The U.S. military carried out a lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four alleged narco-terrorists, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

“On April 14, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” SOUTHCOM said in a post on X. “Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.”

“Four male narco-terrorists were killed during this action,” SOUTHCOM said.

ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS KILLED AS US FORCES STRIKE SUSPECTED DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN CARIBBEAN

The U.S. military carried out a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four individuals, officials said. (U.S. Southern Command)

No U.S. military forces were harmed, the command added.

SOUTHCOM did not immediately provide additional details about the identities of those killed or the specific groups involved.

COAST GUARD SEIZES OVER 4,500 POUNDS OF COCAINE WORTH $34M FROM SUSPECTED NARCO-TERRORIST VESSEL ON EASTER

U.S. forces struck a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four alleged narco-traffickers. (U.S. Southern Command)

The strike came after SOUTHCOM said Monday that it conducted another strike in the Eastern Pacific, killing two individuals believed to be involved in narcotics trafficking.

The U.S. military has carried out dozens of strikes in recent months on suspected drug-smuggling vessels as part of a broader campaign to dismantle cartel-linked trafficking operations.

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U.S. Southern Command said a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific killed four individuals. (U.S. Southern Command)

SOUTHCOM is responsible for military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks that threaten U.S. interests.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

The US military said Sunday that it blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of five people and leaving one survivor, as the Trump administration pursues its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America while preparing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The attacks on Saturday bring the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the US military to at least 168 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.

As with most of the military’s statements on the dozens of strikes in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, US Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. Videos posted on X showed small boats moving across the water before they each were engulfed in a bright explosion.

US Southern Command stated on X that it notified the US Coast Guard to activate the search-and-rescue system for the survivor. The Coast Guard confirmed it was coordinating the search and said updates would be provided when available.

President Donald Trump has said the US is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives.

But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the US over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

The boat strikes have continued in Latin America even as the US military has focused on operations in the Middle East, where the US was engaged in a war with Iran for several weeks.

Trump on Sunday said the US Navy would begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after US-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement.

Trump wants to weaken Iran’s key leverage in the war after demanding that it reopen the crucial waterway through which 20% of global oil normally passes.

US Central Command said the blockade would involve Iranian ports.

From the moment you get that knock on the door to the moment you’re handed a folded American flag, Gold Star families face a lifetime shaped by loss. Last week we observed Gold Star Spouses Day on April 5. April is also the Month of the Military Child. I invite you to reflect on the sacrifices of our military families, especially those whose loved one paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Losing a loved one in service to our country hits differently. These families are asked to carry on with strength and dignity, embodying the very ideals their loved ones fought to defend. It’s often called an honor no one wants.

I recently had the privilege of meeting with members of the Gold Star Wives of America in my Washington, D.C., office. Their resilience, grace and determination to advocate for military families left a lasting impression. Their stories are powerful reminders of the human cost of service.

WATCH: PRESIDENT TRUMP REVEALS FAMILIES OF SLAIN US SERVICE MEMBERS URGED HIM ‘FINISH THE JOB’

The sacrifice of our military families can’t be overstated. Every lost servicemember comes with ripple effects—lives disrupted, futures derailed, and families left with only memories and a folded flag.

As the father of a beautiful little girl, I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child. One Gold Star mother recently told my office about losing her son in 2010 to an IED in Afghanistan. She said, “Increasing the death benefit will help new Gold Star Families in many ways.” For her, this initial bridge payment helped cover travel expenses for family members who wanted to pay their respects; for others, it helped cover funeral costs or other bills left unpaid.  

The sacrifice of our military families can’t be overstated. Every lost servicemember comes with ripple effects—lives disrupted, futures derailed, and families left with only memories and a folded flag.

Grief doesn’t end after the funeral. Families have to come to grips with the fact that their loved one will never have another birthday or celebrate another Christmas. Spouses will mourn anniversaries and have to decide when or if to stop wearing a wedding ring. 

Gold Star children will have to live with disappointment for the rest of their lives, facing the reality of walking down the aisle without a father or picking out a wedding dress without a mother. These are all the tragic possibilities that every service member knows they are risking when they sign up to serve and the realities far too many have to face. 

A girl reacts in front of a headstone during Memorial Day as visitors honor veterans and those lost in war at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, U.S., May 31, 2021.   (Reuters)

Beyond emotional hardship, there are practical concerns too. Young spouses often put their own careers on hold to support their military husband or wife. When the worst happens, they now need to figure out how to financially support themselves and their children and all while navigating extreme grief. 

