Evening Brief: FBI Hunts Charlie Kirk Shooter, Maduro Launches Military Mobilization, China’s New Aircraft Carrier Sails

· Guy D. McCardle

Photo of China's Fujian aircraft carrier as September 2025. (Image grab via X, Japan MOD)

Your SOFREP Evening Brief for Thursday, September 11, 2025.

 

US Marks 24th Anniversary of 9/11 With Tributes in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania

The United States commemorated the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on Thursday with solemn ceremonies at ground zero in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Nearly 3,000 victims were honored with moments of silence, the tolling of bells, and the reading of names. Families shared personal tributes, while President Donald Trump attended the Pentagon ceremony and vowed the nation would “never forget” the attacks.

Trump also announced a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom for slain activist Charlie Kirk.

The attacks, which reshaped US foreign and domestic policy, continue to affect survivors, first responders, and victims’ families more than two decades later.

 

FBI Hunts Suspect in Charlie Kirk Assassination, Offers $100K Reward

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released photos of a person of interest on Thursday and offered a $100,000 reward in the search for the shooter who killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a public event at Utah Valley University.

The shooter fired a single shot from a rooftop, killing Kirk as he spoke about social issues before fleeing through a wooded area.

Investigators found a Mauser .30-caliber rifle, ammunition, a palm print, and a shoe impression near the scene, and are analyzing them for clues.

Authorities have not identified the suspect or determined a motive, but noted the shooter appeared college-aged and blended into the campus crowd of about 3,000 attendees.

Kirk’s casket will be flown to Arizona, home of his organization Turning Point USA, as the investigation continues.

 

Teen Gunman Radicalized by Extremist Network Shoots Two at Colorado High School

A 16-year-old student, identified as Desmond Holly, opened fire with a revolver at Evergreen High School near Denver on Wednesday, wounding two students before shooting himself and later dying, authorities said.

Investigators believe Holly had been radicalized by an extremist network and brought significant ammunition to the school. He repeatedly fired and reloaded as students sheltered or fled, but secured doors prevented him from reaching more targets.

The victims remain in critical condition.

The school’s resource officer was absent at the time, and police are investigating how Holly accessed the weapon and whether his parents could face charges.

 

Brazil’s Top Court Moves to Convict Bolsonaro for Attempted Coup

A majority of a five-justice panel on Brazil’s Supreme Court voted Thursday to convict former president Jair Bolsonaro of attempting a coup to stay in power after his 2022 election loss.

Three justices, including Cármen Lúcia and Alexandre de Moraes, found him guilty on five counts, while one voted to acquit. With the majority secured, the panel will next decide on a sentence that could mean decades in prison.

Bolsonaro, under house arrest, denies wrongdoing and plans to appeal to the full 11-member court.

The case has deepened political divisions in Brazil and drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump, who linked new trade tariffs to what he called a “witch hunt.”

Bolsonaro remains influential despite a ban from running for office until 2030, and allies may push for congressional amnesty as the court prepares to debate sentencing on Friday.

 

Maduro Launches Nationwide Military Mobilization as US Naval Forces Mass Nearby

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced a large-scale military mobilization called Plan Independencia 200 in response to a major US naval deployment in the Caribbean aimed at countering drug cartels.

Speaking on state TV Thursday, Maduro said 284 “fronts of battle” would be activated across Venezuela to defend its coastline from “imperialists, invaders and violent groups.” Armed units have been deployed in coastal, border, and inland regions, with officials claiming 25,000 troops are already stationed in western states.

Top regime figures, including Diosdado Cabello, warned they are prepared for prolonged conflict, rejecting US claims the operation targets narcotics.

Washington, which has indicted Maduro and other officials on drug charges, said the deployment of over eight warships, 12 aircraft, and 5,000 personnel sends a message that it will not tolerate narco-terrorism.

 

Saudi Arabia to Send 1.65 Million Barrels of Crude to Syria to Aid Recovery

Saudi Arabia announced Thursday it will supply Syria with 1.65 million barrels of crude to support the country’s struggling postwar economy and energy sector.

The deal, formalized in a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Fund for Development and Syria’s Energy Ministry, aims to boost refinery operations and improve living conditions.

Syria’s economy collapsed during the 14-year civil war, which killed nearly 500,000 people, displaced half the population, and left infrastructure in ruins. Despite renewed investment after the war’s end last December, most Syrians still endure severe power shortages.

 

UK to Mass-Produce Interceptor Drones for Ukraine Under Expanded Defense Deal

The UK will begin producing interceptor drones for Ukraine under an expanded defense agreement, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Thursday after talks in London with UK Defence Secretary John Healey.

