Shotzi Blackheart will be featured in several independent pro wrestling shows over the next few months after she departed WWE following roughly six years with the company.She appeared on "The Ariel Helwani Show" on Tuesday and discussed the promotions she would be interested in joining as she attempts to find a full-time home. She mentioned that she loved All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Total Nonstop Action wrestling and watches their programming.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMShe explained why AEW would be her preference if she had a choice."For so many reasons," she said. "I love their freedom. I have a lot of friends there who are doing really awesome things. Ive heard many stories of how (AEW co-owner) Tony (Khan) treats talent. I do love that he really cares for his talent that is super important to me."And like, hot girls get to make out with each other, so, like, thats cool."For what its worth on Shotzis latter point, AEW stars Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa shared a kiss after their match at Double or Nothing last month. Storm faces Mercedes Mon for the AEW Womens Championship at All In next month.LOGAN PAUL'S JAW-DROPPING SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT WOWS FANS AT WWE MONEY IN THE BANKShotzi, whose real name is Ashley Urbanski, also made clear she loved working for WWE and was only unhappy when she wasnt being used."I mean, I would love to be back at WWE," she said. "I loved working there. I didnt love not working there. It was only when I wasnt being used that I was unhappy, but anytime I was being used, good time love the locker room, loved everyone I was working for. Thats just it. I just dont want to go back and not work."Shotzi attempted to join WWE through the companys "Tough Enough" challenge in 2015. IT wasnt until 2019 that she joined the NXT brand and worked her way to the main roster.She was an NXT womens tag-team champion with Embar Moon, who wrestles as Athena in the AEW-affiliated Ring of Honor. She was also named the 2020 NXT Breakout Star of the Year.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

House Republicans have formed their own Golden Dome Caucus as President Donald Trump continues to push for a nationwide missile defense system.Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., and Rep. Dale Strong, R-Ala., launched the caucus to be an "educational clearinghouse" as the policy effort for the dome kicks off."Golden Dome will only be successful if we meet President Trump's timeline," Crank said in a statement Tuesday. "This means that is imperative that we, members and stakeholders, are well informed and working together to revolutionize missile defense of our great nation."TRUMP'S GOLDEN DOME MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM REVIVES REAGAN'S NUCLEAR SHIELD DREAMAccording to a news release, it will work with the Senate Golden Dome Caucus founded last month by Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont."President Trump has artfully highlighted the critical need for a next-generation missile defense shield to protect the U.S. against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles and other aerial attacks. With nuclear-capable adversaries across the globe, we cant afford for this vision to not become a reality," Strong said."North Alabama has played a role in every former and current U.S. missile defense program and stands ready once again to meet this urgent need."Trump signed an executive order in January ordering the project but formally announced the effort in May, which was partly inspired by Israels Iron Dome.TRUMP UNVEILS GOLDEN DOME MISSILE SHIELD, BLINDSIDES KEY SENATORS"Within the last four decades, our adversaries have developed more advanced and lethal long-range weapons than ever before, including ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles capable of striking the homeland with either conventional or nuclear warheads," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement May 20."Golden Dome is designed to leverage some past investments but will also use next-generation technology to defend against the evolving and complex threat landscape,"President Ronald Reagan proposed a similar program, known as the Strategic Defense Imitative, in 1983. The dome has a starting projected cost of $175 billion, and $25 billion is allocated through the proposed reconciliation bill in Congress, but some estimates show a higher figure."This is very important for the success and even survival of our country. Its an evil world out there," Trump said during an Oval Office event about the Golden Dome in May.TRUMP, HEGSETH ANNOUNCE 'GOLDEN DOME,' A GAME CHANGER TO PROTECT AMERICAN HOMELANDFox News Digital previously reported that Russia, China and North Korea mocked the Golden Dome pitch from Trump."The project will heighten the risk of turning space into a war zone and creating a space arms race and shake the international security and arms control system," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ningsaid last month.

