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Military families want DOJ to distribute nearly $800M from French cement company found guilty of bribing ISIS
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In November 2017, Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy was injured in Raqqa, Syria, while clearing the second floor of a hospital that ISIS had booby-trapped with explosives.
Now a quadriplegic, Stacy, his wife Lindsey and their four children are part of a lawsuit brought by military families against the French cement company Lafarge, which was recently found guilty by a French court of paying millions of dollars in bribes to ISIS to keep its factory open in ISIS-controlled territory in Syria.
«I mean, they were essentially funneling money to fund terrorists and ISIS and all these heinous crimes and evil acts,» Lindsey Stacy told Fox News while standing by the side of her husband, the former Navy explosives ordnance disposal (EOD) specialist, who just had another surgery to deal with injuries sustained in Syria nine years ago.
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«It’s very overwhelming. Kenton struggles mentally and physically with his own battles, and the kids and I, we have our own struggles,» she said. «It’s hard to juggle, especially when our oldest son has cerebral palsy, and he requires his own 24-7 care.»
President Donald Trump praised Stacy’s service to the nation in his 2018 State of the Union Address to Congress. Army Staff Sgt. Justin Peck bounded into a booby-trapped building to rescue Kenton and then gave him more than two hours of CPR while medics worked to save his life.
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watch as carry teams move the transfer case with the remains of Iowa National Guard Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, killed in an attack in Syria, during a casualty return at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware Dec. 17, 2025. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
«Kenton Stacy would have died if not for Justin’s selfless love for a fellow warrior. Tonight, Kenton is recovering in Texas. Raqqa is liberated. … All of America salutes you,» Trump said.
In a landmark ruling in April, a French court convicted Lafarge, the world’s largest cement manufacturer, of providing material support to a terror group and sentenced its former CEO to six years in prison. Eight former Lafarge employees were found guilty. Lafarge is appealing.
The company acknowledged the court’s finding describing the issue as a «legacy matter,» which was «in flagrant violation of Lafarge’s Code of Conduct.»
Nearly 1,000 plaintiffs, most of them military families, are part of earlier litigation in the Eastern District of New York.
«They were killed, in Syria, by a gruesome terrorist organization that was funded in part by Lafarge. And that’s not an allegation. That is undisputed fact. Lafarge [pleaded] guilty to doing that in 2022,» said Todd Toral, the lawyer from Jenner & Block representing Stacy and about 25 other families.
Toral, who is also a U.S. Marine, is seeking compensation for those families from the $777 million Lafarge paid to the Justice Department as part of the settlement. The Justice Department has had that money since October 2022.
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The Lafarge logo is displayed outside a facility in Paris on Sept. 8, 2017. Lafarge pleaded guilty to paying $17 million to the Islamic State group to keep a plant in Syria open, according to the Justice Department. The charges were announced in federal court in New York City. (Francois Mori/AP)
«I think the ruling by the court in France is significant generally, because it’s the first time in many, many years that a corporation, and not just the corporation, but executives at a corporation have been held to account for their misconduct in aiding terrorism,» Toral said in an interview with Fox News.
To operate in ISIS-controlled areas of Syria, Lafarge paid more than $6.5 million to ISIS from 2013 to 2014 through its Syrian subsidiary to keep production facilities running. The cement produced at its factory in Jalabiya, a factory which was bought for $680 million months before the Syrian uprising began in 2011, was also used for tunnels and bunkers, which helped the terrorist group.
The lawsuit is significant because it marks the first time a company has faced U.S. charges for supporting a terrorist group.
In October 2022, Lafarge settled with the U.S. Justice Department before the French ruling, paying more than $777 million into an asset forfeiture fund currently controlled by the DOJ, funds that are supposed to compensate victims of the ISIS attacks, many of them American Gold Star families like Hailey Dayton, whose father was the first American killed by ISIS in Syria on Thanksgiving Day 2016.
«I was 15 when my dad was killed,» Dayton told Fox News from her home in Florida. «I saw six guys in Navy white step out of the van. I got so excited because I thought my Dad came back to surprise us. I remember opening the door, huge smile on my face, and I was looking at the men, trying to find my dad and I didn’t find — I didn’t see him. But instead I saw six guys with tears in their eyes.»
The Biden Justice Department denied requests to distribute the Lafarge funds while the case was still pending before a French court. Lafarge was found guilty by that court in April. In February, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., pressed then-Attorney General Pam Bondi on when the DOJ planned to release the funds to the families.
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Lafarge pleaded guilty to paying $17 million to the Islamic State group to keep a plant in Syria open, the Justice Department announced in federal court in New York City on Nov. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
«In February 2025, my colleagues and I sent you a letter urging the department to review the petitions for remission submitted by the families of those fallen service members, including several of my constituents. The previous administration ignored these victims and our requests and left their petitions unresolved,» Biggs told Bondi during a congressional hearing.
