The Introspective

From new border deployments to trade and Epstein investigations, the week ended with sweeping federal actions.

Dante Belcher

Nov 17, 2025

Trump’s 43rd week ended with military operations, immigration actions, the ongoing trade war, and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a military campaign called “Operation Southern Spear,” aimed at drug trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean, following a previous report from The Introspective detailing the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere being top priorities for the military, with plans to conduct “homeland” operations on U.S. soil. At the same time, as anti-immigrant sentiment continues, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deployed Border Patrol agents to Charlotte, North Carolina, with arrests underway throughout the region. Meanwhile, the Trump administration will prohibit visas for people who have diabetes, cancer, and who are overweight.

As the trade war continues, Trump signed an executive order reducing tariffs on food such as beef, coffee, and bananas as inflation takes effect. And as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues, Trump asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI to investigate the late child sex offender’s involvement with former President Bill Clinton and banks such as J.P. Morgan and Chase.

Military, Immigration, and Visas

Following a previous Introspective report detailing the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere being top priorities for the military, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced “Operation Southern Spear” for alleged drug cartels in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“President Trump ordered action—and the Department of War is delivering,” Hegseth wrote in an X post.

“Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and @SOUTHCOM, this mission defends our homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our hemisphere, and secures our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people,” he continued.

“The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood—and we will protect it.”

This comes after Hegseth announced a counternarcotics joint task force in October, joining II Marine Expeditionary Force—an existing task force composed of ground, air and logistics troops —to “synchronize and augment counter-narcotics efforts across the Western Hemisphere.”

“By forming a JTF around II MEF headquarters, we enhance our ability to detect, disrupt and dismantle illicit trafficking networks faster and at greater depth—together with our U.S. and partner-nation counterparts,” said SOUTHCOM Commander Adm. Alvin Holsey.

At the same time, as anti-immigrant sentiment continues, DHS expanded immigration operations to Charlotte, North Carolina, under a new operation called “Charlotte’s Web.”

“Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families or their neighbors,” DHS Assistant Secretary Trica McLaughlin said in a press release.

“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public-safety threats are removed. There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens. President Trump and Secretary Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t.”

Arrests are underway throughout the Charlotte region, with Willy Aceituno, a U.S. citizen who was born in Honduras, almost arrested, as federal agents broke a window and took his car keys.

“Are you an illegal immigrant?” he said, recalling what an agent asked him in an interview with the Charlotte Observer.

“I don’t have to answer your questions,” he replied.

“Why don’t you ask other people that? Why just me?”

He later said he “told them” he was an American citizen, with agents not believing him.

“They wanted to know where I was born, or they didn’t believe I was an American citizen,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration will prohibit visas for people who have diabetes, cancer or who are overweight.

“You must consider an applicant’s health,” read a memo from the State Department obtained by The Introspective.

“Certain medical conditions—including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases and mental health conditions—can require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care.”

In a separate statement obtained by The Introspective, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the new policy, stating that “for 100 years, State Department policy has included an authority to deny visa applicants who would pose a financial burden to taxpayers, such as individuals who were seeking publicly funded health care in the U.S. and could further drain health care resources from American citizens.”

“President Trump’s administration is finally fully enforcing this policy, and putting Americans first,” she added.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 16% of adults were obese in 2022, while 14% had diabetes.

Trade and Jeffrey Epstein

As the trade war continues, Trump signed an executive order reducing tariffs on food such as beef, coffee, bananas, tea, mangoes, avocados, coconuts, pineapples, cocoa and spices such as nutmeg.

“We don’t make them in this country, so there’s no protection of our industries or our food products,” Trump said.

This comes as food prices rose 3.1% over the past year, with beef prices up 12.9%, banana prices rising by 6.9% and coffee prices rising by 18.9%.

Meanwhile, as the Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues, Trump asked the DOJ and the FBI to investigate the late child sex offender’s involvement with former President Bill Clinton and banks such as J.P. Morgan and Chase.

“I will be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase and many other people and institutions, to determine what was going on with them, and him,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“This is another Russia, Russia, Russia scam, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats. Records show that these men, and many others, spent large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his ‘island.’ Stay tuned!!!”

Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X that she asked attorney Jay Clayton—who represents the Southern District of New York—to lead the investigation.

“As with all matters, the department will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people,” she said.

This comes following a previous report from The Introspective detailing released emails sent by the late child sex offender alleging Trump “spent hours” at Epstein’s house with his victims and “knew about the girls.”

Another email released by the House Oversight Committee alleged that President Trump had sexual relations with Bill Clinton, with Russian President Vladimir Putin being aware of it.

“Ask him if Putin has the photos of Trump blowing Bubba,” read the email, with Bubba being a nickname for Clinton

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