The Department of Justice said Friday morning that a key figure in the 2012 Benghazi attack has been brought to the United States to face justice.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Zubayr al-Bakoush was captured overseas and flown to the United States, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base at 3:00 a.m. Friday morning, where he was greeted by FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
“Al-Bakoush will now face American justice on American soil,” Bondi said. “We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law.”
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Zubayr Al-Bakoush, a key participant in the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack, was arrested and arrived in the U.S. today to face justice. <a href="https://t.co/cnC0CbVSB4">pic.twitter.com/cnC0CbVSB4</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/2019791355665347040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
Al-Bakoush will face several charges related to murder, terrorism, and arson for his role in the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack that led to the deaths of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, State Department information officer Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.
“Let this case serve as a reminder: if you commit a crime against the American people anywhere in this world, President Trump&#8217;s Justice Department will find you,” Bondi said. “It might not happen overnight, but it will happen. You can run, but you can’t hide.”
The fallout from the 2012 Benghazi attack remained a major focus in U.S. political debate for years, prompting multiple congressional investigations and high-profile hearings over security failures and the Obama administration’s response under then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Much of the criticism centered on Americans on the ground who waited 13 hours for help that never came.
Bondi said that even 14 years later, holding those responsible to account still matters.
“Hillary Clinton famously once said about Benghazi, &#8216;What difference at this point does it make?&#8217; Well, it makes a difference to Donald Trump,&#8221; said Bondi. &#8220;It makes a difference to those families. And fourteen years later, it makes a difference to law enforcement who made the difference in this case.”
Bondi said the families of the victims were “absolutely thrilled,” adding that they had “probably lost faith that something would happen.”
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I asked Attorney General Pam Bondi what communication looked like with victims families amid today’s major Benghazi suspect arrest.
Bondi said details were kept airtight until arrest was made but they contacted afterward. <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realdailywire</a> <a href="https://t.co/cnoEB8Yryx">pic.twitter.com/cnoEB8Yryx</a>
— Cameron Arcand (@cameron_arcand) <a href="https://twitter.com/cameron_arcand/status/2019794468438695948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
“Donald Trump never forgets,” she said.
FBI Director Patel said capturing those responsible for the attack was an early priority, adding that more suspects remain at large. He noted that the Trump administration has arrested six of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives in about one year, two more than were apprehended under the Biden administration.
In 2014, American authorities arrested militia commander Ahmed Abu Khatallah in connection with the Benghazi attack. He was acquitted in 2017 of 14 charges, including murder, but convicted of four lesser terrorism-related counts and <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/ahmed-abu-khatallah-sentenced-22-years-prison-september-2012-attack-benghazi-libya">sentenced</a> to 22 years in prison. 
Al-Bakoush was first charged by a complaint in 2015, a case that remained sealed for 11 years, according to Pirro. 
“We&#8217;re here today because we have an interagency that is led by superior individuals who have one shared goal: protecting America and our lives and our future,” Patel said. “And to any others out there who wish to do harm, especially commit acts of terrorism here and around the world, this is the fate you will meet. You will not be forgotten by us. We will chase you down.”
The FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group, and the FBI’s Special Flight Operations Unit were involved in the operation.
Pirro, who will prosecute al-Bakoush, said she had a close relationship with the victims&#8217; families while reporting on the attack for Fox News. She said she personally called the families to share the news after the suspect was arrested. 
“I spoke with Sean Smith’s mother, who I’ve known for years and have communicated with for years. I spoke with Tyrone Woods’ wife, widow, Dr. Dorothy Woods. I spoke with Ambassador Chris Stevens’ family, as well as Glen Doherty’s brother, Greg, as well as his widow. These were people who never expected that justice would be coming.”