The reality these families face underscores a critical question: Why haven’t survivor benefits kept pace with modern needs? The initial payment families receive upon the death of their loved one has not been updated in over 20 years. Other benefits, including social security, military retirement, and federal salaries, have been adjusted for inflation, but not “death gratuity” payments for our military families. It’s time to correct this wrong.

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That’s why I introduced the bipartisan Honoring Our Nation’s Obligation to Remember (HONOR) Gold Star Families Act. This legislation would increase the military death gratuity—often called the bridge payment—from $100,000 to $200,000 for the families of fallen servicemembers. 

The bill also adds a cost-of-living adjustment so that future payments automatically rise with inflation, helping ensure continued support for Gold Star families over time. This legislation was co-led by Armed Services Committee members Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii. It was also endorsed by the American Gold Star Mothers, the Gold Star Wives of America, Military-Veterans Advocacy and the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS).

Recent losses remind us that this burden is ongoing. Take the recent conflict with Iran, where 13 servicemembers have lost their lives. One of those soldiers was Capt. Cody Khork, a 35-year-old man who, according to his family, was deeply patriotic and was defined by “love of country.”

Another servicemember who lost her life was Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor. She is survived by a son in his senior year of high school and a daughter in fourth grade. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan was also killed in the conflict. 

His niece wrote on Facebook. “You’re our Hero with a servant’s heart, you lead with love and bravery, you gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country, an honorable soldier, and I believe God welcomed you Home with open arms saying, ‘Well done, my son, well done.’”

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The loss and heartache these families are experiencing right now cannot be quantified, but we can keep them in our prayers as they grieve, and we can support them in a meaningful way.

That’s why I made the HONOR Gold Star Families Act retroactive. My bill will apply to all families who have lost a loved one in Operation Epic Fury regardless of when my bill is signed into law. 

Our Gold Star moms, dads, children, spouses, and siblings have given so much for our nation. It’s time we give back to them—and this bill is just one way to do that.  

A U.S. Air Force crew had only seconds to react after their F-15E Strike Eagle was hit by enemy fire over Iran Friday. Both airmen ejected.

The escape from the aircraft — triggered in an instant — set off a high-risk rescue mission deep inside hostile territory, as U.S. forces raced to recover the crew before Iranian forces could reach them.

In those few seconds, the ejection seat transforms from a last-resort safety system into an explosive escape mechanism — launching the crew out of the aircraft and into open air before a parachute deploys.

RESCUE EXPERT SAYS MOST DANGEROUS MOMENT COMES AFTER ‘JACKPOT’ CALL IN RECOVERY BEHIND ENEMY LINES

That is the sequence the pilot and weapon systems officer aboard the F-15E over Iran would have experienced after their aircraft was struck Friday, forcing them to eject and triggering a high-risk rescue operation over the weekend. The incident — and the successful recovery of both airmen in recent days — offers a rare look at what happens in the split second a pilot ejects, and the extreme forces they endure to survive. 

“It’s a violent event,” Pete “Gunz” Gersten, a former F-16 pilot who flew special operations missions, told Fox News Digital. 

An F-15E Strike Eagle takes off for a combat flight in support of Operation Epic Fury during the Iran war at an undisclosed location on March 16, 2026. (U.S. Air Force/Reuters)

The moment a pilot pulls the ejection handle, the sequence begins almost instantly.

The canopy disappears in a fraction of a second. The seat rockets upward, forcing the body through intense acceleration.

When a pilot pulls the ejection handle, they are subjected to forces ranging from 14G to 20G (14 times to 20 times the force of gravity), according to military experts. For a 200-pound airman, this means their body feels as if it suddenly weighs 4,000 pounds.

“You’re no longer a decision-maker,” Gersten said, describing what happens to pilots who eject. “You’re a participant, and you’re on the ride.”

Within moments, the aircraft falls away behind them, while the crew is suspended in open air, waiting for the parachute to deploy.

That is the moment the two airmen over Iran would have faced after their aircraft was struck Friday, forcing them to eject and triggering a high-risk rescue operation over the weekend as U.S. forces worked to locate and recover them in hostile territory.

HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters were involved in rescue efforts for a downed airman in Iran. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Deanna Muir)

The successful recovery of both the pilot and the weapon systems officer in the F-15E in recent days underscored both the risks of operating in contested airspace and the importance of rapid rescue capabilities.

FORMER A-10 PILOT STRUCK BY MISSILE OVER BAGHDAD DETAILS TRAINING TO BE A ‘GOOD SURVIVOR’

Pilots never actually practice a real ejection.

Instead, they train for an emergency they hope never happens, relying on repetition, simulation and memorized procedures to prepare for a moment that unfolds in seconds.

“You’re relying on muscle memory for something you’ve never actually done,” Gersten said.

That training begins before pilots ever take their first flight.

“When they start flying, before they even get in the cockpit, they’ve been trained on how to get out of the aircraft in case something goes wrong,” Gersten said.

It starts in the classroom, where pilots learn how the ejection system works. From there, they move into simulators designed to replicate parts of the experience — without exposing them to the full force of a real escape.

HIGH-RISK EFFORT TO SAVE ‘DUDE 44’ CREW IS MOST INCREDIBLE COMBAT RESCUE IN US HISTORY

In one system, the ejection seat is mounted on a rail and launched upward, giving pilots a partial sense of the acceleration they would feel in an actual emergency.

But the training doesn’t stop once the seat “fires.”

Pilots are then strapped into harness systems that simulate a parachute descent, often using virtual reality to recreate the sensation of floating above the ground. There, they rehearse a strict sequence of actions — clearing their visor, checking their canopy, preparing their gear and steering toward a safe landing zone.

For the two airmen who ejected over Iran, that training helped make a violent, unpredictable escape survivable deep inside hostile territory.

Pilots are trained to prepare for a wide range of scenarios — from water landings to mountainous terrain — each carrying its own risks. (Jesus Olarte/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“There’s no checklist you can reference when you’re hanging in a parachute,” Gersten said. “You actually have to memorize them.”

At the end of the simulation, trainees are dropped to the ground to practice the final —and often the most dangerous — phase: landing.

“You have to be prepared, you have to be trained, otherwise you can hurt yourself,” Gersten said.

Before pulling the handle, pilots are trained to press their bodies straight back against the seat, keeping their spine rigid and aligned to reduce the risk of serious injury.

In two-seat aircraft like the F-15E, either the pilot or weapon systems officer can initiate an ejection. Once triggered, the system automatically ejects both airmen in rapid succession, separated by fractions of a second to prevent midair collision.

Even after the parachute deploys, the danger isn’t over.

“The biggest concern … is where am I going to land?” Gersten said.

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Pilots are trained to prepare for a wide range of scenarios — from water landings to mountainous terrain — each carrying its own risks. Landing injuries are common, particularly if a pilot is not properly positioned or prepared for impact.

For the two airmen who ejected over Iran, that training helped make a violent, unpredictable escape survivable deep inside hostile territory.

The pilot of the F-15E was picked up by U.S. forces later Friday. But the weapon system officer had to hide out in enemy territory until he was spotted by the U.S. and rescued Sunday. 

“The second crew member — a heroic weapon system officer — was in tough shape after ejecting,” Trump said in a press conference. “He scaled cliff faces bleeding rather profusely, treated his own wounds, and contacted American forces. He was besieged by Iranian militia, but he managed to evade capture by scaling treacherous mountain terrain … he is a brave warrior.”

Modern systems have a survival rate of roughly 90% to 95%, according to military and medical studies, but injuries are common. Research shows that up to 30% of pilots suffer spinal fractures during ejection, while broader reviews have found major injuries in roughly one-third of cases. 

If a pilot’s arms or legs are out of position, the extreme wind blast can cause what are known as “flail injuries,” leading to fractures or dislocations.

A former Fort Bragg employee with top-secret clearance is accused of leaking classified military tactics to a journalist, then admitting to her mother that she could be arrested for exposing sensitive operations, according to a federal complaint.

Courtney P. Williams, 40, an Army veteran assigned to a Special Military Unit (SMU) at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday and charged with unlawfully transmitting national defense information, including classified tactics used in covert missions, to an investigative reporter over a period spanning several years, federal prosecutors allege.

According to the complaint, Williams held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance and had direct access to highly sensitive operational details, including tactics, techniques and procedures — commonly known as TTPs — used by elite military units.

Williams allegedly violated 18 U.S.C. § 793(d) the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a news release Wednesday.

