(LONDON) — French authorities arrested two men in relation to last week’s major jewel heist at Paris’ Louvre Museum, the French National Police confirmed to ABC News, amid a nationwide manhunt for the perpetrators.
One suspect was arrested at 10 p.m. on Saturday at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport while trying to board a plane bound for Algeria, police said.
Police did not offer any information on the timing or circumstances of the second suspect’s arrest.
Both men are suspected of having been part of a team alleged to have robbed the Louvre last week. They are both from Seine Saint Denis, a northeastern suburb of Paris, police said.
No new information has been made public on the whereabouts of the stolen jewels that Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau estimated to be worth $102 million.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised investigators for making the arrests in a social media post on Sunday.
“I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to the investigators who worked tirelessly as I asked them to and who always had my full confidence,” Nuñez said in the post. “The investigations must continue in accordance with the secrecy of the investigation under the authority of the specialized interregional court of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office.”
“We will continue with the same determination! Let’s keep going!” Nuñez added.
Authorities launched a nationwide manhunt for the Louvre suspects after the theft from the museum’s Apollo Gallery on the morning of Oct. 19, shortly after the museum opened to the public.
The stolen items included crowns, necklaces, earrings and brooches, some of which once belonged to Emperor Napoleon and his wife.
The team of thieves drove up to the side of the museum in what police described as a “mobile freight elevator” equipped with a metal ladder on the back that was extended up to a window, according to the Paris police.
“They deployed the freight elevator, securing the surroundings with construction cones, before accessing the second floor, in the Apollo Gallery, by breaking the window with an angle grinder,” according to the police statement.
“Inside, they then smashed two display cases, ‘Napoleon jewels’ and ‘French crown jewels,’ using the angle grinder and stole numerous pieces of high-value jewelry,” police said.
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that authorities would catch those responsible for what he described as an “attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history.”
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati, who is overseeing the investigation alongside the Justice Ministry, described the heist to ABC News as “a simple, but spectacular operation.”
Soon after the theft, investigators said four suspects left the scene on two motorbikes, winding their way through central Paris and last spotted speeding southeast on Highway A6 out of Paris and in the direction of Lyon.
(LUMBERTON, N.C) — At least two people were killed and seven others are in critical condition after a mass shooting took place early Saturday at a large party in North Carolina, according to officials.
A total of 13 people were shot in the incident just outside of Maxton, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.
Over 150 people ran from the scene of the shooting before law enforcement arrived, according to the sheriff’s office.
The shooting was an isolated incident and there is no current threat to the community, according to the sheriff’s office.
“We are asking that anyone with information regarding this incident or anyone that was at the scene when the shooting occurred, to make contact with Sheriff’s Investigators by calling 910-671-3100 or email sheriff.wilkins@robesoncountysonc.gov,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — As New York City voters head to the polls to decide the next mayor, the Democratic frontrunner and his policy proposals have been thrust into the national spotlight.
State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has faced attacks by his opponents, critics, Republicans, and even President Donald Trump, who have lashed out at his progressive agenda with labels such as “radical” and “communist.”
However, when examined, Mamdani’s proposals, such as freezing the rent for some New York tenants, free buses and free child care, are not only feasible but also build off the foundations of previous New York City laws, political analysts told ABC News.
“Everything he has been talking about has been done in various degrees,” Doug Turetsky, the former chief of staff and communications director at New York’s City’s Independent Budget Office, told ABC News. “There is nothing that is new in what he’s proposing, and he’s been clear on how he aims to achieve them.”
Turetsky and others have noted that while Mamdani will likely have his work cut out for him if he wins the election, he has been putting in the work to not only sell his ideas but also draw in key city players to make it a reality.
“There will be challenges for sure, and those expecting buses to be free on January 1, if he gets inaugurated, are going to be disappointed because his plans will take time,” Turetsky said. “But if Mamdani is going to be successful, he’s going to have to work with the right people, and he’s starting to make those inroads.”
Affordability becomes top issue in race Mamdani, a 34-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA,) who was elected to state office four years ago, stunned the city when he won the Democratic primary in June. He beat out former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was seen as the favorite due to his experience and ties to Democratic leaders.
