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Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI Global: Money laundering plays a key role in every part of the illegal drugs industry – here’s how it works

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Berry, Lecturer In Criminology, Bournemouth University

    R Mendoza/Shutterstock

    The global illicit drugs trade is estimated to be worth at least half a trillion US dollars each year. Drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin generate large revenues all along their supply chains, from where the products (and precursor materials) are grown or made – principally Colombia and Bolivia, China, Afghanistan, and the “golden triangle” of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand – to wherever the finished drugs are consumed.

    Earnings in the illicit drug trade are variable. Few people will make the kind of money that once put the Mexican former cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán on the Forbes list of global billionaires. But while drug “kingpins” are the industry’s biggest individual earners, they do not hold the majority of the drug money that is generated throughout the global supply chain.

    Despite their frequent glamorisation in film and TV portrayals, drug cartels are basically international logistics companies. They work with distributors in different countries who deliver the drugs to regional wholesalers, who in turn supply the local retailers (dealers) who sell drugs to individuals.

    Everyone along the supply chain takes their cut, with most people making much more modest incomes than the millionaire drug traffickers of narcocorrido lore. In our interviews with illicit drug entrepreneurs in the US and UK, we routinely spoke to sellers whose incomes ranged from pocket money to providing a moderately comfortable life.


    Illicit drug use is damaging large parts of the world socially, politically and environmentally. Patterns of supply and demand are changing rapidly. In our longform series Addicted, leading experts bring you the latest insights on drug use and production as we ask: is it time to declare a planetary emergency?

    Around 70% to 80% of the overall revenue generated by illicit drugs is shared among the many wholesale and street-level dealers in destination countries such as the UK and US, where the price per gram is at its highest. How this money moves and is used to sustain the illicit drug trade should be an important part of any worthwhile counter-narcotics strategy. But it rarely is.

    Professional money launderers

    The people and organisations responsible for laundering drug revenues – that is, transforming them into untraceable money that can easily be spent, or into assets that can be held or sold – often exist under the radar of law enforcement and the media.

    Yet the ways illicit drug money is laundered are hardly a mystery. Techniques include wire transfers to offshore bank accounts, investments in shell companies or deposits in cash businesses, and buying foreign currencies or (to a small extent) cryptocurrencies. In addition, the straightforward physical transportation of cash across national borders is an often-used method known as a “bulk cash transfer”.

    The largest players in the illicit drugs industry, such as international cartels, national distributors and large-scale wholesalers, often use professional money launderers – some of whom have seemingly reputable jobs in the financial sector. In one recent case, US financial regulators fined TD Bank US$3 billion (£2.4 billion) – a record penalty for a bank – for facilitating the laundering of millions of dollars of drug cartel money.

    Over six years, more than 90% of the bank’s transactions went unmonitored, enabling “three money laundering networks to collectively transfer more than US$670 million through TD Bank accounts”. Then-US attorney general Merrick Garland commented: “By making its services convenient for criminals, [TD Bank] became one.”

    Video: CBC News.

    Some money laundering networks are as global as the drug supply chains they service. In June 2024, the US Department of Justice’s (DoJ) multi-year “Operation Fortune Runner” investigation saw LA-based associates of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel charged with conspiring with money-laundering groups linked to a Chinese underground banking network. According to the IRS’s head of criminal investigation, Guy Ficco:

    Drug traffickers generate immense amounts of cash through their illicit operations. This case is a prime example of Chinese money launderers working hand-in-hand with drug traffickers to try to legitimise profits generated by drug activities.

    According to the DoJ, “many wealthy Chinese nationals” barred from transferring large amounts to the US by the Chinese government’s capital flight restrictions seek informal alternatives to the conventional banking system – including via schemes to launder illicit drug money. The DoJ explained how this works:

    The China-based investor contacts an individual who has US dollars available to sell in the United States. This seller of US dollars provides identifying information for a bank account in China, with instructions for the investor to deposit Chinese currency (renminbi) in that account. Once the owner of the account sees the deposit, an equivalent amount of US dollars is released to the buyer in the United States.

    These arrangements are not unique to Chinese actors. Similar arrangements occur throughout the world, including schemes to leverage the black market peso exchange and the Hawala international money transfer system.

    Professional launderers are both creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in the global financial system. Such corruption allows suspicious transactions to occur without proper checks or oversight. This not only reduces transparency in the financial system but erodes public trust in it.

    How cartels launder their money

    International drug cartels and national wholesalers have a smaller markup on their transactions, compared with retailers. But because they are responsible for moving enormous quantities of illicit drugs, they still generate millions of dollars worth of revenue.

    The most prolific known drug distributors in US history, Margarito Flores Jr and his twin brother Pedro, delivered billions of dollars worth of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines to their US and Canadian wholesale clients between 1998 and 2009. They were working for Guzmán and Ismeal “El Mayo” Zambada García, then leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, as well as the Mexican Beltrán Leyva brothers whose cartel bore their surname.

    Today, Margarito Flores Jr trains law enforcement across the US in the methods he and his brother used to traffic drugs and run their business. In January 2015, both men were sentenced to 14 years for drug trafficking – Margarito Flores Jr would later reach out to one of this article’s authors (R.V. Gundur) after reading his book, Trying to Make It: The Enterprises, Gangs, and People of the American Drug Trade, which includes a comprehensive account of the Flores crew’s activities.

    In a subsequent interview, he told us: “My brother and I estimate that, if we added up all of the money we sent back to Mexico over the decade we sold drugs, it was probably more than US$3.5 billion.”

    The billions they remitted to Mexico were used by Guzmán, Zambada and the Beltrán Levya brothers not only to expand their drug businesses, but to corrupt powerful figures such as Mexico’s former secretary of public security, Genaro García Luna.

    García Luna, who was Mexico’s highest-ranking law enforcement official from 2006 to 2012, was sentenced to nearly 40 years in prison in October 2024 after being found guilty of taking millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa cartel, as well as enabling the trafficking of more than a million kilograms of cocaine into the US. Flores explained to us:

    It’s important to understand that corruption impacts people at all levels of government. Our payoffs included local police and other people in the community, up to higher-positioned people in government. Lots of that money ended up funding the violent conflicts between cartels.

    While there has been widespread coverage of cartel drug money being laundered through high-profile businesses and banks such as Wachovia and HSBC, Flores suggested that “the money involved in the drug trade is a lot more than anybody really can understand”. The reason for this, he said, is that it’s very hard to track the flow of hard cash via lorries, boats, planes and even drones. Flores told us:

    It’s a misconception that everyone who makes a lot of money in drugs or other illegal business makes an effort to launder their money. My brother and I held much of what we earned in cash. We knew the government could eventually take everything [else].

    The twins were right: in time, that’s exactly what the US government did.

    ‘Everyday’ money laundering

    In our study of money laundering strategies used by people involved in the illicit drug trade in the UK and US, we found that street dealers do not typically undertake sophisticated laundering processes. Rather, they spend their cash on food and other routine living expenses. One independent UK drug dealer, whose experience was typical of many, used the money earned from his cocaine sales to buy groceries and pay bills for himself and his daughter.

    Spending money, even small amounts, gained through illegal activities is a money laundering offence – albeit one that is seldom prosecuted. As a result, these everyday activities that return illicit drug money to the legal economy are not well accounted for – even though the street value of drugs drives global market value estimates.

    Business-savvy street dealers can earn gross revenues that approach the earnings of high-paid white-collar workers. But they must disguise their earnings’ origins before they can spend them, of course, and various tactics are used to do this.

    Some dealers solicit close friends or family members to act as “strawmen”. These are people willing to put assets paid for by illicit drug money – such as cars, properties or even businesses – in their names on behalf of the dealer. Idris Elba’s character Stringer Bell in HBO’s The Wire was an accurate portrayal of someone investing in legal enterprises using illicit drug money.

    A guide to Stringer Bell’s character in The Wire. Video: Just an Observation.

    These strategies occur wherever illegal enterprise exists, and have done for well over a century. In the US, we interviewed wholesalers who had used family members to own houses and other properties on their behalf. This is done to mitigate against the risk of asset forfeiture should they be convicted of a crime. If an illicit enterprise can create a plausible beneficial owner who is not involved in crime, then the asset is harder to seize. This is why the Donald Trump administration’s recent suspension of beneficial owner oversight is problematic from a drug enforcement perspective.

    In liberal democracies, governments cannot investigate someone’s finances simply because they are related to criminals. The dirty money that is put into their accounts can also be disguised as legitimate income making it difficult to identify, although thorough investigations may uncover it.

    In the UK, we also talked to successful drug retailers who had set up local businesses in their own names. The EU’s law enforcement agency, Europol, has reported similar activities throughout Europe.

    Legal businesses are a common – and often hard-to-detect – vehicle to launder drug money. Bars, clubs, gyms, and hair, nail and tanning salons can be readily set up with drug money, as large cash infusions to establish a business are often not well scrutinised. These businesses are comparatively easy to run with significant cash flows, providing suitable cover for dirty money.

    For example, a beauty salon, especially one that offers high-value boutique services, could easily incorporate drug revenue into its financial accounts by reporting sales that do not occur. Tanning salons can be set up with little expense since they require only sunbeds and the rental of a property.

    Along with bars, clubs and salons, construction companies and restaurants stand out as other cash-intensive businesses with high volumes of transactions – characteristics that make good fronts for laundering money.

    It’s hard to spot a ‘dirty’ business

    There is no surefire way to tell whether a business is a laundering front. While some may look like enterprises struggling to stay afloat, others develop into viable operations that eventually no longer need dirty money to sustain them.

    Some drug dealers incorporate laundering practices within their legitimate jobs. Tradespeople such as electricians or plumbers, for example, can launder money by generating invoices for fake jobs, then reporting the income on their tax returns.

    In both the UK and US, tax authorities are not charged with evaluating the veracity of the funds reported, and are generally satisfied once tax is paid. In other words, they generally trust declared income as proof of legal business activity. Moreover, they, along with the police, lack the resources to investigate these businesses for money laundering.

    Through their legal businesses, many drug dealers pay significant taxes on their illegal revenue, and thus contribute to the economy.

    Paying income tax effectively renders this income laundered. It can be invested and used to set up other businesses, or to purchase cars and properties without suspicion. It can also bolster credit ratings, and improve access to legal financial services such as bank loans.

    Many small-time drug dealers start legal businesses in order to exit the illicit drug trade. We interviewed one cocaine dealer who had used his drug money to set up a retail electronics store; once it was successful, he stopped dealing. Similarly, the person behind a semi-legitimate nitrous oxide enterprise used his proceeds to set up a legitimate alcohol delivery service.

    Through self-laundering, these modest drug dealers transform their proceeds of crime into spendable cash – and may eventually leave criminality behind altogether.

    The (losing) battle against laundered money

    Across the world, anti-money laundering efforts against organised criminal gangs are notoriously ineffective.

    The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) – an intergovernmental organisation formed in 1999 to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism – assesses financial regulators’ anti-money laundering controls all over the world. Countries designated as a risk that require monitoring are placed on the task force’s “grey list”, while severe, high-risk countries go on its “black list”. Being put on these lists can result in a withdrawal of international investment and implementation of sanctions by other countries.

    Although developing countries have often scored badly in their assessments, there has been some progress. While Kenya remained on the grey list in 2024, for example, it was found to have strengthened its measures to tackle both money laundering and terrorist financing. In the same year, though, Lebanon was added to the grey list over concerns on both counts.

    The FATF’s evaluation processes are designed to provide an objective assessment of whether a country has implemented its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing recommendations. However, the success of the FATF’s anti-money laundering controls remains unclear.

    Video: The Financial Action Task Force.

    Often lost in the criminal financing narrative is the role of bulk cash transfers. Even in a world that is moving to cashless transactions, cash generally remains the primary currency of both the illicit drug trade and corruption.

    The biggest and most successful drug traffickers have significant cash reserves which are used to pay workers, replace drugs that are lost or seized, accrue assets, and bribe key officials.

    Reflecting on his former illicit enterprise, Margarito Flores observed: “For every kilo of cocaine or heroin or methamphetamine we sold in the US, at least a kilo of cash went back to Mexico.” For deals in Europe, Flores said: “Given the markup the further away you trade, the amount of cash sent back could be even higher – I would estimate it to be a kilo and a half.”

    Flores described the ineptitude of law enforcement in policing cash that was leaving the US:

    No matter how careful we were, my brother and I lost a handful of loads of drugs heading north [from Mexico into the US]. Heading south was different: we just had the money put on tractor trailers and had it driven it across the border. We never lost a dollar. That’s where politicians don’t pay enough attention. That cash lets traffickers keep doing business.

    Focus on the money as well as the drugs

    So long as demand for illicit drugs exists, the industry will continue – and the revenue it generates will be laundered.

    We believe that to curb the drugs trade, enforcement strategies need to go beyond simply capturing drugs and focus much more on capturing the money. Governments should go after reserves held not only by drug cartels but high-level distributors, such as those who replaced the Flores twins, and also wholesalers. People like these – comparatively high earners in destination countries – are the backbone of the illicit drugs trade.

    Transnational law enforcement should prioritise detecting and seizing bulk cash transfers. These high-volume proceeds underwrite the wellbeing of drug trafficking organisations. Digital tools, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, can be developed to create new techniques to track and trace suspicious transactions, although they alone won’t solve all laundering problems.

    Corruption of officials also remains a problem. Governments need to ensure their officials are well paid and sufficiently monitored in their roles – be they working in government, border control, banks, police departments or prisons. Unfortunately, the US has shirked its leadership in global anti-corruption efforts with the recent halting of the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bans the bribing of foreign officials.



    Read more:
    Mexico’s drug corruption has more to do with US demand than crooked politicians

    Anti-money laundering efforts need to be consistently supported and required. Lamentably, the US has undermined its anti-money laundering toolkit by suspending the enforcement of beneficial ownership information reporting requirements. Establishing beneficial ownership helps financial institutions to identify parties that are hiding their financial interests, which can be an indication of money laundering or other criminal activity.

    Similarly, foreign investment in producer countries can strengthen their capacity to counter laundering by supporting intelligence infrastructure and improved training. Recent cuts to USAid and the reduction of US State Department efforts in these areas is another indication that the US will no longer lead in these domains.

    As cash businesses provide an easy mechanism for cleaning money, moving to a cashless society that uses digital transactions may help ensure that money is traceable. At the same time, cryptomarkets provide a minor, but potentially increasing, pathway to hiding dirty money digitally.

    Ultimately, we should recognise the decades-long “war on drugs” for what it is: a policy costing trillions of dollars that combined mass incarceration with insufficient public health investment, and which has harmed the very communities the illicit drug trade affects the most. It is a difficult balance, but the pathway forward needs to reorient the objectives regarding drugs: invest in people, then go after the money that keeps the cartels, distributors and wholesalers afloat.

    For you: more from our Insights series:

    To hear about new Insights articles, join the hundreds of thousands of people who value The Conversation’s evidence-based news. Subscribe to our newsletter.

    Mark Berry received funding from the Dawes Trust for a prestigious PhD scholarship to undertake work that informs the contents of this article.

    R.V. Gundur received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council to undertake work that informs the contents of this article. He is also a professional member of the International Compliance Association.

    The authors wish to thank Margarito Flores Jr (kingpintoeducator.com) for his help with this article.

    – ref. Money laundering plays a key role in every part of the illegal drugs industry – here’s how it works – https://theconversation.com/money-laundering-plays-a-key-role-in-every-part-of-the-illegal-drugs-industry-heres-how-it-works-251288

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Employee at Multinational DVD Company Charged with Stealing, Selling Pre-Release Commercial DVDs for Blockbuster Films

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A worker at a DVD and Blu-ray manufacturing and distribution company used by major movie studios was arrested today in Memphis, Tennessee, for allegedly stealing DVDs and Blu-rays of blockbuster movies from the company and selling them before their official scheduled release dates. A digital copy of at least one of the stolen Blu-rays was illegally distributed tens of millions of times over the internet, causing the copyright owner tens of millions of dollars in losses.

