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EXCLUSIVE – Newly unclassified Pentagon images show suspected drug-smuggling boats at sea, including vessels loaded with apparent narcotics.

The images come as the department warned traffickers that the U.S. will continue hunting down those who threaten Americans, nearly a year after the Trump administration began striking suspected drug-trafficking vessels.

“Nearly one year after the first strike, the message to narco-terrorists remains unchanged: if you traffic deadly illicit narcotics and threaten the American people, we hunt you down, we will find you, and we will kill you,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

The photos, dated Oct. 27, Oct. 29 and Dec. 4, 2025, show the boats speeding through open water under U.S. military surveillance.

DEM SENATOR ACCUSES PENTAGON OF MURDER WITH BOAT STRIKES TARGETING DRUG TRAFFICKERS

Wilson said Operation Southern Spear has disrupted trafficking networks, forced traffickers to adapt their methods and removed “dangerous narcoterrorists.”

US MILITARY CONDUCTS MORE DEADLY STRIKES AGAINST VESSELS OF ALLEGED ‘NARCO-TERRORISTS’

“Operation Southern Spear has disrupted trafficking networks, forced trafficker adaptations, removed dangerous narcoterrorists, and demonstrated that the United States will use every lawful tool available to defend our Homeland and protect our communities,” Wilson said.

The Pentagon told Fox News Digital the operation has carried out 67 strikes, including the first strike on Sept. 2, 2025.

US KILLS TWO ‘NARCO-TERRORISTS’ IN STRIKE 2 MONTHS SINCE LAST ANNOUNCED ANTI-‘NARCO-TRAFFICKING’ ATTACK

One of the most recent strikes came Aug. 25, when U.S. Southern Command said four alleged drug smugglers were killed aboard a fast boat operating along known trafficking routes in the Caribbean.

“Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel’s active involvement in narco-trafficking,” SOUTHCOM wrote in a post on X, saying the operation was carried out by Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere under the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan.

US MILITARY KILLS THREE ‘NARCO-TERRORISTS’ IN LATEST LETHAL STRIKE ON VESSEL IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC

“Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere continues executing precise, lethal operations against the cartels,” Donovan said in a statement quoted in the post. “We will hunt, disrupt, and defeat these narco-terrorist networks.”

“SOUTHCOM is resolved to neutralizing cartel terror and violence throughout the region and into the U.S. homeland,” he added.

US MILITARY CONDUCTS STRIKE ON ANOTHER VESSEL CARRYING ALLEGED NARCO-TRAFFICKERS, KILLING 2

Days before the Caribbean strike, the U.S. military said two people were killed in a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific. That was the first reported strike in more than two months. A video posted to X showed what appeared to be a moving boat before a flash filled the screen.

Since the first strike last September, the Trump administration has targeted suspected cartel vessels in the Atlantic and Pacific that it says were carrying narcotics.

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S DRUG CONTROL STRATEGY SETS THE PATH TO END THE DRUG CRISIS FOR GOOD

Trump has described the fight as an “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has argued the attacks are necessary to stop drugs from reaching American communities and fueling fatal overdoses.

The administration is also pursuing agreements with allied nations that could extend its campaign onto land in multiple Latin American countries.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama this month that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to conduct joint operations against criminal groups on their soil, though Guatemala denied an agreement had been reached. Ecuador began similar missions with the U.S. in March.

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Reuters, The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Eric Mack contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration is launching “Project Watershed 250” Monday, Fox News Digital exclusively learned, deploying American artificial intelligence and cybersecurity tools to protect Texas water systems from cyberattacks in a pilot the administration plans to scale nationwide.

“Project Watershed 250 is another example of President Trump putting American families and communities first. President Trump is relentless in his work to secure our critical infrastructure against our most determined adversaries,” National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross told Fox News Digital. “President Trump has cemented America’s leadership in AI security and innovation and is now bringing those exquisite tools to local communities and utilities in Texas and ultimately, across the nation through the launch of Project Watershed 250 – a scalable cyber water pilot program.”

The Trump administration is bringing federal, state and private-sector cyber defenses together in a six-month Texas pilot aimed at finding vulnerabilities in water systems before adversaries can exploit them — while testing whether the model can be expanded across the country.

INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE IRANIAN HACKERS ARE LIKELY BEHIND CYBERATTACK ON MINNESOTA WATER SYSTEMS: REPORT

The program will connect Texas water utilities with U.S. cybersecurity companies to test their existing defenses and strengthen vulnerable systems using private-sector cyber and artificial intelligence tools, a White House official told Fox News Digital.

The program will use “red-teaming” to stress-test water utilities’ networks, identify weaknesses hackers could exploit and then strengthen those systems with cybersecurity tools, according to a White House official.

TRUMP LAUNCHES GOLD EAGLE TO HUNT CYBER FLAWS WITH AI

Dragos CEO Robert Lee said that U.S. water infrastructure faces active, documented threats, particularly at small utilities that often lack strong cybersecurity defenses. Lee said Watershed 250 will help get technology, training and support to those vulnerable systems before an attack occurs.

“There is nothing more important to Texans than clean, reliable drinking water. Project Watershed 250 puts federal, state, and private-sector cyber defenses behind our utilities at no cost. The White House, the Texas Cyber Command, and industry now work from the same playbook,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

A White House official, however, said the program is not in response to recent cyberattacks that targeted more than 30 Minnesota water systems, though the incidents underscored vulnerabilities in local infrastructure.

“However, these recent attacks have reiterated the need for this modernization and focus on water systems,” said the White House official. “Critical Infrastructure protection has long been a priority for ONCD and President Trump and this effort has been in the works since last year.”

IRANIAN HACKERS ATTACKED OUR WATER SYSTEMS. HERE ARE 5 THINGS OUR LEADERS NEED TO DO NOW

The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will serve as federal partners in the effort, while Texas Cyber Command will work alongside the White House with local governments and tech companies such as Microsoft, Reflection AI, Palo Alto Networks and Dragos Inc.

“Few things matter more than the safety of the water Americans drink, and this is a powerful example of how open-weight AI models, built in the U.S. and running on a utility’s own systems, can help keep communities safe,” said Reflection AI Head of Corporate Affairs Becky Sosnov.

ANTHROPIC’S MYTHOS AI FOUND OVER 2,000 UNKNOWN SOFTWARE VULNERABILITIES IN JUST SEVEN WEEKS OF TESTING

CHINA-LINKED HACKERS INFILTRATED US GOVERNMENT NETWORKS BEFORE FBI TAKEDOWN

“Microsoft applauds the Administration’s leadership in strengthening the cybersecurity of America’s water infrastructure and is proud to support the Project Watershed 250 effort in partnership with the Office of the National Cyber Director, the State of Texas, and Texas Cyber Command,” said Microsoft US Public Sector president Chris Barry. “By bringing together Microsoft’s cybersecurity expertise, threat intelligence, and AI-powered security capabilities, we aim to help water utilities strengthen their resilience against evolving cyber threats and develop scalable approaches that can enhance the security of water systems nationwide.”

The push comes as the Trump administration races to build out U.S. data centers to fuel the AI boom, putting more attention on the water and power needed to keep them running.

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The pilot program builds on Trump’s June executive order on Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security and his Cyber Strategy for America released in March.

Maine’s state auditor Matt Dunlap, who is now pursuing a bid to represent Maine’s 2nd Congressional District as a Democrat, released a report earlier this year sounding the alarm that the state’s internal watchdog for its MaineCare program had a serious gap in utilization control.

“[The Program Integrity Unit] could not provide documentation of the methodology used to identify projects and post-payment reviews performed in relation to surveillance of all Medicaid services provided under the State plan,” the report reads, referring to the “PIU,” the program’s watchdog.

The report’s release, which comes after revelations of healthcare fraud in Maine from federal investigators and a local whistleblower, puts renewed focus on Dunlap’s tenure as auditor and raises questions about Maine’s past systems to detect fraud amid one of the country’s most competitive congressional races.

VANCE TURNS UP HEAT ON STATES WITH FEDERAL CASH THREAT OVER MEDICAID FRAUD CRACKDOWN

In order to ensure that state programs are complying with federal requirements, the PIU, the watchdog, selects a set number of cases for review, picking those cases based on “data analytics.” The report didn’t expand on those analytics — but noted a key weakness. In addition to being unable to provide documentation of why those cases had been chosen for review, the process also didn’t take into account possible misuse — by patients or by the companies that bill MaineCare.

In the report’s words, the PIU, the watchdog group, “does not document consideration of misutilization practices of beneficiaries or providers … [and] may not provide adequate monitoring of all Medicaid services, resulting in potential noncompliance with Federal regulations.”

Dunlap’s 2026 report also acknowledged that this particular reporting issue hadn’t been caught before, noting that it had a “prior year findings: none” designation.

