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US proposes easing limits on cancer-causing gas used to clean medical devices

March 13, 2026 7:04 PM UTC / Reuters

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A 3D-printed miniature model of U.S. President Donald Trump with the Environmental Protection Agency logo in the background is seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab]

WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) – The Trump administration is proposing to lift some limits on the use of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic gas used for sterilization, saying ​previous constraints imposed under former President Joe Biden may hamper medical device makers’ ‌ability to clean their facilities.

In a statement on Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said its proposed rule would follow current law but make it easier for companies to ​follow commercial sterilization regulations while also saving costs and protecting the ​nation’s supply chain for devices such as heart stents and wound ⁠dressings.

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The medical community, industry officials and the Food and Drug Administration all ​expressed concerns about the more stringent rule issued in 2024 under the Democratic ​Biden administration, which included a second required risk review, as well as standards that required new monitoring systems, vents and enclosures.

The new proposal would allow medical device companies a choice ​between installing new monitoring systems or making other adjustments to new aeration ​room vents in areas where ethylene oxide is greater than 10 tons per year.

“These changes ‌better ⁠reflect the complexity of facilities and give them the flexibility to work to use safe and effective equipment to sterilize medical tools and devices without compromising clean air for all Americans,” the EPA said in a statement.

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They would ​also save an estimated $43 ​million annually, ⁠it added.

Ethylene oxide, or EtO, is a colorless gas used to sterilize equipment, but its toxic emissions pollute the air. ​Long-term exposure has been linked to cancer, especially for ​people living ⁠close to manufacturing plants that make or use it.

The gas is used to sterilize about half of all U.S. medical devices made each year, according to the ⁠EPA.

The ​proposed rule will face a public hearing in ​about 15 days and is open to public comment for 45 days before the administration makes ​a final decision.

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Reporting by Susan Heavey and Valerie Volcovici; editing by David Gaffen

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Top Latin American drug kingpin wanted by U.S. is arrested in Bolivia, put on American plane

March 13, 2026 / 2:01 PM EDT / CBS/AFP

Notorious Latin American narco trafficker Sebastian Marset, who eluded police for years, was handed over to U.S. authorities after his arrest Friday in Bolivia.

Marset, a Uruguayan national who was on the U.S.’ most-wanted fugitives list, was passed to agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration at Santa Cruz airport, then put on a U.S. airplane, state television showed.

“The arrest and deportation were carried out pursuant to a court order issued by the U.S. justice system,” Marco Antonio Oviedo, a senior minister, told reporters.

The kingpin was arrested in an upscale neighborhood of Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s economic capital, in an operation that mobilized hundreds of police officers, an AFP journalist witnessed.

Four other people were arrested in the raids, which come days after Bolivia and 16 other countries joined an anti-cartel military alliance launched by President Trump.

Marset, who is the most notorious drug baron in the southern part of South America, had a $2 million U.S. bounty on his head for alleged money laundering. An indictmentunsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia, alleges Marset “leads a large-scale drug trafficking organization that is believed to be responsible for moving ton quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe, while generating tens of millions in cash and proceeds,” according to the DEA.

Notorious Latin American narco trafficker Sebastian Marset, who eluded police for years, was handed over to U.S. authorities after his arrest Friday in Bolivia. DEA

The soccer-loving 34-year-old laundered the proceeds of his drug enterprise by purchasing and sponsoring lower-level professional soccer teams across Latin America and Europe and even put himself in the starting lineups.

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He was imprisoned in his native Uruguay for drug trafficking between 2013 and 2018 and later moved around South America, living for a time in Bolivia and also Paraguay.

Both those countries had also issued warrants for his arrest.

The United States issued a reward for his capture last year after what it called “the largest and most consequential organized crime investigation against cocaine trafficking in Paraguayan history.”

Marset is accused of leading a criminal network that imported more than 16 tons of cocaine into Europe.

The Paraguayan investigation reportedly revealed him asking advice in text messages on how to disappear the bodies of murdered enemies.

