AG Bondi pivots on alleged MS-13 leader arrested in VA with move other than prosecution
The Justice Department on Wednesday filed a motion to dismiss its case against a Virginia-based Salvadoran national accused of being an MS-13 leader.
Henrry Jose Villatoro Santos’ only charge in federal court is listed as illegal firearms possession after FBI agents entered his residence in Woodbridge, Virginia — southwest of Washington, D.C. — and confiscated a Taurus, model G2C, 9 mm pistol, as well as three additional firearms, ammunition and two suppressors in a bedroom, according to federal court documents.
“As a terrorist, he will now face the removal process,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News on Wednesday evening.
A Wednesday evening motion to delay the dismissal states that Villatoro Santos’ newly appointed counsel understands “the Government now intends to pursue the deportation of Mr. Villatoro Santos in lieu of prosecution.”
ACCUSED MS-13 LEADER NABBED BY PATEL’S FBI TO REMAIN IN CUSTODY FOR NOW, JUDGE RULES
“The above is a fairly straightforward procedural history,” the defense’s motion, filed by attorney Muhammed Sayed, states. “But in the background of this routine legal process, the United States government, at its highest levels, has been publicly and loudly propagating allegations that Mr. Villatoro Santos ‘is one of the top leaders of MS-13’ and ‘one of the leaders for the East Coast, one of the top in the entire country,’ claims made by Attorney General Pam Bondi at a high-level press conference on March 27, 2025.”
Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel described Villatoro Santos as the top MS-13 leader on the East Coast, during a news conference after his arrest, which they were present for, along with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove.
“He will not be living in our country much longer,” Bondi said at the time.
TOP MS-13 LEADER ARRESTED IN VIRGINIA
“They executed a clean, safe operation, and the bad guy is in custody. And thanks to the FBI, we got one of the worst of the worst of the MS-13 off the streets this morning. Virginia and the country is a lot safer today,” Bondi told Fox News after the arrest.
Authorities found a 9 mm pistol, three additional firearms, ammunition and two suppressors in Santos’ bedroom, according to court documents.
Sayed says the government plans to remove him from the U.S. based on an ICE detainer.
“The danger of Mr. Villatoro Santos being unlawfully deported by ICE without due process and removed to El Salvador, where he would almost certainly be immediately detained at one of the worst prisons in the world without any right to contest his removal, is substantial, both in light of the Government’s recent actions and the very public pronouncements in this case,” he wrote in the filing.
MASSACHUSETTS JUDGE CHARGES ICE AGENT WITH CONTEMPT OF COURT
The Trump administration sent another Salvadoran man with protected legal status to El Salvador by mistake in March.
Federal officials removed Kilmar Abrego Garci from Maryland when the administration sent three planeloads of Salvadoran and Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s “Terrorism Confinement Center” on March 15 for alleged gang affiliations.
The White House maintains Garci was a known MS-13 member.
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“These examples are now becoming an everyday occurance,” Sayed aid of the Abrego Garci case.
Villatoro Santos’ attorneys say the requested delay in a dismissal order will give the defendant more time to seek immigration counsel.
Man who threatened ICE agents, DHS Secretary Noem seen in tears after judge’s ruling
A Texas man charged with making online threats against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was ordered by a judge on Wednesday to remain in jail.
Robert King, 35, who was charged with transmitting interstate threats in federal court on Monday, was ordered to stay in detention by U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver after a hearing in Dallas on Wednesday afternoon, Fox News confirmed.
Toliver said King is a flight risk and a risk to the community, which solidified her ruling, despite his attorney arguing that he had no prior charges, no weapons and had been seeking treatment for mental health issues, including depression and suicidal thoughts.
King was upset by the ruling and was seen crying as he left the courtroom.
TEXAS MAN WHO VOWED TO SHOOT, KILL ICE AGENTS, SAID NOEM SHOULD BE IN ‘GULAG,’ CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT: DOJ
King was arrested in McKinney, Texas, on March 29 after he allegedly posted threats on Facebook towards ICE agents and Noem.
