NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fatal crash – Lyell Highway, Sorell Creek

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Fatal crash – Lyell Highway, Sorell Creek

    Friday, 4 April 2025 – 2:40 am.

    Sadly, a man aged in his seventies has died as a result of a two vehicle crash on the Lyell Highway at Sorell Creek.
    Police and emergency services were called to the scene around 9:15pm after reports of a head on crash.
    The driver, and sole occupant of one of the vehicles sadly died at the scene. At this stage, it appears the man suffered a medical episode. The occupants of the second vehicle were uninjured.
    Investigations into the crash are ongoing and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
    Our thoughts are with the man’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.
    Anyone who witnessed, or has dash camera footage of a silver Great Wall Utility around the time of the crash, is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously and quote TCRN: 25002254.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Strengthening New York’s Gun Safety Laws

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today signed three new laws to strengthen New York’s gun violence prevention efforts and keep New Yorkers safe. The Governor also unveiled new data showing a 53 percent decline in gun violence year-to-date, when compared to pandemic-era highs. As part of this year’s Budget, Governor Hochul is proposing a significant $370 million investment to fight gun violence and keep driving down crime.

    “We’re taking action to drive down gun violence in the State of New York — protecting our communities and making our streets safer,” Governor Hochul said. “Public safety is my number one priority, and by giving law enforcement additional tools to stop gun violence in its tracks, we’re building on our promise to put the safety of New Yorkers first.”

    In 2025, shootings have declined 53 percent year-to-date when compared to pandemic-era highs three years ago: from 497 shootings statewide from January to March of 2022 to 236 shootings statewide from January to March of this year. Earlier this year, Governor Hochul announced that gun violence declined to the lowest levels on record in the 28 communities participating in the State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative — including Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers — and the NYPD announced declines in shootings in New York City as well.

    Legislation S.744/A.436 will ensure there are penalties for using “pistol converters,” which are rapid-fire modification devices that can be easily attached to semi-automatic pistols to make them even deadlier by allowing rapid fire with one pull of the trigger.

    State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “Rapid-fire modification devices are capable of transforming firearms into fully automatic machine guns and are not permitted in New York State. These rapid-fire modification devices include a wide range of gun modification devices including bump stocks, trigger cranks, and burst trigger systems. The legislation Governor Hochul is signing today makes it explicitly clear that pistol converters, also known as auto-sears, which can be used to make traditional pistols fire as many as 15 rounds in under two seconds, are a subset of rapid-fire modification devices and should be treated as such under New York State Law. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and my colleagues throughout the Legislature who once again are standing up to the gun lobby to make New York a safer place.”

    Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon said, “New Yorkers are sick of weapons manufacturers ignoring their role in the gun violence epidemic. For decades, Glock has known that its pistols can be easily and cheaply converted into illegal fully-automatic machine guns. It’s time to put people over profit. My first-in-the-nation bill has been signed into law, holding Glock and Glock-like gun manufacturers accountable for failing to prevent this easy conversion to illegal machine guns. Thank you to Governor Hochul for signing my bill, my partner Senator Hoylman-Sigal, and the advocates for working to prevent gun violence.”

    Legislation S.745/A.439 will strengthen the law that the Governor signed last year that requires credit and debit card issuers to use the merchant category code (MCC) for firearms and ammunition retailers by ensuring that it captures retailers whose bulk sales come from firearms, ammunition and firearms accessories.

    State Senator Zellnor Myrie said, “Since 2019, New York has been a national leader in taking on gun violence- and the laws Governor Hochul is signing today continues that progress. While the federal government turns a blind eye to the gun crime plaguing our communities, New York can show the way forward by passing new laws to stop the sale of weapons that can be converted into machine guns, centralize our gun violence prevention efforts, and standardize our response to mass shooting incidents wherever they occur.”

    Assemblymember Michaelle Solages said, “With today’s signing, Governor Hochul is taking a bold step to protect New Yorkers from gun violence. By requiring the use of merchant category codes for firearm and ammunition purchases, we are equipping financial institutions with a critical tool to help detect suspicious activity before it becomes a tragedy. This is a smart, data-driven approach to public safety, and I’m proud to lead the way with Senator Myrie and dedicated advocates.”

    Legislation S.743/A.437 strengthens the law the Governor signed last year that requires firearms dealers and gunsmiths to post and distribute at the time of sale information about the availability of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and warnings about the dangers of gun ownership, including increased risk of suicide, death during domestic disputes and unintentional death of children, household members and others. By providing consumers with this Surgeon General style warning, the law aims to promote the health and safety of the general public by educating and informing gun owners and potential buyers of the risks the weapons pose.

    State Senator Michael Gianaris said, “Education and information are key to responsible gun ownership, which will prevent injury and improve public safety. I am proud to have shepherded this proposal through the Senate and to now see it enacted into law.”

    Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz said, “It is without question that there are enormous risks associated with gun ownership. By requiring firearm dealers and licensing officers to provide clear and accessible warnings about the heightened risks of suicide, domestic violence, and unintentional deaths, we are aiding people in becoming fully informed about the dangers of gun ownership while at the same time taking measures to help safeguard our communities. The inclusion of a prominently displayed 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will make it easier for those in distress to access avenues of assistance when they are at their most vulnerable. I want to thank Governor Hochul for signing this entire package of bills into law and my colleague, Senator Mike Gianaris, for partnering with me on this legislation which demonstrates New York’s commitment to promoting responsible firearm ownership while protecting public health and safety.”

    Assemblymember Harvey Epstein said, “It is critical that we address the gun violence epidemic in our state and nation. So many lives have been lost as a result of our failure to pass common-sense gun regulations. Today I am happy to join Governor Hochul as we pass this package of legislation that will make our state safer.”

    Assemblymember Tony Simone said, “We are in the midst of a mental health crisis and a gun violence epidemic, and we must do everything in our power as lawmakers to combat it. We can begin by passing common-sense anti gun-violence measures, which a vast majority of gun owners support and want, which is what these three bills signed today are. I am proud to stand with Governor Hochul and my colleagues in the legislature in our resoluteness to solve these epidemics playing out in our communities.”

    The $370 million investment to reduce and prevent gun violence and strengthen communities disproportionately impacted by crime includes, but is not limited to, the following programs and initiatives administered by DCJS:

    • $50 million through the Law Enforcement Technology grant program, which provides funding so police departments and sheriffs’ offices can purchase new equipment and technology to modernize their operations and more effectively solve and prevent crime.
    • $36 million for GIVE, which funds the 28 police departments and district attorneys’ offices, probation departments and sheriffs’ offices in 21 counties outside of New York City.
    • $21 million for the SNUG Street Outreach Program, which operates in 14 communities across the state: Albany, the Bronx, Buffalo, Hempstead, Mount Vernon, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Utica, Wyandanch and Yonkers. The program uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by the violence.
    • $18 million in continued support for the State’s unique, nationally recognized Crime Analysis Center Network, and $13 million in new funding to establish the New York State Crime Analysis and Joint Special Operations Command Headquarters, a strategic information, technical assistance and training hub for 11 Centers in the State’s network and enhance existing partnerships and expand information sharing with the New York State Intelligence Center operated by the State Police, the locally run Nassau County Lead Development Center and the State’s Joint Security Operations Center, which focuses on protecting the State from cyber threats.
    • $20 million for Project RISE (Respond, Invest, Sustain, Empower) in 10 communities to support mentoring, mental health services, restorative practices, trust building, employment and education support and youth development activities, among other programs and services that address trauma resulting from long-term exposure to violence, build resilience and strengthen youth, families and neighborhoods.

    The New York State Police, the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and the State Office of Victim Services also will receive funding through that $370 million allocation.

    Other public safety initiatives outlined in Governor Hochul’s FY26 Executive Budget include $35 million for the next round of the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grants to increase safety and security of organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs or mission; or investments that expand support for victims and survivors of crime, including doubling funding for rape crisis centers to $12.8 million.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Puerto Rico police officer sentenced for child exploitation following ICE San Juan investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico sentenced Luis Javier Pérez-Badillo, a 50-year-old man from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, March 25 to 11 years in prison and five years of supervised release following an investigation by ICE San Juan’s Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force.

    Pérez-Badillo, a former officer with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography on Oct. 9, 2024.

    From on or about Oct. 11, 2023, through Feb. 21, 2024, Pérez-Badillo used a cellular phone with internet capabilities to knowingly transport images of child pornography.

    “The defendant, who was entrusted by the community to serve and protect, violated that trust by committing these crimes. As this case demonstrates, those who exploit children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals who exploit minors for sexual purposes.”

    “The actions of this individual are a disgrace to the amazing men and women of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. As law enforcement officers, we are entrusted with the responsibility to protect and serve, not to harm. While no sentence can ever truly undo the harm caused to the victim, it is our duty to ensure that justice is served. This 11-year sentence clearly conveys that no one, regardless of their position, is above the law. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of our children, “ said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos.

    For more information about ICE HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Project iGuardian | ICE and Know2Protect | Homeland Security, or to report suspicious activity in Puerto Rico call 787-729-6969 or the ICE tip line at 1-866-347-2423.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Cortez Masto Move to Crack Down on Criminal Digital Transactions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today introduced the bipartisan Combatting Money Laundering in Cyber Crime Act to enhance the Secret Service’s investigative authority over criminal digital asset transactions.
    “As money laundering schemes continue to evolve, so must our capacity to combat them,” Grassley said. “By enhancing Secret Service’s authority to investigate criminal digital assets, our bill significantly improves law enforcement’s ability to effectively anticipate, identify and prevent cybercrime.”
    “Dangerous criminals are constantly changing their tactics and using new technology to avoid detection,” Cortez Masto said. “Our law enforcement agencies need to adapt to keep communities safe. I will continue to fight to pass this bipartisan legislation that would help the Secret Service more effectively combat cybercrime.”
    Find bill text HERE.
    Background: 
    The Treasury Department and Justice Department have long warned that digital assets like cryptocurrencies are being used for money laundering, drug trafficking, ransomware attacks, theft and fraud schemes, terrorist financing and other crimes. While the Secret Service investigates a variety of cybercrimes, crimes perpetrated through unlicensed money transmitting businesses are currently outside of the agency’s jurisdiction.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Bureau of Labor Statistics Economist Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Admits Lying to Receive Sick Leave Pay While Concurrently Working for Another Employer During the Pandemic

               WASHINGTON — Matthew Hong, 28, of Middlesex, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false statements in connection with sick leave compensation that he received from his federal government employer when he was not sick but instead working remotely for a private company during the COVID-19 pandemic.