The assemblyman made the cost of living the centerpiece of his campaign and vowed to give New Yorkers a change of pace following the scandals of Mayor Eric Adams.
“I think that the Democratic Party must always remember what made so many proud to be Democrats, which is a focus on the struggles of working-class Americans across this country,” Mamdani told ABC News’ senior political correspondent Rachel Scott in June.
Christina Greer, an associate professor of politics at Fordham University, told ABC News that Mamdani has kept his ear to the ground and listened to New Yorkers’ concerns, rather than relying on consultants.
“All the messaging is not a messaging for just one group. What’s the racial composition of people worried about rent? It’s everyone,” she said. “The message is clearly something New Yorkers and people across the country have been yearning for.”
How Mamdani’s proposals build off previous plans Mamdani’s campaign and policy proposals have been headlined by three major proposals: freezing the rent for the city’s 1 million rent-stabilized apartments, making buses free and guaranteeing child care for New Yorkers from six weeks until 5-years-old.
The assemblyman said he would use his power to appoint members to the city’s Rent Guidelines Board, which decides rents for those specific units, and that they would keep prices stable during their annual vote.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who ran against Mamdani in the primary, and, ultimately, crossed-endorsed him in the ranked choice voting ballot, told ABC News that the nominee’s proposals build upon the work that the city has done at addressing New Yorkers’ needs.
“There is evidence we can do it because we have done it,” he said.
From September 2023 to September 2024, the MTA issued a pilot program that made five bus lines that served minority communities free, as part of a state proposal that Mamdani pushed.
A review of the pilot released over the summer found that ridership among those free routes increased, but travel times did not get faster.
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg also proposed free buses when he ran for a third term in 2009, but the plan was never implemented.
Lander noted that 12 years ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed for universal pre-K for all New York’s 4-year-olds and sought funding from Albany to make it a reality. De Blasio faced huge pushback from Democrats and Republicans alike for his proposal, who argued about the scope and cost of the project.
In 2014, universal pre-K launched in the city and eventually expanded to 3-K seats in select neighborhoods. Other school districts throughout the state and country have launched similar universal pre-K programs.
“The city has already taken bold steps for child care for all 4-year-olds and most 3-year-olds. The next step is 2-year-olds and to keep going,” Lander said, adding that his office has found the pre-K program has helped lower childcare costs for millions of parents across the city and improved the economy.
Lander also noted that the Rent Guidelines Board has frozen rents for rent-stabilized units in the past, with it happening three times during de Blasio’s administration, including during the pandemic.
The comptroller acknowledged that a lot of Mamdani’s proposals will require work and agreements from state leaders, but he pointed out that Mamdani is putting the work to make his case.
“Of course, this is going to take a lot of money, and it will be challenging because of federal cuts,” he said.
Mamdani’s opponents, Cuomo, who is running on a third-party line, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, have argued that the assemblyman’s proposals cannot be realistically done and that he lacks the experience to execute his vision.
“This is not a job for someone who has no management experience to run 300,000 people, no financial experience to run a $115 billion budget,” the former governor said in a debate last week.
How Mamdani backs up his proposals Mamdani has not been shy about the huge costs and steps it would take to achieve his goals, but he has outlined steps to get through the roadblocks.
The free bus proposal would have to be approved by the MTA, which is run by the state government, and would need an additional $800 million in state funding, according to Mamdani.
Mamdani also estimated that his plan to increase free child care would cost the city $6 billion annually.
He has proposed a 2% tax on New York City residents earning more than $1 million a year, and an increase in the state’s corporate tax rate to 11.5% to pay for his proposals. Both tax changes would need approval from state leaders.
The assemblyman has insisted that Albany leaders would be attentive to the benefits his proposals would bring to the city’s residents and that New York’s wealthiest residents and major corporations would benefit if those affordability solutions were in place.
“Mamdani will have an uphill battle given that he’s going to have to make the case to state leaders who are concerned about spending,” Greer said.
Alexis Grenell, the co-founder of Pythia, a political consulting group, told ABC News that since the primary ended, Mamdani has hit the ground running in neighborhoods to pitch his vision for the city.