In the first post, King shared a PBS NewsHour article and wrote: “I truly hope, and I mean this with all my heart, that Kristi Noem meets a horrible and agonizing demise I hope she is tried in a war criminal court with the rest of the Nazis when this is all over and I hope she is ripped apart in a gulag. Nothing less for a Nazi scum. This is America now a Nazi fascist state. Disgusting.”
He then threatened to kill ICE agents in a second post, where he described them as “a secret police force with no real legal authority,” adding that he is “opening fire” on them if he sees agents in his neighborhood. A few days later, he doubled down on the threat.
MAN CHARGED WITH MAKING THREATS AGAINST ICE AGENTS, DHS SEC KRISTI NOEM IN ‘ALARMING’ SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
“Just wanna double down on what I said the other day: if ICE comes to your neighborhood, f****** shoot them and kill them. No mercy for the Gestapo,” King wrote, according to federal prosecutors.
During his Wednesday hearing, a government attorney said King’s social media threats came to light through the national FBI tip line.
King was also living with his sister and brother-in-law, who is currently a police officer and a former Customs and Border Protection agent, when he allegedly made the threats, which resulted in him being thrown out of the house.
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King will remain in Kaufman County detention, though his attorney wants to transfer him elsewhere so he has access to mental health and other medications.
American ballerina finally freed from Russian prison in deal secured by Trump admin
Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than a year, is on her way back to the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed early Thursday.
Moscow released Karelina in exchange for German-Russian citizen Arthur Petrov, who was arrested in 2023 in Cyprus at the request of the U.S. on charges of exporting sensitive microelectronics, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States. She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year and President Trump secured her release. @POTUS will continue to work for the release of ALL Americans,” Rubio wrote on X.
AMERICAN BALLERINA ACCUSED OF SPYING STANDS TRIAL IN MOSCOW FOR $51 UKRAINE DONATION
Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian penal colony after pleading guilty to treason for donating $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity in early 2024.
She was initially detained for “petty hooliganism” while visiting family in Russia in February 2024, but the charge was later upgraded to treason after accusations that she was acting as an American spy.
AMERICAN BALLERINA LEFT OUT OF RUSSIA PRISONER SWAP PLEADS GUILTY TO TREASON
Russian authorities claimed that Karelina, who lived in Los Angeles, raised money for the Ukrainian army and took part in “public actions” that supported Ukraine while in the U.S.
Her boyfriend, boxer Chis Van Deerden, told Fox News Digital last year that she was “proud to be Russian, and she doesn’t watch the news. She doesn’t intervene with anything about the war.”
She was left out of a massive August 2024 prisoner swap that resulted in the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva.
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Details surrounding Karelina’s arrival on U.S. soil were not immediately released.
She is the latest American prisoner detained in another country to be freed under President Donald Trump’s administration. In February, Trump brought American history teacher Marc Fogel, who had been detained in Russia since 2021, back to the U.S.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Thursday that countermeasures from the European Union against President Donald Trump’s latest tariffs will be put on hold for 90 days.
“We took note of the announcement by President Trump. We want to give negotiations a chance,” she wrote on X.
“While finalizing the adoption of the EU countermeasures that saw strong support from our Member States, we will put them on hold for 90 days,” she continued. “If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in.”
“As I have said before, all options remain on the table,” Von der Leyen also said.
Von der Leyen said earlier this week that the EU is
“ready to negotiate” with Trump over the tariffs.
The Labor Department is releasing its consumer price index report Thursday and experts believe it will reveal a marginal increase in U.S. consumer prices.
The report will likely only reflect part of the first wave of global tariffs announced by the Trump administration, according to Reuters.
“The March CPI data will feel dated, but should shed some light on how the changing trade environment was already beginning to affect pricing,” Sarah House, a senior economist at Wells Fargo, told the news agency.
