Category: National

(NEW YORK) — This year was full of first-of-its-kind stories that got Americans talking. Here’s a look back at some of the most talked about U.S. stories of 2025 outside of politics, from the Los Angeles wildfires to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial.

LA wildfires

The Palisades and Eaton fires erupted in Los Angeles County on Jan. 7. With severe drought conditions and strong Santa Ana winds fueling the flames, the fires spread quickly, killing at least 29 people and wiping out thousands of homes in the densely populated neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

In October, Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested for allegedly igniting a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 1 — a fire that prosecutors say eventually became the Palisades Fire. Rinderknecht, a former Pacific Palisades resident, has pleaded not guilty to arson affecting property, timber set afire and destruction of property.

3 back-to-back plane crashes

On Jan. 29, an American Airlines regional jet was on approach to Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, sending both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River.

All 64 people on board the plane and all three soldiers on the helicopter were killed.

The collision marked the nation’s first major commercial airline crash since 2009.

The National Transportation Safety Board has not released its final report, which will determine the probable cause of the crash, but investigators said during a July hearing that the Black Hawk pilots likely didn’t know how high they were flying or how close they were to the plane due to faulty altimeters inside the aircraft. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters, “It’s possible there was zero pilot error here.” 

After the crash, Sen. Ted Cruz introduced legislation called the ROTOR Act. The law would require nearly all aircraft to transmit Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B), a system which allows aircraft to transmit their location to other aircraft as well as air traffic controllers. It would also close a loophole that allows military aircraft to operate without ADSB-Out. The ROTOR Act is awaiting a vote in the Senate.

The NTSB is expected to reveal the probable cause and its recommendations in late January.

Just two days after the D.C. crash, a medical transport jet crashed in Philadelphia. The jet, which was carrying a child and her mother along with four other people, was in the air for less than a minute after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. All six people on board, as well as one person on the ground, were killed. The NTSB has not released a cause.

Then on Feb. 17, a Delta plane crashed and overturned during landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. All 80 people on board survived. Twenty-one passengers were injured, including two seriously injured.

A report released in March found that the right main landing gear broke and collapsed on impact as the plane landed at a high descent rate. Once the right main landing gear collapsed, the wing hit the runway, sprayed fuel and caused a fire. The Transportation Board of Canada has not yet released a probable cause for this crash.

Gene Hackman and his wife die in their home

When actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home during a Feb. 26 welfare check, their causes of death were not immediately clear, which sparked national intrigue.

In March, investigators announced that Arakawa, 65, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease transmitted through rodent urine, droppings or saliva, officials said.

Hackman, 95, who died of cardiovascular and Alzheimer’s disease, was likely home with his deceased wife for one week before he died, officials said. Arakawa died around Feb. 12, while Hackman died around Feb. 18, officials said.

Hackman “was in an advanced state of Alzheimer’s, and it’s quite possible that he was not aware that she was deceased,” an investigator said.

One of the couple’s three dogs was also found dead in a crate during the welfare check. The dog likely died of dehydration and starvation, a report found.

Karen Read’s trial

On June 18, a Massachusetts jury found Karen Read not guilty of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend, ending a criminal case that gripped the nation’s attention.

While Read was acquitted of the most serious charges — including second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene after an accident resulting in death — the jury did find her guilty of operating under the influence of liquor. The judge immediately sentenced her to one-year probation, the standard for a first-time offense.

The first criminal case against Read ended in a mistrial last year.

Prosecutors alleged Read hit her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her car outside the home of a fellow police officer after a night of heavy drinking in 2022 and then left him to die there during a blizzard. The defense had argued that Read’s vehicle did not hit O’Keefe and instead said O’Keefe was attacked by a dog and beaten by other people who were in the house before he was thrown outside in the snow to die.

Texas flooding

In the early hours of July 4, heavy rain inundated Texas’ Hill Country region, quickly sparking catastrophic flooding.

Over 130 people were killed, including at least 117 in Kerr County, officials said. More than two dozen of the victims were from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls sleepaway camp in Kerr County.

Some state leaders and environmental experts told ABC News in July that a number of the cabins were in known flood zones and close proximity to the river, according to officials and FEMA’s road maps.

In September, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law three bills aimed at improving the safety of camps in Texas and protecting Texans from future flooding events, after parents of Camp Mystic flooding victims advocated before the state legislature for better safety measures.