FIRST ON FOX: The rioting in Los Angeles has quickly made its way onto the campaign trail.Republican Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia, who a month ago launched a Senate campaign in the 2026 race against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, on Wednesday went up with a new ad targeting the senator over the unrest in the nation's second-most populous city.Aiming to extinguish escalating protests in Los Angeles sparked by immigration raids carried out by ICE at his administration's direction, President Donald Trump sent in National Guard troops and even mobilized Marines. The unrest and the moves by Trump have dominated national headlines for days."Rule of law is on the line," are the words seen over visuals of the rioting in the streets of Los Angeles in the campaign spot. "Are we a nation of anarchy or law and order?"THE POLITICS OF TRUMP'S MOVE TO QUELL ANTI-ICE UNREST IN LOS ANGELESThe ad then argues, "A nation on the brink and Jon Ossoff is MIA" before charging that "Jon Ossoff is for they/them."The spot's claim that Ossoff "is MIA" is a reference to what Carter's team says is a lack of a response or a statement, to date, by Ossoff over the unrest in Los Angeles.Ossoff's Senate office says he is currently on leave for a very good reason.The office told Fox News that the senator and his wife "welcomed a baby daughter 12 days ago and he is out on paternity leave."CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS LIVE UPDATES ON THE ANTI-ICE PROTESTS IN LOS ANGELESThe charge in the ad that "Ossoff is for they/them" is a reference to the senator's continued use of pronouns on his social media page on X, formerly Twitter. Republicans have regularly criticized the use of pronouns as part of their battle against what they see as "wokeness" in the U.S.The spot is the third by Carter who has represented coastal Georgia in the House for over a decade to target Ossoff, who is considered the most vulnerable Democratic senator running for re-election in next year's midterms. Carter's campaign told Fox News that it's spending six figures to run the digital spot statewide in Georgia.MARINES BEING DEPLOYED TO LOS ANGELES AMID RIOTS AS CALIFORNIA MOVES TO SUE TRUMP OVER RESPONSEOssoff, who was first elected to the Senate in a January 2021 runoff election, is also being targeted in a new ad by the America One PAC, which is aligned with GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas."Whos side is Jon Ossoff on?" asks the narrator in the commercial. "Ossoff voted with Biden and Kamala to open our borders. Now hes fighting to keep illegal aliens on Medicaid."The narrator ends the ad by claiming that "Ossoffs on their side, not yours."Cotton, a rising star in the GOP and in the Republican Senate leadership, is increasing his efforts to help his party increase its current 53-47 majority in the chamber in next year's elections."This is just the beginning of what we're planning to do to help Senate Republicans not only hold, but strengthen our majority in 2026," a source in the senator's political orbit told Fox News.

The Chelan County Sheriffs Office has officially assumed the role of lead investigative agency in the ongoing manhunt for Travis Decker, the father accused of murdering his three young daughters at a remote campsite in Washington state.In a clarification issued Wednesday, the department shared with Fox News Digital that the Wenatchee Police Department is no longer the lead agency amid the ongoing manhunt for 32-year-old Decker.The shift in jurisdiction comes as the investigation continues to focus on rugged wilderness areas within Chelan County, where Decker was last seen.The department is coordinating with state and federal partners in an intensive search effort that includes aerial surveillance, tracking dogs and backcountry patrols.POLICE CLOSE IN ON POSSIBLE LOCATION WHERE FUGITIVE DAD COULD BE HIDING AFTER ALLEGED TRIPLE MURDEROn Tuesday, June 10, authorities announced that they were zeroing in on the Army veteran. On Monday, the agency received a tip from a group of hikers of a man who appeared evasive and unprepared near the Ingalls Creek and Valley High areas late Monday night, according to the Chelan County Sheriffs Office (CCSO)."Our office recently received a tip from a hiking party who stated they spotted a lone hiker in the Enchantments area who appeared to be ill-prepared for trail and weather conditions, and appeared to be avoiding others," the sheriffs office said in a press release.Authorities subsequently acted on the tip and "spotted a lone, off-trail hiker from a helicopter near Colchuck Lake who ran from sight as the helicopter passed," CCSO said.Search teams were able to establish a trail and deploy K9s throughout the area, leading them to Ingalls Creek.SEE IT: PHOTOS OF THE SEARCHThe wooded area is located approximately 30 miles from Rock Island Campground, where the bodies of Deckers three daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were found on June 2.SURVIVALIST'S GOOGLE SEARCHES REVEAL POSSIBLE ESCAPE PLAN AMID MANHUNT IN DAUGHTERS TRIPLE MURDER: REPORTThe bodies were found three days after they did not return to their mother following a court-approved visit withDecker.GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THETRUE CRIME HUBAuthorities said Decker, a former Army infantryman with survival skills, may have used his rugged survivalist capabilities to evade capture. Authorities previously described him as "dangerous," warning residents not to approach him and describing him as armed."This is someone with military training, someone whos lived off-grid before," Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said. "Were dealing with a highly capable survivalist who may be using the terrain to his advantage."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPIf convicted, Decker could face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.Fox News' Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.