Imitating soccer stars

A Washington Post profile from 2024 said Marset paid $10,000 in cash to wear the number 10 jersey worn by football icons Pele, Maradona and Messi during his teams’ games.

He stamped his drug shipments “The King of the South,” the Post added, and gave orders for cocaine to be stashed in shipments of cookies and soybeans.

He had been on the run since July 2023, when fled his home in Santa Cruz, on the eve of a massive police operation to capture him.

Bolivia’s center-right President Rodrigo Paz thanked “international organizations from various neighboring countries and the continent” on Friday for their cooperation in his capture.

Bolivian security authorities carry out an operation to arrest alleged Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastian Marset, accused of leading the First Uruguayan Cartel and wanted by Interpol for organized crime and money laundering charges, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, March 13, 2026. Ipa Ibanez/REUTERS

Paz has sought to boost ties with the United States since winning office last year in elections that ended two decades of socialist rule begun under Indigenous coca farmer Evo Morales.

Bolivia’s is the world’s third largest producer of cocaine, which is made from coca leaves.

Marset is the second Latin American narco boss to be killed or captured in under a month.

U.S. intelligence contributed to his capture.

The arrest comes just weeks after notorious cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, alsoknown as “El Mencho,”was killed during an operation in the western state of Jalisco. He had a$15 millionU.S. bounty on his head and waskilled in a military shootout.

Rep. Josh Riley, D-N.Y., has put criticism of soaring utility costs at the center of his re-election bid in one of the most competitive House districts in the country, but state Sen. Peter Oberacker, R-N.Y., Riley’s likely general election challenger, argues the incumbent Democrat is quietly profiting from the industry.

In response to proposed rate hikes from New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), Riley has accused the company of “robbery” and seeking to “line the pockets” of its Spanish owner, Iberdrola.

Recent reporting from Mid-Hudson News found that Riley owns up to $250,000 in mutual funds that hold shares of Iberdrola.The outlet also reported that Riley’s campaign received a total of $1,500 from a lobbyist who directly represented Avangrid, Iberdrola’s primary U.S. subsidiary, at the time the donations were made.

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The NYSEG-tied contributions and investment listed on Riley’s financial disclosure report were reviewed and verified by Fox News Digital.

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Rep. Josh Riley, D-N.Y., is facing criticism for accusing New York State Electric & Gas of “robbery,” despite owning an investment tied to its owner, Iberdrola.(Getty Images)

“I think we could sum it up in one word: hypocrite,” Oberacker told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “I don’t know any other word that fully encompasses what’s going on.”

Riley’s campaign fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling Oberacker’s attack a “pathetic attempt to distract from the fact that he takes NYSEG’s corporate PAC checks.”

“The fact is, Josh doesn’t own stocks, doesn’t take corporate PAC money, and is the only person in this race who’s actually taking on the utility monopolies to lower our bills,” the spokesperson said.

Avangrid New York PAC has donated $350 to Oberacker since he began serving in the state Senate. However, an Oberacker campaign spokesman said those donations were returned prior to his entering the congressional race.

Riley, a first-term Democrat, narrowly won a purple swing district in 2024 that President Donald Trump lost by two points. The president handed Oberacker his “complete and total” endorsement in February.

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Though Democrats nationwide are seeking to capitalize on voter discontent with rising costs ahead of November’s midterm elections, Oberacker said his campaign is rolling out proposals that are laser-focused on affordability issues.

The three-term state senator unveiled a “ratepayer bill of rights” in late 2025 that would require itemized billing and in-person hearings in communities subject to a rate hike, among other provisions.

If the legislation is signed into law, “The average person who’s looking at these increases in bills could actually say, ‘Where’s this going? What is this charge?” Oberacker said.

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State Sen. Peter Oberacker, R-N.Y., labeled Rep. Josh Riley, D-N.Y., a “hypocrite,” following reports that the congressman has financial investments tied to a utility firm he frequently criticizes on the campaign trail.(State Sen. Peter Oberacker’s campaign; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

Oberacker also contends that “radical environmental policies” enacted by Albany Democrats are responsible for making New Yorkers pay some of the highest energy bills in the country. The Empire State’s residential electricity rates were more than 50% higher than the national average in December 2025, according to data compiled by the Energy Information Administration.

