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Republican upsets party-backed rival to challenge first openly trans member of Congress

2026-09-15T20:59:20-04:00 / Fox News

Joseph “Dr. Joe” Arminio will take on the first openly trans member of Congress Sarah McBride in November

By Alec Schemmel Fox News

Published September 15, 2026 8:59pm EDT | Updated September 15, 2026 9:39pm EDT

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Delaware Republicans nominated political scientist Joseph “Dr. Joe” Arminio for the state’s lone U.S. House seat Tuesday, bypassing both the state GOP’s endorsed candidate and its 2024 nominee to send Arminio into a November match-up against Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del.

Arminio defeated Rev. Earl Cooper, the Delaware Republican Party’s endorsed candidate, and John Whalen, the party’s 2024 nominee, for the seat and a chance to defeat McBride in the Nov. 3 general election.

McBride won Delaware’s at-large House seat in 2024, becoming the first openly transgender person elected to Congress after defeating Whalen by roughly 16 percentage points in the general election.

RAUCOUS PRIMARY SEASON REACHES FINAL ACT IN DEEP-BLUE STRONGHOLD, KICKSTARTING SPRINT TO NOVEMBER

Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-DE) poses for a photograph after joining other congressional freshmen of the 119th Congress for a group photograph on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol Building on November 15, 2024 in Washington, DC.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

McBride is seeking a second term in a seat Republicans have not won since 2008.

Arminio, a Wilmington native, is a political scientist, author and educator who holds a doctorate in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he focused on national defense policy and international relations, according to WHYY. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Johns Hopkins University and has taught at American University and Lincoln University.

Tuesday’s race was not Arminio’s first congressional campaign, though it was his first in Delaware. He previously sought the Republican nomination in Maryland’s 1st Congressional District in 2008, receiving about 1.6% of the vote in a four-way primary won by Andy Harris, according to WHYY, a public media organization based in Philadelphia.

DEMOCRAT REBELS DEFY JEFFRIES TO HAND GOP CRITICAL WIN JUST BEFORE MIDTERMS

Delaware Bay(Getty Images)

Arminio campaigned on economic issues, arguing that excessive public and private debt has squeezed American families. He identified inflation and the cost of groceries, gasoline and housing among the biggest economic challenges facing Delaware.

“The Republican country for that matter is in dire peril,” he told WHYY in an interview. “The economy’s in very bad shape. We’re suffering from crushing private and public debt. So your typical family is having a hard time making ends meet. The young cannot afford to buy a home. They’re having difficulty in their relationships, getting married. It’s very, very serious.”

Arminio will now try to break Democrats’ long-running hold on Delaware’s lone House seat, which the party has controlled since John Carney took over after former U.S. Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del, retired and left office when he did not seek reelection in 2010, instead deciding to run for the U.S. Senate.

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Sunrise light hits the U.S. Capitol dome.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Alec Schemmel is a Politics Reporter for Fox News Digital who is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina but now resides in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore Metro Area.

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美国以色列上周德国秘密会晤阿拉伯国家军事高层

2026年9月16日 11:51 / 联合早报

也门胡塞武装宣传机构9月15日发布的照片，显示与沙特接壤的也门焦夫省，军事车辆遭袭击后不断冒浓烟。 （法新社）

两名以色列官员向美国新闻网站Axios披露，美国和以色列以及多个阿拉伯国家的军事参谋总长上周在德国秘密会晤，讨论了针对伊朗的战争以及中东地区更广泛的紧张局势。

Axios星期二（9月15日）报道，由美国中央司令部司令库珀召集的这次闭门会议，参与国事前均未对外宣布。虽然过去也曾举行类似会议，但这次是自美以与伊朗开战六个多月来，首次举行此类会晤。

与会的中东国家包括沙特阿拉伯、阿拉伯联合酋长国、巴林、科威特、卡塔尔、约旦、埃及。

消息人士说，库珀向与会者做出保证，尽管美军在当地的基地遭到伊朗袭击，但美军绝不会撤出中东地区。同时，他还向与会代表介绍美国旨在保障和扩大霍尔木兹海峡船只通行的计划。