Grenell, who has not done any consulting work for the Mamdani campaign, said that the biggest part of Mamdani’s appeal has been his active effort to meet people in person, even opponents, and listen to their concerns as he makes his case.
“He actually does mean it when he says he’s listening, and he’s shown it since the primary,” she said.
Grenell added that Mamdani’s messaging draws a sharp contrast from the messaging of his opponents.
Cuomo has recently increased attacks on Mamdani, attacking his political inexperience and has made controversial comments appearing to reference Mamdani’s background as a Muslim.
The former governor has brushed off criticism of his attacks on Mamdani, citing the assemblyman’s comments about the Israeli government committing genocide in Gaza. During a news conference Thursday, Cuomo brought up Mamdani’s appearance on influencer Hasan Piker’s podcast, noting Piker said in 2019 that “America deserved 9/11.”
Piker later said his remarks were inappropriate and meant to be satire.
Mamdani condemned Piker’s comments as “reprehensible” during a debate last week.
“I don’t think Andrew Cuomo has any ideas beyond his revenge campaign,” Grenell said. “I think a lot of New Yorkers are put off by that.”
Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer crime prevention group, has led a campaign focused on public safety.
“New Yorkers do have public safety concerns, but not as much as the concerns about whether they can afford their rent or even a sandwich,” Grenell said.
Making the case to moderates The experts told ABC News that one of Mamdani’s most effective decisions since he won the primary was to actively reach out to prominent moderate and sometimes conservative New York figures to talk about his vision and hear their thoughts.
Mamdani has spoken with many of the city’s major business leaders, including JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, and discussed his proposals, telling reporters that he wants to address their concerns while also tackling affordability.
“I think he is trying to present a more nuanced persona than he was originally perceived as. He was seen as an activist, and he’s coming off more nuanced,” Turetsky said.
Mamdani has had discussions with former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the city’s wealthiest business owners and a former Republican. Howard Wolfson, one of Bloomberg’s longtime advisers who was in the meeting, told the New York Times the former mayor and Mamdani ” disagreed on several issues,” but had a good meeting.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people after they have been with him, and in a lot of cases, they found him to be a good listener, asked a lot of questions, and gave smart and serious answers on how he will deliver on those commitments,” Lander said.
One of the biggest endorsements that Mamdani has secured since his primary is from Gov. Kathy Hochul, a moderate Democrat who will be a deciding factor in the state funding.
Hochul has been clear that she does not intend to raise taxes on New Yorkers, but she did say that she shares Mamdani’s commitment to expanded child care and bringing costs down.
“So I think there is a path for us to work collaboratively,” the governor said about Mamdani at an Oct. 16 summit on child care.
“There are policies that are troubling to the business community, I understand that, but the candidate has focused intensely on affordability, and that’s not just a buzzword. It’s a call to find meaningful solutions that start meaningful solutions that start changing people’s lives and their perspectives of their lives immediately. And I look forward to working with him on that,” she added.
The experts said that Mamdani’s outreach has also affected his campaigning on his policies.
The assemblyman has indicated in recent interviews that he is open to other ways to fund his proposals that don’t involve raising taxes if a viable option is available.
Mamdani says he plans to keep the current NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch if elected.
“I do think we have to give politicians room to evolve,” Greer said. “That’s what we’re seeing, the maturation of a candidate.”
True tests lie ahead As the campaign winds down, the experts warned that Mamdani will have to prepare himself for the intense scrutiny that awaits him, not only from those opponents but also from his own supporters.
Although the assemblyman has made it clear that his proposals will take time and are not guaranteed to be implemented the way he has planned, New Yorkers typically don’t give incoming mayors a long honeymoon period, Turetsky said.
“His biggest risk is with some of his most loyal and hyped-up supporters. If he can’t deliver major changes in short order, they might be questioning his commitment to his promises,” Turetsky said.
Grenell said a Mamdani administration will have to deal with Trump, who has labeled him a communist and threatened to take away federal funding if the assemblyman wins.
Mamdani has vocally criticized Trump’s controversial mass deportation actions and federal cuts, but has said he would be willing to work with the president if he wants to tackle the affordability crisis.