Economists surveyed by LSEG are expecting consumer prices to have increased by 0.1% on a monthly basis in March.
Meanwhile, China announced Thursday that its national consumer price index fell by 0.1% year on year in March.
China is accusing the U.S. Thursday of using tariffs “as a weapon to exert maximum pressure for its own selfish gains.”
The criticism comes after Trump announced yesterday that he would be raising tariffs on Chinese imports to 125% effective immediately, citing the country’s “lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets.”
“The U.S. uses tariff[s] as a weapon to exert maximum pressure for its own selfish gains, which severely hurts the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, violates the WTO rules, sabotages the rules-based multilateral trading regime, and destabilizes the global economic order,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said during a briefing.
“The U.S., in defiance of global criticism, is pitching itself against the rest of the world. China has taken necessary countermeasures against the U.S.’s bullying acts in order to safeguard its own sovereignty, security and development interests, and more importantly, to uphold international fairness and justice and the multilateral trading regime, and protect the common interests of the international community,” he added.
Citigroup upgraded its recommendation on U.S. and European equities to ‘overweight’ following President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on most of his levies, Reuters has reported.
There was no immediate clarity on Citi’s previous recommendation on both the regions equities in the note dated Wednesday.
After a tumultuous several days since tariffs went into effect, stocks soared after Trump announced a pause on nations willing to negotiate, while ramping up tariffs on China by 125%.
Reuters and Fox Business’ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump said he’s open to providing exemptions for certain U.S. companies hit especially hard by tariffs through no fault of their own.
“I’ll take a look at it as time goes by. We’re going to take a look at it,” Trump said Wednesday. “There are some that have been hard — there are some that, by the nature of the company, get hit a little bit harder, and we’ll take a look at that.”
When asked by reporters how he would determine which companies might receive such an exemption, Trump responded, “Instinctively.”
“You almost can’t take a pencil to paper. It’s really more of an instinct than anything else,” Trump added. “Some companies, through no fault of their own, they happen to be in an industry that is more affected by these things than others. You have to be able to show a little flexibility, and I’m able to do that.”
President Donald Trump said he has attracted over $7 trillion in private investments since being elected, from companies like Apple, Eli Lilly, and Stargate, as well as countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Japan.
“We have, I would say, more than $7 trillion now… of investments coming in,” Trump
said Wednesday. “Apple is coming in for $500 billion alone. We have other companies coming in with massive numbers. We have car companies that are coming in. No, we’ve never seen anything like it, maybe in the 1940s or 50s or something, but we’ve never seen anything like it.”
Stargate, a project by Softbank, OpenAI and Oracle that involves the establishment of data centers for the further development of artificial intelligence, has committed $500 billion.
Apple also committed $500 billion, according to data from a White House official.
Computing and electronics giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has committed to a $100 billion investment in the U.S., and NVIDIA is in for $200 billion, among other investments.
FOX Business’ Eric Revell and Reuters contributed to this report.
In an unorthodox move Apple has reportedly charted cargo flights to move 600 tons of iPhones to the U.S. from India to beat the effects of President Trump’s tariff, according to Reuters.
The strategy will build up the inventory of iPhones in the United States although analyst say the price of the popular mobile device could still surge due to it’s connection to imports from China.
Sources tell Reuters that approximately six cargo jets with a capacity of 100 tons each have flown out since March. That equates to about 1.5 million iPhones, after accounting for some packaging weight.
India’s Apple shipping increased a 20% increase in usual production at iPhone plants to meet its goal. It added workers, and temporarily extending operations at the biggest Foxconn India factory to Sundays, they added.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio late Wednesday called for the U.S. to strike a deal with China as the two superpowers escalate retaliatory tariffs on one another, sending global stocks into uncertainty.
In a post on X, the billionaire said it was now imperative that all involved parties “reconsider their approaches.”