一名以色列官员透露，以色列国防军总参谋长扎米尔向与会各方通报以军多线作战的最新进展。

美国中央司令部发表声明，确认日前在德国主持一场计划内的会议，并与来自八个国家的高级军事将领共同探讨深化中东安全合作的潜在契机。

据悉，以色列和沙特正在美国中央司令部的协助下，探讨以色列如何支持沙特针对也门胡塞武装的军事行动，并参照此前支持阿联酋的模式，提供情报、监视、侦察方面的协助。

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Coast Guard, FBI boarded Texas-bound commercial oil tanker to investigate cyberattack

2026-09-15T22:57:00-0400 / CBS News

Coast Guard personnel and FBI agents boarded a Texas-bound commercial oil tanker last month before it could arrive at a port after determining the ship’s network may have been compromised by a foreign actor as it was crossing the Atlantic, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.

On Aug. 21, a specialized team of Coast Guard law-enforcement personnel, a vessel inspector, Coast Guard Cyber Protection Team members and FBI Cyber Action Team operators boarded an inbound foreign-flagged commercial vessel, the Coast Guard said. The team examined both the vessel’s operational technology and information-technology systems, working with the crew and the ship’s corporate operators to oust the threat.

“Currently, there are no reports of operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger to crews, or environmental impacts,” the Coast Guard said Tuesday.

The U.S. has so far not attributed the potential breach to a specific actor, but Iranian state media amplified the story in the weeks following the breach.

The Coast Guard did not identify the ship, but the vessel named in Iranian reports appears to be the VL Prosperity, a 333-meter Liberian-flagged very large crude carrier capable of carrying roughly 2.3 million barrels of oil. Public vessel data shows it was bound for Galveston, Texas, at the time.

Unconfirmed reports of the attack first surfaced publicly after the ship passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, between Spain and Morocco.

On Aug. 20, Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that VL Prosperity had been attacked on Aug. 7 while sailing from Egypt’s Sidi Kerir terminal toward the United States, losing communications for 30 hours. Mehr, citing an unnamed crew member, alleged that the attackers penetrated engine-room systems, reduced engine cooling flow, increased engine speed and interfered with fuel and lubricating-oil systems.

Four days later, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency published an article: “No American Vessel Is Safe Anymore: Will Cannons Give Way to Codes?”

The U.S. has not provided details on the extent of the possible breach, only confirming there were indications the vessel’s network was compromised. Iranian state media has claimed that hackers obtained control over propulsion, navigation and cargo systems.

The risk of penetrating a commercial oil tanker’s system goes beyond stolen data or disabled communications. Modern tankers use interconnected operational technology, or OT, to control the vessels — with propulsion, navigation and cargo systems all internet-connected. If a hostile state can reach and even hijack those systems remotely, while unlikely, an attacker could theoretically manipulate a vessel’s movement or critical machinery, potentially turning a massive oil tanker into a weapon against a port.

US charges 5 people in alleged Russian-backed murder plots

2026-09-16T03:30:59.981Z / Reuters

By Christian Martinez

September 16, 2026 3:30 AM UTC Updated 28 mins ago

A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as “Main Justice,” is seen behind the podium in the Department’s headquarters briefing room in Washington, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

The United States Department Of Justice

Sept 15 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice has charged five people in connection with alleged Russian plots involving ​surveillance, recruitment and targeted killings, according to an ‌indictment unsealed on Tuesday.

The five people allegedly worked for Russian intelligence services to “conduct attacks and murders around the world, including in ​the United States,” the DOJ said in the indictment, ​adding the individuals were still at large.

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The DOJ said ⁠Russian national Yuri Khrameev, 63; his son, Kirill Khrameev, 27; ​Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35, and Yaidel Delgado ​Suarez, 35; and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro, 22; were charged with an alleged conspiracy to finance terrorism. Khrameev, Suarez, and Castro ​were also charged with conspiracy to commit murder for ​hire.

Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters the plots included “efforts to murder ‌a ⁠Russian dissident who investigators believed was located in the Washington, D.C., area.”

According to the Justice Department, the network allegedly recruited multiple people in the United States to provide surveillance on Russian ​dissidents, including ​one living in ⁠the U.S. and one in Lithuania.

One recruit was allegedly offered “$40,000 to ‘eliminate’ or ‘disappear’” a person residing ​in the U.S., according to the Justice ​Department. ⁠Last year, another U.S. recruit was allegedly offered $25,000 to kill a person living in Lithuania, it said.

The Russian embassy did not ⁠immediately respond ​to a request for comment. ​Russia has previously denied conducting such plots on foreign soil, including in ​the United States.

Reporting by Christian Martinez; Editing by Michael Perry

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Washington Democrat claims majority of recent DHS arrestees posed ‘no threat to public safety’

September 15, 2026 9:38pm EDT / Fox News

ICE arrested nearly 51,000 illegal immigrants nationwide in August

By Sophia Compton Fox News

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., claimed that “for the first time this summer,” the majority of people arrested by DHS posed “absolutely no threat to public safety.”

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Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., claimed Tuesday that “for the first time this summer,” the majority of people arrested by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “pose absolutely no threat to public safety.”

Speaking during a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on immigration enforcement, Jayapal argued the Trump administration has increasingly focused its immigration enforcement on immigrants without criminal convictions or pending criminal charges rather than those with criminal records.

“For the first time this summer, the majority of people that DHS arrested were people who pose absolutely no threat to public safety, and the number of people with criminal convictions who are arrested by ICE actually decreased — decreased, not increased,” Jayapal said.

HOMAN CONFIRMS ‘CRIMINAL’ INVESTIGATION INVOLVING ILHAN OMAR, SAYS HE KNOWS ‘THINGS ARE GOING ON’

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., claimed Tuesday that “for the first time this summer,” the majority of people arrested by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “pose absolutely no threat to public safety.”(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

She argued the administration’s enforcement priorities are making communities “less safe.”

“That’s because when DHS expends all of its energy to go after parents, longtime friends, neighbors, when Homeland Security Investigations agents who are supposed to investigate serious crime and human trafficking are instead being moved to street sweeps and riding along with local police for random traffic stops, we are less safe, not more safe.”

Jayapal’s comments echoed claims her office made in a Sept. 1 press release, which said ICE data showed “the majority of people they arrest have zero criminal charges or convictions” and that arrests of immigrants without criminal convictions or pending criminal charges had increased 770%.

Independent analyses of ICE data have likewise found that while overall ICE arrests reached record highs during the summer, the share of people arrested without criminal convictions or pending criminal charges also increased.

Her remarks come as the Trump administration has touted record immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump.

ILLEGAL CONVICTED OF ASSAULTING HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS THOUGHT HE WAS FREE — THEN DHS DROPPED THE HAMMER

Jayapal’s remarks come as the Trump administration has highlighted record immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump.(Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested nearly 51,000 illegal immigrants nationwide in August, according to DHS, marking the highest monthly total on record.

“The hard-working men and women of DHS continue to break records as they defend the homeland and protect the American people,”DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.

Mullin added, “For the third straight month, ICE set a new record for the highest number of illegal aliens arrested in a single month, nearly 51,000. This is promises made and promises kept in action. Under President Trump’s leadership, ICE is working around the clock every day to arrest and deport illegal aliens from American communities.”

DHS also highlighted August arrests of illegal immigrants convicted of crimes including murder, child pornography and sexual assault of a minor.

MORE THAN 100 HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS WITH VIOLENT OFFENSE AND SEX CRIME CONVICTIONS DEPORTED: DHS

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin previously said “the hard-working men and women of DHS continue to break records as they defend the homeland and protect the American people.”(Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

According to DHS, more than 3 million illegal immigrants have left the United States since Trump returned to office.

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A spokesperson for DHS and Jayapal could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.

Sophia Compton is a Writer at Fox News Digital. Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer. She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Story tips can be sent to sophia.compton@fox.com.

