NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI Security: District of Arizona Charges 310 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from May 10, 2025, through May 16, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 310 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 125 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 170 aliens for illegally entering the United States.  In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States charged 15 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    Recent matters of interest include:

    United States v. Angelica Ramos-Lopez: On May 10, 2025, Angelica Ramos-Lopez, a United States citizen, was charged with Conspiracy to Transport an Illegal Alien, Birth Certificate Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft. On May 9, 2025, Ramos-Lopez approached the State Route 85 immigration checkpoint near Gila Bend in a vehicle with a child lying down in the backseat, covered by a blanket from head to toe. Ramos-Lopez presented a birth certificate and United States passport for the child with a birth year of 2017 that listed Ramos -Lopez as the mother. However, the child who was in the vehicle provided a different name than the one found on the birth certificate and stated that the driver was his stepmother. In a post-Miranda interview, Ramos-Lopez admitted that she did not know who the child was, but that she knew the child was undocumented. Ramos-Lopez told officers that she was getting paid to transport the child from Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona. Ramos-Lopez stated that the birth certificate was real, but it belonged to her biological son, not the child passenger. [Case Number: MJ-25-6234]

    United States v. Yolanda Mendivil-Diaz: On May 13, 2025, Yolanda Mendivil-Diaz was charged with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Mendivil-Diaz was previously removed from the United States in 2014 after being convicted for Conspiracy to Sell or Transfer Narcotic Drugs, a felony offense, in the Superior Court of Arizona. [Case Number: MJ-25-3192]

    United States v. Jose Herrera Daniel: On May 14, 2025, Jose Herrera Daniel was charged by criminal complaint for attempting to illegally export ammunition from the United States into Mexico. The complaint alleges that United States Customs and Border Protection officers searched Daniel’s car at the Douglas Port of Entry and found 6,399 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition hidden in the vehicle. [Case Number: MJ-25-9008]

    A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    These cases are 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).                                                                                    

    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-078_May 16 Immigration Enforcement

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    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to 88 Months in Prison for Role in Drug Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUCSON, Ariz. – German Montano-Peralta, 33, of Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on May 12, 2025, by United States District Judge Angela Martinez to 88 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Montano-Peralta previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine.

    On April 30, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona, Montano-Peralta and others possessed approximately 40 kilograms of powder and pills containing fentanyl and more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine, which they intended to deliver to others later that day.

    This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal law enforcement agencies and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Arizona Strike Force located in Tucson. 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.

    Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:            CR-24-2710-AMM-4
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-079_Montano-Peralta

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    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Portland Woman Arrested for Interstate Threats and Harassment

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland woman was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint charging her with making threatening interstate communications and anonymous telecommunications harassment.

    According to court records, Alice Jones, 40, made threatening telephone calls to a Supervisory United States Border Patrol Agent and others.

    “The FBI takes all threats against law enforcement extremely seriously and we will work with our partners to bring those who set out to undermine their safety to justice,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “What Alice Jones is accused of is not only an attack on these  individuals, but the entire criminal justice system.”

    The FBI investigated the case.

    Criminal complaints are merely allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rensselaer County Sex Offender Sentenced to 292 Months for Receiving Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zachary Cota, age 32, formerly of Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, was sentenced today to 292 months in prison for receiving child pornography.  United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    Cota previously admitted that he used SnapChat to solicit three children to send him nude photos.  After an 8-year-old and a 13-year-old provided the requested photos, Cota threatened to reveal what they had done, in an effort to coerce the children to send additional child sexual abuse material.  At the time of these crimes, Cota was on probation following a state conviction for course of sexual conduct against a child.  When his Probation Officer asked to see Cota’s phone, Cota locked himself in a bathroom and began deleting its contents.  A forensic search of Cota’s phone revealed an additional 900 images of child pornography, including screenshots of a video chat between Cota and a naked child. 

    United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Cota’s depraved and disgusting conduct has justly resulted in a lengthy term of imprisonment that will make our community safer. We will continue to investigate and prosecute sex offenders and pedophiles who use the Internet and social media applications to prey on children.” 

    FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Today’s sentence underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children from dangerous predators like Mr. Cota. We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners at every level to identify and investigate these disturbing individuals and ensure justice is delivered to the victims.”

    United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a life term of supervised release and ordered Cota to forfeit the Samsung phone he used to commit the offense. Cota must also continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

    The FBI Albany Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood.

    Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McCaul Praises Trump Admin’s Border Security Efforts at Hearing with Secretary Noem

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus and current vice chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee — delivered remarks on the Trump administration’s swift success in securing the border and questioned Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the importance of passing House Republicans’ reconciliation bill.

    Click to watch

    Transcript of Vice Chair McCaul’s Interaction with Secretary Noem:

    Vice Chair McCaul: Madam Secretary, it was great to serve with you in Congress. It was an honor, and it’s an honor to see you as secretary of this important department. Let me say on behalf of my state of Texas, thank you for what you’ve done in a very short period of time.

    I’ve worked on this issue — as a federal prosecutor [and] as chairman of this committee — for over 25 years. I never saw the border more broken, more chaotic, than I did under the prior administration. Yet within months, you have restored order to the border, and the stats speak for themselves. And I want to commend you and President Trump for that.

    You know, on day one, [the Biden administration] rescinded the Remain in Mexico policy, which led to the chaos. It said, we’re open for business, come on in. And they did. Over 10 million encounters, 2 million gotaways. Yet within months of your administration, that number [of encounters] has gone down 93%.

    Catch and release. I’ve been fighting that one for years [through solutions like Remain in Mexico]. The Biden administration did away with it. Now we’re decreased to 99.99%. Almost zero catch and release. A very dangerous policy. Remain in Mexico’s [underlying statute] has been on the books for 30 years. Yet I marked it up on the Foreign Affairs Committee last year as part of the Secure the Border Act.

    Most offensively, and the reason I was an impeachment manager against Mayorkas, was his dereliction of duty to basically prioritize allowing aggravated felons into the country, even though Congress, by federal law, said “shall detain” aggravated felons. Yet, what did he do? He told his agents, that’s discretionary. You can release these dangerous criminals into our society.

    What have you done within months? [In the first] 50 days, you have 14,000 criminal aliens arrested, some of the most brutal gang members like MS-13 and TDA, and it’s making this country safer.

    Fentanyl, each year more Americans die from fentanyl than the number of Americans who died in the Vietnam War over 20 years. You recently had the largest massive seizure of these deadly drugs just this last couple weeks [that were being trafficked] by the Sinaloa cartel. And again, my state thanks you for that.

    Terrorism. You said 250 known or suspected terrorists have been deported. We saw after Afghanistan, the debacle of the collapse of Afghanistan, when Bagram was shut down, the prisons were unleashed, ISIS-K went to the Khorasan region, crossed into the United States, and eight were found plotting in this country.

