Republican Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley is investigating FBI Director Kash Patel&#8217;s alleged misuse of taxpayer money on lavish travel and personal projects. 
Grassley wrote a letter to Patel in May asking for more information about his taxpayer-funded flights and purchase of BMW vehicles as head of the FBI, which was revealed <a href="https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-members-raskin-durbin-launch-bicameral-investigation-into-kash-patel-s-abuse-of-fbi-jets-and-tax-dollars-following-private-senate-gop-letter-questioning-patel-s-spending-travel">in a letter</a> this week from Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrats on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. Durbin first <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2026-02-24%20Letter%20to%20GAO%20and%20DOJ%20IG%20on%20Kash%20Patel%20Olympic%20Travel.pdf">sent a letter</a> about Patel&#8217;s activities to federal officials in February. 
Raskin and Durbin wrote they “appreciate Chairman Grassley raising these concerns, which mirror those raised repeatedly by House and Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats.”
Grassley said Thursday that Democrats are &#8220;riding his coattails&#8221; and criticized his colleagues for not holding past directors accountable under Democratic administrations. Grassley emphasized in his letter that he&#8217;s held FBI leaders of both parties to account.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I see Dems r riding my coattails &amp;suddenly showing interest in doing oversight of FBI aircraft Where was that energy w Wray&amp;other directors??? My oversight is the same no matter the admin UNLIKE Dems who only seem interested in oversight when it benefits them politically
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) <a href="https://x.com/ChuckGrassley/status/2075353795081408952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“For each trip where you used an FBI aircraft for personal travel, have you reimbursed the FBI as required by law? If yes, please provide the records,” Grassley&#8217;s letter asked.
Grassley, who has defended and praised Patel in the past, requested that his transportation be subject to an “independent and objective review.” He also questioned why the FBI opted to purchase BMW vehicles rather than Chevy Suburbans, which has previously been standard. 
“Government agencies, including the FBI, routinely evaluate, replace and update vehicle fleets based on usage, security needs or budgetary decisions,” said FBI Spokesman Ben Williamson last year. 
In their letter, Raskin and Durbin referenced a whistleblower that claimed Patel told field office personnel last year, “If you have golf, hockey, fishing, or hunting and beautiful sights, you’re going to see a lot of me.”
Durbin&#8217;s February letter highlighted Patel&#8217;s trip to the Olympics, during which he celebrated in the locker room with the American hockey team after their gold medal win. He&#8217;s also been accused of using his FBI jet to travel to his girlfriend&#8217;s country music concerts on the taxpayer&#8217;s dime.
The allegations have drawn the ire of Democrats for much of Patel&#8217;s term leading the FBI. He has repeatedly denied any misconduct.

FBI Director Patel And Eastern District U.S. Attorney Nocella Holds News Conference On Major Illegal Sports Gambling Schemes

Powerful Senate Republican Joins Democrats To Investigate Top Trump Official

Chuck Grassley

kash patel

The FBI is hunting for a Somali-born man suspected of stealing millions of dollars in funds meant for children in need.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Wednesday that Fahad Mohamed Nur was added to the bureau&#8217;s list of “Most Wanted Fraudsters.” Nur, a naturalized American citizen born in Somalia, was charged in September 2022 for stealing $5 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program.
“After the outstanding early success of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudster List, already arresting TWO subjects within weeks with apprehensions out of Somalia and Philippines, today the [FBI] is announcing another addition,” Patel <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2074820494319067311" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We have already seen over $13 billion in fraud uncovered on behalf of hardworking Americans — and there is more to come.”
A $150,000 reward is <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/most-wanted-fraudsters/fahad-mohamed-nur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered</a> for information that leads to Nur’s capture and conviction. The FBI said it believes he may be hiding out in Somalia. He is charged with multiple counts of money laundering, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Nur ran a Minneapolis-based business called The Produce that purported to supply meals to children in need that received millions of dollars in federal nutrition funds, according to the indictment against him. The business was sponsored by Feeding Our Future, the infamous entity behind the largest COVID-era scam.
Federal prosecutors say that Nur submitted fake meal counts, rosters, and invoices to obtain federal funds. The funds given to Nur and his co-defendants “substantially” exceeded the amount of money that should have been allocated for the meals they actually provided, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors said that by the time Nur distributed any meals in September 2021, he had already received $3.5 million in food payments.
Misappropriated funds went toward real estate, luxury vehicles, and travel. Nur moved nearly $700,000 of fraudulently obtained dollars into his bank account, took $78,000 in cash out, and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on real estate purchases and vehicles, according to prosecutors.
Nur reportedly fled the country after federal agents started serving search warrants in relation to their investigation of the Feeding Our Future scheme. In May 2026, Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock was sentenced to almost 42 years in prison for orchestrating the $250 million scam.
Led by Vice President JD Vance, the Trump administration has placed a renewed focus on tracking down fraudsters targeting welfare programs.
“If you defraud American taxpayers you will be found and brought to justice,” the White House Task Force on Fraud <a href="https://x.com/WHFraudTF/status/2074831393012494634" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Wednesday.
The focus on fraud comes as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-legislature-passes-medicaid-fraud-crackdown-after-daily-wire-expose?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ohio+Legislature+Passes+Medicaid+Fraud+Crackdown+After+Daily+Wire+Exposé" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> on the widespread abuse of the Medicaid home healthcare system in Ohio triggered federal and state investigations.

