Japanese mafia leader caught in U.S. sting pleads guilty to conspiring to traffic nuclear materials to Iran
CBSN
The purported leader of a Japan-based crime syndicate pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges alleging that he conspired to traffic uranium and plutonium from Myanmar in the belief that Iran would use it for nuclear weapons.
Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, of Japan, entered the plea in Manhattan federal court to weapons and narcotics trafficking charges that carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and the possibility of life behind bars. Sentencing was set for April 9.
Prosecutors say Ebisawa didn't know he was communicating in 2021 and 2022 with a confidential source for the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the source's associate, who posed as an Iranian general. Ebisawa was arrested in April 2022 in Manhattan during a DEA sting.
Billy Long, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the IRS, is facing questions about his qualifications to lead the tax agency from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts who serves on the Senate's Finance Committee.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum responded sarcastically on Wednesday to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's proposal to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America."
A military doctor has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing dozens of soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord who had primarily sought his care for pain management.
The purported leader of a Japan-based crime syndicate pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges alleging that he conspired to traffic uranium and plutonium from Myanmar in the belief that Iran would use it for nuclear weapons.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said Wednesday that he had talked with Donald Trump about a job for one of his former law clerks in the president-elect's administration a day before Trump asked the Supreme Court to delay the sentencing in his New York "hush money" case.
Federal officials warned police agencies Wednesday about the danger of reselling guns to the public, a widespread practice that a CBS News investigation revealed has led to tens of thousands of former law enforcement weapons being used in crimes — often with fatal consequences.
Some fire hydrants in Pacific Palisades ran dry overnight Tuesday due to "extreme demand" and low water pressure, Los Angeles officials said.
Wildfires in the Los Angeles area burned more than 26,000 acres, damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 structures and forced tens of thousands from their homes by Wednesday evening. At least five people are dead, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires broke out Tuesday followed by the Woodley and Lidia fires Wednesday, all fueled by powerful winds.
As fires burn across Los Angeles County, spurring thousands of evacuations, drifting smoke is affecting the L.A. area and beyond. Wildfire smoke can be harmful to health, especially for children, the elderly, those who are pregnant and people with respiratory or cardiovascular issues.
East and Gulf Coast port operators late Wednesday struck an agreement with a dockworkers union, resolving a labor dispute that had threatened to halt shipments for a second time in three months.
At least five wildfires are ravaging Southern California, and the three largest — which are at 0% containment — have already killed at least two people, burned thousands of acres and prompted the evacuation of about 70,000 residents. Santa Ana winds coupled with dry conditions have created the perfect storm for the fires to spread.