“There are better and worse ways of handling our problems with unsustainable debt and imbalances, and President Trump’s decision to step back from a worse way and negotiate how to deal with these imbalances is a much better way.”
Dalio’s post comes hours after Trump said he was raising tariffs on Chinese
goods to 125% over Beijing’s “lack of respect” toward America, while pausing and lowering reciprocal tariffs on other countries that were announced just last week. The move came in response to China announcing it was increasing its reciprocal tariff on U.S. goods from 34% to 84%.
To read the full article by Bradford Betz click here.
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., gave an update on the reconciliation process, trade negotiations between the U.S. and Japan as well as China’s retaliatory tariffs.
Hagerty says China “should have seen it coming” on ‘Mornings with Maria.’ The senator believes this is a chance to rectify the situation with China.
“President Trump telegraphed this throughout the campaign. He wants to rectify the situation with China. There’s an opportunity here as well,” said Hagerty.
He also noted that China did not keep its promises on the trade deal that Trump negotiated in his first term.
He spoke about Japan’s involvement too who seemingly is welcoming the president’s pause on the sweeping global tariffs although they have urged the US to review its additional 25% levies on steel, aluminum and car products.
“As you know, Japan’s got a team here today for this week on the ground,” Hagerty said. “I think there’s a wonderful opportunity to see. You know, real breakthroughs in real progress.”
“Our teams know the issues and I’ve encouraged the parties tomorrow to really think broadly beyond just trade but also think about our defense relationship to think about opportunities today. It’s with energy ways that we can make our economies much more integrated, much more harmonized,” he said.
China has added a 50% retaliatory tariff on U.S. imports deepening a trade war currently shaking up global markets.
The addition of 50% brings the total tariff to 84%. President Trump’s latest round of tariffs took effect Wednesday when he announced a 104% levy on Chinese goods.
The new levies apply to all US products entering the country.
China’s finance ministry announced the charges would take effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.
“The US’s practice of escalating tariffs on China is a mistake on top of a mistake,” a statement from the ministry said.
China claims they want the U.S. to “properly resolve differences with China through equal dialogue on the basis of mutual respect,” the statement said.
Georgia doctor’s $30 million defamation suit against NBC settled in court
NBCUniversal has finalized its defamation settlement with a Georgia doctor who was repeatedly called a “uterus collector” by MSNBC.
NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News and MSNBC (the latter is currently being spun off as a separate company), settled the $30 million lawsuit filed by Georgia gynecologist Dr. Mahendra Amin. Amin who was the subject of a report claiming he performed unnecessary hysterectomies at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center.
Both parties struck the settlement in February, but the lawsuit was officially dismissed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. The terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed.
MSNBC PARENT COMPANY NBCUNIVERSAL SETTLES ‘UTERUS COLLECTOR’ LAWSUIT AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES TRIAL
“We are pleased that Dr. Amin is able to move on from his years-long litigation against NBCUniversal,” Amin’s attorneys, Stacey Evans and Scott Grubman, told Fox News Digital. “It is unfortunate that he had to sue to get confirmation of what was known all along—that he did not perform mass hysterectomies on women detained at Irwin County Detention Center. We are glad that the judge found those statements false as a matter of law because, in fact, Dr. Amin performed only two hysterectomies, both of which were medically necessary and consented to by the patients.”
“Dr. Amin is a dedicated physician who has dedicated his entire career to serving underserved communities. The recklessness of NBCUniversal to try to paint him as an evil doctor was disgusting and we are glad they finally settled the case,” they added.
Representatives from NBCUniversal and MSNBC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
JUDGE SAYS MADDOW, OTHER MSNBC HOSTS MADE ‘VERIFIABLY FALSE’ STATEMENTS ABOUT DOCTOR SUING FOR DEFAMATION
Amin was the subject of an NBC News article in September 2020, which cited a whistleblower’s claim that he was performing unneeded hysterectomies while providing medical care to women detained at the Irwin County Detention Center.