When asked about the weakness and whether this was really the first time it had surfaced in an audit, Dunlap’s campaign stressed that the report only narrowly applied to that particular weakness and that Dunlap had recieved praise — even from local Republicans — on his work identifying other liabilities.

“As Auditor, Matt Dunlap has flagged many issues that date back to the LePage administration. He has been praised by local press and Republican leaders alike for his work to recommend ways to safeguard taxpayer dollars. Paul LePage should answer why his team didn’t implement the recommendations of his own Auditors from when he was governor,” Harry Burke, a spokesperson for the Dunlap campaign said in a comment to Fox News Digital, referring to the Republican nominee in the race, a former governor of Maine who served from 2011 to 2019.

The campaign also observed that, Dunlap himself, as an auditor, has little power to implement changes he flags as problematic. Decisions to remedy issues within Maine’s programs lie within the departments themselves, although auditors can recommend specific changes.

“The auditor’s job is to be a fire alarm: identify the problems so that state agencies can act. For example, last year, his recommendations led to the arrest and prosecution of a procurement fraudster saving taxpayer dollars,” Burke added.

Despite his campaign’s pushback, Dunlap has received backlash from Republicans for failing to stop fraud schemes that have caught national attention.

TRUMP TASK FORCE IS TACKLING $250 BILLION IN GOVERNMENT FRAUD. IT’S JUST GETTING STARTED

Dunlap first came into the role in 2021 despite lacking the credentials to become an auditor. After being installed, he had to resign after twice failing the needed tests to become a certified auditor. Even so, Dunlap returned to the role in November 2022 after passing the requisite exams.

That track record has become a focal point for Republicans in the congressional race after the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General revealed in January that the state had paid out at least $45.6 million in improper Medicaid payments for autism services.

The findings only furthered concerns raised by a whistleblower in December.

Christopher Bernardini, a former employee of Gateway Community Services, said his company had been defrauding Maine’s Medicaid program. According to Bernardini, the health services contractor had routinely filed false records about client visits, billing the state for services that Gateway had never provided.

The compounding stories of fraud have captured the attention of figures like JD Vance, who highlighted them in a visit to the state on Monday.

“How did Maine become one of the main capitals of defrauding the American taxpayer?’” Vance asked at a campaign event.

“One of the answers is somehow you guys hired an auditor who is not actually an auditor and failed the auditor exam. Well, call it old-fashioned common sense, but if you want somebody managing your money, maybe they ought to actually meet the constitutional requirements to do the job,” Vance said.

Vance argued Dunlap’s track record should be disqualifying.

“And for Matt Dunlap, if you’ve got a guy who cannot protect your tax dollars from fraudsters, who has turned your state into one of the fraud capitals of the United States of America, maybe you should be saying to Matt Dunlap, ‘You’re fired, not promoted to the United States Congress,’” Vance said.

Previous years of reporting before Dunlap’s time as auditor also cast doubt on the office’s aggressiveness in uncovering fraud, hinting that the office’s zeal has declined under his watch.

Notably, in the six years before Dunlap took over the reins in 2022, the state had identified that it had almost too many active fraud investigations.

“Cases opened because of potential fraud, abuse, or questionable practices need improved supervisory review,” several reports state.

Audits going back to 2016 noted that the office had routinely taken on more cases than its resources and its staffing would allow for, leading to a lack of monitoring of individual cases.

DR. OZ NAMES 5 STATES IN FRAUD CRACKDOWN AS TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS MEDICAID ABUSE

Since Dunlap returned to the role in 2022, the auditor’s office has not resurfaced that concern.

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Having secured his party’s nomination in the state’s primaries earlier this year, Dunlap heads to the general election on Nov. 3, where he faces off against the Republican nominee, former Gov. Paul LePage.

Progressives seeking a seat in the Senate are taking a decades-old page from their Republican counterparts, using faith as a political tool to build connections with voters.

Three progressive Democratic candidates running for the Senate, Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon, Abdul El-Sayed and Texas state Rep. James Talarico, share a penchant for bucking the Democratic establishment in their meteoric rise this midterm cycle.

They have also incorporated their religions and faiths into their campaigns and messaging to voters, showing shades of the “Moral Majority” coalition that formed during the late 1970s in the GOP when former President Ronald Reagan was running as Republicans sought to tie policy to Christianity.

PROGRESSIVE FLORIDA LAWMAKER ANGIE NIXON TOPPLES TRUMP IMPEACHMENT WITNESS IN DEM SENATE PRIMARY UPSET

Nixon, who scored a major upset against Alexander Vindman, a major figure during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial who was backed by the Democratic establishment in Washington, D.C., has become a prime target for the GOP because of her connection to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

During a sermon last week at the Saint Paul AME Church of Jacksonville, Fla., Nixon, who will face Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., in November, contended that her “radical” positions were akin to those of Jesus Christ.

“They are trying, y’all. They are trying … to label me as this extremist, this radical. But, you know, Jesus was a radical,” Nixon said.

EL-SAYED MAKES JESUS COMPARISON WHEN PRESSED ON SOCIALIST VIEWS: ‘RADICAL IN HIS TIME, TOO’

“And Jesus fought for — I mean, he pushed for the same things that I’m fighting for today, right? Right now, we’re literally in a civil rights moment,” she continued. “Whether or not people wanna believe it or not, but we are.”

She joined the DSA in June, prompting immediate backlash from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, which tied her to socialism, despite her denial that she’s a Democratic socialist.

Nixon isn’t the only one of the three to make the same comparison.

El-Sayed, during an appearance on the Progressive Christians Podcast that aired in May, similarly invoked Christ when asked about his policy positions. El-Sayed, who is Muslim and running in Michigan’s toss-up race against former Rep. Mike Rogers, was asked about the similarities between his faith and Christianity and why they were being targeted as radical.

“Well, you know, Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, was considered radical in his time, too,” El-Sayed said.

JAMES TALARICO ADMITS PAST COMMENTS ‘MISSED THE MARK’ WHEN CONFRONTED ON CLAIMS LIKE GOD IS ‘NON-BINARY’

“And there is a radical nature to being willing to stand forthright in a time of corruption, and I think it’s important for all of us to realize that popularity and zeitgeist don’t make truth. And we live in a time where people are trying to normalize corruption,” he continued.

Of the three, Talarico, who is running in the toss-up race against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has displayed his faith the most. He has been taking seminary classes to become a Presbyterian minister, and has blended Christianity with his policy platform since launching his candidacy last year.

And like the others, Republicans have pounced on his use of faith as a point of attack, particularly in his defense of transgender children.

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In pushing back against the Texas GOP’s newly signed anti-trans bill in 2021, Talarico argued Texas Republicans were trying to justify the measure “in the name of God’s law.”

“The first two lines of the Bible, the first two lines in Genesis, use two different Hebrew words to describe God. One is the masculine Hebrew noun for divinity,” Talarico said. “The second is the feminine Hebrew noun for spirit. God is both masculine and feminine, and everything in between.”

“God is non-binary,” he said.

President Donald Trump declared last week that the United States had removed or detonated all mines in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, the commander of U.S. Central Command has offered the clearest public account yet of the high-stakes operation behind that declaration: a months-long effort in which U.S. forces quietly cleared Iranian sea mines from established international shipping lanes used by commercial vessels.

Other threats still stand between the cleared lanes and a return to normal activity in one of the world’s most important waterways. The latest maritime guidance still classifies the Strait at a “SEVERE” threat level. Recent attacks have struck tankers near Oman, and oil flows remain far below prewar levels.

“We have successfully cleared sea mines in the Strait’s international shipping lanes that were laid months ago by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a video update.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN’S NAVY ‘OBLITERATED’ AS US ENFORCES HORMUZ BLOCKADE — BUT KEY THREAT REMAINS

“Internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait are free of Iranian sea mines thanks to the incredible work of the U.S. military,” Cooper said.

Cooper identified the cleared area as the Strait’s Traffic Separation Scheme, the long-standing system of opposing lanes that guides commercial vessels through the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman.

“Our forces meticulously and quietly cleared them of sea mine threats using a combination of Navy divers, Navy SEALs and U.S. air power from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps,” Cooper said.

The operation was carried out as the Navy was in the middle of a major transition in how it handles mine warfare.

The service had retired its four Bahrain-based mine countermeasure ships the previous year as newer unmanned systems were still being fielded. In April, defense analyst Bryan Clark told Fox News Digital the Navy was at a “nadir” in its mine-sweeping capacity.

At the time, retired Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, who previously commanded the Navy’s 5th Fleet, said newer technology was increasingly being used to locate and neutralize mines, including unmanned systems that map the seabed and identify potential threats before explosive ordnance teams move in.

Cooper’s account now shows U.S. forces relied on a broader combination of Navy divers, SEALs and air power to clear the international shipping lanes. CENTCOM has not disclosed the precise role each capability played.

“The circumstances were challenging and dangerous to say the least, but we got the job done,” Cooper said. “Bottom line, today international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building.”