去年美国佐治亚厂区遭突击逮捕 逾300韩国工人发起索赔

2026-09-16 09:45 / 联合早报

超过300名韩国工人为佐治亚州移民执法逮捕行动，向美国九个联邦机构提出行政赔偿要求，美国国土安全部为其中之一。 （路透社）

美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）报道，去年在美国佐治亚州韩国电动车电池厂的一次移民执法突击行动中被拘留的300多名韩国工人，正向美国政府发起法律挑战。

去年9月，美国当局在对现代-LG电池项目厂区进行的突击行动中逮捕了400多名厂区员工，其中超过300人为韩国公民。

CNN星期二（9月15日）报道，申诉方代表律师说，目前已开始向九个联邦机构提出行政赔偿要求。在正式提起联邦诉讼之前，这是法律规定的必经程序。

这些机构包括美国国土安全部、移民与海关执法局（ICE）、海关与边境保护局（CBP）、联邦调查局（FBI）、司法部及劳工部。

国土安全部发言人对路透社说：“作为针对非法雇佣行为及其他严重联邦犯罪指控的持续刑事调查的一部分，隶属于移民与海关执法局的国土安全调查处（HSI）执行了一项司法搜查令。”

他说，这项调查旨在追究违法者的责任并维护法治，但未直接针对韩国工人发起的法律挑战进行置评。

由于非工作时间，现代汽车未立即回应路透社的置评请求。

遭突袭的佐治亚州工厂由现代汽车和韩国LG新能源的合资公司运营。这场突袭被视为美国国土安全部历史上规模最大的一次单点执法行动。

现场的视频和照片显示，被捕的工人戴着手铐、腰缠铁链、脚套镣铐。这些影像流传开来，震惊了美国的重要盟友韩国。

由于工人们的手机也被当局没收，其中一些工人直到重获自由，才终于能向国内的亲人报信。

《人民日报》：人工智能不是大国的专利

2026年9月16日 09:00 / 联合早报

美国指责中国AI企业对美开展“工业化规模”蒸馏，被点名的包括DeepSeek、Kimi开发商月之暗面、阿里巴巴、MiniMax、阶跃星辰和智谱等。 （路透社档案照）

对于美国指责中国人工智能（AI）企业对美开展“工业化规模”蒸馏，中共中央机关报《人民日报》称，人工智能不是大国的专利，坚决反对美国在AI领域推行科技霸权。

《人民日报》星期三（9月16日）发表署名“钟声”的评论文章，题为《技术问题政治化，美国霸权老套路》。

文章称，美方的指控于事无凭、于法无据，本质是将蒸馏这一业内正常的技术和商业问题政治化、工具化，并在实践中搞双重标准，再次暴露其在人工智能领域推行科技霸权、搞算力垄断、打压竞争的一贯逻辑，中方对此坚决反对。

文章写道，中方鼓励开源开放、合作共享，向包括美企在内的全球企业开放开源模型，为相关模型研发提供便利。美企有关模型研发报告也披露，其大量蒸馏中国模型。按照美方的逻辑，美国企业使用蒸馏便是“行业通行做法”，中国企业运用便是“攻击行为”，这是赤裸裸的双重标准。

文章写道，长期以来，美国个别人工智能企业滥用竞争优势地位，在用户协议中设置宽泛的地域限制等霸王条款，试图将中国等国家的竞争者排除在全球技术生态之外，独占人工智能发展红利。美方不惜动用国家力量维护科技霸权和算力垄断，根源在于对自身技术霸权旁落的深层焦虑，奉行的依然是“只能美国独赢，不能人类共赢”的霸权逻辑。

文章称，人工智能是人类发展的新领域，不是大国的专利，更不应沦为零和博弈的角斗场。当前，全球大模型产业正处于技术迭代、风险迭发、成长发展的关键时期。中美作为人工智能大国，应以积极负责态度处理该领域面临的挑战和风险。

