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(WASHINGTON) — A former White House aide’s stunning testimony before the House panel investigating the Capitol attack indicated that the U.S. Secret Service may have had advanced warning of the potential for violence at the Capitol, raising new questions about the agency’s planning ahead of the riot and actions taken by agents on Jan. 6.

Cassidy Hutchinson, a top deputy to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, told lawmakers on Tuesday that the security team guarding then-President Donald Trump and senior White House officials were aware there was a serious threat posed by some descending on Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, when Trump was planning to address a rally to support his baseless accusations that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.

In Hutchinson’s telling, the agency famous for its teams of bodyguards, sharpshooters and hyper-skilled drivers was aware that among the throngs headed to Washington were some who were planning to carry a variety of weapons and military gear, and were seeking to target members of Congress and breach the Capitol building.

If so, the Secret Service apparently failed to coordinate effectively with law enforcement partners, the public, or congressional leaders to strengthen the security posture — and instead ferried a number of people under their protection to the Capitol complex with little more than their personal security details.

The Secret Service declined to answer questions from ABC News.

If true, the lapse in security — laid out on national television during a committee session Tuesday — represents perhaps the most glaring evidence to date that the Secret Service, responsible for guarding key political figures and their families, failed at its most basic responsibilities in how it dealt with Trump’s rally and the meetings of the House and Senate on Jan. 6, according to John Cohen, a former ranking Department of Homeland Security official who is now an ABC News contributor.

“It appears that senior officials at the White House were not only aware of plans to march on the U.S. Capitol, but also appeared to be planning for the president to join,” Cohen said, citing another of Hutchinson’s allegations. “This testimony raises highly disconcerting questions about what the Secret Service knew about this event and why more wasn’t done to prepare.”

Notoriously tight-lipped about their job and how they do it, the Secret Service is under renewed focus this week after Hutchison, 26, alleged shocking new details about the president’s interactions with his security agents on Jan. 6 and how they were so concerned about possible violence at the Capitol that they refused Trump’s directive to drive him there.

“The president said something to the effect of, ‘I’m the effing president, take me up to the Capitol now’ — to which Bobby [Engel, the head of Trump’s security detail], responded, ‘Sir, we have to go back to the West Wing,'” Hutchinson testified she was told by Tony Ornato, a senior Secret Service official who was at the time White House deputy chief of staff for operations.

Trump, responding to Hutchinson’s testimony, said, “I hardly know who this person, Cassidy Hutchinson, is, other than I heard very negative things about her (a total phony and ‘leaker’).”

Hutchinson also testified that in the days leading up to Jan. 6, Meadows at one point said, “Things might get real, real bad on Jan. 6.”

And on the morning of Trump’s planned speech at the Ellipse, just south of the White House grounds, Hutchinson said, Trump was made aware of individuals with weapons seeking to attend his rally and that many of them declined to pass through security checkpoints because they would have needed to surrender their weapons. Frustrated that those requirements were suppressing the size of the crowd, Trump suggested that the metal detectors be removed, Hutchinson testified.

Cohen said that, as concerned as he was about those developments, he was most troubled by the picture Hutchinson’s testimony painted of possible failures on the part of the Secret Service, an agency Cohen has worked closely with since it was folded in to DHS after the 9/11 terror attacks.

“Hutchinson’s testimony raises serious questions regarding security planning by the Secret Service on Jan 6. that will need to be answered,” Cohen said. “Did the Service leadership have advanced notice of the planned march on the Capitol? Did they have advanced notice of the president’s intent to join the crowd?”

Hutchinson said that Ornato, whom she described as “the conduit for security protocol between White House staff and the United States Secret Service,” was aware of possible violence planned for Jan. 6 in the preceding days — and alerted Meadows and Trump on the morning of Jan. 6.

Even with this information allegedly circulating among senior White House staff, the Secret Service ferried at least three of its protectees to travel to the Capitol — Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, and incoming Vice President Kamala Harris, who was still a senator from California — without supplementing their details with additional agents or coordinating with other agencies to shore up protection.

Ornato, a longtime Secret Service employee, currently serves as a senior official in the agency’s training branch. The Jan. 6 committee has expressed interest in interviewing him, and the Secret Service has said he is available to testify under oath, but did not provide further details.

Law enforcement officials have broadly characterized Jan. 6 as an intelligence failure, claiming that Washington’s myriad of law enforcement agencies did not fully grasp the threat landscape — despite warnings that appeared on social media in the weeks leading up the rally.

Secret Service officials have also said that local officials did not ask DHS to establish a special national security designation for the Jan. 6 sessions of Congress, so their hands were tied — though Cohen said DHS and the Secret Service don’t have to wait for local officials to reach out if they are aware of active threats.

Hutchinson’s testimony indicated that the Secret Service either had advanced warning of the threats and failed to notify others and formulate an appropriate response plan — or they were misled by White House officials who had a clearer understanding of the potential for violence and neglected to alert the appropriate agencies, Cohen said.

“These security lapses may not have been a result of incompetence, but instead due to deliberate actions taken by senior White House officials,” Cohen said. “If this information was not provided to the Secret Service, or if it was and the Secret Service failed to expand security operations, that would be highly disconcerting.”

Don Mihalek, a former senior Secret Service agent who is now an ABC News contributor, said the “interplay of information” among senior White House staff and protective agents about possible threats happens regularly — but that agents are limited in how they can implement plans if senior officials fail to heed warnings or cooperate with them.

Mihalek said he believes the breakdown in communication between agencies handicapped the Secret Service’s planning and response as protesters marched on the Capitol building. He defended agents’ decision to allow Pence, his wife, and Harris travel freely to the Capitol, despite possibly knowing the risk in advance.

“Nobody has a crystal ball,” Mihalek said. “There’s always a threat environment, and the Secret Service’s job is to mitigate threats as much as possible — and they don’t have the authority to override a protectee’s movement, outside of citing a credible and specific threat.”

In the wake of her appearance on Capitol Hill, Hutchinson has faced a deluge of criticism from Trump associates and supporters who have questioned her credibility. Republican Rep. Liz Cheney told “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl in an exclusive interview that she has full faith and confidence in Hutchinson’s word.

“I am absolutely confident in her testimony,” Cheney told Karl in a wide-ranging interview set to air in full on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” this Sunday. “The Committee is not going to stand by and watch her character be assassinated by anonymous sources, and by men who are claiming executive privilege.”

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(NEW YORK) — A 71-year-old woman was gored by a bull bison at Yellowstone National Park, making her the third person attacked by a bison at the park this year.

A park official said that the Pennsylvania woman and her daughter were headed back to their vehicle at Storm Point at Yellowstone Lake on Wednesday when they inadvertently approached the bison, causing it to charge at them.

The woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was sent to West Park Hospital in Cody, Wyoming.

Earlier this week, a 34-year-old Colorado man was walking with his family near Giant Geyser at Old Faithful in Yellowstone when a bull bison attacked him.

On May 30, a 25-year-old woman was gored by a bison after approaching the animal near a boardwalk at Black Sand Basin.

Yellowstone officials warned that people should stay over 25 yards away from bison and other large animals at the park and give them space near campsites, trails and boardwalks.

“Though bison are generally more intent on grazing, mother bison are extremely protective of their calves in spring and bulls can be more aggressive in July and August during the rut when they are competing for the attention of females,” Dennis Jorgensen, the bison program manager at World Wildlife Fund, told ABC News in a statement.

Bison are threatened when approached and may issue warnings, such as head bobbing, pawing and snorting, when you’re too close. Officials add that people should not hold their ground and should run away from bison immediately.

“Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal,” the park says on its website. “Bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans.”

Yellowstone National Park is reopening part of its north loop on Saturday, weeks after severe flooding forced people to flee, left some stranded and damaged roads and bridges, forcing the park to shut down.

“We’re pleased to reopen the north loop of Yellowstone to the visiting public less than three weeks after this major flood event,” Cam Sholly, the park’s superintendent, said in a press release Thursday.

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(SAN ANTONIO) — Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar has written a letter to President Joe Biden, asking to meet with him to address migration issues “as the humanitarian crisis it truly is.”

“We just don’t see it slowing down,” Salazar told ABC News’ Linsey Davis Wednesday during an interview for “ABC News Live Prime.”

“I attribute that to what I would call a perceived lack of action on the part of the federal government that’s allowing the state of Texas to do what they’re doing, which is quite frankly, causing a whole lot of heartache for other agencies, and I don’t see a whole lot of benefit from it… we’re dealing with big rescues of groups of undocumented immigrants every day.”

Salazar has called for action from the federal government in his most recent letter to Biden stating how “angry he is.”

“I’m angry that I could not stop this massive loss of life in my county. I’m angry that despite my best efforts to appeal to your administration, I have not received a response. I’m disappointed that a perceived lack of action on the part of the US government has allowed the governor of my state to use this issue as one big campaigns done,” Salazar wrote and also alleged that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott used the situation “as some sort of enemy invasion.”

This comes after 53 people lost their lives during a suspected migrant smuggling operation Monday, and and increasing migration at the border.

This is, however, not the first time he has reached out to Biden asking for assistance as a spokesperson for Salazar told ABC News he has written three letters to Biden and has also reached out to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

While he is hoping to have resources from the federal government and meet with Biden, Salazar who is a Democrat, also puts blame on Abbott’s migrant arrest program. Under this program, state law enforcement agencies are authorized to arrest migrants on criminal charges. This is something Salazar said he is not going to enforce, that he has not seen to be beneficial, and referred to as a “campaign stunt.”

“We have not experienced any change. In fact, it seems to be picking up steam. To me, it just seems like a big campaigns stunt, that billions of billions of dollars are being poured into it, And for what?…We’re sleeping out here in the in the desert, watching for this enemy invasion that never truly seems to come,” Salazar said.

Abbott’s program has faced severe backlash including from members of the Texas National Guard who have been tasked with enforcing the measure.

Salazar’s most recent letter, he said, has received “some response” from the White House, but he still hopes to meet to discuss solutions.

“I’m not just going to come to the table and present problems. I’m hoping to present some solutions. I’ve been in talks with other urban county sheriff’s in the state of Texas…so we’re prepared to come present some possible solutions as we see it. But we just need the audience,” Salazar said.

And is hopeful of a solution.

“We may not have all the answers, but I think between those of us that are here, with eyes on the problem every day, and those in D.C. that are the top decision makers, I think we can reach some sort of an understanding to try to truly make a difference in this issue,” Salazar said.

ABC News Victoria Moll-Ramirez contributed to this report

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(LOS ANGELES) — A 93-year-old suburban Los Angeles homeowner, who a relative said was frustrated over being the victim of numerous home break-ins, shot and critically wounded a burglar and scared off the would-be thief’s accomplices, according to authorities.

The retired plumber, identified as Joe Howard Teague by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, turned the tables on the group of home invaders early Wednesday when he grabbed his gun and confronted them inside his house in Moreno Valley, the sheriff’s office said.

“I approached them to put them under citizen’s arrest. They wouldn’t adhere to that and then one of them came at me with a fishing pole,” Teague told reporters outside his home Thursday.

He said the suspects, who entered his home after kicking open his door, began throwing things at him as he tried to hold them at gunpoint.

“It was just like somebody comes to a gunfight with a pocketknife, you know,” Teague said.

Teague called 911 at about 12:30 p.m. and reported a burglary in progress at his home, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. As deputies responded, Teague told a dispatcher he was holding several suspects, according to the sheriff’s department.

Teague said the suspects included at least one woman.

When deputies arrived at Teague’s home, they found one of the suspected burglars suffering from a gunshot wound.

A witness told deputies that several people were seen fleeing Teague’s home on foot prior to the arrival of deputies.

The wounded suspect, identified as Joseph A. Ortega, 33, of Moreno Valley, was hospitalized in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s department.

“Investigators have established that several individuals, including Ortega, were inside Teague’s property when a shooting occurred,” the sheriff’s department said.

93-year-old homeowner takes matters into his own hands and shoots suspect who authorities say broke into home in Moreno Valley https://t.co/IkpQrbOowu

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 29, 2022

Teague was not injured. He was taken to a sheriff’s department station, questioned and released, authorities said.

Sheriff’s department officials said it appears the shooting was justified, but added that the investigation is ongoing.

“Based on the severity of Ortega’s medical condition, the Central Homicide Unit responded to the scene and assumed the investigation,” the sheriff’s department said.

Investigators are working to identify the other assailants. No arrests have been announced.

Oscar Malma, whose wife is related to Teague, told ABC station KABC in Los Angeles that Teague had been the victim of a string of recent break-ins, including one that occurred on Friday.

Malma said the elderly man had grown increasingly frustrated over his home being targeted by thieves and the response from local police.

“He was tired because every time he calls the police, the police were taking forever to come and assist him,” Malma said.

He said a burglary Friday at the man’s home occurred in broad daylight.

“And now this happened in the middle of the night,” Malma said. “He was defending his property. That happened inside of his home. So, I don’t think there would be any reason for him to be arrested.”

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(NEW YORK) — Central America is bracing for tropical storm conditions.

The tropical system, now located off the northern coast of Colombia, has a 90% chance of developing into Tropical Storm Bonnie on Thursday as it approaches Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

It’s expected to strengthen into a strong tropical storm before landfall Friday evening.

Heavy rainfall and gusty winds will be the biggest threat.

Hurricane watches are in effect for parts of Nicaragua’s east coast and tropical storm warnings were issued for Colombia, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and the island of San Andres.

Early next week, the storm is expected re-emerge in the eastern Pacific and strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane off the coast of Mexico. Tropical storm watches were issued for parts of the west coasts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Meanwhile, another tropical system is heading to coastal Texas and Louisiana, bringing heavy rain Thursday into Friday.

The heaviest rain will be focused along the Texas/Louisiana border. Areas between Houston and Lake Charles may see more than six inches of rain. Houston and Lake Charles can expect between two and four inches of rain.

The heaviest rain will happen Friday morning through the evening commute. Residents should be prepared for flash flooding.

ABC News’ Riley Winch and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.

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(SAN FRANCISCO) — It seems to be summer vacation for San Francisco’s coyotes, as one was spotted ditching the woods and taking to the city’s streets for a downtown stroll.

The coyote was captured on video in the city’s Laurel Heights neighborhood by Christian Calderon, who saw the animal on Euclid Avenue near Iris Avenue, according to ABC News affiliate, KGO.

The coyote was seen walking along a sidewalk and crosswalk for several minutes in Calderon’s video.

No reports of human or animal injuries have been made in connection to this coyote sighting.

This video may be shocking for some Americans, but for San Francisco, coyote sightings have become increasingly common.

According to Camilla Fox of Project Coyote, a national nonprofit organization based in Marin County that promotes coexistence between people and wildlife, coyotes live throughout San Francisco, and most of the city’s green spaces are likely to have coyotes within them.

“What’s most remarkable is that we don’t often see them, though we are coexisting with them. We only hear when there is a sighting or conflict,” Fox said in an interview with the San Francisco Department of Environment.

According to the department, coyotes maintain an important role in the area’s ecosystem, particularly by preying on different rodent species in the area.

This, Fox explained to the department, means that there are less rodenticides and other deadly poisons that kill “non-target animals.”

Nonetheless, spotting a coyote can be scary for the average person, and can pose a risk to pets.

In April, two pet owners lost their dogs to coyote attacks, both in the Corona Heights Park area, just a couple of miles from where a coyote was spotted in Laurel Heights on Wednesday.

The two attacks, happening a couple of weeks apart in the same area, happened quickly, while the owners were close to their animal, the San Francisco Chronicle said.

“It’s heartbreaking, and all the time it’s very similar stories of how it happened,” Deb Campbell, a spokesperson for San Francisco Animal Care and Control told the San Francisco Chronicle.

“A dog will be off-leash, or someone will let a dog out to pee off-leash, and there’s a coyote in the vicinity that will take it. It’s heartbreaking and preventable and we certainly wish that these things never happened,” Campbell added.

San Francisco Animal Care and Control has more information on how to avoid altercations with coyotes on their website.

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(NEW YORK) — Ruja Ignatova, the so-called Cryptoqueen, has now been named a most-wanted fugitive by the FBI.

The FBI added Ignatova to its 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list for allegedly defrauding investors of more than $4 billion through OneCoin, a cryptocurrency company she helped found in 2014.

The move comes after Europol added Ignatova, 42, to its most-wanted list earlier this year.

“It’s an important tool for us, the top 10 list,” FBI Assistant Director Michael Driscoll told reporters during a news briefing Thursday. “We think the public is in the best position to help.”

Ignatova, a Bulgarian lawyer, claimed to have invented a cryptocurrency to rival Bitcoin. She and others allegedly made false statements while soliciting investments and promoted OneCoin through a multi-level marketing strategy, according to the FBI.

OneCoin also claimed to have a private blockchain, as opposed to a public and verifiable one that other virtual currencies have, and the value of OneCoin was determined by the company rather than market demand, the FBI said.

The FBI alleges that Ignatova ultimately persuaded investors to give her billions of dollars, capitalizing on the buzz around cryptocurrencies, before disappearing in 2017 after a federal warrant was issued for her arrest.

“She’s got a lot of money and she hit the road pretty quick,” Driscoll said.

Investigators believe Ignatova may have been tipped off that she was under investigation by U.S. and international authorities. On Oct. 25, 2017, she traveled from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece, and has not been seen since, according to the FBI.

Ignatova was indicted in February 2018 on one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and securities fraud.

Ignatova is the only woman on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and is the 11th in its 72-year history, said the FBI, which is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to her arrest. She was known to travel throughout Eastern Europe and the Mideast and may have had plastic surgery to alter her appearance, the FBI said.

While speaking at an event in London in June 2016, Ignatova told the crowd she believed OneCoin would become the “no. 1 cryptocurrency worldwide.” Though in an email with her co-founder, Ignatova reportedly described an exit strategy for OneCoin as, “Take the money and run and blame someone else for this…” according to federal prosecutors.

Several others also have been charged in connection with OneCoin, including Ignatova’s brother, Konstantin Ignatov, who ran the business after she disappeared from public view. He was arrested in March 2019 on a wire fraud conspiracy charge stemming from his role in the “international pyramid scheme,” federal prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty to multiple felonies and is awaiting sentencing.

Attorney Mark Scott was convicted in 2019 for his role in laundering $400 million worth of fraud proceeds on behalf of OneCoin leadership and is awaiting sentencing, prosecutors said.

Karl Sebastian Greenwood, another OneCoin co-founder, is awaiting trial on fraud charges.

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(NEW YORK) — One of four men facing federal charges in connection with an alleged smuggling incident that left 53 people dead after they were trapped in a tractor-trailer is due in court Thursday.

Homero Zamorano Jr., 45, of Pasadena, Texas is charged with one count of alien smuggling resulting in death. He is suspected of being the driver of the truck that was found in San Antonio on Monday.

Zamorano could face up to life in prison or the death penalty.

Investigators say Zamorano was apprehended at the scene after trying to pass himself off as one of the migrants. Police were able to recover a phone, a hat and a wallet that contained an ID belonging to Zamorano, court documents show.

Using surveillance footage from the truck’s immigration checkpoint border crossing, officials from Homeland Security Investigations say they were able to determine that Zamorano was the driver. The driver was seen in surveillance footage wearing a black shirt with white or grey stripes and a hat. HSI officials say they verified Zamorano was wearing the same clothing.

Zamorano was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation after he was apprehended.

According to court documents, responding HSI agents initially found 48 people dead inside and around the tractor-trailer. Of those found dead, authorities say 22 were from Mexico, seven from Guatemala, two from Honduras and 17 of unknown origins, who officials suspect are undocumented.

Officials said 16 people were hospitalized.

According to court documents, there were 64 individuals suspected of being in the country illegally in connection to this alleged smuggling incident.

Of the 53 bodies in the custody of the medical examiner’s office, 40 are male and 13 are female, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday.

Rebeca Clay-Flores, the Bexar County Precinct 1 commissioner, said at a press conference Tuesday that some of those found are under the age of 18, likely teenagers.

Clay-Flores, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and representatives from the county medical examiner’s office met with Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mario Búcaro, three Guatemalan consuls, representatives from the Embassy of Mexico and Consul General of El Salvador Fátima Margarita Flores on Wednesday, the medical examiner’s office said Thursday.

The medical examiner’s office said they would release information on the number and nationality of confirmed identities as they become available. Names and identifying information will not be released until their foreign country’s consulate or embassy confirms their next of kin has been notified.

On Tuesday, police arrested Christian Martinez, 28, in Palestine, Texas, alleging he was in contact with Zamorano about the alleged smuggling operation.

Two other men, Juan Claudio D’Luna-Mendez and Juan Francisco D’Luna-Bilbao, were arrested in connection with the truck deaths on gun charges. They were identified as unauthorized migrants in possession of multiple weapons, according to federal authorities.

The incident unfolded in the southern Texas city on Monday evening at around 5:50 p.m. local time, when a nearby worker heard a cry for help and found the tractor-trailer with the doors partially opened and the bodies of 46 people inside, according to San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus and San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood.

“They suffered, horrendously, could have been for hours,” Hood said.

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(NEW YORK) — Friends and family members of Brittney Griner gathered for a vigil outside the Russian Consulate in New York City on Wednesday evening, calling for the WNBA star’s release ahead of her trial in Russia.

“Feb 17 was the last time I talked to my sister,” said Janell Roy, Griner’s childhood friend said at the vigil. “I haven’t been in communication with her, I haven’t been able to talk to her and it hurts.”

Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia on Feb. 17 after she was accused of carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in Russia.

Griner’s detention in Russia was extended repeatedly, most recently through Dec. 20, which is the expected length of her trial. If convicted, Griner, 31, faces up to 10 years in prison.

The Phoenix Mercury player’s trial is set to begin on Friday and she is expected to remain in custody throughout.

The WNBA star, who attended a preliminary hearing on Monday in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow, did not respond to an ABC News reporter’s question as she walked out of the courtroom.

Asked how Griner is feeling at the hearing, her attorney Aleksandr Boikov told ABC News on Monday, “She’s fine as she could be.”

The U.S. government classified Griner’s case on May 3 as “wrongfully detained,” meaning the United States will more aggressively work to negotiate her release even as the legal case against her plays out, the State Department said.

“… The fact remains that the U.S. Government has determined that Brittney Griner is wrongfully detained and being used as a political pawn,” Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, wrote in a series of tweets on Monday. “The negotiation for her immediate release regardless of the legal proceedings should remain a top priority and we expect [President Joe Biden] and [Vice President Kamala Harris] to do everything in their power, right now, to get a deal done to bring her home.”

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday that Griner is “unjustly detained” and called on the Russian government to release the American basketball star.

Sullivan further stressed the U.S. is “actively engaged” in working to secure Griner’s release, but added that the diplomatic efforts are “sensitive matters.”

“But I will tell you it has the fullest attention of the president and every senior member of his national security and diplomatic team, and we are actively working to find a resolution to this case, and will continue to do so without rest until we get Brittney safely home,” he said. “We also are trying to work actively to return all unjustly detained Americans and hostages being held overseas, whether that be in Iran or Afghanistan or Russia or Venezuela, or China or elsewhere.”

The 6-foot-9 center won an NCAA title at Baylor in 2012; a WNBA title with Phoenix, her current team, in 2014; and gold medals with the U.S. women’s team at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began one week after Griner was detained. Some officials are concerned that Americans jailed in Russia could be used as leverage in the ongoing conflict.

Calls to free Griner escalated following the release of U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed in April, who was freed from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner exchange. Former Marine Paul Whelan has also been detained in Russia since 2019.

An international prisoner swap potentially involving Griner, Whelan and convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout has been discussed, according to Russian media reports, but it’s unclear if there has been any substantial movement on the issue. Russian officials have also indicated that they want Griner to stand trial.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday that Brittney Griner’s inability to reach her wife was an “unfortunate mistake,” adding that another phone call has been scheduled.

It would have been the first time that Brittney Griner speaks to her wife since her detention more than three months ago.

“This was an unfortunate mistake, and the Department of State is working to rectify this as quickly as possible,” Jean-Pierre said, adding that another call between the couple was scheduled. It is unclear if the call has taken place.Cherelle Griner previously told “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts in May that she would like to speak with President Joe Biden.

“I just keep hearing that, you know, he has the power. She’s a political pawn,” she said. “So if they’re holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it.”

Asked about a potential meeting between Cherelle Griner and President Biden, Jean-Pierre said, “We don’t have anything to share about a potential phone conversation or meeting.”

ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova and Molly Nagle contributed to this report.

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(ENCINAL, Texas) — Four people were killed and three others are in critical condition Thursday following a car crash involving an alleged migrant smuggling operation in Texas, police said.

The incident took place on Interstate 35 in Encinal, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“The driver suspected of human smuggling evaded law enforcement and crashed into a commercial vehicle,” the Texas DPS tweeted.

Encinal is located about 40 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The incident comes three days after 53 migrants being smuggled into the U.S. were found dead inside a tractor-trailer in San Antonio.

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