MixCollage-08-Jul-2026-11-20-AM-3693

The Fraudster Suspect The FBI Is Now Hunting Across The Globe

Fraud

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Somalia

Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, was arrested in the Philippines after failing to appear for his sentencing hearing in August 2024, according to federal officials. His capture marks the second arrest from the FBI’s new “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list in just over two weeks.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Kimble had been on the run since 2024 after orchestrating a $1.2 billion scheme from 2014 to 2019.
“In just over two weeks, this is the second Most Wanted Fraudster arrested on the FBI’s list led by Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud,” Patel posted on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
In just over two weeks, this is the second Most Wanted Fraudster arrested on the FBI’s list led by Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Herbert Leon Kimbel was apprehended in the Philippines and is now back in the United States, on the run… <a href="https://t.co/9ju6cnEfFX">pic.twitter.com/9ju6cnEfFX</a>
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2068051952525520968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/most-wanted-fraudsters/herbert-leon-kimble">Kimble</a> had <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/most-wanted-fraudsters/herbert-leon-kimble/download.pdf">pleaded guilty</a> in 2019 to multiple federal offenses, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, making false claims, and offering kickbacks and bribes.
Prosecutors said Kimble <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-captures-12b-medicare-fraud-fugitive-philippines-second-arrest-wanted-fraudsters-list">operated</a> a health care fraud scheme that generated more than $1.2 billion in Medicare charges and affected thousands of beneficiaries, many of them elderly. Authorities said the operation used call centers to steer patients toward medically unnecessary orthopedic braces.
The case puts a face on the kinds of large-scale fraud federal officials say they are trying to root out. Authorities say elderly beneficiaries were pushed toward unnecessary medical equipment, taxpayers were left with more than a billion dollars in charges, and Kimble fled before he could be sentenced.
Patel said the FBI remains committed to carrying out President Donald Trump’s directive to crack down on fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.
Kimble’s arrest comes after federal officials announced the apprehension of <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/most-wanted-fraudsters/said-abdullahi-ereg/download.pdf">Said Abdullahi Ereg</a>, 47, who was wanted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Ereg was the first person on the list to be taken into custody.
Vice President JD Vance said Kimble’s capture was tied directly to the creation of the Most Wanted Fraudsters list.
“Our message is simple,” Vance <a href="https://x.com/JDVance/status/2068059922294542472">wrote</a> on X. “If you defraud the American people, we will find you and we will bring you to justice.”
“Kimble preyed on the elderly for years, costing taxpayers over a billion dollars,” Vance continued. “The FBI catching Kimble is a direct result of the task force’s partnership with the FBI to create the Most Wanted Fraudsters list.”
Vance said authorities had been unable to capture Kimble for months, but that the Philippine government helped locate him after the Justice Department published its list.
The arrest comes months after the Justice Department announced the creation of a National Fraud Enforcement Division to support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vance. The task force was launched to investigate and recover fraudulent spending in programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Kimble fled to the Philippines rather than face accountability in the United States.
“Fleeing the United States does not mean you can flee justice,” Blanche <a href="https://x.com/TheJusticeDept/status/2068069402109423726">wrote</a> on X.
“Instead of facing accountability for his $1.2 billion Medicare fraud crimes in the United States, Kimble fled to the Philippines hoping to escape justice,” Blanche continued. “That plan failed.”
Blanche said the FBI has now apprehended two fraudsters from its recently unveiled list in just two weeks, adding that there are “more to come.”

FBI Captures Fugitive Mastermind Behind $1.2 Billion Medicare Scam

One Of FBI’s ‘Most Wanted Fraudsters’ Caught Overseas After Alleged $1.2 Billion Medicare Scheme