    According to court documents, Steven R. Hale, 37, of Memphis, worked for a multinational company that, among other things, manufactured and distributed DVDs and Blu-rays of movies. From approximately February 2021 to March 2022, Hale allegedly stole numerous “pre-release” DVDs and Blu-rays, that is, discs being prepared for commercial distribution in the United States and not available for sale to the public. These included DVDs and Blu-rays for such popular films as “F9: The Fast Saga,” “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” “Godzilla v. Kong,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “Dune,” and “Black Widow.” Hale allegedly sold the DVDs and Blu-rays through e-commerce sites. At least one pre-release Blu-ray that Hale allegedly stole and sold, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” was “ripped” — that is, extracted from the Blu-ray by bypassing the encryption that prevents unauthorized copying — and copied. That digital copy was then illegally made available over the internet more than a month before the Blu-ray’s official scheduled release date. Copies of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” were downloaded tens of millions of times, with an estimated loss to the copyright owner of tens of millions of dollars.

    The indictment, unsealed today, charges Hale with two counts of criminal copyright infringement and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each criminal copyright infringement count and 10 years in prison on the interstate transportation of stolen goods count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI is investigating the case.

    Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti and Trial Attorney Debra Ireland of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment 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 USA: Michigan Businessman Found Guilty of Employment Tax Crimes

    Source: US State of Vermont

    A federal jury convicted a Michigan businessman yesterday for not paying employment taxes and not filing his own individual income tax returns.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dale Thrush, of Farwell, owned and operated several automotive repair service locations and a gas station. Thrush was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from his employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS on behalf of his employees. From October 2014 through December 2016, Thrush withheld those funds from his employees’ wages but did not pay over the full amount of the withheld taxes to the IRS. Instead, Thrush used some of those funds to pay personal expenses, including the remodeling and construction costs for his wife’s business.

    In addition, Thrush did not file his own individual income tax returns for 2013 through 2016 despite being legally obligated to do so.

    Thrush was convicted of three counts of willful failure to pay payroll taxes and four counts of willful failure to file individual income tax returns. He was acquitted of seven counts of willful failure to pay payroll taxes.

    Thrush is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of not paying employment taxes and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of not filing his individual income tax returns. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and Evan Mulbry of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Signs AFY25 Budget – Delivering Hurricane Relief, Tax Refunds, and Major One-Time Investments

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, House and Senate Appropriations Chairmen Tillery and Hatchett, constitutional officers, and members of the Georgia General Assembly, today signed the Amended Budget for Fiscal Year 2025. 

    Excerpt of Governor Kemp’s Remarks

    …

    I want to start by thanking the great legislative partners you see behind us and those next to me, including Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Speaker Jon Burns, Chairman Blake Tillery, Chairman Matt Hatchett, and the members of the General Assembly from both chambers and parties who overwhelmingly voted for this budget.

    We’re also glad to be joined by the Constitutional Officers here with us today and the nation’s best First Lady, Marty Kemp!

    I also want to thank OPB Director Rick Dunn and his team for all the time and hard work they put into the budget process each year alongside our partners in the House and Senate Budget Offices and all the time and effort they still have left to give as we work on the big budget. Let’s give his team a round of applause.

    Today, I’ll sign the amended budget for Fiscal Year 2025… a budget that gives relief to Georgians devastated by Hurricane Helene… makes our schools and communities safer through strategic investments… and yet again returns hard-earned money to the taxpayers. 

    …

    All of this investment is designed to benefit our local communities but it’s also going to keep Georgians working in all parts of the state during these uncertain economic times.

    As we all know too well, inflation may have come down, but high prices haven’t. And that’s why this budget includes 1 billion dollars for another one-time refund for hardworking taxpayers!

    And as just a reminder to you all behind me, we still need the General Assembly to pass the enabling legislation.

    I’m sure some of these men and women up here will help us out with that later today!

    And as soon as we pass the second tax cut acceleration measure, we’ll be able to keep even more of Georgians’ money in their pockets… because they know how to spend it better than the government does!

    My goal working with the members of the General Assembly who have been such strong supporters in these measures has been to help Georgians fighting through 40-year-high inflation. 

    To give them a chance during these challenging times to keep their businesses going and provide for their families by putting more money in their pockets. And to help them and their children have good-paying jobs by developing an environment that attracts business and opportunity.

    That’s what people voted for in November of 2024; that’s what we’ve all been doing; and that’s what we’re going to keep doing!

    So, thank you, legislators, for helping us keep Georgia the best place to live, work, and raise a family through budgets like this.

    …

    You can watch Governor Kemp’s full remarks and the signing of the budget here.

    “This budget includes critical midyear adjustments for Georgia’s education system, economic development projects, transportation infrastructure and public safety,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “Additionally, over $250 million is included for Georgia’s agriculture and timber communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, along with relief for our fellow Georgians and local communities for recovery and cleanup efforts. I want to thank Governor Kemp, Speaker Burns, Chairman Tillery, and all members of the Senate Appropriations Committee for their hard work to ensure we passed a balanced and fiscally conservative budget, as we prepare for fiscal year 2026. Georgia is a shining example of how to budget efficiently and effectively, while putting Georgian’s hard earned dollars back in their pockets. I look forward to our continued work to appropriate taxpayer dollars in a fiscally, conservative manner.”

    “This budget reaffirms Georgia’s commitment to making strategic investments that strengthen and uplift every community, family, and citizen across our great state—all while putting money back in the pockets of taxpayers,” said Speaker Jon Burns. “As we look ahead, the House is looking forward to working alongside Governor Kemp to continue prioritizing fiscally responsible and measured investments that secure the future success of our state for generations to come.”

    In addition to investments in healthcare, public safety, education, and returning $1 billion to taxpayers through a third one-time special tax refund, the amended budget includes investments and allocations for:

    • Hurricane Helene Relief: More then $867 million for response costs and relief, including but not limited to, one-time grants to public rural and critical access hospitals included in the major disaster declaration area to assist in financial stabilization and recovery efforts, disaster relief assistance to impacted farmers and timber producers, and grants to non-profits for Hurricane Helene rebuilding and recovery efforts.
    • Education and Workforce Development: $140 million in additional allocations to fully fund QBE and support our local school systems to help us build an unrivaled workforce as we work to make Georgia the Top State for Talent.
    • Public Safety and Corrections: More than $434 million in new funding for the Department of Corrections to fortify state facilities, invest in Corrections Officers, and equip them with the tools they need to be effective and efficient.
    • Fighting Human Trafficking: $3.5 million to design a recovery center for victims of human trafficking – an effort championed by First Lady Marty Kemp – and over $187,000 to expand the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit to the Macon and Augusta regions.
    • School Security: An additional $50 million in one-time funds for another round of security grants to all K-12 public schools.
    • Coastal Water Infrastructure: $501.7 million in funding for the development and construction of water infrastructure in Georgia’s coastal region to meet the growing demand due to historic economic development.
    • Local Water and Sewer Infrastructure: Over $266 million in funding for the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to support water and sewer infrastructure development projects across Georgia.
    • Local Road Infrastructure: $265 million into the local maintenance and improvement grant program and $46 million to the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank’s grant and loan program. 
    • Combating Wildfires: $4.7 million for the Forestry Commission to purchase a new fire suppression helicopter

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Businessman Found Guilty of Employment Tax Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A federal jury convicted a Michigan businessman yesterday for not paying employment taxes and not filing his own individual income tax returns.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dale Thrush, of Farwell, owned and operated several automotive repair service locations and a gas station. Thrush was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from his employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS on behalf of his employees. From October 2014 through December 2016, Thrush withheld those funds from his employees’ wages but did not pay over the full amount of the withheld taxes to the IRS. Instead, Thrush used some of those funds to pay personal expenses, including the remodeling and construction costs for his wife’s business.

    In addition, Thrush did not file his own individual income tax returns for 2013 through 2016 despite being legally obligated to do so.

    Thrush was convicted of three counts of willful failure to pay payroll taxes and four counts of willful failure to file individual income tax returns. He was acquitted of seven counts of willful failure to pay payroll taxes.

    Thrush is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of not paying employment taxes and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of not filing his individual income tax returns. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and Evan Mulbry of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: In Dialogue with Burkina Faso, Experts of the Human Rights Committee Commend Electoral Quotas for Women, Raise Issues Concerning Alleged Human Rights Violations by Homeland Defence Volunteers and Potential Reinstatement of the Death Penalty

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Human Rights Committee today concluded its consideration of the second periodic report of Burkina Faso on how it implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with Committee Experts commending electoral quotas promoting women’s representation, while raising issues concerning impunity for alleged human rights violations committed by the Homeland Defence Volunteers, and the potential reinstatement of the death penalty.

    A Committee Expert welcomed the 2009 law on electoral quotas, which increased the quota for the representation of women in legislative and municipal elections from 30 to 50 per cent.  However, a 2020 law retained a 30 per cent quota; were there plans to amend it?

    A Committee Expert said there seemed to be impunity for violations committed by the special forces and Homeland Defence Volunteers.  How was the State party pursuing accountability?  Another Expert said State legislation granted self-defence militia a role in overseeing security and questioning suspects.  How was the State party preventing self-defence militia from carrying out law enforcement activities?

    One Expert said the Committee was deeply concerned by reported plans to reintroduce the death penalty in Burkina Faso.  Could the delegation clarify whether Burkina Faso was committed to abolishing the death penalty?  How was the potential reinstatement of the death penalty aligned with the State’s Covenant obligations?

    Responding to questions, the delegation said a law was implemented in 2020 that regulated quotas for women’s representation in elections, but it had since been revised.  Some 23 per cent of Government staff were women and there were five women ministers out of 23, while 27 per cent of Governors and 33 per cent of embassy staff and ambassadors were women.

    The State party did not agree with the Committee’s use of the term “self-defence militia”, the delegation said, which was not in line with reality.  Burkina Faso was facing an extraordinary security situation; security forces were reacting to neutralise terrorists.  There were no militias, only Homeland Defence Volunteers, who were under the aegis of the security forces.  State officials were not involved in the disappearances of persons; only terrorists were.  Persons who committed violations were brought before the justice system.

    The delegation said Burkina Faso had a sovereign right to decide on the imposition of the death penalty.  As the country most affected by terrorism worldwide, the State was most concerned with restoring peace and defending citizens’ rights. The death penalty existed in State legislation, such as in the military code, but there was a de facto moratorium on it.  There were plans to restore the death penalty to deter crimes of terrorism.

    Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Keeper of the Seals and head of the delegation, said Burkina Faso was determined to implement civil and political rights, despite the terrorist attacks faced by the country.  The State had undertaken several institutional and legislative reforms to ensure citizens could better enjoy their rights, strengthening public institutions and structures responsible for promoting human rights.

    In concluding remarks, Mr. Bayala thanked the Committee for the high-quality dialogue.  The Government remained deeply committed to the respect of human rights and would closely heed any recommendations made by the Committee. The stabilisation undertaken by Burkina Faso was essential to bringing about lasting peace and development, and international partners were called on to support these efforts.

    Changrok Soh, Committee Chairperson, in concluding remarks, expressed appreciation for the constructive dialogue, and thanked all those who had contributed.  The discussions had covered a range of topics related to the Covenant, he said.

    The delegation of Burkina Faso was made up of representatives of the Presidency of Burkina Faso; Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; Ministry of Humanitarian Action and National Solidarity; Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs; Ministry of Security; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad; and the Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Human Rights Committee’s one hundred and forty-third session is being held from 3 to 28 March 2025.  All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. this afternoon, Thursday 6 March to begin its consideration of the second periodic report of Zimbabwe (CCPR/C/ZWE/2).

    Report

    The Committee has before it the second periodic report of Burkina Faso (CCPR/C/BFA/2).

    Presentation of the Report

    SABINE BAKYONO KANZIE, Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said through the dialogue with the Committee, Burkina Faso sought to renew its commitments to the rules and principles embodied in the Covenant.  The delegation would tackle key issues, focusing on what the Government had done to strengthen the institutional and regulatory framework.

    EDASSO RODRIGUE BAYALA, Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Keeper of the Seals and head of the delegation, said Burkina Faso was determined to implement civil and political rights, despite the terrorist attacks faced by the country.  The State had undertaken several institutional and legislative reforms to ensure citizens could better enjoy their rights.  Over the reporting period, the normative framework for the protection of civil and political rights had evolved, with the adoption of laws on the functioning of the High Council for Communication, the conditions of entry and residence of foreigners on national territory, the administration of community service, and the Homeland Defence Volunteers, as well as the 2024 amendment to the Constitution.

    The Government had strengthened public institutions and structures responsible for promoting and protecting human rights. The staff and budget of the National Human Rights Commission had been strengthened, and the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture was operationalised.  In 2023, the Government created a framework for consultation, monitoring and early warning of cases of alleged human rights violations and abuses, relating to the fight against terrorism, and an interministerial working group to implement the framework.  Judicial units specialised in economic and financial crimes and organised crime were created within the Ouaga 1 and Bobo Dioulasso High Courts, and a unit specialised in terrorism cases was created within the Ouaga II High Court.

    Burkina Faso attached great importance to the contribution of civil society organizations.  It adopted Law No. 039 on the protection of human rights defenders in 2017, which guaranteed the right of individuals and associations to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.  More than 500 young human rights defenders from areas affected by the security crisis were trained between 2020 and 2022. 

    After the report was tabled, the State party had trained 627 supervisors and trainers of the Homeland Defence Volunteers, and sensitised more than 32,000 volunteers and armed force members on the protection of human rights in the fight against terrorism.  It had also held trials of terrorism cases in 2023 and 2024, in which 151 people were convicted and 95 acquitted, and held empty case files operations in January 2025, which made it possible to adjudicate 4,200 cases that had been pending for several years.

    To effectively combat terrorism, major legislative, institutional and operational reforms of the armed forces had been carried out.  Legal advisers had been established within each armed forces unit.  To guarantee the protection of the population and their property against the terrorist threat, the Government established a “state of ready alert” for a period of 12 months in April 2023, duly notifying the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

    A trial to establish responsibility regarding the death of former President Thomas Sankara was concluded in 2022 with the conviction of 14 people and  compensation for the beneficiaries.  Regarding the Norbert Zongo case, the Government had implemented the judgment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights on reparations to family members and others, providing 233,135,409 CFA francs in compensation.

    To combat prison overcrowding, several measures had been adopted, including a 2024 law on community service, and the revision of the Code of Criminal Procedure, to improve the efficiency of the Burkinabe justice system.

    Regarding the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, Burkina Faso had developed a new strategy with an action plan for 2021-2025.  Structures such as the Supreme Authority for State Control and the Fight against Corruption had strengthened awareness-raising on corruption and internal controls of public structures.  From 2022 to 2024, the Supreme Authority had sent 141 cases to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, 31 of which had already been tried.

    The Government had undertaken a review of the Code of Persons and the Family, aiming to harmonising the minimum legal age of marriage for men and women.  The draft Code had been transmitted to the Transitional Legislative Assembly for adoption.

    Burkina Faso was committed to freedom of the press and of opinion, freedom of assembly and the right to information.  However, these freedoms were not absolute and needed to be exercised in compliance with the law.  Restrictions could be imposed by the Government on the exercise of these freedoms in accordance with international commitments.  To enable journalists and media outlets to adapt to the security context, the Government was providing training, information and awareness-raising activities on crisis-sensitive journalism.

    Despite the progress made, the security and humanitarian challenges that Burkina Faso had been facing for several years were a major concern.  Citizens were fighting with bravery and dignity for the total eradication of terrorism. The State was calling for more solidarity and support from the international community.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert noted the State party’s substantial legislative and institutional machinery, set up despite the challenges faced in the State.  What measures were in place to ensure respect for the State’s human rights commitments and implementation of the Committee’s recommendations?  Since the last review, the security and humanitarian situation had deteriorated considerably in the State party.  According to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index report, “for the first time, Burkina Faso had become the country most affected by terrorism globally”.

    The Committee noted with satisfaction that the Constitution conferred on international treaties and agreements that the State party had ratified or approved a binding nature and supra-legislative authority.  Efforts had been made by the Government to disseminate the provisions of the Covenant. Could the State party provide examples of cases where national courts had invoked the provisions of the Covenant? What legislation had been harmonised with the Covenant and relevant recommendations in the previous concluding observations?  Did Constitutional revisions strengthen civil and political rights?

    A trial had been held regarding the death of former President Thomas Sankara.  Could the State party provide information on this trial and the designation of an official burial site?

