By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A New Mexico man who claims federal agents gave him crack cocaine in exchange for help in an undercover investigation lost a lawsuit against he agency.

U.S. District Judge Martha Vazquez dismissed the suit, which alleged that the plaintiff’s crack addiction was reignited, saying damages can’t sought when the person’s own wrongful conduct caused the injury, the Associated Press reports. 

The lawsuit claims Aaron Romero was given crack cocaine to help in a case known as “Operations Smack City,” an alleged violation of DEA policy.

Romero, 39, was seeking $8.5 million in damages.

Other Stories of Interest

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• Justice Department, Cleveland to Announce Monitor to Oversee Consent Decree
• Texas Governor Seeks More Border Patrol Agents in Texas
• Two Men Convicted of Operating Multi-Million-Dollar Advance Fee Scheme
• ATF Sweep for Guns, Drugs Leads to 8 Arrests in Cleveland

FBI Director James Comey

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

Politics won’t factor into the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s personal e-mail account, FBI Director James Comey told reporters Thursday.

“I am following this very closely, and I get briefed on it regularly,” Comey said at a quarterly meeting with reporters at F.B.I. headquarters.

Comey said he expects the investigation to wrap up in a timely manner.

“I am confident we have the resources and the personnel assigned to the matter, as we do all our work, so that we are able to do it in a professional, prompt and independent way,” he said.

ISIS flag

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

After an alarming increase, the number of Islamic State recruits appears to be declining, FBI Director James Comey said Thursday.

Comey suggested the decrease may be the result of an aggressive federal crackdown that has netted dozens of arrests.

Still, the number of English speakers following Islamic State’s Twitter account remains the same, at about 20,000 globally.

“There is an enormous universe of people consuming ISIL worldwide,” Comey said.

Comey added that the bureau is closely tracking people who have returned to the U.S. after receiving training.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

Nine people, plus the gunman, were killed when bullets tore through classrooms Thursday morning at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., the FBI said.

Seven others were injured in the 294th mass shooting in the U.S. this year, the Washington Post reports.

Authorities said the alleged shooter, Chris Harper Mercer, was armed with a semiautomatic rifle and three pistols, shooting into classrooms.

Witnesses said he appeared to be targeting Christians.

Police shot Mercer at 10:47 a.m. local time.

“Each time we see one of these mass shootings, our thoughts and prayers are not enough,” President Obama said. “It’s not enough. It does not capture the heartache and grief and anger that we should feel. It does nothing to prevent this carnage from being inflicted someplace else in America.”

Brian Terry

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A jury found two men guilty of murder Thursday in the killing of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry near the Mexican border in 2010, the Arizona Republic reports.

The men, Ivan Soto-Barraza and Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, belonged to a “rip crew” that was searching for drug smugglers to rob when they became engaged in a shootout with Terry and three other agents.

They were convicted of first-degree murder and other charges.

Terry was shot in the back and bled to death.

The shooting brought attention to the flawed federal gun-running sting, “Fast and Furious,” after some of the weapons at the scene were traced to the operation.