EFTA01655597.pdf

From: FBI News Briefin To: ' Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL - FBI Daily News Briefing - February 5, 2025 Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2025 11:20:14 +0000 Importance: Normal View in Browser Federal Bureau of Investigation February 05, 2025 Seal Federal Bureau of Investigation Daily News Briefing (In coordination with the Office of Public Affairs) Email Public Affairs to subscribe to the Daily News Briefing. Mobile version and archive available here. Table of Contents IN THE NEWS • FBI Agents Sue Over DOJ Effort to ID Employees Involved in Trump-Related Investigations • Senate Confirms Pam Bondi as Attorney General • Continued Reporting: Kash Patel Nomination Process and Commentary • Continued Reporting: Bodies of All Victims Have Been Recovered From River Where Jet Collided With Black Hawk COUNTERTERRORISM • FBI Seeking Information on Two Iranian Intel Officers Allegedly Involved in Robert Levinson Abduction • Republicans Grill FBI Over Troubling Discrepancy About Jan. 6 Pipe-Bomb Suspect Still Roaming Free • Massachusetts Member of AI-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Sentenced to 44 Years in Prison for Terrorism Offenses • Neo-Nazi Leader Found Guilty in Plot to Attack Baltimore Power Grid • The Man Charged With Stabbing Salman Rushdie Is Going On Trial • Trump Names Washington's Joe Kent to Lead Counterterrorism Agency • Trump Says He's Given Advisers Instructions for Iran to Be 'Obliterated' if It Assassinates Him • Was a Guantanamo Confession Voluntary? A Judge Will Soon Decide. COUNTERINTELLIGENCE • Ex-Google Engineer Faces New U.S. Charges He Stole Al Secrets for Chinese Companies CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS • FBI Adds Alleged Leader of Meza-Flores Transnational Criminal Organization to Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List EFTA01655597  • Continued Reporting: Federal Prosecutor Vows to Protect DOGE Staffers From Any 'Threats, Confrontations' Targeting Musk Team • Man Accused of Fencing Stolen Items Linked to Theft at Star Athlete's Ohio Home, Prosecutors Say • Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Firing Gun Outside Jewish Temple in Upstate New York • Tennessee Star Says FBI Considering Offer to Drop Suit, End in Release of Covenant Shooter's Writings • Parents Accused of Torturing Their Six-Year-Old Adopted Daughter to Death and Burying Her in the Backyard • Fugitive Found Hiding in Caribbean Decades After Killing Man in Alaska, Officials Say • FBI Offering Reward to Find People Responsible for Death on Turtle Mountain Reservation • Probe of Six Murders Takes Feds Into Strange Territory • Former Congressman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Charges • Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading • Former Insurance Agent Stole Identities and Millions of Dollars, FBI Searching for Victims • Trayon White Expelled From the DC Council for Corruption but He's Free to Run for His Old Seat • Dallas FBI Arrests Texas Man Accused of Making Online Threat • FBI Increases Reward for Information in North Carolina Woman's 2015 Disappearance • Scammers Targeting Connecticut Doctors • Man Sentenced for Attempted Sexual Assault of Child in Colorado Human Trafficking Case • FBI Denver: Colorado Man Sentenced for Production of Child Porn • FBI Investigating Five Bank Robberies on the Same Day in the Milwaukee Area • Continued Reporting: Justice for NASCAR Legend as FBI Takes Down Elite Car Thieves in Shocking Undercover Operation CYBER DIVISION • Philadelphia Man Loses Life Savings in Wire Transfer Schemes INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS • A Thousand Days of Israeli Impunity, Still No Justice for Shireen Abu Akleh • Continued Reporting: FBI Houston Investigation Leads to Seizure of 39 Pakistan-Based Fraud Domains and Servers • Australian Police Seek FBI Help in Case Against Alleged Pam the Bird Graffiti Artist OTHER FBI NEWS • Democrats Question Diversion of Federal Law Enforcement Officers to Trump Migrant Crackdown • Continued Reporting: Virginia Lawmakers Outraged Over Report of 'Flawed' FBI Headquarters Search • New FBI Report Details Patterns of Violence Against Native Women, Children • Anchorage FBI Support of Trump Immigration Crackdown Draws Local Pushback • Jan. 6 Defendant Says Trump's Blanket Pardon Covers Conspiracy to Kill FBI Agents • Continued Reporting: Trump Ally Known for Racist Comments Gets Top State Dept Job • Continued Reporting: Prince Andrew Faces Arrest Fears as Calls for FBI Investigation Mount • The FBI Once Opened a Two-Year Investigation into the "Dirty" Lyrics of The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" • FBI Employee, Whistleblower Loses Job After Years-Long Fight INTERNATIONAL NEWS • Trump Said Palestinians Should Leave Gaza EFTA01655598  • Sweden's Deadliest Attack Leaves 11 Dead at Orebro Adult School • Trump Administration Pulling Almost All USAID Workers off the Job Worldwide • China Counters Trump's Tariffs as Talks Remain in Limbo • Ukraine Open to Trump's Idea to Exchange Aid for Rare Earths —but There's a Catch • Greenland Bans Foreign Political Funding as Trump Seeks Control • Australia's Top Conservative Follows Trump's Playbook, up to a Point • The Russian TV Star Who Became the Voice of the Kremlin • Islamic State Members Held for Years in a Syria Prison Say They Know Nothing of the World • Inside the Operations That Took Captive 2 North Korean Soldiers Fighting Ukraine OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS • RFK Jr. Appears on Track to Become Us Health Secretary as He Wins Key Republican Senator's Support • CIA Offers Buyouts to Entire Workforce in Intelligence Agency First • Tulsi Gabbard Passes Senate Panel Vote as Wavering Republicans Back Her • Black D.C. Church Vandalized by Proud Boys Awarded Control of Group's Name • The Salvadoran Mega-Prison Offering to Take America's Worst Criminals • JD Vance to Attend Al Summit in Paris, French Official Says • Police in Long Island County Will Team Up With Ice for Trump's