NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Labrador Announces Arrest of East Idaho Man for Alleged Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom AG Labrador Announces Arrest of East Idaho Man for Alleged Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    BOISE — Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced that investigators with his Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit arrested twenty-three-year-old Luke Birch on Thursday, June 26, 2025, for alleged sexual exploitation of a child.
    Luke Birch was charged with ten counts of possession of child exploitation material and one count of lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor.
    “These charges demonstrate the excellent work our ICAC team does protecting Idaho families,” said Attorney General Labrador. “I’m grateful for our partnership with federal and local agencies who work with our ICAC Task Force to make arrests like this one.”
    The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Falls Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations assisted the Idaho ICAC Task Force in the arrest. Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.  The Attorney General’s ICAC Unit works with the Idaho ICAC Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet to criminally exploit children. Parents, educators, and law enforcement officials can find more information and helpful resources at the ICAC website, ICACIdaho.org. The charges listed above are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Del Rio, federal partner investigation results in the sentencing of an illegal alien from Honduras for his role in an alien smuggling conspiracy

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    DEL RIO, Texas – A Honduran national unlawfully residing in the U.S. was sentenced July 9 for his leadership role in a massive alien smuggling conspiracy that spanned three years and involved thousands of aliens from over 11 different countries. The investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Del Rio, with the assistance of various federal and state law enforcement agencies in South Texas.

    Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, also known as Chino, 34, of Olancho, Honduras, was sentenced July 9 by a federal judge to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in smuggling thousands of aliens into the United States for financial gain. He was also ordered to pay a $4,500 fine. Mejia-Zuniga pleaded guilty to three counts of bringing an alien to the U.S. for financial gain and aiding and abetting.

    Co-defendants Monica Hernandez-Palma, 33, of Mexico, and Allyson Elsires Alvarez-Zuniga, 26, of Honduras, entered guilty pleas on April 7, and Aug. 21, 2023, respectively, and are awaiting sentencing. Co-defendant Genyi Arguenta-Flores, 32, of Comayagua, Honduras was sentenced to five years in prison on May 12. A final co-defendant is in custody in Mexico pending an extradition request from the U.S.

    “Mejia-Zuniga and his co-conspirators made millions of dollars off the backs of thousands of people whom they smuggled into the U.S,” said Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Matthew R. Galeotti “This case represents the epitome of the ruthless and sophisticated criminal organizations that exploit our borders for personal financial gain. The Criminal Division will not stop investigating these cases until all human smuggling organizations are eradicated and the criminals who operate them are prosecuted.”

    “In an effort to satisfy his greed, Mejia-Zuniga facilitated the illegal movement of thousands of Middle Easterners into the U.S,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “His actions put our national security at risk. However, thanks to our many federal law enforcement partners, Mejia-Zuniga will no longer be allowed to enrich himself to the detriment of this country.”

    “This sentence sends a clear message to those who exploit our immigration system for personal profit,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “For more than three years, these individuals operated a transnational smuggling ring driven by greed, moving illegal aliens from 11 countries in blatant disregard of the law. The sentencing in this case is a testament to HSI’s commitment to upholding national security. Human smuggling undermines the security of our borders and disrupts lawful immigration processes. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to protect our national security.”

    “U.S Border Patrol’s Intelligence and Information Task Force played a critical role in supporting Operation Red Tide through extensive research and analysis,” said Chief of USBP Law Enforcement Operations Directorate Scott Good. “Our team’s exploitation of subpoena returns, and identification of key financial patterns helped bring these smugglers to justice. The USBP will continue working with law enforcement agencies at home and abroad to dismantle criminal networks and secure our nation’s borders.”

    According to court documents, from November 2020 through March 2023, the Mejia-Zuniga alien smuggling organization smuggled aliens from Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, and Colombia, through Eagle Pass, Texas. Aliens primarily contracted with a Pakistani smuggler based in Brazil to be transported to the U.S. In turn, the Brazilian-based smuggler worked with Mejia-Zuniga, who was based in San Antonio, Texas, to facilitate travel of the aliens from South America to the U.S. Mejia-Zuniga directed operations of the ASO and paid drivers, armed “coyotes,” and stash house operators.

    Mejia-Zuniga admitted to smuggling between 2,500 to 3,000 aliens into the U.S in just two years. The organization charged between $6,500 to $12,000 per alien. Mejia-Zuniga admitted that he made $30,000 for every 10 illegal aliens who made it to the Rio Grande River and another $30,000 if those 10 illegal aliens made it to San Antonio.

    One of the smuggled aliens reported paying the organization $20,000 to be brought illegally into the U.S along with his brother. The Mejia-Zuniga ASO directed that alien to a stash house in Monterrey, Mexico, where it housed him with 10 other aliens. The ASO later moved the same alien to a stash house in Piedras Negras, Mexico, with another 20 to 25 aliens. Ultimately, an armed coyote guided the group of aliens across the Rio Grande River. Once across the Rio Grande, the Mejia-Zuniga ASO transported the aliens to a hotel in San Antonio.

    In addition to witness statements, other evidence gathered during the investigation included wire transfers, customer ledgers, foreign identification documents, and photographs of members of the Mejia-Zuniga ASO with firearms.

    HSI Del Rio engaged in an extensive, years-long investigation in Operation Red Tide, which led to the development of this case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sector, HSI Monterrey, HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.

    Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Kass for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    The investigation and arrests of the defendants in Operation Red Tide were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 390 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 350 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or by completing the online tip form.

    For more information about HSI San Antonio and its public safety efforts in Central and South Texas, follow HSI San Antonio on X at @HSI_SanAntonio.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Labrador Investigators Arrest Canyon County Man for Alleged Child Sexual Exploitation

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom AG Labrador Investigators Arrest Canyon County Man for Alleged Child Sexual Exploitation

    BOISE — Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced that investigators with his Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit arrested twenty-seven-year-old James Halma on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, for alleged child sexual exploitation. James Halma was charged with ten counts of possession of child exploitation material, one count of possession of obscene visual representation of the sexual abuse of children, and one count of child enticement.  “I thank my ICAC investigators for their work arresting this suspect and for the collaboration between the Nampa Police Department, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and our team,” said Attorney General Labrador. The Nampa Police Department and Canyon County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Idaho ICAC Task Force in the arrest. Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.  The Attorney General’s ICAC Unit works with the Idaho ICAC Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet to criminally exploit children. Parents, educators, and law enforcement officials can find more information and helpful resources at the ICAC website, ICACIdaho.org. The charges listed above are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrest – Assault police – Tennant Creek

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    A 16-year-old male has been arrested after he assaulted police while escaping custody in Tennant Creek yesterday.

    Around 3:55pm, police were attempting to arrest the offender during which a struggle ensued. The male physically assaulted both police members while being taken into custody, before fleeing the scene on foot.

    Neither member suffered significant injury from the assault.

    General duties police responded and located the offender at an address in Tennant Creek. At 4:20pm, he was arrested without incident and taken to the Tennant Creek watch house.

    He has since been charged with:

    • Assault police x2
    • Escape custody
    • Damage property

    Superintendent Katie Hatzismalis said, “Assaulting a frontline worker who is trying to serve and protect their community is disgraceful.

