Former CIA analyst pleads guilty to leaking Israeli retaliation plans
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(WASHINGTON) — A former CIA analyst arrested in November and charged with leaking highly classified records showing Israeli plans to launch a retaliatory strike on Iran pleaded guilty Friday in a federal court in Virginia.
Asif Rahman, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of transmission of national defense information, according to court records.
Rahman faces up to 10 years in prison for the first count and up to three years for the second count. His sentencing was set for May 15.
Rahman admitted to accessing and printing out two documents regarding Israel’s retaliatory strike plans on Oct. 17 and transporting them to his residence, where he later uploaded images of them and provided them to “multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them,” according to the plea agreement.
He later took various steps to try and conceal his involvement in the leak, even as authorities were able to track him down remarkably quickly given he was the only individual found to have printed out the documents, according to logs reviewed by investigators.
Rahman was arrested in Cambodia and later brought to Guam, according to the charging documents.
Rahman, a U.S. citizen, worked as an employee for the CIA starting in 2016.
In the days after the disclosure, Rahman deleted “approximately 1.5 gigabytes” of data from his personal folder in the Top Secret system, including scores of highly classified materials he had downloaded over the years — largely relating to the Middle East, according to prosecutors.
(NEW YORK) — A woman who died after being set on fire on a New York City subway train this month has been identified, according to police.
The woman was identified as 61-year-old Debrina Kawam of Toms River, New Jersey, according to the New York Police Department.
Kawam was sleeping on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn on the morning of Dec. 22 when she was set on fire allegedly by a 33-year-old Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally, according to police.
The suspect, Sebastian Zapeta, has been charged with first-degree and second-degree murder and first-degree arson, according to police. He has yet to enter a plea.
“The depravity of this horrific crime is beyond comprehension, and my office is committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement released shortly after the homicide occurred. “This gruesome and senseless act of violence against a vulnerable woman will be met with the most serious consequences.”
The suspect allegedly “approached and lit the victim on fire” with a lighter, police said.
Police officers in the area at the time smelled smoke and went to the train to investigate, where they found the woman standing inside the car “fully engulfed in flames.” She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Images of the suspect were captured on officers’ body cameras, as that person stayed on the scene after the incident, sitting on a nearby bench.
Those images were released as police requested the public’s assistance in identifying the man, who fled the train.
Three high school students recognized him and contacted police.
The suspect was taken into custody in a subway car at Herald Square within hours of the incident, according to police. When he was captured, the suspect had a lighter in his pocket.
A motive for the crime remains under investigation.
Zapeta was initially removed from the U.S. back to Guatemala in June 2018 after U.S. Border Patrol encountered him in Sonoita, Arizona, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said. He unlawfully reentered the U.S. at an unknown time and location, the spokesperson said.
ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations will lodge an immigration detainer with the NYPD location where Zapeta is being held, an agency spokesperson said.
During a news conference on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Kawam briefly stayed in a city homeless shelter. He said authorities have been in contact with her next of kin, but he released no additional information about her.
“Our hearts go out to the family,” Adams said, calling the homicide a “horrific incident to have to live through.”
He said such high-profile “random acts of violence” have overshadowed the success police have achieved in bringing crime down in the subway system. NYPD crime statistic show that as of Sunday, overall crime in the subway system is down 5.4% compared to last year.
“It was just a bad incident and it impacts on how New Yorkers feel,” said Adams. “But it really reinforces what I’ve been saying: People should not be living on our subway system. They should be in a place of care. And no matter where she lived, that should not have happened.
(PASSAIC, N.J.) — Amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns across the United States, immigrant-rich communities have felt the impact of the administration’s policies.
In Passaic, New Jersey, hundreds of immigrant families and community members marched in protest of recent ICE raids and arrests, calling for statewide protection of immigrant rights last weekend.
About 10 miles away in West New York, New Jersey, Elio Barrera, owner of the Salvadorian restaurant La Pupusa Loca, said he is dealing with the fallout from a viral video that falsely claimed an ICE raid happened at a restaurant with their name. Barerra said that it “never happened.”
Barrera said the video garnered roughly 1.4 million views. While the video was removed from the social media platform, he said, “the damage was already done,” causing nearly an 80% drop in customer traffic to his own restaurant, instilling fear in the local immigrant community.
Barrera shared the deep sentimental value the restaurant holds, having taken his first steps there and witnessing generations of families gathering to share meals. His grandparents, who migrated from El Salvador, started the business in 1989, passing down their love for cooking and traditional recipes.
He expressed heartbreak over the impact of misinformation, emphasizing how the video has instilled unnecessary fear in patrons who once felt at home. The restaurant, usually vibrant and full on weekends, has seen a drastic decline in visitors, leading to cutbacks in staff hours and operations.
Barrera told ABC News, “I hope that people are more aware of social media, of what they see on the internet. I want people to not believe everything they see because in this case, I feel like we were all victims of a video like this. It definitely had an impact on everybody. It brought a lot of fear. It was very threatening to see how this video depicted a situation that never existed.”
Despite the challenges, Barrera remains determined to rebuild trust and encourage customers to return, assuring them a raid never happened at their location. He urges people to be more discerning about what they believe online.
He remains steadfast in his commitment to carrying on his grandparents’ legacy, ensuring the restaurant continues to serve as a welcoming space for the community.
“The U.S. […] is made up of migrants, and we all are hard workers,” said Barrera about the immigrant community. “We make so much of this country, and we’re all human. We all have rights.”
ABC News’ Abigail Bowen contributed to this report.
(ELKHART, IN) — Two people were shot and killed inside a grocery store in Indiana on Monday, officials told ABC News.
The incident took place at about 5:30 p.m. at Martin’s Super Market in Elkhart, Indiana, according to the Elkhart Police Department.
“Upon arrival, officers and first responders were directed to two shooting victims inside the store,” according to a statement issued late Monday by the EPD. “Both of these individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Police then engaged the shooting suspect outside the store, authorities said. An exchange of gunfire ensued, and the suspect was killed.
Two officers were shot and are in stable condition, the EPD confirmed. Both officers were brought to the local hospital, where one was discharged shortly after and the other remained in stable condition as of Monday night.
Elkhart Police Chief Dan Milanese issued a statement saying, “In this horrific situation, words cannot express the pain felt in our community when a tragic incident like this happens. This pain is especially felt by the victim’s families, the responding officers, the families of the wounded officers, and all the witnesses to this tragic incident.”
Thanking law enforcement partners, he added, “I ask for the community to continue to keep all those effected by this horrific event in your thoughts and prayers.”
“As details emerge about the shooting in Elkhart, we are in communication with state and local law enforcement,” said Indiana Governor Mike Braun in a post on X.
“Maureen and I are praying for the victims and their families,” he added.
The local homicide unit has taken over and started its investigation, according to a statement provided just before midnight on Monday.
“The Elkhart County Homicide Unit was activated, per protocol, and is handling the investigation,” the statement said. “There is believed to be no further danger to the public.”
It also said that the names of the victims, suspect, and involved officers were being withheld, pending family notifications.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
