All articles tagged with #fbi
The FBI is reportedly concerned about a surge in death threats against Bruce Springsteen during his politically charged Land of Hope and Dreams tour, prompting increased security as his performances draw anger from MAGA crowds; guitarist Steven Van Zandt says threats have risen and the tour has added safety measures to protect fans.
An American journalist living in China, Thomas Pauken II, was charged with acting as an agent for the Chinese government without registering with the U.S. attorney general. Prosecutors say he prepared confidential reports for a Chinese handler who claimed they would pass them to Xi Jinping and even arranged a contact with a U.S. official that Pauken hoped would relay information to China, offering a $10,000 bonus for reports. Pauken was arrested in February; a pre-indictment plea hearing is scheduled. DOJ officials say the case centers on work for a foreign government without proper paperwork rather than spying. Pauken writes under the pseudonym Tom McGregor and is the son of GOP figure Tom Pauken; he allegedly used his Chinese contacts to pursue information and avoided disclosing his activities, with the FBI monitoring key meetings after his return to the U.S. The government has charged one felony count under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which carries up to 10 years in prison.
Two white supremacist attackers killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego and then died by self-inflicted gunshots. One attacker, Caleb Vazquez, had previously been flagged by the FBI as a potential threat, and authorities had seized firearms from his father a year earlier due to concerns over Nazism and mass‑shooting admiration; investigators say the attackers were radicalized online, and a large cache of weapons was found in the home amid a broader pattern of hate.
Two teenage gunmen armed with handguns and rifles stormed the Islamic Center of San Diego, killing a security guard who sacrificed his life protecting worshippers; the suspects died from self-inflicted gunshots as police arrived. Investigators say they were radicalized online and left a manifesto, with about 30 firearms recovered in searches. The FBI and local authorities continue to probe motives and target considerations.
Investigators say two teens, Cain Lee Clark (17) and Caleb Liam Vazquez (18), were radicalized online before killing three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego and then taking their own lives; a manifesto and writings found in their belongings indicate broad religious and racial animus. About 30 guns and a crossbow were recovered from the suspects’ homes, and a security guard who confronted them and two mosque members were killed; authorities are investigating the incident as a hate crime. The victims—Mansour Kaziha, 78; Nader Awad, 57; and Amin Abdullah—were praised for their actions, and a vigil is planned as the community processes the tragedy.
A Miami attorney, Francisco Gonzalez, his influencer daughter Gabriela Gonzalez, and Kai Cordrey are charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and solicitation to commit murder for allegedly plotting to hire a hit man to kill ex-boy band member Jack Avery through the dark web; the FBI, in an undercover sting, intervened after about $14,000 was paid. Gabriela and Avery have a custody dispute, Avery is the target, and Gabriela was arrested with Francisco in Florida while Cordrey’s status remains unclear.
Two teenagers, ages 17 and 18, who met online, killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego before dying by suicide; authorities found writings showing broad hatred toward various religions and races, recovered about 30 firearms and a crossbow, and are investigating whether they had broader plans, amid rising anti-Muslim sentiment. A security guard, Amin Abdullah, was among the victims.
A shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the city’s largest mosque, left at least one person dead. Two suspects, believed to be 17 and 19, were found dead in a car near the scene. Police say the incident is being treated as a hate crime for now and the FBI is assisting. A security guard was killed; a nearby Islamic school was placed on lockdown. Authorities say the threat has been neutralized and the investigation is ongoing.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen pressed FBI Director Kash Patel to take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test under oath during a Senate hearing; Patel agreed to take it, and Van Hollen later took the test himself to illustrate that the results depend on honesty, criticizing Patel for lying in testimony and arguing he should be removed for reasons including weaponizing the FBI.
Maurene Comey gains permission to proceed with a lawsuit against the DOJ over her firing as a federal prosecutor, while James Comey faces an indictment in North Carolina for an Instagram post deemed a threat to the president; both are slated for late‑May pretrial conferences, illustrating a high‑profile clash with the Trump‑era DOJ.
The 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has been missing for over 100 days in Tucson, AZ, with investigators reporting no new leads and only limited evidence (hair strand, glove, doorbell footage of a masked man). Savannah Guthrie has publicly pleaded for information as the FBI offers a $100,000 reward; the case remains under the joint care of the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and federal authorities, with no private investigator hired.
Authorities in Everman, Texas identified the remains of 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, who disappeared in 2022, after an excavation of his former home and dental records confirmed the identity. His mother, Cindy Rodriguez Singh, was indicted on capital murder and related charges after fleeing to India with family and was extradited back in 2025, but was found incompetent to stand trial and ordered to a state hospital in 2026; the case has highlighted concerns about Noel's care and the impact on the community.
FBI Director Kash Patel is under scrutiny after reports he joined a “VIP snorkel” tour around the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor during a Hawaii stop last summer, with officials describing it as a historical tour tied to national security engagements, while critics question mixing official travel with leisure.
The Justice Department charged Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national and senior Kata’ib Hizballah operative tied to Iran’s IRGC, with six terrorism-related counts for directing and aiding attacks across Europe and the United States, including plots against U.S. targets and Jewish institutions. He was arrested overseas, transferred to U.S. custody, and faces significant prison time. The case, pursued by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and DOJ components, underscores ongoing efforts to dismantle foreign terrorist organizations and their leaders.
The FBI is offering a $200,000 reward to locate Monica Elfriede Witt, a former U.S. Air Force specialist accused of spying for Iran.