In October, legislative committees were formed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dustin Burrows to investigate the flooding. No investigative findings have been announced as of December.

In November, a slew of wrongful death cases were filed against Camp Mystic on behalf of many of the parents who lost their children. The families previously criticized Camp Mystic’s decision to reopen one of its campsites next year. 

In a December letter to parents, Camp Mystic officials said they plan to implement safety measures that are not only in compliance of the new camp safety laws, but “exceed their requirements.” The camp’s partial reopening is slated for summer 2026.

Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty

Weeks before Bryan Kohberger was set to go on trial for the 2022 quadruple homicides at the University of Idaho, Kohberger admitted to the crimes at a change of plea hearing in July.

At sentencing, Kohberger was given four consecutive life sentences on the four first-degree murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count.

Survivors of the attack and relatives of the four slain students spoke out, sharing emotional statements at Kohberger’s sentencing hearing. Surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen said Kohberger “took away my ability to trust the world around me” and “shattered me in places I didn’t know could break.” Kristi Goncalves, mom of victim Kaylee Goncalves, told Kohberger that “hell will be waiting” for him.

The judge acknowledged Kohberger’s motive may never be known.

Sean Combs’ trial

Following an eight-week trial in Manhattan federal court that gripped the country, in July, music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was convicted of two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution. The jury acquitted Combs of more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

At October’s sentencing hearing, Combs tearfully apologized in court, saying, “I’ve been humbled and broken to my core.”

The mogul is now serving a four-year sentence at FCI Fort Dix, a federal prison in New Jersey. Combs is appealing the conviction and his sentence. 

Manhunt for Travis Decker

A monthslong manhunt for Travis Decker unfolded in Washington state this summer, capturing national attention.

It began on May 30 when Decker picked up his three daughters at his ex-wife’s home for a planned visitation.

On May 31, police announced the disappearance of the three daughters: Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5.

On June 2, the girls’ bodies were found near a campground. Decker allegedly suffocated his daughters to death, police said.

Decker, a former member of the military with “extensive training,” disappeared, sparking a multi-agency manhunt.

An attorney for Decker’s ex-wife told ABC News that Decker lacked mental health resources and struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder.

On Sept. 18, Decker’s remains were found in a remote, wooded area. The local coroner said an autopsy couldn’t be done due to how little remains were left.

Menendez brothers resentenced, but denied parole and denied new trial

In their continued push for freedom this year, Lyle and Erik Menendez had one big legal win, but two significant losses.

The brothers were convicted in 1996 of the first-degree murder of their parents and sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms without the possibility of parole. The last several years, they’ve pushed to be released, citing accomplishments in prison and the abuse they alleged they suffered from their parents.

This May, Judge Michael Jesic resentenced Erik and Lyle Menendez to 50 years to life in prison, making them immediately eligible for parole under youth offender parole laws. Jesic said he was moved by letters from prison guards and is amazed by what the brothers have accomplished in their decades behind bars.

But in August, the brothers were both denied parole. Commissioners reviewed Erik Menendez’s time in prison and noted some inappropriate behavior with visitors, drug smuggling, misuse of state computers, violent incidents and illegal cellphone use. Lyle Menendez’s panel of commissioners — who were different from those reviewing Erik’s case — noted he also was caught illegally using cellphones. The brothers will next be eligible for parole in three years.

Their second loss came in September, when Judge William Ryan denied the brothers’ habeas corpus petition, which they filed in 2023 to try to toss their conviction and get a new trial based on newly discovered evidence. The judge said “neither piece of evidence adds to the allegations of abuse that the jury already considered.”

Charlie Kirk killed

On Sept. 10, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in the middle of his outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Kirk, 31, was the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, and the Utah Valley event marked the first stop of his “The American Comeback Tour,” which invited students on college campuses to debate hot-button issues.

The suspected shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, fled the scene, prompting a massive manhunt. Robinson surrendered to authorities on the night of Sept. 11.

Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, said at her husband’s memorial that she forgives Robinson. “That young man, I forgive him. … The answer to hate is not hate,” she said.

Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child. He has not entered a plea.

Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner killed

On Dec. 14, renowned Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home.

Hours later, the suspect — the couple’s 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner — was taken into custody.

Nick Reiner — who was living on his parents’ property, according to a former family security guard — was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, with the special circumstance of multiple murders, prosecutors said. He has not entered a plea. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, prosecutors said.