Medicare

Medicare Fraud

Most Wanted

A teen became radicalized to the point of allegedly masterminding a plot to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House Sunday night.
Tycen Proper, with a group of nearly two dozen others, allegedly began prepping to carry out the attack with explosive-carrying drones before federal authorities learned of his desires and took him into custody.
Proper&#8217;s own mother, an Ohio-based cosmetologist, called authorities after his recent firearms purchases and communications with random individuals online who claimed to be military veterans and Christians, according to a criminal complaint viewed by The Daily Wire. The group allegedly planned to detonate explosive-laden drones over the UFC arena and to open fire as the crowd would evacuate.
Proper’s parents told law enforcement that their son had recently quit his job and started messaging online with unknown individuals about plans to execute “missions” and “recons,” according to the complaint. <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/DtijUF01TWHV6XwVU3BFOpWQJ4lC01CHrK?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=33a8430f-ed29-41d4-80e2-a98082a95a9d&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-6-16%20TikToks%20surface%20of%20White%20House%20UFC%20suspect&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F9836b883-a12d-4398-b27b-174ce8e6d166.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Family members also said the 19-year-old had become more isolated and had recently made &#8220;sympathetic comments about Adolf Hitler&#8221; while &#8220;posting anti-Semitic comments on Facebook,&#8221; the complaint said.
Proper&#8217;s mother has regularly posted about her son online and recently shared a photo from his graduation from the Knox County Career Center, saying she was &#8220;proud&#8221; of him.
Proper used $3,000 of his graduation money to purchase “several boxes of ammunition (estimated by law enforcement to be in the thousands of rounds of ammunition), two plate carriers with AR-style magazines, an AR-style rifle, and a bullpup rifle painted with an American flag,&#8221; which were later turned over to law enforcement, according to the complaint.
From the posts, it appears that she raised him in a devout Christian home and told federal authorities that she believed the individuals tied to the plot preyed upon her son by &#8220;using religion to manipulate and influence him.&#8221;
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1117273" style="width: 312px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1117273" class=" wp-image-1117273" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/651006621_10161993308936755_5267928394976544473_n-265x300.jpg" alt="" width="302" height="342" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/651006621_10161993308936755_5267928394976544473_n-265x300.jpg 265w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/651006621_10161993308936755_5267928394976544473_n-510x576.jpg 510w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/651006621_10161993308936755_5267928394976544473_n.jpg 600w" sizes=" (max-width: 302px) 100vw, 302px" />Danielle Proper on Facebook</div>
In another post, Proper is seen wearing a shirt with the Bible verse &#8220;It is finished&#8221; on it.
Proper dubbed himself &#8220;a professional person, a geek,&#8221; adding &#8220;I&#8217;m very good with computers&#8221; in a 2021 TikTok post. That same year, he posted a video of himself playing &#8220;Squad,&#8221; which he described as a &#8220;realistic tactical shooter game. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been posting survival videos, shooter tactical videos called Squad &#8230; I&#8217;m posting total war videos,&#8221; he said in another TikTok video.
At the time, he also said in one video that he&#8217;s &#8220;not a type of person that gets into politics or any drama ever.&#8221;
When authorities searched Proper&#8217;s phone, they found Signal groups &#8220;that laid out detailed plans&#8221; to carry out an attack in Washington, D.C., with detailed maps highlighting sniper locations and potential drone launch locations. Proper later confessed to investigators that he took part in &#8220;planning &#8230; a coordinated attack&#8221; during the UFC event at the White House and admitted to being one of the group&#8217;s leaders.
Proper wrote in one of the chats on or about May 13 that he &#8220;got a possible target Marsha Blackburn is senator for Tennessee,&#8221; saying they should target her for taking &#8220;money from the Israel pro Israel lobby and supports them. &#8221;
On May 31, he sent messages saying, &#8220;These are people we&#8217;re going to focus on,&#8221; before sharing photos of Senator Jim Justice, Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Rep. Carol Miller, and Rep. Riley Moore. The four images appeared to have been taken from the website &#8220;TrackAIPAC.com&#8221; and appeared to show how much cash each lawmaker received &#8220;from pro-Israel PACS.&#8221;
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;">
<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/RVl81RbToYvUNvn1KKW005hmaGYlz1diV?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=e86ff567-a4b1-4a6b-a985-f33ba3fe92fb&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-06-16%20Details%20on%20UFC%20terror%20plot&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F3f775bd8-0384-4893-8eac-de91e0e10091.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Credit: Wired in Live
</div>
&nbsp;
Proper was arrested in Ohio and hit with four criminal charges, including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, attempted murder against any officer or employee of the United States, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and receipt or transfer of a firearm used to commit a felony, according to the complaint.
At least 23 individuals are believed to have been part of the network plotting the attack. Some of the members were said to have &#8220;expressed ultra-religious and antigovernment sentiments, specifically citing grievances about government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files, data centers taking up all the water in communities, and other government actions.&#8221;
Along with Proper, authorities arrested four others, including Michael Alan Thomas and Bryan Omar Roa in California, for allegedly taking part in the plot.

