NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján: Republican Bill Betrays New Mexico Families by Taking an Axe to Health Care, Nutrition Programs, and Rural Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    WATCH: Luján Holds Senate Floor During Midnight Session 

    WATCH: Luján Introduces Amendment to Save SNAP 

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after Senate Republicans voted to pass their partisan budget reconciliation bill: 

    “Senate Republicans just pushed through a budget bill that hurts New Mexican families. In their rush to meet President Trump’s demands, they voted blindly, with no regard for the harm this bill will inflict on all of our constituents.

    “This Republican bill guts health care for children and families, strips food assistance from our neighbors, and puts rural hospitals and grocery stores on the brink of closure – all to hand out massive tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy and big corporations. It also adds more than $3 trillion to the national debt – driving up interest rates across the board, making car loans and mortgages more expensive for families, and raising borrowing costs for small businesses and farmers.

    “This bill is not just bad policy – it’s a failure of leadership and a betrayal of New Mexico families, rural communities, and American values.”

    Senator Luján backed a series of amendments and motions to the Republican reconciliation bill aimed at protecting access to health care and nutrition programs and lowering costs for New Mexicans. Senate Republicans blocked these common-sense proposals from Senator Luján and Senate Democrats. Among those measures:

    Keeping Food on the Table for New Mexicans: 

    Millions of families rely on nutrition assistance programs. Senator Luján led a motion to protect funding for SNAP that ensures New Mexico families and children have access to nutritious food. These programs also support New Mexico’s farmers, ranchers, and local communities that rely on these dollars to keep food on shelves and economies strong. 

    Defending Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act:

    Republicans are trying to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations by ripping away Medicaid coverage from millions of Americans. New Mexico has the highest per-capita Medicaid enrollment in the country, and children, pregnant women, and working families depend on it. Senator Luján supported a motion to strengthen Medicaid and protect health care for New Mexicans.

    Keeping New Mexico Communities Safe:

    Amid a nationwide shortage of police officers, Senator Luján proposed a motion to provide increased resources for local law enforcement by funding the COPS Hiring Program. Senator Luján previously led dozens of his colleagues in calling for additional funding for public safety.

    Protecting New Mexicans from Wildfires:

    As wildfires continue to devastate New Mexico and the West, Senator Luján supported a motion to invest in wildfire prevention and protect our communities from future disasters.

    Protecting Clean Energy Investments:

    As the climate crisis grows more urgent – and Republicans push to gut clean energy programs – Senator Luján supported amendments to safeguard investments in our energy future and reduce costs.

    Lowering Taxes for Small Businesses and the Middle Class: 

    To bring down costs for New Mexico families and small businesses, Senator Luján supported amendments that would provide tax relief to the middle class and small businesses.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Research and outreach in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field

    Source: US Geological Survey

    CalVO geologist Seth Burgess looking across Clear Lake at Mount Konocti, a prominent volcanic dome complex within the Clear Lake volcanic field. Photo courtesy of Alexander Rubin (rights reserved)

    The Clear Lake Volcanic Field is located ~ 100 miles north of San Francisco, CA and is named after the lake adjacent to which much of the volcanism occurred. Eruptions have happened here in the past 10 thousand years, making it a “high threat” volcanic system, the closest such system to the densely populated Bay Area. With eruptions as old as almost 3 million years, the Clear Lake field is a spectacular example of long-lived volcanism. In its lifetime, the field has erupted numerous lava flows, built lava domes and cinder cones, and exploded maar craters. CalVO is actively studying and monitoring the Clear Lake field in an attempt to better understand its volcanic past and thus better predict how it might behave in future years, centuries, and millennia. Part of these efforts includes sharing science with local landowners, such as farmers and wineries, who are very interested in how volcanic soils affect the wines made from grapes grown upon them.

    In this photo, Dr. Seth Burgess, a CalVO geologist, is taking a break from “volcano camp,” an event hosted by Brassfield Estate Winery, during which wine industry professionals came together to discuss worldwide wines made from grapes grown on volcanic rocks. Seth is looking out over Clear Lake at Mount Konocti, a group of volcanic domes and lava flows erupted around 400 thousand years ago. The opportunity to speak with folks at events like Volcano Camp is critical to effectively communicating exciting new science with stakeholders who live and work within the Clear Lake volcanic field.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration for Illegally Sharing Californians’ Personal Health Data with ICE

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, leading a multistate coalition, is filing a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) decision to provide unfettered access to individual personal health data to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In the seven decades since Congress enacted the Medicaid Act to provide medical assistance to vulnerable populations, federal law, policy, and practice has been clear: the personal healthcare data collected about beneficiaries of the program is confidential, to be shared only in certain narrow circumstances that benefit public health and the integrity of the Medicaid program itself. In today’s lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that the mass transfer of this data violates the law and ask the court to block any new transfer or use of this data for immigration enforcement purposes. 

    “The Trump Administration has upended longstanding privacy protections with its decision to illegally share sensitive, personal health data with ICE. In doing so, it has created a culture of fear that will lead to fewer people seeking vital emergency medical care,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’m sickened by this latest salvo in the President’s anti-immigrant campaign. We’re headed to court to prevent any further sharing of Medicaid data — and to ensure any of the data that’s already been shared is not used for immigration enforcement purposes.”

    Created in 1965, Medicaid is an essential source of health insurance for lower-income individuals and particular underserved population groups, including children, pregnant women, individuals with disabilities, and seniors. The Medicaid program allows each participating state to develop and administer its own unique health plans; states must meet threshold federal statutory criteria, but they can tailor their plans’ eligibility standards and coverage options to residents’ needs. As of January 2025, 78.4 million people were enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) nationwide.  

    California’s Medi-Cal program provides healthcare coverage for one out of every three Californians, including more than two million noncitizens. Noncitizens include green card holders, refugees, individuals who hold temporary protected status, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients, and others. Not all noncitizens are eligible for federally funded Medi-Cal services, and so California uses state-only funds to provide a version of the Medi-Cal program to all eligible state residents, regardless of their immigration status. 

    A certain amount of personal data is routinely exchanged between the states and the federal government for purposes of administering Medicaid, including verifying eligibility for federal funding. Historically, DHS has acknowledged that the Medicaid Act and other federal healthcare authorities foreclose the use of Medicaid personal information for immigration enforcement purposes. Yet now, the federal government appears to have — without formal acknowledgment — adopted a new policy that allows for the wholesale disclosure and use of state residents’ personal Medicaid data for purposes unrelated to Medicaid program administration. On June 13, 2025, California and other states learned through news reports that HHS has transferred en masse their state’s Medicaid data files, containing personal health records representing millions of individuals, to DHS. Reports indicate that the federal government plans to create a sweeping database for “mass deportations” and other large-scale immigration enforcement purposes.

    The federal government claims it gave this data to DHS “to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them.” But it is Congress that extended coverage and federal funds for emergency Medicaid to all individuals residing in the United States, regardless of immigration status. The states have and will continue to cooperate with federal oversight activities to ensure that the federal government pays only for those Medicaid services that are legally authorized.  

    In today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition highlight that the Trump Administration’s illegal actions are creating fear and confusion that will lead noncitizens and their family members to disenroll, or refuse to enroll, in emergency Medicaid for which they are otherwise eligible, leaving states and their safety net hospitals to foot the bill for federally mandated emergency healthcare services.  They may not get the emergency health services they need and will suffer negative health consequences — and even death — as a result. The coalition asks that the court find the Trump Administration’s actions arbitrary and capricious and rulemaking without proper procedure in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, contrary to the Social Security Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Federal Information Security Modernization Act, and Privacy Act, and in violation of the Spending Clause. They ask the court to enjoin HHS from transferring personally identifiable Medicaid data to DHS or any other federal agency and DHS from using this data to conduct immigration enforcement.  

    Attorney General Bonta leads the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washinton in filing the lawsuit. 

    A copy of the lawsuit will be posted online here when available.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Charges Two Individuals with Acting as Agents of the PRC Government

    Source: US State of California

    Arrests Disrupted Clandestine PRC Ministry of State Security Intelligence Network Operating in the United States

    Two nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) made their initial appearances in federal court in Portland, Oregon, and Houston, Texas, yesterday to face charges issued out of the Northern District of California for acting as agents of the Government of the PRC without prior notification to the Attorney General. The defendants, Yuance Chen, 38, a PRC national and legal permanent resident who resides in Happy Valley, Oregon, and Liren “Ryan” Lai, 39, a PRC national who traveled from the PRC to Houston, Texas, on a tourist visa in April 2025, were arrested Friday on a criminal complaint charging them with overseeing and carrying out various clandestine intelligence taskings in the United States on behalf of the PRC Government’s principal foreign intelligence service, the Ministry of State Security (MSS). These activities included facilitating a “dead drop” payment of cash for information relating to the national security of the United States previously provided to the MSS, gathering intelligence about U.S. Navy service members and bases, and assisting with efforts to recruit other individuals from within the U.S. military as potential MSS assets.

    Chen and Lai were arrested on June 27, 2025, by the FBI in Happy Valley, Oregon, and Houston Texas, as part of a coordinated counterintelligence and law enforcement operation across multiple states.

    “This case underscores the Chinese government’s sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country – we will expose foreign operatives, hold their agents to account, and protect the American people from covert threats to our national security.”

    “The FBI arrested two Chinese nationals who were allegedly attempting to recruit U.S. military service members on behalf of the PRC,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The Chinese Communist Party thought they were getting away with their scheme to operate on U.S. soil, utilizing spy craft, like dead drops, to pay their sources. This case was a complex, coordinated effort and is an example of outstanding counterintelligence work done by FBI San Francisco, Portland, Houston, San Diego, and the Counterintelligence Division. The FBI will continue to vigilantly defend the homeland from China’s pervasive attempts to infiltrate our borders.”

    “Adverse foreign intelligence services like the PRC’s Ministry of State Security dedicate years to recruiting individuals and cultivating them as intelligence assets to do their bidding within the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Under my leadership, the National Security Division will continue to defend our nation and neutralize our adversaries’ clandestine spy networks.”

    “These charges reflect the breadth of the efforts by our foreign adversaries to target the United States — this time by conducting illegal intelligence-gathering operations aimed at our national security information and military service members,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. “My office and the FBI remain ever vigilant in guarding against these threats to the United States. We will continue to undertake counterespionage investigations and prosecutions, no matter how complex and sensitive, to disrupt attempts to weaken our national security.”

    As alleged in the criminal complaint unsealed yesterday, the PRC Government conducts intelligence activities against the United States through multiple arms, including the MSS. The MSS handles civilian intelligence collection for the PRC and is responsible for counterintelligence and foreign intelligence, as well as political security. The MSS and its bureaus seek to obtain information on political, economic, and security policies that might affect the PRC, along with military, scientific, and technical information of value to the PRC. The MSS and its bureaus are tasked with conducting clandestine and covert human source operations, of which the United States is a principal target.