Grenell said while Trump’s threats are concerning to many New Yorkers, residents are ultimately looking for a mayor who fights for them, and Mamdani has shown his willingness to counter the president if he does anything to hurt the city.
“They know Trump will weaponize Mamdani for his own brutal attacks on the city, but Mamdani is smart and continues to point that out,” she said. “And he’s been able to still stick to the main point at hand, which is affordability.”
(NEW YORK) — For the first time in his presidency, Donald Trump this week imposed new sanctions on Russia in an attempt to push Vladimir Putin to stop his nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
The sanctions target two of Russia’s largest oil companies and their subsidiaries, a move that analysts say is a significant blow to Putin but unlikely to immediately shift his military aims.
“These are tremendous sanctions. These are very big,” Trump said as he confirmed the levies in an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday.
When asked why he was taking this action now, after months of threats and delayed punitive action against Moscow, Trump said he “felt it was time.”
Trump’s U-turns on Russia-Ukraine diplomacy
The surprise sanctions announcement came after a dizzying week of diplomacy for Trump, who turned his focus back to the conflict in Eastern Europe after securing a fragile ceasefire agreement in the Middle East.
Trump has shifted between support for Russia and support for Ukraine since returning to office, and has often sent mixed messages on what concessions would need to be made by both sides to reach a peace deal.
“I don’t think there’s an overall strategy. I think there’s an overall goal, which has been pretty consistent, which is to stop the fighting and stop the killing,” said William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine under President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama who also served as chargé d’affaires to the country during the first Trump administration.
Trump is now calling for a freeze of the conflict along the current battle lines, a ceasefire proposal that is backed by Ukraine.
One clear trend in Trump’s approach to the war over the past several months, experts said, was a growing frustration with Russia.
“Trump’s rhetoric started to change in the summer when he realized that despite his effort to diplomatically engage with Russia, Putin was not really delivering anything other than smooth talking. Russia, in fact, continued to escalate its attacks on Ukraine,” said Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow with the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Amid those tensions, Trump recently said he was considering giving Ukraine access to coveted American-made Tomahawk missiles that would allow Kyiv to strike deeper inside Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington to make the case for the military assets last week.
One day before Zelenskyy’s arrival, though, Trump changed his bullish posture after a phone call with Putin. Trump then said he and Putin planned to meet for a second face-to-face meeting.
“Putin has been very skillful in derailing Trump’s intentions to get tough with him. Putin derailed the sanctions when he went to Alaska and he derailed the Tomahawks with a phone call. But it does appear that Trump has figured that out,” said Taylor.
The second Putin summit was called off days after Trump first announced it, as Russia made clear it had no intention to change its goals to erode a sovereign Ukraine. Trump said he canceled the meeting because he didn’t want to have his time “wasted.”
“It seems that was a final blow,” said Snegovaya. “And eventually the administration decided it’s not enough to just use carrots to pressure Putin, you also need sticks. I think [the sanctions are] really long overdue decision but it’s better later than never, and the hope is that it’s just a first step in the overall much needed direction.”
What impact will the sanctions have?
The sanctions hit Open Joint Stock Company Rosneft Oil Company and Lukoil OAO, which are estimated to account for nearly half of all Russian oil production.
The Kremlin waved off the measures, and Putin said they will not “significantly affect our economies.”
Severe sanctions were put in place by the Biden administration and European countries after the start of Russia’s war in 2022, but Russia was largely able to stem the impact on its economy through shadow fleets and other adjustments.
But the economic situation in Russia has worsened in recent months, with declines in oil and fuel export revenues, persistent inflation and lower growth rates.
“These sanctions would be bad news for Putin under any circumstances but at the present moment, they’re more significant than they might otherwise seem,” said Stephen Sestanovich, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who served as the State Department’s ambassador-at-large for the former Soviet Union.
“The past few years they’ve had pretty good economic growth, and so they might not have had this kind of impact then,” Sestanovich said of the new U.S. sanctions. “But right now, this is just one more headache Putin does not need.”
How much these new sanctions hamper Russia will largely dependent on U.S. enforcement, experts said, especially when it comes to secondary sanctions on countries and companies buying Russian oil.
A fuller picture of the effect of the sanctions will emerge when they go into effect on Nov. 21.