    Why had the national preventive mechanism against torture been included within the National Human Rights Commission?  What were the outcomes of its activities? Could data be provided on complaints received by the Commission?  What sanctions were issued to the perpetrators of violations?  What had the Commission done to ensure proper implementation of the law on the protection of human rights defenders?  What measures had the State party taken to ensure that the Commission could recover its accreditation with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions?

    Another Committee Expert requested more information on measures taken to ensure accountability for all persons who committed violations against former President Thomas Sankara and Norbert Zongo. Why had the High Council for Reconciliation and National Unity, which had investigated historic human rights violations occurring since the 1960s, been disestablished?  Had all its investigations been closed and did they lead to criminal sanctions?

    There had been an upsurge in human rights violations committed in the State since 2019 by different actors, including terrorist groups, non-State and military actors.  What measures were in place to raise awareness of human rights and international humanitarian law?  There seemed to be impunity for violations committed by the special forces and the Homeland Defence Volunteers.  How was the State party pursuing accountability?  What transitional justice measures and human rights education measures were in place?

    The State party had not withdrawn or renewed the state of emergency established in 2019.  Such states of emergency needed to respect basic rights; the right to individual freedoms could not be subject to exemptions.  Serious violations had occurred in the context of the fight against terrorism, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance and torture. How could the derogatory legal framework in place today be reconciled with the Covenant?  When would the state of emergency be ended?

    Martial rape was prohibited in the State party. Were there any awareness raising campaigns in place to inform the public of the prohibition, and to prevent patriarchal stereotypes and violence against women?  There was an environment of impunity for violence against women in the State party.  What investigations had been carried out into violence against women, including sexual violence against displaced women?

    One Committee Expert said Burkina Faso had acceded to the United Nations Convention on Corruption in 2006, and to the African Union Convention on Corruption in 2005.  In 2017, the State adopted a law on the prevention of corruption.  Despite the efforts of the State party, however, Burkina Faso had high rankings on global corruption indices.  What measures were in place to investigate and prevent corruption?  What support did the State provide to the national committee monitoring corruption, which was reportedly encountering financial difficulties?

    The Expert welcomed the 2009 law on electoral quotas, which increased the quota for the representation of women in legislative and municipal elections from 30 to 50 per cent.  However, a 2020 law retained a 30 per cent quota; were there plans to amend it?  What measures were in place to increase the representation of women in leadership positions in public and private institutions?  There were customary practices that were discriminatory to women in Burkina Faso.  How did legislation prevent these practices?

    Parliament was reportedly yet to adopt draft legislation that would establish the legal minimum age for marriage of men and women at 18 years, and to prohibit polygamy.  When would this be adopted?  What measures were in place to prevent polygamy and raise awareness of its harms? The Committee was concerned by the continued prevalence of female genital mutilation, despite its prohibition in 1996.  What measures were in place to implement the prohibition and to combat stigmatisation and violence against women who were accused of witchcraft?

    State legislation granted self-defence militia a role in overseeing security and questioning suspects.  How was the State party strengthening the presence of security forces across the country and preventing self-defence militia from carrying out law enforcement activities?  Was the State party investigating violations by these militia?

    Another Committee Expert said that the Committee welcomed that the State party had adopted legislation prohibiting discrimination, but certain vulnerable groups were not offered protection.  Was the State party planning to adopt a comprehensive legal framework that clearly defined direct and indirect discrimination, and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and disability? What measures were in place to provide reparations for victims of discrimination, sanction discriminatory speech in the online space, and prevent discrimination against persons with albinism? Could the delegation provide information on reforms to the law on the family and their impact on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons?

    One Committee Expert welcomed recent amendments to the Criminal Code, which allowed for abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, in cases of rape or incest.  However, social and cultural attitudes stigmatised women who sought abortions and there were barriers to obtaining legal abortions, pushing women to seek unsafe, clandestine abortions.  How was the State party addressing these issues?  The Expert welcomed the marked increase in free family planning services and contraception, but noted that cultural and other barriers continued to prevent access to contraception and family planning services.  How would these issues be addressed?

    The Committee was deeply concerned by reported plans to reintroduce the death penalty in Burkina Faso.  Could the delegation clarify whether Burkina Faso was committed to abolishing the death penalty?  The State party had not taken substantial steps to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant.  What was the status of the ratification process?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the State party did not agree with the Committee’s use of the terms “armed non-State groups” and “self-defence militia”, which were not in line with reality.  Burkina Faso was facing an extraordinary security situation. There were no non-State armed groups, only terrorist groups.  There were also no militias, only Homeland Defence Volunteers, who were under the aegis of the security forces.  State officials were not involved in the disappearances of persons; only terrorists were.  Security forces were reacting to neutralise terrorists.  In some cases, persons reported as having been disappeared were in fact terrorists.  Persons who committed violations were brought before the justice system.

    The death penalty existed in State legislation, such as in the military code, but there was a de facto moratorium on it. There were plans to restore the death penalty to deter crimes of terrorism.

    Reform of the Constitution had been stalled due to the security situation, with work to resume when the security situation had improved.

    The Government had strengthened protection against human rights violations in 2023.  Victims of such violations had the right to report them to competent State bodies and the National Human Rights Commission.  Legislation adopted in 2016 and 2017 defined the Commission’s mandate. Since 2022, the Commission had had its own budget, and its staff had recently been increased.  It was aligned with the Paris Principles. 

    Legal amendments in 2021 appointed the National Human Rights Commission as the national preventive mechanism for torture; it was currently operational and conducting activities across the country. The mechanism had been conducting awareness raising campaigns and workshops on preventing torture and had held commemorations for the victims of torture.

    The State party planned to raise the legal age of marriage to 18 years for men and women.  All citizens were equal before the law in Burkina Faso.  The State party had conducted awareness raising activities to boost social cohesion and prevent discrimination.

    In 2023, the State party submitted a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General notifying him of the state of emergency. The state of emergency provided for no exemptions to basic individual freedoms.  The Constitution stated that all citizens could invoke all international treaties ratified by Burkina Faso before the courts.  Several members of the judiciary had received training on international treaties ratified by the State party, including the Covenant.

    The remains of former President Thomas Sankara and his murdered colleagues had been buried and these persons had been given the status of “national heroes”.  Compensation had been granted related to the case of Norbert Zongo, although this case was still before the courts.

    All forms of discrimination were prohibited under State law and victims of discrimination could plead their cases with the competent authorities.  The Penal Code stipulated that discrimination based on specific characteristics was prohibited, when it aimed to infringe on rights.  Public speech inciting violence or hatred against a person or group on any grounds could be punished with up to three years imprisonment.  There were legal provisions prohibiting discrimination by employers in relation to hiring and dismissals, and defamation against any group by the press.  There was also legislation protecting persons with disabilities from discrimination. Employers could not reject applications from persons with disabilities on the grounds of their disability.

    A law was implemented in 2020 that regulated quotas for women’s representation in elections, but it had since been revised. Some 23 per cent of Government staff were women, while 33 per cent of embassy staff were women, and 27 per cent of Governors were women.

    Burkina Faso had comprehensive care shelters for women victims of violence in three locations.  The Penal Code issued penalties of imprisonment and fines for persons who accused women of witchcraft.  The State party had assisted around 30 women accused of witchcraft to return to their family environment in 2024.  There was a national strategy and action plan for eliminating female genital mutilation; close to 250 persons had been prosecuted for the crime of female genital mutilation in recent years.  Various projects had been financed throughout the country to promote women’s access to land; these had helped to increase the share of land held by women.

    Burkina Faso provided food aid, shelter and psychosocial support for internally displaced persons.  The State had established a plan spanning 2023 to 2027 for supporting internally displaced persons.

    Abortions could be carried out by authorised doctors if there was a threat to the life of the mother.  The State party had established a national action plan on family planning, which sought to increase access to contraception.

    The High Council for Reconciliation and National Unity had been abolished and another body had been established to continue its mission.

    Volunteer forces were military personnel, and therefore needed to abide by State legislation and all international treaties to which Burkina Faso was a party.  They did not enjoy impunity.  When they committed violations, they could be expelled from the security forces.  Legal texts regulated the mobilisation of volunteer forces, which were helping to recover land nationwide and put an end to terrorist attacks.  Reforms were being implemented to promote better coverage of the territory by security forces.  The State could not overcome terrorism without the help of citizens.  From 2016 to 2024, over 285 members of self-defence forces were prosecuted and issued with sanctions.

    There were State bodies that were working to prevent corruption and investigate complaints of corruption, including corruption within the security forces.  Legislation on money laundering, financing terrorism and proliferating weapons of mass destruction had been implemented.  In 2024, 81 cases of violations under this legislation had been investigated.

    The state of emergency was not in force as of October 2023, demonstrating that the security situation in the country had improved. The state of emergency had been implemented to combat the upsurge in terrorist acts and to bring back peace in the country.

    Burkina Faso attached great importance to the contributions of human rights defenders and had implemented several initiatives to create an enabling environment for them.  The law on human rights defenders mandated the State to set up a protection mechanism for human rights defenders and their family members; this was now operational.

    The Government was committed to freedom of the press.  However, hate speech and incitement to violence was not acceptable and some members of the press had been sanctioned for such activities.

    Persons with albinism had preferential access to State health and educational services.

    Burkina Faso was committed to combatting and ending female genital mutilation both within and outside its territory.  In the Human Rights Council, the State promoted resolution 50/16, which addressed female genital mutilation internationally.

    The State party was waging a complex battle against terrorists and their accomplices, who sometimes sought to hijack human rights issues. These persons could have given the Committee unreliable information.

    Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

    One Committee Expert called on the State party to prove that the information submitted by civil society lacked substantiation.  The Expert said that the only official notification received by the Secretary-General related to the state of emergency dated back to 2019.  Had a letter been sent concerning the most recent state of emergency?  The powers granted to the military in this state of emergency seemed to still be in force; was this the case?

    Other Committee Experts asked follow-up questions on the membership of the national preventive mechanism against torture, the resources available to it, and its powers to visit places of depravation of liberty; measures to ensure that existing laws were consistent with the Covenant; how human rights defenders were involved in the drafting of treaty body reports and whether there was a dedicated mechanism for the drafting of reports.

    Questions were also asked on measures to ensure that informal counter-terrorism actors did not abuse their powers; how the State party implemented anti-discrimination legislation to protect the rights of vulnerable persons; how the State party would guarantee access to justice for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups who were discriminated against; the number of discrimination complaints investigated by the State party; the State party’s legal stance on same-sex relations; measures to prevent marital rape; how the potential reinstatement of the death penalty aligned with the State’s Covenant obligations; and plans to remove administrative barriers to accessing abortions.

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said it could not provide information about issues that did not exist, such as self-defence militias. The Homeland Defence Volunteers had a legal basis, and volunteers were recruited according to specific moral criteria. They were overseen by the military police and other defence forces.

    Burkina Faso had a sovereign right to decide on the imposition of the death penalty, which could act as a deterrent to terrorism crimes.  Burkina Faso had a duty to uphold the Covenant but was facing an existential crisis. It was the country most affected by terrorism worldwide.  The State was most concerned with escaping this situation, restoring peace and defending citizens’ rights.  It had eliminated the death penalty within common law.

    The Constitutional Court had invoked the Covenant in two cases.  The national preventive mechanism against torture was established in 2014 but had faced financial difficulties.  In 2021, the decision was made to incorporate the mechanism within the National Human Rights Commission to ensure its access to financing.  It worked separately from the Commission, overseeing prisons, police holding facilities and other places of detention.  It had also held workshops throughout the country to inform the public about its activities.

    The state of emergency was no longer in force, but the State party still needed to ensure security across the country.  Thus, following advice from the Constitutional Court, the State party had declared a “state of ready alert”, which gave the State the power to control the supply of resources and restrict certain rights, pursuant to the law.

    There was a plan of action in place for the promotion of human rights education and civic duty.  A study had been conducted into the alignment of the State’s legislation with Covenant provisions; the recommendations of this study were currently being implemented.  There was a specialised body established within the State party to draft reports for the treaty bodies and oversee implementation of their recommendations.

    In cases of rape or incest, if public prosecutors granted permission, women could conduct abortions within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.  In cases of repeated marital rape, fines were imposed on the perpetrator.  The Government was conducting an awareness raising campaign on preventing marital rape.

    In March 2020, a decree was adopted for an action plan up to 2024 for human rights education within school syllabuses and educational training centres.  This action plan made it possible to provide training, awareness raising and information session to the public, civil society organisations and defence forces. Some 232 courses in human rights were organised.  An action plan for 2025-2029 was currently being developed to continue this work. 

    Burkina Faso had established traditional dispute mechanisms, including mediation.  There had been more than 4,000 complaints of violence against women in 2023 and more than 5,000 in 2024.  Access to justice was guaranteed for everybody, including those with disabilities.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert asked how the mechanism for the prevention of torture worked in practice.  Could it visit places of deprivation of liberty unannounced and meet detainees without the presence of a police officer or guard?  Were requests from the authorities followed up?  Was the Human Rights Commission’s annual report widely disseminated to the authorities concerned?  Torture was prohibited, as was the use of confessions under torture, however accused officials had told the courts that confessions had been extracted from them by police.  Could the delegation provide examples of cases in which the rule of exclusion of evidence obtained under torture had been applied by the courts?

    The judicial reforms of 2023 and 2024 had significant effects on the functioning of the justice system, some of which were potentially problematic, even dangerous, including the modification of the High Council of the Judiciary to increase the share of non-magistrate members to 50 per cent, and the submission of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to the authority of the Minister of Justice.  It appeared that it was up to the Minister, in practice, to appoint, assign and sanction judges, which risked undermining the independence of judges.  There also seemed to be significant judicial backlogs and unexecuted decisions.  What strategy was envisaged to reduce those backlogs and strengthen the implementation of court decisions?  Were the reforms compatible with the impartiality and independence of justice, as enshrined in the Covenant?  What measures had been taken to strengthen the capacity of the judiciary?  How was the selection of judges organised?

    The Committee was concerned that certain magistrates who had issued decisions unfavourable to Homeland Defence Volunteers or the Executive had been forcibly conscripted.  Information had also been received regarding an instruction note from the Prosecutor General in October 2024, which reportedly gave an injunction to all prosecutors not to prosecute certain persons until they had received his prior authorisation.  Could the delegation comment on this information?  Were the Homeland Defence Volunteers subject to civilian courts when they committed crimes, or did they fall under the jurisdiction of military courts?

    Another Committee Expert asked about the steps taken to finalise the investigations relating to alleged violations committed during the 2014-2015 period of unrest , in particular regarding excessive use of force resulting in bodily harm, death and obstruction of peaceful assemblies? If State officers were found guilty, would the State party ensure that the penalties issued were proportionate to the seriousness of the crime?  Could the Committee be updated on developments relating to the National Observatory for the Prevention of Torture, with regard to its mandate, composition, financing, and data collection system, and the choice of its members?

    Another Expert said that while the Committee took note of efforts made by the State party to improve the conditions of detention, information received indicated several shortcomings in this area.  For example, the Ouagadougou prison had just one nurse.  In 2021, the State party adopted a strategic plan for the development of the prison administration with a view to humanising the conditions of detention in prisons; how had implementation of the plan been assessed?  What were the outcomes and impacts of the visits of the judicial authorities, the competent inspection bodies and non-governmental organizations to places of deprivation of liberty on the conditions of detainees?

    Burkina Faso had asserted that there were no minority groups within its population, and that the Peuhl and Tuareg communities were not minorities.  Could more information on this be provided?  According to information received over the past five years, members of the indigenous Fulani community had reported cases of being stigmatised, treated inhumanely and accused of terrorism based on their ethnicity.  What measures were being taken to ensure that the rights of all citizens were respected without discrimination?  Did the State party plan to open secure corridors to allow the population to withdraw from dangerous areas and secure their property?  The national human rights institution had made recommendations for the State party to strengthen actions to combat hate speech and incitement to violence; could the State party comment on this?

    A Committee Expert said the Committee acknowledged the progress made in the 2019 Code of Criminal Procedure, which guaranteed the right to a medical examination and legal assistance from the beginning of police custody.  However, it was concerning that these guarantees were not automatic or unconditional. Did the State intend to amend its regulations to ensure that all detained persons had immediate and automatic access to a medical examination without the need for prior authorisation or a 72-hour waiting period?  What measures had been taken to ensure that these examinations were carried out by independent doctors, guaranteeing their impartiality and confidentiality?  Would the State consider reducing the maximum period of detention without judicial control to 48 hours? 