              The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Supervisory Official Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office, Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

              Hong pleaded guilty to one count of false statements and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 17. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

              According to court documents, Hong was an economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) within the U.S. Department of Labor from April 2020 until July 2023. At BLS, Hong worked on the Current Employment Statistics program within the National Estimates Branch that produced, among other things, the monthly estimates of nonfarm employment numbers. In that role Hong had access to certain Principal Federal Economic Indicators (PFEI), such as the employment and unemployment numbers, several days prior to their public disclosure. This information was subject to strict security procedures and safeguards due to the PFEI’s sensitivity and ability to affect financial markets if prematurely disclosed. 

              Beginning in June 2022, and while still employed at BLS and working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong began full-time employment at a global financial institution headquartered in New York City, as a senior associate in a group that analyzed and developed macroeconomic scenarios used in the company’s forecasting. As part of his job at the financial institution, Hong developed economic narratives and forecasts that involved multiple macroeconomic variables.             

              On at least 55 different occasions between June 2022 and July 2023, Hong made entries in BLS’s time and attendance system that falsely represented that he was sick on a given workday and sought sick leave compensation from BLS when, in fact, he was not sick but instead was working for the private financial institution. Based on these false statements, Hong received over $13,300 in sick leave compensation from BLS.

              The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and DOL-OIG. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami Sibay for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Matthew F. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Rakoczy and Maria Vento provided substantial assistance with the investigation and prosecution.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders Speech on Senate Vote to Block $8.8 Billion Sale of Heavy Bombs to Israel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, April 3 – After filing Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) to block the sale of two of the most egregious Trump Administration offensive arms sales to Israel, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today rose to bring the JRDs up for a vote by the full Senate.

    The sales would provide almost $8.8 billion more in heavy bombs and other munitions to Netanyahu, including more than 35,000 massive 2,000-pound bombs.

    • The first resolution, S.J.Res 33, would block a sale of $2.04 billion for 35,329 MK 84 2,000 lb. bombs and 4,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads.
    • The second resolution, S.J.Res.26, would block $6.75 billion for 2,800 500-pound bombs, 2,166 Small Diameter Bombs, and tens of thousands of JDAM guidance kits.

    All of these systems have been linked to dozens of illegal airstrikes, including on designated humanitarian sites, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties. None of these systems are necessary to protect Israel from incoming drone or rocket attacks.

    The JRD is the only formal mechanism available to Congress to prevent an arms sale noticed by the administration from advancing.

    Sanders’ remarks introducing the vote today, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched live HERE:

    M. President, let me begin by telling the American people something they already know, and that is, as a result of the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, we now have a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires to buy elections and to influence major pieces of legislation. That, I think, is not a secret to the American people.

    If you’re a Republican and you vote against the Trump administration in one way or another, you have to look over your shoulder and worry that you’re going to get a call from Elon Musk, the wealthiest man in the world. And he will tell you that if you vote against what he wants, he will spend unlimited amounts of money to defeat you in the next election. That’s not a great secret. That’s what Musk has been saying publicly. 

    If you’re a Democrat, you have to worry about the billionaires who fund AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. If you vote against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his horrific war in Gaza, AIPAC will punish you with millions of dollars in advertisements to see that you’re defeated. AIPAC’s PAC and Super PAC spent nearly $127 million combined during the 2023-2024 election cycle, according to the Federal Election Commission.

    And I must confess that AIPAC has been successful. Last year, they defeated two members of the U.S. House who opposed providing military aide to Netanyahu’s extremist government.

    Given all of that, I would hope that Democrats and Republicans who understand that they were elected to protect the interests of their constituents, not billionaire campaign contributors, would support the ending of Citizens United and the movement toward public funding of elections so billionaires could not continue to control the political and legislative process.

    Further, I would hope that both parties would move to end super PAC funding in their primaries. I would hope that would be the case so that we can once again become a government of the people, by the people, for the people – and not a government run by the billionaire class. 

    M. President, I trust that every American – and certainly every member of the Senate – understands that Hamas, a terrorist organization, began this terrible war with its barbaric October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 innocent people and took 250 hostages. The International Criminal Court was correct in indicting the leaders of Hamas as war criminals for those atrocities. Clearly, Israel had the right to defend itself against Hamas.

    But most Americans also understand that, while Israel had a right to wage war against Hamas, it did not and does have the right to wage war against the entire Palestinian population. Tragically, that is exactly what we have seen over the last year and a half.

    Let us be clear: Prime Minister Netanyahu’s racist and extremist government has waged an all-out barbaric war against the Palestinian people and made life unlivable in Gaza. Within Gaza’s population of just 2.2 million people, more than 50,000 people have been killed and more than 113,000 have been injured – 60 percent of whom are women, children, and elderly people. That is 7.4 percent of the population of Gaza killed or wounded. If those same percentages were applied to the United States, it would mean that over 25 million Americans would have been killed or wounded.

    In total, since the war began, 15,000 children in Gaza have been killed, and today there are more than 17,000 orphans. But it’s not just the dead and the wounded. Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment has damaged or destroyed two-thirds of all structures in Gaza, including 92 percent of the housing units.

    Almost no part of Gaza has been left unscathed. Most of the population now is living in tents or other makeshift structures.

    M. President, most of the territory’s hospitals and primary healthcare facilities have been bombed, leaving virtually all Gazans without basic medical care. Think about what that means. I have met repeatedly with American doctors and others who have served in Gaza. And they are treating hundreds of patients a day without electricity, without anesthesia, without clean water, including dozens of children arriving with gunshot wounds to the head. I have seen the photographs and the videos.

    Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been totally devastated, including almost 90 percent of water and sanitation facilities. Most of the roads in Gaza have been destroyed and made impassable.

    Gaza’s educational system has been obliterated. Children are not going to school. According to the World Bank, more than 2,000 educational facilities, ranging from kindergartens to universities, have been destroyed. Hundreds of schools have been bombed, as has every single one of Gaza’s 12 universities.

    And M. President, there has been no electricity in Gaza for 17 months.

    Put simply, Netanyahu and his extremist government have killed or wounded over 7 percent of Gaza’s population and have turned Gaza into a wasteland unfit for human life.

    That is what has been going on over the last year and a half.

    M. President, in terms of where we are today: the Netanyahu government broke the ceasefire two weeks ago, endangering the well-being of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

    Further, in the last two weeks, they have intensified their assault against the Palestinian people. According to UNICEF, since Netanyahu broke the ceasefire, more than 1,000 people have been killed, including over 300 children, and more than 600 children have been wounded. UNICEF says that most of these children were killed while sheltering in makeshift tents or damaged homes. Just in the last 24 hours, 97 more people have been killed in Gaza.

    Since Netanyahu broke the ceasefire, even more aid workers have been killed, putting the total over 400 since the war began. Earlier this week, the United Nations announced that they had recovered the bodies of 15 emergency aid workers, who were killed by Israeli forces while wearing their emergency responder uniforms and then dumped in a mass grave in southern Gaza. They were buried alongside their destroyed emergency vehicles – clearly marked ambulances, a fire truck, and a UN car.

    M. President, with the resumption of bombing, hundreds of thousands of Gazans are once again being forcibly displaced by bombing and evacuation orders. This week, Israeli authorities issued displacement orders for most of Rafah, where about 150,000 people were estimated to be sheltering.

    Think about what all of this means in human terms.

    Throughout this war, millions of desperately poor people in Gaza have been repeatedly driven from their homes. They have been forced to pick their way through a demolished landscape, again and again, with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Families have been herded into so-called “safe zones,” only to face continued bombardment.

    The children of Gaza have suffered a level of physical and emotional torture that is almost beyond comprehension and that will clearly stay with each and every one of them for the rest of their lives.

    These children are hungry. They are thirsty. It is hard to get clean water. They have been denied healthcare, and have witnessed the death of their parents, their family members, their homes, and virtually everything around them. And they have been picked up and moved from one place to another, all the while drones are above them shooting or photographing what they are doing.

    M. President, throughout this war, Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid have left hundreds of thousands of people, including tens of thousands of children, facing malnutrition and starvation. Children have literally starved to death while aid sat just miles away, blocked by Israeli forces. The UN, the United States, and every aid organization working in Gaza has been clear throughout this war: Israel’s unreasonable and unnecessary restrictions on humanitarian aid have contributed to massive death and profound suffering.

    But as bad as the last year and a half has been, at least Israel let some aid through – not enough, but some.

    But what is happening now is truly unthinkable.

    Today, it is 31 days and counting with absolutely NO humanitarian aid getting into Gaza. Nothing. No food, no water, no medicine, no fuel for over a month. That is as clear a violation of the Geneva Convention, the Foreign Assistance Act, and basic human decency. It is a war crime.

    You don’t starve children. And it is pushing things toward an even deeper catastrophe.

    Earlier this week, 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme were forced to close because they ran out of flour and cooking gas. The UN is still trying to distribute its remaining stocks of food already in Gaza, but says that “the situation remains extremely critical since the cargo closure of the crossings almost a month ago.”

    M. President, all of this is unconscionable. What we are talking about is a mass atrocity.

    And what makes it even worse, why I am here today, and why I have introduced these resolutions that we will soon be voting on, is that we, as Americans, are deeply complicit in what is happening in Gaza.

    This is not some terrible event. This is not an earthquake in Myanmar. It’s not something that we had nothing to do with.  We are deeply complicit in all of this death and suffering.

    Last year alone, the United States provided $18 billion in military aid to Israel and delivered more than 50,000 tons of military equipment. It is American bombs and American military equipment being used to destroy Gaza, kill 50,000 people, and injure over 110,000 people.

    We cannot hide from that reality.

