Connect with us

UsaLocalNews

Feds hunt mystery drone thieves who swiped 15 sprayers that Army warned could be weaponized

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Federal agents located and recovered 15 industrial drones capable of dispersing large amounts of liquid chemicals after they were stolen from a New Jersey company, according to officials.

Fifteen Ceres Air C31 industrial spray drones were stolen from CAC International, a logistics and shipping company in Harrison, New Jersey, on March 24, according to The High Side Substack, with one expert warning the theft could become a “nightmare scenario.”

LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST

HSI agents looking at drones.

Homeland Security Investigations Newark said on Wednesday that the drones were recovered in Dover, New Jersey, over a month after they were stolen.

The New Jersey State Police said in an earlier statement to Fox News that the drones were recovered at Prudent Corporation, a trucking company that has a warehouse at the location.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB

“On April 27th, the New Jersey State Police Cargo Theft Unit recovered 15 stolen agricultural drones and spray systems. These drones are labeled as agricultural drones due to their specified function as registered crop dusters. The theft occurred on March 24th at CAC International, a logistics and shipping company located in Harrison, NJ. The drones were recovered at Prudent Corporation located in Dover, NJ. This is an active, ongoing investigation that Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol are assisting with. No additional information is available,” the New Jersey State Police wrote.

Former FBI agent Steve Lazarus said the drones could be a danger to the public.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Even common chemicals, used improperly, can be a public safety danger. Throw in the Internet recipes for biological and chemical weapons that anyone with a Tor browser has access to, and this is a potential nightmare scenario,” Lazarus said in an interview with The High Side.

“These aren’t hobby drones with cameras. They’re industrial sprayers designed to carry and disperse significant amounts of liquid quickly and with precision.”

The U.S. Army raised concerns in a 2020 report, stating that such chemical-spraying drones could be used in attacks.

“Such drones are readily available and could be used as a delivery system for chemical or biological attacks,” said the report.

“A UAS [chemical or biological warfare] delivery platform is a definite possibility, especially for developing nations,” the report said.

This is a developing story.

  

Continue Reading

UsaLocalNews

Coast Guard wreck found after century, confirms World War I tragedy that killed all 131 aboard

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The wreckage of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter “Tampa,” which sank in World War I during the largest single American naval combat loss of the conflict, was recently discovered at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean after more than a century.

A British technical-diving team called “Gasperados” found the historic vessel roughly 50 miles off the coast of Newquay, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom, resting at a depth of more than 300 feet.

The volunteer dive team spent three years searching for the wreckage, eventually confirming its identity with the help of the Coast Guard Historians Office, which provided historical records, technical data and archival images of the ship’s wheel, bell, deck fittings and weaponry.

The Tampa was lost on Sept. 26, 1918, just weeks before the end of World War I, when it was struck by a torpedo from the German submarine UB-91 in the Bristol Channel.

Coast Guard cutter Tampa

LONG-LOST WARSHIP DESTROYED BY ICONIC NAVAL COMMANDER DISCOVERED CENTURIES LATER: ‘QUITE REMARKABLE’

The devastating blast caused the ship to sink in under three minutes, leaving no chance for survival.

All 131 people on board were killed, including 111 Coast Guardsmen, four U.S. Navy personnel, and 16 British Navy personnel and civilians.

“Since 1790, the Coast Guard has defended our nation during every armed conflict in American history, a legacy reflected in the courage and sacrifice of the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Tampa,” Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday wrote in a statement. “When the Tampa was lost with all hands in 1918, it left an enduring grief in our service. Locating the wreck connects us to their sacrifice and reminds us that devotion to duty endures. We will always remember them.  We are proud to carry their spirit forward in defense of the United States.”

Tampa’s wreckage

ANCIENT ROMAN SOLDIER’S MONTHLY PAYCHECK UNEARTHED IN PRISTINE CONDITION IN COUNTRYSIDE

The doomed crew came from all walks of life to serve their country, according to the Coast Guard.

