Mexico’s president is demanding answers after a crash killed two U.S. officials tied to a cartel-related operation, an incident exposing conflicting accounts over American involvement inside the country.

Fox News independently confirmed via a U.S. official that the two deceased individuals worked for the CIA, which declined to comment.

The crash in the northern state of Chihuahua killed two U.S. Embassy personnel and two Mexican officials as they were returning from an operation targeting a clandestine drug lab, according to authorities.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration was not informed of any U.S. presence and has ordered an investigation into whether Mexican sovereignty or national security laws were violated.

MEXICO BROKE INTERNATIONAL LAW WITH THE CARTELS AND AMERICANS SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES

"We were not aware of any direct work or coordination between the state of Chihuahua and personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico," Sheinbaum said Tuesday at a news conference, adding her government is seeking information from both local authorities and the United States.

She stressed that Mexico does not permit joint operations with foreign governments, saying cooperation is limited to intelligence-sharing "within a clearly defined framework … in keeping with our sovereignty."

But officials in Chihuahua, Mexico, offered a different account, describing the U.S. personnel as part of routine cooperation with local authorities.

"Two instructor officers from the U.S. Embassy died while carrying out training duties as part of the exchange we generally and routinely have with U.S. authorities," state prosecutor César Jáuregui Moreno said Tuesday at a news conference. 

He added the Americans had "always supported us with advisory support and training, as part of our regular exchange."

Experts say those roles often extend beyond the classroom.

"The CIA has been supporting counter-narcotics efforts for some time and works closely with the DEA, the military and partner governments," said Christine Balling, a senior vice president at the Institute of World Politics.

Balling, counterinsurgency expert with experience in Latin America, said the role described as "training" can place U.S. personnel alongside partner forces in operational settings.

"People think training is just in the classroom — it’s not," she said. "These officers would be working with partner forces on things like strategy or technology, including drones.

"It makes perfect sense that they would be on site when an operation is carried out and be vulnerable."

Under Mexican law, foreign security cooperation is generally subject to federal oversight, but, in practice, those relationships can play out at the local level, sometimes without national leaders being directly involved in every operation.

The incident comes as tensions grow over the U.S. role in Mexico’s fight against powerful drug cartels.

President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Mexico to crack down on trafficking groups, while recent operations have relied heavily on U.S. support, including surveillance and intelligence-sharing to locate cartel targets.

But Sheinbaum has drawn a firm line against any unilateral U.S. activity inside Mexico.

Balling said Sheinbaum likely was not aware of the specific mission but faces political pressure to distance herself from any American-involved operations.

"There are domestic political pressures to show that the government is in control and not allowing outside forces to take over," Balling said.

"I would be shocked if she knew the details, unless it was the type of operation that required a president’s sign-off."

It remains unclear what caused the crash, and authorities have not said whether foul play is suspected.

Officials said the Americans were not involved in the raid itself and had been conducting training work elsewhere before meeting with Mexican investigators after the operation.

Balling said the circumstances may never be fully clear, raising the possibility — without evidence — that cartel involvement could be difficult to confirm publicly.

"It makes perfect sense that they would be on site when an operation would go down and then be vulnerable to whether this was actually an accident or an intentional hit," she said. "I don’t think that would ever be made public."

Pennsylvania authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying a violent mob of teens accused of chasing a college student into a campus residence hall and attacking them over the weekend. 

The incident unfolded around 2:50 a.m. Sunday, when a group of juveniles allegedly chased a Temple University student into the lobby of Morgan Hall South, according to the Temple University Police Department.

Once inside, the group allegedly began attacking the student, striking them while also damaging university property, authorities said. 

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"It puts the threat actually into perspective because, especially knowing as a college student, your main priority is education, not really safety, but this happening is a little bit more in the forefront," sophomore Emanuel Turner told ABC 6.

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The student sustained minor injuries and declined medical treatment at the scene. 

Campus authorities have since released images of the suspects in hopes of tracking down those responsible for the alleged assault.

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The surveillance images show a group of nine individuals – some wearing hoodies and facial coverings – walking on a sidewalk, with some of the suspects’ faces visible to the camera. 

Authorities have not revealed what led up to the alleged incident and no arrests have been made.

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Additionally, the Philadelphia Police Department and the School District of Philadelphia are assisting Temple University authorities with the search for the suspects, officials said. 

Temple University boasts an enrollment of roughly 30,000 students and is located in the heart of Philadelphia, according to the school’s website. Morgan Hall houses approximately 1,200 students and serves as a key residential hall for the school.

Temple University did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Authorities are asking anyone who believes they may have information regarding the incident to contact the Philadelphia Police Department by calling (215)-686-TIPS. 

Former Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch is facing two misdemeanor charges after he was arrested in Athens early Sunday. The arrest of the star receiver comes just days before he is projected to be a second-round pick in this week’s NFL Draft. 

