Connect with us

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

Mississippi man charged with killing mother, allegedly flushing her flesh down toilet after dismemberment

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A Mississippi man is charged with killing his mother after authorities allegedly found him trying to flush pieces of her flesh down a toilet in what a local sheriff called one of “the most heinous crimes that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life.”

Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., 29, faces charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of his mother, Lana Brown Bradley, 62, a retired teacher.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said deputies initially responded April 4 to Bradley’s home in Natchez, after her relatives reported her missing.

Jackson was initially identified as a family member of Bradley before investigators confirmed he was her son.

MOM, PREGNANT TEEN AND 12-YEAR-OLD FOUND BOUND AND MURDERED AS POLICE HUNT MULTIPLE SUSPECTS

Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., 29, and 62-year-old Lana Brown Bradley

“This is by far the most heinous crime that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life. We weren’t out there that day; this was one of those things when we walked up. This was one of those cases that you will never, ever forget in your life. This is the type of case that follows you home,” Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten told WJTV.

Deputies were called to Bradley’s home after her oldest son could not reach her the previous day. Two of Bradley’s other sons lived with her.

“As soon as they walked in the house, they could just see where somebody had been cleaning up, and they could smell chemicals all throughout the house. Floor was extremely slippery. And the older son said that this is just unusual for the youngest son to be cleaning up the house like that,” Patten explained.

Jackson, the youngest son, was found in a bathroom where deputies allegedly saw a black substance in the toilet.

GILGO BEACH VICTIM’S SON CLAIMS SUSPECTED SERIAL KILLER’S FAMILY TURNED HORROR INTO PROFITS AHEAD OF PLEA

The outside of Lana Bradley's home in Mississippi.

“I can say what was in the toilet, and it was her flesh. He chopped her up in pieces and dismembered her in a way that whoever came looking for her would have to do their due diligence to find her, and that’s just what we did,” the sheriff said.

Authorities stated that Jackson had allegedly placed his mother’s body parts in a suitcase and flushed the rest down the toilet after dismembering her. Bradley had threatened to evict her son from the home, according to the sheriff, who cited interviews with family members stating that Jackson was mentally unstable.

Law enforcement outside Lana Bradley's home, April 4, in Mississippi.

However, Patten noted that Jackson was “very calculating” when he allegedly committed the crime.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“He had threatened her the day before because she was looking to have him evicted from the home. She was in the process of doing so and had just gone to court the day before to have him removed from the home,” Patten explained.

  

Continue Reading

UsaLocalNews

Rampaging 1,000-teen mob storms tourist attraction, hurts officers in violent ‘takeover’ caught on video

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Over 1,000 teenagers stormed a Florida tourist attraction over the weekend in the latest viral teen “takeover,” leading to nearly a dozen arrests and landing two police officers in the hospital. 

The chaos kicked off on Saturday night around 7 p.m., when the mob of rowdy juveniles descended on Orlando’s ICON Park, according to FOX 35.

Several fights reportedly broke out within the group, resulting in two Orange County deputies being injured as they tried to calm the melee. 

Both officers were transported to a hospital and subsequently released, authorities said.

VIOLENT MOB OF JUVENILES SWARMS STREETS, ATTACKS OFFICERS IN WILD ‘TEEN TAKEOVER’ CAUGHT ON VIDEO

A large crowd of juveniles gathered at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida.

The incident led to nine individuals being taken into custody on charges including battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, resisting an officer without violence and trespassing after receiving a warning, FOX 35 reported. 

GOT A TIP?

A planned teen

Chaotic video obtained by FOX 35 shows local authorities ordering the teens to leave the area as police cars lined the roads. Additional footage shows teens running through the streets as onlookers watch from inside a restaurant.

“They said they planned something on TikTok – a ‘TikTok Takeover,'” one individual can be heard saying.

“They posted that s— on YouTube,” another person replies.

FOLLOW US ON X

Local authorities ordering teens to leave area during police presence in Orlando

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office reportedly said the agency was “aware” of an event being planned at the entertainment complex and assigned several deputies to the location in preparation for the group’s arrival. 

GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL

In response to the wild takeover, ICON Park has implemented a chaperone policy requiring all minors to be accompanied by an adult while visiting the theme park, FOX 35 reported.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS

“ICON Park always has the safety of our guests and employees top of mind. We are committed to keeping ICON Park a place where guests of all ages can come and enjoy all we have to offer,” ICON Park said in a statement, according to the outlet.

The mob scene is only the latest to make headlines after dozens of social-media-fueled teen “takeovers” have plagued authorities throughout the country, resulting in arrests and disturbing communities.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“We are aware of a growing pattern of large, organized gatherings at entertainment destinations, and we are taking a proactive approach to ensure these environments remain welcoming for everyone,” Commissioner Mike Scott said, FOX 35 reported.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and ICON Park did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

  

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

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

Latest News

UsaLocalNews46 minutes ago

Mississippi man charged with killing mother, allegedly flushing her flesh down toilet after dismemberment

​ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A Mississippi man is charged with killing his mother after authorities...

Video56 minutes ago

Robot rescues elderly woman from Ukraine's frontline. #Ukraine #Drone #BBCNews

Video1 hour ago

Trump urges Iran to 'get smart soon' and sign a deal | BBC News

US President Donald Trump has urged Iran to “get smart soon” and sign a deal with the US, following days...

UsaLocalNews1 hour ago

Rampaging 1,000-teen mob storms tourist attraction, hurts officers in violent ‘takeover’ caught on video

​ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Over 1,000 teenagers stormed a Florida tourist attraction over the weekend...

Video1 hour ago

Pentagon's finance chief says Iran war has so far cost the US “about $25bn”. #BBCNews

UsaLocalNews2 hours 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...

UsaLocalNews2 hours 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...

Video2 hours ago

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

Video2 hours ago

Justices clash in Supreme Court decision limiting Voting Rights Act

CNN’s Joan Biskupic describes a dramatic moment inside the Supreme Court as an opinion was read by Justice Samuel Alito...

Video2 hours ago

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

Trending News

Join Our Newsletter

Stay updated with breaking news and exclusive content.