A Washington state newspaper is facing heavy criticism after running a story about an alleged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “abduction” based solely on claims from a GoFundMe page, claims that later unraveled to reveal the subject was a wanted murder suspect.
The controversy began when The Olympian published an article about a man identified only as “Paco,” described in a fundraiser as a hardworking business owner from Lacey, Washington, who was “abducted” by ICE on June 24. The fundraiser, launched by activist Carissa Miller, claimed Paco was pulled from a car without a warrant, had his phone confiscated, and was now being held at the Northwest Detention Center.
Media Malpractice: Local Outlet’s Story About ICE 'Abduction' Falls Apart Under Scrutiny
“Paco wasn’t a local business owner wrongly targeted by ICE. We put the pieces together & found his real name: Yussef Zarate-Barbon, a Mexican national wanted for homicide.” – @BrandiKruse pic.twitter.com/qufRaVwlgG
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) August 8, 2025
The problem? The Olympian never verified the claims. No last name was provided, no attempt to confirm the arrest details was apparent, and it is unclear if ICE was even contacted before publication. The newspaper’s sole source appeared to be the GoFundMe post.
🚨BREAKING: We have ID'd the elusive "Paco." His real name? Yussef Zarate-Borbon, a Mexican national wanted for MURDER. He was arrested by @HSISeattle & @USMarshalsHQ. Activists ran a @gofundme for him based on lies, raising $12K. @theolympian pushed it out completely unvetted. https://t.co/neMj9ILPSh pic.twitter.com/tRfLONlYMp
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) July 30, 2025
Brandi Kruse, host of the UnDivided podcast, told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI that red flags were obvious.
“The only real person in the story was the fundraiser organizer, who is openly anti-ICE,” Kruse explained. “They didn’t talk to ICE, didn’t know his last name, didn’t verify anything. They just ran it as fact.”
Kruse began investigating and, with help from viewers, discovered “Paco” was actually Yussef Zarate-Barbon, a 34-year-old Mexican national wanted for homicide in Mexico. He was not arrested by ICE, but by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service for violating the terms of his admission to the U.S.
Annnnd the Paco fundraiser has officially been nuked. Stories like this drive division, hate, fear, and even violence toward the men and women of @DHSgov. This was just one of way too many lies pushed by activists and the media. https://t.co/6xl3iCjryD pic.twitter.com/DblQzaQqdc
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) July 30, 2025
Records show Zarate-Barbon owned two Washington businesses, Reis Auto Repair in Olympia and Zarate’s Farm LLC, both of which were under investigation for compliance issues. The GoFundMe campaign, which raised over $12,000 before being shut down, claimed his businesses were for sale in his absence.
We've fully debunked the story of a local farmer named Paco being "abducted" by ICE. His real name is Yuseff Zarate Borbon, an illegal Mexican national who was wanted for murder. @TheOlympian has not corrected its story, despite being alerted to inconsistencies on Monday. pic.twitter.com/n9Iy8ZRu7j
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) July 31, 2025
Kruse says The Olympian ignored multiple inquiries about whether the story met their editorial standards. When the paper finally updated its coverage, it did not retract the original piece, which remains online and syndicated across other McClatchy-owned outlets under the misleading headline “Lacey business owner abducted by ICE.”
.@theolympian can f*ck all the way off. They updated their false story about “Paco” after a WEEK, took no responsibility and made no apology, but blasted ME for causing the GoFundMe organizer backlash. Are you f*cking serious? WE DID YOUR JOB FOR YOU. https://t.co/K2MAqQ683D pic.twitter.com/7cHYVOI71h
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) August 5, 2025
Instead, Kruse says the update tried to shift blame toward her, quoting a Portland-based civil rights group, implying conservative “influencers” like her target community members and activists.
“They didn’t name me, but the insinuation was clear—that I exposed the truth because I’m some racist, homophobic bigot,” Kruse said. “It’s defamatory, and they still haven’t issued a retraction or apology.”
https://x.com/BrandiKruse/status/1952780670851572042
Kruse stressed that while activists may have agendas, journalists have a duty to verify.
“I’m less mad at the activist than I am at The Olympian,” she said. “She’s not bound by journalistic ethics, they are.”
The case underscores the dangers of unverified narratives in an already heated political climate, Kruse added, warning that false stories about immigration enforcement contribute to hostility toward ICE agents, who have been doxed, harassed, and even attacked in recent years.
“There is an unwillingness of the media to challenge narratives about Trump and immigration because they want the narratives so desperately to be true.”
McClatchy, the parent company of The Olympian, has not publicly addressed calls for a retraction. Kruse says she is exploring her options, including potential legal action, if the paper does not act.
