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DOJ sentences pair in $522M DNA testing fraud scheme after suspect tried to flee US

Mon, 04 May 2026 17:43:08 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: Two men were sentenced Monday for charges related to orchestrating a sprawling $522 million fraud scheme that targeted Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers — using kickbacks, fake medical orders and DNA samples collected from patients across the country.

Reyad Salahaldeen, 57, of Buford, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Mohamad Mustafa, 28, of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to paying illegal health care kickbacks, according to the Justice Department.

"Under the guise of health care, these two fraudsters attempted to steal more than half a billion dollars from taxpayers," the Justice Department said.

Federal prosecutors said the scheme led to roughly $84 million in payouts from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers, highlighting the scale of fraud authorities say is draining taxpayer-funded health programs and driving a broader federal crackdown.

JURY CONVICTS FORMER NFL PLAYER KEITH J GRAY IN $328 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME INVOLVING KICKBACKS

The scheme relied on a network of marketers who targeted individuals — many covered by Medicare — and persuaded them to take genetic tests by promoting them as free or medically important screenings, including for cancer risk.

Prosecutors said the tests were often not medically necessary and were ordered by medical providers who had not treated the patients and did not use the results in their care.

That allowed the laboratories to bill government health programs for costly tests that would not otherwise have been approved, officials said.

Both men were also ordered to pay substantial restitution. Salahaldeen was ordered to repay more than $84.5 million, while Mustafa must pay more than $64.3 million.

Salahaldeen also was ordered to forfeit more than $3 million from bank accounts, along with a 2019 GMC Yukon and properties in Texas and Georgia.

Mustafa was born in the United States, while Salahaldeen is a Palestinian national who became a lawful permanent resident in 2004, according to officials.

The scheme ran from 2018 through August 2020 and used a network of marketers making telemarketing calls, door-to-door outreach and health fairs to collect DNA samples and insurance information from patients.

Court documents say Salahaldeen controlled multiple laboratories across New Jersey, Georgia and Texas, including Express Diagnostics and BioConfirm Laboratories.

Prosecutors said marketers were paid illegal kickbacks to obtain genetic testing orders from medical providers who had not treated the patients and did not use the results in care.

Authorities said Salahaldeen falsified requisition forms, letters of medical necessity and other records to make the tests appear legitimate.

MAN CHARGED IN $90M MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME; DOJ SAYS SUSPECT MAY HAVE ENTERED US ILLEGALLY

Mustafa, who co-controlled some of the laboratories, helped carry out the scheme by paying kickbacks and creating sham contracts and invoices to disguise illegal payments as legitimate marketing services.

In total, the labs billed roughly $522 million in fraudulent claims. Government health programs and private insurers paid out approximately $84 million, officials said.

Authorities said Salahaldeen attempted to evade arrest after learning of the charges, traveling from North Carolina to Texas and attempting to cross into Mexico using another person’s identification before being apprehended at the border.

A TIMELINE OF THE ‘LARGEST COVID-19 FRAUD SCHEME' IN THE UNITED STATE

Federal officials say many of the largest schemes are no longer isolated — but driven by organized networks coordinating across multiple states.

Authorities have pointed to major cases in recent years, including a COVID-19 pandemic-era fraud scheme in Minnesota that prosecutors allege siphoned more than $240 million in federal funds meant to feed children.

That case, known as Feeding Our Future, has led to dozens of charges and sentences of up to 28 years in prison.

Prosecutors say the scheme relied on shell nonprofits, fake meal counts and falsified records — tactics similar to those used in the genetic testing fraud case.

The case is part of a broader federal crackdown on health care fraud. Eleven additional co-conspirators — including marketers, nurse practitioners and doctors — already have been sentenced, receiving penalties ranging from probation to nearly four years in prison.

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Justice Department officials said the case reflects an intensified push to combat fraud under Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, chaired by Vice President JD Vance.

Since 2007, the DOJ’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program has charged more than 6,200 defendants responsible for over $45 billion in fraudulent billing, according to the department.

Attorney information for Salahaldeen and Mustafa was not immediately available.

Trump signals deeper Europe troop cuts beyond 5,000, setting up fight with Congress

Sat, 02 May 2026 11:37:09 -0400

President Donald Trump said U.S. troop cuts in Europe will go "way down" and extend beyond the 5,000 troops already ordered out of Germany, raising new questions about how far the administration can go before triggering limits imposed by Congress.

Trump ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany Friday, a drawdown set to take place over the next six to 12 months, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. But speaking to reporters in Florida Saturday, the president signaled significantly deeper reductions ahead.

"We’re going to cut way down," Trump said. "And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000."

Top congressional leaders quickly signaled concern, urging the administration to reposition forces rather than reduce the U.S. presence in Europe.

While the initial 5,000-troop withdrawal does not trigger congressional limits, Trump’s push for deeper cuts could test restrictions lawmakers placed on reducing U.S. forces in Europe — raising questions about how far the administration can go and whether it may shift troops within the region instead of pulling them out entirely.

PENTAGON ORDERS WITHDRAWAL OF 5,000 U.S. TROOPS FROM GERMANY AS TRUMP ESCALATES FEUD WITH MERZ

"Rather than withdrawing forces from the continent altogether, it is in America’s interest to maintain a strong deterrent in Europe by moving these 5,000 U.S. forces to the east," Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said in a joint statement.

The lawmakers warned that reducing U.S. forces prematurely could weaken deterrence at a time when allies are still building up their own capabilities.

"Prematurely reducing America’s forward presence in Europe before those capabilities are fully realized risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin," they said.

European officials, meanwhile, framed the move as part of a broader shift toward greater burden-sharing within NATO.

"We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, adding that "Germany is on the right track."

A NATO spokesperson echoed that message, saying, "This adjustment underscores the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defense and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security."

While lawmakers have restricted large-scale troop reductions in Europe below 76,000, the current drawdown falls well above that threshold — leaving the administration room to act without immediate congressional intervention.

Trump still retains broad authority as commander in chief to move forces between countries, opening the door to shifting troops away from allies like Germany, Spain or Italy without reducing the overall U.S. presence.

The warning follows pushback from allies, including Spain and Italy, which have limited how U.S. forces can use key bases for Iran-related missions, highlighting tensions inside NATO as Washington presses partners for support during the escalating conflict.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday the U.S. was "being humiliated" by Iran.

Still, Merz downplayed the spat between Washington and Berlin in a statement Thursday.

"On all these issues, we maintain close and trusting contact with our partners, including — and especially — those in Washington. We do so in the shared transatlantic interest. We do so with mutual respect and a fair sharing of burdens."

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in his own statement, "The Ramstein Air Base serves an irreplaceable function for both the U.S. and us."

Asked Thursday whether he’d consider pulling troops out of Italy and Spain, Trump said, "Yeah, probably. ... Why shouldn't I?"

The comments come as both countries have resisted U.S. requests tied to operations in Iran.

"Italy has not been of any help to us," the president said, adding that Spain has been "horrible, absolutely horrible" and citing its refusal to allow the U.S. to use jointly operated bases for missions related to the conflict.

Any major withdrawal, however, would face hurdles in Congress.

Under the latest defense bill, the Pentagon cannot reduce U.S. troop levels in Europe below 76,000 without submitting an assessment and certifying to lawmakers that the move would not harm U.S. or NATO security interests.

"The provision does not prohibit the administration from going below 76,000, but it does establish hurdles it would have to clear," Jeff Rathke, president of the American-German Institute at Johns Hopkins University and a former State Department official, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

KEY US ALLY BLOCKS AIRSPACE TO MILITARY FLIGHTS OVER IRAN, ESCALATING STANDOFF WITH TRUMP

Congress cannot directly veto a troop withdrawal, but lawmakers can impose conditions and restrict funding, effectively slowing or blocking any significant drawdown if those requirements are not met.

The provision reflects recent concern in Congress over potential troop reductions, rather than a long-standing requirement in defense legislation. The restriction applies to total U.S. troop levels in Europe, not deployments to individual countries.

NATO does not have veto power over U.S. troop deployments, which remain a national decision, though basing agreements depend on cooperation with host countries.

The U.S. has about 36,000 troops in Germany, about 13,000 in Italy and around 4,000 in Spain, three of the largest American military footprints in Europe.

Germany and Italy host key U.S. bases that serve as logistics hubs for operations in the Middle East, meaning any significant drawdown could complicate efforts tied to the Iran conflict itself.

That has raised the stakes for how Trump responds to allied resistance.

Seth Jones, a defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the president likely has the authority to reposition or even withdraw forces but warned that doing so raises broader questions about military strategy during an ongoing conflict.

"My issue is less the legal authority, but rather the strategic rationale behind a withdrawal, especially if it is done for political, rather than strategic, reasons," Jones said.

He pointed to the role of key bases in Europe, including Rota in Spain, which supports rapid-response operations into North Africa, and Germany, which serves as a hub for deployments across both European and African theaters.

"The Russian threat to Eastern Europe remains serious," Jones added, noting that some U.S. bases in Germany are positioned outside the range of certain Russian missiles and drones.

Jones also warned that relocating forces could carry significant costs and logistical challenges, adding to the complexity of any decision to scale back the U.S. presence.

The administration has pressed European allies to provide more direct support for operations tied to the Iran conflict, including broader access to bases and participation in efforts to secure key waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz.

But several countries have stopped short. Spain has imposed restrictions on how U.S. forces can use jointly operated bases, while Italy has allowed American troops to continue operating from its territory but limited how those facilities can be used for certain missions.

Germany has taken a more mixed approach, allowing operations from bases like Ramstein while publicly criticizing the administration’s strategy.

That dynamic has raised the possibility of alternatives to a full withdrawal, including shifting troops within Europe rather than reducing overall force levels.

Rathke said such a shift could avoid triggering the congressional threshold, since it applies to overall troop levels rather than deployments in specific countries.

But he cautioned that major relocations would be difficult in practice, noting that key infrastructure — including Ramstein Air Base and the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center — cannot easily be replicated elsewhere.

"Even the most willing European country would not be able to offer that in the short term," he said.

Even if troop levels remain above 76,000, major relocations would likely require funding and infrastructure changes that would bring Congress back into the process.

Lawmakers have stepped in before to block troop withdrawals from Europe, and a new push could trigger scrutiny on Capitol Hill, especially if it’s seen as weakening U.S. positioning during an ongoing conflict.

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A similar clash played out during Trump’s first term, when he ordered the withdrawal of roughly 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany in 2020, arguing that Berlin was not contributing enough to NATO defense. Congress imposed conditions through the annual defense bill, requiring the Pentagon to certify that any drawdown would not undermine NATO or U.S. operations. The effort ultimately stalled and was never fully implemented.

Inside China’s AI ‘wolf pack’ drones built with Taiwan conflict in mind

Mon, 04 May 2026 05:00:13 -0400

China is developing AI-enabled robotic "wolf packs" designed to scout, supply and potentially support combat operations alongside troops in a future war — including a possible invasion of Taiwan — according to a new report.

The analysis from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) says Beijing is reshaping how wars can be fought by integrating artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous systems directly into frontline operations.

At the center of that effort are quadruped robots — often referred to in Chinese reporting as "robotic wolves" — that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is testing as part of its push toward what it calls "intelligentized warfare."

While China has showcased robotic dogs in recent years, the report argues the People’s Liberation Army is moving beyond demonstrations and beginning to integrate these systems into coordinated battlefield units designed to operate at scale — particularly in high-risk scenarios such as the opening phase of a Taiwan invasion.

CHINA LAUNCHES CENTER TO TRAIN 100-PLUS HUMANOID ROBOTS SIMULTANEOUSLY

The report warns that a force built around expendable, networked machines could allow Chinese commanders to sustain offensive operations while reducing risks to personnel, potentially lowering the political and military costs of conflict for Beijing.

"China is not just modernizing its military," the report states. "It is reimagining how future wars will be fought."

The U.S. military is also developing robotic and autonomous systems, though analysts say China’s ability to leverage its commercial technology sector could give it advantages in scaling production.

In testing and demonstrations cited in the report, the robotic systems are used primarily for reconnaissance and support roles, moving ahead of troops to map terrain, detect threats and carry supplies through hazardous areas. The quadrupeds can navigate difficult terrain, including stairs and debris-filled urban environments, and operate in coordinated groups to extend a unit’s reach.

Some Chinese reporting also depicts armed variants operating alongside troops and drones during simulated assaults, though many of these capabilities have not been independently verified.

The report identifies a potential conflict over Taiwan as the most likely scenario for deploying the systems.

An amphibious invasion would force Chinese forces to operate in dense urban terrain, contested coastal zones and degraded communications environments — conditions where unmanned systems could be used to clear routes, absorb initial losses and maintain momentum as troops push inland.

Despite the rapid development, the systems face limitations. They rely on communications links and battery power, making them vulnerable to jamming, cyber interference and logistical disruptions.

They are also susceptible to small arms fire and environmental conditions such as smoke or debris that can degrade sensors. The report notes that human operators remain in the loop for lethal decisions, limiting the systems’ autonomy in combat.