The Reiners’ other children, Jake and Romy Reiner, said in a statement, “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing.”

“The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends,” they said.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life,” Jake and Romy Reiner said. “We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.”

ABC News’ Olivia Osteen, Meredith Deliso, Clara Mcmichael, Ayesha Ali and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — A major winter storm is expected to bring ice and snow to the upper Midwest on Thursday, with the system moving through the lower Northeast on Friday and ending by Saturday morning.

Freezing rain is forecast to move through northern Minneapolis and Wisconsin on Thursday evening. The rain is expected to reach Michigan on Friday morning, moving into western and central Pennsylvania later in the morning.

Most of the freezing rain and ice accumulation is expected in central and western Pennsylvania.

Snow flurries could begin as early as noon on Thursday in New York City, though most of the forecast snow is expected to fall after 4 p.m.

Snowfall is expected to continue through Thursday night in New York City, upstate New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts — though Boston is not expected to see significant snow.

Much of the heavy to moderate snowfall is expected to end by 4 a.m. on Sunday. Snowfall is forecast to end entirely by Saturday morning between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.

New York City, northern New Jersey, the southern Hudson Valley and western Pennsylvania are expected to see the most snow accumulation, with more than half a foot possible. Some areas could see up to 8 or 9 inches of snow.

Ice accumulation could reach more than a quarter of an inch in central Pennsylvania, such as in Johnstown and Clarion. Drivers along the I-80 and I-70 have been advised to use extreme caution. Power outages are also possible with high levels of icing.

Up to 0.2 inches of ice accumulation is possible for areas of northeastern West Virginia and through central and northwestern Pennsylvania, plus up through much of Michigan, including Detroit. Driving is expected to be difficult on untreated surfaces.

Washington, D.C., and Baltimore may also see some ice accumulation on Friday and into Friday night.

Across the upper Midwest, ice accumulation of around 0.2 inches is possible from northern Minnesota through northern Wisconsin and Michigan.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LOS ANGELES) — More than 41 million Americans across California, southern Nevada and northwest Arizona are under flood watches on Wednesday amid a rare, high risk for excessive rainfall and flooding.

This includes major metros like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, California, San Diego and Las Vegas.

A “High Risk for excessive rainfall” is in place for Los Angeles, including I-10 from San Bernardino to Santa Monica and areas north like Highway 101 to Thousand Oaks, I-5 to Burbank, Santa Clarita, and up to Pyramid Lake and all of I-210. Travel on these roads is not recommended as they may become flooded, officials said. Low-lying neighborhoods in these areas could also become flooded, forecasts show.

Being under a “High Risk” designation is rare. This risk is only issued about 4% of days, accounting for one-third of all flood-related fatalities and 80% of all flood-related damages, according to the NWS.

Potential flooding impacts include the threat of significant and widespread urban roadway flooding, a high risk of major rock/mudslides, and rapid rises in creeks, streams and rivers which will likely lead to swift water rescues.

The recent burn scars will be at risk of possibly damaging debris flows. These flooding impacts will likely lead to significant travel delays and road closures during the busy holiday travel period.

Winds are forecast to gust 40 to 50 mph across the area, potentially leading to power outages on Wednesday, according to forecasts. Thunderstorms are also possible. 

The heaviest rain is expected on Wednesday morning and afternoon. Rainfall rates of 1 inch per hour or greater are expected.

By 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. PT, the rain will be coming to a brief end before more rain arrives overnight.

Additional rounds of rain are expected on Thursday and Friday, and the flood threat along with mudslides and landslide risks will continue each day as well.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(BRISTOL, Pa.) — An explosion and fire at a Pennsylvania nursing home killed two women — one resident and one employee — and wounded 20 other people, officials said.

The “catastrophic” incident — possibly caused by a gas leak — unfolded Tuesday afternoon at the Silver Lake Nursing Home in Bristol, which is about 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia.

Of the 20 people hurt, 19 are still hospitalized on Wednesday, including one in critical condition, Bristol Township Police Chief CJ Winik said on Wednesday.

Bristol Township Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito said parts of the first floor collapsed into the basement, trapping people inside.

All employees and all 120 residents of the facility have been accounted for, the police chief said.

Winick praised the “heroism” of the first responders, who he said ran into the building, despite the strong smell of gas, and evacuated residents, including some who couldn’t walk or talk.

“This could’ve been a much more serious catastrophe,” he said at a news conference on Wednesday. “The actions of everybody involved help preserve life.”