    “I am thankful that no one was seriously injured, and the offender will face court for his actions.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Israel’s relocation plan for Palestinians and fading hopes for a ceasefire

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

    It was revealing this week to read reports of Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with Donald Trump (his third White House visit since Trump’s inauguration in January). There was no sense that the US president upped the pressure on the Israeli prime minister to soften Israel’s conditions in order to secure a ceasefire. Instead the pair appears to have discussed the prospect of moving large numbers of Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip to countries what would, as Netanyahu put it, “give Palestinians a better future”.

    If Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, has his way, the future for those Palestinians who want to stay put does indeed look pretty bleak. And the 57,000 people who, according to figures collated by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, have lost their lives since the Israeli assault on Gaza began back in October 2023, have no future at all.

    But the plan for the future of Gazan Palestinians that Katz unveiled this week will horrify many too. It involves the construction of a “humanitarian city” at Rafah, close to the Egyptian border at the very southern end of the Strip. Under the plan, people entering the city will be searched for weapons and checked for affiliation to Hamas. Once in, they will not be allowed to leave, except to depart from Gaza altogether.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    This immediately prompted critics to accuse the Israeli government of ethnic cleansing. James Sweeney, an expert in human rights and international law at the University of Lancaster, believes that, if Israel were to carry out Katz’s plan, there would be strong case against political and military leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He argues that the plan amounts at the very least to the forcible transfer of civilians prohibited under the Geneva conventions and the Rome statute, which underpins the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    The snag, as Sweeney sees it, is going to be enforcing international law. While there is an ICC warrant out for the arrests of Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, the Israeli prime minister was able to visit Washington without fear of being apprehended. The US doesn’t recognise the ICC and, indeed, the prosecutor that issued the warrant against Netanyahu and Gallant is now subject to US sanctions.



    Read more:
    Plans to relocate Gazans to a ‘humanitarian city’ look like a crime against humanity – international law expert

    Of course, what happens in Gaza tends to reverberate throughout the region. If hundreds of thousands of Palestinian citizens are moved out of Gaza, it’s likely to be to one of the neighbouring countries. When the idea of a Trump Riviera was first mooted earlier this year, the US president said the Palestinian population could be rehomed in Egypt or Jordan – something both those countries pushed back against with alacrity.

    And the powerful Gulf States, which Trump was keen to woo as business partners when he made a tour of the region in May, are also deeply concerned about Israel’s conduct of its military campaign in Gaza. Geopolitics aside, their populations are broadly sympathetic to the Palestinian people, so a plan to force them out of their homes is unacceptable for Gulf leaders.

    Scott Lucas, an expert in Middle East politics at University College Dublin, gives us a broader view of the region. He describes what he calls two “kaleidoscope moments” when one event has changed the entire region. The first was the Hamas attack of October 7. This brought to an abrupt end the process of normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The second was the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which has further isolated Israel. Lucas believes for there to be any hope of regional stability and the furthering of Israeli relations with the rest of the region, the war in Gaza must end.



    Read more:
    As Netanyahu meets Trump in Washington, what hope for peace in Gaza? Expert Q&A

    Ali Mamouri, a Middle East scholar at Australia’s Deakin University doesn’t believe there’s much chance of this happening any time soon. Part of this is political: Netanyahu still depends on the far-right elements of his coalition represented by national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich. They remain steadfastly opposed to even a ceasefire and want to see Israel expel Palestinians by hook or by crook.

    Also, by prolonging the war, Netanyahu can keep delaying his corruption trial (incidentally, Donald Trump has called for the charges to be dropped altogether).

    And the idea of full statehood for Palestine remains anathema for Israel, as Netanyahu made clear this week talking with journalists after his meeting with Trump when he made clear his insistence that far from pulling Israeli troops out of Gaza, Israel would keep full control of all security matters there: “Now, people will say: ‘It’s not a complete state, it’s not a state.’ We don’t care,” he said.

    Mansour concludes: “The coming weeks will reveal whether Israel chooses the path of compromise and coexistence, or continues down a road that forecloses the possibility of lasting peace.”



    Read more:
    The US has high hopes for a new Gaza ceasefire, but Israel’s long-term aims seem far less peaceful

    Europe must step up over Ukraine

    Just as the picture remains bleak in Gaza, the prospects for peace remain very slim in Ukraine. Although given Donald Trump’s mercurial approach to foreign affairs, it’s also fair to say that anything is possible.

    This week the US president decided to recommence US arms supplies to Ukraine, having previously frozen military aid (although he insists this was done by his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and that he was “blindsided” by the move). His relationship with Putin appears to have soured – for the present at least. He said: “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all of the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

    And at the most recent Nato summit in The Hague on June 25, Trump put his signature to a declaration that Russia poses “long-term threat … to Euro-Atlantic security” and that Nato member states retain “their enduring sovereign commitments to provide support to Ukraine”.

    But Stefan Wolff, an expert in international security at the University of Birmingham, believes that Nato’s European members cannot bank on the US as a reliable long-term partner. There are few signs that the US is pressuring Russia to compromise on its maximalist aims, which remain unchanged since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. So Russia remains the most urgent threat to European security. And it’s a threat that Europe will need to prepare to confront, if necessary without US assistance.

    But there are signs that many European countries are preparing to do just that, Wolff writes. Increased commitments to defence spending are a strong start. As he concludes: “They will not turn Europe into a military heavyweight overnight. But they will buy time to do so.”



    Read more:
    US backs Nato’s latest pledge of support for Ukraine, but in reality seems to have abandoned its European partners

    Understandably, much of the reporting of the war in Ukraine has focused on the human tragedy unfolding in the war-torn country: the enormous casualty list on both sides, civilians killed or forced from their homes in the fighting, and the Ukrainian citizens forced to live under Russian occupation.

    But a new film, which premiered recently at the Tribeca film festival, looks at War Through the Eyes of Animals. Janine Natalya Clark, an expert in transitional justice at the University of Birmingham, has done similar. Clark interviewed a number of Ukrainian natural scientists including botanists, ornithologists, herpetologists (who study reptiles and amphibians) and a marine biologist. She asked them to make sound recordings in their area to reflect on how the war is affecting Ukraine’s flora and fauna.

    What emerged was extraordinary and reflects how the conflict has affected the natural world in both positive and negative ways. Clark believes that this information will be invaluable when it comes to rebuilding Ukraine and in securing justice and reparations for the damage done – not just to humans, but to Ukraine’s animals and the habitats in which they live.



    Read more:
    Sound recordings can give us an animal-eye view of the war in Ukraine

    In Russia, meanwhile, a controversial measure introduced by the Putin government is dividing public opinion. In some parts of the country, schoolgirls who become pregnant are being paid more than 100,000 roubles (nearly £900) for giving birth and raising their babies.

    Jannifer Mathers, a Russia expert at Aberystwyth University, looks at the rise of pronatalism in the face of declining populations and finds it’s not just an issue in Russia, but for many other countries as well, including the US.



    Read more:
    Russia is paying schoolgirls to have babies. Why is pronatalism on the rise around the world?