US-LIBYA-POLITICS-JUSTICE-BENGHAZI

BENGHAZI BOMBSHELL: U.S. Captures ‘Key Participant’ In Deadly 2012 Embassy Attack

Benghazi

Crime

Department of Justice

Jeanine Pirro

kash patel

Pam Bondi

Politics

Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) is refusing to comply with a Justice Department investigation into a video she helped organize that urged U.S. service members to resist what she described as “illegal orders,” escalating a standoff with federal prosecutors.
Slotkin said this week she will not sit for a voluntary interview with investigators, saying in a <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/2019474013307715592">statement</a> on X Thursday, “I’m not gonna be sitting for this inquiry. I’m not gonna legitimize their actions,” even as her legal team prepares for what it says could become litigation against the Justice Department.
Slotkin’s attorney informed U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro that the senator would decline a voluntary interview and requested that the office preserve documents for “anticipated litigation,” in letters first obtained by the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/slotkin-illegal-orders-video-justice-department-interview-06b6c041b158b2ed5911c52a16868764">Associated Press</a>. A separate letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi urged her to immediately terminate the inquiry and reject an FBI interview request.
The investigation stems from a video Slotkin released last year alongside five other Democratic lawmakers, all with prior military or intelligence experience, urging active-duty service members to refuse orders they believe to be unlawful. Republicans criticized the video as reckless and potentially encouraging insubordination, while President Donald Trump publicly accused the lawmakers of sedition.
Slotkin has sought to reframe the video as a civics lesson rather than a call to disobedience, insisting it was meant only to remind troops of their duty to reject illegal commands. But she has simultaneously accused federal authorities of attempting to silence her through intimidation.
“They are purposely using physical and legal intimidation to get me to shut up,” Slotkin said. “But more importantly, they’re using that intimidation to deter others from speaking out against their administration.”
Slotkin further warned officials at the Justice Department that while recent Supreme Court rulings have expanded presidential immunity, those protections do not extend to officials enforcing the law on the president’s behalf.
 “The Supreme Court may have given the president near-immunity on most matters,” she said, “but they’ve given no such immunity to those doing his bidding.”
The Justice Department’s requests have so far been voluntary, placing the burden on prosecutors to decide whether to escalate the inquiry by issuing subpoenas to sitting members of Congress. Asked whether she would comply if subpoenaed, Slotkin paused before responding, saying only that she would “take a hard look at it.”
Slotkin has portrayed the investigation as part of a broader campaign of intimidation, citing threats against her family and property following renewed attention to the video. “If they can do this to a sitting senator,” she said, “just imagine what they could do to a community leader, a business leader, or a mom who goes viral on the internet.”
The dispute has also raised questions about accountability for lawmakers who invoke military authority in partisan messaging, even as Slotkin positions herself as a victim of political overreach. The Pentagon has separately investigated Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), another participant in the video, while Kelly has sued over efforts to discipline him.
Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and three-term House member before winning her Senate seat in 2024, has increasingly leaned into confrontation with the Trump administration. She has publicly urged Democrats to abandon restraint, “I&#8216;m from the Midwest and for us, leaders like our coaches are just — they have got some alpha energy to them,” Slotkin said when asked how she’d fix Democratic messaging in 2025. 
Her push to bring “alpha energy” back to the party has coincided with a divisive start to her Senate tenure. “I did this to go on offense,” Slotkin said of her refusal to cooperate. “To put them in a position where they have to own their choices.”
Whether that strategy forces the Justice Department to retreat now rests with federal prosecutors weighing how far to press an investigation into members of Congress who are openly daring them to act.

Elissa Slotkin

Dem Senator Thumbs Her Nose At DOJ, Rejects Call To Answer For ‘Illegal Orders’ Video

