Page 4 - Fbi

FBI joins search for missing Indian-origin student in Dominican Republic

The FBI has joined the search for a 20-year-old Indian student who went missing nearly a week ago while on spring break in the Dominican tourist town of Punta Cana, police said on Tuesday. Dominican police said they are re-interviewing people who were with Sudiksha Konanki, the University of Pittsburgh student, before she vanished in the pre-dawn hours of March 6 at a beach in front of the Riu Republica Hotel. The hotel said in a statement that Konanki's disappearance coincided with a power outage that prompted multiple guests to head to the beach where she was last seen. Dominican President Luis Abinader told reporters that he lamented the situation. We are concerned, he said on Monday during his weekly meeting with the press. All government agencies are searching because the latest information we have from one of them, from the last person who was with the young woman, what he says according to the reports is that a wave, while on the beach, crashed into them. Abinader also ...

FBI committed to bringing home US hostages held in other nations: Director

The FBI will work to zero out the population of Americans detained or held hostage in foreign countries, Director Kash Patel said Thursday at a State Department ceremony honouring the hostage community and their families. My singular promise to you in this community is that I will do everything as the director of the FBI to marshal the resources necessary to make sure that no other American family feels that pain, he said during the flag-raising event. Patel spoke as the Trump administration is working to bring home Americans from multiple countries, including Russia and Venezuela. The government is also trying to secure the release of remaining American hostages held by Hamas, with Adam Boehler, President Donald Trump's nominee to be special envoy for hostage affairs, leading direct talks with the militant group. We still don't have everybody back," Patel said. Whatever lawful authorities we have at the FBI, we are going to give 24/7, 365 days to make sure that we zero out this ...

FBI New York chief James Dennehy retires after being ordered to step down

The head of the FBI's New York field office who was reported to have resisted Justice Department efforts to scrutinise agents who participated in politically sensitive investigations has told coworkers that he has retired from the bureau after being directed to do so. James Dennehy said in a message on Monday to colleagues obtained by The Associated Press that he was told late Friday to put in his retirement papers but was not given a reason. The move comes in a period of upheaval at the bureau as new FBI Director Kash Patel took office last month and as conservative podcast host and Trump loyalist Dan Bongino has been named to serve as deputy director. The bureau also remains in turmoil over a highly unusual demand by the Justice Department for the FBI to turn over a list of the thousands of agents who participated in investigations related to the Jan 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol. The January directive was seen by some in the bureau as a possible precursor to mass ...

US Attorney General releases first phase of Jeffrey Epstein files

The first phase of released files largely comprise documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the US government

Kash Patel sworn in as acting ATF chief, days after joining as FBI director

New FBI Director Kash Patel was sworn in Monday as acting chief of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, taking the helm of two separate and sprawling Justice Department agencies, according to a person familiar with the matter. Patel was sworn in at ATF headquarters just days after he became director of the FBI, said the person who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter. It's not immediately clear if President Donald Trump intends to nominate Patel for the ATF post, or what the administration's plans are for the agency that has long been the target of Republicans. Justice Department and White House officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. With about 5,500 employees, the ATF is responsible for enforcing the nation's laws around firearms, explosives and arson. Among other things, it's in charge of licensing federal firearms dealers, tracing guns used in crimes and analysing intelligence in ...

Key agencies, including FBI, refuse to comply with Musk's latest demand

Key US agencies, including the FBI and State Department, have instructed their employees not to comply with cost-cutting chief Elon Musk's demand that federal workers explain what they accomplished last week or risk losing their jobs. That resistance has intensified a pervasive sense of chaos and confusion, while highlighting a potential power struggle among President Donald Trump's allies, that is affecting federal employees across the country as a new workweek is about to begin. Musk's team sent an email to hundreds of thousands of federal employees on Saturday giving them roughly 48 hours to report five specific things they had accomplished last week. In a separate message on X, Musk said any employee who failed to respond by the deadline set in the email as 11:59 p.m. EST Monday would lose their job. Democrats and even some Republicans were critical of Musk's unusual directive, which came just hours after Trump encouraged him on social media to get more aggressive in reducin

Kash Patel 'pushes back' against Elon Musk's diktat to federal employees

Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration, asked all federal employees to justify their work or lose their jobs

New FBI Director Kash Patel will also be named acting head of ATF

New FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to be named the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a Justice Department official said Saturday. Patel could be sworn in next week, the official said, putting Patel in charge of two of the Justice Department's largest agencies in an unusual arrangement that raises questions about the future of the bureau that has long drawn the ire of conservatives. The Justice Department official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move before it's announced publicly. White House officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday evening. Patel was sworn in Friday as FBI director after winning Senate approval despite Democrats' concerns about the steadfast Trump ally's plans to radically overhaul the FBI. ATF is a separate agency with about 5,500 employees and is responsible for enforcing the nation's laws around firearms, explosives and arson. Among other things, it's in charge of licens

Kash Patel sworn in as 9th FBI director, takes oath on Bhagavad Gita

Kash Patel is not the first Indian-American to swear an oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita. Previously, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam did the same during his swearing-in ceremony

Kash Patel gets Bollywood-style welcome as Trump aide shares 'Malhari' meme

Indian-origin Trump ally Kash Patel has been confirmed as FBI director in a 51-49 Senate vote, with the White House calling it a step toward restoring integrity and upholding justice

Kash Patel confirmed to lead restructuring of FBI under Donald Trump

Patel, who was approved on a 51-49 mostly party line vote, takes over the Federal Bureau of Investigation at a turbulent time

US Senate approves Indian-origin Kash Patel's nomination as FBI Director

This came despite opposition from the Democrats, who warned that Patel, a staunch Republican, could use the agency to target the president's perceived political enemies

US Senate votes 48-45, advances Kash Patel's nomination for FBI director

Kash Patel, who has celebrated rank-and-file FBI agents for being "courageous, apolitical warriors of justice," will serve a 10-year term if confirmed

FBI agents sue over justice dept's effort to ID those probing Trump cases

FBI agents who participated in investigations related to President Donald Trump have sued over Justice Department efforts to develop a list of employees involved in those inquiries that they fear could be a precursor to mass firings. The class-action complaint, filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington, seeks an immediate halt to the Justice Development's plans to compile a list of investigators who participated in probes of the Jan 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol as well as Trump's hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. 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 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

News Highlights: Veteran Himachal BJP leader Kishan Kapoor dies at 73; CM, governor pay tribute

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Transparency, empowering good officers priorities for FBI, says Kash Patel

On the eve of his confirmation hearing, US President Donald Trump's FBI director nominee Kash Patel said he has two goals for the investigative agency: transparency and letting good cops be cops. Patel, 44, is the highest-ranking Indian-American nominated by President Trump in his administration. He will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday for his confirmation hearing. I believe two foundational steps are necessary to rebuild public confidence in the FBI, Patel wrote in an op-ed in the prestigious Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. First, let good cops be cops. Leadership means supporting agents in their mission to apprehend criminals and protect our citizens. If confirmed, I will focus on streamlining operations at headquarters while bolstering the presence of field agents across the nation, he wrote. Collaboration with local law enforcement is crucial to fulfilling the FBI's mission, he added. Second, transparency is essential, he wrote, adding that members of

Kash Patel: A staunch Trump defender and fierce critic of FBI he could lead

TheFBI agents who searched Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate found boxes of classified documents in his office and storage room and retrieved sensitive government secrets about nuclear systems and weapons capabilities. One person unmoved by the gravity of the allegations: Kash Patel. Days after Trump's June 2023 indictment on charges of hoarding the documents, Patel insisted to listeners of his Kash's Corner podcast that Trump was permitted under a law known as the Presidential Records Act to take classified records with him when he left the White House. When you're president and you leave, you can take whatever you want, Patel said, advancing an argument later adopted by Trump's lawyers but dismissed as meritless by the Justice Department. And when you take it, whether it's classified or not, it's yours. It's but one example of how Patel positioned himself as a steadfast Trump loyalist well before the president picked him to run the FBI. An Associated Press review of more than 100

Kash Patel's confirmation hearing for FBI Director scheduled for Jan 30

Kash Patel will appear before a US Senate committee on January 30 for a confirmation hearing to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Patel, 44, is the highest-ranking Indian-American nominated by President Donald Trump in his administration. If confirmed, he would be the first-ever Indian American to lead the most powerful American investigation agency. "The Nomination of Kashyap Pramod Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" has been scheduled for January 30, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced on Thursday. Patel would replace Christopher Wray. He is considered to be a loyal supporter of Trump. I love the American dream. My story's pretty simple, it's unique, and some of you share in it, Patel, the former federal prosecutor, said during an inauguration event for Trump early this week. My parents were born and raised in East Africa. My father in the 1970s fled a genocidal dictatorship in Uganda, where he saw 300,000 of his ..

FBI must be independent, above partisan fray, says outgoing director Wray

The FBI must remain independent, above the partisan fray and committed to upholding the rule of law, outgoing Director Christopher Wray said in a farewell address just days before his expected retirement at the conclusion of the Biden administration following more than seven years on the job. No matter what's happening out there, Wray said, in here, we've got to stay committed to doing our work the right way every time, with professionalism, with rigor, with integrity. That means following the facts wherever they lead, no matter who likes it or doesn't because trust me, if there's anything I've learned in this job, there's always someone who doesn't like you. The remarks at the packed farewell ceremony at FBI headquarters steered clear of any direct political reference, with no overt mention of President-elect Donald Trump's scathing criticism of him or the turmoil the bureau has encountered amid a spate of highly charged investigations into both Trump and President Joe Biden. But

Accused in New Orleans attack used Meta glasses to record street: FBI

The man responsible for the truck attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day that killed 14 people visited the city twice before and recorded video of the French Quarter with hands-free glasses, an FBI official said on Sunday. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen from Houston, also travelled to Cairo, Egypt, as well as Ontario, Canada, before the attack, although it was not yet clear whether those trips were connected to the attack, Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said at a press conference. The attack early Wednesday was carried out by Jabbar, a former US Army soldier. Police fatally shot Jabbar, 42, during a firefight at the scene of the deadly crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans' historic French Quarter. Thirteen remain hospitalized after attack The coroner's office listed the cause of death for all 14 victims as blunt force injuries. About 30 other people suffered injuries. University Medical Centre New Orleans spokesperson Caroli