Taiwans top envoy to the U.S. urged the Senate to ease tax burdens between the two countries and asked Congress to fast-track foreign military sales, following a closed-door lunch Wednesday with the House. AmbassadorAlexander Tah-Ray Yui, Taipeis top representative in Washington, told Fox News Digital that he is encouraged that U.S. leaders recognize the urgent existential threat China poses, but emphasized the need to get weapons into the hands of the Taiwanese military more quickly and to address issues impeding two-way investment."We appreciate the United States prioritizing Taiwan and helping us strengthen our defense capabilities," Yui said. "Were cheering on more military commitments to the states and [a] joint effort to speed up the delivery of the products that we bought."Yui called on the Senate to advance a stalleddouble taxation agreement, which has already cleared the House.ROBERT MAGINNIS: 9 SIGNS BEIJING'S TAIWAN INVASION MAY BE IMMINENT"Thats an important incentive for Taiwanese companies to come to the United States and invest but also vice versa for U.S. companies to go to Taiwan," he said. "We are the only one of the large trading partners without this treatment, which is worrying for the whole country right now."By a vote of 423 to 1, the House last Congress passed the United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act, legislation that prevents double taxation on cross-border investments.The ambassador also offered a sobering assessment of Chinas increasingly belligerent posture in the Taiwan Strait and across the Indo-Pacific."We are concerned," Yui said. "The [Peoples Liberation] Army and Navy are increasing their activities around Taiwan, harassing our territorial waters and airspace. These provocations are constant."While emphasizing that"we dont want war," he noted that the U.S. and regional partners have begun ramping up their own defenses, recognizing the threat.'COMING FOR US': EXPERT SOUNDS ALARM ON CCP'S MISSION TO 'KILL AMERICANS' AFTER FBI MAKES SHOCKING ARRESTSRep.August Pfluger, who chairs the influential RSC, told Fox News Digital that the meeting was a show of solidarity with Taiwans democratic government and a rebuke of Chinas authoritarian policies."China is an existential threat to Taiwan," said Pfluger, a Texas Republican. "The difference between mainland China and Taiwan is how they treat human life. Taiwan values openness. China suppresses free speech, targets groups like the Uyghur Muslims its deeply concerning."The lunch meeting, attended by dozens of House Republicans, comes amidrising tensions in the region but just as President Donald Trump announced a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping to ease the trade war.While Pfluger did not commit to further supplemental aid, he said he supports efforts by both nations to strengthen military readiness, including Taiwans move to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP."It stands to reason that Taiwan increasing their own internal spending on defense, as well as the U.S. recapitalizing our Navy and Air and Space Forces, is vitally important," he said.Asked what message Congress wants to send to the Taiwanese people, Pfluger was unequivocal:"We stand by them as an ally, as a trading partner, as a democracy facing tyranny just next door."The conversation came at a time when U.S. military officials are warning China is readying for battle in the Indo-Pacific in an effort to "dominate" the region."Beijing is preparing for war in the Indo-Pacific as part of its broader strategy to dominate that region and then the world," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress this week. He added that such an outcome could put the U.S. economy and its supply chains in a choke hold."China is undertaking a historic military buildup and actively rehearsing for an invasion of Taiwan," he said."These aggressive maneuvers are not routine exercises, they are rehearsals for a forced unification," Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added in his own testimony.Taiwan has recently renewed an effort to purge its ranks of Chinese sympathizers, indicting four people on Tuesday suspected of spying for China that had infiltrated the presidential office.Two Chinese aircraft carriers spotted conducting operations in the Pacific demonstrated the countrys "expansionist" aims,Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo said Wednesday."Crossing from the first island chain into the second island chain sends a definite political message and their expansionist nature can be seen," he told reporters in Taipei.The first island chain refers to the region from Japan to Taiwan and the Philippines to Borneo and the second island chain spreads farther into the Pacific, toward the U.S. territory of Guam.

Acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese is returning to Fox Nation for a second season of the docudrama series "Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints." The eight-episode season will spotlight new religious figures, with each episode dedicated to one saints journey of faith and sacrifice.Season two will feature prominent names such as Saint Mary the Virgin, Saint Peter, Saint Patrick, and Carlo Acutis, often referred to as the "patron saint of the internet," who is the most recent figure, and first millennial, to be considered for sainthood.Scorsese, who has long expressed a deep interest in religious storytelling, said the series fulfills a personal dream."For many years, I dreamed of telling stories of the lives of the saints. Its been an obsession of mine for as long as I can remember," Scorsese said in a Fox Nation press release. "So the chance to do this series meant the world to me, and its heartening to know that people have responded to it. Im very excited to be coming back for a second season."MARTIN SCORSESE UNRAVELS ST. MARY MAGDALENE'S COMPLEX LEGACY IN SERIES FINALE OF 'THE SAINTS'Fox News Medias Chief Digital and Marketing Officer Jason Klarman said the demand for more episodes was clear."It was evident our subscribers wanted more, and we delivered," Klarman said. "Were thrilled to welcome back Mr. Scorsese for season two of The Saints.' It truly has been a remarkable partnership."MARTIN SCORSESE'S 'THE SAINTS' RETURNS TO FOX NATION FOR LENT SPOTLIGHTING FRANCIS OF ASSISI, OTHER LEGENDSThe first season of "The Saints" broke viewership records, becoming Fox Nations "highest-engaged and most-watched series of all time." Each month it aired, the program held the top spot on the platform. Season one featured re-tellings of the lives of Joan of Arc, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, and others.Series creator Matti Leshem said he was "thrilled" by the publics response to the show and expressed his gratitude to Fox Nation for being able to tell the stories of these figures. "The Saints celebrates the very best of humanitycourage, sacrifice, and above all, faith," he said.MARTIN SCORSESE ILLUMINATES HISTORY'S BOLDEST SAINTS IN FOX NATION SERIES HE 'DIDN'T BELIEVE COULD BE DONE'CLICK HERE TO JOIN FOX NATIONScorsese has been a giant of the film industry for years, with a career spanning over five decades. His 2006 film "The Departed" won him the Academy Award for Best Directing, and the film itself also won Best Picture, Best Editing, and Best Writing at the 2007 Oscars. Scorsese has directed other landmark films as well, including "Goodfellas," "The Wolf of Wall Street," "Raging Bull," and "The Irishman."The second season of "Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints" will be split into two halves with the first set of four episodes premiering weekly in November 2025. The remaining four episodes will debut in the spring and conclude in May 2026 on Fox Nation.READ MORE FROM FOX NEWS

Some liberals reportedly want former President Obama to do more amid President Donald Trump's second term, accusing the former president of sacrificing his "megaphone." "There are many grandmas and Rachel Maddow viewers who have been more vocal in this moment than Barack Obama has," co-founder of the Progressive Change Institute, Adam Green, told the Atlantic.Obama campaigned alongside former President Biden before he dropped out of the race and also stumped for former Vice President Kamala Harris when she became the nominee. The former president spoke out against Trump in April at an event in New York, but has largely remained out of the spotlight since Trump won."It is heartbreaking," Green said, "to see him sacrificing that megaphone when nobody else quite has it."DEMOCRATIC STRATEGISTS QUESTION INFLUENCE OF OBAMA-ERA CAMPAIGN OPERATIVES IN PARTY'S FUTUREObama accused the Trump administration of trying to destroy the post-World War II international order at the April event before suggesting sacrifice might be necessary to fight back against Trump."It has been easy during most of our lifetimes to say you are a progressive, or say you are for social justice, or say you are for free speech, and not have to pay a price for it And now were in one of those moments when its not enough just to say youre for something. You