INTERNACIONAL
EXCLUSIVE: Trump admin takes action after massive fraud uncovered at agency Dems tried to protect from DOGE
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Following the uncovering of a massive bribery scandal at USAID, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is ordering a full audit of all government contracting officers who have exercised grant-awarding authority under the agency’s business development program over the last 15 years.
In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said the scale of the USAID fraud is a «damning reflection of systemic failures in oversight and accountability.» She further said that the fraud «was not an isolated incident.»
In response, Loeffler instructed Associate Administrator Tre Pennie, who oversees government contracts awarded by SBA, to «act decisively» to crack down on any potential similar abuses in the agency.
Loeffler instructed Pennie to immediately initiate a full-scale audit of the agency’s awarding officers back to 2010.
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Left: Then Sen. Kelly Loeffler, RT-Ga., speaks during a re-election campaign rally Monday, Mar. 9, 2020, in Marietta, Ga. Right: An American flag and USAID flag fly outside the USAID building in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/John Bazemore and REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon)
«The role of federal government contracting officers is not ceremonial or self-dealing; rather, it is a position of immense authority and fiduciary responsibility,» said Loeffler. «The contracting process must be transparent and built on merit, not personal gain.»
This comes after USAID, an agency tasked with administering civilian foreign aid, was essentially dismantled by the DOGE waste, fraud and abuse cuts made under Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. The move was met with massive protests from Democrats who claimed that cutting USAID would impoverish and harm recipients across the globe.
Despite claims of how much good the agency was doing, it was recently discovered that an influential contracting officer at USAID named Roderick Watson was able to carry out a massive, long-term bribery scheme dating all the way back to 2013.
Watson, 57, pleaded guilty to «bribery of a public official,» according to a DOJ press release.
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Protesters hold placards as Pete Marocco, deputy administrator-designate at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), attends a meeting with members of Congress to discuss foreign assistance, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. Mar. 5, 2025. (REUTERS/Kent Nishimura)
According to the DOJ, Watson sold his influence starting in 2013, with contractors Walter Barnes, owner of Vistant, and Darryl Britt, owner of Apprio, funneling payoffs through subcontractor Paul Young to hide their tracks.
A DOJ press release said that Britt and Barnes «regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices.»
The statement said that Watson is alleged to have received bribes «valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.»
Vistant was awarded in November 2023, as part of a joint venture, a contract worth up to $800 million with one of the focuses of that contract being to address «a variety of issues affecting the root causes of irregular migration from Central America to the United States,» an issue that President Joe Biden tasked then-Vice President Kamala Harris with during his presidency.
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A worker removes the U.S. Agency for International Development sign on their headquarters on Feb. 07, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Several days later, that contract was canceled after USAID published a notice that said Vistant was excluded from government contracting due to «evidence of conduct of a lack of business honesty or integrity.»
The joint venture then successfully sued the government over being put on that exclusion list and was re-awarded the contract and given a $10,000 payment in August 2024.
In her letter, Loeffler said the USAID scandal «represents a collapse in the very safeguards that are supposed to protect American taxpayer dollars and ensure fair access for legitimate small businesses.»
She slammed the Biden administration for awarding the $800 million contract to Vistant despite the business being labeled by USAID as lacking «honesty and integrity.»
«The fact that a federal official was able to act as the linchpin of a persistent, large-scale fraud operation speaks to a failure in internal controls and a breakdown in the contracting environment that demands immediate correction,» said Loeffler.
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Small Business Administration building (U.S. Government Accountability Office)
She said that SBA plays a «critical role» in federal contracting and «will no longer stand by while abuses are perpetrated at the expense of taxpayers and deserving small businesses.»
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Loeffler said the agency’s audit will begin with high-dollar and limited competition contracts within SBA’s 8(a) business development program. The findings will be referred to the U.S. Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the DOJ.
Any officials or businesses found in violation of the SBA’s ethical standards or who have committed criminal misconduct will be referred to the appropriate authorities and SBA will assist the DOJ in recovering misappropriated funds, Loeffler said.
«We will not allow public trust to be quietly eroded by backdoor deals and unchecked discretion,» said Loeffler.
«We owe it to America’s small businesses to get this right,» she went on. «Your office has the authority, and now the mandate, to act decisively.»
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions on Thursday that he called «necessary» to «deter and dismantle» the flow of deadly fentanyl into the United States.
The new policy imposes new visa restrictions on family members and close personal and business associates of foreign drug traffickers.
Speaking with reporters Thursday afternoon, State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott said that this move «will not only prevent them from entering the United States, but also serve as a deterrent for continued illicit activities.»
