A significant portion of the hundreds of emergency generators donated to NES by Elon Musk, Tractor Supply, and others were distributed to anti-ICE activist groups and, in turn, delivered to illegal immigrants in Nashville, according to multiple reports. Elon Musk donated at least 500 generators.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency helped coordinate the distribution of the generators. Tractor Supply provided about 200 generators, with most being distributed through Plaza Mariachi, where the Hispanic Family Foundation is housed. The owner of Plaza Mariachi, Mark Janbakhsh, has just been sentenced to 42 months in prison onconviction of federal fraud charges.
Cathy Carrillo, co-founder of The Remix Way, an immigrant activist group in Nashville, claims her group distributed generators to the “immigrant community.” She specifically stated her volunteers were delivering generators earlier this week.
That same organization appears to have influenced the delay in Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell allowing the deployment of the National Guard to assist in the ice storm recovery. At least one Metro council member has claimed the delay in deploying the Guard was to avoid the optics of having military personnel on the streets of Nashville, which might alarm the illegal immigrant community and give the appearance of the ICE crackdown on illegals in Memphis. In fact, The Remix Way issued online disaster response recommendations on January 29 that reflected those exact concerns, among others.
The Remix Way, and its sister organization Music City MigraWatch, have organized recent anti-ICE rallies in Nashville. MigraWatch has also promoted efforts to track and report ICE and CBP efforts to identify and deport illegals, including violent rapists, murderers, gang members, pedophiles, and sex traffickers, in Nashville.
These groups have also actively promoted “training sessions” modeled after the activities seen on the streets in Minneapolis intended to obstruct and interfere with ICE operations, and some cases violently. Nevertheless, Mayor Freddy O’Connell and NES have chosen to partner with these radical organizations to distribute emergency relief and generators over the past two weeks.
In addition to the other after-action reviews and investigations that should focus on the activities of the Nashville Mayor’s office, NES, TEMA, and any other groups or organizations involved in the disastrous response to the Fern Ice Storm, those involved in the distribution of emergency supplies and generators should also be thoroughly investigated and held accountable. For example, who authorized the distribution of the donated generators? Who chose the organizations that delivered them in the community? Will the generators be recovered and stored for use in future emergencies, or will those who received them sell them and convert them to cash for their own personal use? Have any already been sold and converted to cash?
Based upon the massive levels of fraud we have seen in Minnesota involving public funds and resources, and the involvement of Plaza Mariachi in the distribution of supplies and generators in this instance, a transparent investigation of this particular aspect of Nashville’s response to the ice storm is more than reasonable. It should begin immediately.
Additionally, if it is confirmed that Mayor O’Connell and/or the Metro Council intentionally delayed deploying the National Guard at the height of this emergency in order to cater to the political objectives of the illegal alien activist community, then he needs to be held accountable for that and answer for it.
Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.
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