    As alleged in the criminal complaint, Lai recruited Chen to work on behalf of the MSS in or about 2021. While in Guangzhou, China, in January 2022, Lai and Chen worked together to facilitate a dead-drop payment of at least $10,000 on behalf of the MSS, working with other individuals located in the United States to leave a backpack with the cash at a day-use locker at a recreational facility located in Livermore, California.

    Following the January 2022 dead drop, Lai and Chen continued to work on behalf of the MSS, including to help identify potential assets for MSS recruitment within the ranks of the U.S. Navy. For example, beginning in 2022, Chen was tasked by Lai and other agents of the MSS to contact a Navy employee over social media, and then later, in 2025, arranged for a tour with the employee of the USS Abraham Lincoln and provided information about the employee to the MSS. In 2022 and 2023, Chen was tasked to visit a U.S. Naval installation in Washington State and a U.S. Navy recruitment center in San Gabriel, California. While in the recruitment center, Chen obtained photographs of a bulletin board containing the names, programs, and hometowns of recent Navy recruits, the majority of whom listed their hometown as “China,” which he appears to have transmitted to an MSS intelligence officer in China. The complaint also alleges that Chen received instruction from the MSS on what to say to potential recruits regarding potential payment that could be made by the MSS, preferred Naval job assignments for potential recruits, and methods for minimizing Chen’s risk of exposure. The complaint alleges that in 2023, Lai flew to the United States from the PRC and provided Chen with a cellphone that Chen then used to communicate with the MSS. The complaint also alleges that Chen traveled to Guangzhou and met with MSS intelligence officers in April 2024 and March 2025 in order to discuss compensation and specific taskings.

    The complaint also alleges that Lai traveled to Houston, Texas, in April 2025, claiming that the purpose of his visit was related to his business as an online retail seller, and that he would be staying in the Houston area for two weeks. However, on May 9, 2025 – more than four weeks after his arrival in the United States – Lai traveled by car with a companion from Houston to Southern California, via New Mexico and Tucson, Arizona, before returning to Texas, on May 15, 2025.

    Chen and Lai are charged with violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 951, which makes it a crime for a person to operate or agree to operate within the United States as an agent of a foreign government without notification to the Attorney General of the United States. If convicted, the defendants face a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years.

    The FBI San Francisco Field Office is leading the investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the FBI Portland, Houston, and San Diego Field Offices. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) also provided valuable assistance during the operation. 

    The National Security and Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are in charge of the prosecution. Significant operational support and assistance is also being provided by the District of Oregon, the Southern District of Texas, and the Southern District of California.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Feenstra Commends Trump Administration for Detaining Chinese Nationals Found Spying on U.S. Navy

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04)

    HULL, IOWA – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) issued the following statement commending President Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel for arresting two Chinese nationals found spying on U.S. Navy servicemembers and bases:

    “I commend the Trump administration for arresting two Chinese nationals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party who were spying on U.S. Navy servicemembers and bases. From buying up our farmland to deploying spy balloons in our sovereign airspace, the Chinese Communist Party is no friend of the United States. We will not tolerate foreign espionage that threatens our troops and undermines our national security.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The 2025 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Awards honour organizations from Colombia, Egypt, and the Philippines for their contributions to agrifood systems transformation


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    The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced the winners of the 2025 FAO Awards, recognizing organizations from Colombia, Egypt, and the Philippines, whose work has led to outstanding progress in building more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

    On Monday, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu presented the Champion Award and Partnership Award during the 44th FAO Ministerial Conference held in Rome.

    “These Awards are more than an acknowledgment of achievements – they represent FAO’s core values and aspirations. The ceremony is a celebration of possibility and hope of what happens when commitment and innovation meet the urgent call to transform global agrifood systems,” he said.

    The FAO Champion Award, the Organization’s highest corporate award, which carries a prize of USD 50,000 and recognizes significant and outstanding contributions towards advancing FAO’s overall goals, was conferred to la Confederación Mesa Nacional de Pesca Artesanal de Colombia (COMENALPAC), for its tangible results across organizational, social, economic and environmental dimensions, including championing social protection measures for fishers and played a key role in drafting laws against illegal fishing, thereby improving the welfare and rights of fishing communities.

    Since 2017, COMENALPAC has represented over 800 groups of marine and freshwater fishers across Colombia. Its work has contributed to the design and implementation of key legislation, including Law 2268 of 2022, which guarantees social benefits for commercial and subsistence fishers.

    Through an FAO–COMENALPAC partnership, the organization has strengthened fisher communities in Tumaco by eliminating intermediaries, increasing incomes, and promoting inclusive market opportunities. It has also led to the restoration of 83 wetlands, contributing to aquatic biodiversity and more sustainable food systems. The organization was further praised for helping secure the legal recognition of more than 120,000 fishers and for its role in incorporating the concept of “Aquatic Agrifood Ecosystems” into Colombia’s National Development Plan.

    In addition, within the same category, a Special Mention was also awarded to Youth Uprising, a Philippine-based non-profit organization recognized for its intense engagement of young people in transforming agrifood systems.

    The FAO Partnership Award — valued at USD 10,000 and recognizing outstanding cooperation with FAO in advancing the Organization’s work by its Members — was presented to The Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), the first Egypt NGO focused on addressing food insecurity, providing support to over 24 million people through comprehensive food assistance, nutrition, and empowerment programs.

    Among the EFB’s most notable initiatives are the Community Nutrition Programme, the Ramadan Food Loss Initiative, and the Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis (RIMA). EFB’s programs have benefited over 150,000 families and more than 60,000 schoolchildren. Its work also includes capacity-building for small-scale producers and support to 1,200 farmers — particularly women — promoting sustainable agricultural practices and economic inclusion.

    The FAO Director-General bestowed the awards to representatives of the organizations who attended the ceremony in person.

    Adriana Rocío Cadena Cancino, Director of la Confederación Mesa Nacional de Pesca Artesanal de Colombia (COMENALPAC), received the Champion Award on behalf of the organization.

    Mohsen Sarhan Ali Gamal Ali, Chief Executive Officer of The Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), accepted the Partnership Award on behalf of his organization.

    “These awardees remind us that transformation is already happening and must accelerate. Let us continue working hand in hand for the transformation of global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” Qu added in his closing remarks, with a reference to the FAO Four Betters – better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Republicans Pass Bills to Strengthen Border Security, Protect Public Safety

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    WASHINGTON—Today, House Republicans passed two pieces of legislation to strengthen border security, protect American communities, and enhance national security.

    House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) released the following statement:

    “House Republicans continue taking decisive action to restore the rule of law at our borders and put the safety of American citizens first,” Chairwoman McClain said. “I was proud to support these two critical bills that ensure dangerous individuals cannot exploit the immigration system or harm Americans and our communities. Michigan families, and all Americans, deserve leaders who will stand up for law, order, and national security.”

    H.R. 875, the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act, ensures that non-U.S. nationals who commit DUI offenses are deported immediately and denied re-entry to protect public safety.

    H.R. 275, the Special Interest Alien Reporting Act, requires the Department of Homeland Security to provide monthly reports on non-citizens attempting illegal entry who may pose national security threats. This transparency is critical for assessing risks and defending America.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman McClain Slams Democrats for Failing to Condemn Violent Attacks on Police Officers

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    Chairwoman McClain Slams Democrats for Failing to Condemn Violent Attacks on Police Officers

    Washington, June 27, 2025

    WASHINGTON—House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) released the following statement after the U.S. House passed H. Res. 516 – a resolution that condemns the violent riots in Los Angeles, California, and expresses support for law enforcement officers:

    “Burning cars and attacking law enforcement officers should never be considered a ‘peaceful protest’ in America. Democrats just failed to condemn the violent riots in Los Angeles and to express support for our law enforcement officers. Their derangement is on full display,” Chairwoman McClain said. “The contrast is clear: Democrats side with violent criminal illegal aliens, while Republicans will always stand with our heroic law enforcement officers. Shame on them.”  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Republican Leadership Statement on Senate Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    WASHINGTON—Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer, and Chairwoman McClain released the following joint statement after the Senate’s passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill. The House will consider the bill immediately for final passage and put it on President Trump’s desk by the Fourth of July.

    “The House will work quickly to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill that enacts President Trump’s full America First agenda by the Fourth of July. The American people gave us a clear mandate, and after four years of Democrat failure, we intend to deliver without delay.

    “Republicans were elected to do exactly what this bill achieves: secure the border, make tax cuts permanent, unleash American energy dominance, restore peace through strength, cut wasteful spending, and return to a government that puts Americans first.

    “This bill is President Trump’s agenda, and we are making it law. House Republicans are ready to finish the job and put the One Big Beautiful Bill on President Trump’s desk in time for Independence Day.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Baltimore investigation leads to decade-long prison sentence for Prince George’s County man convicted of drug conspiracy

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BALTIMORE — An investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement led to the sentencing of Amos Oluremi Nureni, 43, to 10 years in prison followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    “This sentence sends a clear message: Those who traffic fentanyl, a deadly drug fueling our nation’s overdose crisis, will be held accountable,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella. “In Maryland, we are seeing the devastating impact of fentanyl on our communities every day. Through our strong partnerships with the DEA and the U.S. attorney’s office, HSI will continue to pursue and dismantle the criminal networks responsible for pushing this poison into our neighborhoods. The sentencing of Amos Oluremi Nureni is a direct result of that commitment.”

    In September 2023, HSI and the DEA began investigating Nureni in connection with suspected fentanyl trafficking. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted two controlled purchases in which Nureni sold an undercover officer approximately 400 to 500 pills.

    The pills were blue in color and imprinted with “M30” — mimicking the markings on legitimate pills from a manufacturer containing oxycodone hydrochloride. As confirmed by laboratory analysis, the blue “M30” pills contained fentanyl. In total, Nureni sold approximately 866 fentanyl pills — or nearly 100 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl — to the undercover officer.

    Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Nureni’s Laurel residence March 27, 2024. During the search, law enforcement found a bag containing approximately 10.48 grams (98 pills) of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and a silver Taurus pistol with an obliterated number in Nureni’s safe. The pistol was loaded with a 9mm round of ammunition in the chamber and a magazine containing six rounds of 9mm ammunition.

    Additionally, law enforcement found a large silver and red hydraulic press; a small silver hydraulic press; a digital scale with white powder residue; and several bags containing approximately 6.44 grams (61 pills) of fentanyl, approximately 6.25 grams of cocaine base, approximately 0.859 grams of cocaine, approximately 3.04 grams of cocaine, approximately 3.02 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 1.478 grams of dipentylone in Nureni’s residence.