    The Committee was aware of the enormous challenge facing Burkina Faso in the face of one of the largest humanitarian crises in its history, with more than 1.5 million internally displaced persons due to insecurity and armed violence.  In addition, the country had welcomed a significant number of refugees, mainly from Mali, who faced difficulties in accessing protection, legal documentation and basic services.  The Committee took note of Act No. 042-2008/AN on the Status of Refugees, which recognised the principle of non-refoulement and granted rights to refugees and asylum-seekers but was concerned about its implementation.  The absence of a clear procedure for determining stateless status remained a challenge, particularly affecting children born in refugee camps, despite the State’s efforts to improve birth registration and the issuance of identity documents.

    Regarding internally displaced persons, the Committee recognised the State’s efforts in humanitarian assistance, including access to food, health, education, and economic support.  However, concerns remained about camp security, gender-based violence, child exploitation and the lack of durable solutions that allowed access to sustainable livelihoods. 

    What measures had the State taken to ensure the effective application of the principle of non-refoulement and to prevent undue expulsions?  Could updated data on the number of asylum applications lodged and granted in recent years be provided?  What actions were being implemented to strengthen refugees’ and asylum seekers’ access to basic services?  Did the State intend to revise the Nationality and Civil Status Act to address gaps and establish a clear procedure for determining statelessness?  What efforts had been made to ensure timely birth registration and the free issuance of birth certificates, especially in camps for refugees and internally displaced children?  What strategies had the State implemented to guarantee the safety of internally displaced persons, in the face of risks of gender-based violence and child exploitation?

    The Committee took note of Burkina Faso’s legal framework guaranteeing freedom of peaceful assembly and association, but concerns remained about restrictions in practice, including allegations of obstruction of demonstrations by security forces and sanctions against protesters. What measures had the State taken to ensure that the intervention of security forces in demonstrations was governed by the principles of necessity and proportionality?  What independent monitoring mechanisms existed to investigate allegations of excessive use of force?  What provisions were in place to authorise or restrict demonstrations? How was it ensured that they were compatible with international standards?  What measures had been put in place to enable human rights organizations to register and operate without obstacles?  How was the safety of journalists and human rights defenders covering demonstrations guaranteed?

    The Committee noted the 2018 revision of the Electoral Code, however, concerns remained about restrictions on the exercise of the right to vote, particularly for certain groups.  What had been done to increase the political participation of women and marginalised groups in the country?  How was the independence of the institutions responsible for monitoring the electoral process guaranteed?  When would the next elections be held?

    Another Expert said the State Party had undertaken several positive initiatives to combat trafficking, including the national action plan against trafficking for 2023 to 2026, however challenges remained in implementation.  What progress had been made in implementing the national action plan?  Were there mechanisms to access its effectiveness? What measures were being taken to improve data collection?  A significant proportion of convicted traffickers continued to receive fully or partially suspended sentences, raising concerns about the deterrent effect of the legislation.  Could updated figures be provided on trafficking cases investigated, prosecutions initiated, and convictions secured?  What concrete steps were being taken to ensure that anti-trafficking laws were enforced rigorously?  How did the State Party ensure that law enforcement agencies and judicial officials received adequate training on victim-centred approaches in handling trafficking cases?  What actions was the State Party taking to address deficiencies in victim support, including limited shelter capacities and support services?

    Reports indicated that a significant number of children remained engaged in dangerous labour, particularly in small-scale gold mining and agricultural fields.  Could the delegation provide updated statistics on the number of children identified and removed from hazardous work, as well as data on their reintegration in society?  What was the anticipated timeline for adoption of the draft child protection code? Wha steps were being taken to improve the long-term reintegration of child victims of forced labour?  What measures were in place to expand shelter capacity, improve service quality, and ensure sustainable funding for victim support programmes?

    The Committee noted with concern that a review of legislation that imposed content-based restrictions to safeguard defence and security forces had not been envisaged, despite potential limitations on freedom of expression.  How did the State Party ensure that the law did not restrict freedom of expression? Had consultations on this issue been held with civil society and media representatives?  What safeguards were in place to prevent the misuse of digital restrictions?

    The Expert was also concerned by reports of escalating repression against journalists and human rights defenders, including threats, intimidation, arbitrary arrests, physical assaults, enforced disappearances, and forced conscription into security forces.  What steps had the State Party taken to investigate attacks on journalists, including the case of Atiana Serge Oulon?  How many cases of threats, arbitrary detention, and disappearances had been investigated, and what were the outcomes?  Had State agents been held accountable?  What independent mechanisms existed to prevent the abuse of security laws and conscription orders to silence dissent?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the national prevention mechanism had three commissioners from the national human rights institution. The mechanism had carried out 12 monitoring missions to places of deprivation of liberty.  It could either inform authorities of a visit or carry out a visit unannounced.  Its report was sent to the highest authorities, including the head of State.

    A demonstration was lawful when the organisers notified the competent authorities within the conditions provided for. Media suspension occurred when the journalism ethics code had been breached.  The Government had decided to close the cases of certain journalists in the national interest. These journalists had chosen to proliferate misinformation, which would not be tolerated.

    Burkina Faso had a mix of ethnic groups.  In the fight against terrorism, terrorists, rather than ethnic groups, were targeted.  There could not be stigmatisation of any ethnic group, as all ethnic groups were represented within the armed forces.  The Supreme Council had organised an awareness raising campaign on hate speech, which was launched nationwide.  If confessions were extracted under duress, judges reserved the right to discard this evidence.  There was no category of persons whose civic rights were restricted, including the right to vote, unless they had been convicted in court and denied their voting rights.

    The State had increased magistrate, prison and notary staff significantly in the past few years.  To combat corruption in the judiciary, activities were taken as part of the disciplinary council, including the anti-corruption commission. The independence of the judiciary was expressly enshrined in the Constitution.  A specific law set up in 2024 to remove the High Council of the Judiciary from the Presidency and make it an independent body.  As a guarantee of impartiality, judges could be removed during a procedure if there was any suspicion that they were connected to the parties in a case.  The Minister of Justice did not interfere in the appointment procedure.  The State needed to ensure there was better implementation of the justice policy.

    Internally displaced persons were dealt with in an inclusive manner, with no discrimination on any grounds.  More than two million people had been returned to their places of origin.  Health centres had been opened at schools and basic services had been supplied.  The Penal Code sanctioned trafficking, including exploitation and the worst forms of child labour.  In 2022, 125 cases of child abduction were prosecuted, and eight for trafficking.  A plan had been adopted to tackle child labour, resulting in more than one million stakeholders, including 41,300 children, being made aware of the worst forms of child labour and being withdrawn from these practices.  More than 26,000 children had been reintegrated into society.

    There was a plan on trafficking up to 2021 and the State had been able to intersect trafficking networks.  A code for children was currently in the process of being adopted.

    Following the 2014 popular uprise, the prosecution service and the High Court began an investigation, and judicial proceedings were initiated.  A commission of inquiry had been put in place to identify those responsible for the violations committed during this time.  The investigation was still underway.  Some 84 persons had appeared before the military court, and 145 persons overall who had been wounded had received compensation.

    Atiana Serge Oulon had not been subjected to an enforced disappearance but had been held under state of ready alert measures. As per the Constitution, any citizen had the duty to contribute to the defence and maintaining of Burkina Faso’s integrity.  Homeland Defence Volunteers were considered auxiliaries of the defence forces and were subject to military court provisions.  When they committed offences, they fell within the scope of military jurisdiction.

    Meetings and public demonstrations could freely be held in Burkina Faso, pursuant to the law.  Freedom to demonstrate was subject to prior notification to the civilian administration.  Demonstrations could only be restricted when there was an attack against public order.

    There were no longer any obstacles for Burkina Faso nationals abroad exercising their right to vote.  The prison administration had a 2021-2025 strategic plan and plan of action, and implementation of this plan was being assessed.  Under the strategy, personnel had been trained, new prisons had been constructed, significantly reducing overcrowding, and 22 prisons had benefitted from refurbishment.

    The law on asylum application ensured all applications were dealt with in a fair manner, and all protections were offered to the applicant during the procedure.  As of August 2024, there were more than 38,000 refugees and 2,000 asylum seekers.

    The Code for the Family contained a special chapter on statelessness, dealing with conditions for determining statelessness. The Government had made significant efforts to improve birth registration and provide free birth certificates.  Campaigns had been rolled out, with more than 50,000 birth certificates being issued. Sessions had been held to provide free birth certificates, which had benefitted thousands of women and internally displaced persons.

    Detained persons had the right to request a medical examination after 72 hours of their detention.  The current length of police custody for cases linked to terrorism was 15 days maximum, with the possibility to expand for an additional 10 days. Detained people had the right to receive assistance from a lawyer, and those who could not afford to pay a lawyer were entitled to judicial assistance from the State.

    The penitentiary administration had a strategic plan for 2021 to 2025.  A steering committee had been created to assess the implementation of the plan.

    The terms “militia” or “enforced disappearances” in the context of countering terrorism were totally inappropriate.  A report had been submitted to the Committee on Enforced Disappearances in this regard.  A terrorist carried no identification card.  Their strength was to blend within the public.  While security did not prevail, rights could not be enjoyed.  It was often hard to differentiate between a terrorist and civilian, and this needed to be considered.  Burkina Faso was making many efforts to promote and protect human rights. Homeland Defense Volunteers should not be referred to as militia.

    Burkina Faso’s judiciary was still independent. The reforms which were implemented were designed to make the justice system more accessible and credible. There were 384 media organizations in the country, with over 80 per cent being privately owned.  Burkina Faso did not accept apologism for acts of terrorism; if the media contributed to propagating acts of terrorism, they were failing in their ethic duty.  The State allowed for associations to be created freely if their purpose was not contrary to public order.

    If the security situation allowed the State to organise elections, this would be done straight away.  Before elections could be organised, it needed to be ensured that all candidates and members of the public could exercise their right to vote. The State needed to be given assurances that if they organised elections, they would be safe.  All terrorists would be targeted by the State regardless of what ethnic group they belonged to.

    Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

    Committee Experts asked follow-up questions on topics including on the status of investigations into cases of torture; the difference between the national observatory on torture and the national preventive mechanism; the financial and logistical means available to the national preventive mechanism, its reports, and its ability to carry out announced and unannounced visits; efforts being made to reconcile combatting terrorism and respecting human rights; judges’ right to consider evidence obtained under duress, and what consequence this had on trials; the independence of the judiciary; denials of demonstrations; the involvement of women in different sectors, and how their political participation was being organised; when the next elections would be held and the proceedings put in place to ensure citizens’ participation in the elections; support services for victims of trafficking; and revisions of the Penal Code to implement the death penalty for crimes such as terrorism.

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the decision to reintroduce the death penalty had been taken due to the fight against terrorism. Terrorists were increasingly recruiting children, who were then forced to become combatants.  The more regions affected, the more people did not have access to basic rights.  The priority for Burkina Faso was to put an end to terrorism as soon as possible and restore security throughout the whole country, before meeting international obligations.  There was no death penalty for homosexuality.

    Elections were organised in November 2015, and just after these there was a terrorist attack in January 2016.  The situation had continued to get worse, despite the elections.  Elections had been organised twice in 2015 and 2020 and the situation had not changed; the State needed to find an alternative solution.

    Prosecutors had always been subject to the hierarchy of the prosecuting magistracy.  Judges remained entirely independent.

    The national preventive mechanism used the resources provided to the National Human Rights Commission.  It was up to the discretion of the mechanism to decide on whether visits were announced or unannounced.  State authorities and civil society carried out visits to places of detention. 

    Typically, evidence obtained under duress could not be admitted in court, however if such an act was key to a trial, then the evidence could be admitted.  Public officials responsible for acts of torture could be criminally prosecuted and victims could ask for reparations for damage suffered.

    No human rights organisation had been refused registration or accreditation.  They often received technical and material support from the State.  Women were fully involved in public affairs and held many decision-making positions.  Within the Government, there were five women ministers out of 23, and 33 per cent of ambassadors were women.

    Preventing a demonstration was an exception in the country; this was only done in exceptional circumstances.  If the competent authorities prohibited demonstrations, there was always a reason provided.

    Burkina Faso was trying to find a balance between combatting terrorism and protecting human rights to achieve results.  There were specialised judicial systems to combat terrorism.

    Closing Statements

    EDASSO RODRIGUE BAYALA, Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Keeper of the Seals and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the high-quality dialogue.  The Committee should be commended for its commitment to civil and political rights.  Mr. Bayala thanked all those who had made the dialogue a success.  The Government remained deeply committed to the respect of human rights and would closely heed any recommendations made by the Committee. Burkina Faso renewed its commitment to consolidate with the Committee in the context of the fight against terrorism. The stabilisation undertaken by Burkina Faso was essential to bringing about lasting peace and development, and international partners were called on to support these efforts.

     

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

     

    CCPR25.003E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Greek and Christian communities suffering in Aleppo – E-002792/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The fall of Assad’s criminal[1] regime marks a historic moment for the Syrian people, who — irrespective of religion and ethnicity — have endured immense suffering under its rule.

    This is a moment of hope, but also uncertainty, and all Syrians, in the country and the diaspora, must have an opportunity to reunify, stabilise and rebuild their country. It is essential that all Syrians be protected and that the transition be inclusive[2] of all components of society.

    Whereas the competence for safety and diplomatic protection of citizens lies primarily with the Member States, the EU supports Member States’ efforts to evacuate or repatriate citizens from conflict zones through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism[3], which coordinates disaster response and contributes to transport and operational support.

    The EU is actively engaging with Syria’s new leadership to prevent expansion of terrorism working with partners within the Global Coalition against Da’esh[4] to share information, assessing and addressing the threat posed by Da’esh and its affiliates.

    EU measures include counter-terrorism cooperation with regional partners; multilateral engagement with the United Nations (UN) and with the Global Counterterrorism Forum[5] as co-chair; security measures; support for repatriation including financial support through the EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility[6], rehabilitation, and reintegration; humanitarian aid, including mental health services; funding programmes to prevent and counter violent extremism, radicalisation and propaganda.

    The EU provides humanitarian aid on a needs basis. Despite the highly challenging security environment, EU humanitarian partners, together with local organisations, are providing emergency assistance to all affected communities throughout the country.