Immigration Crackdown • Trump Order Set to Ban Transgender Girls and Women From Female School Sports • Trump Signs Executive Order Calling for Review of U.S. Funding and Ties to U.N. • Armed 15-Year-Old Who Demanded Plane at Arkansas Airport Is Arrested BIG PICTURE • New York Times • Wall Street Journal • Washington Post • NBC News • ABC News • CBS News • Fox News • CNN WASHINGTON SCHEDULE IN THE NEWS FBI Agents Sue Over DOJ Effort to ID Employees Involved in Trump-Related Investigations The Associated Press (02/04, Tucker, Richer) reported that FBI agents who participated in investigations related to President Donald Trump have sued over DOJ efforts to develop a list of employees involved in those inquiries that they fear could be a precursor to mass firings. The article mentioned that two lawsuits, filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington on behalf of anonymous agents, demand an immediate halt to the collection and potential dissemination of names of investigators who participated in probes of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. One of the complaints says agents were also asked to fill out surveys about their participation in the investigation into Trump's hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The suits mark an escalation in a high-stake dispute that burst into public view on Friday with revelations that the DOJ had demanded from the FBI the names, offices, and titles of all employees involved in Jan. 6 investigations so that officials could evaluate whether any personnel action was merited. Thousands of FBI employees were also asked over the weekend to fill EFTA01655599 out an in-depth questionnaire about their participation in those probes, a step they worry could lead to termination. The article added that the FBI turned over personnel details of several thousand employees but identified them only through their unique identifier code rather than by name. The prospect of demotions, discipline or even termination for career agents has unnerved officials inside the FBI. Natalie Bara, the president of the FBI Agents Association, which also sued, told reporters Tuesday that one agent who had spent hours recovering body parts from the Potomac River following last week's plane crash "had to return to the office — not to debrief, not to work on cases, but to fill out a mandatory survey on any involvement in investigations related to Jan. 6." "This is the reality for our agents today. They're being scrutinized, placed on lists, and facing the possibility of losing their jobs," she said. The agents who brought Tuesday's two lawsuits are not identified by name and are instead referred to as anonymous "John and Jane Does." They say they were told on Sunday either to fill out surveys about their involvement in the Jan. 6 or Mar-a-Lago investigations or that their supervisors would do it for them and that their responses would be "forwarded to upper management," says one of the lawsuits. The complaint says it was filed on behalf of nine employees, but the class of plaintiffs could grow to include "at least 6,000 current and former" FBI workers. The article noted that the lawsuit notes that Trump on the campaign trail "repeatedly stated that he would personify 'the vengeance' or 'the retribution; for those whom he called 'political hostages; for their actions during the Jan. 6 attack." The agents contend that "the very act of compiling lists of persons who worked on matters that upset Donald Trump is retaliatory in nature, intended to intimidate FBI agents and other personnel and to discourage them from reporting any future malfeasance and by Donald Trump and his agents." The complaint also cites the DOJ's firing last week of prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smith's team, which brought two indictments against Trump, as proof that the effort to compile the list is rooted in a desire for retribution. "Donald Trump has made repeated public pronouncements of his intent to exact revenge upon persons he perceives to be disloyal to him by simply executing their duties in investigating acts incited by him and persons loyal to him," the complaint says. "Whatever the Trump administration believes about Plaintiffs' political affiliation, it clearly believes that persons who were involved in the investigation and prosecution of Jan. 6 and Mar-a-Lago cases are insufficiently politically affiliated with Donald Trump to be entitled to retain their employment" Another group of agents argued in a second lawsuit Tuesday that releasing their names publicly would subject them to dangerous threats and harassment. The complaint includes a screenshot of a social media post from the former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio calling for the arrest of an agent who testified in his Jan. 6 case after his recent pardon from Trump. "It is clear that the threatened disclosure is a prelude to an unlawful purge of the FBI solely driven by the Trump Administration's vengeful and political motivations," Chris Mattel, one of the lawyers who filed that lawsuit on behalf of the FBI Agents Association, said in a statement. "Releasing the names of these agents would ignite a firestorm of harassment towards them and their families and it must be stopped immediately." The lawsuit, also filed by the State Democracy Defenders Fund, a nonpartisan organization that says it fights "election sabotage and autocracy," seeks a temporary restraining order that would prevent the DOJ from releasing the names on the list. Other lawyers participating in the case include prominent Washington attorney Mark laid, who routinely represents government officials. Reuters (02/04, Lynch, Goudsward), New York Times (02/04, Savage), New York Times (02/04, Schwartz, Savage), the Hill (02/04, Bertsch), Politico (02/04, Cheney, Gerstein), Fox News (02/04, Deppisch), Fox News (02/04, Deppisch, Gibson, Spunt), CBS News (02/04, Macfarlane, Legare), Washington Post (02/04, Roebuck, Stein), Washington Examiner (02/04, Oliver), the Daily Beast (02/04, Archacki), Washington