    M. President, if we condone the barbarism that is taking place in Gaza today, we will have no standing in the world to condemn the horrors and war crimes that other countries may commit. You’re not going to be able to look at China or Russia or Saudi Arabia or any other country. We will have no credibility.

    M. President, today is the day to stand up to barbarism in Gaza and to do our best to prevent future barbaric acts all over the world. 

    It is no secret to anyone how these U.S. weapons have been used.

    Israel has bombed indiscriminately, killing civilians, journalists, paramedics, children, and humanitarian workers in record numbers. They have used massive 2,000-pound bombs in densely-populated Gaza, despite the fact studies show that 90 percent of victims of explosive weapons used in a populated area are civilians. These bombs have a blast radius of more than 350 meters, yet Israel has dropped them into crowded apartment buildings, killing hundreds of civilians to take out a handful of Hamas fighters.

    All of that is illegal and immoral and against American law.

    The Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act, what we’re talking about today, are very clear: the United States cannot provide weaponry to countries that violate internationally recognized human rights or block U.S. humanitarian aid.

    According to the UN, much of the international community, and every humanitarian organization on the ground in Gaza, Israel is clearly in violation of these laws. Under these circumstances, it is illegal for the United States government to provide Israel with more offensive weaponry. It is simply against our laws.

    Despite all of that, in the last month the Trump administration has announced its intention to transfer some $12.5 billion more in offensive weapons to Netanyahu’s government, in clear violation of U.S. law.

    M. President, that is why we are here today. Joint Resolutions of Disapproval are Congress’ tool to enforce American law.

    Today, we will vote on two resolutions to block two of the most egregious of these Trump administration offensive arms sales, which would provide almost $8.8 billion more in heavy bombs and other munitions to Netanyahu, including more than 35,000 massive 2,000-pound bombs that have killed so many civilians.

    The first resolution, S.J.Res 33, would block a sale of over $2 billion for 35,000 MK 84 2,000 lb. bombs and 4,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads.

    The second resolution, S.J.Res.26, would block almost $7 billion for 2,800 500-pound bombs, 2,100 Small Diameter Bombs, and tens of thousands of JDAM guidance kits.

    All of these systems have been linked to dozens of illegal airstrikes, including on designated humanitarian sites, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties. These strikes have been painstakingly documented by human rights monitors. There is no debate. And none of these systems are defensive, none of them are necessary to protect Israel from incoming drone or rocket attacks.

    M. President, for those of my colleagues who are ambivalent about these resolutions, let me say a word about how the Trump administration is ignoring the law in advancing these arms sales, in terms of the process. Unlike Biden, whose policies on Gaza I strongly opposed, President Trump is trying to circumvent Congress with these transfers, ignoring the Foreign Assistance Act by issuing a bogus “emergency declaration” to bypass Congressional review.

    There is no emergency to justify cutting Congress out of the process. In fact, some of the systems the Trump administration claims are part of this “emergency” sale have not yet been produced.

    This is also part of a broader Trump administration effort to cut Congress out of the arms sale process.

    M. President, it is no great secret that Congress is way out of touch with where the American people are on issue after issue. Everybody knows, Congress is way out of touch.

    The billions of dollars that we are providing to the Netanyahu extremist government is just one more example of how out of touch we are with the American people. 

    According to a recent Economist/YouGov poll in March, just 15 percent of the American people support increasing military aid to Israel, while 35 percent support decreasing military aid to Israel or stopping it entirely.

    To my Democratic colleagues, I would mention that just eight percent of Democrats support increasing military aid to Israel. 47 percent support decreasing military aid to Israel or stopping it entirely. Among Republicans, nine percent are for decreasing military aid and 15 percent are for stopping all. 

    M. President, I would ask that this poll be entered into the Congressional record. 

    And according to a J Street poll of Jewish voters in November, 62 percent of American Jews support withholding “shipments of offensive weapons like 2,000-pound bombs until Prime Minister Netanyahu agrees to an American proposal for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for a release of Israeli hostages.” And 71 percent of Jewish voters support increasing humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

    Finally, M. President, as unbelievably horrific as the situation in Gaza is and has been for the last year and a half, there is another development that could make it even worse.

    In recent months, President Trump and Israeli officials have openly talked about forcibly expelling the 2.2 million people who live in Gaza to make way for what Trump calls a “Riviera” – some billionaires’ playground.

    A few years ago, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner said that he felt “Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable,” floating the idea of redeveloping it. I think that many people at the time thought that was a weird and terrible joke. But it turns out that his father-in-law Donald Trump took it seriously.

    Here’s what Trump has said, repeatedly, in recent months:

    “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it.”

    “We’re going to take over that piece, we’re going to develop it.”

    “I do see a long-term ownership position… Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land.”

    I guess he didn’t speak to too many Palestinians who live on that land.

    On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting.”

    And what about the Palestinians who have lived in Gaza for their entire lives?

    Trump said, “I don’t think people should be going back to Gaza.” “They live like they’re living in hell. Gaza is not a place for people to be living.”

    Gaza could become “the Riviera of the Middle East … This could be something that could be so valuable, this could be so magnificent.”

    Throw 2.2 million people who have suffered incalculably out of the land in which they live in order to create a billionaire’s playground. 

    M. President, there is a name and a term for forcibly expelling people from where they live. It is called ethnic cleansing. It is illegal. It is a war crime.

    M. President, the United States must not continue to be complicit in the destruction of the Palestinian people in Gaza. History will not forgive us for this.

    The time is long overdue for us to tell the Netanyahu government that we will not provide more weapons of destruction to them. Instead, we must demand an immediate ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of the hostages, and the rebuilding of Gaza for the Palestinian people.

    For all of these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote YES on these two resolutions which would prevent illegal and immoral arms sales to Netanyahu, would uphold Congressional power and the rule of law, and would protect innocent life.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Human smuggler pleads guilty in fatal smuggling event

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 23-year-old Mexican national has admitted to alien smuggling resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Jose Guadalupe Antonio-Arredondo admitted to assisting in the smuggling of an illegal alien July 12, 2024, by acting as a river guide. He guided the illegal alien and a brush guide across the river and to the border wall before he returned to Mexico.

    The brush guide and illegal alien continued on and crossed the wall. However, after doing so, the alien had trouble breathing and ultimately collapsed. The brush guide abandoned him in the brush and ran to a nearby house to attempt to conceal herself from law enforcement.

    Law enforcement later found the alien and arranged transportation to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased July 17, 2024.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane accepted the plea and set sentencing for June 20. At that time, Antonio-Arredondo faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

    “Human smuggling is a dangerous enterprise, one that doesn’t care about the lives or well-being of those that are being smuggled,” said Ganjei. “The loss of life in this incident is yet another example of why it is so vital to discourage people from risking their lives trying to enter this country illegally.”

    Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indian National Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison For Attempting To Entice A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Kirtan Patel (24, India) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Patel entered a guilty plea on December 18, 2024.

    According to the plea agreement and court records, between May 22 and 24, 2024, Patel communicated online with someone whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. The child, however, was an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent. Patel engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the undercover agent. Ultimately, Patel was arrested when he traveled to a location in Marion County to engage in sexual activity with the child. Patel was not lawfully present in the United States at the time of the events of this case.

    “This predator engaged in sexually explicit online conversations and devised a plan to meet a minor for sexual activity, actions that could have had devastating consequences,” said Homeland Security Investigation Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office are unwavering in our commitment to protecting our children for sexual predators who seek to destroy their futures.”

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Illegal Alien for Possessing Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment yesterday charging an illegal alien with possessing a firearm.   

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement, and Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.

    According to the indictment, Renan Josue Rodriguez-Rodriguez, age 29, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with possessing a firearm on March 16, 2024, in Jefferson County, Kentucky knowing he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case is being investigated by HSI, ATF, and ICE ERO.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Gomez is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Heroin and Cocaine into Connecticut

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ISRAEL MENDOZA, also known as “D-Nice” and “Israel Mandosa,” 45, formerly of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin and cocaine into Connecticut.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force began investigating a Hartford area narcotics trafficking operation that involved the use of the U.S. Mail to ship parcels of drugs and drug proceeds.  Investigators determined that Mendoza supplied Michael Copeland, of Bloomfield, with large quantities of cocaine, and that Copeland, at Mendoza’s direction, mailed parcels containing cash to individuals in California.  In September and October, U.S. Postal Inspectors in California intercepted and seized two parcels, each containing approximately $13,000 in cash, that Copeland mailed in Connecticut to addresses in the Fresno area.  Investigators analyzed postal records and identified dozens of additional parcels connected to this drug trafficking network that are suspected to have contained narcotics or drug proceeds.

    In February 2019, investigators seized a parcel containing nearly 500 grams of cocaine that had been mailed from California to a Bloomfield residence that was connected to Copeland.

    Mendoza worked with others, including Neliobet DeJesus and Danny Rhodes, in the Hartford area to distribute heroin and cocaine.  During the investigation, after DeJesus had moved to Orlando, Florida, investigators identified a mail parcel that was destined for a residence in Orlando that was linked to DeJesus.  A court authorized search of the parcel revealed approximately 500 grams of cocaine and approximately five grams of fentanyl.

    On October 31, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Mendoza, Copeland, DeJesus, and Rhodes with narcotics trafficking offenses.  Mendoza remained a fugitive until his arrest on August 14, 2023, in California.

    On October 1, 2024, Mendoza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, heroin and cocaine.  He has been detained since his arrest.

    Copeland, DeJesus and Rhodes previously pleaded guilty.  On December 8, 2021, Rhodes was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment; on December 16, 2021, Copeland was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment; and on March 7, 2022, DeJesus was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.

    This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, including members from the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments.  The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, and Hartford Police Department assisted the investigation.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tonko, Turner, Rutherford & Pettersen Introduce Bipartisan Reentry Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

    WASHINGTON, DC—Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Mike Turner (R-OH), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), and John Rutherford (R-FL) today introduced the Reentry Act, bipartisan legislation that empowers states to restore access to healthcare, including addiction and mental health treatment, through Medicaid for incarcerated individuals up to 30 days before their release. Representative Tonko, Turner, Pettersen, and Rutherford are joined by over 60 original cosponsors in introducing this legislation.