Branch, who turned 22 just last month, was arrested by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and booked into the Athens-Clarke County Jail just before 1:30 a.m. on two charges. 

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The former Bulldogs star was charged with obstructing public sidewalks/streets – prowling and obstruction of a law enforcement officer. He was released after more than two hours in jail after posting $39 in bonds. 

ESPN reported that Branch attended Georgia’s spring game on Saturday. His brother, Zion Branch, is a safety for the team after both transferred there in 2025.

Branch transferred after two seasons at Southern California and immediately became quarterback Gunner Stockton’s favorite target. He finished the season with a team-high 811 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.

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In January, he announced his plans to declare for the draft.

"DAWG NATION, thank you for your unwavering support. You welcomed me with open arms. Having the opportunity to play between the hedges and winning the SEC Championship is a story only God could’ve written, and for that, I am forever grateful," he wrote in a statement shared on social media.

Branch’s status as a projected second-round pick was bolstered after an impressive showing at the combine, where he clocked a 4.35 40-yard dash.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Country star Ella Langley is speaking candidly about the pressures of sharing the stage with Morgan Wallen, revealing she often struggled to remember the lyrics to one of his biggest hits.

The 26-year-old singer was one of the opening acts during Wallen's I’m the Problem Tour last year. During a recent appearance on Theo Von's "This Past Weekend" podcast, Langley recalled how she would join Wallen, 32, onstage for a duet of his chart-topping collaboration with Tate McRae, "What I Want," while on the road.

Langley admitted that she had anxiety over performing "What I Want" with Morgan since she frequently forgot the song's lyrics during live shows.

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"When I did ‘What I Want’ with Morgan, I messed up the words almost every single time," Langley said. "I’ve never been so nervous to go out and do something. I just felt like I could throw up before I walked out there every time. I just could not remember those words."

Langley explained that she would practice "What I Want" on her own for "days" so she could remember the lyrics. Last June, the Alabama native shared a behind-the-scenes TikTok clip in which she was seen writing lyrics on her hand to help herself get through a performance with Wallen in Madison, Wisconsin.

While speaking with Von, Langley remembered that she "would have it" until the moment came when she had to take the stage with Wallen.

"POV, you go through this tunnel, you know what I mean? And you’re playing in the stadium. It’s the most people you’ve ever been in front of," she explained. "You’re walking out with Morgan Wallen, everything gets dark and there’s smoke everywhere and you got to walk out and I’m in pointy heels and there’s grates out there so you got to make sure you’re not falling down in those."

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"You get up and then, here you go, you get one shot at it," she continued. "There’s no practice, too. You get like one rehearsal, you go out there and it’s like, okay. But doing it in front of 80,000 people is different than 2p.m. in the middle of the day."

Langley said that Wallen would frequently tease her about flubbing the lyrics — until he eventually made the same mistake.

"What was awesome is the last time we did it is he came out and messed up the words," she recalled. "When he did that, I started to laugh so hard cause he was giving me so much s--- about messing up the words."

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Langley continued, "He was just like, 'You can’t come out here and mess this up again.' I was like, 'I might. I really am scared that I might.'"

"And so the last night he did and it was like, he just immediately could never say another thing to me about messing up the words, you know."

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Langley said that Wallen later told her that he messed up the lyrics on purpose to make her feel better but she didn't believe him.

"Because when he looked back at me, it was like pure frustration that he could no longer talk s--- about me for messing up the words," she said.

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Langley launched her music career on social media, gaining a following by posting covers on TikTok and Instagram, leading her to release her EP "Excuse the Mess" in 2023.

The EP helped solidify her fan base and included many of her early hits, including "If You Have To" and "Country Boy's Dream Girl." She achieved mainstream success when she collaborated with Riley Green on her hit song "You Look Like You Love Me," which went viral on TikTok, got millions of streams on Spotify and Apple Music, and expanded her audience.

Her debut studio album, "Hungover," was released in August 2024, and in April 2025, Langley was presented with the ACM New Female Artist of the Year award by country icon and her close friend Miranda Lambert.

Langley's second studio album "Dandelion" was released on April 10.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is calling for the immediate release of Kuwaiti-American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who is currently being detained in Kuwait under new security and misinformation laws. 

The CPJ believes that Shihab-Eldin was arrested on March 3 and the journalist, who is typically an avid user of social media, has not posted anything online or been seen in public in Kuwait where he was visiting relatives, since March 2. Friends and family went public about the case this week with the hope awareness would help secure his release. 

The specific charges that Shihab-Eldin faces have not been revealed, but the CPJ understands he faced charges related to "spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone" – which the nonprofit designed to promote press freedoms called "vague and overly broad accusations that are routinely used to silence independent journalists."