    Campanella, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes and DEA Washington Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian announced the sentence.

    Members of the public with information about criminal activity should contact the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).

    Learn more about HSI Baltimore’s mission to increase public safety in our Maryland communities on X at @HSIBaltimore.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AFSCME’s Saunders: The Senate’s distorted priorities will leave working people footing the bill

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after the Senate passed its version of the budget reconciliation bill, which would bring even deeper cuts to Medicaid while also slashing food assistance and public services nationwide:

    “We are deeply disappointed by the Senate’s decision to pass a dangerous budget that tears health care away from over 20 million people, leaves millions without food assistance, and saddles working families with higher costs. From the caregivers who rely on Medicaid to keep their loved ones at home, to the hardworking parents struggling to afford groceries, to the nurses worried about their patients losing care, everyday people will foot the bill for a budget that hands more tax cuts to billionaires at the expense of our communities.

    “For months, AFSCME members have urged Congress to reject this morally bankrupt budget and put working families ahead of debt-exploding tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. Instead, a narrow majority in the United States Senate sold out their own constituents by gutting the health care, food assistance and public services our communities count on. Their distorted priorities will not only increase costs for working people but also ignite a fiscal catastrophe that will force states, counties, cities and towns to slash funding for local schools, hospitals, nursing homes, emergency response centers, colleges and other basic services or shut them down entirely.

    “This budget bill is deeply unpopular for a reason: It is the largest transfer of wealth from working families to billionaires and big corporations in American history, and it will cost lives and jobs. But this fight is not yet over. As this budget bill moves back to the House for final passage, AFSCME members will be getting organized and fighting tooth and nail to protect our communities.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fugitive Cindy Rodriguez Singh, Wanted for Capital Murder in Everman, Texas, Added to the FBI’s List of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives

    Source: US FBI

    On October 31, 2023, Cindy Rodriguez Singh was charged with capital murder in the District Court of Tarrant County, Fort Worth, Texas. On November 2, 2023, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Rodriguez Singh in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth, Texas, for Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution. On August 29, 2024, the FBI announced a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to her arrest and conviction. Today, the FBI is increasing that amount and now offering up to a $250,000 reward.

    “The disappearance and suspected death of Noel Alvarez is still fresh in the minds of everyone in Everman as well as throughout North Texas. The addition of Cindy Rodriguez Singh to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List is an opportunity to bring this case to the eyes and ears of citizens across the country and around the world,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We are confident that this publicity will culminate in her arrest and that she will be returned to the United States to answer for her alleged crimes.”

    “The addition of Cindy Rodriguez Singh to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list marks a powerful moment in our unrelenting pursuit of justice for Noel. This is a promise we made to him and to this community, that we would never stop until those responsible are held accountable,” said Craig Spencer, former chief of police and current city manager and emergency management coordinator for the city of Everman. “This designation amplifies our reach and renews our focus. We urge anyone, anywhere, with information to come forward now. Noel deserves that much. We are so incredibly thankful to the FBI for their continued effort and support on this incredibly important case.”

    “I deeply appreciate the unwavering dedication of our law enforcement agencies throughout this investigation,” Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells said. “We are hopeful that Cindy Rodriguez Singh will be apprehended and returned to Tarrant County. My office is committed to delivering justice for Noel.”

    Rodriguez Singh’s last confirmed sighting was on March 22, 2023, as she, her husband, and six juvenile children, boarded an international flight to India. She was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1985, and is 40 years old. The fugitive is 5’1” to 5’3” tall, weighs 120 to 140 pounds, has a medium complexion, and has tattoos on her back, both legs, right arm, right hand, and right calf. She has brown eyes and brown hair.

    Rodriguez Singh is believed to have ties to India and Mexico. Additional information and wanted posters in English, Spanish, and Hindi, can be found at this link: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten.

    The FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list was established in March 1950. Since its inception, 537 fugitives have appeared on the list and 497 have been apprehended or located—many due to tips from citizens. Since its inception, there have been eight fugitives wanted from the North Texas region placed on the list. In addition, five fugitives that have been placed on the list were arrested in the North Texas region.

    The FBI is offering a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to the arrest of Cindy Rodriguez Singh. Anyone with information concerning Rodriguez Singh should immediately contact the nearest FBI office or local law enforcement agency.

    Calls can be directed to 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the FBI’s Dallas Field Office at 972-559-5000. Individuals from outside of the United States should contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Tips can also be submitted digitally at tips.fbi.gov. All information can remain anonymous, and confidentiality is guaranteed.

    This fugitive investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Fort Worth Resident Agency, Everman Police Department, Northeast Tarrant County Child Abduction Response Team, Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, and Texas Rangers.

    Media Contact:

    Public Affairs Officer, Melinda Urbina Garcia, murbina@fbi.gov

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Charges Two Individuals with Acting as Agents of the PRC Government

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Arrests Disrupted Clandestine PRC Ministry of State Security Intelligence Network Operating in the United States

    Two nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) made their initial appearances in federal court in Portland, Oregon, and Houston, Texas, yesterday to face charges issued out of the Northern District of California for acting as agents of the Government of the PRC without prior notification to the Attorney General. The defendants, Yuance Chen, 38, a PRC national and legal permanent resident who resides in Happy Valley, Oregon, and Liren “Ryan” Lai, 39, a PRC national who traveled from the PRC to Houston, Texas, on a tourist visa in April 2025, were arrested Friday on a criminal complaint charging them with overseeing and carrying out various clandestine intelligence taskings in the United States on behalf of the PRC Government’s principal foreign intelligence service, the Ministry of State Security (MSS). These activities included facilitating a “dead drop” payment of cash for information relating to the national security of the United States previously provided to the MSS, gathering intelligence about U.S. Navy service members and bases, and assisting with efforts to recruit other individuals from within the U.S. military as potential MSS assets.

    Chen and Lai were arrested on June 27, 2025, by the FBI in Happy Valley, Oregon, and Houston Texas, as part of a coordinated counterintelligence and law enforcement operation across multiple states.

    “This case underscores the Chinese government’s sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country – we will expose foreign operatives, hold their agents to account, and protect the American people from covert threats to our national security.”

    “The FBI arrested two Chinese nationals who were allegedly attempting to recruit U.S. military service members on behalf of the PRC,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The Chinese Communist Party thought they were getting away with their scheme to operate on U.S. soil, utilizing spy craft, like dead drops, to pay their sources. This case was a complex, coordinated effort and is an example of outstanding counterintelligence work done by FBI San Francisco, Portland, Houston, San Diego, and the Counterintelligence Division. The FBI will continue to vigilantly defend the homeland from China’s pervasive attempts to infiltrate our borders.”

    “Adverse foreign intelligence services like the PRC’s Ministry of State Security dedicate years to recruiting individuals and cultivating them as intelligence assets to do their bidding within the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Under my leadership, the National Security Division will continue to defend our nation and neutralize our adversaries’ clandestine spy networks.”

    “These charges reflect the breadth of the efforts by our foreign adversaries to target the United States — this time by conducting illegal intelligence-gathering operations aimed at our national security information and military service members,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. “My office and the FBI remain ever vigilant in guarding against these threats to the United States. We will continue to undertake counterespionage investigations and prosecutions, no matter how complex and sensitive, to disrupt attempts to weaken our national security.”

    As alleged in the criminal complaint unsealed yesterday, the PRC Government conducts intelligence activities against the United States through multiple arms, including the MSS. The MSS handles civilian intelligence collection for the PRC and is responsible for counterintelligence and foreign intelligence, as well as political security. The MSS and its bureaus seek to obtain information on political, economic, and security policies that might affect the PRC, along with military, scientific, and technical information of value to the PRC. The MSS and its bureaus are tasked with conducting clandestine and covert human source operations, of which the United States is a principal target.

    As alleged in the criminal complaint, Lai recruited Chen to work on behalf of the MSS in or about 2021. While in Guangzhou, China, in January 2022, Lai and Chen worked together to facilitate a dead-drop payment of at least $10,000 on behalf of the MSS, working with other individuals located in the United States to leave a backpack with the cash at a day-use locker at a recreational facility located in Livermore, California.

    Following the January 2022 dead drop, Lai and Chen continued to work on behalf of the MSS, including to help identify potential assets for MSS recruitment within the ranks of the U.S. Navy. For example, beginning in 2022, Chen was tasked by Lai and other agents of the MSS to contact a Navy employee over social media, and then later, in 2025, arranged for a tour with the employee of the USS Abraham Lincoln and provided information about the employee to the MSS. In 2022 and 2023, Chen was tasked to visit a U.S. Naval installation in Washington State and a U.S. Navy recruitment center in San Gabriel, California. While in the recruitment center, Chen obtained photographs of a bulletin board containing the names, programs, and hometowns of recent Navy recruits, the majority of whom listed their hometown as “China,” which he appears to have transmitted to an MSS intelligence officer in China. The complaint also alleges that Chen received instruction from the MSS on what to say to potential recruits regarding potential payment that could be made by the MSS, preferred Naval job assignments for potential recruits, and methods for minimizing Chen’s risk of exposure. The complaint alleges that in 2023, Lai flew to the United States from the PRC and provided Chen with a cellphone that Chen then used to communicate with the MSS. The complaint also alleges that Chen traveled to Guangzhou and met with MSS intelligence officers in April 2024 and March 2025 in order to discuss compensation and specific taskings.

    The complaint also alleges that Lai traveled to Houston, Texas, in April 2025, claiming that the purpose of his visit was related to his business as an online retail seller, and that he would be staying in the Houston area for two weeks. However, on May 9, 2025 – more than four weeks after his arrival in the United States – Lai traveled by car with a companion from Houston to Southern California, via New Mexico and Tucson, Arizona, before returning to Texas, on May 15, 2025.

    Chen and Lai are charged with violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 951, which makes it a crime for a person to operate or agree to operate within the United States as an agent of a foreign government without notification to the Attorney General of the United States. If convicted, the defendants face a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years.

    The FBI San Francisco Field Office is leading the investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the FBI Portland, Houston, and San Diego Field Offices. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) also provided valuable assistance during the operation. 

    The National Security and Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are in charge of the prosecution. Significant operational support and assistance is also being provided by the District of Oregon, the Southern District of Texas, and the Southern District of California.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Paritii Joins Google.org’s 2025 Generative AI Accelerator to Transform Student Support with AI-Driven Workflows

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Paritii, creator of Swyft, is now backed by Google.org as part of the 2025 Generative AI Accelerator. Swyft utilizes generative AI to automate higher education workflows, offering personalized student support 24/7 and enabling staff to focus on high-value tasks, targeting 2 million students.