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The report calls on U.S. policymakers to prioritize countering China’s autonomous systems, including developing strategies to disrupt robotic platforms and strengthening domestic technology capabilities. Analysts warn that as unmanned systems become more integrated into combat operations, they could shape the pace, risk and outcome of future conflicts.

Trump aims to reset war powers clock with controversial bid to bypass Congress

Fri, 01 May 2026 18:58:04 -0400

President Donald Trump informed Congress Friday that a ceasefire with Iran has ended hostilities and reset the clock on congressional war powers limits, but legal experts say ongoing military operations complicate that claim.

"For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated," a senior administration official told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

"Both parties agreed to a 2-week ceasefire on Tuesday, April 7 that has since been extended," the official went on. "There has been no exchange of fire between U.S. Armed Forces and Iran since Tuesday, April 7."

The White House formally notified Congress in a letter Friday under the War Powers Resolution that it considers hostilities to have ended following the ceasefire.

LIVE UPDATES: IRAN THREATENS ‘LONG AND PAINFUL STRIKES’ ON US POSITIONS AS TRUMP FACES WAR POWERS DEADLINE

"Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran and its proxy forces remains significant. Accordingly, the Department of War continues to update its force posture in the AOR in select areas to counter Iranian proxy forces’ threats and to protect the United States and its allies and partners," Trump wrote in a letter to Congress Friday.

"As the situation evolves, I will continue to update the Congress on noteworthy changes in the United States Armed Forces presence, consistent with the War Powers Resolution."

For decades, presidents of both parties have pushed the limits of the War Powers Resolution, seeking flexibility to conduct military operations without being hindered by a congressional vote.

The law requires the president to end the use of U.S. forces within 60 days of entering hostilities unless Congress authorizes the operation, with a limited extension allowed for withdrawal.

The more than two-month conflict has exposed sharply different interpretations of the law and whether the White House must seek congressional approval. Bombing ceased on April 7, but U.S. forces continue enforcing a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz — an operation widely considered an act of war.

"A ceasefire does not automatically suspend the War Powers 60-day clock," said John Bellinger, who served as legal adviser to the State Department and National Security Council under President George W. Bush.

He pointed to the continued presence of U.S. warships and thousands of troops enforcing a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing American forces "are clearly still conducting military operations and are in potential danger."

U.S. forces have continued boarding and seizing vessels suspected of violating the blockade, at times using force to disable ships before Marines conduct inspections.

Stephen Pomper, policy chief at the International Crisis Group and a former senior National Security Council official, was more direct.

"I don’t think it’s a very credible interpretation. It’s certainly not based on the text of the statute," Pomper said.

"There’s still an enormous American deployment. There’s an active blockade, which is an act of war."

Trump is far from the first president to test the limits of the War Powers resolution, experts noted.

During the late 1980s "Tanker War" with Iran, the George H.W. Bush administration argued that individual naval engagements did not amount to sustained hostilities. In 1999, the Clinton administration maintained that congressional funding for the Kosovo campaign effectively constituted authorization.

More recently, the Obama administration argued that U.S. involvement in Libya did not rise to the level of "hostilities" under the War Powers Resolution, even as American forces supported air operations. The Biden administration made similar arguments in defending certain U.S. deployments tied to Yemen.

"We have seen Republican and Democratic administrations alike bypass the act in creative ways," Nicholas Creel, Associate Prof. of Business Law at Georgia College and State University told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

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Congress has periodically challenged similar interpretations in past conflicts but has rarely forced a withdrawal of U.S. forces. Courts have also largely stayed out of War Powers disputes, leaving presidents with significant latitude to define the scope of hostilities.

If Congress does not act, the administration could continue operations without new authorization.

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"It’s really up to Congress, and as often as not, Congress doesn’t want to push back," Pomper said.

Matt Zierler, an international relations professor at Michigan State University, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that Congress likely does not have the "real will" to fully execute the War Powers Act because other powers, such as passing appropriation bills that would restrict defense spending, would be more effective. Even so, Zierler said sequestration measures could come at a political loss.

"It's a big political loss, potentially for Congress, if they start cutting off funding," Zierler said, suggesting that the president could claim the cut in funds by Congress is hurting troops and national security.

"It is a political or symbolic game, but it's not necessarily something that most members of Congress want to play, because, you know, they don't have all the intelligence," Zierler said. "They don't know what's going on, and it can get really messy."

Asked about the 60-day clock on Thursday, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters: "I have not spent a great deal of time worrying about that."

Hegseth fires back at Warren’s insider trading comments tied to Iran war: ‘No one owns me’

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:54:57 -0400

War Secretary Pete Hegseth forcefully denied allegations that he or others may have profited from the war with Iran during a heated Senate exchange Thursday, telling Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that "no one owns me" as she pressed him on what she said was suspicious trading activity tied to the conflict.

Warren pointed to what she described as a pattern of large, well-timed oil trades occurring minutes before public announcements by President Donald Trump related to the war, suggesting the possibility that insiders were using nonpublic information to profit.

Hegseth rejected the premise of the claims, insisting the department operated "completely above board. What happens in markets is not, in betting markets, is not something we're involved in," he said.

The exchange reflects growing scrutiny in Washington over whether sensitive information tied to the Iran conflict could be used for financial gain and broader concerns about ethics rules governing senior officials and lawmakers.

HEGSETH, CAINE FACE SENATE GRILLING ON IRAN WAR AS HORMUZ BLOCKADE RATTLES OIL MARKETS

"In just the space of minutes, it looks like insiders have been making out like bandits, using secret information about the war," Warren said.

She pressed Hegseth repeatedly on whether he had any explanation for the activity "other than insider trading."

Hegseth declined to engage directly with the premise, saying the department had operated "completely above board" and emphasizing that his focus remained on military operations rather than financial markets. He added that safeguarding sensitive information is taken "very seriously."

SECRETARY HEGSETH TUSSLES WITH DEMOCRATS OVER STRATEGY IN IRAN WAR

"What happens in markets … is not something we're involved in," Hegseth said.

The exchange escalated when Warren referenced reporting about Hegseth’s own financial dealings, including a claim that a broker attempted to invest in a defense-related fund ahead of the conflict.

"That entire story is false," Hegseth responded. "Any insinuation that I have ever profited … I don't do it for money. I don't do it for profit. I don't do it for stocks.

"No one owns me. No one owns this department. No one owns this president."

Warren’s line of questioning follows recent reporting that raised questions about Hegseth’s financial dealings ahead of the Iran conflict.

The Financial Times reported that a broker working on Hegseth’s behalf contacted BlackRock in February about making a multimillion-dollar investment in a fund tied to major defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, in the weeks before military action began.

According to the report, the investment ultimately did not take place because the fund was not available to the broker at the time.

The Pentagon has strongly denied the reporting, calling it "entirely false and fabricated," and Hegseth reiterated that denial during Thursday’s hearing.

Federal law places strict limits on defense officials’ investments to prevent conflicts of interest. Presidential appointees at the Pentagon generally are barred from owning or buying stock in top defense contractors that receive the largest government contracts, with narrow exceptions such as diversified funds. Ethics rules also require senior officials to avoid even the appearance of self-dealing and to disclose or seek approval for certain financial activity.

Warren’s comments come amid a recent high-profile case involving a U.S. service member accused of profiting from nonpublic military information.

Federal prosecutors charged Army Special Forces Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke with using classified intelligence about a covert operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to place bets on a prediction market, allegedly earning more than $400,000.

Authorities allege Van Dyke was involved in planning the operation and used that knowledge to wager on its outcome before it became public, prompting charges including wire fraud and unlawful use of government information.

Critics have pointed to a perceived double standard, noting that while a U.S. service member faces potential prison time for insider trading, enforcement of similar rules governing members of Congress historically has been less aggressive.

"This man is facing decades in prison," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told ӣ��Ƶ' "Ingraham Angle" Saturday. "Meanwhile, every single day on Capitol Hill, there are many members of Congress on both sides that are currently engaging in insider trading."

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Trump weighed in Saturday, comparing the case to baseball legend Pete Rose.

"That's a little like Pete Rose," Trump said when asked about the case. "Pete Rose, they kept him out of the Hall of Fame for betting on his own team. Now, if he bet against his team, that would be no good, but he bet on his own team. I'll look into it."

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to Warren and Hegseth for comment.

US eyes first-ever hypersonic Dark Eagle deployment as Iran pushes beyond strike range

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:54:50 -0400

The U.S. military has explored deploying its new Dark Eagle hypersonic weapon to the Middle East, according to a report, as the Army begins fielding the long-range system after years of delays.

U.S. Central Command has requested deployment of the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, known as Dark Eagle, to the Middle East, according to a Bloomberg report citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

A defense official told ӣ��Ƶ Digital the system has reached initial operational capability, marking the first time the U.S. has a land-based hypersonic weapon available for potential use.

The request was driven in part by concerns that Iranian ballistic missile launchers have been moved beyond the range of existing U.S. systems, including the Army’s Precision Strike Missile, which can strike targets more than 300 miles away, according to the Bloomberg report.

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It reflects growing concern that existing U.S. strike capabilities may not be sufficient to reach key Iranian missile assets, while also highlighting a major milestone for the Army as it fields its first land-based hypersonic weapon. If deployed, Dark Eagle would significantly expand the U.S. military’s ability to strike distant, hard-to-reach targets with little warning, marking a shift in how the Pentagon can project power in the region.

The Army began fielding the system to one of its multidomain task forces in December 2025 following testing and live-fire exercises, according to the official, placing the weapon within specialized units designed to carry out long-range precision strikes across multiple domains.

Individual Dark Eagle missiles are estimated to cost around $15 million each, though earlier analyses have placed the cost significantly higher, while a single battery — including launchers and support equipment — is estimated at roughly $2.7 billion.

No deployment of the system to the Middle East has been publicly announced, and officials have not confirmed any request. The U.S. and Iran are still currently adhering to a ceasefire in hopes of broader negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

Dark Eagle is designed to travel at hypersonic speeds while maneuvering in flight, allowing it to strike targets at much longer ranges — potentially exceeding 1,700 miles — and with far less warning than traditional missiles.

That combination of speed and range makes it particularly suited for targeting mobile or hardened systems, such as missile launchers, that are difficult to reach with existing weapons.

Unlike traditional ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons can maneuver in flight, making them more difficult to track and intercept.

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The reported request comes as the Pentagon continues efforts to accelerate its hypersonic weapons programs amid concerns about competition with China and Russia.

The U.S. has spent years developing hypersonic weapons, though some programs have faced delays, testing constraints and shifting priorities as the Pentagon works to advance the technology.

China and Russia already have fielded hypersonic systems, underscoring the growing importance of weapons designed to travel at extreme speeds while maneuvering in flight, making them more difficult to detect and intercept.

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"Fielding and scaling hypersonic weapons is a top priority for the War Department — and we are delivering at a rapid speed," a Pentagon official told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "'Scaled hypersonics' has been designated as one of the Department’s critical technology areas by Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael to focus resources on delivering cost-effective and lethal hypersonic solutions to the warfighter."

"The Department’s Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) is working to upgrade test facilities and establish new, nontraditional testing locations," the official said. "Simultaneously, the Department is placing its acquisition system on a ‘wartime footing’ to forge a robust, responsive industrial base capable of rapidly delivering these advanced technologies."

U.S. Central Command declined to comment to ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

Vance pushes back on report of stockpile concerns as US races to boost missile production

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:32:13 -0400

The U.S. military is racing to boost missile production after years of output that lagged behind current demand left key weapons in short supply, according to an analysis of Pentagon procurement data.

At current production rates, some of the Pentagon’s most critical munitions would take years — and in some cases decades — to replenish, exposing a gap between battlefield use and industrial capacity that cannot be quickly closed.

Major defense contractors have struck new agreements with the Pentagon and pledged to significantly increase production across several high-end munitions programs. But senior military officials warn the buildup will take time.

"I think it will take one to two years for them to scale. It won't be soon enough," Indo-Pacific Command Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo told lawmakers in April.

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The push comes as recent combat has drawn down U.S. stockpiles of high-end munitions, exposing a growing gap between how quickly the military can use advanced weapons and the years it takes to replace them, raising concerns about longer-term readiness.

The gap between usage and replenishment is also reportedly drawing scrutiny inside the administration.

The Atlantic reported that, in closed-door discussions, Vice President JD Vance questioned whether the Pentagon is fully accounting for how much those stockpiles were depleted during the Iran conflict, raising concerns about the availability of key munitions even as defense officials publicly insist U.S. stockpiles remain sufficient.

Vance disputed that characterization Wednesday in an interview on ӣ��Ƶ' "The Will Cain Show," rejecting the report’s sourcing while acknowledging concerns about military readiness.

"Of course, I’m concerned about our readiness because that’s my job to be concerned," Vance said, adding that defense leaders are "doing an amazing job."

He also dismissed the report, saying, "Don’t believe everything you read, especially in papers like The Atlantic."

Pentagon officials have pushed back on concerns.