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Israel’s relocation plan for Palestinians and fading hopes for a ceasefire – https://theconversation.com/israels-relocation-plan-for-palestinians-and-fading-hopes-for-a-ceasefire-260933

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Charges – Domestic violence – Nightcliff

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 22-year-old female in relation to a domestic violence incident at a residence in Nightcliff on Wednesday afternoon.

    About 9:50am yesterday morning, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received reports of a male being pushed over a balcony railing on Wednesday afternoon.

    Initial investigations and canvassing of nearby CCTV footage in the area indicates a male victim had been allegedly pushed off the balcony, about three to four metres off the ground, and suffered a lower leg injury. The victim proceeded to walk towards a bus stop on Progress Drive, leaving a trail of blood.

    The JESCC received a considerable number of calls in relation to the trail of blood in Nightcliff. The male victim is believed to have self-presented at the Royal Darwin Hospital for his injuries.

    The 22-year-old female was arrested yesterday by officers from the Territory Safety Division without incident and was later charged with:

    • Recklessly Endanger Serious Harm
    • Aggravated Assault

    She was remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court today.

    The Territory Safety Division has carriage of the investigation.

    Anyone who has information in relation to the incident is urged to make contact with police on 131 444.

    If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE San Antonio, federal partner investigation results in the sentencing of an illegal alien from Honduras for his role in an alien smuggling conspiracy

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SAN ANTONIO – A Honduran national unlawfully residing in the U.S. was sentenced July 9 for his leadership role in a massive alien smuggling conspiracy that spanned three years and involved thousands of aliens from over 11 different countries. The investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Del Rio, with the assistance of various federal and state law enforcement agencies in South Texas.

    Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, also known as Chino, 34, of Olancho, Honduras, was sentenced July 9 by a federal judge to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in smuggling thousands of aliens into the United States for financial gain. He was also ordered to pay a $4,500 fine. Mejia-Zuniga pleaded guilty to three counts of bringing an alien to the U.S. for financial gain and aiding and abetting.

    Co-defendants Monica Hernandez-Palma, 33, of Mexico, and Allyson Elsires Alvarez-Zuniga, 26, of Honduras, entered guilty pleas on April 7, and Aug. 21, 2023, respectively, and are awaiting sentencing. Co-defendant Genyi Arguenta-Flores, 32, of Comayagua, Honduras was sentenced to five years in prison on May 12. A final co-defendant is in custody in Mexico pending an extradition request from the U.S.

    “Mejia-Zuniga and his co-conspirators made millions of dollars off the backs of thousands of people whom they smuggled into the U.S,” said Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Matthew R. Galeotti “This case represents the epitome of the ruthless and sophisticated criminal organizations that exploit our borders for personal financial gain. The Criminal Division will not stop investigating these cases until all human smuggling organizations are eradicated and the criminals who operate them are prosecuted.”

    “In an effort to satisfy his greed, Mejia-Zuniga facilitated the illegal movement of thousands of Middle Easterners into the U.S,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “His actions put our national security at risk. However, thanks to our many federal law enforcement partners, Mejia-Zuniga will no longer be allowed to enrich himself to the detriment of this country.”

    “This sentence sends a clear message to those who exploit our immigration system for personal profit,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “For more than three years, these individuals operated a transnational smuggling ring driven by greed, moving illegal aliens from 11 countries in blatant disregard of the law. The sentencing in this case is a testament to HSI’s commitment to upholding national security. Human smuggling undermines the security of our borders and disrupts lawful immigration processes. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to protect our national security.”

    “U.S Border Patrol’s Intelligence and Information Task Force played a critical role in supporting Operation Red Tide through extensive research and analysis,” said Chief of USBP Law Enforcement Operations Directorate Scott Good. “Our team’s exploitation of subpoena returns, and identification of key financial patterns helped bring these smugglers to justice. The USBP will continue working with law enforcement agencies at home and abroad to dismantle criminal networks and secure our nation’s borders.”

    According to court documents, from November 2020 through March 2023, the Mejia-Zuniga alien smuggling organization smuggled aliens from Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, and Colombia, through Eagle Pass, Texas. Aliens primarily contracted with a Pakistani smuggler based in Brazil to be transported to the U.S. In turn, the Brazilian-based smuggler worked with Mejia-Zuniga, who was based in San Antonio, Texas, to facilitate travel of the aliens from South America to the U.S. Mejia-Zuniga directed operations of the ASO and paid drivers, armed “coyotes,” and stash house operators.

    Mejia-Zuniga admitted to smuggling between 2,500 to 3,000 aliens into the U.S in just two years. The organization charged between $6,500 to $12,000 per alien. Mejia-Zuniga admitted that he made $30,000 for every 10 illegal aliens who made it to the Rio Grande River and another $30,000 if those 10 illegal aliens made it to San Antonio.

    One of the smuggled aliens reported paying the organization $20,000 to be brought illegally into the U.S along with his brother. The Mejia-Zuniga ASO directed that alien to a stash house in Monterrey, Mexico, where it housed him with 10 other aliens. The ASO later moved the same alien to a stash house in Piedras Negras, Mexico, with another 20 to 25 aliens. Ultimately, an armed coyote guided the group of aliens across the Rio Grande River. Once across the Rio Grande, the Mejia-Zuniga ASO transported the aliens to a hotel in San Antonio.

    In addition to witness statements, other evidence gathered during the investigation included wire transfers, customer ledgers, foreign identification documents, and photographs of members of the Mejia-Zuniga ASO with firearms.

    HSI Del Rio engaged in an extensive, years-long investigation in Operation Red Tide, which led to the development of this case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sector, HSI Monterrey, HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.

    Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Kass for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    The investigation and arrests of the defendants in Operation Red Tide were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 390 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 350 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or by completing the online tip form.

    For more information about HSI San Antonio and its public safety efforts in Central and South Texas, follow HSI San Antonio on X at @HSI_SanAntonio.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hamden Man Who Defrauded Pandemic Relief Programs Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OMAR RAJEH, 57, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for defrauding COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $750,000.  Judge Underhill also ordered Rajeh to pay a $2,000 fine.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).  The PPP was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), and individual PPP loans were issued by private lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA.  A second source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the distribution of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), through the SBA, which provided working capital to eligible small businesses to meet operating expenses.

    Rajeh maintained an ownership or management interest in a New Haven restaurant, Mediterranea LLC, and a hookah lounge, M. Café Inc.  Rajeh previously operated his restaurant under the name Al Amir LLC, but that entity was dissolved in 2018.  Al Amir LLC was reregistered with the State of Connecticut in July 2020 in order to apply for pandemic loan funding.

    Between June 2020 and May 2021, Al Amir LLC, Mediterranea LLC, and M. Café Inc., sought and received approximately $1,057,244 in PPP and EIDL funding.  Rajeh’s accountant, Yasir Hamed, prepared financial filings for his various entities and was involved in the preparation of fraudulent paperwork to obtain the funding.  The loan applications fraudulently misrepresented that Al Amir LLC was in operation in February 2020; included false employee, monthly payroll, and business revenue information; included copies of false IRS forms; and contained other false information.