Investigators allege that between 2022 and 2025, Williams communicated extensively with a journalist, including phone calls lasting hundreds of minutes and roughly 180 text messages, while also sending documents and materials that were later published in an article and book identifying her as the source.

OUSTED HEGSETH AIDE RESURFACES IN INTEL ROLE AS IRAN WAR SPARKS INTERNAL STRAIN

Courtney Williams, 40, was formerly assigned to a Special Military Unit (SMU) at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)

FBI Director Kash Patel took to X on Wednesday after the arrest, saying the Bureau “will not tolerate” leakers of classified intel.

“Let this serve as a message to any would-be leakers: we’re working these cases, and we’re making arrests,” Patel wrote. “This FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and put Americans in harm’s way.”

The Associated Press reported that while the journalist is not named in the court filings, “dates and details match” both an article and book written by Seth Harp about the Army’s Delta Force.

An excerpt from Harp’s book, “The Fort Bragg Cartel” was published in Politico’s magazine last August under the title, “My Life Became a Living Hell: One Woman’s Career in Delta Force, the Army’s Most Elite Unit,” featuring Williams’ testimonials alleging sexual harassment while serving.

Williams, an Army veteran, held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. (Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images)

Harp released a statement to WRAL-TV about Williams, calling her a “brave whistleblower and truth-teller,” despite reported reservations she shared with the journalist after the book was published.

“Former Delta Force operators disclose `national defense information’ on podcasts and YouTube shows every day, but the government is going after Courtney for the sole reason that she exposed sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the unit. This is a vindictive act of retaliation, plain and simple,” Harp’s statement read.

The published materials, according to the government, contained classified information at the “SECRET” level with “NOFORN” restrictions, meaning it was not authorized for release to foreign nationals — raising concerns it could be accessed by U.S. adversaries.

NATIONAL GUARDSMAN ACCUSED OF SEEKING TO SEND PHOTOS OF SENSITIVE MILITARY TECHNOLOGY TO RUSSIA

“Clearance holders accept a solemn obligation to protect the classified information entrusted to them,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a DOJ release. “That they do so is critical to the security of our Nation. When clearance holders violate that trust, the National Security Division will act swiftly to hold them accountable.”

Evidence outlined in the complaint includes messages indicating Williams mailed a thumb drive containing materials to the journalist, as well as files saved on her computer labeled “Batch 1 for Reporter” and similar titles, suggesting an organized effort to provide information.

On the day the article and book were published, Williams allegedly texted the journalist expressing concern about the scope of the disclosure, writing that she was troubled by “the amount of classified information being disclosed” and that it felt like “an entire TTP was sent out in my name.”

In a separate conversation with her mother, Williams allegedly acknowledged the legal risk more directly.

EX-ARMY SERGEANT SENTENCED FOR TRYING TO GIVE STATE SECRETS TO CHINA AFTER MENTAL HEALTH SPIRAL

“I might actually get arrested, and I don’t even get a free copy of the book,” she wrote, adding the legal basis as “for disclosing classified information.”

Authorities say Williams had signed multiple non-disclosure agreements during her time working with the military unit and was explicitly warned that unauthorized disclosure of classified material could violate federal law.

UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters fly over Fort Bragg, N.C. (Sgt. Steven Galimore/U.S. Army)

The complaint also notes that the leaked information could pose serious risks, including exposing military personnel to danger and compromising operations if adversaries studied the disclosed tactics.

“The tradecraft, tactics, and techniques used by the U.S. military unit in this case are classified and should be shared only with those with proper clearances and a need to know in order to protect American lives and safeguard classified National Defense information,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.

“These are serious accusations. Anyone divulging information they vowed to protect to a reporter for publication is reckless, self-serving and damages our nation’s security.”

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Authorities say Williams had signed multiple non-disclosure agreements and was warned that releasing classified material could violate federal law.

The FBI Charlotte Field Office is investigating the case, with “valuable assistance” provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina.

Fox News Digital reached out to Politico.

Retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane expressed doubt that the Iran ceasefire will hold, arguing Tehran is exploiting the pause to delay and ease pressure while testing whether the U.S. has “the stomach” to restart the fight.

“I am skeptical about where we’re heading with the Iranians because I flat don’t trust them, and I don’t like taking the pressure off them by going to a ceasefire, which is what they want in any event to force the United States to stop the war,” Keane said Tuesday on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

“We have done that, admittedly only temporarily, but we’ve got to see what’s in that deal.”