In a statement released by the State Department, Rubio stressed the importance of further expanding sanctions to stop the flow of fentanyl and other drugs into the country.
«The fentanyl crisis in the United States is unprecedented, with overdoses remaining the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 44,» said Rubio.
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Left: Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., May 20, 2025. Right: Over 1.2 million fentanyl pills, which were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The secretary said that «more than 40 percent of Americans reportedly know someone who has died from an opioid overdose, and in 2024, the United States averaged over 220 overdose deaths daily.»
«Today’s action expands upon existing tools,» he said, adding that the State Department «will use all necessary tools to deter and dismantle the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs from entering the United States and harming U.S. citizens.»
Fentanyl is a dangerous drug that is often trafficked into the United States across the southern and northern borders by cartels and other criminal elements. In 2024, fentanyl was linked to the deaths of 48,422 persons in the United States, according to the CDC.
During his campaign, President Donald Trump vowed to wage a war against fentanyl traffickers through increased border security and by cracking down on illegal immigration. Since taking office, Trump has deployed U.S. troops to the southern border, targeted cartels and transnational criminal groups as «foreign terrorist organizations» and hit cartel leaders with sanctions.
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Liberal news outlet The Washington Post is being mocked online and by the White House for «pathetic» reporting on what the outlet calls a «mysterious» decline in fentanyl flowing across the border. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Fox News)
According to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), the U.S. law enforcement seizures of fentanyl, which the group explains is a «key indicator of broader total smuggling at and between the southern border’s ports of entry,» have dropped 50% since the November election. CIS states that this significant decline indicates a «greater decline in total fentanyl smuggling.»
In May, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that authorities had made one of the biggest fentanyl busts in U.S. history with the seizure of 409 kilos of fentanyl pills and 11.5 kilos of fentanyl powder. Bondi said that around 35 kilos of methamphetamine, 35 kilos of meth, 7.5 kilos of cocaine and 4.5 kilos of heroin also had been seized along with $5 million in cash and 49 rifles and pistols.
Sixteen people including three women, were arrested in the operation. Six of the males are in the U.S. illegally, according to Bondi.
BONDI ANNOUNCES ONE OF LARGEST FENTANYL SEIZURES IN US HISTORY
Bondi described fentanyl as a weapon of «mass destruction» and laid down a stern warning to drug pushers looking to distribute the potentially deadly drug throughout the nation. (Pool)
Bondi described fentanyl as a weapon of «mass destruction» and laid down a stern warning to drug pushers looking to distribute the potentially deadly drug throughout the nation.
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«When we catch you like all of these individuals, if convicted, we will put you behind bars. There will be no negotiating and we will lock you up for as long as humanly possible,» Bondi said. «We will not negotiate with those who are killing our family members, including brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, parents, friends, everyone in this room.»
Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
Japón ejecutó al “asesino de Twitter”, el hombre que manipulaba a sus víctimas y las descuartizaba en su departamento
Japón ejecutó este viernes a Takahiro Shiraishi, conocido como el “asesino de Twitter”, tras ser condenado a la pena capital por el homicidio y desmembramiento de nueve personas en 2017. La ejecución, llevada a cabo por ahorcamiento, representa la primera aplicación de la pena de muerte en el país desde 2022, según informaron medios como NHK y Kyodo News, citando fuentes gubernamentales. El Ministerio de Justicia no confirmó de inmediato el procedimiento, pero anunció una próxima rueda de prensa.
Shiraishi, de 34 años, fue sentenciado en 2020 tras declararse culpable de los crímenes, cometidos entre agosto y octubre de 2017. Las víctimas —ocho mujeres y un hombre— tenían entre 15 y 26 años y fueron contactadas por Shiraishi a través de Twitter, actualmente conocida como X. Según la investigación judicial, las víctimas manifestaban pensamientos suicidas en redes sociales y Shiraishi se ofrecía para ayudarlas a morir. Posteriormente, las atraía a su domicilio en la ciudad de Zama, prefectura de Kanagawa, donde las asesinaba y descuartizaba.
Durante el juicio, Shiraishi reconoció los hechos y no mostró arrepentimiento. “Sí, los maté, y no hay duda de eso”, declaró ante el tribunal. El caso conmocionó a la opinión pública japonesa por la violencia de los actos y por la utilización de redes sociales para capturar a sus víctimas.
Los cuerpos fueron desmembrados y almacenados en cajas y neveras portátiles en su pequeño apartamento. La policía descubrió el caso tras la denuncia del hermano de una de las víctimas, quien logró acceder a la cuenta de su hermana en Twitter e identificar una conversación con el acusado.
La pena de muerte en Japón se aplica exclusivamente por ahorcamiento y se lleva a cabo en secreto. Los reclusos son informados de su ejecución pocas horas antes del acto, una práctica que ha sido criticada por organizaciones internacionales por sus efectos sobre la salud mental de los condenados. Como establece la ley japonesa, la ejecución debe realizarse dentro de los seis meses siguientes a la sentencia firme, aunque en la práctica suelen transcurrir varios años.
En diciembre de 2023, el Ministerio de Justicia informó que había 107 personas en el corredor de la muerte. Los detenidos se mantienen en régimen de aislamiento durante años, sin conocer cuándo se ejecutará su condena. “La incertidumbre permanente constituye una forma de tortura psicológica”, ha advertido en reiteradas ocasiones Amnistía Internacional.
Japón, junto con Estados Unidos, es uno de los dos países del G7 que aún mantienen la pena de muerte. La sociedad japonesa, sin embargo, muestra un alto grado de respaldo a la práctica. Según una encuesta del gobierno de 2024, el 83% de los encuestados considera que la pena capital es “inevitable” para ciertos crímenes.
La última ejecución en Japón antes del caso de Shiraishi ocurrió en 2022, cuando fue ejecutado Tomohiro Kato, condenado por un ataque con vehículo y cuchillo en el barrio de Akihabara en 2008, que dejó siete muertos. En aquella ocasión, Kato declaró a la policía: “Vine a Akihabara a matar. No importaba a quién”.
Entre las ejecuciones más relevantes en la historia reciente de Japón figuran las de 2018, cuando fueron ejecutados el líder de la secta Aum Shinrikyo, Shoko Asahara, y 12 de sus seguidores, responsables del ataque con gas sarín en el metro de Tokio en 1995, que dejó 14 muertos y más de 5.000 afectados.
El caso Shiraishi reabre el debate sobre la pena de muerte, el uso de redes sociales para la captación de víctimas vulnerables y la necesidad de mayor vigilancia sobre contenidos relacionados con el suicidio en internet. La ejecución ha sido recibida con atención por los medios y por organizaciones de derechos humanos que insisten en la necesidad de mayor transparencia en el sistema penal japonés.
(Con información de EFE y AFP)
INTERNACIONAL
Mossad chief thanks US for help with Iran, says ‘significantly thwarted’ regime threats
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Mossad Director David Barnea thanked the men and women working for the agency after the success of Israel’s Operation Rising Lion.
He also expressed his appreciation to the U.S. — particularly the CIA — for their work in countering Iran’s nuclear program.
«These are historic days for the people of Israel. The Iranian threat, which endangered our security for decades, has been significantly thwarted thanks to the extraordinary cooperation between the IDF, which led the campaign, and the Mossad, which operated alongside it, with the support of our ally, the United States,» Barnea said.
Mossad Director David Barnea thanks the men and women in the agency who worked to counter Iran’s nuclear program. He also expressed appreciation for the U.S.
INSIDE ISRAEL’S SECRET WAR IN IRAN: MOSSAD COMMANDOS, HIDDEN DRONES AND THE STRIKE THAT STUNNED TEHRAN
The Mossad, Israel’s equivalent of the CIA, had personnel in Iran ready for the launch of Operation Rising Lion, something that was revealed in unprecedented fashion when the agency released video of its operatives at work.
Ahead of the U.S. strikes in the early hours of Sunday morning, Iranian time, there was speculation whether Washington and Jerusalem were coordinating. President Donald Trump made it clear after the strikes that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been working together behind the scenes.
«I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team — like perhaps no team has ever worked before — and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel,» Trump said in his address to the nation following the strikes on Iran.
A map of the U.S. strikes on Iran. (Fox News)
US STRIKES SET IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM BACK ‘MANY YEARS,’ ISRAELI ASSESSMENT FINDS
While Barnea expressed his gratitude to Israeli and American forces alike, he also said that «the mission is not yet complete.»
«The Mossad will continue, with determination, to monitor, track, and act to thwart the threats against us — just as we always have — for the sake of the State of Israel and its people,» Barnea said.
President Donald Trump, right, listens during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Iran’s nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, said on Tuesday that the country was assessing the damage and preparing to restore the facilities, according to Reuters. He added that Iran’s «plan is to prevent interruptions in the process of production and services.»
Both Trump and Netanyahu vowed to respond if Iran rebuilds its nuclear program.
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