MSNBC quickly followed with a series of on-air reports on “Deadline: White House,” “All In with Chris Hayes” and “The Rachel Maddow Show,” all running with the “uterus collector” label for Amin.
Amin filed a lawsuit against parent company NBCUniversal, alleging he was falsely portrayed as “an abusive, unethical, and dishonest physician who treated and operated on immigrant women in an abusive fashion, without consent, and motivated by profit instead of quality healthcare.”
JURY FINDS CNN COMMITTED DEFAMATION AGAINST NAVY VETERAN, SETTLEMENT REACHED ON PUNITIVE DAMAGES
Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the Southern District of Georgia previously ruled that a jury could reasonably find actual malice and the trial was set to begin April 22, in Waycross, Georgia. In light of the settlement agreement, the court canceled the scheduled trial.
“NBC investigated the whistleblower letter’s accusations; that investigation did not corroborate the accusations and even undermined some; NBC republished the letter’s accusations anyway,” Judge Wood wrote last year in a 108-page summary.
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Amin believed “false and defamatory” statements published with actual malice that caused him significant damage were said six times on “Deadline: White House,” seven times on “All in with Chris Hayes” and 10 times on “The Rachel Maddow Show.”
MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes and Nicolle Wallace were among potential witnesses if it reached trial, along with NBC News reporters Jacob Soboroff and Julia Ainsley, MSNBC producer Denis Horgan, senior director of stands and practices Mary Lockhart, deputy head of standards Chris Scholl and others.
Judge Wood previously ruled that multiple statements were proven false, noting “undisputed evidence has established” that “there were no mass hysterectomies or high numbers of hysterectomies at the facility,” “Dr. Amin performed only two hysterectomies on female detainees from the ICDC,” and the doctor is not a “uterus collector.”
Dangerous partnership fuels crime wave surging in America’s neighborhoods
Carjackers targeting luxury vehicles throughout the United States are sending stolen cars to an unlikely destination in an attempt to maximize profits while minimizing the chances of getting caught.
The nation’s capital has served as an unlikely vessel for stolen luxury vehicles in recent years, with Washington seeing the highest vehicle theft rate throughout the country in 2023, according to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
In 2023, carjacking rates within Washington were so high, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) devised an undercover operation to take down an 18-year-old repeat offender who was allegedly working with other teenagers.
POLICE OFFICER REVEALS TIPS TO AVOID CARJACKINGS, REMAIN SAFE IF YOU’VE FALLEN VICTIM TO ONE
Federal prosecutors allege Cedae Hardy orchestrated six separate carjackings alongside several co-conspirators throughout Maryland and Washington, with one attempt ending with a victim being shot multiple times.
Hardy allegedly unknowingly communicated with undercover MPD officers via text message to organize handovers in a downtown parking garage. In one instance, authorities intercepted messages between Hardy and his alleged co-conspirator showing the pair plotting to steal a Mercedes-Benz SL550. Just 22 minutes after the armed carjacking, Hardy arrived at the Florida Avenue Garage in downtown Washington. The vehicle was sold two days later to an undercover officer for $1,200, according to the Department of Justice.
Hardy is facing multiple felony charges and has also been tied to an additional conspiracy ring responsible for dozens of alleged carjackings, with one incident resulting in a victim being shot to death.
An attorney representing Hardy declined Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Hardy, along with several other teenage defendants, allegedly conspired to commit 33 carjackings between December 2022 and June 2023, according to the DOJ.
CALIFORNIA COUPLE HIKES UP HAWAII VOLCANO TO ESCAPE CARJACKING, ROBBERY
Prosecutors allege Hardy, along with Keyonte Rice, 19, Landrell Jordan III, 19, and Malik Norman, 20, conspired to carjack victims and sell the stolen vehicles or use them for future crimes.