"America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the president’s choosing," spokesperson Sean Parnell previously told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

"As Secretary Hegseth has highlighted numerous times, it took less than 10% of American naval power to control the traffic going in and out of the Strait of Hormuz," Parnell said.

"Since President Trump took office, we have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests. Attempts to alarm Americans over the department’s magazine depth are both ill-informed and dishonorable."

But historic Pentagon procurement data helps explain the gap.

The Navy’s Tomahawk cruise missile, for example, was procured at an average rate of about 66 missiles per year over the past seven years. At that pace, it would take roughly 12 years to meet the Navy’s goal of adding 785 more.

For the Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system, the gap is even more stark. Procurement has averaged about 30 interceptors per year, meaning it would take nearly three decades to reach a new target of 857 additional interceptors at those rates.

Even for more widely produced systems like the Patriot PAC-3 interceptor, historical output has fallen short of current demand. The U.S. has procured roughly 212 PAC-3 MSE missiles annually on average, a pace that would take about two years to meet a new goal of 405.

Recent combat has already underscored the strain.

Pentagon acting Comptroller Jay Hurst said the conflict with Iran has cost roughly $25 billion so far.

"Most of that is munitions," he told lawmakers in recent days.

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U.S. forces used large shares of several critical munitions during the campaign, a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies found, including more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1,000 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles. Patriot interceptor use was estimated between roughly 1,060 and 1,430 missiles, more than half of the U.S. prewar inventory.

Despite the heavy usage, analysts say the U.S. retains enough munitions to sustain current operations. The greater concern, they warn, is whether stockpiles can be rebuilt quickly enough to support a future conflict against a peer adversary.

Some production gains are already underway.

TRUMP RALLIES DEFENSE TITANS TO SURGE WEAPONS OUTPUT AS IRAN WAR RAGES

Similar scaling efforts have been seen in other munitions programs, including artillery production, which has expanded severalfold since 2022.

Defense firms say they are already increasing output and investing heavily in expanding capacity. RTX, the parent company of Raytheon, said missile deliveries were up more than 40% year over year in the first quarter, building on production gains made in 2025. The company also said it invested $2.6 billion last year to expand manufacturing capacity and plans to continue increasing spending.

The company has said it plans to produce more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles per year, while output of Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) could reach nearly 1,900 annually.

Lockheed Martin has increased production of the Patriot interceptor significantly in recent years to around 600 annually. The company recently announced plans to expand capacity to 2,000 per year.

But analysts say funding alone cannot push these plans forward.

"We have more money than we have capacity," said Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It’s just time."

Missile production depends on long-lead components such as propulsion systems and guidance technology, often sourced from a limited number of suppliers, meaning new orders can take years to translate into delivered weapons.

Even under normal conditions, missile production follows a multi-year cycle. Before recent conflicts, it typically took about two years from contract award to initial delivery, with another year to complete production.

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Those timelines have since stretched as demand has outpaced capacity, Cancian said, adding that new orders today could take "four, maybe five years" to fully deliver.

Much of the Pentagon’s planned increase in munitions spending is tied up in upcoming budget negotiations, including supplemental funding and future defense appropriations, which lawmakers have yet to finalize.

Missing scientist scrutiny reaches FBI as Patel's probe of mystery disappearances set for 'final report'

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:05:57 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau will produce a report "in short order" after reviewing multiple state-level investigations into missing and dead scientists at the White House’s request to determine whether any are connected.

"Those investigations are collectively being looked at by the FBI pursuant to (the) President, the White House's request," Patel told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in an interview Tuesday. "So we're reaching out. We've already done it, we're engaged. They're all state cases, but we're looking to see if there's any connections, and we're going to have a final report here in short order."

He poured cold water on the idea that all the cases of mysterious deaths and disappearances that have resurfaced in recent weeks are connected — noting that some are not even scientists — but said the FBI is "just trying to do our homework."

"We are trying to make sure, was there a connection? Did they, were they all working on the same thing or not? Those questions we're answering right now with our state and local partners, and we'll produce a report shortly."

TWO MORE TRUMP ALLIES SAY BIDEN FBI SECRETLY SEIZED THEIR DATA AMID 'WEAPONIZATION' CONTROVERSY

At least a dozen cases involving scientists and others tied to government and defense research have drawn renewed attention in recent weeks, as federal authorities work to determine whether any are connected. The cases — which span disappearances, confirmed homicides and deaths previously ruled accidental — have circulated widely online and prompted questions about whether a broader pattern could pose a national security concern.

The FBI declined to say how much of the report would be made public, noting the matter remains an active investigation.

President Donald Trump also has acknowledged the cases, saying his administration is working to determine whether the incidents are connected.

"I hope it's random, but we're going to know in the next week and a half," Trump said to reporters April 16. "I just left a meeting on that subject."

"The White House continues to coordinate across the interagency in order to investigate these events and provide transparency to the American people. We will not get ahead of the investigation," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told ӣ��Ƶ Digital Wednesday.

The National Nuclear Security Administration has said it is aware of reports involving personnel across its labs and facilities and is reviewing the matter.

At least a dozen cases involving scientists and defense-linked personnel have drawn renewed attention in recent weeks.

They include the disappearance of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland, who oversaw classified research programs and vanished from his New Mexico home earlier in 2026, and the death of NASA-affiliated engineer Joshua LeBlanc, whose body was found in a burned vehicle hours after he was reported missing.

Also among the cases is Monica Jacinto Reza, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer who disappeared while hiking in California, and Melissa Casias, a Los Alamos National Laboratory employee who vanished in New Mexico after leaving work.

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Another case revealed by ӣ��Ƶ Digital involves Army biochemist Jude Height, whose 2022 death was ruled accidental after he was struck by a vehicle, but has since drawn renewed scrutiny from family members and former colleagues who say key details remain unexplained.

Authorities have not indicated that any of the cases are connected.

FBI brings alleged China-linked hacker to US in rare extradition as Patel defends Italy trip

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:48:19 -0400

FBI Director Kash Patel says a trip to Italy that raised questions earlier in 2026 helped set the stage for the arrest of a Chinese national accused of hacking U.S. COVID-19 research.

Xu Zewei is now in U.S. custody after what Patel described as a coordinated operation with Italian authorities, marking a rare case in which an alleged state-linked hacker has been extradited to face charges in the United States.

Xu was extradited from Italy in recent days and faces federal charges tied to a 2020–2021 cyber campaign that prosecutors say targeted sensitive research, including work related to COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.

Patel told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in an interview the bureau was able to "directly tie" Xu to China’s Ministry of State Security and its Shanghai bureau, though additional details remain classified pending declassification.

FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL SAYS BUREAU RAMPING UP AI TO COUNTER DOMESTIC, GLOBAL THREATS

Patel said the arrest was the result of a carefully coordinated effort with Italian authorities led by Prefect Vittorio Pisani of the Italian National Police, carried out within a narrow window before additional legal challenges could delay the suspect’s extradition.

Officials from both countries worked to ensure Xu would be in Italy, and "we created an opportunity with our partners in Italy to have him apprehended there," Patel said.

Patel told ӣ��Ƶ Digital the trip, which the FBI said included meetings with Italian law enforcement and Olympic security coordination, also helped lay the groundwork for the arrest. He faced criticism at the time after being seen attending Olympic events, with questions raised about whether the travel was primarily official.

Patel described the suspect as "one of the top two cyber criminals in the world for China," alleging he played a key role in hacking efforts aimed at American universities, immunologists and virologists during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We were able to bring him to Houston for prosecution, which is most of what I was doing when people said I was on vacation in Italy," Patel said.

Xu allegedly reported to Chinese intelligence officials after compromising a U.S.-based research university in early 2020, according to the indictment, and allegedly was directed to access email accounts belonging to virologists and immunologists studying COVID-19.

Patel said Chinese officials sought to intervene in recent days to prevent Xu’s extradition from Italy.

"China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the Italian government’s decision to extradite a Chinese national to the US. The U.S. side fabricated this politically motivated case, which violates the personal freedom and lawful rights and interests of the Chinese national. The charges are unwarranted and aimed at vilifying China," a Chinese embassy spokesperson told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

Timing was critical, according to Patel, who pointed to past cases where suspected Chinese operatives were able to avoid extradition.

In one instance in 2025, he said, a Chinese national detained in Serbia was ultimately returned to China despite U.S. efforts to secure custody.

Authorities allege Xu and his co-conspirators targeted U.S.-based universities, immunologists and virologists working on COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic, gaining access to email accounts and sensitive research.

But the Justice Department has not publicly detailed the specific data allegedly exfiltrated, including whether it included proprietary vaccine formulas, clinical trial data or internal communications between researchers.

Patel said the operation was "specifically engineered at a time when our adversaries were looking to hurt us during COVID," adding that the suspect targeted research tied to treatments and vaccines.

Prosecutors also allege Xu was involved in exploiting vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, a widely used email system, as part of the broader "HAFNIUM" hacking campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide, including more than 12,000 organizations in the United States.

The indictment also describes how Chinese intelligence services allegedly rely on private contractors to carry out cyber operations, allowing the government to obscure its direct involvement.

Among the alleged victims was a law firm with offices in Washington, D.C., where prosecutors say attackers searched email accounts for information related to U.S. policymakers and government agencies.

Xu’s alleged co-conspirator, who was also charged in the case, remains at large.

Patel declined to discuss specifics about the broader network but said China’s Ministry of State Security continues to actively target the United States through cyber operations.

"The MSS is always a target of this FBI’s. They’re always operating whether it’s to steal our classified information, our nation’s research and scientific information, or anything they can use to embarrass us or leverage against us," Patel said. "They’re going to keep doing it."

CHINESE SCHOLARS CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS INTO US UNDER RESEARCH COVER

Patel said the FBI has made countering Chinese espionage a top priority, pointing to a sharp increase in arrests tied to Beijing-linked activity.

"We’ve arrested more Chinese spies than any FBI before me," he said.

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Patel signaled that efforts to identify and prosecute individuals tied to similar operations are ongoing.

"It’s a priority threat and it’s going to continue to be that way," he said.

The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Legal experts warn Comey ‘86 47’ indictment faces First Amendment hurdles

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:19:23 -0400

Legal questions are emerging over whether charges against former FBI Director James Comey would withstand a First Amendment challenge as he is indicted for a social media post allegedly tied to threats against President Donald Trump.

Comey faced charges Tuesday under 18 U.S.C. § 871, which criminalizes threats against the president, and 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), which covers interstate communications containing threats to harm others.

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley told ӣ��Ƶ Digital just before the indictment was released that, if the case is based solely on the widely circulated image posted by Comey, it could face steep constitutional hurdles.

"If Comey is charged for the shell picture, it would face a monumental challenge under the First Amendment," Turley said. "In my view, the image itself is clearly protected speech. Absent some other unknown facts or elements, it would be unlikely to survive a threshold constitutional challenge."

JAMES COMEY INDICTED AGAIN IN NEW JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PROBE

Both statutes require prosecutors to prove not only that a statement constituted a "true threat," but that it was made knowingly and with intent, standards that legal analysts say could prove difficult to meet based on publicly available information.

The indictment was filed Tuesday in the Eastern District of North Carolina, where Comey allegedly posted the image of seashells forming the numbers "86 47" during a beach walk.

Others pushed back on the idea that the case raises significant First Amendment concerns, arguing that threats against a sitting president fall squarely outside protected speech.

"The third assassination attempt against President Trump on Saturday made this crystal clear: The Justice Department must prosecute those who threaten to assassinate the president," said Mike Davis, founder of the Article III Project.

"No one has a First Amendment right to do this. No one is above the law, especially not a former director of the FBI who should know better. A jury of James Comey’s peers will decide his fate."

That argument comes amid heightened concerns about threats against Trump after a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. A suspect has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president.

Prosecutors allege that the post would be interpreted by a "reasonable recipient familiar with the circumstances" as a serious expression of intent to harm the president, signaling they intend to rely heavily on context surrounding the message rather than explicit language alone.

The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, W. Ellis Boyle, will oversee the case. Boyle was appointed in 2025 and sworn in by his father, a longtime federal judge in the district, after being selected for the role by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The indictment marks the second time Comey has been charged during the second Trump administration.

In 2025, he was indicted on charges of making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding tied to his testimony in the FBI’s Russia probe. That case was later dismissed after a federal judge ruled the prosecutor in the case had been unlawfully appointed.

Comey, who served as FBI director from 2013 to 2017, has long been a polarizing figure in U.S. politics, drawing criticism from both parties over his handling of the Clinton email investigation and the FBI’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential links between Trump’s campaign and Moscow.

He was fired by Trump in 2017 amid escalating tensions tied in part to the Russia investigation.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AS RESURFACED AG JAMES POSTS COME BACK TO HAUNT HER: 'NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW'

The expected charges stem from a social media post in which Comey shared an image of seashells arranged to form the numbers "86 47," which some critics interpreted as a coded threat against Trump. The post drew swift backlash and prompted an investigation.

Comey later said he did not intend the image to be interpreted as a call for violence.

"I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down."

His explanation could complicate prosecutors’ efforts to establish intent, a key element required under both statutes.

