Peter Barth

Viral Child Soldiers on TikTok: The ‘Disney Stars’ of Sudan’s Civil War - bellingcat To stay up to date on our latest investigations, join Bellingcat’s WhatsApp channel here. Child soldiers linked to Sudan’s warring factions have gained viral fame on TikTok, with their videos attracti...

A Bellingcat investigation reveals child soldiers in Sudan’s civil war have become viral figures on TikTok. Videos attracting millions of views show the children with senior military officials, celebrating battlefield victories and delivering violent threats. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/02...

Shipwrecks, Sham Papers and False Flags: Tracking the Company Behind It All - bellingcat A shipwreck in India, an ammunition seizure in Senegal, and a raid on an oil tanker in Malaysia - all involving one recurring figure: Captain Suniel Sharma.

A shipwreck in India, an ammunition seizure in Senegal, and a raid on an oil tanker in Malaysia. These and many more incidents point to ageing vessels that operate with false papers and one recurring figure: Captain Suniel Kumar Sharma. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/02...

but to them it clearly is a game. none of this is about actually answering questions or anything resembling dialogue. it’s a spectacle to be clipped and ginned up into something else entirely, a performance of fealty to the leader, etc. you won’t get answers from these kind of folks by asking them.

Epstein Files: X Users Are Asking Grok to 'Unblur' Photos of Children - bellingcat Bellingcat reviewed dozens of requests for Grok to generate the faces of children and women that had been redacted from the latest documents.

Since we reached out to X about Grok attempting to unredact photos of Epstein victims upon X users’ requests, we’ve noticed Grok now refusing to unredact new requests. Bellingcat researcher @koltai.bsky.social reports: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/02...

In Gloucester, remembrance and resilience after a familiar tragedy - The Boston Globe “You see more fishermen with one arm or one hand than in any other job,” said Tom Scola, a Gloucester lobsterman, as he talked with a friend in the predawn dark on the State Fish Pier.

An estimated 10,000 lives have been lost at sea in Gloucester’s long history. The industry’s fatality rate is 28 times greater than the national average for all occupations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/06/m...

YouTube video by CTV News AI images spreading confusion about ICE agents in Minneapolis, expert says

Bellingcat's Director of Research and Training @giancarlofiorella.bsky.social appeared on CTV yesterday to discuss the misleading AI-generated images that were used to falsely identify ICE agents and weapons at the centre of the two fatal shootings in Minneapolis youtu.be/mL7Fbp3UrSo?...

I think one thing people outside Minnesota don't understand is that after Good and Pretti were killed by feds while observing, the most normal people you could imagine have made peace with the fact that they could be next, and they are still out there because they say it's the right thing to do.

Made in the USA: How American-Built Weapons Have Wrought Destruction in Gaza - bellingcat Bellingcat has identified scores of incidents where remnants from munitions made in the US have been found after Israeli strikes in Gaza.

American-made munitions have played a significant role in Israel’s operations in Gaza. Bellingcat has collated scores of incidents where the remnants of US-made munitions have been found in the aftermath of Israeli strikes. Read here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...

XBox Live wouldn't take his money.

Discord - Group Chat That’s All Fun & Games Discord is great for playing games and chilling with friends, or even building a worldwide community. Customize your own space to talk, play, and hang out.

For anyone interested in digging through the new Epstein Files release our Discord community are going through the files at the moment
Thread - discord.com/channels/709...
Invite link for newbies - discord.com/invite/belli...

Washington Post Raid Is a Frightening Reminder: Turn Off Your Phone’s Biometrics Now The search warrant to raid a Washington Post reporter’s home shows how authorities can open your phone without your consent.

Journalists should "disable biometrics when they expect to be in a situation where they expect a possible search," @freedom.press' Martin Shelton told @theintercept.com.

ICE agents shatter window, leave 1-month-old baby, mother in car after Portland arrest Video shows federal immigration agents leaving behind an infant and broken glass after detaining a Guinean immigrant with no known criminal history.

ICE agents shatter window, leave 1-month-old baby, mother in car after Portland arrest * Free to access

Bellingcat has further analysed videos of the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents. The footage shows an agent wearing a black beanie step behind Pretti. His right arm then appears to recoil at the same time the first shot is heard.

How many STEM Ph.D.s were lost from the U.S. federal government last year?