The cause of the incident remains under investigation, Dippolito said on Wednesday. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said on Tuesday that the preliminary belief was that a gas leak was responsible, and Dippolito said the source of the leak was in the facility’s basement.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The FDA has announced a recall of frozen raw shrimp due to potential exposure to the radioactive isotope cesium-137.

The FDA says about 83,800 bags of frozen raw shrimp imported from Indonesia are being recalled after the products may have been prepared, packed, or held under conditions that could have exposed them to very low levels of cesium-137.

The recall affects shrimp distributed by Direct Source Seafood LLC and sold under the Market 32 and Waterfront Bistro brands. The shrimp was sold at Price Chopper, Jewel-Osco, Albertsons, Safeway, Lucky, and other supermarkets across multiple states including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, according to the recall notice.

The affected products were sold after late June and early July 2025, the notice said.

The FDA has warned consumers who have purchased affected shrimp not to consume the product and to dispose of it or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

“At this time, no product that has tested positive or alerted for Cesium-137 (Cs-137) has entered the U.S. marketplace,” the recall notice stated, also noting that no illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled products include the following frozen raw shrimp:

Market 32 Frozen Raw Shrimp
UPC 0 41735 01358 3
Best by dates: 04/22/27, 04/23/27, 04/24/27, 04/26/27, or 04/27/27

Waterfront Bistro Frozen Raw Shrimp
UPC 021130 13224-9
Best by dates: APR 25, 2027 or APR 26, 2027

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — This year is expected to be the busiest on record for holiday travel, but rough weather in the West and the East may make getting to and from your Christmas destination even harder.

As a life-threatening storm begins in California, here’s a look at the Christmas weather forecast:

California

More than 41 million people across nearly all of California — including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and San Diego — as well as parts of Nevada and Arizona are under a flood watch on Christmas Eve.

A rare alert for “high risk for excessive rainfall” is in place Wednesday for Los Angeles and the surrounding area, so those traveling on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day should be extremely careful on the roads. Road flooding, rockslides, mudslides and water rescues are possible.

The pounding rain is now underway in Southern California and will continue until around 6 p.m. local time Wednesday.

With rainfall rates possibly topping 1 inch per hour, higher elevations surrounding LA can expected 4 to 6 inches of rain on Wednesday alone.

Winds gusts will reach 40 to 50 mph on Wednesday, potentially causing power outages. Thunderstorms are also possible, as well as brief tornadoes along the California coast.

The rain will take a break Wednesday evening before picking back up overnight.

More rounds of rain will hit on Christmas Day and Friday, prolonging the threat of flooding, mudslides and landslides.

By Friday, rain totals could reach 4 to 7 inches along Southern California’s coasts and valleys, and 6 to 14 inches is possible in the foothills and mountains.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has mobilized state resources and some residents are under evacuation warnings.

Northeast

Meanwhile, a new storm is forecast to hit the Northeast on Friday morning.

The storm will bring ice to Michigan, Ohio and then Pennsylvania, potentially causing travel chaos and leaving widespread power outages. Ice accumulation could reach up to half an inch in some areas, which makes driving home after Christmas extremely dangerous.

Further east, the storm will bring snow. Six to 12 inches is possible in western New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey.

This storm is also forecast to bring the biggest snowfall of the season to New York City. The snow will fall in New York from Friday night to Saturday morning and could reach 3 to 6 inches. 

Expect treacherous commutes on Friday on Interstate-80, I-70, I-90 and I-95.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(DELAWARE) — A state trooper was killed during a shooting at a DMV location in Delaware on Tuesday, authorities said.

The suspected shooter is also dead, according to Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer.

Delaware State Police reported an active shooter at a DMV in New Castle on Tuesday afternoon. Police shortly updated that the situation was no longer active and that a suspect was in custody.

“One Delaware State Trooper has been confirmed killed during this incident. We are continuing to assess additional injuries,” Delaware State Police said.

The governor said that law enforcement “acted swiftly to secure the scene, and the shooter has been confirmed deceased.”

There is no active threat to the public at this time, Meyer said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(BUCKS COUNTY, Pa.) — A massive fire has erupted at a nursing home in eastern Pennsylvania following a possible gas explosion, officials said.

The Upper Makefield Township police described it as a “mass casualty incident” at the Silver Lake Nursing Home and asked people to avoid the area in Bristol, which is about 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia.