Dem Senator Refuses To Comply With DOJ Investigation On 'Illegal Orders' Video

First Amendment

Mark Kelly

Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin said that she is under federal investigation following her role in a video made by Democratic lawmakers in November, urging military members to &#8220;refuse illegal orders.&#8221;
Slotkin <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/us/politics/slotkin-pirro-trump-justice-dept-video.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">told</a> The New York Times on Monday that the office of Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, reached out to the Senate sergeant-at-arms to request an interview with the first-term senator or her private counsel. Pirro&#8217;s office told The Daily Wire that it neither confirms nor denies &#8220;the existence of an investigation.&#8221;
Slotkin, a former CIA officer, organized the <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948">video message</a> to military members, which included five other Democratic lawmakers who are also veterans. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Jason Crow (D-CO) all appeared in Slotkin&#8217;s video and told military members, &#8220;This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.&#8221;
&#8220;Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution,&#8221; the Democrats added. &#8220;Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren&#8217;t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders &#8230; you must refuse illegal orders.&#8221;
The Trump administration has referred to the group of Democrats in the video as the &#8220;Seditious Six,&#8221; arguing that their message is an attempt to undermine the commander-in-chief&#8217;s authority over the military. After the video was released, President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115582703277798715">suggested</a> that it constituted &#8220;seditious behavior, punishable by death.&#8221; Trump later said that he was not threatening the Democrats with the death penalty, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-democrats-sedition-death-threat-military-rcna245156">adding</a>, “I think they’re in serious trouble. I would say they’re in serious trouble. I’m not threatening death, but I think they’re in serious trouble. In the old days, it was death. That was seditious behavior.”
Sen. Kelly, a retired astronaut and naval officer, is currently under investigation by the War Department for his role in the &#8220;seditious video,&#8221; and War Secretary Pete Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseth-moves-to-strip-mark-kelly-of-rank-and-pay-over-seditious-military-video">moved</a> earlier this month to strip Kelly of his rank and retirement pay. Kelly filed a lawsuit against Hegseth on Monday, arguing that Hegseth&#8217;s action violates the First Amendment.
&#8220;Pete Hegseth is coming after what I earned through my twenty-five years of military service, in violation of my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator whose job is to hold him—and this or any administration—accountable,&#8221; Kelly <a href="https://x.com/SenMarkKelly/status/2010787235549876286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2011151451381498107%7Ctwgr%5E51310249b3c4ab3a335554f0d8d33fc75ab47b7d%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fpete-hegseth-hits-back-at-captain-mark-kelly-he-knows-exactly-what-he-did">said</a>. &#8220;His unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the President or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted.&#8221;
Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-hegseth-hits-back-at-captain-mark-kelly-he-knows-exactly-what-he-did?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Pete+Hegseth+Hits+Back+At+%E2%80%98Captain%E2%80%99+Mark+Kelly%3A+He+%E2%80%98Knows+Exactly+What+He+Did%E2%80%99">fired back</a>, saying that Kelly is &#8220;worried and cranky.&#8221;
“&#8217;Captain&#8217; Kelly knows exactly what he did, and that he will be held to account,&#8221; he added.

Dem Senator Says Feds Are Investigating Her After Urging Military To ‘Refuse Illegal Orders’

Democrats

Trump Administration

U.S. Military

The Afghan national accused of killing one National Guard soldier and injuring another in a Thanksgiving week attack in Washington, D.C., could now face the death penalty after prosecutors moved the case to federal court.
The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it has filed a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/media/1421951/dl?inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criminal complaint</a> against 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, charging him with two federal firearms offenses: transporting or shipping a stolen firearm in interstate commerce and transporting or receiving firearms in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to commit a crime. Lakanwal is also charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault with intent to kill while armed.
The federal charges bring the case to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia from the D.C. Superior Court. Lakanwal is accused of gunning down U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, while they patrolled the streets of the nation&#8217;s capital. Beckstrom died from her wounds just a day after the attack, while Wolfe was critically injured and still in recovery, but expected to survive. 
“The transfer of this case from Superior Court to District Court ensures that we can undertake the serious, deliberate, and weighty analysis required to determine if the death penalty is appropriate here,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Sarah Beckstrom was just 20 years old when she was killed and her parents are now forced to endure the holiday season without their daughter. Andrew Wolfe, by the grace of God, survived but has a long road ahead in his recovery.”
The federal complaint filed Tuesday says that Lakanwal “purposely and with deliberate and premeditated malice, killed Beckstrom by shooting her in the head with a firearm. Your affiant also asserts that, by shooting Wolfe in the head with a firearm, LAKANWAL assaulted Wolfe with intent to kill him.”
Lakanwal, who was shot during the attack, pleaded not guilty to the D.C. charges earlier this month. 
According to the complaint, the weapon used in the shooting was a stolen .357 Smith &amp; Wesson revolver. Prosecutors say on October 15, Lakanwal sent photos of an AR-15 and a pistol to an unnamed individual in Washington, where he lived, along with the message, “find this stuff for me.”
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“I’m doing [Lyft] an[d] Uber so I will need one of them[.]” Lakanwal allegedly said. The unidentified person replied by saying, “I wish I could help brother but the laws here are to[o] strict[.]”
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The criminal complaint states that Lakanwal had not provided a Lyft ride since May, and that a family member told investigators his Uber account had been banned.
The unidentified individual later supplied Lakanwal with the revolver, which had been stolen from a Seattle home in May 2023, according to the complaint. The person who furnished the weapon told investigators he believed Lakanwal wanted it “for personal protection while working as a rideshare driver.”
After obtaining the firearm, Lakanwal is alleged to have purchased ammunition the following day. Two hours later, Lakanwal searched “Washington, D.C.” and “The White House” in Google Maps, according to the complaint.

