INTERNACIONAL
Iran’s killer drones increase slaughter in Sudan amid world’s forgotten war
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Iran is once again being accused of playing a deadly role in yet another conflict, this time by supplying attack drones to one of the sides in the predominantly Muslim nation of Sudan’s deadly civil war — drones that are indiscriminately killing women and children.
The war, now in its fourth year, has, according to some accounts, seen as many as 400,000 deaths since the conflict began on April 15, 2023. More than 11 million have been displaced, giving rise to the worst displacement crisis in the world.
Mariam Wahba, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) told Fox News Digital that, «Iran has supplied the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) with drones, specifically the Mohajer-6, manufactured by Qods Aviation Industries, a U.S.-sanctioned entity, since 2013.»
‘PEACEMAKER’ TRUMP CAN END AFRICA’S BIGGEST WAR, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR SAYS
The «Mohajer 6» drone is displayed during Iran’s defense industry achievements exhibition, on August 23, 2023 in Tehran. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
The State Department has hit out against the use of drones against civilians in the ongoing war in Sudan, with the SAF alleged to use Iranian drones widely against the population. An Iranian woman is also in federal custody in California after being arrested earlier this month for an alleged plot to supply Sudan with more Iranian drones.
Documented cases show both the SAF and the rebel militia they are fighting, the Rapid Support Forces, (RSF), are increasingly using drones against civilians.
Wahba said that «between Dec. 2023 and July 2024, at least seven cargo flights traveled between Iran and Sudan, likely transporting drones and component parts. On April 19, an Iranian-born U.S. resident was arrested at LAX (Los Angeles International airport) for allegedly brokering a $70 million deal to supply Mohajer-6 systems and other hardware to Sudan’s Ministry of Defense, indicating the transfers are likely ongoing.»
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, «We are greatly concerned about the proliferation of drone warfare by the parties (in Sudan), and the impact this has on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Recently we have seen RSF and SAF drones destroy hospitals and schools, killing civilians.»
FEDS ARREST IRANIAN WOMAN AT LAX FOR ALLEGEDLY BROKERING WEAPONS SALES FOR ISLAMIC REGIME
Patients with their malnourished children at the nutrition ward of the Pediatric Center of the Port Sudan Children’s Teaching Hospital, in Port Sudan, Sudan, on Monday, Oct. 328, 2024. Millions of dollars worth of weapons, fuel and drones flowing through Port Sudan have given the country’s army the upper hand in the world’s deadliest war, as Tehran and Moscow jockey for military bases on the Red Sea. (Eduardo Soteras/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
News of the Iran drone plot in the U.S. was first announced by Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, in a post on X, April 19, «Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran. She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan.»
The post was accompanied by photos of Iranian drones, and an image of what looked like a suitcase stuffed with dollar bills.
Ciaran McEvoy from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California told Fox News Digital that Mafi «remains in federal custody and her arraignment is scheduled for Friday, May 8 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.»
ANOTHER CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AT RISK IN AFRICA AS EXTREMISTS AND WAR TAKE THEIR TOLL
Wahba told Fox News Digital that the Mohajer-6 drone Iran is supplying to Sudan is «Iran’s workhorse drone», adding it’s the system used in attacks on Israel and the Red Sea by Hezbollah and the Houthis.
«The Mohajer-6 is a reusable platform used for surveillance and precision strikes,» Wahba added. It can loiter, collect intelligence and return.»
An Iranian navy special forces known as Takavaran stands guard near the Iranian Kharg replenishment ship docked in the Red Sea Sudanese town of Port Sudan on Oct. 31, 2012. The visit of two Iranian naval ships to Sudan reflects strong ties between the countries, (Ashraf Shazly/AFP via Getty Images)
The State Department told Fox News Digital of wider concerns: «Islamist groups aligned with the SAF have formed relationships with the Iranian regime and have received assistance from Iran. We’ve sanctioned a number of these groups, including the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood, who used unrestrained violence against civilians and undermined efforts to resolve the conflict in Sudan. Many of the group’s fighters have received training and other support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and have committed atrocities against civilians.»
United Nations spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, condemned the recent drone attacks in Sudan. He told reporters: «An aid truck from the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) that was carrying emergency shelter kits came under attack by a drone on Friday (April 24) while transiting through the town of Umm Drisaya in North Darfur state. All supplies were destroyed in the fire.»
Dujarric added: «The second incident occurred on Saturday (April 25) when a drone reportedly caused casualties in residential neighborhoods of El Obeid city, North Kordofan state. Seven people were killed and over 20 injured, according to a local medical group.»
Patients are pictured in one of the rooms of the Saudi hospital in Khartoum’s twin-city Omdurman on March 20, 2025 as most hospitals and schools no longer function in the Sudanese capital and its environs due to the ongoing war which broke out in April 2023. (Ebrahim Hamid / AFP via Getty Images)
«These are ordinary families in their homes, caught in violence that continues to reach civilian neighborhoods,» said Dujarric. «We condemn all of these attacks.»
Ricardo Pires, communication manager for the children’s agency UNICEF, told Fox News Digital: «For children in Sudan, the sound of a drone is yet another dreadful signal to hide and hope they are not harmed next. Across Darfur and Kordofan, drones and other explosive weapons are turning streets, hospitals and schools into places of danger and death. This is not just a protection threat for children. It is childhood being attacked by new forms of warfare.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The State Department spokesperson added, «In order to safeguard U.S. interests, to include the protection of religious freedom in Sudan, U.S. efforts seek to limit malign Islamist influence in Sudan’s government and curtail Iran’s regional activities, which have contributed to regional destabilization, conflict and civilian suffering.»
middle east, drones, refugees, iran, bombings
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is zeroing in on five states as the Trump administration escalates its crackdown on fraud, waste, and abuse, he told Fox News Digital.
«We’ve written letters to Minnesota, California, a letter to Florida because we’re worried about the durable medical equipment fraud, New York, Maine, and there are more coming,» Oz told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview, adding that his concern expands to all 50 states, as well.
Oz has escalated federal pressure on states to tighten anti-fraud enforcement following Minnesota’s $250 million «Feeding Our Future» scheme. CMS is leaving no stone unturned, he said, looking at programs such as Medicaid and hospices also revealing foreign influence in the fraud scheme.
READ: DR. OZ PUTS ALL 50 GOVERNORS ON NOTICE OVER BILLIONS LOST TO MEDICAID FRAUD
Vice President Vance and CMS Administrator Dr. Oz tackle fraud in areas as Medicaid, hospices, and durable medical equipment suppliers. (Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images)
«We know the Cuban government seems to be implicated in some issues in South Florida, where you have twice as many durable medical equipment suppliers selling wheelchairs and knee braces than McDonald’s,» said Oz.
The anti-fraud task force, led by Vice President JD Vance, announced in February that durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers will be targeted through a nationwide moratorium.
«The Vice President’s task force continues to work closely with Dr. Oz and CMS to track down and root out fraud,» said a Vance spokesperson to Fox News Digital. «The task force is committed to ensuring that American tax dollars are used for the benefit of the American people, and will continue to successfully do exactly that.»
Oz said that he suspects a lot of foreign governments are involved in the fraud schemes taking place across the country targeting specific areas.
«We have evidence that foreign nationals certainly are involved in a lot of this fraud. There’s a Russian mafia presence in Los Angeles. There’s Chinese mafia presence, for example, in Flushing Queens [New York,]» Oz said.
MINNESOTA ‘ON THE CLOCK’ AS HHS THREATENS PENALTIES OVER CHILDCARE FRAUD SCANDAL
Four hundred hospices in Los Angeles were suspended after officials flagged an unusually high concentration of providers in the area.
The programs, designed for people in the final six months of their life, had very high survival rates – where in some cases everyone survived.
Oz said that he suspects a lot of foreign governments are involved in the fraud schemes taking place across the country targeting specific areas. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
«We also began to notice that there were some folks who were probably not honorable doctors who were designated to supervise patients in multiple hospices,» said Oz. «A lot of hospitals had foreigners that owned them, or they were able to cheat by keeping the numbers of their membership low enough that they don’t have to actually report their outcomes.»
Oz said the auditor of California informed Gov. Gavin Newsom of hospice fraud evidence in 2022.
MINNESOTA FRAUD WHISTLEBLOWER SAYS ‘LACK OF GUARDRAILS WAS PRETTY SHOCKING’
«The fact that we can suspend more than 400 hospices from getting paid in just a few weeks highlights the reality that no one was watching the till for the last several years,» said Oz.
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for additional comment.
«In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation placing a moratorium on new hospice licenses – a policy that remains in effect today, preventing bad actors from entering the system while strengthening oversight of existing providers,» a spokesperson for Newsom previously told the New York Post of hospice fraud in the state.
SENATE REPUBLICAN EXPANDS CHILD CARE FRAUD CRACKDOWN TO MORE BLUE STATES
Oz recently put all 50 states on notice ordering governors to identify and remove noncompliant Medicaid providers.
Oz gave governors and state Medicaid leaders 10 business days in April to tell CMS whether they will commit to conducting a swift «revalidation» of high-risk Medicaid providers and provide a proposed timetable, alongside a separate 30-day deadline for a broader provider-revalidation strategy, escalating federal pressure on states to tighten anti-fraud enforcement.
«We can audit states that don’t want to comply with the revalidation request,» said Oz.
«This is an important issue for Americans to recognize because the states run Medicaid, but the federal taxpayer foots the bill,» said Oz. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«Let’s revalidate, which means double check that everyone is providing services within Medicaid, especially for these high-risk services where these are the things your family would normally do for you,» he said.
Oz pointed to examples of autism babysitters, non-emergency transport to clinics, and services such as carrying and delivering groceries that may fall outside of Medicaid scope, possibly revealing fraud.
«Like what do these people actually have as credentials to allow them to be able to this? And so we asked this question of all the states and all 50 now are charged within 10 days of telling us whether they want to work with us,» he said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Officials suspect the fraud costs Americans billions of dollars each year.
«This is an important issue for Americans to recognize because the states run Medicaid, but the federal taxpayer foots the bill,» said Oz.
mehmet mz, florida, minnesota fraud exposed, enforcement, california
Costa Rica registró un total de 25,498 denuncias por el delito de estafa durante el período comprendido entre el 1 de enero de 2025 y el 30 de marzo de 2026, una cifra que evidencia la magnitud de este fenómeno delictivo en el país y su impacto sostenido en la población, según datos del Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ).
El informe, elaborado por la Unidad de Análisis Criminal del OIJ, confirma que las estafas continúan posicionándose como uno de los delitos patrimoniales de mayor incidencia en el territorio nacional. Dentro de esta categoría, el timo destaca como la modalidad más frecuente, consolidándose como el principal mecanismo utilizado por los delincuentes para engañar a sus víctimas.
De acuerdo con el documento oficial, el comportamiento de estos delitos ha mostrado variaciones en los primeros meses del año. Mientras las estafas registraron una disminución desde enero, los timos evidenciaron un leve incremento durante el mes de marzo, lo que sugiere una adaptación constante de las estrategias utilizadas por los estafadores.
Las autoridades advierten que este tipo de delitos suele evolucionar rápidamente, especialmente con el uso de herramientas tecnológicas y plataformas digitales, lo que dificulta su detección y prevención. En muchos casos, las víctimas son engañadas mediante ofertas falsas, suplantación de identidad o promesas de beneficios económicos inexistentes.
El informe también pone en evidencia diferencias territoriales en la incidencia del delito. En este sentido, la provincia de Guanacaste se mantiene como la zona con menor cantidad de denuncias por estafa en el país, lo que contrasta con el comportamiento observado en otras regiones con mayor densidad poblacional.
Expertos en seguridad señalan que factores como el acceso a tecnología, la concentración urbana y la actividad comercial influyen directamente en la incidencia de este tipo de delitos.
El crecimiento sostenido de las estafas ha generado preocupación entre las autoridades judiciales y policiales, que han reiterado la necesidad de fortalecer los mecanismos de prevención y educación ciudadana. En particular, hacen un llamado a la población para extremar precauciones al realizar transacciones electrónicas, verificar la autenticidad de las ofertas y evitar compartir información personal o bancaria con terceros.
Asimismo, el OIJ enfatiza la importancia de la denuncia como herramienta clave para combatir este fenómeno. Cada caso reportado permite a las autoridades identificar patrones delictivos, ubicar a los responsables y desarrollar estrategias más efectivas para enfrentar estas prácticas.
En los últimos años, el delito de estafa ha experimentado una transformación significativa, impulsada por el auge de la digitalización. Modalidades como fraudes en redes sociales, falsas inversiones, phishing y ventas inexistentes han ganado terreno, ampliando el alcance de los delincuentes y aumentando el número de víctimas potenciales.
Este panorama plantea nuevos retos para las autoridades, que deben adaptar sus capacidades investigativas a un entorno cada vez más complejo. El uso de tecnología avanzada, el análisis de datos y la cooperación interinstitucional se han convertido en herramientas fundamentales para hacer frente a estas amenazas.
A pesar de los esfuerzos institucionales, las cifras reflejan que las estafas continúan siendo un problema persistente en Costa Rica. La combinación de factores como la sofisticación de los métodos delictivos y la vulnerabilidad de ciertos sectores de la población contribuye a mantener altos niveles de incidencia.
El llamado de las autoridades es claro: la prevención y la información siguen siendo las principales defensas frente a este tipo de delitos. En un contexto donde los estafadores perfeccionan constantemente sus estrategias, la vigilancia ciudadana y la denuncia oportuna se convierten en elementos esenciales para reducir el impacto de estas prácticas en la sociedad.
ciberseguridad,ciberdelincuencia,estafa,phishing,hacking,seguridad digital,fraude,banca en línea,malware,peligro
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday accused Iran’s regime of dramatically intensifying its crackdown on dissent in the wake of the February conflict, warning that Tehran has carried out executions, mass arrests, torture and one of the world’s longest internet shutdowns while invoking national security.
In a sharply worded statement from Geneva, Türk said at least 21 people have been executed and more than 4,000 arrested on national security-related charges since Feb. 28, as the regime faces mounting scrutiny over what he described as a sweeping assault on fundamental rights.
«I am appalled that, on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict, the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways,» Türk said.
COULD NARGES MOHAMMADI UNITE IRAN’S OPPOSITION? HUSBAND SAYS IMPRISONED NOBEL LAUREATE STILL FIGHTING
A protester holds ‘Stop executions in Iran’ and ‘Free Iran’ placards during the demonstration. Demonstrators gathered outside Downing Street in protest against executions in Iran and in support of freedom for Iran. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Since the start of the conflict two months ago, the U.N. said nine people have been executed in connection with the January 2026 protests, 10 for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two on espionage charges. It’s estimated that some 40,000 people were killed by regime forces during January’s uprising.
Türk warned that Iran’s broad use of vaguely defined national security laws has enabled authorities to fast-track prosecutions, deny legal counsel, and rely on coerced confessions.
«Even where national security is invoked, human rights can only be limited where strictly necessary and proportionate,» he said, calling on Tehran to halt executions, impose a moratorium on capital punishment, and immediately release those arbitrarily detained.
For many Iranian dissidents, the findings reflect an already dire reality.
A billboard depicting Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed above a highway in Tehran on March 10, 2026. Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as its supreme leader on March 9, 2026. (AFP/Via Getty Images)
«It is bad,» Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American journalist and editor of the Iran So Far Away Substack, told Fox News Digital. «They’re completely killing off the country.»
On Saturday, it was reported that Iran had executed another athlete, a 21-year-old karate champion. Sassan Azadvar Joonqani was detained in January during the anti-regime protests and was executed by the regime on Thursday, according to a report in Euronews.
Wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi was executed by the regime in March for alleged illegal actions in January’s protests against the authorities. (The Foreign Desk)
Last month, Iran executed another athlete, 19-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi, for protesting against the regime, Fox News Digital reported.
Türk’s office said detainees have reportedly faced enforced disappearances, torture, mock executions, and televised confessions, with ethnic and religious minorities including Bahá’ís, Zoroastrians, Kurds and Baluch Iranians facing particular risk.
RUBIO REVOKES IRANIAN OFFICIALS’ US TRAVEL PRIVILEGES OVER DEADLY PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS
Ali and Kiana Rahmani accept the Nobel Peace Prize 2023 on behalf of their mother, imprisoned Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, at Oslo City Hall in Norway on Dec. 10, 2023. (Javad Parsa/NTB/Reuters)
Among those cited by the U.N. was imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, whose condition sharply worsened Friday after what her family described as a catastrophic health crisis following months of being denied specialized care.
According to a statement from the Narges Foundation that was published Friday, Mohammadi was urgently transferred by ambulance from Zanjan Prison to a hospital after suffering two episodes of complete loss of consciousness in a single day, accompanied by severe cardiac distress. The foundation said prison doctors determined her condition could no longer be managed on-site after what her family called a «last-minute» transfer that may have come dangerously late.
Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, told Fox News Digital earlier this week that her physical condition had already become increasingly dire after what he described as a violent arrest and deteriorating prison treatment. «She has sustained severe trauma and urgently requires medical attention.»
Rahmani previously said Mohammadi’s medical team and outside specialists had pushed for treatment in Tehran due to her history of multiple heart procedures, while authorities allegedly blocked those recommendations until her condition became life-threatening. Despite her physical decline, Rahmani said, «Spiritually and mentally, Narges remains steadfast.»
IRAN’S KHAMENEI LASHES OUT AT PROTESTERS AS NATIONWIDE ANTI-REGIME UNREST GROWS
In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, tear gas is fired during an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (UGC via AP) (UGC via AP)
The U.N. statement, combined with Mohammadi’s emergency hospitalization, has intensified scrutiny of Iran’s prison conditions, which Türk described as marked by overcrowding, medical neglect, and severe human rights abuses.
Türk also cited dire prison conditions, including overcrowding, shortages of food, water and medicine, and denial of medical care.
The U.N. further highlighted reports of lethal violence in detention facilities, including claims that security forces killed at least five detainees in Chabahar Prison after protests over suspended food distribution.
But while dissidents welcomed the U.N.’s unusually forceful language, some also questioned whether condemnation without action can meaningfully alter conditions, especially as Iran this week was elevated to a vice-chair role on a U.N. nuclear nonproliferation committee.
«The reason why Iranians just don’t trust, don’t like and don’t want to know from the U.N.,» Zand said, is what she described as its repeated failure «to rise to the occasion of responding to the regime and holding their feet to the fire at the right time… with the right amount of pressure.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Iranian diaspora activists gathered in front of the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin on Jan. 27, 2024, to protest the increase in death sentences by Iran’s Islamic Republic rulers. The demonstration was organized by the Echo Iran group. (Echo Iran/Middle East Images/AFP)
While she said the latest statement itself was important, Zand argued many view such condemnations as hollow when paired with what they see as institutional legitimacy granted to Tehran.
«They’re making a statement… fine,» she said. «But what are they gonna do about it?»
war with iran, iran, persecutions, united nations, terrorism
Escándalo en Ariel en su salsa: está todo mal con Mica Viciconte y evalúan una limpieza de sus integrantes
Después de la polémica y los despidos, la empresa favorita de Milei y Caputo contratará nuevos empleados y abrirá 15 locales
Dr. Oz names 5 states in fraud crackdown as Trump admin targets Medicaid abuse
Crónica de una semana sin preguntas en la Casa Rosada
Cornejo ratificó su apoyo al gobierno de Milei: “Argentina asiste a un cambio de modelo que Mendoza viene acompañando”
Boca Juniors va por el liderazgo de su zona en el Apertura en su visita a Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero: hora, TV y formaciones
Milei cruzó a una diputada de la izquierda que interrumpía a Adorni: “¡Ustedes son los asesinos!”
La escandalosa separación de Diego Maradona Jr. y su esposa: “Ella estaría de novia con el mejor amigo de él”
A la salida del Congreso, Javier Milei evitó las preguntas de los periodistas y los calificó de “chorros”
Maratónica defensa de Manuel Adorni en Diputados: “No voy a renunciar”
POLITICA3 días agoMilei cruzó a una diputada de la izquierda que interrumpía a Adorni: “¡Ustedes son los asesinos!”
- CHIMENTOS2 días ago
La escandalosa separación de Diego Maradona Jr. y su esposa: “Ella estaría de novia con el mejor amigo de él”
- POLITICA2 días ago
A la salida del Congreso, Javier Milei evitó las preguntas de los periodistas y los calificó de “chorros”