    Their bill addresses alarming data showing that individuals released from incarceration are up to 129 times more likely to die of a drug overdose during the first two weeks after release.

    “The overdose crisis has touched communities of every state across the nation, and few are at greater risk than those individuals returning home from incarceration,” Congressman Tonko, Co-chair of the Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery (ATR) Caucus said. “By restarting benefits for Medicaid-eligible Americans prior to release, our bipartisan Reentry Act takes swift, needed action to combat the disease of addiction and bring targeted treatment to the people who most need it. In short, our bill will save lives, lower costs, and reduce recidivism. I urge Congress to join us in advancing the Reentry Act without delay to combat the disease of addiction and provide hope to our communities.”

    “Too many individuals leaving incarceration face overwhelming challenges, with recidivism and overdose rates alarmingly high in the weeks following release,” said Congressman Turner. “The Reentry Act is a bipartisan solution that allows states to restore Medicaid coverage 30 days before release, ensuring access to critical substance abuse treatment and healthcare during this vulnerable transition. By providing continuity of care, we can save lives, reduce repeat offenses, and help communities in Ohio and across the country fight the opioid epidemic. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this commonsense legislation.”

    “Throughout my time in law enforcement, I saw many individuals reoffend time and time again as they struggled to break the cycle of substance abuse,” said Rutherford (R-FL-05). “Continuity of care for those leaving the prison system is important to help reduce instances of overdose deaths, suicides, and drug related crimes following reentry. That’s why I’m proud to join my bipartisan colleagues in supporting these important programs that help individuals who are released from prison to receive the mental health and addiction treatment they need right before and after they are released from incarceration. This legislation is smart on crime, saves lives, and reduces recidivism.”

    The Reentry Act:

    • Restarts benefits for Medicaid-eligible incarcerated individuals 30 days pre-release
    • Makes it easier for states to provide effective addiction treatment and services, allowing for smoother transitions to community care and a reduced risk of overdose deaths post-release
    • Does not change WHO is eligible for Medicaid or CHIP coverage, just ensures a warm handoff back for those already eligible.

    A fact sheet on the reentry act can be found HERE.

    More than 130 groups support the Reentry Act, including:

    A Little Piece of Light, Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope, ACOG, Activate Your Life inc, Addiction Policy Forum, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, American Civil Liberties Union, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Correctional Association (ACA), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association Services, Alliance for Rights and Recovery, American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD), Association for Behavioral Healthcare, Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Benevolence Farm, Big Cities Health Coalition, Black Male Initiative, BrainFutures, Breakthrough Alliance of Colorado, CADCA, Center for Justice and Human Dignity, Central Ohio Restored Citizens Collaborative, Christian Love Agency, Coalition on Human Needs, Community Catalyst, Community Oriented Correctional Health Services, DC Peace Team, Drug Policy Alliance, Each One Teach One Reentry Fellowship, EvergreenDaley, Exchanging Pathways, EX-incarcerated People Organizing (EXPO) of Wisconsin, Fabian Consulting Inc., Fair and Just Prosecution, Families Inspiring Reentry & Reunification 4 Everyone, Florida Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants, Florida Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, Foundation for California Community Colleges, From the Block to the Boardroom, Future Stars of Tomorrow, Gateway Alliance Project, Grays House, Hinda Institute, HIV Medicine Association, Honest Jobs, HOPE for Prisoners, Illinois Alliance for Reentry and Justice, Indivior, InnerMission, Inseparable, Just Detention International, Just Future Project, Justice in Aging, JustLeadershipUSA, JustUS Coordinating Council, KLN Consulting LLC, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime & Incarceration (LEL), Legal Action Center, Los Angeles Reentry Health Advisory Collaborative, Major County Sheriffs (MCSA), MATTERS Network, Mental Health America, Mississippi Impact Coalition, My Meta ReEntry Services, Inc., My Sisters Reunited Reentry Services Inc, NACo, NAMI Huntington, NASTAD, Nation Outside, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of Social Workers, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Association for Behavioral Healthcare, National Black Harm Reduction Network (NBHRN), National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National League for Nursing, National League of Cities, National Nurses United, National Sheriffs Association, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, New Beginnings Reentry Services, Inc, Overdose Prevention Initiative, Petey Greene Program, Phoenix House NY, Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative, PrEP4All, Presbyterian Healthcare Services (PHS) of New Mexico, Prison Cells To PH.D., (P2P), Rainbow Connections LGBTQIA, REACH Medical Ithaca NY, Reason for Hope, Rebuild, Overcome, and Rise (ROAR) Center at the University of MD, Baltimore, Reentry Ready, Reentry Working Group, Reflections of a Reformed You (RoarYOU), Reframe Health and Justice, ReNforce, Reproductive Justice Inside, Restored Citizens FAITH Foundation, Returning Artists Guild, Safer Foundation, Settling Our Differences, Skillsets for life consulting LLC, Solution Partners, St. Vincent de Paul Southwest Idaho Reentry Services, Survivors for Solutions, Süt&Tye luxury services llc, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, The AIDS Institute, The Change Up: Midnight Coalition, The First 72+, The Justice Policy Institute, The Liberation Foundation, The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, The Productive Offenders of Society Foundation, The Returning Artist Guild, Treatment Communities of America, United Men of Color, Unlock Higher Education, Urban Community Unity Solutions LLC (U.C.U.S.), Vermont Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants, Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, Victory House for Women, Virginia Justice Alliance, Vital Strategies, We Are Revolutionary, Why not prosper, Women on the Rise, WorkingGroup512, Young People in Recovery, Youth First Justice Collaborative

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Kelly, Senator Durbin Introduces Bicameral Legislation to Update Laws Governing Licensed Firearm Dealers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Federal Firearm Licensee Act to update the laws governing licensed firearm dealers for the first time in over 30 years. Current laws inadequately meet the business, technological and cultural realities of the 21st century, ultimately insulating rogue firearms dealers from law enforcement.

    “While the gun industry profits $9 billion each year with deadlier and more advanced weapons, the gun lobby obstructs any updates to our laws,” said Rep. Kelly, Vice Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. “It is long-past time we bring our gun safety laws into the 21st century. It is simply commonsense for every gun dealer to be responsible for their product and ensure they do not unwittingly provide guns to people with dangerous intentions.” 

    “Our existing laws allow far too many guns to find their way into the hands of individuals who pose a threat to our communities. I’m teaming up with Congresswoman Kelly to introduce the Federal Firearm Licensee Act to ensure that people who shouldn’t have guns aren’t able to get them, including by requiring licensed firearm dealers to take steps to prevent the guns in their inventory from being stolen and trafficked for use in violent crimes,” said Durbin. “Passing this legislation is just one of many actions we must take to reduce gun trafficking and address the gun violence epidemic in Illinois and across the country.”

    U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Joe Morelle (NY-25), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and Seth Magaziner (RI-02) also joined Rep. Kelly in leading the Federal Firearm Licensee Act.

    “Gun violence devastates every one of our communities — it is now the number one cause of death for children and teens in the United States — and as lawmakers, we have an obligation to end the epidemic and save lives,” said Rep. Dean. “We know that background checks are a crucial way we can prevent firearms from ending up in the wrong hands, but current loopholes in federal law allow individuals to buy firearms online and at gun shows without undergoing background checks. The Federal Firearm Licensee Act would close that loophole. I am grateful to Congresswoman Kelly for her partnership on this commonsense way to shield Americans from gun violence.”

    “We face an epidemic of gun violence in our country—it’s well-past time we put additional safeguards on licensed gun dealers to stop dangerous weapons from falling into the wrong hands,” said Rep. Morelle. “I have always been a staunch advocate for holding firearms dealers accountable for their role in gun trafficking, and I’m proud to sponsor this legislation—which includes provisions of my Gun Theft Prevention Act—to help reach the common-sense goal of stopping gun violence once and for all.”

    “Our outdated federal firearm licensing laws have not kept pace with the rise of rogue gun dealers and advancements in technology, which criminals exploit to obtain firearms illegally,” said Rep. Panetta.  “Our legislation would take a comprehensive, commonsense approach to strengthen background checks, enhance dealer accountability, and close loopholes that allow firearms to end up in the wrong hands. I’m proud to work with Rep. Kelly to advance responsible reforms that will help curb illegal gun trafficking and improve public safety.”

    “Keeping Rhode Islanders safe means making sure guns don’t end up in the wrong hands,” said Rep. Magaziner. “I’m joining my colleagues to support the Federal Firearm Licensee Act to update decades-old laws to crack down on rogue gun dealers and give law enforcement stronger tools to stop gun trafficking and violence in Ocean State and across the country.”

    The Federal Firearm Licensee Act is endorsed by several leading gun safety advocacy groups including GIFFORDS, Everytown for Gun Safety, Brady United, Community Justice, March for Our Lives and Moms Demand Action.

    “Every day, gun crime takes lives and hurts communities, made worse by weak, outdated laws that let firearms fall into dangerous hands,” said Emma Brown, Executive Director at GIFFORDS. “The Federal Firearm Licensee Act addresses this by modernizing our systems and closing dangerous loopholes. We thank Representative Kelly for her leadership and urge Congress to act swiftly to protect Americans from the next tragedy.”

    “It’s still way too easy for shady gun dealers to exploit cracks in the system and sell guns to criminals,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “This bill would give ATF more tools to hold rogue gun dealers accountable for putting profits ahead of public safety, and we applaud Representative Kelly and Senator Durbin’s tireless work to advance it.”

    “To free America from gun violence once and for all, we must address the issue at its source: the unfettered flow of guns into impacted communities,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady United. “Regulating gun sales and holding negligent and irresponsible gun dealers responsible is essential to preventing the diversion of firearms into the criminal market and addressing the gun violence epidemic. Brady thanks Representative Robin Kelly for reintroducing the Federal Firearm Licensee Act to reform the gun industry and protect our communities.”

