A donated Ten Commandments monument has been permanently restored to Kentucky's state Capitol grounds this week, more than four decades after it was removed.

The granite monument was returned on Wednesday following the passage of House Joint Resolution 15, which passed the House 79–13 on Feb. 19 and the Senate 32–6 on March 13. The resolution directed the state to reinstall the monument on Capitol grounds.

"I am pleased to see this historic Ten Commandments monument returned to its rightful place," HJR 15 sponsor Rep. Shane Baker, R-Somerset, told FOX56. "The Ten Commandments have widely recognized historical significance in the history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the nation."

The monument was first donated to the state in 1971 by the Fraternal Order of Eagles and remained on permanent display until its removal around 1980 due to a construction project. Efforts to reinstall it were halted in 2000 after the ACLU sued, and a federal district court ruled that displaying the monument violated the Establishment Clause under the Lemon test.

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The U.S. Supreme Court concluded in its 2022 Kennedy v. Bremerton School District ruling that the court had "long ago abandoned Lemon" and directed courts to evaluate Establishment Clause disputes based on "historical practices and understandings."

First Liberty Institute, a religious-liberty law firm that represented the Fraternal Order of Eagles, praised the monument’s return on Wednesday.

"We congratulate the people of Kentucky for restoring a part of their history," said Roger Byron, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, in a press release. "There is a long tradition of public monuments like this one that recognize the unique and important role the Ten Commandments have played in state and national history."

Vic Jeffries, trustee of Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 3423 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, said, "We are thrilled to return the Ten Commandments monument to the Commonwealth and have it back where it belongs. The Eagles have donated over 100 Ten Commandments monuments to state and local governments over the years, and we’re glad to have ours back on the state Capitol grounds."

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Some state lawmakers expressed reservations about the monument’s return, fearing it could invite another legal challenge or prompt questions about whether other faiths would be allowed similar displays on public grounds, according to WUKY.

"It gives me a little heartburn around separation of of church and state," state Rep. Joshua Watkins told the outlet.

State Sen. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, also expressed concerns that other faiths should be represented at the Capitol.

"I'm just curious as to why specifically the Ten Commandments, and if we were to do something like that, what are we going to do to ensure other religions like Buddhism, Muslims, other faiths have a presence here at our Capitol," she asked, according to a Kentucky legislature press release in March.

Baker said that the resolution wasn't about religious displays but about recognizing the long tradition and role the Ten Commandments have played in U.S. history. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the ACLU for comment.

Federal prosecutors on Thursday unsealed sweeping terrorism and racketeering indictments against more than 70 Tren de Aragua (TdA) members — a rapid escalation in President Donald Trump’s crackdown on a foreign cartel that officials say has driven violence, chaos and transnational crime into the U.S.

The gang members are accused of committing violent crimes including murder, extortion, robbery, kidnapping, money laundering and drug trafficking in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas and New York.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the crackdown reflects the directive she issued at the start of the Trump administration to prioritize dismantling violent transnational groups.

"Immediately upon taking office, I directed the Department of Justice to fiercely pursue the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations," she said. "This latest multi-state series of charges underscores the Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to restoring public safety, dismantling violent trafficking networks and ridding our country of Tren de Aragua terrorists."

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) said a federal grand jury in Colorado had indicted two alleged TdA leaders on charges including RICO conspiracy.

The indictment alleges that the defendants carried out crimes for TdA between May 2024 and March 2025 through a pattern of racketeering that included robbery, extortion, money laundering and drug offenses.

The two defendants have also been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and firearms offenses linked to armed heists at two Denver jewelry stores in June 2024.

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In Nebraska, a federal grand jury returned two indictments charging 54 individuals, some associated with TdA, with leading and facilitating a scheme to use malware to steal millions of dollars from U.S. banks by hacking ATMs.

Some defendants are also charged with providing material support for terrorism and with conspiracies to commit money laundering, bank fraud, bank burglary, and computer fraud and abuse.

A federal grand jury in New Mexico returned an indictment against 11 alleged TdA members and leaders on racketeering charges. The suspects are accused of kidnapping, interrogating and strangling a victim in an Albuquerque apartment before burying his body in a remote desert grave, the DOJ said.

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Prosecutors also allege that several defendants were involved in an armed confrontation at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, where rival groups exchanged gunfire and one person was killed.

As prosecutors detailed the charges on Thursday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the cartel’s reach across U.S. communities underscores why federal authorities are escalating their pursuit.

"Tren de Aragua is a terrorist cartel that exploits our borders to bring murder, drugs and chaos into American communities," Blanche said. "This Department is crushing their leadership, dismantling their networks and cutting off their money across the United States. There will be no safe haven here. If you cross our border to commit violent crime, we will find you, prosecute you and put you away."

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Prosecutors unsealed an indictment in New York against Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as "Nino Guerrero," in connection with a leadership role in TdA throughout North America, South America and Europe.

The DOJ said Guerrero Flores served as either leader or co-leader of the gang for more than a decade, describing him as the mastermind of TdA’s expansion across the Western Hemisphere.

"While operating from Venezuela and elsewhere, Guerrero Flores ordered, directed, facilitated and supported acts of violence and terrorism transcending national boundaries, including murders, kidnappings, extortions and maiming against victims located inside and outside the United States, and facilitated the transport of tons of cocaine from Venezuela to the United States," the DOJ press release read.

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Guerrero Flores is currently at large and the Department of State is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

In Texas, federal prosecutors unsealed a six-count superseding indictment charging four Venezuelan nationals with conspiring to provide material support to TdA and with conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Colombia for distribution in the U.S.

According to court records, two of the Venezuelan nationals are top leaders of TdA, with one allegedly exercising command and control over all the gang’s criminal operations.

The other two suspects are high-ranking TdA members who operate out of multiple South American countries and direct operations including gold smuggling, narcotics exporting and violent crimes, the DOJ alleged.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is treating the group as a major national security concern as it works with partners across the country.

"The FBI is committed to investigating members of violent transnational gangs whose actions violate our laws and put American lives at risk," he said. "The existence of TdA is a direct threat to our national security, and we will not allow such a dangerous criminal organization to take root in our communities. Together with our law enforcement partners at every level, we are working to bring these ruthless criminals to justice."