The first 1,000 drones are set for delivery soon, with plans to scale production to thousands per month.

The drones, developed under “Project OCTOPUS” through British-Ukrainian collaboration, are designed to shoot down Russian Shahed attack drones at less than 10 percent of their cost.

The UK Ministry of Defence said it will also invest £350 million ($474 million) to boost total drone deliveries to Ukraine from 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 in 2025.

The initiative aims to provide Ukraine with a cheaper, scalable alternative to costly air defense missiles as Russian drone attacks intensify.

 

Belarus Frees 52 Political Prisoners After US-Brokered Deal

Belarus released 52 political prisoners, including European Union diplomat Mikalai Khilo and veteran opposition leader Mikola Statkevich, after US-led efforts secured their freedom, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said Thursday.

The freed group included 14 foreign nationals from several European countries.

Nauseda credited US President Donald Trump for pushing Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to act, while an American envoy announced the US had lifted sanctions on Belarus’ state airline Belavia as part of the breakthrough.

Lithuania confirmed the prisoners crossed into its territory safely, and European Union officials welcomed the release.

Rights groups say over 1,000 political prisoners remain jailed from the crackdown following Belarus’ disputed 2020 election.

 

Thousands Protest Slovak PM Fico Over Meeting With Putin and Austerity Plans

Thousands gathered in Bratislava on Thursday to protest Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government’s planned austerity measures.

The demonstration followed Fico’s trip to Beijing, where he was the only European Union leader to attend a military parade hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and held his third meeting with Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Protesters also condemned scandals involving misuse of European Union funds and accused Fico of pushing Slovakia toward pro-Russia policies similar to those of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán.

Opposition parties vowed to continue protests, with another rally planned for next week’s Tuesday.

 

Russian Drones Breach Polish Airspace, Exposing NATO Vulnerability

Poland reported 19 Russian drone incursions into its airspace on Wednesday, prompting NATO to scramble fighter jets, deploy helicopters, and place Patriot air defense systems on alert.

Polish forces, with NATO support, shot down up to four drones while recovering fragments from 16 locations, some found over 550 kilometers (342 miles) inside Poland.

The incident marked the first large-scale engagement of NATO airpower against enemy targets within NATO territory.

Russia denied targeting Poland, while experts said the coordinated breach appeared deliberate and may have tested NATO’s response.

The incursion highlighted NATO’s challenges in countering cheap, hard-to-detect drones with costly, limited air defense systems.

 

Czech Republic to Send Special Forces, Helicopter to Poland for Counter-Drone Operations

The Czech Republic will deploy a Special Operations unit with a modified Mi-171Š helicopter to Poland to support counter-drone operations after a major Russian drone incursion, the Czech Defense Ministry announced Thursday.

The move follows a request from Poland’s defense minister and is allowed under a 2024 Czech mandate for NATO eastern border missions.

Up to 150 Czech soldiers will deploy within days for an expected three-month mission.

Officials said the deployment aims to strengthen NATO’s eastern defenses and demonstrate allied unity, as Poland and other NATO states push for coordinated air defense responses following repeated Russian drone violations.

 

Over 300 South Korean Workers Deported After Georgia Factory Immigration Raid

A plane carrying more than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai battery factory construction site in Georgia departed Atlanta for South Korea on Thursday.

The workers, part of about 475 people detained, had been held at a detention center in Folkston.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said 316 Koreans, 10 Chinese, three Japanese, and one Indonesian were released by US authorities.

President Lee Jae Myung criticized US visa policies and said President Trump intervened to let detainees choose between staying or leaving; only one Korean opted to stay.

The large-scale raid drew attention due to its size and involvement of South Korean nationals at a major US manufacturing project.

 

China’s New Fujian Aircraft Carrier Sails Toward Taiwan Strait for First Time

China’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, Fujian (018), was seen Thursday sailing toward the Taiwan Strait for the first time, Japanese defense officials said.

The uncommissioned carrier, escorted by two destroyers, was spotted in the East China Sea about 124 miles northwest of Uotsuri Island and monitored by a Japanese P-3C patrol aircraft.

Fujian had departed Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard after maintenance following its eighth sea trial.

The carrier, equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system, will be China’s first catapult-capable carrier and only the second in the world to use such technology after the US Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78).

Once commissioned, it will become the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s third operational carrier, expected to carry up to 40 fixed-wing aircraft and 12 helicopters.

 

Sources: News Agencies