President Trump Orders Hundreds More National Guard Troops to D.C. After Shooting Of Guardsmen

Trump Wants Death Penalty For Afghanistan Man Charged In Deadly National Guard Shooting

Afghanistan

National Guard

Washington D.C.

United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro revealed that the Democrat-run D.C. police manipulated data to make the city seem safer than it was.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith, the top cop in the nation’s capital, said on Monday that she will step down at the end of the month, as her department faces continued pressure to address violent crime.
Smith has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/capitals-top-cop-quits-following-months-of-controversy-over-d-c-law-enforcement?utm_source=chatgpt.com">acknowledged</a> her final day will be on December 31. The Justice Department is also investigating the police department over allegations that it has been manipulating crime data to hide how dangerous the city has become under Democratic leadership.
“I think there was certainly an effort to misclassify, mischaracterize certain categories of crime,” Pirro <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2001299446303199714">told</a> Dana Perino on FOX News Channels’ America’s Newsroom. “It was an attempt to make crime look lower than it was. The investigation that we conducted over a period of several months based upon the report of the deflation of numbers was very thorough &#8230; over 6,000 reports were looked at; over 50 witnesses.”
“And those witnesses were ranked and filed from the top down,” she stated. “The bottom line here is this: Now we’re in a situation with President Trump and the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, where every case is being looked at. Every case is being reviewed by my office. So if it appears that the arrest is lower than what the facts show, we’re going to upgrade that crime.”
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“You know, what’s amazing to me is that the U.S. attorney before me in the Biden administration did not go forward with more than 65% of the arrests,” she noted. “That means that even if police made arrests, they weren&#8217;t being prosecuted.”
“In my office, we go forward with over 90 percent of the arrests,” she asserted. “We review them. We look at them. We see if&#8230; the law and the evidence support the charging, and we go forward. And this really is a testament to the determination and the focus of the president in making sure that crime is down in our nation’s capital, because when crime is underreported, then police resources are not put in certain areas, and then as a result of that, people don’t think that they are being protected; they then don’t report crime.”
“Now, everything has changed,” she declared. “In the period since we had the surge, homicides are down 65% compared to the year before, carjackings are down 68%, and robberies are down 49%. We&#8217;re making a difference, but it is a focus on law and order, and it&#8217;s the federal partners coming in, and the people of the district deserve it.”
Zach Jewell contributed to this article.

Department of Justice 12/4/25

‘Make Crime Look Lower Than It Was’: Jeanine Pirro Accuses D.C. Police Of Manipulating Crime Data