Times (02/04, Picket), Law 360 (02/04, Karp), New York Post (02/04, Christenson), Independent (02/04, Woodward), Newsweek (02/04, Whisnant, Sheth), BBC (02/04, Wendling), the New Republic (02/04, Rashid), Axios (02/04, Doherty), NBC News (02/04, Barnes, Dilanian), Gov Exec (02/04, Newhouse), ABC News (02/04, Katersky, Thomas, Mallin), the Guardian (02/04, Lowell), USA TODAY (02/04, Groppe), Wall Street Journal (02/04, Gurman, Barber), MSNBC (02/04, Rubin), CBS News (02/04, Video), MSNBC (02/04, Video), and NBC News (02/04, Video) also reported on the story. Acting Director Brian DriscollBuilds a Following as Agency's Defender The New York Times (02/04, Goldman) reported that Brian Driscoll, the acting director of the FBI, has become an improbable symbol of quiet resistance toward the DOJ's campaign to single out FBI employees who investigated the Jan. 6 riot. The article noted that Driscoll's appointment was an accident. Shortly after President Trump's inauguration, the White House identified the wrong agent as acting director on its website and never corrected the mistake. According to the article, even if he was not meant to be leading the agency, he has defended the rank-and- file. His refusal at the time to furnish the names of employees, as top DOJ officials desired, and his insistence that a formal review process be put in place, has spurred widespread support for Driscoll. Former and current agents EFTA01655600 have traded memes and satirical clips celebrating him, offering a rare moment of levity as dismay and deep unease set in across the FBI and as Driscoll navigates the political perils of Washington and a president who is deeply hostile to the agency. The article stated that a heated confrontation on Friday with top Dal officials left many wondering at the time whether Driscoll had been fired. Scrutinizing agents and others involved in the sprawling investigation into the Capitol riot would touch a startling number of people: The FBI opened about 2,400 cases that involved about 6,000 intelligence analysts, agents, and other employees. In a defiant email Friday night, James Dennehy, the top agent in the New York field office, warned his staff that the FBI was "in the middle of a battle of our own." Praising Driscoll and his deputy, Robert C. Kissane, as "warriors," Dennehy asserted they were "fighting for this organization." In fact, Kissane, the top counterterrorism agent in New York, had been widely believed to be in line to be acting director, several current and former agents said, with Driscoll as the No. 2 official. However, when the White House unveiled its website to reflect its staff under the Trump administration, Driscoll was identified as the Bureau's chief. Continued Reporting: FBI's UFO Unit Fear Trump's January 6 Purge The Register (02/04, Lyons) reported that a previously undisclosed group of FBI agents who investigate UFOs, or "unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs)," are worried they may not survive an impending Trump-led political purge. The article added that some of these FBI agents may have also played a role in investigating those involved in the January 6 insurrection. The FBI's secretive group reportedly consists of more than a dozen agents across the US who dedicate significant time to track down UAPs. An FBI spokesperson said that the Bureau has "no comment" on personnel matters but added: "The FBI investigates Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena when there is potential for a violation of federal law - particularly unlawful acts that could adversely affect our national interests - and to gather, share, and analyze intelligence to combat security threats facing the U.S." Newsnation (02/04, Whiteside) and the Independent (02/04, Lubin) also reported on the story. FBI's Top Agent in Miami Forced Out by Trump's DOJ in Escalating Purge The Miami Herald (02/04, Weaver) reported that Jeffrey Veltri was named as head of the FBI's Miami field office in March 2023, seven months after federal agents raided Donald Trump's Palm Beach estate in a search for classified documents that he allegedly took to Mar-a-Lago after losing the presidency. According to the article, Veltri has been forced out in an escalating purge by senior officials in the DOJ who took over the agency after Trump was sworn in as president for a second term last month. Veltri, like about a dozen high-ranking FBI officials in Washington, D.C., and in field offices around the country, was given an ultimatum: retire, resign, or be fired by Monday. Veltri, 50, chose to resign on Friday, according to several sources familiar with his departure. Veltri was immediately replaced in the Miami field office by an acting special agent in charge, Justin Fleck. He's an 18-year FBI veteran who previously worked as a deputy in the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office after graduating from Florida State University. The FBI Has Changed Leadership in New Orleans Nola.com (02/04, Simerman) reported that the FBI has reassigned the leader of its New Orleans field office, Lyonel Myrthil, the Bureau confirmed on Monday, one of several leadership shuffles at the FBI since President Donald Trump's inauguration. Replacing Myrthil on an interim basis is Stephen Cyrus, Special Agent in Charge of the Kansas City field office, the FBI said. Cyrus introduced himself as the FBI's new leader in New Orleans at a news conference Monday morning in the French Quarter. Cyrus said Monday that "SAC Myrthil is currently on assignment at headquarters in Washington helping to implement some of the new administration's executive orders." The FBI's national press office said in a statement Monday afternoon that Cyrus was named to the interim post "due to the recent reassignment of former SAC Lyonel Myrthil." Opinion: FBI Agents Risk Their Lives for Us. They Deserve Fair Treatment, Not Political Purging An opinion piece by the Miami Herald (02/04, Martinez, Jimenez) stated that in a quiet residential area of Miami sits a largely unnoticed plaque that reads: In