He warned that Tehran has a long track record of using negotiations to buy time, calling Iranian leaders “experts at obfuscating and delaying deals” who “lie and promise and don’t deliver.”

TRUMP TOUTS AIRMAN RESCUE MISSION, BOASTS IRAN COULD BE ‘TAKEN OUT IN 1 NIGHT’

Iranian flags fly at a pro-Iran protest at the White House. (Fox News Digital)

That’s something President Donald Trump is well aware of, Keane said, noting the president’s dealings with Tehran have left him “clear-eyed” about the challenges of securing a lasting agreement.

“The president and his team knows who they’re dealing with, so we’re going to have to hold their feet to the fire and, if this blows up in our face, we have to have the stomach to finish this,” he added.

Trump announced Tuesday that, based on conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, he will delay the “bombing and attack of Iran” for two weeks.

IRAN’S TALLEST BRIDGE COLLAPSES AFTER REPORTED US AIRSTRIKES, IRAN THREATENS AMERICAN ALLIES IN RETALIATION

President Donald Trump speaks from the Cross Hall of the White House on April 1, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Trump used the prime-time address to update the nation on the war in Iran. (Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)

Trump said the decision came after the leaders requested the U.S. “hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran,” which the president previously threatened would start at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Tuesday if a deal was not reached.

“This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

“The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.”

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Trump said the administration received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and officials “believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.”

Fox News’ Alexandra Koch and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.

The A-10 Warthog has a new maritime role in targeting boats in the war in Iran that could extend the life of the aircraft, which the U.S. Air Force had been attempting to retire for years.

Despite the Air Force trying to phase out the A-10, Congress has resisted its efforts and blocked attempts to reduce the number of these aircraft.

A-10s have been used in the U.S. military campaign against Iran, as the Pentagon sees a need for an aircraft that can loiter and deliver accurate fire against small boats and coastal threats.

TRUMP AGREES TO 2-WEEK CEASEFIRE IF IRAN OPENS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

The A-10 Warthog has a new maritime role in targeting boats in the war in Iran. (Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/Nurphoto)

During a Pentagon briefing last month, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said that A-10 aircraft were “in the fight” and operating across the southern flank of the conflict, including targeting Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We continue to hunt and kill mine storage facilities and naval ammunition depots. We continue to hunt and kill afloat assets, including more than 120 vessels and 44 mine layers, and the pressure will continue,” Caine said in the March 19 briefing.

“The A-10 Warthog is now in the fight across the southern flank and is hunting and killing fast attack watercraft in the Straits of Hormuz. In addition, AH-64 Apaches have joined the fight on the southern flank, and they continue to work on the southern side. And that includes some of our allies who are using Apaches to handle one-way attack drones,” he continued.

Despite the Air Force trying to phase out the A-10, Congress has resisted its efforts and blocked attempts to reduce the number of these aircraft. (CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)

This comes as President Donald Trump has escalated threats against Iran, including its civilian infrastructure, over its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted global energy shipments. However, the U.S. and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire on Tuesday, hours before Trump’s deadline to strike power plants and bridges unless Tehran reopened the Strait of Hormuz.

As of 2026, the Air Force has around 280 A-10 aircraft in service, and Congress required that the fleet not fall below 103 aircraft in Fiscal Year 2026 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.

IRAN’S TALLEST BRIDGE COLLAPSES AFTER REPORTED US AIRSTRIKES, IRAN THREATENS AMERICAN ALLIES IN RETALIATION

President Donald Trump has escalated threats against Iran, including its civilian infrastructure, over its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

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While the A-10 is slower and less stealthy than newer aircraft, making it vulnerable in heavily contested airspace against modern integrated air defense systems, it has a long loiter time over target areas and the ability to visually identify and engage targets.

Originally designed as a Cold War-era tank killer, the A-10 is now being used in a markedly different role — targeting small, fast-moving boats and coastal threats amid the conflict with Iran. The use of the aircraft is intensifying debate over the Air Force’s decade-long effort to retire the jet, as it continues to be utilized in new missions.

An investigation is “underway” to determine who leaked to the press that one of the two American airmen was still missing after their fighter jet was shot down in Iran on Good Friday, a White House official told Fox News Digital.

