Early Sunday morning, U.S. Secret Service agents, along with a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy, shot and killed an armed man who unlawfully breached the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s private resort and residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. local time near the property’s north gate. Authorities reported that the suspect, identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of Cameron, North Carolina, was observed carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can (also described as a gas can).

According to the U.S. Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the man was confronted by law enforcement officers after entering the restricted area. He was ordered to drop the items. Reports indicate he complied by setting down the fuel can but then raised the shotgun into a shooting position, prompting the agents and deputy to open fire. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

No law enforcement personnel were injured in the encounter. President Trump was not present at Mar-a-Lago during the incident—he was in Washington, D.C., where he attended the White House Governors Dinner on Saturday evening and remained overnight.

The Secret Service described the event as the suspect “unlawfully entering the secure perimeter,” with spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirming on social media that the man was neutralized after the breach. The FBI is involved in the ongoing investigation, which includes examining the suspect’s background, motive, and any potential connections to broader threats.

This marks the latest security incident involving Trump’s properties, following previous assassination attempts and threats against the president. Officials have emphasized that the quick response by protective details prevented any further escalation.

The investigation remains active, with authorities dedicating resources to determine the full circumstances surrounding the breach. No additional details on the suspect’s intentions have been released at this time.

Tension escalated during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Local Government Congress in Ethiope West Local Government Area on Saturday when violence erupted, forcing Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, the member representing Ethiope Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and daughter of former Delta State Governor James Ibori, to flee under heavy security in what her supporters and aides described as a targeted assassination attempt.

The congress, originally slated for Oghara Township Stadium but relocated to Ovade Primary School, was underway with delegate accreditation and consultations when suspected hoodlums—armed with cutlasses, guns, and other dangerous weapons—stormed the venue. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers caused widespread panic, injuring several supporters of the federal lawmaker and blocking access to the site, which disrupted the process of electing party executives.

Hon. Ibori-Suenu arrived at the new venue amid heightened tensions within party factions. Reports indicate that her supporters were attacked as they attempted to participate, with some alleging intimidation aimed at suppressing her group’s involvement. She reportedly escaped unhurt thanks to her security detail, while multiple delegates sustained injuries during the chaos.

The incident has been attributed by some sources to internal party rivalries, with claims of sponsorship by opposing political figures, though these remain unverified allegations.

The Delta State APC has denied reports of violence or any attack on Ibori-Suenu, dismissing them as media sensationalism and emphasizing overall party unity following the congress exercises across the state.

No official police statement on arrests or investigations has been released yet, but the event has raised fresh concerns about political violence ahead of future electoral processes in the region.

As Ivorian Excretes 82 Cocaine Wraps at Kano Airport.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered creative and high-stakes drug smuggling attempts across Nigeria, including a woman using a fake baby bump made from a calabash to hide thousands of tramadol capsules and an Ivorian national who ingested cocaine pellets for export to Europe.

In one bizarre case at the Seme land border in Lagos State on February 16, operatives intercepted 35-year-old Kano businesswoman Rabi Muhammad attempting to cross into Cotonou, Benin Republic. Suspicion arose from her prominently protruding abdomen.

A full body search revealed the “pregnancy” was fabricated — she had tied a pink-coloured calabash around her stomach to conceal 3,200 capsules of tramadol destined for sale abroad.

On the same day at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), NDLEA officers detained 41-year-old Ivorian Michael Gohouri (alias Anunwa Onyinye Michael) during outbound clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Milan, Italy, via Addis Ababa. A body scan confirmed ingestion of narcotics. Under medical observation, he excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms. The suspect, who arrived in Lagos from Milan in mid-January and shuttled between cities before loading the drugs in a Kano hotel, reportedly stood to earn €5,000 upon delivery. He holds an Italian resident permit and a Nigerian NIN under his alias.

In a significant hit against organized trafficking, NDLEA arrested Kolapo Oladapo Raji, 57, Chairman and CEO of real estate firm Trans Fortress Global Resources. Placed on the agency’s watchlist in 2025, Raji was nabbed at his Ikate, Lekki residence in Lagos on February 12 following surveillance after a UK trip. Searches recovered 89.20 kilograms of Canadian Loud cannabis in four large bags and a 2024 Toyota Hilux. Raji admitted entering the trade via financing for an overseas contact, with profits prompting him to build his own network.

Additional seizures and arrests occurred nationwide:

• Lagos: 56kg skunk from Ugwuja Kingsley in Agbara (February 19) and 76kg from Ekwe Arinze in Oshodi (February 17).
• Rivers State (Onne Port): 170,900 bottles of codeine syrup in a container, uncovered via joint intelligence-led inspection.
• Kogi State: 7,300 tramadol 225mg pills hidden in sound systems on a Lagos-Kano bus (February 15), leading to arrests of Ezenma Kingsley (26) and Ezeja Anthony (29) in Abuja (February 17).
• Ondo State: 195kg and 198kg skunk from suspects in forest raids (February 19).
• Bauchi State: 936kg skunk from Yahaya Adamu Gimba (48) in Azare, plus 85.8kg from him and three accomplices (February 17).
• Delta State: 37kg skunk in Ughelli (February 17).
• Edo State: Destruction of over 1,266kg skunk on three farms in Owan West, with 23kg processed cannabis recovered; arrests including 68-year-old grandmother Evelyn Ogenewu and Friday Iruoje (43) (February 17).

NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised operatives from MAKIA, Seme, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Port Harcourt Ports, Ondo, Delta, and Kogi commands for their successes. He emphasized the agency’s dual focus on supply reduction through enforcement and demand reduction via War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization in schools and communities nationwide.

The update was released by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, February 22, 2026.