(The Center Square)–Another American has been tragically killed by a foreign national living in the country illegally. 8-year-old Mora Gerety was struck by the driver of a pickup truck as she walked across an intersection five blocks from her middle school in Boise, Idaho.
On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released more details about the man who allegedly struck her: a Honduran national living illegally in the U.S. with an outstanding warrant.
On Nov. 11, Honduran Elvin Elgardo Ramos-Caballero was charged with a hit and run, authorities said. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took him into custody on the same day.
He illegally entered the U.S. in September 2015 and was released into the country by the Obama administration, DHS said. After failing to appear to his immigration hearings, a federal immigration judge issued a final order of removal in absentia on May 9, 2016. He had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, ICE said.
Despite his active warrant, he received his driver’s license from “the sanctuary state of Oregon,” DHS said. Since 2016, his removal order was never enforced under the Obama, Trump 45 or Biden administrations.
Ramos-Caballero was driving a pickup truck when he struck Gerety at the intersection of North Harrison Boulevard and West Ada Street, authorities said. Gerety attended Washington Elementary School, roughly five blocks from where she was struck. Paramedics rushed her to St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead after lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.
One local news outlet reported “the intersection does not have a marked crosswalk” and claimed residents suggested putting up crosswalk flags would improve public safety.
DHS argues public safety will improve after criminal foreign nationals are deported and taken off of U.S. streets they shouldn’t be driving on to begin with.
“8-year-old Mora Gerety’s precious life was taken by an illegal alien who should have never been in our country, let alone issued a driver’s license by the sanctuary state of Oregon,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Mora Gerety’s classmates, teachers, friends, and our nation will carry this loss forever. We ask every American to lift this family up in prayer and we ask God to grant them the courage as they face the hardest days a family can endure. Decades of open border polices have turned every community into a border town. These policies have deadly consequences.”
The Department of Justice initially listed Boise as a Sanctuary City in May when it first identified city, county and state jurisdictions that weren’t cooperating with ICE. In an updated list in August, Boise was taken off.
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean maintains Boise isn’t a sanctuary city and doesn’t have jurisdiction over the county jail. “To be clear – Boise is not a sanctuary city. Boise is, however, made so special by the vibrant and diverse communities that live here. We remain committed as ever to remaining a safe and welcoming city for everyone,” she said in May when she opposed the designation.
A reviewby The Center Square has found that McLean has boasted about Boise being “a certified ‘Welcoming City’ for immigrants and refugees.”
“Certified Welcoming is a formal designation for cities and counties that have created policies and programs reflecting their values and commitment to immigrant inclusion,” given by the nonpartisan nonprofit organization, “Certified Welcoming,” The Center Square learned. The organization says it partners with 300 nonprofits and local governments working “to build more inclusive and welcoming communities in the United States.”
Its “Welcoming America” initiative first partnered with the Obama administration in 2014 to advance a strategic plan to “better integrate immigrants and refugees into American communities.”
So far, 36 cities and counties have received Welcoming City certifications, it says. Some receive multiple stars based on a rating system.
The organization clarifies that the certification is not the same as having sanctuary city status. Instead, it indicates that communities have “committed to adhering to inclusive policies and practices [in its] ‘Welcoming Standard,’” to build trust and relationships among law enforcement and the community and educate “immigrants about their rights and responsibilities under the law.”
The organization is tied to multiple open border organizations that promote “diversity, equity and inclusion” and “climate migration,” funded by billionaire George Soros and others. They claim to “fight against” state “anti-immigrant policies,” provide free legal services for asylum seekers, fund grants for cities and localities to “improve immigrant inclusion,” build local “resilience for resettlement infrastructure,” promote foreign workers obtaining a range of visas among multiple other programs and initiatives.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.