    You are making this country safer by your actions. The Biden administration made it dangerous, and it didn’t take a bunch of new laws. It [took] new leadership, which you have provided and the president has provided as well.

    My question to you is, as you know, you need resources. And nobody knows that better than I do. We marked up a bill — about $70 billion — that can be put into your department to [enforce] these laws already passed by the Congress. The Foreign Terrorist Organization designation [for cartels] was huge.

    Let me just ask you this. How will this bill, the reconciliation bill, assist you in your efforts to continue and promote safety in the United States?

    Secretary Noem: Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I appreciate all of your leadership on our national security issues in the past and still continue in the future to focus on that.

    The reconciliation bill is imperative to our future in securing our nation. For years previous, the Department of Homeland Security has been neglected. It’s one of the larger agencies in the federal government with one of the smallest budgets. And certainly under the previous administration, the Coast Guard was hollowed out. Border Patrol and ICE were not allowed to do their jobs. They were not allowed to invest in new technologies that they could utilize for interdiction. Also, our borders need surveillance and technology to make sure that we know who’s coming into this country and why. Our ports of entry need new scanners so that we’re truly scanning our shipping containers and much of our air freight. We don’t know what’s coming in by air either.

    Those kinds of adjustments and technology and software upgrades are needed to compete, but also to secure our country with the threats that we face. And we don’t just face threats from gangs and cartels. It’s from China and the PRC and Iran and hackers that come into our system. Salt and Volt Typhoon have taught us that we’re extremely vulnerable to these kinds of attempts in the future.

    In fact, one of the most alarming things I heard as soon as I was nominated for this position, I was in a briefing from CISA that told me that they knew with salt typhoon that we had been hacked, but they also said they didn’t know how it happened or how to stop it in the future. Now the main goal of CISA is to hunt and to harden our systems. Hunt bad actors and harden our systems for our small and medium sized critical infrastructure. Department of Homeland Security has 10 of the 16 components of critical infrastructure, and that’s what we need to focus our resources on.

    Vice Chair McCaul: Thank you.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 17, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 17, 2025.

    A life of service: celebrating the career of Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban
    SPECIAL REPORT: By Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor, RNZ Pacific manager At this year’s May graduation ceremony, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University’s Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, was awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition for her contribution to education. Although she has now stepped down from the role, Luamanuvao served as the university’s Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Pasifika, for 14 years.

    ‘Manu jumping’: The physics behind making humongous splashes in the pool
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pankaj Rohilla, Postdoctoral Fellow in Fluid Dynamics, Georgia Institute of Technology Maybe you’ve unknowingly tried to do a manu jump. Isabel Pavia/Moment via Getty Images Whether diving off docks, cannonballing into lakes or leaping off the high board, there’s nothing quite like the joy of jumping into

    Time for NZ media to ditch the propaganda and stand against genocide
    COMMENTARY: By Saige England in Christchurch “RNZ is failing in its duty to inform the public of an entirely preventable humanitarian catastrophe.” Tautoko to Jeremy Rose, Ramon Das and Eugene Doyle for this critique of a review of RNZ’s coverage of a genocide. Sadly, this highlights RNZ’s failure to report the genocide from the perspective

    Media Council makes ‘stop Telikom PNG silencing journalists’ plea to PM Marape
    The Media Council of Papua New Guinea (MCPNG) has called on Prime Minister James Marape to stop Telikom PNG silencing and suppressing media personnel. Telikom PNG, which is 100 percent government-owned, has two key outlets: FM100 radio and EMTV. Recently, it sacked FM100 talkback host Culligan Tanda after he featured opposition East Sepik Governor Allan

    Ben Roberts-Smith has lost an appeal in his long-running defamation case. Here’s why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia The full Federal Court has dismissed Ben Roberts-Smith’s appeal to have his defamation case loss overturned. It is important in seeking to understand this judgement to know the history of the case. In June

    With a new minister for early childhood education, what can the federal government do to make centres safer?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Minson, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, Australian Catholic University This week, more reports emerged of horrific abuse of children at childcare centres. An ABC investigation reported young children had suffered burns and been verbally abused. In another case, a baby was repeatedly slapped by an

    Australian researchers use a quantum computer to simulate how real molecules behave
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ivan Kassal, Professor of Chemical Physics, University of Sydney University of Sydney Nano Institute When a molecule absorbs light, it undergoes a whirlwind of quantum-mechanical transformations. Electrons jump between energy levels, atoms vibrate, and chemical bonds shift — all within millionths of a billionth of a second.

    To boost the nation’s health, the government’s proposed food strategy must put people over profits
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael Walshe, Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Canberra crbellette/sShutterstock On election night, a triumphant Anthony Albanese took to the stage brandishing a Medicare card as a symbol of the nation’s commitment to public healthcare. As the re-elected government gets to work on its promised national food security strategy

    You usually need more than a few drops of blood, saliva or urine to detect illnesses. Here’s why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amali Cooray, PhD Candidate in Genetic Engineering and Cancer, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) Lumen Photos/Shutterstock In the 2000s, biotech company Theranos promised to revolutionise blood testing. Founder Elizabeth Holmes claimed Theranos technology could perform hundreds of tests using just a finger-prick drop

    Some young trans people take sex hormones so their bodies better align with their gender. What are the benefits and risks?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cristyn Davies, Senior Research Fellow in the Specialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney romain-jorge/Shutterstock Triggered by hormonal changes in the brain and body, puberty marks a physical transformation. Oestrogen and testosterone – often called “sex hormones” – drive many

    Saudi Arabia has big AI ambitions. They could come at the cost of human rights
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niusha Shafiabady, Associate Professor in Computational Intelligence, Australian Catholic University This week, on his tour of the Middle East, United States President Donald Trump unveiled a suite of new deals with Saudi Arabia. Trump claimed the deals were worth more than US$1 trillion (A$1.5 trillion). This is

    Why Anthony Albanese’s presence at Pope Leo’s inauguration is shrewd politics
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese steps into St Peter’s Square for the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, the optics will be far more than pious courtesy. For a day, the Vatican will temporarily be the world’s

    The space race is being reshaped by geopolitics, offering opportunities for countries such as New Zealand
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Zámborský, Senior Lecturer, Management & International Business, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau NASA/Getty Imges The space economy is being reshaped — not just by innovation, but by geopolitics. What was once dominated by state space agencies, and more recently by private ventures, is evolving into

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI New Orleans Seeking Information on Escaped Inmates

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    At the request of the New Orleans Police Department, FBI New Orleans has surged resources to assist with apprehending inmates who escaped from the Orleans Parish Jail on May 16, 2025. The FBI routinely offers assistance to our law enforcement partners, to provide additional manpower and specialized resources. 