“The folks in upstate New York are being squeezed at every turn,” he said. “I’m running to bring a reality check to the congressional district.”

National Republicans have sought to tie Riley to New York’s 2019 climate law, whose implementation is widely believed to be contributing to higher electric bills. Several left-wing groups that have previously endorsed Riley — such as the New York affiliates of the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and the Working Families Party — also advocated for the climate legislation.

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A Feb. 26 memo from the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority projected that households would pay $4,000 in additional energy costs per year if the state enacts a carbon tax as called for by the law. Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., warned of “cataclysmic” costs for businesses last week, despite previously supporting the idea.

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration is warning that energy prices could increase further, following implementation of New York’s aggressive climate law.(Alex Kent/Getty Images)

Florida lawmakers are sending Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis a strict elections bill modeled after the federal SAVE America Act strongly championed by President Donald Trump that mandates voters verify their citizenship when registering.

Lawmakers in Tallahassee, Florida, in the GOP-dominated state House approved the measure in a 77–28 vote Thursday, hours after the bill passed the Republican-controlled state Senate 27–12. The votes in both houses of the Florida legislature were nearly entirely along party lines.

DeSantis, a supporter of what he calls “the Florida version of the SAVE Act,” is expected to sign the measure when it reaches his desk.

“Although Florida has already enacted much of what the federal legislation contemplates, this will further fortify our state as the leader in election integrity,” the governor highlighted in a social media post.

The developments in Florida come as the federal bill faces an uncertain future in Congress.

The SAVE Act, which stands for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, narrowly passed the GOP-controlled House in February mostly along party lines. But it’s stalled in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53–47 majority in the chamber, far short of the 60 vote threshold needed to pass the bill.

The federal bill would require strict voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements across the country. Republicans say the bill is necessary to secure election integrity.

While polls indicate the vast majority of Americans — regardless of the political affiliation — support voter IDs at the polls and preventing noncitizens from voting in federal elections, Democrats argue the bill is not needed, since citizenship already is a requirement to vote and instances of noncitizen voting are rare.

Democrats and voting rights groups also claim that the federal bill would create unnecessary barriers, making it harder for voters to cast a ballot.

Trump, who is intent on holding the Republican congressional majorities in the 2026 midterm elections, said earlier recently that the federal bill should be the top priority in Congress and that if passed, it “will guarantee the midterms” for Republicans.

But the Florida bill’s proof of citizenship requirement wouldn’t take effect until January, after the November 2024 midterm elections. And the bill also doesn’t limit the Sunshine State’s allowance for excuse-free mail-in-voting.

Trump has long railed against mail-in-balloting.

The Florida measure also would prevent college students from using their student IDs when voting in person, but that provision wouldn’t take effect until 2027.

“This bill creates real barriers for everyday Floridians, especially those with the fewest resources,” Democratic state Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis of Orlando argued in a social media post. “It will disproportionately impact working families, seniors, and college students who want to exercise their voice and right to vote.”

And Florida Democratic Party Chair, Nikki Fried charged, “In the cover of night, Florida Republicans made it harder for U.S. citizens to vote.”

“While Democrats, civic groups, and voters voiced their concerns to stop this harmful policy, Republicans decided citizens’ voices didn’t matter and voted to disenfranchise hardworking Floridians,” she added.

The bill would make Florida the most populous state in the nation to mandate proof-of-citizenship to register to vote.

Arizona and Kansas enacted similar requirements in the past two decades, and Louisiana passed a law two years ago.

Proof-of-citizenship bills passed recently in the South Dakota and Utah legislatures, and are awaiting the governors’ signatures.

And in 2024, New Hampshire mandated that all first-time voters show proof of citizenship when registering.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.

Airfares are lifting off because of rising oil prices. These tips could save you money.

