INTERNACIONAL
US veteran gets 5 years in Russian prison after authorities reportedly force him to dock with firearm onboard
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A U.S. Navy veteran, who was reportedly sailing in international waters until Russian authorities forced him to dock his yacht with a firearm onboard, has been sentenced to five years in prison for smuggling weapons, court officials announced Monday.
The court system of Krasnodar Krai identified the man as Charles Wayne Zimmerman, 58, whom U.S. officials had reported missing before Monday’s announcement. A website set up in support of Zimmerman described him as a U.S. Navy veteran, a father of two and an electrician, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
According to local authorities, Zimmerman docked his yacht in the Russian port city of Sochi on June 19, 2025, after departing from North Carolina in July 2024 and sailing through several European countries. During border control in Sochi, Zimmerman allegedly failed to declare a firearm onboard. Authorities said an inspection later uncovered the weapons and ammunition, which they claimed had been purchased by Zimmerman prior to entering Russia.
At the subsequent court hearing, «the defendant pleaded guilty in full,» the court system in Krasnodar Krai said. Records show Zimmerman was convicted in October and that the Sochi court’s verdict was upheld two months later by the Krasnodar Regional Court, the AP reported.
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A general view of the Seaport in Black Sea resort on May 14, 2015, in Sochi, Russia. (Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images)
Zimmerman’s sister, Robin Stultz, claimed that her brother was wrongfully detained in Russia, saying that Russian authorities forced him to pilot his vessel to Sochi from international waters, according to the AP.
He was «sailing in international waters when he was intercepted by the Russian Navy and forced to motor 22 hours to Sochi,» Stultz added in a statement to CBS News.
Zimmerman reportedly disclosed his weapons but was charged anyway, Stultz said, claiming that his arrest was a strategic move by Russia to use him as leverage in a potential U.S. exchange.
VENEZUELA ARRESTS MORE AMERICANS AS TRUMP RAMPS UP PRESSURE ON MADURO: REPORT
A picture taken from a helicopter shows a view of the Black Sea coast near Sochi, Russia, on Oct. 26, 2010. (MikhailI Mordasov/AFP via Getty Images)
«He was sailing from the U.S. to New Zealand, so of course, he had a firearm on board,» she told the AP in a statement. «You can’t just call 911 if something goes wrong out at sea. He voluntarily disclosed it to them and they charged him with arms smuggling. This is an obvious set-up to get another American they can trade. He needs to be declared wrongfully detained.»
His sister added that she «wouldn’t trust any ‘confession’ the Russians claim he’s given,» and alleged that Russian authorities had denied her brother access to U.S. diplomatic representatives since his arrest.
Washington has accused Moscow of imprisoning U.S. nationals to use them as bargaining chips for Russian spies held abroad. Since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, dozens of Westerners, including Americans, have been detained in Russia, with many later released in prisoner exchanges.
US PILOT AND INFLUENCER RELEASED FROM CHILEAN ANTARCTIC DETENTION 2 MONTHS AFTER ALLEGED UNAUTHORIZED LANDING
A general view of the Sochi seaport on June 22, 2017, in Sochi, Russia. (Alex Grimm – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Russian authorities reported that Zimmerman decided to sail to Sochi on his own after reportedly meeting a Russian woman online. While he reportedly did not know it was illegal to store weapons on his yacht when docking, authorities said that «ignorance of the law does not exempt from liability.»
«He met a girl online who lives in Kazan and decided to join her in Russia on his yacht,» the Krasnodar Krai court system said. «Before setting out, he didn’t bother to research Russian laws and assumed that the weapons he kept on board for self-defense should simply remain on board at all times.»
A video released by the regional court shows a docked yacht, a single black hunting rifle in a case and two boxes of Remington rifle-caliber cartridges.
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On Sept. 6, 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard’s East region issued a missing person alert for then-57-year-old Charles Zimmerman, who had departed North Carolina aboard his 35-foot green-and-white-hulled vessel, named the Trude Zena. He was reportedly heading to New Zealand, with planned stops in the Mediterranean Sea.
russia,world,us navy,veterans
INTERNACIONAL
El gobierno español busca regularizar a medio millón de inmigrantes sin papeles: qué pasa con los argentinos
El Consejo de Ministros español se apresta a aprobar este martes el inicio de la tramitación de un real decreto para regularizar a alrededor de medio millón de inmigrantes que llegaron antes del 31 de diciembre pasado y que demuestren al menos cinco meses de residencia en el país.
La medida fue pactada entre el oficialista Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) del jefe de gobierno Pedro Sánchez y el partido izquierdista Podemos.