During a Monday afternoon press conference centered on the successful rescue mission, President Donald Trump said his administration is working “very hard” to determine who the leaker is, which he said put the missing pilot at greater risk.

“We think we’ll be able to find it out because we’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘national security, give it up or go to jail,'” Trump said.

“When they did that, all of a sudden the entire country of Iran knew that there was a pilot that was somewhere on their land that was fighting for his life. And it also made it much more difficult for the pilots and for the people going in to search for him.”

TRUMP CALLS RESCUE OF DOWNED AIR FORCE PILOT AN ‘EASTER MIRACLE’

President Donald Trump gestures after speaking about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon/Pool/AP)

The Military Times attributed an X post by Israel’s N12 News reporter Amit Segal as the first to break that one of the “crew members was successfully rescued,” citing a Western source around 11 a.m. on Friday.

But another Israel N12 News reporter, Barak Ravid, wrote an article for Axios that was published hours before Segal’s X post, which shared that one pilot was rescued and another was still missing. Ravid cited his sources as “an Israeli official and a second source with knowledge.”

“An American fighter jet was shot down by Iranian fire. A search is underway to locate the two crew members, according to a source familiar with the details. Read my article at @axios,” Ravid posted on X.

HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters were involved in rescue efforts for the downed airman in Iran. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Deanna Muir)

The New York Post reported that shortly after Ravid posted his story on X, Segal posted in his Telegram channel “Search operation in Iran — for two American crew members.”

While Segal shared in his Telegram channel Monday that he was the first to break the news of the missing airman, he walked back his statement to the New York Post.

“I’m not sure I was the first,” Segal said. “And anyway — I will protect my sources.”

MAURO COMPARES IRAN RESCUE OF MISSING COLONEL TO MADURO CAPTURE, CREDITS INTELLIGENCE PREPARATION

CBS News, the Washington Post and Reuters reported hours later on the missing airman but cited U.S. officials as their sources.

Trump called the “leaker” a “sick person,” claiming that they will face jail time.

A view of wreckage and remains of the downed F-15 fighter jet is seen in Iran on April 05, 2026. (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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“They put this mission at great risk,” Trump said. “They put that man at great risk, and they put the hundreds of people that went in looking for him, because everyone now knows that we’re going in.”

Fox News Digital reached out to CBS News, the Washington Post, Reuters and Israel’s Channel 12 for comment. Axios declined to comment at this time.

A former Pentagon official said the rescue of a U.S. airman in Iran served as more than a recovery mission, saying it was a warning to Tehran that the United States can penetrate anywhere in Iranian territory to carry out operations ranging from rescues to securing sensitive targets.

“This demonstrates to the Iranian leadership that we can get anywhere that we so choose and hold ground as long as we desire to accomplish a mission,” Brent Sadler, a retired Navy captain, said on “Fox & Friends Weekend” Sunday.

TRUMP CALLS RESCUE OF DOWNED AIR FORCE PILOT AN ‘EASTER MIRACLE’

An F-15E Strike Eagle takes off for a combat flight in support of Operation Epic Fury during the Iran war at an undisclosed location on March 16, 2026. (U.S. Air Force/Reuters)

“Not only can we rescue our pilots, but we can also go to where we need to secure nuclear equipment or the remainders of their leadership.”

Sadler’s comments come after the rescue of a U.S. Air Force weapons system officer (WSO) early Sunday morning local time after roughly 36 hours in hiding.

The pilot and WSO ejected from an F-15E fighter jet when it was downed over Iran on Friday. The pilot was rescued that morning.

IRAN GUARDS RECRUITING CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 12, PUTTING THEM ON FRONT LINES OF WAR

A large plume of smoke rises over Tehran after explosions were reported in the city during the night on March 28, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images)

Sadler said there have been reports that intelligence agencies and special forces from various military services were involved in the operation, and that America’s regional allies also played a part.

“Our Gulf partners would have had to have given some clearance for the aircraft to fly through. They wouldn’t know what it was for, and, of course, the Israelis, I think they [were] deeply integrated into this, to shift their targets and their attacks so that it would draw the Iranians away or keep them busy as we focused in on locating and exfiltrating our pilot.”

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Sadler added that the daring operation dashed any hopes Iran had of using the downed airman “for political purposes” or to stop U.S. military operations and said the successful rescue mission should underscore the seriousness of President Donald Trump’s Monday deadline for Iranian leaders to return to the negotiating table.

