HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The brakes were pulled on a large drug smuggling attempt at George Bush Intercontinental Airport when security found cocaine hidden in a motorized wheelchair at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the seizure on Wednesday, saying the incident happened on Sept. 17 when security became suspicious due to the wheelchair’s abnormally large cushions.
Officers also noticed that the metal compartment looked inconsistent with the seat frame.
An x-ray revealed a metal compartment with 11 packages concealed within the backrest and seat cushions.
K9s confirmed the presence of narcotics, which totaled 12.16 kilograms of cocaine, according to CBP.
“CBP remains diligent in our efforts to protect our borders and keep Americans safe,” CBP acting Area Port Director Kayla Gonzales said. “Cocaine is a deadly, dangerous drug, and the trafficking of these poisons leads to increased violence, money laundering, and other criminal activity that threatens our safety and local communities.”
According to CBP, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement throughout the nation have seen increased seizures and overdose cases involving cocaine mixed with fentanyl.
The agency said in Fiscal Year 2024, CBP seized just over 60 kilograms of cocaine at and between Ports of Entry.
Eyewitness News asked CBP whether anyone was arrested but has yet to hear back.
Country music star Garth Brooks has been accused of sexual assault and battery in a lawsuit from a “Jane Roe” who says she worked as a hairstylist and makeup artist for the award-winning singer.
The complaint, filed in a state court in California on Thursday and obtained by CNN, states the alleged incidents occurred in 2019. She claims she was once raped by Brooks during a work trip.
Brooks had previously denied his accuser’s claims, though representatives for the country superstar did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment in response to Roe’s new lawsuit.
Garth Brooks speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Tennessee Titans new NFL football stadium, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.AP Photo/George Walker IV
Prior to Roe’s filing and as first reported by CNN, an anonymous celebrity plaintiff – now disclosed to be Brooks – had tried to block Roe from publicly repeating her allegations and fiercely denied the claims, according to a previous complaint he had filed as a “John Doe.”
Roe began handling hair and makeup services for Brooks in 2017, according to her suit, which states that she was first hired to do hair and makeup for his wife, Trisha Yearwood, in 1999.
CNN has reached out to representatives for Yearwood for comment.
In addition to sexual assault and battery, the suit accuses Brooks of repeatedly exposing his genitals and buttocks; talking about sex and sharing sexual fantasies with Roe; regularly changing his clothing in front of Roe; and sending sexually explicit text messages.
In her filing, Roe claims that during one alleged incident in 2019, when she was at Brooks’ home for work, he walked out of the shower naked, “grabbed her hands and forced them” onto his genitals, while speaking to her with sexually explicit and vulgar language.
In another alleged incident in May 2019, the suit alleges that Brooks raped Roe in a hotel room during a work trip to Los Angeles where Brooks was taping a Grammy tribute performance.
According to the suit, Brooks and Roe traveled to Los Angeles on Brooks’ private jet.
“Usually there were others on Brooks’ private jet but this time, Ms. Roe and Brooks were the only two passengers,” the complaint states. “Once in Los Angeles at the hotel, Ms. Roe could not believe that Brooks had booked a hotel suite with one bedroom and she did not have a separate room.”
Once they arrived at the hotel suite, Roe alleges the country singer “appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, completely naked.” Roe’s complaint states she felt “trapped in the room alone with Brooks.”
After the alleged rape, Roe claims that Brooks continued to tell her his sexual fantasies with more frequency and physically groped her. The complaint states Brooks “repeated remarks” about “having a threesome” with his wife.
In his complaint as plaintiff John Doe, Brooks claims defendant Roe’s attorney sent him a “confidential” demand letter alleging sexual misconduct after he declined Roe’s request for “salaried employment and medical benefits.”
“Defendant’s allegations are not true,” Brooks’ previous lawsuit states. “Defendant is well aware, however, of the substantial, irreparable damage such false allegations would do to Plaintiff’s well-earned reputation as a decent and caring person, along with the unavoidable damage to his family and the irreparable damage to his career and livelihood that would result if she made good on her threat to ‘publicly file’ her fabricated lawsuit.”
Roe’s attorneys told CNN that Brooks’ “efforts to silence our client through the filing of a preemptive complaint in Mississippi was nothing other than an act of desperation and attempted intimidation.”
