INTERNACIONAL
Former Assad-era prison chief convicted of torture in US federal court, marking a historic first
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A former Syrian prison official was convicted by a U.S. federal jury in Los Angeles Monday on torture and immigration fraud charges after prosecutors said he oversaw and at times personally carried out brutal abuses against detainees under the now-ousted regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Samir Ousman Alsheikh, a former brigadier general who once headed Damascus Central Prison, also known as Adra Prison, was found guilty following a nine-day trial of conspiracy to commit torture, immigration-related fraud offenses, and three counts of torture, according to the Justice Department.
The case marks a historic step toward accountability, with Alsheikh becoming the first Assad-era official to be tried and convicted in a U.S. federal court.
Prosecutors said the 73-year-old ordered and oversaw the torture of political prisoners between 2005 and 2008, including beatings, suspension from ceilings and the use of devices such as the so-called «Magic Carpet,» which folded victims’ bodies to inflict extreme pain.
TEXAS FAMILY SUES SYRIA FOR DEATH OF LOVED ONE: ‘PLAN TO HOLD THE REGIME FULLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS CRIMES’
A handout photo shows former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) and Samir Ousman Alsheikh (L) on or about July 25, 2011, when Assad appointed Alsheikh as governor of Deir ez-Zor. (U.S. Department of Justice)
He entered the United States in 2020 after lying about his past on his visa application and later attempted to become a U.S. citizen, authorities said.
Alsheikh, who was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in 2024 as he attempted to board a one-way flight to Beirut, faces up to 20 years in prison for each torture-related count when he is sentenced at a later date.
«Samir Ousman Alsheikh ordered, directed, and directly participated in heinous acts of torture designed to inflict excruciating mental and physical pain with the goal of punishing and silencing political dissent,» said Tysen Duva, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s criminal division in a statement.
«For many years, he evaded responsibility for his crimes in Syria, including by lying to U.S. immigration authorities in order to reside in the U.S. with the hope of obtaining citizenship. Thanks to the courage and perseverance of the victims and the dedication of Department of Justice prosecutors, along with their law enforcement partners, justice has prevailed and Alsheikh can no longer run from his past.»
‘HIGH STAKES DIPLOMACY’: NEW BOOK GIVES AN INSIDE LOOK AT EFFORTS TO BRING HOME AN AMERICAN DETAINED IN SYRIA
A torn portrait of Bashir al-Assad is seen inside the Presidential Palace on Dec. 10, 2024 in Damascus, Syria. (Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)
According to a federal criminal complaint filed in July 2024, Alsheikh was an associate of Maher al-Assad, the younger brother of Bashar al-Assad, who led the Syrian military’s elite Fourth Division.
He was appointed by Assad in 2011 as governor of Deir ez-Zor following anti-government protests that spread across the country during the Arab Spring.
The Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), a Washington-based advocacy group, assisted investigators in bringing the former regime official to justice. The organization first identified Alsheikh in Los Angeles through a tip and conducted its own verification using open-source material and leaked Syrian government data.
It then alerted U.S. authorities and worked with the FBI and Justice Department to help build the case, including connecting investigators with key witnesses who testified about abuses at Adra Prison. According to SETF, it pushed for torture charges rather than solely immigration violations to ensure broader accountability.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO…SYRIA’S CIVIL WAR?
Syrian lawmaker and opposition activist Mamoun al-Homsi is pictured at his office in Damascus on Aug. 7, 2001. (Khaled Al-Hariri/Reuters)
Mamoun al-Homsi, a former independent member of the Syrian Parliament, was arrested in 2001 for demanding democratic reforms and spent five years in Adra Prison. He told Fox News Digital in an interview, through a translator, that Alsheikh stood out from other prison directors for his brutality.
Al-Homsi said that while previous prison heads largely adhered to prison rules and did not target detainees for their political views, Alsheikh’s arrival in 2005 marked a shift.
«The toughest torture for me wasn’t anything done to me physically as much as it was what was done to others on my behalf,» said al-Homsi.
SETF executive director Mouaz Moustafa, who attended the trial, told Fox News Digital that testimony revealed Alsheikh allegedly ordered another prisoner, Khaled Abdul Malek, to poison al-Homsi.
Police stand at the gate of Damascus Central Prison in the Adra area near the Syrian capital Damascus on May 28, 2010. (Khaled al-Hariri/Reuters)
«Khaled Abdul Malek had come so close to Mamoun al-Homsi so he told him about this plan and told him don’t eat anything from anyone to the point where Mamoun al-Homsi would go to the trash if there was any and wash whatever is left,» Moustafa said.
Malek refused Alsheikh’s demand to poison the prominent political figure, leading to him being placed in Wing 13, a notorious part of the prison where people were tortured.
«Khaled Malik then had his back broken,» Moustafa said, adding that he arrived in court with a cane and could barely walk.