may actually have to do something and possibly sacrifice a little bit," Obama said."Should Obama get out and do more? Yes, please," Democratic media consultant Tracy Sefl told the Atlantic."Help us," she said. "Were sinking over here."The Obama Foundation did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.'GREATER RECKONING': OBAMA'S SPOT IN THE DEMOCRATIC SUN FADING AFTER HARRIS LOSSThe former Democratic president also weighed in on the back-and-forth between Harvard and the Trump administration in a post to social media in April, praising his alma mater for standing up against the president.Eric Schultz, an adviser to Obama, told the Atlantic that the former president is careful about the issues he weighs in on."We try to preserve his voice so that when he does speak, it has impact," Schultz said. "There is a dilution factor that were very aware of."Obama's former Attorney General Eric Holder told The Atlantic that the former president was out there opposing Trump, but said Democrats needed to be careful not to "regularize" him."Should he do more? Everybody can have their opinions," Holder said. "The one thing that always kind of pisses me off is when people say hes not out there, or that hes not doing things, that hes just retired, and we never hear from him. If you f------ look, folks, you would see that hes out there."CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREJon Favreau, a former Obama speechwriter and co-host of "Pod Save America," told the outlet that the Democratic Party needed new stardom but added that if Trump attempted to run for a third term, he would beg the former president to be the party's standard-bearer again."The party needs new rising stars, and they need the room to figure out how to meet this moment, just like Obama figured out how to meet the moment 20 years ago," he said. "Unless, of course, Trump tries to run for a third term, in which case Ill be begging Obama to come out of retirement."

Officials executed a dramatic rescue last week after a teenager on a fishing trip was bitten by a rattlesnake "deep in the woods" of the western North Carolina mountains.The State Emergency Operations Center dispatched a North Carolina National Guard Black Hawk helicopter to the scene in Avery County with rescue technicians from the Charlotte Fire Department."The hiker was successfully rescued and was receiving medical treatment at the hospital," North Carolina Emergency Management said in a June 5 Facebook post.The snake bite victim, Zain Shah, thanked first responders in the comments section.I'M FROM APPALACHIA AND MY CHRISTMAS VISIT AFTER HURRICANE HELENE REVEALED WHAT DC REALLY THINKS OF US"Thank you all for rescuing me! I recognize the man in yellow on the far right from when he took me up on the cable to the helicopter. I cannot express my gratitude enough!" he wrote.Shah's father, Inman Shah, also explained in the comments section that "[w]hat started as a fun end-of-high-school fishing trip" for his son, Zain, "and his buddy in the WNC mountains turned deadly when he was bitten by a timber rattlesnake deep in the woods."RETIRED GEORGIA NEWS ANCHOR FALLS INTO RAVINE, RESCUED BY HELICOPTER IN ELABORATE RESCUE: REPORT"I'm beyond grateful for the incredible NCHART and Linville-Central Rescue teams, who got to them in the middle of nowhere and saved his life!" Inman Shah wrote. "He was air-lifted to and treated at Johnson City Medical Center, TN, and is now recovering at home. We are forever in your debt."PYTHON ESCAPES NORTH CAROLINA WOMAN'S CAR AT CHILI'SThe timber rattlesnake is a pit viper that is gray in color, sometimes with a pinkish hue, with black and brown diamond-like shapes across its back. It also has a stripe that runs down its back, which can be orange, yellow or pinkish in color, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo.NORTH CAROLINA MAN SLEEPING IN TENT AFTER HURRICANE HELENE HAD TO REBURY FATHER'S CASKET ON PROPERTYA timber rattlesnake will prop itself upright and make a rattling noise with its tail when threatened a warning that it is about to strike. They range in size from about 2.5 to 5 feet on average.The pit vipers can be found across the eastern United States, with sightings ranging from Texas to Iowa to the Carolinas and north to Pennsylvania and New England, according to the National Zoo.

