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  • MIL-OSI: ES Bancshares, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2025 Results; Continues Positive Trend of Net Income and Net Interest Margin Expansion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., April 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ES Bancshares, Inc. (OTCQX: ESBS) (the “Company”) the holding company for Empire State Bank, (the “Bank”) today reported net income of $546 thousand, or $0.08 per diluted common share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to a net income of $466 thousand, or $0.07 per diluted common share for the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

    Key Quarterly Financial Data 2025 Highlights    
    Performance Metrics 1Q25 4Q24   1Q24   • The Cost of Funds for the three months ended March 31, 2025, improved to 2.69% from 2.87% in the prior linked quarter.

    • For 3 months ended March 31, 2025, the Company’s net interest margin increased to 2.68% compared to 2.50% for the 3 months ended December 31, 2024.

    • The Company sold $3 million in SBA 7a loan during the quarter, resulting in a gain on loan sale.

    • The Company generated $236 thousand more in net interest income from the prior quarter.

    • Book value for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, totaled $6.97 per share increasing for the fourth consecutive quarter.

    		    
    Return on average assets (%)   0.35   0.29   (0.07 )    
    Return on average equity (%)   4.53   3.94   (0.90 )    
    Return on average tangible equity (%)   4.59   3.99   (0.91 )    
    Net interest margin (%)   2.68   2.50   2.12      
               
    Income Statement (a) 1Q25 4Q24   1Q24      
    Net interest income $        4,112 $        3,876 $         3,203      
    Non-interest income $           349 $           372 $              215      
    Net income $           546 $           466 $           (103 )    
    Earnings per diluted common share $          0.08 $          0.07 $          (0.02 )    
               
    Balance Sheet (a) 1Q25 4Q24   1Q24      
    Average total loans $    568,508 $    566,031 $    567,526      
    Average total deposits $    506,524 $    512,925 $    486,323      
    Book value per share $           6.97 $           6.89 $           6.75      
    Tangible book value per share $           6.89 $           6.81 $           6.67      
    (a) In thousands except for per share amounts          

    Phil Guarnieri, Director, and Chief Executive Officer of ES Bancshares said, “The first quarter of 2025 showed continued growth in net income, which is a result of management’s focus on interest rates and our containment of non-interest expenses. The recent turmoil in the market due to the uncertainty of tariffs is causing unforeseen challenges but our flexibility allows us to adapt to these changing economic conditions.”

    Selected Balance Sheet Information:

    March 31, 2025 vs. December 31, 2024

    As of March 31, 2025, total assets were $631.5 million, a decrease of $5.2 million, or 0.8%, as compared to total assets of $636.7 million on December 31, 2024. The decrease can be attributed to a slightly smaller loan portfolio.

    Loans receivable, net of Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans totaled $561.4 million, an increase of 0.4% from December 31, 2024. As of March 31, 2025, the Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans as a percentage of gross loans was 0.91%.

    Nonperforming assets, which includes nonaccrual loans and foreclosed real estate were $5.5 million or 0.86% of total assets, as of March 31, 2025, increasing from $5.3 million or 0.84% of total assets at December 31, 2024. The ratio of nonaccrual loans to loans receivable was 0.96%, as of March 31, 2025, and 0.94% for December 31, 2024. The increase from December 31, 2024, was primarily due to two commercial loans being placed on non-accrual status. One loan has a SBA guaranty and the other loan has a 50% loss sharing agreement.

    Total liabilities decreased $6.0 million to $583.2 million at March 31, 2025, from $589.2 million at December 31, 2024. The decrease can be attributed to a decrease in core deposits partially offset by overnight Federal Home Loan (FHLB) borrowings and growth in brokered deposits. The reduction in deposits was driven by a decrease in interest-bearing deposits, specifically 1031 exchange accounts as those deposits are short-term in nature.

    As of March 31, 2025, the Bank’s Tier 1 capital leverage ratio, common equity tier 1 capital ratio, Tier 1 capital ratio and total capital ratios were 9.46%, 13.81%, 13.81% and 15.06%, respectively, all in excess of the ratios required to be deemed “well-capitalized.” During the first quarter of 2025 the Company did not repurchase shares under its stock repurchase program. Book value per common share was $6.97 at March 31, 2025 compared to $6.89 at December 31, 2024. Tangible common book value per share (which represents common equity less goodwill, divided by the number of shares outstanding) was $6.89 at March 31, 2025 compared to $6.81 at December 31, 2024.

    Financial Performance Overview:

    Three Months Ended March 31, 2025, vs. December 31, 2024

    For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company net income totaled $546 thousand compared to a net income of $466 thousand for the three months ended December 31, 2024. The increase can be attributed to higher net interest income partially offset by lower non-interest income and higher non-interest expenses, quarter over quarter.

    Net interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2025, increased $236 thousand, to $4.1 million from $3.9 million at three months ended December 31, 2024. The Company’s net interest margin widened by eighteen basis points to 2.68% for the three months ended March 31, 2025, as compared to 2.50% for the three months ended December 31, 2024. The increase in margin can be attributed to a reduction of 12 basis points in the Company’s average cost for its interest-bearing liabilities.

    There was a $30 thousand reversal for credit losses taken for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to a provision for credit losses of $2 thousand for the three months ended December 31, 2024. The reversal for credit losses was due to lower ACL for investments and off-balance sheet positions, partially offset by an increase in the ACL for loans.

    Non-interest income decreased $23 thousand, to $349 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared with non-interest income of $372 thousand for the three months ended December 31, 2024. The majority of the decreases can be attributed to lower service charges and fees and lower gain on loan sales.

    Non-interest expenses totaled $3.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $3.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024. The largest fluctuations quarter over quarter were due to a $88 thousand increase in professional fees, due to larger legal expenses, an increase in compensation and benefits due to additional hires, and increased advertising expenses, partially offset by $47 thousand decrease in other expenses.

    About ES Bancshares Inc.
    ES Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”) is incorporated under Maryland law and serves as the holding company for Empire State Bank (the “Bank”). The Company is subject to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System while the Bank is primarily subject to regulation and supervision by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Currently, the Company does not transact any material business other than through the Bank, its subsidiary.

    The Bank was organized under federal law in 2004 as a national bank regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Bank’s deposits are insured up to legal limits by the FDIC. In March 2009, the Bank converted its charter to a New York State commercial bank charter. The Bank’s principal business is attracting commercial and retail deposits in New York and investing those deposits primarily in loans, consisting of commercial real estate loans, and other commercial loans including SBA and mortgage loans secured by one-to-four-family residences. In addition, the Bank invests in mortgage-backed securities, securities issued by the U.S. Government and agencies thereof, corporate securities and other investments permitted by applicable law and regulations.

    We operate from our five Banking Center locations, a Loan Production Office and our Corporate Headquarters located in Staten Island, New York. The Company’s website address is www.esbna.com. The Company’s annual report, quarterly earnings releases and all press releases are available free of charge through its website, as soon as reasonably practicable.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For this purpose, any statements contained in this release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate” or “continue” or comparable terminology, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of factors, many of which are not within ES Bancshares, Inc’s. control. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date of this release. We have no intention, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements.

    Investor Contact:
    Peggy Edwards, Corporate Secretary
    (845) 451-7825

    ES Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
    (in thousands)
        March 31,   December 31,
    2025     2024  
        |—-(unaudited)—-|    
    Assets        
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 22,794     26,713  
    Securities, net   22,249     22,336  
    Loans receivable, net:        
    Real estate mortgage loans   542,524     545,569  
    Commercial and Lines of Credit   19,617     14,418  
    Home Equity and Consumer Loans 386     398  
    Deferred costs   3,978     4,084  
    Allowance for Loan Credit Losses (5,150 )   (5,137 )
    Total loans receivable, net   561,355     559,330  
    Accrued interest receivable   2,641     2,628  
    Investment in restricted stock, at cost   4,778     4,335  
    Goodwill   581     581  
    Bank premises and equipment, net   4,635     4,845  
    Repossessed assets   –     –  
    Right of use lease assets   5,677     5,894  
    Bank Owned Life Insurance   5,527     5,489  
    Other Assets   1,274     4,589  
    Total Assets $ 631,511     636,739  
             
    Liabilities & Stockholders’ Equity        
    Non-Interest-Bearing Deposits   105,162     97,490  
    Interest-Bearing Deposits   369,660     395,593  
    Brokered Deposits   23,025     20,750  
    Total Deposits   497,847     513,833  
    Bond Issue, net of costs   11,797     11,787  
    Borrowed Money   59,898     50,083  
    Lease Liability   5,959     6,172  
    Other Liabilities   7,701     7,313  
    Total Liabilities   583,202     589,188  
    Stockholders’ equity   48,309     47,551  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 631,511     636,739  
     
      ES Bancshares, Inc.
      Consolidated Statements of Income
      (in thousands)
             
      Three Months Ended
      March 31, 2025 December 31, 2024   March 31, 2024
      |————–(unaudited)————–|
    Interest income        
    Loans $ 7,478   $ 7,405   $ 7,208  
    Securities   213     224     115  
    Other interest-earning assets   243     373     263  
    Total Interest Income   7,934     8,002     7,586  
    Interest expense        
    Deposits   3,118     3,436     3,585  
    Borrowings   704     690     798  
    Total Interest Expense   3,822     4,126     4,383  
    Net Interest Income   4,112     3,876     3,203  
    (Rev)Prov for Credit Losses   (30 )   2     39  
    Net Interest Income after (Rev)Prov for Credit Losses   4,142     3,874     3,164  
    Non-interest income        
    Service charges and fees   175     192     172  
    Gain on loan sales   132     139     1  
    Gain on extinguishment of Sub-debt   –     –     –  
    Other   42     41     42  
    Total non-interest income   349     372     215  
    Non-interest expenses        
    Compensation and benefits   1,689     1,662     1,721  
    Occupancy and equipment   669     618     668  
    Data processing service fees   315     295     326  
    Professional fees   335     247     181  
    FDIC & NYS Banking Assessments   113     132     97  
    Advertising   89     64     75  
    Insurance   53     56     50  
    Other   471     518     337  
    Total non-interest expense   3,734     3,592     3,455  
    Income prior to tax expense   757     654     (76 )
    Income taxes   211     188     27  
    Net Income $ 546   $ 466   $ (103 )
             
      ES Bancshares, Inc.
      Average Balance Sheet Data
      For the Three Months Ended (dollars in thousands)
      March 31, 2025 December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024
      Avg Bal Interest Average Avg Bal Interest Average Avg Bal Interest Average
      Rolling Rolling Rolling Rolling Rolling Rolling
    Assets  3 Mos.  3 Mos. Yield/Cost  3 Mos.  3 Mos. Yield/Cost  3 Mos.  3 Mos. Yield/Cost
    Interest-earning assets:                  
    Loans receivable $ 568,508 $ 7,478 5.26 % $ 564,745 $ 7,405 5.24 % $ 566,031 $ 7,315 5.17 %
    Investment securities   22,839   213 3.73 %   22,898   224 3.91 %   22,480   218 3.87 %
    Other interest-earning assets   21,343   243 4.55 %   31,135   373 4.69 %   31,656   428 5.29 %
    Total interest-earning assets   612,690   7,934 5.18 %   618,778   8,002 5.17 %   620,167   7,961 5.13 %
    Non-interest earning assets   19,077       18,048       17,919    
    Total assets $ 631,767     $ 636,826     $ 638,086    
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                  
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                  
    Interest-bearing checking $ 36,869 $ 31 0.34 % $ 32,800 $ 27 0.33 % $ 33,512 $ 55 0.65 %
    Savings accounts   205,503   1,443 2.85 %   217,746   1,695 3.09 %   200,248   1,728 3.42 %
    Certificates of deposit   166,005   1,644 4.02 %   166,368   1,714 4.09 %   173,577   1,891 4.32 %
    Total interest-bearing deposits   408,377   3,118 3.10 %   416,914   3,436 3.27 %   407,337   3,674 3.58 %
    Borrowings   50,124   514 4.16 %   50,189   499 3.94 %   52,984   519 3.89 %
    Subordinated debenture   11,793   190 6.44 %   11,784   191 6.43 %   13,726   201 5.81 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   470,294   3,822 3.30 %   478,887   4,126 3.42 %   474,047   4,394 3.68 %
    Non-interest-bearing demand deposits   98,147       96,011       104,782    
    Other liabilities   15,188       14,581       13,046    
    Total non-interest-bearing liabilities   113,335       110,592       117,828    
    Stockholders’ equity   48,138       47,347       46,211    
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 631,767     $ 636,826     $ 638,086    
    Net interest income   $ 4,112     $ 3,876     $ 3,567  
    Average interest rate spread     1.88 %     1.75 %     1.46 %
    Net interest margin     2.68 %     2.50 %     2.30 %
                       
                       
    Five Quarter
    Performance Ratio Highlights    		 Three Months Ended
    March 31, 2025 December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 June 30, 2024 March 31, 2024
    Performance Ratios (%) – annualized          
      Return(loss) on Average Assets   0.35   0.29   0.36   0.10   (0.07 )
      Return(loss) on Average Equity   4.53   3.94   4.98   1.37   (0.90 )
      Return(loss) on Average Tangible Equity   4.59   3.99   5.04   1.38   (0.91 )
      Efficiency Ratio   83.71   84.58   81.70   92.86   101.08  
    Yields / Costs (%)          
      Average Yield – Interest Earning Assets   5.18   5.17   5.13   5.16   5.03  
      Average Cost – Interest-bearing Liabilities   3.30   3.42   3.69   3.86   3.82  
      Net Interest Margin   2.68   2.50   2.30   2.21   2.12  
    Capital Ratios (%)          
      Equity / Assets   7.65   7.47   7.44   7.12   7.34  
      Tangible Equity / Assets   7.56   7.38   7.36   7.03   7.26  
      Tier I leverage ratio (a)   9.46   9.31   9.18   9.30   9.52  
      Common equity Tier I capital ratio (a)   13.81   13.68   13.67   13.81   13.63  
      Tier 1 Risk-based capital ratio (a)   13.81   13.68   13.67   13.81   13.63  
      Total Risk-based capital ratio (a)   15.06   14.93   14.92   15.06   14.88  
    Stock Valuation          
      Book Value $ 6.97 $ 6.89 $ 6.85 $ 6.74 $ 6.75  
      Tangible Book Value $ 6.89 $ 6.81 $ 6.77 $ 6.65 $ 6.67  
      Shares Outstanding (b)   6,927   6,900   6,878   6,884   6,834  
    Asset Quality (%)          
      ACL / Total Loans   0.91   0.91   0.90   0.90   0.89  
      Non Performing Loans / Total Loans   0.96   0.94   0.91   0.22   0.24  
      Non Performing Assets / Total Assets   0.86   0.84   0.81   0.19   0.21  
                 
      (a) Ratios at Bank level
    (b) Shares information presented in thousands

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 100 days after the fires: California and Los Angeles rebuild, recover, and rise together

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 17, 2025

    What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery of Los Angeles his highest priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors.