Donegan, who was not involved in the current operation, said mine-clearance operations begin with surface and subsurface vessels, including unmanned systems, locating and identifying possible mines. Once mines are identified, autonomous systems, specially trained Navy divers and SEALs can destroy or neutralize them.

Different sections of a waterway can be at different stages of the process at the same time, Donegan said, with forces neutralizing mines in one area while detection and identification continue elsewhere.

Throughout the operation, the Navy continues scanning the waterway to ensure it has not missed any mines, he said.

Donegan said the Navy uses a sophisticated detection model before declaring a waterway clear.

“In simplest terms they have to conduct enough sweeps of the lanes to drive the probability of detection of mines to virtually 100% in the model,” he said.

Donegan said the calculation takes into account factors including the detection systems and their effectiveness, characteristics of the waterway and the type of seabed.

WHITE HOUSE SILENT ON IRAN-OMAN HORMUZ PLAN TEHRAN SAYS WOULD BAN US WARSHIPS

The Navy has also spent years preparing for such an operation. Donegan said elements of large-scale mine clearance in the Strait have been practiced through recurring NAVCENT mine-countermeasure exercises dating to 2012, along with regular Navy training.

Cooper said U.S. forces have assisted nearly 1,500 commercial vessels through the Strait in recent months by providing coordinated protection. Those ships carried nearly 750 million barrels of crude oil bound for global energy markets, he said.

The CENTCOM commander said the military is pursuing two missions at once: enforcing a naval blockade on Iran and protecting commercial passage through the Strait. He said that since the blockade resumed in mid-July, U.S. forces have turned around 75 vessels attempting to run it and disabled three that failed to comply with directions.

Cooper did not say how many mines U.S. forces found or destroyed.

Axios reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials, that American forces swept more than 200 mine-like objects from the main shipping lane. Of those objects, 11 were actual mines, and only a few had been properly deployed.

The figures illustrate the painstaking identification process Donegan described: Forces must investigate possible threats before determining which objects are actually mines.

CENTCOM has not provided further details on the systems used during the operation or how individual mines were neutralized. A defense official told Fox News Digital that the military would not discuss operational specifics for security reasons.

The broader maritime-security picture has yet to catch up with CENTCOM’s declaration.

The latest Joint Maritime Information Center advisory, issued through the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations office on Aug. 25, keeps the Strait of Hormuz at a “SEVERE” threat level and says deliberate hostile action remains highly likely.

The advisory says mine-danger areas remain active and warns of a continued risk from drifting or uncharted mines in and near the Traffic Separation Scheme. It says clearance and mine-surveying operations continue throughout the Strait and that commercial traffic is expected to remain below prewar levels.

The assessment predates Cooper’s video update. No public advisory downgrading the threat level or lifting the underlying warnings had been issued as of Friday.

Donegan said the possibility of drifting mines does not disappear entirely after a route has been cleared.

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“In the Gulf there is always the danger of drifting mines that are not fixed, that are left over from this conflict or previous ones in the region,” Donegan said. “That threat from those in the Gulf has historically been very low especially due to currents in that area that make it unlikely that drifting mines stay in the lane and contact a commercial vessel.”

Commercial crews are also still confronting attacks.

UKMTO reported that tankers near Oman were struck by unknown projectiles on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, setting off fires that crews later extinguished. All crew members were reported safe in both incidents. The public alerts did not identify the vessels or attribute the strikes.

Oil flows through the Strait stood at about 5 million barrels per day Monday, down from more than 20 million before the war, according to Reuters, which cited provisional Vortexa tracking data.

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The recovery remains uneven. Reuters reported Friday that seven commodity vessels transited the Strait on Thursday, down from 17 the day before and below the 10-day average of 15 vessels, based on preliminary shipping data.

Iran and Oman separately announced this week that they were discussing a temporary joint navigation corridor and a joint mine-clearance project. Their statements did not specify whether that work would cover the same Traffic Separation Scheme CENTCOM says U.S. forces have cleared.

Cooper’s announcement provides the most detailed official account yet of the operation behind Trump’s declaration and marks a significant step toward restoring commercial passage through the Strait.

The U.S. military says the recognized commercial lanes are open and protected. But the latest maritime risk guidance, continued attacks and sharply reduced traffic show that the broader Strait remains dangerous and disrupted.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on Sunday teased an upcoming announcement about the Trump administration’s fraud crackdown.

In a post on X, Duffy said there would be “unprecedented fraud crackdown” announcement on Monday.

“TOMORROW: UNPRECEDENTED FRAUD CRACKDOWN,” the secretary wrote.

WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE MAP TRACKING BILLIONS IN SUSPECTED FRAUD

In the post, he also tagged Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Justice and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, suggesting a multi-department effort targeting fraud.

Duffy did not disclose details of the announcement, including when or where it will take place, what type of fraud will be discussed or whether any arrests have been made.

The announcement comes amid the administration’s broader crackdown on fraud. Trump established the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in March to coordinate efforts involving federal benefit programs.

TRUMP ADMIN INVESTIGATING 75 TRUCK DRIVER SCHOOLS FOR FRAUD, HELPING NON-CITIZENS GET LICENSES

The DOJ has also created a National Fraud Enforcement Division to investigate and prosecute the theft or fraudulent misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Duffy’s Department of Transportation has worked with DHS in recent months to crack down on alleged fraud and safety violations in the commercial trucking industry, including improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses, fraudulent driving schools and unvetted foreign drivers.

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The agencies announced a joint investigation in July into about 75 commercial driving schools suspected of fraud, including allegedly falsifying training records and improperly certifying drivers. The two departments have also conducted roadside enforcement operations targeting unqualified foreign commercial drivers.

Federal prosecutors have launched a rare special grand jury probe into D.C. public schools, zeroing in on truancy, graduation rates and attendance records.

The investigation, which was first reported by The Washington Post, is examining the supervision and oversight of young people in the nation’s capital, according to people familiar with the matter.

This is about “safeguarding youth in the District,” a law enforcement official told Fox News.

Teachers and other personnel at several D.C. Public Schools campuses have been contacted in recent days about student absences, graduation practices and the way attendance is documented, the Washington Post reported. At least one person has already testified before the panel, while others are expected to appear in the coming days, according to the outlet.

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The use of a special grand jury is unusual. Fox News is told a judge must approve the creation of such a panel, which can conduct a sweeping investigation and issue a detailed report on its findings even if prosecutors ultimately file no criminal charges.

A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office told the Washington Post it could neither confirm nor deny an investigation.

The office of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said its focus remains on the new school year.

“Our focus remains on welcoming students and families back for a strong start to the new school year, and that is what we want our principals and teachers focused on as well,” the mayor’s office told the Washington Post. “We make all school data public and will continue to do so.”

CHAOTIC TEEN BRAWL GOES VIRAL AFTER TEEN TERROR PROMPTS US ATTORNEY PIRRO’S PLAN TO PROSECUTE PARENTS

The Washington Post reported that senior prosecutor Steven Vandervelden, one of Pirro’s top allies in the U.S. attorney’s office, is overseeing the inquiry.

Pirro has repeatedly linked school truancy to youth crime and disruptive teen gatherings in the District. At a May news conference, she said authorities could take action when teens repeatedly break curfew or skip school.

GRADY JUDD PUTS PARENTS ON NOTICE OVER TIKTOK TEEN TAKEOVERS: ‘WE’RE GONNA COME LOCK YOU UP TOO’

“We’re coming for you, and we’re coming for your parents,” Pirro said.

She also said her office wanted school records involving students accused of chronic truancy and curfew violations, according to the Washington Post. The outlet reported that the city did not voluntarily turn over those records.

EXPLOSIVE REPORT FINDS $230M IN ALLEGED K-12 EDUCATION FRAUD AMID TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN: ‘ESPECIALLY HIDEOUS’

The new probe comes years after D.C. schools were rocked by a graduation scandal centered on Ballou High School. A 2018 city investigation found the school had awarded diplomas to students who failed to satisfy attendance rules or had improperly completed makeup coursework.

While the scandal initially centered on Ballou High School, it eventually spread to several D.C. high schools. The investigation found that about one-third of D.C. students who graduated in 2017 had not actually met the requirements for a diploma, according to the Washington Post. District officials later said they tightened enforcement of attendance standards.

MORE THAN 400K NEW YORK CITY CHILDREN ENROLLED IN FAILING PUBLIC SCHOOLS: REPORT

Absenteeism, however, has persisted. During the 2023-24 school year, nearly 16,000 D.C. Public Schools students, roughly one-third of K-12 enrollment, were considered truant after missing at least two weeks of classes without an excuse, the Washington Post reported last year.

The special grand jury’s work is unfolding as D.C.’s school system, which serves more than 50,000 students, begins a new academic year.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education for comment.

California could soon formally recognize two of Islam’s most important holy days under legislation that would give state workers greater flexibility to take them off and allow public schools to close in observance of the holidays.