In 1999, 81 years after the tragic sinking, the crew members of the Tampa were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

Coast Guard cutter Tampa

This group included 11 Black sailors who became the first uniformed minority Coast Guardsmen to die in combat and receive the Purple Heart.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Coast Guard is developing plans for underwater research and exploration of the Tampa site, coordinating with historians, robotics and autonomous systems and specialized dive teams.

  

Continue Reading

UsaLocalNews

Sexual predator ‘Cookie Monster’ caught in terrified child’s bed during midnight break-in, police say

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A repeat sex offender with a decades-long history of violations is back in custody after a terrifying middle-of-the-night encounter with a child in Omaha, Nebraska.

Lavern Scott, 65, known by authorities as “Cookie Monster,” has been on the sex offender registry since 1987.

Police say early Friday morning, that didn’t stop him.

Officers were called to an apartment near 13th and Leavenworth around 1 a.m. after reports of a naked intruder, according to court documents obtained by WOWT. Investigators said that Scott walked through an unlocked front door, stripped off his clothes and went straight into a sleeping child’s bedroom.

ICE BUSTS SEVERAL CONVICTED CRIMINALS, INCLUDING CHILD RAPIST WHO THREATENED TO KILL 11-YEAR-OLD VICTIM

Lavern Scott mugshot Omaha repeat sex offender arrested after alleged child bedroom break-in

A 9-year-old woke up to a nightmare.

“The suspect then got into bed,” police wrote.

Moments later, the child began screaming.

BRYAN KOHBERGER’S ‘WEIRD’ BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS MAY MAKE HIM BIGGER TARGET THAN JEFFREY DAHMER

Authorities say Scott pinned the child down, locking his legs in and using his feet “as hooks” to hold the child in place.

A family member rushed in and found Scott at the foot of the bed with a bottle of water and lotion, forcing him out before the situation escalated even further.

But the chaos didn’t end there.

NY PROSECUTOR SIDESTEPS SANCTUARY LAW AND COORDINATES ICE ARREST OF GUATEMALAN CHILD RAPE SUSPECT

Omaha Police Department cruiser

Just one block away, police say Scott entered a second home, an Airbnb, claiming it was his. Residents removed him before officers later found him wandering a nearby street corner, wearing nothing but socks.

For law enforcement, this case is about more than one terrifying night, it’s about a pattern.

Scott’s criminal history spans decades. In addition to his 1987 conviction involving a minor, he was convicted in 1999 of attempted first-degree sexual assault. He has also been cited multiple times for indecent exposure and trespassing.

FAMILY WARNED NONPROFIT NOT TO FREE REPEAT OFFENDER WHO ALLEGEDLY KILLED MAN DAYS LATER

And despite being required to register for life, Scott has repeatedly failed to comply.

Records show violations in 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024—totaling 2,777 days out of compliance. His last known registration with authorities was in 2023.

In Douglas County, there are 1,681 registered sex offenders. Authorities say 233 are currently non-compliant — living in the community with little to no supervision.

LIFE-SENTENCED RAPIST WHO CALLED BREAK-IN ATTACK HIS ‘SUPER BOWL’ WINS EARLY RELEASE AFTER JUST A DECADE

Douglas County Department of Corrections building in Omaha, Nebraska where Lavern Scott is being held

Scott was one of them.

“He’s the classic definition of a repeat offender, of a predator,” Sheriff Aaron Hanson said.

Hanson is now sounding the alarm, acknowledging that “the system failed” and is calling for stronger supervision and coordination before another child becomes a victim.

GOT A TIP?

Despite round-the-clock efforts by law enforcement, he said current state laws offer very few real tools to monitor high-risk offenders—leaving dangerous gaps before something like this happens.

The Omaha Police Association echoed those concerns, pointing to hundreds of non-compliant offenders still in the community and the risks they pose.

FOLLOW US ON X

“This is why repeat offenders must be taken seriously,” the organization wrote in a post on its Facebook page.

Officials say tips from the public are critical in tracking offenders. Anyone with information is urged to call the tip line at 402-444-6000.

GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL

The Douglas County Public Defender’s Office told Fox News Digital that Scott is not currently represented by their office and had no comment on the case.