Al-Homsi said he survived on olive pits and lost more than 60 pounds. He was released in 2006 and later fled to Canada.
WHY SYRIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TRUMP’S PLANS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE
An aerial view of Adra Prison, located on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria. (Google Earth/Fox News Digital Ashley Carnahan)
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The former parliament member told Fox News Digital the verdict sends a message that former regime officials cannot evade accountability, even if they leave Syria and attempt to rebuild their lives abroad.
Al-Homsi called the verdict a signal that justice, though long delayed, is finally taking hold — an outcome he described as essential for the future of a free Syria.
syria,justice department,human rights,los angeles
INTERNACIONAL
Venezuela’s Delcy Rodriguez replaces sanctioned loyalist defense minister with military intel head
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Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday replaced a longtime loyalist military official, as she continues to make changes to her cabinet amid relations with the Trump administration.
General Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez, 65, will replace General Vladimir Padrino as defense minister, who held the position for more than a decade, Reuters reported.
In a Telegram post, Rodriguez thanked Padrino for his service and said he would be given new responsibilities.
MADURO’S SON GIVES ‘UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT’ TO NEWLY SWORN IN INTERIM VENEZUELA PRESIDENT
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez waves after bidding farewell to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright following their meeting at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Ariana Cubillos/AP)
Lopez was appointed by Rodriguez in January as the head of the presidential guard and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM).
Lopez, who is among several officials sanctioned by the United States and European Union for human rights violations and corruption, was appointed in January the new head of the presidential guard and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence.
TRUMP ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO VENEZUELA’S NEW LEADER DELCY RODRÍGUEZ FOLLOWING MADURO CAPTURE
U.S. State Department «wanted» posters show Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López accused by U.S. authorities of corruption and links to drug trafficking networks. (State Department)
He previously worked with Rodriguez as head of strategic affairs at PDVSA, the state-owned oil company, which she previously oversaw as energy minister.
Padrino had also been sanctioned by the U.S. over alleged drug trafficking and his support for ousted President Nicolas Maduro.
Despite the U.S. intervention, Venezuela’s repressive apparatus remains intact, the United Nations said last week. The government has repeatedly denied allegations of human rights and political oppression.
Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, left, smiles at Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, as they take the route that the body of late President Hugo Chavez followed to his final resting place, during the activities marking the 10th anniversary of Chavez’s death, in Caracas, Venezuela, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
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The United States recently restored diplomatic relations with the South American nation following years of heightened tensions between the two states.
venezuelan political crisis,south america,latin america
INTERNACIONAL
‘How do you sleep at night?’ Moreno slams ‘disgraceful’ shutdown leaving 260,000 workers without pay
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Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, lambasted his Democratic colleagues for blaming Republicans for the partial government shutdown during a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, calling their behavior «disgusting» and «disgraceful.»
Moreno used his allotted time during Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing for the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to focus on the close to 260,000 DHS employees, which includes Transportation Security Administration employees, who have gone without a paycheck for more than a month.
«260,000 American citizen families who have not received a paycheck in over a month. None of those people are in charge of policy,» Moreno said. «It’s not one of those families that makes policy decisions. For the most part, that’s on the people here. There isn’t a single human being on this dais that has missed a paycheck. Every single one of us has gotten a paycheck the last 30 days and before that.»
‘YOU CAN CRY ABOUT IT’: TEMPERS FLARE IN SENATE AS DHS SHUTDOWN DEBATE ERUPTS, STALEMATE DIGS DEEPER
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, delivers remarks during a Congressional hearing on the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as Secretary of Homeland Security. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Moreno argued that the real victims of the government shutdown are DHS employees.
«They’re having to tell their kids they can’t send them to dance recital because they did everything right in life except got a job with the Department of Homeland Security so that a politician can make a 30-second video online to fundraiser for the next election,» he said.
«That’s disgusting.»
Weeks ago, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., posted a video on social media vowing to vote against funding DHS until reforms are made to the agency.
CORNYN CLASHES WITH PROGRESSIVE REP GREG CASAR IN HEATED AIRPORT FACE-OFF OVER DHS SHUTDOWN
Moreno then turned his attention toward Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs ranking member Gary Peters, D-Mich., accusing him of failing to keep his promise of keeping key agencies funded. But Peters wasn’t paying attention. Moreno called it «incredibly disrespectful» before laying in on Peters.
«You said you’re going to fund all these agencies,» Moreno said to Peters. «Here’s one that you haven’t funded.»
Moreno showcased a large poster board, which shared how the mission of DHS was being compromised by the government shutdown. At the top of the board was listed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., grilled Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., during his confirmation hearing to become the next DHS chief. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
«USCIS is near and dear to my heart,» Moreno said. «That’s how I became a US citizen. We’ve defunded the agency that allows legal immigrants into this country. That is insane. Never hear the Democrats talk about that. 3,300 employees, trying to process legal immigrants. They don’t get a paycheck.»