“The devil, as usual, is in details,” said Snegovaya.
What next?
Analysts agree that the sanctions are not a silver bullet, and should be paired with more military support and financial support for Ukraine.
“There’s more that’s needed,” said Taylor, the former ambassador to Ukraine. “More sanctions, more weapons and more consistency.”
The European Union joined the U.S. in enacting tougher sanctions on Russia on Thursday, marking the group’s 19th sanctions package against Moscow. On Friday, the United Kingdom called on European allies to send more long-range missiles to Ukraine during a gathering with Zelenskyy in London.
Zelenskyy, for his part, left Washington last week without Tomahawk missiles but said he believed the issue was not entirely off the table.
In the meantime, Russia’s only ramped up its attacks on Ukraine, including an aerial strike on a kindergarten in the eastern city of Kharkiv.
“I think everybody ought to be ready for the Russians to get significantly more brutal in their attacks on Ukraine,” said Sestanovich.
“You have to have a comprehensive approach to dealing with this problem and to make the Russians see that actually, the situation is only going to get worse for them,” Sestanovich said. “The Putin approach has been a patient one and maybe a somewhat self-deluded one, thinking that the moment will come where they can break the Ukrainian lines or Ukrainian morale will sag or Western unity will erode. What you’ve got to do is have a set of policies that make it hard for Putin to kid himself.”
(NEW YORK) — Prices for home appliances, cars and auto parts could be impacted by President Donald Trump’s decision overnight to end trade talks between the U.S. and Canada, some trade experts told ABC News.
Trump said he’s terminating trade negotiations with Canada in response to a negative TV advertisement about tariffs rolled out earlier this month by the Canadian province of Ontario.
“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump posted on his social media platform.
The ad features audio with excerpts of a 1987 address by then-President Ronald Reagan that came as he imposed some duties on Japanese products but cautioned about the long-term economic risks of high tariffs and the threat of a trade war.
Trump claimed, without evidence, that the ad aimed to sway the outcome of a U.S. Supreme Court case over the tariffs, which is set to come before justices next month. In a post on X, Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged cooperation between the two countries.
“Canada and the United States are friends, neighbours and allies. President Ronald Reagan knew that we are stronger together. God bless Canada and God bless the United States,” Ford said.
Canadian goods currently face steep 35% tariffs, though many of those exports to the U.S. remain duty-free because the policy excludes products compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, a free trade agreement.
A separate swathe of Canadian products is subject to sector-specific tariffs, such as 50% levies on steel and aluminum.
In trade negotiations, Canada sought to reduce or lift the steel and aluminum tariffs, but a halt to discussions could keep those in place for an extended period, experts said. Canada is the top exporter of steel and aluminum to the U.S.
Steel and aluminum are found in a host of goods, including home appliances, food packaging, cars and auto parts, some experts added.
“Trade talks could’ve resulted in the lowering of existing tariffs,” Michael Sposi, a professor of economics at Southern Methodist University, told ABC News.
Steel is the top material by weight in a car, accounting for about 60% of its weight, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.
When steel imports face stiff taxes, the price of steel paid by U.S. manufacturers rises, meaning higher input costs for automakers, experts previously told ABC News. Those companies, they added, are likely to hike prices for consumers as a means of offsetting some of those costs.
Major home appliances — such as refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines — rely in part on steel, making them vulnerable to elevated prices due to tariffs.
In June, Trump suspended talks over Canada’s plans for a Digital Service Tax, which would have imposed a 3% levy on U.S. technology companies. Talks resumed days later after Canada abandoned plans for the tax.
Last year, the U.S. ran a trade deficit with Canada of $63 billion, which marked a slight decrease from the previous year, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. By comparison, the U.S. ran a larger trade deficit last year with its other top trading partners: A $295 billion deficit with China and a $171 billion deficit with Mexico.
The U.S. makes up the destination for roughly three-quarters of Canadian exports, while such products make up about 11% of U.S. imports.
The list of major Canadian exports to the U.S. also includes crude oil, natural gas and motor vehicles, though many of those goods remain tariff-free on account of their compliance with the USMCA.