    LOS ANGELES – On the 100 day milestone since the Eaton and Palisades fires ignited, California mourns the loss of those who died, the communities that were forever changed and celebrates the heroic efforts of first responders and those working tirelessly everyday to rebuild these communities stronger and more resilient. 

    “My job is to make sure Californians who felt helpless after the fires are able to have hope again. Our work is far from over — but 100 days since the fires first broke out in early January, California remains united and together will rebuild, recover and rise.”

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Since the first day these firestorms ignited, Governor Newsom has been on the ground leading an all-in state response. 

    The Governor deployed resources before the fires broke out – growing to over 16,000 boots on the ground at the peak of the state’s response. And in the hours that followed, Governor Newsom launched historic recovery and rebuilding efforts to help Los Angeles get back on its feet, faster. 

    Even before the fires were out, Governor Newsom worked closely with outgoing President Joesph Biden to secure a presidential major disaster declaration and then coordinated with the Trump Administration to ensure full-throated federal support for Los Angeles. 

    That work has paid dividends as California is on-track to deliver the fastest major disaster cleanup in American history. The current pace of debris and hazardous waste removal is months ahead of the cleanup timeline for the Camp, Woolsey, Hill fires in 2019 and Tubbs Fire in 2017/18, which at the time were themselves the fastest of their kind. 

    That work has paid dividends as California is on-track to deliver the fastest major disaster cleanup in American history. The current pace of debris and hazardous waste removal is months ahead of the cleanup timeline for the Camp, Woolsey, Hill fires in 2019 and Tubbs Fire in 2017/18, which at the time were themselves the fastest of their kind. 

    State and federal officials have worked hand in glove to clear hazardous waste from 9,000 homes in less than 30 day. Currently there are 500 crews of expert heavy equipment operators from the Army Corps of Engineers working around the clock to rapidly clear ash, soot, and fire debris from structures damaged by the Eaton and Palisades fires. 

    More than 2,300 parcels have already been completed and signed off by the county and hundreds more have been cleared of debris and are now just awaiting erosion controls, tree removal, and final inspection.

    By the Numbers 

    • 16,000 first responders and recovery personnel deployed
    • $2.5 billion in Small Business Administration Assistance 
    • $100,000 million in individual assistance disbursed
    • $100,000 million community partnerships through LA Rises
    • 40,000 totals visitors to disaster recovery centers 
    • 9,000 properties cleared of hazardous waste in 30 days
    • 2,300 homes cleared of debris 
    • 12,500 right of entry forms submitted 
    • 8 of 8 schools resumed in person instruction 
    • 8 of 9 water systems reactivated  

    California’s historic recovery and rebuilding efforts 

    • Cutting red tape to help rebuild Los Angeles faster and stronger. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding of homes and businesses destroyed — suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act. The Governor also issued an executive order further cutting red tape by reiterating that permitting requirements under the California Coastal Act are suspended for rebuilding efforts and directing the Coastal Commission not to issue guidance or take any action that interferes with or conflicts with the Governor’s executive orders. The Governor also issued an executive order removing bureaucratic barriers, extending deadlines, and providing critical regulatory relief to help fire survivors rebuild, access essential services, and recover more quickly.
    • Fast-tracking temporary housing and protecting tenants. To help provide necessary shelter for those immediately impacted by the firestorms, the Governor issued an executive order to make it easier to streamline construction of accessory dwelling units, allow for more temporary trailers and other housing, and suspend fees for mobile home parks. Governor Newsom also issued an executive order that prohibits landlords in Los Angeles County from evicting tenants for sharing their rental with survivors displaced by the Los Angeles-area firestorms.
    • Mobilizing debris removal and cleanup. With an eye toward recovery, the Governor directed fast action on debris removal work and mitigating the potential for mudslides and flooding in areas burned. He also signed an executive order to allow expert federal hazmat crews to start cleaning up properties as a key step in getting people back to their properties safely. The Governor also issued an executive order to help mitigate risk of mudslides and flooding and protect communities by hastening efforts to remove debris, bolster flood defenses, and stabilize hillsides in affected areas. 
    • Directing immediate state relief. The Governor signed legislation providing over $2.5 billion to immediately support ongoing emergency response efforts and to jumpstart recovery efforts for Los Angeles. California quickly launched CA.gov/LAfires as a single hub of information and resources to support those impacted and bolsters in-person Disaster Recovery Centers. The Governor also launched LA Rises, a unified recovery initiative that brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts. Governor Newsom announced that individuals and families directly impacted by the recent fires living in certain zip codes may be eligible to receive Disaster CalFresh food benefits.
    • Getting kids back in the classroom. Governor Newsom signed an executive order to quickly assist displaced students in the Los Angeles area and bolster schools affected by the firestorms.
    • Protecting victims from real estate speculators. The Governor issued an executive order to protect firestorm victims from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase their property.

    Helping businesses and workers get back on their feet. The Governor issued an executive order to support small businesses and workers, by providing relief to help businesses recover quickly by deferring annual licensing fees and waiving other requirements that may impose barriers to recovery.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Apr 17, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 2025, as Arab American Heritage Month. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONThe Arab American community, comprising over 20 nationalities…

    Apr 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: Following Governor Newsom’s state of emergency proclamation to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, a new online fast-track process now makes it faster to get state-level approvals – in as little as 30 days – for critical forest…

    Apr 17, 2025

    News What you need to know: California’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force recovers nearly 41,000 stolen items valued at $4.4 million, leading to 383 arrests.  SACRAMENTO – Citing ongoing progress to takedown organized retail crime statewide, Governor Gavin Newsom…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Centre notifies rules for ‘Radar equipment for the measurement of the speed of vehicles’ under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011

    Source: Government of India

    Centre notifies rules for ‘Radar equipment for the measurement of the speed of vehicles’ under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011

    Rules to come into force from 1st July 2025; aims at strengthening road safety and ensure fairness in traffic enforcement

    Posted On: 18 APR 2025 12:34PM by PIB Delhi

    To strengthen road safety and ensure fairness in traffic enforcement, the Department of Consumer Affairs has notified rules for ‘Radar equipment for the measurement of the speed of vehicles’ under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011. These rules will come into force from 1st July 2025, providing sufficient time for industries and enforcement agencies to comply with the provisions.

    These rules make it mandatory for all radar-based speed measurement equipment to be verified and stamped by Legal Metrology authorities. This will ensure that such devices are accurate, calibrated and legally compliant, thereby enhancing transparency, public trust and enforcement integrity. Verified radar systems are vital for applications such as traffic speed monitoring, accident prevention and minimizing wear and tear on road infrastructure.

    The drafting of these rules was undertaken by a committee with technical inputs based on international standard OIML R 91. Stakeholders, including State Legal Metrology Departments, Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs), manufacturers and consumer organizations were consulted through presentations and public feedback before finalizing the rules.

    The implementation of these rules provides significant benefits to all stakeholders across the board. For the common citizen, the mandatory verification and stamping of radar-based speed measurement equipment will ensure the accurate enforcement of speed limits, thereby preventing unfair penalties and significantly enhancing road safety. Citizens can drive with greater confidence knowing that enforcement is based on scientifically validated and legally certified instruments.

    For industries, particularly those involved in manufacturing radar-based speed measuring devices, the new rules establish a clear technical and regulatory framework aligned with international standards such as OIML R 91. This not only encourages domestic innovation and compliance but also enhances the export competitiveness of Indian manufacturers in global markets by ensuring consistency in quality and performance.

    For law enforcement agencies, the introduction of verified and stamped devices ensures a higher degree of operational effectiveness and credibility. These devices allow for reliable, evidence-based enforcement, which is critical for maintaining public trust and improving compliance with speed regulations. The availability of certified and calibrated instruments enables officers to act with confidence and precision.

    At the national level, this initiative is a key step towards data-driven governance in traffic management. It helps reduce road fatalities, enhances discipline on highways and supports sustainable economic development by minimizing the social and economic costs associated with road accidents, vehicle wear and tear and damage to infrastructure. Overall, the rules contribute to building a safer and more technologically advanced transport ecosystem in the country.

    Radar devices operate using technologies like Doppler radar, measuring vehicle speed with high precision. These rules specify detailed technical and safety requirements, ensuring proper calibration, stable operation under various environmental conditions and protection against tampering. Such measures will foster a culture of technological reliability and legal accountability.

    This move marks a significant step forward in India’s ongoing reforms to modernize legal metrology infrastructure, ensuring that measuring instruments in public enforcement are scientifically robust and legally verifiable.

    The Rules are available on the link:

    https://consumeraffairs.nic.in/sites/default/files/uploads/legal-metrology-acts-rules/Radar%20Equipment%20Gen%20Rules%20Amendment.pdf

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma

    (Release ID: 2122625) Visitor Counter : 18

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India takes part in Africa’s largest tech and startup show GITEX Africa 2025

    Source: Government of India

    India takes part in Africa’s largest tech and startup show GITEX Africa 2025

    Knowledge transfer and technology sharing, key pillars of collective growth, says MoS Jayant Chaudhary

    Posted On: 18 APR 2025 10:35AM by PIB Delhi

    Africa’s largest tech and startup show, GITEX provides platform for policy leaders, changemakers and visionaries to collectively discuss and deliberate on the opportunities to collaborate and further the imperative of inclusive and equitable growth of the global economy. The three-day event just concluded at Morocco capital Marrakesh.

    Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Education Shri Jayant Chaudhary represented Republic of India at the summit. He took part in high-level bilateral meetings, panel discussions and interacted with Indian startups showcasing their innovations.

    In the discussions, Shri Jayant Chaudhary stated, “India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has driven transformative changes across areas, especially through developments of digital identity (Aadhaar), digital payments (UPI), e-commerce (ONDC), and healthcare. And we are increasingly integrating advanced technologies – AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and digital infrastructure – into our skilling ecosystem. Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), a digital public infrastructure for the skilling ecosystem has onboarded more than one crore users in over one and a half years. These are areas, rich with potential, for collaboration with our African partners and we can collectively grow our economies through sustained partnerships.”

    “India, where the pace of digitalization is higher relative to some other developing economies, with established open-source Digital Public Infrastructure systems, has the potential to catalyze speed of digitalization in other developing countries seeking to develop such systems through collaboration and knowledge sharing,” Shri Jayant Chaudhary added. In addition, India is a key resource talent hub for AI professionals leading the way with 33.39% YoY growth in AI talent hiring as per AI Stanford Index 2025, which is a clear indicator of the efforts of the government and the industry to nurture an environment for adoption on AI.

    On the sidelines of the summit, the Minister held productive bilateral meetings with Ms Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, Minister of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform; Prof Azzedine EL Midaoui, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation; Mr Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills; and Mr Mohammed Saad Berrada, Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports. In his discussions, Shri Jayant Chaudhary touched upon broadly on exploring synergies in AI, research and capacity; discussed insights on how Digital Public Infrastructure can be a catalyst for inclusion, innovation and equitable growth; and shared India’s experience in building scalable, inclusive technology for public good.

    India’s participation at GITEX Africa 2025 reaffirmed its role as a global leader in skilling and digital innovation. Through pathbreaking initiatives like Skill India, Digital India, and the creation of scalable Digital Public Infrastructure such as Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) and DIKSHA, India has demonstrated how inclusive, technology-driven models can empower citizens at scale. These initiatives are increasingly being recognized as global best practices, offering adaptable frameworks for developing nations seeking to build resilient, future-ready societies.

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    Beena Yadav/Divyanshu Kumar

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Defence Secretary Concludes Two-Day UK Visit; Co-Chairs 24th India-UK Defence Consultative Group Meeting

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 APR 2025 9:40AM by PIB Delhi

    Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh concluded a two-day visit to London from April 16–17, 2025, leading a high-level Indian delegation for the annual bilateral defence dialogue with the United Kingdom. During the visit, he co-chaired the 24thIndia-UK Defence Consultative Group meeting with Mr. David Williams, Permanent Under Secretary of State for Defence.