    • [1] As set out in the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions on the situation in the Middle East of 27 January 2025, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/fac/2025/01/27/
    • [2] See footnote 1.
    • [3] https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/eu-civil-protection-mechanism_en
    • [4] https://theglobalcoalition.org/en/
    • [5] https://www.thegctf.org/
    • [6] https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/EU-UN-Global-Terrorism-Threats-Facility

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the white paper on the future of European defence – B10-0144/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    B10‑0144/2025

    European Parliament resolution on the white paper on the future of European defence

    (2025/2565(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the common security and defence policy (CSDP) and the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) of the EU,

    – having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 42 thereof,

    – having regard to Title III, Article 3 of the Protocol on the concerns of the Irish people on the Treaty of Lisbon,

    – having regard to the announced publication of the white paper on the future of European defence on 19 March 2025,

    – having regard to the Helsinki Accords,

    – having regard to the various European defence projects of recent years,

    – having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas, in line with the Treaties, the CSDP is part of the CFSP and is considered a policy framework through which Member States can develop a European strategic culture of security and defence, address conflicts and crises together, protect the Union and its citizens and strengthen international peace and security;

    B. whereas Article 42(2) TEU states that the Union’s CSDP must be compatible with the common security and defence policy established within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), under the North Atlantic Treaty;

    C. whereas NATO is largely dominated by the United States, and NATO membership entails a mandatory complementarity and compatibility of European weapons systems with US systems, hence impeding the strategic and operational autonomy of Member States and other European countries;

    D. whereas at the NATO Summit in Bucharest in 2008, the US Government pushed for Ukrainian NATO membership against the opinion of several Member States; whereas following the Russian invasion, the United States pushed EU Member States to systematically increase the quantity and quality of arms deliveries to Ukraine;

    E. whereas different Member States have different military and security policies, including policies of military neutrality;

    F. whereas the United States saw windfall benefits from the Ukraine war through an increase of US shale gas exports to the European Union; whereas the US Government now unjustly wishes to control Ukrainian mineral resources and negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine with Putin, without involving Ukraine and the European Union;

    G. whereas unlike nuclear weapon states such as India and the People’s Republic of China, NATO and Russia refuse to commit to a ‘no first use’ policy, whereby they would formally refrain from using nuclear weapons, except in retaliation to an attack by an enemy power using weapons of mass destruction;

    H. whereas the US Government has launched a high number of wars and military operations that violated international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations; whereas, in light of 2024 advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice, the United States’ ongoing military support for Israel might make it complicit in genocide and illegal occupation; whereas the participation of EU Member States in violations of international law, including in wars of aggression and military invasions contrary to international law against countries such as the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, have undermined global adherence to the principles of international law;

    I. whereas the United States has forwardly deployed new B61-12 gravity bombs on the territory of EU Member States, increasing the risk that these Member States will fall victim to preventive or retaliatory strikes related to US foreign policy;

    J. whereas Russia’s repeated acts of war and aggression, starting with the war against Georgia in 2008, the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the ongoing illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as an increasing number of acts of sabotage on critical infrastructure, have been factors in creating and exacerbating tensions;

    K. whereas Article 41(2) TEU prohibits charging expenditure arising from operations with military or defence implications to the Union budget;

    L. whereas the Commission has nevertheless launched several European defence projects over the last few years, including the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP), the Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR), the European Defence Fund (EDF), the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (EDIRPA), the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) and, most recently, the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) and the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP);

    M. whereas according to 2023 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute figures, EU Member States, together with the United Kingdom, already spend more nominally on defence than all other countries in the world combined, with the exception of the United States;

    N. whereas in April 2021, the Commission estimated that increased cooperation between Member States in the field of security and defence could save between EUR 25 billion and EUR 100 billion every year;

    O. whereas the Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) is planning to shut down more than four out of five of its hubs worldwide, reducing its diplomatic presence from around 100 delegations to 18 hubs;

    P. whereas in 2024, EU leaders agreed to cut EUR 2 billion from the EU’s external action budget in the multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027; whereas several Member States, such as France and Belgium, have also made cuts and reforms to their diplomacy services;

    Q. whereas Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed a new common instrument to boost military spending across the EU to unlock up to EUR 800 billion of additional defence spending over the coming years;

    R. whereas even the military spending of the United States, which maintains over 700 military installations in over 70 countries, does not exceed 3.46 % of its GDP;

    S. whereas, nevertheless, the US Government, certain Member States and NATO and Commission officials are pushing for a further massive increase in defence expenditure, from an average of 1.9 % of GDP to 5 %;

    T. whereas even the military-oriented Niinisto Report, entitled ‘Safer Together –Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness’ highlights the fact that threats to the security of European citizens, including increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as megadroughts, floods and heatwaves, and the risk of new pandemics, would require massive investment in public services;

    U. whereas while the Draghi report on the future of European competitiveness highlights the need for massive investment in a variety of sectors, including energy, pharmaceuticals and transport, the Commission has placed seven Member States under an excessive deficit procedure, pushing for harsh austerity and structural reforms in social and public expenses;

    V. whereas a further massive increase in military expenditure will instead lead to cuts in public services, and in social, climate and environmental spending throughout Europe, endangering the social and human security of European citizens;

    W. whereas the Commission is nonetheless considering the suspension of economic governance rules for military expenses;

    X. whereas the Commission has failed to present a fully autonomous assessment of European defence needs and priorities, relying instead on NATO assessments of critical gaps in defence capability;

    Y. whereas Türkiye, a NATO member, illegally occupies 37 % of Cyprus, an EU Member State;

    Z. whereas in international relations theory the ‘security dilemma’ refers to a phenomenon whereby actions, such as arms procurement, taken by a state actor to increase its own security provokes reactions from other states, such as increased arms procurement or preventive attacks, that ultimately lead to a decrease rather than an increase in the original state’s security;

    AA. whereas the 1975 Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, concluded in Helsinki between the United States, Canada, the Soviet Union and all of the countries of Europe, except Albania, played an important role in easing tensions between East and West during the Cold War;

    AB. whereas the Cold War collective security acquis has been systematically undermined by the United States’ withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM), the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and the Open Skies Treaty, systematically followed by Russian withdrawals, and by the Russian withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and from the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty;

    AC. whereas a new European security architecture will have to apply the principles of peaceful coexistence between countries with different political systems and offer security guarantees to all parties in order to avoid Europe being divided once again into two diametrically opposed blocs;

    Towards a European collective security architecture

    1. Recalls that the Treaties consider the CSDP part of the CFSP; asks, therefore, that any defence initiative at EU level be subordinated to a clear foreign and security policy and strategy for peace on the European continent;

    2. Rejects the militarisation of the EU and any belligerent objectives of the CSDP;

    3. Notes with great concern the diminishing respect for international and humanitarian law by parties all around the world, with Israel, Russia and the United States being flagrant examples; reiterates the need for European independence in shaping foreign and defence policy;

    4. Considers that in light of the United States’ past and ongoing violations of international law and the negative impact of US military interventions on neighbouring regions, the foreign, security and defence policy of the Union and Member States can no longer be aligned with the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); calls, therefore, on the European Council to start the process of revising the EU Treaties to remove this requirement from the TEU;

    5. Recalls that NATO and the EU are distinct organisations which serve very different purposes and whose membership is not even identical; regrets the conflation of NATO, a military alliance, with the EU;

    6. Is extremely worried by the fact that there are still more than 13 000 nuclear weapons scattered around the world, many of which can be deployed within minutes and could cause the end of humankind; notes with concern that despite a stated commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, NATO’s nuclear member states invested USD 271 billion in nuclear weapons modernisation and maintenance between 2019 and 2023, while in 2023 China and Russia were the second and third largest spenders, with budgets of USD 11.9 billion and USD 8.3 billion respectively;

    7. Believes that NATO’s refusal to commit to a ‘no first use’ policy on nuclear weapons and the forward deployment of US nuclear weapons in Europe increases the risk of Europe becoming a target of nuclear strikes; demands, therefore, the withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from the territory of Member States; is deeply concerned about nuclear threats to European security, including veiled warnings about the use of tactical nuclear weapons and Russia’s lowering of its threshold for using nuclear weapons;

    8. Urges the Member States to work on a new long-term collective security architecture for Europe inspired by the principles of the Helsinki process and including the concept of mutual security guarantees; notes that a fundamental aspect of such an approach is respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations and a commitment to international law;

    9. Insists that a new European security architecture apply the principles of peaceful coexistence between countries with different political systems, and offer security guarantees to all parties;

    10. Calls on the Commission, in light of multiple threats ranging from climate-related catastrophes to pandemics, to abandon a narrow focus on military security and develop a policy centred on human security as defined in United Nations General Assembly resolution 66/290, which states that ‘human security is an approach to assist Member States in identifying and addressing widespread and cross-cutting challenges to the survival, livelihood and dignity of their people’ and calls for ‘people-centred, comprehensive, context-specific and prevention-oriented responses that strengthen the protection and empowerment of all people’;

    11. Calls on the Commission and Member States to seek inspiration from Austria, which has enshrined neutrality in its constitution, committing not to join military alliances and not to permit the establishment of any foreign military bases on its territory;

    12. Calls on the Commission and Member States to also look to the example set by Ireland, with its tradition of military neutrality; recalls that this tradition includes an active approach towards peace support operations and crisis management, contributions to conflict resolution and peacebuilding, work for human rights and development, and efforts to promote disarmament and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction;

    13. Regrets the attacks on Irish neutrality and recalls that the people of Ireland were guaranteed continued military neutrality, underpinned by a commitment to only undertake operations with a United Nations mandate, ahead of their ratification of the Lisbon Treaty;

    14. Reiterates its call on Türkiye, a NATO member, to withdraw its troops from Cyprus, an EU Member State, and to work constructively towards finding a viable and peaceful solution based on the relevant UN resolutions;

    15. Calls for unanimity voting on defence issues to be maintained within the Council to promote consensus-based solutions that foster much-needed unity;

    Diplomacy as the cornerstone of European security

    16. Believes that diplomacy should remain a cornerstone of EU foreign policy;

    17. Recalls that conflict prevention is paramount to any security and defence strategy; underlines the fact that diplomacy prevents and ends wars, and that every euro invested in conflict prevention saves around EUR 16 later on;

    18. Believes that, given the deteriorating security situation on several fronts and increasing geopolitical tensions, preventive diplomacy requires sustained and enhanced attention; calls, therefore, on the Commission and Member States to immediately reverse the cutbacks made to diplomatic representations;

    19. Believes that its systematic alignment with US foreign policy, most recently with regard to Israeli war crimes, ethnic cleansing and genocidal practices against Palestinians, has dramatically reduced the EU’s global diplomatic credibility and therefore worsened its security situation;

    20. Recalls that the participation of EU Member States in illegal military operations and the support for violations of international law abroad gravely endangers the security of EU citizens; urges the Commission and Member States to explore a non-aligned foreign and security policy stance based on the principles of the UN Charter, including peaceful conflict resolution, diplomacy and multilateralism;

    21. Believes that Europe has much to gain from diversifying its relations and maintaining diplomatic connections with as many countries as possible around the world;

    Arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation

    22. Is deeply concerned that world military expenditure continues to rise to new record levels; highlights the fact that an arms race will not create security for European citizens, but instead, in line with the security dilemma, heighten the risk of violent conflict; calls on the Commission to actively promote new arms control treaties;

    23. Recalls that the EU strategy against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction made non-proliferation a central goal of the EU’s CFSP, stating that ‘our objective is to prevent, deter, halt and, where possible, eliminate proliferation of concern worldwide’; calls, therefore, on Member States to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons;

    24. Notes that arms exports, also of small and light weapons, can fuel conflict and global terrorism and destabilise entire regions, states and societies, thereby thwarting sustainable development and crisis management efforts; calls on the Commission and Member States to strictly apply Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP of 8 December 2008 defining common rules governing control of exports of military technology and equipment in order to avoid a worsening of the security situation in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood;

    25. Calls for the creation of a Directorate-General for Disarmament and Arms Control at the Commission;

    26. Demands an immediate arms embargo against Israel and any other country directly or indirectly involved in armed conflict, except in the case of those that are the victim of invasion by others, in order to stop EU complicity in war crimes, ethnic cleansing and genocidal practices, whether perpetrated by Israel or any other country; calls on the Commission and Member States to base their foreign and security policy on the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law;

    Defence expenditure

    27. Urges the Commission and Member States to offer full transparency and a critical audit of the current defence expenditure within the Union, detailing why it estimates that European countries would be unable to defend themselves with budgets already vastly superior to those of most of the world’s countries;

    28. Notes with concern that the Commission has presented a new EUR 150 billion common defence fund; believes that an increase in defence spending is not the solution to finding a lasting peace and that cuts in the EU structural funds should not be used for this purpose, given how vital these funds are to the development of local communities across the EU;

    29. Notes that the share of GDP is not an adequate measure for the efficiency and impact of defence expenditure; calls on the Commission and Member States not to enter an arms race through a massive increase in defence budgets at the expense of both human and social security;

    30. Regards the NATO demand for complementarity and compatibility of European weapons systems with US systems as incompatible with European strategic autonomy; regrets that the Commission and the Council have failed to present a detailed assessment of European critical defence capability gaps; calls on both institutions to present such an assessment, including specific priorities, before considering increased defence expenditure; recalls that these should focus on defensive tasks, not on building capacities for military intervention all over the world;

    31. Recalls Commission estimates that increased cooperation between Member States in the field of security and defence could save up to EUR 100 billion every year; calls, in this regard, for inspiration to be drawn from existing intra-European cooperation structures, such as BACA, the Belgian-Dutch Naval cooperation BeNeSam and the Nordic Defence Cooperation, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, which have increased the efficiency of the participating nations’ national defence, and to explore common synergies and facilitate efficient common solutions;

    32. Considers that the military cooperation commitments that may be assumed in collective security organisations should be considered in light of strict respect for the UN Charter;

    33. Rejects the allocation of appropriations on the EU budget to the EU’s militarisation; calls for the reallocation of EU budget funds earmarked for the ongoing militarisation of the EU and its programmes to respond to the social and economic needs of citizens and promote cohesion between Member States;

    34. Highlights the fact that there can be neither autonomy nor security without digital sovereignty; calls on the Commission to prioritise the development of a democratic, public-led digital stack that includes digital infrastructure as a service, and universal platforms, such as search engines and foundation AI models, governed by new public institutions with public and civil society representation;

    35. Calls for heightened cooperation between Member States on sectoral issues of critical infrastructure protection, such as submarine cables;

    Defence industry

    36. Recalls that over the past three years, the EU has adopted a number of new initiatives on defence, and that the new Commissioner for Defence and Space believes that an additional investment of EUR 500 billion is needed in the coming decade, though other sources speak of EUR 700 billion;

    37. Recalls that the previous EU programmes have been implemented with a lack of transparency with regard to the application of EU ethical guidelines, and that decision-making is extremely opaque and heavily influenced by arms industry lobbyists;

    38. States that without ethics in investment choices, the EU will contribute to the creation of a more dangerous and lawless world order, where imperialist powers can disregard international law without facing consequences, while countries of the global south are exploited for their resources;

    39. Calls, in addition, for the EU to adopt a policy of transparent, mission-oriented military spending, with more conscious spending at the service of a defined foreign policy to ensure greater efficiency;

    40. Recalls that under Article 41(2) TEU expenditure arising from operations having military or defence implications may not be charged to the EU budget; calls for a strict application of this article; demands a retroactive review of corresponding defence funds and budget lines and for their termination where needed;

    41. Expresses deep concern about the increased subsidies and public support for the military-industrial complex amid record total global military expenditure of USD 2 443 billion in 2023, making 2023 the ninth consecutive year in which military expenditure increased;

    42. Demands that European public money go to European companies and emphasises that public European companies should, by definition, remain in Europe, while private companies can relocate their activities if they so wish;

    43. Observes that leading arms companies have benefited shamelessly from the war in Ukraine; notes that Lockheed Martin alone distributed USD 6.8 billion of cash to shareholders in dividends and share repurchases in 2024; demands that windfall profits be taxed to finance climate adaptation, public health and housing, which are also components of a broader understanding of security;

    44. Considers that the use of public money should systematically correspond to a proportional public return on investment and not finance corporate profit;

    45. Stresses that focusing our resources, notably research and development spending, on the military sector will also slow down the development of other strategic industries with civilian purposes, such as renewable energy or pharmaceuticals;

    46. Adds that military spending does not address any of the major social or environmental challenges, and that, worse still, it reinforces polluting and energy-consuming industrial models, thus increasing pressure on resources and the climate, particularly critical materials;

    47. Believes that a massive increase in purchases of US-made goods would not only be detrimental to the European economy but would equally prolong Europe’s military dependence on the United States, while creating new industrial and technological constraints;

    48. Demands that the defence industry continue to be excluded from qualifying for the sustainability criteria with regard to investment;

    49. Calls for EIB financing to be strictly limited to civilian projects, excluding dual-use items;

    Reprioritising public services and social spending

    50. Is deeply concerned that militarisation, and specifically the ReArm Europe plan, is being used to further attack public services across the EU, which are already facing the suffocating effects of austerity measures imposed by the Commission;

    51. Is appalled by the fact that the Commission is willing to bend fiscal rules such as the Stability and Growth Pact to finance military spending, but considers it impossible to raise spending to fund crumbling public services and support social and economic upward convergence in Member States;

    52. Firmly insists that health, education, green mobility, climate adaptation, climate mitigation, biodiversity, food security and digital transition are elements of human security and should be considered priorities that require investments rather than budgetary cuts;

    53. Calls, in line with the concept of human security, for a reprioritisation of public services and social welfare spending, as well as for investments in fighting climate change, as imperative prerequisites for guaranteeing that people live in a safe and secure environment;

    °

    ° °

    54. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European External Action Service.

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Amphibious Transport Dock – LPD

    Source: United States Navy

    Description Amphibious transport dock ships are warships that embark, transport and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary warfare missions.
     
    Features LPDs are used to transport and land Marines, their equipment, and supplies by embarked Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) or conventional landing craft and amphibious assault vehicles (AAV) augmented by helicopters or vertical take-off and landing aircraft (MV 22). These ships support amphibious assault, special operations, or expeditionary warfare missions and serve as secondary aviation platforms for amphibious operations.
     
