(NEW YORK) — Charges were announced Monday against 14 people in connection with an alleged cocaine-trafficking operation involving students associated with two Penn State fraternities, the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office said.

Thirteen current or former students, as well as a student’s father, face felony or misdemeanor charges, according to a press release. At least four defendants are current students, the attorney general’s office said.

“This was a coordinated and highly profitable drug-trafficking crew revolving around two senior members of the fraternities, other fraternity brothers, and pledges,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement. “In fact, according to the evidence uncovered, cutting and packaging cocaine was, for some pledges, an indoctrination into the fraternities.”

Penn State officials placed the Delta Upsilon fraternity on an interim suspension, the school said in a statement. The other fraternity, Sigma Chi, where members were allegedly involved, is not recognized as an official fraternity at the school, the statement said.

The allegations stem from 2023 and 2024, Penn State said, adding that both fraternities operate off campus.

The investigation, which the attorney general dubbed “Operation Drugs Unlimited,” found that two members of the group — Agostino Abbatiello and Thomas Robinson — were alleged to have been the main suppliers to the group, roles that included “making regular trips to Philadelphia and New York for large quantities of cocaine,” officials said.

“The cocaine was then cut and packaged — primarily at the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternity houses — and distributed mainly to Penn State University students,” according to the attorney general’s office.

Officials said they tracked how the cocaine was allegedly obtained, packaged and sold, saying, “Most of the payments were made in cash or via payment apps.”

Abbatiello and Robinson, along with two others, Mohammed Hurabi and Lars Zeepvat, face charges including felony corrupt organizations, conspiracy, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity and related offenses, the office said. Another person, Robert Zanolla, faces charges of felony conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility, as well as related misdemeanors, the office said.

The eight remaining student-age defendants face misdemeanor counts of possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, the office said.

“Paul Robinson is charged with felony tampering, hindering apprehension for taking steps to conceal evidence, including a safe containing drugs and cash, and obstructing the investigation,” the release said, identifying him as the father of one of the students.

The charges were announced by Sunday’s office in cooperation with the State College Police Department and the 54th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury.

“We are horrified by these serious allegations against current and former students,” said Andrea Dowhower, Penn State’s vice president for Student Affairs, in a statement.

Dowhower added, “Criminal activity, including hazing, such as this has no place at our institution, and we will cooperate with law enforcement in any way we can. We will continue to enhance our efforts around health and safety and hazing educational efforts for all our organizations.”

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(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Justice has asked an appeals court to reinstate the criminal human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

In May, a federal judge granted Abrego Garcia’s motion to dismiss the case, finding that the federal government failed to rebut Abrego Garcia’s “presumption of vindictiveness.”

“Because the presumption of vindictiveness remains unrebutted, the indictment must be dismissed,” U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw wrote in May.

In a brief filed Monday, attorneys for the DOJ urged an appellate court to overturn Judge Crenshaw’s May ruling, arguing that the decision to indict Abrego Garcia was supported by “legitimate reasons.”

“The decision to seek an indictment against Abrego Garcia for human smuggling was made by career prosecutors based on the evidence, the law, and their firm belief that there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Abrego Garcia had committed the offenses charged,” the DOJ said in a press release. “The indictment and prosecution of Abrego Garcia in the Middle District of Tennessee was not vindictive, and the evidence before the district court established that it was not.”

Abrego Garcia, who had been living in Maryland with his wife and children, was deported in March of last year to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison — despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to a fear of persecution — after the Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13, which he denies.

He was brought back to the U.S. last June to face human smuggling charges in Tennessee, after which U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis released him from ICE detention while he awaited trial.

In May, Judge Crenshaw highlighted the involvement of high-ranking DOJ officials in the case, pointing to public statements made by then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to conclude that the government could not justify its sudden shift from wanting to deport Abrego Garcia to prosecuting him.

In its filing Monday, the DOJ argued that Blanche’s public comments in an interview regarding the deportation case “do not reflect a vindictive motive.”

“At a minimum, nothing in his interview supports an inference that the United States pursued charges ‘solely’ to retaliate against Abrego for his civil suit,” the DOJ argued. “The district court’s contrary reasoning — which did not even address the full quotation — is illogical and clearly erroneous.”

The criminal charges in Tennessee stem from a 2022 traffic stop disclosed in an April 2025 press release issued by the Department of Homeland Security, which touted a “bombshell investigative report” alleging that Abrego Garcia was a suspected human trafficker. He was not charged or arrested during the traffic stop, which lasted for more than an hour. 