    Both sides reviewed the evolving regional and global geopolitical landscape and reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening defence ties. The discussions were held in the context of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced in 2021 and the Roadmap to 2030, which continues to steer cooperation between the two nations. The Defence Secretary also interacted with the UK’s National Security Adviser, Mr. Jonathan Powell, with talks focused on expanding tri-service military engagements and strengthening collaboration between the two countries’ defence industries.

    Addressing participants at the India-UK Defence Industry Roundtable, organised by the UK India Business Council, Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh highlighted the growing capabilities of Indian start-ups across key defence domains such as naval systems, drones, surveillance, defence space and aviation. He encouraged UK companies to explore partnerships with these agile innovators, noting their potential to deliver cost-effective and cutting-edge solutions.

    The Defence Secretary also said that India is working closely with the UK Ministry of Defence to develop an Industrial Cooperation Roadmap to guide future industry engagement. He invited UK firms to invest in India’s dedicated Defence Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where they can take advantage of state-level incentives and a rapidly evolving defence manufacturing ecosystem.

    *****

    SR/KB

    (Release ID: 2122599) Visitor Counter : 62

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: BYDFi Officially Launches On-Chain Trading Tool MoonX, Ushering in the Era of CEX + DEX Dual Engines

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, April 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In April 2025, at the Paris Blockchain Week(PBW), BYDFi, as one of the official sponsors, unveiled its new Web3 product—MoonX, capturing the spotlight at the event. MoonX is an on-chain smart trading tool designed specifically for MemeCoin investors, integrating features such as hot trend discovery, risk screening, smart money following, and trade optimization.

    The launch of MoonX marks BYDFi’s official entry into the “Dual Engine Era” of both Centralized Exchange (CEX) and Decentralized Exchange (DEX) platforms. In a highly competitive global crypto exchange market, BYDFi is one of the first to complete this platform upgrade.

    “Traditional exchanges are shifting from a competition based solely on trading speed and fees to a broader ecosystem competition,” said Michael, CEO of BYDFi, at the launch event. “The explosive growth of MemeCoins is driving a new wave of user growth. The future market leaders won’t just be those offering fast matching and low fees on CEXs, but platforms that can simultaneously link the on-chain ecosystem with user demand.”

    As the on-chain investment entry point, MoonX complements the main BYDFi platform (CEX) with a hybrid structure:

    This structural upgrade gives BYDFi a competitive advantage as CEX and DEXs increasingly merge in the future.

    Currently, MoonX is deeply integrated with two major ecosystems: Solana and BNB Chain, covering leading liquidity pools like Pump.fun, Raydium, and PancakeSwap, while supporting real-time tracking of over 500,000 MemeCoin assets.

    Key features of the product include:

    • Fast Token Listing: API data exchange with platforms like Pump.fun to capture hot projects as liquidity pools are launched, exploiting trading time differences.
    • Smart Risk Control: Multi-dimensional models evaluate token security (contract permissions, blacklists, token lock-up status, etc.), filtering out high-risk tokens.
    • Smart Money Following: The system tracks millions of on-chain addresses, identifying whales and high-probability addresses, allowing users to copy trades with one click and easily share strategy profits.
    • Trade Optimization: Built-in gas optimization algorithms and slippage control mechanisms ensure smooth transactions and cost control, even during peak times.

    For a long time, “complex processes” and “asset security risks” have been major concerns preventing ordinary users from participating in on-chain investments. MoonX’s mission is to reinvent the on-chain trading experience, allowing more people to participate in Web3 investments as easily as using an app-based exchange. With just a BYDFi account, users can instantly connect to the blockchain and trade the next trending Meme project before it takes off.

    About BYDFi
    Founded in 2020, BYDFi was recognized by Forbes as one of the “Top 10 Global Crypto Exchanges” and has been certified by major data platforms such as CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko. The platform currently serves users in over 190 countries and regions, earning the trust of more than 1,000,000 users worldwide. BYDFi is committed to providing users with a world-class crypto trading experience.

    • Website: https://www.bydfi.com
    • Support Email: CS@bydfi.com
    • Business Partnerships: BD@bydfi.com
    • Media Inquiries: media@bydfi.com

    Twitter( X )| LinkedIn| Facebook | Telegram| YouTube

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ffe677d9-1d04-4d7c-9327-3c3bb133b1b2

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Festival “Polytechnic Graduates to Students”: friendly advice and useful experience

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The third one was held at SPbPU festival “Polytechnic graduates – to students” organized by the Center for Fundraising and Work with Alumni. The new meeting brought new emotions: the speakers shared memories of their studies and first work experience, gave valuable advice to the younger generation, entertained them with quizzes and gave gifts for correct answers.

    The meeting was opened by Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Communication Technologies Maxim Pasholikov.

    “Today’s festival brought together graduates from 2006 to 2024, many of whom are active members of the Polytechnic Ambassadors community,” said Maxim Pasholikov. “It is important for students to communicate with the ambassadors as with senior colleagues who have already established themselves in their fields of activity, but are still quite young and have not yet reached the heights of their careers. Each such meeting brings new useful acquaintances, some of the students find a place for a future internship or work. Graduates, from the height of their experience, can draw the attention of the guys to knowledge and skills that are especially relevant when applying for a job and at work. Graduates are also interested in watching and listening to each other. This is how joint projects, ideas and undertakings are formed, which unite different people under the auspices of the Polytechnic.”

    This time, the students had ten guests — ten interesting speakers with their unique stories of professional development in various fields of activity — from work in government agencies to their own business. For example, shipbuilding was represented by the head of the production preparation bureau of the chief technologist department of the Kronstadt Marine Plant, a 2014 graduate Dmitry Gomonov and project manager at Severnaya Verf, 2017 graduate Georgy Kremlev.

    Also connected with this area is the work of 2016 graduate Evgeniya Lastochkina – she is an engineer in the laboratory “Metal Science of Steels with Special Physical Properties” of the scientific and production complex “Structural Steels and Functional Materials for Marine Engineering” of the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials “Prometey” of the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”.

    “Polytech was my first step on my adult life path,” said Evgeniya. “It was Polytech that contributed to the fact that I now work in such a cool company. I thank the university for giving me the opportunity to gain knowledge that I apply in production. And the best way to practice communication skills is… on business trips.”

    Evgeniya continues her studies – now in postgraduate studies in the field of “Materials Technology”. In science, she deals with low-magnetic steels, but she tries to develop not only in this area, for example, she tried herself as a lecturer during thematic shifts for high school students, which are organized by the Kurchatov Institute.

    Yaroslav Velikiy, a 2024 graduate and senior engineer at the Setl Stroy testing laboratory of the Setl Group holding, is also studying in the Polytechnic’s postgraduate program. He got a job in 2022 and simultaneously studied for a master’s degree. Having told the guys about his company, Yaroslav told them how to get an internship there.

    The IT sphere was represented by Kirill Vasiliev, Head of the New Business Projects Practice “Corporate Entrepreneur” of Gazpromneft – Information Technology Operator, 2011 graduate, and Ksenia Saitova, IT recruiter of Positive Technologies, 2020 graduate. Speaking about her career experience, Ksenia emphasized that it was her active student life at the Polytechnic that helped her find a job, write a resume, solve various cases and write projects.

    “It seems to me that my generation was less conscious in choosing a university, then there was propaganda that a diploma was not so important, but I can say that this is not entirely true. It is not so important to get an education in the right field, the foundation that the university provides is important,” Ksenia believes. “The Polytechnic University has a lot of opportunities, many student organizations, where some guys then come to work. I graduated from the Humanities Institute, the Advertising and Public Relations program, received relevant modern knowledge, we were given the opportunity to do an internship in large companies. As far as I know, the university still holds a Career Forum, this is also very helpful.”

    Denis Lykov, Class of 2014, Lean Manufacturing and Supply Chain Manager at H

    Head of the Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Instrumentation and Automation Systems Sector of the Operations Department of the Restoration and Storage Center (RSC) “Staraya Derevnya” of the State Hermitage Museum Kirill Tambovtsev introduced himself as a “Polytechnic graduate of 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2023.” This is not his first time participating in the festival, and he structured his current performance in the form of questions and answers. The quiz was well received by the audience, as it allowed some of them to show off their knowledge (or intuition) and win prizes.

    While most of the speakers talked about their careers in hired work, 2007 graduate Andrey Sharkov and 2014 graduate Alexander Kiyanitsa shared their entrepreneurial experience. Andrey Sharkov is known as the founder of a chocolate manufacturing company, and now he has a new business – glamping.

    No matter what anyone says about the importance of education and each discipline, until you encounter real tasks, it will be an abstraction. Therefore, you need to start some activity as soon as possible to understand how these disciplines work in real life, and not in theory. Then you will be able to make a conscious focus on those disciplines that are most important to you, interesting and in demand by the market, – Andrey believes.

    Unlike Andrey, who started doing business while still a student, engineer Alexander Kiyanitsa first graduated with honors from the electromechanical faculty of the Polytechnic University, then worked for a company for hire for several years, and only in 2017, in partnership with several colleagues (also Polytechnic students), he founded a company for the development and production of household electrical appliances-electricity storage devices VOLTS. Having analyzed and systematized his experience, he shared with students his conclusions that will help future entrepreneurs avoid mistakes. For example: start working for hire as early as possible in the field in which the student plans to do business. This really helped me get a feel for this industry, understand where I want to develop, in what specific context, and where to move next, – says Alexander.

    The second is to fight the inner perfectionist. Time is fast now, and speed greatly affects the final result. We fell into the trap when we wanted to make the most perfect product possible, we were afraid to bring it to the market. This is a typical mistake. The faster you bring the product, the faster you will understand whether the market needs it.

    Third, look for investors at exhibitions. Exhibitions helped us, especially international ones, in which we actively participated, exhibited the product, and this helped us attract money. Once at an exhibition in Helsinki, we invited a representative of the Emirates Fund, and we were invited to the Emirates, we opened a representative office there, received investments, and now it is a fairly powerful hub for work on the world market.

    Fourth, be patient and move step by step systematically towards the goals you set for yourself.

    This year, the Polytechnic University Graduates to Students festival had a new host — a first-year student of the GI (jurisprudence), a member of the youth council of the Dobro.Center “Harmony” Artem Kuzmin. He coped with the task perfectly and later shared his impressions: By the will of fate, I became the host of the festival, which I did not know before. And I am happy that I was able to meet such outstanding graduates, who were also students not long ago and achieved such heights. I got an exceptional experience and heard living motivational stories that inspire. I was simply charged with success and study, thanks to the organizers.

    Photo archive

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “BioTech-2025”: Scientists Discuss Innovations in Biotechnology

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The 2nd All-Russian scientific and practical conference with international participation “BioTech-2025” was held at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

    Guests from Kazan, Ulan-Ude, Tambov, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad and the Republic of Belarus gathered at the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Production of the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology. An excursion to the SPbPU History Museum was organized for them.

    The participants were greeted by the Director of the Institute of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Andrey Vasin, who noted that biotechnology is one of the priority areas of scientific and technological development of the country, therefore the specialty of biotechnologist is very popular among applicants.

    The Chairperson of the Organizing Committee, Director of the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Production Yulia Bazarnova emphasized that the exchange of experience and knowledge between young specialists will accelerate the development of innovative solutions and technologies, and that such meetings contribute to the birth of new ideas and projects.

    Leading researchers in the field of food security, biomedicine and environmental biotechnology, as well as representatives of the conference partners, the companies Alkor Bio and Partiya Eda, spoke at the plenary session.

    Oksana Pavlova, associate professor of Grodno State University, spoke about the long-term cooperation between Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno. She noted that the long-term experience of interaction confirms the high efficiency in the development of the international educational space and indicates significant potential for further expansion of scientific and pedagogical exchange formats.

    Irina Cheglakova, Head of the Department for the Development of Biologically Active Supplements at Alkor Bio Group of Companies, presented the development prospects for one of the areas of the modern food industry and medicine — the creation and production of dietary supplements. Irina Potoroko, Professor at the South Ural State University, gave a report on food security.

    Several final reports were made by SPbPU scientists. Professor of the Higher School of Social and Economics Marina Karpenko spoke about the various effects of manganese, which is toxic, but at the same time a vital microelement for human health and development. Prospects and methods of using microalgae to solve environmental problems were presented by Professor of the Higher School of Social and Economics Natalia Politaeva. She spoke about a method for obtaining biohydrogen from spent microalgae, which were previously used to purify wastewater from the food industry. According to experts, this approach will simultaneously provide access to renewable environmentally friendly fuel and reduce the impact of industrial wastewater on the environment.

    In conclusion, leading technologists of the Food Party company, graduates of the Higher School of Business and Food Safety Vladimir Gnilitsky and Kristina Bogdanova shared their experience in the development of new dishes and the introduction of the latest methods of processing products to preserve their freshness.

    In addition, meetings of the sections “Food Systems and Nutrition”, “Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology”, “Biotechnology for Plant Growing”, “Methods of Molecular Diagnostics and Environmental Biotechnology” were held.

    The conference moderator, senior lecturer at the Higher School of Business and Public Policy Anna Sevastyanova, emphasized that the event provides a unique opportunity for young scientists to get acquainted with the experience of experienced researchers – professors, associate professors and leading employees of various scientific organizations.