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Comey's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

US Middle East ally strips citizenship from 69 in crackdown on pro-Iran support

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:33:48 -0400

Bahrain stripped citizenship from dozens of nationals Monday after accusing them of promoting pro-Iran sentiment online, marking the latest use of a controversial law that allows the government to revoke nationality for security concerns.

The interior ministry said 69 people — including some relatives of those accused — lost their citizenship for allegedly "glorifying" hostile Iranian actions and maintaining ties with foreign entities.

Bahrain said the revocations were carried out under Article 10(3) of its nationality law, which allows authorities to strip citizenship from individuals deemed to have harmed the kingdom’s interests or violated their duty of loyalty. Officials said those targeted — along with some of their family members — were all of non-Bahraini origin, a category that typically includes naturalized citizens rather than native-born nationals.

The move follows a directive issued days earlier by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who ordered officials to act against those who "betrayed the nation" or undermined its security and stability, including reviewing whether individuals should retain their citizenship.

The Kingdom of Bahrain Tuesday sentenced five people to life in prison and 25 more to 10 years on charges of spying for Iran. The prosecution said 25 others were separately sentenced to 10 years each for supporting Iran’s "terrorist acts" in Bahrain.

US EMBASSIES IN BAHRAIN, EGYPT ISSUE WARNINGS AS IRAN THREATENS UNIVERSITIES ACROSS MIDDLE EAST

The decision comes as Bahrain grapples with fallout from Iran’s recent missile and drone strikes across the Gulf, including attacks on U.S. military assets in the kingdom. Officials have cast the citizenship revocations as a national security measure aimed at suppressing domestic support for Iran and cutting off suspected ties to foreign networks.

STRANDED AMERICAN IN BAHRAIN RECOUNTS SURVIVING REPORTED IRANIAN STRIKE ON HIGH-RISE BUILDING, PLEADS FOR HELP

Relations between Bahrain and Iran long have been strained, with Bahrain accusing Iran of backing militant networks and unrest inside the kingdom. The two countries severed diplomatic ties in 2016, and Bahrain’s role as host of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet has placed it on the front lines of the current confrontation, with Iranian strikes hitting near the base during recent retaliatory attacks.

Bahrain also is home to a sizable community of citizens of Iranian descent — often referred to as the Ajam — estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands.

Authorities have linked the crackdown to a wider campaign against what they describe as Iran-backed influence operations, including arrests of individuals accused of sharing videos of Iranian strikes, posting pro-Iran content, or communicating with foreign groups. Bahrain also has reported uncovering cells tied to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which officials say were tasked with gathering intelligence on sensitive sites inside the kingdom.

Similar crackdowns have been reported across the Gulf since the start of the conflict, with hundreds of people arrested in countries including the United Arab Emirates for posting videos, images or commentary about Iranian attacks. Authorities have cited national security and public order laws, warning that even sharing footage of strikes could expose sensitive information or fuel unrest.

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The measures come amid a broader regional trend of governments tightening citizenship rules on security grounds. Kuwait, for example, has revoked nationality from more than 70,000 people since 2024, with officials there saying the program is aimed at addressing fraud.

The move has drawn criticism from the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, whose advocacy director Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei called it "the beginning of a dangerous era of repression" and said the decisions were imposed without legal safeguards or the right of appeal.

Pentagon jumps from $225M to $55B on drones as cheap attacks overwhelm US defenses

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:57:01 -0400

The Pentagon is seeking roughly $55 billion for drone and autonomous warfare programs in its fiscal year 2027 budget, as battlefield conflicts from the Middle East to Ukraine expose a growing problem: cheap drones are increasingly able to overwhelm costly U.S. defenses.

The funding request, a dramatic surge from roughly $225 million a year earlier, signals a major shift in how the U.S. military plans to fight future wars, accelerating a move toward large numbers of lower-cost, AI-enabled systems.

The funding, tied to a little-known Pentagon office known as the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, represents a broad category spanning multiple programs across the services — including procurement, research, training and sustainment — rather than a single standalone weapons system.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to face questions on the budget when he testifies before Congress Thursday, as lawmakers begin weighing what would be the largest Pentagon request in modern history. The administration is seeking roughly $1.5 trillion in national defense spending for fiscal year 2027 — a more than 40% increase from the prior year and the biggest single-year jump in decades — with major investments in drones, missile defense and next-generation warfare systems at the center of the request.

At the center of the shift is a change in doctrine: moving away from a force built around a small number of high-cost platforms toward one designed to deploy large numbers of cheaper systems capable of operating in coordinated groups, often referred to as drone swarms.

In recent confrontations in the Middle East, Iranian drone and missile attacks have forced U.S. and allied defenses to respond to waves of low-cost aerial threats, exposing what defense officials describe as a growing "math problem" — firing expensive interceptors at far cheaper drones.

In one recent engagement, Gulf air defenses tracked dozens of incoming drones alongside ballistic missiles, intercepting many but underscoring how clustered attacks can strain even advanced systems.

US DRAINS CRITICAL MISSILE STOCKPILES IN IRAN WAR AS YEARSLONG REBUILD LOOMS

The same dynamic has played out in Ukraine, where Russia has used Iranian-designed drones in large numbers to pressure air defenses, forcing defenders to expend significant resources to stop relatively inexpensive systems.

Those battlefield lessons are now shaping Pentagon planning, driving a push toward systems designed not just to defend against drone swarms, but to deploy them at scale.

Unlike traditional unmanned systems operated individually, the Pentagon’s new approach emphasizes networks of drones designed to operate together, sharing data and coordinating movements in real time. In theory, such swarms can overwhelm defenses by attacking from multiple directions at once, forcing adversaries to track and respond to dozens — or even hundreds — of targets simultaneously.

Pentagon initiatives are already moving beyond experimentation, with programs aimed at fielding coordinated drone groups in the near term and allowing a single operator to direct multiple systems simultaneously.

While the concept has been tested in limited scenarios, fully autonomous coordination at scale remains a technical challenge, particularly in contested environments where communications can be disrupted.

The funding supports a wide range of systems across air, land and sea, from small, expendable aerial drones to autonomous surface vessels and ground-based platforms, along with the software and communications networks needed to link them together.

Officials increasingly have emphasized rapid production and lower-cost designs, aiming to field large numbers of systems quickly rather than relying on smaller fleets of more expensive platforms. Much of that effort is expected to draw on commercial technology as the Pentagon seeks to accelerate development timelines.

The shift reflects a broader change in warfare, where industrial capacity and the ability to produce large numbers of systems quickly are becoming as important as technological superiority.

Military planners also have warned that adversaries are investing heavily in similar capabilities.

ALLIES RUSH THOUSANDS OF DRONES TO UKRAINE AS RUSSIA UNLEASHES DEADLY MISSILE BARRAGES

China has demonstrated large-scale drone swarm operations involving hundreds of coordinated systems, highlighting the pace of global competition in autonomous warfare and raising concerns about how such capabilities could be used in a future conflict.

On the battlefield, adversaries are continuing to adapt. Russian forces have begun experimenting with larger "carrier" drones capable of launching smaller attack drones mid-flight, extending range and complicating air defenses, while Iran has refined the use of mass-produced strike drones to overwhelm defenses through sustained attacks.

At the same time, the Pentagon and its allies are racing to develop countermeasures designed to match that scale.

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Layered defenses now include a mix of traditional interceptors, electronic warfare tools and emerging systems such as interceptor drones, aimed at addressing the cost imbalance exposed by recent conflicts. The goal is to build defenses capable of absorbing large waves of incoming threats without relying solely on high-cost missiles.

Despite the scale of the investment, questions remain about how quickly the Pentagon can field these capabilities at scale. Previous efforts to accelerate drone production have faced delays, and integrating large numbers of autonomous systems into existing military structures presents technical and operational challenges.

Trump squeezes Iran with maximum pressure — why it hasn’t forced a breakthrough

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:00:16 -0400

After two months of conflict, neither a deadly bombing campaign nor a blockade on Iranian exports has forced Tehran to make the concessions the Trump administration is seeking.

The campaign has intensified in recent weeks, targeting Iran’s oil exports and financial networks while a naval blockade has disrupted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy flows. U.S. officials argue the combination of military pressure and economic isolation is intended to weaken Iran’s capabilities and force it back to the negotiating table on more favorable terms.

While the U.S. has killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of top military and political figures, the regime itself remains intact. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was selected to succeed him, and leadership remains firmly hardline.

Aaron David Miller, a former State Department Middle East negotiator and fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, said the administration may have misjudged the type of negotiating partner it would face.

HORMUZ CHOKE POINT PERSISTS AS IRAN HALTS OIL TRAFFIC DESPITE TRUMP CEASEFIRE

"Trump was looking for an Iranian Delcy Rodriguez," he told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "More likely, he's going to end up with an Iranian Kim Jong Un."

He expressed doubt that any decisive victory was possible while the current Iranian regime remained in power.

"And we do not have the capacity to remove the regime."

The standoff increasingly has become a test of whether U.S. pressure can be converted into political concessions — or whether it is instead being diluted through workarounds, institutional resilience and competing constraints.

So far, analysts say, Iran has proven more capable of absorbing and rerouting pressure than Washington has been able to translate it into durable gains.

On Monday, Iran floated a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for relief from the blockade, while deferring negotiations on more contentious issues.

But analysts caution that such proposals do not address the core dispute and may not even mean the same thing to both sides.

"What the Iranians mean by opening the straits, and what Trump means, may be two different sorts of things," Miller said.

At the center of the standoff is Iran’s nuclear program, where the gap between the two sides remains wide. The Trump administration has pushed for Iran to eliminate its uranium enrichment capability entirely, while Iran insists that enrichment is a sovereign right and non-negotiable — leaving little room for compromise.

That divide continues to block a broader agreement, even as both sides explore more limited steps to reduce immediate tensions.

US 'LOCKED AND LOADED' TO DESTROY IRAN’S 'CROWN JEWEL' 'IF WE WANT,' TRUMP WARNS

"It’s almost unimaginable that this administration and the Iranian leadership are willing to make the kinds of concessions that would allow this administration to walk away with a win," Miller said.

"Iranians are willing to give concessions, but Trump is looking for capitulation," said Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft think tank. "And you can't get a country to capitulate unless you have defeated them."

Instead of folding under pressure, Iran largely has responded by adapting.

Despite the blockade, Iran has continued to move at least some oil through workaround methods, including sanctioned vessels, smaller ports and alternative routing strategies, even as overall exports have come under strain.

Those efforts have expanded in recent weeks. Reports indicate Iran is exploring overland shipments, including potential rail exports to China, while vessels have increasingly rerouted through Iranian territorial waters or controlled shipping corridors to bypass restrictions.

"The United States successfully closes off one avenue for them, and slowly, but surely, they are finding workarounds," Parsi said.

The financial impact of the campaign has been significant, even if uneven. Estimates vary, but some analysts put Iran’s potential losses from the blockade at roughly $400 million per day, largely driven by disrupted oil exports and reduced access to hard currency.

At the same time, Iran has not been fully cut off. The country has continued to generate billions in oil revenue in recent months, underscoring both the scale of the pressure and its limits.

While a sustained drop in oil revenue would strain the government’s official budget and force cuts to public spending, the country’s most powerful institution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, operates through its own economic networks, including smuggling routes and cross-border trade.

That allows key parts of the regime to continue functioning even under heavy sanctions, meaning economic pain often falls unevenly — hitting civilians before it weakens the state’s coercive apparatus.

Even attempts to directly destabilize Iran’s leadership have not fundamentally altered that dynamic. U.S. and Israeli operations earlier in the conflict killed Khamenei along with dozens of senior military and political figures.

Yet the regime has remained intact, with power consolidating among remaining political and security elites aligned with hardline positions.

How long Iran can sustain that posture remains uncertain. Miller said a prolonged blockade could eventually force a breaking point — but only if Washington is willing to maintain it.

"If the administration is prepared for six months to keep up this blockade, I think they could probably break the Iranian economy," Miller said.

But he cautioned that such timelines are difficult to predict and that even U.S. intelligence lacks a clear picture of when economic pressure might translate into political concessions.

That uncertainty raises a broader question about the sustainability of the strategy. While Iran’s leadership may be willing to absorb significant economic pain, the U.S. faces its own constraints, including potential strain on military resources and growing risks to global energy markets.

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"There are no midterms. There are no primaries. There are no sell-by dates for Iran," Miller said. "And Trump has a sell-by date."

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

For now, both sides appear to be waiting for the other to lose the political will to sustain the standoff, with global energy markets caught in the middle.

Iran turns to Putin as US talks collapse, Hormuz standoff threatens global oil flow

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:27:00 -0400

Iran’s foreign minister met with Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday as U.S.–Iran negotiations appeared to collapse, raising the risk of further escalation in the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global oil choke point.

Abbas Araghchi arrived in Moscow for talks with Putin as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between Iran and Washington remain stalled.

"We see how courageously and heroically the people of Iran are fighting for their independence, for their sovereignty," Putin said at the meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, according to Russian state news agencies.

