Tabor, Cleveland to Newsmax: Charlotte Crackdown Exposes Criminal Threats

Operation Charlotte’s Web, a sweeping enforcement initiative in North Carolina’s largest city, highlights a rapidly growing threat that federal agents confront daily, whether on city streets or at the U.S.-Mexico border, former DEA country attache Wes Tabor and retired Border Patrol agent and former Terrell County sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland told Newsmax on Sunday.
"These types of operations are something we've had and conducted for many decades, both under Republican and Democrat administrations," Cleveland said on Newsmax's 'Wake Up America Weekend," adding that criminal suspects increasingly resort to extreme measures.
"When we're trying to apprehend those that are either smuggling illegal aliens or when illegal aliens lead us in those high-speed pursuits, they'll do whatever it takes, putting the U.S. citizens and public in danger," Cleveland said.
Operation Charlotte’s Web has led to more than 350 arrests of alleged criminal illegal immigrants, drawing urgent warnings from former law enforcement officials about escalating threats to officers and the public.
Cleveland said the most troubling development is what he views as political rhetoric encouraging hostility toward agents.
"The most concerning thing we still see is the rhetoric coming from the left that emboldens these criminals as well as inflames the issue," he said.
Cleveland emphasized that while large-scale enforcement actions are necessary, agents are repeatedly placed in harm’s way as criminal networks grow more brazen.
Tabor said Charlotte’s Web demonstrates how deeply criminal activity tied to illegal immigration has taken root nationwide.
"We have violent offenders," he said. "We have allowed so many people to come to this country over the last four years."
"We're trying to clean it up," Tabor added. "He is going to go on for years. This is not going to stop."
Tabor warned that individuals who support or shield criminal illegal immigrants may be exposing themselves to prosecution under federal conspiracy and harboring statutes.
He also urged the public to understand that ICE and Border Patrol agents are confronting dangerous individuals with long criminal histories.
He said the vilification of those officers by some media outlets is deeply misguided.
"They’re doing the best that they can. They’re out there risking their lives," he said, adding that the narrative portraying them as aggressors ignores the daily threats they face and the violent patterns exhibited by many suspects.
Tabor also shared a personal perspective, reflecting on the 2001 drunk-driving incident that left him paralyzed.
"In 2001, I was struck by a drunk driver," he recalled. "They both fled, left me paralyzed in the vehicle,” he said, noting that one of the individuals involved was later deported.
Tabor said his experience drives his conviction that allowing criminal offenders to reenter or remain in the country puts innocent Americans at continued risk. '

"There are consequences when we allow these things to happen,” he said.
Both guests said the political response to Charlotte’s Web, including protests meant to obstruct arrests, reflects a growing divide between communities demanding safer streets and activists seeking to block enforcement efforts.
Cleveland said Americans should be concerned by rising attempts to interfere with immigration operations and the coordinated efforts that often precede them.
Tabor agreed, adding that federal agents cannot succeed without the backing of local officials and the public.

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