    Background The LPD 17 San Antonio class is the functional replacement for over 41 ships including the LPD 4 Austin class, LSD 36 Anchorage class, LKA 113 Charleston class, and LST 1179 Newport class amphibious ships. The newly designated LPD Flight II ships (formerly LX(R)) will be the functional replacement for the LSD 41/49 Whidbey Island Class. The San Antonio class provides the Navy and Marine Corps with modern, sea-based platforms that are networked, survivable, and built to operate in the 21st century, with the MV-22 Osprey, the upgraded Amphibious Assault Vehicle, and future means by which Marines are delivered ashore. Construction on USS San Antonio (LPD 17), the first ship of the class, commenced in June 2000 and was delivered to the Navy in July 2005. USS New York (LPD 21) was the first of three LPD 17class ships built in honor of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The ship’s bow stem was cast using 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center. The Navy named the eighth and ninth ships of the class Arlington and Somerset, in honor of the victims of the attacks on the Pentagon and United Flight 93, respectively. Materials from those sites were also incorporated into the construction of each ship. USS Portland (LPD 27), the eleventh ship of the class, delivered in 2017. LPDs 28 and 29 are currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) on the Gulf Coast. As the 12th and 13th San Antonio class ships, LPDs 28 and 29 will perform the same missions as the previous 11 ships of the class while incorporating technically feasible cost reduction initiatives and class lessons learned. In 2018, the Navy made the decision to transition the LX(R) effort to a second flight of the LPD 17 design. LPD 30 will be the first of 13 planned LPD Flight II ships, for a total complement of 26 ships in the LPD 17 class.
     
    General Characteristics, San Antonio Class LPD Flights I and II
    Builder: Huntington Ingalls Industries
    Propulsion: Four sequentially turbocharged marine Colt-Pielstick Diesels, two shafts, 41,600 shaft horsepower
    Length: 684 feet
    Beam: 105 feet
    Displacement: Approximately 24,900 long tons (25,300 metric tons) full load
    Draft: 23 feet
    Speed: In excess of 22 knots (24.2 mph, 38.7 kph)
    Crew: Ship’s Company: 383 Sailors and 3 Marines. Embarked Landing Force: Flight I: 699 with surge capacity of 800; LPD 28/29:650; Flight II: 631.
    Armament: Two Mk 46 30 mm Close in Guns, fore and aft; two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, fore and aft: ten .50 caliber machine guns
    Aircraft: Launch or land two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters or two MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft or up to four AH-1Z or UH-1Y or MH-60 helicopters
    Landing/Attack Craft: Two LCACs or one LCU; and 14 Amphibious Assault Vehicles
     
    Ships:
    USS San Antonio (LPD 17), Norfolk, Virginia
    USS New Orleans (LPD 18), Sasebo, Japan
    USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), Norfolk, Virginia
    USS Green Bay (LPD 20), Sasebo, Japan
    USS New York (LPD 21), Mayport, Florida
    USS San Diego (LPD 22), San Diego, California
    USS Anchorage (LPD 23), San Diego, California
    USS Arlington (LPD 24), Norfolk, Virginia
    USS Somerset (LPD 25), San Diego, California
    USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), San Diego, California
    USS Portland (LPD 27), San Diego, California
    Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) – Under construction
    Richard M. McCool (LPD 29) – Under construction
    Harrisburg (LPD 30) – Under construction
    Pittsburgh (LPD 31)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKPF holds 2025 Bank Staff Recognition Ceremony to commend banking industry for combatting deception (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Hong Kong Police Force held the 2025 Bank Staff Recognition Ceremony today (March 6) to commend the banking industry for their exceptional contributions to combatting deception cases. Eighteen banks and nine bank staff received corporate awards and the Spotlight Award respectively. In addition, a total of 368 bank staff were honored with certification for assisting Police in identifying and preventing 425 scam cases in 2024.     Addressing the ceremony, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Siu Chak-yee, highlighted that global losses due to deception cases exceeded US$2 trillion over the past two years. In Hong Kong, 44 480 deception cases were recorded in 2024, marking an 11.7 per cent increase compared to 2023. This growth rate was significantly lower than the 40 per cent surge seen in previous years. Meanwhile, the total losses slightly decreased by HK$30 million, reflecting the preliminary success of the anti-deception initiatives and multi-stakeholder measures implemented over the past three years.       He pointed out that since the establishment of the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC) in 2017, the Police and the banking sector have jointly prevented 1 340 deception cases, arrested 818 scammers and recovered over HK$14 billion in crime proceeds up to December 2024. He added that citizens who fall victim to scams not only lose money but also suffer enduring psychological trauma. He called for continued cross-sector collaboration to combat deception at its origin.     Key initiatives implemented in 2024 in cooperation between the Police and the banking industry include:  (1) Faster Payment System (FPS) High Risk Alert has been extended from the FPS to online banking, counters and automated teller machines, covering major transaction channels. Over 600 000 risk alerts were issued throughout the year.  (2) The “Upstream Scam Intervention” initiative has prevented losses exceeding HK$199 million. The programme, now covering 28 retail banks, proactively engaged potential victims and successfully halted 3 051 deception cases.  (3) In a collaborative effort to combat cross-border money laundering syndicates, the ADCC joined with ten banks to launch an arrest operation codenamed “DEEPATTACK”. It dismantled money laundering syndicates operating in Hong Kong and the Mainland, resulting in 14 arrests, thwarting 103 ongoing deception cases and preventing an additional HK$24 million in losses.(4) The Financial Intelligence Evaluation Sharing Tool (FINEST) platform, introduced by the Police and the banking industry in June 2023, enables real-time sharing of suspicious transaction data and enhances efficiency in detecting fraud and money laundering. With participating banks expanded from five to 10, FINEST has processed over 580 intelligence reports and disrupted cross-border criminal networks and stooge accounts.       Mr Siu emphasised that, Police will continue to work in close collaboration with the banking sector to fortify anti-deception measures, safeguard public assets and uphold Hong Kong’s status as an international financial hub. Gratitude was also expressed to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) and industry partners for their unwavering support.       In the ceremony, 11 corporate awards were presented, including Anti-Scam Excellence Award (Gold, Silver, Bronze), Exemplary Efforts in Upstream Scam Intervention Award, Award for Frontline Bank Staff Scam Intervention, Effective Collaboration with Police “Scam Response Team” Award, Effective Publicity and Education Award, Effective Regtech Application Award, and the newly introduced awards: Anti-Money Laundering Excellence Award, Outstanding STR Case Award, Award for Real Time Monitoring, Award for no. of Stooge Account Decrease and Anti-Scam Excellence Award for Digital Banks (Gold, Silver, Bronze), in recognition of banks which assisted Police in the prevention and proactive detection of deception cases (the awardees are listed in the Annex).     The officiating guests also included the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Chow Yat-ming; the Director of Crime and Security, Mr Yip Wan-lung; the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime), Ms Chung Wing-man; the Executive Director of the HKMA, Mr Raymond Chan, and the representative of the HKAB, Mr Stanley Wu. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE investigation leads to Nevada man’s 11-year sentence for sex trafficking a minor

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Tyree Eugene Rideaux, 31, of Henderson, Nevada, was sentenced, Feb. 25, to 132 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, and subject to registering as lifetime sex offender due to an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations with significant assistance provided by the Mesa Police Department.

    Rideaux pleaded guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor on Sept. 16, 2024.  

    “As law enforcement officers, we are used to handling difficult encounters, but few can prepare us for working on human trafficking investigations involving vulnerable children,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola.

    Rideaux met the 16-year-old minor, Jane Doe, at a party in Phoenix a short time before Aug. 15, 2021. Jane Doe traveled with Rideaux and two other females to Inglewood, California. Rideaux told Jane Doe to pretend that she was 18 years old. Once in California, Rideaux placed Jane Doe on the “blade,” an area in a city known for high rates of prostitution. Rideaux assigned a fictitious name to Jane Doe and posted commercial sex advertisements of her online for sex buyers. Jane Doe gave the money she earned to Rideaux, as he directed her to do. On August 15, 2021, Jane Doe convinced a sex buyer to take her to a hospital where she could notify police and family, who returned her home.

    “Predators who traffic in teenagers and force them into prostitution to support the trafficker’s own lifestyle are deserving of the harshest sentences,” stated Rachel C. Hernandez, Acting United States Attorney. “I’m pleased with the excellent results in this case that came about through the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners and our prosecutors.”

    “HSI is committed to ensuring sex traffickers face the fullest extent of the law by putting them behind bars for years – significant prison time rightly awaits this trafficker,” Burrola concluded.

    ICE HSI conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecutions.

    Report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Resident Who Led Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Mikal Davis, 47, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to Counts One, Three, and Four of the Superseding Indictment.

    In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Davis conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture of heroin, five kilograms or more of a mixture of cocaine, 400 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, and 28 grams or more of crack. Davis, who led the drug trafficking organization’s activity in Philadelphia and Johnstown, was one of the targets of a federal wiretap and was intercepted obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others. Accompanied by distributors below him, Davis frequently traveled between Philadelphia and Johnstown with drug shipments which were then stored and processed at “stash houses” throughout the Western District of Pennsylvania for distribution. During a meeting with a drug source in California for a resupply, Davis arranged for the drug parcels to be mailed to Johnstown for distribution. In the Philadelphia area, Davis met with drug sources and purchased over 2,000 grams of heroin and fentanyl and over 5,000 grams of cocaine from a source in New Jersey.

    Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Davis. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Turkish national arrested for allegedly selling counterfeit goods at mall kiosks

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DAYTON, Ohio – A man who operates kiosks at a local mall was arrested today by federal agents for allegedly trafficking counterfeit goods.

    Emre Teski, 25, is a citizen of Turkey and illegally entered the United States of America from Mexico on September 10, 2022. Teski admitted to illegally crossing the international boundary without being inspected by an immigration officer at a designated Port of Entry. On January 3, 2024, Teski was ordered removed from the United States, but has since appealed this decision and was permitted employment authorization while his appeal is pending. Teski operates kiosks selling counterfeit goods at the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek.

    According to charging documents, Teski ran one kiosk that primarily sold replica professional soccer jerseys and hats containing trademarked soccer teams, including FC Barcelona, Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, Manchester City and Arsenal. Teski operated another kiosk that sold primarily oversized slippers that look like sneakers and included Nike and Air Jordan trademarks.

    Teski allegedly sold an investigator counterfeit Nike slippers that illegally used the trademark Nike Swoosh. It is alleged that he also sold a counterfeit pink Messi jersey.

    Agents executed a search warrant at the kiosks today and seized numerous items containing confirmed or suspected counterfeit trademarks.

    Trafficking counterfeit goods is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.

    A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grove City Resident Indicted on Sexual Exploitation of a Minor Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Grove City, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal law regarding the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    The four-count Indictment named Michael William Boston, 40, as the sole defendant.

    According to the Indictment, on three separate occasions between October 2022 and July 2023, Boston transported material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor in interstate commerce. The Indictment further alleges that Boston possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor as recently on October 11, 2024.

    The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

    Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

    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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

    An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Joins Senate Colleagues to Demand Trump Administration Ensure Legal Representation for Vulnerable Children in Immigration Custody

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined 33 of her Senate colleagues in a letter demanding that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum ensure legal services are available, as required by law, for unaccompanied children caught up in the U.S. immigration system. Last month, the Trump Administration issued a stop work order to organizations that provide legal services for unaccompanied children. Then, following public pressure, the order was rescinded.
    “Pausing or terminating the provision of legal services to unaccompanied children under this contract runs directly counter to the requirements of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and places 26,000 unaccompanied children at increased risk of trafficking, exploitation, and other harm,” wrote the Senators. “The TVPRA, passed by Congress in 2008 on a bipartisan basis, requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, that all unaccompanied children have counsel to represent them in legal proceedings and protect them from mistreatment, exploitation, and trafficking.”
    “Cutting off access to legal services makes it more likely that the government will lose track of unaccompanied children, given the challenges such children would face in independently appearing for immigration court hearings, submitting address updates, or otherwise communicating with immigration authorities,” they continued. “Not only will this make children more vulnerable to trafficking, but it will also create further inefficiencies in an already backlogged immigration court system.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been clear in her support for securing the border and making sure the asylum process is humane and orderly. Last month, she helped introduce legislation to reaffirm access to legal counsel during immigration proceedings. She has also been outspoken in opposing mass deportation, and strongly supporting DACA and TPS recipients and their families. She also condemned the Trump Administration’s decision to revoke a previously authorized TPS extension for Venezuelans. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 03.06.2025 Senate Approves Coast Guard Authorization Act Unanimously

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), introduced the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, and it passed the Senate by unanimous consent. The bipartisan measure was agreed to at the end of last year by leaders of both the Senate Commerce Committee and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, but the session ended before final passage could occur. The bill authorizes funding to strengthen the Coast Guard’s ability to protect our borders, facilitate maritime commerce, unleash American energy, bolster deterrence efforts, and improve support for Coast Guard personnel and their families.
    Sen. Cruz delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025:
    “The United States Coast Guard is essential to protecting our Nation’s maritime borders from threats like illegal drugs, illegal immigration, and transnational crime.  The Coast Guard saves American lives and ensures that commerce flows smoothly at our ports.  
    “The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 is bipartisan legislation that Senator Cantwell and I negotiated and agreed to with House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen.  It authorizes funding to bolster the Coast Guard’s critical missions of border security, facilitating maritime commerce, and enforcing the rule of law in domestic and international waters.
    “I want to draw attention to several key provisions in this bill.
    “Last year, the Coast Guard seized over 106 metric tons of cocaine.  Unfortunately, cartels are now using technology like miniature, remote-controlled drone ships to smuggle drugs across our maritime border.  Without this legislation, the Coast Guard would remain unable to prosecute criminals using these remote-controlled, autonomous vessels.  
    “The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 expands the Coast Guard’s and Customs and Border Protection’s use of cutting-edge tools like Tactical Maritime Surveillance Systems, which are blimp-based radar systems—to find and interdict drug runners, poachers, and human traffickers at the Texas-Mexico border in the Gulf of America, in San Diego, Key West, and San Juan Puerto Rico.  
    “I ask my colleagues to stand with me and support President Trump’s vision of protecting our borders from drugs and illegal immigrants and of building ships to revitalize the Coast Guard’s fleet.  I urge my colleagues to support the Coast Guard Authorization Act.”
    Read the bill text here.
    BACKGROUND
    The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 makes several enhancements to the Coast Guard’s operations by:

    Expanding efforts to interdict and prosecute illicit drug trafficking. The Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act will now ensure the United States can prosecute drug traffickers who utilize remote-controlled or autonomous vessels to smuggle illegal narcotics.

    Protecting personnel from illicit drug exposure. All Coast Guard installations will be required to maintain a supply of medication to treat opioid overdoses, including fentanyl.

    Upgrading icebreaker fleet. The bill directs the Coast Guard to establish a replacement plan for aging icebreaking tug fleets and expedite the delivery of new icebreakers.

    Addressing grossly negligent operations of vessels. With the steady rise of vessel traffic on U.S. waterways, individuals who operate a vessel in a grossly negligent manner and cause serious bodily injury will be held accountable with appropriate criminal penalties.

    Mapping Arctic maritime routes. The Arctic Circle has strategic economic and military significance for the United States. This provision would promote American interests in the region and improve emergency response capabilities and infrastructure needed to support vessel traffic.

    Increasing the Coast Guard’s deterrence capabilities. With increased instances of illegal fishing operations and illicit drug trafficking in the South China Sea, it is critical that the United States Coast Guard and Taiwan Coast Guard Administration conduct joint and integrated maritime operational and leadership training to combat violations of maritime law and threats to our national security.

    Improving the livelihoods of Coast Guard families. The Coast Guard will grant a cash allowance to pregnant officers to purchase maternity-related uniform items, allow the Coast Guard to acquire more housing, and identify Coast Guard duty locations in which there is a misalignment between the basic allowance for housing and prevailing housing costs.

    Refining procedures to prevent and respond to sexual assaults. The Coast Guard will establish confidential reporting for sexual harassment, strengthen protective orders for victims, and provide access to the Department of Defense’s Defense Sexual Assault Incident Database. The bill also overhauls the transfer process for victims and allows victims of sex-related offenses to request temporary separation.