March 13, 2026 / 3:38 PM EDT / CBS News

The cost of taking a flight in the U.S. is starting to take off because of rising oil prices stemming from the Iran war, which has already sharply boosted the cost of driving a car.

A recent analysis of U.S. airline ticket prices by Deutsche Bank analysts found that average domestic airfares for travelers booking flights later this month have climbed by between 15% and 124%. The cost of a flight on discount carrier Spirit Airlines for late-March had jumped from $86 to $193, the analysis found.

The average fare for transcontinental flights has jumped over 100%, while flight prices to the Caribbean, Florida and transatlantic destinations have also risen, according to the investment bank.

Jet fuel fees

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With jet fuel costs increasing, some airlines have added surcharges to offset higher oil costs. Deutsche Bank said that sustained elevated price levels for jet fuel could pose an “existential threat” to the airline industry, noting that carriers often cut routes and ground planes when fuel costs become excessive.

Australian airline Qantas and Scandinavian Airlines have both recently added fuel charges to ticket prices.

“Qantas International is increasing fares this week in response to rising costs, including the significant increases in jet fuel prices. These increases will vary from route to route,” the airline said in a statement to CBS News.

SAS also said it had introduced “a temporary fuel-related price adjustment.”

To be sure, airlines aren’t passing all of the added costs to consumers. If demand erodes, carriers will face pressure to make their fares more affordable, said Khalid Usman, an aviation expert with management consulting firm Oliver Wyman.

“Increases in pricing can lead to demand destruction, and fewer travelers is not good for the airline,” he told CBS News.

Here are some tips from experts on when to book to get the lowest airfares as the conflict in Iran nears its second week.

Book early

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If you have plans to travel over the next few months, lock in the lowest available airfares now, experts advised, noting that oil prices are expected to remain elevated or even rise further if the Iran war drags on.

“If oil prices continue to stay high, consumers can absolutely expect higher airfares,” Julian Kheel, creator of Points Path, a flight awards search engine, told CBS News.

Fuel prices account for about one-fifth of airlines’ operating expenses, he said, predicting that carriers will try to protect their bottom lines by raising fares.

“The only real way to offset that expense is to increase the cost of tickets,” Kheel said.

Consider a refundable ticket

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Kheel also recommended booking the best-priced ticket now, while also considering buying a changeable or refundable fare in case the conflict ends and fares drop.

“If oil prices do drop and airfares fall in response, you’ll be able to rebook and capture that lower airfare,” he said.

The sweet spot for scoring the best fares is typically about one to two months before travel, according to The Points Guy managing editor Ben Mutzabaugh.

“Some fares have already jumped significantly, and overall they are going up. So if you have a trip coming up, book now,” he told CBS News.

Monitor fares

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Airfares are volatile even in normal times, so monitoring for price fluctuations based on supply and demand can also help consumers save money, according to Scott Keyes, founder of flight deals site Going.com.

“Fares are constantly ping-ponging around, but because they’re so exposed to the changing price of oil, that’s adding to the volatility,” he said.

Although it’s premature to search for fares for, say, holiday period travel or next year’s spring break, now is a good time to book summer trips, Keyes said. If ticket prices drop down the road, travelers can call their airline and ask for the difference in credit, he noted.

“Airlines allow you to take advantage of price drops, but you don’t get cash back, you get credit,” Keyes said.

Consider using points

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Airfares will sometimes increase when bought with cash, but remain steady in their consumption of points, miles or other travel rewards, Keyes said. That helps customers get more bang for their buck by redeeming such incentives,

Before booking a flight, compare the cost in dollars versus points if you have them, he advised. Mutzabaugh noted that miles and points are typically deposited back into customers’ accounts without penalty, while cash refunds may come with a fee or are only returned in credit.