Untitled design – 2026-06-16T130404.546

How A Radicalized Teen Masterminded The UFC White House Attack Plot

UFC Freedom 250

White House

The FBI thwarted a plot involving explosive-carrying drones and snipers targeting the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House Sunday night, FBI Director Kash Patel said. 
Patel revealed on Tuesday that the FBI first became aware of the plot on June 10 before arresting five suspects in the lead-up to the UFC event. Officials <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-disrupts-alleged-explosive-drone-plot-targeting-white-house-ufc-event-officials-say">told</a> Fox News that the plot involved using explosive-laden drones targeting buildings to herd people in front of a group of snipers. An apparent “second wave” would have then targeted the White House, an official said. 
Those arrested included 19-year-old Tycen Proper, Bryan Omar Roa, and Michael Alan Thomas, Fox News reported. Proper was arrested in Ohio, and Roa and Thomas were arrested in California and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Proper was accused of four criminal charges including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, attempted murder of any officer or employee of the United States, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and receipt or transfer of a firearm used to commit a felony, according to a criminal complaint viewed by The Daily Wire.
The FBI complaint said that local law enforcement showed up at a home in Knox County, Ohio, after Proper&#8217;s mother called them on June 10 at 9:18 p.m. &#8220;concerned about her son, identified as PROPER, due to his recent conduct, including firearms purchases and communicating with certain individuals online.&#8221;
Proper&#8217;s parents told law enforcement that their son had recently quit his job and started communicating online with unknown individuals about &#8220;missions&#8221; and &#8220;recons.&#8221; He also used $3,000 of graduation money to buy &#8220;several boxes of ammunition (estimated by law enforcement to be in the thousands of rounds of ammunition), two plate carriers with AR-style magazines, an AR-style rifle, and a bullpup rifle painted with an American flag,&#8221; according to the complaint. That equipment was turned over to law enforcement. 
Proper was then admitted to a local hospital based on &#8220;homicidal ideations,&#8221; and local law enforcement contacted the FBI. Proper&#8217;s mother alleged to the FBI that he joined a group that &#8220;expressed ultra-religious and anti-government sentiments, specifically citing grievances about government corruption, the handling of the Epstein files, data centers taking up all the water in communities, and other government actions.&#8221; 
On June 11, a search warrant was executed on Proper&#8217;s phone that found Signal chats &#8220;that laid out detailed plans to conduct an attack in Washington D.C.,&#8221; and &#8220;detailed imagery of the National Capitol Region and maps of the area,&#8221; according to the complaint. The maps highlighted &#8220;sniper locations, potential drone launch locations, and other detailed tactical planning,&#8221; according to the complaint. 
That same day, the FBI interviewed Proper, who &#8220;admitted to planning with others a coordinated attack against the United States government during the UFC event scheduled to take place on the White House lawn,&#8221; according to the complaint. 
He &#8220;stated that the plan was for members of his group to act as snipers and additional shooters, preferably with long guns, staged at or near the southern evacuation point to conduct shootings of members of the crowd and [high value targets] as they fled from the explosive devices which had just been detonated. The [high value targets] included both wealthy people and politicians. According to Proper, this attack was designed to &#8216;jumpstart&#8217; a revolution in the United States,&#8221; the complaint found. 
One of the potential targets was Senator Marsha Blackburn because &#8220;she&#8217;s taken money from the Israel pro Israel lobby and supports them,&#8221; according to a text message included in the complaint. Other purported targets included Senator Jim Justice, Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Rep. Carol Miller, and Rep. Riley Moore. Their images appeared to be taken from the website &#8220;TrackAIPAC.com,&#8221; according to the complaint. 
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/00T00DoxJgLnSAQStOdA2yNFRAdCXG2O79?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=22ee7535-ce3c-4786-b286-1ff8dea5879a&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-6-16%20White%20House%20UFC%20drone%20plot%20&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F7a9ad121-a12a-429e-9d1d-74f079d6d439.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
&nbsp;
“On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region — and thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Patel said. 
A total of 23 individuals were reportedly investigated over suspected ties to the plot. One suspect was arrested in Cincinnati, Ohio, and others planned to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the days leading up to the UFC event, the official told Fox News. Plans for the attack were found in Signal chats, investigators said. 
One suspect allegedly told officials that he wanted to target &#8220;capitalist elites,&#8221; billionaires, and politicians who received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Over 4,000 people showed up to the event, including President Donald Trump, key administration officials, and prominent businessmen like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. 
“While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team — we are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens — particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight,” Patel added. “That’s exactly what we did here. I want to thank our great agents and partners, this work remains ongoing and we will continue to update the public as permitted.”
The attack was allegedly planned after a recent surge in Left-wing violence with the assassination of Charlie Kirk, attacks targeting Trump and administration officials, and the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The man accused of starting the Lachman and Palisades fires was reportedly inspired by Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering Thompson.

President Trump Hosts UFC Freedom 250 Fight Topuria v Gaethje At The White House

Suspects Identified In Explosive Drone Plot Targeting UFC White House Fans

domestic terrorism

Donald Trump

Washington D.C.

The FBI arrested a Somali-born man accused of stealing $4 million from a federal food program for children in need through his participation in the nation’s largest COVID-era scam. 
FBI Director Kash Patel announced Wednesday that 47-year-old <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/most-wanted-fraudsters/said-abdullahi-ereg">Said Abdullahi Ereg</a> surrendered to federal authorities after being wanted since 2024 on fraud charges. Ereg was placed on the “Most Wanted Fraudsters” last week over his alleged involvement in the massive $250 million Feeding Our Future scam.
“When [Vice President] Vance led the way for the Most Wanted Fraudsters list through the [White House Fraud Task Force] — this was exactly the righteous goal the Task Force had in mind — to bring to justice all those who have stolen money from hardworking American taxpayers,” Patel said. “This historic result is only the beginning — and let it be a message to any fraudster who takes advantage of America, this team will find you.”
The FBI said that Ereg took $4.2 million in government payments to his Minneapolis-based grocery and deli to supposedly provide meals through the Federal Child Nutrition Program between April 2020 and April 2021. Ereg&#8217;s grocery was sponsored by the fraudulent Feeding Our Future program. 
“Ereg allegedly transferred most of the money to fund his family&#8217;s lavish lifestyle,&#8221; the FBI said. &#8220;He also allegedly transferred money to foreign accounts controlled by foreign companies.&#8221;
Ereg’s grocery store purported to serve “3,000 meals, twice a day, seven days a week” but in actuality only served a “fraction of those meals,” according to prosecutors. In total, he claimed to have served 1.4 million meals to children. 
The money was instead used for purchases of high-end brands like Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Canada Goose and sent to a foreign textile company, according to the indictment. Ereg transferred some $2.5 million funds received from government payouts to foreign accounts controlled by foreign companies, prosecutors said. 
Hundreds of thousands of dollars went toward the purchase of a home in New Hope, Minnesota, and the Somali-founded Quick Chain Trading Company and the Chinese-based Shaoxing Aifan Textile Company, according to the indictment. 
The suspected fraudster faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The criminal proceedings for Ereg will take place in federal court in Minnesota. 
Aimee Bock, the founder of Feeding Our Future, was sentenced last month to 500 months in prison for her role in the exploitation of the child nutrition program during COVID. She and others created dozens of shell companies to funnel federal dollars that were supposed to go toward feeding kids. 
Under the direction of Vice President JD Vance, the Trump administration is focusing on cracking down on fraud. Federal officials are investigating in Ohio after The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/medicaid-millionaires-how-the-feds-pay-immigrants-billions-to-hang-out-with-their-families">reported</a> on the state’s questionable payments for a taxpayer funded home healthcare program.