    Requiring the Coast Guard Academy to study its safety infrastructure. The Coast Guard Academy will be required to modify policy related to sexual assault matters, install electronic locking mechanisms to secure cadet rooms and common spaces, and update the Academy’s Board of Visitors to ensure better Congressional oversight and engagement.

    Adding units to the Coast Guard’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program. The bill will increase the number of units from 14 to 20 to better recruit and retain a robust and well-qualified Coast Guard officer corps.

    With about 2,000 Coast Guard personnel stationed in Texas, the Service’s men and women have contributed significantly to Texas’s border security and economy. The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 will specifically help Texans by:

    Allowing the Coast Guard to use a proven, performance-driven approach for inspecting foreign flag tank vessels.An overwhelming majority of the Coast Guard’s gas carrier compliance exams are conducted in Texas. Performance-driven examinations will allow the Coast Guard to work more efficiently and advance President Trump’s direction to ‘Unleash American Energy.’

    Establishing safety zones for space activities and offshore energy development activities. Texas is home to a robust commercial space and energy industry, and this authority allows the Coast Guard to establish safety zones in support of space launches and recovery, as well as offshore energy development activities, ensuring more job growth and greater energy security.

    Streamlining the process of data sharing between the Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.Tactical maritime surveillance systems (TMSS) at the Coast Guard Station on South Padre Island will be used for the purposes of data integration and information sharing with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to aid in the detection and interdiction of illegal aliens and fish poachers.

    Upgrading Coast Guard facilities to support border security operations and future aviation missions. The bill specifically requires studies on improving Texas-based Coast Guard Stations on South Padre Island, Port Aransas, and Port O’Connor, as well as the Coast Guard Air Station in Corpus Christi.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch Leads Bill to Protect Law-Abiding Gun Owners and Hold ATF Accountable

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
    WASHINGTON – U.S Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) introduced legislation today with U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) to improve the fairness, speed, and transparency of background checks and application processes for National Firearms Act (NFA) items. The ATF Transparency Act will ensure law-abiding gun owners experience a fair and speedy application process when exercising their Second Amendment rights.
    “Law-abiding gun owners wrongfully denied their Second Amendment rights should be able to appeal their case through an efficient, transparent process,” said Risch. “My ATF Transparency Act is simple. It codifies the current appeals process, holds the ATF to a higher standard, and gives Idaho’s lawful gun owners a faster, fairer process for firearm applications.”
    “Lawful gun owners should not be denied their constitutional right to own a firearm because of unchecked bureaucratic rulings,” Crapo said. “A more transparent review and appeals process for those improperly flagged by the ATF will give individuals the due process they rightly deserve.”
    “The Second Amendment is an integral part of our Montana way of life, and law-abiding citizens should not have to worry about their constitutional rights being denied because of a processing error,” said Daines.“This legislation will create a quick and transparent appeals process for Montanans who have been wrongfully flagged by the ATF, and I’ll continue to stand up for our right to keep and bear arms.”
    “No system is infallible, including the federal bureaucracy. The ATF Transparency Act would help ensure law-abiding Americans aren’t denied their Second Amendment rights due to mistakes in their background checks that may wrongfully prevent them from owning a firearm,” Hyde-Smith said. “I credit Senator Risch for leading the charge to fix this injustice.”
    “Unelected D.C. bureaucrats at the ATF should not be able to criminalize law-abiding gun owners nor throw up roadblocks for appealing unfair rulings,” said Lummis. “I’m proud to work with my Senate colleagues to bring much needed accountability and transparency to the ATF and enhance Americans’ constitutional right to bear arms.”
    “As a lifelong gun owner and supporter of the Second Amendment, I came to the Senate with the mission of protecting this sacred Constitutional right of all Kansans,” said Marshall. “The ATF Transparency Act furthers this mission by requiring the ATF to develop an appeals process to protect Americans’ background checks from being wrongfully denied. This is a commonsense step forward to safeguard the Second Amendment, and I am proud to stand alongside my colleagues in support.”
    The ATF Transparency Act has received support from Gun Owners of America and National Rifle Association.
    “Gun Owners of America is proud to endorse Sen. Risch’s legislation to eliminate ATF’s bureaucratic loopholes in the already unconstitutional National Firearms Act. ATF has deceived Congress and the American public with inaccurate NFA approval estimates for far too long. There is no reason that a NFA approval time should take longer than a normal background check, especially since ATF has shown they are able to rapidly approve forms after Congress instructed them to. A Right Delayed is a Right Denied” said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs, Gun Owners of America.
    “The ATF Transparency Act is a crucial piece of legislation that will allow individuals the opportunity to appeal their denied application of National Firearms Act items. The ambiguity of denials is an issue that must be resolved and the NRA thanks and applauds Sen. Risch for reintroducing this important legislation and standing up for all Americans’ Second Amendment rights,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action.
    The ATF Transparency Act would:

    Codify the appeals process to protect law-abiding Americans’ background checks from being wrongfully denied;

    Require the ATF to process applications within 3 days. If the ATF fails to do so, applications will be automatically approved; and

    Requires the Government Accountability Office and DOJ to report on the number of NFA items involved in unresolved background checks, recommend ways to reduce unresolved checks, and report on the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System involvement.?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Yemen: ‘Fear of a return to full conflict is palpable’, says UN envoy

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    After several years of fragile truce, there is a “palpable” fear of a return to all-out war in Yemen, said Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Thursday, briefing the Security Council.

    The “current trajectory is deeply concerning,” he told ambassadors, updating them on the latest political developments in the country, where Houthi rebels – formally known as Ansar Allah – have been battling Government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition, for more than a decade.

    He spoke alongside UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher who updated on the recent humanitarian constraints and emphasised the impact of the worsening situation facing women in the country.

    Recent developments

    While a resumption of large-scale ground operations in Yemen has not occurred since the UN-mediated truce of April 2022, military activity continues – and the cessation of hostilities is increasingly at risk.

    “We have seen a rise in rhetoric from the parties to the conflict, pre-positioning themselves publicly for military confrontation,” explained Mr. Grundberg.

    “We must not allow this to happen. Words matter. Intent matters. Signals matter. Mixed messaging and escalatory discourse can have real impacts,” he underscored.

    The Special Envoy described recent reports of shelling, drone attacks, infiltration attempts and mobilisation campaigns recently witnessed in Ma’rib as well as in other areas such as Al Jawf, Shabwa and Ta’iz.

    He also deplored the Houthis’ arbitrary detention of UN personnel and workers from other organizations – some for years – calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees.

    “Some colleagues’ parents have passed away while they have been in detention, without knowing the fate of their children,” he gravely noted.

    UN Photo/Loey Felipe

    Hans Grundberg (on screen), Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, briefs the Security Council on the situation in Yemen.

    Humanitarian constraints

    Tom Fletcher brought ambassadors’ attention to the recent funding cuts UN agencies have been facing, which “have been a body blow” to aid workers efforts to save lives.

    “It is the pace at which so much vital work has been shut down that adds to the perfect storm that we face”, he said.

    The Humanitarian Coordinator explained the implications of such cuts, which will put aid workers in impossible situations where they have to choose “which lives not to save”.

    Assault on equality

    As the world readies itself to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, Mr. Fletcher emphasised the “deliberate pushback against equality” witnessed in Yemen.

    The crisis has disproportionately and devastatingly impacted women and girls. In 2021, Yemen ranked second to last in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index. And “there is no sign of progress for them,” Mr. Fletcher noted.

    Yemen’s maternal mortality rate is the highest in the Middle East – more than ten times that of Saudi Arabia or Oman. Meanwhile, 1.5 million girls remain out of school, denying them their right to education and preventing them from breaking the cycles of discrimination and violence.

    As funding for Yemen evaporates, “the numbers in my next briefings will be worse,” Mr. Fletcher put to the room. And yet, despite bearing the greatest burdens of war, displacement and deprivation, women remain on the frontlines of survival and recovery.

    “We will do what we can to support them with the dwindling resources we have,” Mr. Fletcher said.

    It is a tough time to be a humanitarian but “much tougher for the people we serve,” he continued. “The decisions you take will determine whether it gets worse,” he told ambassadors.

    UN Photo/Loey Felipe

    Tom Fletcher (on screen), Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefs the Security Council on the situation in Yemen.

    ‘The only way forward’

    The now unfolding US designation of Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization has complicated international cooperation in peace efforts.

    Preserving “the mediation space for the Yemenis” under the auspices of the UN to reach a just and inclusive peace is crucial, Mr. Grundberg said.

    Reiterating his office’s commitment to its role, Mr. Grundberg highlighted that it would convene “the parties at any opportunity to bring an end to this decade-long conflict,” emphasising that any political process needs to include a “broad spectrum of Yemenis”.

    “While this is possible to achieve, the environment for this to happen must be conducive,” he said. “Positive developments must be put on a more permanent footing.”

    “We owe it to the millions of Yemenis not to waver or falter in our determination on this,” he concluded.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Suspicious fire at Blair Athol

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police are investigating a suspicious fire at Blair Athol early this morning.

    About 4.20am on Friday 7 March, police and MFS were called to a business on Barton Street after reports of smoke coming from the back door.

    When patrols arrived, they found the fire had self-extinguished. There was no apparent structural damage, but there was significant smoke damage caused to the property.

    Crime Scene investigators and Western District CIB attended the scene.

    Police believe the fire was deliberately lit and are investigating if it is linked to Operation Eclipse.

    Anyone with information on the incident or saw any suspicious activity is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New York Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy on the Northern Border

    Source: US State of California

    A New York woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River.

    According to court documents, Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, conspired with five others to bring Indian and Romanian nationals into the United States for private financial gain. Co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, 2025, and Oct. 8, 2024, respectively.

    “The defendant and her coconspirators — fueled by greed, indifference, and recklessness — smuggled aliens via vehicle and boat across the U.S.-Canada border in dangerous weather conditions,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They endangered the lives of two small children and their parents for profit, resulting in the family’s tragic deaths. Dismantling transnational criminal organizations that smuggle people into and throughout the United States is a top priority for the Department of Justice.”

    “A family of four died because a smuggling organization put them in harm’s way for profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Hanlon for the Northern District of New York. “Our top priority is the prosecution and dismantling of smuggling organizations. By securing our northern border, we aim to avoid more tragedies like this one.”

    According to court documents, Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow worked with a human smuggling organization (HSO) on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR) and in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, that smuggled aliens from mainland Cornwall to Cornwall Island, and then into northern New York. The HSO routinely smuggled aliens from various countries into the United States. The HSO arranged for aliens to stay in local motels in Cornwall before transporting the aliens to the AMIR to stage the aliens on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Members of the HSO would then transport the aliens by boat across the St. Lawrence River to later be driven into New York.

    Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, the co-conspirators were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Cornwall into New York. The children were Canadian citizens. Both Montour and Terrance admitted that they were hired to transport the Romanian family to the AMIR from mainland Cornwall.

    Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on March 29, 2023 — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet the family of four was loaded into a small boat by another co-conspirator to cross the St. Lawrence River. The boat capsized, and the family died as a result.

    “The tragic deaths of two innocent, unknowing toddlers and their parents underscores the devastating impacts of alien smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo. “Janet Terrance and her co-conspirators moved forward with this smuggling attempt despite the dangerous conditions and sheer illegality of the act, placing these victims in the situation that ultimately killed them. ICE HSI Massena is committed to enforcing U.S. laws at our border to protect the safety and the security of our communities.”

    “The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service is dedicated to keeping our community safe,” said Acting AMPS Chief Ranatiiostha Swamp. “By working closely with Homeland Security on this investigation, we are enhancing efforts to combat human smuggling and cross-border illegal activity, ensuring the safety and security of our territory.”

    Montour pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, and three counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. Montour faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory penalty of life in prison on the alien smuggling resulting in death counts.

    Sharrow and Terrance pleaded guilty to two counts and one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, respectively, and each to four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy counts and two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory minimum of five years and maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts.

    A federal district court judge will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Addiction Treatment Center Supervisor Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud Federal, State, and Private Health Care Insurers

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

    Insurers were billed for more full client sessions than could be provided in a 24-hour day

    PROVIDENCE, RI – A clinical social worker nicknamed by her co-workers as the “Five Minute Queen” who, at times, substituted a one or two sentence conversation for a billed 45-minute therapy session for her addicted patients has been sentenced to three years of supervised release, the first three months to be served in home detention with electronic monitoring, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    In pleading guilty in November 2023 to a charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, Mi Ok Song Bruining, 64, admitted that, while employed as a supervisor at Recovery Connections Centers of America, Inc. (RCCA) in Providence, she helped devise and execute a scheme that shortchanged Rhode Island and Massachusetts substance abuse disorder patients out of counseling and treatment services while, at the same time, defrauding Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurers out of more than $3.5 million dollars.

    Bruining, and others working at her direction, routinely submitted false and fraudulent claims for psychotherapy and counseling services that did not occur for the length of time billed, consistently billing for far more patients than was possible for RCCA staff to have seen during office hours. Bruining, known at RCCA as the “Five Minute Queen” for her speed in seeing patients for so-called counseling sessions, billed for 45-minute sessions when she actually saw patients for no more than 5-10 minutes, at times asking patients only one question before she ended a session.

    According to information presented to the court, to facilitate this fraud, Ms. Bruining directed counselors and others at RCCA to record in their notes that they were providing counseling in 45-minute intervals, but without listing AM or PM for the start time. Ms. Bruining gave this instruction so that it was not clear that they were seeing more patients than possible within a single hour. She also instructed other counselors to copy and paste the last visit’s note into each entry to make the bill look complete. As a result, many of the patient notes for patients billed by RCCA were simply identical cut-and paste copies of the same note.

    Bruining was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Mary S. McElroy to three years of supervised release, the first three months to be served in home detention with electronic monitoring, 100 hours of community service, and to pay restitution in the amount of $100,000.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom and Kevin Love Hubbard.

    The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the IRS, Customs and Border Protection, and the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General for their assistance in the investigation.   

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 06.03.2025, 18-29 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A0JXSS1 (Akron B1P2) were changed.

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    06.03.2025

    18:29

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC), on 06.03.2025, 18-29 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 80.82) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 864.05 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 13.75%) of the RU000A0JXSS1 (Akron B1P2) security were changed.

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: A Dozen Illegal Aliens Charged with Assaulting Federal Officers

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

    McALLEN, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging 12 illegal aliens for assaulting two federal correctional officers in January 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    All are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis at 9 a.m.

    Those charged include Mexican nationals Bryan Hernandez-Ruiz, 25, Francisco Antonio Hernandez-Mora, 27, Ivan Ramirez-Zapata, 40, Adrian David Guzman-Salas, 28, David Ramirez-Bautista, 21, Roberto Fabian Garza-Castaneda, 49, Jose Alberto Resendez-Hernandez, 27, Jose Ramos-Lerma, 45, Ruben Gonzalez-Balderas, 29, and Oscar Ambrocio Hernandez, 25, as well as Osman Joel Hernandez-Pavon, 22, and Roger Emmanuel Lemus, 42, both of Guatemala.

    The charges allege that all 12 men aided and abetted the assault of two federal corrections officers at the East Hidalgo Detention Center in La Villa.

    “The Department of Justice has zero tolerance for violence against law enforcement officers,” said Ganjei. “The grand jury has returned an indictment that alleges a serious attack on two corrections officers, and, rest assured, the Southern District of Texas will hold accountable all those found guilty.”

    If convicted, each face up to eight years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    All have been and will remain in custody.

    FBI and U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Garcia and Avery Benitez prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy on the Northern Border

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A New York woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River.

    According to court documents, Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, conspired with five others to bring Indian and Romanian nationals into the United States for private financial gain. Co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, 2025, and Oct. 8, 2024, respectively.

    “The defendant and her coconspirators — fueled by greed, indifference, and recklessness — smuggled aliens via vehicle and boat across the U.S.-Canada border in dangerous weather conditions,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They endangered the lives of two small children and their parents for profit, resulting in the family’s tragic deaths. Dismantling transnational criminal organizations that smuggle people into and throughout the United States is a top priority for the Department of Justice.”

    “A family of four died because a smuggling organization put them in harm’s way for profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Hanlon for the Northern District of New York. “Our top priority is the prosecution and dismantling of smuggling organizations. By securing our northern border, we aim to avoid more tragedies like this one.”

