. In New York City, gangs of Venezuelan foreign nationals have been using e-bikes and motorized scooters to rob New Yorkers more efficiently, establishing sophisticated networks for wiping and reselling stolen electronics and devices.
The NYPD has been working overtime to break up these organized crime syndicates brought to us by our Democratic administration. Early Monday morning, during a foot chase, a suspect in one of these gangs shot two police officers. This incident underscores the grave security risks associated with the current administration’s lax immigration policies.
Nineteen-year-old Bernardo Castro Mata crossed the U.S. border in Eagle Pass, Texas, last year and made his way up to NYC. There, he enjoys taxpayer-funded accommodations at a migrant shelter that used to be the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel near LaGuardia Airport. This is the reality of the so-called “compassionate” policies that prioritize illegal aliens over the safety and well-being of American citizens.
Just after 1:30 on Monday morning, two officers from the 115th Precinct’s public safety unit observed Mata riding a motorized scooter the wrong way at the intersection of 89th St. and 23rd Ave. in Elmhurst, Queens. They attempted to pull him over, but Mata soon abandoned his scooter and fled on foot. As the officers gave chase, the “Newest American” turned and fired multiple rounds at them from his (also illegal) 9mm pistol.
One officer was struck in the chest, while the other was shot in the leg. Fortunately, the officer who was shot in the chest was wearing his bulletproof vest. Both men were taken to Elmhurst Hospital, treated, and released later Monday morning. This incident highlights the daily dangers faced by law enforcement officers who are trying to keep our streets safe amid the growing lawlessness encouraged by open-border policies.
At a press conference at the hospital, New York Mayor Eric Adams held up the vest that saved the officer’s life, pointing out where it had been struck by the illegal alien’s bullet. “Everyday New Yorkers are not wearing this,” the mayor pointed out. He called the shooting a “senseless act of violence” and condemned Mata’s “total disregard for life.” Yet, the mayor’s words ring hollow as New York’s liberal prosecutors focus their energies on politically motivated trials instead of tackling real crime.
The Venezuelan gang member suspect who fired on the officers was shot in the ankle during the pursuit. He was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in Queens, where he received top-notch surgical healthcare, courtesy of U.S. taxpayers. He is expected to recover. Mata has no prior arrests in NYC, but NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban told reporters that he is a suspect in several current robbery investigations in Queens. It remains to be seen if he will be held and prosecuted or simply released, as so many other violent criminals are in our misguided blue cities.