    Photo Courtesy of Paritii

    LONDON, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Paritii, an EdTech leader in generative AI for higher education, has joined the 2025 Google.org Generative AI Accelerator. This recognition highlights Paritii’s work transforming student experience through its AI-powered Swyft platform, automating administrative processes, and delivering on-demand student support.

    “Our commitment to social impact is recognized and trusted by our community. Based on that trust, we are honored to receive this backing from Google.org as we continue this vital work,” said Dr. Shmona Simpson, CEO of Paritii.

    Administrative burdens at underfunded colleges reduce retention, satisfaction, and graduation rates due to inefficient systems and overwhelmed advisors, especially for students with historically poor outcomes.

    Paritii’s Swyft platform automates high-volume administrative tasks, allowing staff to focus on impactful student interactions. Leveraging a proprietary frontend API and a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) enabled large language model (LLM), Swyft processes millions of data points to streamline document workflows and support requests.

    Swyft combines generative AI with a tailored backend to deliver precision, speed, and personalized support. Students access a 24/7 AI-powered workspace to manage tasks, get guidance, and generate documents.

    The solution is poised to reach over 2 million students in the next two years, transforming how institutions serve learners at scale.

    According to Paritii, Swyft has already demonstrated transformative potential with quantifiable impact and outcomes.

    • 85% reduction in administrative processing times across partner institutions.
    • Serve 200,000 students by the end of the accelerator and 2M students in two years
    • 90% student satisfaction and a 60% reduction in document-related queries.
    • 15% increase in student retention rates through faster, more equitable support.

    This opportunity helps to affirm Paritii’s bold approach to using generative AI for systemic change, spotlighting Swyft as a model for equitable innovation and empowering the team to reimagine student support across the higher education landscape.

    The Google.org Generative AI Accelerator offers over $30 million in funding and support, plus access to Google’s AI experts and Cloud tools. This partnership will help Paritii expand Swyft’s capabilities and advance its mission to improve student outcomes across higher education at scale.

    About Paritii

    Paritii is an innovation firm at the forefront of ethical AI, specializing in inclusive technology solutions for education, medicine, and public systems. Since 2020, Paritii has partnered with over 50 institutions to design tools that are as responsible as they are effective. Flagship platforms like Swyft and SwyftRFP reflect Paritii’s mission: to expand access, reduce disparities, and make systems work better for the people they serve. From streamlining student support to reimagining procurement, Paritii is building a future where technology works for everyone.

    Contact Information:

    Contact Person’s Name: Griselle Colon
    Organization / Company: Paritii
    Company website: www.paritii.com
    Contact Email Address: griselle@paritii.com
    City, State / Province, Country: Spokane, Washington, USA

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3def36a2-90a0-4d8d-801f-860aacae112d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Votes No on Republicans’ Disastrous Tax Bill 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance and Judiciary Committees, and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, released the following statement after voting in strong opposition against Senate Republicans’ disastrous tax bill:   
    “We have an obligation to put the constituents and hardworking families we represent first. Instead of helping everyday people, Republicans’ tax bill capitulates to President Trump and harms communities large and small. This cruel bill will take us back decades by exacerbating income inequality, ripping away health care, and rolling back progress on climate change. It will also raise costs and weaken the economy. All of this pain has been caused to help pay for tax cuts for the very wealthy—a top priority of President Trump. I am grateful to the few Republicans—Senators Tillis, Paul, and Collins—who voted against this terrible bill,” said Senator Welch. “The irony is all these hardships will be faced by citizens in red and blue states—the pain is bipartisan. It’s outrageous that families will now face untold hardships because of the Trump Administration’s cuts. I voted no on this bill and will fight to reverse these policies in any way I can.”  
    Republicans’ reckless tax and spending bill will block access to health care for 17 million people, rip away vital food assistance for millions, cut clean energy incentives and add a tax to wind and solar energy, raise utility bills and grocery prices, and tank the economy—all to pay for tax cuts for the very wealthy.    
    Senator Welch filed amendments and changes to Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act to strengthen the economy, protect access to health care and nutrition programs, and provide more stability for families and rural communities, including provisions to: 
    Protect Access to Health Care and Support Rural Hospitals:  

    Welch proposed requiring the Finance Committee to rewrite the bill to prevent harm to rural health care and the fiscal wellbeing of rural hospitals;  

    Welch proposed requiring the Finance Committee to exempt managed care programs operated by state governments like Vermont from any changes proposed to state directed payments.  

    Welch proposed requiring the Finance Committee to strike any changes to provider taxes, including changes that would impact states like Vermont with Medicaid expansion;  

    Welch proposed requiring the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee to make it easier to verify eligibility for the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits and expand special enrollment periods under certain circumstances. 

    Defend Food Assistance Programs:  

    Welch proposed requiring the Agriculture Committee to strike any cost-shifts of administering SNAP to states, which would kick American families off the food assistance they need and strain state budgets;  

    Welch proposed an amendment to strike administrative cost-shifts for SNAP;  

    Welch proposed an amendment to adjust the Thrifty Food Plan for cities, counties, and regions where the price of food is 10% higher than the national average;  

    Welch proposed an amendment that places a floor on SNAP allotments to households instead of a ceiling;  

    Welch proposed an amendment preserving the standard utility deduction, which cuts administrative red tape and boosts benefits by providing a more accurate portrayal of a household’s available resources for food when determining SNAP eligibility; 

    Welch proposed requiring the Agriculture Committee to rewrite the bill to allow volunteer work to qualify under SNAP’s work requirements.   

    Protect Programs and Government Services:  

    Welch proposed requiring the Finance Committee to rewrite the bill to maintain the energy efficient home improvement tax credit at current levels through 2028;  

    Welch proposed an amendment to strike the repeal of several home energy efficiency tax credits, including credits for home energy, rooftop solar, energy efficient homes for homebuilders, and more;  

    Welch proposed striking language in the bill that would rescind funding for state-based contractor training grants, as required in Welch’s HOPE for HOMES Act, passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act;  

    Welch proposed striking language in the bill that would institute taxes on international remittances.  

    Welch proposed an amendment to dedicate funding for residential reentry centers, which are needed in Vermont;  

    Welch proposed an amendment to dedicate funding for the federal public defenders program, which is currently underfunded. 

    Senator Welch has been an outspoken opponent of the President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Republicans are advancing through reconciliation process without Democratic support. Late Sunday evening, Senator Welch took to the Senate floor to reveal how Republicans’ disastrous tax and spending bill will force millions of working Americans in Vermont, West Virginia, and across the country to lose their health coverage, rip away vital food assistance for more than 42 million Americans, cut clean energy incentives and add a tax to wind and solar energy, raise utility bills and grocery prices, and tank the economy—all to pay for tax cuts for the very wealthy.   
    Welch has slammed the bill for threatening access to health care and cutting food assistance, and has sounded the alarm about how this bill will add more than $4 trillion to the national debt and tank the economy.    

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Elkton man convicted of child exploitation gets 30-year prison sentence following ICE Baltimore investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BALTIMORE — An investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement led to the sentencing of Mark Rice, 38, to 30 years in prison followed by lifetime supervised release, for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material.

    “This sentencing is a powerful reminder that those who exploit and abuse children will be relentlessly pursued and held accountable,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy. “There is no place in society for predators who create and distribute child sexual abuse material. These crimes shatter lives, and HSI will never waver in our mission to bring justice to victims by targeting those who commit these horrific acts. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure the strongest possible consequences under the law.”

    Rice previously pled guilty to one count of producing child sexual abuse material, one count of distributing child sexual abuse material and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material. These charges stem from Rice sexually abusing two minors in his care while using social media to distribute and solicit child sexual abuse material.

    According to his plea agreement, Rice used his position of authority to sexually abuse a minor — beginning when she was less than 3 years old — as he created photographic evidence of the abuse. He also exploited a second minor through surreptitious photography. Rice actively participated in online communities dedicated to trading child sexual abuse material. He used platforms such as Reddit, Telegram and Kik to distribute images of his victims and obtain material depicting other children.

    In April 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip from Reddit regarding the transmission of child sexual abuse material. Authorities traced the tip to an IP address associated with Rice’s Elkton residence.

    During a Maryland State Police interview, Rice denied the accusation but was observed deleting photos from his phone. When Rice showed officers his phone, investigators spotted child sexual abuse material in a thumbnail image. Through a deeper search, authorities uncovered additional material in his recently deleted folder.

    Then, HSI Baltimore special agents discovered more than 600 child sexual abuse material images across Rice’s devices. Investigators also found that Rice used a public Reddit community to connect with people that he traded child sexual abuse material with using encrypted messaging platforms.

    McCarthy, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes and Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland L. Butler Jr. announced the indictment.

    Members of the public with information about criminal activity should contact the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).

    Learn more about HSI Baltimore’s mission to increase public safety in our Maryland communities on X at @HSIBaltimore.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Signs Emergency Regulations Guiding Implementation of Medical Cannabis

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Signs Emergency Regulations Guiding Implementation of Medical Cannabis

    LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen has approved emergency regulations adopted by the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission during its most recent meeting on June 26. Rules are required today (July 1) for the Commission to be able to accept or deny applications for registration. The rules, presented to Gov. Pillen following the meeting, were signed on Sunday, June 29, after his review.

    Also at the June 26 meeting, the Commission entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Governor’s Policy and Research office and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to assist with legal and administrative processes during the creation of the permanent rules, which are due Oct. 1.  Gov. Pillen said the participation of those agencies will ensure Nebraska’s new cannabis industry is properly regulated as outlined in the ballot initiatives passed by voters and signed by him into law.

    Below is the link to the signed emergency regulations on the Secretary of State’s website:

     Emergency Regulations PDF

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: SIMPPLE Ltd. Provides Compliance Updates with Nasdaq’s Continued Listing Requirements

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Singapore, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SIMPPLE Ltd. (NASDAQ: SPPL) (“SIMPPLE” or “the Company”), a leading technology provider and innovator in the facilities management (FM) sector, today announced that it believes it has regained compliance with the minimum shareholders’ equity requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) due to strong financial performance and closing of a financing round, as well as the requirement to hold an annual meeting of shareholders under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620(a).

    Shareholders’ Equity Compliance

    As of the date of this report, the Company believes its shareholders’ equity is above the Nasdaq $2.5 million requirement. This increase is partially attributable to the closing of a private investment in public equity (“PIPE”) offering for total gross proceeds of $2,000,001.00. The objective of this fund raise is to accelerate product development and to increase market share, especially in the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) markets. In addition, the Company expects to continue strengthening its financial position for the full year, supported by robust operating performance for the first half of 2025. Based on these trends and internal forecasts, the Company projects that it will continue to meet and exceed shareholders’ equity requirement by year-end.