"The significance of this conversation is hard to overestimate in terms of how the situation around Iran and in the Middle East is developing," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier.

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The visit comes just days after Araghchi held talks with Pakistani mediators, where he said Iran had shared its position on ending the war but questioned whether the U.S. was "truly serious about diplomacy."

President Donald Trump has pushed back sharply on that characterization, signaling Washington believes it holds the advantage.

The meeting comes at a pivotal moment, as tensions at sea intensify and scrutiny grows over Russia’s role following reports Moscow may have shared intelligence with Tehran during the conflict.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth warned in March that Russia "should not be involved" in the escalating war, as reports emerged suggesting Moscow may be providing intelligence to Iran on U.S. military positions in the region.

U.S. officials say they are closely tracking any potential intelligence-sharing between Russia and Iran, while downplaying the confirmed operational impact. Still, the possibility of Russian support — whether through intelligence, technology transfers or other assistance — has raised concerns that Moscow could indirectly influence the battlefield without committing forces.

Araghchi has acknowledged that Russia is assisting Iran "in many different directions," though he has not publicly detailed the scope of that cooperation.

Russia has positioned itself as a potential mediator in the conflict, offering to help restore calm following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran — actions Moscow has publicly condemned.

The Kremlin also has proposed storing Iran’s enriched uranium as part of a potential effort to ease tensions, though the U.S. has not taken up the offer.

The outreach comes as ties between Moscow and Iran have deepened in recent years. Iran in 2025 finalized a 20-year strategic partnership agreement with Russia, which is building two additional nuclear reactors at Iran’s Bushehr facility — the country’s only nuclear power plant.

At the same time, Iran has supported Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, supplying Shahed drones that Moscow has used in strikes against Ukrainian targets.

"If they want to talk, all they have to do is call," Trump said over the weekend, adding that the U.S. has "all the cards."

Trump also has pointed to what he described as "tremendous infighting and confusion" within Iran’s leadership, arguing Iran is under internal pressure as the conflict drags on.

The president canceled a planned trip by special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Pakistan, where they had been expected to participate in mediated talks with Iranian officials.

Trump said the trip would have been a waste of time, arguing there was no reason for U.S. officials to make an 18-hour flight when negotiations could take place remotely.

Both sides have since traded blame for the breakdown in talks, with Iran accusing the U.S. of making "excessive demands," while the Trump administration has insisted Iran must return to negotiations on U.S. terms.

Attempts at mediation, including efforts in Pakistan, have failed to produce progress, with both sides refusing to compromise on core issues such as Iran’s nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

As diplomacy falters, the confrontation has increasingly shifted to the water.

The U.S. has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian shipping, while Iran has restricted and at times threatened traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a high-stakes standoff over one of the world’s most vital energy corridors.

Roughly one-fifth of global oil supply passes through the narrow waterway, making disruptions there a direct threat to global markets.

TRUMP SEEKS WARSHIPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Oil prices already have risen as tensions escalate and shipping traffic declines amid uncertainty over whether the strait will remain fully open.

Iran has floated a potential off-ramp, proposing to reopen the strait if the U.S. lifts its blockade and agrees to defer nuclear negotiations — a framework the Trump administration has shown little willingness to accept.

At the same time, Iran’s outreach to Moscow is drawing renewed scrutiny over Russia’s role in the conflict.

Araghchi has acknowledged that Russia is assisting Iran "in many different directions," though he has not publicly detailed the scope of that cooperation.

The meeting with Putin now signals Iran may be seeking to deepen that relationship as leverage — or as an alternative diplomatic channel — as direct talks with Washington falter.

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With both sides dug in and pressure building at sea, the conflict is increasingly defined by a three-way dynamic: stalled diplomacy, rising military risk in the Strait of Hormuz and the growing question of how far Russia is willing to align itself with Iran.

Analysts warn that without a breakthrough, the standoff risks sliding further toward a broader confrontation — with global economic consequences tied directly to the fate of the world’s most important oil transit route.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital has reached out to the Iranian mission to the United Nations, the Russian embassy and the White House for comment.

Trump shares details on 'very sick person' who fired shots at White House Correspondents' Dinner

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 20:57:35 -0400

President Donald Trump held a press conference from the White House late on Saturday evening after he was rushed from the stage of the White House Correspondents Dinner during a shooting incident.

Trump said the incident was "incredibly acted upon by Secret Service and law enforcement." He said one Secret Service officer was shot at a "very close distance" but was wearing a "very good bulletproof vest." The agent is in good condition.

"He has very high spirits. And we told him we love him," Trump said.

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Trump added that the Washington Hilton, which hosted the dinner, is "not a particularly secure building" and said it underscored the need for a White House ballroom.

"It's much more secure. It's got, it's drone proof. It's bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom. That's why Secret Service, that's why the military are demanding it."

Trump added that the ballroom where the dinner was held, however, was "very, very secure." "The ballroom was sealed."

"[The suspect] charged from 50 yards away, so he was very far away from the room," he told reporters.

"He was really moving. And the reaction time was great. Boy, those guys, they had their guns drawn literally. By the time he was there, they were shooting."

Trump went on: "He had a long way to go. That was really a first line of defense. And they got him. And they really, you know, they acted incredibly."

He said the shooter is in custody and law enforcement is "asking him a lot of questions."

"My impression is that he was a lone wolf, a whack job."

He also called to mind the past two attempts on his life.

"As you know, this is not the first time in the past couple of years that our republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin who sought to kill and Butler, Pennsylvania, less than two years ago. You know, although that story and in Palm Beach, Florida, a few months after that, we came close."

Trump said the gunman, who opened fire on the Secret Service after passing through the magnetometers near the Hilton ballroom with a weapon, is a "very sick person."

"I guess he lives in California, and he's a sick person, a very sick person."

Trump earlier said he would leave the event, which would be rescheduled in 30 days. He said he "fought like hell to stay" but law enforcement insisted he leave as a security precaution.

"Law Enforcement has requested that we leave the premises, consistent with protocol, which we will do, immediately. I will be giving a press conference in 30 minutes from the White House Press Briefing Room. The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition. We will be speaking to you in a half an hour. I have spoken with all the representatives in charge of the event, and we will be rescheduling within 30 days," Trump posted on Truth Social earlier on Saturday evening.

"The president will be having a press briefing at the White House in 30 minutes. That is not a joke," White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang said after the incident. She confirmed the dinner would be rescheduled.

The FBI told ӣ��Ƶ that a gunman stormed through the main magnetometer near the entrance of the Washington Hilton ballroom and opened fire. A Secret Service agent was hit in the vest but is in stable condition. The counter-assault team neutralized the threat. Secret Service worked to determine whether there were any other threats and determined there were not, ӣ��Ƶ learned.

The suspect is in custody, the Secret Service confirmed.

Attendees reported hearing shouting, shots fired and several people took cover under tables as Secret Service agents escorted the president, the first lady, Cabinet secretaries and others at the head table out of the room.

Secret Service agents moved into position at the head table with weapons drawn as they scanned the room.

Protesters had gathered outside the Washington Hilton earlier in the evening, though it is unclear whether the two events are connected.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., provided his own account of the incident on X: "Was just at the White House Correspondents Dinner. I was walking down the escalators from the lobby when, at the bottom of the escalators, 2 security people with guns were running through and yelling "watch out for crossfire." I got behind a pillar with another person then slowly snuck out a back exit while hearing more commotion and police. Thank you to Secret Service, Capitol Police, DC Metropolitan Police and all law enforcement for their quick response."

Secret Service chief spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement: "The U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department, is investigating a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The president and the first lady are safe along all protectees. One individual is in custody. The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law enforcement is actively assessing the situation."

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"I was really concerned. I heard shots and everyone jumped down," ӣ��Ƶ' Bret Baier, who attended the dinner, said. "Within seconds the place was filled with Secret Service agents, guns drawn.

Trump was seen being quickly escorted out of the room by security and White House officials tell ӣ��Ƶ Digital both he, the First Lady and Karoline Leavitt are safe at this time.

The incident marked the first violent disruption of the dinner that dates back more than a century.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, R-Fla., credited House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who was shot and seriously wounded during a baseball game in 2017, with ushering him into a secure room.

"I am at the #WHCD. I want to thank law enforcement, Capital police. I personally want to thank Steve Scalise who grabbed me into a secure room," he wrote on X.

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Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., said on X that he, Reps. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., and Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., had left the dinner after the incident. "Pray for our country, pray for our leaders," he said in a video posted to X. "Crazy time."

ӣ��Ƶ Jacqui Heinrich and David Spunt contributed to this report.

US turns to drones after retiring minesweepers to reopen Strait of Hormuz amid Iran crisis

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 06:00:15 -0400

The U.S. is racing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as Iran threatens one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, testing a Navy that has recently retired most of its dedicated minesweepers and is now relying on a smaller fleet of unmanned systems to do the job.

President Donald Trump has warned Tehran against further escalation and signaled the U.S. is prepared to act to keep the strait open, while Iranian forces have laid mines and threatened commercial traffic in the narrow waterway that carries a significant share of global oil.

The confrontation is now testing a weakness in the Navy’s mine-warfare posture. As the U.S. moves to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian mining threats, it is doing so after retiring most of the ships once dedicated to that mission and while still relying on a limited mix of legacy vessels and newer unmanned systems to clear one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

At the current moment, any mine-clearing effort is unfolding amid an active standoff in the strait. The U.S. has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran has responded with attacks on commercial vessels, seizures of ships and threats to close the waterway entirely.

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At least several commercial ships have come under fire in recent days, and both sides have intercepted vessels as they attempt to move through the choke point, underscoring the risks facing any operation to restore traffic.

Iran has tied further negotiations to the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade, while Washington has insisted on security guarantees and reopening the strait, leaving little immediate path to a deal.

The operation comes after a major shift in how the Navy handles mine warfare. The service retired its four Bahrain-based minesweepers last year, ending a decades-long presence of dedicated mine-hunting ships in the Middle East.

At the start of the current crisis, the Navy’s remaining minesweepers were based in Japan, not the Persian Gulf, and newer littoral combat ships equipped for mine countermeasures were not all positioned in the region.

Multiple news outlets have reported Iran has laid at least a dozen mines in the strait, citing intelligence assessments, though some estimates put the number higher.

Now, as the U.S. moves to reopen the strait, some of those assets are being brought back in. Two Avenger-class mine countermeasure ships, USS Chief and USS Pioneer, were tracked sailing west from Southeast Asia toward the Middle East in recent days as preparations for mine-clearing operations ramp up.

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The shift has left the Navy relying on a mix of legacy ships being surged into theater and newer unmanned systems designed to detect and neutralize mines.

"To be honest, that the minesweepers retired was never a concern to me, because we had brought in newer technology," retired Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, who previously commanded the Navy’s 5th Fleet, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

But analysts say the Navy is still working through a transition as it replaces its older minesweepers with newer systems.

"We’re sort of at this nadir of the Navy’s mine sweeping capacity," Bryan Clark, a defense analyst at the Hudson Institute, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

Clark said the Navy has spent years developing unmanned systems to replace legacy ships, but currently has a limited number of those systems available for large-scale operations.

U.S. forces are not sending ships blindly into minefields. Instead, the operation begins with a wave of unmanned systems scanning the seabed to identify potential threats.

Underwater drones — some torpedo-shaped — are deployed in grid patterns to map the ocean floor and detect objects that could be mines, using high-resolution sonar to distinguish them from debris.

"They kind of look like torpedoes and they map the bottom," Donegan said.

In parallel, surface drones tow sonar systems through narrow lanes, while helicopters equipped with sensors scan for mines closer to the surface, allowing the Navy to build a detailed picture of what is actually in the water.

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But identifying mines is only the first step.

"The mine neutralization part is really the long leg of the process," Clark said.

Once a mine is located, operators deploy remotely controlled systems to disable it — either by detonating it in place or puncturing it so it sinks. Even then, the danger is not fully removed.

"You’ve got to then retrieve this thing with EOD personnel," Clark said, referring to explosive ordnance disposal teams tasked with clearing debris that can still pose a hazard to passing ships.

Clearing mines remains a slow and methodical process that can stretch timelines depending on how many devices are in the water and how they are deployed.

The Pentagon has told Congress the effort could take as long as six months, according to a Washington Post report.

Clark said recent war-gaming suggests U.S. forces could identify and begin neutralizing mines within weeks, but fully removing them from key shipping lanes could take significantly longer.

"The finding part, you could do within a couple of weeks," he said, adding that neutralizing mines could take additional time and that removing debris and ensuring lanes are completely safe could extend operations into months.

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Donegan cautioned that timelines are difficult to predict, in part because U.S. forces must first confirm whether mines are actually present in the areas Iran has claimed.

"When somebody says they mined it, you have to go validate if that’s even true, and that takes time," he said.

Pentagon cracks open Biden’s botched Afghan withdrawal as sweeping report readies all the receipts

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:25:27 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: A new Pentagon review of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is set to declassify previously restricted materials from earlier investigations, reopening scrutiny of key decisions made during the Biden administration's botched 2021 exit from the country.