He also railed against the defunding of Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
«Are you suggesting that we not fund an organization that tracks transnational organizations?» Moreno rhetorically asked Democrats of ICE funding. «Be specific. When you say you don’t want to fund ICE, I want you to say the words ‘we do not want to fund 7,000 special agents that are in charge of stopping transnational criminal organizations, drug smugglers, and human traffickers.»
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., President Donald Trump’s pick for Homeland Security secretary, is sworn in before testifying during Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing, Wednesday, March 18, 2026 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)
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Moreno’s comments during Mullin’s Senate confirmation hearing come a day after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., accused Democratic leadership of holding DHS agencies «hostage» amid negotiations for appropriations.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sen. Peters for comment.
homeland security,republicans,government shutdown,senate,politics
INTERNACIONAL
Amenazas de Irán y el petróleo Brent en precios récord: el análisis de un especialista en seguridad y defensa sobre la tensión en Medio Oriente
Juan Battaleme, ex secretario de Asuntos Internacionales del Ministerio de Defensa, advirtió en Infobae al Mediodía que la amenaza de Irán sobre las refinerías del Golfo ya disparó el Brent a 108 dólares y podría provocar una crisis global de abastecimiento.
En una entrevista durante el debate en vivo de Infobae al Mediodía, el analista internacional dialogó con Maru Duffard, Andrei Serbin Pont y el resto del staff sobre el cambio de escenario tras el ataque israelí a campos de gas iraníes y la reacción inmediata de Teherán.
“Estamos hablando de un Brent en USD 108,79”, precisó Andrei Serbin Pont al analizar la reacción de los mercados tras la amenaza iraní. La advertencia de Irán, que incluye una lista de blancos en Qatar y Arabia Saudita, forzó a evacuar y detener operaciones en varias instalaciones, según explicó el panel con datos de Bloomberg. “Varias de estas plantas ya están declarando que las están evacuando en preparativos para un posible ataque”, sostuvo Serbin Pont, lo que refuerza el riesgo de una interrupción mayor en el suministro energético global.
Battaleme destacó la paradoja del conflicto: “Irán dice: ‘Voy a atacar todas estas infraestructuras petroleras, el precio del petróleo sube’. Irán recauda más, porque no tiene el bloqueo petrolero en este momento. China paga más por el petróleo que le compra a Irán. Eso ya es una locura”. El impacto ya se siente en Argentina y el mundo, donde “aumenta el petróleo y no importa lo que hagas, te impacta”, remarcó Duffard. La logística nacional, dependiente del combustible, sufre la volatilidad del mercado internacional.
El panel abordó el uso de bombas penetrantes norteamericanas tras los recientes ataques a posiciones iraníes. Serbin Pont detalló: “Estados Unidos habría utilizado diferentes tipos de bombas penetradoras. Específicamente, se especula que podrían haber sido la GBU 72, que es una de las más avanzadas que se vienen desarrollando en los últimos años. Permiten atravesar por lo menos unos cinco metros de concreto en esta versión más avanzada”.
Battaleme profundizó sobre la capacidad destructiva de estos proyectiles: “La GBU 57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator es una bomba de 13.700 kilogramos que permite penetrar hasta 61 metros de concreto reforzado”. El ataque a campos de gas como South Pars demuestra la sofisticación del arsenal estadounidense y la carrera tecnológica entre potencias para vulnerar las fortificaciones subterráneas de Irán.
Consultado por la influencia externa, Battaleme explicó: “Irán está empezando a tener inteligencia de Rusia. Antes necesitabas diez misiles para pegarle a algo, ahora con uno o dos tenés más chance. Hoy Rusia le está proveyendo inteligencia satelital, le están marcando cuáles son los objetivos más rentables”. El apoyo ruso optimiza la capacidad de daño iraní sobre infraestructuras estratégicas, mientras la falta de una coalición internacional limita la reacción de Estados Unidos.
La situación se complejiza con la postura de China, principal comprador del crudo iraní. “China está activo a nivel diplomático, se aseguró de que lo que salga de Irán y vaya para China no se lo toquen los norteamericanos”, subrayó Battaleme. El panel recordó que, a diferencia de conflictos previos, Estados Unidos hoy permite que buques iraníes crucen el estrecho de Ormuz hacia Asia, para evitar una escalada directa con China.
Battaleme sintetizó el escenario: “La voluntad norteamericana es irse cuanto antes, terminar la misión. Trump está apurado porque lo corren los tiempos del Congreso. Israel defiende la supervivencia de su Estado. Irán, sobrevivir. Los países del Golfo, salvar la infraestructura petrolera. Podés terminar en la paradoja de que en una semana digan: Irán ganó, Estados Unidos ganó, Israel sigue bombardeando y los países del Golfo salvaron la infraestructura”.
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