The USMCA is up for a joint review next year, giving the countries an opportunity to amend the agreement. If Trump’s renewed frustrations affect the outcome of those negotiations, it could impact the price of some additional imported products such as cars, Tyler Schipper, a professor of economics at the University of St. Thomas, told ABC News.
“The breakdown of these talks about current tariffs probably doesn’t bode well for those negotiations,” Schipper said.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speak as they pose for a photo, at a world leaders’ summit on ending the Gaza war on October 13, 2025 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. (Photo by Suzanne Plunkett – Pool / Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A top Ontario official vowed to take down a negative TV advertisement about tariffs on Friday, just hours after President Donald Trump halted trade negotiation with Canada citing the ad.
“Ontario will pause its U.S. advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, noting the advertisement would air over the weekend during the Major League Baseball World Series.
“The people elected our government to protect Ontario—our workers, businesses, families and communities. That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Ford said.
On Friday morning, Trump claimed, without evidence, that the ad aimed to sway the outcome of a U.S. Supreme Court case over the policy set to come before justices next month.
“TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump posted on his social media platform.
“Canada is trying to illegally influence the United States Supreme Court in one of the most important rulings in the history of our Country,” Trump said on Friday morning.
Trump did not specify which law Canada had allegedly broken.
The ad campaign in question was rolled out earlier this month by the Canadian province of Ontario. The ad features audio with excerpts of a 1987 address by then-President Ronald Reagan that came as he imposed some duties on Japanese products but cautioned about the long-term economic risks of high tariffs and the threat of a trade war.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called for a spirit of partnership between the two countries in a post on X early Friday.
“Canada and the United States are friends, neighbours and allies. President Ronald Reagan knew that we are stronger together. God bless Canada and God bless the United States,” Ford said.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute said in a statement on social media Thursday evening that the Canadian ad campaign used “selective audio and video” of Reagan and “misrepresents” what he said in the address.
Referring to the Canadian ad campaign, Trump said, “They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts.”
The Supreme Court is set to decide this term whether Trump’s sweeping global reciprocal tariffs are an illegal use of emergency authority granted by Congress — and whether tens of billions of dollars collected so far must be refunded.
Earlier this month, in a White House meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump signaled optimism about a potential U.S.-Canada trade deal, saying the two sides had “come a long way” in negotiations.
In July, Trump issued a 35% tariff on most goods and raw materials from Canada.
ABC News’ Brian Hartman contributed to this report.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an announcement on his Homeland Security Task Force in the State Dining Room of the White House on October 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and its accompanying aircraft to the waters around Central and South America, a move that would likely add some 5,000 troops to the region and significant firepower designed to ratchet up pressure against the Venezuelan government.
The strike group, which is currently operating near Croatia, would likely need at least several days if not weeks to arrive, suggesting that a military attack against Venezuela is not imminent.
“These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs,” or transnational criminal organizations, said Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell.
The move, however, is significant and raises questions about Trump’s pressure campaign aimed at getting Venezuela’s president to step down. Trump on Thursday threatened a direct attack on Venezuela.
So far, the military has struck 10 alleged drug vessels in the region, including eight of them near the coast of Venezuela. But all of those attacks have all been in international waters.
The latest strike occurred overnight, according to Hegseth, who said the target was an alleged drug vessel operated by Tren de Aragua. Hegseth said six people were killed in the attack.
At least 43 people are believed to have been killed in the U.S. strikes so far.
The carrier deployment announced on Friday would add another five Navy ships to the eight already operating there and boost the overall military presence from 10,000 troops to some 15,000 personnel. The strike group also includes F-18 fighter jets, which could be used to ramp up the tempo of military strikes against drug vessels.
The military also has 10 F-35 fighter jets and MQ-9 Reaper drones already stationed in the region, while Hegseth has ordered B-52 and B-1 bomber planes, Black Hawk helicopter and MH-6 Little Birds to conduct exercises off the coast of Venezuela.
The strikes on drug boats is part of what the administration has called its “war” against drug cartels. But the lethal force has raised several legal questions, as past administrations have relied on law enforcement to interdict drug shipments.
“We’re finally treating the cartels as the core national security threat that they really are. The cartels are waging war on America,” Trump said at a White House event on Thursday where he was joined by Hegseth and other officials to discuss the administration actions against cartels.