The measure, which overwhelmingly passed the state Assembly and is awaiting Senate action, would recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in state law and could soon head to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Assembly Bill 2017, introduced by Democratic San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney, passed the Assembly 64-1 in late May. It must clear the Senate before the legislative session ends Monday to reach Newsom.

TRUMP DOJ EXPANDS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTIONS AFTER MAJOR SUPREME COURT RULINGS

The bill would let state employees use existing paid holiday credits to take time off for Eid. Public schools and community colleges could also close for the holidays.

“California is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Muslim communities in the country, and their traditions deserve recognition and respect,” Haney said in a news release about the bill in March. “No student should have to choose between celebrating one of the holiest days of their faith and showing up to school, and no worker should feel they have to sacrifice their religious observance.”

Haney also said the bill is also about treating Muslim Californians equally.

“AB 2017 is about making sure Muslim Californians are seen, valued, and treated with the same dignity as every other community in our state,” he said.

Eid al-Fitr, or the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Eid al-Adha, or the “Festival of Sacrifice,” commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son in obedience to God.

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICT SUED OVER FIELD TRIP TO MOSQUE WHERE STUDENTS ALLEGEDLY DONNED MUSLIM GARB

Supporters say the bill would make it easier for Muslim workers and students to take part in Eid prayers and spend the holidays with their families.

“For decades, Muslim families across the state have had to navigate an unfair balancing act between their faith and their academic or professional obligations,” Oussama Mokeddem, legislative and government affairs director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) California chapter, said in a statement in July. “AB 2017 is a meaningful step toward ensuring Muslim students can celebrate Eid with the same dignity, respect, and accommodation afforded to other faith communities.”

Hala Hijazi, founder of the Muslim Impact Council, recalled missing Eid with her family earlier in her career while working for the city of San Francisco.

“It was really painful to not be with my family,” Hijazi told the Sacramento Bee. She said her family would go to lunch after Eid al-Fitr services and give gifts to the children.

The California Family Council, a conservative Christian advocacy group, opposes the bill’s school provisions, while saying it supports allowing students to take time off for religious holidays.

FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS TEXAS LAW REQUIRING TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC CLASSROOMS

The group objects to language allowing schools to hold exercises “acknowledging and celebrating the meaning and importance” of Eid. It also criticized a provision allowing the State Board of Education to develop a model curriculum guide for those exercises.

“No California statute authorizes public schools to hold exercises celebrating the meaning of Christmas, Easter, or Good Friday,” the group said in a May statement, arguing Christian and Jewish holidays have not received comparable treatment. “The asymmetry is written into the law.”

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If signed into law, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha would join other holidays California has recognized, including Lunar New Year and Diwali.

California would not be the first state to recognize the Eid holidays. Washington was the first, according to the Sacramento Bee. Hijazi told the newspaper that California’s proposal would go further by allowing state workers to use paid holiday credits, while Washington allows unpaid time off.

Jewish Canadians facing rising antisemitism might have President Donald Trump’s support for an expedited legal pathway into the United States.

Trump shared a report on the plan Sunday with his millions of followers on Truth Social, amplifying the appeal as Christian lawmakers and religious leaders press his administration to act because of a “disproportionate” amount of antisemitic incidents north of the U.S. border.

The National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) founder and President Jason Rapert told Fox News Digital from Israel on Sunday morning that he wants Trump to press Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney directly on the perceived “roadblocks” set up against the “quick recognition of the plight” of thousands of Jewish Canadians fearing for their safety.

TORONTO POLICE INVESTIGATE GUNFIRE, VANDALISM TARGETING JEWISH-OWNED BAKERY CHAIN

“We will find out” if Canada is getting in the way of the more than 2,000 Jewish Canadians who have expressed interest in relocating, Rapert said.

“Trump should ask Carney right now,” he added. “Canada should be embarrassed and ashamed of these perceived roadblocks. And we’re trying to rally leaders to take a stand.”

The comments come after the NACL and its partners asked Trump to direct the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to create “lawful, secure, and appropriately expedited pathways” for Jewish Canadians and their immediate family members who face persecution or can credibly demonstrate fears for their safety because they are Jewish.

TRUMP DOJ EXPANDS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTIONS AFTER MAJOR SUPREME COURT RULINGS

“For generations, America has served as a refuge for people fleeing religious persecution,” the group wrote in a letter Thursday to Trump. “We urge you to ensure that, consistent with federal law and the security interests of the United States, that door remains open to our Jewish brothers and sisters in Canada who need it today.”

Rapert and former U.S. ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback signed the letter along with more than 50 state legislators, religious leaders and other civic figures, sending it to Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and congressional leaders.

“Recent data demonstrate that Jewish Canadians are being targeted at a grossly disproportionate rate, while community-based reporting reflects thousands of antisemitic incidents across Canada,” Rapert wrote. “These numbers represent more than statistics. They represent families who increasingly question whether they can safely send their children to Jewish schools, worship openly, display their faith publicly, or continue building their lives in communities where they no longer feel secure.”

ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE ESCALATES AS DEADLY WEAPON ATTACKS SURGE IN 2025: REPORT

Canada, which recently had a broadcaster reject the use of the word “terrorism” with regard to 9/11 coverage, has reported nearly 7,000 antisemitic incidents in a country of roughly 41 million people.

By comparison, the U.S. has more than 342 million people and has reported fewer than 6,300, Rapert noted.

“It’s definitely a problem” by greater proportions in Canada, and “it’s eerie to hear,” he told Fox News Digital after a Sunday visit to the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum in northern Israel along with a delegation of U.S. lawmakers, where he spoke with a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor.

CHRISTIAN LEADERS HOLD EMERGENCY SUMMIT IN JERUSALEM TO CONFRONT GLOBAL RISE IN ANTISEMITISM

Rapert said the NACL was alerted of the concerns of the Jewish Canadians fearing their inability to emigrate to the U.S. from a piece in the National Post by Canadian/American Jewish community leader Michael Sachs, who is currently the Senior Director of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa, Okla.

Jewish Canadians have expressed interest in relocating because of safety concerns, harassment, vandalism, intimidation, threats and violence against Jewish schools, synagogues, businesses, institutions and families following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel, according to Sachs.

Now, amid Trump’s frustration with Canada and Carney, Rapert sees the urgency for a proposal that would use existing refugee, humanitarian and visa authorities to help facilitate movement.

ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE REACHES DEADLIEST LEVEL SINCE 1994, NEW GLOBAL REPORT FINDS

Carney has himself acknowledged a severe rise in antisemitism in Canada, saying his country has failed to adequately protect its Jewish community.

“Canada’s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians,” Carney told an audience at Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple in June, saying the country’s antisemitism crisis is “specific, severe and demands a targeted response.”

Carney said antisemitism in Canada had surged to levels not seen since the aftermath of World War II. More than two-thirds of religion-motivated hate crimes recorded in the previous year targeted Jewish Canadians, he said, despite Jews making up only about 1% of the country’s population.

The prime minister pointed to bullets fired at Jewish schools, firebombings at synagogues, attacks on community centers and Jewish-owned businesses and the targeting of Jewish students on university campuses.

MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD-LINKED NETWORKS EMBEDDED ACROSS CANADIAN INSTITUTIONS, NEW REPORT ALLEGES

The NACL letter urged the administration to coordinate with state and local governments, Jewish organizations, churches, nonprofits and employers willing to help families establish new lives in the United States.

“Antisemitism is a moral evil, and Christians must be willing to stand with our Jewish friends when they face hatred and persecution,” Rapert said. “We are asking President Trump and his administration to consider what lawful steps America can take to help Jewish Canadian families who are genuinely concerned for their safety.”

Oklahoma has emerged as one potential destination. Jewish and Christian leaders in Tulsa have offered to help receive Canadian Jewish families, while Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has told Trump his state would welcome Jewish families who legally enter the United States, according to the letter.

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“They bring talent, faith, family values, entrepreneurship, and a sincere desire to contribute to the Nation that offers them safety and religious liberty,” the letter said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump’s new oil agreement with Venezuela could give the United States access to a 65 billion-barrel crude-oil prize — an energy-security win, even if drivers are unlikely to see benefits quickly.

The deal announced Friday would give the U.S. a stake in 17 Venezuelan oil fields holding an estimated 65 billion barrels of crude, according to Venezuela’s government.

Venezuela controls more than 300 billion barrels of crude reserves, roughly 20% of the world’s total. It is the largest oil stockpile on the planet, exceeding even Saudi Arabia’s.

TRUMP’S AMBITIOUS ENERGY BET COULD BE A WINNING HAND AS THE WORLD BURNS MORE OIL, GAS THAN EVER

Yet Venezuela has long struggled to turn that oil wealth into steady production. Political instability and deteriorating infrastructure have left the country producing only about 1% of the world’s oil despite holding an estimated 17% of global reserves.

For Trump, the potential benefit goes beyond the deal’s headline number.