    In addition, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for tips leading to the arrest of any of the inmates. 

    Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-Call-FBI or send digital tips to fbi.gov/neworleansfugitives

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Griffith Actions to Honor, Support Law Enforcement During National Police Week

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

    The United States of America celebrates May 11, 2025, through May 17, 2025, as National Police Week. The U.S. House of Representatives voted on three measures during National Police Week to help law enforcement:

    • H.R. 2240 – Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act. Directs the U.S. Department of Justice to gather data on violent attacks against law enforcement officers.
    • H.R. 2243 – LEOSA Reform Act. Improves the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act and extends concealed carry privileges to qualified law enforcement officers.
    • H.R. 2255 – Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act. Allows current federal law enforcement officers in good standing to purchase a retired weapon at market value from a federal agency.

    U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) voted in favor of all three measures. 

    On Thursday, May 15, Congressman Griffith attended the 44th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The ceremony honored the country’s fallen law enforcement officers. During the ceremony, Vice President J.D. Vance delivered remarks. Second Lady Usha Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Border Czar Tom Homan also attended the Service.

    The Service featured a roll call of the 147 fallen police officers who perished in the last year, including Smyth County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Hunter Reedy. In August of 2024, Deputy Reedy was killed by gunfire and his partner, Deputy Michael Fedorchuk, was injured. Deputy Reedy’s family participated in the Service while Smyth County Sheriff “Chip” Shuler and some of Deputy Reedy’s colleagues were in attendance.

    Following the week of DC activities, Congressman Griffith issued the following statement:

    “Many Virginia communities are equipped with safe streets and peaceful neighborhoods thanks to the firm support and care of our law enforcement officers. I will continue to ‘back the blue’, fight against efforts to defund the police and honor the courageous service of our law enforcement. My heart and prayers go out to the family of Deputy Reedy, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office and the greater law enforcement community of Southwest, Southside and Central Virginia. The emotional service at the Capitol demonstrates America’s rich culture in celebrating the contributions and sacrifices of law enforcement.”

    BACKGROUND

    Congressman Griffith submitted into the Congressional Record an Extension of Remarks honoring the courageous service of Deputy Hunter Reedy.

    Congressman Griffith also requested a flag be flown over the U.S. Capitol.

    Congressman Griffith presented Deputy Reedy’s family with a printed copy of the Congressional Record and the flag during a ceremony at the Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy.

    A copy of the remarks in the Congressional Record can be found here.

    A video of Deputy Reedy’s name being called at the Memorial Service can be found here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE, joint partner investigation results in illegal alien, alleged human smuggler from Mexico indictment for first material support of terrorism charges against CJNG Member

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — An indictment unsealed May 16 in the Western District of Texas is the first in the nation to charge a Mexican national with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization based on her involvement with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, including providing the cartel with grenades and engaging in alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking on its behalf, following a groundbreaking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and joint law enforcement partner investigation.

    “We will never allow criminal gangs and cartels to terrorize American communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. “The days of unchecked gang and cartel violence are over.”

    “Cartels like CJNG are terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere.” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting Americans through effective prosecution.”

    According to court documents, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 39, of Mexico, conspired with others to provide and did attempt to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-defendant Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Co-defendant Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, of Mexico, is charged with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

    On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of eight international cartels, including CJNG, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and specially designated global terrorists. This designation makes available much stronger criminal charges in the fight to secure our nation’s borders. CJNG is a transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. In addition to trafficking fentanyl, CJNG engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, taxing of migrant smugglers, and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. According to the State Department, CJNG has conducted attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.

    On Jan. 20, President Trump directed ICE, the Justice Department and other agencies to pursue total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations because they pose extremely serious threats to the United States, including by jeopardizing a stable and secure border. These and other criminal organizations commit brutal and intolerable violent crimes related to narcotics and firearms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, and other criminal acts. They also are responsible for huge flows of illegal immigration into the United States. They organize and facilitate all manners of illicit travel and immigration into the United States through the southern and northern borders and rely on co-conspirators and organization members operating in various countries throughout North and South America. This situation is untenable and threatens our national security. ICE, DOJ and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the United States against invasion, working urgently toward the goal of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, aggressively enforcing our immigration laws, and maximizing the impact and effectiveness of all available law enforcement tools.

    “Supplying grenades to a designated terrorist organization — while trafficking firearms, narcotics, and human beings — is not just criminal; it’s a direct assault on the security of the United States,” said ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons. “Sanchez acted as a key enabler of violence who empowered cartels and terrorist organizations. Her crimes extended beyond smuggling; she was involved in firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Her actions endangered countless lives and undermined our efforts to protect the nation’s borders and communities. Confronting this level of criminality demands more than resolve — it requires a unified, all-of-government response, and that’s exactly what we demonstrated today: a coordinated effort to identify, disrupt, and bring to justice those who profit from violence and human suffering.”

    “As alleged, the defendant engaged in multiple of the most insidious kinds of criminal activity: firearms trafficking, narcotics trafficking, human and bulk cash smuggling, and even providing grenades to CJNG,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the Criminal Division’s hard work and commitment to eliminate cartels and foreign terrorist organizations like CJNG.”

    “The slew of federal charges we have brought against Navarro-Sanchez sends a monumental message through the ranks of cartels like CJNG—now designated as a terrorist organization—along with those who support them in various capacities, that U.S. law enforcement is turning up the pressure to crack down on unlawful immigration practices and to dismantle the smuggling of illicit drugs and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “These crimes, all included as allegations in the indictment, do nothing but place human lives on both sides of the border in grave danger, while loading the pockets of criminals who profit off of them.”

    “The arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez should send a clear message to people who wish to align themselves with terrorist groups that they will be sought out and held to the highest extent of the law,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “I’m extremely proud of the dedicated men and women of the FBI and its law enforcement partners who work tirelessly every day to protect Americans and keep our communities safe.”

    “The brutality and destruction inflicted by cartels and terrorist organizations is devastating communities across the United States and around the world,” said Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acting Director Dan Driscoll. “The capture and arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez demonstrates what international law enforcement cooperation can achieve when united against the threat posed by these violent networks. ATF and our partners will use every tool at our disposal to relentlessly hunt down, dismantle, and bring to justice every trafficker, every cartel operative, and every individual who dares to threaten the safety and sovereignty of our communities.”

    “This case lays bare the true nature of the threat we face,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “A cartel associate providing support to a designated foreign terrorist organization is not just a criminal threat — it is a national security threat. DEA will use every tool of law enforcement to dismantle CJNG and its network that floods our streets with poison, traffics in human lives, and wages violence against law and order. We are not just keeping our communities safe from dangerous, illegal drugs — we are fighting a national security crisis.”

    Since its establishment, Joint Task Force Alpha’s work has resulted in increased coordination and collaboration between both domestic and foreign law enforcement; precedent setting indictments, extraditions and prosecutions; more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of these crimes; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs. ICE Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, the FBI, ATF, and DEA assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol, investigated the case. ATF Legal Attachés in Mexico City and the Mexico Attorney General’s Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República Firearms Trafficking Unit provided substantial assistance. The CBP’s National Targeting Center, and ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. also provided assistance with the investigation.

    Human smuggling is a multibillion-dollar industry for transnational criminal organizations that do not value human safety and take advantage of vulnerable people. HSI investigates human smuggling networks that pose a national security and public safety risk, jeopardize lives, or engage in violence, abuse, or extortion.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and JTFA Associate Director Ian Hanna of the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attachés in Mexico provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who arrested Navarro-Sanchez on May 4, during an enforcement operation.

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

    This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi­ jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, CBP, DEA, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, and the El Paso Police Department.

    Individuals across the world can report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 866-DHS-2-ICE. Highly trained specialists take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on more than 400 laws enforced by ICE.

    The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lakewood Homicide Suspect Captured by U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Colorado Springs

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Denver, CO – The U.S. Marshals Service Colorado Violent Offender Task Force located and arrested a Lakewood homicide suspect Wednesday night in Colorado Springs. 

    Philix Baca, 20, is wanted by the Lakewood Police Department (LPD) on a felony arrest warrant for first-degree murder in connection to the April 13, 2024 shooting death of a 14-year-old male in Lakewood. A warrant for Baca’s arrest was issued on April 15, 2024. In the days following the homicide, multiple co-defendants were apprehended, but Baca fled and had been on the run since.

    On Wednesday, Task Force Officers (TFOs) from LPD’s Special Enforcement Team (SET) who are assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service’s Colorado Violent Offender Task Force (COVOTF) in Denver developed information indicating Baca may be in the Colorado Springs area. The LPD TFOs joined Deputy U.S. Marshals in Colorado Springs as well as other COVOTF TFOs from the Fountain Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to set up a surveillance operation. While conducting surveillance, a person matching Baca’s description was observed exiting a vehicle and going inside a residence in the 5000 block of Whimsical Drive in Colorado Springs. COVOTF investigators then obtained a search warrant for the residence.

    Due to the violent nature of the case and the potential of the suspect being armed, COVOTF investigators requested assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Tactical Enforcement Unit (TEU) in contacting the residence. CSPD TEU executed the search warrant at the residence and Baca was safely taken into custody. 

    Baca was transported to the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center where he was booked on the outstanding homicide warrant.

    The success of this arrest represents a culmination of extensive cooperative investigative efforts between the Lakewood Police Department, U.S. Marshals Colorado Violent Offender Task Force, Colorado Springs Police Department, Fountain Police Department, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

    The Colorado Violent Offender Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional fugitive task force that targets the most violent offenders to include those wanted for murder, assault, sex offenses, and other serious offenses throughout the state and country.  Nationally, the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, eight regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.         

    Tips can be submitted to the U.S. Marshals Service directly and anonymously by downloading the USMS Tips app to your Apple or Android device. You can also follow the latest news and updates about the U.S. Marshals Service on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter); @USMarshalsHQ or @USMSDenver.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 05/16/2025, 18-17 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the RU000A100DG5 (EuroplanB6) security were changed.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    05/16/2025 18:17

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and the deposit market of PJSC Moscow Exchange by NCO NCC (JSC) on 16.05.2025, 18-17 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 115.14) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 791.21 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 11.25%) of the security RU000A100DG5 (EuroplanB6) were changed

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV. MEEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 05/16/2025, 17-14 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A0JVNB2 (TbankB25) were changed.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    05/16/2025 17:14

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and the deposit market of PJSC Moscow Exchange by NCO NCC (JSC) on 16.05.2025, 17-14 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 126.37) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 1458.54 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 50.0%) of the security RU000A0JVNB2 (TbankB25) were changed

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV. MOEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 05/16/2025, 16-24 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A104X32 (SIADOM1P19) were changed.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    05/16/2025 16:24

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and the deposit market of PJSC Moscow Exchange by NCO NCC (JSC), on 16.05.2025, 16-24 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 107.72) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 787.84 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 18.75%) of the security RU000A104X32 (sИАДОМ1P19) were changed

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV. MOEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 05/16/2025, 14-43 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A1009L8 (RZhD 1P-15R) were changed.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    05/16/2025 14:43

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and the deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC) on 16.05.2025, 14-43 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 105.91) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 1115.35 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 12.5%) of the security RU000A1009L8 (RZhD 1P-15R) were changed

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV. MOEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 05/16/2025, 13-35 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A1098W8 (DOM 1P-18R) were changed.

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    05/16/2025 13:35

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and the deposit market of PJSC Moscow Exchange by NCO NCC (JSC), on 16.05.2025, 13-35 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 104.14) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 1230.44 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 10.0%) of the security RU000A1098W8 (DOM 1P-18R) were changed

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV. MOEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jefferson County, Texas, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Robbing Convenience Store and Leading Police on a High-Speed Chase

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for violent crime violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Patrick Lee Bridgewater, 22, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 16, 2025.

    According to court documents, on April 14, 2023, local law enforcement officers responded to a report of an armed robbery in progress at the Speedy Stop on College Street in Beaumont.  Witnesses reported two men entered the store and demanded money from the clerk at gunpoint. A description of the men and the vehicle they fled in was broadcast to law enforcement.  The vehicle was quickly located traveling eastbound on College Street. A traffic stop was initiated, but the vehicle evaded police resulting in a high-speed chase eventually ending in Nederland.  Bridgewater was a passenger in the vehicle, which had been reported stolen and was being driven by a minor.  Evidence from the robbery was found in the vehicle.

    This case was sentenced as 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This case was investigated by FBI’s Beaumont field office and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National and Alleged Alien Smuggler Indicted in El Paso on First Material Support of Terrorism Charges for Supporting CJNG

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    EL PASO, Texas – An indictment unsealed today in the Western District of Texas is the first in the nation to charge a Mexican national with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization based on her involvement with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), including providing the cartel with grenades and engaging in alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking on its behalf.

    “Cartels like CJNG are terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting Americans through effective prosecution.”

    According to court documents, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 39, of Mexico, conspired with others to provide and did attempt to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-defendant Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Co-defendant Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, of Mexico, is charged with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.     

    On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of eight international cartels, including CJNG, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists. This designation makes available much stronger criminal charges in the fight to secure our nation’s borders. CJNG is a transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. In addition to trafficking fentanyl, CJNG engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, taxing of migrant smugglers, and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. According to the State Department, CJNG has conducted attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.

    On Jan. 20, President Trump directed the Justice Department and other agencies to pursue total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations because they pose extremely serious threats to the United States, including by jeopardizing a stable and secure border. These and other criminal organizations commit brutal and intolerable violent crimes related to narcotics and firearms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, and other criminal acts. They also are responsible for huge flows of illegal immigration into the United States. They organize and facilitate all manners of illicit travel and immigration into the United States through the southern and northern borders and rely on co-conspirators and organization members operating in various countries throughout North and South America. This situation is untenable and threatens our national security. The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the United States against invasion, working urgently toward the goal of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, aggressively enforcing our immigration laws, and maximizing the impact and effectiveness of all available law enforcement tools.

    “The slew of federal charges we have brought against Navarro-Sanchez sends a monumental message through the ranks of cartels like CJNG—now designated as a terrorist organization—along with those who support them in various capacities, that United States law enforcement is turning up the pressure to crack down on unlawful immigration practices and to dismantle the smuggling of illicit drugs and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “These crimes, all included as allegations in the indictment, do nothing but place human lives on both sides of the border in grave danger, while loading the pockets of criminals who profit off of them.”

    “Today’s historic indictment of Navarro-Sanchez, a high-ranking member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) for providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization sets a precedent and sends an unmistakable message,” said Special Agent in Charge John Morales for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “The FBI is fully committed to using every resource at our disposal to dismantle this, and any other transnational criminal organization, and bring to justice all who enable, support, or profit from their deadly operations within the United States. The FBI El Paso Field Office is doubling down on our partnerships, both locally and with our Mexican counterparts to relentlessly pursue these cartels, violent gangs, and the organized networks that support them by continuing to aggressively disrupt their supply chains, cut off their funding, and take down their leadership, piece by piece, operation by operation.”

    “The carnage left behind in the wake of the cartel is devastating to so many in the US and abroad,” stated Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “The capture and arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, aka Fernanda, aka Chayo, is a groundbreaking demonstration of what international law enforcement authorities can do to fight the scourge of firearm trafficking and the menace that is the narcotics cartels. This may be one of the first of these charges, but it won’t be the last. Thanks to the multi-agency, ATF-led El Paso Operation Southbound Firearms Trafficking Task Force, for their nonstop commitment to take out one of the key players in the trafficking of firearms across our borders.”

    “DEA is known for investigating and successfully convicting numerous narco-terrorism targets,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Arellano for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso Division. “But this case is a prime example of how DEA is expanding and incorporating more terrorism-related investigative authorities. The men and women of the DEA welcome every tool and every measure available to us to defeat CJNG.”

    “This indictment highlights the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners to pursue notorious narco-terrorists like CJNG and their accomplices, such as Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens, for HSI El Paso. “These criminals are pivotal players in an extensive web of organized crime that “This indictment highlights the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners to pursue notorious narco-terrorists like CJNG and their accomplices, such as Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens, for HSI El Paso. “These criminals are pivotal players in an extensive web of organized crime that crosses borders, devastating communities through the distribution of deadly drugs and inciting chaos and violence.”

    Since its establishment, Joint Task Force Alpha’s (JTFA) work has resulted in increased coordination and collaboration between both domestic and foreign law enforcement; precedent setting indictments, extraditions and prosecutions; more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of these crimes; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.

    The FBI, ATF, DEA, Customs and Border Protection and HSI in El Paso investigated the case, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol. ATF Legal Attachés in Mexico City and the Mexico Attorney General’s Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) Firearms Trafficking Unit provided substantial assistance. The DEA, CBP’s National Targeting Center, and ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. also provided assistance with the investigation.

    The case announced today is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and JTFA Associate Director Ian Hanna of the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attachés in Mexico provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who arrested Navarro-Sanchez on May 4, during an enforcement operation.

    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 Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi¬ jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from CBP, HSI, DEA, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), and the El Paso Police Department (EPPD).

    The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 153 Border-Related Cases This Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 153 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).

    In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.

    A sample of border-related arrests this week:

    • On May 11, Mario Santiago-Velasquez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in The United States. According to a complaint, Santiago-Velasquez was previously convicted of five immigration crimes and Malicious Destruction of Property.
    • On May 12, Juan Jose Perez-Garcia, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of five immigration-related offenses including felony reentry-after-deportation in 2023, was sentenced in federal court to seven months in custody for again entering the U.S. illegally.
    • On May 13, Juan Nazario Lizarraga Peralta, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Lizarraga was attempting to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry when he was intercepted by Customs and Border Patrol agents with seven pounds of fentanyl and 11 pounds of cocaine strapped to his body.
    • On May 13, Oscar Echevarria-Luque, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with illegal importation of cocaine. According to a complaint, Luque applied for entry through the Calexico, California East Port of Entry in a Kenworth truck towing a car hauler. Upon inspection of the trailer, Customs and Border Protection officers found 92.18kg (203.22 pounds) of cocaine concealed in the frame of the trailer.
    • On May 14, Ernesto Alejandro Rodriguez Gallegos, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Rodriguez attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with 135 pounds of cocaine hidden in his vehicle.

    Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:

    • On May 16, Serafin Abelino-Medel, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, and threatening crime with intent to terrorize, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for again entering the United States illegally.
    • On May 16, Isaac Lopez-Rodriguez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of Attempt to Commit Aggravated Assault in 2015, was sentenced in federal court to two years in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.

    Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.

    The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CEO of Financial Firm Sentenced to Prison for Running a Multimillion Dollar Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Carlos Manuel da Silva Santos, the founder and chief executive officer of San Diego-based Ethos Asset Management, Inc., which offered financing to domestic and international businesses, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for tricking borrowers into paying him more than $17 million in up-front loan fees for nothing in return – conduct that U.S. District Judge Robert S. Huie described as “reprehensible.”

    Santos pleaded guilty in January 2025 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in connection with his advance-fee loan scam through his company, Ethos.

    Santos, a Portuguese national, has been in custody since his arrest on November 13, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey, after arriving in the United States from abroad.

    According to his plea agreement, Santos admitted he and co-conspirators held Ethos out to the public as a “full-service project financing” company that offered loans to prospective borrowers in exchange for an upfront fee as collateral for Ethos to use. However, on many occasions when a borrower gave Ethos the upfront fee as collateral, Ethos’ funding never materialized.

    To induce prospective borrowers to send Ethos an upfront fee as collateral and enter into loan agreements, Santos and his co-conspirators lied about Ethos’ history of funding projects, the source of Ethos’ money, the amount of capital available to disburse loans, and how Ethos used the collateral upfront fees. For instance, Santos admitted that he used money from the upfront collateral fees to release collateral deposited by other borrowers and to disburse loans to other borrowers.