memory of these two FBI agents who gave their lives in the line of duty during a gun battle at this site on April 11, 1986. The two agents were Jerry Dove and Ben Grogan. Other FBI agents were also seriously injured on that day during a gun battle with two very dangerous bank robbers who had committed a series of violent crimes in the Miami metropolitan area. These agents died or were seriously injured protecting the public. The author mentioned that more recently, on Feb. 2, 2021, FBI agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger were shot and killed while executing a search warrant in Sunrise as part of an investigation involving child pornography and violent crimes against children. They were also assigned to the Miami Field Office. EFTA01655601 These agents died protecting our children. According to the author, over 100 FBI agents have given their lives in the line of duty. Most Americans don't know their names. They are not famous. Not one of them sought wealth or glory. They just did what they swore to do. To place their lives on the line each day to defend the American people and uphold the U.S. Constitution. They died fighting terrorism, performing dangerous undercover work, protecting children, rescuing hostages, engaging in gun battles with violent criminals, arresting fugitives and performing the perilous responsibilities assigned to them. The author added that today's FBI agents, like their fallen colleagues, live and work among us, mostly maintaining a low profile. They send their children to our local schools, raise their families in our communities, and maintain a modest and law-abiding lifestyle. They live like average Americans. Yet, on a daily basis, their jobs are not average. They are the ones that Americans have assigned the responsibility to shield us from terrorism and espionage, from predators targeting children, to ferret out public corruption, to protect us from fraud, from kidnappers, from violent predators. To guard our civil rights. They are located in cities and towns across our country and throughout the world. Their work is essential to a safe and free society. The author noted that regardless of one's political beliefs, it's important to not forget that just like Laura Schwartzenberger, Ben Grogan, Jerry Dove and Daniel Alfin, every morning the men and women of the FBI meet each day prepared to put their own lives in peril to keep us and our families safe. These heroes deserve to be treated fairly, to not have their families exposed to danger, and to know that Americans appreciate their value and courage. CNN (02/04, Campbell, Perez, Rabinowitz), New York Post (02/05, Nava), Newsweek (02/04, Sheth), Bloomberg (02/04, Strohm), CBS News (02/04, Video), NPR (02/04, Lucas), the Hill (02/04, Irwin), and Reason (02/04, Tuccille) also reported on the stories. Senate Confirms Pam Bondi as Attorney General The Associated Press (02/04, Richer, Groves) reported that the Senate confirmed Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general Tuesday evening, putting a longtime ally of Donald Trump at the helm of a 0OJ that has already been rattled by the firings of career employees seen as disloyal to the Republican president. The vote fell almost entirely along party lines, with only Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, joining with all Republicans to pass her confirmation 54-46. Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and corporate lobbyist, is expected to oversee a radical reshaping of the department that has been the target of Trump's ire over the criminal cases it brought against him. She enters with the FBI, which she will oversee, in turmoil over the scrutiny of agents involved in investigations related to the president, who has made clear his desire to seek revenge on his perceived adversaries. Republicans have praised Bondi as a highly qualified leader they contend will bring much-needed change to a department they believe unfairly pursued Trump through investigations resulting in two indictments. Fox News (02/04, Deppisch, Johnson), CNN (02/04, Shelton, Rimmer), BBC (02/04, Wendling, Yousif), CBS News (02/04, Video), the Guardian (02/04, Lowell), New York Times (02/04, Barrett), Politico (02/04, Fuchs), Axios (02/04, Hunter), the Hill (02/04, Beitsch), Reuters (02/05, Morgan), NPR (02/04, Archie), USA TODAY (02/04, Bagchi, Mansfield), and Newsweek (02/04, Whisnant) also reported on the story. Continued Reporting: Kash Patel Nomination Process and Commentary Grassley Eyes Next Week to Move FBI Director Pick Politico (02/04, Fuchs) reported that Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley said in a statement Tuesday his committee plans to take a final vote on FBI director nominee Kash Patel as early as next week. The article noted that the committee has a business meeting scheduled for Thursday to consider Patel's nomination. Under committee rules, Democrats can delay the full committee vote for one more week, at which point senators are expected to advance the nominee along party lines to the full Senate for confirmation. Senate Judiciary Democrats on Tuesday asked Grassley for another hearing to question Patel on several matters, including the recent personnel shakeup at the FBI. Grassley denied their request. "No one was convinced by the Minority's baseless efforts to mischaracterize and malign Kash Patel. It's additionally outrageous to assert that a nominee should come before the Senate to answer for government actions that occurred prior to their time at an agency," he said in a statement. "The Senate Judiciary Committee will not fall for Democrats' delay tactics." Politico (02/04, Fuchs), the Hill (02/04, Fortinsky), the Hill (02/04, Beitsch), and Law 360 (02/04, Buble) also reported on the story. Kash Patel, Trump's Pick for FBI Director, Made at Least $2.6 Million From Consulting, Media Deals ABC News (02/04, Bruggeman, Levine, Kim) reported that Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's pick for FBI director, made at least $2.6 million in the past year from consulting, media