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"We call on Kuwait to release Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and drop all charges against him," CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah said in a statement.

"Journalism is not a crime," Qudah continued. "And Shihab-Eldin’s case reflects a broader pattern of using national security laws to stifle scrutiny and control the narrative."

The CPJ has emphasized that Shihab-Eldin’s plight comes as Middle Eastern countries have cracked down on press freedoms since the beginning of the Iran war. 

On March 2, Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior posted a chilling message warning against photographs or information related to missiles or relevant locations. Khalid Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, told CPJ that dozens have been arrested since the war began in cases related to freedom of expression.

Kuwait has since issued a decree stipulating up to 10 years in jail for anyone who undermines "the prestige of the military or deliberately work toward eroding public trust in them," according to the Kuwait Times. 

Shihab-Eldin, who is known for work at The New York Times, HuffPost, BBC, Al Jazeera, Vice News and other outlets, posted video of a U.S. fighter jet crash near a U.S. base in Kuwait shortly before he was detained. 

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CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward reported that Shihab-Eldin didn’t offer any commentary, and she believes the video he posted shouldn’t have resulted in detention. 

"What this speaks to is these kind of draconian security restrictions that we have seen here in the Gulf since this war began," Ward said. 

While it’s highly suspected, it’s unclear if posting the jet crash footage was the specific reason for Shihab-Eldin’s detention. Many have pointed out that the video was already public domain and had been shared by CNN. 

Journalist Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani, who considers Shihab-Eldin a longtime friend, believes it’s critical that Shihab-Eldin is set free. 

"I worked with Ahmed at HuffPost Live and was immediately struck by his thoughtful and compassionate reporting, particularly to amplify underserved communities and people. His detention in Kuwait is an alarming reminder of how vulnerable journalists are in this current moment," Modarressy-Tehrani told Fox News Digital. 

"Journalism is not a crime," she continued. "Ahmed should be released immediately." 

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Luke Wahl, another one of Shihab-Eldin’s former colleagues, echoed those thoughts. 

"Ahmed is loved by so many, because his kindness and decency shines through. He has committed no crime, and every American should be calling for his immediate release," Wahl told Fox News Digital. 

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the Trump Administration "has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans" and they are aware of reports of Shihab-Eldin’s detention in Kuwait.

"Whenever an American is detained abroad, the Department works to provide consular assistance in accordance with our authorities under U.S. and international law," the State Department spokesperson added. 

The State Department declined further comment, citing privacy and other considerations. 

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The CPJ is monitoring press freedom violations related to the U.S. war with Iran, and its spillover across the Middle East, including Kuwait. The group has documented the killing of nine journalists, along with seven others who have been injured and 16 others who have been targeted, threatened or harassed.

The CPJ is asking Americans to keep Shihab-Eldin’s situation visible by signing a petition and posting about his detention with the hashtags #freeahmed and #freeahmedeldin and #journalismisnotacrime. 

Many others have taken to social media to call for Shihab-Eldin’s release. 

Illegal immigrants staying in homeless shelters in California have undergone sex change procedures and cross-sex hormone therapy treatments on the taxpayers' dime, a watchdog alleges.

Manhattan Institute fellow Chris Rufo reports in a video that some illegal immigrants have accessed transgender medical procedures through California's Medi-Cal program, which provides healthcare coverage to low-income residents regardless of immigration status. The state spends roughly $9 billion in taxpayer dollars to provide healthcare for illegal immigrants, which also includes transgender care according to The California Department of Health Care Services.

Roughly 1.7 million illegal immigrants received full-scope coverage in California's Medicaid program, which in some instances included "gender affirming care." California Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded the state's Medicaid program known as Medi-Cal to all immigrants — regardless of legal status — in January 2024.

Rufo filmed his encounters with illegal immigrants who are also transgender outside of taxpayer-funded homeless shelters in San Francisco. The video shows one illegal immigrant, a transgender woman from Honduras, talking about how they received cross-sex gender therapy treatment through the state's Medicaid program.

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Another migrant interviewed, who claimed to have legal status, said they were able to get taxpayer-funded breast implants.

White House Communications director Steven Cheung slammed Newsom.

"This is like the holy trinity of woke, liberal, out-of-touch, perverse ideology from Scumbag Gavin Newsom," Cheung wrote on X.

California DHCS said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Rufo's video and accompanying article contains "significant factual errors and mischaracterizes both Medi-Cal eligibility and covered benefits."

"It suggests that the State broadly provides gender-affirming surgeries to specific populations without limitation, which is completely false. Medi-Cal is a needs-based program with strict eligibility requirements," DHCS said in a statement.

DHCS added that Medi-Cal coverage for transgender care is granted if it's deemed "medically necessary."

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"Medi-Cal covers gender-affirming care for members with full-scope Medi-Cal only when it is medically necessary, based on established clinical standards and consistent with nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines," the agency said.