The United States Men's National Soccer Team will be the home squad in next year's World Cup, and they could make a big splash.Eleven of the 16 host stadiums in next year's tournament, which begins exactly one year from Wednesday, are in the United States, with New Jersey's MetLife Stadium hosting the final.After 1994, Major League Soccer was born, and it goes without saying that the immediate rise of soccer's popularity in the country was exponential.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMBut it's seemingly hit a wall in recent years as the USMNT hasn't exactly given Americans a chance to grasp on.The squad got into the Round of 16 in 2010 and 2014 but failed to even qualify for the tournament in 2018. The USMNT returned to the Round of 16 three years ago but couldn't get out of the Copa Amrica group stage on their own home soil last year.Team USA legend Landon Donovan, though, feels that soccer is "secure" in the country, even if Team USA disappoints, and its popularity can only go up from here."Theres going to be a lot of pressure, for sure, on this team. You play a World Cup in front of your home crowd, theres certainly going to be pressure. Is the state of soccer in trouble if they dont do well? No," Donovan said in a conference call with reporters this week."There is a massive, massive opportunity [for this team]. In my experiences from the 02 World Cup, when we did really well, my life changed, and the trajectory of USA Soccer changed a little bit."But then again, Donovan scored one of the most famous goals in United States soccer history: his goal in stoppage time against Algeria put the U.S. through the group stage for the first time since 2002."In 2010, it was that on steroids when we had an iconic moment. So if this team can do one of two things, either go far and/or have an iconic moment or two, it will catapult soccer through the roof in this country."THE ROAD TO WORLD CUP 2026: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE BIGGEST TEAMSAlex Lasry, the CEO of the NYNJ Host Committee, offered similar sentiments, saying the global stars coming to the United States will be enough to grow the sport itself."If it ends up being not what we're hoping, I don't think that's going to dampen what the World Cup means to the United States," Lasry told Fox News Digital at Jersey City's Liberty State Park, which is the home of the official 2026 World Cup fan festival and hosted a one-year countdown launch party on Wednesday."I don't think it's going to dampen how that 6-, 7-, 8-year-old looks at it. Having [Lionel] Messi, [Kylian] Mbappe, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Christian] Pulisic, the stars of the sport here, is what's going to lead to that next generation of athletes saying, I want to be a part of that."Fellow USMNT alum Alexi Lalas took the other side of the coin. While agreeing with Donovan in that all it takes is one special moment to get the country latched on, he said he isn't letting this squad "off the hook.""This is a generation that, over the last 30-plus years, everybody has worked to make sure that they have everything they possibly need in terms of the opportunities and the resources they have; and with that comes higher expectations and fair expectations," Lalas said. "Whoever is ultimately on that field next summer, I hope they recognize the opportunity and responsibility to further the game. What [does that look] like? It can come in a lot of different forms. But when that final whistle blows for the U.S. team, you want to leave thinking, 'That was something Im going to remember. That made me proud to not just be a soccer fan in the United States, but to be an American.'""Youve got to be ready for that and embrace that opportunity with both hands and make the most of it," he said. "I dont want to let them off the hook, because I think they can do things we havent seen before. They need the soccer gods to smile, but every team in the World Cup needs a little bit of luck going forward. And over the next year, theyre going to have to work at whats going on, and I think the attitude off the field, to make sure they maximize next summer."The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place in North America next year and will be featured on FOX Sports.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X,and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Authorities have released a mugshot of the Chinese national accused of smuggling undeclared biological material into the United States.Chengxuan Han was initially scheduled to appear in federal court Wednesday to face charges of smuggling goods into the U.S. and making false statements, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. However, her detention hearing was cut short after her court-appointed attorney requested more time due to "some additional matters pertinent to the issue of bond."Han is a citizen of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Ph.D. student at Wuhans College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).Han is the third Chinese national arrested this month for allegedly smuggling items into the US. University of Michigan post-doctoral research