Scott is now charged with attempted sexual assault, burglary and failure to register as a sex offender.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS

A judge set his bond at $1.25 million.

He remains in custody at Douglas County Corrections.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

His next court date is scheduled for June 1.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Omaha Police Department and Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for comment.

  

Continue Reading

UsaLocalNews

Global task force dismantles ‘pig-butchering’ crypto fraud rings preying on Americans

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Officials announced on Wednesday an international law enforcement operation dismantled at least nine overseas cryptocurrency scam centers and resulted in 276 arrests, shutting down illicit networks that have stolen millions of dollars from Americans.

The sweep was coordinated by the FBI alongside police forces in Dubai, China and Thailand.

As part of the crackdown, federal wire fraud and money laundering charges were unsealed in San Diego against six people, including nationals from Burma and Indonesia who allegedly managed operations under names like “Sanduo Group” and “Giant Company.”

Dubai Police apprehended 275 suspects, while the Royal Thai Police arrested an additional fugitive.

A bitcoin machine displaying U.S. PATRIOT Act on the screen.

NORTH KOREA LASHES OUT AFTER TRUMP DOJ EXPOSES MASSIVE IT INFILTRATION SCHEME

“Global crime now faces global justice,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “These scammers thought they were safe half a world away. But their world has changed.”

The foreign fraudsters used a tactic known as “pig-butchering” to drain Americans’ bank accounts. Criminals develop fake friendships or romantic relationships with victims over time, eventually persuading them to deposit funds into bogus cryptocurrency investment platforms.

Scammers constantly touted their fake investment successes to encourage victims to invest even more, pushing Americans to take out loans or borrow money from family. Once the victims transferred their money, the suspects laundered the funds into their own accounts, leaving the victims with nothing.

FBI agents standing in an office with computers and monitors

AI DEEPFAKE ROMANCE SCAM STEALS WOMAN’S HOME AND LIFE SAVINGS

The crackdown aligns with a March 6 executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which directed the administration to use every available tool to crush foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable citizens and drain American families of their life savings.

The investigation was spearheaded by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), established under Executive Order 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.”

The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership heavily focused on eliminating transnational criminal organizations and cartels that fuel instability.

Big Tech and retail leaders seated at a conference table during a meeting

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The FBI’s recent “Operation Level Up” initiative has notified nearly 9,000 victims of similar schemes, successfully saving Americans an estimated $562 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The FBI is urging anyone who has been defrauded by similar schemes to report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

  

Continue Reading

UsaLocalNews

May Day protests to take place Friday as agitators across the US push ‘Workers Over Billionaires’ motto

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Agitators and protesters are expected to gather in cities across the country Friday for May Day, boycotting work, school and shopping in demonstrations driven by the “Workers Over Billionaires” motto.

Nearly 500 organizations are planning more than 750 events, including roughly 200 virtual events, that will take place in New York, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles and other metropolitan cities.

“On May 1, 2026, workers, students, and families rally, march, and take action across the country to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires, with many refusing business as usual through No School. No Work. No Shopping,” May Day Strong, which is the main organizer of the demonstrations, describes the event. 

Protestors holding a May 1 strike sign

May Day’s roots trace back to the 19th Century, when Marxists, socialists and labor unions called for a day of strikes in Paris and later became a national holiday in the Soviet Union after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.

LA HOTEL LEADERS WARN MAYOR BASS’ $30 WAGE MANDATE IS KILLING BUSINESS AHEAD OF WORLD CUP, OLYMPICS

The first May Day protest occurred in 1886, with Chicago at the center of the demonstrations. At the time, several hundred thousand unions, socialists, anarchists and reformers took to the streets to advocate for the eight-hour workday. 

Several days later, the protests turned deadly. 

On May 3, 1886, violent agitators at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company clashed with police, who opened fire on the crowd, killing at least two, according to reports.

ANTI-TRUMP ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST ORGANIZERS TARGET MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL FOR NEXT FLAGSHIP DEMONSTRATION

A wood engraving of the Haymarket Affair

The following day at Haymarket Square in Chicago, an unknown agitator threw a bomb at police, killing one officer instantly and leading to a violent battle that killed several more law enforcement officers and protesters. 