Kathryn Krupnik contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/experts-reports-strait-of-hormuz-gas-prices/

Trump signs order to combat fraudulent ‘Made in America’ labels, White House says

March 13, 2026 7:40 PM UTC / Reuters

By Kanishka Singh

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U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a round table on collegiate sports in the White House in Washington, D.C., March 6, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive ​order on Friday that the White House ‌said was aimed at combating fraudulent

Tillis breaks with Trump on voter ID legislation as GOP preps key vote | Fox News

Tillis joins Murkowski in opposing the SAVE America Act, creating razor-thin margin for GOP floor strategy

By Alex Miller
Fox News

Published March 13, 2026 3:39pm EDT

Senate Republicans are gearing up for a floor battle over Trump-backed voter ID legislation, but another GOP senator plans to oppose it.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., won’t support the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, a decision that could throw a wrench into the GOP’s plan to force Senate Democrats into tough vote after tough vote next week.

“I’m a no,” Tillis said. “I’m going to do everything I can to prevent it from even moving forward.”

SENATE GOP EYES BLAME GAME AS TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT HEADS FOR DEFEAT

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., vowed “to do everything I can” to stop the SAVE America Act, which the Senate is expected to vote on next week.(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He did offer an alternative, arguing that if Republicans were “serious” about voter ID, they’d consider legislation that incentivized states to use the practice in exchange for federal funding. If not, the money would go toward ensuring “election integrity” oversight.

“Who could be against that? You know, and then rock on, California, if you want to enable [ballot harvesting,” Tillis said. “Make sure you do it on your nickels, because we’re going to spend the money to oversee the elections to make sure you did it legally.”

His resistance to the bill comes after President Donald Trump demanded that Republicans ram the bill through Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats’ blockade with a talking filibuster.

TRUMP, THUNE CLASH ON VOTER ID ULTIMATUM AS GOP REMAINS DIVIDED ON PATH FORWARD

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump host a Women’s History Month Celebration at the White House March 12, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republicans landed on a plan to put the bill on the floor that doesn’t take the route of a talking filibuster, given that there isn’t enough unity among Republicans to block Democrats’ amendments that could drastically change the bill.

However, that process is in the spirit of the talking filibuster and will allow Republicans to load up amendments on the floor for a marathon debate session. Still, it won’t lower the threshold to pass the bill with just a simple majority, something the talking filibuster would have done.

Republicans know it’s destined to fail and are trying to shift blame to Schumer and Democrats with their floor strategy.

THUNE GUARANTEES VOTER ID BILL TO HIT THE SENATE DESPITE SCHUMER, DEM OPPOSITION: ‘WE WILL HAVE A VOTE’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., departs following a vote at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 7, 2026.(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

But Tillis, who was a co-sponsor of the bill’s predecessor called the SAVE Act, disagreed with the changes Trump proposed to the legislation, which included banning mail-in ballots with limited exceptions, halting men in women’s sports and stopping transgender surgeries for minors.

“You know, taking the language from the White House without understanding the [state-by-state implications, politically and procedurally, just doesn’t sound like we’re letting the people at the tip of the spear — that’s these people running for re-election — define what we should be voting on next week,” Tillis said.

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Tillis joins Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, in opposing the bill. Their defection, coupled with Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., announcing on CBS’ “The Takeout with Major Garrett” that he wouldn’t support the legislation in its “current state” over Trump’s criticism of mail-in balloting, gives the GOP a razor-thin margin of error in trying to even open debate on the bill.

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

Rabbi credits training for saving lives and says Michigan synagogue attack “could have been a far worse tragedy”

By Kelsie Hoffman
Updated on: March 13, 2026 / 12:54 PM EDT / CBS News

Rabbi Josh Bennett of Temple Israel says the attack at his synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, on Thursday “could have been a far worse tragedy,” and he credits the staff’s security training for saving lives.

“As part of the Jewish community, we are ready for these kinds of threats,” Bennett told “CBS Mornings” in an interview Friday.

“We have a full security team who is tasked with keeping us safe but also training us to know what to do in the event of one of these events,” Bennett said. “So we knew something like this might happen. Of course we hope and pray that it never does.”

Bennett said everyone in the building “did exactly what they were supposed to do” when a man rammed his vehicle into the building.