The review, which is planned for release in roughly three months, will include interview transcripts, internal documents and prior findings that officials say were overclassified, according to Pentagon adviser Stu Scheller.

"We plan to declassify all of the documents that we source in this investigation — all the interview transcripts, all the previous investigations that the Biden administration did that have been overclassified," Scheller told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "We’re going to declassify all of it so that everyone can make assessments for themselves."

Unlike earlier reviews that cataloged failures but stopped short of pinning down individual responsibility, this Pentagon effort is examining a broader set of records and conducting extensive interviews with both senior military leaders and rank-and-file troops — a scope officials say could reopen unanswered questions about who made the key decisions during the 2021 withdrawal.

"There will be accountability," Scheller said.

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"We’ve talked to many people, all the key generals… and we also interviewed thousands of young service members," Scheller told ӣ��Ƶ Digital of the report. "One of the things they said was that they didn’t feel like their experiences were validated."

President Donald Trump has repeatedly blasted the previous Biden administration over the Abbey Gate tragedy that killed 13 U.S. service members, calling the 2021 withdrawal "a Biden disaster" and "the lowest point in the history of our country." The administration in May 2025 ordered a new Pentagon review as part of what officials described as his push for accountability.

Scheller’s role in the review marks a striking reversal for a Marine officer who was previously punished after publicly criticizing the military’s handling of the withdrawal.

Then a lieutenant commanding an infantry training unit at Camp Lejeune, Scheller drew national attention in August 2021 after posting a viral video in uniform demanding accountability from senior leaders. He was relieved of command, placed in pretrial confinement and later pleaded guilty at a court-martial.

"I just felt like there wasn't another voice that was going to advocate for the emperor's not wearing clothes," Scheller said. "I didn’t do it haphazardly."

"God was with me on that one. I got through it. Here I am influencing the changes I originally pointed out."

Previous investigations by Congress, the Pentagon and federal watchdogs identified a range of failures in planning and executing the withdrawal, including gaps in evacuation efforts, intelligence assessments and senior-level decision-making.

A Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee report found the State Department failed to develop a plan to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies despite mounting warnings that Kabul could fall, delaying evacuation efforts until the Taliban entered the capital.

The report also said U.S. officials were tracking credible threats of a suicide attack in the days leading up to the Abbey Gate bombing — including intelligence pointing to a potential ISIS-K attack at the airport — but operations at the gate continued.

Those conditions are now being reexamined as part of the Pentagon’s review, including how actions by Marines on the ground were recognized.

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Scheller said his team focused early on the unit stationed at Abbey Gate, where several Marines had been nominated for higher awards that were later downgraded during the approval process.

"They had actually submitted awards that were downgraded. So we didn't create these awards out of nothing," Scheller said. "All seven of these awards were submitted and we had the formal paperwork from the original write-up."

The upgrades affected Marines from Company G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, including cases where commendation medals were elevated to include valor devices and, in one instance, a Bronze Star was upgraded to reflect combat heroism.

The bombing at Abbey Gate killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 150 Afghans, marking the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in years.

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The Biden administration has defended its handling of the withdrawal, arguing the decision ended America’s longest war and prevented further U.S. casualties, while accusing critics of politicizing the issue.

A spokesperson for former President Joe Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Defense Department scientist’s accidental death raises questions as probe into missing scientists grows

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:30:10 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: A Defense Department scientist’s 2022 death, which was ruled an accident, is drawing new scrutiny as federal authorities examine a series of deaths and disappearances involving researchers tied to sensitive government work.

The case comes as federal authorities and lawmakers examine reports involving at least 10 to 11 scientists tied to sensitive government research, including individuals connected to nuclear, aerospace and defense programs.

The cases, which span disappearances, confirmed homicides and unexplained deaths, have drawn attention from the White House and Congress, prompting calls for federal agencies to determine whether any broader national security risk exists.

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One of those cases drawing renewed attention is the death of Jude Height, a longtime Army biochemist whose work placed him within the type of high-level research now under federal review.

Height, 71, died Sept. 9, 2022, after a vehicle rolled backward down a driveway at a home in Chester County, Pennsylvania, striking and trapping him beneath it, according to the local coroner’s office and official records. The death was ruled accidental.

The FBI declined to comment on specific cases, but told ӣ��Ƶ Digital it is "spearheading the effort to look for connections into the missing and deceased scientists. We are working with the Department of Energy, Department of War, and with our state and local law enforcement partners to find answers."

The White House similarly declined to get ahead of its investigation.

"The White House continues to coordinate across the interagency in order to investigate these events and provide transparency to the American people," spokesperson Anna Kelly said.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland for comment. The War Department referred to the Army.

Height spent more than four decades working as a biochemist for the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground’s Edgewood, Maryland, facility, focusing on how nerve agents interact with the human body — work that placed him within the type of national security research now drawing broader federal scrutiny.

His work included findings on Novichok agents, a class of chemical weapons used in high-profile international poisonings, including the 2018 attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom.

"We were working on the next generation of nerve agent therapeutics," Scott Peghan, a biochemist who worked with Height through Army research programs, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

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His final research, published after his death, examined how Novichok agents inhibit acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme critical to nerve function. Height was preparing to present his latest findings at the annual Military Health System Research Symposium at the time of his death.

"He worked on the structure of proteins involved in interactions with nerve agents," Dennis Reuter, a former senior Army scientist who ran a chemical weapons laboratory and oversaw Height’s work for two decades, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "It was very cutting-edge research."

Dr. Emory "Bill" Sarver, a former chief scientist who worked with Height for 25 years, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital his work focused on how those agents bind to key enzymes, including whether those interactions could be reversed — research with implications for both chemical defense and medical treatment.

Nerve agents like Novichok disrupt the body’s ability to transmit signals between nerves, leading to paralysis and, in severe cases, death.

Colleagues said the work required highly specialized expertise and was conducted in a limited number of government laboratories. Height deployed alongside special forces as a civilian scientist to conduct onsite analysis related to suspected chemical weapons.

In 911 audio reviewed by ӣ��Ƶ Digital, the caller appears to say someone "ran him over a couple times," prompting the dispatcher to repeatedly ask who had run him over and whether it had been intentional.

But sworn testimony from Height’s girlfriend — the only person present at the time of the incident — later differed in key respects from the initial police report.

In the crash report, police wrote that the vehicle had been parked "unoccupied, overnight." In her later deposition, the girlfriend said she had driven the car earlier that morning and returned home shortly before the incident.

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The report also stated that Height ran behind the vehicle in an attempt to stop it. In sworn testimony, however, the girlfriend said she did not see him run behind the car, only that she saw him already behind it and falling.

Police further wrote that the vehicle "rolled over (Height) two times." In the deposition, the girlfriend said she did not know whether he was run over more than once, describing instead seeing the car "bounce" as it moved.

Height's former girlfriend did not respond to a request for comment.

Former colleagues who worked with Height for decades say the circumstances surrounding his death have never been fully explained.

"None of us believe the official account. Nothing adds up," said Reuter.

"None of it was well explained," said Sarver.

A source close to Height with law enforcement experience described the crash report to ӣ��Ƶ Digital as "one of the worst accident reports I’ve ever seen," citing inconsistencies in how the incident was documented.

Cases like Height’s have drawn attention as part of the broader review of scientists tied to sensitive government research, though authorities have not indicated that his death is connected to any wider pattern.

The crash report provides a basic account of the incident but offers little detail on how the vehicle moved or how Height came to be under it.

Birmingham Township, Pennsylvania, Police said they handled the initial response, but the investigation — including diagrams and analysis — was conducted by Chester County Detectives, who did not respond to a request for comment.

The death was ruled an accident by the Chester County Coroner’s Office, which listed the cause as multiple blunt force injuries. The autopsy notes it was conducted based on the circumstances provided by investigators.

The coroner’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

A separate autopsy conducted at the request of the family reached a different conclusion, finding the manner of death could not be determined and raising questions about whether the injuries were consistent with the reported accident.

The report described findings as "very strongly suspicious of homicidal violence coupled with an attempt to cover this as an accident," and noted that injuries appeared to occur in multiple phases, with damage to the head and neck described as distinct from trauma to the torso.

The report also referenced puncture-type injuries, though it did not determine how those injuries occurred.

However, the examiner did not make a definitive determination as to the manner of death.

Height’s daughter, Kristin Height, has spent years trying to understand what happened and has implored local law enforcement and the FBI to reopen the case.

Height told ӣ��Ƶ Digital she was not initially notified by authorities of her father’s death and instead learned of it from a former colleague of her father’s.

In sworn testimony, the girlfriend said police instructed her not to contact Height directly.

She’s obtained some records, including the initial crash report, but has struggled to access additional investigative materials.

"I’ve filed requests … and they’ve rejected (them)," she said, referring to attempts to obtain further records.

Family members said Height had, at times, expressed unease related to his work.

"He was kind of concerned about if somebody was like, he was being watched or monitored," his brother Bill Height told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

Height’s daughter said he had expressed concern during the COVID-19 pandemic about working from home and whether bringing government-issued equipment outside secure facilities could expose sensitive information.

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Family members also said Height had raised some concerns about his relationship.

Trump praises ousted Navy Secretary Phelan amid tensions with Pentagon leadership

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:42:37 -0400

Navy Secretary John Phelan was removed from his post after months of tensions with senior Pentagon leadership, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Multiple officials told ӣ��Ƶ Digital both War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg had concerns with Phelan’s leadership, and tensions had simmered for months. One flashpoint came after Hegseth fired Phelan’s chief of staff, John Harrison, in October 2025, according to sources.

Those frustrations were in part fueled by concerns over Phelan’s execution of major shipbuilding programs, one source confirmed.

But President Donald Trump struck a different tone publicly, praising Phelan in a post on Truth Social Thursday afternoon.

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"John Phelan is a long time friend, and very successful businessman, who did an outstanding job serving as my Secretary Of The Navy for the last year," Trump wrote. "John helped my Administration rebuild Sleepy Joe Biden’s rapidly depleted, and almost abandoned, Navy. Now, because of John, and all of the Great Men and Women lovingly and tirelessly involved, we have the strongest Navy in the World — BY FAR!"

Trump added that he would "certainly like to have him back within the Trump Administration sometime in the future" and said Phelan "decided to move on," a characterization at odds with what other administration officials have told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

A senior administration official said Trump and Hegseth "agreed new leadership at the Navy is needed."

The official added that Hegseth informed Phelan of the decision before Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell announced the move in a post on X Wednesday.

The leadership shakeup comes at a critical moment for the Navy, as U.S. forces confront escalating tensions amid a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks and mine threats have disrupted a vital global oil choke point. It also comes as Trump has pushed the Navy into "wartime footing" for expanding the nation's lagging shipbuilding capacity.

Phelan, a billionaire and former fundraiser for Trump, and his wife, Amy, hosted a bridal shower for Donald Trump Jr’s fiancée at Mar-a-Lago in mid-April.

Other Navy insiders described the tensions as more personal, saying Hegseth grew frustrated that Phelan at times bypassed him and took issues directly to Trump.

Phelan declined to comment to ӣ��Ƶ Digital. Hegseth aides could not be reached for comment on the tensions.

Phelan is the second senior level Pentagon official to lose his job in April after Army chief of staff Randy George during the U.S. operation against Iran. His exit also comes amid a broader Cabinet shakeup: Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-Deremer have all departed their roles since March.

Phelan’s departure also comes amid heightened pressure on the Navy to address persistent shipbuilding challenges. The Navy’s Columbia-class submarine program — its top priority — remains behind schedule and over budget, with delivery of the lead vessel now expected to be delayed by roughly 17 months into 2029.

More broadly, major Navy shipbuilding programs have continued to face delays and cost pressures during Phelan’s roughly yearlong tenure, even as he made shipbuilding a central focus of his leadership. He launched reviews of major programs and pushed changes aimed at accelerating production, while the Navy has invested heavily in efforts to address workforce shortages and production bottlenecks, including a $900 million initiative in 2026 to automate submarine manufacturing.

Tensions escalated as Feinberg moved to centralize oversight of major shipbuilding programs, in some cases stripping Phelan of authority over key efforts, according to New York Times reporting citing a congressional official.

Phelan also drew scrutiny in recent days after suggesting the Navy could explore alternatives, such as outsourcing shipbuilding as it grapples with capacity constraints.

"Everything’s on the table," Phelan said at the Sea-Air-Space conference Monday. "We just need to look at it, understand it, understand the implications behind it and decide if we think that makes sense or not."

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Hung Cao, the Navy’s under secretary, has stepped in as acting Navy secretary after Phelan’s removal, bringing a sharply different background and leadership profile to the role. Unlike Phelan, a businessman, Cao is a retired Navy captain and special operations officer who served more than two decades in the military, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, before entering politics and later joining the Pentagon’s civilian leadership.

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Cao has also emerged as a prominent voice within the Trump administration on military culture and readiness, taking a hardline stance on recruiting and force standards.