«Congressman, we are aware of that, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to support the victims and work with you. Thank you for that question,» Bondi replied. That was more than a year ago, and the DOJ still has not distributed the compensation funds.
Now the plaintiffs, most of them military families, say the decision to release the funds rests with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
«I don’t know why. I don’t know why they’re ignoring us. To me, it feels like being a pawn. My dad, he went in when he was 19. He served 23 years,» Dayton, the Gold Star daughter of Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton, said. «To the current Department of Justice, I would say make things right.»
Lindsey Stacy says she and her family have difficulty making ends meet given Kenton Stacy’s severe injuries.
«There’s a lot of families out there that could benefit from these funds. I mean, it’s been almost nine years. It would be nice to, you know, for justice to be served. They have been convicted recently in their own country, guilty. It has been a long battle, but it’d be nice just for it to come to an end, get some closure and be able to just take care of our family,» Stacy added.
«I mean, he made a huge sacrifice for our country, and it would just be nice if they’d stand right by us and all the other co-plaintiffs.
«We can think of no group of people who are more worthy of receiving compensation from that victim’s compensation fund than these families who lost a son, lost a brother, lost a husband, and they deserve to be treated better by the United States of America,» Toral, who continues to press his clients’ case, said in an interview ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
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The DOJ, which controls the $777 million dollars in penalties forfeited by Lafarge, issued the following statement:
«The Department is committed to compensating all victims to the maximum extent permitted by law. While we cannot comment on a pending matter, the department will always engage in the appropriate process to evaluate claims and ensure that our brave service members receive any amount of compensation to which they are entitled.»
veterans, military, france, justice department
INTERNACIONAL
‘Political stunt’ prosecution of ICE agent for ‘road rage’ provokes heated DHS response
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The Department of Homeland Security is accusing Minnesota officials of staging a «political stunt» as federal and state authorities square off over whether an ICE agent accused of pointing a gun at motorists should be prosecuted in state or federal court.
The dispute centers on Gregory Morgan Jr., an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent charged with two counts of second-degree assault after prosecutors said he pointed a handgun at motorists during a traffic confrontation while returning from a federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities.
Morgan’s attorneys, backed by federal officials, argue he is protected under legal doctrines stemming from the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes that federal law supersedes conflicting state laws. Courts have recognized that federal officers may, in certain circumstances, be shielded from state prosecution for actions taken in the course of their official duties. But Minnesota prosecutors say those protections do not apply here, arguing Morgan’s alleged conduct fell outside any legitimate federal law-enforcement function.
The case has grown into a broader fight over the legal protections afforded to federal officers. Hennepin County prosecutors are seeking to keep the matter in state court, while the federal government has joined Morgan’s effort to move it to federal court. Earlier this week, the Department of Justice filed a notice seeking to have Senior Trial Attorney Paul Quast appear on behalf of the United States in the case.
«These actions by Minnesota sanctuary politicians are nothing more than a political stunt,» a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. «States do not have the authority to charge a federal law enforcement officer while performing his official duties.»
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Protesters hold a large anti-ICE sign outside the Henry Bishop Whipple Federal building in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 18, 2026, during demonstrations against immigration enforcement called «Operation Metro Surge.» (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
The statement came as Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office urged a federal judge to reject Morgan’s request to transfer the case out of Minnesota state court.
In filings submitted this week, prosecutors argued Morgan is attempting to «transform his moment of road rage — committed on a state highway against Minnesota victims — into a federal enforcement action.»
The filing, submitted by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office along with the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and the Washington Litigation Group, contends there is no meaningful connection between the alleged assault and Morgan’s responsibilities as an ICE agent.
According to prosecutors, Morgan’s authority to arrest and detain individuals suspected of violating immigration laws did not extend to confronting motorists on a Minnesota highway.
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Federal immigration agents toss tear gas during a house raid in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 13, 2026, amid a crackdown on undocumented immigrants under Operation Metro Surge. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
«There is no evidence of any job-related circumstance requiring the defendant to rush to his destination or to drive on the highway shoulder to get there,» the filing states. «It was the defendant’s decision to drive illegally on the shoulder to avoid the inconvenience of rush-hour traffic, and to draw and point his firearm at motorists who got in his way.»
Morgan’s attorney, Ryan Pacyga, filed the removal petition last week, arguing the alleged conduct occurred while Morgan was performing federal law enforcement duties and that both he and his partner feared «imminent bodily harm» during the encounter.
According to court records, Morgan was returning to the Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling on Feb. 5 after participating in Operation Metro Surge when the incident occurred on Highway 62 near the Interstate 35W interchange.
Prosecutors say Morgan and another ICE agent were driving on the highway shoulder during rush hour when a Cadillac moved over and blocked their path. Authorities allege Morgan then pulled alongside the vehicle, drew a handgun and pointed it at the occupants.
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The Department of Homeland Security arrested seven more criminal illegal immigrants, including «pedophiles, gang members and drug traffickers,» during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, the agency said on Friday. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)
One of the motorists called 911 and reported that a man had aimed a Glock at his face, while both occupants later told investigators they feared for their safety. Morgan was charged with two counts of second-degree assault and was released after posting $100,000 bail.