Venezuela produces heavy crude, the type many Gulf Coast refineries were designed to process. Much U.S. production is lighter shale crude, while Gulf Coast refiners have historically relied on heavier imports from Canada, Mexico and Venezuela.

TOP ENERGY TRADER HAILS TRUMP’S VENEZUELA OIL DEAL AS A ‘GENERATIONAL WIN’ FOR GAS PRICES

A steadier Venezuelan supply could support Gulf Coast refineries, diversify U.S. oil imports and provide a buffer against future supply disruptions. It could also help replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which remains well below its 714 million-barrel authorized capacity.

That prospect has taken on added importance as the war with Iran disrupts oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. The average U.S. price for regular gasoline stood at about $4.07 a gallon Sunday, according to AAA, compared with roughly $3.19 a year earlier.

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For Trump, the deal is a bet that long-term access to Venezuelan heavy crude can strengthen U.S. energy security and eventually ease costs for Americans.

Whether it translates into relief at the pump will depend on how quickly Venezuela can turn its vast reserves into market-ready barrels.

Ankit Gupta, a general partner at Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator, is facing backlash after describing Vice President JD Vance’s call for American companies to “hire and train Americans” as a return of “DEI.”

“In a win for the woke left DEI is back,” Gupta wrote on X.

“No, Ankit. It’s called putting your own citizens first,” Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito wrote, arguing that American companies should prioritize American jobs and workers. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon, and Nalin Haley, the son of former South Carolina Gov. and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, also publicly pushed back on Gupta’s framing.

Gupta’s X post came in response to Vance’s call for American corporations to hire and train American workers when they need employees. 

TRUMP ADMIN’S PUSH TO SCRAP DEI IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES LANDMARK STEP WITH NEW HIRING RULE

“Y Combinator is a supposed champion of ‘Little Tech’ but perhaps they’re nothing more than a front for the far left,” Ferguson wrote in response to Gupta’s post, which has since become private after the CEO changed his social media settings, according to X. “I’m deeply uncomfortable with wealthy investors attacking American workers like this. I’m afraid it’s increasingly obvious to many people that individuals such as this guy do not have the best interests of America and her citizens in mind. The purpose of the American economy is to promote the general welfare of American workers, not provide jobs for the rest of the world.”

Ferguson subsequently posted a screenshot of his X account, showing Gupta had blocked him amid the criticism.

OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE TORPEDOES TRUMP’S BID TO PROTECT US JOBS BY REFORMING CONTROVERSIAL IMMIGRATION POLICY

“It’s now DEI to train and hire Americans? Plenty of data to show that Americans are more than qualified, but corporate greed refuses to pay them respectable wages,” Haley added on X following Gupta’s post. “You can have a meritocracy in AMERICA but it has to apply to AMERICANS. Otherwise we’re just a globalist entity and not even a country anymore. Ban the H-1B Visa now!”

Fox News Digital reached out repeatedly to Y Combinator and Gupta for comment on his characterization but did not receive a response.

CEO UNDER FIRE FOR MASS LAYOFFS AMID FOREIGN WORKER HIRING SPREE NOW APPOINTED TO FED’S TASK FORCE ON JOBS

Dhillon, meanwhile, accused some technology companies and other employers of exploiting visa programs and hiring practices to obtain cheaper foreign labor for jobs she said Americans could perform, including by failing to advertise openings through regular channels and relying on staffing pipelines.

“These are not good business practices; they are not patriotic economic practices; and they are illegal labor practices,” Dhillon wrote, adding that the Trump administration “will not allow American employers to discriminate against American workers.”

FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN TRUMP’S $100K H-1B VISA FEE, RULING IT AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL TAX

Dhillon added that the Justice Department, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Labor Department were working together to “level the playing field for U.S. workers.”

The clash comes as the Trump administration pursues an overhaul of the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire temporary foreign workers in specialty occupations. The Trump administration’s 2025 effort to impose a $100,000 payment on new H-1B petitions through a presidential proclamation was blocked by a federal judge. The administration is now trying a different route, with the Department of Homeland Security proposing a formal rule that would establish a $103,265 fee for cap-subject petitions.

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The Labor Department has separately proposed changing how wages are calculated in H-1B and related visa programs. The department said the proposal is intended to curb incentives to hire foreign workers at below-market pay and to protect the wages and job opportunities of American workers.

Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.

A coalition of House Republicans is escalating its push for answers after lawmakers said New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill failed to address most of their questions about the state’s noncitizen voter-registration scandal and instead directed criticism at President Donald Trump.

Republican Study Committee member Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., told Fox News Digital there will be consequences after Sherrill sent a response that he characterized as “snarky” and politicized and said largely sidestepped the lawmakers’ questions.

“The response that we got from the governor was almost like she took a political mailer and embossed it upon her official letterhead,” Van Drew said. “As governor of the state of New Jersey, it was beneath her, it was beneath me, and it was unfortunate.”

SHERRILL ESCALATES TRUMP FIGHT OVER VOTER FIASCO DAY AFTER MULLIN PRAISES NJ COOPERATION

“I state the obvious,” Van Drew said. “If you are an American, you should be voting in an American election. If you’re not an American, you shouldn’t be voting in an American election.”

Lawmakers focused their original inquiry on how the registration failure occurred, its potential consequences and how New Jersey would prevent another breakdown.

The July 24 letter from dozens of RSC members, led by Van Drew and Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, posed 12 specific questions about the registration failure and its potential impact.

Sherrill replied that affected residents have been mailed notifications, but Van Drew said the overall response failed to address Congress’ concerns.

“We’re not done with this,” Van Drew pledged.

Van Drew said he is planning a hearing as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s Oversight Subcommittee, with expert witnesses expected to testify.

Van Drew said he is working with the full committee under Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to get the requested information from Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, the state’s elections chief.

‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’: NJ ILLEGAL VOTING SCANDAL EXPLODES WITH MORE KEY SYSTEMS AT RISK

“If there’s a complete lack of cooperation after we build up a case, there is a possibility, it’s not definite,” Van Drew said. “But if they’re not, we do, in my opinion, have to look at subpoenas as well.”

Sherrill defended her administration while criticizing Congress, Trump and the Republican-backed SAVE America Act.

SHERRILL DROPS HEAD-TURNING VOTER ID DECLARATION IN WAKE OF REGISTRATION FIASCO: ‘SIGNIFICANT SHIFT’

“Washington Republicans … seem much more concerned with using the issue for political gain than they are with protecting our elections,” Sherrill wrote, accusing several signatories of supporting Trump’s efforts to “undermine our election system” and noting that seven had challenged electoral votes after the 2020 election.

Sherrill also disputed Republicans’ contention that the SAVE America Act would have prevented the error, writing, “I encourage you to become more familiar with the legislation you have cosponsored.” She also raised privacy and abuse-of-power concerns about proposals to expand the federal government’s role in voter registration, including through a centralized voter registry.

Van Drew told Fox that “when you have a motor-voter law, [via which] people basically are automatically registered to vote – First of all, New Jersey is a sanctuary state… Illegal criminals shouldn’t be even in the state. But now we find out that illegals were also obviously having the ability to register to vote and were being registered and some of them actually were voting.”

The White House also rebuked Sherrill’s response, calling it “laughable” that she would criticize the Trump administration on election integrity.

“[This] after she and her fellow Democrats have denied for years that non-citizens are registering and voting in our elections,” said White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis.

Sherrill spokesperson Sean Higgins hit back at the criticisms, telling Fox News Digital the governor’s reply detailed how Trenton “moved with transparency and accountability to remediate this error from 2023.”

“But Republicans are more interested in playing political games. Considering that Jeff Van Drew’s campaign employed an operative convicted of voter fraud, bribery and blackmail, he might not be the best voice on what is too ‘political’ on this topic,” Higgins said, pointing to a 2020 Politico report about ex-Atlantic City council president Craig Callaway.

Pfluger told Fox News Digital that Sherrill spent “three pages on political theater and barely a sentence answering our questions,” adding that she “dodged” whether any elections were decided by fewer votes than the number of illegal ballots cast.

“We are not letting this story get buried. It is high time we pass the SAVE America Act to make sure our elections are secure, transparent, and worthy of the public’s trust,” he said.

Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., the state delegation’s most senior member and an RSC colleague, said Trenton must give Congress “complete transparency” and a corrective path forward.

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“Secure elections are the bedrock of democracy; we must take all steps necessary to ensure that votes are cast only by those who have a right to vote,” Smith said.

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The inquiry will continue on several tracks. Van Drew’s subcommittee is preparing a hearing, the Judiciary Committee is seeking additional state records and lawmakers are weighing further compulsory action as separate executive branch scrutiny continues.

A federal court in South Carolina ruled that the state’s rules for mail-in-voting violated the constitution last week.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling relates to South Carolina’s mail-in ballot laws and certain allowances it makes for voters over the age of 65.