In one instance, Hardy and Rice allegedly shot a 39-year-old man to death in a failed carjacking attempt in a Maryland apartment complex parking lot. According to prosecutors, the pair were driving a vehicle from a separate armed carjacking and allegedly set the victim’s car on fire hours after the murder.
“[My client] has pleaded not guilty,” attorney Robert Jenkins, who is representing Norman, told Fox News Digital. “I don’t believe that the government will be able to establish that Mr. Norman participated directly in the use of any violence or the taking of any vehicles through any carjackings. I think the allegation against Mr. Norman is [he] may have at one point in time become in possession of certain vehicles that may have, at one point in time, been stolen through carjacking. But Mr. Norman himself never possessed any firearms, never confronted anyone for the purpose of seizing their vehicle and did not participate directly in any of those activities.”
The attorneys for Rice and Jordan did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
CONNECTICUT MAN PUNCHES PREGNANT WOMAN IN VIOLENT CARJACKING ATTEMPT AT DUNKIN’ DONUTS DRIVE-THRU
“Soft-on-crime policies in major cities like Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles are the tail that wags the dogs when it comes to stolen high-end cars,” attorney Andrew Stoltmann told Fox News Digital. “When the thieves know they either won’t get caught, or if they do get caught the penalty will be a de minimus slap on the wrist, it provides a green light for them to operate with impunity when it comes to stealing luxury cars.”
The rise in carjackings marks a stunning statistical reversal amid the pandemic, with reports of offenses nearly quadrupling between 2020 and 2021.
Last year, New Jersey officials announced 29 individuals were charged after federal and local officials joined forces to execute a takedown of a “major international carjacking and stolen car trafficking ring,” according to ICE.
The group allegedly operated within the Northeast, targeting luxury vehicles – specifically high-end SUVs – by holding victims at gunpoint or bumping the vehicles on a highway, forcing owners to exit their cars.
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“The more we learn about the sophisticated pipeline between the supply and demand for stolen luxury cars, the better we can choke off that route and disrupt the flow,” Col. Rick Fuentes, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said in a press release. “The scope of those arrested and charged shows just how organized this dangerous criminal enterprise had become.”
The carjackers targeted vehicles at car washes, valet stations and airports, looking for victims who may have got out of their car while leaving the engine running. The thieves would then obtain the electronic key fob for the vehicle – critical to the resale value – and make their escape.
Once a vehicle was stolen, the carjackers would move it to a location to ensure no tracking devices were installed, primarily storing cars in parking garages, residential backyards or private storage areas.
Throughout the sting, titled Operation Jacked, roughly 140 of the 160 vehicles recovered were found at ports throughout New York or New Jersey.
VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS ALLEGEDLY CARJACK OFF-DUTY NYPD OFFICER’S PERSONAL VEHICLE AT GUNPOINT: REPORT
While some cars were sold within the U.S., most were shipped internationally to West Africa via shipping containers with misrepresented bills of lading.
“Think of it as criminal arbitrage,” Stoltmann said. “They can get significantly bigger profit margins overseas than they can here in the United States, even given the costs of shipping these cars halfway across the world. Crucially, there are virtually no penalties whatsoever if they get caught in possession with a United States stolen car in Africa.”
The Port Authority of New Jersey directed Fox News Digital to ICE for additional information.
Once the vehicles make their way overseas to Africa, they become virtually untraceable while entering a network of commerce where stolen cars are in high demand.
In response to the influx of stolen vehicles traveling across borders, Interpol has ramped up efforts to combat the sale of cars traveling from America and Europe by increasing the efficacy of entry checks, according to the agency.
SUSPECTS ON LOOSE AFTER CARJACKING CAUGHT ON VIDEO, WOMAN’S REMAINS FOUND IN BURNED SUV
However, officials’ ability to track the number of cars flowing into the country remains unknown, with stories of local gangs working alongside law enforcement within Africa to transport the stolen vehicles into countries there for profit, according to a 2022 report published by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.