The Afghan national suspected of shooting two National Guard troops, seriously wounding one and killing another, will be charged with first-degree murder, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Friday.
Pirro said during an <a href="https://x.com/FoxNews/status/1994400786063741313">interview</a> on “Fox and Friends” that 29-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/afghan-national-in-custody-for-national-guard-attack-was-in-country-illegally?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Afghan+National+In+Custody+For+National+Guard+Attack+Was+In+Country+Illegally">Rahmanullah Lakanwal</a> will face the upgraded charge after National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom of the West Virginia National Guard died after she was shot on Wednesday. Lakanwal is accused of shooting both Beckstrom and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe with a handgun while they patrolled the streets of Washington, D.C. 
“There are certainly many more charges to come, but we are upgrading the initial charges of assault to murder in the first degree,” Pirro said. “It is a premeditated murder. There was an ambush with a gun toward people who didn&#8217;t know what was coming.”
Pirro added that the investigation into how the deadly shooting was still ongoing. 
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“And we are hoping that the more information we can get and the more investigation that is going on, 24/7… the more we will find out about what actually happened in terms of this individual, even being in this country and being in a position to ambush and shoot down an innocent young woman who was doing her duty to the people of this country.”
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Beckstrom had died of her injuries.
“She’s no longer with us, she’s looking down on us right now,” Trump said. “Her parents are with her. This just happened. She was savagely attacked, she’s dead, not with us. Incredible person. Outstanding in every single way, in every department. Just horrible.”
Pirro said Friday that there was “hope” about Wolfe’s condition but that he was “still in critical condition.”
“We are doing everything we can to assist his family and to make sure that they have everything they need during this difficult time for them,” Pirro told “Fox and Friends.” “We are all praying for Andrew Wolfe.”
Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 as part of President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome,” which — as The Daily Wire previously reported — allowed roughly 77,000 Afghan nationals into the country. Trump said on Thursday that he would “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover” and “terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions.”

Charges Upgraded Against Afghan Shooting Suspect After National Guard Soldier Dies

Donald Trump

The two heroic National Guardmen shot Wednesday by a crazed Afghan man while deployed to secure Washington, D.C., have been identified.
The service members are West Virginia National Guardsmen, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, 24, United States Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro revealed during a press conference Thursday morning.
Both Beckstrom and Wolfe “were sworn in less than 24 hours before they were shot on the street in Washington,” Pirro said.
&#8220;They were uniformed members of the West Virginia National Guard, and they were in DC to keep DC safe pursuant to President Trump&#8217;s executive order to make DC safe and beautiful,&#8221; Pirro said.
&#8220;They answered the call, they took the charge, they volunteered, they put their lives on the line for people they don&#8217;t even know, and that unfortunately is becoming a reality more and more for the members of law enforcement,&#8221; she said.
Beckstrom had volunteered to work the Thanksgiving holiday so that her fellow soldiers could go home to their families, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News Thursday.
&#8220;She volunteered to be there on Thanksgiving, working today,&#8221; Bondi said. &#8220;She volunteered, as did many of those guardsmen and women, so other people could be home with their families. Yet, now, their families are in hospital rooms with them while they are fighting for their lives.&#8221;
Beckstrom and Wolfe both emerged from surgery on Thursday and remain in critical condition.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
This morning, we can confirm that my constituent Andrew Wolfe, 24, from Berkeley County, and his fellow National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, 20, have successfully made it through surgery but are still in critical condition. Their families are with them in the hospital.
I am… <a href="https://t.co/brcCRe0Ftm">pic.twitter.com/brcCRe0Ftm</a>
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRileyMoore/status/1994070758679597109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;They&#8217;re receiving the finest medical care, their families are with them now,&#8221; Pirro said.
&#8220;They are critical &#8230; it&#8217;s not clear how this is gonna end up, but let me be perfectly clear about how it will end up in this office. If one of them is to pass, and God forbid that happens, this is a murder one, period, end of the story. We are praying on a day like today when families come together in America, and they hold hands around the Thanksgiving table, I beg you, I beseech you to pray for these two young people that they survive,&#8221; she said.
The suspect, Afghan national <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/afghan-national-in-custody-for-national-guard-attack-was-in-country-illegally?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Afghan+National+In+Custody+For+National+Guard+Attack+Was+In+Country+Illegally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rahmanullah Lakanwal</a>, 29, entered the United States in 2021 as part of President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome,&#8221; which allowed roughly 77,000 Afghan nationals into the country during the botched withdrawal of American troops, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire late Wednesday.
Lakanwal is now charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He faces 15 years in prison for assault with the intent to kill.
If either one of the two soldiers succumbs to their injuries, the federal government will seek charges of murder in the first degree against the suspect, making him eligible for the death penalty.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump described the attack as a “monstrous ambush,” blaming the Biden administration for waving the alleged shooter into the U.S.
“This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation. The last administration let in 20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners from all over the world,” Trump said.
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Meet The Hero National Guardsmen Fighting For Their Lives After DC Attack