“We are confident that Brooks will be held accountable for his actions,” attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor, Jeanne M. Christensen and Hayley Baker said in a statement to CNN. “We applaud our client’s courage in moving forward with her complaint against Garth Brooks. The complaint filed today demonstrates that sexual predators exist not only in corporate America, Hollywood and in the rap and rock and roll industries but also in the world of country music.”
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The dry heat continues through Thursday but moisture starts streaming back in Friday into the weekend which could aid in some slim rain chances for SE Texas.
We started off Thursday with temperatures in the upper 60s but under sunny skies, we’ll see temps top out in the low to mid 90s. We also will have an ozone pollution watch in effect.
How long will the dry air stick around?
The lower humidity should hang around until Friday as we get grazed by tropical moisture rotating around a disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico.
It seems like it’s been pretty warm and dry lately. Any concern for drought conditions?
The amount of rain most of Southeast Texas has seen over the past two to three weeks has been minimal, though some areas seeing more than others. Still, much of the region now shows up on the regional drought monitor with abnormally dry conditions for this time of year. Houston has only seen about a quarter of an inch of rain over the past two weeks. So while it’s not an immediate concern, drought conditions will creep back in if we don’t get our normal October rains from fall fronts.
When is our next cool front coming?
At this time we have one penciled in for next Monday. This front looks to pass through mostly dry, and it should deliver a more noticeable temperature drop with highs in the 80 and lows in the 60s.
What are you tracking in the tropics?
We’re monitoring an area in the Gulf that has a low chance of development. Meanwhile, the deep tropics and Atlantic are very active right now with storms spinning in the middle of the ocean. Head to our daily Tropical Update page for the latest on what’s happening in the tropics.
The confirmed death toll for Hurricane Helene rose to at least 200 people as of Wednesday evening, The Associated Press reported, making it the deadliest hurricane since Katrina to hit the mainland U.S.
The death toll was at 189 Thursday morning but eight new deaths reported in Georgia and three from North Carolina upped that number to 200 by noon.
Search and rescue operations continued Thursday in the mountains of western North Carolina, which bore the worst of the storm.
The storm surge, wind damage and inland flooding from Hurricane Helene have been catastrophic, flooding neighborhoods, stranding residents and destroying homes in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
“I’m here to say the United States — the nation — has your back,” Biden told a crowd in Raleigh, North Carolina. “We’re not leaving till you’re back on your feet completely.”
Helene, which made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region Thursday night as a massive Category 4 hurricane, was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend on record.
1.2 million customers still without power in some southern states
As recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic force continue, 1.2 million customers are still without power in some southern states.
As of Wednesday at 12:30 p.m., 1,276,750 customers are without power across the South, according to poweroutage.us.
The hardest-hit states are South Carolina with over 484,410 customers without power, North Carolina with over 343,632 customers without power and Georgia with over 354,418 customers without power.
Outages are also reported in Florida (40,724 customers), Virginia (40,184 customers) and West Virginia (13,382 customers).
Biden deploying up to 1,000 active-duty troops to support NC National Guard
President Joe Biden announced Wednesday he has directed the deployment of “up to one thousand active-duty soldiers to reinforce the North Carolina National Guard.” The announcement comes as Biden will travel to South Carolina and North Carolina Wednesday to survey the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
“These soldiers will speed up the delivery of life-saving supplies of food, water, and medicine to isolated communities in North Carolina — they have the manpower and logistical capabilities to get this vital job done, and fast. They will join hundreds of North Carolina National Guard members deployed under State authorities in support of the response,” Biden said in the statement.
“Hurricane Helene has been a storm of historic proportion. My heart goes out to everyone who has experienced unthinkable loss. We are here for you — and we will stay here for as long as it takes,” Biden added.
The White House fact sheet says the soldiers will “support the delivery of food, water, and other critical commodities,” to impacted communities. The fact sheet adds the deployment is effective immediately. The soldiers are part of the Infantry Battalion Task Force based in Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and includes a Forward Support Company, according to the administration.
Bipartisan senators call on Congress to address Hurricane Helene damage
In a joint letter released Tuesday, Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell and several other senators on both sides of the political aisle called on Congress to meet following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
“Although the true level of devastation is still unfolding, it is clear that Congress must act to meet the unmet needs in our states and address the scope and scale of destruction experienced by our constituents,” the leaders wrote in the letter.
