National

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Labor Department is warning of a potential food crisis linked to President Trump’s immigration raids – and one family-owned farm is caught in the middle.

“The near total cessation of the inflow of illegal aliens combined with the lack of an available legal workforce, results in significant disruptions to production costs and threatening the stability of domestic food production and prices for U.S consumers,” according to a Department of Labor report submitted earlier in October.

Owyhee Produce, a third-generation agricultural business in Idaho, is now facing worker shortages in the wake of the Trump administration’s increasing deportation raids.

Shay Myers, Owyhee Produce’s general manager, said the farm typically has 300 workers at peak harvesting times, with roughly 82 H-2A visa employees, who are temporary, seasonal agricultural workers from abroad.

According to Myers, these seasonal workers – some from Mexico, some from South Africa and other countries – are granted a visa for up to nine months after being interviewed to determine whether they qualify. Owyhee then provides their travel to the farm, and their housing – “everything, really, when they’re here except for food and clothing. That’s part of the requirements,” said Myers.

Given the cost and requirements, it may seem easier to hire local workers instead. Not so, according to Myers.

“We would love to hire people from here. The reality is that we can’t find the numbers of people here,” Myers told ABC News. “We’re in a rural area, number one. Number two: This is hard work. It is difficult work, and there are lots of people that are not willing to do it.”

Mauricio Sol, a seasonal worker at Owyhee, said 90% of the workforce at the farm is from Mexico, but it is becoming more difficult to find seasonal agricultural workers due to increased concerns about possible ICE raids.

“We all come on the H-2A visa program, so we come all here legally by the season, just for the season, and then we go back to Mexico,” Sol told ABC News. “We usually get a lot of applications. We’re not getting that many now because people is afraid of that even when they are legally here, they’re getting arrested for no reason.”

James O’Neill, the director of Legislative Affairs for the American Business Immigration Coalition, which describes itself as “a bipartisan coalition of over 1,700 employers and CEOs from across the country to provide a strong and unified voice seeking lasting immigration solutions,” says that President Trump’s immigration raids are hurting agricultural labor forces and could lead to higher food prices.

“It’s absolutely impacting the labor force,” O’Neill told ABC News. “Nationwide, the USDA’s ag labor survey suggests that somewhere between 50 and 60 percent of our farm labor workforce is undocumented immigrants.”

“And if that’s the case, if we were to deport them all overnight, then that’s 60% of the workforce, meaning that’s 60% of the supply that’s not being met without a shift in demand. And I think anyone that understands economics knows that means higher prices for them at the grocery store,” O’Neill said.

A September report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Service estimated that “about 40 percent” of “hired crop farmworkers lack legal immigration status.”

Myers said he wants to share Owyhee’s story in hopes of bringing attention to the plight faced by seasonal agricultural workers across the country, “because it’s wrong not to.”

“I have a voice, I have reach. I have people that will listen,” Myers told ABC News. “And because I am a conservative and a Republican, people assume that I would have a different perspective here, and this is my reality.”

“I love these people. I love the culture, and I love the effort that they make. And ethically, to continue to not fix this problem is absolutely completely wrong.” Myers said. “We as Americans try to do the right thing. Let’s do the right thing.”

ABC News reached out to the U.S. Department of Labor for comment but was told that their press team was unavailable due to the ongoing government shutdown.

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(NEW YORK) — Authorities in suburban New York believe they have closed a murder case that had been open for more than 40 years.

In November 1984, 16-year-old Theresa Fusco disappeared after she was fired from her job working the snack bar at a roller rink in Lynbrook. Three men who had been convicted of her death were exonerated in 2003 based on DNA evidence.

On Wednesday, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office announced 63-year-old man Richard Bilodeau has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Fusco’s death. The indictment further charges him with second-degree murder during the commission or attempted commission of first-degree rape.

A discarded smoothie cup was the critical piece of evidence in the nearly 41-year-old murder case that Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said “sent shockwaves through the tight-knit Lynbrook community” and a fear that young women were at risk. 

Investigators had been surveilling the suspect for months when a break came in February. Bilodeau went to get a smoothie not far from his home in Center Moriches and investigators recovered the discarded cup and straw from the trash and brought it for testing, officials said.