    According to court documents, Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow worked with a human smuggling organization (HSO) on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR) and in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, that smuggled aliens from mainland Cornwall to Cornwall Island, and then into northern New York. The HSO routinely smuggled aliens from various countries into the United States. The HSO arranged for aliens to stay in local motels in Cornwall before transporting the aliens to the AMIR to stage the aliens on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Members of the HSO would then transport the aliens by boat across the St. Lawrence River to later be driven into New York.

    Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, the co-conspirators were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Cornwall into New York. The children were Canadian citizens. Both Montour and Terrance admitted that they were hired to transport the Romanian family to the AMIR from mainland Cornwall.

    Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on March 29, 2023 — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet the family of four was loaded into a small boat by another co-conspirator to cross the St. Lawrence River. The boat capsized, and the family died as a result.

    “The tragic deaths of two innocent, unknowing toddlers and their parents underscores the devastating impacts of alien smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo. “Janet Terrance and her co-conspirators moved forward with this smuggling attempt despite the dangerous conditions and sheer illegality of the act, placing these victims in the situation that ultimately killed them. ICE HSI Massena is committed to enforcing U.S. laws at our border to protect the safety and the security of our communities.”

    “The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service is dedicated to keeping our community safe,” said Acting AMPS Chief Ranatiiostha Swamp. “By working closely with Homeland Security on this investigation, we are enhancing efforts to combat human smuggling and cross-border illegal activity, ensuring the safety and security of our territory.”

    Montour pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, and three counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. Montour faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory penalty of life in prison on the alien smuggling resulting in death counts.

    Sharrow and Terrance pleaded guilty to two counts and one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, respectively, and each to four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy counts and two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory minimum of five years and maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts.

    A federal district court judge will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former priest and convicted child molester sentenced for passport fraud, stripped of citizenship, and ordered deported

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    ALEXANDRIA, La. – An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has resulted in a one-year sentence for passport fraud for Jorge Antonio Velez-Lopez, a 69-year-old Columbian national, former archdiocese priest and convicted child molester, Feb. 28. Velez was also civilly denaturalized as a U.S. citizen and ordered removed from the United States.

    Velez entered the U.S. in 2003 as a temporary religious worker. Velez applied for permanent residency May 15, 2007, to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and stated under penalty of perjury that he had never knowingly committed any crime of moral turpitude. He was granted permanent residency Nov. 6, 2007.

    Velez applied for naturalization March 11, 2013, to Citizenship and Immigration Services and stated under penalty of perjury that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested, that he had never given false or misleading information to any U.S. government official while applying for an immigration benefit, and that he had never lied to any U.S. government official to gain entry or admission to the U.S.

    Velez was interviewed May 23, 2013, by a Citizenship and Immigration Services officer and provided the same responses to the same questions while under oath and penalty of perjury. He was naturalized as a U.S. citizen on May 29, 2013.

    Velez submitted a passport application Sept. 27, 2013, and declared under penalty of perjury that he had not included any false documents in support of the application.

    Velez was arrested Feb. 19, 2020, by local authorities in Howard County, Maryland, and charged with five counts of third-degree sex offense and one count of fourth-degree sex offense. He pled guilty May 14, 2021, to sexual abuse of a minor for whom he had temporary responsibility for supervising, in violation of Maryland Criminal Code, and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of nine years and ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

    Velez confessed to having sexually abused the victim from June 2003 through June 2009 while serving as the child’s priest.

    “Child molesters like Velez who lied about their crimes to become citizens thought they could hide behind those who earned what they stole,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations New Orleans acting Field Office Director Scott Ladwig. “They thought ICE would have to search through thousands of records to find them. They were right. That’s exactly what we did. ICE and our partners will relentlessly defend the integrity of our nation’s naturalization process.”

    The case was investigated by ICE as part of an ongoing national initiative designed to identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship. The operation has successfully produced criminal and civil cases against defendants convicted of murder, serial rape, child molestation, incest, sodomy, child pornography, kidnapping, sex trafficking, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, tax fraud, pill mill prescription fraud, embezzlement, aggravated identity theft, and elder abuse.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana prosecuted the case with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation and ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor.

    For more news and information on how ERO New Orleans carries out its immigration enforcement mission in Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama, follow us on X at @ERONewOrleans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2 Mexican nationals, defendants in ICE cases secured in Arizona

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Two Mexican nationals who are targets of an ongoing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation appeared for their initial appearances Feb. 28, after they were secured from Mexico the previous day.

    Jose Bibiano Cabrera-Cabrera, 37 and Jesus Humberto Limon-Lopez, 43, were taken into U.S. custody after members of drug cartels were recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Cártel del Noreste, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo.

    These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence.

    Limon-Lopez is charged with Continuing Criminal Enterprise; Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Distribution of Methamphetamine; Distribution of Fentanyl; Distribution of Heroin; Distribution of Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Firearms and Ammunition. He faces up to life imprisonment.

    Cabrera-Cabrera is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Firearms and Ammunition. He faces up to life imprisonment.

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The OCDETF Arizona Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Arizona Army National Guard, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Scottsdale Police Department.

    The prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney Office for the District of Arizona.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Charged in North Charleston Public Corruption Schemes, Including Three City Councilmen

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

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Eight people have been charged in federal court for a series of bribery, kickback, extortion, and money laundering schemes following a public corruption investigation in North Charleston. Three of the individuals charged are elected members of the North Charleston City Council.

    Four individuals have been charged by Information and have agreed to plead guilty:

    Jerome Sydney Heyward, 61, North Charleston City Councilmember;

    Sandino Savalas Moses, 50, North Charleston City Councilmember;

    Donavan Laval Moten, 46, founder of Core4Success Foundation; and

    Aaron Charles-Lee Hicks, 37, resident of North Charleston.

    A federal grand jury returned indictments against four others:

    Mike A. Brown, 46, North Charleston City Council Member;

    Hason Tatorian (“Tory”) Fields, 51, a Goose Creek resident;

    Rose Emily Lorenzo, 65, a North Carolina resident; and

    Michelle Stent-Hilton, 56, a North Charleston resident.

    Heyward is charged in three separate schemes with corruptly using his position as a North Charleston City Councilman to personally enrich himself through bribes, kickbacks, and extortion and to deprive the citizens and the government of North Charleston of their intangible right to the honest and faithful services of the North Charleston City Council. In the first scheme, Heyward extorted a businessman by soliciting payments in exchange for his official action as a City Councilman. In the second scheme, Heyward conspired with Mike A. Brown and Aaron Hicks to solicit and accept bribes from Aaron Hicks—working on behalf of a company with business before North Charleston City Council—in exchange for his support of the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site. In the third scheme, Heyward conspired with Donavan Moten, Rose Lorenzo, and Michelle Stent-Hilton to embezzle funds belonging to North Charleston by soliciting and accepting kickbacks from non-profit organizations run by Moten and Stent-Hilton that received violence reduction grant funds from the City.

    Heyward has agreed to plead guilty to: extortion under color of official right and using fear of economic harm; multiple counts of conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud; multiple counts of bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud; theft with respect to programs receiving federal funds; and multiple counts of money laundering. Heyward faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $500,000, and a term of supervised release of three years. Heyward has agreed to cooperate with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

    Mike A. Brown is charged with conspiring with Heyward and Hicks to commit bribery and honest services wire fraud. The indictment alleges that Mike A. Brown, while serving as a North Charleston City Councilmember, solicited and accepted bribes from Hicks—working on behalf of a company requesting the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site—in exchange for his support of the rezoning application. Mike A. Brown faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years. He will be arraigned on these charges in March.

    Aaron Hicks is charged with a conspiracy to pay bribes to Mike A. Brown and Jerome Heyward and a separate conspiracy with Hason Tatorian Fields to bribe Sandino Moses in exchange for their influence on North Charleston City Council and their support of the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site. Hicks has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud; bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, and honest services wire fraud. Hicks has agreed to cooperate fully with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Hicks faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years.

    Hason Tatorian (“Tory”) Fields is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, and honest services wire fraud. The indictment alleges that Fields conspired with Hicks to pay bribes to Sandino Moses. Thereafter, Fields paid Moses two bribes in an attempt to influence him in connection with his official action regarding the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site. Fields faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of three years.

    Sandino Moses is charged with misprision of a felony. The Information alleges that Moses knew that Fields and others attempted to bribe him and paid him bribes but he failed to disclose that criminal conduct and instead took steps to conceal the bribes by returning the money to Fields. Moses has agreed to plead guilty and to cooperate fully with federal state and local law enforcement agencies. He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years, a fine of $250,000, and a maximum term of supervised release of one year.

    Donavan Laval Moten has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, theft with respect to programs receiving federal funds, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering. The information alleges that Moten conspired with Jerome Heyward and Rose Lorenzo to kick back a portion of funds that Moten’s nonprofit received from North Charleston to Heyward, who at the time was on North Charleston’s City Council. The indictment further alleges that after receiving the money from North Charleston, Moten laundered Heyward’s portion through Lorenzo. Moten has agreed to cooperate fully with federal, state, and local enforcement officials. Moten faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $500,000 and a term of supervised release of three years.

    Michelle Stent-Hilton is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, theft with respect to programs receiving federal funds, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering. The indictment alleges that Stent-Hilton, who is affiliated with a non-profit and served as Jerome Heyward’s personal assistant, promised to pay Heyward a portion of money the non-profit received from the city of North Charleston. At the time, Heyward was serving on North Charleston City Council and voted on the grant proposal to distribute funds to non-profits, including Stent-Hilton’s. The indictment further alleges that after receiving money from North Charleston, Stent-Hilton laundered Heyward’s kick back through Rose Lorenzo. Stent-Hilton faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $500,000 and a term of supervised release of three years.

    Rose Emily Lorenzo is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, theft with respect to programs receiving federal funds, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering. The indictment alleges that Lorenzo conspired with Jerome Heyward and others to kick back a portion of City of North Charleston grant funds that were awarded to non-profits affiliated with Donavan Moten and Michelle Stent-Hilton to Heyward. The indictment further alleges that Lorenzo agreed to launder the funds by acting as an intermediary who received the funds from Moten and Stent-Hilton, and then wired them to Heyward for the purpose of concealing the true purpose of the transaction. Lorenzo faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $500,000 and a term of supervised release of three years.

    Heyward, Moten, Hicks, and Moses are scheduled to plead guilty before the Honorable Richard M. Gergel on Friday, Feb. 28.

    “When elected officials take their oath of office, they make a sacred promise to the people they serve.  They pledge to uphold the law, to act with integrity, and to place the public interest above their own,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “Public service should never merely be a job – it is a public trust. The allegations in this case describe a profound betrayal of that trust.”

    “Public corruption at any level of government cannot be tolerated,” said Steve Jensen Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “Citizens have a right to expect honesty, fairness, and integrity from their leaders. The FBI, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, is dedicated to aggressively investigating corruption and ensuring those responsible are held accountable.”

    “SLED Agents worked hand-in-hand with our federal partners to ensure that justice will be served,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “No matter who you are, or what position you hold, you will be held accountable for breaking the law. Elected officials and citizens should be working together to better their community, not exploiting others.”

    The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse and Whit Sowards are prosecuting the case.

    All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran Nationals Accused of Distributing Fentanyl in Utah

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging Honduran nationals with distributing fentanyl in the District of Utah, and with other drug and immigration crimes.

    Jerez Navarro-Zuniga aka “Jeren Navarro” 27, a Honduran national and U.S. citizen living in West Valley City, Utah, was charged by complaint on February 18, 2025.  Helen Coello-Turcios, 20, of West Valley City, Jose Amilcar Zuniga-Acosta, 25, of West Valley City, and Naaman Navarro-Hernandez, 35, of Taylorsville, Utah, were charged by complaint on February 20, 2025.

    According to court documents, beginning in December 2024, agents with the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) began investigating a drug trafficking organization. A controlled drug purchase was arranged, and law enforcement officers observed Navarro-Zuniga provide fentanyl to a middleman to deliver to a customer. The fentanyl was later seized and tested positive for fentanyl.

    On January 7, 2025, law enforcement watched a female later identified as Coello-Turcios, conduct an alleged drug transaction. A traffic stop was conducted on the suspected customer and law enforcement seized approximately 10 fentanyl pills.

    During the investigation, on February 12, 2025, SBI agents observed Navarro-Zuniga make a short term stop at a storage unit registered under his name, and conduct an alleged drug transaction with the driver of a Nissan Sentra. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver of the Nissan consented to search the vehicle. Agents seized approximately 4,500 fentanyl pills in the vehicle. On February 13, 2025, surveillance footage showed Navarro-Zuniga entering and exiting his storage unit with a backpack. A traffic stop was conducted on a Chrysler 200 registered to, and driven by Navarro-Zuniga. Coello-Turcios was at passenger.  Law enforcement seized $34,199.00 from the vehicle.  During the investigation, agents also seized approximately 10 pounds of pills that tested positive for the presence of fentanyl at Navarro’s and Coello-Turcios’ residence.

    On February 13, 2025, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a Nissan Altima driven by Navarro-Hernandez and seized 2,500 fentanyl pills that were separated into approximately sale-ready 100 pill baggies. On the same day, a search warrant was executed at Navarro-Hernandez’s residence in Taylorsville and 11,000 fentanyl pills were seized.

    According to court documents, Zuniga-Acosta and Navarro Hernandez are in the United States illegally. They were both previously deported and reentered the United States illegally.  

    Navarro-Zuniga, Coello-Turcios, Zuniga-Acosta and Naaman Navarro-Hernandez are charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and other charges. Zuniga-Acosta and Navarro-Hernandez are also charged with reentry of a previously removed alien. All defendants’ initial appearances on the indictment are scheduled for March 10, 2025 at 2:15 and 2:30 p.m. in courtroom 7.1 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

    Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated jointly by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) Narcotics Squad, and the Utah County Major Crimes (UCMC) Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Utah Highway Patrol.

    Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: New Bern Man Sentenced to Over Five Years for Role in Craven County Drug Trafficking Operation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. –A New Bern man was sentenced Tuesday to 64 months in prison for his role in a Craven County drug trafficking organization (DTO). On November 21, 2024, Robert Niquan Bryant, age 26, pled guilty to the following two counts: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. Bryant is a validated member of the United Blood Nation street gang.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, in December 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), in conjunction with the Craven County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), the New Bern Police Department and other local law enforcement, initiated an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of DTO operating in Craven County. Bryant was identified as an individual who was distributing methamphetamine on behalf of the DTO. Two controlled purchases of methamphetamine were made from Bryant in March and April of 2024. In both instances, Bryant sold more than 100 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.

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

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The ATF, the CCSO, and the New Bern Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Webb and Julie Childress  prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-00046-BO-BM.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered sex offender who was deported from United States arrested in Snohomish County for receiving images of child sexual abuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle – A 42-year-old Mexican citizen was indicted this week for receiving images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jamie Neri-Soto was arrested by Bothell Police detectives following an investigation prompted by reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Using those cyber tips investigators were able to identify Neri-Soto as the owner of electronic devices allegedly containing images of child sexual abuse.

    According to records filed in the case, in October 2024, WhatsApp alerted NCMEC that a user of its platform had uploaded images of child sexual abuse. In January 2025, the CyberTip was referred to the Bothell Police Department who immediately began work to connect the phone number and IP address to a particular individual. Working with information on the device and internet service providers, law enforcement was able to determine the location of the phone at various times and ultimately identified Neri-Soto.

    Following some surveillance, Neri-Soto was arrested and taken to Bothell Police. When he was fingerprinted law enforcement learned he was a previously registered sex offender whose registration was terminated in 2017, when he was turned over to federal authorities for deportation.

    Federal authorities were involved in the forensic analysis of the electronic devices Neri-Soto possessed. The cyber review allegedly found numerous images of child sexual abuse on one of the devices. Neri-Soto was charged federally by criminal complaint with receipt of images of child sexual abuse.

    The grand jury returned an indictment for receipt of child pornography late yesterday.

    The charges are punishable by up to twenty in prison.

    Neri-Soto is scheduled for arraignment on March 13, 2025.

    The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case was investigated by the Bothell Police Department and the FBI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

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

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