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El Ejecutivo comunicó esa iniciativa después de que la secretaria política y eurodiputada de Podemos, Irene Montero, anunció el acuerdo con el PSOE con el objetivo de regularizar a alrededor de medio millón de personas.
Según datos oficiales, unos 415.000 argentinos residen en España en forma legal. El 44% de ellos tiene doble nacionalidad. Pero se desconoce cuántos viven en ese país sin documentos, aunque son una minoría con relación a otras nacionalidades latinoamericanas.
Qué implica el proyecto de regularización de inmigrantes
Al tramitarse como un real decreto, el gobierno español no requiere de su convalidación parlamentaria y puede esquivar así la falta de apoyos que los socios del ejecutivo encontraron en materia migratoria.
Según Montero, la medida implica “que tendrán papeles todas las personas que estuvieran en España antes del 31 de diciembre del año 2025 y que puedan demostrar al menos cinco meses de residencia”.
Podrán hacerlo con el empadronamiento municipal, pero también con otros medios como un informe médico, un contrato de suministro eléctrico o un certificado de envío de dinero, algo muy demandado por las entidades sociales debido a las dificultades que muchas veces enfrentan las personas en situación de irregularidad para acceder al padrón.
Pedro Sánchez busca regularización a medio millón de inmigrantes sin papeles (Foto: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq)
La admisión a trámite de la solicitud ya dará una autorización de residencia y trabajo por un año y suspenderá automáticamente los procedimientos de retorno o las órdenes de expulsión por motivos administrativos o por trabajar sin permiso que pesaran sobre la persona.
Leé también: Al igual que en la Argentina, Suecia quiere bajar la edad de imputabilidad a 13 años
Al término de ese año podrá solicitarse una autorización ordinaria conforme al reglamento de extranjería.
Fuentes del Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones precisaron que este real decreto tiene como objetivo garantizar derechos y dar seguridad jurídica a una realidad social existente.
Gobiernos liderados tanto por el PSOE como por el conservador Partido Popular (PP) aprobaron desde los años 80 hasta ocho procesos extraordinarios de regularización de inmigrantes con los que intentaron reducir el creciente número de inmigrantes extranjeros sin derechos y luchar también contra la economía informal.
Más de 840.000 inmigrantes viven en España en situación irregular
El centro de análisis Funcas (Fundación de las Cajas de Ahorros) informó este lunes que la cifra de migrantes que viven en España en situación administrativa irregular sigue creciendo y ya se sitúa en 840.000 personas.
Por origen, destacan las nacionalidades del continente americano (760.000), que representan el 91 % del total de la inmigración irregular, y en especial la colombiana (cerca de 290.000), la peruana (casi 110.000) y la hondureña (90.000).
Las nacionalidades africanas (50.000), asiáticas (15.000) y europeas (14.000) se encuentran a bastante distancia.
Los datos son anteriores a la última reforma del reglamento de extranjería español, que entró en vigor en mayo de 2025 e introduce cambios para flexibilizar el acceso a la regularización por arraigo. Por eso se estima que la cifra es menor y se situaría en medio millón de personas.
Fuertes cuestionamientos de la oposición
El líder del PP, el conservador Alberto Núñez Feijóo, dijo que la política migratoria del jefe del Ejecutivo español “es tan disparatada como la ferroviaria”, tras los accidentes de tren de la última semana.
En un mensaje en la red social X, Núñez Feijóo escribió: “Hasta 46 muertos. Cientos de heridos. Ninguna dimisión. Y la primera respuesta de Sánchez es una regularización masiva para desviar la atención, aumentar el efecto llamada y desbordar nuestros servicios públicos”.
Por su parte, el líder del partido ultraderechista Vox, Santiago Abascal, tildó de “tirano” a Sánchez por impulsar esta regularización que, a su juicio, promoverá “el efecto llamada para acelerar la invasión”. “¡500.000 ilegales!”, escribió Abascal en un mensaje en X, en el que afirmó que Sánchez “odia al pueblo español” y “quiere sustituirlo”.
(Con información de EFE)
España, inmigracion
INTERNACIONAL
Democrat who broke with party says his DHS funding vote a ‘mistake’ after 2nd Minneapolis ICE shooting
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One of the seven House Democrats who voted with Republicans to advance a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spending bill last week is now characterizing his vote as a mistake, highlighting growing unrest among moderate Democrats over the department’s funding even as lawmakers look to escape a looming government shutdown.
In the wake of a deadly clash between immigration enforcement and agitators in Minnesota over the weekend, Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., apologized publicly for his vote in a post to Facebook.