    Santos also admitted that he and others altered otherwise legitimate financial account statements to inflate the amount of money Ethos appeared to have at its disposal to finance projects for the purpose of luring prospective borrowers to provide collateral and financial institutions to lend money. For example, in August 2021, Santos successfully induced a borrower to wire money as a collateral upfront fee by sending a bank statement that falsely represented Ethos having $100,304,447.46 when, in fact, it did not.

    In February and May 2023, Santos again induced borrowers to provide collateral upfront fees by emailing a copy of Ethos’ annual financial statements reflecting falsely that Ethos had over $2.2 billion in total assets and that an accounting firm had audited the statements. Indeed, Santos admitted that he knowingly forged the signature of an employee at a bookkeeping firm on Ethos’s 2022 annual financial statement to falsely indicate that the firm had audited the statement. In each noted example, Ethos fraudulently obtained upfront fees and failed to disburse loan payments as promised.

    Santos further admitted Ethos’ project financing scheme was international in nature, with a presence in the United States, Brazil, Turkey, and elsewhere. Santos admitted his scheme resulted in $17,125,000 in losses to certain U.S.-based victims. The plea agreement also explains that the parties will request a restitution hearing allowing the United States to offer evidence that Santos owes significantly more money to various other victims.

    According to the plea agreement, Santos also forged the signature of an employee at an accounting firm to make it appear that the firm had audited Ethos’ annual financial reports.

    “Fraud like this is a calculated abuse of trust,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “It strips people of their money under false promises. The impact is real, measurable, and lasting—and it calls for real consequences.”

    “Businesses, large or small are the backbone of our economy yet one wrong or ill advised financial move can result in significant losses or even complete ruin,” said Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “HSI and our partner agencies are committed to preventing greedy scammers from victimizing and profiting from legitimate businesses. Our country relies on these businesses and law enforcement will continue to protect them from criminals.”

    A restitution hearing will be held at a later date.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Christopher Beeler and Carl F. Brooker, IV.

    If you believe you are a victim of Carlos Santos and his company Ethos Asset Management, Inc., contact Homeland Security Investigations at ethos-victim@hsi.dhs.gov.

    DEFENDANT

    Carlos Manuel da Silva Santos                  Age: 30                                  Portugal

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Wire Fraud Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349

    Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison and $250,000 fine

    Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 1028A

    Maximum penalty: Mandatory two years in prison consecutive to the term for the underlying felony

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Homeland Security Investigations

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mission Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm As a Felon

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on May 12, 2025.

    Dayvon Sanchez, age 26, was sentenced to one year and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Sanchez was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 10, 2025.

    The conviction stems from an incident on February 24, 2024, in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation when law enforcement observed Sanchez driving recklessly in Mission and initiated a traffic stop. Rather than stop, Sanchez eluded law enforcement until he wrecked his vehicle. Sanchez was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. A pistol and ammunition were located in Sanchez’s vehicle.

    In 2018, Sanchez was convicted in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. As a result of this felony conviction, it is illegal for him to possess firearms or ammunition. Sanchez will forfeit ownership of the firearm and ammunition to the United States.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    This case was investigated by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

    Sanchez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pipeline Indian Country Fentanyl Distributer Found Guilty After Trial

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury convicted Dimitric Wilson, a Twin Cities resident originally from Detroit, with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and distributing fentanyl while on pretrial release, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents and evidence at trial, law enforcement set out to discover a supplier of fentanyl in Wisconsin and Minnesota, including in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. After an extensive investigation, Dimitric Timopkin Wilson, 46, was identified and stopped by the Minnesota State Patrol as he traveled back to the Twin Cities from Detroit. When apprehended by law enforcement, Wilson and the other passenger gave inconsistent stories regarding their activities in Detroit. The State Patrol used a drug dog to sniff the car for narcotics. The drug dog alerted to the odor of drugs, resulting in a search of the vehicle. State troopers noticed an electrical panel that was altered. The officers opened the panel and located four separate vacuum-sealed packages hidden with a natural void accessible from the panel area.  The packages contained multiple sub-packages and were ultimately found to contain approximately a kilogram of fentanyl, a package containing heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, and another package containing crack cocaine. After being charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and given terms of release pending trial, Wilson was documented selling fentanyl to a government informant.

    On May 15, 2025, a jury convicted Wilson of all three counts on which he was indicted. Wilson was previously sentenced to a state misdemeanor conviction for maintaining a drug house, a state felony conviction for carrying a concealed weapon, and a federal felony conviction for conspiring to distribute heroin.  Due to his prior federal conviction for conspiring to distribute heroin, Wilson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for the possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute conviction and a mandatory consecutive sentence of up to 10 years for his conviction for distributing fentanyl while on pretrial release.

    “I laud the hard work of the agents and officers who exposed Wilson as a major fentanyl trafficker, running routes from Detroit to Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “Wilson showed that he would not be stopped—despite a prior federal conviction, he peddled his poison to the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation.  Outrageously, after being released from custody, Wilson yet again trafficked in fentanyl, this time selling drugs to a government informant.  Wilson rightly faces serious federal time.  Wilson—and others who would bring deadly fentanyl to Minnesota and to our vulnerable Indian reservations—should be prepared to spend decades in federal prison.”

    “Fentanyl continues to ravage communities across the country, fueling addiction, tragedy, and loss,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “One of the FBI’s top priorities is to protect the American people, and that means holding accountable the individuals and networks responsible for pushing fentanyl into our communities. The FBI and our partners are committed to removing these drug traffickers from our neighborhoods and stopping the flow of fentanyl at its source.”

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department, the East Central Drug Task Force, the Sawyer County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Lac Courte Oreilles (Wisconsin) Tribal Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Campbell Warner and Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Texas Syndicate gang members receive multi-decade sentences for drug trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Corpus Christi residents have been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Jesse Martinez, 51, and Gabriel Galindo, 46, both long-time Texas Syndicate gang members, pleaded guilty Jan. 2. 

    U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has ordered Martinez to serve 360 months, while Galindo was ordered to serve a 288-month-term of imprisonment. Both must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.  

    The court held Martinez responsible for over two kilograms of heroin and almost eight kilograms of methamphetamine. Galindo was held responsible for almost 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and over a kilogram of heroin. However, the court heard that throughout the investigation, authorities calculated that the Texas Syndicate drug trafficking organization was likely distributing approximately two kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of methamphetamine per month from September 2020 to May 2024.  

    The court also considered their criminal histories including convictions for theft, burglary, weapons and drug charges for Martinez. Galindo’s criminal history began at the age of 14 and includes burglary of a habitation, multiple cocaine convictions – with a federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute – and possessing a stabbing weapon while incarcerated. 

    Furthermore, the court heard Galindo was found with a shank, methamphetamine and suboxone strips while incarcerated for this offense and that he was dealing suboxone to other inmates. 

    The investigation began in 2020 when law enforcement was looking into the drug trafficking activities of the Texas Syndicate. They discovered Martinez was receiving kilogram amounts of methamphetamine and heroin. Galindo was one of his top distributors in the Corpus Christi area. 

    On May 21, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Martinez’s residence and found he was in possession of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and synthetic marijuana as well as three unsecured firearms. Several children were also living in the home. 

    Galindo was also found in possession of almost a kilogram of methamphetamine, a kilogram of heroin and four firearms at the time of his arrest.  

    Both men have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service and police departments in Corpus Christi and Robstown. 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.  

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara J. De Pena and Brittany Jensen prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Houston sex trafficker gets 14 years for luring minor through social media

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A 25-year-old man has been sentenced for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Michael Ramone Hooks pleaded guilty Sept. 27, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge Sim Lake considered victim letters and sentenced Hooks to 168 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $6087 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Hooks will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

    At the time of his plea, Hooks admitted to recruiting the 16-year-old victim to engage in prostitution via Instagram, text messages and video calls.

    He communicated via cell phone with the minor and lured her away from a known sex trafficker, Antonio Dario Osario-Avelar aka Pressure. Prior to Hooks’ attempt to lure the minor victim away to work for him, Osario-Avelar had caused to her to engage in commercial sex.

    Hooks knew the victim was a minor. Law enforcement discovered text messages revealing that they discussed her age. The victim agreed to pay Hooks a “choosing fee,” which is a fee the victim pays a trafficker for them to be their “pimp.”

    In August 2023, authorities arrested Hooks and recovered the minor victim before she could join up with him.

    Osario-Avelar was previously sentenced to 375 months in federal prison for his conduct in a separate case before U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks.

    “This case is a reminder that sex trafficking is happening in our city, even if it is not always immediately visible,” said Ganjei. “This case was, of course, a great hit against this specific defendant, but our larger goal is nothing short of putting the Houston sex trafficking trade completely out of business.”

    He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance and Houston Police Department (HPD).

    Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Celia Moyer and former AUSA Sherri Zack prosecuted the case.

    HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.

    Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: SDTX continues efforts to secure the border with 209 more charged with immigration-related crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A total of 209 cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from May 9-15, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    As part of the cases, 78 face allegations of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 124 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while seven cases allege various instances of human smuggling.

    Three of those charged this week had unlawfully attempted to reenter the country after being removed less than one month ago, according to allegations. Authorities had allegedly removed Honduran national Erick Nahun Orellana-Ramos and Mexican national Alejandro De La Vega-Loyola April 21, while Mexican national Luis Cibrian-Gonzalez was removed May 5. However, the alleged convicted felons were once again allegedly discovered in the United States unlawfully, according to their charges.

    Criminal complaints further allege Eleno Martin Velazquez-Hernandez and Edwin Vazquez-Perez both have prior convictions for sexual assault and were previously removed from the United States in 2021 and 2019, respectively. However, law enforcement allegedly found the men in the Rio Grande Valley and are now charged with illegal reentry after removal. 

    Similarly, Heriberto Garcia-Robles was allegedly discovered near Mission. The criminal complaint charging him alleges the Mexican male had been previously removed Jan. 10, 2023, following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.  

    In addition to the new cases, two Tango Blast gang members were sentenced for conspiring to transport illegal aliens. Eusebio Regalado was ordered to serve 66 months while Eric Grajeda had previously received 36 months. Both had led law enforcement on multiple vehicle pursuits during human smuggling attempts. 

    “With these sentencings, two less gang members are out on the streets, and a human smuggling operation has been dismantled,” said Ganjei. “Securing the border is the Southern District’s top priority, and we’re delivering.”

    In Brownsville, Felix Raymundo Mora-Gonzalez received a 70-month sentence for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He was originally arrested Feb. 21, 2023, for harboring illegal aliens. However, the investigation uncovered a cell phone at the stash house that belonged him. A forensic examination of the cell phone revealed Mora-Gonzalez knowingly possessed 29 videos and nine images of CSAM. He had also previously pleaded guilty to the smuggling charges and received 15 months.

    Also announced was another criminal alien who had unlawfully reentered the United States. Hector Castillo-Molina has a lengthy criminal history to include five felonies such as burglary, drug possession, felon in possession of a firearm and illegal reentry into the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court called Castillo-Molina’s extensive record “concerning,” noting that if he kept coming back, he would just be spending all his time jail.

    In Corpus Christi, Eusebio Cavazos received the maximum of 60 months for smuggling 36 illegal aliens in a tractor trailer. All were from the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador. Five had previously been removed from the United States and now face additional charges for illegal reentry. Cavazos admitted he was paid to drive the group from near Donna to Houston and expected to earn $1,000 per person.

    Following a one-day bench trial in McAllen, an illegal alien was convicted of unlawfully reentering the United States for the eighth time. Enrique Melendez-Saldivar attempted to resist and evade arrest as authorities struggled to apprehend him in the South Texas brush. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

    In Houston, another illegal alien pleaded guilty in a large-scale wire fraud conspiracy involving more than 550,000 fraudulent Texas paper license plates. Former fugitive Emmanuel Padilla Reyes admitted he used stolen identities to obtain used car dealer licenses and created two fictitious dealerships to access the state’s secure tag portal. Authorities said he and his co-conspirators advertised the tags on social media and issued them without selling any vehicles. The fake tags allowed buyers to avoid registration, safety inspections and insurance, and enabled criminals to conceal their identities while committing crimes ranging from fraud to robberies and drive-by shootings. He faces up to five years in federal prison and is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence. 

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

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

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

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  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Napier homicide: Police launch 0800 number for information

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Attribute to Detective Inspector Martin James, District Manager Criminal Investigations:

    Police investigating the death of 15-year-old Kaea Karauria from Napier says rumours the whānau and victim have gang affiliations are damaging and unhelpful to the investigation and the family have no gang connections at all.

    Kaea was found critically injured at an Alexander Avenue address early on Sunday morning. Despite all efforts by ambulance staff, he died at the scene. No arrests have been made at this stage.

    We are making good progress with plenty of information coming in, but we are still seeking further information about those involved on the night.

    We have set up a phoneline for those wanting to share information about the incident and people can leave a message on 0800 852 525.

    This is one of a range of ways the public can make contact with us.

    Footage of the incident can be uploaded here.

    Information can also be reported online, or by calling 105 and referencing the file number 250511/1317.

