One of thousands of photos depicting bodies of political prisoners of the Syrian regime.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The photos were so grisly and outrageous that many people doubted they were real.

But after analyzing hundreds of the photos for more than a year at the FBI lab in Quantico, Va., investigators at the bureau concluded that images of emaciated, bruised bodies of political prisoners were authentic and had not been manipulated, Yahoo News reports.

The findings provide more evidence that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad committed human rights violations.

A former government photographer, who was a defector, smuggled the photos out of the country on a thumb drive two years ago, prompting Assad’s government to adamantly claim they were fake.

State Sen. Thomas W. Libous

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The trial for a prominent New York lawmaker accused of lying repeatedly to the FBI began this week.

Jurors heard opening statements Tuesday in the case of Sen. Thomas Libous of Binghamton, the deputy majority leader, the Associated Press reports. 

Libous is accused of lying to the FBI about arranging a $150,000-a-year job for his son.

The defense said the prosecution’s key witness is “morally bankrupt.”

The trial continues in federal court in White Plains today.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

Mexico is offering $3.8 million for the capture of the country’s most notorious drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who escaped from a Mexican prison less than a week ago, USA Today reports. 

Mexican officials also fired the director of Altiplano, the maximum security prison where Guzman escaped, and two jail employees.

Mexico’s Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said that the employees “had something or a lot to do with what happened” and likely were motivated by bribes or threats.

“Guzman, through his Sinaloa cartel, is the major supplier of narcotics in Chicago,” said Bileck, a retired director of training for the city police department. “And he is a savage man, as bad as they come.”

Other Stories of Interest

• FBI Helps Investigate Death of Black Man After Police Encounter
• Special Ed Teacher Accused of Collecting Child Rape Photos
• FBI Crosses International Borders to Enforce U.S. Copyright Laws
• Border Patrol Agents Rescue Immigrants Crossing River
• Eric Garner’s Family Asks Justice Department to Prosecute Officer

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

House Republicans expressed outrage over the Obama administration’s release of an immigrant who is accused of later murdering a woman in San Francisco, The Associated Press reports. 

The Mexican National Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez had a long criminal record and was released from federal custody in San Francisco, where he is accused of committing murder.

Republicans were angry that the man was turned over to San Francisco, a so-called “sanctuary city” that minimizes cooperation with federal authorities over immigration issues.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson responded that he will explore whether a new approach is needed.

“I want to evaluate whether some discretion can be built into the process so when we’re faced with a choice like that, we can make the best decision for the purposes of public safety,” Johnson told the House Judiciary Committee.

Kathryn Steinle was murdered on July 1 on a popular pier in broad daylight.