MixCollage-11-Jun-2026-07-15-AM-3526

Feds Arrest ‘Most Wanted Fraudster’ Accused Of Using Taxpayer Dollars For ‘Lavish Lifestyle’

JD Vance

WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump&#8217;s White House game-planned how to message the Jeffrey Epstein files during the summer of 2025, Dan Bongino was growing increasingly frustrated and angry.
He understood the vast interest in Jeffrey Epstein online, and he had repeatedly sounded the alarm to Trump&#8217;s team that the outcry over the DOJ&#8217;s bungling of the Epstein files was gaining momentum, as Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman reported for their book “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump.”
Back in July 2025, the president wasn&#8217;t yet interested in releasing the files. The DOJ had briefed him on the contents of what they had, noting that much of it included child sexual abuse material and that a lot of the raw records contained unverified and unsubstantiated information, including about the president and some of his friends. The White House viewed the conversation as toxic and unnecessary (the president would later call out Democrats&#8217; new fixation on the files as a &#8220;hoax&#8221;).
Trump&#8217;s advisors argued at the time that the president had weathered every possible media storm — and he could weather this Epstein one as well. Ultimately, the House and Senate would vote to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025, and Trump would sign it into law the same month. The files would be released in massive dumps in December and January.
But during the summer of 2025, Bongino repeatedly told the White House that Team Trump wasn&#8217;t grasping how big of a deal the Epstein drama was, telling White House advisors, according to The New York Times: “It’s not an online story. You don’t understand.”
Things came to a head when the DOJ and FBI put out a memo saying that they had concluded that there was no evidence Epstein had a client list. It also said that Epstein&#8217;s death was a suicide, that the Trump administration wouldn&#8217;t be releasing any more information about the Epstein case, and that no further investigation was warranted.
At the same time, they also released 11 hours of video footage from the Manhattan jail where Epstein was found dead. That surveillance video actually made matters worse, since it was missing a pivotal minute, from 11:58:58 to midnight on the night that Epstein died. That missing minute was later released, but it had only fueled angry speculation about a coverup.
Bongino was enraged by the memo and by the handling of the entire situation. He had argued to Patel that it would not at all align with their transparency promises, the NYT reports, and he pushed hard for the FBI seal to be left off the letter. While Patel reportedly agreed with Bongino on many points, he ultimately went along with what the DOJ and White House wanted.
In what Haberman and Swan described as a &#8220;volcanic mood,&#8221; Bongino shouted at Bondi in a Justice Department meeting with FBI staff.
“You f*cked this thing up from the start,” Bongino allegedly yelled at the former attorney general. “The way you’ve been talking about this — that dumb f*cking charade with the Epstein files, the ‘They’re on my desk’ nonsense, all the promises to the folks out there.”
<div id="attachment_1113617" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-dan-bongino-stormed-out-of-the-situation-room-over-the-epstein-files/pipe-bomb-suspect-charged-over-devices-found-before-jan-6-riot" rel="attachment wp-att-1113617"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1113617" class="wp-image-1113617 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2249306758-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2249306758-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2249306758-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2249306758-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/GettyImages-2249306758.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Photographer: Alex Kent/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Bongino and Patel were reportedly called into a Situation Room meeting with Susie Wiles, Pam Bondi, Todd Blanche, and Taylor Budowich two days later. Wiles immediately asked Bongino if he had leaked a story about Epstein and Trump to ABC News, the New York Times reports.
<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-20">
<div class="css-53u6y8">
“I’ll tell you what,” Bongino reportedly replied. “I’ll give you $100,000 cash right now. I’m not kidding. Walk out to West Exec, put that reporter on speaker and get him to admit I leaked it. A hundred thousand dollars.”
When Wiles started to tell Bongino that &#8220;we all got ourselves into this,&#8221; he allegedly cut her off, saying, “No, no, no, no, no. We didn’t get ourselves into anything. I warned you guys about this the whole time, and you ignored me. And exactly what I said was going to happen happened. And now you’re pretending I was in on this. I was never in on this.”
His response startled the rest of the group, particularly given that Wiles was the White House chief of staff. Wiles reportedly pressed forward, telling Bongino, “Going forward, we’re all in. We’re all going to agree to move forward. Are you in or not?”
He reportedly responded: “No, I’m not. This is not my plan. I’m not part of this going forward. Forget it. I’m out of here.”
And, in an even more shocking move, Bongino &#8220;stormed out of the Situation Room and onto West Executive Avenue, where he climbed into the back of Patel’s armored SUV and directed the driver to take him to FBI headquarters.&#8221;
MAGA world lit up with rumors that Bongino would resign. Sources close to Bongino at the time <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-or-bongino-bongino-wont-remain-at-fbi-if-bondi-keeps-job-source-says">told Daily Wire</a> that he was threatening to leave the bureau if Bondi remained on the job, effectively issuing an ultimatum.
Patel also wanted Bondi gone, sources close to the FBI chief told The Daily Wire, saying that Patel would consider leaving the FBI if Bongino left.
“Blondie f*cked this whole thing up,” Bongino told a confidant, The New York Times reported. He was using a nickname for the attorney general coined by outspoken Bondi critic Laura Loomer. “She was the one on TV saying over and over they had all this stuff. There was never anything.&#8221;
&#8220;We were always clear about that,&#8221; Bongino emphasized, according to the Times. &#8220;But now everyone thinks we did something wrong. And I gave up everything.”
He stayed on until January 2026, when he resigned from the bureau and returned to hosting his &#8220;Dan Bongino Show.&#8221;
&#8220;Dan did a great job,&#8221; Trump told reporters, as news of Bongino&#8217;s departure broke. &#8220;I think he wants to go back to his show.&#8221;
</div>
</div>
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi had made things difficult for Patel and Bongino when she promised in a February 2025 Fox News interview that the Epstein list was &#8220;sitting&#8221; on her &#8220;desk right now to review.&#8221;
Her possibly greater misstep occurred during a White House briefing with influencers on the president&#8217;s agenda, according to the NYT. During that briefing, Bondi and her team walked into the Roosevelt Room carrying boxes and handed out binders to the influencers that she described as &#8220;The Epstein files.&#8221;
Swan and Haberman write that &#8220;the blood pressure of other officials in the room skyrocketed&#8221; — they did not know what was in the binders, and the binders hadn&#8217;t been vetted by the White House.
The president was about to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer before the press, and the news might possibly blindside him.
&#8220;One official, opening the binder, began flipping through pages to see if Trump’s name was mentioned anywhere,&#8221; they wrote. &#8220;A few pages in, right in the middle of the page, there it was.&#8221;
The binders didn&#8217;t actually contain anything meaningfully new, but after the influencers took photos in front of the White House holding them, word spread like wildfire on social media. Not only did the influencers feel duped by the lack of substance in the binders, but many of Trump&#8217;s supporters were seething on social media over what they saw as Bondi playing showman with the files without releasing anything meaningful.
The Epstein files, which will have all been released as of July 2026, include many mentions of Trump&#8217;s name but have not been found to include substantiated allegations against the president.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Photo obtained by <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> shows Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein together. To my knowledge, this photo hasn’t been reported.
Massive trove of Epstein files are expected to be released tomorrow. <a href="https://t.co/OvFFbUQlXq">pic.twitter.com/OvFFbUQlXq</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2001876204299960657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
The DOJ noted that the batch released in January contained numerous “sensationalist” claims submitted right before the 2020 election, in an apparent attempt to stop Trump from winning the presidential election. Many of those claims don&#8217;t even include callback numbers, such as one graphic claim that the president raped a 13-year-old girl.
“Just as President Trump has said, he’s been totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein,&#8221; White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Daily Wire on Wednesday.
&#8220;And by releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and calling for more investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends, President Trump has done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him,&#8221; she added.