    Annual General Meeting Compliance

    Separately, the Company confirms that it has successfully concluded its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (“AGM”), which was held at 9:00am Eastern Time, on June 30, 2025. The convening of this AGM satisfies the requirement under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620(a) to hold an annual meeting of shareholders within the required timeframe. It is, however, also noted that the Company has announced earlier this year that it will rely on Cayman Islands home country exemption with regards to AGM requirements in the future.

    The Company will continue to monitor its ongoing compliance with all applicable Nasdaq listing standards and will provide further updates as appropriate.

    About SIMPPLE LTD.

    Headquartered in Singapore, SIMPPLE LTD. is an advanced technology solution provider in the emerging PropTech space, focused on helping facilities owners and managers manage facilities autonomously. Founded in 2016, the Company has a strong foothold in the Singapore facilities management market, serving over 60 clients in both the public and private sectors and extending out of Singapore into Australia and the Middle East. The Company has developed its proprietary SIMPPLE Ecosystem, to create an automated workforce management tool for building maintenance, surveillance and cleaning comprised of a mix of software and hardware solutions such as robotics (both cleaning and security) and Internet-of-Things (“IoT”) devices. 

    For more information on SIMPPLE, please visit: https://www.simpple.ai

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. In addition, from time to time, we or our representatives may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing. We base these forward-looking statements on our expectations and projections about future events, which we derive from the information currently available to us. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or our future performance, including: our financial performance and projections; our growth in revenue and earnings; and our business prospects and opportunities. You can identify forward-looking statements by those that are not historical in nature, particularly those that use terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “contemplates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “plans,” “projected,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “hopes” or the negative of these or similar terms. In evaluating these forward-looking statements, you should consider various factors, including: our ability to change the direction of the Company; our ability to keep pace with new technology and changing market needs; and the competitive environment of our business. These and other factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement.

    Forward-looking statements are only predictions. The forward-looking events discussed in this press release and other statements made from time to time by us or our representatives, may not occur, and actual events and results may differ materially and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about us. We are not obligated to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release and other statements made from time to time by us or our representatives might not occur.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Budd Votes for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ToDeliver Historic Tax Cuts for North Carolina Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) released the following statement after voting in support of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, historic legislation that lowers taxes for families, makes America safer and more secure, and unleashes economic growth for the future:
    “I voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act because the people of North Carolina deserve more of their hard-earned wages, a more secure border, a reinvigorated military, responsible spending reforms for government programs, and a thriving economy. My colleagues and I fought successfully to protect North Carolina’s tobacco growers to help them stay competitive with China. I am also grateful that this bill included my PELL Act, which will help Americans earn in-demand credentials for rewarding careers. I hope my colleagues in the House quickly get this bill on President Trump’s desk because Americans cannot afford the largest tax increase in our nation’s history,” said Sen. Budd. 
    Here’s How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Directly Benefits North Carolina:
    Provides Unprecedented Tax Relief for Families
    This legislation helps Americans keep more money in their pockets by extending key provisions of President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Preventing the largest tax increase in American history will save the average North Carolinian $2,474 in 2026.
    Working families will receive significant savings with the increase and permanence of the child tax credit, expanded tax credits for paid leave, enhanced 529 savings accounts, and additional childcare access.
    This legislation lowers taxes for seniors relying on Social Security.
    Gives Workers the Tools They Need to Advance Their Careers
    Sen. Budd fought to have his PELL Act included in this legislation, a provision that expands Pell Grant eligibility for high-quality, short-term workforce programs. This would benefit individuals seeking to advance their careers without long-term debt while also providing American businesses with a broader, better-prepared talent pool ready to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving economy.
    Protects North Carolina Agriculture
    Sen. Budd successfully defended tobacco’s eligibility to receive the “duty drawback,” allowing tobacco manufacturers to receive reimbursement for the tariffs they pay on materials used to produce tobacco products that they ship to international markets. This will protect North Carolina growers and prevent the tobacco market from being flooded with cheaper, lower-quality products from China and Brazil.
    This legislation provides serious tax relief for North Carolina farmers by raising the death tax exemption, ensuring family farms can be passed down to future generations, rather than being broken up and sold.
    Unlocks Economic Growth & American Manufacturing
    This legislation will create a renaissance in American manufacturing by delivering full expensing for companies that build new factories and invest in equipment and machinery. This will help create new, good-paying jobs.
    By enhancing the small business deduction and making it permanent, small businesses will be able to hire more workers.
    Increasing deductions for small businesses’ equipment and property will quickly help businesses grow.
    Reduces Government Spending to Preserve & Protect Government Programs
    This legislation contains the first structural reforms to address waste, fraud, and abuse in key government programs like SNAP and Medicaid in over three decades. Slowing the rate of exponential cost increases will result in significant deficit savings and will preserve and protect these programs for future generations.
    Invests in America’s National Defense
    Sen. Budd helped secure funding to boost manufacturing capacity for the next generation of the F-15, the F-15EX, which will sustain the training mission at Seymour Johnson far into the future. 
    This legislation also includes significant funding to enhance America’s air superiority by preventing the retirement of the F-15E aircraft flying out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. 
    America’s troops deserve a pay raise. This legislation increases pay and allowances while making improvements to housing, healthcare, childcare, and education.
    This legislation makes generational investments in our military readiness that will protect the American homeland and deter our adversaries by boosting America’s missile defense by building the “Golden Dome.”
    Sen. Budd worked to secure investments to improve housing at Fort Bragg and Seymour Johnson and funds for restoration and modernization at Camp Lejeune.
    This legislation creates new production lines to scale innovative, cost-effective munitions, so we are no longer shooting $4M missiles at $50,000 drones.
    This legislation makes the largest ever investment in the Coast Guard’s history, which will purchase more than 40 new helicopters and six new C-130J aircraft, which will be serviced at the Aviation Technical Training Center in Elizabeth City. The legislation also funds 17 new icebreakers to protect American interests and 21 new cutters to combat drug runners and human traffickers.
    Keeps America’s Border Secure
    While President Trump’s policies have resulted in a dramatic drop-off of illegal immigration, this legislation also boosts America’s border security by surging funding for 3,000 new Border Patrol agents and 10,000 new ICE agents. The One Big Beautiful Bill also increases funding to finish President Trump’s border wall.
    Ushers in Next-Generation Technologies
    This legislation includes funding for the transformational air traffic control modernization project underway at the FAA. This will quickly update aging and failing technologies to keep Americans safe in the sky.
    This legislation makes a historic amount of spectrum available for commercial use, which will create new jobs and unleash the next generation of wireless technology. This will ensure America remains the premier destination for innovation and help unleash a new area of advanced manufacturing. This will also make the internet faster & more dependable across the country through commercial success stories like 5G, 6G, wi-fi, and private networks using CBRS.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Sanctuary City Policies In Los Angeles, California

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and the Los Angeles City Council over policies that Los Angeles enacted shortly after President Donald J. Trump’s reelection to interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.

    Not only are Los Angeles’s “sanctuary city” policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, Los Angeles’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities contributed to the recent lawlessness, rioting, looting, and vandalism that was so severe that it required the federal government to deploy the California National Guard and the United States Marines to quell the chaos.

    “Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level – it ends under President Trump.”

    “Today’s lawsuit holds the City of Los Angeles accountable for deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The United States Constitution’s Supremacy Clause prohibits the City from picking and choosing which federal laws will be enforced and which will not. By assisting removable aliens in evading federal law enforcement, the City’s unlawful and discriminatory ordinance has contributed to a lawless and unsafe environment that this lawsuit will help end.”

    On her first day in office, Attorney General Bondi instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations, and, where appropriate, to take legal action to challenge such laws, policies, and practices. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal sanctuary city policies across the country, including in New York and New Jersey.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Announces Coordinated, Nationwide Actions to Combat North Korean Remote Information Technology Workers’ Illicit Revenue Generation Schemes

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Law Enforcement Actions Across 16 States Result in Charges, Arrest, and Seizures of 29 Financial Accounts, 21 Fraudulent Websites, and Approximately 200 Computers

    The Justice Department announced today coordinated actions against the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) government’s schemes to fund its regime through remote information technology (IT) work for U.S. companies. These actions include two indictments, an arrest, searches of 29 known or suspected “laptop farms” across 16 states, and the seizure of 29 financial accounts used to launder illicit funds and 21 fraudulent websites.

    According to court documents, the schemes involve North Korean individuals fraudulently obtaining employment with U.S. companies as remote IT workers, using stolen and fake identities. The North Korean actors were assisted by individuals in the United States, China, United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan, and successfully obtained employment with more than 100 U.S. companies.

    As alleged in court documents, certain U.S.-based individuals enabled one of the schemes by creating front companies and fraudulent websites to promote the bona fides of the remote IT workers, and hosted laptop farms where the remote North Korean IT workers could remote access into U.S. victim company-provided laptop computers. Once employed, the North Korean IT workers received regular salary payments, and they gained access to, and in some cases stole, sensitive employer information such as export controlled U.S. military technology and virtual currency. In another scheme, North Korean IT workers used false or fraudulently obtained identities to gain employment with an Atlanta, Georgia-based blockchain research and development company and stole virtual currency worth approximately over $900,000.

    “These schemes target and steal from U.S. companies and are designed to evade sanctions and fund the North Korean regime’s illicit programs, including its weapons programs,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners, will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks.”

    “North Korean IT workers defraud American companies and steal the identities of private citizens, all in support of the North Korean regime,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “That is why the FBI and our partners continue to work together to disrupt infrastructure, seize revenue, indict overseas IT workers, and arrest their enablers in the United States. Let the actions announced today serve as a warning: if you host laptop farms for the benefit of North Korean actors, law enforcement will be waiting for you.”

    “North Korea remains intent on funding its weapons programs by defrauding U.S. companies and exploiting American victims of identity theft, but the FBI is equally intent on disrupting this massive campaign and bringing its perpetrators to justice,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. “North Korean IT workers posing as U.S. citizens fraudulently obtained employment with American businesses so they could funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to North Korea’s authoritarian regime. The FBI will do everything in our power to defend the homeland and protect Americans from being victimized by the North Korean government, and we ask all U.S. companies that employ remote workers to remain vigilant to this sophisticated threat.”

    Zhenxing Wang, et al. Indictment, Seizure Warrants, and Arrest – District of Massachusetts

    Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the National Security Division announced the arrest of U.S. national Zhenxing “Danny” Wang of New Jersey pursuant to a five-count indictment. The indictment describes a multi-year fraud scheme by Wang and his co-conspirators to obtain remote IT work with U.S. companies that generated more than $5 million in revenue. The indictment also charges Chinese nationals Jing Bin Huang (靖斌 黄), Baoyu Zhou (周宝玉), Tong Yuze (佟雨泽), Yongzhe Xu (徐勇哲 andيونجزهي أكسو), Ziyou Yuan (زيو) and Zhenbang Zhou (周震邦), and Taiwanese nationals Mengting Liu (劉 孟婷) and Enchia Liu (刘恩) for their roles in the scheme. 