In a political debate while he was running for the Virginia Senate seat in October 2024, Cao said, "When you're using a drag queen ... to recruit for the Navy, that's not the people we need. What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds."

US drains critical missile stockpiles in Iran war as yearslong rebuild looms

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:48:07 -0400

The U.S. may have burned through roughly half of its Patriot missile interceptors during the conflict with Iran, according to a new analysis, underscoring how even a campaign lasting just weeks can place heavy strain on key munitions stockpiles.

While the U.S. still has enough firepower to sustain operations in the current fight, analysts warn the greater risk lies in a future conflict against a peer adversary.

A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found that U.S. forces used large shares of several critical munitions during the 39-day air and missile campaign, including more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1,000 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSMs). Patriot interceptor use was estimated between roughly 1,060 and 1,430 missiles — more than half of the U.S. prewar inventory.

Exact U.S. munitions stockpiles are classified, and the figures in the report are estimates derived from Pentagon budget documents, historical procurement data and reported battlefield usage.

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Even before the Iran war, U.S. stockpiles of key precision munitions were considered insufficient for a large-scale conflict with a peer adversary such as China. The latest drawdowns have made that gap more acute.

A future war in the Western Pacific would likely require sustained use of the same high-end missiles now being depleted, particularly for long-range strike and missile defense against a sophisticated adversary.

Other high-end systems were also heavily drawn down.

The U.S. is estimated to have used between 190 and 290 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors, which cost about $15.5 million each, and between 130 and 250 SM-3 interceptors, among the most expensive in the arsenal at roughly $28.7 million apiece.

The Navy’s SM-6 missile, which costs about $5.3 million per unit, also saw significant use, with estimates ranging from 190 to 370 fired.

Long-range strike weapons used in the conflict carry similarly high price tags.

Tomahawk land attack missiles cost about $2.6 million each, while JASSMs are priced at roughly $2.6 million per missile. The Army’s newer precision strike missile (PrSM), costing around $1.6 million per unit, was also used in smaller numbers, with estimates ranging from 40 to 70 fired.

Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell denied reports of stockpile shortages.

"America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing," he said in a statement.

"As Secretary Hegseth has highlighted numerous times, it took less than ten percent of American naval power to control the traffic going in and out of the Strait of Hormuz. Since President Trump took office, we have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests. Attempts to alarm Americans over the Department’s magazine depth are both ill-informed and dishonorable."

A Navy official added to ӣ��Ƶ Digital: "The Navy is taking aggressive steps to increase our munitions stockpiles and strengthen the industrial base; as reflected in our FY27 budget request of $22.6 billion, which will fund over 4,600 all-up rounds."

"We are significantly increasing production for our most critical systems, including the Standard Missile, Tomahawk, AMRAAM, and the PAC-3. To support this surge and provide a stable demand signal to our industry partners, we are continuing the multi-year procurements for LRASM and NSM, while initiating new multi-year contracts for the Tomahawk and Standard Missile. We are also working with the Department of War through the Munitions Acceleration Council (MAC), to synchronize efforts across the enterprise to break down barriers and speed up production."

The Pentagon’s latest budget request underscores the urgency: The administration is seeking roughly $70 billion for munitions in fiscal year 2027 — a nearly threefold increase over current levels — as it moves to replenish stockpiles strained by recent conflicts, including Iran and Ukraine. The request includes sharp increases in purchases of key systems used in the war, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, Patriot and THAAD interceptors, and long-range strike weapons.

Iran maintains thousands of missiles and drones, according to Defense Intelligence Agency director Lt. Gen. James Adams.

"Despite significant degradation of Iranian military capabilities through coalition strikes in operation Epic Fury Tehran retains thousands of missiles and one-way attack UAV's capable of threatening U.S. and partner forces throughout the region," he told the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday.

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Despite the heavy expenditures, the U.S. retains enough munitions to sustain operations in the current conflict. The report notes that after heavy use of long-range missiles in the early phase of the campaign, U.S. forces shifted toward less expensive and more plentiful weapons, including Joint Direct Attack Munitions and other short-range systems.

The concern, analysts say, is what comes next.

Rebuilding those inventories will take years. According to the CSIS analysis, delivery timelines for many of these systems range from roughly three to more than five years, factoring in contracting delays, production lead times and manufacturing capacity limits.

That lag comes as global demand for the same systems continues to rise.

Patriot interceptors, for example, are in high demand among U.S. allies, including Ukraine, which has relied heavily on them for air defense. Other partners in Europe and Asia also are seeking to expand their own stockpiles, creating competition for limited production capacity.

The Trump administration has pushed to rapidly expand production of key munitions, with defense contractors planning major increases in output.

Lockheed Martin, for example, is aiming to boost Patriot interceptor production from roughly 600 per year to about 2,000 by the end of the decade, while also expanding THAAD interceptor capacity from under 100 annually to several hundred. RTX has said it will increase Tomahawk production to more than 1,000 missiles per year, a significant jump from recent levels.

But those increases will take time.

In its latest budget request for fiscal year 2027, the Pentagon is calling for a surge in munitions procurement, yet analysts caution that even with additional funding and planned production gains, the defense industrial base cannot quickly replace weapons already expended.

Pentagon officials already had raised concerns about U.S. munitions stockpiles after years of military support for Ukraine.

In 2025, the Pentagon paused shipments of some air defense missiles and other weapons to Kyiv following an internal review that found certain inventories had declined too far.

The strain is already affecting U.S. allies in Europe. U.S. officials have warned that some previously contracted weapons deliveries to European countries — including in the Baltic region — could be delayed as the Iran war draws down American stockpiles.

Leaders in Estonia and Lithuania said they had been informed that delivery timelines for U.S. military equipment were shifting, with some ammunition shipments "put on hold" as Washington works through supply constraints.

One European defense official told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that delays could have longer-term consequences, warning that allies may begin to "rethink" future purchases of U.S. weapons if delivery timelines become unreliable.

The production bottlenecks are not new. The U.S. has faced a backlog of more than $20 billion in approved weapons sales to Taiwan, with delivery timelines for some major systems slipping by years due in part to limited industrial capacity.

During the conflict, the Pentagon moved elements of its THAAD system from South Korea to the Middle East to bolster defenses against Iranian missile attacks, according to multiple reports. The redeployment highlights the tradeoffs facing U.S. planners as they shift limited high-end air defense assets between regions.

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The result is a growing challenge for U.S. defense planners: sustaining current conflicts while preparing for a potentially larger war ahead.

ӣ��Ƶ has reached out to the Pentagon and relevant service branches for comment.

Iran seizes ships in Hormuz as US talks falter after ceasefire extension

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:10:03 -0400

Iran seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz hours after President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire, as confrontations at sea continued under the truce.

Both ships were managed by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the vessels, identified as the MSC Francesca and the Epaminondas, were operating without proper authorization and had tampered with navigation systems, accusations that could not be independently verified. The ships had earlier reported coming under fire near the strait, underscoring the increasingly volatile conditions in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

The Guard attacked a third ship, identified as the Euphoria, which had become "stranded" on the Iranian coast, Iranian media reported.

IRAN FIRES LIVE MISSILES INTO STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TRUMP ENVOYS ARRIVE FOR NUCLEAR TALKS

In a turn of events Tuesday, Trump announced he would extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran. For how long is unclear, but a White House official told ӣ��Ƶ it would be several days.

Despite heavy U.S. strikes that officials say severely degraded Iran’s conventional navy, Tehran maintains maritime capability through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ fleet of fast-attack boats used for harassment and boarding operations in the narrow strait.

"We should think in the thousands," Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital. "If you include very small boats up to more capable fast-attack craft, the total could reach 3,000 to 4,000 vessels."

Those forces have been used to harass commercial ships, force them to stop, and take them into custody. Iranian state media said similar tactics were used when Revolutionary Guard units attacked multiple vessels before escorting at least two into Iranian waters.

The continued attacks highlight a gap between battlefield claims and reality.

In a Truth Social post April 13, Trump said, "Iran’s Navy is obliterated. It is laying at the bottom of the sea," adding that U.S. forces did not need to target Iran’s "little fast-attack boats" because they were not a threat.

TRUMP WATCHES STRIKE ON IRAN-BACKED HOUTHIS IN YEMEN IN NEW WHITE HOUSE PICS AS LARGE-SCALE OP CONTINUES

But those smaller vessels, long a cornerstone of Iran’s asymmetric strategy, are now central to its ability to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The seizures mark the latest escalation in a widening maritime standoff between Iran and Washington.

Both sides have targeted commercial and cargo vessels as part of a broader pressure campaign tied to stalled negotiations. U.S. forces have also moved to seize at least one Iranian-linked vessel in the region, with each side accusing the other of violating the terms of a fragile ceasefire.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for global oil shipments, with roughly 20% of the world’s supply passing through it. Traffic has slowed dramatically as ships reroute or avoid the area amid gunfire, seizures and conflicting directives from both militaries.

In a series of Truth Social posts Tuesday night, Trump claimed Iran privately wants the Strait of Hormuz reopened despite public threats to close it.

"Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day (which is, therefore, what they are losing if it is closed!)," he wrote.

"But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!"

Trump said he agreed to extend the ceasefire at the request of Pakistani officials while waiting for Iran’s leadership to present a unified position in negotiations.

"Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other," he added.

Plans for renewed peace talks remain in limbo, with Iran signaling it may not participate in a second round of negotiations while the U.S. maintains its naval blockade. The blockade remains a key sticking point driving the confrontation at sea.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the naval blockade an "act of war," accusing Washington of violating the ceasefire.

"Blockading Iranian ports is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire. Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation," he wrote on X.

The comments came after U.S. forces moved to seize Iran’s M/V Touska vessel Monday, which Araghchi described as "an act of piracy."

The seizures come as U.S.-Iran diplomacy appears increasingly uncertain, with a planned second round of talks in Islamabad thrown into doubt. Vice President JD Vance, who had been expected to lead the U.S. delegation, remained in Washington after Iran signaled it would not participate, scrapping plans for the delegation to travel to Pakistan.

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The abrupt shift followed a day of mixed signals from Trump, who said Tuesday morning he did not want to extend the ceasefire as its deadline approached, warning time for negotiations was running out. By the afternoon, however, he reversed course and announced he would extend the truce to allow more time for diplomacy.

The reversal has further clouded fragile negotiations.

No date has been set for renewed talks, and Iranian officials continue to insist they will not engage while the U.S. maintains its naval blockade. The confrontation has increasingly shifted from the negotiating table to the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, where the risk of miscalculation is rising.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

ӣ��Ƶ' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.

CIA personnel killed in Mexico crash tied to cartel operation; questions mount over US role

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:26:53 -0400

Mexico’s president is demanding answers after a crash killed two U.S. officials tied to a cartel-related operation, an incident exposing conflicting accounts over American involvement inside the country.

ӣ��Ƶ independently confirmed via a U.S. official that the two deceased individuals worked for the CIA, which declined to comment.

The crash in the northern state of Chihuahua killed two U.S. Embassy personnel and two Mexican officials as they were returning from an operation targeting a clandestine drug lab, according to authorities.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration was not informed of any U.S. presence and has ordered an investigation into whether Mexican sovereignty or national security laws were violated.

MEXICO BROKE INTERNATIONAL LAW WITH THE CARTELS AND AMERICANS SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES

"We were not aware of any direct work or coordination between the state of Chihuahua and personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico," Sheinbaum said Tuesday at a news conference, adding her government is seeking information from both local authorities and the United States.

She stressed that Mexico does not permit joint operations with foreign governments, saying cooperation is limited to intelligence-sharing "within a clearly defined framework … in keeping with our sovereignty."

But officials in Chihuahua, Mexico, offered a different account, describing the U.S. personnel as part of routine cooperation with local authorities.

"Two instructor officers from the U.S. Embassy died while carrying out training duties as part of the exchange we generally and routinely have with U.S. authorities," state prosecutor César Jáuregui Moreno said Tuesday at a news conference.

He added the Americans had "always supported us with advisory support and training, as part of our regular exchange."

Experts say those roles often extend beyond the classroom.

"The CIA has been supporting counter-narcotics efforts for some time and works closely with the DEA, the military and partner governments," said Christine Balling, a senior vice president at the Institute of World Politics.

Balling, counterinsurgency expert with experience in Latin America, said the role described as "training" can place U.S. personnel alongside partner forces in operational settings.

"People think training is just in the classroom — it’s not," she said. "These officers would be working with partner forces on things like strategy or technology, including drones.

"It makes perfect sense that they would be on site when an operation is carried out and be vulnerable."

Under Mexican law, foreign security cooperation is generally subject to federal oversight, but, in practice, those relationships can play out at the local level, sometimes without national leaders being directly involved in every operation.

The incident comes as tensions grow over the U.S. role in Mexico’s fight against powerful drug cartels.

President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Mexico to crack down on trafficking groups, while recent operations have relied heavily on U.S. support, including surveillance and intelligence-sharing to locate cartel targets.

But Sheinbaum has drawn a firm line against any unilateral U.S. activity inside Mexico.

Balling said Sheinbaum likely was not aware of the specific mission but faces political pressure to distance herself from any American-involved operations.