In the wake of the shooting of two members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro made it clear that if either one of the two — who are currently in critical condition — do not survive, the federal government will seek charges of murder in the first degree against the suspect, making him eligible for the death penalty.
Speaking at a press conference Thursday morning, Pirro stated, “We’re working very closely with our partners, especially DHS and the FBI, to review his immigration history and the vetting process itself. What we know about him is that he drove his vehicle across the country from the state of Washington with the intended target of coming to our nation’s capital.”
“As we stand here today, the charges that are appropriate right now are three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, a violation of DC code 22–401 and DC code 22–4502,” she continued. “He will also be charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He faces 15 years under assault with the intent to kill. We intend to continue monitoring what the charges will be, depending upon the well-being of the guardsmen. We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree.”
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“But make no mistake,” she declared. “If they do not, that will certainly be the charge: murder in the first degree. The Department of Justice under Attorney General Pam Bondi is committed to a thorough and impartial investigation where we will hold this perpetrator accountable under the full weight of the law.”
“Our nation’s capital should not and must not be a place where evil comes to commit violence, whatever their cause or motive may be,” she asserted. “We should not have to live in fear in the nation’s capital, especially by one who came here from a foreign country through a process that was so absurd that he came through and released into this country as many were, knowing virtually nothing about his vetting. This is what happens in this country when people are allowed in who are not properly vetted.”
She offered a tribute to law enforcement: “These guardsmen and all who were here to protect the district are the line that separates a civilized society from a barbaric one. They are the ones who stand for law and order. This was not just an attack. It was a direct challenge to law and order in our nation’s capital and the individual will be made fully accountable.”
“Though it seems that we have been here before, under President Trump make no mistake and the attorney general: We will not allow this to be normalized. It will be confronted, condemned and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Now my message to the individual who committed these acts is you picked the wrong target, the wrong city and the wrong country and you will be sorry for the violence and the evil that you perpetrated in our nation’s capital,” she concluded.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, MPD Chief Pamela Smith, And DC Mayor Bowser Discuss Arrests In Murder Of Congressional Intern

Suspect In National Guard Shootings Could Receive Death Penalty: U.S. Attorney Pirro

Death Penalty

Shooting

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced on Monday charges against two teens allegedly involved in the attack against a Department of Government Efficiency staffer over the summer.
Federal prosecutors have charged Lawrence Cotton-Powell, 19, along with Anthony Taylor, 18, with robbery, assault, and carjacking in connection with the attack on a DOGE staffer, Edward Coristine, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-staffer-big-balls-hailed-as-hero-after-musk-says-he-saved-woman-from-gang-in-d-c">known</a> as “Big Balls,” and another person in early August. Not long before Coristine was beaten while defending a woman, Cotton-Powell and Taylor were involved in the mugging of a victim named Ethan Levine, Pirro <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/news-conference/us-attorney-pirro-news-conference-on-assault-of-doge-staffer/667476">said</a>.
In addition to the mugging prior to Coristine, Pirro said that both suspects are repeat offenders who should have been in jail for other offenses and never had the opportunity to attack the two men in August.
“Lawrence Cotton-Powell is 19 years of age. He is now charged with robbery, first-degree robbery for which he faces 15 years in prison. He also faces a charge of assault with intent to commit robbery, another 15 years, and robbery for Edward Coristine, 15 years, assault with intent to commit robbery, another 15 years, and attempted carjacking, five years,” Pirro said.
The U.S. attorney then went on to detail how judges ignored her office’s requests for jail time for Cotton-Powell, instead letting the teen loose on probation. A short time after he was released in each case, he allegedly committed other crimes that landed him back in the crosshairs of prosecutors.
“The codefendant in this case is an individual by the name of Anthony Taylor. He – charged also with the same arrest – he is fraught with the same crimes,” Pirro said.
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The attack on Coristine, which left the federal staffer bloodied, appeared to trigger President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime in major American cities. The president has deployed National Guardsmen to areas such as Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee, to deter crime. He has attempted to deploy troops to other locations, such as Seattle, but has been blocked by the courts.
The charges against Cotton-Powell and Taylor come after two teens involved in the attack received probation, a punishment criticized by Pirro and Trump.
The president called the sentences of probation, handed down to a 15-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, “terrible.” The president and Pirro have called for stricter penalties against youth in D.C. to deter crime that has exploded among the capital’s teens.
“I think the judge should be ashamed of himself,” <a href="https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/president-trump-critical-punishment-two-teens-attacked-doge-worker-probation-jeanine-pirro-attorney-judge/65-f5b45029-3fee-4703-bbb1-f9738f279739">said</a> Trump.