    “The threat posed by DPRK operatives is both real and immediate. Thousands of North Korean cyber operatives have been trained and deployed by the regime to blend into the global digital workforce and systematically target U.S. companies,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “We will continue to work relentlessly to protect U.S. businesses and ensure they are not inadvertently fueling the DPRK’s unlawful and dangerous ambitions.”

    According to the indictment, from approximately 2021 until October 2024, the defendants and other co-conspirators compromised the identities of more than 80 U.S. persons to obtain remote jobs at more than 100 U.S. companies, including many Fortune 500 companies, and caused U.S. victim companies to incur legal fees, computer network remediation costs, and other damages and losses of at least $3 million. Overseas IT workers were assisted by Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and at least four other identified U.S. facilitators. Kejia Wang, for example, communicated with overseas co-conspirators and IT workers, and traveled to Shenyang and Dandong, China, including in 2023, to meet with them about the scheme. To deceive U.S. companies into believing the IT workers were located in the United States, Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the other U.S. facilitators received and/or hosted laptops belonging to U.S. companies at their residences, and enabled overseas IT workers to access the laptops remotely by, among other things, connecting the laptops to hardware devices designed to allow for remote access (referred to as keyboard-video-mouse or “KVM” switches).

    Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang also created shell companies with corresponding websites and financial accounts, including Hopana Tech LLC, Tony WKJ LLC, and Independent Lab LLC, to make it appear as though the overseas IT workers were affiliated with legitimate U.S. businesses. Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang established these and other financial accounts to receive money from victimized U.S. companies, much of which was subsequently transferred to overseas co‑conspirators. In exchange for their services, Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the four other U.S. facilitators received a total of at least $696,000 from the IT workers.

    IT workers employed under this scheme also gained access to sensitive employer data and source code, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) data from a California-based defense contractor that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technologies. Specifically, between on or about Jan. 19, 2024, and on or about April 2, 2024, an overseas co-conspirator remotely accessed without authorization the company’s laptop and computer files  containing technical data and other information. The stolen data included information marked as being controlled under the ITAR.

    Simultaneously with today’s announcement, the FBI and Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) seized 17 web domains used in furtherance of the charged scheme and further seized 29 financial accounts, holding tens of thousands of dollars in funds, used to launder revenue for the North Korean regime through the remote IT work scheme.

    Previously, in October 2024, as part of this investigation, federal law enforcement executed searches at eight locations across three states that resulted in the recovery of more than 70 laptops and remote access devices, such as KVMs. Simultaneously with that action, the FBI seized four web domains associated with Kejia Wang’s and Zhenxing Wang’s shell companies used to facilitate North Korean IT work.

    The FBI Las Vegas Field Office, DCIS San Diego Resident Agency, and Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Field Office are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia, Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Legal Assistants Daniel Boucher and Margaret Coppes. Valuable assistance was also provided by Mark A. Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of California.

    Kim Kwang Jin et al. Indictment – Northern District of Georgia

    Today, the Northern District of Georgia unsealed a five-count wire fraud and money laundering indictment charging four North Korean nationals, Kim Kwang Jin (김관진), Kang Tae Bok (강태복), Jong Pong Ju (정봉주) and Chang Nam Il (창남일), with a scheme to steal virtual currency from two companies, valued at over $900,000 at the time of the thefts, and to launder proceeds of those thefts. The defendants remain at large and wanted by the FBI.

    “The defendants used fake and stolen personal identities to conceal their North Korean nationality, pose as remote IT workers, and exploit their victims’ trust to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “This indictment highlights the unique threat North Korea poses to companies that hire remote IT workers and underscores our resolve to prosecute any actor, in the United States or abroad, who steals from Georgia businesses.”

    According to the indictment, the defendants traveled to the United Arab Emirates on North Korean travel documents and worked as a co-located team. In approximately December 2020 and May 2021, respectively, Kim Kwang Jin (using victim P.S.’s stolen identity) and Jong Pong Ju (using the alias “Bryan Cho”) were hired by a blockchain research and development company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and a virtual token company based in Serbia. Both defendants concealed their North Korean identities from their employers by providing false identification documents containing a mix of stolen and fraudulent identity information. Neither company would have hired Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju had they known that they were North Korean citizens. Later, on a recommendation from Jong Pong Ju, the Serbian company hired “Peter Xiao,” who in fact was Chang Nam Il.

    After gaining their employers’ trust, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju were assigned projects that provided them access to their employers’ virtual currency assets. In February 2022, Jong Pong Ju used that access to steal virtual currency worth approximately $175,000 at the time of the theft, sending it to a virtual currency address he controlled. In March 2022, Kim Kwang Jin stole virtual currency worth approximately $740,000 at the time of theft by modifying the source code of two of his employer’s smart contracts, then sending it to a virtual currency address he controlled.

    To launder the funds after the thefts, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju “mixed” the stolen funds using the virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash and then transferred the funds to virtual currency exchange accounts controlled by defendants Kang Tae Bok and Chang Nam Il but held in the name of aliases. These accounts were opened using fraudulent Malaysian identification documents.

    The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samir Kaushal and Alex Sistla for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case.

    21 Searches of Known or Suspected U.S.-based Laptop Farms – Multi-District

    Between June 10 and June 17, 2025, the FBI executed searches of 21 premises across 14 states hosting known and suspected laptop farms. These actions, coordinated by the FBI Denver Field Office, related to investigations of North Korean remote IT worker schemes being conducted by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices of the District of Colorado, Eastern District of Missouri, and Northern District of Texas. In total, the FBI seized approximately 137 laptops.

    Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Connecticut, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Middle District of Florida, the Northern District of Georgia, the Northern District of Illinois, the Northern District of Indiana, the District of Oregon, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Ohio, the Western District of New York, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.

    ***

    The Department’s actions to combat these schemes are the latest in a series of law enforcement actions under a joint National Security Division and FBI Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions effort, the DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative. This effort prioritizes targeting and disrupting the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation schemes and its U.S.-based enablers. The Department previously announced other actions pursuant to the initiative, including in January 2025 and prior, as well as the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint in early June 2025 for over $7.74 million tied to an illegal employment scheme.

    As the FBI has described in Public Service Announcements published in May 2024 and January 2025, North Korean remote IT workers posing as legitimate remote IT workers have committed data extortion and exfiltrated the proprietary and sensitive data from U.S. companies. DPRK IT worker schemes typically involve the use of stolen identities, alias emails, social media, online cross-border payment platforms, and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and witting and unwitting third parties located in the U.S. and elsewhere.

    Other public advisories about the threats, red flag indicators, and potential mitigation measures for these schemes include a May 2022 advisory released by the FBI, Department of the Treasury, and Department of State; a July 2023 advisory from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and guidance issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). As described the May 2022 advisory, North Korean IT workers have been known individually to earn up to $300,000 annually, generating hundreds of millions of dollars collectively each year, on behalf of designated entities, such as the North Korean Ministry of Defense and others directly involved in the DPRK’s weapons programs.

    The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt the DPRK’s illicit financial activities, including for cybercrimes, money laundering, and sanctions evasion.

    The details in the above-described court documents are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Justice Announces the Opening of Nominations to Honor the Honorable: The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    WASHINGTON – United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced today that the Department of Justice is now accepting nominations to Honor the Honorable: The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing. This award represents the Department of Justice’s reaffirmed commitment to uplifting the valor and exceptional contributions to policing of our great nation’s law enforcement personnel. It is the mission of the Department of Justice to recognize individuals in law enforcement who exhibit remarkable courage, innovation, and outstanding performance in making America safe again.

    The Attorney General’s Honor the Honorable Award recognizes individual or teams of rank-and-file officers from state, local, Tribal or territorial law enforcement agencies for exceptional efforts in policing. The awarded officers, deputies and troopers will have demonstrated exceptional service in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations or exemplary community involvement. Within each category, an award will be given to law enforcement agencies serving small, medium and large jurisdictions. Those agency sizes are defined as:

    • Small: agencies serving populations of fewer than 50,000;
    • Medium: agencies serving populations of 50,000 to 250,000;
    • Large: agencies serving populations of more than 250,000.

    By acknowledging and rewarding these efforts, the Department strives to advance and reaffirm its dedication to policing and to promote proactive law enforcement methods that support public safety within our nation’s communities. Through this Award, the Attorney General recognizes that the nation’s law enforcement agencies, officers, deputies and troopers continue to work tirelessly to make American communities safe places to live and work again.

    The deadline for nominations is July 14, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. More information and the application for nominees can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/ag/policing-award

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durable Medical Equipment Owner Sentenced to 12 Years for $61 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A Florida man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring to defraud Medicare with false reimbursement claims for durable medical equipment (DME). He was also ordered to pay $21,195,540.18 in restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $2,514,040.

    According to court documents, Peter Roussonicolos, 64, of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, owned and operated five DME suppliers as a silent partner. Roussonicolos hid his involvement in the companies from Medicare because he had one or more felony convictions, making him ineligible to enroll with the government program. To further conceal his involvement, he recruited and paid co-conspirators to serve as nominee owners of the DME suppliers and caused others to falsify Medicare enrollment forms, bank records, and other documents to conceal the true ownership and control of the DME suppliers. He also knew that a co-conspirator paid kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters in exchange for beneficiary referrals. As part of the scheme, the DME companies submitted approximately $61.5 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary DME that was ineligible for reimbursement and were paid approximately $26.7 million of these claims.

    “Through lies and deceit, the defendant and his co-conspirators orchestrated a $61 million fraud on Medicare,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant’s fraud drained critical government resources that could have been used to help vulnerable Americans. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the Department’s steadfast commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring accountability for those who seek to defraud our health care programs.”

    “Today’s sentence underscores HHS-OIG’s firm commitment to thoroughly investigating individuals who engage in illegal kickback schemes to prescribe medically unnecessary durable medical equipment for their own personal financial gain,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We remain steadfast in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and other federal healthcare programs as well as the people served by those programs.”

    “This defendant and his co-conspirators orchestrated an elaborate scheme to steal millions from Medicare through kickbacks and sham billing,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who exploit our healthcare system for personal gain will be held accountable. The FBI is committed to working with our partners to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure the integrity of healthcare programs.”

    In November 2024, Roussonicolos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.

    The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Jennifer Burns and Assistant Chiefs Jamie de Boer and Emily Gurskis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Trial Attorneys Joanna Bowman and Lindita Ciko Torza of the Special Matters Unit assisted in the prosecution.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www. justice. gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Canadian Man Arrested and Detained for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy at the U.S.’s Northern Border

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Note: View the indictment here and detention letter here.