“Instead of investigating the November 2022 traffic stop to identify who was responsible for the human smuggling, Blanche started the investigation to implicate Abrego,” Judge Crenshaw wrote in May. “He did so to justify the Executive Branch’s decision to remove him to El Salvador.”

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(NEW YORK) — A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Indonesia just hours after a more powerful magnitude 7.7 quake struck off the coast of the eastern part of the country, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

At least 47 people have been killed, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), with the earthquakes knocking down some buildings and leading hundreds to evacuate amid fears of a tsunami, officials said.

At least six others were injured and two more are missing, according to the Associated Press.

More than 300 houses were destroyed or damaged, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency.

More than 100 public facilities have also been destroyed or damaged, including 87 educational facilities, 18 health facilities, six offices and five places of worship.

Emergency crews, including members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, were conducting evacuations and assessing damage.

The agency said the earthquake, which struck shortly before 5 a.m. local time, was strongly felt across the province of East Nusa Tenggara.

The quake initially triggered fears of a tsunami, and a warning from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, issuing alerts to stay away from beaches and calls for people to evacuate. However, those warnings later expired, according to the Associated Press.

Before then, about 2,000 residents in the Nagekeo Regency on the Flores island “carried out self-evacuation as a precautionary measure after the earthquake and due to the early warning of a tsunami,” the disaster management agency said.

The earthquake’s epicenter was located about 60 kilometers north-northwest of Ende in Indonesia’s Flores region at a depth of about 10 kilometers, according to USGS.

There were a number of strong aftershocks reported nearby, including a 6.1 quake and a 5.9 quake also north of Ende, according to the USGS. 

Photos from the area showed damage to buildings. 

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(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Lala continues to track through the central Pacific Ocean and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island of Hawaii on Saturday.

As of 11 p.m. ET, Lala was moving west-northwest at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and is approximately 440 miles east-southeast of Honolulu, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hawaii County — the Big Island — remains under a hurricane warning, according to the NHC.

Meanwhile, a tropical storm warning was issued for Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe, as well as Oahu and Kauai Counties, including the islands of Kauai and Niihau.

Lala is forecasted to continue gradually strengthening Friday into Saturday as it makes a close approach to the Big Island early Saturday.

Hawaii braces for storm
At a press briefing on Friday, Hawaii officials urged residents to prepare for heavy rain, damaging winds and flooding.

“This is a serious moment,” Gov. Josh Green said Friday during the briefing with state, county and federal emergency officials.

About 180 Hawaii National Guard members were activated and positioned across the state to support rescue operations. High-water vehicles were also placed in each county, and additional military and federal resources were available if needed.

Green signed an emergency proclamation allowing the state to quickly use resources from a $100 million disaster fund.

Schools and state education offices on Hawaii Island, Maui, Lanai and Molokai were closing for the weekend, with events canceled.

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said shelters would open at 6 p.m. and would accept pets. Beaches, parks, landfills and transfer stations were closing through Saturday, and mass transit service was being suspended.

Latest forecast
Heavy rainfall and gusty winds were expected to begin impacting the Big Island Friday, bringing the possibility of life-threatening mudslides and landslides, especially across areas with steep terrain.

Hurricane conditions were expected on the Big Island on Saturday.

Lala is forecast to bring 8 to 12 inches of rain across Maui and the Big Island, with totals reaching up to 25 inches in the higher elevations of the Big Island. The remainder of the Hawaiian Islands are forecasted to receive 4 to 6 inches of rainfall.

Large and dangerous surf, especially on the Big Island, is also expected this weekend. The greatest impacts are expected along exposed windward and southern shores. The prolonged period of heavy surf may cause localized coastal flooding and significant beach erosion.

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(PETERSBURG, Va.) — A lockdown has been lifted at Virginia State University after a shooting outside residence halls left five people injured, one of them critically. No arrests have been made in the shooting.

Officers responded near the VSU Quad Annexes at around 1:30 a.m. local time Saturday to find five individuals suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the university.

All five individuals were transferred to area hospitals. One is in critical condition while the four others have non-life threatening injuries.

“Although the lockdown has been lifted, members of the VSU community are asked to remain mindful of the ongoing law enforcement activity and avoid the immediate area where investigators are processing the scene,” the university said Saturday morning.

A significant law enforcement presence remains on campus while the investigation continues, the university said.

Chesterfield County Police are leading the investigation, with assistance from Virginia State University Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with information related to the shooting is urged to contact Chesterfield County Police at 804-748-1251, Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660, or VSU Police at 804-524-5411.

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