The riot became known as the “Haymaker Affair,” and the events led to the executions and hangings of the Haymarket Martyrs, a trial which is still debated over injustice and controversy today. 

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has already endorsed the events taking place this Friday, saying that “meaningful solidarity and community resistance” are cornerstones of the historic demonstration.

NETWORK FUNDED BY PRO-CCP TECH TYCOON TARGETS PALANTIR AMID ANTI-US PROTESTS THAT SUPPORT THE REGIME IN IRAN

Mayor Brandon Johnson answering questions at Chicago City Hall during a news conference

“Encouraging participation allows Chicagoans to honor our history while advocating for our future,” Johnson said. “We look forward to a day of meaningful solidarity and community resistance to the forces trying to tear us apart.”

“The history of May Day in America is rooted in Chicago,” Johnson added. “It was in our city that workers organized around the simple demand of an eight-hour workday and raised the consciousness of a gilded nation through the Haymarket Strike.” 

With the central theme surrounding the American worker against the billionaire class, economists are skeptical that a single-day boycott has any impact at all on large companies and the so-called elite.

ICE SWEEPS THROUGH LA BUSINESSES AS LOCAL DEMOCRATS CRY FOUL OVER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

Protestors arriving to demonstrate in front of the White House supporting the Islamic Republic of Iran

“If you’re talking about [non-perishable activities], like going to the movies, you’ll go see the same movie on Saturday,” University of Maryland Economics Professor Emeritus and former chief economist at the U.S. International Trade Commission Peter Morici told Fox News Digital. 

Morici noted that if consumers boycott purchases for a single day, they will purchase the same products and shop at the same venues regardless of a one-day strike.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Somebody will go to store B instead of store A,” Morici explained. “All this is a bad storm and a way for the left wing getting everybody riled up.”

“It’s not a hit on the billionaires,” Morici added. “You’re angry about your circumstances. So what do you do? You burn the place down and make your circumstances worse. The local shops that are going without a day. The very people they want us to patronize are the people that could get hurt.”

  

Continue Reading

UsaLocalNews

Father of slain student Sheridan Gorman calls death a ‘failure’ after illegal immigrant’s not guilty plea

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Jose Medina-Medina, the illegal immigrant accused of killing college student Sheridan Gorman in Chicago, pleaded not guilty to all counts on Wednesday during his arraignment hearing.

Medina-Medina, 25, was arrested after he allegedly killed Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student, on March 19. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he illegally entered the U.S. from Venezuela in 2023, when he was apprehended but released into the country by the Biden administration.

During his arraignment on Wednesday, Medina-Medina pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and illegal possession of a weapon. He also faces a federal charge of illegally possessing a firearm.

FEDS CHARGE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN LOYOLA STUDENT KILLING AS ATTORNEY SAYS PROSECUTORS LACK ‘FAITH’ IN STATE

Sheridan Gorman posing for a photo in Chicago, Illinois

Thomas Gorman, Sheridan’s father, said after the hearing that her death “was not just a senseless tragedy. It was preventable.”

“There were laws already in place, there were mechanisms already in place, and somehow they were not enforced in a way to prevent this from happening. This is not a policy debate, this is a failure,” he said. “It’s an empty seat at the table. It is silence where there used to be laughter. It’s waking up every day knowing that your child is gone.”

Sheridan’s mother, Jessica Gorman, also addressed reporters after the hearing, remembering the daughter she described as “beautiful on the inside and out.”

“She really mattered. And we’re going to get justice for her,” Jessica Gorman said.

Prosecutors revealed during an earlier detention hearing for Medina-Medina on April 3 that Gorman was with her friends at a Rogers Park pier when she looked around a lighthouse and saw Medina-Medina was there. Gorman then walked back towards her friends and mouthed, “There’s a man behind the lighthouse,” at which point Medina-Medina began chasing them.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

As Gorman and her friends were running away, Medina-Medina shot her in the upper back, according to prosecutors. Her friends continued running until they found a place to hide, then when they went to check on Gorman, she was unresponsive.

