President Trump said Iran shot down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, and he made clear America is not going to let it pass. Both pilots are safe. The response is the bigger story now. Trump issued the statement on June 9, 2026, saying the Great Military informed him that the Iranians took down one of the country’s most sophisticated attack helicopters while it patrolled the strait. He said the United States must answer it. The Gateway Pundit and U.S. Central Command laid out the two critical facts this way: I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP At 7:33 p.m. ET on June 8, two crew members from a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by American forces after their helicopter went down near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters. The Soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition. The cause of the incident is under investigation. Rescue efforts were led by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, with support from U.S. Air Force and Navy units including U.S. 5th Fleet Task Force 59. The earlier good news held. The two crew members survived, were rescued fast, and came home. https://t.co/k6NzVz3G5t — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 9, 2026 That is the system working. The downed aircraft and its crew were recovered within roughly two hours of going into the water. Before Trump spoke, open-source watchers knew only that the Apache had gone down near the strait and that both crew members were out safely. A U.S. Army AH-64E “Apache” Attack Helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, and both of the two crewmembers were safely rescued, with it not immediately clear if the helicopter was shot down by Iran, two people briefed on the incident tell The New York Times. pic.twitter.com/nhpjNpuRle — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 9, 2026 The cause was not clear in those first hours. Then Trump named Iran. The Gateway Pundit reported the follow-up on June 9 at noon, noting that Trump first told reporters the pilots were fine before later revealing the shootdown claim and the call for a U.S. response. There is one careful line to hold. A U.S. official has not declared the strike intentional. A U.S. official told me the investigation determined that an Iranian drone hit the U.S. helicopter and got it to crash. The U.S. official said the investigation still hasn't determined if it was intentional or not https://t.co/cYvREC1Cdu — Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) June 9, 2026 Barak Ravid reported that a U.S. official told him the investigation found an Iranian drone hit the helicopter and caused it to crash, while the same investigation still has not determined whether it was deliberate. That is the difference between an accident and an act of war, and it is the question commanders are sorting out now. None of it softens the core fact. An American military aircraft is in the water near the Strait of Hormuz, and the President says an Iranian weapon put it there. The pressure now sits on deterrence and on American credibility in a stretch of water Iran loves to threaten. Trump has said America must respond, the crew is home, and the country is watching to see how the strongest military on earth answers a hit on its own. This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

An Obama-appointed federal judge has struck down President Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa payment requirement, the latest court blockade against the administration’s push to stop American workers from being replaced by cheaper foreign labor. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of Massachusetts declared the policy unlawful and vacated it in its entirety. Fox News reported Sorokin is the same judge who previously blocked President Trump’s birthright citizenship order. JUST IN: A federal judge has ruled Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee is an unauthorized tax on businesses and must be vacated. https://t.co/bQXFTaiMmK pic.twitter.com/g5HTy9Cu0X — Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) June 8, 2026 The case turned on a single legal question: can the executive branch attach a six-figure price tag to H-1B petitions without Congress signing off? Sorokin said no. His order reasoned that taxes are not restrictions, found the policy imposed a tax on H-1B petitions without any congressional delegation, and wiped the rule off the books. The court order said the administration’s reading of the statute had no meaningful limit: Defendants’ contrary interpretation regarding the scope of the President’s power under INA § 212(f) offers no perceivable limits. Their position that § 212(f) allows the President to impose any tax so long as it connects to a “restriction” on the “entry of aliens” deviates from the text of the statute. Congress authorized the President to “impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate” when he finds that the entry “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.” 8 U.S.C. § 1182(f). This phrase limits the President’s authority to “restrictions.” Taxes are not “restrictions.” Notably, Congress did not authorize the President to “impose on the entry of aliens any conceivable tax, penalty, or condition.” For these reasons, the Court finds that the Policy imposes a tax on H-1B petitions without the requisite delegation by Congress. The administration was trying to answer a problem President Trump has described for years: American workers being pushed aside while companies import cheaper labor. The White House made the abuse argument this way: The H-1B nonimmigrant visa program was created to bring temporary workers into the United States to perform additive, high-skilled functions, but it has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labor. The large-scale replacement of American workers through systemic abuse of the program has undermined both our economic and national security. Some employers, using practices now widely adopted by entire sectors, have abused the H-1B statute and its regulations to artificially suppress wages, resulting in a disadvantageous labor market for American citizens, while at the