The senators suggested Congress convene in October to “ensure we have enough time to enact legislation before the end of this calendar year.”
“Tens of millions of Americans were impacted by Hurricane Helene, and we look forward to working with you to provide relief to those impacted by this horrific storm,” the senators wrote.
Help people affected by Hurricane Helene. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. Donate now at redcross.org/abc.
BRAZORIA, Texas (KTRK) — Emergency crews responded to a crash involving a Columbia-Brazoria ISD school bus. A student and the bus driver were transported to area hospitals via Life Flight, according to the school district.
SkyEye flew over the scene on Highway 36 at Country Road 353 on Thursday morning.
Video shows the aftermath of what appears to be a crash between a school bus and a dump truck.
According to CBISD, there were 34 high school students and one driver on the bus at the time of the crash.
“All other students were evaluated and have been released to their parents or are on their way to school at this time,” CBISD said in a statement.
TxDOT said the school bus collided with the truck, which was delivering product for road construction on Highway 36. The dump truck driver was reportedly not injured.
Further details about what exactly led up to the crash were not immediately released.
Watch live breaking news coverage from ABC13 on our 24/7 streaming news channel.
Federal prosecutors requested an indefinite delay Wednesday in scheduling the trial for the man charged in an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course last month, citing a massive amount of evidence they’ve gathered in the 17 days since Ryan Routh’s arrest.
In a filing Wednesday afternoon requesting Florida District Judge Aileen Cannon officially designate Routh’s case as “complex,” prosecutors revealed new details about the scope of evidence they’ve amassed as they try to further gain insight into Routh’s actions leading up to his suspected attempt to kill Trump.
“Over the past two weeks, the United States has interviewed hundreds of witnesses,” prosecutors said in the filing. “It has also executed 13 search warrants in Florida, Hawaii, and North Carolina, and seized hundreds of items of evidence, including multiple electronic devices.”
Investigators reportedly have more than 100 outstanding subpoena returns in connection with the investigation, the filing states, and they estimate they have “thousands of videos to review” from the large volume of electronic devices seized thus far.
“All videos, still images, text files, and audio files constitute approximately 4,000 terabytes (4 million gigabytes) of digital review to complete,” the filing says.
The FBI also continues to conduct forensic tests on other evidence, including “ballistics testing, and fingerprint and DNA comparisons,” which will likely require them to prepare several expert witnesses to testify about in advance of Routh’s eventual trial.
The filing states Routh’s defense attorneys did not oppose the government’s request to indefinitely delay his trial date.
Routh, 58, appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday for his arraignment on attempted assassination charges. Routh’s lawyers entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Routh had previously been charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number for the incident that took place at Trump International Golf Club on Sept. 15.
On the day of the alleged attempted assassination, Trump was playing golf on the course when a Secret Service agent spotted a gun barrel poking out from the tree line near the sixth green, according to investigators.
The agent then fired in the direction of the rifle and saw Routh fleeing the area and entering his nearby vehicle, according to the criminal complaint filed in the case.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency can meet immediate needs but does not have enough funding to make it through the hurricane season, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Wednesday.
The agency is being stretched as it works with states to assess damage from Hurricane Helene and delivers meals, water, generators and other critical supplies. The storm struck Florida last week, then plowed through several states in the Southeast, flooding towns and killing more than 160 people.
Mayorkas was not specific about how much additional money the agency may need, but his remarks on Air Force One underscored concerns voiced by President Joe Biden and some lawmakers earlier this week that Congress may need to pass a supplemental spending bill this fall to help states with recovery efforts.
“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting,” Mayorkas said. “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.”
Hurricane season runs June 1 to Nov. 30, but most hurricanes typically occur in September and October.
Congress recently replenished a key source of FEMA’s response efforts, providing $20 billion for the agency’s disaster relief fund as part of a short-term government spending bill to fund the government through Dec. 20. The bill also gave FEMA flexibility to draw on the money more quickly as needed.
Both chambers of Congress are scheduled, however, to be in their home states and districts until after the election, as lawmakers focus on campaigning.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., gave no hint he was considering changing that schedule during a speech Tuesday. He said that Congress just provided FEMA with the funds it needs to respond and that lawmakers would make sure those resources are appropriately allocated.
A bipartisan group of Senators from affected states wrote their leadership this week saying it’s clear Congress must act to meet constituents’ needs. They said that may even require Congress to come back in October, ahead of the election.