Morgan’s case is not the only prosecution stemming from Operation Metro Surge.
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Moriarty’s office later charged another ICE agent, Christian Castro, with multiple assault counts in connection with the alleged shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, an incident that sparked protests in north Minneapolis.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department, Moriarty’s office and Pacyga for comment.
homeland security, police and law enforcement, immigration, minnesota, justice department, politics
Dos trenes de pasajeros chocaron este viernes al sur de Bedford, localidad situada a unos 90 kilómetros al norte de Londres, en un accidente que movilizó a múltiples servicios de emergencia y provocó heridos de diversa consideración, algunos de ellos con lesiones graves.
La Policía de Transporte Británica (British Transport Police, BTP) confirmó el incidente a través de X poco después de las 17:30, hora de verano británica (BST), señalando que respondía a “reportes de una colisión que involucra a dos trenes en el área de Bedford”. Ambos convoyes pertenecían a East Midlands Railway (EMR) y circulaban en dirección sur hacia la estación londinense de St Pancras: uno había partido de Corby y el otro, de Nottingham, ambas ciudades en el centro de Inglaterra.
Las imágenes difundidas en redes sociales mostraron los dos trenes con daños visibles pero aparentemente sobre las vías, aunque un pasajero declaró que al menos uno de los vagones había abandonado los raíles.
Peter Knapp, quien viajaba en el primer vagón de uno de los trenes, describió la experiencia a la BBC como sentir que había estado “en una explosión de bomba”. Relató haber visto “rostros ensangrentados”, personas con lo que parecían ser piernas rotas y “humo por todas partes”, además de la presencia inmediata de ambulancias, camiones de bomberos y policías en el lugar.
En declaraciones a la agencia Press Association, Knapp precisó que hubo un momento de ser lanzado contra el asiento de adelante antes de ver el humo. “La gente lloraba, gritaba, estaba aterrada y confundida”, añadió. Publicó imágenes de las secuelas en Bluesky, donde confirmó que salió con heridas en las piernas y un golpe en la espalda, y advirtió que otros pasajeros “no estaban bien”.
El secretario de Salud, James Murray, confirmó que “varias personas resultaron heridas” y agradeció a los equipos de primera respuesta su actuación. Las autoridades no habían difundido cifras oficiales de víctimas al cierre de esta información.
Tres servicios de ambulancias de la zona enviaron recursos al lugar, incluidas ambulancias aéreas cuya presencia fue registrada sobrevolando el sur de Bedford. Al menos dos de esos organismos calificaron el suceso como “incidente grave”. El Servicio de Ambulancias del Este de Inglaterra también movilizó un Equipo de Respuesta a Zonas Peligrosas (Hazardous Area Response Team) y pidió a la población evitar el área.
El Servicio de Bomberos y Rescate de Bedfordshire confirmó la presencia de sus equipos en el lugar. The Times of London informó que el personal del hospital de Bedford fue alertado para atender a un posible máximo de 50 heridos. La secretaria de Transportes, Heidi Alexander, afirmó estar “profundamente preocupada por los informes sobre la colisión” y señaló que su equipo trabajaba “con rapidez con el sector ferroviario y los socios locales para brindar apoyo a los pasajeros”.
La Rama de Investigación de Accidentes Ferroviarios (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) desplegó un equipo de inspectores en el lugar para iniciar la recopilación de pruebas. Las interrupciones afectaron a tres operadoras: Thameslink bloqueó todas las líneas entre Luton y Bedford; EMR suspendió los servicios entre Londres St Pancras y Leicester y aconsejó a sus pasajeros no viajar durante el resto de la tarde. Los viajeros que ya se encontraban a bordo de trenes detenidos recibieron instrucciones de permanecer en los vagones a la espera de más información.
Las colisiones entre trenes son poco frecuentes en Gran Bretaña. En septiembre de 2023, varios pasajeros resultaron heridos cuando dos convoyes chocaron en la estación de Aviemore, en las Highlands de Escocia, en la vía patrimonial Strathspey Railway. Uno de ellos era el centenario Flying Scotsman, el primer tren de vapor en superar las 100 millas por hora (160 kilómetros por hora), según el Museo Nacional del Ferrocarril.
El accidente más grave de los últimos años ocurrió en agosto de 2020, cuando un tren descarriló cerca de Stonehaven, en el noreste de Escocia, tras un deslizamiento de tierra provocado por lluvias intensas. Fallecieron el conductor, un revisor y un pasajero; otras seis personas resultaron heridas. Network Rail, organismo dependiente del Departamento de Transporte del Reino Unido, se declaró culpable de fallos de seguridad en 2023 y fue multado con 6,7 millones de libras (USD 8,4 millones).
tren,vagón,daños,ferrocarril,Luton Airport Express,East Midlands Railway
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