文章最后写道，希望美方与中方相向而行，通过对话和沟通管控风险，共同营造开放、平等、公平、非歧视的人工智能发展环境，推动人工智能技术造福全人类。但如果美方以打击蒸馏为名，实施遏压中国人工智能企业的行动，损害中方正当合法权益，中方必将坚决采取措施予以反制。

综合彭博社和路透社此前报道，美国国家安全局、联邦调查局及网络安全和基础设施安全局上星期二（9月8日）发表联合声明，称中国企业至少从2024年起利用“蒸馏”技术，以“工业化规模”访问美国AI模型并提取信息。

声明点名的企业包括DeepSeek、Kimi开发商月之暗面、阿里巴巴、MiniMax、阶跃星辰和智谱，涉及的美国模型来自Anthropic、OpenAI、Alphabet旗下谷歌和SpaceX。

特朗普政府高层与Anthropic高管视频讨论AI安全

2026年9月16日 10:49 / 联合早报

9月2日，Anthropic联合创始人兼首席算力官布朗（左）出席G20创新部长级会议，与美国商务部长卢特尼克（右）对谈。 （法新社）

美国特朗普政府高级官员星期二（9月15日）与美国知名人工智能（AI）初创公司Anthropic PBC的一名高管会谈，讨论AI的安全风险。

彭博社报道，知情人士透露，Anthropic联合创始人兼首席算力官布朗（Tom Brown）与五角大楼首席技术官迈克尔（Emil Michael）及美国商务部长卢特尼克，进行视频会谈。

Anthropic拒绝对报道置评，白宫也未回应置评请求。

美国战争部一名官员在一份声明中说，战争部“与前沿AI企业保持联系，但对Anthropic的立场并未改变”。

Anthropic与特朗普政府的紧张关系近日再度升温。 9月12日，Anthropic首席执行官阿莫迪（Dario Amodei）发表了一篇3800字的博文，公开呼吁政府加强对AI的监管。他主张放缓最先进AI系统的研发速度，以便研究人员能更充分地评估和理解其潜在威胁。

阿莫迪的提议获得OpenAI首席执行官奥特曼（Sam Altman）和xAI创办人马斯克的支持，但招致总统特朗普的强烈抨击。特朗普说，所谓AI风险是“一个骗局”，并反对出台新规。

布朗近来已跃升为Anthropic在华盛顿的核心代言人。今年夏初开始在华盛顿崭露头角，他亲自牵头与美国官员展开一场至关重要的谈判，并最终成功促使政府解除对Anthropic最先进AI模型的出口管制。

本月初，他还与卢特尼克一同出席一场聚焦科技主题的二十国集团（G20）创新部长级会议，并公开赞扬特朗普对数据中心建设的支持。

另据路透社报道，一名知情者15日透露，英伟达首席执行官黄仁勋将出席特朗普为中国国家主席习近平举行的国宴。

习近平预计下周四（24日）在华盛顿与特朗普会晤。

黄仁勋14日在洛杉矶参加一场科技峰会的会谈时接到特朗普的来电。特朗普在电话中告诉黄仁勋和现场观众，人们对AI与数据中心的担忧，是“蠢民主党人”炮制的骗局；“唯一为此感到高兴的是中国”。

他还说，数据中心是未来20到25年里的“石油”，它的重要性将超越互联网。

DOJ accuses Russian intelligence agents of plotting to murder U.S.-based dissident

September 15, 2026 10:08 PM EDT / CBS News

The Justice Department is accusing several members of Russia’s intelligence services of running a “global assassination network” that targeted Kremlin critics — including one alleged murder plot on U.S. soil over the summer.

Federal prosecutors in New York unsealed an indictment Tuesday against five people who belonged to what they called the “RIS Network,” including a 63-year-old former Russian intelligence colonel named Yuri Khrameev, his son Kirill, two Cubans and one Venezuelan. All five defendants are believed to live in Russia and remain at large, the Justice Department said.

It marks the latest alleged attempt by a U.S. adversary to crack down on dissidents abroad, including in the United States and NATO-allied countries.

One of the murder-for-hire plots took place in July and August of this year, the indictment says. The Venezuelan operative and one of the Cuban operatives allegedly recruited a Brooklyn resident to take photos and videos of two locations associated with an unnamed Russian dissident, promising him $1,000 to $1,500 to carry out the “gravely serious work.” Another $40,000 was offered to “eliminate” or “disappear” the target of the surveillance.

The operatives believed the Russian dissident lived in the Washington, D.C., area, Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters at a briefing Tuesday.

The Brooklyn resident was willing to take photos, the indictment said, but expressed unwillingness to “do the other stuff” — as in, kill the dissident. The operatives then allegedly asked the Brooklyn resident if he knew of anybody else who was interested.

“Let me know as soon as possible because I have a chain and my boss has questions,” one of the Cuban recruiters wrote, according to the indictment. “I have people in Mexico right now and theyre delayed. I only need a response to know if someone can do the work. It doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow just need to know if the[y] can.”

The indictment also accuses Yuri Khrameev (or “Colonel Yuri”) and his son of trying to recruit a U.S. citizen in Lithuania to kill somebody who was ostensibly “telling lies about Russia” last year.

The unnamed U.S. citizen met the younger Khrameev at the Estonia-Russia border, where he was asked to take photos of the target’s address, court papers say.

He was paid $200 for the surveillance. Then, Yuri Khrameev allegedly offered him $25,000 to kill the person because he was “spreading dirt about my country” and “telling the media and the common people that the Russians are the aggressors.”

When the U.S. citizen declined to kill the person, Yuri Khrameev allegedly suggested he could instead get paid to set a warehouse or electrical substation on fire. The Russian intelligence officer said he was interested in targeting pro-Ukrainian countries and was offering “serious money for serious work,” according to the indictment.

Members of the RIS Network were also accused of helping facilitate a pair of failed arson attacks in Europe in 2024, including an attempt to set fire to buses in the Czech Republic and a plot against a Lithuanian facility that supplies radio equipment to Ukraine. Both of those attacks had previously drawn media attention, and Lithuanian and Czech officials blamed Russia.

The indictment accuses one of the Cuban defendants of communicating with associates involved in the Lithuanian and Czech attacks and booking hotels and travel for them.

All five of the defendants were charged with terrorism finance conspiracy, and three of them — Yuri Khrameev and the Cuban and Venezuelan operatives linked to the alleged U.S.-based plot over the summer — were charged with murder-for-hire conspiracy.

The U.S. citizen and Brooklyn resident who were allegedly recruited to conduct surveillance of the Russian operatives’ targets weren’t charged or named in the indictment.

In a statement Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg called the alleged plots “a gross violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security.”

“These defendants allegedly operated as part of a global assassination network that reached into the United States, attempting to recruit U.S. citizens and foreigners to carry out killings at the behest of the Kremlin,” Eisenberg said, vowing to “stamp out any foreign intelligence services’ attempt to operate freely in our great Nation.”

CBS News has reached out to the Russian Embassy in D.C. for comment.

The Russian government has long been accused of seeking to kill anti-regime figures, in some cases outside Russia’s borders. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny survived a suspected poisoning by a nerve agent in 2020, before recovering in Germany, voluntarily returning to Russia and dying in prison more than two years ago.

Before then, former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by a nerve agent in the U.K. in 2018, and KGB agent-turned-Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko died in the U.K. from a radioactive substance in 2006. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s administration has long denied any role in poisoning critics.

In recent years, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds on, NATO states have accused Russia of plotting sabotage attacks and other operations in Europe.

American intelligence agencies assessed over the summer that Putin could be increasingly willing to authorize provocative actions on NATO territory that fall short of a war, with the likely goal of testing the alliance’s unity, CBS News has reported. When CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow and met with Russian officials last month, the topics under discussion included a warning not to attack NATO, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

Other U.S. adversaries have also been accused of seeking to crack down on dissidents on American soil. Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad has survived multiple alleged murder and kidnapping attempts, and prosecutors have alleged that agents of the Chinese government operated an illegal “police station” in New York City to monitor and harass dissidents.