    “If we want to ensure that firearms are not sold improperly or trafficked across state lines, we must better regulate federally licensed firearms dealers,” said Adzi Vokhiwa, Vice President of Police at Community Justice. “We thank Congresswoman Kelly for introducing the Federal Firearm Licensee Act to modernize the law, better regulate the gun industry, and improve public safety.”

    The Federal Firearm Licensee Act modernizes regulations for existing licensed gun dealers by:

    • Requiring physical security measures to prevent firearm theft.
    • Clarifies the standards by which licensed dealers, and their employees, are assessed for purposes of license issuance and renewal.
    • Repeals long-standing Appropriations Riders that have impeded enforcement of existing law by barring the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) from using funds to require licensed dealers to conduct physical firearm inventories and prohibiting the public disclosure of firearms trace data.
    • Increases record retention and electronic data management and sharing for background checks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PARLIAMENT QUESTION: ESTABLISHMENT OF THIRD LAUNCH PAD

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 03 APR 2025 5:13PM by PIB Delhi

    A Third Launch Pad (TLP) will be established at Sriharikota. The project has been approved by the Union Cabinet and financial sanction has been obtained for a total budget outlay of ₹3984.86 Crore. Establishment of the pad is envisaged to be completed within 4 years timeframe.

    ISRO’s Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), which is under development is about 90 m tall with a maximum lift-off mass of approximately 1000 tonne. Existing launch pads at Sriharikota cannot launch this class of vehicles. The propellant servicing facilities and the Umbilical Tower of the existing launch pads are not designed to meet the requirements of the new propulsion system based on Liquid Methane.

    In view of very large height & size, the next generation of launch vehicles are planned with horizontal integration and transport, which are then tilted onto the launch pad along with a Tiltable Umbilical Tower (TUT). Also, TLP incorporates necessary features in terms of foundation support & servicing requirements for future augmentation towards supporting the launches of India’s Crewed Lunar mission.

    The first stage of NGLV is configured with a cluster of 9 engines. The hot testing of this stage is planned at the Launch Pad, thereby eliminating the need for establishing a huge separate facility for stage testing.

    This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.   

    ***

    NKR/PSM

    (Release ID: 2118304) Visitor Counter : 82

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Brooks — Search warrant execution leads to seizure of fentanyl, fluorofentanyl

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Police have charged three people and seized synthetic drugs after a search warrant execution in Pictou County.

    Pictou County Integrated Street Crimes Enforcement Unit (PCISCEU) began an investigation related to a suspicious package being moved by courier. Investigation found that the package contained illicit, synthetic drugs with a delivery address in Three Brooks.

    After the package was claimed, the PCISCEU executed a search warrant at an identified address on Three Brooks Rd.

    During the warrant execution, which took place on March 27, officers safely arrested four people, seized fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, and recovered an enclosed trailer that was found to have been reported stolen.

    Three people are facing charges related to this investigation:

    • Jake Bruce Murphy, 34, of Three Brooks, has been charged with Possession of a Schedule I Substance (Fentanyl) and Failure to Comply with Undertaking (three counts);
    • Rebecca Lynn Pitts, 48, of Three Brooks, has been charged with Possession of a Schedule I Substance (Fentanyl);
    • Merissa Ann Sutherland, 34, of Pictou, has been charged with Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Failure to Comply with Undertaking (two counts).

    The three were released by police on conditions pending a court appearance on June 23, 2025, at Pictou Provincial Court.

    The fourth person arrested was released without charges.

    Fentanyl is a potent opioid pain reliever and is 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin. More information about the dangers of fentanyl is available from Health Canada.

    The investigation is ongoing and is assisted by Eastern Region Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC), Nova Scotia RCMP Synthetic Drugs and Scenes Unit, Antigonish/Guysborough Street Crimes Enforcement Unit, and Pictou County District RCMP.

    Note: The PCISCEU is made up of police officers from Pictou County District RCMP, Westville Police Service, and Stellarton Police Service.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Hungary: Withdrawal of country from ICC ‘a betrayal of all victims of war crimes’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Withdrawal from the ICC is possible under Article 127 of the Rome Statute

    Such a withdrawal takes effect one year after notification is received by the UN treaty office

    However, withdrawal does not impact Hungary’s current legal obligations as a member state, to arrest all those subject to ICC arrest warrants

    ‘Hungary’s purported withdrawal from the ICC is a brazen and futile attempt to evade international justice and to stymy the ICC’s work’ – Agnès Callamard

    Reacting to news that Hungary, an International Criminal Court (ICC) member state, has welcomed Benjamin Netanyahu to the country without arrest and stated that it will withdraw from the ICC, Agnès Callamard the Secretary General of Amnesty International said:

    “Prime Minister Orbán is harbouring a wanted ICC fugitive. Benjamin Netanyahu is accused by the ICC of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians. By welcoming Netanyahu, Hungary is effectively giving a giving a seal of approval to Israel’s genocide, namely the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in whole or in part in Gaza.

    “Leaders and officials from ICC member states must not participate in undermining the ICC through meeting with Netanyahu or any other ICC fugitives who are wanted by the Court. Netanyahu’s shameful trip to Hungary must not become an impunity tour of other ICC member states.

    “Hungary’s purported withdrawal from the ICC is a brazen and futile attempt to evade international justice and to stymy the ICC’s work. This cynical announcement does not change the fact that Hungary still has a fundamental obligation to arrest and surrender Benjamin Netanyahu to the ICC. Any withdrawal would take effect in one year and must not distract from Hungary’s international legal obligations.

    “The EU institutions and member states must be unequivocal about what this visit is: a direct attack by Hungary to undermine the ICC and its work, weaken the European Union at a time when it needs to stand strong and united, and an insult to all victims who are looking for justice.

    “The European Union and all ICC member states must urgently call on Hungary to arrest and surrender Netanyahu and firmly commit to defending the Court from insidious threats to international justice which a visit of this kind represents. This moral bankruptcy must be stopped before it spirals into further damage for the international rules-based order.”

    A betrayal of victims of war crimes

    Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit comes 18 months into Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip. Israel has killed over 50,140 Palestinians – including over 15,600 children – and nearly 114,000 people have been injured. Israel forcibly displaced 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza and the entire population has been grappling with a spike in disease and battling with starvation as a result of Israel’s unlawful siege, that for over a month has now seen a complete blocking of desperately needed humanitarian aid into Gaza.  Just yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he would “seize” territory to “divide up” Gaza.

    Withdrawal from the ICC is possible under Article 127 of the Rome Statute. Such a withdrawal takes effect one year after notification is received by the UN treaty office in New York. Crucially, therefore, withdrawal does not impact Hungary’s current legal obligations as a member state, including to arrest all those subject to ICC arrest warrants and of full cooperation in relation to ongoing investigations.

    Its withdrawal is a betrayal of all victims of war crimes and undermines the protections afforded the Hungarian people, as it removes, in a year, their opportunity to seek justice at the ICC for crimes committed against them.

    State officials from ICC state parties should sever all non-essential contact with fugitives like Netanyahu who are wanted by the Court. All EU states have committed to avoid such non-essential contacts as official EU policy.  

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Hungary: Withdrawal from ICC does not absolve Hungary of its legal obligation to arrest fugitive Benjamin Netanyahu

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to the news that Hungary, an International Criminal Court (ICC) member state, has welcomed Benjamin Netanyahu to the country without arrest and stated that it will withdraw from the ICC Agnès Callamard the Secretary General of Amnesty International said:

    “Prime Minister Orbán is harbouring a wanted ICC fugitive. Benjamin Netanyahu is accused by the ICC of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians. By welcoming Netanyahu, Hungary is effectively giving a seal of approval to Israel’s genocide, namely the physical destruction of the Palestinian people in whole or in part in Gaza.

    “Leaders and officials from ICC member states must not participate in undermining the ICC through meeting with Netanyahu or any other ICC fugitives who are wanted by the Court. Netanyahu’s shameful trip to Hungary must not become an impunity tour of other ICC member states.

    “Hungary’s purported withdrawal from the ICC is a brazen and futile attempt to evade international justice and to stymy the ICC’s work. This cynical announcement does not change the fact that Hungary still has a fundamental obligation to arrest and surrender Benjamin Netanyahu to the ICC. Any withdrawal would take effect in one year and must not distract from Hungary’s international legal obligations.

    “The EU institutions and member states must be unequivocal about what this visit is: a direct attack by Hungary to undermine the ICC and its work, weaken the European Union at a time when it needs to stand strong and united, and an insult to all victims who are looking for justice.

    “The European Union and all ICC member states must urgently call on Hungary to arrest and surrender Netanyahu and firmly commit to defending the Court from insidious threats to international justice which a visit of this kind represents. This moral bankruptcy must be stopped before it spirals into further damage for the international rules-based order.”

    Background

    Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit comes 18 months into Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip. Israel has killed over 50,140 Palestinians, including over 15,600 children and nearly 114,000 people have been injured. Israel forcibly displaced 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza and the entire population has been grappling with a spike in disease and battling with starvation as a result of Israel’s unlawful siege, that for over a month has now seen a complete blocking of desperately needed humanitarian aid into Gaza.  Just yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he would “seize” territory to “divide up” Gaza.

    Withdrawal from the International Criminal Court is possible under Article 127 of the Rome Statute. Such a withdrawal takes effect one year after notification is received by the UN treaty office in New York. Crucially, therefore, withdrawal does not impact Hungary’s current legal obligations as a member state, including to arrest all those subject to ICC arrest warrants and of full cooperation in relation to ongoing investigations.

    Its withdrawal is a betrayal of all victims of war crimes and undermines the protections afforded the Hungarian people, as it removes, in a year, their opportunity to seek justice at the ICC for crimes committed against them.   

    State officials from ICC state parties should sever all non-essential contact with fugitives like Netanyahu who are wanted by the Court. All EU states have committed to avoid such non-essential contacts as official EU policy.  

    For more information please contact: [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fast Flux: A National Security Threat

    News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team

    Executive summary

    Many networks have a gap in their defenses for detecting and blocking a malicious technique known as “fast flux.” This technique poses a significant threat to national security, enabling malicious cyber actors to consistently evade detection. Malicious cyber actors, including cybercriminals and nation-state actors, use fast flux to obfuscate the locations of malicious servers by rapidly changing Domain Name System (DNS) records. Additionally, they can create resilient, highly available command and control (C2) infrastructure, concealing their subsequent malicious operations. This resilient and fast changing infrastructure makes tracking and blocking malicious activities that use fast flux more difficult. 