"There are domestic political pressures to show that the government is in control and not allowing outside forces to take over," Balling said.

"I would be shocked if she knew the details, unless it was the type of operation that required a president’s sign-off."

It remains unclear what caused the crash, and authorities have not said whether foul play is suspected.

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Officials said the Americans were not involved in the raid itself and had been conducting training work elsewhere before meeting with Mexican investigators after the operation.

Balling said the circumstances may never be fully clear, raising the possibility — without evidence — that cartel involvement could be difficult to confirm publicly.

"It makes perfect sense that they would be on site when an operation would go down and then be vulnerable to whether this was actually an accident or an intentional hit," she said. "I don’t think that would ever be made public."

US falls behind in hypersonic race as China, Russia gain edge

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:48:32 -0400

The U.S. has spent years racing to develop hypersonic weapons to compete with China and Russia, but delays, shifting programs and limited testing capacity are raising concerns that Washington remains in a catch-up phase in a technology that could reshape modern warfare.

Key programs have faced repeated delays, including setbacks in testing and development timelines, while others have been canceled and later revived as the Pentagon reassesses its approach.

At the same time, limited testing infrastructure has constrained how quickly new systems can be evaluated and refined, slowing the pace of development across multiple efforts.

That combination has heightened concern inside the Pentagon, particularly as China and Russia already have fielded hypersonic systems, potentially giving them an edge in a class of weapons that could compress decision-making timelines in a crisis and challenge U.S. defenses.

"Fielding and scaling hypersonic weapons is a top priority for the War Department - and we are delivering at a rapid speed. "Scaled Hypersonics" has been designated as one of the Department’s critical technology areas by Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael to focus resources on delivering cost-effective and lethal hypersonic solutions to the warfighter," a Pentagon official told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

"The Department’s Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) is working to upgrade test facilities and establish new, non-traditional testing locations. Simultaneously, the Department is placing its acquisition system on a "wartime footing" to forge a robust, responsive industrial base capable of rapidly delivering these advanced technologies."

WORLD ENTERS UNCHARTED ERA AS US-RUSSIA NUCLEAR TREATY EXPIRES, OPENING DOOR TO FASTEST ARMS RACE IN DECADES

Hypersonic weapons are designed to travel at extremely high speeds while maneuvering in flight, making them far harder to detect and intercept than traditional missiles.

Unlike ballistic missiles, which follow a predictable path, hypersonic weapons can change direction mid-flight and fly at lower altitudes, reducing warning time and making them more difficult for existing missile defenses to track.

Russia already has used hypersonic-type weapons in its war against Ukraine, in some cases as a signal to Kyiv and its Western allies, underscoring how the technology is beginning to shape real-world conflict.

Inside the U.S. portfolio, however, progress has been uneven. Some programs are advancing toward deployment, others have been canceled and revived, and officials are increasingly balancing investments between building hypersonic weapons and defending against them.

Part of the challenge is technical. Hypersonic systems must survive extreme heat and pressure while traveling at high speeds through the atmosphere—making them more complex to design and build than traditional missiles.

US GENERAL WARNS RUSSIA MAY BE DEVELOPING NUCLEAR ANTI-SATELLITE WEAPON IN ORBIT

In some cases, the Pentagon also has pursued more advanced approaches, including highly maneuverable systems and precision conventional strike capabilities, adding further complexity.

Complicating that effort further is a basic constraint: testing capacity.

With only a limited number of facilities able to simulate or sustain hypersonic speeds, programs often face delays waiting for test opportunities, slowing development across multiple efforts.

Mark Bigham, vice president of defense programs at Longshot, a company that works on hypersonic launch and testing technologies, and a former Raytheon executive, said that constraint has become a key limiting factor.

"People can innovate and create really fast," Bigham said. "And the only way you can sort them out is to actually test them."

He added that only a handful of facilities can test systems at hypersonic speeds, making it difficult to increase the pace of development.

MISSILE DEFENSE RACE SHIFTS TO SPACE AS EXPERTS SAY REAL BATTLE IS IN FIRST MINUTES AFTER LAUNCH

"I would say the testing is probably the bottleneck right now," he said.

Beyond engineering and testing challenges, the U.S. effort has also been shaped by years of shifting priorities.

After leading early hypersonic research in the 2000s, defense spending shifted toward counterterrorism operations and other capabilities, while funding for high-speed weapons remained inconsistent until more recently.

At the same time, strict safety and reliability requirements can slow the transition from testing to deployment, extending timelines compared to adversaries that may field less mature systems more quickly.

The Pentagon’s most advanced effort, the Army’s long-range hypersonic weapon — known as "Dark Eagle" — has made recent progress, including a successful joint Army–Navy test in March and continued fielding of its first operational unit.

That program is part of a broader push to streamline development, including the use of a shared glide body across Army and Navy systems.

Even so, the broader hypersonic portfolio remains in flux.

The Air Force has revived its air-launched rapid response weapon, or ARRW, after shelving the program following test setbacks, requesting roughly $387 million in fiscal 2026 to begin procurement.

The move reflects a reassessment inside the Pentagon, where officials now see a need for multiple types of hypersonic weapons for different missions.

At the same time, the U.S. increasingly is investing in ways to counter hypersonic threats.

In April, the Missile Defense Agency awarded roughly $475 million in additional funding to Northrop Grumman to accelerate development of the Glide Phase Interceptor, designed to destroy hypersonic weapons mid-flight.

The funding has pushed the program’s timeline forward, with initial operational capability now expected in the early 2030s after earlier delays.

The effort is part of a broader push to build defenses against hypersonic threats, including a space-based tracking network designed to detect and follow missiles traveling at extreme speeds—something current radar systems struggle to do reliably.

The urgency stems from the fact that China and Russia already have fielded hypersonic weapons, forcing the U.S. to both accelerate its own development and rethink how it defends against a new class of threats.

"My gut tells me that we need to step on the gas and move faster," Bigham said.

Yet despite that urgency, the administration’s latest budget places greater emphasis on missile defense, drones and other capabilities, with hypersonic programs largely embedded within broader research and procurement accounts.

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That disconnect — between the strategic importance of hypersonics and the pace of U.S. development — has fueled debate over whether the U.S. can scale these systems quickly enough to compete with its adversaries.

For now, the Pentagon’s hypersonic effort is moving forward — but with programs at different stages, revived initiatives and persistent constraints, the path to fully fielding these weapons remains uncertain.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Government Accountability Office review found the Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile program fell about six months behind schedule on a key design milestone, pushing flight testing back by roughly a year and reducing the number of planned test flights. The findings highlight broader delays affecting U.S. hypersonic development.

China-linked route exposed after US seizes Iran-bound ship with suspected dual-use cargo

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:33:10 -0400

An Iranian-flagged cargo ship recently seized by U.S. forces had recently traveled through Chinese ports, spotlighting a supply route now under scrutiny as officials probe suspected dual-use cargo aboard the vessel.

The vessel, Touska, remains in U.S. custody as American forces continue inspecting what maritime security sources told Reuters is likely "dual-use" cargo — materials that can serve both civilian and military purposes — following a voyage from Asia.

Shipping data shows the Touska made multiple recent stops in Zhuhai, a major port in southern China, before transiting through Southeast Asia and heading toward Iran — part of a pathway analysts say has helped Iran sustain trade flows despite U.S. pressure.

The seizure comes as part of a broader U.S. effort to enforce a naval blockade on Iran aimed at pressuring Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane.

LISA DAFTARI: HORMUZ WHIPLASH PROVES TEHRAN CAN'T HONOR ANY DEAL IT SIGNS

The ship had last docked in Port Klang, Malaysia, April 12 and was en route to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas when it was intercepted, a U.S. official told ӣ��Ƶ.

The Touska was seized in the Gulf of Oman, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, as it was approaching Iranian waters Sunday.

Analysts say attempting to transit amid an active U.S. naval presence suggests the cargo may have been a priority.

"It tried to run the blockade, which seems like a particularly foolish thing to do … which would seem to indicate that there was something aboard that ship that they really perhaps needed in Iran," said Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency initiative, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

Powell said the vessel’s route through Malaysia is notable, describing waters near the Singapore Strait as "infamous for ship-to-ship transfers" due to relatively weak enforcement — a tactic that can make cargo movements harder to trace. He added that the ship’s stops in China raise questions about the origin of its cargo, though what was on board remains unknown.

The Touska’s port calls in China come amid prior reporting identifying shipments of dual-use materials from Chinese ports to Iran, though there is no public evidence tying this vessel’s cargo to any specific supplier.

China on Monday criticized the interception, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun warning the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains "sensitive and complex," signaling potential diplomatic friction as attention grows around trade routes linking Chinese ports to Iran.

U.S. forces intercepted the vessel after it ignored repeated warnings to stop, according to U.S. Central Command. The Touska was warned for roughly six hours that it was violating the blockade before the guided-missile destroyer Spruance ordered the crew to evacuate the engine room and fired several rounds into that section of the ship, disabling its propulsion.

U.S. Marines then boarded the vessel and took control without reported resistance.

The Strait of Hormuz blockade, announced after negotiations with Iran broke down, targets vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports and is designed to cut off maritime trade while avoiding direct strikes on Iranian territory.

It is part of a wider military campaign, known as Operation Epic Fury, launched in late February following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. The operation has focused on degrading Iran’s military capabilities while using economic pressure to force concessions at the negotiating table.

The strategy has unfolded alongside a fragile ceasefire, brokered through talks involving Pakistan, which is set to expire later this week. U.S. officials had hoped the pressure campaign — including the blockade — would push Iran toward reopening the strait and advancing broader negotiations.

But the interception of the Touska has underscored how quickly tensions can escalate, raising new questions about whether the ceasefire will hold and whether maritime enforcement actions could derail ongoing diplomatic efforts.

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China, which has positioned itself as a mediator in the conflict and maintains deep economic ties with Iran, has already signaled concern over the seizure, warning that such actions could complicate efforts to stabilize the region and reopen key shipping routes.

The Chinese embassy could not immediately be reached for comment.

Lawmakers demand answers as scientists tied to US secrets die or vanish

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:00:50 -0400

House Republicans are pressing multiple federal agencies for answers about reports that at least 10 individuals tied to sensitive U.S. nuclear and aerospace programs have died or disappeared in recent years, with lawmakers pointing to public reporting that raises questions about a possible "sinister connection" between the cases.

In letters sent Monday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Subcommittee Chairman Eric Burlison, R-Mo., request briefings from the FBI, Department of Energy, NASA and Department of War, citing what they describe as "unconfirmed public reporting" surrounding the incidents.

The lawmakers say the reports involve individuals with connections to "U.S. nuclear secrets or rocket technology" who have "died or mysteriously vanished," and are seeking to determine whether any broader national security risk exists.

"If the reports are accurate, these deaths and disappearances may represent a grave threat to U.S. national security and to U.S. personnel with access to scientific secrets," Comer and Burlison wrote.

An FBI spokesperson told ӣ��Ƶ Digital in response: "The FBI is spearheading the effort to look for connections into the missing and deceased scientists. We are working with the Department of Energy, Department of War, and with our state and state and local law enforcement partners to find answers."

MISSING RETIRED AIR FORCE GENERAL CONSULTED ON UFOS FOR BLINK-182'S TOM DELONGE

In response to earlier outreach, the War Department said there are "no active national security investigations" involving any current or former personnel tied to the reported cases.

The White House has acknowledged the issue but has not confirmed any connection between the incidents.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt recently said officials are working with relevant agencies to gather more information, while President Donald Trump told reporters he had "just left a meeting" on the matter, calling it "pretty serious stuff" and indicating answers could come soon.

The letters cite several individuals whose deaths or disappearances have drawn public attention, including former NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist Michael David Hicks, who died in 2023.

COMER WARNS ‘SOMETHING SINISTER’ MAY BE BEHIND DEATHS, DISAPPEARANCES OF 11 NUCLEAR, SPACE-LINKED SCIENTISTS

Among the more recent cases, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William "Neil" McCasland disappeared from his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home in February. Authorities said he left behind personal items but took his wallet and a firearm, and he has not been located.

NASA materials engineer Monica Reza, who served as director of the Materials Processing Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also remains missing after disappearing during a hike in California in June 2025.

The cases cited in public reporting span a range of circumstances, including disappearances, confirmed homicides and deaths where no foul play has been identified. Authorities have not indicated that the incidents are linked.

Lawmakers also referenced reports suggesting a possible professional connection between some of the individuals through past Air Force–funded research programs involving advanced materials for space and weapons systems, though no confirmed link between the cases has been established.

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Comer and Burlison said the situation warrants further review, requesting staff-level briefings from the agencies by April 27 on any information they have regarding the individuals, as well as the procedures in place to protect sensitive scientific personnel and classified research.

The inquiry spans agencies responsible for nuclear weapons infrastructure, advanced military research, federal law enforcement and space exploration — a wide-ranging effort to determine whether any risk to U.S. national security or personnel connected to advanced research programs exists.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital has reached out to the departments that received letters for comment.

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