Typically, voters looking to send mail-in ballots must meet certain criteria, such as being out of the country during the early voting period or being disabled.

SUPREME COURT RULES ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS RECEIVED AFTER ELECTION DAY

A state law removed those requirements for all voters over the age of 65, however, and the fourth circuit’s ruling found that provision to be unconstitutional.

“By granting voters aged sixty-five and older unconditional access to absentee-by-mail voting while conditioning that same option for younger voters on eligibility categories, documentation, and a rigid deadline, the state allocates voting opportunities unequally based solely on age,” U.S. Circuit Chief Judge Roger Gregory wrote in the order.

The case arose after a group of younger voters sued the South Carolina Elections Commission in 2023, arguing the rule violated the 26th Amendment.

A lower court initially dismissed their argument, but the case continued on appeal until it appeared before the Fourth Circuit.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT REJECTS TRUMP BID TO ENFORCE MAIL BALLOT ORDER AHEAD OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS

The new ruling sends the case back to lower courts with specific instructions on how to decide the case. Gregory wrote that either all South Carolina voters must be entitled to vote absentee without restrictions, or none of them can be.

That is unlikely to be the end of the question, however, as representatives of South Carolina say they plan to appeal further, potentially reaching the Supreme Court.

NEWSOM PROMISES NEW LEGAL FIGHT AFTER TRUMP GETS SUPREME COURT VICTORY ON MAIL-IN VOTING

The order came the same week that the U.S. Supreme Court issued a largely favorable ruling for President Donald Trump’s effort to limit mail-in ballots across the country.

Former White House deputy counsel Gene Hamilton said federal agencies such as the Postal Service can now move forward with parts of Trump’s election-integrity order, including new ballot-mail standards and efforts involving state citizenship lists, as opposing states wait to see which concrete federal actions could form the basis of new lawsuits.

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Further litigation is expected on that front as well.

Icelanders voted Saturday on whether to reopen negotiations to join the European Union, with President Donald Trump‘s push for U.S. control of neighboring Greenland adding a new security dimension to a debate that has divided the NATO ally for years.

Iceland, strategically positioned in the North Atlantic and roughly 180 miles from Greenland, has no military of its own and relies on NATO and a longstanding defense agreement with the United States for its security, according to RTE and The Associated Press.

Trump’s repeated interest in acquiring Greenland has unsettled some Icelanders and raised questions about whether closer ties with the EU could provide another layer of security for the island nation, the AP reported.

TRUMP SAYS NATO FAILED TWO KEY TESTS DURING HIGH-STAKES TURKEY SUMMIT: ‘NOT HAPPY’

Roughly 275,000 eligible voters were asked whether Iceland should resume membership negotiations with the EU. As of Saturday evening, the result had not been officially called.

If the referendum passes, Iceland would resume negotiations with the EU, followed by another referendum on actual membership, RTE reported.

Iceland’s government, led by Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, has vowed to respect the result, although the referendum is technically nonbinding.

“This has been a tight race, extremely exciting,” Frostadóttir said after voting Saturday.

She said the campaign had “lifted discussions about the EU, about Iceland’s place in the world, about our general geopolitical situation and status, to a higher level.”

While domestic and economic issues have played a central role in the referendum campaign, Trump’s ambitions for neighboring Greenland have also cast a shadow over Iceland’s debate about its place in Europe and the broader geopolitical landscape.

TRUMP ARRIVES AT NATO SUMMIT AS IRAN RIFT LOOMS ABOVE ALLIANCE TALKS

Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, previously saying the U.S. would obtain the strategically important Arctic island “one way or the other.”

The Trump administration has also previously weighed options for acquiring Greenland, including the potential use of military force. Such a move against territory belonging to Denmark, a fellow NATO member, would pose an extraordinary challenge to the alliance and its collective-defense commitments.

Trump has also mistakenly referred to Iceland while discussing Greenland on multiple occasions, according to the AP.

Iceland itself was drawn into the discussion earlier this year after former Rep. Billy Long, who is now Trump’s ambassador to Iceland, apologized for privately joking to House lawmakers that the country could become the “52nd state” with him as its governor.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A mayor of a small city in Mississippi is arguing against lowering the flag to honor Dolly Parton, worrying that it would “lessen the meaning of the gesture” in the future.

“I believe lowering the American flag to half-staff should mean something very significant,” Olive Branch, Mississippi, Mayor Ken Adams wrote on the city’s Facebook page on Friday. “In my opinion, it should be reserved for our military heroes, fallen first responders, presidents and other major national leaders, or events that have had a tremendous impact on our country.”

He added, “If we lower the flag every time a well-known or beloved person passes away, I believe we eventually lessen the meaning of the gesture.”

DOLLY PARTON’S LIFE IN HER OWN WORDS: FROM SMOKY MOUNTAINS POVERTY TO COUNTRY MUSIC IMMORTALITY

Adams began his post by acknowledging the “9 to 5” songstress as a “great person” who “brought happiness to millions of people and has done tremendous things for others throughout her life.”

He said he had “nothing but respect for her.”

SHERRILL RIPPED AFTER NEW JERSEY SKIPS FLAG DIRECTIVE HONORING GRAHAM: ‘MOST POLITICAL GOVERNOR’

Adams went on to say that while he doesn’t believe local governments should disregard the president or the governor, Mississippi operates under “Home Rule,” which he said gives local governments broad discretion.

Both President Donald Trump and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves ordered U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-staff for one week after her death at 80 years old on Tuesday.

DOLLY PARTON REFUSED TO PICK POLITICAL SIDES FOR DECADES: ‘I’M NOT IN POLITICS, I’M AN ENTERTAINER’

“The President can make the decision for the country. The Governor can make the decision for the State of Mississippi. I believe a mayor should have the ability to make a decision for his or her city,” Adams continued. “I also don’t believe residents elected me to be a ‘salute and execute’ Mayor but to lead with conviction.”

He stressed that his decision wasn’t about “disrespecting Dolly Parton. It isn’t about politics. And it certainly isn’t about saying she wasn’t a great American.”

DOLLY PARTON’S BELOVED LITERACY MISSION SEES SURGE OF SUPPORT AFTER COUNTRY ICON’S DEATH

“It’s simply my belief that the American flag at half-staff is one of the highest honors we can give, and I believe that honor should be reserved for truly extraordinary circumstances,” he said. “Sometimes preserving the meaning of an honor means being selective about when we use it.”

Adams faced criticism in the comments, with one person writing, “She did more for children than any politician ever has. That should raise her status in your eyes from ‘just a celebrity.’”

BROADCAST BIAS: DOLLY PARTON TAUGHT THE WORLD THE WAY TO BE UNIVERSALLY BELOVED

“I’d lower it for Dolly before any politician,” a second person stated.

A third commenter wrote: “When you said ‘it’s simply my belief’, I guess you said it all. Doesn’t matter to you what the President, the Governor or your residents believe. And ‘reserved for people who made a tremendous impact?’ Well…she was probably the most unifying figure of the past 40 years; and she donated 325 million books to kids. Sounds like an impact.”

A fourth person who said they were a veteran and first responder wrote that they were “100% ok with lowering the flags for Dolly. She gave her time and money to the military and multiply organizations. She earned this.”

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Adams didn’t clarify if his statement meant the flag would not be lowered in Olive Branch.

Fox News Digital reached out to Adams’ office for comment.

LANSING, Mich. — Socialist-adjacent Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed addressed the media during Saturday’s state Democratic Party Nominating Convention, where he was dogged by many of the same questions that have plagued his campaign for months.

Surrounded by media in a hallway at the Lansing Center, where the convention took place, El-Sayed was peppered with questions from the press about his relationship with far-left online personality Hasan Piker, along with his stance on Israel and Gaza, which has driven a wedge between his campaign and some Democrats, especially Jewish ones.

“We’re in the state of Michigan. If you want to make this race about a streamer in California, I just think you’re missing the boat,” El-Sayed told reporters. “This is about affordability in Michigan. This is about seeing a doctor in Michigan. This is about Donald Trump’s disastrous policies in Michigan. That’s what I’m focused on right now.”

ABDUL EL-SAYED PLAYS DOWN HASAN PIKER TIES AFTER STREAMER’S VIRAL ANTISEMITISM FIRESTORM

Four different reporters asked El-Sayed about Piker, with whom he campaigned and partied during his primary race. He dodged all of them, falling back on describing the polarizing streamer as “a streamer from California” who is irrelevant to his race in Michigan.

“I am not interested in a conversation about a social media person in California. And to folks who want to make this about a social media person in California, let’s not forget what actually matters in our politics, what our politics are really about,” he said. “I don’t ever want my comments to hurt anybody’s feelings. It’s important to me that people understand that I take serious the pain of all communities in this state. But I don’t want to have a conversation about a Twitch streamer in California. This is not a serious conversation.”