“The DNA from that straw, Richard Bilodeau’s DNA, was a match,” Donnelly said during a press briefing Wednesday. “The DNA in this case led us straight to Richard Bilodeau.”

Donnelly said Bilodeau, who lived by himself in Center Moriches, had been under investigation since early 2024.

He was arrested Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder charge. Donnelly said he denied knowing Fusco, “but science proves otherwise.”

“Through his denials that he had ever known her name, who she was, he made kind of a flippant comment about the 1980s. He said, ‘People got away with murder.’  Well, I’ll tell you something, Mr. Bilodeau, I’ve got you now,” Donnelly said.

Fusco’s father said he “never gave up hope” and the indictment “brings closure” to him and his family.

“It’s heartbreaking to go through this over and over again, but this seems like a finalization and I’m very grateful, very grateful, for me and my family to come to an end like this, than to constantly be a cold case situation,” Tom Fusco said during Wednesday’s press briefing.

In 1984, Bilodeau was a 23-year-old living with his grandparents in Lynbrook, a mile from Hot Skates, the roller rink where Fusco had worked, officials said.

Fusco’s body was found buried under leaves and shipping pallets. Police said she had been strangled, sexually assaulted and beaten.

The murder stunned her Nassau County community, especially when two other teens went missing in the same area, which became known as the Lynbrook Triangle, a local take on the Bermuda Triangle, known for its disappearances.

Three men were charged in Fusco’s death, convicted and sentenced to more than 30 years in prison. 

The men insisted they were innocent, and, in 2003, DNA technology caught up to the case and confirmed semen found on the girl’s body was from another man and their convictions were vacated.

One of the wrongly convicted, John Restivo, told “Good Morning America” in 2003, “For years … someone would ask me how I’m doing today. I’d say, ‘Not good, I woke up on the wrong side of the wall this morning.’ Yesterday I was able to say, ‘I woke up on the right side of the wall this morning.'”

ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto appear to have been overheard on Monday discussing what seemed to be a Trump family business venture, leading to criticism that it undermines what the White House has said about a firewall existing between the president’s official duties and his personal fortune.

During the exchange, which took place on a live camera feed shortly after Trump addressed a gathering of leaders in Egypt to laud the Gaza ceasefire plan, Subianto asked Trump to meet with “Eric,” presumably referring to Eric Trump, president’s son who is the executive vice president of the Trump Organization.

“Would you do that?” Trump responds. “He’s such a good boy. I’ll have Eric call you.”

Neither leader appeared to be aware that their conversation was being picked up by a microphone. The audio is muffled and at times difficult to discern. It was not clear exactly what the two men were discussing.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News. In the past, White House officials have said that Trump’s assets are held in a trust controlled by his family, and that, while president, he has no role in the family’s business dealings in order to avoid ethical concerns.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in May that it was “frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit.”

A spokesperson for the Trump Organization said in a statement that “The Trump Organization has two of the largest and most substantial projects in all of Indonesia, which began in 2015, long before President Trump entered office for the first term.”

“It should come as no surprise that our unbelievable property was referenced given its prominence within the country,” the statement said.

Critics immediately leapt on the nature of the discussion between Trump and Subianto, saying that “there is no line between Trump presidential and personal business,” according to Tony Carrk, the executive director of Accountable.US, a nonprofit government watchdog.

“The President is apparently using a foreign leader summit as a platform to smooth things over for his son’s condo development ventures in Indonesia,” Carrk said.

The exchange began when Subianto approached Trump behind the lectern where he had just finished addressing world leaders on camera, in front of the media. The first intelligible words came from Subianto, who describes a region as “not safe, security-wise,” before asking to meet with Eric.

“We’ll look for a better place,” Subianto says moments later.

“I’ll have Eric call you,” Trump responds.

“Eric or Don,” Subianto says, apparently referring to Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., another executive vice president at the Trump Organization.

At one point during the conversation, Subianto tells Trump, “I told Hary, also, by the way,” possibly referring to Hary Tanoesoedibjo, an Indonesian real estate developer who has partnered with the Trump Organization on both of its existing projects in the country.

Just days before the summit, Tanoesoedibjo posted a video on social media promoting the Trump-branded property in Lido City, a town just south of Jakarta, boasting of its “breathtaking views” and “unmatched prestige.” Tanoesoedibjo’s firm, MNC Land, is also in the process of developing another Trump-branded property in Bali.

MNC Land did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

Before parting ways, Trump, on the video feed, tells Subianto: “You’re a fantastic guy. I’ll have one of them call you. I like that you told me that. We don’t need that.”

Indonesia’s foreign minister downplayed the conversation, according to Bloomberg. 

“They’re friends, so it’s natural for them to speak privately,” Sugiono, the foreign minister, told reporters. “If there’s anything specific that needs follow-up, I will be informed.”

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(PHILADELPHIA) — A suspect has been arrested in connection to the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman who was allegedly harassed by an unknown individual before she went missing. However, the search continues for the missing nursing assistant, Philadelphia police said.

Kada Scott was last seen by her mother on Oct. 4 when she was leaving for work at a nearby nursing home, police said last week. On Wednesday, police said Keon King, 21, has been charged with kidnapping “for his involvement” in the disappearance of Scott.

While King is in custody in connection to Scott’s disappearance, officials said “a lot of work” is still to be done in the investigation, and they are “still treating this as if Ms. Scott is still alive.”

“The No. 1 priority is locating Ms. Scott,” John M. Stanford, the first deputy commissioner for field operations at the Philadelphia Police Department, said on Wednesday.

Scott arrived at work on Oct. 4, but left prior to her shift’s completion, and has not been seen since, Philadelphia police Capt. John Craig said during a press conference last week. It was not clear what time Scott left work, but officials said her shift typically was from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Scott was reported missing to police on Oct. 5, with law enforcement saying they had “some concern, more so than usual” regarding her disappearance due to worrying phone calls she was receiving.

“In the days leading up to her disappearance, Ms. Scott related to her family and friends that an unknown individual or person had been harassing her via phone,” Craig said last week.

Officials were able to recover Scott’s vehicle, which was located in the parking lot of the nursing home where she worked, Craig said.

On Tuesday, police told ABC News the investigation was being led by the the Homicide Unit, but said they were not characterizing it as a homicide investigation.

The 23-year-old’s father, Kevin Scott, told ABC News the family remains confident “she’s gonna be with us as soon as possible.”

“It’s been difficult, extremely difficult. We keep faith that she’s OK and she’s going to be with us as soon as possible, she’s going to be found and hopefully no harm is done to her. I’m going to keep that positive vibe going,” Kevin Scott told ABC News.

ABC News’ Tommy Foster and Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Coast Guard says that it has seized over 50 tons of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean since launching Operation Pacific Viper in early August, averaging nearly a ton daily.

In total, 86 people suspected of narco-trafficking have been arrested as a result of 34 interdictions since early August, according to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday.

“Through Operation Pacific Viper, the Coast Guard is accelerating counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, where significant transport of illicit narcotics continues from Central and South America,” officials said.

The U.S. Coast Guard said that it has surged their assets in the region in the past two months in order to “interdict, seize and disrupt transshipments of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs.”

Operation Pacific Viper’s ultimate goal is to counter narco-terrorism seeking to produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States.

“The Coast Guard’s seizure of over 100,000 pounds of cocaine, in such a short timeframe, is a remarkable achievement,” said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Novak, deputy commander of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area.

“When we say the Coast Guard is accelerating counter-narcotics operations, we mean it. Alongside our partners and allies, our maritime fighting force is scouring drug smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific and dismantling narco-terrorist networks,” Novak continued. “As we mark our interdiction of 100,000 pounds, we are already working towards the next milestone.”

The Coast Guard is the United States’ lead federal agency for maritime drug interdiction, officials said, and its more than 76,000 members “operate a multi-mission, interoperable fleet of more than 220 cutters, 185 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, 1,300 boats and its own dedicated cyber command to protect critical maritime infrastructure,” according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

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(WASHINGTON) — There is credible intelligence that members of Mexican drug cartels have offered a “tiered” bounty system for hits against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Two weeks ago, the Justice Department charged a member of the Chicago-based Latin Kings with putting a bounty on Greg Bovino, the CBP Commander overseeing the surge operations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland.

Drug cartels have “disseminated a structured bounty program to incentivize violence against federal personnel,” according to a press release from DHS.

The federal agency alleges cartels are offering $2,000 for intelligence gathering and doxing of agents, $5,000–$10,000 for kidnapping or non-lethal assaults on standard ICE/CBP officers and up to $50,000 for the assassination of high-ranking officials.

Gangs like the Latin Kings have also deployed “spotters” armed with firearms and radio communications to provide the real-time movements of CBP and ICE agents, according to DHS.

“These criminal networks are not just resisting the rule of law, they are waging an organized campaign of terror against the brave men and women who protect our borders and communities,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press release.

“Our agents are facing ambushes, drone surveillance, and death threats, all because they dare to enforce the laws passed by Congress,” Noem added. “We will not back down from these threats, and every criminal, terrorist, and illegal alien will face American justice.”

The DHS report comes amid a legal battle surrounding the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, in part, as protection for immigration enforcement officers and facilities.

Last week, District Judge April Perry temporarily blocked the deployment of troops from any U.S. state into Illinois, a ruling that will be in effect for 14 days.

In the decision, Perry determined that there is “no credible evidence that there is a danger of rebellion in Illinois” and no evidence that the president is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the U.S.

She said that the deployment of the national guard to Illinois “is likely to lead to civil unrest” requiring a response from local and state law enforcement.

Referencing what she called the “provocative nature of ICE enforcement activity” in Illinois, she said, “I find allowing the national guard to deploy will only add fuel to the fire that they started.”

The DOJ appealed the ruling, but it was rejected by a federal appeals court.

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(NEW YORK) — Police in Kansas are asking the public for help in identifying a man taking a woman by force seen on home surveillance footage in a “possible abduction,” authorities said.

The incident happened early Sunday at approximately 2 a.m. in a neighborhood in Wichita, police said, though the circumstances that led up to the abduction are currently unclear.

The homeowner reported she had Ring doorbell camera footage “showing a female being grabbed by a male, and then forced away from the area,” Wichita Police Capt. Todd Ojile said during a press briefing Tuesday.

Responding officers canvassed the area for any other footage or witnesses, though the Ring camera video, which was released by the Wichita Police Department on social media, is the only footage of the incident, according to Ojile.

“Our main concern is the safety and welfare of woman seen in that video,” Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said during the briefing. “Detectives have been working diligently, following every lead and tip we have received.”

A $2,000 reward is being offered for tips leading to the identification of the man or woman seen in the video, police announced Tuesday.

Authorities have checked missing persons reports filed so far this month, but did not find anything to match this incident, Ojile said.

The woman screams out in the video, though police have been unable to confirm what she said, according to Wichita Police Capt. Aaron Moses. Authorities processed the audio and reduced the background noise in hopes that someone will recognize her voice.

It is unclear if the man and woman left on foot or in a vehicle, Moses said.

Moses said police were “concerned” by the footage and “acted quickly to get that information,” and they don’t have anything to imply this is a hoax.

“Our priority here remains that female’s safety and verifying that she is safe,” Moses said. “So I would say, even if you are the female in this video and you’re concerned about calling us, please call us so that we can verify that you are safe, and then we will continue our investigation to what occurred.”

Police said they have reached out to regional and federal law enforcement partners for assistance.

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(NEW YORK) — A man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges he forced his way into a Queens, New York, home, killed the elderly couple who lived there, set fire to the house and then went on a shopping spree with the victims’ credit card, prosecutors said.

Jamel McGriff, 42, is charged in a 50-count indictment with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, kidnapping, arson, burglary and other offenses in connection with last month’s home invasion.

McGriff allegedly “made multiple attempts to transfer money from their bank account, murdered them and set the house ablaze before fleeing with their phones and credit cards,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

On Sept. 8, McGriff allegedly knocked on the Oltons’ neighbor’s door asking to charge his phone, and the neighbor turned him away, police said. Surveillance video showed McGriff then going to the victims’ house and victim Frank Olton letting him in, according to police.

Surveillance video showed McGriff going into the Oltons’ home around 10 a.m. and he did not leave until roughly 3:08 p.m, and he was seen walking from the home carrying a duffel bag, authorities said. Later, the Oltons’ son was notified by an alarm company there was a fire at the house.

Frank Olton, 76, was found tied to a pole in his basement suffering from multiple stab wounds, and his wife Maureen Olton, 77, was found on the house’s first floor, severely burned, the NYPD said.

After McGriff allegedly left the Oltons’ home, around 6 p.m., he is accused of making two purchases totaling $796.10 on Frank Olton’s credit card at Macy’s in Herald Square in Manhattan, prosecutors said. McGriff allegedly provided the cashier with his personal loyalty number for the transactions, prosecutors said.

On Sept. 9, McGriff allegedly deposited the Oltons’ phones into a machine that disburses cash for mobile devices at a Bronx check cashing store, and he allegedly used his own personal identification for the transactions, officials said.

McGriff is due to return to court on Nov. 12. He faces a life sentence if convicted.

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(ATLANTA) — Eight people were killed in a fiery, six-vehicle pileup on Interstate 85 in Jackson County, Georgia, the Jackson County Coroner’s Office confirmed to ABC News.

A semi-trailer chicken feed truck collided into the back of a Dodge van Monday afternoon, causing a chain reaction that ensnared four other cars in the northbound lanes of I-85, just south of mile marker 147, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

The Dodge van caught on fire and all seven passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials.

The coroner confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday that another individual in the pile-up was also pronounced dead.

Officials have not yet released the identities of those killed.

One of the vehicles in the crash was an animal transportation van that belonged to Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters, Georgia’s largest no-kill animal shelter, according to their website.

The van was transporting 37 cats to a shelter in Vermont, and the driver, along with multiple cats, sustained injuries in the collision. Five cats are missing, according to their Facebook post.

“In the chaos of the wreckage, cages were crushed, and cats began to flee,” the organization said in the post. “We are conducting triage on all of the cats involved to determine the extent of their injuries and needed medical care.”

“This is a tragic day, and our thoughts are with all who are grieving,” the organization added.

The incident is being investigated by the Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team, as the collision closed all northbound lanes of I-85 in the area until almost 10 p.m.

“We do not have any updates at this time. This crash is still under investigation. Once we receive new information, we will provide you with an update,” Georgia State Patrol spokesperson Franka Young told ABC News.

Jackson County is about 60 miles north of Atlanta.

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(NEW YORK) — The man who firebombed the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro pleaded guilty on Tuesday and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison, prosecutors said.

Cody Balmer pleaded guilty to charges including aggravated arson, arson and the attempted murder of Shapiro, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office said.

Prosecutors released surveillance video on Tuesday capturing the attack as it unfolded.

Balmer climbed a fence at the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg, broke a window and hurled a Molotov cocktail inside, prosecutors said.

Video showed Balmer walking through the house, hitting at doors, “including a door leading to where the Governor’s family and guests slept, but could not break through,” prosecutors said in a statement.

Balmer then ignited a second Molotov cocktail in the dining area, prosecutors said, and the fire it sparked was caught on surveillance video. Balmer then fled the scene, prosecutors said.

The attack occurred in the middle of the night, hours after the Shapiro family hosted more than two dozen people for the first night of Passover. At the time of the attack, the governor, his wife and three of their children were in the house, as well as 15 of their guests and two Pennsylvania State Police troopers, prosecutors said.

Balmer called 911, identified himself and confessed, allegedly telling the dispatcher that Shapiro “needs to know that he ‘will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.'”

Balmer allegedly told police he would have attacked Shapiro with a hammer if he happened upon the governor inside the residence, according to court documents.

Balmer was a mechanic who may have been experiencing financial and mental health problems, sources previously told ABC News.

Balmer, who was arrested at 38 years old, will first be eligible for parole when he is 63, prosecutors said.

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