Mayorkas made his comments as Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris fanned out across the Southeast to witness the damage from the hurricane and seek to demonstrate commitment and competence in helping devastated communities. Biden is heading to North and South Carolina, while Harris is going to Georgia.
More than 150,000 households have registered for assistance with FEMA, and that number is expected to rise rapidly in the coming days, said Frank Matranga, an agency representative.
The devastation was especially severe in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where at least 57 people died in and around Asheville, North Carolina, a tourism haven known for its art galleries, breweries and outdoor activities.
“Communities were wiped off the map,” North Carolina’s governor, Roy Cooper, said at a news conference Tuesday.
Help people affected by Hurricane Helene. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. Donate now at redcross.org/abc.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Astros’ hopes for a deep 2024 postseason run are now over. On Wednesday afternoon, Houston fell in a 5-2 defeat to the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series.
After five scoreless innings, Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows scored the first home run of the game to snap the scoring drought and put Detroit ahead of Houston 1-0 early in the sixth inning. In the seventh inning, Houston took a 2-1 lead after an opportunity with bases loaded after Jeremy Peña slid across home plate to score a run vs. Detroit.
In the top of the eighth inning, Detroit answered to tie the game 2-2 after Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter scored a run. The Tigers bounced back after a three-run score for a 5-2 lead over Houston.
Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown left the game in the top of the sixth inning after recording nine strikeouts. Furthermore, Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series marked the 26 year-old Detroit native’s first postseason start.
Bregman’s future with or without the Astros?
Now, “the elephant in the room” for the Astros is whether third baseman Alex Bregman stays or departs from the franchise. The 30-year-old LSU product was drafted by the ‘Stros with the second pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft. As an Astro, Bregman has achieved various accolades including 2 World Series Championships (2017 and 2022) and 2 All-Star selections. He even launched his own food brand called Breggy Bomb. Bregman is set to enter free agency once the offseason begins. If Bregman decides to leave Houston, only Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr. will be the remaining players left since the 2017 World Series run.
JV’s farewell to baseball?
Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander was left off of Houston’s playoff roster for the first-round playoff series against Detroit. Coincidentally, Verlander was drafted as by the Tigers in the 2004 MLB Draft. As an Astro, he earned two World Series championships (2017 and 2022). He is a future Hall of Famer and currently the oldest active player in the league at 41 years old. Verlander is set to test free agency once the offseason begins.
Despite Houston’s postseason run cut short, the Astros wrapped up their regular season with their fourth consecutive American League West title. Houston finished 88-73 for the regular season under first-year Astros manager Joe Espada. Astros players Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Kyle Tucker were selected for the 2024 MLV All-Star Game, which was held in Arlington, Texas.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A woman’s death is under investigation after authorities said her body was found in an empty field on Wednesday in northeast Harris County.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the discovery was made at about 7:35 a.m. in the 100 block of Subsea Lane. A landscaping service was mowing the yard when they found the woman lying in the grass.
Sgt. Jason Brown said there are “obviously some suspicious circumstances” surrounding her death, but he said they do not have a lot to go off of yet.
The woman is believed to be in her 20s or 30s and does not appear to be homeless, according to law enforcement. They have not been able to positively identify her yet.
While Brown said the woman does not have any obvious signs of trauma, he said sometimes that will be revealed later during an autopsy.
Based on what they saw Wednesday morning, Brown said they believed the woman came out to the field with the help of someone else.
The medical examiner will make the ruling on her manner and cause of death and work to identify her. Brown said they will work off of that information once it is available.
Bank of America customers report having trouble accessing their bank accounts on Wednesday.
Reports about a problem at Bank of America spiked around 12:45 pm ET on Downdetector, which collects data on outages.
Many customers complained they could not see their account balances. Some who could access their accounts were startled to see zero balances.
A Bank of America branch stands in Manhattan on March 15, 2023 in New York City. Bank of America customers report having trouble acces…Show moreSpencer Platt/Getty Images/File via CNN Newsource
Bank of America did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Multiple CNN employees with Bank of America accounts could not log into their accounts online. A message displayed for one Bank of America customer said the current balance amount for one or multiple accounts “may be temporarily unavailable.”
“Five accounts show zero balance, over 20K,” one Bank of America customer on Downdetector wrote.
Another said he can’t log in but his wife can and her accounts display no balance.