New York Marks 24th Anniversary Of September 11 Terror Attacks

Why Dan Bongino Stormed Out Of The Situation Room Over The Epstein Files

Dan Bongino

Epstein Files

Jeffrey Epstein

Pam Bondi

Three United States citizens accused of helping fund ISIS attacks on American servicemembers were arrested on Friday morning by federal authorities. 
According to the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-arrested-kansas-and-california-charged-plot-support-isis">Department of Justice</a>, FBI agents arrested 21-year-old Bisaam Ghafoor of Leawood, Kansas, 21-year-old Elias Shamsaldeen of Porterville, California, and 25-year-old Bereen Dzayee of Lakeside, California.
The three men conspired from at least February 2025 through June 2026 to support the designated terror group, according to a criminal complaint filed in the District of Kansas.
The men communicated through Discord chats, voice calls, and other messaging platforms, where they pledged allegiance to ISIS and promoted violence on the group&#8217;s behalf, according to the Department of Justice. 
According to the complaint, the men repeatedly spoke about violence against Americans and U.S. military personnel. 
Prosecutors say Ghafoor remarked that it would be “sick” to have his name written on a drone used in an attack on Americans, while Dzayee suggested drone strikes should target U.S. Special Forces. Shamsaldeen expressed a desire to stab a U.S. servicemember, and Ghafoor said he had long wanted to behead a female soldier before adding, “I wish I could kill 300,000,000 Americans.”
Federal authorities accuse the three men of collectively providing over $2,000 to a person they understood to be a member of ISIS and trying to develop a cryptocurrency scheme to buy RPGs and drones to enable the designated terror organization to attack U.S. servicemembers. 
According to prosecutors, Ghafoor’s name was inscribed on a rocket-propelled grenade that was purportedly intended for use in an overseas attack targeting U.S. servicemembers. Investigators also say that Shamsaldeen helped finance the purchase of drones that were intended to be used in attacks against American troops deployed abroad.
The defendants also expressed a desire to travel outside the United States to fight and die on behalf of ISIS, according to authorities.
The three men were charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
“This administration has put terrorists, cartels, and gangs on notice,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-arrested-kansas-and-california-charged-plot-support-isis">said</a> Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Today’s arrest of three individuals who allegedly conspired to provide material support to ISIS makes clear our commitment to taking down terrorist networks — anywhere. Thanks to the vigilance of the FBI, their alleged scheme was dismantled and further acts of violence against U.S. service members were prevented.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspects “swore allegiance to ISIS, plotted multiple attacks, and even targeted U.S. service members.”
“The success of this op shows once again this FBI&#8217;s continued record of stopping terrorist attacks before they happen,” Patel said.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said the defendants wished to betray their country.
“According to the complaint, these defendants conspired to support ISIS, a ruthless terrorist organization, with the intent, among other things, to fund plans to kill American servicemembers abroad,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Thanks to the work of the FBI, their plans to betray their country in the gravest way lies in ruin. Instead, these defendants will face justice in our courts.”
The investigation was conducted by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces in Kansas City, San Diego, and Sacramento, with assistance from FBI field offices in Richmond and Newark.

