By Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN

(CNN) — Search and rescue operations are underway after a Mexican Naval plane carrying out a medical mission crashed near Galveston, Texas, on Monday, the Mexican Navy said in a statement.

The Naval flight experienced an incident during its approach near Galveston, about 50 miles southeast of Houston, the agency’s statement said.

The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a crash near the base of the Galveston Causeway and said a dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrols had responded to the scene.

“Search and rescue protocols were immediately activated in coordination with local authorities. The event is underway and protocols are being carried out in coordination with all relevant authorities,” the Mexican Navy said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post A Mexican Navy plane on medical support mission crashes in Texas appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

The post Happy Holidays from the ‘Indy’ Staff appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.

By Kevin Liptak, Donald Judd, CNN

West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — President Donald Trump said Monday the US remains in active pursuit of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, more than 24 hours after the chase began, while repeating his threats against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“It’s moving along and we’ll end up getting it,” Trump told CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg during remarks in Palm Beach.

He said the ship “came from the wrong location, it came out of Venezuela,” though the vessel — called Bella 1 — was in fact sailing toward Venezuela when the US Coast Guard attempted to interdict it.

The US has intercepted two other tankers off the coast of Venezuela this month. Those interdictions have come amid a massive US naval buildup in the Caribbean Sea as Trump applies pressure on Maduro, including attempts to cut off his oil revenues.

Trump on Monday declined to answer a question about his endgame in Venezuela, even as he again raised the threat of land strikes and said it’d be “smart” for Maduro to step down.

“There’s no answer. He can do whatever he wants. We have a massive armada — the biggest we’ve ever had, and the biggest we’ve ever had in South America,” Trump said. “He can do whatever he wants. It’s all right, whatever he wants to do. If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it’d be the last time he’s ever able to play tough.”

Pressed on whether he’s trying to force Maduro from power, Trump added, “Well, I think it probably would. I can’t tell that,” adding: “That’s up to him what he wants to do. I think it’d be smart for him to do that.”

Trump – who last week ordered a “complete” blockade of sanctioned tankers going in and out of Venezuela – noted the US will keep oil seized during the interdiction of oil tankers in the Caribbean, leaving the door open to adding it to the US’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

“We’re going to keep it,” Trump said.

“Maybe we’ll use it in the Strategic Reserves – we’re keeping it. We’re keeping the ships also,” he added.

Trump also said he had spoken to American oil companies who have had their assets seized about what a post-Maduro Venezuela would look like.

American officials view the Bella 1 as part of the shadow fleet that transports oil from sanctioned nations, and a warrant had been issued for its seizure. Trump noted Monday that the vessel was sanctioned as he discussed the attempts to stop it.

On Saturday, the US Coast Guard intercepted the Centuries tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. A White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, said it was carrying sanctioned Venezuelan oil, though the ship itself did not appear on a list of sanctioned vessels.

The US seized a large oil tanker called the Skipper, which had been under sanctions for its ties to Iran, on December 10.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

The post Trump says US remains in pursuit of oil tanker and i

By Kevin Liptak, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump bemoaned Monday the potential reputational damage inflicted on people who appear in photos released as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which he insisted were only made public because of an effort to distract from his accomplishments.

The comments mark the first time Trump has addressed the files since his Justice Department released hundreds of thousands of them on Friday pursuant to a new law compelling them to do so. The measure cleared both the House and Senate with support from all but one Republican and Trump signed it into law; his administration had previously said it did not plan to release any more Epstein materials after a thorough review.

“A lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein. But they’re in a picture with him because he was at a party, and you ruined a reputation of somebody,” Trump said during an event in the library at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach club that he claims to have ejected Epstein from in the early 2000s.

“A lot of people are very angry that this continues. A lot of Republicans,” he said, claiming the issue was meant to “deflect against a tremendous success.”

Trump has long sought to downplay his own connection to Epstein – noting, as he did Monday, the two had a falling out years ago – and he has previously warned that releasing files might be unfairly damaging to those referenced in them. He notably said at Mar-a-Lago he even “hated” to see so many photos of former President Bill Clinton contained in the latest batch of documents released by the Justice Department. Clinton has never been charged with any crimes or accused by law enforcement of any wrongdoing related to Epstein; one of the most publicized images in the DOJ release last week was a picture of Clinton in a hot tub with his arms folded behind his head. Beside him is a person whose faced is redacted.

“I think Bill Clinton’s a big boy. He can handle it,” Trump said.

A representative of Clinton, meanwhile, shared a statement Monday before Trump’s remarks calling on the Justice Department to “immediately release any remaining materials referring to, mentioning, or containing a photograph of Bill Clinton.”

“Refusal to do so will confirm the widespread suspicion the Department of Justice’s actions to date are not about transparency, but about insinuation – using selective releases to imply wrongdoing about individuals who have already been repeatedly cleared by the very same Department of Justice, over many years, under Presidents and Attorneys General of both parties,” said the spokesperson, Angel Ureña, in a statement posted on X.

The Justice Department is facing criticism from survivors of Epstein’s sexual abuse and lawmakers on Capitol Hill over how it has released materials from its investigation of the convicted sex offender. Though the law required the department to make public “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials,” officials did not do so on the Friday deadline, instead releasing a first tranche of files. Lawmakers of both parties said that was unacceptable, with some indicating they would explore legal action. Survivors asserted that the disclosures were incomplete and improperly redacted.

The department has said lawyers will work in the coming weeks to make redactions to protect victims and alleviate other possible concerns.

As for the photos of himself contained in the Epstein files, Trump shrugged off

CNN

By Kevin Liptak, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump bemoaned Monday the potential reputational damage inflicted on people who appear in photos released as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which he insisted were only made public because of an effort to distract from his accomplishments.

The comments mark the first time Trump has addressed the files since his Justice Department released hundreds of thousands of them on Friday pursuant to a new law compelling them to do so. The measure cleared both the House and Senate with support from all but one Republican and Trump signed it into law; his administration had previously said it did not plan to release any more Epstein materials after a thorough review.

“A lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein. But they’re in a picture with him because he was at a party, and you ruined a reputation of somebody,” Trump said during an event in the library at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach club that he claims to have ejected Epstein from in the early 2000s.

“A lot of people are very angry that this continues. A lot of Republicans,” he said, claiming the issue was meant to “deflect against a tremendous success.”

Trump has long sought to downplay his own connection to Epstein – noting, as he did Monday, the two had a falling out years ago – and he has previously warned that releasing files might be unfairly damaging to those referenced in them. He notably said at Mar-a-Lago he even “hated” to see so many photos of former President Bill Clinton contained in the latest batch of documents released by the Justice Department. Clinton has never been charged with any crimes or accused by law enforcement of any wrongdoing related to Epstein; one of the most publicized images in the DOJ release last week was a picture of Clinton in a hot tub with his arms folded behind his head. Beside him is a person whose faced is redacted.

“I think Bill Clinton’s a big boy. He can handle it,” Trump said.

A representative of Clinton, meanwhile, shared a statement Monday before Trump’s remarks calling on the Justice Department to “immediately release any remaining materials referring to, mentioning, or containing a photograph of Bill Clinton.”

“Refusal to do so will confirm the widespread suspicion the Department of Justice’s actions to date are not about transparency, but about insinuation – using selective releases to imply wrongdoing about individuals who have already been repeatedly cleared by the very same Department of Justice, over many years, under Presidents and Attorneys General of both parties,” said the spokesperson, Angel Ureña, in a statement posted on X.

The Justice Department is facing criticism from survivors of Epstein’s sexual abuse and lawmakers on Capitol Hill over