Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., claimed he offered Republicans a chance to spare the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from the ongoing government shutdown that’s poised to hit the one-month mark on Saturday after another failed DHS vote on Thursday.

Republicans believe the offer was little more than political theater that ignored the core of the funding gridlock as concerns about Iranian sleeper cell threats and airport chaos rise. 

«I just offered a UC to fund FEMA and Republicans shot it down,» Schiff said, referring to the Senate process to pass legislation on the spot, known as «unanimous consent.»

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., a lawmaker who has blocked UCs on the shutdown in the past, blasted Democrats for, in her view, trying to punt the negotiations on larger DHS disagreements.

SENATE TO TAKE TEST VOTE TO END 27-DAY DHS SHUTDOWN

«We would like that opportunity to continue funding the Department of Homeland Security in its entirety. Look, the people who sent us here expect more,» Britt said in remarks on the Senate floor.

«They expect us to have tough conversations. They expect us to figure out a pathway forward. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do today.»

A fired-up Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., accused Senate Democrats of trying to rip the agency apart at a moment it was designed for, as the war in Iran has spurred threats of retaliation in the U.S. by sleeper cells.

«And that’s at a time when our homeland is under attack, all warning lights are flashing red, and they want to peel apart, piece by piece, the Department of Homeland Security, the comprehensive department of our government to protect the American people, because they want to stand with illegal immigrant criminals,» Barrasso said.

Schumer declared that Senate Democrats would continue to provide piecemeal funding bills to reopen certain portions of the agency, like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), while negotiations continued.

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed on February 14 over gridlock of a set of demands Democrats made regarding operational reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — reforms Republicans believe will handcuff President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

FEMA was slated to receive $32 billion in 2026, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Among other items, Democrats have demanded a no-mask policy, an end to roaming patrols, stiffer warrant requirements for detentions and clearly visible identification for ICE agents.

DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS INTO WEEK TWO AS IRAN THREAT, SOTU CLASH COMPLICATE HILL TALKS

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2026, that, «In a dangerous attempt to evade arrest,» a «criminal illegal alien weaponized his vehicle and rammed law enforcement» in Compton, Calif. Criminal illegal alien allegedly rammed law enforcement in California operation.  (KTTV)

Although talks are ongoing, lawmakers have said critical disagreements remain.

Like ICE, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) operates under DHS alongside other agencies like the Coast Guard, the Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have voiced concern that the unrelated reforms to ICE that Democrats have demanded are threatening the country’s readiness to respond to natural disasters.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., hinted that Democrats would like to eliminate that possibility.

«We just asked for a UC to get it done… so,» Cantwell said on the DHS funding dispute.

TSA WORKERS BRACE FOR MISSED PAYCHECKS AS DEMOCRATS HOLD FIRM ON DHS FUNDING

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is seen as FEMA is making preparations for a winter storm set to impact much of the U.S. in early 2026. (DHS photo by Tia Dufour)

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According to Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Katie Britt, R-Ala., DHS employees missed their first full paycheck this week. Additionally, FEMA reserve funding has dropped to $4 billion, the primary account used to coordinate disaster response and recovery efforts.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.

Uno de los narcotraficantes más buscados del mundo fue capturado la madrugada de este viernes en una zona elegante y residencial de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, en Bolivia.

Sebastián Marset, el uruguayo de 34 años acusado de liderar una de las mayores organizaciones criminales de la región, fue aprehendido por agentes de la Policía boliviana cuando dormía en una vivienda alquilada en el barrio Las Palmas.

El operativo policial —en el que participaron agentes de la Fuerza Especial de Lucha Contra el Narcotráfico (Felcn) y la Unidad Táctica de Operaciones Policiales (Utop)— se planificó con al menos tres meses de anticipación, pero fue en las últimas semanas cuando se intensificó la investigación. Para cercar al capo, el Ministerio de Gobierno dispuso el traslado de unidades especializadas de la Policía a la ciudad de Santa Cruz.

Según el relato del ministro de Gobierno, Marco Antonio Oviedo, los agentes fueron trasladados a la capital cruceña “con absoluta reserva” y posteriormente fueron aislados para evitar filtraciones de la investigación. A este equipo especializado se lo alojó en una casa “a unos kilómetros” de la ciudad.

La operación, que fue calificada por el presidente Rodrigo Paz como “quirúrgica”, tenía dos objetivos: ingresar primero a la vivienda donde estaban los guardias de Marset y posteriormente a la que era la residencia del capo. A las 02:30 de este viernes inició el megaoperativo con el cierre de calles aledañas para evitar intentos de fuga.

“Tomamos la primera vivienda y la neutralizamos para que la seguridad de Marset no se traslade a la vivienda del narcotraficante”, explicó Oviedo. Posteriormente pasaron al segundo domicilio donde el uruguayo se encontraba “descansando”, solo y sin seguridad.

“Se lo ha detenido con las formalidades de trato humano”, afirmó el ministro. Oviedo reveló que Marset “guardó silencio todo el tiempo” y que la operación fue “muy corta, muy rápida y sin víctimas ni heridos”.

Según registros de cámaras de seguridad de la zona, Marset fue sacado de su domicilio encapuchado a las 5:09 de la madrugada y trasladado al aeropuerto internacional de Viru Viru, donde minutos antes había aterrizado un avión Beechcraft King Air 350C procedente de Lima, Perú.

El narcotraficante fue entregado a autoridades de la Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA) de Estados Unidos, quienes lo guiaron hasta la aeronave con las manos y los pies esposados. Según páginas especializadas en rastreo de vuelos, el avión voló a Lima y se presume que desde ahí partió hacia Estados Unidos.