It’s believed some people are trapped inside, according to an official briefed on the matter. Responders are trying to get everyone out safely and are investigating the cause of the explosion, the official said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Even as investigators took Jeffrey Epstein into custody in July 2019, they were already turning their attention to others in the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender’s vast orbit who might also be involved in his crimes, according to a massive new trove of files released by the Justice Department early Tuesday morning.

The fresh batch of files also add new details to the Epstein saga not previously known, including operational details that went into planning for his 2019 arrest; how some federal officials reacted to his death by suicide in jail; and images of the fake Austrian passport Epstein held under a pseudonym.

And the files included a 2020 heads up from a federal prosecutor that Trump had traveled with Epstein more than was previously known at the time.

The latest DOJ disclosure under the Epstein Files Transparency Act includes more than 10,000 files totaling more than 10 gigabytes of material, ranging from internal government emails to investigative materials, to a blueprint of Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse used by officials executing their search.

The DOJ posted the new materials just after midnight ET on Tuesday morning, marking the latest cache of materials released under a congressional mandate. The law, which President Donald Trump signed in November, required the DOJ to release all the documents by Friday, Dec. 19, although the department has said the vetting process required to protect Epstein’s victims has slowed their delivery.

A statement from alleged victims said the DOJ “violated the law” by “failing to redact survivor identities.”

Epstein, the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019. A co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking of minors and other offenses.

Investigation into potential co-conspirators

Hours after Epstein had been arrested at Teterboro Airport and his Manhattan home had been raided, investigators also sought to ramp up their pursuit of others who might also potentially be involved in his alleged crimes.

Though it has previously been reported that investigations of possible Epstein co-conspirators were a focus after his death, the new disclosures indicate that those efforts had already begun by the time he was arrested — and were in fact well underway.

“When you get a chance can you give me an update on the status of the 10 co-conspirators?” someone from the FBI’s New York office wrote in an email at 12:24 p.m. July 7, 2019 — the day after Epstein’s arrest. The reply: That contact had been made with some of the alleged accomplices, and investigators were efforting others. Most of the names are redacted; however some are not.

The documents the DOJ chose to release Tuesday do not detail the information investigators sought from these individuals, nor the basis for characterizing them as potential co-conspirators.

“Attempts were made to [redacted] and Brunel,” the update said, referring to Jean-Luc Brunel, a now-disgraced modeling agent and Epstein associate, who would be arrested the following year in Paris and charged with rape of minors over the age of 15 and sexual harassment. It’s not clear if the charges related specifically to any Epstein victim. Brunel, who maintained his innocence, was found dead by suicide in his Paris prison cell in February 2022.

“Attempts to [Ghislaine] Maxwell are being made in Boston today,” the July 7 email said.

“I do not know about Ohio contacting Wexner,” the email added — referring to Leslie Wexner, the Ohio billionaire for whom Epstein served as a longtime personal financial adviser.

Wexner has previously denied any knowledge of Epstein’s behavior and said he had cut ties with him in 2007. “I condemn his abhorrent behavior in the strongest possible terms and am sickened by the revelations I have read over the past weeks,” he said in a written statement to his foundation after Epstein’s arrest, obtained by ABC News at the time. The founder and chairman of L Brands said after Epstein’s death that he was “embarrassed” to have ever been associated with the disgraced sex offender.

Wexner has never been charged and was not identified at Maxwell’s trial as a co-conspirator.

In another email exchange, dated July 9, 2019, a member of the FBI’s Crimes Against Children Human Trafficking Unit received an update on the 10 alleged co-conspirators.

“3 have been located in FL and served GJ subpoenas; 1 in Boston, 1 in NYC, and 1 in CT were located and served,” the email said. “4 of the 10 are outstanding with attempts having been made. 1 is a wealthy business man in Ohio, a lead is being sent to CV; the remaining 3 are currently out of pocket.”

The email added that teams of special agents and prosecutors were shortly flying out to “various locations” in Florida “to interview approximately 25 victims.”

About month later, Epstein would be found dead by suicide in his New York jail cell. But his death did not halt investigations into his associates, according to the files.

In September 2019, prosecutors exchanging updates noted the investigation into Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators was “ongoing,” and that they had had conversations with several people who would cooperate in the investigation. Prosecutors later detailed a seven-page “memo on co-conspirators we could potentially charge” as well as a 86-page “co-conspirator update memo,” according to the files.