Jose Medina-Medina standing in a room

An arrest report obtained by Fox News Digital states that after the shooting, Medina-Medina was seen on video in his apartment building’s lobby waiting for an elevator while he wasn’t masked. A building engineer told police that he knew the suspect who had a “very distinct limp and gait.”

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER 

Images of the suspect were sent to a police database, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified the suspect as Medina-Medina. He was arrested at his apartment in Rogers Park, according to the arrest report.

SEND US A TIP HERE

Sheridan Gorman standing and smiling in Chicago, Illinois

Retired Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Eugene Roy told Fox News Digital the video evidence against Medina-Medina is “extremely strong.”

“Video evidence is extremely strong, because people can see with their own two eyes, they’re not relying on the representations of a prosecutor or defense attorney. They can make their own judgment. In this case, there was heavy emphasis put on the video evidence. And I think this speaks for itself,” Roy said.

LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST

Flowers left on the pier at Tobey Prinz Beach in memory of Sheridan Gorman

“Fortunately, in this case, there were cameras within the area of the murder and, you know, they were on it right away, so there wasn’t a time gap,” he added.

While Medina-Medina was in Colombia, he was shot in the head, which resulted in the loss of a portion of his brain and skull, leaving him to relearn basic functions, his attorney said. Medina-Medina’s attorney said that he has the brain development of a child and cannot read or write.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB

Jose Medina-Medina standing in a courtroom

Medina-Medina’s attorney also said that he suffers from epilepsy and still has bullet fragments lodged in his brain. The murder suspect turned himself in at the Texas border in 2023, where he was held in detention before being released. His attorney said that Medina-Medina had requested to be sent back to Colombia, where his mother had moved to, but had been transported by bus to Chicago.

While Medina-Medina was in a shelter, he contracted tuberculosis, according to his attorney. He was treated for tuberculosis after being arrested on murder charges, which led to a delay in his detention hearing.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital show that Medina-Medina told officials he was living at Leone Beach Park fieldhouse in Rogers Park in 2023, which was being used as a city-sponsored shelter for migrants.

Medina-Medina was arrested in 2023 and charged with shoplifting after he allegedly stole just over $130 in merchandise from a Macy’s in downtown Chicago. He failed to appear for court hearings related to that case, and an arrest warrant remained active until the alleged murder.

Fox News’ Philip Bodinet and Patrick McGovern contributed to this report.

  

Continue Reading

Latest News

UsaLocalNews31 minutes ago

Coast Guard wreck found after century, confirms World War I tragedy that killed all 131 aboard

​ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The wreckage of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter “Tampa,” which sank...

UsaLocalNews41 minutes ago

Sexual predator ‘Cookie Monster’ caught in terrified child’s bed during midnight break-in, police say

​ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A repeat sex offender with a decades-long history of violations is...

Video49 minutes ago

‘If it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French,’ jokes King Charles. #DonaldTrump #BBCNews

Video1 hour ago

Former US officials criticise Pentagon silence on deadly Iran school attack. #IranWar #BBCNews

UsaLocalNews1 hour ago

Global task force dismantles ‘pig-butchering’ crypto fraud rings preying on Americans

​ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Officials announced on Wednesday an international law enforcement operation dismantled at...

Video1 hour ago

Rep. Khanna calls out King Charles for silence on Epstein survivors

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) criticized King Charles for not directly mentioning Jeffrey Epstein survivors in his speech to Congress.

Video1 hour ago

Lawmaker grills Hegseth on Iran's nuclear capabilities

At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) pressed US Defense …

Video2 hours ago

Hegseth defends $1.5T DOD budget request for 2027

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine attend House Armed Services...

Video2 hours ago

Iran crackdown: Why there is a surge in executions | Global News Podcast

The United Nations has condemned a sweeping crackdown in Iran, warning that executions and mass arrests have surged during …

Video2 hours ago

Enten: Most Americans have 'had enough’ of UK royal news

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten breaks down American interest in the British monarchy as King Charles III continues his...

Trending News

Join Our Newsletter

Stay updated with breaking news and exclusive content.