Jeanine Pirro Announces Charges Against Two More DC Teens Over ‘Big Balls’ Attack

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

U.S.

U.S. Attorney General for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced on Thursday that the government is weighing seeking the death penalty for Elias Rodriguez, the man accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim earlier this year.
“This begins the statutory process of whether to seek the death penalty,” Pirro said. “This is a weighty decision. It takes time.”
Pirro said Attorney General Pam Bondi will decide whether to seek the death penalty after getting advice from a special unit that reviews such cases.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 U.S. Attorney <a href="https://twitter.com/JudgeJeanine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudgeJeanine</a> Pirro unseals a 9-count indictment against Elias Rodriguez for the heinous murders of two Israeli Embassy staff outside D.C.’s Capital Jewish Museum. <a href="https://t.co/YQSMoVzJdr">pic.twitter.com/YQSMoVzJdr</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1953481283612414175?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
Lischinsky, 30, and Milgrim, 28, were allegedly shot and killed by Elias outside of an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in May. Lischinsky was a German-Israeli dual citizen and devout evangelical Christian. He immigrated to Israel at 16, served in the Israel Defense Forces, and began working as a political analyst at the embassy in 2022.
He was planning to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/friends-family-react-to-murder-of-israeli-embassy-staffers-by-keffiyeh-wearing-terrorist">propose</a> to Milgrim, who grew up in the Kansas City suburbs and was a full-time employee at the embassy’s Department of Public Diplomacy.
Rodriguez, 31, from Chicago, was detained by police and shouted “Free Palestine,” according to law enforcement and a viral video of him in custody. He allegedly told a police officer near the scene that he “did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.” He also pre-scheduled his “explication” to be published on his X account, where he advocated for violence against Israelis.
“This Justice Department will not tolerate violence motivated by hatred of faith or national origin, and we will enforce our federal civil rights laws accordingly,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice.
According to the DOJ, Rodriguez fired approximately 20 shots at Lischinsky and Milgrim.
Pirro unsealed a nine-count indictment against Rodriguez, including two new counts of committing a hate crime and two counts of assault with intent to kill. Rodriguez was previously charged on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charges-revealed-in-d-c-terror-attack-shooter-did-it-for-palestine-fbi-says">May 22</a> with the murder of a foreign official, firearm offenses, and first-degree murder.
“This office will leave no stone unturned in its effort to bring justice to the innocent victims of Elias Rodriguez,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “The hate charges shed further light on his evil intent in the killing of innocent victims.”
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Milgrim and Lichinsky