Vehicles are registered with a VIN number upon arriving in West Africa, but vehicle laundering hubs throughout the region offer scammers the opportunity to alter the identification number or purchase counterfeit registration paperwork. One known hub in Birnin Konni in Niger sells fake license plates for just $16, with fake vehicle titles costing as little as $2.50, according to the report.
“Stolen vehicles are a business that involves numerous people who seem far from suspicious, such as traders, garage owners and mechanics, and even political leaders, in the sense that they may benefit from the sales,” a former Niger car thief said in the report.
MAN ACTED AS ‘HUMAN SHIELD’ FOR GIRLFRIEND DURING DC CARJACKING, SHOT 5 TIMES
Back home in the U.S., unlikely criminals are carrying out these transnational crimes.
In Washington, 49% of reported carjackings this year have been committed by juveniles, with 78% of offenders having home addresses within the local area, according to data from MPD.
“Theft rings typically recruit younger people because they know if they do get caught, they will likely be sentenced as a minor, which has much less severe consequences for those who get caught,” Stoltmann told Fox News Digital.
The majority of this year’s arrests by the MPD have consisted of teenagers, with the youngest offenders just 12 years old.
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“These are organized rings, and they recruit people, and it’s much easier to recruit younger people when they know the penalties are so minor for getting caught,” Stoltmann said.
As carjacking incidents throughout the country continue to climb – with 1,020,729 reported incidents in 2023 – experts are discovering new methods being used by thieves.
RFID cloning disks or the Flipper Zero Device have the ability to replicate radio signals emitted by key fobs, with criminals using tracking devices to follow vehicles they are interested in stealing, according to the NICB.
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“Vehicle crimes have surged across the nation since the start of the pandemic, especially in dense urban areas,” an NICB spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Even though this past year we’ve seen a 17% decrease in vehicle thefts, we’re still not yet at pre-pandemic figures, and some areas hit harder than others are still experiencing significant highs in all types of auto thefts.”
The NICB suggests drivers protect themselves and their cars by parking in well-lit areas, not leaving a running vehicle unattended, and calling law enforcement as soon as possible if their vehicle is stolen.
White Sox lose in bizarre fashion after tying run gets hurt trying to score
The Chicago White Sox are back to their old ways.
After losing the most games in MLB history last season, the Southsiders lost a heartbreaker to their AL Central rivals Cleveland Guardians, 3-2, in a way only the White Sox could.
The game is almost guaranteed to be over when Emmanuel Clase comes in, but the All-Star closer did not have his best stuff.
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Cleveland led, 3-1, going into the top of the night, but Clase loaded the bases, putting the tying run in Mike Tauchman on second base.
Miguel Vargas then put a dribbler through the left side of the infield, scoring one run. With two outs, the White Sox sent Tauchman in to try and tie the game.
However, in just his third game of the season following a return from the IL due to a right hamstring injury, Tauchman re-injured his leg.
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Tauchman pulled up about halfway down the line and totally put on the brakes when he was tagged out, giving the Guardians the victory.
Tauchman threw his helmet on the ground in anger, as the White Sox fell to a measly 2-9. They have lost seven in a row after a 2-2 start.
The loss came just a day after they lost, 1-0, on a walk-off walk.
The Sox announced Tauchman was dealing with hamstring tightness, and he is being further evaluated.
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Chicago went 41-121 last year, which comes out to a .253 winning percentage. Right now, they are on pace to win just 29 games.
Wife of American rock band bassist shot by police then booked for attempted murder
Weezer bassist Scott Shriner’s wife, Jillian Lauren Shriner, was shot and wounded by Los Angeles police officers after she allegedly pointed a gun at authorities Tuesday.
According to a press release issued by the LAPD, multiple officers responded to a request for backup “locating three misdemeanor hit-and-run suspects who fled into a residential neighborhood” Tuesday afternoon.