My colleagues @mghersher.bsky.social and @policyhound.bsky.social dug into a recent data release to find the answer. A @science.org exclusive.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Guide: The ‘Less-Lethal’ Weapons Used by the DHS Tear gas and PepperBall guns are among the weapons ICE and Border Patrol agents have been seen with at nationwide raids and protests related to immigration.

Pepperball guns, tasers and tear gas are among the weapons recently deployed against protesters in the US. In a new guide, @easybakeovensz.bsky.social details some of the “less-lethal” equipment federal agents have carried during the current immigration raids. www.bellingcat.com/resources/20...

ICE operations are spinning up in Maine. @themainemonitor.org is looking to help report on ICE activity there and has set up a page to report what you're seeing. Also includes Signal and encrypted Protonmail options for secure communications.

Alex Pretti: Analysing Footage of Minneapolis CBP Shooting - bellingcat Bellingcat has analysed video of the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. The footage appears to contradict statements made by the Department of Homeland Security.

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, on January 24. DHS claims he died after an armed struggle, but videos of the incident appears to contradict that claim. Read our analysis here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...

YouTube video by Bellingcat Analysis of Alex Pretti Shooting in Minneapolis

We just posted a quick analysis of the shooting of Alex Pretti in Mineapolis. Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkFc...

Statement from Michael and Susan Pretti Parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti “We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the ‘hero’ term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.

Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.

"Please get the truth out about our son."

A DHS statement claimed “an individual approached US Border Patrol officers” with “a handgun” in the Alex Pretti shooting incident. A Bellingcat analysis of the footage appears to show that a gun was taken away from where Pretti was situated by an agent just before the first shot was fired.

We’ve placed the available videos of the shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis today into the same synchronised timeline and are continuing to analyse further.

Federal law enforcement agents shot and killed a man in Minneapolis on Jan. 24 according to local police officials. DHS told Fox News that the man was “armed with a gun”. A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man before the first shot was fired. x.com/BillMelugin_...

This one slipped by me last week. Apparently killed by a single rifle shot from hundreds of meters away.

Cuban Detainee in El Paso ICE Facility Died by Homicide, Autopsy Shows The report from the county medical examiner said the detainee, Geraldo Lunas Campos, was asphyxiated and restrained by law enforcement. Federal officials described his death as a suicide.

Breaking News: A Cuban immigrant’s death in an ICE detention center in El Paso was ruled a homicide, according to an autopsy report.

Preschooler and three other students detained by ICE, school district leader says The detentions of Columbia Heights students come after weeks of heightened concern and enforcement presence near and on Twin Cities school property.

"Liam’s teacher, Ella Sullivan, teared up when thinking about Liam. 'He’s a bright young student,' she said, 'and he’s so kind and loving. His classmates miss him.'"

www.startribune.com/preschooler-...

Mischief Toy Store in St. Paul has until Wednesday to turn over employment records to the Department of Homeland Security as part of a surprise audit launched Friday, just hours after one of the shop's owners criticized ICE agents during a television interview. bit.ly/4r5AFol

Sunday, at least 7 ICE agents stormed a house and took an elderly man out into the freezing cold, wearing only his underwear and a blanket.

He was a member of the Hmong community, which came to the area from Laos in the 1970s after siding with the US in the Vietnam War.

Notice the suppressors
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i think this MLK day the thing to focus on is the strategic focus and tactical brilliance of the civil rights movement and the way it was laser focused on a set of achievable goals

ICE deports 5-year-old US citizen from TX to Honduras, group says Génesis Ester Gutiérrez Castellanos and her mom were arrested in Austin on January 5.

ICE deports 5-year-old US citizen from Texas to Honduras, group says

Both Karen and her daughter were placed in a hotel in San Antonio while they waited to be deported, and that she was instructed not to share their location with anyone in order to avoid alerting community and media outlets

Analysing One Federal Agent’s Use of Less-Lethal Launcher in Minneapolis After the fatal shooting of Renee Good, Border Patrol agent "EZ-17" was filmed shooting less-lethal munitions at protesters five times in five minutes.

Just hours after Renee Good was shot, one member of Customs and Border Patrol’s elite tactical team on an adjacent street fired a less-lethal weapon five times in less than five minutes, with four shots aimed at the faces of protestors. www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/01...