Death Penalty On The Table For Killer Of Israeli Embassy Staffers

antisemitism

Hate Crime

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<div class="wpds-c-PJLV article-body type-text" data-qa="article-body">
<p class="wpds-c-heFNVF wpds-c-heFNVF-iPJLV-css overrideStyles font-copy" dir="null" data-apitype="text" data-contentid="7BU43BIRSBANNPPEFSXUVKFJDQ" data-el="text" data-scroll-pos="0" data-scroll-measured="true">A Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post editor has been charged by the federal government with possession of child pornography.
<p class="wpds-c-heFNVF wpds-c-heFNVF-iPJLV-css overrideStyles font-copy" dir="null" data-apitype="text" data-contentid="7BU43BIRSBANNPPEFSXUVKFJDQ" data-el="text" data-scroll-pos="0" data-scroll-measured="true">Thomas P. LeGro, 48, was arrested on Thursday after authorities allegedly found 11 video files of child pornography on LeGro&#8217;s work laptop, which was located at his home in Washington, D.C.
The journalist faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/06/27/legro-post-child-pornography-possession/">said</a> in a statement that it “understands the severity of these allegations, and the employee has been placed on leave,” but refused to comment further.
LeGro&#8217;s Washington Post profile says he was &#8220;part of a team of Post reporters who were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Senate candidacy of Roy Moore and a subsequent effort to discredit The Post&#8217;s reporting&#8221; in 2018. &#8220;As Deputy Director of Video, Tom oversees an award-winning team of video journalists who work across the newsroom, including in National, Climate, Metro, Style and Technology,&#8221; the profile adds.
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<div id="attachment_940773" style="width: 453px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-940773" class="wp-image-940773 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-28-at-12.05.59-PM-443x576.png" alt="" width="443" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-28-at-12.05.59-PM-443x576.png 443w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-28-at-12.05.59-PM-231x300.png 231w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-28-at-12.05.59-PM-768x999.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-28-at-12.05.59-PM.png 1032w" sizes=" (max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px" />Facebook: Tom LeGro</div>
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A press release from the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office in the District of Columbia <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/award-winning-journalist-arrested-and-charged-possession-child-pornography">said</a> LeGro made his first appearance in U.S. District Court on Friday.
&#8220;LeGro, a journalist at the Washington Post and resident of the District of Columbia, was arrested [Thursday] and taken into custody following a search of his home,&#8221; the office said.
The charges were announced by Jeanine Pirro, interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
&#8220;On June 26, 2025, FBI agents executed a search warrant at LeGro’s residence and seized several electronic devices,&#8221; the press release said. &#8220;A review of LeGro’s work laptop revealed a folder that contained 11 videos depicting child sexual abuse material.&#8221;
&#8220;During the execution of the search warrant agents observed what appeared to be fractured pieces of a hard drive in the hallway outside the room where LeGro’s work laptop was found,&#8221; it continued.
&#8220;This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.&#8221;

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Washington Post Journalist Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography

Feds Charge Award-Winning Journalist With Child Porn Possession

Child pornography

Pulitzer Prize

Washington Post

Prosecutors have charged Elias Rodriguez with federal and local counts related to a terror attack in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening.
Rodriguez, 31, allegedly shot and killed Israeli Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and American Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, outside an event for Jewish professionals at the Capital Jewish Museum. The victims were soon to be engaged and were members of the Israeli Embassy staff.
The suspect will face three federal counts: murder of foreign officials, causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. He has also been charged with two counts of first degree murder, according to an FBI affidavit.
Rodriguez admitted to killing the young couple to police, according to the FBI.
“[Rodriguez] spontaneously stated on scene to MPD, ‘I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed.’ [Rodriguez] was holding a red scarf identified by one witness as a ‘Kaffiyeh.’ As MPD officers were escorting [Rodriguez] from the Museum, he shouted ‘Free Palestine,’” the affidavit says.
Rodriguez walked past the couple and several others before turning around, pulling a gun from his waistband, and shooting Lischinsky and Milgrim in their backs, the affidavit says. Milgrim attempted to crawl away before she was shot several more times.
“Once the decedents fell to the ground, [Rodriguez] is captured on the video advancing closer to the decedents, leaning over with them with his arm extended, and firing several more times. As [Milgrim] attempted to crawl away from [Rodriguez], he followed behind her and fired again. After a brief moment, [Rodriguez] appeared to reload his firearm. At the same time, [Milgrim] sat up. Once he reloaded, [Rodriguez] fired several times at [Milgrim],” the affidavit says.
<a style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View FBI Affidavit on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/865776029/FBI-Affidavit#from_embed">FBI Affidavit</a> by <a style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Timothy Pearce's profile on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/user/586253706/Timothy-Pearce#from_embed">Timothy Pearce</a> on Scribd
Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Washington Jeanine Pirro <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6373255823112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemned</a> the shooting as a “horrific crime” and said that more charges against Rodriguez may be coming.
“Violence against anyone based on their religion is an act of cowardice. It is not the act of a hero. It is the kind of case that we will vigorously pursue,” Pirro said at a Thursday press conference. “Antisemitism will not be tolerated, especially in the nation’s capital. We are going to continue to investigate this as a hate crime and a crime of terrorism and we will add additional charges as the evidence warrants.”

Capital Jewish Museum

Charges Revealed In D.C. Terror Attack; Shooter ‘Did It For Palestine,’ FBI Says

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