    It was interesting to listen to the reports on various problems related to biotesting of different environments: air, water and soil. After the presentations, it became clear that microalgae are a certain “favorite” in this topic. The use of biotechnology to increase crop yields and product quality also aroused keen interest. I would like to thank the organizers for the opportunity to exchange experiences, – shared 4th year student Andrey Voynov.

    Based on the results of the conference, a collection of materials will be compiled.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Cybersecurity Day at Polytechnic University

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University became a platform for a rich program in the field of information security and digital technologies. Polytechnic was visited by representatives of companies from the Educational League of Vendors — Positive Technologies and Cyberprotect.

    Director of the IT and BA SEC Gazprom Neft Irina Rudskaya, Director of the Higher School of Business Engineering Igor Ilyin and Acting Director of the Higher School of Public Administration Olga Nadezhina met with representatives of the Cyberprotect company – Head of the Educational Department Yulia Chernikina and Lead Manager for Work with Educational Organizations Sarkis Shmavonyan. The guests got acquainted with the work of the Scientific and Educational Center and discussed prospects for cooperation.

    Also on this day, events for students were held in the Polytechnic Tower.

    Positive Technologies held a lecture and master class from the head of educational projects of the company Dmitry Fedorov. Cyberprotect organized a lecture, which was given by the HR director Elena Kalatsey and Sarkis Shmavonyan.

    We are sincerely glad to see representatives of leading IT companies within the walls of the Polytechnic University. Cooperation with Cyberprotect, Positive Technologies and other participants of the Educational League of Vendors helps to create a lively and rich educational environment in which students can not only gain knowledge, but also build a career in interaction with the professional community. I thank my colleagues for the visit, warm communication and inspiring lectures. I am sure that many new joint initiatives await us ahead, – noted Irina Rudskaya.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: From Theory to Practice: SKB Kontur and NSU Will Open the Door to the World of IT Technologies for Students

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The Rector of Novosibirsk National Research State University Mikhail Fedoruk and the Operations Director of SKB Kontur Svetlana Strelnikova took part in the ceremonial signing of the cooperation agreement.

    The partnership between SKB Kontur and NSU is an opportunity to exchange experience, knowledge, hold conferences, presentations and other events in the IT sphere. The agreement also gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a real IT environment: practices, internships, mentoring from company specialists and participation in joint projects.

    Students of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics and the Faculty of Information Technology are already taking the course C developed by Kontur

    Svetlana Strelnikova, Operations Director of SKB Kontur:

    — The agreement is a new stage of our cooperation. I am sure that it will become the basis for expanding our joint projects in the field of education and scientific and technical cooperation. SKB Kontur is always happy to welcome young specialists. We do not stand still, but grow and develop. This means that we are interested in participating in the training of talents, ready to share our knowledge and experience with them. Cooperation with NSU will allow us to cultivate highly qualified specialists, many of whom, I hope, will join our team in the future.

    Mikhail Fedoryuk, Rector of Novosibirsk National Research State University:

    — Novosibirsk University has traditionally been a “training ground” for the country’s scientific system, and close cooperation with the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences has helped us successfully cope with this task. In recent years, we have been actively developing new areas of training personnel for the manufacturing sector of the economy – specialists in information technology and artificial intelligence, robotics and space instrumentation, etc. In this work, we use a similar approach, developing cooperation with companies – leaders in various sectors of the economy, which improves the quality of training of our graduates and their demand in the market. The agreement with SKB Kontur is another important stage in the implementation of this strategy for us.

    Since 2008, SKB Kontur has been actively developing IT education: it pays grants and scholarships, conducts internships and organizes classes at the industrial development school. Together with the Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, it is modernizing the Fundamental Informatics and Information Technology, Digital Humanities, as well as the educational programs Business Informatics and Digital Technologies in Business. Together with ITMO University, it is developing additional education programs, conducting internships and scholarship competitions for the best students of the university.

    The partnership between SKB Kontur and NSU is a new step in the development of IT education, aimed at solving the problem of personnel shortage for the Digital Economy.

    The signing took place within the framework of the thirteenth conference “Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language” (AINL), which is being held at NSU this year. AINL is the largest Eastern European conference on artificial intelligence and text processing.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 5th China International Consumer Products Expo sees 92 billion yuan in intended deals

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    5th China International Consumer Products Expo sees 92 billion yuan in intended deals

    HAIKOU, April 18 — The 5th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) attracted the participation of a record-breaking 1,767 companies and 4,209 consumer brands from 71 countries and regions this year, according to a press briefing on Friday.

    Events targeting global brands, e-commerce and country-specific suppliers led to 52 intended cooperation agreements, the value of which amounted to approximately 92 billion yuan (about 12.6 billion U.S. dollars), said Zeng Rong, chief economist at Hainan provincial bureau of international economic development.

    Countries including Slovakia, Singapore, Brazil, Armenia and Kazakhstan debuted their national pavilions at this year’s CICPE in south China’s Hainan Province. The United Kingdom, as the 2025 guest country of honor, occupied an exhibition area of over 1,300 square meters, showcasing 53 brands across the fashion, beauty, homeware, health and jewelry industries, doubling its 2024 presence.

    More than 60,000 professional purchasers attended — representing a 10 percent increase from last year. In tandem with the expo, the Ministry of Commerce also launched the “Shopping in China” campaign to stimulate domestic consumption, and introduced a dedicated exhibition to facilitate cooperation between foreign trade firms and domestic purchasers.

    Preparations for the 6th CICPE are underway, with hundreds of companies already registered or signed on to participate in the next edition of this event.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU and “Small Business of Moscow”: opportunities for future entrepreneurs

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On April 17, 2025, students of the State University of Management met with representatives of the business lounge of the State Budgetary Institution “Small Business of Moscow” Nadya Oleynikova and Alexey Nekrasov.

    The event was held within the framework of the agreement between the State University of Management and the Museum of Entrepreneurs, Patrons and Philanthropists (Moscow). The organizers were the Project Start club of the Department of Industrial Organization Management with the support of the project office of the Institute of Industry Management and the management of the institute.

    Businessman Alexey Nekrasov spoke about the opportunities of the organization “Small Business of Moscow” for small and medium-sized businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs, which, with the support of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development of Moscow, allow children to organize their startups and begin their path in business. This information interested many students.

    The guys also talked to Nadya Oleynikova, a former producer of Channel One, speaker and moderator of federal and regional platforms, lecturer at the Russian State Social University and co-author of the book “Women’s Business”. Nadya told how she got to Channel One, became an organizer of the Olympic Games, created her own business on maternity leave, overcame her fears and became a federal speaker and the best lecturer. Her inspiring story of victories and failures left a bright mark in the hearts of the event participants.

    At the end of the meeting, the children asked their questions to the speakers and talked to them personally.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/18/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The prospects for the development of investment and construction activities in Russia were discussed at the State University of Management

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On April 16, the State University of Management hosted the annual round table “Prospects for the Development of Investment and Construction Activities in Russia”, organized by the Department of Economics and Management in Construction with the participation of the NP NO TCA.

    The event was attended by representatives of small and medium-sized businesses in the investment and construction sector, heads of engineering, consulting companies and the Scientific and Research Center “Construction”.

    The round table included several sessions, including “Small and medium-sized businesses in construction: prospects and challenges” and “Experience and prospects of interaction between representatives of the real sector of the economy and the department: a practice-oriented approach, trends in the development of investment and construction activities and their impact on personnel training.”

    The official opening of the event began with a greeting to the participants of the round table from the Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, a graduate of the State University of Management Tatyana Ilyushnikova, in which she noted that the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in the investment and construction complex in recent years is associated with their high flexibility and rapid adaptation to modern economic conditions. The Deputy Minister emphasized that small and medium businesses are becoming an increasingly important sector of the economy and a key factor in the sustainability of regions.

    Andrey Tarakanov, Director of the Department for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Entrepreneurship and Tax Incentives of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, spoke about the tasks of the SME sector for the period 2025-2030.

    “The President has set a goal: by 2030, real income per employee of small and medium-sized businesses should grow faster than GDP by 20%. This should be done by strengthening the role of small businesses in structural changes in the economy and in the development of the technological agenda,” noted Andrei Tarakanov.

    The President of the National Association of Technological and Price Auditors Anna Lupashko gave a report on the capabilities of the FGIS services “Unified Digital Platform “National Spatial Data System”.

    In the second session, the head of the Department of Economics and Management in Construction, Olga Astafieva, reflected on the experience of interaction between representatives of the real sector of the economy and the department.

    “As part of project-based learning, students perform work at the request of our partners. Today, the round table presented the results of the interaction between the Scientific and Research Center “Construction” and the department, within which our students developed a methodology for assessing the commercial potential of an innovative project in construction. Based on the methodology, it is possible to identify factors of project attractiveness, forecast project development opportunities, assess risks and possible financial losses,” Olga Astafieva noted.

    During the round table, it was emphasized that the implementation of such practices will allow the formation of practical skills and competencies in cooperation with companies in the investment and construction complex, including small and medium-sized businesses.

    At the end of the meeting, the participants noted the importance and necessity of developing the department’s educational programs: “Economics and Management of Investment and Construction Activities” (bachelor’s degree), “Management of Investment and Construction Business” and “Investment and Construction Business Engineering” (master’s degree) for the development and strengthening of human resources.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/18/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: White paper spotlights Hainan’s evolution into global retail tourism hub

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Driven by booming tourism, innovative policies and robust retail growth, China’s island province of Hainan is rapidly becoming a vital domestic and international consumption destination, said a white paper released during the ongoing 5th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE).

    “The 2025 Hainan Travel Retail White Paper” was jointly released by KPMG China and the Moodie Davitt Report at the 5th Global Consumption Innovation & Duty Free and Travel Retail Exchange Event. Part of the CICPE, the event convened industry leaders, policymakers and international brands to explore opportunities in retail tourism and the island’s pioneering economic reforms.

    The white paper underscored that Hainan’s tourism revenue has grown steadily in recent years, supported by dynamic shifts from traditional retail to new consumption models and the expansion of duty-free shopping.

    Since the start of 2024, the island province has introduced multiple measures to strengthen its appeal to international visitors, positioning itself as a high-quality tourism market competing on the global stage.

    A key insight from the white paper is the dominance of younger consumers in Hainan’s retail tourism sector, with travelers born in the 1990s and 2000s accounting for over 50 percent of Hainan’s tourists in the first three quarters of 2024.

    These tech-savvy, trend-conscious consumers prioritize diverse shopping experiences, fueling demand for cosmetics, skincare, luxury goods and electronics.

    “The preferences and purchasing power of young consumers are redefining Hainan’s retail landscape,” noted the report.

    The province’s investment in introducing new tourism methods has further attracted this demographic, offering retailers a roadmap for future growth.

    At the governmental level, Hainan is leveraging institutional innovations to enhance its business environment and boost fair competition within the free trade port framework. Marketwise, the island is advancing its international profile by tapping into China’s accelerated opening-up of the tourism industry and expansion of the global travel market.

    The white paper emphasized Hainan’s dual role in attracting domestic high-spending tourists and boosting overseas consumption, solidifying its status as a global tourism and retail nexus.

    “Going forward, Hainan’s travel retail market is poised for development and is expected to become an important global hub for travel retail,” the report said.

    As China’s first major international exhibition of the year and the nation’s sole state-level event dedicated to consumer goods, the 5th CICPE has attracted over 1,700 enterprises and 4,100 brands from more than 70 countries and regions.

    In 2024, Hainan received a record-high 97.21 million tourist visits, up 8 percent year on year. Total tourism revenue exceeded 204 billion yuan (about 28.3 billion U.S. dollars), rising 12.5 percent, with per capita spending showing notable growth. The island welcomed 1.11 million inbound tourists over the same period, surging 115.6 percent year on year. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miske Enterprise Member Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Role in Kidnapping and Murder of Johnathan Fraser

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Delia Fabro-Miske, 30, of Honolulu, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for racketeering conspiracy. Fabro-Miske pled guilty on January 12, 2024, in the middle of jury selection, to conspiring to conduct and participate in the conduct of the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, the “Miske Enterprise,” through racketeering activity that included bank fraud, obstruction of justice, and wire fraud.

    Fabro-Miske admitted that she and codefendant Michael J. Miske committed bank fraud by submitting fraudulent paperwork in order to obtain leases for two vehicles that were used for one of Miske’s businesses. Fabro-Miske also  obstructed a joint investigation into another of Miske’s businesses, Kamaaina Termite and Pest Control (“KTPC”), which was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (“HDA”). At Miske’s direction, Fabro-Miske submitted to HDA falsified fumigation logs, which claimed that she was the certified applicator of chemicals on hundreds of jobs. In reality, most of the listed jobs were completed by unlicensed applicators. Fabro-Miske also fraudulently obtained Social Security Administration (“SSA”) survivor benefits at Miske’s direction by having her wages at KTPC decreased below the SSA benefits income threshold. At the same time, Miske paid Fabro-Miske in benefits that were not reported to the SSA or Internal Revenue Service.

    Additionally, according to information provided to the Court, in or about 2017, Miske placed Fabro-Miske in charge of his businesses in an attempt to preserve and conceal his assets in anticipation of federal prosecution. In practice, Fabro-Miske carried out Miske’s wishes and acted at his direction. Fabro-Miske assisted in a fraudulent scheme committed through Miske’s businesses, which involved submitting false filings to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs that permitted the businesses to operate under fraudulently obtained and maintained licenses. Miske Enterprise members then falsely represented to customers that Miske’s businesses were properly licensed. Between 2017 and 2020, the businesses generated millions of dollars in income annually. As the head of Miske’s businesses, Fabro-Miske was also responsible for the proper and safe application of pesticides and other chemicals at customers’ homes. Information provided to the Court, however, showed that fumigations were regularly conducted without proper supervision or chemicals. Chief Judge Watson stated that Fabro-Miske’s work at Miske’s businesses “funded any number of crimes that we heard months and months of testimony” about in Miske’s trial, and her assistance “allowed Mr. Miske to run rampant in this community.”