EL-SAYED DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM HASAN PIKER AFTER DISTURBING REMARKS ABOUT JEWISH AMERICANS

Piker is known for saying “America deserved 9/11,” praising Mao Zedong and Communist China, arguing that capitalists should be murdered in the streets and making a litany of antisemitic comments.

Fox News Digital asked El-Sayed about a recent controversy stemming from comments he made in March in response to an attack on a Michigan synagogue, when federal investigators say a gunman inspired and radicalized by Hezbollah crashed into the place of worship seeking to kill as many Jewish people as he could.

“Hurt people, hurt people,” he said in response to the attack. He has been criticized by members of his own Party, including Secretary of State Dana Nessel, who discussed the comments in a recent interview with The Atlantic, and declined to attend Saturday’s convention partly over concerns of anti-Semitism in the Democratic Party.

JEWISH DEM DEFECTIONS THREATEN EL-SAYED IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE DECIDED BY RAZOR-THIN MARGINS

El-Sayed told Fox News Digital his comments “might have been misconstrued to be justifying something I did not intend to justify,” but then offered an apology.

“To anybody who feels like my comments may have been hurtful, I’m really sorry. That was not my intention. We condemned that terrorist attack. We condemned it outright,” El-Sayed told Fox News Digital. “What I was trying to do was offer context for why it happened, but it wasn’t the time for context and you don’t ever want to trample somebody’s pain.”

JEWISH AG’S CONVENTION BOYCOTT EXPOSES DEEPENING ISRAEL FAULT LINE AMONG MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS

He also said it was the responsibility of the Democratic Party to come together.

Michigan Democrats swarmed the convention center Saturday afternoon, where the theme was “unity” amid the controversies faced by the state’s highest-profile candidate for elected office.

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Other statewide candidates took the stage to rally attendees, and presented a united front, often invoking their opposition to President Donald Trump as a point of common interest.

Then-President Joe Biden put Georgia at the center of the national voting-rights fight in 2021 when he branded the state’s Republican-backed election overhaul “Jim Crow in the 21st century.”

Now, five years later, a separate Georgia voting-rights battle involving allegations of racial discrimination is garnering national attention as it plays out in federal court. This time, the dispute centers on the state’s redrawn Congressional and state maps redrawn in 2021, with challengers facing a significantly tougher burden of proof following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais.

The latest development came when the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a lower court judgment striking down Georgia’s 2021 maps and returned the case to U.S. District Judge Steve Jones.

The appeals court instructed Jones to reconsider the challenge under the new framework established in Callais, which raised the bar for plaintiffs alleging racial discrimination in redistricting.

Under that standard, evidence that a map weakened Black voters’ electoral influence is not enough by itself. Plaintiffs must present evidence supporting a “strong inference” of intentional racial discrimination and distinguish the effects of race from those of partisan politics.

SUPREME COURT RULES ON KEY VOTING RIGHTS ACT RULE AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WAGE REDISTRICTING WAR

That distinction is especially important in Georgia, where Black voters overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates, creating significant overlap between race and partisan affiliation. That overlap could make it more difficult for the challengers to prove that race, rather than political advantage, drove the district lines.

Black voters and voting-rights organizations filed three lawsuits challenging the maps between December 2021 and January 2022, arguing that the districts diluted Black voting power in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Jones ruled for the challengers in 2023 and ordered Georgia to create additional majority-Black districts, including one Congressional district, two state Senate districts and five state House districts.

Georgia subsequently enacted replacement maps that satisfied Jones’ order while preserving the Republican Party’s political advantage elsewhere. Those maps were used in the 2024 elections and remain in place for the 2026 election cycle, while the legality of the original maps remained at the center of Georgia’s appeal.

MEDIA OUTRAGE OVER SUPREME COURT’S VOTING RIGHTS ACT DECISION COLLIDES WITH REALITY

Before Callais, plaintiffs suing based on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act could win their case without proving that lawmakers intentionally discriminated on the basis of race. Courts focused heavily on whether a map had the effect of diminishing minority voters’ ability to elect their preferred candidates. But under Callais, courts must more closely examine whether present-day racial discrimination was behind the redrawing of the maps rather than political advantages.

Hans von Spakovsky, a senior fellow at Advancing American Freedom, said he does not believe the Georgia challenge will survive the new test.

“I don’t think a challenge will succeed because there is no evidence of current racial discrimination going on in the state legislature,” von Spakovsky said. “Prior rulings against the state were based on judges misconstruing and misinterpreting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by claiming there was racial dilution resulting from partisan gerrymandering.”

“That is not the correct legal standard under Section 2,” he continued. “Partisan gerrymandering is constitutional and is not a violation of Section 2.”

GEORGIA REDISTRICTING BATTLE REVIVED AFTER APPEALS COURT OVERTURNS FEDERAL COURT DECISION

Georgia can argue that lawmakers were pursuing partisan objectives rather than targeting Black voters because of their race. Because the state’s Black and Democratic voting blocs substantially overlap, separating those possible motivations could prove difficult for the challengers.

“The Supreme Court in the Callais decision specifically said that a viable claim under Section 2 can only be shown if there is evidence of current racial discrimination, and judges must distinguish between racial and political bases for the way people vote,” von Spakovsky said.

“In other words, there’s no racial dilution going on when individuals are voting a particular way because of their politics,” he added.

Jones must now decide how to handle the remanded case. The plaintiffs could ask to supplement the record with revised maps, updated statistical analyses or additional evidence addressing the Supreme Court’s new requirements. The 11th Circuit, however, did not automatically grant them a new trial or authorize them to rebuild their case from the beginning.

Georgia could argue that the plaintiffs already received a full trial and that Jones should apply the new standard solely to the existing record.

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Whatever Jones decides is unlikely to alter Georgia’s districts before the November 2026 midterm elections. The appeals court did not order the state to reinstate the original 2021 maps, and Georgia has already conducted its primaries using the replacement districts created from the 2023 map.

A day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” amid a trade war with Canada, the leader of Seneca Nation of Indians asked him to reverse it.

Calling his order “unpresidential,” president J. Conrad Seneca on Friday wrote: “The President cannot assert ownership over our culture or erase it through irresponsible political action. His order should be rescinded, and the name Lake Ontario should be left as it is, reflective of the Seneca people, other Haudenosaunee nations and all Indigenous people surrounding the lake.”

Seneca explained that the lake derived its name from Indigenous roots.

TRUMP TAUNTS CANADA ON RENAMING LAKE ONTARIO THE ‘LAKE AMERICA’ AMID RISING BORDER TRADE RIFT

“In our traditional Seneca language, its name is sga:nyodai:yoh, meaning ‘beautiful lake,’” he wrote in a message shared in the nation’s newsletter. “Long before the United States existed, and before settlers brought the English language to our lands, our Seneca and Haudenosaunee ancestors traveled Lake Ontario and surrounding waterways for many reasons, including diplomacy among our nations. Now, we are seeing the exact opposite of diplomacy.”

He added that to the people of Seneca Nation, Lake America is not a “political pawn” but rather land that Indigenous people have lived on for thousands of years.

HILLARY CLINTON’S DIG AT TRUMP OVER LAKE ONTARIO NAME CHANGE SPARKS VIRAL BACKLASH: ‘SHOOTING BLANKS’

“The action that President Trump is taking is starkly un-presidential and demeaning to his office and his standing as the leader of the free world,” Seneca argued. “His blatant disrespect toward the Seneca people, other Haudenosaunee nations, and all Indigenous people is unacceptable.”

He noted that first President George Washington signed a treaty with several nations, including the Seneca, in 1794 “promising to live in peace and friendship with one another.” 

“The United States also promised our people the free use and enjoyment of our lands forever,” Seneca said. “President Trump’s aggression toward our culture with his Executive Order violates that peace, friendship and commitments of the Canandaigua treaty.”

“This is the latest in a long history of willful attempts to disregard the United States’ commitments to the Seneca and other Haudenosaunee nations,” he continued. “President Trump needs to be reminded of those commitments.”

He added that Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution “clearly states that treaties are the ‘supreme Law of the Land,’ and need to always be honored as such.”

HOUSE DEM’S ‘LAKE NATALIE’ JAB AT TRUMP AIDE SETS SOCIAL MEDIA ABLAZE: ‘STAY CLASSY’

Seneca called on all Native groups and federal, state and local representatives — “regardless of political party” — to stand against the name change.

“We will always call Lake Ontario by the name derived from the language of our ancestors — the name that, like the strength and influence of the Seneca people, will live on forever, long after the intrusive political tirades of individual men,” he said.

‘CAPTAIN CANADA’ FIREBRAND UNLOADS ON TRUMP WITH PROFANE ONE-LINER AS TRADE WAR ESCALATES

Trump announced the name change on Thursday.

“The Lake of America was something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, actually,” he told reporters while signing the Executive Order in the Oval Office. “As you know, we took something called the Gulf of Mexico — we changed it — and now it’s very routinely the Gulf of America,” Trump said in the Oval Office.”