“Despite going and hunting down and successfully exfiltrating our pilot, the operations and the attacks continued, which means that deadline that President Trump has given is very serious and the regime in Tehran better take it as such, because there’s a lot more that’s coming their way if not.”

Fox News Digital’s CJ Womack contributed to this report.

The “daring” U.S. military rescue of a “seriously wounded” airman is being hailed as an American success story, as President Donald Trump announced “we got him!” and detailed the “AMAZING show of bravery and talent,” turning a potential American setback into a show of might.

Details about the rescue are trickling in, including senior administration officials telling Fox News how the CIA deflected enemy attention with a “deception campaign.”

The CIA spread word in Iran through multiple sources that U.S. forces had already found the second of two airmen who ejected from their F-15, and were moving him out of Iran in a maritime exfiltration elsewhere, sources told Fox News, but that was designed to buy time to find the stranded weapons system officer.

The CIA picked up a distress signal, passing the intelligence on to the Pentagon and White House, which ordered the immediate rescue mission, according to sources.

MORNING GLORY: PRESIDENT TRUMP IS ON THE CUSP OF A HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT

A U.S. Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle was downed behind enemy lines in Iran, forcing the pilot and weapons systems officer to eject and be rescued in daring special operations. (Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto)

There was initial fear the “beacon signal” was an Iranian “trap,” sources said.

“There was a lot at stake here,” the source said.

Once the CIA confirmed Saturday morning that this was not a trap, the missing airman was located using advanced technical capabilities.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe informed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan “Raizin'” Caine and, ultimately, Trump.

“Within eight hours, we had planes in motion,” the source said. “Within almost 12 hours we were on the ground in Iran.

TRUMP TELLS ‘STRANGE’ IRANIAN NEGOTIATORS TO ‘GET SERIOUS SOON’ OR ‘IT WON’T BE PRETTY’

“We’ve seen before what they do with prisoners. We were going to expend every effort to make sure we got to him first.”

The U.S. used MQ9 Reaper drones to protect the area around where the airman was hiding and fired on anything that came close to that area and any area where U.S. forces were operating to prevent crowds or any Iranians from approaching, sources confirmed to Fox News.

“We executed multiple large-scale strikes in the surrounding area using every tactical jet in the U.S. inventory and B-1 Bombers to keep him safe,” according to a senior U.S. official.

Trump saluted the complex operation to exfiltrate the “highly respected colonel.”

“We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran,” Trump wrote Sunday morning on Truth Social, announcing an Oval Office news conference set for 1 p.m. ET Monday. “The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close.”

MORNING GLORY: WHAT WILL DONALD TRUMP’S LEGACY BE AS A WARTIME PRESIDENT?

“This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment.’ It just doesn’t happen!” Trump said. “The second raid came after the first one, where we rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending seven hours over Iran. An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!”

One night earlier, Trump hailed “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History.”

“My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!” Trump wrote Saturday night on Truth Social.

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue,” he said.

The injured airman was the second of two crew members from the warplane Iran claimed it had brought down with its air defenses on Friday.

Several aircraft were destroyed during the U.S. rescue mission, Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards claimed Sunday according to the Tasnim news agency. An Iranian military spokesperson said a C-130 military transport plane and two Black Hawk helicopters were among the downed craft.

TRUMP ORDERS WAR DEPT TO POSTPONE STRIKES ON IRANIAN ENERGY SITES, CITING ‘PRODUCTIVE’ TALKS TO END WAR

A U.S. F-15 fighter jet reportedly went down over the Khuzestan province in Iran on April 3, 2026. (EarthStar Geographics)

Israeli intelligence had assisted the CIA in determining the location of the missing WSO and removing doubt about an Iranian “trap,” halting its attacks in the area to facilitate the mission, an Israeli security official told Reuters.

“All Israelis rejoice in the incredible rescue of a brave American pilot by America’s dauntless warriors,” Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a statement Sunday morning. “This proves that when free societies muster their courage and their resolve, they can confront seemingly insurmountable odds and overcome the forces of darkness and terror.”

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The weekend rescue left Trump resolute in swift and decisive victory amid a 10-day deadline to reopen the Hormuz Strait to oil tankers, issuing a stunning expletive-laced warning Sunday morning.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “There will be nothing like it!!!

“Open the F–in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” he added.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin, Trey Yingst and Reuters contributed to this report.