    Rajeh used a majority of the funds for personal and family expenses, some of which he sent overseas; to purchase a property in North Haven; and for general business expenses.  He also kicked back approximately 10 percent of the loan funding he received to Hamed. 

    Rajeh has agreed to pay $758,279 in restitution, which reflects the amount he acknowledged knowing was obtained by fraud.  The government has agreed not to pursue the return of $298,965 in PPP funds that Rajeh received for his true restaurant business.

    On December 20, 2023, Rajeh pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions.  He is required to report to prison on October 1.

    On May 9, 2025, Hamed pleaded guilty to related charges.  He awaits sentencing.

    This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.

    Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK welcomes the Office of the Prosecutor’s continued focus on Darfur: UK Statement at the UN Security Council

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    The UK welcomes the Office of the Prosecutor’s continued focus on Darfur: UK Statement at the UN Security Council

    Statement by Legal Adviser Colin McIntyre at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

    Let me begin by stressing the United Kingdom’s condemnation of the recent cyberattack against the ICC. 

    The UK has committed funds to strengthen the Court’s cybersecurity framework and we are pleased that this incident was swiftly contained.

    Mr President, I will make three points today. 

    First, we welcome the Office of the Prosecutor’s continued focus on Darfur.

    In this regard, we are gravely concerned by the findings of the Office of the Prosecutor that there are reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity may have been committed, and indeed are continuing to be committed, in Darfur.

    We also echo the report’s concerns about the situation in El Fasher. Large-scale attacks carried out on Zamzam IDP camp in April 2025 reportedly displaced over 400,000 people and continue to affect the population.

    It is appalling that their suffering is compounded by denials of aid. 

    We call on the parties to the conflict to allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance.

    Second, we note the continued cooperation of the Sudanese authorities, including the facilitation of the recent visit to Port Sudan. 

    Given the significant challenges faced by the Office in implementing its mandate, we encourage the Sudanese authorities to redouble their efforts to cooperate with the Office, particularly in relation to the arrest and transfer of individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants, including Mr Ahmad Harun.

    Third, we welcome the enhanced cooperation between the Prosecutor’s Office and other actors, including civil society organisations and the UN Fact Finding Mission for Sudan.

    We commend the Office of the Prosecutor and the Fact Finding Mission’s ongoing documentation efforts and their commitment to delivering concrete progress.

    Mr President, the Sudanese people deserve justice.

    We therefore call for the SAF and the RSF to immediately cease hostilities and prioritise the protection of civilians in line with resolution 2736.

    Accountability must go hand in hand with finding a political solution to this horrific war and ending the cycle of impunity that has scarred Sudan for decades.

    Mr President, let me conclude by reiterating that the UK supports the independence of the International Criminal Court and does not support the sanctioning of individual court officials.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Mexican Sex Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    Defendant is the Last Member of a Family-Run Sex Trafficking Ring to be Sentenced

    Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Hugo Hernandez-Velazquez was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz to 188 months’ imprisonment for sex trafficking multiple victims by force, fraud, and coercion.  The defendant was extradited from Mexico to the United States in February 2021.  He pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking in April 2023.  Hernandez-Velazquez will be deported to Mexico after completing his sentence.

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), announced the sentence.

    “For years, the defendant and his siblings operated an illegal, abusive, and exploitative sex trafficking operation that stripped victims of their dignity and subjected them to inhumane violence,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “It is my hope that the prosecution of their tormentors and the punishment meted out will provide a measure of closure for the brave survivors who assisted the investigation and will help them on their path to healing.”

    “For nearly a decade, the defendant and his family oversaw a vicious sex trafficking campaign wrought with violence, manipulation, coercion, and outright force against women whom they lured into romantic relationships through false promises of love and support,” stated HSI Special Agent in Charge Patel.  “Every day, victims are targeted for human trafficking and other vile forms of exploitation and abuse, often at the hands of their own spouses or purported caretakers.  Today’s sentencing is no doubt a direct result of the bravery of each survivor who courageously spoke up.  Together with our partners, HSI is unflinchingly committed to investigating and vigorously pursuing anyone, anywhere, who sexually exploits the very individuals they claim to care for.”

    Mr. Nocella commended HSI New York’s Trafficking in Persons Unit for leading the investigation of the Hernandez-Velazquez Sex Trafficking Organization; thanked the HSI Mexico City Attaché Office, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, Interpol, International Affairs Department of the Attorney General’s Office in Mexico, the Law Enforcement Unit of the State of Tlaxcala Attorney General’s Office, Interpol Mexico, and the New York City Police Department for their assistance; and praised the government of Mexico for its role in advancing bilateral anti-trafficking enforcement efforts.  Mr. Nocella also acknowledged the non-governmental victim service providers and advocates for their dedicated efforts to restore and improve the lives of survivors of trafficking and their families.

    Between approximately 2001 and 2009, the defendant and his siblings, Ernesto, Giovanni and Arcelia Hernandez-Velazquez, ran the Hernandez-Velazquez Sex Trafficking organization (the family organization) based in Mexico.  The family organization used force, fraud, and coercion to cause young women in Mexico to engage in prostitution in the United States.  Members of the family organization lured victims into romantic relationships through false promises of love and support.  The victims were pressured to travel to the United States with promises of a better life with their trafficker.  Once smuggled into the United States, the victims were forced to engage in prostitution.  The family organization maintained a base in Queens, New York, where victims would reside while they were forced to work in New York and other states, including Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.  The defendant subjected his victims to physical beatings, forced abortions, and threats. The defendant also threatened violence to the victims’ families to force the victims to continue prostituting on his behalf.

    Judge Kuntz previously sentenced Hernandez-Velazquez’s siblings who also pleaded guilty to sex trafficking: Ernesto Hernandez-Velazquez and Giovanni Hernandez-Velazquez were each sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment; and Arcelia Hernandez-Velazquez, who pleaded guilty to a Mann Act Violation, was sentenced to time served after approximately 60 months in U.S. custody.

    The investigation, prosecution, bilateral enforcement action, and extradition of the defendant from Mexico was coordinated through the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative.  Since 2009, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have collaborated with Mexican law enforcement counterparts in a Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative to dismantle human trafficking networks operating across the U.S.-Mexico border, bring human traffickers to justice, restore the rights and dignity of human trafficking victims, and reunite victims with their children.  These efforts have resulted in successful prosecutions in both Mexico and the United States, including U.S. federal prosecutions of over 175 defendants in multiple cases in Georgia, New York, Florida, and Texas, in addition to numerous Mexican federal and state prosecutions of associated sex traffickers. 