    Finally, the Court determined that Fabro-Miske was also responsible for participating in a conspiracy with other Miske Enterprise members to kidnap and murder 21-year-old Johnathan Fraser. According to information provided to the Court, Caleb Miske – Miske’s son and Fabro-Miske’s husband – and Fraser were driving together when the two were involved in a car crash in November 2015.  Caleb Miske ultimately passed away from his injuries, and Miske blamed Fraser for his son’s death and enlisted several Miske Enterprise members to assist in his plan to murder Fraser. As part of that plan, Miske directed Fabro-Miske to rekindle her friendship with Fraser and his girlfriend and to lure them into living with her at an apartment paid for by Miske. On July 30, 2016, Fabro-Miske took Fraser’s girlfriend on a “spa day” paid for by Miske, ensuring that Fraser would be isolated when he was kidnapped. Fraser was never seen again after that day. Due to Miske’s death in December 2024, Chief Judge Watson explained that “the person most involved in Mr. Fraser’s demise will not ever be sentenced by this Court.” While Chief Judge Watson found that Fabro-Miske did not “directly and personally kill” Fraser and determined her to be a minimal participant in the kidnapping and murder conspiracy, he noted that there was “no doubt” that her actions led to Fraser’s murder and that the circumstances painted a “strong and clear picture” of a conspiracy to commit kidnapping murder in aid of racketeering.

    Fabro-Miske was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Miske, who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024. Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases. 

    “Delia Fabro-Miske was an integral member of the Miske Enterprise, which terrorized, exploited, and defrauded our community for decades. She participated in Miske’s bank frauds, social security fraud, falsification of fumigation records, and the concealment of Miske’s illegally obtained assets, and was a vital cog in the plot to murder of Johnathan Fraser. Fabro-Miske’s sentence yesterday demonstrates that those who occupy even the lower rungs of Hawaii’s criminal enterprises will pay a steep price when they face justice in federal court,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “The dismantling of the Miske Enterprise represents one of the most significant law enforcement efforts in the history of Hawaii law enforcement, and it would not have been possible without the tremendous and dedicated work of our partners at the Honolulu Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Environmental Protection Agency, among many others.”

    “Ms. Fabro-Miske was a key member in the Miske Enterprise fraud schemes, actively participating in defrauding the government and taxpayers,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.”

    “Our investigators follow the money because criminal organizations profit at the expense of public safety,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “Ms. Fabro-Miske’s racketeering conviction is a reminder that, in the end, crime really doesn’t pay.”

    “The sentencing of Ms. Fabro-Miske underscores HSI’s commitment to disrupting and dismantling criminal organizations in Hawaii,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “HSI will continue to hold accountable those who significantly harm our communities by breaking federal laws. By bringing justice to the Miske Enterprise, HSI sends the message that we will not tolerate any violent activity on our islands.”

    “By falsifying documents, defendant obstructed EPA and the state’s criminal investigation of a pesticide applicator that illegally applied restricted use pesticides,” said Benjamin Carr, Special Agent in Charge for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division in Hawaii. “Yesterday’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of defendant’s fraudulent conduct and the importance of complying with pesticide reporting requirements so EPA and Hawaii Department of Agriculture can keep our communities safe.”

    This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligencedriven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Statement on Seafood-Related Executive Order

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    04.17.25
    Cantwell Statement on Seafood-Related Executive Order
    EDMONDS, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released this statement regarding President Trump’s executive order related to seafood and fisheries.
    “You can’t manage and grow American fisheries when you fire the very scientists and fishery managers who are charged with supporting the more than one million jobs that rely on sustainable fisheries. This executive order comes on the heels of the leaked Trump Administration draft budget which would slash the National Marine Fisheries Service budget by 27 percent and eliminate the Habitat Conservation Program and the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, which fishermen rely on to restore salmon and other fish populations. The administration’s actions are hurting fishing families, not helping them.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Baldwin, Blunt Rochester Demand Answers on Lutnick’s Failure to Protect Minority Business Development Agency

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    04.17.25

    Cantwell, Baldwin, Blunt Rochester Demand Answers on Lutnick’s Failure to Protect Minority Business Development Agency

    As Trump tariffs batter U.S. economy, Lutnick RIFs entire agency that helps boost minority entrepreneurship, ignite economic opportunity & create jobs in rural, suburban & urban communities across the country

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) wrote to Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick demanding documents and full accounting of his actions to shutter the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) despite vowing not to support efforts to dismantle it. Today’s letter follows a March 24 letter from Sens. Cantwell and Blunt Rochester, warning Lutnick of the devastating impacts a reduction in force would have on small businesses and the nation’s economy.

    “Since sending that letter, our offices have received information indicating the Trump Administration sent reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to every MBDA employee—effectively shuttering an agency that Congress has authorized,” the senators wrote today.  “If true, this action would not only prevent MBDA from successfully carrying out its congressionally mandated programs and duties; it would appear to contradict the testimony you provided during your confirmation hearing.”

    During his confirmation hearing before the Commerce Committee, Lutnick said he did not support dismantling the agency which was created by President Nixon in 1969 and codified into law by Congress with bipartisan support in 2021. The MBDA is responsible for promoting the growth and global competitiveness of minority owned businesses, including by assisting these businesses with access to capital, contracts, markets and business networks through partnerships with private and public entities.  In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, the MBDA helped the country’s more than 12 million minority businesses access over $1.5 billion in capital and create or retain approximately 23,000 jobs.

    The full letter is below and here.

    Secretary Lutnick:

    In a letter sent on March 25, 2025, you were urged to honor your testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation affirming you do not support efforts to dismantle the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).[1] Since sending that letter, our offices have received information indicating the Trump Administration sent reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to every MBDA employee—effectively shuttering an agency that Congress has authorized. If true, this action would not only prevent MBDA from successfully carrying out its congressionally mandated programs and duties; it would appear to contradict the testimony you provided during your confirmation hearing. Accordingly, we demand a clear and complete explanation of your Department’s actions regarding the MBDA.

    As explained in the March 25, 2025, letter, the MBDA is a vital driver of economic growth for America’s minority-owned businesses.[2] Congress statutorily authorized the agency in a bipartisan manner in 2021 to ensure American entrepreneurs facing historical barriers to business ownership had access to key tools and resources to spur innovation, open new businesses, and create good-paying jobs. In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, the MBDA helped the country’s more than 12 million minority businesses access over $1.5 billion in capital and create or retain approximately 23,000 jobs.[3] Mindful of the MBDA’s record of success and congressional mandate, we urged you not to move forward with a RIF that would reduce MBDA’s personnel to as few as 3 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.

    Alarmingly, information provided to our offices makes clear the RIF your Department initiated at the MBDA was even more sweeping than we had feared, leaving the agency with effectively no staff. As a result, it is unclear to whom, if anyone, MBDA Business Centers are reporting or who is currently implementing MBDA’s congressionally mandated programs and duties. Your Department appears to have dismantled the MBDA without any act of Congress—disregarding the programs and initiatives the Administration is directed by statute to implement.

    The Commerce Committee has a duty to conduct oversight of the agencies and programs under its jurisdiction to ensure they are implemented and operating as Congress intended.  Accordingly, please provide the following documents and information no later than May 1, 2025:

    • A complete description of the current staffing at MBDA, including the number of FTE employees presently working at the agency (if any), how many FTE employees are presently on administrative leave, and how many MBDA FTE employees have been sent RIF notices since January 20, 2025.
    • Copies of all RIF notices sent to MBDA FTE employees since January 20, 2025.
    • A complete description of all actions taken by the Department to comply with President Trump’s March 14, 2025, executive order, “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.”
    • A copy of the report required in the above-referenced March 14, 2025, Executive Order from MBDA to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget confirming compliance with the Executive Order and explaining which of its components or functions are statutorily required and to what extent.
    • An explanation of how the Department’s actions regarding the MBDA are consistent with the Administration’s statutory obligations under the Minority Business Development Act of 2021 (Division K of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, P.L. 117-58).
    • An explanation of how the Department’s actions regarding the MBDA during your tenure as Commerce Secretary are consistent with your testimony to the Commerce Committee on January 29, 2025, and in your responses to the corresponding questions for the record. In your response, please specifically address the testimony you provided when asked if you support dismantling the MBDA, to which you responded, “I do not.”

    Sincerely,

    [1] Hearing, “Nomination Hearing – U.S. Secretary of Commerce”, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, (Jan. 29, 2025); https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/1/full-committee-nomination-hearing_2_3.

    [2] Press Release, “Cantwell, Blunt Rochester Demand Commerce Secretary Lutnick Protect Minority Business Development Agency from Trump’s Overreach”, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, (Mar. 24, 2025); https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/3/cantwell-blunt-rochester-demand-commerce-secretary-lutnick-protect-minority-business-development-agency-from-trump-s-overreach. 

    [3] “Annual Performance Summary, Fiscal Year 2024,” Minority Business Development Agency, (accessed Mar. 24, 2025); https://www.mbda.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/fy-2024-annual-performance-report.pdf.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China unveils measures to expand, upgrade domestic services consumption

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China has released a series of new measures aimed at expanding and upgrading consumption in the domestic services sector, as part of broader efforts to stimulate domestic demand.

    The guidelines, jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce and eight other departments, focus on improving the quality of domestic services, making services more accessible to consumers, enhancing policy support, and fostering a better consumption environment.

    The document encourages domestic service enterprises to explore emerging areas while promoting integration with industries like home renovation and furnishing.

    To better meet consumer needs, the measures also call for leveraging community-based service outlets to deliver tailored services to meet personalized demand, including shared housekeeping, cooking and child pick-up services.

    Meanwhile, the guidelines stress improving the employment environment for domestic service workers. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Additional Funds for Disaster Protection

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is encouraging disaster loan recipients in Florida to apply for additional funds to protect their homes and businesses from future storms. 

    Loan recipients have up to two years from their loan approval date to request an increase of up to 20% of their verified physical damages to cover the cost of improvements. Eligible mitigation projects may include regrading landscaping for better drainage, installing a French drain or sump pump, and strengthening structures to protect against high wind damage. 

    “One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s physical damage loans.” 

    To learn more about mitigation options visit sba.gov/mitigation. 

    To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. 

    ### 

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration 

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    Related programs: Disaster

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Disaster Relief to Michigan Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Excessive Rain

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    TLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Michigan who sustained economic losses caused by the excessive rain occurring May 1, 2024 through Sept. 15, 2024. 

    The disaster declaration covers the primary counties of Macomb and St. Clair, and the adjacent counties of Lapeer, Oakland, Sanilac, and Wayne. 

    Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises. 

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster. 

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”  

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.250% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition. 

    To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. 

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is November 28, 2025. 

    ### 

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration 

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 18, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 18, 2025.

    Labor’s poll surge continues in YouGov, but they’re barely ahead in Freshwater
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Labor increased their lead again in a YouGov poll, but Freshwater put them ahead by just 50.3–49.7. This article also covers the final WA upper house results

    Why Kinshasa keeps flooding – and why it’s not just about the rain
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gode Bola, Lecturer in Hydrology, University of Kinshasa The April 2025 flooding disaster in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, wasn’t just about intense rainfall. It was a symptom of recent land use change which has occurred rapidly in the city, turning it into

    Grattan on Friday: Peter Dutton’s tax indexation ‘aspiration’ has merit – so why didn’t we hear about it before?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Peter Dutton, now seriously on the back foot, has made an extraordinarily big “aspirational” commitment at the back end of this campaign. He says he wants to see a move to indexing personal income tax – an assault on the

    Keith Rankin Essay – Barbecued Hamburgers and Churchill’s Bestie
    Essay by Keith Rankin. Operation Gomorrah may have been the most cynical event of World War Two (WW2). Not only did the name fully convey the intent of the war crimes about to be committed, it, also represented the single biggest 24-hour murder toll for the European war that I have come across. On the

    Public toilets could be the jewels in our cities’ crowns – if only governments would listen
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW Sydney A New South Wales Senate inquiry into public toilets is underway, looking into the provision, design and maintenance of public toilets across the state. Whenever I mention this inquiry, however, everyone nervously laughs and the conversation moves on.