    Information can also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

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  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Francis Woman Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on May 12, 2025.

    Viola Boneshirt, age 21, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Boneshirt was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. She pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025.

    The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on September 11, 2023, within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that day, a juvenile was socializing with Boneshirt and other individuals at a residence in Parmelee, South Dakota. At some point, Boneshirt got angry and started fighting with the juvenile. Boneshirt then produced a sharp object and cut the juvenile’s leg, causing a large laceration that required multiple stiches. Afterward, Boneshirt fled the scene.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

    Boneshirt was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: 295 New Immigration Cases in Western District of Texas This Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 295 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 9 through May 15.

    Among the new cases, Mexican nationals Juan Jose Medrano-Escobedo and Rosendo Dominguez-Morales were arrested after allegedly entering the U.S. illegally through the Texas National Defense Area (Tx-NDA) less than half a mile west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso. Medrano-Escobedo has been previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico twice, most recently July 30, 2024. He has been convicted of three felonies, including evading arrest in 2017 and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in November 2023. Dominguez-Morales was last removed on Aug. 20, 2024, following an Aug. 18, 2024 felony conviction for assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Medrano-Escobedo and Dominguez-Morales are each charged with two counts related to violating defense property security regulation and one count of illegal re-entry.

    Also in El Paso, two U.S. citizens are charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens after being arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Fabens. Jared Isai Ramirez and Jesus Alberto Soriano, driving separate vehicles, allegedly attempted to flee from USBP. A criminal complaint alleges Ramirez lost control of his vehicle and collided into a rock wall. He and four passengers allegedly exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended. The four passengers were determined to be illegal aliens and were transported with Ramirez to the Clint Border Patrol Station for further investigation. Soriano eventually stopped the vehicle he was driving and was also transported to the Clint Border Patrol Station. The criminal complaint alleges that Ramirez admitted that he would be paid $300 for each of the four illegal aliens he was transporting. Soriano allegedly stated that he had agreed to scout the area for law enforcement during the smuggling scheme. 

    A Mexican national was encountered at the Bastrop County Jail and charged with illegal re-entry in Austin. Elisandro Enriquez-Sanchez has been removed from the U.S. to Mexico four times in addition to a voluntary return. He had been arrested in Bastrop and charged with driving while intoxicated with an open alcohol container. Enriquez-Sanchez’s lengthy criminal record includes two convictions for illegal re-entry as well as taking a weapon from an officer, assault causing bodily injury to a family member, and three DWIs in a two-year span.

    In Presidio County, Honduran national Angel Daniel Vasquez was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry. Vasquez has four prior removals, the last one being to Honduras May 27, 2024. He’s also a twice-convicted felon with a criminal record that includes assault causing bodily injury in Nashville, Tennessee in 2023 and a 2015 illegal re-entry conviction in Phoenix, Arizona. He was also convicted of a misdemeanor in Nashville for driving under the influence in April 2024.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

    These cases are 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI Security: 10-Time Convicted Felon Arrested on Federal Indictment Alleging He Caused Four Fatal Fentanyl ODs at Palmdale House Last Year

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A 10-time convicted felon from the Antelope Valley has been arrested on a 10-count federal grand jury indictment alleging he distributed fentanyl that resulted in the overdose deaths of four victims at a Palmdale house last year, the Justice Department announced today.

    Damian Michael Evans, 46, of Palmdale, was arrested Thursday and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.

    He is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

    According to the indictment returned on Wednesday, on January 15, 2024, Evans knowingly and intentionally distributed fentanyl, the use of which resulted in the deaths of four victims in Palmdale. Evans allegedly also possessed other illegal narcotics in late 2023 and early 2024, including after the four fatal fentanyl overdoses in Palmdale.

    Evans also illegally possessed a revolver and ammunition in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. He is not legally permitted to possess them because his criminal history includes convictions dating from 1997 to 2016 in Los Angeles Superior Court for 10 felonies – nine of them drug-related convictions and most of them for drug dealing. 

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

    If convicted of all charges, Evans would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. This case is part of the DEA’s Overdose Justice Program and LASD’s Overdose Response Task Force.

    Assistant United States Attorney Brittney M. Harris of the Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Youth Pastor Sentenced for Coercion of a Minor and Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – A former youth pastor was sentenced today for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

    U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Chaz Chinsethagid, 34, of Jenks, to serve 168 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Chinsethagid will also be required to register as a sex offender.

    According to court documents, from December 2023 through March 2024, Chinsethagid knowingly entered an online chat room. He engaged in several conversations and initiated a conversation with someone he believed to be 14 years old. Chinsethagid spoke with the 14-year-old about school and quickly turned the conversation sexual. He then attempted to entice the 14-year-old to participate in a video call or provide sexually explicit photos.

    Chinsethagid further admitted to possessing explicit videos and images of children, some under 12 years old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

    Chinsethagid will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    The Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Member of ‘21st and Vietnam’ Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Admitted that He Was Accountable for 1.2 to 3.9 Kilos of Fentanyl, as well as Cocaine, Boot, and PCP

    WASHINGTON – Damien Jenkins, 35, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 151 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization known as the “21st and Vietnam” crew.

    The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

    Jenkins pleaded guilty on Feb. 11, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, as well as cocaine, N-n-dimethylpentalone, also known as “boot,” and phencyclidine, aka PCP. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Jenkins to serve five years of supervised release.

    According to court documents, Jenkins is a member of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, an organization that distributed narcotics – primarily fentanyl and cocaine – in an open-air market and apartment building in the area of the 1900 block of I Street, NE.

    Among other things, the crew took over a vacant apartment for use as a base of operations and used it to process, prepare, and package the drugs for redistribution. Sales occurred at the front of the building, in the apartment, and in a parking lot at the rear of the apartment.

    Law enforcement identified Jenkins as being involved in the manufacture, packaging, and sale of drugs. Jenkins has admitted that he was accountable for 1.2 to 3.9 kilos of fentanyl, as well as cocaine, boot, and PCP.

    Additionally, on March 7, 2024, several crew members engaged in a verbal altercation with an individual. Co-defendant Charles Manson went into the vacant apartment and Jenkins handed Manson a ski mask. Manson, who was in possession of a firearm, put on the mask. Manson

    then went outside of 1919 I Street, NE, and opened fire in the direction of the indivIdual.

    On May 15, 2024, about 6 a.m., law enforcement executed a search warrant at Jenkins’s residence. Law enforcement recovered an AK pattern firearm, a Ruger .380 caliber handgun, a Sterling Arms .22 caliber handgun, weapon magazines, dozens of rounds of ammunition, and $3,342 in cash.

    This case was investigated by the MPD, the DEA Washington Division, and FBI Washington Field Offce. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel.

    24cr226

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