But, a Medi-Cal manual reported by Rufo outlined that medical intervention is necessary if the treatment will alleviate symptoms of gender dysphoria. For instance, reconstructive surgery would be approved for coverage if it's "determined to be medically necessary for the treatment of gender dysphoria."

State Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation, known as Senate Bill 1422, which would ensure all illegal immigrants in the state receive coverage under the state's Medicaid program known as Medi-Cal.

The legislation comes in response to California pausing new enrollment in Medi-Cal in January for all adults over the age of 19 without legal immigration status in the United States. The pause in coverage comes amid rising costs as the state faces a $21 billion budget deficit for the 2027 fiscal year.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office for comment.

Fox News' William La Jeuenesse contributed to this report.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, saw its command structure across Lebanon come under what Israeli officials described as one of the most devastating blows of the war April 8.

Nearly simultaneously, explosions tore through Beirut, Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon as roughly 50 Israeli aircraft struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets.

The targets were not rocket launchers or weapons depots, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but the nerve centers of the organization — command rooms, intelligence headquarters and offices where Hezbollah commanders planned the next stage of the fight.

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The strike marked a new phase in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which erupted March 2 after Hezbollah entered the conflict in support of Iran, one day after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

Since then, Hezbollah has fired rockets, drones and anti-tank missiles into northern Israel, while Israel has responded with widening airstrikes and a ground offensive inside southern Lebanon.

"Within only a minute, the IDF eliminated 250 Hezbollah terrorists in three areas simultaneously," the Israeli military said in a statement, adding the assessment is still ongoing. 

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an IDF spokesman, told Fox News Digital the strike was the result of weeks of intelligence work.

Israeli intelligence agencies tracked Hezbollah operatives as they moved between apartments, offices and safe houses across Lebanon.

"The timing had to do with the preparations," Shoshani said. "There was weeks of amazing intelligence."

Asked whether the operation showed Israel still has deep penetration inside Hezbollah despite months of war, Shoshani pointed to the scale of the attack.

"The fact that we were able to find 250 terrorists hiding in different locations in Lebanon, many of them in locations for recent weeks, eliminating them in real time, I think the capabilities speak for themselves," he said.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Wednesday's strikes.

"The scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is nothing short of horrific," said United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. "Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief."

"This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases," Hezbollah said in a statement.

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The strike drew a comparison to the "beeper" operation in September 2024, when thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria in an operation widely attributed to Israel.

The blasts killed more than 40 people and wounded roughly 4,000, according to Lebanese authorities, while Hezbollah later acknowledged that about 1,500 fighters were taken out of action. The operation shattered Hezbollah's communications network and became the benchmark in Israel for a strike that fundamentally changed the battlefield.

"The beeper had more … effective injuries. That was the purpose of it," Shoshani said. "But both targeted hundreds of terrorists and within 60 seconds."

Like the beeper operation, he said, the April 8 strike was intended not just to kill operatives but to throw Hezbollah into disarray.

"It was important to the aspect of creating disarray, of breaking their chain of command, breaking their command and patrol capabilities and kind of tilting the organization out of balance," he said.

A former Israeli intelligence official, speaking on background, said the strike may not have reached the level of the beeper operation, but it appeared to hit an unusually broad layer of Hezbollah's middle ranks. 

Hezbollah remains in shock from the blow, according to the former official, even if that has not yet been reflected in a drop in its rocket fire.

But he cautioned against judging the operation only by the number of people killed.

The real measure, he said, is whether the strike changes the course of the war and leaves Hezbollah less able to operate.

The IDF said many of those killed belonged to Hezbollah's Radwan Force, Hezbollah's most capable and best-trained combat unit, intelligence apparatus, missile units and aerial Unit 127. 

The Israeli military said most of the targets were embedded inside civilian areas.

"Most of the infrastructure that was struck was located within the heart of the civilian population," the IDF said.

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Shoshani said Israel warned civilians to evacuate before the strikes, but Hezbollah moved its operatives into new civilian locations.

"When we gave the warnings for areas, civilians moved out, then Hezbollah saw that they moved out and started hiding behind civilians in new locations," he said.

Despite the blow, Israeli officials say Hezbollah remains a major threat. Shoshani said the group, which before the war possessed between 150,000 and 200,000 rockets and missiles, still has the ability to fire into Israel.

"They still are a real threat for our civilians," he said.

The strike comes as Israel and Lebanon opened their first direct talks in more than three decades at the U.S. State Department in Washington. 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has signaled willingness to discuss normalization and the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted there will be no ceasefire until Hezbollah is dismantled and pushed back from the border.

Within hours of the diplomatic opening, Israeli warplanes again struck Lebanon and Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel.

Reuters contributed to this report.