In July 2020, Maxwell would be arrested by the FBI in New Hampshire. She was charged by the Southern District of New York with conspiring to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, sex trafficking of a minor and other offenses. She was convicted in 2021 on five of six counts and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

No alleged co-conspirator other than Maxwell has ever been charged, and the Department of Justice said in July that there were no credible allegations that would lead to charges against others.

A heads-up about Trump’s travel

Six months after Maxwell’s arrest, prosecutors receiving Epstein-related records discovered that the onetime friend and current sitting president had in the 1990s traveled with Epstein far more than they had previously known.

“For your situational awareness, wanted to let you know that the flight records we received yesterday reflect that Donald Trump traveled on Epstein’s private jet many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware), including during the period we would expect to charge in a Maxwell case,” according to the Jan. 7, 2020, email to recipients whose names and email addresses are redacted.

“In particular, he is listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, including at least four flights on which Maxwell was also present,” the email said. “He is listed as having traveled with, among others and at various times, Marla Maples, his daughter Tiffany, and his son Eric. On one flight in 1993, he and Epstein are the only two listed passengers; on another, the only three passengers are Epstein, Trump, and then-20-year-old [redacted]. On two other flights, two of the passengers, respectively, were women who would be possible witnesses in a Maxwell case. We’ve just finished reviewing the full records (more than 100 pages of very small script) and didn’t want any of this to be a surprise down the road.” It’s not clear if there was any response to the message.

The flight records of Epstein’s private aircraft documents referenced in that email would later become public exhibits during Maxwell’s 2021 trial. There was no allegation raised during those proceedings that Trump’s travels on Epstein’s plane were in any way connected to the charges against Maxwell.

Prosecutors press for interview with Prince Andrew

One of the documents included is an extensive email exchange in September and October 2020 between an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York and a lawyer representing then-Prince Andrew of Britain.

In the email exchange — which took place a few months after Maxwell’s arrest — Andrew’s lawyer lays out restrictions on the manner of the interview, including Andrew only providing a signed witness statement, and the topics he would agree to discuss.

Prosecutors pushed for a live in-person or virtual interview, according to the files. Andrew’s lawyer appeared to refuse, agreeing only to written answers. In the last email of the exchange, the assistant U.S. attorney writes, “[B]ecause the written statement you propose to provide will not assist our investigation, we intend to move forward with our MLA request seeking a compelled interview of your client.” An MLA request, or Mutual Legal Assistance, is a request from one country to another for assistance in a legal matter. It’s not clear from the newly-disclosed files if prosecutors followed through on the MLA request.

The fact that Andrew, who has been stripped of his title as prince, had offered a written statement, and that the SNDY had declined that format and intended to pursue an MLA request were reported at the time — but these communications reveal an extensive inside look at the process of those negotiations.

Details of Epstein’s arrest

Meticulous planning went into the undercover operation that would ultimately take Epstein into custody, according to the newly released DOJ files.

Among the documents is an “Operations Order Form,” dated July 2, 2019 — four days before he would be arrested — that strategizes how it might all go down upon his return from overseas.

“Epstein is presently out of the country. A silent hit notification with [Customs and Border Protection] has been put into effect for his return to the US. Upon Epstein’s return to the US, CBP will detain him at an airport. Agents and NYPD detectives will coordinate with FBI Newark and CBP, then respond to effect the arrest of Epstein,” the document said.

“Once Epstein is in custody, a search warrant for his premises in New York will be sworn out,” the document said. “Agents and NYPD detectives will knock and announce their presence at the subject premises. Upon entry, the subject premises will be secured and the search warrant will be executed. Teams will then break off to conduct interviews.”

The order mentions a “tactical brief” scheduled for July 8. But agents got word Epstein’s return home was imminent, according to the files.

“We received a hit notification that our sub will be landing at Teterboro at 1720 tomorrow, 7/6/2019,” according to a July 5, 2019, email from an FBI special agent. The agent then goes on to suggest that they should plan to meet at the airport at 3:30 p.m. “in case of an early landing.”

The exchange noted Epstein used a private plane and was a “frequent flier out of Teterboro. Ideally we would like to pick him up when he arrives.” Because Epstein would be arriving on an international flight, CBP would need to initiate the arrest, the agents noted.

Also included in the documents is the arrest warrant for Epstein dated July 2, 2019, and issued by SDNY. Epstein was arrested July 6, 2019, when he landed at Teterboro.

Epstein’s alter ego, ‘Marius Fortelni’’

The new disclosure also includes several photographs of a fake Austrian passport bearing a photograph of Epstein — but in the name of Marius Robert Fortelni — who listed his occupation as “Manager” and his residence as Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

The passport was issued in 1982 and was valid until 1987. On the inside pages are stamps from airport arrivals in Paris and Nice, France, in the early 1980s as well as entry stamps for England and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

After Epstein’s arrest in 2019, prosecutors said they had discovered that passport in a safe in Epstein’s New York mansion, along with three U.S. passports, 48 loose diamonds and $70,000 in cash.

Epstein’s defense attorneys, seeking to secure bail for their client, said that two of the US passports were expired. The foreign passport, they claimed, was given to Epstein “by a friend,” and he had never used it to travel. They argued he received it in the 1980s for personal protection when traveling in the Middle East.

Internal government reaction immediately after Epstein’s death

Internal communications sent in the hours after Epstein was found unresponsive at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan in August 2019 show how some people with federal email addresses reacted to the news, with one stating that they could not understand how it happened.

“His victims deserve some sort of modicum of justice and this is not how it should have gone down,” one unidentified individual wrote.

The names and email addresses of the people who sent the messages were redacted.

“In separate news and not to be crass but Epstein! Wow. Can we still pursue forfeiture against the estate?” one of the emails said.

“We can bring a civil forfeiture against the properties IF we’re within statute, which we may not be. We’ll have to look at it, but we’ve got some time, since I’m pretty sure no one’s going to want to have that be was our immediate reaction to his suicide,” another person responded. “We can’t pursue any kind of general money judgment against the estate – there we’re out of luck.”

One person wrote in an email that it had not been a “great year” for the Bureau of Prisons in the New York area.

“It’s just slightly more awkward where he was somehow allowed to commit suicide on a second try in two weeks by a branch of our government,” the email noted.

A different message concluded with, “MCC, WTF?”

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S. is still actively pursuing a sanctioned oil tanker linked to Venezuela, but that he’s confident the vessel will be seized.

“It’s moving along and we’ll end up getting it,” Trump said while unveiling a new class of battleships from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. “Yeah, we’re actually pursuing it. Can you imagine? Yeah, because it came from the wrong location. It came out of Venezuela, and it was sanctioned.”

The U.S. Coast Guard over the weekend was “in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion,” an official told ABC News.

“It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order,” the official said at the time.

The tanker, named Bella 1, was not filled with cargo and en route to get oil when U.S. authorities attempted to board it, an official told ABC News on Monday.

Trump said the United States will keep the oil and ships after seizing sanctioned tankers.

“We’re keeping it. We’re keeping the ships also,” he said.

 

On President Nicholas Maduro, Trump said it would be “smart” for him to step down when asked if the administration’s ultimate goal in Venezuela is to force him from power.

“Well, I think it probably would. I can’t tell him. That’s up to him what he wants to do. I think it would be smart for him to do that. But again, we’re going to find out,” Trump said. Though the president also warned, “if he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough.”

The Bella 1 tanker fled into the Atlantic Ocean and was not flying a legitimate national flag, giving the Coast Guard the jurisdiction to attempt to seize it. 

These details were first reported by the New York Times. 

The action came after the U.S. Coast Guard seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, just ten days after the seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker.

Unlike that first vessel seized, the tanker seized Saturday is not on any sanctions list maintained by the U.S., EU, U.K. or U.N., according to Kpler, a data firm that tracks transportation and logistics networks.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Saturday’s operation in a post on social media, saying that the Coast Guard “apprehended” the tanker with support from the Department of Defense in a pre-dawn action. She said the tanker had last made port in Venezuela.

“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” Noem said in the post. “We will find you, and we will stop you.” 

Last week, President Trump threatened to impose what he called “a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers” traveling to and from Venezuela – a move that could devastate the Venezuelan economy, since oil exports are the lifeblood of Maduro’s regime.

In response to Trump’s announcement, Maduro said Venezuela would continue to trade oil and that Trump’s “intention” is regime change.

“This will just not happen, never, never, never – Venezuela will never be a colony of anything or anyone, never,” Maduro said.

 The U.S. has amassed the largest military presence in the Caribbean in decades, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier.

The Pentagon also has so far struck 28 alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing at least 100 people, without providing any public evidence that the boats were carrying illegal drugs or identifying those killed.

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