Police said security guards shot and killed the suspect, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali. Sources say Ghazali, a Lebanese-born U.S. citizen, had a rifle and explosives in the vehicle.

One security guard was injured in the incident, but everyone else in the building got out safely, including all the children at the preschool.

Cassi Cohen, a staff member at Temple Israel, said she was standing near the hallway where the car breached the building. She and several other staff members “heard a loud crash and a bang” and “immediately knew that something was wrong.” They were able to hide in her office nearby.

“It was honestly just a gut instinct,” Cohen said. “We have been trained for this and so we all knew that we should not be near that or in the area and the best thing for us to do was to lock down in a secure area.”

There were about 140 students at the early childhood center who were “taken out of the building immediately” and went with their teachers to a nearby reunification site, Bennett said. “And because of the training that we’ve all gone through, it happened naturally and calmly and it was really miraculous that everybody was safe,” he added.

The rabbi said they’ll be taking steps to care for the mental health of the teachers and staff.

“When we get through this, we are going to go back to business as usual because that is our obligation as a strong Jewish community,” he said.

The FBI is leading the investigation and said the attack is being investigated as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called the attack “every community’s worst nightmare,” and said it was “hate, plain and simple.” She urged Americans to “lower the rhetoric” amid what she called a rising wave of antisemitism.

Bennett said a key message is that the community’s preparedness paid off: “I think that the most important takeaway for me is if a community pays attention to the training, to a security detail, to making sure that the people are safe and everybody acts accordingly, we can keep our communities safe.”

Iran moves hundreds of millions in crypto during nationwide internet blackout, report reveals

New report claims hundreds of millions flowed from Iranian accounts after strikes, with funds supporting proxy operations and personal wealth protection

By Efrat Lachter
Fox News

Published March 13, 2026 2:36pm EDT

EXCLUSIVE: Cryptocurrency infrastructure linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continued operating during the country’s nationwide internet blackout after the Feb. 28 U.S.–Israeli strikes, a cyber intelligence report reviewed by Fox News Digital claims. It allowed hundreds of millions of dollars in crypto to move out of the country.

Omri Raiter, founder and CEO of RAKIA, a cyber intelligence firm that develops data analysis platforms used by governments and security agencies, told Fox News Digital his team began monitoring Iranian cryptocurrency activity in real time after the attacks and quickly detected a surge of funds leaving Iranian-linked crypto accounts.

“We’ve seen a surge of funds since the first hours of the war,” Raiter said. “It started with tens of millions in the first hours, and it grew to hundreds of millions and more. Money was just flowing out from Iranian crypto accounts.”

Wallets linked to the IRGC received more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, according to the internal report based on blockchain intelligence data cited by RAKIA. The report also cites publicly available data from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, which estimated Iran’s cryptocurrency ecosystem reached $7.78 billion in activity in 2025.

IRAN PROXIES WAGE WAR ON ISRAEL, THREATEN US INTERESTS AS IRAQ SLAMMED FOR NOT DISARMING THEM

Strikes on the Iranian leadership, the IRGC and Iranian naval vessels and oil infrastructure have roiled the markets.(Sasan/Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Raiter said the data suggests Iran has developed a significant crypto-based financial infrastructure capable of operating even during heavy sanctions and communications shutdowns.

“The IRGC has been financing proxy operations through the very same crypto corridors that sanctions were designed to shut down,” Raiter said.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned cryptocurrency exchanges tied to Iranian actors Jan. 30, marking one of the first times the U.S. targeted entire digital asset platforms rather than individual wallets for sanctions evasion linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move was part of a broader effort to disrupt financial networks connected to Tehran, Iran.

“The Treasury will continue to pursue Iranian networks and corrupt elites who enrich themselves at the expense of the people,” Bessent said in a Treasury press release in January. “This also applies to attempts by the regime to use digital assets to circumvent sanctions.”

The recent surge appears to reflect two parallel trends: funds moving to support Iran’s regional proxy networks and money being moved by individuals connected to the regime seeking to protect their personal wealth, according to RAKIA’s analysis.