same time making it more difficult to attract and retain the highest skilled subset of temporary workers, with the largest impact seen in critical science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Information technology (IT) firms in particular have prominently manipulated the H-1B system, significantly harming American workers in computer-related fields. The proclamation did not hide the point. It was designed to force employers to pay a serious price before using the H-1B pipeline. A later White House FAQ narrowed the payment rule and described the next steps: On Friday, September 19, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” that took an important, initial, and incremental step to reform the H-1B visa program to curb abuses and protect American workers. This Proclamation: Requires a $100,000 payment to accompany any new H-1B visa petitions submitted after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025. This includes the 2026 lottery, and any other H-1B petitions submitted after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025. Authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State to coordinate to take all necessary and appropriate action to implement this Proclamation. This Proclamation does not: Apply to any previously issued H-1B visas, or any petitions submitted prior to 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025. Does not change any payments or fees required to be submitted in connection with any H-1B renewals. The fee is a one-time fee on submission of a new H-1B petition. That is the heart of the fight. The administration is trying to make it expensive to undercut American labor, and the program’s defenders ran to court to stop it. The White House is not treating Sorokin’s ruling as the end of the road. According to Fox News, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said President Trump had clear legal authority, that the H-1B program had been abused for decades, and that the administration is confident the decision will be reversed on appeal. Reuters reports – "A federal judge on Monday struck down a $100,000 fee that U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on new ​H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, concluding that it ‌constituted an unlawful tax that Congress never authorized. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin… pic.twitter.com/QusSxu9eUH — ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2026 For workers who have watched jobs handed to lower-paid visa holders, the policy was a rare attempt to put a real cost on the practice. An Obama appointee just erased it. The appeal is where this gets decided, and the administration says it likes its odds. This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here. What are your thoughts? TAP HERE TO ADD YOUR VOTE

President Trump’s Justice Department announced a 33-year federal sentence for a Canadian predator who targeted children across the United States. Ramanan Pathmanathan, 40, of Toronto, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., in connection with a sextortion scheme that prosecutors said reached more than 145 victims. Some of those victims were as young as six years old. The sentence does not replace his Canadian punishment. It stacks on top of it. DOJ said the 33-year U.S. prison term will run consecutively to the 12-year sentence Pathmanathan is already serving in Canada. The FBI highlighted the case after the sentence, calling it the takedown of a prolific predator: Today’s story behind the numbers: This #FBI and the takedown of a prolific predator who used “sextortion” to terrorize children and families across the country. Ramanan Pathmanathan of Toronto, Canada, spent years hunting down children to exploit. He ultimately contacted at… — FBI (@FBI) June 8, 2026 The U.S. Department of Justice described the sentence and the case this way: WASHINGTON – Ramanan Pathmanathan, 40, of Toronto, Canada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 33 years in federal prison in connection with a prolific sextortion scheme that targeted more than 100 children across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “This defendant spent years methodically hunting children online. He targeted more than 145 victims, some as young as six, and subjected them to horrors no child should ever experience,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The United States will not allow international borders to serve as a refuge for those who prey on children, and I am grateful to our Canadian partners for ensuring this predator faced justice on both sides of the border.” In addition to the 396-month prison term, Chief Judge Boasberg ordered Pathmanathan to serve 10 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender. The prison term will run consecutively to the 12-year sentence that Pathmanathan is serving in Canada. According to court documents, Pathmanathan used multiple social media accounts, primarily Instagram and Facebook Messenger, to establish contact with at least 145 young girls and boys. Between at least March 2014 up until the day of his arrest on March 10, 2021, Pathmanathan posed as a teenage boy from New Jersey. Pathmanathan recorded his victims’ sexually explicit conduct and saved the files on his desktop computer. Some of the victims were as young as six years old. When the minor victims would decline to continue to engage in sexually explicit conduct or blocked Pathmanathan’s social media accounts, he threatened to send images to the children’s friends or family. This case was investigated by the FBI Houston Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Texas Department of Public Safety. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. The cross-border piece matters. Pathmanathan was already serving time in Canada, and DOJ said its Office of International Affairs secured his temporary surrender so he could face an American court too. That is exactly what parents should want to see when a predator reaches into American homes through a screen. No border should be a hiding place for someone who hunts children online. Thirty-three years on top of the Canadian sentence is a serious answer to a serious crime.