    WASHINGTON — A dual Canadian American citizen was arrested on Sunday, June 15, for his role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River. Oakes was arrested as he attempted to enter the United States via the Massena, New York, Port of Entry.

    Timothy Oakes, 34, from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR), Canada, was previously arraigned on numerous human smuggling offenses in the Northern District of New York District Court and had his detention hearing earlier today and will remain detained. Oakes was indicted on April 9 for conspiring with others to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. United States based co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, and Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, Oct. 8, 2024, and March 6, respectively.

    “As alleged, Oakes and his co-conspirators profited from a human smuggling operation with a singular, cold-hearted aim: making money by bringing illegal aliens into the United States, regardless of the danger to human life involved,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their greed resulted in the deaths of a mother, a father, and two small children, as well as one of the defendants’ own brothers. The Criminal Division will continue to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and bring justice to smugglers whose actions result in senseless deaths.”

    “This case shows the terrible perils of illegally crossing the border,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Four family members died because a smuggling network put them in harm’s way. My office is proud to partner with Joint Task Force Alpha to continue to combat dangerous human smuggling and trafficking organizations that operate on our northern border.”

    “Oakes’ arrest comes as part of our nearly two-year long investigation into a transnational criminal organization responsible for the large-scale smuggling of aliens from Canada into the United States,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. “ICE HSI leverages its full range of authorities to combat and dismantle the heinous networks of greedy criminals who illicitly sell dangerous, sometimes fatal, passage through our nation’s northern border. We are extremely grateful for a multitude of law enforcement agency partners on the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce who join us in this fight to bring smugglers to justice.”

    “Two toddler aged children and their parents were the tragic victims of an alien smuggling attempt gone horribly wrong,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector. “Their deaths were a direct result of callous smugglers who exploited the vulnerable. Due to unrelenting perseverance and investigative efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies, those responsible will be held accountable. Our pursuit of justice persists until justice is served.”

    According to court documents, Oakes was a key facilitator in a human smuggling organization (HSO) that smuggled aliens from Canada into northern New York. Oakes, working with the HSO, routinely smuggled aliens into the United States by piloting boats across the St. Lawrence River. Additionally, Oakes used his home as a staging area for aliens before the HSO smuggled them into the United States. Oakes earned approximately $1,000 for every alien whom he smuggled across the St. Lawrence River into the United States.

    In March 2023, Oakes housed a Romanian family of four, together with other aliens, for about 24 hours. He then transported the family and a boat to a public boat launch. His brother, Casey Oakes, attempted to use the boat to smuggle the Romanian family into the United States, but the boat capsized, killing all four members of the family, as well as Casey Oakes.    

    Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, they were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — a mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Canada into New York. Specifically, Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on the day of the tragedy — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet another co-conspirator still loaded the family of four into the small boat to attempt to cross the St. Lawrence River.

    HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.

    The defendant’s vehicle with light blue boat in tow on March 29, 2023, at 9:29 p.m., consistent with the boat found in the river during recovery efforts.

    The investigation is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating within the Americas that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border, including the Northern District of New York. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 380 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 340 U.S. convictions; more than 290 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ten Members and Associates of Violent Car-Theft Ring Indicted on Racketeering, Carjacking, Robbery, and Firearm Charges

    Source: US State of California

    A superseding indictment was unsealed today charging Montez Moore, 20, Duane Benson, 20, Aniya Sheperd, 20, Brandon Irons, 19, Allen Brown, 23, Markaveon Jackson, 19, Raynell Moore, 22, Lavatrice McCully-Collins, 24, Peontay Roddy, 21, and Noah Hornburg, 23 — all of St. Louis, Missouri — with crimes including racketeering conspiracy, carjacking, robbery, and firearm charges related to their participation in “the Strikers,” a violent, interstate stolen car ring.

    According to court documents, between September 2023 and March 2024, the Strikers engaged in car dealership burglaries, illegal interstate vehicle sales and thefts, shootings, carjacking, robbery, and other criminal acts throughout Missouri and Illinois.

    “As alleged, the Strikers enterprise stole approximately 50 vehicles and inflicted nearly $3 million in losses while carrying out a violent crime spree across Missouri and Illinois,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their reckless actions endangered communities and dealt a serious blow to local businesses. This kind of brazen, lawless conduct will not be tolerated, and the Justice Department is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to protect the public and hold those responsible fully accountable.”

    “Thanks to the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Initiative, we were able to expand an existing indictment to hold more members of the Strikers responsible for a litany of violent crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Drake for the Eastern District of Missouri. “As we said when we announced St. Louis’ inclusion in the VCI last year, we are targeting and dismantling the criminal organizations that are disproportionately driving violent crime in St. Louis.”

    “This was a violent, organized crime operation that spanned across state lines, left a trail of stolen vehicles and cost millions of dollars in losses,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This case demonstrates the power of the RICO statute to dismantle interstate criminal enterprises and reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to pursuing those who use violence and intimidation to profit from crime.”

    In a single burglary, defendants and others burglarized a dealership in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and stole seven high-end vehicles worth approximately $855,000.

    To hide their identities during the burglaries, the defendants would wear gloves, dark clothing, and masks. In one incident, defendants Hornburg, Moore, and Irons led police on a high-speed chase, driving on a public street reaching speeds over 110 mph. In another incident, after police seized one of the stolen cars, defendants Shepard, Benson, and others broke into the police impound lot and stole the car back.     

    After stealing the vehicles, the defendants allegedly concealed their stolen nature or location by attaching stolen out-of-state dealer plates and covering or removing vehicle identification numbers. The stolen vehicles would then be used in other crimes or sold through social media advertising. The Strikers would often advertise a sales price at such a discount that prospective buyers should have suspected the vehicles were stolen. In one Instagram posting, defendants offered for sale a 2019 Infiniti q70 for $3000, a 2016 Mercedes Benz GLE 400 for $1500, and a 2014 BMW 528i for $2500.

    In one alleged carjacking and robbery, defendants Benson and Moore pulled up to a BP gas station in a stolen blue 2017 BMW 330i that had been taken from a dealership in Springfield, Illinois. They briefly waited for a lottery machine technician to walk out of the store and as captured on store surveillance, ambushed him at gunpoint, robbed him, and highjacked his white Silverado pickup.

    A screenshot showing a January 2024 robbery and carjacking in Cool Valley, Missouri

    If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison for the racketeering conspiracy. Defendants Moore and Benson face up to an additional 30 years in prison if convicted of carjacking, robbery and use of a firearm in connection thereof. Defendant Aniya Shephard faces up to an additional 10 years in prison if convicted of possessing a machinegun.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis County Police Department are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Jared A. Hernandez of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj for the Eastern District of Missouri are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in St. Louis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Missouri and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in St. Louis.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smuggling Leader and Top Coordinator Will Spend Remainder of Their Lives in Prison Following Their Sentencing on Third Anniversary of Deadly Tractor-Trailer Smuggling Conspiracy

    Source: US State of California

    Two convicted human smugglers were sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today for their prominent roles in the 2022 mass casualty human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of 47 adults and six children.

    U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia for the Western District of Texas sentenced Orduna-Torres to life in prison and a $250,000 fine, and Gonzales-Ortega to 83 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Both defendants were found guilty by a federal jury in March for three counts related to the transportation of aliens within the United States resulting in death, causing serious bodily injury, and placing lives in jeopardy. Following the jury’s verdict at the trial, Judge Garcia set the sentencing date, noting that it would be three years to the day from when the 53 migrants perished as a result of the defendants’ smuggling scheme.

    “These criminals will spend the rest of their lives in prison because of their cruel choice to profit off of human suffering,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s sentences are a powerful message to human smugglers everywhere: we will not rest until you are behind bars.”

    “Three years to the day after these two smugglers and their co-conspirators left dozens of men, women, and children locked in a sweltering tractor-trailer to die in the Texas summer heat, they learned that they will spend the rest of their lives locked away in a federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “We recognize the justice handed down by Judge Garcia and thank our law enforcement partners for their great work that led to today’s outcome. At the same time, we reinforce the message that these criminal organizations will not place the lives of the desperate and vulnerable above their own financial enrichment. My office remains focused on prosecuting smugglers and their networks, and ultimately eradicating transnational criminal organizations.”

    “Today’s sentences are the result of a far-reaching investigation and a tireless commitment by HSI and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the deadliest human smuggling operation in U.S. history,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This case serves as a stark reminder: human smuggling is not a service — it is a deadly criminal enterprise. HSI will pursue smugglers relentlessly, wherever they operate. No one, who participates in the smuggling of human beings, will escape the reach of justice.”

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Felipe Orduna-Torres, also known as Cholo, Chuequito/Chuekito, and Negro, 30, was a leader and organizer, and Armando Gonzales-Ortega, also known as El Don and Don Gon, 55, was a coordinator in the human smuggling organization (HSO) which illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico into the United States between December 2021 and June 2022.

    Court documents and evidence presented at the trial revealed that Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega worked in concert to transport and facilitate the transportation of the migrants, sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers, and transporters in order to consolidate costs, minimize risks, and maximize profit. The HSO maintained a variety of tractors and trailers for their smuggling operations, some of which were stored at a private parking lot in San Antonio.

    In the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Orduna-Torres and others exchanged the names of illegal aliens who would be smuggled in an upcoming tractor-trailer load. Gonzales-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 64 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded for smuggling.

    Some of the defendants, including Orduna-Torres, were aware that the trailer’s reefer unit was malfunctioning and was not blowing any cool air to the migrants inside. When members of the organization met the tractor-trailer at the end of its approximately three-hour journey to San Antonio, they opened the doors to find 48 of the migrants were either already dead or had died on site, including the pregnant woman. Sixteen of the undocumented individuals were transported to hospitals — five of whom died.

    In addition to their sentences described above, the court also ordered Orduna-Torres to pay a $96,000 money judgment and ordered the forfeiture of the following assets: one 2008 Volvo semi-tractor; one 1995 Phoenix trailer; one 2015 Cadillac Escalade; one 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty Truck; and $59,445.50.

    Five other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the smuggling event. Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, also known as Rrili and Rilay, 32, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, 39, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13; Christian Martinez, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20; and Homero Zamorano Jr., 48, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4. Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao, 51, is indicted separately and is also scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4.

    In a related case, Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48, allegedly worked with the HSO to smuggle aliens into the United States on the same fatal journey orchestrated by Orduna-Torres and his co-conspirators. He made his initial appearance in San Antonio on March 17, seven months after he was arrested in Guatemala, and is currently scheduled for a jury trial Sept. 29.