“The proxy war funding and the personal capital flight are two sides of the same coin,” Raiter said. “They move through the same pipelines.”

IRAN WAR, 11 DAYS IN: US CONTROLS SKIES, OIL SURGES AND THE REGION BRACES FOR WHAT’S NEXT

Tehran’s skyline, including the Azadi Tower, became the backdrop to a crisis shaped as much by cyber disruption as by missiles in the sky.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Raiter said the firm identified cryptocurrency flows connected to networks previously associated with Iran-backed groups.

“Some of the accounts we saw are connected to areas where money historically flows to proxy wars,” he told Fox News Digital, citing activity linked to Lebanon and Yemen.

“Some of it could be people inside the IRGC trying to move their own money,” Raiter said. “But when you see the scale and the timing, it looks coordinated.”

The report produced by RAKIA claims the activity continued even after Iran imposed a sweeping internet shutdown across the country. National connectivity dropped to roughly 1% of normal levels during the blackout, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.

FROM MISSILES TO MINERALS: THE STRATEGIC MEANING BEHIND THE IRAN STRIKE

Military members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in western Tehran, Iran(Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Despite that shutdown, RAKIA researchers said they detected more than 1,100 active cryptocurrency nodes operating inside Iran.

“When the internet is at one percent and you still see over a thousand active crypto nodes, you’re not looking at retail users,” Tom Malca, RAKIA’s head of cyber and AI research, said in the report. “Those nodes require dedicated bandwidth, stable power and deliberate exemption from the shutdown.”

RAKIA researchers said the activity suggests specialized infrastructure continued operating even as millions of Iranian civilians were cut off from the internet.

Most of the nodes were concentrated in the Tehran–Qom corridor, according to the report, an area that includes major government and IRGC institutions. Smaller clusters were detected in Iranian cities, including Isfahan, Mashhad, Tabriz and Kermanshah, according to the analysis.

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Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps special forces walk on the U.S. flag during a rally commemorating International Quds Day, also known as Jerusalem Day, in Tehran, Iran, March 28, 2025.(Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

RAKIA said its investigation relied on a combination of network monitoring and publicly available blockchain intelligence.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York for comment on the claims made in the report. The mission did not respond.

Efrat Lachter is a foreign correspondent for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent to efrat.lachter@fox.com.

Federal judge quashes Justice Department subpoenas of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, says probe was politically motivated

By Tierney Sneed, Jake Tapper, Bryan Mena

Updated Mar 13, 2026, 3:33 PM ET

PUBLISHED Mar 13, 2026, 3:20 PM ET

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell departs following a press conference in Washington, DC, on October 29, 2025.

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

A federal judge has quashed subpoenas the Justice Department had issued against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, according to court documents unsealed Friday.

The ruling is a major blow to President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Powell for not lowering interest rates and urged the Justice Department to investigate the outgoing chair.

US District Judge James “Jeb” Boasberg wrote in the new opinion that a “mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning.”

“On the other side of the scale, the Government has produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime; indeed, its justifications are so thin and unsubstantiated that the Court can only conclude that they are pretextual,” Boasberg said.

The federal probe underscores the Trump administration’s intense pressure campaign Powell and the Fed in a bid to get the politically independent central bank to lower interest rates.

Trump continues to insult Powell on social media, calling him every name in the book, and his administration is currently trying to push out Fed Governor Lisa Cook, appointed by then-President Joe Biden, in a landmark case at the US Supreme Court.

Powell had stayed mostly mum in the face of Trump’s attacks, but just a few days after he was served with a subpoena in early January, the Fed chief released a remarkable video calling out the investigation as an affront to the Fed’s independence.

Powell’s term as chair expires in May and Trump in January nominated former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh to run the central bank. But Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, a key vote on the Senate Banking Committee that would confirm the nomination, has said the committee should not consider a vote until the criminal probe of Powell is resolved.

This story is breaking and will be updated.