President Trump’s Justice Department announced a federal prison sentence in a Texas firearms-smuggling case tied to guns headed for Iraq. Hassan Al Gharawi, a 54-year-old Iraqi national from Sugar Land, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison after a jury convicted him of conspiracy to violate gun export laws. The sentence also includes three years of supervised release and a $5,000 fine. DOJ said Gharawi conspired with others to stockpile, conceal, and transport firearms in vehicle parts bound for Iraq. The FBI highlighted the case update after the sentence was announced: CASE UPDATE from @FBIHouston: Sugar Land man sentenced for role in conspiracy involving smuggling firearms to Iraq Hassan Al Gharawi, 54, will serve 63 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to violate gun export laws. From 2020 to 2021, Gharawi… pic.twitter.com/KFPjUU504g — FBI (@FBI) June 8, 2026 The U.S. Department of Justice laid out the case and sentence in its release: HOUSTON – A 54-year-old Iraqi national has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to violate gun export laws, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before finding Hassan Al Gharawi guilty on one count of conspiracy to violate export control laws following a three-day trial, Oct. 1, 2025. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen has now ordered Gharawi to serve 63 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay a $5,000 fine. From approximately November 2020 to June 2021, Gharawi conspired with others to knowingly stockpile, conceal and transport firearms in vehicle parts bound for Iraq. At trial, the jury heard Gharawi received two deliveries in 2020 and 2021 totaling approximately 77 firearms, which he had stored in his home. On June 10, 2021, authorities observed Gharawi load firearms into his vehicle and transport them to a storage facility. The jury saw photos of more than 500 firearms and listened to recordings of Gharawi discussing the trafficking plan. The defense argued Gharawi acted under duress from the traffickers in Iraq. The jury rejected those claims after seeing the extent of his involvement and found him guilty as charged. Gharawi will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Winter, John Pearson and Steven Schammel prosecuted the case. The details are blunt: dozens of firearms in his home, weapons loaded into a vehicle, and a jury shown photos of more than 500 firearms. Export-control law exists because firearms do not become harmless once they are hidden in vehicle parts and routed overseas. The defense argued duress. The jury rejected it. Now Gharawi is waiting for transfer to federal prison, and the case stands as another reminder that gun trafficking across borders is not a paperwork issue. It is a national security problem, and this time federal investigators closed it down.

President Trump’s Justice Department says it has charged a New Jersey man who allegedly wanted to support ISIS and discussed attacks on American targets. Mohamed Sagha, 22, of Wayne, New Jersey, was charged by complaint on June 8, 2026, with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS. He made his initial appearance in federal court the same day and was ordered detained. The allegations are serious. Prosecutors say Sagha went beyond abstract online talk. They allege he discussed a possible attack on a National Guard location or a Jewish place of worship. DOJ also alleges he shared images and videos of both locations with a confidential human source and said they were near his residence in Wayne. The FBI highlighted the Newark case update after DOJ announced the charge: CASE UPDATE from @FBINewark: Passaic Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS From approximately December 2025 to June 2026, Mohamed Sagha participated in one or more online chat groups wherein supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS)… pic.twitter.com/TvIj2sS1S2 — FBI (@FBI) June 8, 2026 The U.S. Department of Justice laid out the allegations and the law enforcement response this way: A Passaic County man was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS). Mohamed Sagha, 22, of Wayne, New Jersey was charged by complaint with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS. He made his initial appearance today in federal court. He was ordered detained. “As alleged, the defendant sought to support ISIS and expressed interest in violence directed at targets within the United States, including places of worship,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “Those who seek to advance the objectives of foreign terrorist organizations should expect a swift and coordinated response from federal law enforcement. This Office will continue working relentlessly with our law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and prosecute individuals who support terrorism and threaten the safety of our communities.” “The defendant allegedly wanted to attack targets in the United States in support of ISIS and its hateful ideology, but the FBI detected and put a stop to his violent plans,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “This should be a stark reminder to the American people of the FBI’s resolve to pursue anyone who tries to harm Americans and provide material support to terrorist organizations, and we will work with our Justice Department partners to make sure they face justice.” From approximately December 2025 to June 2026, Sagha participated in one or more online chat groups wherein ISIS supporters discussed, among other things, potential attacks on targets within the United States, including places of worship. In his discussions with the CHS, Sagha expressed an intent to assist one of the members of an ISIS-supporters online chat group with an attack on a place of worship. He also told the CHS he was contemplating carrying out an attack of his own, possibly on a National Guard location or on a Jewish place of worship. He then shared images and/or videos of both locations with the CHS, and stated that they were near his residence in Wayne, New Jersey. Sagha ultimately purchased a VPN, sent it to the CHS – whom he believed to be a member of a terrorist organization – and explained to the CHS how to use the VPN. The count of attempt to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization has a maximum penalty of twenty years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of life of supervised release. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. That last line matters, and the case now has to move through court. But what DOJ describes is the exact kind of homegrown threat federal agents are supposed to find before it becomes a body count. Soldiers, worshippers, and local communities should not have to wait until after an attack to learn that someone was talking to ISIS supporters online. In this case, federal law enforcement says it was watching, and it moved first.