    The National Security Agency (NSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC), Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), and New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ) are releasing this joint cybersecurity advisory (CSA) to warn organizations, Internet service providers (ISPs), and cybersecurity service providers of the ongoing threat of fast flux enabled malicious activities as a defensive gap in many networks. This advisory is meant to encourage service providers, especially Protective DNS (PDNS) providers, to help mitigate this threat by taking proactive steps to develop accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics and blocking capabilities for their customers. This CSA also provides guidance on detecting and mitigating elements of malicious fast flux by adopting a multi-layered approach that combines DNS analysis, network monitoring, and threat intelligence. 

    The authoring agencies recommend all stakeholders—government and providers—collaborate to develop and implement scalable solutions to close this ongoing gap in network defenses against malicious fast flux activity.

    Download the PDF version of this report: Fast Flux: A National Security Threat (PDF, 841 KB).

    Technical details

    When malicious cyber actors compromise devices and networks, the malware they use needs to “call home” to send status updates and receive further instructions. To decrease the risk of detection by network defenders, malicious cyber actors use dynamic resolution techniques, such as fast flux, so their communications are less likely to be detected as malicious and blocked. 

    Fast flux refers to a domain-based technique that is characterized by rapidly changing the DNS records (e.g., IP addresses) associated with a single domain [T1568.001]. 

    Single and double flux

    Malicious cyber actors use two common variants of fast flux to perform operations:

    1. Single flux: A single domain name is linked to numerous IP addresses, which are frequently rotated in DNS responses. This setup ensures that if one IP address is blocked or taken down, the domain remains accessible through the other IP addresses. See Figure 1 as an example to illustrate this technique.

    Figure 1: Single flux technique.

    Note: This behavior can also be used for legitimate purposes for performance reasons in dynamic hosting environments, such as in content delivery networks and load balancers.

    2. Double flux: In addition to rapidly changing the IP addresses as in single flux, the DNS name servers responsible for resolving the domain also change frequently. This provides an additional layer of redundancy and anonymity for malicious domains. Double flux techniques have been observed using both Name Server (NS) and Canonical Name (CNAME) DNS records. See Figure 2 as an example to illustrate this technique.

    Figure 2: Double flux technique. 

    Both techniques leverage a large number of compromised hosts, usually as a botnet from across the Internet that acts as proxies or relay points, making it difficult for network defenders to identify the malicious traffic and block or perform legal enforcement takedowns of the malicious infrastructure. Numerous malicious cyber actors have been reported using the fast flux technique to hide C2 channels and remain operational. Examples include:

    • Bulletproof hosting (BPH) services offer Internet hosting that disregards or evades law enforcement requests and abuse notices. These providers host malicious content and activities while providing anonymity for malicious cyber actors. Some BPH companies also provide fast flux services, which help malicious cyber actors maintain connectivity and improve the reliability of their malicious infrastructure. [1]
    • Fast flux has been used in Hive and Nefilim ransomware attacks. [3], [4]
    • Gamaredon uses fast flux to limit the effectiveness of IP blocking. [5], [6], [7]

    The key advantages of fast flux networks for malicious cyber actors include:

    • Increased resilience. As a fast flux network rapidly rotates through botnet devices, it is difficult for law enforcement or abuse notifications to process the changes quickly and disrupt their services.
    • Render IP blocking ineffective. The rapid turnover of IP addresses renders IP blocking irrelevant since each IP address is no longer in use by the time it is blocked. This allows criminals to maintain resilient operations.
    • Anonymity. Investigators face challenges in tracing malicious content back to the source through fast flux networks. This is because malicious cyber actors’ C2 botnets are constantly changing the associated IP addresses throughout the investigation.

    Additional malicious uses

    Fast flux is not only used for maintaining C2 communications, it also can play a significant role in phishing campaigns to make social engineering websites harder to block or take down. Phishing is often the first step in a larger and more complex cyber compromise. Phishing is typically used to trick victims into revealing sensitive information (such as login passwords, credit card numbers, and personal data), but can also be used to distribute malware or exploit system vulnerabilities. Similarly, fast flux is used for maintaining high availability for cybercriminal forums and marketplaces, making them resilient against law enforcement takedown efforts. 

    Some BPH providers promote fast flux as a service differentiator that increases the effectiveness of their clients’ malicious activities. For example, one BPH provider posted on a dark web forum that it protects clients from being added to Spamhaus blocklists by easily enabling the fast flux capability through the service management panel (See Figure 3). A customer just needs to add a “dummy server interface,” which redirects incoming queries to the host server automatically. By doing so, only the dummy server interfaces are reported for abuse and added to the Spamhaus blocklist, while the servers of the BPH customers remain “clean” and unblocked. 

    Figure 3: Example dark web fast flux advertisement.

    The BPH provider further explained that numerous malicious activities beyond C2, including botnet managers, fake shops, credential stealers, viruses, spam mailers, and others, could use fast flux to avoid identification and blocking. 

    As another example, a BPH provider that offers fast flux as a service advertised that it automatically updates name servers to prevent the blocking of customer domains. Additionally, this provider further promoted its use of separate pools of IP addresses for each customer, offering globally dispersed domain registrations for increased reliability.

    Detection techniques

    The authoring agencies recommend that ISPs and cybersecurity service providers, especially PDNS providers, implement a multi-layered approach, in coordination with customers, using the following techniques to aid in detecting fast flux activity [CISA CPG 3.A]. However, quickly detecting malicious fast flux activity and differentiating it from legitimate activity remains an ongoing challenge to developing accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics. 

    1. Leverage threat intelligence feeds and reputation services to identify known fast flux domains and associated IP addresses, such as in boundary firewalls, DNS resolvers, and/or SIEM solutions.

    2. Implement anomaly detection systems for DNS query logs to identify domains exhibiting high entropy or IP diversity in DNS responses and frequent IP address rotations. Fast flux domains will frequently cycle though tens or hundreds of IP addresses per day.

    3. Analyze the time-to-live (TTL) values in DNS records. Fast flux domains often have unusually low TTL values. A typical fast flux domain may change its IP address every 3 to 5 minutes.

    4. Review DNS resolution for inconsistent geolocation. Malicious domains associated with fast flux typically generate high volumes of traffic with inconsistent IP-geolocation information.

    5. Use flow data to identify large-scale communications with numerous different IP addresses over short periods.

    6. Develop fast flux detection algorithms to identify anomalous traffic patterns that deviate from usual network DNS behavior.

    7. Monitor for signs of phishing activities, such as suspicious emails, websites, or links, and correlate these with fast flux activity. Fast flux may be used to rapidly spread phishing campaigns and to keep phishing websites online despite blocking attempts.

    8. Implement customer transparency and share information about detected fast flux activity, ensuring to alert customers promptly after confirmed presence of malicious activity.

    Mitigations

    All organizations

    To defend against fast flux, government and critical infrastructure organizations should coordinate with their Internet service providers, cybersecurity service providers, and/or their Protective DNS services to implement the following mitigations utilizing accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics. 

    Note: Some legitimate activity, such as common content delivery network (CDN) behaviors, may look like malicious fast flux activity. Protective DNS services, service providers, and network defenders should make reasonable efforts, such as allowlisting expected CDN services, to avoid blocking or impeding legitimate content.

    1. DNS and IP blocking and sinkholing of malicious fast flux domains and IP addresses

    • Block access to domains identified as using fast flux through non-routable DNS responses or firewall rules.
    • Consider sinkholing the malicious domains, redirecting traffic from those domains to a controlled server to capture and analyze the traffic, helping to identify compromised hosts within the network.
    • Block IP addresses known to be associated with malicious fast flux networks.

    2. Reputational filtering of fast flux enabled malicious activity

    • Block traffic to and from domains or IP addresses with poor reputations, especially ones identified as participating in malicious fast flux activity.

    3. Enhanced monitoring and logging

    • Increase logging and monitoring of DNS traffic and network communications to identify new or ongoing fast flux activities.
    • Implement automated alerting mechanisms to respond swiftly to detected fast flux patterns.
    • Refer to ASD’s ACSC joint publication, Best practices for event logging and threat detection, for further logging recommendations.

    4. Collaborative defense and information sharing

    • Share detected fast flux indicators (e.g., domains, IP addresses) with trusted partners and threat intelligence communities to enhance collective defense efforts. Examples of indicator sharing initiatives include CISA’s Automated Indicator Sharing or sector-based Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) and ASD’s Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing Platform (CTIS) in Australia.
    • Participate in public and private information-sharing programs to stay informed about emerging fast flux tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Regular collaboration is particularly important because most malicious activity by these domains occurs within just a few days of their initial use; therefore, early discovery and information sharing by the cybersecurity community is crucial to minimizing such malicious activity. [8]

    5. Phishing awareness and training

    • Implement employee awareness and training programs to help personnel identify and respond appropriately to phishing attempts.
    • Develop policies and procedures to manage and contain phishing incidents, particularly those facilitated by fast flux networks.
    • For more information on mitigating phishing, see joint Phishing Guidance: Stopping the Attack Cycle at Phase One.

    Network defenders

    The authoring agencies encourage organizations to use cybersecurity and PDNS services that detect and block fast flux. By leveraging providers that detect fast flux and implement capabilities for DNS and IP blocking, sinkholing, reputational filtering, enhanced monitoring, logging, and collaborative defense of malicious fast flux domains and IP addresses, organizations can mitigate many risks associated with fast flux and maintain a more secure environment. 

    However, some PDNS providers may not detect and block malicious fast flux activities. Organizations should not assume that their PDNS providers block malicious fast flux activity automatically and should contact their PDNS providers to validate coverage of this specific cyber threat. 