TRUMP TRADE CHIEF WARNS CANADA WALKED AWAY FROM ‘THE BEST DEAL’ TO TRIGGER 50% U.S. TARIFFS

The president said he had directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the department to update the Geographic Names Information System to reflect the name change.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the name change on X, writing, “The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms. Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always.”

VANCE SAYS CANADA FRIENDLIER TO CHINA ON TRADE THAN TO US: ‘INSANITY’

The move to rename the lake, which sits on the U.S.-Canada border, came amid a breakdown in trade between both nations, with Trump accusing Ottawa of unfair trade practices.

Trump floated renaming the lake hours before Carney’s announcement of reciprocal tariffs on U.S. imports.

TRUMP JUST EXPANDED HIS TARIFF PLAYBOOK WITH A POWERFUL TRADE WEAPON NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER USED

The U.S. imposed new 50% tariffs on Canadian goods such as wine, furniture and dairy products, while Carney said U.S. trade demands proved Washington wanted to “destroy our major industries,” including autos, steel and aluminum, FOX Business previously reported.

“Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade,” Trump said Thursday. “Very sadly, even the military, you know, we defend Canada for nothing. We don’t get anything. They don’t pay us to defend Canada.”

Trump also jokingly floated renaming the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

“So, if you think about it, we have a gulf and we have a lake,” he said. “Now, all we need is an ocean. So maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”

Trump previously used geographic names to make political statements, ordering the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Trump’s executive order has been criticized by several governors, including Democrats New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott.

“New York won’t be calling it that,” Hochul wrote on X.

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Michigan, announced that she plans to introduce House legislation that would nullify the change.

“Donald Trump can sign all the executive orders he wants, but it will always be Lake Ontario,” she wrote in a press release. “Canada is not our enemy. It is our neighbor, our ally, and one of Michigan’s most important economic partners. It is a friendship that no stroke of a pen can erase.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., introduced a measure Thursday condemning socialism in all its forms, telling Fox News Digital he wants to use the vote to force moderate House Democrats to take a more public stance against the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

“I keep hearing people like Hakeem Jeffries and others in the Congress saying that they oppose the DSA. Let’s see if they’re willing to vote for a resolution that would oppose them,” Crank told Fox News Digital in an interview on Friday.

Crank’s House resolution cites New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s victory as one of the clearest signposts of the DSA’s growing political momentum.

A recent Brookings Institution analysis found that as of August 12, 123 candidates endorsed or recommended by national, state or local DSA chapters had won primaries this cycle. Most were running for local or state-level office.

FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS

Crank described the DSA movement as “anti-American” and “anti-Constitution,” arguing that its members are often hostile to free speech, one of the core rights protected by the U.S. Constitution.

He also accused DSA members of being anti-Semitic in their advocacy against Israel, particularly after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel.

“I would almost say the DSA in some ways is the marriage between socialism, the traditional socialism of Bernie Sanders, and the anti-Semitism of this sort of radical Arab movement,” Crank said.

He continued: “If that’s a marriage, their child is violence, right? It’s violence and intimidation. It’s showing up at town hall meetings and trying to shout elected officials down, which, by the way, is completely anti-democratic.”

MAMDANI FACES QUESTIONS OVER TIES TO OUTLET ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITIC TROPES

One recent example of DSA members disrupting an elected official came in February, when San Francisco DSA led a protest at a news conference held by Mayor Daniel Lurie, who is Jewish.

Lurie was announcing a tax-cut proposal when demonstrators repeatedly chanted “Tax the rich.” During the disruption, a woman also shouted “tax the Jews,” though DSA and other protesters said she was not affiliated with the group.

Crank also took aim at several proposals contained in the DSA’s national program, arguing that they undermine “free and fair elections.”

His House resolution calls for passage of the SAVE Act — which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections — while also highlighting the DSA’s support for extending voting rights to “noncitizens.”

According to the DSA’s program, all permanent U.S. residents should have the right to vote, as should incarcerated people and those with criminal convictions.

CLINTON-APPOINTED JUDGE TRIGGERS APPEAL AFTER BLOCKING KEY VOTER CITIZENSHIP LAW

The program also calls for abolishing the Senate and replacing the Supreme Court with “a judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress.”

Crank also criticized the DSA’s explicit opposition to capitalism, arguing that socialism has repeatedly failed both in the United States and abroad.

“I find it ironic that many of the people who are pushing socialism or who are involved in the DSA movement, they’re people who came here from a different country and now they come here and want to impose… the socialism that they left, that didn’t work,” Crank said.

He singled out Mamdani as “the first verified failure of socialism,” citing his pied-à-terre tax.

DSA CO-CHAIR PUSHES BACK ON SOVIET UNION COMPARISONS, WANTS PRISONS TO BE ‘LESS NECESSARY’

“You’re seeing socialism at its worst in places like New York with Mamdani who’s saying, ‘Well, I am just going to tax anybody who has a big house here,'” Crank said. “Well, people can choose to not have a house in New York. So they leave. It doesn’t work.”

He added: “He’s the first one to sort of get elected, and now he’s trying to spread it and get other DSA members around the country elected.”

Crank also mentioned Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old DSA member who won her Colorado primary in July after handily defeating Democratic incumbent Diana DeGette.

“[Kiros] said America deserved 9/11. So tell me why that’s different? When you have a bunch of terrorists on September 11th killing Americans because of ideology, how is that different than what Mao did? It isn’t. This is the insidiousness of this movement,” Crank said.

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Crank’s resolution similarly draws a line between modern Democratic socialists and past communist regimes under leaders such as Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin, asserting that socialism has led to famine, mass killings and more than 100 million deaths worldwide.

Kiros’ comments on 9/11 stem from an interview she did on June 22 with 9News journalist Kyle Clark, who asked her whether she believed the attacks were an “inevitable consequence” of American intervention.

“Inevitable in the sense that we destabilized a lot of the Middle East, which led people to believe that another act of violence was the only response. And again, just like I said before, our responsibility is to get rid of those conditions that lead to violence in the first place,” Kiros said.

Crank’s resolution will be considered by the House Rules Committee on Monday, and there will be a vote likely sometime next week, the congressman told Fox News Digital.

President Donald Trump on Friday touted an agreement with Venezuela that he said would lower gas prices by giving the U.S. majority control over 65 billion barrels of oil from the South American country’s proven reserves.

The breakthrough comes as disruptions to global energy markets from the Iran war continue to push up prices at the pump, with Americans now paying an average of $4.08 per gallon for regular gasoline, up from $3.20 a year ago, according to AAA.

The agreement with Venezuela will give the U.S. a 55% effective interest in the output of a new private company formed to manage the reserves, a U.S. official familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

While the U.S. will not immediately gain access to 35.75 billion barrels of oil, the 55% interest applies to the oil ultimately produced by the 17 Venezuelan fields covered by the agreement.

TRUMP PREDICTS GAS PRICES WILL GO DOWN TO $2.50 PER GALLON IF STRAIT OF HORMUZ FULLY OPENS

The agreement also allows the U.S. to purchase Venezuelan oil at cost, a provision that could give American buyers access to cheaper crude once production from the fields increases.

The deal is unlikely to translate into an immediate drop in U.S. gasoline prices, however, because experts have said bringing significantly more Venezuelan crude to market will require years of infrastructure work and billions of dollars in investment, according to the AP.

Rystad Energy, an independent energy research firm, said in July that Venezuelan oil production could jump 17% by 2028, but only if significant advances are made.

According to the firm’s report, Venezuela will need “higher drilling activity, extensive workover campaigns, improved infrastructure and significantly greater rig availability.”

Since much of Venezuela’s crude is extremely heavy and viscous, the country also needs a steady supply of diluents — lighter hydrocarbons blended with the crude to make it thin enough to flow through pipelines and reach refineries and export terminals.

In 2021, S&P Global described Venezuelan oil as having “the viscosity of asphalt.”

TRUMP BLASTS BIG OIL FOR ‘MAKING TOO MUCH MONEY’

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has also previously weighed in on Venezuela’s troubled oil industry.

In October 2023, after the Biden administration lifted most U.S. sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector, the agency said “years of underinvestment and mismanagement” would limit growth.

The Trump administration, however, is betting that U.S. involvement and a massive influx of private investment can reverse the decline.

Trump said Friday the new agreement would greatly increase the U.S. oil supply and “substantially lower Gas Prices for all Americans, long into the future.”

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly said the deal would bring nearly $100 billion in private investment to Venezuela and lower gas prices in the United States.

U.S. oil companies have been cautious about investing in Venezuela, citing the country’s deteriorated infrastructure and uncertain business environment.

Days after the Trump administration ousted Nicolás Maduro, Trump met with oil executives to discuss potential investment in Venezuela’s energy sector, but several expressed reservations.

ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods said at the time that he viewed Venezuela as “un-investable.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.