    Bad news – why Australia is losing a generation of journalists
    Shrinking budgets and job insecurity means there are fewer opportunities for young journalists, and that’s bad news, especially in regional Australia, reports 360info ANALYSIS: By Jee Young Lee of the University of Canberra Australia risks losing a generation of young journalists, particularly in the regions where they face the closure of news outlets, job insecurity,

    Why do scientists want to spend billions on a 70-year project in an enormous tunnel under the Swiss Alps?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tessa Charles, Accelerator Physicist, Monash University An artist’s impression of the tunnel of the proposed Future Circular Collider. CERN The Large Hadron Collider has been responsible for astounding advances in physics: the discovery of the elusive, long-sought Higgs boson as well as other new exotic particles, possible

    Could you accidentally sign a contract by texting an emoji? Here’s what the law says
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer McKay, Professor in Business Law, University of South Australia Parkova/Shutterstock Could someone take you to court over an agreement you made – or at least appeared to make – by sending a “👍”? Emojis can have more legal weight than many people realise. A search of

    Why healthy eating may be the best way to reduce food waste
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trang Nguyen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Global Food and Resources, University of Adelaide Stokkete, Shutterstock Australians waste around 7.68 million tonnes of food a year. This costs the economy an estimated A$36.6 billion and households up to $2,500 annually. Much of this food is wasted at

    Why can’t I keep still after intense exercise?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ken Nosaka, Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, Edith Cowan University Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Do you ever feel like you can’t stop moving after you’ve pushed yourself exercising? Maybe you find yourself walking around in circles when you come off the pitch, or squatting and standing and squatting

    ‘We get bucketloads of homework’: young people speak about what it’s like to start high school
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Stevens, PhD Candidate, Education, Murdoch University Rawpixel.com Starting high school is one of the most significant transitions young people make in their education. Many different changes happen at once – from making new friends to getting used to a new school environment and different behaviour and

    How to tackle the ‘gender play gap’: 4 ways to encourage young women back into sport
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Kay, PhD Candidate at the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University matimix/Shutterstock Women’s sport has recently enjoyed unprecedented success in Australia. We have seen the Matildas sell out 16 successive home games, a world-record attendance for a women’s Test cricket match at the

    Want straighter teeth or a gap between? Don’t believe TikTok – filing them isn’t the answer
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland After decades of Hollywood showcasing white-picket-fence celebrity smiles, the world has fallen for White Lotus actor Aimee Lou Wood’s teeth. Wood was bullied for her looks in her youth and expressed gratitude for

    1 in 6 New Zealanders is disabled. Why does so much health research still exclude them?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachelle Martin, Senior Lecturer in Rehabilitation & Disability, University of Otago Getty Images Disabled people encounter all kinds of barriers to accessing healthcare – and not simply because some face significant mobility challenges. Others will see their symptoms not investigated properly because it’s assumed a problem is

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan Welcomes Executive Order on Enhancing American Seafood Competitiveness

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    04.17.25

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today praised an executive order issued by President Donald Trump to strengthen U.S. and Alaska fisheries. As the chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, Sen. Sullivan has been working with the Trump administration and introducing legislation to address challenges facing Alaska’s fishermen, including global trading practices that disadvantage Alaska fisheries, and regulations that burden Alaska fishermen.

    “Last month in my speech to the Alaska Legislature, I issued a clarion call about the need to go on offense for our fishermen,” said Sen. Sullivan. “These great Alaskans have endured a perfect storm of challenges, which include unfair seafood trade practices by dictatorships like Russia and China, and onerous regulatory burdens from our own federal government. I have been working relentlessly with the Trump administration, including with the Commerce and Agriculture Departments, and the U.S. Trade Representative, to get relief for our fisherman. They listened. Today, President Trump gave our fishermen a major shot in the arm, ordering his administration to remove unnecessary federal red tape and develop an America First Seafood Strategy with measures to enhance the competitiveness of our seafood in global markets and hold bad actors in seafood trade accountable. I appreciate the Trump administration’s continued strong focus on advancing the interests and priorities of Alaska across a range of economic sectors, including our fishermen and coastal communities. I thank President Trump, Secretary Lutnick, and Ambassador Greer for taking decisive action on behalf of our hard-working fishermen, and fighting to ensure more Americans and our trading partners around the world are eating ‘freedom fish’ from Alaska—not ‘communist fish’ from the likes of Russia and China.”

    Below is a timeline of Sen. Sullivan’s recent efforts to advocate on behalf of the competitiveness of Alaska’s seafood industry:

    • On March 11, 2022, as a result of Sen. Sullivan’s advocacy, the Biden administration announced it would prohibit the importation of Russian seafood into the United States, in addition to banning goods from several other signature sectors of Russia’s economy.
    • On December 22, 2023, Sen. Sullivan welcomed a new Executive Order and resulting U.S. Department of the Treasury determination to revise existing guidance that allowed all Russian-origin seafood to bypass an earlier Executive Order banning its import into the United States. 
    • On January 29, 2025, Sen. Sullivan received Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’scommitment to champion the interests of Alaska’s fishermen and seafood industry.
    • On February 24, 2025, Sen. Sullivan reintroduced his Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvest (FISH) Act to combat foreign illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by blacklisting offending vessels from U.S. ports and waters, bolstering the U.S. Coast Guard’s enforcement capabilities, and advancing international and bilateral negotiations to achieve enforceable agreements and treaties.
    • On March 13, 2025, Sen. Sullivan wrote a letter to Ambassador Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative, urging him to initiate an investigation under Section 301 of theTrade Act of 1974 into Russian and Chinese seafood trade practices.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: RBB Bancorp Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend of $0.16 Per Common Share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RBB Bancorp (NASDAQ: RBB) and its subsidiaries, Royal Business Bank (“the Bank”) and RBB Asset Management Company (“RAM”), collectively referred to herein as “the Company”, announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.16 per common share. The dividend is payable on May 12, 2025 to common shareholders of record as of April 30, 2025.

    Corporate Overview

    RBB Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had total assets of $4.0 billion. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Royal Business Bank, is a full service commercial bank, which provides consumer and business banking services predominantly to the Asian-centric communities in Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Ventura County in California, in Las Vegas, Nevada, in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan in New York, in Edison, New Jersey, in the Chicago neighborhoods of Chinatown and Bridgeport, Illinois, and on Oahu, Hawaii. Bank services include remote deposit, E-banking, mobile banking, commercial and investor real estate loans, business loans and lines of credit, commercial and industrial loans, SBA 7A and 504 loans, 1-4 single family residential loans, trade finance, a full range of depository account products and wealth management services. The Bank has nine branches in Los Angeles County, two branches in Ventura County, one branch in Orange County, California, one branch in Las Vegas, Nevada, three branches and one loan operation center in Brooklyn, three branches in Queens, one branch in Manhattan in New York, one branch in Edison, New Jersey, two branches in Chicago, Illinois, and one branch in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Company’s administrative and lending center is located at 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90017, and its finance and operations center is located at 7025 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, California 90621. The Company’s website address is www.royalbusinessbankusa.com.

    Contacts

    Lynn Hopkins, EVP/Chief Financial Officer, (657) 255-3282

    Safe Harbor

    Certain matters set forth herein (including the exhibits hereto) constitute forward-looking statements relating to the Company’s current business plans and expectations and our future financial position and operating results. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance and/or achievements to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures; the potential for additional material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting or other potential control deficiencies of which the Company is not currently aware or which have not been detected; business and economic conditions generally and in the financial services industry, nationally and within our current and future geographic markets, including the tight labor market, ineffective management of the U.S. federal budget or debt or turbulence or uncertainly in domestic of foreign financial markets; the strength of the United States economy in general and the strength of the local economies in which we conduct operations; adverse developments in the banking industry highlighted by high-profile bank failures and the potential impact of such developments on customer confidence, liquidity and regulatory responses to these developments; our ability to attract and retain deposits and access other sources of liquidity; possible additional provisions for credit losses and charge-offs; credit risks of lending activities and deterioration in asset or credit quality; extensive laws and regulations and supervision that we are subject to, including potential supervisory action by bank supervisory authorities; increased costs of compliance and other risks associated with changes in regulation, including any amendments to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and other money laundering statutes and regulations; potential goodwill impairment; liquidity risk; fluctuations in interest rates; risks associated with acquisitions and the expansion of our business into new markets; inflation and deflation; real estate market conditions and the value of real estate collateral; the effects of having concentrations in our loan portfolio, including commercial real estate and the risks of geographic and industry concentrations; environmental liabilities; our ability to compete with larger competitors; our ability to retain key personnel; successful management of reputational risk; severe weather, natural disasters, earthquakes, fires, such as the recent California wildfires; or other adverse external events could harm our business; geopolitical conditions, including acts or threats of terrorism, actions taken by the United States or other governments in response to acts or threats of terrorism and/or military conflicts, including the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East and increasing tensions between China and Taiwan, which could impact business and economic conditions in the United States and abroad; public health crises and pandemics, and their effects on the economic and business environments in which we operate, including our credit quality and business operations, as well as the impact on general economic and financial market conditions; general economic or business conditions in Asia, and other regions where the Bank has operations; failures, interruptions, or security breaches of our information systems; climate change, including any enhanced regulatory, compliance, credit and reputational risks and costs; cybersecurity threats and the cost of defending against them; our ability to adapt our systems to the expanding use of technology in banking; risk management processes and strategies; adverse results in legal proceedings; the impact of regulatory enforcement actions, if any; certain provisions in our charter and bylaws that may affect acquisition of the Company; changes in tax laws and regulations; the impact of governmental efforts to restructure the U.S. financial regulatory system; the impact of future or recent changes in Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance assessment rate of the rules and regulations related to the calculation of the FDIC insurance assessment amount; the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices or accounting standards, as may be adopted from time-to-time by bank regulatory agencies, the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other accounting standards setters, including Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 (Topic 326, “Measurement of Current Losses on Financial Instruments, commonly referenced as the Current Expected Credit Losses Model, which changed how we estimate credit losses and may further increase the required level of our allowance for credit losses in future periods; market disruption and volatility; fluctuations in the Company’s stock price; restrictions on dividends and other distributions by laws and regulations and by our regulators and our capital structure; issuances of preferred stock; our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, and the potential resulting dilution of interests of holders of our common stock; the soundness of other financial institutions; our ongoing relations with our various federal and state regulators, including the SEC, FDIC, FRB and California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (“DFPI”); our success at managing the risks involved in the foregoing items and all other factors set forth in the Company’s public reports, including its Annual Report as filed under Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and particularly the discussion of risk factors within that document. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements except as required by law. Any statements about future operating results, such as those concerning accretion and dilution to the Company’s earnings or shareholders, are for illustrative purposes only, are not forecasts, and actual results may differ.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader and Money Launderer for the KDY Drug Trafficking Crew Sentenced to 160 Months in Federal Prison

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    WASHINGTON – Kenneth Amedola Olugbenga, 29, a leader of and money launderer for the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), was sentenced today to 160 months in federal prison for his role in a massive drug trafficking organization that operated open-air markets in Northwest Washington D.C.

                The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office , and ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Washington Field Division.

                Olugbenga, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty Sept. 20, 2024, to a two-count Superseding Information, charging him with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. In addition to the 160-month prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Olugbenga to serve four years of supervised release. Judge Howell also ordered Olugbenga to forfeit $374,598.00 as part of his sentence.

                KDY members operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade defend its territory from rival crews and commit other violent crimes. Olugbenga was arrested in June 2023 as part of a coordinated arrest operation in this case and has remained in federal custody since his arrest.

                According to court documents, and by his own admission, Olugbenga served as an organizer and leader of the Kennedy Street Crew. Olugbenga was one of the originators of KDY’s drug trafficking operation via commercial flights from California. He served as the lead money launderer for the crew, establishing phony companies that included an auto detailing business to project an illusion of legitimacy for the crew’s drug trafficking. From 2019 until the date of his arrest, Olugbenga also used a local casino to launder $1.8 million in illegal proceeds from drug trafficking. In addition, Olugbenga used one of the phony businesses to apply for and receive a forgivable Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. He used the SBA funds to buy more bulk narcotics.

                Olugbenga took nearly six dozen roundtrip flights to the West Coast over the course of the four-year conspiracy and spent more than $21,000 on one-way airline tickets in one year alone.

                Olugbenga was a bulk supplier of cocaine, both powdered and crack, along with marijuana. He regularly referred customers to other KDY drug trafficking operations when they sought pills or other narcotics that he himself was unable to readily access. He tracked drug expenses and debts within the crew, pooling resources and noting law enforcement seizures over the course of the four-year conspiracy.

                He also engaged in drug activity on KDY turf. Within the open-air drug market in Kennedy Street territory, MPD officers conducted 15 controlled purchases from Olugbenga totaling 52.3 grams of cocaine base.

                On February 20, 2023, in the 500 block of Emerson Street NW, the MPD’s Fourth District Crime Suppression Team observed a Ford Econoline van driving recklessly as it swerved into oncoming traffic to pass a bicyclist. This van was the same vehicle that Olugbenga had been seen using around the open-air drug market on Kennedy Street since the beginning of the investigation. MPD officers attempted to stop the van, chasing it as it fled. The vehicle eventually stopped near the intersection of 7th and Longfellow Streets NW. Olugbenga abandoned the van and fled on foot. The van was subsequently searched, and law enforcement recovered distribution quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, a loaded Glock handgun, a drug ledger, and a brochure for one of Olugbenga’s shell companies.

                On June 27, 2023, law enforcement arrested Olugbenga and served search warrants at two residences associated with him. At his residence in KDY territory, officers recovered five kilos of marijuana, nearly a kilo of cocaine, and various scales. 

               Of the 17 KDY members charged in connection with the investigation, 16 have now been sentenced. Co-defendant Jovan Williams, aka Chewy, will be sentenced tomorrow, April 18.

               This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

               This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, the IRS Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Field Office, and ATF’s Washington Field Division.