The president was asked if he would seek a traditional declaration of war from Congress as they ramp up their campaign against drug cartels and traffickers.
“I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,” Trump said. “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them. You know? They’re going to be, like, dead. OK.”
ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — After weeks of declining to weigh in on the New York City mayor’s race, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Friday he was backing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
Jeffries, who represents parts of Brooklyn, said in a statement that while he and Mamdani had “areas of principled disagreement,” he acknowledged the state assemblyman’s win in the June primary and called for unity.
“Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” the congressman said in his statement.
“The stakes are existential. Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have unleashed an unprecedented assault on the economy, ripped healthcare away from my constituents, weaponized the Department of Justice against our state’s Attorney General and ordered masked agents to callously target law-abiding immigrant families,” Jeffries added.
Mamdani thanked Jeffries in a statement.
“I welcome Leader Jeffries’ support and look forward to delivering a city government and building a Democratic Party relentlessly committed to our affordability agenda — and to fighting Trump’s authoritarianism,” he said. “Our movement to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas grows stronger by the day.”
The New York Times first reported Jeffries’ endorsement.
As recently as Friday morning, Jeffries punted on endorsing Mamdani.
“I have not refused to endorse. I refused to articulate my position, and I will momentarily, at some point in advance of early voting,” Jeffries said Friday morning.
Early voting for the election begins Saturday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
President Donald Trump will likely name his new $300 million ballroom after himself, according to senior administration officials.
Already, officials are referring to it as “The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom.” That name will likely stick, ABC News was told.
Trump has not publicly said what he intends to name the ballroom, but he is known for branding his construction projects after himself — and it appears this project will be no different.
When asked by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce on Thursday if he has a name for his ballroom yet, Trump smiled and said: “I won’t get into that now.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(PARIS) — When Alexander Boecker and his wife, Julia Schwartz, woke up last Sunday morning, the first headlines were not what they expected.
One of their company’s machines — a Boecker AgiLo furniture lift — had been used in a jewel heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris and the image of their lift beneath the iconic French museum’s balcony was already everywhere.
Last week’s Louvre heist saw four masked thieves steal eight pieces of jewelry valued at $102 million, sparking a national outcry and nationwide manhunt. The daring heist took just seven minutes, leaving investigators searching for answers as to how one of the world’s most secure museums was robbed in such a brief window of time.
Based in Werne, a small town in western Germany, Boecker is a third-generation family firm that employs more than 600 people and earns about 150 million euros ($174 million) a year, according to its website. Its lifts are designed to move furniture, pianos and scaffolding — not priceless treasures.
“At first we were shocked,” Boecker told ABC News. “It was a reprehensible act. They had used our device to do it.”
By Sunday evening, once it was clear no one had been hurt, the shock gave way to dark humor, the 42-year-old noted.
“We put some slogans together we found funny,” Boecker said.
His wife, who heads the company’s marketing department, came up with the line that would soon go viral: “When you need to move fast.”
On Monday morning, the company licensed the now-famous photo of the Louvre heist — their lift in full view — and posted it online with the slogan.
“We expected maybe a few laughs,” Boecker said. “Not millions.”
By Thursday, the post had reached 4.3 million views — an extraordinary leap from their usual 20,000.
Inside the office, other slogans were considered: “Return on investment in only seven minutes” and “Even professional criminals rely on the best machines.” In the end, they decided to hold back.
“We didn’t want to cross the line,” Boecker said. “Of course, it’s a crime — a very serious one. We didn’t want to make fun of that.”
The AgiLo in question had been sold to a French rental company in 2020. On Oct. 15, 2025, the thieves arrived posing as clients, attended a short demonstration, learned how to operate the lift — then drove away with it. The rental company reported the theft to police that same day.
Boecker described his machines as “safe, reliable, durable — and as quiet as a whisper.”
“Over 99% of the reactions are positive,” he said. “Some people wrote, ‘Who says Germans don’t have a sense of humor?'”
He noted that they may stop the campaign, since they don’t want to “step over a line.”
“But still,” Boecker said with a smile. “Quite a story, and quite a lift.”