appearances, speaking fees and book EFTA01655602 deals, his latest financial disclosure shows. Patel's main source of income -- accounting for more than $2.1million — was national security, defense, and intelligence consulting through his firm Trishul LLC, according to the disclosure. Among his clients were Trump's social media company Trump Media & Technology Group, the Embassy of Qatar, and Czech financial services company CSGM — though the disclosure doesn't say how much he received from each client. Bloomberg (02/04, Massa, Allison) reported that Patel received a stock award last week from Truth Social's parent company worth more than $800,000. But the grant of restricted shares in Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. didn't appear on Patel's financial disclosure or ethics agreement, which detail how federal appointees will handle potential conflicts of interest. The article stated that the award and the lack of an explanation of how Patel would handle it comes as senators weigh whether he should be confirmed to lead the country's top law enforcement agency. Disclosures around the new grant fall into a gray area given its timing, according to experts who study how the government handles such conflicts. If Patel were to hold on to the restricted shares while running the FBI, "it gives him a financial incentive not to take any actions that would undermine the value of Trump Media," said Kathleen Clark, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, who specializes in government ethics. "That would include investigations?' The Hill (02/04, Beitsch) reported that Patel worked as a consultant to the government of Qatar, newly released disclosures show, raising questions from ethics experts about his failure to register as a foreign agent. Patel listed the U.S. Embassy of Qatar as among the clients of his consulting company Trishul, which he has managed since shortly after Trump left office in 2021. State Democracy Defenders Action said Patel failed to register his consulting work, something they said could violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). "It appears neither Patel nor Trishul is registered under FARA for services provided to Qatar, leaving open the important question of exactly what Patel did for Qatar when he was serving as a national security advisor to President Trump during the 2024 election," Norm Eisen, the group's founder and a former Trump impeachment lawyer, wrote in the letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee. "If confirmed as the head of the FBI, Patel will be responsible for law enforcement investigations into possible FARA violations. And he will be expected to carry out this duty faithfully and impartially" Eisen wrote, noting recent FARA cases involving those who failed to disclose work for the Qatari government. Coalition ofAttorneys General Urges Senate to Interrogate FBI Nominee Pate! on Agent Dismissals Insider NJ (02/04, Staff Writer) reported that a coalition of attorneys general today sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, urging the Senate to require Kash Patel, President Trump's nominee for FBI Director, to return for further questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The request follows alarming reports of politically motivated firings at the FBI and efforts to compile a list of agents involved in investigating the January 6th Capitol riots. The attorneys general note how critical it is for Patel to address recent reports of retaliatory firings at the FBI, stating in their joint letter, "Shortly after his confirmation hearing, we learned from news reports that more than a dozen high-ranking FBI officials were fired and that the FBI is developing a list of all agents and staff who worked investigations and prosecutions related to the January 6th Capitol riots. It is critical for Mr. Patel to answer questions about this unprecedented attack on the FBI before Senators vote on his confirmation." The letter raises additional concerns over reports that "the Administration plans to fire at least six high-ranking career FBI officials if they do not retire" and that "acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove directed FBI staff to compile a list of all staff who were 'assigned at any time to investigations and/or prosecutions' relating to the January 6th riots?' The attorneys general state, "If true, this is a purge of FBI employees?' The attorneys general stress that before any confirmation vote, "the United States Senate should know what Mr. Patel plans to do with the list of FBI agents and staff that is currently being compiled." Beyond the FBI purge, the letter condemns additional attacks on law enforcement by the Trump administration, stating, "The President's efforts to undermine the FBI follow unprecedented attacks on our country's public safety. In just two weeks, the President has fired United States Attorneys, pardoned rioters who killed and injured Capitol Police Officers, and cut off funding for law enforcement across the country?' The Brooklyn Eagle (02/04, Staff Writer), WLNS (CBS-6) (02/04, King), and KOLO (ABC-8) (02/04, Sheridan) also reported on the story. The Blaze (02/04, Gottfried), Financial Express (02/04, Siddiqui), the Juggernaut (02/04, Sampath, Bose), Mother Jones (02/04, Friedman), and the Nevada Independent (02/04, Bredderman) also reported on Kash Patel. Continued Reporting: Bodies of All Victims Have Been Recovered From River Where Jet Collided With Black Hawk CNN (02/04, Tsui, et al.) reported that crews working at the site of the deadliest aviation disaster in a generation have recovered all 67 victims of the collision between two aircraft over the Potomac River in Washington, DC, EFTA01655603 officials said Tuesday. Now, their attention turns to clearing the remaining wreckage. The Bombardier CR1700 jet operating as American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission ran into each other over the river nearly a week ago in an accident that remains unexplained. The article added that more