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section.  Assistant United States  Attorney Erin Reid is in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendant:

    HUGO HERNANDEZ-VELAZQUEZ (also known as “Norberto Hernandez Velasquez” and “La Gallina”)
    Age:  48
    Mexico

    Defendants Previously Sentenced:

    ERNESTO HERNANDEZ-VELAZQUEZ (also known as “Chapas”)
    Age:  45
    Queens, New York

    GIOVANNI HERNANDEZ-VELAZQUEZ
    Age:  37
    Mexico

    ARCELIA HERNANDEZ-VELAZQUEZ (also known as “La Gordis”)
    Age:  46
    Queens, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-306 (S-1) (WFK)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Johnstown Residents Each Sentenced to Eight Years or More of Prison for Trafficking Crack Cocaine

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

    JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Two residents of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, were sentenced in federal court on their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    The sentences imposed by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan were:

    Defendant Age Sentence
    Kevin Johnson 39 100 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release
    Daniel Culmer 58 96 months in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release

    According to information presented to the Court, from in and around March 2021 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Johnson conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture of crack cocaine. From in and around April 2021 to July 2021, Culmer conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture of crack. Johnson and Culmer were intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that they distributed to others. At the time of his offense, Culmer was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction in 2018 in the Western District of Pennsylvania for distributing heroin.

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

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of the defendants. 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 Canada: Engagement begins to support implementation of Infrastructure Projects Act

    Public engagement is open to support implementation of the Infrastructure Projects Act, which aims to get shovels in the ground quicker for critical projects that people need in their communities.

    The act received royal assent in May 2025.

    First Nations, members of the public and interest-holders, such as municipalities, business organizations, environmental groups and construction partners, are invited to share their thoughts on the development of two key parts of the legislation over the summer:

    1. Provincially significant projects criteria – a regulation to establish the minimum criteria for projects to be designated as provincially significant, so they can access streamlining tools that will help reach decisions quicker.
    2. Qualified professional certifications – a regulation to develop a qualified professional-reliance model to create permitting efficiencies, while maintaining accountability and high standards.

    Methods of engagement will include:

    • online surveys;
    • opportunities to provide written submissions;
    • meetings; and
    • advisory groups.

    In addition, engagement on the expedited environmental-assessment process is planned to start in fall 2025.

    For more information and to get to involved, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/infrastructure

    Learn More:

    To read the news release about the introduction of the legislation, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025PREM0018-000403

    To read the Infrastructure Projects Act, visit:
    https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/overview/43rd-parliament/1st-session/bills/3rd_read/gov15-3.htm

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Call for action on fair enforcement of maintenance obligations and Czechia’s use of the European arrest warrant – P-002806/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-002806/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Dirk Gotink (PPE)

    A Dutch citizen has been sentenced to imprisonment in Czechia for failing to pay child maintenance, clear evidence of his being unemployed after his former employer went bankrupt. The court refused to carry out a reassessment of his financial capacity, in violation of Article 14 of the 2007 Hague Protocol on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations, which is binding under Regulation (EC) No 4/2009[1]. Criminal proceedings followed, resulting in the issuance of a European arrest warrant (EAW).

    • 1.Is the Commission aware of this case, and is it prepared to assess whether Article 14 of the 2007 Hague Protocol by the Czech authorities in this and similar cases has been applied in line with Union law?
    • 2.Does the Commission agree that issuing an EAW in cases of demonstrable economic incapacity, without prior assessment of the debtor’s means, undermines mutual trust and the proper functioning of judicial cooperation within the EU? If so, why? If not, why not?
    • 3.What concrete measures does the Commission intend to take to prevent disproportionate use of the EAW and within what timeframe?

    Submitted: 9.7.2025

    • [1] Council Regulation (EC) No 4/2009 of 18 December 2008 on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and cooperation in matters relating to maintenance obligations, OJ L 7, 10/01/2009, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/4(1)/oj.
    Last updated: 10 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Security Council Briefing on Sudan

    Source: United Nations 4

    9955th Meeting (PM)

    The Security Council will meet for a briefing on the International Criminal Court’s activities related to the situation in Darfur.  Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan is expected to brief the 15-member organ.

    For information media. Not an official record.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Tallahassee Man of Attempting to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

    Source: US FBI

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jelani Amari Petersen, 28, of Tallahassee, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday of attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. The verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am proud of the great work by my office and our state and federal law enforcement partners to take this sex offender off our streets. This case exemplifies the mission set forth by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pamela Bondi: protect America’s children against predators like this defendant. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute such offenses to keep our most vulnerable members of the community safe from the predations of these sick individuals.”

    Trial testimony demonstrated that in September 2024, federal, state, and local law enforcement executed Operation Lifeguard, an undercover operation designed to apprehend individuals who use the Internet to sexually exploit children online. During the operation, Petersen communicated with an undercover officer who he believed to be a minor female, and expressed interest in engaging in sexual activity with the child in exchange for money. When Petersen arrived at a pre-arranged meeting location, law enforcement arrested him and searched his car. A subsequent search of his cellular phone, confirmed his communication with the undercover officers.

    Petersen faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by a term of five years to life of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

    The case involved a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin M. Keen and Meredith Steer.

    Sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former School Custodian Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a former high school custodian who bought child sexual abuse material to 63 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

    Bernard Ray Mennemeier uploaded five videos containing child sexual abuse material to Dropbox, triggering an FBI investigation. The FBI conducted a court-approved search of Mennemeier’s Dropbox account, and then Mennemeier’s home. Mennemeier was in possession of both child pornography and child erotica. He admitted messaging someone on Twitter who sold him child sexual abuse material “numerous” times, his plea agreement says.

    “This case was especially concerning given that Bernard Mennemeier was working in a high school at the time he possessed child sexual abuse material,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “In addition to spending 63 months in federal prison, Mennemeier will never be allowed to work around children again because he will have to register as a sex offender.”

    Mennemeier, 58, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty in April to one count of possession of child pornography.

    The FBI investigated the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice 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 exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former School Custodian Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a former high school custodian who bought child sexual abuse material to 63 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

    Bernard Ray Mennemeier uploaded five videos containing child sexual abuse material to Dropbox, triggering an FBI investigation. The FBI conducted a court-approved search of Mennemeier’s Dropbox account, and then Mennemeier’s home. Mennemeier was in possession of both child pornography and child erotica. He admitted messaging someone on Twitter who sold him child sexual abuse material “numerous” times, his plea agreement says.

    “This case was especially concerning given that Bernard Mennemeier was working in a high school at the time he possessed child sexual abuse material,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “In addition to spending 63 months in federal prison, Mennemeier will never be allowed to work around children again because he will have to register as a sex offender.”

    Mennemeier, 58, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty in April to one count of possession of child pornography.

    The FBI investigated the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice 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 exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government urged to extend democratic voting system

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    by Green Party

    Green MP and co-leader Adrian Ramsay responded to the government bringing back  supplementary voting for combined authority ‘metro’ mayors, the Greater London Authority mayor, elected council mayors, across England; and Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales. 

    “I look forward to the government now extending more democratic voting to General Elections and council elections as well. 

    “This change in systems is welcome for Mayoral contests because it ensures voters can express their preferences and the outcome will better reflect people’s views. 

    “We now need the government to wake up to the need to reform the General Election voting system, and the system for electing councillors. 

    “We have a deeply undemocratic first-past-the-post system for General Elections, particularly now the tired, old two-party system has fractured. 

    “That voting system also needs to change or we could once again find ourselves with a party with a majority of seats in Parliament won on a shrinking minority of votes.  

    “We need every vote to count and for the public to feel that they have a real say in how the country is governed.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Port Arthur felon sentenced to federal prison for firearms violation

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

    BEAUMONT, Texas –A Port Arthur convicted felon has been sentenced for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

    Carl Sampson Solomon, 43, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 9, 2025.

    According to information presented in court, on March 27, 2024, Sampson was stopped for a traffic violation on Gulfway Drive in Port Arthur.  During the stop, Solomon advised officers he had a firearm holstered under the seat. A search of the vehicle revealed the firearm and a small baggie of marijuana.  Further investigation revealed Solomon had previously been convicted of five felonies and was on felony probation. Federal law prohibits convicted felons of possessing or owning firearms.

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

    This case was investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jefferson County felon sentenced to federal prison for live-stream shooting

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

    BEAUMONT, Texas –A Beaumont man has been sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

    Brian Keith Murphy, 33, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 85 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 9, 2025.

    According to information presented in court, on August 11, 2024, law enforcement officers received a call of shots fired near a gas station on Concord Avenue in Beaumont.  As officers were being dispatched to the scene, the Beaumont Police Department was able to view a live stream of the shooting through their “Real-Time-Crime Center.”  Officers monitoring the live stream were able to witness the shooter fire multiple shots near vehicles and individuals in the parking lot.  Through coordination with officers monitoring the live stream and officers on scene, law enforcement was able to identify the vehicle the shooter had fled in.  The vehicle was stopped, and Murphy was identified as the shooter.  Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle Murphy was fleeing in, one of which was the firearm Murphy used in the shooting.  Murphy was on federal supervised release at the time for a previous conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Federal law prohibits convicted felons from owning or possessing firearms.

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

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Sentenced To Prison For Illegal Possession Of A Firearm

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

    The Defendant Discharged a Stolen Gun Inside a Residence with Minor Children Present

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Michael Angelo Crank, 44, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

    According to court records and court proceedings, on August 15, 2024, an individual identified as T.T. called 911 to report that Crank had discharged a firearm. Officers responding to the service call arrived at the residence and spoke with Crank, T.T. and three minor children. T.T. told the officers that Crank had fired a gun during an argument while her young children were at home. Officers executed a search warrant on the residence where they located and seized five discharged 9mm shell cases; a 9mm Glock, model 17 semiautomatic pistol; one 30-round magazine for the Glock; one 17-round magazine for the Glock; a 9mm Hi-Point model C9 semiautomatic pistol; and several rounds of various ammunition. Officers also reviewed footage from the home security system. The footage captured Crank following T.T. and her minor children into the front yard with a gun in his hand. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that both seized firearms had been reported stolen. Crank has a criminal history that includes state felony convictions of Assault on a Female and Felony Possession of Cocaine, and a federal conviction in South Carolina for conspiracy and using, carrying, and possessing firearms during, in relation to, and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    On October 29, 2024, Crank pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Thomas is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    The ATF and CMPD led the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN calls for reversal of US sanctions on Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese

    Source: United Nations 2

    They’re calling for the decision to be reversed, warning it could undermine the wider international human rights system.

    The sanctions were announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday under a Presidential Executive Order.

    Mr. Rubio alleged that Ms. Albanese had “directly engaged with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without the consent of those two countries,” which he called a “gross infringement” on national sovereignty.

    The US and Israel are not parties to the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the ICC.

    Call for reversal

    In a statement issued on Thursday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for the “prompt reversal” of the sanctions against the Human Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur “in response to work she has undertaken under the mandate” she is tasked with.

    “Even in face of fierce disagreement, UN Member States should engage substantively and constructively, rather than resort to punitive measures,” he said.

    The UN rights chief also called for an end to attacks and threats against mandate holders appointed by the council, as well as key institutions like the ICC.

    “The solution is not less, but more, debate and dialogue on the very real human rights concerns they address,” Mr. Türk urged.

    Cooperation, not reprisal

    Jürg Lauber, President of the UN Human Rights Council, also voiced regret over the punitive move by the US.

    In a statement, he highlighted that Special Rapporteurs “are an essential instrument” in fulfilling the Council’s mandate and urged all nations to “fully cooperate” with them.

    “I call on all UN Member States…to refrain from any acts of intimidation or reprisal against them,” he said.

    Independent Special Rapporteurs

    Special Rapporteurs are appointed under what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.

    They are independent experts appointed to monitor and report on human rights issues worldwide. These experts serve in their personal capacity, are not UN staff and receive no financial remuneration for their work.

    They regularly report to the Geneva-based council as well as to the UN General Assembly in New York.

    In addition to the mandate on the occupied Palestinian territory, mandates exist to monitor human rights in countries such as Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Afghanistan. In all there are 46 thematic and 14 different country-based mandates.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Police appeal over shooting in Tottenham

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a man was shot in Tottenham.

    Officers were called at 04:29hrs on Thursday, 6 February, to reports of gunshots at a property in Tottenham Green East, N15.

    Police attended alongside the London Ambulance Service, and found a man in his 20s suffering from gunshot wounds. Immediate medical attention was provided. He was taken to hospital, where his injuries were assessed as non-life-threatening.

    CCTV captured a suspect walking away from the scene. Detectives are keen to identify him and asking for the public’s help.

    Detective Inspector Darren Jones, who is leading the investigation, said: “A man was brutally shot earlier this year in Tottenham. It’s vital that we determine exactly what happened and bring the person or people responsible for this crime to justice.

    “If you recognise the man caught on CCTV, we urge you to come forward and speak to us.

    “A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder during the course of our investigation and has been released on bail but our enquiries continue.

    “I am especially keen to locate the gun used which has now been connected to four separate shootings in north London.

    “Any information to help identify the suspect or the location of the gun, could be essential in helping us piece together the circumstances of this incident.”

    Detectives are asking anyone who witnessed the incident – or who has relevant doorbell or CCTV footage if they were around Tottenham Green East at the time – to call 101, quoting CAD 741/06FEB. To remain anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Plans to relocate Gazans to a ‘humanitarian city’ look like a crime against humanity – international law expert

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By James Sweeney, Professor, Lancaster Law School, Lancaster University

    The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are refusing to implement a government plan to move hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into a what it calls a “humanitarian city” in Rafah on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, chief of the IDF general staff said the plan was not part of the military’s operational plan for destroying Hamas and freeing the remaining hostages.

    Army reservists have reportedly also complained that the plan amounts to a war crime. In my view as an expert in international law, they are correct. Forcibly relocating a population is prohibited, even in war. It is also a crime against humanity and could even amount, under certain circumstances, to genocide.

    There is some important historical context to consider before examining the legal issues at play.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation in the UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    The prosecution of crimes against humanity first took place at the Nuremberg trials of surviving senior Nazis after the second world war. By that time the idea of war crimes was clearly established – but they tended to concern what you should not do to the enemy civilian population.

    The problem was that the worst atrocities of the Nazis were committed against their own people – the German Jews (and many, many others too). The idea of crimes against humanity was created to fill this gap, and was used to prosecute the surviving masterminds of the Holocaust.

    Conditions for a ‘crime against humanity’

    Crimes against humanity are a category that contains several separate crimes. If the right conditions are there, you might talk about “the crime against humanity of murder” or the “crime against humanity of rape”. The conditions are that the underpinning crime takes place against a backdrop of a “widespread or systematic” attack on a civilian population.

    The attack does not have to include a literal armed attack: apartheid, for example, was established as a crime against humanity in 1973 in response to the policies of the South African government. It is also not necessary that there is an armed conflict for a particular crime to be a crime against humanity.

    Within the category of crimes against humanity is included “deportation and forcible transfer” (see article 7 of the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court).

    This is what the Israeli government’s plan for moving Palestinians into a “humanitarian city” would appear to amount to. If the plan stopped at leaving Gazan Palestinians in Rafah then it would be “forcible transfer”, and if they were relocated to another country it would be “deportation”.

    Coercion is key to the crime of forcible transfer. It’s fanciful to think that every single Gazan civilian would want to move to Rafah in circumstances where they would be security-checked on entry and thereafter forbidden from leaving.

    How could a liveable city, with all the infrastructure needed, even be created? What of the dentists, doctors, teachers, lawyers, mechanics, entrepreneurs and anyone else who was able to make an honest living? Will they really be given a place to carry out their work?

    Ethnic cleansing

    The term “ethnic cleansing” is sometimes used to describe what is being proposed by the Israeli government. I dislike the term, and it has no meaning in law. It became a commonly used term during the 1990s conflict in the former Yugoslavia when ethnic Serbs, and in some instances ethnic Croats, expelled hundreds of thousands of people of any other ethnicity out of the territory that they held.

    For this practice, the president of the former Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milošević, and a string of Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat leaders were charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

    Milošević died before the ICTY could deliver a verdict in his case, but many others were found guilty. The actions of the Bosnian Serb forces in the town of Srebrenica were even found by the ICTY to have been an act of genocide, because they were not just expelling non-Serbs but wiping them out: at one point in July 1995 they killed around 8,000 men and boys in just a few days.

    A lot would depend on the conditions in which the Palestinians would live in the “humanitarian city”. If they were deprived of sufficient food and medical supplies in a way that could only be seen as intended to lead to their deaths, then that too could be held to qualify as an act of genocide.

    Justice and accountability

    It is clear to me that the forced relocation of Gazans to a “humanitarian city” would violate international law. What is not so clear cut is how to hold its instigators to account.

    There are already arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant. But there is no international police force and so the ICC relies on participating states to arrest suspects on its behalf. Hungary welcomed Netanyahu in April this year, while announcing it would withdraw from the ICC.

    In the same way, Netanyahu flew to Washington DC this week to meet with Donald Trump, but was not arrested because the US doesn’t recognise the ICC. During his visit, Netanyahu announced he would be nominating Trump for the Nobel peace prize.

    South Africa has also sought to hold the state of Israel to account at the International Court of Justice, alleging the crime of genocide. The court has yet to rule, saying only that it is plausible that acts of genocide might occur in Gaza.

    Since Hamas launched its vicious attack on Isreal on the October 7 2023, there has been constant violence and massive loss of life in the region. However, the proposed “humanitarian city” is not, in my view, a lawful route to peace and stability. As for anyone actually facing justice for the many atrocities that we have seen, an international consensus in favour simply doesn’t exist. And, in the current climate, there’s little sign that it will exist any time soon.

    James Sweeney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Plans to relocate Gazans to a ‘humanitarian city’ look like a crime against humanity – international law expert – https://theconversation.com/plans-to-relocate-gazans-to-a-humanitarian-city-look-like-a-crime-against-humanity-international-law-expert-260727

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ponte Vedra Beach Man Pleads Guilty In Fraud Scheme Involving COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that James Elliott Davis, II (36, Ponte Vedra Beach) has pleaded guilty to bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of mail. Davis faces up to 30 years in federal prison on the bank fraud count, up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count, up to 10 years in prison on the money laundering count, up to 5 years in prison on the theft of mail count and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. Davis has agreed to forfeit between $6.7 and $8.8 million, which are traceable to proceeds of the crimes he committed. No sentencing date has been set.   

    According to court documents, from March 2018 through 2022, Davis ran a purported medical supply company named Medisale Inc. Using false representations, Davis enticed individuals and business entities to invest large sums of money in Medisale. He falsely represented to victim-investors that Medisale was making significant profits on the sale of COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). He claimed to have contact with CEOs at various hospitals and that Medisale had contracts with hospitals to sell large volumes of N95 masks and other PPE. In convincing victim-investors to give him money, Davis showed fraudulent bank statements with large balances, claiming the money was from the sale of PPE.

    In reality, Medisale had no such contracts and had no true revenue from the sale of PPE. Instead, Davis kited checks and conducted fraudulent ACH/wire transfers between multiple financial institutions in order to artificially inflate the apparent balances on his bank accounts. Utilizing victim-investor funds, Davis paid off previous debts, paid other investors purported profits from the sale of PPE, and paid personal expenses. This included Davis using victim-investor money to purchase a membership at a luxury club in Ponte Vedra Beach and spending more than $27,000 on custom clothing. 

    This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by visiting the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www. justice. gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST TALLAHASSEE MAN FOR POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A CONVICTED FELON

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

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Justin Antre Grantsteadman, 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.

    Grantsteadman appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick yesterday for his arraignment at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida.

    If convicted, he faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshall Service, and the Tallahassee Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.

    An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Hochul’s Letter to Secretary of Homeland Security

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul issued a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urging the Department to make funding available to state and local governments through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) as has been done every year since 2002.

    HSGP provides states, local jurisdictions and their law enforcement, public safety, homeland security and emergency management officials with critical resources to further their preparedness and response capabilities. Without these resources, first responders and frontline emergency management operation teams will be unable to access state-of-the-art training, the latest advancements in equipment and the ability to seamlessly share and analyze intelligence with each other.

    As the threat of terrorism increases amid the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, it is essential that the federal government ensures the availability of funding for all essential components of counterterrorism efforts.

    The full text of the letter is below:

    Dear Secretary Noem:

    As Governor, my chief responsibility is ensuring the safety and security of New York State and all its residents. Not only does New York face the nation’s most diverse threat landscape, but with numerous economic, governmental, and recreational assets, it remains the nation’s top target for terrorism. In recent months, that threat has only grown given the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, making it essential that the federal government, specifically, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ensure the availability of critical homeland security funding to states and local governments.

    I am deeply troubled that DHS has yet to make funding available to states and local governments through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) as it has every year since 2002.

    On June 22, 2025, DHS issued a bulletin through the National Terrorism Advisory System notifying Americans of the heightened threat environment our nation faces due to our recent involvement in the ongoing conflict between the nations of Israel and Iran. As noted in the bulletin:

    “….Low-level cyber attacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against US networks. Iran also has a long-standing commitment to target US Government officials it views as responsible for the death of an Iranian military commander killed in January 2020. The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland. Multiple recent Homeland terrorist attacks have been motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiment, and the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks.”

    As home to the country’s largest economic center, and the largest Jewish community outside of Israel, these threats put New York communities at a greater risk than perhaps anywhere else in the nation. Thankfully, since your agency’s inception, New York and DHS have maintained a strong partnership to counter these threats. This partnership has been essential to ensure that the State and local governments and their public safety agencies have the funding and resources needed to prepare for, mitigate, prevent and withstand terrorist threats and targeted violence.

    One core component of this partnership has been DHS’ Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP). In 2024, New York received $219.9 million in HSGP funding, $156.1 million of which was allocated through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) for jurisdictions in the New York City Metro Area, principally the New York Police Department. In 2023, New York received $244.7 million with $173.9 million allocated through UASI.

    HSGP provides states, local jurisdictions and their law enforcement, public safety, homeland security and emergency management officials with critical resources to further their preparedness and response capabilities. Without these resources, the heroic men and women who continuously put their lives on the line to protect their fellow Americans are unable to access state of the art training, the latest advancements in equipment and the ability to seamlessly share and analyze intelligence with each other – all essential components of counterterrorism efforts.

    Furthermore, HSGP funding is vital to securing and maintaining critical infrastructure assets (transportation hubs, power grids, water systems, communication networks) which are top targets of nefarious actors, as well as to assist local law enforcement with border security via Operation Stonegarden. Through Operation Stonegarden, jurisdictions along international borders receive direct funding to not only enhance cooperation and coordination between federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, but to support joint operations. As a state with a 445-mile international border, security of this boundary is of the utmost importance to me. To that end, I have secured $8 million in state funds, as well as dedicated State Police and other public safety resources to support this federal mission.

    Any further delays in the availability of HSGP will degrade the capabilities of our nation to prevent terrorism and make us less safe at a time when the variety and severity of security threats continue to grow.

    I urge you to release the FY2025 HSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity immediately and help ensure our nation remains ready and able to defend ourselves against anyone seeking to threaten our way of life.

    Sincerely,
    Governor Kathy Hochul

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide: UK statement to the OSCE, July 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide: UK statement to the OSCE, July 2025

    Ambassador Holland honours the memory of those killed in the Srebrenica genocide, and underlines the UK’s support to Bosnia and Herzegovina in its ongoing efforts to build a stable, inclusive country for all its citizens.

    Madam Chair, 30 years ago in Srebrenica, genocide took place in Europe for the first time since 1945. Over 8,000 innocent men and boys were brutally killed in a single month that summer, and more than 20,000 women and children were forcibly uprooted from their homes. We honour the memory of those killed, pay tribute to the survivors, and stand firm alongside them in their pursuit of justice and reconciliation.

    On 16 June, the UK marked our National Srebrenica Memorial Day at a ceremony in St Paul’s Cathedral, attended by the Deputy Prime Minister. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh will visit Bosnia and Herzegovina this week for the official Commemoration at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre.

    The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found that several individuals were guilty of genocide in Srebrenica. Acknowledgement of that fact should in no way be seen as an attempt to blame an entire country or people for the suffering of another, and it should not be a cause for tension and division. Rather, it is a basis on which true reconciliation can be achieved.

    The UK stands with Bosnia and Herzegovina in its ongoing efforts to build a stable, inclusive country for all its citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity, and to heal the divisions inflicted by war. It is deeply troubling that divisive and inciteful rhetoric, reckless secessionist ambitions, and direct attacks on the Dayton Peace Agreement – which remains Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitutional framework – continue to threaten peace and stability.

    Madam Chair, this will be the fourth successive year that we mark this anniversary in the shadow of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Terrible events such as the genocide at Srebrenica show the consequences of inaction. We owe it to the victims to create societies that are stable, inclusive and cohesive, and to fight against prejudice, hatred, fear and division. Remaining true to our shared commitment to the concept of comprehensive security, articulated by the Helsinki principles and central to membership of the OSCE, remains the best way to achieve this.

    Only through such collective responsibility can we honour the past, respect the survivors’ enduring efforts, and work to ensure that atrocities such as the Srebrenica genocide are never repeated.

    Thank you, Madam Chair.

    Updates to this page

    Published 10 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Africa: Conviction of examiner, driving school instructor welcomed

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Thursday, July 10, 2025

    The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has welcomed the conviction of a KwaZulu-Natal examiner and a driving school instructor in a case that exposed serious breaches of integrity within the driving licence issuing sector.

    Sandile Ndlovu, a Mooi River-based examiner, was found guilty of fraud and conspiracy to commit corruption on 8 July 2025 in the Durban Specialised Crime Court after it was discovered that he had fraudulently issued a learner licence to someone who had not written the required examination.

    Ndlovu was arrested in 2016 following complaints received by the National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit (NTACU), a division of the RTMC. 

    The unit worked with the KwaZulu-Natal South African Police Crime Intelligence Unit and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) anti-corruption unit to investigate the complaints.

    “It was found that Mr Ndlovu conspired with Ms Zandile Dlamini, a driving school instructor, to have a learner licence issued on the payment of R 3000 inducement. Dlamini was also convicted for her role in facilitating the misconduct by accepting an unlawful benefit for the crime,” said the RTMC in a statement.

    The corporation said these actions not only violated the trust placed in public servants but also compromised the integrity of a system meant to ensure competence and accountability within road traffic law enforcement.

    The matter has been postponed to 29 August 2025 to allow for the preparation of pre-sentence reports. 

    During the sentencing phase, the State is expected to call additional witnesses to highlight the impact of these actions on road safety and the broader public service.

    “The RTMC considers this case a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to clean up traffic enforcement services and promote a culture of ethical conduct. 

    “We fully support the work of the courts and prosecuting authorities in holding those who abuse public systems accountable. The fight against fraud and corruption remains one of our top priorities, and we will continue working closely with all stakeholders to protect the integrity of road traffic management in South Africa,” said the RTMC.

    Members of the public can report suspected acts of fraud, corruption, and malfeasance to ntacu@rtmc.co.za or by WhatsApp to 083 293 7989. – SAnews.gov.za

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Murder investigation launched following fatal stabbing in Knightsbridge

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A murder investigation has been launched following a fatal stabbing in Knightsbridge.

    At 21:24hrs on Wednesday, 9 July officers, the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance responded to reports from members of the public of a stabbing in Seville Street, Knightsbridge.

    Officers attended the scene and found a 24-year-old man who had been stabbed.

    The officers gave first aid on arrival but despite the best efforts of all the emergency services, the man sadly died at the scene.

    The man’s next-of-kin are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.

    No arrests have been made at this early stage and a crime scene will be in place for some time while officers investigate.

    Superintendent Owen Renowden, who leads policing in Kensington and Chelsea, said: “Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones following the shocking events that took place last night.

    “Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command, supported by local officers, are working at pace to establish the circumstances of what happened.

    “We are aware of reports that this incident was a robbery. Although this is an active line of enquiry, we are keeping an open mind about all possible motives and the exact circumstances are still to be determined.

    “We understand the impact this incident will have on the local community and you will see extra officers in the area to help answer any questions or concerns. ”

    Please call police on 101 referencing CAD 8521/09JUL if you were a witness or have any information which might help.

    You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

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