               The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

    KDY DEFENDANTS

    NAME

    AGE

    CHARGES/SENTENCES
    Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga 29 Sentenced March 17, 2025, to 360 Months in Prison after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee” 24 Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 168 Months after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl and Oxycodone; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
    Keion Michael Brown 21 Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 147 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Oxycodone and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford” 23 Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy” 24 Sentenced December 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Jovan Williams, aka “Chewy” and “Choo” 20 Sentencing Scheduled for April 18, 2025. Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Armed Carjacking.
    Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour” 25 Sentenced March 22, 2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana
    Cameron Xavier Reid 28 Sentenced May 31, 2024, to 60 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.
    Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub 26 Sentenced May 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Juwan Demetrius Clark, aka “Squirrel” 28 Sentenced January 10, 2025, to 37 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,” 34 Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.
    David Penn, aka “Turtle” 32 Sentenced November 15, 2024, to 220 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture of Cocaine Base; and Two Counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
    Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy” 31 Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
    Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King” 24 Sentenced February 8, 2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.
    Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle” 29 Sentenced April 26, 2024, to 15 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base.
    Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui” 31 Sentenced December 12, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
    Adebayo Adediji Green 31 Sentenced August 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

                Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.

    Kenneth Olugbenga photographed at the local casino where he laundered illicit drug proceeds.

    Olugbenga frequented the open-air drug market in the Kennedy Street Corridor, often with his panel van or one of several sedans he operated.

     

    At Olugbenga’s residence in KDY territory, officers recovered nearly five kilograms of marijuana, and nearly a kilogram of cocaine.

    23cr202

    ##

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Vancouver, Senator Murray Meets with Local Businesses, ILWU, Port of Kalama to Discuss How Trump’s Chaotic Trade War is Hurting Washington State

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: In Tacoma, Senator Murray Meets with Local Businesses, Port Commissioners to Discuss How Trump’s Chaotic Trade War is Hurting Washington State
    ICYMI: In Senate Floor Speech, Senator Murray Hammers Trump and Republicans on Chaotic, Painful Trade War and Steep Tariffs Raising Costs on Families and Small Businesses in WA
    ***PHOTOS and B-ROLL HERE***
    Vancouver, WA— Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a roundtable discussion in Vancouver highlighting how local businesses, ports, and the overall economy in Washington state is suffering from President Trump’s senseless and chaotic trade war. Senator Murray was joined for the discussion by John Rudi, CEO of Thompson Metal Fab in Vancouver; Miriam Halliday, CEO of Workforce Southwest Washington; Jared Moultrie, Vice President of the International Longshore & Warehouse Workers’ Union (ILWU) Local 4 in Vancouver; Augusto Bassanini, CEO of United Grain; and Mark Wilson, Executive Director of the Port of Kalama.
    On April 2nd, President Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on nearly every country, including a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imported goods, and country-specific so-called reciprocal tariffs. Just hours after the reciprocal tariff rates took effect last Wednesday, Trump abruptly changed his mind and put a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs. But Trump is still taxing goods from every country, across the board, at 10 percent at least, and he is escalating his trade war with China, with 145 percent tariffs on Chinese goods—which is already leading to higher prices and serious pain for families and small business across Washington state. Senator Murray has always been vocal about the need to out-compete China, but warned that waging an all-out trade war with China on a whim will cause serious economic pain for consumers and small businesses across the country.
    Even with his “pause,” Trump’s new tariff rates are still the highest in decades, and are estimated to cost American families more than $4,000 per year—the largest tax increase since 1968.
    “Trump’s tariffs are a tax—a tax that will hit hardworking Americans the most. Families will be paying higher prices, small businesses will have to lay off workers, and Washington’s ports will be gutted as trade drops. That’s a lot of jobs on the line in our ports like Kalama and Vancouver along the Columbia River,” said Senator Murray. “Congress has the power to step in and put a stop to these senseless tariffs, we can bring back certainty to protect American businesses and the economy.”
    “Businesses can’t function when they are waiting to see if Trump will change his mind again about what countries will have tariffs, and at what rate, as if this should be something decided on a whim,” Senator Murray continued. “Every morning small business owners, port longshoremen, warehouse workers, and families wake up wondering if today will be the day they have to close up shop or will lose their job. Congress needs to step up and put an end to these tariffs—but we need Republicans to join us in order to do that. I will keep shining a light on the consequences of Trump’s painful trade war will bring and amplifying the voices and concerns of people in Washington state.”
    Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs tied to international commerce. Washington state is the top U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries—all of which risk losing vital export markets due to retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners including Canada. Additionally, more than 12,000 small and medium-sized companies in Washington state export goods and will struggle to absorb the impact of retaliatory tariffs.
    Canada is Washington’s largest overall trading partner, accounting for nearly $20 billion in imports and $10 billion in exports. China is the world’s second-largest economy and Washington state exported over $12 billion in goods to China last year—making China Washington state’s top export partner—and imported $11.2 billion in goods, the second-most in imports from any country aside from Canada. Trump’s tariffs during his first term were extremely costly for Washington state—for example, India imposed a 20 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. apples, causing Washington apple shipments to India to fall by 99 percent and growers to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in exports.
    “Tariffs simply add cost to major infrastructure projects, and there are very few ways the additional cost impacts of tariffs can be reduced or mitigated,” said John Rudi, CEO of Thompson Metal Fab, a veteran-owned, Vancouver-based metal fabrication company that makes products for the gas and oil industries, and is entering new markets creating products for nuclear, high-tech, and renewable energies. “There are serious concerns about the impact of tariffs on projects that have already been contracted or bid—and an even larger concern than the direct financial impact of tariffs is the uncertainty it creates. Uncertainly only delays, and possibly freezes, major industrial projects. When work is delayed, highly-skilled workers are lost, resulting in long-term impacts to industrial capacity. And once industrial demand stabilizes and returns to normal, the surge in business can result in inflationary costs due to increased competition for workers and resources… Senator Murray has been a strong and consistent advocate for job creation and infrastructure projects in our region and we are pleased to have her visit today to discuss how businesses and the local workforce are impacted by tariffs.”
    “The continued volatility in international tariff strategies is creating significant challenges for workforce development across industries in Southwest Washington,” said Miriam Halliday, CEO of Workforce Southwest, the Local Workforce Development Board designated as the policy, planning and oversight body for the public workforce system in Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum counties. “Companies are increasingly hesitant to expand or invest in talent due to rising costs and economic uncertainty. For instance, a mid-sized IT Managed Service Provider located in Vancouver WA is facing a 15% increase in order costs, making it difficult to forecast budgets and commit to workforce growth. Similarly, a mid-sized die casting manufacturer located in Vancouver WA has paused its expansion this quarter—not due to lack of demand, but because financial institutions are withholding loans for new equipment out of recession fears. As a result, plans to hire and upskill workers have been deferred, highlighting how external economic pressures are directly stalling local and regional workforce development.”
    “Our ports face significant challenges and uncertainties in light of potential trade wars,” said Jared Moultrie, Vice President of the International Longshore & Warehouse Workers’ Union (ILWU) Local 4 in Vancouver, representing dock workers in the region. “In 2024, the Port of Vancouver supported nearly 20,000 jobs and generated $2.9 billion in regional economic benefits. United Grain Corporation, Longshoremen, Railroad workers, Tugboat crews, Truck operators, and Farmers from the American West and Midwest facilitated the movement of 5.9 million metric tons of agricultural commodities through the Port of Vancouver. The retaliatory tariffs imposed by China have the potential to significantly reduce employment opportunities for these men and women and diminish the economic benefits within our regionThe Port of Vancouver operates as a breakbulk port, and proposed tariffs would heavily impact everything we handle. Steel is projected to experience an estimated 30 percent decrease, having never recovered from the previous set of tariffs. Currently, we service two aluminum ships per month and conduct weekly aluminum loadouts onto trucks or railcars. The aluminum sector would be seriously jeopardized if tariffs were to deepen. As the number one importer of Subaru vehicles, we are already anticipating around a 20 percent decrease in cars arriving at our dock.”
    “At Local 4, our workers are concerned about job security due to the proposed tariffs. We are already contending with rising car payments, mortgage payments, and costs of goods and services. We worry about whether we will be able to afford our children’s tuition, take planned vacations, make substantial purchases, or even dine out. The trickle-down effect on regional companies, truck drivers, farmers, small businesses, and everyone in between could be devastating,” Moultrie continued. “We extend our gratitude to Senator Murray for her dedication and continued commitment to supporting the ILWU and our ports, working-class individuals, our region, our state, and the United States of America.”
    “We greatly appreciate Senator Murray’s engagement and efforts to understand how the proposed tariffs are impacting American grain exports,” said Augusto Bassanini, CEO of United Grain Corporation, which sources grain and oilseeds from more than 2,000 suppliers in the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains. “To help the 2,000 American farmers we work with remain competitive in the global market, we need certainty to navigate a global marketplace so we can continue to create jobs, domestic economic development opportunities and feed the world.” 
    Senator Murray has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s chaotic trade war and has been lifting up the voices of people in Washington state harmed by this administration’s approach to trade. Senator Murray continues to call on Republicans to end Trump’s trade war—which Congress has the power to do—and take back Congress’ Constitutionally-granted power to impose tariffs. Earlier this month, Senator Murray brought together leaders across Washington state who highlighted how Trump’s ongoing trade war is already a devastating hit to Washington state’s economy, businesses, and our agriculture sector. Senator Murray also took to the Senate floor to lay out how Trump’s chaotic trade war is seriously threatening our economy, American businesses, families’ retirement savings, and so much else. Earlier this week, Senator Murray joined her colleagues in pressing U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer on how the Trump administration’s tariffs are affecting farmers across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Visits Downtown Vancouver, Highlights Importance of Federal Investment Amid Local Concerns Over Trump Funding Freezes, Tariff Chaos

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: In Vancouver, Senator Murray Meets with Local Businesses, ILWU, Port Commissioner to Discuss How Trump’s Chaotic Trade War is Hurting Washington State
    ***PHOTOS and B-ROLL HERE***
    Vancouver, WA— Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, toured businesses in downtown Vancouver, as part of the Main Street Promise project, to see how federal investment has supported their growth and how Trump’s chaotic trade war and federal funding freezes are harming the local economy. Senator Murray was joined for the tour by Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle; Michael Walker, Executive Director of the Vancouver Downtown Association; Chris Harder, Deputy Economic Development Director for the City of Vancouver; Julie Arenz, Small Business Connector and Advocate for the City of Vancouver; Ryan Hart, Chair of Visit Vancouver and Chief External Affairs Officer for the Port of Vancouver; Kelsey Jennings, Owner of Ronald Records in downtown Vancouver; and Crystal Lary, Owner of Eryngium Papeterie in downtown Vancouver.
    During the visit, Senator Murray heard from business owners and leaders at the City of Vancouver about how federal investment in Vancouver has helped lay the groundwork for thriving small businesses and spurred other construction and renovation projects in the downtown core. The City of Vancouver has been working on a 20-year revitalization effort that Senator Murray helped kickstart by securing initial federal funding for the Waterfront Redevelopment Project in 2009. The Main Street Promise Project is one of the last phases of the revitalization effort and was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act Senator Murray played a leading role in crafting as then-Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. The major reconstruction project on Main Street broke ground in December 2024—with original planning work done in 1993 with the goal of improving the heart of Vancouver. The Main Street Promise Project will reconstruct Main Street to provide a safe, accessible, and connected transportation system to support existing small businesses along Main Street and attract more visitors to Downtown Vancouver.
    Senator Murray also heard from small business owners and local leaders about how the Trump administration’s illegal withholding of federal funding owed to communities across the country and his reckless trade war is leading to serious uncertainty for businesses, consumers, and communities across Southwest Washington. Trump is currently taxing goods from every country—including close allies like Canada—at a minimum 10 percent tariff rate across-the-board, and he has significantly escalated his trade war with China, with 145 percent tariffs on Chinese goods—meaning higher prices and serious pain for families and small businesses across the country. Even with his 90-day “pause” on reciprocal tariffs, Trump’s new tariffs are still the highest tariff rates in decades, and are estimated to cost American families more than $4,000 per year—the largest tax increase since 1968.
    “It’s wonderful to see how the federal investment I’ve fought to bring to Southwest Washington over the years has helped downtown Vancouver thrive—with so many great small businesses and new infrastructure and renovation projects that are making the heart of Vancouver a destination for shopping, eating, nightlife, and more,” said Senator Murray. “Trump is putting all the progress our communities have made at risk by illegally canceling and holding up federal funding our communities are owed, and he is putting businesses in constant turmoil with his pointless and destructive trade war. I will continue to sound the alarm on the consequences Trump’s illegal funding freezes and his ham-fisted trade war will have for American families, and I will always lift up the voices and concerns of people in Washington state.”
    “The transformation of Vancouver’s downtown into a regional and national destination is years in the making,” said Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle. “The current reconstruction of Main Street into a pedestrian-centered and vibrant commercial corridor represents downtown Vancouver’s most recent evolution. Over the past 20+ years, Senator Murray has been one of Vancouver’s biggest champions, helping to steer critical federal funds, such as American Rescue Plan Act dollars, to our community to help fund placemaking and infrastructure investments. The City of Vancouver would like to thank Senator Murray for her leadership and we are grateful for her willingness to partner on important local projects like Main Street Promise.”    
    “The Main Street Promise is a realization of a vision that’s been decades in the making. This is the third time our community has tried to bring this project to life, and now—thanks to Senator Patty Murray and the American Rescue Plan—we finally have what we need to get it done,” said Michael Walker, Executive Director of Vancouver’s Downtown Association. “This is the largest investment in Main Street in 116 years, and it’s going to reshape the heart of our downtown into a safer, more connected, and more accessible place for everyone. This project is about building a strong foundation for the future of our downtown—leaving something great for the next generation and beyond. Senator Patty Murray’s steadfast advocacy on behalf of Vancouver has helped us achieve real outcomes in the heart of our community—improving quality of life, supporting local businesses, and strengthening our downtown economy for the long term.”
    “In addition, thanks to the unique opportunity provided by ARPA dollars, we’re able to go beyond traditional infrastructure work,” Walker continued. “We have staff on the ground every day and thoughtful mitigation efforts in place—like block-by-block construction—to help minimize disruption. Businesses are staying open, sidewalks remain accessible, and we’ve built a strong network of peer support to help keep our business community resilient and thriving throughout the process. For a project of this scale, we’re doing everything we can to make sure it’s as smooth and supportive as possible.
    Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs tied to international commerce. Washington state is the top U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries—all of which risk losing vital export markets due to retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners including Canada. Additionally, more than 12,000 small and medium-sized companies in Washington state export goods and will be unlikely to be able to absorb the impact of retaliatory tariffs. Canada is Washington’s largest trading partner, accounting for nearly $20 billion in imports and $10 billion in exports. China is the world’s second-largest economy and Washington state exported over $12 billion in goods to China last year—making China Washington state’s top export partner—and imported $11.2 billion in goods, the most in imports from any country aside from Canada. Trump’s tariffs during his first term were extremely costly for Washington state—for example, India imposed a 20 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. apples, causing Washington apple shipments to India to fall by 99 percent and growers to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in exports.
    Senator Murray has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s chaotic trade war and has been lifting up the voices of people in Washington state harmed by this administration’s approach to trade and calling on Republicans to end Trump’s trade war—which Congress has the power to do—and take back Congress’ Constitutionally-granted power to impose tariffs. Earlier this month, Senator Murray brought together leaders across Washington state who highlighted how Trump’s ongoing trade war is already a devastating hit to Washington state’s economy, businesses, and our agriculture sector. Senator Murray also took to the Senate floor to lay out how Trump’s chaotic trade war is seriously threatening our economy, American businesses, families’ retirement savings, and so much else. Earlier this week, Senator Murray joined her colleagues in pressing U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on how the Trump administration’s tariffs are affecting farmers across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China extends anti-dumping duties on Japanese electrolytic capacitor paper