«I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis,» Suozzi said, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a key agency in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown efforts.
DEMS RELENT, SENATE SENDS $174B SPENDING PACKAGE TO TRUMP’S DESK AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS OVER DHS FUNDING
Rep. Tom Suozzi, left, pictured next to ICE agents, right. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images; Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
«I hear the anger from my constituents and I take responsibility for that. I have long been critical of ICE’s unlawful behavior, and I must do a better job demonstrating that,» he added.
The other six Democrats contacted by Fox News Digital did not respond to inquiries about their votes.
Suozzi’s comments come as Democrats in the Senate are signaling growing opposition to passing the DHS bill and funding the government ahead of a possible shutdown on Jan. 30. The DHS bill, which includes funding for ICE, is part of a four-bill package that the House of Representatives passed last week.
The political outlook of the DHS funding bill changed over the weekend with the death of Alex Pretti.
According to DHS, ICE officers shot and killed Pretti, 37, in a confrontation on Saturday when Pretti attempted to disrupt law enforcement activities while in possession of a firearm. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has said agents acted in self-defense.
Pretti is the second civilian shot by ICE in the past month.
The Friday before Pretti’s death, Suozzi and six other Democrats broke with the rest of their party to advance a DHS funding bill that the majority of the party had condemned as inadequate in its provisions on ICE.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security in the Cannon House Office Building on Dec. 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Even with new body camera requirements, additional training mandates and some reductions in funding, Democrats saw the package as unlikely to prevent future deadly clashes between ICE and agitators.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a group of over 70 lawmakers, said they wouldn’t support a spending bill that didn’t include greater guardrails for ICE.
«I am glad to announce that the Congressional Progressive Caucus has adopted an official position to hold ICE accountable. Our caucus members will oppose all funding for immigration enforcement in any appropriations bills until meaningful reforms are enacted to end militarized policing practices,» Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said at a press event shortly before Republicans unveiled their DHS bill last week.
Their calls were soon adopted by party leadership in the chamber.
Now, with the death of Pretti, what little support the DHS funding had among Democrats is dwindling further.
Suozzi, who had highlighted his role as one of seven Democrats to support the bill on his website, called on Trump to end his ICE deportation campaign.
«The senseless and tragic murder of Alex Pretti underscores what happens when untrained federal agents operate without accountability. President Trump must immediately end ‘Operation Metro Surge’ and ICE’s occupation of Minneapolis that has sown chaos, led to tragedy and undermined experienced local law enforcement,» Suozzi said.
An ICE agent is seen standing in front of a house in a residential area. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The Senate is expected to vote on the bundle of four bills in the coming days. Questions remain whether negotiators will modify the DHS package to avoid a shutdown if Democrats remain united in their opposition.
If modified, the package would have to be taken up again in the House. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he has no intention of bringing the House back in the coming week.
congress,democrats,minnesota,politics
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China’s sudden removal of senior military leaders, including allegations that a top general leaked sensitive information to the United States, is raising new questions about internal turmoil inside the Chinese Communist Party and the readiness of the People’s Liberation Army.
Experts told Fox News Digital that while many details remain unclear, the scope of the apparent purge points to mounting instability under Chinese President Xi Jinping, with potential implications for regional security and rising tensions around Taiwan.
Beijing has not publicly confirmed espionage allegations, but reports published in Western media describe an extraordinary shakeup within China’s military leadership. Analysts caution that the lack of transparency makes definitive conclusions difficult, yet say the pattern of removals itself signals a system under strain.
TAIWAN GENERAL WARNS CHINA’S MILITARY DRILLS COULD BE PREPARATION FOR BLOCKADE OR WAR, VOWS TO RESIST
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, shakes hands with delegates attending the first People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force Party congress during his inspection of the PLA Rocket Force, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 26, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Gang via Getty Images)
Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the non-partisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the developments appear driven by political control rather than an imminent move toward conflict.
«These unprecedented purges reflect Xi’s clear focus on control and cohesion — ensuring the People’s Liberation Army is politically reliable, centralized and obedient before it can be tasked with high-risk operations,» Singleton told Fox News Digital.
«This does not mean conflict is imminent, but it does show how seriously Xi treats the prospect of having to use the military in the coming years.»
Singleton said some observers have compared the developments to past authoritarian crackdowns, but argued a different historical parallel is more instructive.
«Some analysts are comparing these developments to Stalin-era purges in the late 1930s. There certainly are echoes, but I think the closer analogy is Moscow in 1979 — when Soviet political leaders pushed for the invasion of Afghanistan despite strong military warnings that it would be unsustainable and devolve into a costly guerrilla war.»
He warned that China may now be facing a similar disconnect between political leadership and military reality.
«Xi’s purges may reflect a similar dynamic: political urgency to speed up invasion planning over Taiwan colliding with a military that senior Chinese officers know isn’t ready yet.»
TAIWAN UNVEILS $40B DEFENSE SPENDING PLAN TO COUNTER CHINA MILITARY THREAT OVER NEXT DECADE
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reviews the troops during his inspection of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army PLA garrison stationed in the Macao Special Administrative Region, south China, Dec. 20, 2024. (Li Gang/Xinhua via Getty Images)
China expert Gordon Chang, told Fox News Digital the uncertainty surrounding the purge highlights the depth of instability inside China’s system.
«There’s no way to make sense of this right now,» Chang said. «All we can say is that the situation is fluid, that the regime is in turmoil, and probably the People’s Liberation Army is not ready to engage in major operations because dozens of senior officers have been either arrested or removed.»
«This is an extraordinary situation,» he added. «And this means that China, the country itself, not just the regime, but the country itself is unstable.»
Chang also addressed reports alleging that a senior Chinese general was accused of providing sensitive nuclear-related material to the United States, claims that have not been officially substantiated by Beijing.
«The Wall Street Journal reported that the Ministry of National Defense has accused General Zhang Xiaoxiao of providing core technical material on China’s nuclear weapons to the United States,» Chang said.
«That is really extraordinary. It also doesn’t sound right, because General Zhang just would not have that many opportunities to pass that type of material to the U.S.»
Chang emphasized that his assessment was speculative. «This is just a guess, this is speculation,» he said, adding that such accusations may serve as justification for harsh internal punishment rather than reflect confirmed espionage.
He also pointed to past intelligence failures to underscore his skepticism. «We know that the CIA has not had a good track record in China,» Chang said, noting that about 30 CIA assets were executed after being uncovered several years ago.
«It would be stunning that the CIA has been able to reconstitute itself and get that type of material from one of the most senior figures in the Chinese regime,» he said. «At this point I have to say that trust but verify.»
SKIES AT STAKE: INSIDE THE U.S.–CHINA RACE FOR AIR DOMINANCE
Members of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy march during the rehearsal ahead of a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China, Sept. 3, 2025. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
The continued removal of high-ranking officers, Chang argued, points to deeper fractures within the Communist Party itself.
«We are seeing a whole class of leadership being junked,» he said, noting that the detained general was the most senior uniformed officer in China and second only to Xi Jinping within the Communist Party’s Central Military Commission. «To arrest and detain him is extraordinary by itself.»
Singleton said that while purges may weaken China’s military in the short term, they could create greater risk over time.
«Purges can degrade near-term readiness, but over the long-term they increase political control over the military and reduce dissent, easing the path for riskier decisions down the line,» he said.
Turning to Taiwan, Chang said a deliberate invasion remains unlikely given the current turmoil and the complexity of such an operation.
«I have never thought it was likely China would start hostilities by invading the main island of Taiwan,» he said, citing the challenges of a combined air, land and sea assault and the instability inside the military.
CHINA’S ENERGY SIEGE OF TAIWAN COULD CRIPPLE US SUPPLY CHAINS, REPORT WARNS
The military exercises mobilizing the Chinese PLA Navy, Army, Air Force and the Chinese Coast Guards, which are deemed as a punishment to Taiwan’s call for independence. (Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Still, he warned that instability does not mean reduced danger. «Although it’s unlikely that China would start hostilities deliberately, it’s highly probable that China will end up in a war,» Chang said.
«Not like it’s China deliberately starting one, but China stumbling into one.»
«I don’t think Xi Jinping is in a position to de-escalate a situation because of the turmoil in the Chinese political system,» he added.
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U.S. President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base on Oct. 30, 2025 in Busan, South Korea. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Taken together, analysts say the military shakeup underscores a growing paradox inside Beijing: as Xi tightens political control, instability may deepen rather than fade, increasing the risk of miscalculation at a time of heightened regional tension.
China’s embassy spokesperson in Washington D.C., Liu Pengyu, told Fox News Digital, «The Party Central Committee has decided to open disciplinary and supervisory investigations into Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli on suspicion of serious violations of discipline and law. This decision once again underscores that the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission maintain a full-coverage, zero-tolerance approach to combating corruption. Corruption is a major obstacle to the progress of the Party’s and the nation’s cause. The more resolutely the people’s armed forces fight corruption, the stronger, more united and capable they become.»
china,xi jinping,taiwan,asia
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