fellow Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, were arrested after allegedly bringing an "agroterrorism agent"m into the U.S. to study at a University of Michigan laboratory.CHINESE PHD STUDENT FROM WUHAN ARRESTED SMUGGLING BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS AFTER DELETING ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE: DOJFrom September 2024 to March 2025, authorities allege Han mailed four packages containing undeclared biological material to individuals working in the University of Michigans laboratory, according to the criminal complaint.On Sunday, Han traveled to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Shanghai on a J1 visa and was subjected to an inspection by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.During the search, Han allegedly told officers she did not mail packages to the laboratory, before eventually admitting she had sent them when pressed by authorities. Han initially told CBP officers the packages contained plastic cups not petri dishes and a book, according to court documents.CHINESE OFFICIAL CLAIMS NO KNOWLEDGE OF FUNGUS SITUATION, SAYS CHINA REQUIRES CITIZENS ABIDE BY LOCAL LAWS"Biological samples, such as plasmids, are often placed within a book and manifested only as a book for shipment, as a means of concealment from U.S. Customs," the complaint said.Han's attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.Upon being confronted by officials, Han allegedly confessed to sending packages containing roundworm-related biomaterials. CBP officers also discovered the content on Hans electronic devices had been deleted three days before she arrived in the U.S.Following the inspection, the FBI and Homeland Security officials spoke with Han. During the conversation, Han allegedly admitted to previously making false statements to CBP officers and acknowledged she sent the packages.FOREIGN NATIONALS CHARGED AMID TRUMP VISA CRACKDOWN FOR SCHEME TO SMUGGLE US MILITARY EQUIPMENT INTO CHINA"The FBI has zero tolerance for those who violate federal law and remains unwavering in our mission to protect the American people," Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement. "The alleged smuggling of biological materials by Chengxuan Han is a direct threat to public safety and national security, and it severely compromises the integrity of our nations research institutions."The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digitals request for comment."The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, Chinato be used at a University of Michigan laboratoryis part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security," United States Attorney Jerome Gorgon said in a statement. "The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions."Han is scheduled to appear in court for a detention hearing on June 13.FORMER US ARMY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST SENTENCED FOR SELLING SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS TO CHINESE NATIONALHans arrest came one day before 42-year-old Shenghua Wen pleaded guilty to federal charges after authorities revealed he spent years exporting ammunition, firearms and other military items to North Korea, in coordination with North Korean government officials.Wen, a Chinese citizen, came to the U.S. in 2012 and remained in the country illegally despite his student visa expiring the following year.Prior to moving to the U.S., Wen met with officials from North Koreas government at the countrys embassy in China, where he was directed to obtain the items on behalf of North Korea.Nearly 10 years later, North Korean government officials directed Wen via an online messaging app to procure firearms and sensitive technology to be smuggled to North Korea through China.'COMING FOR US': EXPERT SOUNDS ALARM ON CCP'S MISSION TO 'KILL AMERICANS' AFTER FBI MAKES SHOCKING ARRESTSIn 2023, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms from a California port to China, with North Korea as the ultimate destination, by filing false export information to conceal the contents of the containers.Wen used money from a North Korean contact to purchase many of the firearms in Texas before driving them back to California to be shipped, according to the DOJ.By December 2023, one of the shipments departed the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong one month later, with it eventually arriving in North Korea.Wen also obtained sensitive technology to send to North Korea, according to prosecutors. The technology consisted of a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions and a chemical threat identification device.He also looked to acquire a civilian airplane engine and thermal imaging system to be mounted on a drone or aircraft for target identification.The entire scheme cost North Korean officials approximately $2 million in wire transfers to Wen, with the funds being used to procure firearms and other goods for the government.Wen faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for both charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 18.Fox News' Patrick McGovern, Greg Wehner and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.