ISIS

3 Americans Arrested In ISIS Case That Authorities Say Was A Betrayal Of America

Department of Justice

Terrorism

The FBI&#8217;s three-month &#8220;Operation Spring Cleaning&#8221; resulted in more than 1,100 arrests, nearly 1,000 firearm seizures, and hundreds of indictments as part of the bureau&#8217;s ongoing effort to reduce violent crime nationwide.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Chris Raia announced that the operation, which ran from March through May, led to 1,139 arrests, 984 firearm seizures, 615 criminal indictments, and 586 search warrants across the country, according to figures provided to Fox News. 
“The FBI’s Operation Spring Cleaning is yet another example of our commitment to rooting out crime and delivering results the American public deserves,” Raia <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/kash-patel-touts-fbis-full-throttle-mission-operation-spring-cleaning-yields-615-federal-indictments">stated</a>. “Along with our partners, we’re protecting our communities, reducing crime stats nationwide, and producing record numbers of arrests and seizures.”
WATCH FROM TODAY&#8217;S EPISODE OF MORNING WIRE:
  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=as8zYjv9xUmsEHgtWpQf1evGCmebrH02C&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&nbsp;
Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. In North and South Carolina alone, authorities charged 56 defendants federally, seized 254 kilograms of drugs, and apprehended 157 fugitives facing state and federal charges, accorind the the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office. 
Other notable cities targeted during Operation Spring Cleaning included Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, and Sacramento.
The initiative is the latest in a series of nationwide crime-reduction efforts launched under Patel&#8217;s leadership. According to the FBI, Operation Spring Cleaning joins several other recent operations that officials say have contributed to significant reductions in violent crime. 
“Operationg Spring Cleaning is the latest success story in the FBI’s full-throttle mission to surge resources all across the country,” Patel told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/kash-patel-touts-fbis-full-throttle-mission-operation-spring-cleaning-yields-615-federal-indictments">Fox News</a>. “Whether it’s Summer Heat, Viper, Grayskull, Spring Cleaning, or others, these are the ops that have delivered the most prolific run of crime reduction in United States history.”
Operation Summer Heat, which ran from July through September 2025, resulted in 8,629 arrests nationwide, including more than 6,500 tied to the FBI’s Violent Crime and Gang Program. Viper and Grayskull, which aimed at cracking down on violent crime networks and child sexual abuse material, respectively, were more centralized on specific areas but also produced results.

US-NEWS-VA-LAWMAKER-FBI-RAID-1-VP

FBI Unveils Results Of Three-Month Crime Crackdown

Crime

U.S.

The FBI secured two life sentences against child predators in the same week for the first time in the history of an FBI field office, The Daily Wire has learned.
The milestone came through separate prosecutions involving violent crimes against children, including one case involving a nonprofit exec who used cruise ships to sexually abuse autistic minors.
“This FBI is cracking down on child predators more aggressively than any other in history — arresting 2,900 alleged abusers (up 70%) and identifying or locating nearly 7,000 children (up 144%) since last year,” FBI Director Kash Patel told The Daily Wire exclusively. 
“We have dedicated teams across the country vigorously pursuing criminals like these and rescuing victims every single day, saving lives, reuniting families, and putting animals who abuse children behind bars,” he added. 
WATCH FROM TODAY&#8217;S EPISODE OF MORNING WIRE:  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=003LuSww202r6TjErbOEa9JtcWGMlxYwVG&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
In one case, a federal judge in Florida sentenced James Bernard Grover, 63, of Deltona, to life in federal prison for coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. A federal jury convicted Grover on February 27.
Grover was the founder and executive director of the Special Needs Advocacy Program, a nonprofit organization serving the special needs community based in Sanford, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/deltona-man-sentenced-life-coercing-and-enticing-autistic-minor-engage-sexual-activity">according to the Department of Justice</a>. Prosecutors said Grover used his professional platform to meet an autistic minor and coerced the underage person into engaging in sexual activity.
The 63-year-old preyed primarily on young boys on the autism spectrum and used cruise ships in international waters to victimize children, an FBI official told The Daily Wire. FBI investigators sought victim information due to the “widespread nature of his victim pool.” Grover’s criminal conduct dates back to 2010. 
In a separate case, the FBI secured a life sentence against an Orlando man, Montrey Roseberry, 20, who was convicted of multiple child sex crimes. 
Roseberry operated a scheme to extort, intimidate, and threaten children into producing child sex abuse material, according to the DOJ. 
Prosecutors say Roseberry pretended to be a woman to manipulate young victims into sending sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.
“Roseberry then used the images and videos to extort the victims into producing increasingly perverse content involving, sadomasochism, coprophilia, bestiality, and the sexual abuse of other children,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/orlando-man-sentenced-life-prison-child-sextortion-scheme-involving-more-50-child">the DOJ said in a statement</a>.
His crimes affected more than 50 victims across the United States; he threatened minors that he would send their sexually explicit photos to their families and friends. In some cases, Roseberry threatened the child victims with death, an FBI official told The Daily Wire. 
“Thanks to outstanding work by FBI Tampa and our partners, these two life sentences in the same week reflect that we’re not slowing down — and anyone who targets kids will feel the full weight of American justice,” Patel said. 
The two sentences mark the first time an FBI field office has secured two life sentences against child predators in the same week.

MixCollage-28-Apr-2026-07-11-AM-3970

EXCLUSIVE: FBI Just Hit A Major Milestone In The Fight Against Child Predators

News

The FBI recently took out a massive internet scam network, arresting over 300 people, freeing over 2,000 people from human trafficking, and seizing over $8 billion in cryptocurrency. 
The FBI said last week that it primarily focused on taking down what it <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/fbi-seizes-record-8-billion-182232782.html">calls</a> “scam compounds” in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The scam compounds are typically guarded and filled with trafficked workers who are forced to conduct romance scams and fake investment schemes that target many Americans. Over 2,000 people were freed from the compounds. 
The operation focused on Prince Holding Group, a company in Cambodia. Authorities also took out a criminal compound in Dubai, Myanmar, and Thailand. Altogether, the FBI seized over 127,000 bitcoin from the nine scam compounds, which is over $8 billion, making it the largest crypto seizure in human history.
<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=NJImACtyd8qr901jiXzUj00P9jus01iozN02&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The United States worked with Dubai police to arrest 275 people, six of whom will be transported to the United States to face federal charges.
FBI Director Kash Patel, said the major crackdown gives a clear message to scammers across the world.
&#8220;If you target Americans, we will find you, disrupt your network, and bring every available tool of the federal government down on you,” Patel <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-seizes-record-setting-8-billion-cryptocurrency-amid-intercontinental-scam-compound-crackdown">told</a> Fox News. 

The FBI also took down the &#8220;Democratic Karen Benevolent Army,” an armed militia in Myanmar that has ties to Chinese mobsters and has been engaging in this criminal scam network..
The U.S. seized thousands of smartphones and other office equipment in Thailand, severely crippling the scam infrastructure there.
During the whole operation, the FBI <a href="https://x.com/jacobincambodia/status/2060184532104700246">worked</a> with the Royal Thai police, the Burmese army, Dubai’s police, and some Chinese investigators. The FBI also utilized Elon Musk’s Starlink to take down over 7,000 terminals in Myanmar that criminals were using to facilitate communications.
The FBI’s 2025 &#8220;Internet Crime Report&#8221; <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/cryptocurrency-and-ai-scams-bilk-americans-of-billions">states</a> that Americans have been defrauded of $21 billion in cyber-related crimes, with AI and crypto-related scams being the costliest. 
 
Apprehending these con artists and hackers is difficult as the internet allows them to be scattered across the world, seemingly untouchable by American authorities.

FBI Makes Largest Crypto Seizure Ever In Global ‘Scam Compound’ Crackdown

Africa

Cambodia

China

Communist China

Cryptocurrency

Cyberattack

Cybercrime

Cybersecurity

fbi director

India

Middle East

Myanmar

Organized crime

scams

Thailand

FBI Director Kash Patel ratcheted up his fight with Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen on Tuesday, posting on social media an expensive tab run up by the Democrat senator’s campaign at a swanky bar in Washington, D.C.
Patel and Van Hollen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kash-patel-lays-into-dem-senator-for-slinging-margaritas-with-gang-banging-rapist?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Kash+Patel+Lays+Into+Dem+Senator+For+‘Slinging+Margaritas’+With+‘Gang-Banging+Rapist’">clashed</a> during a hearing earlier on Tuesday over claims published in The Atlantic that the FBI chief had a drinking problem. After the hearing, Patel <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2054294261986660537">posted</a> a campaign filing from December 12, 2025, showing that Van Hollen’s campaign spent $7,128 during an event at the Lobby Bar in D.C. 
“The only person that ran up a $7,000 bar tab in Washington, D.C., at the Lobby Bar was you. The only individual in this room that has been drinking on the taxpayer dime during the day is you,” Patel said during the hearing. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1094259" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.38.59-AM.png" alt="" width="882" height="1050" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.38.59-AM.png 882w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.38.59-AM-252x300.png 252w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.38.59-AM-484x576.png 484w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.38.59-AM-768x914.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 882px) 100vw, 882px" /></div>
A spokesman for Van Hollen <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/kash-patel-chris-van-hollen-trade-alcohol-allegations-senate-hearing-rcna344804">told</a> NBC that “this was a catering charge at a local restaurant where the Senator hosted an after-hours holiday reception as a thank you to the 50+ members of our team, paid for by campaign funds — not taxpayer dollars.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, Van Hollen attacked Patel over allegations of drinking on the job. 
“Director Patel, these reports about your conduct, including reports of your being so drunk and hungover that your staff had to force entry into your home, are extremely alarming,” Van Hollen said.
“So, there have been no occasions when your security detail had difficulty waking or locating you?” Van Hollen asked Patel.
“Nope, it’s a total farce. I don’t even know where you get this stuff, but it doesn’t make it credible, because you say so,” Patel fired back. 
Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic over its report featuring anonymous sources accusing the FBI director of having a drinking problem. In response to Van Hollen’s accusations, Patel hit back by pointing to a photo posted by El Salavador President Nayib Bukele <a href="https://x.com/nayibbukele/status/1913028548001923259">showing</a> the Democrat senator seated next to accused MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia at a table with what appear to be margaritas.
Bukele captioned the photo by saying that Abrego Garica was “sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador.”
<div id="attachment_1094261" style="width: 1594px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1094261" class="wp-image-1094261 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM.png" alt="" width="1584" height="1028" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM.png 1584w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM-300x195.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM-888x576.png 888w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM-768x498.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-7.08.31-AM-1536x997.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1584px) 100vw, 1584px" />Credit: Nayib Bukele</div>
“Unlike your baseless reports, the only person that was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang-banging rapist was you,” Patel said. 
Both Patel and Van Hollen challenged each other to take sobriety tests during the hearing.

Kash Patel/Chris Van Hollen

SEE IT: Patel Posts Hefty Bar Receipt After Ripping Dem For Drinking With ‘Gang-Banging Rapist’

Menu