    For more information on PDNS services, see the 2021 joint cybersecurity information sheet from NSA and CISA about Selecting a Protective DNS Service. [9] In addition, NSA offers no-cost cybersecurity services to Defense Industrial Base (DIB) companies, including a PDNS service. For more information, see NSA’s DIB Cybersecurity Services and factsheet. CISA also offers a Protective DNS service for federal civilian executive branch (FCEB) agencies. See CISA’s Protective Domain Name System Resolver page and factsheet for more information. 

    Conclusion

    Fast flux represents a persistent threat to network security, leveraging rapidly changing infrastructure to obfuscate malicious activity. By implementing robust detection and mitigation strategies, organizations can significantly reduce their risk of compromise by fast flux-enabled threats. 

    The authoring agencies strongly recommend organizations engage their cybersecurity providers on developing a multi-layered approach to detect and mitigate malicious fast flux operations. Utilizing services that detect and block fast flux enabled malicious cyber activity can significantly bolster an organization’s cyber defenses. 

    Works cited

    [1] Intel471. Bulletproof Hosting: A Critical Cybercriminal Service. 2024. https://intel471.com/blog/bulletproof-hosting-a-critical-cybercriminal-service 

    [2] Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre. “Bulletproof” hosting providers: Cracks in the armour of cybercriminal infrastructure. 2025. https://www.cyber.gov.au/about-us/view-all-content/publications/bulletproof-hosting-providers 

    [3] Logpoint. A Comprehensive guide to Detect Ransomware. 2023. https://www.logpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/logpoint-a-comprehensive-guide-to-detect-ransomware.pdf

    [4] Trendmicro. Modern Ransomware’s Double Extortion Tactic’s and How to Protect Enterprises Against Them. 2021. https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/modern-ransomwares-double-extortion-tactics-and-how-to-protect-enterprises-against-them

    [5] Unit 42. Russia’s Trident Ursa (aka Gamaredon APT) Cyber Conflict Operations Unwavering Since Invasion of Ukraine. 2022. https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/trident-ursa/

    [6] Recorded Future. BlueAlpha Abuses Cloudflare Tunneling Service for GammaDrop Staging Infrastructure. 2024. https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/bluealpha-abuses-cloudflare-tunneling-service 

    [7] Silent Push. ‘From Russia with a 71’: Uncovering Gamaredon’s fast flux infrastructure. New apex domains and ASN/IP diversity patterns discovered. 2023. https://www.silentpush.com/blog/from-russia-with-a-71/

    [8] DNS Filter. Security Categories You Should be Blocking (But Probably Aren’t). 2023. https://www.dnsfilter.com/blog/security-categories-you-should-be-blocking-but-probably-arent

    [9] National Security Agency. Selecting a Protective DNS Service. 2021. https://media.defense.gov/2025/Mar/24/2003675043/-1/-1/0/CSI-SELECTING-A-PROTECTIVE-DNS-SERVICE-V1.3.PDF

    Disclaimer of endorsement

    The information and opinions contained in this document are provided “as is” and without any warranties or guarantees. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government, and this guidance shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

    Purpose

    This document was developed in furtherance of the authoring cybersecurity agencies’ missions, including their responsibilities to identify and disseminate threats, and develop and issue cybersecurity specifications and mitigations. This information may be shared broadly to reach all appropriate stakeholders.

    Contact

    National Security Agency (NSA):

    Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA):

    • All organizations should report incidents and anomalous activity to CISA via the agency’s Incident Reporting System, its 24/7 Operations Center at report@cisa.gov, or by calling 1-844-Say-CISA (1-844-729-2472). When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment user for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact.

    Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):

    • To report suspicious or criminal activity related to information found in this advisory, contact your local FBI field office or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment used for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact.

    Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC):

    • For inquiries, visit ASD’s website at www.cyber.gov.au or call the Australian Cyber Security Hotline at 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371).

    Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS):

    New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ):

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Apprehend Fugitive Who Killed High School Student Riding on Septa Bus

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Philadelphia, PA — Members of the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force and arrested Zayki Davis,17, at an apartment complex in the 1000 block of West Beech Street in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Davis was wanted by the Philadelphia Police Department for murder in relation to the shooting death of a 15-year-old juvenile who was riding on a Septa bus. After a verbal dispute, Davis exited the bus and fired one round into the bus which struck and killed the victim.     

    At approximately 12:00 p.m. April 3rd, investigators from the Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Philadelphia surrounded an apartment complex in the 1000 block of West Beech Street in Norristown PA. Marshals developed information Davis was presently in the apartment of a long-time friend and Davis had been hiding there for days. Upon entering the apartment, Davis was quickly located and arrested without incident. He was then transported back to Philadelphia Police headquarters by homicide detectives.  

    “Though Zayki Davis fled Philadelphia, with this task force pursuing him, his freedom was always on borrowed time,” said Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark.

    The Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force is a team of law enforcement officers led by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent crime fugitives. Membership agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Parole Officers, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General Agents, Immigration Customs Enforcement, Chester Police Department, Bucks County Sheriffs, and Delaware County Sheriffs.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Greenville man arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material* chargesRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Steven Earl Dickert, 39, of Greenville, S.C., on three charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, also a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation.

     

    Investigators state Dickert distributed files of child sexual abuse material.

     

    Dickert was arrested on April 1, 2025. He is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.

     

    This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

     

    Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

     

     

     

    * Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant.  Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Human rights breaches in Cameroon, Iran and Belarus

    Source: European Parliament

    On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted human rights resolutions on Cameroon, Iran and Belarus.

    Prosecution of journalists in Cameroon, including the cases of Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior, and Tsi Conrad

    Parliament condemns the systematic violations of journalists’ human rights by the Cameroonian authorities and calls on them to ensure press freedom ahead of the country’s 2025 presidential election. MEPs demand the immediate and unconditional release of Amadou Vamoulké, Kingsley Fomunyuy Njoka, Mancho Bibixy, Thomas Awah Junior, and Tsi Conrad. They emphasise that their rights and access to medical care must be guaranteed. Parliament urges the EU and its member states to raise these cases with Cameroon’s authorities; as well as to apply diplomatic and economic pressure to improve the respect for human rights in the country. Additionally, MEPs demand an end to military trials for civilians and to the misuse of terrorism and ‘fake news’ charges against journalists. They call on the EU to support a UN fact-finding mission, and demand the offer of humanitarian visas for journalists at risk of persecution.

    The resolution was adopted by a show of hands. For further details, the full version will be available here. (03.04.2025)

    Execution spree in Iran and death sentences of activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani

    Parliament condemns the unprecedented increase in the number of executions in Iran, particularly targeting human rights activists, dissidents, women, journalists, and minorities. With the highest death sentence rate per capita globally, MEPs say Iran’s human rights situation continues to deteriorate . They denounce the systemic persecution of women, children, and ethnic and religious minorities such as Christians, Baha’is, Kurds, and Baluchis. MEPs also condemn the confirmation of death sentences for activists Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani, who are subjected to torture and detained under inhumane conditions.

    Parliament urges the Iranian government to introduce an immediate moratorium on capital punishment, and its eventual abolition . It demands the release of all political prisoners on death row, including Pakhshan Azizi, Wirishe Moradi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, and Mahvash Sabet. MEPs condemn Iran’s use of hostage diplomacy, particularly against EU nationals like Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris, and Ahmadreza Djalali, and ask for their immediate release. EU-Iran relations can only improve on the condition, MEPs say, that the death sentence is abolished and political prisoners – some of which are EU nationals – are released.

    Finally, Parliament reiterates its call for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be designated a terrorist organisation, to sanction those responsible for human rights violations and call on the international community to respond fiercely to Tehran’s international assassination attempts targeting opponents of the regime.

    The resolution was adopted by a show of hands. For further details, the full version will be available here. (03.04.2025)

    Immediate risk of further repression by Lukashenka’s regime in Belarus – threats from the Investigative Committee

    MEPs call for the immediate end to the political repression of Lukashenka’s regime, the surveillance of demonstrators, and the release of political prisoners .They condemn how Belarusians abroad are also increasingly the target of repression by the regime, and call for EU-wide legal support for exiled individuals.

    Parliament reiterates that it does not recognise Lukashenka as the country’s leader and considers the persecution of Belarusian citizens abroad to be a direct violation of member states’ territorial sovereignty. MEPs advocate for the swift development and enforcement of a legal mechanism to freeze and confiscate the assets and properties owned by Lukashenka and his inner circle abroad, in order to reallocate them to support victims of repression. It calls on all member states to disregard Interpol arrest warrants for Lukashenka’s political opponents. MEPs urge the immediate imposition of personal sanctions on officials responsible for transnational persecution and intimidation, including members of the Belarusian Investigative Committee. They call for increased support for independent media, human rights defenders, and civil society initiatives. MEPs stress the importance of countering Belarusian intelligence operations, expediting the International Criminal Court proceedings on crimes against humanity, and pursuing national accountability through the use of universal jurisdiction.

    The resolution was adopted by 535 votes in favour, 19 against and 55 abstentions. For further details, the full version will be available here. (03.04.2025)

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: 2024: A remarkable year for the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English

    In 2024, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) obtained several ground-breaking convictions in the fields of international criminal law, national security, terrorism and white-collar crime. Summary penalty orders imposed on international commodities companies and the first trial of a company in the Federal Criminal Court for the bribery of foreign public officials are proof that Swiss corporate criminal law is effective. However, additional legal instruments would make criminal prosecution in this field far more efficient and effective. In its efforts to guarantee Switzerland’s long-term internal security, the OAG is reliant on the Federal Criminal Police being able to provide a sufficient number of investigators.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Entice A 13-Year-Old Child To Engage In Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Reagan Morales Roblero (37, Guatemala), has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Roblero faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the attempted enticement offense and a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the attempted transfer of obscene material. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to the plea agreement, from July 22 through September 5, 2024, Roblero communicated online with someone whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. In actuality, the child was an undercover Homeland Security Investigations special agent (UC). Throughout their conversations, Roblero repeatedly described the sexual activity he wanted to engage in with the child, sending explicit videos to clarify the specific sex acts he desired. On September 5, 2024, after Roblero told the UC that he “want[ed] to make love tonight,” the UC discussed meeting at a motel in in Marion County. Roblero told the UC that the “most private” motel without “cameras” was better for their “protection.” Roblero further stated that he would drive to the motel to see if they could safely meet “because u underage [and] I’m old.” Ultimately, Roblero was arrested by law enforcement in the lobby of the motel. The motel clerk advised law enforcement that Roblero had asked about obtaining a room at the back of the building. 

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Indicted for Trafficking Fentanyl to Bemidji and the Red Lake Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Three individuals have been indicted on conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and firearm charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, from April 2024 through September 2024, La’veal O’Neal Allen, 38, of Minneapolis, Marquise Javon Walker, 28, of Lakeville, Minnesota, and Michaela Karon McKinney, 37, of New Hope, Minnesota, knowingly conspired with each other to possess and distribute fentanyl.

    The indictment charges Allen, Walker, and McKinney with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Allen is additionally charged with felon in possession of a firearm. As the indictment details, Allen’s criminal history includes multiple felonies, including two convictions for first degree aggravated robbery a conviction for a predatory offender registration violation.  Because Allen has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

    “Fentanyl continues to flood communities throughout Minnesota, and unfortunately, we see some of the highest rates of overdose and addiction on our Indian reservations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “This trio of defendants has plagued the Red Lake Indian Reservation and the Bemidji area for years.  No more. My office will ensure these purveyors of poison see federal justice.”   

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. McBride is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Antigonish — Police charge Antigonish man with drug trafficking offences, seize drugs and weapons

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Police have charged an Antigonish man with drug trafficking offences and seized drugs and weapons after executing a search warrant in Afton Station.

    On April 2, the Antigonish-Guysborough RCMP Street Crime Enforcement Unit executed a search warrant at a residence on West Arm Branch Rd. in Afton Station as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation.

    Officers safely arrested a man and seized cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, prescription drugs, and drug paraphernalia. They also seized firearms and ammunition, a baton, and brass knuckles. Additionally, officers recovered a 2019 Keystone camper trailer that had been reported stolen.

    Jed Douglas Decoste, 34, of Antigonish, has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (three counts). He was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Antigonish Provincial Court on May 14.

    The ongoing investigation is assisted by the Pictou County Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit (PCISCEU), the Port Hawkesbury Street Crime Enforcement Unit, and the Antigonish County District RCMP. Additional charges are anticipated.

    Nova Scotians are encouraged to contact their nearest RCMP detachment or local police to report crime, including the illegal sale of drugs, in their communities. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or using the P3 Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three sentenced to federal prison for roles in tax refund fraud scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TEXARKANA, Texas – Three men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a tax refund fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Imafedia Adevokhai, 47, of Alpharetta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to money laundering on February 15, 2023, and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III on April 2, 2025. Adevokhai was ordered to pay $90,380.60 in restitution and $3500 in forfeiture.

    Michael Martin, 52, of Texarkana, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy on February 14, 2023, and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison by Judge Schroeder on November 21, 2023. Martin was ordered to pay $90,380.60 in restitution and $121,623.41 in forfeiture.

    Osazuwa Peter Okunoghae, 46, of Houston, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy on November 12, 2019, and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by Judge Schroeder on January 13, 2022. Okunoghae was ordered to pay $451,117.63 in restitution and $451,117.63 in forfeiture.

    “The Eastern District of Texas is committed to prosecuting individuals who participate in schemes to steal personal information, prepare and file fraudulent tax returns, and launder the proceeds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. “Crimes like these affect all of us, the individual victims whose identities are stolen and used to file fraudulent tax returns, the taxpayers, who are left with the bill, and our financial institutions, which are manipulated and misused to launder the proceeds.”

    “Adevokhai, Martin, and Okunoghae, along with others, created a complex scheme to steal the tax refunds of law-abiding U.S. taxpayers through stolen identity refund fraud,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. “The women and men of IRS-CI did an outstanding job of uncovering this fraudulent activity and bringing the individuals to justice. Their sentences should be a warning to anyone who would try to defraud the U.S. Government or prey on law-abiding taxpayers.”

    According to information presented in court, Adevokhai, Martin, Okunoghae, and others were involved in a multi-year stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) conspiracy involving the theft of victims’ personal identifying information and the use of the stolen information to file fraudulent tax returns. The total tax refunds claimed by the fraudulent returns was $4,945,886, and the U.S. Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, suffered at least a $390,220.40 loss.  Adevokhai was involved in the preparation and filing of many of the fraudulent tax returns. Okunoghae and Martin were involved in the laundering of the stolen funds. To that end, they worked together and with others who would transfer fraud proceeds through United States financial accounts and ultimately to foreign financial accounts. The investigation connected Adevokhai, Martin, and Okunoghae to dozens of victims whose taxpayer identities were stolen.

    In January 2019, individuals from three states and other individuals from Nigeria were charged for their roles in the conspiracy.

    One of the Department of Justice Tax Division’s top priorities is prosecuting individuals who use stolen identities to steal money from the United States Treasury by filing fraudulent tax returns. SIRF schemes threaten to disrupt the orderly administration of the income tax system for law-abiding taxpayers and have cost the United States Treasury billions of dollars.

    This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Sean Taylor.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Antigonish — Do you know this person?

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    #Antigonish County District RCMP is asking for public assistance to identify a man in relation to an incident that occurred on March 16 at a convenience store on James St. in Antigonish. The man is believed to have entered the store with three other people and caused damage to some of the store’s product. He is described as having blonde hair, cut in a mullet style. He was wearing a Ford Trucks jacket at the time of the incident.

    Anyone who can identify the man or has information about this incident is asked to contact Antigonish County District RCMP at 902-863-6500. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona to Receive Additional Resources From Justice Department to Investigate Unresolved Violent Crimes

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Justice Department today announced that it will boost FBI assets across the country over the next six months to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country through Operation Not Forgotten.

    The FBI will send a total of 60 personnel, rotating in temporary duty assignments over a six-month period to select FBI field offices across the United States, including Arizona. Operation Not Forgotten is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. The detailed FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. FBI Phoenix will receive 11 agents on a rotating basis over the next six months, who will be spread across offices in Arizona.

    FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and will work in partnership with Tribal law enforcement agencies across the country.

    “Protection of the public is one of the key responsibilities of the Department of Justice. Here in Arizona, the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI have a special trust relationship with the 22 federally recognized tribes in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Operation Not Forgotten reflects the continued commitment of the federal government to pursue justice for crime victims in all Native American communities.”

    “Our FBI personnel and Safe Trails Task Forces work closely every single day with our law enforcement partners to investigate crimes of violence throughout the many tribal territories in Arizona,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “We are responsible for investigating the most serious crimes in Indian Country and this initiative will provide much needed additional resources to help us better serve those same communities by assisting victims and bringing criminals to justice.”

    “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

    “The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

    Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.

    Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.

    Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.

    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-046_Operation Not Forgotten

    # # #

    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.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Announces Facebook Whistleblower to Testify Before His Subcommittee Next Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, April 02, 2025

    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced that Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams will testify before his Judiciary subcommittee next week on allegations that Facebook cooperated with the Communist regime in China to build censorship tools, punish dissidents, and make American users’ data available for Chinese use.

    Big News — Facebook whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams will testify NEXT WEEK in public, under oath, before my judiciary subcommittee re: her explosive evidence of Facebook’s cooperation with the Communist regime in China, including FB’s plans to build censorship tools, punish…
    — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 2, 2025
    Senator Hawley is the chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism. More details on the hearing, entitled “A Time for Truth: Oversight of Meta’s Foreign Relations and Representations to the United States Congress,” are forthcoming.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Fatal Fentanyl Overdose

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    BEAUMONT, Texas – An Orange, Texas man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in a fatal fentanyl overdose in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Lawrence Duguett Hardin, Jr., 39, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on April 1, 2025.

    According to information presented in court, on August 17, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to an overdose death in Humble, Texas.  Autopsy results determined the victim died due to the toxic effects of fentanyl.  An investigation determined Hardin to be responsible for supplying the fentanyl that led to the individual’s death.  A search warrant was executed at Hardin’s residence in Orange and a substance containing fentanyl and weighing 365.2 grams was discovered.

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a Public Safety Alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.  The Public Safety Alert coincides with the launch of DEA’s One Pill Can Kill Public Awareness Campaign to educate the public of the dangers of counterfeit pills and urges all Americans to take only medications prescribed by a medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in fake pills that are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills, and are killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate. For more information, please visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; Orange Police Department; Houston Police Department; West Orange Police Department; Bridge City Police Department; Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 4; Jefferson County Crime Laboratory; and Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Lee and Rachel Grove.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Centralia Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Possessing Firearms as a Felon

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

    EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a Centralia man to 125 months in federal prison for possessing three firearms as a convicted felon in three separate incidents with police.

    Lamar R. Bennett, 33, pleaded guilty in July to three counts of felon in possession of a firearm.

    “Three brushes with the law by one defiant felon—this sentence of more than a decade in federal prison sends a strong message that repeat offenders who defy the law can expect to face certain justice in the federal system,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

    According to court documents, Bennett was convicted as a felon in possession of a firearm in Marion County Circuit Court in 2020, further barring him from legally possessing firearms.

    Bennett was the driver of a vehicle in a single-car crash in Washington County on April 21, 2023. Following the accident, Bennett placed a Smith and Wesson 9-millimeter pistol behind a concrete barrier on the side of the highway. Law enforcement recovered the firearm.

    On Oct. 14, 2023, emergency personnel and law enforcement responded to Bennett’s residence in Jefferson County. Officers observed a Glock 43X pistol in his sweatshirt and recovered the firearm.

    On November 23, 2023, law enforcement tried to conduct a traffic stop on Bennett’s vehicle in Marion County, but he fled. Ultimately, Bennett was apprehended and law enforcement recovered one Ruger SR9C pistol from him.

    “This investigation and sentencing are a direct result of FBI Springfield Field Office’s dedication to disrupting and dismantling violent threats in our territory,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “This sentencing is a direct warning to those who continue criminal activity in our area.”

    Following imprisonment, Bennett will serve three years of supervised release.

    The FBI Springfield Field Office, Centralia Police Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Hudson prosecuted the case.

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