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Federal Bureau of Investigation - August 20, 2025
Seal Federal Bureau of Investigation
Daily News Briefing
(In coordination with the Office of Public Affairs)
Email Public Affairs to subscribe to the Daily News Briefing. Mobile version and archive available here.
Table of Contents
IN THE NEWS
• Tulsi Gabbard Strips 37 Security Clearances Over Obama-Ordered Intel Report That Launched Russiagate
• Abrego Garcia's Lawyers Accuse Justice Dept. of Vindictive Prosecution
• Continued Reporting: Director Patel Says 21Arrested Overnight in D.C. Bringing Overall Total to 450
• Continued Reporting: Deputy Director Bongino to Work Alongside 'Co-Deputy Director' of FBI
COUNTERTERRORISM
• Analysis: Trump Is Turning the FBI Away From Investigating Terrorism and Corruption, Sources Say
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
• California Man Who Admitted Shipping Weapons to North Korea Is Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
• House Panel to Make Epstein Files Public After Redactions to Protect Victim Identities
• FBI Arrests U.S. Gymnastics Academy Coach Accused of Sexually Abusing Young Girls
• Woman Arrested, Charged After Threatening to Kill Trump
• Man Wanted in Texarkana Home Invasion, Shooting Arrested in Arkansas
• FBI Believes More May Be Involved in Louisiana Homicide
• Alabama Murder Suspect Arrested by FBI in New Orleans
• How an Active Dad' Ended up Allegedly Murdering His Three Daughters
• Eighteen Sentenced to Federal Prison From South Carolina Gang Drug Trafficking Ring
• North Carolina Drug Kingpin Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison
• FBI Issues Alert on Rising Fraudulent 'Law Firms'
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• Texas Man Accused of Using FBI Agent Ex's Identity to Secure $93K Loan for a Ford F150
• FBI Investigation in Indiana Ends With 11'Unauthorized Immigrants' Arrested
• North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty To Civil Rights Violation
• Colorado Springs Police, FBI Conducting Potential Human Remains Search
• Pennsylvania Man Who Distributed Child Pornography Sentenced
• Arkansas Man Sentenced to Ninety Years for Child Pornography, Ai-Generated Images
• Arkansas Man Arrested for Online Child Exploitation
• No Special Treatment Given to Israeli Official Accused of Nevada Sex Crime
• FBI Jacksonville Warns of Sharp Increase in Sextortion Cases, Online Predators Targeting Children
• D.C. Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Carjacking Spree Involving Six Victims
CYBER DIVISION
• Former New York City Department of Education Business Manager Sentenced in Bid Rigging Scheme
• Texas Tech University System, FBI Partner on U.S. Cybersecurity
• Continued Reporting: Allianz Life Security Breach Impacted 1.1 Million Customers
OTHER FBI NEWS
• Continued Reporting: FBI Insiders Express Total Frustration With Trump
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
• Air Canada to Resume Service as Flight Attendants' Union Ends Strike
• Kim Jong Un Slams Joint South Korea-U.S. Drills
• Finnish Politician Eemeli Peltonen, 30, Found Dead in Parliament After Taking His Own Life
• Tension Grows Between Israel and Australia Over Visa Revocation
• China and India Should Be Partners, Not Adversaries, Says Foreign Minister
• Qatar Urges a Gaza Ceasefire After a 'Positive Response' From Hamas
• Iranian Reformers Call for Tehran to End Uranium Enrichment, Strike Deal With U.S.
• Israel Demands Release of All Gaza Hostages, Casting Doubt on Ceasefire Proposal
• UK Free Speech Crackdown Sees up to Thirty People a Day Arrested for Petty Offenses
• Azerbaijan-Armenia Azerbaijani Deal Ambassador Praises President Trump as 'True Peacemaker' After Historic
OTHER WASHINGTON NEWS
• U.S. Destroyers Head Toward Waters off Venezuela to Pressure Drug Cartels
• President Trump Says No Ground Troops, but Maybe Air Support, to Back Ukraine Peace Deal
• Texas Democrats Plan to Spend the Night in the State Capitol in Protest Amid Redistricting Fight
• Potentially Radioactive Shrimp Recalled at Walmarts in a Dozen States
• Nebraska Announces Plan for Immigration Detention Center Dubbed the 'Cornhusker Clink'
• Oregon Man Accused of Operating One of Most Powerful Attack 'Botnets' Ever Seen
• U.S. Strikes Deportation Deals With Honduras and Uganda
• Minnesota Sues TikTok, Alleging It Preys on Young People With Addictive Algorithms
• Baltimore Shipping Channel Reopened After Explosion on Cargo Ship
• Trump Moves to Use the Levers of Presidential Power to Help His Party in the 2026 Midterms
WASHINGTON SCHEDULE
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IN THE NEWS
Tulsi Gabbard Strips 37 Security Clearances Over Obama-Ordered Intel Report That Launched Russiagate The New York Post (08/19, Christenson) reported that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that security clearances had been pulled from 37 current and former officials who "abused public trust by Obama-ordered politicizing assessment and manipulating" of Russian information, influence in including the 2016 several election. who "Being were entrusted involved with in a controversial, a security clearance Barack is a privilege, not a right," Gabbard said in a statement. "Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold." Gabbard last month began declassifying records about the crafting of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) under Obama, revealing what she has called a "treasonous conspiracy" by senior administration officials "to subvert President Trump's 2016 victory." According to the article, those records show that then-DNI James Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, and then-FBI Director James Comey then-candidate spearheaded Trump. the ICA The report article to noted emphasize that Trump's Moscow's Department role in the of electoral Justice has contest since and opened purported a grand support jury of investigation into Brennan, Comey, and Clapper over the Russiagate probe. Additional reporting on the story was provided by Fox News (08/19, Koch), Associated Press (08/19, Tucker, Madhani, Lee), New York Times (08/19, Barnes, Haberman), The Hill (08/19, Beitsch), Politico (08/19, Wendler), CNN (08/19, Campbell, Lillis), USA Today (08/19, Ramaswamy), Washington Post (08/19, Miller, Nakashima, Strobel), The Guardian (08/19, Staff Writer), UPI (08/19, Heuer), Al Jazeera (08/19, Staff Writer), Daily Mail (08/19, Lepore), Washington Examiner (08/19, Zimmermann), Center Square (08/19, Roderick-Fitch), The Epoch Times (08/19, Lord), Just the News (08/19, Sever* Newsmax (08/19, Staff Writer), and Daily Caller (08/19, Bradfield).
Abrego Garcia's Lawyers Accuse Justice Dept. of Vindictive Prosecution
The New York Times (08/19, Feuer) reported that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia's lawyers have accused the Trump administration of vindictive prosecution, claiming he was charged with a crime after fighting his deportation. According to the article, the lawyers argue that Abrego Garcia was singled out because he refused to acquiesce in the government's violation of his due process righ