“Se lo expulsó de manera inmediata porque nuestro sistema penitenciario es muy frágil”, justificó el ministro Oviedo y afirmó que su presencia en una cárcel boliviana hubiera producido caos y “asesinatos”.

Según datos de la Fiscalía General del Estado, en el operativo se produjo la captura de dos venezolanos, un colombiano y una uruguaya de apellido Marset, quien se presume que es media hermana del narcotraficante. Estas cuatro personas fueron trasladadas a celdas policiales para su imputación por los delitos vinculados al tráfico de armas y a la organización criminal.

En el lugar se encontraron múltiples dispositivos electrónicos, “armamento sofisticado” y dos vehículos, un Mercedes-Benz Clase G y una camioneta Toyota Hilux. Ambos “tenían un blindaje tipo 7, que es el más alto que se puede conseguir para una movilidad”, detalló el ministro Oviedo.

En paralelo se realizaron allanamientos en la zona residencial del Urubó y en la localidad de Warnes, distante a 35 kilómetros al norte de Santa Cruz de la Sierra. En ambos lugares se encontraron 11 avionetas, armas de grueso calibre, vehículos, tarjetas de crédito, documentos y diversos tipos de droga.

Según se difundió en los medios locales, la casa en la que vivía Marset era alquilada y hasta hace poco estaba en venta. En el letrero en el que se ofrecía el inmueble se detallaba que cuenta con siete habitaciones, cuatro salas, dos cocinas y garaje para cinco vehículos en una superficie de 900 metros cuadrados.

Marset se encontraba prófugo de la justicia desde julio de 2023, cuando logró escapar de un operativo policial en Santa Cruz, ciudad en la que vivió en los últimos años y que era su “centro de operaciones”, según autoridades del Gobierno boliviano.

“Sebastián Marset elige quedarse en Bolivia porque le dieron las condiciones”, afirmó en una entrevista la criminóloga Gabriela Reyes, quien considera que es importante ampliar las investigaciones para identificar la red de protección que tuvo el narcotraficante durante los últimos años. “Tenía protección policial, judicial y, como se ve, no llegó a la protección política”, afirmó.

Para la especialista y ex directora del Observatorio Boliviano de Seguridad Ciudadana y Lucha Contra las Drogas, la detención del capo es solo “la punta del iceberg de algo mucho más profundo”.

El uruguayo es acusado de liderar una organización criminal transnacional dedicada al tráfico de droga y era requerido por varios países. También se le acusa de estar implicado en el asesinato del fiscal paraguayo Marcelo Pecci en 2022. En mayo de 2025, la DEA lo incluyó entre los fugitivos más buscados y en febrero de este año pasó a ocupar el tercer puesto en su lista de prioridades, tras confirmarse la muerte del líder del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. had carried out a bombing raid on Iran’s Kharg Island, a strategically vital island in the Persian Gulf that serves as the country’s largest oil terminal and a crucial hub for its crude exports.

«Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,» Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The island, located roughly 35 miles off Iran’s Bushehr province in the country’s southwest, is about the size of New York City’s Central Park but carries huge importance for Iran’s economy.

It has a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through it. Most of those exports are shipped to China and India, underscoring the island’s importance not only to Iran’s energy trade but also to broader global oil markets.

BEFORE-AND-AFTER SATELLITE IMAGERY OFFERS A RARE LOOK AT DAMAGE INSIDE IRAN

That makes Kharg Island one of Iran’s most sensitive and strategically important pieces of infrastructure. Any military action there could have consequences well beyond Iran, raising the risk of disruptions to crude flows, shipping traffic and energy prices across the region.

Trump said the U.S. had deliberately avoided targeting the island’s oil infrastructure, while warning that could change if Iran moved to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

«Our Weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,» Trump added.

THE UNLIKELY TOOL TRUMP IS EYEING TO TACKLE RISING OIL PRICES AMID THE IRAN CONFLICT

The latest revelation comes as the widening conflict in the Middle East rattles global energy markets and raises fresh fears about the security of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil choke point.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day and about one-fifth of the global supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). When conflict flares in the region, even the threat of disruption can rattle markets because so much of the world’s energy moves through that single corridor.

A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, vital for global energy supply. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

That threat is already rippling through energy markets.

This week, benchmark oil prices punched back above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022, underscoring how quickly geopolitical shocks can ripple through the energy complex.

That jump is showing up at the pump. As oil prices climb, gasoline and diesel prices are rising fast — especially diesel, which can move quickly because it’s tied closely to freight and industrial demand.

On Friday, the national average for regular gasoline rose to about $3.63 a gallon, according to AAA.  Diesel prices have also jumped, with the national average up $1.23 to $4.89 a gallon.

A woman pumps gas at a station in New York as prices climb nationwide due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. (Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

As energy costs accelerate, the White House is weighing steps to safeguard commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and leaning on emergency stockpiles to cushion the blow.

Before boarding Air Force One for Mar-a-Lago late Friday, Trump told reporters the U.S. Navy may start escorting tankers through the Strait «very soon.»

Asked about the risk of disruptions, Trump said Monday evening he would keep the route open and threatened retaliation if Iran tried to interfere.

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«I will not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe’s oil supply. And if Iran does anything to do that, they’ll get hit at a much, much harder level,» Trump said during a news conference in Florida.

«In the long run, oil supplies will be dramatically more secure without the threat of Iranian ships, drones, missiles,» he added.