parts of the plane were pulled from the river Tuesday morning. One section of the plane's fuselage lay sideways on a barge, a row of cabin windows clearly visible. By afternoon, the plane's tail was removed from the murky water. Officials have said they would likely recover the American Airlines cockpit later Tuesday, wind gusts and tidal levels permitting. As of Tuesday, 66 of the 67 victims recovered have been identified. For the second day in a row Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board — which has been reviewing data from the Black Hawk's flight data recorder that was recovered over the weekend — backed away from announced plans for a public briefing on its investigation. "NTSB needs additional information to verify data points from the Black Hawk," the agency said in a post on X, adding that a written update would be released later in the day. As a salvage team continues to work in cold winter conditions to lift debris from the frigid water, key questions about the cause of the fatal collision remain — though answers may not be immediately clear for weeks. The recovery effort has been extensive, involving nearly every dive team in the area, including those from the US Coast Guard, the FBI's Washington Field Office dive team, DC Fire, and the International Association of Fire Fighters. ABC News (02/04, Shapiro), CBS News (02/04, Sundby, Cleave), USA TODAY (02/04, Cann), New York Times (02/04, Fortin), NBC News (02/04, Madani), Newsnation (02/04, Whiteside), Washington Examiner (02/04, O'Keefe), New York Post (02/04, Oliveira), People (02/04, Raposas), WRC (NBC-4) (02/04, Edwards), WBBH (NBC-2) (02/04, Salas, Caudill), WTTG (FOX-5) (02/04, Barnard, Salamy), WBOC (CBS-16) (02/04, Video), Reuters (02/04, Shepardson), and the Associated Press (02/04, Raby) also reported on the story. Back to Top COUNTERTERRORISM FBI Seeking Information on Two Iranian Intel Officers Allegedly Involved in Robert Levinson Abduction CBS News (02/04, Czachor) reported that federal authorities have released a pair of seeking information posters for two Iranian intelligence officers accused of authorizing the 2007 abduction of retired FBI special agent Robert Levinson. The posters come as part of a decades-long investigation into Levinson's disappearance, the FBI's Washington field office said Tuesday, noting their "commitment to resolving the case for his long-suffering family." According to the article, since Levinson vanished, the United States has maintained the view that he was abducted during an unauthorized CIA mission in Iran and held wrongfully by the Iranian government. The former agent was thought to be alive until U.S. officials said in 2020 that intelligence suggested he may have been dead for "some time." The posters include images of Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, the Iranian senior intelligence officers believed to be responsible for Levinson's abduction, subsequent detention and probable death. The men are described as high-ranking officers in Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, according to the FBI. The article stated that Levinson has not been seen or heard from since March 9, 2007, one day after the retired agent traveled to the Iranian island of Kish, according to the FBI. U.S. officials say Levinson's family received video and photographs of Levinson in anonymous emails several years later, in 2010 and 2011, which showed him in captivity. They ultimately released the footage and an image publicly but could not trace the emails back to their senders. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Baseri and Khazai under the Trump administration in 2020, the first time the country formally blamed Iran for Levinson's disappearance. At the time, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that Iranian officials "authorized Levinson's abduction and detention and launched a disinformation campaign to deflect blame for the regime." The article added that federal officials claim Baseri has been involved in counterespionage activities within and outside of Iran, in addition to sensitive investigations related to Iranian national security, and "has worked directly with intelligence officials from other countries to harm U.S. interests." Khazai has allegedly led Iranian intelligence and security delegations to other countries, the FBI said. The State Department is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information that leads to Levinson's recovery and return, while the FBI put forward a prize of up to $5 million for the same. The article quoted Sanjay Virmani, special agent in charge of the counterterrorism division at the FBI's Washington field office, who said, "The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to return Bob to his family. Our extensive investigation continues to develop new leads and intelligence, and we will pursue all options to hold every Iranian official involved in his abduction accountable." Fox News (02/04, Norman), Iran News Update (02/04, Aslani), the Algemeiner (02/04, Walker), Iran International (02/04, Staff Writer), and CNN (02/04, Shelton) also reported on the story. EFTA01655604 Republicans Grill FBI Over Troubling Discrepancy About Jan. 6 Pipe-Bomb Suspect Still Roaming Free The New York Post (02/04, Christenson) reported that GOP lawmakers are demanding answers from the FBI after a former head of the Bureau's DC office claimed a person who laid pipe bombs before the Jan. 6 riots has not been ID'd in part because of "corrupted" cellular data — a fact disputed by major US carriers. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia sent a letter Monday to the Bureau's acting director, Brian Driscoll, about the troubling discrepancy. The congressmen wrote that the cell carriers "indicated that they neither provided corrupted data to the FBI nor received any notification from the FBI of any issues accessing the data." The article mentioned that the pols' inquiry comes after FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D'Antuono — who led the probe of pipe bombs placed outside Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters before the riot four years ago — testified before Congress in June 2023 that "some data" had been "corrupted by one of the providers, not purposely. The discrepancy highlighted by the Republican lawmakers raises questions about whether the FBI abandoned its probe too early, thinking the wannabe bomber's identity was not as important as rounding up other Jan. 6 criminals and thus putting its resources elsewhere. Johnson, who chairs a permanent subcommittee on investigations in the Senate, Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, and Loudermilk also sent letters Tuesday to AT&T, T- Mobile and Verizon demanding records about the feds' request for cell data on the eve of the Capitol riot. They asked the FBI for "communications between or among employees of the FBI" and "between the FBI and any cellular carrier, third-party contractor, other law enforcement agency" about the incident — as well as copies of the data received by the Bureau and "all memoranda, reports, assessments, evaluations, or other records" on the analysis of it. There's still a $500,000 reward on the table from the Bureau for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for planting the pipe bombs. Massachusetts Member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Sentenced to 44 Years in Prison for Terrorism Offenses The New York Times (02/04, Shanahan) reported that a man who pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges nine years ago after being accused of plotting a suicide bombing at Heathrow Airport in London in support of Al Qaeda's Yemeni affiliate was sentenced on Tuesday to 44 years in prison. According to the article, prosecutors said that the man, Minh Quang Pham, planned the bombing after having received military training in Yemen from Anwar al- Awlaki, an American-born radical Muslim cleric and a leader of the Al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen. The United States later killed him in a drone strike. The sentencing of Pham, 41, in Federal District Court in Manhattan, appeared to conclude a winding case that began with his indictment in New York on several terrorism counts in 2012 and his extradition to the United States from Britain in 2015. Pham was born in Vietnam, moved to Britain as a child, worked as a web designer and converted to Islam. The events that led to his conviction and sentencing began in late 2010 when he traveled to Yemen, the base of operations for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, according to court documents. Pham planned to join the terrorist group, wage jihad on its behalf and martyr himself for its cause, prosecutors said. While in Yemen, he received training from Awlaki, who advised him to return to Britain and recruit others to the cause, according to court documents. A DOJ press release quoted Assistant Director David 1. Scott of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division, who said, "Pham coordinated with known terrorist Anwar al-Aulaqi on a plot to conduct a suicide bombing at Heathrow International Airport which could have killed or injured many people, but fortunately that plan was stopped. Pham also tried to recruit others to commit acts of terrorism. The FBI will work with our partners to hold accountable those who align themselves with terrorist organizations and attempt to carry out acts of violence." Neo-Nazi Leader Found Guilty in Plot to Attack Baltimore Power Grid Reuters (02/04, Jones) reported that a neo-Nazi leader accused of plotting to attack Baltimore's power grid has been found guilty of conspiring to damage an energy facility, the DO1 said on Tuesday. Brandon Russell, 29, of Orlando, Florida, and an associate were arrested in February 2023 after the FBI thwarted their plan with the help of a confidential informant. Evidence presented at trial showed that between November 2022 and that month, Russell conspired to attack transformers within electrical substations "in furtherance of his racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist beliefs," the DOJ said in a statement. The article mentioned that Russell posted links to open- source infrastructure maps and described how a small number of attacks on substations could cause a "cascading failure," the department said. He recruited a Maryland-based woman, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, to carry out the attacks in order to interrupt and impair the power grid in Baltimore, Maryland's largest city. Clendaniel identified five substations to target and Russell attempted to secure a weapon for her. The planned attacks would have caused damage of more than $75 million. According to the article, Russell is a convicted felon and founder of a EFTA01655605 neo-Nazi group called the Atomwaffen Division, that works toward "ushering in the collapse of civilization," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. He was previously sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of an unregistered destruction device and the improper storage of explosive materials. The Washington Post (02/04, Morse), People (02/04, Brachfeld), Newsweek (02/04, Clark), USA TODAY (02/04, Martin), the Hill (02/04, Irwin), Independent (02/04, Skene), and UPI (02/04, Heuer) also reported on the story. The Man Charged With Stabbing Salman Rushdie is Going On Trial The Associated Press (02/04, Thompson) reported that in 2022, Salman Rushdie was about to deliver a lecture before a live audience in western New York when a man ran towards him and plunged a knife into the author's hand as he raised it in self-defense. "After that there are many blows, to my neck, to my chest, to my eye, everywhere," Rushdie recalled in a memoir that followed. "I feel my legs give way, and I fall." In the coming weeks, Rushdie is expected to return to the same New York county to recount the experience as one of the first witnesses in the trial of the man charged with wielding the knife that day, Hadi Matar. Jury selection got underway Tuesday. Matar, 