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s Ministry of Commerce announced Thursday that it would extend anti-dumping duties on imported paper for electrolytic capacitors from Japan for another five years, starting Friday.

    This decision follows a sunset review initiated in April 2024 at the request of China’s electrolytic capacitor paper industry.

    If these anti-dumping measures were terminated, the dumping of imported electrolytic capacitor paper from Japan could continue or recur, potentially causing ongoing or renewed harm to China’s domestic industry, the ministry said.

    Under the extended measures, Japanese companies will continue to face an anti-dumping duty of up to 40.83 percent.

    Electrolytic capacitor paper is used as the base material to absorb electrolytes in electrolytic capacitors, playing a crucial role in the functioning of the capacitors. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SEN ELIZABETH WARREN: Social Security is under attack. Gutting it is a broken promise

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    April 15, 2025

    We shouldn’t be cutting Social Security services and threatening Americans’ benefits — we should be making the program stronger

    Gutting Social Security isn’t “efficient” — it’s a broken promise. Democrats and Republicans should stand up and fight back to protect it.

    Social Security is not charity. Americans pay in, paycheck after paycheck, over a lifetime of hard work. When they get older, they get that money back to help them retire. That’s the iron-clad, take-it-to-the-bank promise that America makes to workers.

    But right now, Social Security is under attack like it has never been before. Billionaire Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said seniors won’t complain if they miss a Social Security check. Elon Musk called Social Security the “world’s biggest Ponzi scheme.” Musk then sent his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to gut the agency by indiscriminately firing workers, closing down offices, and trying to cut phone services.

    What does it mean to slash staff and services with no rhyme or reason? Two things: more mistakes in delivering checks to Americans, and fewer workers to fix those mistakes. And when people don’t get their checks, that’s a cut to the benefits they have earned.

    Mistakes are already showing up. After DOGE got its hands on Social Security, Ned, a retiree from Washington state, was marked “dead” in the Social Security system — despite being very much alive. He had $5,000 in benefits snatched right out of his bank account (paid while he was “dead”) and his monthly checks ceased. Ned spent weeks trying to fix the mistake and still hasn’t gotten paid back for two months of missing checks.
    Or take Tom and Chris from Westborough, Massachusetts, whose son has autism. For years, disability benefits through Social Security have helped pay for his care. And for years, those benefits have come through on time, without fail. But when they checked their son’s Social Security account recently, his benefits had been terminated. No explanation — just stopped. The money eventually came through, but it led to panic over how they would pay the bills.

    And while people aren’t getting their checks, there are fewer Social Security workers to help fix problems. Slashing staff and shutting down regional offices means Americans are forced to drive hours to get help with their applications or missing benefits. Once they get to an office, the lines can be out the door. They wait hours before they can get help — if they get help at all.

    Elon Musk and DOGE claim the reason they’re hacking away at people’s Social Security is to cut down on “extreme levels of fraud,” saying tens of millions of dead people over the age of 100 are getting payments. But even current Social Security Acting Administrator Leland Dudek — put in place by Donald Trump in February — contradicts that claim.
    Here’s the thing: if Elon Musk and DOGE truly want to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, there are easy ways to do it. I gave them 30 suggestions that would cut $2 trillion in government waste. Gutting the Social Security Administration so that it works worse for our seniors, veterans, and Americans with disabilities is not one of those ways.
    But don’t just take it from me. President George W. Bush’s Social Security Administration Commissioner said that if Elon Musk and DOGE wanted to make changes to increase efficiency at the agency, they could, “but we’re doing it the way that 22-year-old frat boys that have never seen the system think is a good idea, and that’s a mistake.”
    Musk himself said he’ll make mistakes, and it’s clear that coming for Social Security is a giant one. If he’s really honest enough to admit his own mistakes, why doesn’t he reverse course? Instead of recognizing that DOGE’s Social Security takeover is only hurting Americans, he’s doubling down, even encouraging President Trump to make the same false claims. President George W. Bush’s Social Security Commissioner called it “a real disservice to President Trump.” More importantly, it’s a deep disservice to the American people.
    We shouldn’t be cutting Social Security services and threatening Americans’ benefits — we should be making the program stronger. People are struggling with sky-high prices while their retirement savings are evaporating. We need a temporary increase in benefits right now to give people some relief. We should also protect the long-term security of the system by lifting the cap on the amount millionaires and billionaires pay into Social Security, which would also yield enough money to permanently expand benefits.
    Social Security shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It was first created by a nearly unanimous vote by members of Congress from both parties. Even now, as gutting the agency has become a key part of the administration’s agenda, Republicans know that DOGE’s “efficiency” mission isn’t working. They’re seeing reports of long lines at offices, long waits on the phone, and website crashes from their own constituents in places like Arizona, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. So where are they? Why are Democrats the only ones concerned about what happens with Social Security?
    Social Security isn’t something we give away out of the goodness of our hearts. It’s something Americans earned over a lifetime of hard work — an ironclad contract that they can count on. Now, Donald Trump, Musk, and DOGE are trying to skip out on that contract and calling it “efficient.” But it isn’t efficiency — it’s a broken promise to the American people, and Democrats and Republicans alike should stand up and fight back.
    Read the op-ed on Fox News here. 

    By:  Senator Elizabeth Warren
    Source: Fox News

    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Money Service Business Faces Federal Charges for Laundering Drug Proceeds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Ore.—The owner and operator of La Popular, a money service business with locations in Oregon and Washington, was arraigned in federal court today after she was charged with laundering drug proceeds.

    Brenda Lili Barrera Orantes, 39, a Guatemalan national residing in Beaverton, Oregon, has been charged by criminal complaint with money laundering.

    According to court documents, between 2021 and 2024, Barrera Orantes is alleged to have accepted cash from drug proceeds and wired the funds through La Popular stores in Oregon and Washington. In return, Barrera Orantes charged a ten percent commission. Barrera Orantes is further alleged to have worked with others to divide large sums of money into several smaller transactions and used fictitious sender information to conceal her money laundering activities. Financial records indicate that Barrera Orantes transferred more than $89 million through her La Popular stores, including $18.5 million to regions in Mexico and Honduras that are associated with drug trafficking organizations.

    “This investigation has revealed the pivotal role that money service businesses play in laundering the enormous proceeds of trafficking illegal drugs in our community,” said Katie de Villiers, Chief of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division for the District of Oregon. “The amount of dirty money allegedly flowing through these small businesses and back to Mexico and Honduras is truly staggering. We intend to hold accountable the operators of these businesses who profit by assisting drug trafficking organizations in laundering their proceeds.”

    “Because crime is such a coordinated effort, it is critical that we respond in kind,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI specializes in fighting illicit financial activity, and we are proud to partner closely with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.”

    “Money laundering allows drug traffickers to thrive in the shadows, and by severing their cash flow we are striking at the very thing that incentivizes their illicit pursuits,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “By stopping those that try to conceal criminal profits, communities are protected from the violence, addiction, and instability caused by the drug trade.”

    “The defendant in this case is suspected of providing financial support to overseas drug organizations under the guise of business transactions,” said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson. “These are serious allegations that cause significant harm to our communities. We will never tolerate individuals who profit from activities that support a drug epidemic that harms our citizens.”

    On April 16, 2025, investigators executed federal search warrants at Barrera Orantes’ residence and three La Popular stores located in Beaverton, Hillsboro, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. Barrera Orantes was arrested in Beaverton without incident.

    Barrera Orantes made her first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

    If convicted, Barrera Orantes faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, five years’ supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the money laundered.

    This case is being investigated by the IRS-CI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), FBI, and the Westside Interagency Narcotics team. It is being prosecuted by Christopher L. Cardani and Julia Jarrett, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

    The Westside Interagency Narcotics team is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and is composed of members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton Police Department, Hillsboro Police Department, FBI, HSI, and the Oregon National Guard. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.

    A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    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 (TCOs), 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    Since 2018, IRS-CI has maintained a Third Party Money Laundering (3PML) Project. This project focuses on Complicit Money Service Businesses (MSB) working for Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations. The purpose of this project is to develop high-impact 3PML cases for IRS-CI and other agencies across the United States, by utilizing data analytics.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Celebrates Wenatchee Confluence Parkway Groundbreaking, Made Possible by Her Freight-Focused Grant Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    04.17.25
    Cantwell Celebrates Wenatchee Confluence Parkway Groundbreaking, Made Possible by Her Freight-Focused Grant Program
    Project is part of the Apple Capital Loop, which received $92M from Cantwell-led program & will help Central WA’s tree fruit growers get their products to market faster; Cantwell: “I can tell you one thing: Wenatchee is on the move”
    WENATCHEE – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined local leaders in a groundbreaking celebration for the Confluence Parkway Phase I project, the next step of the Wenatchee Valley’s 15-year effort to expand its transportation network.
    “When you’re making infrastructure investment, you should try to prioritize projects that move freight – and that is because they grow jobs, they grow the economy, they help us get products to market,” Sen. Cantwell said. “I just want to give my congratulations today to everybody that’s been working hard on this. I know that the Confluence project obviously is going to solve some of those transportation challenges by reducing that congestion – 4,000 trucks travel through the area each day, as well as 24 trains […] all of this is going to make Wenatchee a little bit better, from this transportation infrastructure investment.”
    “What a great day for the Confluence Project. What a great day for Wenatchee,” she continued. “I can tell you one thing: Wenatchee is on the move.”
    Phase I of the Confluence Parkway Project will include:
    Elimination of two highway rail grade crossings by constructing an underpass at McKittrick Street and an overpass North Miller Street
    1.25 miles of new street for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists
    Extension of McKittrick Street from North Wenatchee Ave to the waterfront
    New signalized intersection at Maple Street
    New roundabout intersection
    Direct access to parks and trails
    The Confluence Parkway project is part of the Wenatchee’s transformative Apple Capital Loop, a network of projects that make up the transportation backbone for Chelan and Douglas Counties and includes several key components that provide connectivity for freight, vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Planning for the Apple Capital Loop began 15 years ago when the City of Wenatchee and regional partners started working on a transportation solution to meet the demands of the local Wenatchee Valley, which is the economic, government, medical, and services center of the region. Overall, Apple Capital Loop project will increase the traffic capacity of the Loop by about 60,000 vehicles per day, saving freight and motorists 32 million hours over the next 20 years – that’s 4,000 fewer hours spent in traffic, every day, for the next two decades. The project will also significantly improve wildfire safety for the region by adding two new evacuation routes out of Wenatchee.
    In 2021, the project received a $92 million federal grant from the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program, $80 million of which is being used by this Phase I of the Confluence Parkway project. The reminder will be used to support future phases. The INFRA grant program was imagined, developed, and pushed through Congress by Sen. Cantwell as part of the FAST Act of 2015 and received a 78% funding increase in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, bringing the program’s total funding $8 billion. The INFRA Program provides financial support to nationally and regionally significant freight and highway projects. In 2022, Sen. Cantwell joined then-Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in Wenatchee to celebrate the $92 million INFRA grant award.
    The Wenatchee Valley is a key transportation hub for Washington state’s $2.6 billion tree fruit industry. According to the City, $1 billion worth of tree fruit travels through Wenatchee’s transportation network annually in order to reach terminals around the Puget Sound for distribution. This activity has resulted in increased congestion and delayed freight access to nearby cold storage facilities and fruit packing warehouses on North Wenatchee Avenue.
    Video of the press conference is available HERE; audio is HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s speech is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –