El Ministerio Público de República Dominicana puso en marcha la Operación XL526 contra una red criminal que, según la Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana, extorsionaba, chantajeaba y estafaba a residentes en Estados Unidos desde Jacagua, en Santiago, para obtener fondos que luego eran canalizados en maniobras de lavado de activos; la ofensiva dejó 20 personas arrestadas y derivará en presentaciones judiciales en las próximas horas.

La investigación, de acuerdo con la Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana, incluyó 28 allanamientos ejecutados en Santiago y Puerto Plata por un equipo de 35 fiscales.

Entre los detenidos hay cinco cabecillas, seis integrantes identificados de la estructura y otras ocho personas apresadas con fines de investigación, mientras las autoridades persiguen a otro hombre vinculado al caso.

La operación fue coordinada por la Dirección General de Persecución y la Fiscalía de Santiago, según la Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana.

También participaron la Dirección de Área de Investigación de Crimen Organizado, el Departamento Especial de Investigación de Delitos Trasnacionales de la Policía Nacional, HSI Santo Domingo, la Dirección Central de Prevención de la Policía Nacional y la Fuerza de Tarea contra el Crimen Organizado.

La estructura tenía su base operativa en el municipio de Jacagua, provincia de Santiago. La entidad oficial sostuvo que se trataba de una organización de carácter internacional integrada por personas con dominio del inglés y uso de herramientas tecnológicas para ejecutar las maniobras ilícitas.

El mecanismo, de acuerdo con la investigación oficial, comenzaba con la captación de víctimas mediante anuncios publicitarios. Después, las personas eran sometidas a extorsión y chantaje con un guion previamente estructurado por los cabecillas.

La Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana indicó que los imputados se hacían pasar, por medios tecnológicos, por supuestos miembros de organizaciones criminales como el denominado “Cartel de Sinaloa”. Con esa identidad falsa, exigían dinero a las víctimas y les enviaban imágenes de crímenes horrendos para intimidarlas.

Ese es el núcleo del caso: una red asentada en Santiago contactaba a residentes en Estados Unidos, los amenazaba con identidades criminales ficticias y obtenía dinero por coerción, según la Procuraduría General. Luego, esos fondos eran movilizados por distintos canales para dificultar su rastreo.

Durante la operación fueron arrestados los presuntos cabecillas Carlos José Parra Lantigua, Eliardo Peña Almonte, Renso Darío González Almonte, Josiel Pichardo Cabrera y Walinton Sosa Almonte, según la Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana.

La institución también identificó como miembros de la red a Moisés David Pichardo Aracena, Pedro Antonio Pichardo, Yumeiry Altagracia Cabrera, Danny Rafael Lantigua, Augusto José Reyes y Julio Antonio Peralta del Rosario.

Los integrantes de la red serán presentados ante la Oficina Judicial de Servicios de Atención Permanente de Santiago en las próximas horas, de acuerdo con la Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana. La investigación les atribuye presunta vinculación con crímenes y delitos de alta tecnología, asociación de malhechores, estafa, extorsión, chantaje, obtención ilícita de fondos, enriquecimiento ilícito, lavado de activos, distribución de sustancias controladas y uso de armas de fuego.

La Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana sostuvo que los fondos obtenidos eran canalizados mediante criptomonedas como Bitcoin, transferencias electrónicas, transferencias espejo y depósitos a través de empresas remesadoras y plataformas de pago.

En la mayoría de los casos, añadió la institución, las transacciones se hacían a favor de terceros identificados por la investigación para dificultar la trazabilidad del dinero y encubrir su origen ilícito.

La ostentación de bienestar económico por parte de los integrantes de la organización incentivaba la incorporación de nuevas personas, sobre todo jóvenes de Santiago de los Caballeros y municipios cercanos, según la Procuraduría General de la República Dominicana. La institución afirmó que esa exhibición de recursos formaba parte del entorno de expansión de la estructura.

Las autoridades también señalaron que los imputados empleaban mecanismos de intimidación y coacción que causaban afectaciones psicológicas graves en las víctimas.

Las amenazas provocaban temor, sufrimiento y perturbación emocional tanto en quienes recibían directamente la presión como en sus familiares, con impacto en su estabilidad personal y su calidad de vida.

Kuwait decried Iranian attacks in a statement issued by its foreign affairs ministry, saying that the Kuwait International Airport had been targeted.

«The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the State of Kuwait’s condemnation and denunciation, in the strongest terms, of the brutal and ongoing Iranian attacks using ballistic missiles and drones, the latest of which occurred at dawn today, targeting once again civilian and vital facilities, including Kuwait International Airport, resulting in the death of one individual, injuries to others, and damage to vital facilities, including diplomatic missions,» part of the statement declared, according to a translation of the Arabic-language post on X.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense spokesperson had indicated that a building at Kuwait International Airport was damaged and people were injured, according to a post on X by the official account of Kuwait Army general staff headquarters.

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«The Official Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, stated that a number of hostile drones targeted today the passenger building (T1) at Kuwait International Airport as a result of the criminal Iranian aggression, which resulted in significant material damage to the building and injuries to a number of individuals, who received the necessary medical care,» according to a translation of the Arabic-language post.

«He affirmed that the armed forces are monitoring the situation in coordination with the relevant authorities, and they are in a state of complete readiness to deal with any developments, and to take all necessary measures to preserve the security of the country and its stability,» the post added.

The Iranian hostilities come more than three months since the start of the U.S. war against the Islamic Republic.

In a Tuesday statement, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) indicated that America had engaged in «self-defense strikes» against Iran.

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Imam Sadiq (AS) mosque with a giant Iranian flag installed on its front at the Palestine Square in Tehran on April 19, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)

«U.S. forces successfully defeated multiple Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, and conducted self-defense strikes on Qeshm Island in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East, June 2. Iran launched several ballistic missiles toward regional neighbors; however, all failed to hit their intended targets. Two Iranian missiles fired at Kuwait fell short or broke apart enroute, and three missiles launched at Bahrain were immediately intercepted by U.S. and Bahrain air defense forces,» the release noted.

«Moments earlier, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces shot down three one-way attack drones launched by Iran toward civilian mariners that were rightfully transiting regional waters. American forces also conducted self-defense strikes on an Iranian military ground control station on Qeshm Island. No U.S. personnel were harmed. CENTCOM forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire,» the statement added.

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth listens as Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon on April 16, 2026, in Arlington, Va. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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CENTCOM noted in a post on X that, «An additional wave of Iranian drones attempting to attack U.S. forces in Kuwait failed to impact intended targets tonight. U.S. Central Command air defenses successfully downed multiple drones and ensured no American personnel or assets were harmed.»

Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek of Iowa on Tuesday captured his party’s Senate nomination in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst.

Turek, a Paralympian, defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls in Iowa’s Democratic Senate primary, The Associated Press reported, and will now face off against Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, who cruised to the GOP nomination.

The Republican-controlled Senate seat in Iowa is a top target for Democrats, and the race is one of about a dozen crucial showdowns in this year’s midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans successfully hold onto their slim majority in the chamber.

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Turek, a moderate Democrat who flipped a GOP-held Iowa House seat in 2022, was backed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and had the tacit support of longtime Democratic Senate Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. And VoteVets, an establishment-aligned outside group, has spent big bucks on behalf of Turek.

«Josh Turek is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist who has represented his country on the world stage and has built a reputation in the legislature for working across the aisle to get things done for Iowans,» Schumer and Gillibrand said in a statement. «His nomination tonight puts the Iowa Senate seat firmly in play, and in November, Iowans will reject Ashley Hinson’s self-serving politics and send Josh Turek to the U.S. Senate.»

But National Republican Senatorial Committee Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell said that «Chuck Schumer spent $10 million dollars to coronate Josh Turek as his rubber stamp for Democrats’ radical tax-and-spend agenda. In November, Iowans will reject him and elect Ashley Hinson to keep fighting for Iowa families, farmers, and workers.»

Wahls, a progressive candidate who Republicans likened to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was endorsed by liberal champion Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. The Democratic primary grabbed plenty of national attention and drew tons of outside money.

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Iowa state Sen. Zach Wahls campaigns for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate during an event with local residents May 23, 2026, in Waukee, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo)

Hinson, a former TV news anchor who is in her third term representing Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, defeated former state senator and former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Carlin in the GOP Senate primary, The Associated Press reported.

Hinson was backed by President Donald Trump; Senate Majority Leader John Thune; the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the campaign arm of the Senate GOP; and by Ernst as she cruised to her party’s nomination. Hinson, who in 2020 flipped a Democratic-held seat, is seen as a rising star in the party.

Rep. Ashley Hinson on Tuesday won the Republican Senate nomination in Iowa in the 2026 race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Iowa was once a top battleground state that former President Barack Obama carried in his 2008 and 2012 White House victories. But the state has shifted to the right in recent election cycles with Trump carrying the state by nine points in 2016, eight points in 2020 and by 13 points in November 2024.

Republicans hold both of the state’s Senate seats — Ernst and longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley — and all four of Iowa’s congressional districts, as well as all statewide offices except state auditor.

But Democrats are energized heading into the midterms, when the GOP, as the party in power, will face traditional headwinds, a challenging political climate thanks to persistent inflation and sky-high gas prices due to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, as well as Trump’s sinking approval ratings.

And Iowa Democrats, in particular, are energized after flipping two GOP-held state Senate seats in special elections in 2025.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, announced last year that she wouldn’t seek re-election in 2026 to a third term in the Senate. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The general election winner will succeed Ernst, a retired Army Reserve and Iowa National Guard officer who served in the Iraq War and was first elected to the Senate in 2014.

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Ernst grabbed plenty of national attention in that campaign with her «make ‘em squeal» ads as she won the high-profile Senate election to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin.

Fox News’ Sally Persons contributed to this report.