27, of Fairview, New Jersey, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault. The article mentioned that five jurors were seated during the first day of screening, which was scheduled to continue Wednesday. Under different circumstances, Rushdie's book, which details his account of that day and his recovery, might offer important evidence in the Aug. 12, 2022, attack that left the 77-year-old blind in his right eye and his hand permanently damaged. But "this isn't a back alley event that occurs unwitnessed in a dark alley," said Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt following a pretrial hearing. "This is something that was recorded, it was witnessed live by thousands of people." Jurors will be shown video of the attack, as well as photos and documentation, and an estimated 15 witnesses are expected to take the stand. Judge David Foley said once jury selection is complete, the trial would take up to a week and a half. The Guardian (02/04, Staff Writer), Aljazeera (02/04, Staff Writer), BBC (02/04, Cursino), Washington Post (02/04, Higgins), New York Post (02/04, Vago, Janoski), New York Daily News (02/04, Wilkinson), and UPI (02/04, Heuer) also reported on the story. Trump Names Washington's Joe Kent to Lead Counterterrorism Agency KZJO (Fox-13) (02/04, Cornfield) reported that President Donald Trump has nominated Joe Kent, a former Army Special Forces soldier and two-time Republican congressional candidate, to be the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, pending Senate confirmation. Kent, who has a background in military and intelligence operations, lost two congressional bids against Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and has faced scrutiny for his links to far-right groups and election conspiracy theories. The nomination has sparked mixed reactions, with Washington state Democratic Party chair Shasti Conrad criticizing the choice, while Washington state Republican Party chair Jim Walsh praised it. KULR (NBC-8) (02/04, Staff Writer), MSNBC (02/04, Benen), Mother Jones (02/04, Lanard), KGW (NBC-8) (02/04, Video), and the Times of Israel (02/05, Fard) also reported on the story. Trump Says He's Given Advisers Instructions for Iran to Be 'Obliterated' if It Assassinates Him The Associated Press (02/04, Price, Madhani, Miller) reported that President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he's given his advisers instructions to obliterate Iran if it assassinates him. "If they did that they would be obliterated," Trump said in an exchange with reporters while signing an executive order calling for the U.S. government to impose maximum pressure on Tehran. "I've left instructions if they do it, they get obliterated, there won't be anything left." Federal authorities have been tracking Iranian threats against Trump and other administration officials for years. The article mentioned that Trump ordered the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, who led the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force. A threat on Trump's life from Iran prompted additional security in the days before a July campaign rally in Pennsylvania where Trump was shot in the ear, according to U.S. officials. But officials at the time said they did not believe Iran was connected to that assassination attempt. The DOJ announced in November that an Iranian plot to kill Trump before the presidential election had been thwarted. The department alleged Iranian officials had instructed Farhad Shakeri, 51, in September to focus on surveilling and ultimately assassinating Trump. Shakeri is still at large in Iran. Iranian officials, at the time, dismissed the allegation, with foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei calling the report a plot by Israel-linked circles to make Iran-U.S. relations more complicated. Investigators were told of the plan to kill Trump by Shakeri, an accused Iranian government asset who spent time in American prisons for robbery and who authorities say maintained a network of criminal associates enlisted by Tehran for surveillance and murder-for-hire plots, according to the complaint. The article added that Shakeri, an Afghan national living in Iran, told the FBI that a contact in Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard instructed him last September to set aside other work he was doing and assemble a plan within seven days to surveil and ultimately kill Trump, according to a criminal complaint unsealed EFTA01655606 in federal court in Manhattan. Trump recently revoked government security protection for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his top aide, Brian Hook, as well as his former national security adviser John Bolton, who have all faced threats from Iran after they took hardline stances against the Islamic Republic during Trump's first administration. Was a Guantanamo Confession Voluntary? A Judge Will Soon Decide. The New York Times (02/04, Rosenberg) reported that the CIA interrogated Ammar al-Baluchi 1,119 times over more than three years before he was ever charged in connection to the Sept. 11attacks. At first, he was beaten, deprived of sleep, and kept shackled and naked in a secret prison in Afghanistan. Even after the brutality stopped, the questioning continued while he was kept in isolation and incommunicado during that time. Then, in 2006, he was transferred to Guantanamo Bay, and the FBI took over the interrogations. During those sessions, in 2007, Baluchi was fully clothed, with an ankle shackled to the floor. That is when he explained to agents building a criminal case against him how he sent money and provided other support to some of the hijackers who attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Now a military judge will decide whether that 2007 confession can be used against Baluchi at his death-penalty trial. According to the article, the central question is: Was his confession to the FBI voluntary, or was it the result of a campaign of state-sponsored torture that spanned his time in CIA custody? The Sept. 11case is once ag