When the officers were in the rear of a home where a suspect was last seen running, they saw a female, who was later identified as Shriner’s wife, in the yard of a nearby home.
According to the press release, Jillian, 51, was armed with a handgun and was ordered to drop the weapon “numerous times” by law enforcement.
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“However, she refused,” according to the LAPD.
“However, she refused.”
Jillian then allegedly pointed her gun at the officers before police shot her.
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She retreated back inside her home, later exiting and being taken into custody, according to the LAPD. LAFD paramedics transported Jillian to a hospital, where she was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
According to the LAPD, Jillian was not involved in the hit-and-run and was booked in absentia for attempted murder. A 9mm handgun was recovered from her home, according to police.
No officers were injured during the shooting.
Jillian’s bail was set at $1 million by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
Weezer, which includes Shriner, Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson and Brian Bell, was recently announced as a surprise performer at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival that kicks off April 11. The band is scheduled to perform Saturday.
A rep for Weezer did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Scott and Jillian tied the knot in 2005. They have adopted two children together, according to Page Six.
Jillian is an author who has published books, including “Some Girls: My Life in a Harem” and “Behold the Monster: Confronting America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer.”
In March, Jillian took to Instagram to share news about her health.
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Flight passenger calls out traveler who caused plane to break out in fits of coughing
A flight passenger said a woman was spraying cleaning disinfectant all over her seating area of the plane — prompting other flyers to break out in fits of coughing.
In the forum “r/delta” on Reddit, the post was titled, “Spraying,” as the user shared that a woman was sitting in the middle seat and was asked to get up so the user could claim the window seat.
“She then pulled out a spray bottle of Lysol. Now, I want to say that I am with sanitizing your own space. Airplanes are dirty, specially with the new trend of releasing yourself at your seat,” read the post.
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The user continued, “But, this lady sprays the air, the back of the seat in front of her, and pulls down the tray table to spray it too. People all around are coughing it was so much.”
“What are we doing?!?! Should I bring Febreeze as well,” the user asked.
Reddit users took to the comments section to discuss if it was appropriate for the woman to spray the disinfectant.
“How did she get a spray bottle of Lysol through TSA,” asked one user.
A Redditor commented, “I would have gone into an asthma attack so fast, it wouldn’t even be funny.”
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“She should have used Lysol/Clorox wipes. They affect only your own space, don’t count as liquids, and you’re not disturbing the person around you,” suggested a user.
Another user joked, “I suggest traveling in a full space suit just to be safe.”
“If they boarded early, that would have been the time to spray, or better yet, use wipes,” a Redditor said.
One user said, “I bring wipes and wipe my area. I would never spray around others. So rude. You could send someone into an asthma attack.”
“I would never spray around others. So rude.”
Fox News Digital asked Delta Airlines about its cleaning protocols.
“Cleaning crews perform extensive manual cleaning procedures to wipe down cabin surfaces, including seats, consoles, seatback screens, windows, doors, lavatories and other high-touch areas of the cabin,” a Delta spokesperson responded.
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The spokesperson added, “Aircraft[s] undergo regularly scheduled deep cleaning in key stations, both domestically and internationally, with a focus on hard-to-reach areas onboard using specialized tools.”
Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog “View From the Wing,” told Fox News Digital that passengers should be mindful of others.
“Passengers have a zone of personal space on the plane that roughly corresponds to the area of their seat,” said Leff.
“Within that space, there are all [types] of behavior that might come under criticism (usually in the realm of personal hygiene and grooming), but it really comes down to the discretion of the individual,” he added.
Leff suggested using disinfectant wipes to sanitize flyers’ seat areas, since with airflow and filtration will spread smells, sprays, or perfumes.
“To broaden the lesson a bit, don’t bring stinky foods on the plane, either!” Leff added.
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“Some airports sell barbecue, but saucy ribs aren’t a great idea. Neither is Chinese food to go,” Leff added.