    HSI investigated the case with the assistance of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and has received tremendous support from Customs and Border Protection; Border Patrol; ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; the San Antonio Police Department; the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office; the San Antonio Fire Department; the Marshall Police Department; and the Palestine Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears and Ray Gattinella for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    These convictions are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 385 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 345 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chicago-Area Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax Offenses

    Source: US State of California

    Defendant Filed False Tax Returns for Others and Himself Causing Nearly $1M in Loss to IRS

    An Illinois man who operated a tax return preparation business pleaded guilty yesterday to preparing and filing false individual income tax returns for clients and for himself.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Byron Taylor, of Homewood, owned and operated We Are Taxes, a tax preparation business in Dolton, Illinois. Taylor claimed his business had over 25 years of experience preparing tax returns and boasted that “Everyone Gets a Check!” For many years, Taylor prepared and filed with the IRS false individual income tax returns for clients. On those returns, Taylor included false deductions including medical and dental expenses, gifts to charity, state and local real estate taxes, and unreimbursed employee expenses. Taylor also included false business losses. The false information resulted in Taylor’s clients claiming refunds that they were otherwise not entitled to receive. For tax years 2015 through 2020, Taylor prepared and filed at least 54 false tax returns for clients.

    In addition, Taylor filed or attempted to file false individual income tax returns for himself for tax years 2017 through 2021. On these returns, Taylor substantially underreported income received by We Are Taxes or failed to report the business entirely.

    Finally, Taylor filed multiple false Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for several businesses he claimed he owned and operated. The loan applications falsely claimed, for example, that these entities had earned certain amounts of gross income and that such income had been reported to the IRS. In fact, the businesses had not received that income, and Taylor had not filed tax returns reporting these businesses to the IRS. Four of the applications were approved. After he received the PPP loans, Taylor used portions of the funds on personal expenditures, including gambling expenses.

    In total, Taylor caused a tax loss to the IRS of $914,745.

    Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for the false return he prepared and filed on behalf of a client, and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for the false return he filed for himself. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge and Trial Attorney Boris Bourget of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Requires Divestitures and Licensing Commitments in HPE’s Acquisition of Juniper Networks

    Source: US State of California

    WASHINGTON — Achieving a result otherwise unavailable through litigation, earlier today the Justice Department advised the court it had reached a settlement with HPE and Juniper that allows their merger to continue. This novel approach by the Justice Department reflects a commitment to solving unique challenges in mergers. Under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi the laws of this country will be zealously enforced.

    “Thank you to the hardworking men and women of the Antitrust Division for their work on this case.” — Gail Slater, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Divison

    “This marks another key legal victory from the Department of Justice’s Antitrust division. Our attorneys will continue fighting and winning to defend the American people and consumers.” — Department of Justice Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle

    The settlement requires HPE to divest its Instant On business and mandates that the merged firm license critical Juniper software to independent competitors. HPE must divest its global “Instant On” campus and branch WLAN business, including all assets, intellectual property, R&D personnel, and customer relationships, to a DOJ-approved buyer within 180 days. The agreement also ensures that key software assets will be available to rivals looking to compete with the merged company. The parties must hold an auction to license Juniper’s AI Ops for Mist source code—an important component in modern WLAN systems. The license will be perpetual, non-exclusive, and include optional transitional support and personnel transfers to facilitate competition.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chicago Man Convicted of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS

    Source: US State of California

    A Chicago man was convicted today of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) by using social media to encourage attacks on ISIS’s enemies and recruit new ISIS members.

    According to court documents, Ashraf Al Safoo, 41, was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media and other online platforms. Al Safoo and other members of Khattab created and posted pro-ISIS videos, articles, essays, and infographics at the direction of, and in coordination with, ISIS. Much of Khattab’s propaganda promoted violent jihad on behalf of the terrorist group.

    In one posting, Al Safoo encouraged Khattab members to post pro-ISIS information “to cause confusion and spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved.” In another posting, Al Safoo wrote, “Work hard, brothers, edit the issue into short clips, take the pictures out of it and publish the efforts of your brothers in the pages of the apostates. Participate in the war, and spread terror, the [Islamic] State does not want you to watch it only, rather, it incites you, and if you are unable to, use it to incite others.”

    Many of Khattab’s postings included images of violence, celebrations of terrorist attacks and mass shootings in the United States, and encouragement for “lone wolf” attacks in western countries.

    Al Safoo was arrested in Chicago in 2018. After a bench trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found Al Safoo guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, one count of conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce, one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a protected computer without authorization, four counts of intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization, and four counts of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

    The convictions carry a maximum penalty of 130 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.

    The FBI Chicago Field Office is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Wells, Barry Jonas, and Thomas P. Peabody for the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorney Andrew J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud

    Source: US State of California

    Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History
    More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

    The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.

    Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.

    Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.

    “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

    “As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.

    “The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”

    “The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”

    “Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”

    Transnational Criminal Organizations

    29 defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations alleged to have submitted over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs.

    For instance, a nationwide investigation known as Operation Gold Rush resulted in the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. These charges were announced in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture.

    The organization allegedly used a network of foreign straw owners, including individuals sent into the United States from abroad, who, acting at the direction of others using encrypted messaging and assumed identities from overseas, strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies located across the United States. They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims. As alleged, the organization exploited the U.S. financial system by laundering the fraudulent proceeds and deploying a range of tactics to circumvent anti-money laundering controls to transfer funds into cryptocurrency and shell companies located abroad. The arrests announced today also include a banker who facilitated the money laundering of fraud proceeds on behalf of the organization through a U.S.-based bank.

    The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team and its partners detected the anomalous billing through proactive data analytics, and HHS-OIG and CMS successfully prevented the organization from receiving all but approximately $41 million of the approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. HHS and CMS intend to seek to return the $4.41 billion in escrow to the Medicare trust fund for needed medical care. The scheme nonetheless resulted in payments of approximately $900 million from Medicare supplemental insurers. To date, law enforcement has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush.

    In another action involving foreign influence, charges were filed in the Northern District of Illinois against five defendants, including two owners and executives of Pakistani marketing organizations, in connection with a $703 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries’ identification numbers and other confidential health information were allegedly obtained through theft and deceptive marketing. The defendants allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare beneficiaries purportedly consenting to receive certain products. According to court documents, the beneficiaries’ confidential information was then illegally sold to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies, which used this unlawfully obtained and fraudulently generated data to submit false claims to Medicare. Certain defendants controlled dozens of nominee-owned durable medical equipment companies and laboratories that allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for products and services the beneficiaries did not request, need, or receive. Certain defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal and launder the fraud proceeds from bank accounts they controlled in the United States to bank accounts overseas. In total, the defendants caused approximately $703 million in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which paid approximately $418 million on those claims. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from various bank accounts related to this case.

    Finally, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who owned a billing company allegedly orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services. According to court documents, some of the services billed were never provided, while other services were provided at a level that was so substandard that it failed to serve any treatment purpose. As part of the conspiracy, treatment center owners allegedly paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients recruited from the homeless population and Native American reservations. The defendant received at least $25 million of ill-gotten Arizona Medicaid funds as a result of the conspiracy and is charged with a money laundering offense for his alleged use of those funds to purchase a $2.9 million home located on a golf estate in Dubai.

    Fraudulent Wound Care

    Charges were filed in the District of Arizona and the District of Nevada against seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged, certain defendants targeted vulnerable elderly patients, many of whom were receiving hospice care, and applied medically unnecessary amniotic allografts to these patients’ wounds. Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound. Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.

    “Today’s unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We’re not waiting for fraud to happen—we’re stopping it before it starts.”

    Prescription Opioid Trafficking

    74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over 15 million pills of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. For example, five defendants associated with one Texas pharmacy were charged with the unlawful distribution of over 3 million opioid pills. As alleged, the defendants conspired to distribute massive quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol, which were subsequently trafficked by street-level drug dealers, generating large profits for the defendants. This coordinated action is a continuation of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s systematic approach to stopping drug trafficking organizations and their pharmaceutical wholesale suppliers, which together have fueled an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse for nearly a decade.

    DEA also announced today that in the last six months, DEA charged 93 administrative cases seeking the revocation of pharmacies, medical practitioners, and companies authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances.

    “Health care fraud isn’t just theft — it’s trafficking in trust. Today’s announcement shows that when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings, DEA will act,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the DEA. “We’re targeting the entire ecosystem of fraud — from pill mills in Texas to kickback clinics exploiting Native communities. If you abuse your medical license to push poison or pad your pockets, we will hold you accountable.”

    Telemedicine and Genetic Testing Fraud

    In today’s Takedown, 49 defendants were charged in connection with the submission of over $1.17 billion in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare resulting from telemedicine and genetic testing fraud schemes. For example, in the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors charged an owner of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies with a $46 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly targeted through deceptive telemarketing campaigns and then fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic tests for these beneficiaries. The Department continues to focus on eliminating health care fraud schemes that depend on telemedicine, including schemes involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, durable medical equipment, and COVID-19 tests.

    Other Health Care Fraud Schemes

    The other cases announced today charge an additional 170 defendants with various other health care fraud schemes involving over $1.84 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all. For example, in the Western District of Tennessee, prosecutors charged three defendants, including business owners and a pharmacist, with a $28.7 million scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund by allegedly billing for medications for injured United States Postal Service employees that were never prescribed by a licensed practitioner and largely were not dispensed as claimed. And in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California, prosecutors charged medical providers with allegedly stealing fentanyl and hydrocodone, respectively, that was meant for the providers’ patients, including child patients in need of anesthesia.

    “VA’s Integrated Veteran Care Programs provide critical community-based health care to our nation’s disabled veterans and their dependents,” said Acting Inspector General David Case of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “Robust oversight of VA’s health care system is one of VA-OIG’s highest priorities. VA-OIG is committed to holding accountable those who defraud government benefits programs intended to care for our nation’s heroes.”

    Breaking Down Silos in the Fight Against Health Care Fraud

    In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation, the Department is announcing that it is working closely with HHS-OIG, FBI, and other agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to bring together experts from the Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analytics Team; HHS-OIG; FBI; and other agencies to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to identify emerging health care fraud schemes. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team was established in 2018 to enhance the Unit’s ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute complex health care fraud schemes. Joining forces with data analysts from HHS-OIG, FBI, and other partners will increase efficiency, detection, and rapid prosecution of emerging health care fraud schemes. It will also implement the President’s Executive Order Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos (Exec. Order No. 14243, 3 C.F.R. 294 (2025)) by reducing duplicative data teams, increasing operational efficiency through a whole-of-government approach, and leveraging cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other agency resources.

    Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.

    In addition to FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS, HSI, VA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. The Medicaid Fraud Control Units of California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also participated in the investigation of many of the federal and state cases announced today.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.

    The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:

    •  Graphics and Resources

    •  Case Descriptions

    •  Court Documents

    An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –