NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Aryan Brotherhood Prison Gang Members Convicted of Rico Conspiracy and Murder In Aid Of Racketeering

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

    FRESNO, Calif. — Following a four-week trial before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, three members of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang were found guilty of racketeering activity that included murder, drug trafficking, fraud, and robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

    A federal jury found California State Prison inmate John Stinson, 70, guilty of one count of conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity.

    The jury found California State Prison inmate Francis Clement, 58, guilty of conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and five counts of murder in aid of racketeering for the murders of Allan Roshanski, Ruslan Megomedgadzhiev, Michael Brizendine, James Yagle, and Ronnie Ennis.

    The jury found California State Prison inmate Kenneth Johnson, 63, guilty of conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and two counts of murder in aid of racketeering for the murders of Allan Roshanski and Ruslan Megomedgadzhiev.

    According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, between 2015 and 2023, AB members and associates engaged in racketeering activity, committing multiple acts involving murder, conspiracies to murder, fraud, robbery, and drug trafficking crimes. Using smuggled-in cellphones, Stinson, Johnson, and Clement directed various criminal acts while controlling the membership of the AB. Stinson was a leader of the AB and had significant authority over the enterprise, including resolving disputes among members and approving the murder of current or former members. Johnson and Clement ordered murders of individuals in the Los Angeles area of California.

    Additional individuals charged in the case and still pending trial include the following:

    • Jayson Weaver, 47, scheduled for trial in April 2026.
    • Waylon Pitchford, 47, scheduled for trial in April 2026.
    • Andrew Collins, 42, scheduled for trial in April 2026.
    • Evan Perkins, 38, scheduled for trial at a pending date.
    • Justin Gray, 39, scheduled for trial in September 2025.

    The charges against the remaining defendants are only allegations, and those individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case was the product of an extensive long-term investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Office of Correctional Safety (CDCR), United States Marshals Service, Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, Pomona Police Department, Torrance Police Department, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sheriff Department, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and Kern County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Stokman and James Conolly and Department of Justice attorney Jared Engelking are prosecuting the case.

    Stinson, Clement, and Johnson are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Thurston on May 19, 2025. Defendants Johnson and Clement face mandatory life sentences based upon their convictions for murder in aid of racketeering. Defendant Stinson faces a maximum sentence of life in prison based upon his RICO conspiracy conviction.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Health Net Federal Services, LLC and Centene Corporation Agree to Pay Over $11 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Cybersecurity Violations

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Note: View the settlement agreement here. 

    Health Net Federal Services Inc. (HNFS) of Rancho Cordova, California and its corporate parent, St. Louis-based Centene Corporation, have agreed to pay $11,253,400 to resolve claims that HNFS falsely certified compliance with cybersecurity requirements in a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to administer the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) TRICARE health benefits program for servicemembers and their families. In 2016, Centene acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Health Net Inc., HNFS’s corporate parent, and assumed the liabilities of HNFS.

    “Companies that hold sensitive government information, including sensitive information of the nation’s servicemembers and their families, must meet their contractual obligations to protect it,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to pursue knowing violations of cybersecurity requirements by federal contractors and grantees to protect Americans’ privacy and economic and national security.”

    “Safeguarding sensitive government information, particularly when it relates to the health and well-being of millions of service members and their families, is of paramount importance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “When HNFS failed to uphold its cybersecurity obligations, it didn’t just breach its contract with the government, it breached its duty to the people who sacrifice so much in defense of our nation.”

    “This settlement reflects the significance of protecting TRICARE, and the service members and their families who depend on the health care program, from risks of exploitation,” said Cyber Field Office Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General. “DCIS will not be deterred from investigating contractors that fail to comply with federal cybersecurity requirements and risk exposing protected information vulnerable to criminal hackers. The U.S. taxpayers who fund these government contracts expect no less.”

    The settlement resolves allegations that, between 2015 and 2018, HNFS failed to meet certain cybersecurity controls and falsely certified compliance with them in annual reports to DHA that were required under its contract to administer the TRICARE program. The United States alleged that HNFS failed to timely scan for known vulnerabilities and to remedy security flaws on its networks and systems, in accordance with its System Security Plan and the response times HNFS had established. Furthermore, the United States alleged HNFS ignored reports from third-party security auditors and its internal audit department of cybersecurity risks on HNFS’ networks and systems related to asset management; access controls; configuration settings; firewalls; end-of-life hardware and software in use; patch management (i.e., installing critical security updates released by vendors to counter known threats); vulnerability scanning; and password policies.

    The Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California handled the matter, with assistance from DoD’s Office of Inspector General, including the DCIS, Cyber Field Office Western Region and the Inspector General’s Office of Audits, Cyberspace Operations Directorate, and DoD’s Defense Contract Management Agency, Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center.

    Trial Attorneys Christopher Wilson, Laura Hill, and Jonathan Thrope of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Tennyson for the Eastern District of California represented the United States in this matter.

    The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Sarpy County Employee Sentenced for Obtaining Information From a Protected Computer

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

    United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jeffrey Shafer, age 38, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 6, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for obtaining information from a protected computer. United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson sentenced Shafer to one year of probation. Shafer paid restitution in the amount of $26,950 prior to today’s sentencing.

    On or about January 16, 2023, Shafer, an Information Systems employee of Sarpy County, was placed on administrative leave. Shafer was informed the same day that he was prohibited from accessing Sarpy County property, physically or via computer. Shafer’s Sarpy County computer network login and credentials were disabled the same day.

    On January 25, 2023, a Sarpy County IT Manager observed suspicious logins to the Sarpy County computer network that occurred on January 24, 2023.  It was determined Shafer reenabled his account and accessed several accounts on the Sarpy County computer network, including the email accounts of county employees.

    FBI agents executed a search warrant at Shafer’s residence and conducted forensic examinations of Shafer’s electronic devices. The devices contained attribution evidence related to the unauthorized access into the Sarpy County computer network.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Health Net Federal Services, LLC and Centene Corporation Agree to Pay Over $11 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Cybersecurity Violations

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Note: View the settlement agreement here. 

    Health Net Federal Services Inc. (HNFS) of Rancho Cordova, California and its corporate parent, St. Louis-based Centene Corporation, have agreed to pay $11,253,400 to resolve claims that HNFS falsely certified compliance with cybersecurity requirements in a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to administer the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) TRICARE health benefits program for servicemembers and their families. In 2016, Centene acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Health Net Inc., HNFS’s corporate parent, and assumed the liabilities of HNFS.

    “Companies that hold sensitive government information, including sensitive information of the nation’s servicemembers and their families, must meet their contractual obligations to protect it,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to pursue knowing violations of cybersecurity requirements by federal contractors and grantees to protect Americans’ privacy and economic and national security.”

    “Safeguarding sensitive government information, particularly when it relates to the health and well-being of millions of service members and their families, is of paramount importance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “When HNFS failed to uphold its cybersecurity obligations, it didn’t just breach its contract with the government, it breached its duty to the people who sacrifice so much in defense of our nation.”

    “This settlement reflects the significance of protecting TRICARE, and the service members and their families who depend on the health care program, from risks of exploitation,” said Cyber Field Office Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General. “DCIS will not be deterred from investigating contractors that fail to comply with federal cybersecurity requirements and risk exposing protected information vulnerable to criminal hackers. The U.S. taxpayers who fund these government contracts expect no less.”

    The settlement resolves allegations that, between 2015 and 2018, HNFS failed to meet certain cybersecurity controls and falsely certified compliance with them in annual reports to DHA that were required under its contract to administer the TRICARE program. The United States alleged that HNFS failed to timely scan for known vulnerabilities and to remedy security flaws on its networks and systems, in accordance with its System Security Plan and the response times HNFS had established. Furthermore, the United States alleged HNFS ignored reports from third-party security auditors and its internal audit department of cybersecurity risks on HNFS’ networks and systems related to asset management; access controls; configuration settings; firewalls; end-of-life hardware and software in use; patch management (i.e., installing critical security updates released by vendors to counter known threats); vulnerability scanning; and password policies.

    The Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California handled the matter, with assistance from DoD’s Office of Inspector General, including the DCIS, Cyber Field Office Western Region and the Inspector General’s Office of Audits, Cyberspace Operations Directorate, and DoD’s Defense Contract Management Agency, Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center.

    Trial Attorneys Christopher Wilson, Laura Hill, and Jonathan Thrope of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Tennyson for the Eastern District of California represented the United States in this matter.

    The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Security pros: Join us for Microsoft RSAC 2025 beginning April 27

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Security pros: Join us for Microsoft RSAC 2025 beginning April 27

    AI adoption is picking up speed. Many companies are growing their technology estates by embracing powerful new solutions like generative AI. But to maximize the benefits of new technology with confidence, security professionals need to stay compliant with the evolving regulatory and audit requirements in the age of AI. It is in this spirit that Microsoft invites you to join us at RSACTM 2025 Conference in San Francisco, where we will showcase end-to-end security designed to help organizations accelerate the secure adoption of AI with ready-to-go security and governance tools and solutions to multiply security teams’ productivity.

    Across the Microsoft Security portfolio, our innovations, together with world-class threat and regulatory intelligence, will help give security experts the advantage they need in the era of AI. From our signature Pre-Day to hands-on demos and one-on-one meetings, join the Microsoft experience at RSAC 2025 designed just for you.

    Microsoft at RSAC

    From our signature Pre-Day to hands-on demos and one-on-one meetings, discover how Microsoft Security can give you the advantage you need in the era of AI.

    Kick things off at Microsoft Pre-Day

    The Microsoft experience at RSAC 2025 begins with Microsoft Pre-Day on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at the Palace Hotel, just around the corner from the Moscone Center. For the fourth year running, the keynote speech held on Microsoft Pre-Day will kick off the full lineup of Microsoft events and activities throughout RSAC 2025. By joining us on Sunday, you’ll have the chance to hear directly from Microsoft Security business leaders—including Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Security Business; Charlie Bell, Executive Vice President, Microsoft Security; Sherrod DeGrippo, Director of Threat Intelligence Strategy; and other Microsoft Security leaders as they share reporting on emerging cyberthreat trends and the product innovations designed to protect against them. Vasu will also take the RSAC 2025 stage on Day 1 for the conference keynote.

    At Pre-Day, attendees will hear Microsoft Security threat intelligence on emerging trends, explore new AI-first tools, demos, and best practices, and attain a better understanding of how Microsoft can help them secure and govern their AI deployments. Attend to discover how the adaptive, end-to-end security platform from Microsoft, including Microsoft Security Copilot, can help your team catch what others miss, speed up remediation, lower your total cost of ownership, and boost—rather than burden—you and your teams.

    Stick around after Pre-Day for the reception—an evening of fun, networking, and entertainment, celebrating the vibrant security community. This is a unique opportunity to meet Microsoft security leaders, expand your professional network, and learn how others are addressing the latest security trends and challenges. Light refreshments will be served. CISOs who register to attend Microsoft Pre-Day will automatically be invited to a chief information security officer (CISO) dinner with Vasu Jakkal.  

    Make sure to register for Microsoft Pre-Day to join in on all the day’s activities.

    Register for Microsoft Pre-Day at RSAC 2025

    Dedicated calendar of events for CISOs

    Microsoft will be hosting a number of events tailored to CISOs throughout RSAC 2025. To kick off the week, Microsoft will be hosting a Pre-Day, followed by the exclusive CISO dinner on April 27, 2025. Following, there will be daily lunch and learn opportunities that address some of the primary challenges facing CISOs organizations:

    • Monday April 28, 2025: Innovating Securely CISO Lunch—Learn insights concerning secure innovation centered around the new AI regulations, including the EU Act, Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), and more.
    • Tuesday April 29, 2025: SFI Executive Lunch—Open to all and focused around the needs of Latin America-based CISOs, this lunch will bring together leaders and experts interested in understanding the latest Secure Future Initiative (SFI) progress and exchanging their thoughts on related best practices.
    • Wednesday April 30, 2025: Embracing Cyber resilience CISO Lunch—Attendees are invited to network, learn, and exchange their insights regarding cyber resilience as the AI landscape evolves.

    Finally, CISOs who attend RSAC 2025 are invited to stay through the end of the conference to attend the Microsoft Post-Day Forum at the Microsoft Experience Center at Silicon Valley on Thursday, May 1, 2025, from 9:00 AM PT to 1:00 PM PT. The day will be full of insightful presentations, interactive discussions, networking opportunities, and a curated CISO roundtable session. This informative day will also include an immersive tour of the unique state-of-the-art Microsoft Experience Center, which highlights larger-than-life solutions that show Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology solving many of today’s challenges. This experience is facilitated by envisioning specialists who spark inspired conversations, creative ideas, and new opportunities for leaders to participate in before returning home.

    Sign up for Microsoft experiences at RSAC, including the Pre-Day, the CISO dinner, CISO lunch, and the Post-Day Forum. Request a one-on-one meeting with Microsoft experts to discuss your most pressing questions here.

    Discover solutions to your challenges during the keynote speech and Microsoft sessions

    As part of the RSAC agenda, Vasu Jakkal will take the stage on Monday, April 28, 2025, at 4:40 PM PT. During the speech, she will discuss the potential of agentic workflows to dramatically reshape the security landscape. Agentic AI has the power to enable more complex problem-solving, deeper agent collaboration, and iterative learning. All of this leads us toward a previously unheard-of new paradigm for security. Join Vasu Jakkal for an imaginative look at the future of AI security agents and how the people of our security teams will work alongside them to change the game.

    ​After the keynote and throughout the conference, attendees will be able to split their time between the Microsoft Security sessions included in the RSAC 2025 agenda, live demonstrations at booth #5744 in Moscone North, and a variety of roundtables, one-on-one meetings, and presentations at the Microsoft Security Hub at the Palace Hotel.

    Here are two sessions not to miss:

    • Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 9:40 AM PT: Shaping the Future of Security with Agentic AI​—In a time of rapidly evolving cyberthreats, agentic AI is emerging as a transformative force in security. Join Dorothy Li, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Security Copilot and Marketplace, to discover how autonomous decision-making is reshaping our approach to cybersecurity. This session will reveal how agentic AI empowers organizations to proactively mitigate risks, enhance operational efficiency, and elevate the effectiveness of your security tools. Attendees will gain actionable insights and practical strategies for harnessing the potential of agentic AI. Prepare to rethink the future of security and position your organization at the forefront of innovation.​
    • Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 9:40 AM PT: Accelerate AI Adoption with Stronger Security—AI adoption is accelerating, creating both new opportunities and security challenges. Led by Neta Haiby, Partner Product Manager at Microsoft​, this session covers key AI adoption trends, emerging risks, and common cyberthreats. Discover actionable steps to secure and govern AI, from establishing a dedicated security team for AI to adopting AI-specific solutions, ensuring your organization can innovate with confidence.​

    Other well-known Microsoft experts will host session sharing what they’ve learned from their work pioneering and securing AI:

    • Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 8:30 AM PT: Guardians of the Cyber Galaxy: Allies Against AI-Powered Cybercrime by Sean Farrell, Assistant General Counsel, Digital Crimes Unit.
    • Monday, April 28, 2025 at 1:10 PM PT: AI Era Authentication: Securing the Future with Inclusive Identity by Abhilasha Bhargav-Spantzel, Partner Security Architect, and Aditi Shah, Senior Data and Applied Scientist.
    • Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 8:30 AM PT: AI Safety: Where Do We Go From Here? by Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, Principal Research Lead, AI Red Team Lead.
    • Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 2:25 PM PT: Lessons Learned from a Year(ish) of Countering Malicious Actors’ Use of AI by Sherrod DeGrippo, Director, Threat intelligence strategy.

    View live demonstrations and discover engaging ways to learn at booth #5744

    At the Microsoft booth, attendees will have the chance to engage with experts, discover ready-to-go security and governance tools built for generative AI, and watch theater sessions showcasing the latest products, innovations, and industry perspectives from Microsoft. They’ll also get to enjoy a fun and interactive gaming experience. 

    Microsoft product and partner experts will be on hand to showcase the newest advancements through captivating demonstrations, informative videos, and valuable resources. 

    Visit the Microsoft booth theater for exclusive 20-minute demos and expert-led sessions on the latest in security and AI. Explore strategies to protect, govern, and secure AI. Listen in to insights on identity, compliance, privacy, threat defense, data protection, and more. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from industry leaders and stay ahead in the ever-evolving security landscape.

    Meetings and connections at the Microsoft Security Hub

    The historic and luxurious Palace Hotel is home base for Microsoft during the week. RSAC 2025 attendees are invited to meet with Microsoft experts and executives, attend thought leadership sessions and roundtable lunches, and join networking opportunities. Detailed information about individual sessions can be found on the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Landing Page.

    Customers are also invited to deepen their understanding of the latest cybersecurity threats, trends, and developments by discussing their most important security product and threat intelligence questions directly with Microsoft security experts through scheduled one-on-one meetings, held from Monday, April 28, 2025, to Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at the Palace Hotel. Request your meeting directly through the Microsoft Security Experiences at RSAC 2025 Home Page.

    The Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) will once again have a considerable presence at RSAC 2025. MISA partners will be featured in the Microsoft Booth #5744 and included in other events happening throughout the week. Additionally, the sixth annual Microsoft Security Excellence Awards, presented by MISA, will be held at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on April 28, 2025, celebrating our finalists and announcing winners in nine award categories as well as enjoying a time of connecting. 

    Activities include:

    • MISA demo station: Stop by the Microsoft Booth to explore the innovative solutions developed by MISA members, which integrate Microsoft Security technology.
    • Theater sessions: Attend one or more of our five theater sessions at the Microsoft booth, led by MISA members, focusing on partner strategies and solutions for cyberthreat protection.
    • View the MISA demo and theater schedule.
    • MISA Partner awards: MISA members are invited to attend the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards on Monday, April 28, 2025, where winners will be announced in nine security award categories.

    Get the most by staying through Microsoft Post-Day

    Microsoft Post-Day Forum is a unique experience designed to help customers, CISOs, and security leaders dive deep into new concepts, ask questions they need answered about product features, and prepare to realize and enable the AI-first, end-to-end security concepts they’ve learned about throughout RSAC 2025. The Microsoft Post-Day Forum, hosted by Microsoft Security executives, will be held on Thursday, May 1, 2025, from 10:00 AM PT to 1:00 PM PT, at the Silicon Valley Experience Center. Pick up for the event will be held at the Palace Hotel at 8:00 AM PT, with drop off organized for 2:00 PM PT.

    We look forward to seeing you at RSAC 2025!

    Learn more about the Microsoft experience at RSAC 2025

    Customers and partners can register for the events highlighted in this blog as well as other Microsoft ancillary events and more here.

    Explore Microsoft Security events at RSAC 2025

    To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Here’s why increasing productivity in housing construction is such a tricky problem to solve

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Loosemore, Professor of Construction Management, University of Technology Sydney

    This week, the Productivity Commission released its much-awaited report into productivity growth in Australia’s housing construction sector. It wasn’t a glowing appraisal.

    The commission found physical productivity – the total number of houses built per hour worked – has more than halved over the past 30 years.

    The more nuanced measure of labour productivity – which accounts for improvements in size and quality – has also fallen, by 12%.

    Both measures put home-building productivity well behind the broader economy, something the report’s authors attribute to “decades of poor performance”.

    We’ve known about this problem for a long time. The Productivity Commission’s report is well researched and makes some sensible recommendations.

    Solving the underlying problem will require a coordinated approach between government, home-owners, construction companies and workers.

    Measuring productivity

    Housing can take many forms. However, from a productivity perspective, the process of development is essentially the same.

    In very simple terms it involves:

    • concept and initial design, feasibility, finance and business case development
    • land acquisition and due diligence
    • detailed design, development and building approvals
    • pre-construction planning and working drawings
    • construction project management
    • practical completion, final certificates and settlement, commissioning and handover.

    There are no official estimates of housing construction productivity. So, the Productivity Commission used Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data to create its own new measures to capture productivity across this entire process.

    Falling or flat-lining productivity in this sector is a well-known long-term problem. Under the National Housing Accord, the federal government has committed to building 1.2 million new well-located homes by the end of this decade.

    But in the first three months since the National Housing Accord was launched, only 44,884 homes were built across Australia. That’s about 15,000 fewer than the required quarterly target of 60,000.

    The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council projects that new market housing supply will ultimately come in at about a quarter of a million homes below the accord’s target.

    4 key problems

    The report identified four key factors behind the malaise:

    1. complex, slow approvals, as well as delayed construction certificates and essential infrastructure connections
    2. lack of innovation and slow uptake of digital technologies and modern methods of construction
    3. the dominance of smaller building firms resulting in low economies-of-scale and project management challenges associated with supply chain fragmentation
    4. difficulties attracting and retaining skilled workers resulting in skills and labour shortages.

    The report proposes seven reform directions in response. These centre on speeding up the planning approval process, investing in research and development, and increasing workforce flexibility.

    Fixing things won’t be simple

    The Productivity Commission’s report has brought a welcome focus on planning and approvals as a key element of easing the housing crisis.

    It acknowledges that under-resourcing of agencies involved in the approvals process, such as local governments, has made the problem worse.

    One issue with increasing the number of planning approvals processed is that you then need to have a construction industry that can build fast enough to keep up with them.

    Currently, we don’t. Industry research shows since 2013, the number of workers within Australia’s construction workforce has increased by more than 25%. But they are working 2% fewer hours each year, and achieving an output that’s 25.4% lower.

    Keeping an eye on quality

    Amid any push to speed up approvals, we need to be mindful of the possible risks. Loosening building regulations can increase the risk of quality problems and inappropriate development.

    If widespread across the industry, such problems can cause significant personal and economic harm to households, social and economic costs for society. They can also increase building costs, insurance premiums and strata fees.

    This problem calls for a range of tools to reduce the risk of compromising on quality when regulations are loosened or changed. New South Wales has two key pieces of legislation in place that could act as a model for other states.

    One allows owners to sue if a person who carries out construction work fails to exercise reasonable care. The other allows the Building Commission to investigate building work and require rectification of defects for up to six years.

    NSW also has an independent builder trustworthiness rating scheme. This is known as iCirt and operated by credit rating agency Equifax.

    Innovation isn’t a panacea

    A major feature of the Productivity Commission’s report discusses the housing construction industry’s low innovation culture.

    However, much innovation is hidden from view, since it occurs at the manufacturing stage. And innovation itself is not a panacea.

    While calling for greater innovation seems obvious on the surface, research has shown its ability to increase productivity depends on a wide range of factors and is certainly not guaranteed. It can even increase costs and reduce quality and productivity if not managed effectively.

    More holistic workforce planning

    The report also highlights issues with attracting and retaining a skilled workforce. Issues include low apprenticeship take-up and completion rates, restrictive trade pathways, and large infrastructure projects drawing talent away.

    This raises a bigger issue. Despite workforce planning across the industry by the Construction Industry Training Board the industry still seems to be constantly reacting to a skilled labour shortage rather than planning ahead to predict and prevent one.



    Read more:
    Will new $10,000 apprentice payments help solve job shortages in construction? Not anytime soon

    Martin Loosemore 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. Here’s why increasing productivity in housing construction is such a tricky problem to solve – https://theconversation.com/heres-why-increasing-productivity-in-housing-construction-is-such-a-tricky-problem-to-solve-250048

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

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

    CLEVELAND – Conner Matthew Walker, 21, of Rocky River, Ohio, was sentenced to 35 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), and one count of possession of child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment.

    Walker admitted to harming his victims and recording the sexual abuse on his cellphone from September 2023 through January 2024. He connected with an 11-year-old victim through a children’s app and coerced her to send him sexually explicit photos. Two additional victims were identified as toddlers at a home daycare in Parma Heights, Ohio, where Walker resided occasionally. He further exploited his young victims when he uploaded and shared the content he produced to social media chat forums. Investigators searched Walker’s cellphone and discovered he possessed more than 1,000 additional CSAM images and videos.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District of Ohio.

    To report child sexual abuse, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pointing Laser at Aircraft Sends Kalispell Man to Prison

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

    MISSOULA — A Kalispell man who admitted to aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft was sentenced today to two and one-half years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    The defendant, Nolan Wayne Hamman, 32, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.

    U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

    In court documents, the government alleged that on Nov. 25, 2023, a flight instructor operating a plane over Kalispell called 911 to report a person shining a laser pointer at her plane while she was flying with a minor student. Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded and located Hamman on the ground with the laser pointer. Hamman admitted to shining the laser at the plane while it was in flight. Further, Hamman engaged in this behavior over several months, and evidence demonstrated he pursued these planes because he believed they were tracking him. Hamman’s actions continually endangered multiple pilots, including two juveniles, and the safety of those on the ground in the Kalispell area.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Federal Aviation Administration, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Kalispell Police Department conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: District Court Enters Permanent Injunctions Prohibiting Unauthorized Debits to Consumer and Small Business Bank Accounts

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    On Jan. 31, a court in Miami entered the final in a series of consent decrees, permanently barring 10 individuals and entities from operating a scheme to steal funds from thousands of bank accounts belonging to consumers and small businesses across the United States.

    In a civil complaint unsealed on Dec. 11, 2023, the Justice Department alleged that a network of individuals and their companies, including defendants Farhan Khan, Jeremy Todd Briley, Christopher Foufas, Brandon Hahn, and Melinda Petit-Homme, participated in a scheme to steal millions of dollars from consumers and small businesses by making recurring unauthorized charges against their bank accounts.

    The defendants allegedly used sham companies, including Altitude Processing Inc., which does business as Clear Marketing Agency, to cover their tracks and make the unauthorized charges appear legitimate. The defendants also allegedly took elaborate steps to portray the sham companies as legitimate businesses that provided online marketing services, creating bogus websites for the sham companies, fake customer authorizations for the charges, and a “customer service” call center to field complaints and offer refunds. The government alleged that, in reality, victims of the scheme never signed up for — or received — any services from the defendants.

    “These consent decrees are the hard-won result of the Department’s efforts to eradicate schemes that prey upon consumers and small businesses across the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department is committed to using all the tools at its disposal to block fraudsters from reaching into victims’ bank accounts and draining their savings through repeated unauthorized charges.”

    “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will relentlessly pursue any and everyone masquerading as legitimate businesses to fraudulently steal money from unsuspecting consumers,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Postal inspectors work diligently to investigate fraud scams and educate the public about how to protect their money from criminals.”

    Under the consent decrees, the defendants may not charge consumers without authorization. The consent decrees also prevent the defendants from taking any measures to: (a) evade fraud and risk monitoring programs established by any financial institution, payment processor, or the operator of any payment system; (b) disguise the nature of transactions; or (c) artificially reduce chargeback rates. They are further prohibited from assisting any other individuals or entities with taking any of the prohibited actions. The consent decrees do not constitute an admission of guilt on behalf of the defendants.

    The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Carolyn Rice and Meredith Reiter of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch represented the government in this matter. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida provided substantial assistance.

    For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Robert K. Tripp Named Assistant Director of the Human Resources Division

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

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation has named Robert K. Tripp as the assistant director of the Human Resources Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Mr. Tripp most recently served as the special agent in charge of the San Francisco Field Office.

    Mr. Tripp joined the FBI as an intelligence research specialist in 1998 and worked in the Criminal Investigative Division at Headquarters. He became a special agent in 2003 and was assigned to the St. Louis Field Office to investigate public corruption and white-collar crime.

    In 2006, Mr. Tripp transferred to the Washington Field Office and was detailed to work international mass marketing fraud through the Department of Justice Fraud Section. He was promoted to supervisory special agent in 2012 and worked in the Director’s Research Group at Headquarters, which prepares the director for meetings, conferences, and events.

    Mr. Tripp transferred to the Sacramento Field Office in California in 2014. He first supervised a public corruption and civil rights squad, then a squad responsible for violent crime and violent crimes against children. He was also the supervisor of the Fairfield Resident Agency, a Sacramento satellite office.

    In 2018, Mr. Tripp was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Sacramento office, responsible for all investigations of criminal and cyber threats and overseeing the criminal squads in Sacramento’s seven resident agencies. He also served as the acting commander of the newly established Sacramento Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

    Mr. Tripp was promoted to inspector in 2021 and returned to Headquarters. He was promoted to special agent in charge of the San Francisco Field Office in 2022.

    Mr. Tripp earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and a master’s and doctorate in history from Washington University in St. Louis.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Timothy A. Ferguson Named Assistant Director of the Criminal Justice Information Services Division

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

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation has named Timothy A. Ferguson as the assistant director of the Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Mr. Ferguson has served as the acting assistant director of the CJIS Division since April 2024.

    Mr. Ferguson joined the FBI as a special agent in 2002 and was assigned to the Dayton Resident Agency under the Cincinnati Field Office in Ohio, where he primarily worked criminal investigations with the Southern Ohio Safe Streets Task Force. He was promoted to supervisory senior resident agent in 2011.

    In 2015, Mr. Ferguson was promoted to assistant section chief of the Violent Crime and Gang Section in the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He oversaw the division’s Safe Streets and Gang Unit, Violent Crime Unit, and Indian Country Crime Unit.

    Mr. Ferguson moved to the Springfield Field Office in Illinois in 2018 to serve as the assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch. In 2020, he returned to FBI Headquarters as the section chief of the Field Operations Section and the Digital Forensics and Analytics Section in the Operational Technology Division.

    In 2023, Mr. Ferguson was promoted to deputy assistant director of the CJIS Division, responsible for the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System Section.

    During his FBI career, Mr. Ferguson has served as a crisis negotiator, a SWAT Team operator, a medic, an adjunct faculty member, and a Behavioral Analysis Unit coordinator.

    Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Ferguson served in the U.S. Army. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Welsh College in Nashville, Tennessee, and a master’s degree in behavioral science from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: As Peace Gets Pushed Further from Reach, Dark Spirit of Impunity for Terrorism Spreads, Multilateral Solutions Key

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the UN Security Council open debate on the maintenance of international peace and security:  practicing multilateralism, reforming and improving global governance, in New York today: 

    I thank Minister Wang Yi and China for convening this important discussion.

    This year marks the eightieth anniversary of the United Nations.  Born out of the ashes of the Second World War, our Organization was the result of a global commitment to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. 

    It also signalled a commitment to an entirely new level of international cooperation grounded in international law and our founding Charter.  To help countries move past the horrors of conflict to forge sustainable peace.  To tackle poverty, hunger and disease.  To assist countries in climbing the development ladder.  To provide humanitarian support in times of conflict and disaster.  To embed justice and fairness through international law and respect for human rights.  And to work through this Council to push for peace through dialogue, debate, diplomacy and consensus-building.

    Eight decades later, one can draw a direct line between the creation of the United Nations and the prevention of a third world war. Eight decades later, the United Nations remains the essential, one-of-a-kind meeting ground to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights.  But eight decades is a long time.  And because we believe in the singular value and purpose of the United Nations, we must always strive to improve the institution and the way we work.

    We have the hardware for international cooperation — but the software needs an update.  An update in representation to reflect the realities of today.  An update in support for developing countries to redress historical injustices.  An update to ensure countries adhere to the purposes, principles and norms that ground multilateralism in justice and fairness.  And an update to our peace operations.

    Global solidarity and solutions are needed more than ever. The climate crisis is raging, inequalities are growing, and poverty is on the rise.  As this Council knows well, peace is getting pushed further out of reach — from the Occupied Palestinian Territory to Ukraine to Sudan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond.

    Terrorism and violent extremism remain persistent scourges. We see a dark spirit of impunity spreading.  The prospect of nuclear war remains — outrageously — a clear and present danger. And the limitless promise of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence is matched by limitless peril to undermine and even replace human thought, human identity and human control.

    These global challenges cry out for multilateral solutions.

    The Pact for the Future you adopted in September is aimed at strengthening global governance for the twenty-first century and rebuilding trust — trust in multilateralism, trust in the United Nations, and trust in this Council.  At its heart, the Pact for the Future is a pact for peace — peace in all its dimensions.

    It puts forward concrete solutions to strengthen the machinery of peace, drawing from proposals to the New Agenda for Peace that prioritize prevention, mediation and peacebuilding.  The Pact seeks to advance coordination with regional organizations and ensure the full participation of women, youth and marginalized groups in peace processes.  And it calls for strengthening the Peacebuilding Commission to mobilize political and financial support for nationally owned peacebuilding and prevention strategies.

    The Pact also includes the first multilateral agreement on nuclear disarmament in more than a decade…  New strategies to end the use of chemical and biological weapons…  And revitalized efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space and advance discussions on lethal autonomous weapons.

    It also calls on Member States to live up to their commitments enshrined in the UN Charter and the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of States.

    It reaffirms unwavering commitment to abide by international law and prioritize the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue. It recognizes the role of the United Nations in preventive diplomacy.  It reinforces the need to uphold all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.  It calls for the meaningful inclusion of women and youth in all peace processes.

    And it specifically calls on this Council to ensure that peace operations are guided by clear and sequenced mandates that are realistic and achievable — with viable exit strategies and transition plans.

    But the Pact does even more for peace.  It recognizes that we must address the root causes of conflict and tensions.  Sustainable peace requires sustainable development.  The Pact includes support for a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Stimulus to help developing countries invest in their people and tackle key challenges, like moving towards a future anchored in renewable energy.

    It includes a revitalized commitment to reform the global financial architecture to better and more fairly represent the needs of developing countries.  And it includes a Global Digital Compact that calls for an artificial intelligence governance body that brings developing countries to the decision-making table for the first time.

    The Pact also recognizes that the Security Council must reflect the world of today, not the world of 80 years ago, and sets out important principles to guide this long-awaited reform.  This Council should be enlarged and made more representative of today’s geopolitical realities.  And we must continue improving the working methods of this Council to make it more inclusive, transparent, efficient, democratic and accountable.

    These issues have been under consideration by the General Assembly for more than a decade.  Now is the time to build on the momentum provided by the Pact for the Future and work towards a greater consensus among regional groups and Member States — including the permanent members of this Council — to move the intergovernmental negotiations forward.

    Throughout, I call on Members of this Council to overcome the divisions that are blocking effective action for peace.  The world looks to you to act in meaningful ways to end conflicts and ease the suffering these wars inflict on innocent people.

    Council Members have shown that finding common ground is possible.  From deploying peacekeeping operations, to forging life-saving resolutions on humanitarian aid, to historic recognitions of the security challenges faced by women and young people, to the landmark resolution 2719 supporting African Union-led peace support operations through assessed contributions.

    Even in the darkest days of the cold war, the collective decision-making and vigorous dialogue in this Council maintained a functioning, if imperfect, system of collective security.  I urge you to summon this same spirit, continue working to overcome differences and focus on building the consensus required to deliver the peace all people need and deserve.

    Multilateral cooperation is the beating heart of the United Nations.  Guided by the solutions in the Pact for the Future, multilateralism can also become an even more powerful instrument of peace.  But multilateralism is only as strong as each and every country’s commitment to it. 

    As we look to the challenges around us, I urge all Member States to continue strengthening and updating our global problem-solving mechanisms. Let’s make them fit for purpose — fit for people — and fit for peace.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Files Felony Charges Against a Gun Show Trader for Running an Illegal Assault Weapon Manufacturing Operation out of His Garage

    Source: US State of California

    Tuesday, February 18, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

      
    SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the arrest and charges filed against a suspect who was running an illegal assault weapon manufacturing and assembly operation out of his garage in Roseville. In addition, a significant cache of rifles, large capacity magazines, and ammunition were seized from his residence. An investigation began after the suspect was found to be attempting to sell assault weapons as a gun show trader at the Placerville Gun Show. Felony charges were filed by the DOJ Criminal Division for manufacturing assault weapons for sale, possession of assault weapons, and possession of a silencer.      
     
    “As California’s chief law enforcement officer, protecting public safety and our communities from the threat of gun violence is my top priority,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The regulations and protocols surrounding firearm purchases have been put in place to ensure the safety of California. When bad actors try to skirt the rules and bypass these integral processes, it creates situations with deadly consequences. I’m proud of the work our Field Representatives and Special Agents do on behalf of the people of California. These brave agents and field representatives are rarely in the spotlight, but they are working every day to prevent gun violence from ever happening by removing dangerous weapons from communities.”
     
    On November 3, 2024, Field Representatives from the Bureau of Firearms Regulatory Compliance Unit carried out a regulatory inspection at the Placerville Gun Show. During this inspection, they overheard a gun show trader attempting to sell a silencer to potential buyers. Consequently, the trader’s firearms were examined, revealing two illegal assault weapons available for sale. This led Special Agents to conduct a thorough investigation. On November 12, 2024, with the assistance of the Roseville Police Department SWAT team, Special Agents executed a search warrant at the suspect’s residence. They seized 8 illegal assault rifles and a silencer, as well as numerous other handguns, rifles, disassembled rifles, firearm parts, large capacity magazines, and rounds of ammunition. 
     
    It is important to note that criminal charges must be proven in a court of law. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ten Defendants Plead Guilty in Multimillion-Dollar Sports-Betting and Money Laundering Scheme

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

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ten men pleaded guilty this week to managing a multi-million-dollar sports-betting operation, announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office.

    Timothy J. Pughsley, 53, and Nathan Burdette, 39, of Birmingham, Alabama; Christopher Burdette, 32, of Chelsea, Alabama; Thomas Zito, 59, of Vestavia, Alabama; Gary Rapp, 46, of Lakeland, Tennessee; Mark Giaquinto, 52, of Upton, Massachusetts; Matthew Voorhees, 49, of Englewood, Colorado; David Richards, 39, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Joshua Gentrup, 38, of Athens, Georgia, entered their guilty pleas before United States District Judge Madeline Haikala to conspiring to operate an illegal gambling business and to their participation in a money laundering conspiracy. Jonathan Lind, 46, of Birmingham, Alabama, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to operate an illegal gambling business. Sentencing hearings for the defendants are set in May 2025.

    According to the plea agreements, Pughsley began operating a bookmaking organization at least 17 years ago. The organization eventually became known as “Red44,” and bookmaking and betting activities occurred online via an offshore server located in Costa Rica. It is estimated that the organization accepted over $2 billion in wagers during its existence. Within the plea agreements, the defendants—all senior agents within Red44—agreed to pay excise tax restitution totaling $19,777,382.61 to the IRS arising from their acceptance of wagers from sports betters across the U.S. and to satisfy any income tax obligations that remain outstanding.

    “These guilty pleas are the end result of years of hard work by members of federal and state law enforcement agencies to enforce our nation’s gambling and tax laws,” Escalona said. “The defendants illegally accepted millions of dollars in wagers and lived lavishly while avoiding their excise tax obligations. This office will diligently pursue those who enrich themselves in violation of the law.”

    “Excise tax evasion and illegal sports betting are not victimless crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Hardeman. “Money obtained from illegal gambling operations is often used to finance other criminal activities. IRS-CI special agents are skilled at following the money to investigate and expose these illegal organizations, who will be held accountable. Thank you to our local, state, and federal partners who assisted in this investigation.”

    IRS-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, with assistance from the Vestavia Hills Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Department of Revenue, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine Crosby, Kristen Osborne, and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Offense

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

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that QUINTEN McKOY, also known as “Quack,” 33, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 40 months of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing firearms.  Judge Bolden ordered McKoy’s sentence to be served consecutive to a state sentence McKoy is currently service for unrelated offenses.  Once released from federal custody, McKoy will serve a three-year term of supervised release.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, after a series of shootings and murders in Bridgeport and Stratford, the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force began an investigation into McKoy and others who were associated with gangs in the South End of Bridgeport.  On October 7, 2022, Task Force members conducted a court-authorized search of McKoy’s residence on Logan Street in Bridgeport and seized a stolen Glock .45 semi-automatic handgun; four gun magazines, including a high-capacity magazine loaded with 25 rounds of ammunition; a laser attachment; additional ammunition; and packages of suspected crack cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.  McKoy was arrested at that time.

    McKoy’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions in state court for firearm and other offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

    McKoy has been detained since his arrest.  On September 12, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

    This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Ross Weingarten through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man convicted of murdering partner in Kilburn

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been convicted of murdering his partner at her flat in west London, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service.

    A jury at Southwark Crown Court found Steven Clark, 50 (02.03.1974), of Bravington Road, Kilburn, guilty of the murder of 80-year-old Ursula Uhlemann at her home in Queens Park in March 2024.

    DCI Wayne Jolley, from the Met’s Specialist Crime South unit – who led the investigation – said:“Ms Uhlemann’s life was taken in appalling circumstances. In light of Clark’s conviction, our thoughts are with those that knew her.

    “Clark had consistently lied about his role in Ms Uhlemann’s murder, denying any involvement whatsoever. I would like to thank the numerous witnesses who assisted investigators in building a picture of the events leading up to the killing.”

    The court heard that, just after 03:00hrs on Wednesday, 20 March, 2024, a London Ambulance Service crew attended Ms Uhlemann’s flat – inside a retirement housing complex – following a 999 call by Clark. They found Ms Uhlemann unresponsive on the floor of her living room. Despite the efforts of paramedics to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at 04:11hrs.

    Investigators were alerted of the death by paramedics and attended the flat. They noted that Ms Uhlemann had suffered numerous injuries.

    Clark was present at the scene when the police arrived. He told them he had been staying at Ms Uhlemann’s flat that night, and had found her unconscious. Investigators noted inconsistencies in Clark’s account, and, as a result, he was arrested and charged with murder on Friday, 22 March, 2024.

    Clark claimed that, after arriving at his partner’s flat on Monday, 18 March, 2024, he had left and returned on several occasions. However, after making CCTV enquiries, investigators established that he had never left the flat at any point in the two days preceding her death.

    Officers were able to establish that Clark had been abusive towards the victim on previous occasions. A postmortem later determined that Ms Uhlemann had died from neck compression.

    Clark will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, 21 February.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Orlando Man Arrested for Using the Internet to Entice a Minor to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity

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

    Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and charging by criminal complaint of Italo Rafael Brett Bonini (25, Orlando) for coercion or enticement of a minor using a facility of interstate commerce. If convicted, Brett Bonini faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. 

    According to the criminal complaint, on January 12, 2025, Brett Bonini had a video chat with two prepubescent child victims in Maryland through Discord, an online communication platform. During that video chat, both child victims were enticed into pulling down their pants, and one of the child victims complied with Brett Bonini’s request to display their genitals on screen. Law enforcement also reviewed messages from Brett Bonini to the victims in which Brett Bonini offered currency in an online video game in exchange for the victims to show their genitalia on screen. 

    The FBI obtained a search warrant for Brett Bonini’s residence and electronic devices. During the execution of that warrant, Brett Bonini admitted that he utilized his desktop computer to communicate with children, stating that children were easier to talk to.  He further admitted to communicating with one of the victims on the date in question.

    A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.           

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Maryland State Police, and the Harford County Child Advocacy Center. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Cruz.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Amid ‘clear’ threat of nuclear war, Guterres tells Security Council multilateral off ramp is essential

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    Strengthening international cooperation and delivering on a UN pact that calls for reforming global governance, among other measures, was the focus of debate in the UN Security Council on Tuesday. 

    The ministerial-level meeting was convened by China, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, as the UN prepares to mark its 80th anniversary later this year.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the debate emphasizing that “global solidarity and solutions are needed more than ever” as the climate crisis rages and inequalities and poverty increase.

    Peace remains illusive

    “As this Council knows well, peace is getting pushed further out of reach — from the Occupied Palestinian Territory to Ukraine to Sudan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond,” he said.  

    “Terrorism and violent extremism remain persistent scourges. We see a dark spirit of impunity spreading.  The prospect of nuclear war remains – outrageously – a clear and present danger.”

    Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) are also a challenge as their “limitless promise…is matched by limitless peril to undermine and even replace human thought, human identity and human control.” 

    Pact for the Future

    Mr. Guterres said “these global challenges cry out for multilateral solutions,” and pointed to the Pact for the Future, adopted by Member States last September.

    The agreement “is aimed at strengthening global governance for the 21st century and rebuilding trust” in multilateralism, the UN, and the Security Council.

    Provisions include advancing coordination with regional organizations and ensuring the full participation of women, youth and marginalized groups in peace processes.

    The Pact outlines support for a stimulus plan to help developing countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and revitalized commitment to reform the post-war global financial architecture to better serve the modern world.

    It also contains a Global Digital Compact that calls for an AI governance body that allows developing countries to participate in decision-making, marking a first.

    Security Council reform

    “The Pact also recognizes that the Security Council must reflect the world of today, not the world of 80 years ago, and sets out important principles to guide this long-awaited reform,” said Mr. Guterres.

    The Council should be enlarged and made more representative of today’s geopolitical realities, while countries also must continue to improve its working methods to make the body more inclusive, transparent, efficient, democratic and accountable. 

    He recalled that these issues have been under consideration by the UN General Assembly for more than a decade. 

    Build on momentum 

    “Now is the time to build on the momentum provided by the Pact for the Future, and work towards a greater consensus among regional groups and Member States – including the permanent members of this Council – to move the intergovernmental negotiations forward,” he said. 

    “Throughout, I call on Members of this Council to overcome the divisions that are blocking effective action for peace.”

    He noted that Council members have shown reaching common ground is possible, for example through deploying peacekeeping operations and forging resolutions on humanitarian aid.

    Spirited compromise

    “Even in the darkest days of the Cold War, the collective decision-making and vigorous dialogue in this Council maintained a functioning, if imperfect, system of collective security,” he said.

    “I urge you to summon this same spirit, continue working to overcome differences and focus on building the consensus required to deliver the peace all people need and deserve.”

    The Secretary-General said multilateral cooperation is the beating heart of the United Nations, and guided by the solutions in the Pact for the Future, it can become an even more powerful instrument of peace,

    “As we look to the challenges around us, I urge all Member States to continue strengthening and updating our global problem-solving mechanisms,” he said. “Let’s make them fit for purpose – fit for people – and fit for peace.”

    More to follow

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Guatemalan Congressman sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for international drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PLANO, Texas – A former Guatemalan congressman has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for his role in an international drug trafficking conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. of the Eastern District of Texas.

    Jose Armando Ubico Aguilar, 45, a former senior Republic of Guatemala official, pleaded guilty to ­­­­being involved in an international drug trafficking conspiracy and was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on February 11, 2025.

    According to information presented in court, Ubico Aguilar served as an elected member of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala from 2016 to 2024.  He also served as an elected Deputy and was the President of the National Defense Committee of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala from 2018 to 2023. 

    “The sentencing of this corrupt Guatemalan official who brokered and facilitated cocaine shipments into the United States while betraying his country through his partnerships with known drug traffickers and other corrupt officials shows the commitment of the Eastern District of Texas United States Attorney’s Office to identify, disrupt, and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.  “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to ensure that Ubico Aguilar will no longer be allowed to hide behind his position of power.”

    “The sentencing of this corrupt official who brokered and facilitated cocaine shipments into the United States sends a message to Transnational Criminal Organizations across the world that they will be held responsible for the poison they distribute into the United States,” said Dallas DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez.  “This sentence reflects our continued resolve to partner with our international law-enforcement counterparts to fight greed, violence, and public corruption.”

    On March 3, 2021, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas indicted Ubico Aguilar charging him with federal drug trafficking violations.  In May 2024, Ubico Aguilar arrived in the United States and pleaded guilty.  During his plea hearing, Ubico Aguilar admitted his role in the conspiracy, including relaying drug-related information and U.S. currency to another Guatemalan official on behalf of an international drug trafficker. These actions resulted in the safe passage of at least 450 kilograms of cocaine through Guatemala for distribution in the United States.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    This case was investigated by the North Texas Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) Strike Force Group Two; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Division; the DEA’s Guatemala City Country Office and the DEA’s San Jose (Costa Rica) Country Office; the FBI’s Dallas Field Office; the Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas and Guatemala Field Offices; the U.S. Marshals Service’s Dallas Field Office; and Customs and Border Protection’s San Diego Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division also provided significant assistance in securing the surrender of Ubico Aguilar.  

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Eason.                                        

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Trial Jury Convicts New Orleans Woman of Two 2022 Robberies of Igor’s Lounge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA- Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson announced that on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, DEBORAH COOPER (“COOPER”), 54, of New Orleans, was found guilty of all charges following a jury trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.

    The jury found COOPER guilty of all seven counts against her.  Count 1 charged COOPER with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a).  Counts 2 and 4 charged COOPER with interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1951(a) and 2.  Counts 3 and 5 charged COOPER with using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§924(c)(1)(A)(ii) and 2.  Count 6 charged COOPER with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).  Count 7 charged COOPER with tampering with proceedings, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1).

    According to court documents, COOPER, and an unknown person, robbed Igor’s Lounge, located on St. Charles Avenue, in New Orleans in February and March of 2022.  During the February robbery, COOPER, and the unknown person, held an Igor’s bartender at gunpoint and demanded she open the register and poker drawer.  The robbers then forced the bartender to the rear of the bar, and ordered her, at gunpoint, to lie on the floor while they fled. The robbers stole over twelve hundred dollars ($1,200.00) in U.S. currency.  Similarly, during the March robbery, COOPER and the unknown person, retuned to Igor’s and robbed another bartender at gunpoint.  This time , they stole over seven thousand dollars ($7,000.00) in U.S. currency. The New Orleans Police Department investigated the robberies and obtained surveillance footage showing the robbers parking COOPER’s Ram pickup truck near Igor’s on the day of the February robbery. NOPD then obtained a search warrant for COOPER’s residence and located various items of clothing worn by COOPER during the robberies, twelve hundred dollars ($1,200.00) in U.S. currency, and a Smith and Wesson firearm, that COOPER attempted to hide, during this search.  The NOPD also located blue latex gloves in COOPER’s Ram truck, similar to the blue latex gloves worn by the robbers during the March robbery.

    U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo will sentence COOPER on May 7, 2025.  COOPER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years imprisonment up to a maximum term of life imprisonment as a result of being convicted of two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing of a firearm during the commission of a drug trafficking crime.  This sentence will run consecutive to the sentences imposed by the Court for the remaining counts for which COOPER was convicted. As it relates to her convictions for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, Hobbs Act Robbery, and Tampering with Proceedings, COOPER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  For the felon in possession of a firearm conviction, COOPER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  COOPER also faces a term of supervised release of up to 5 years after completing her term of imprisonment.  At sentencing, the Court will also impose a mandatory special assessment fee of $700.00.  Additionally, the Court may impose fines and restitution.

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brittany Reed and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime/Strike Force Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Attorney’s Office Announces Departure of Adair Ford Boroughs as U.S. Attorney

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews is now Acting U.S. Attorney

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina announced today the departure of Adair F. Boroughs as U.S. Attorney following termination by the new administration.

    Under the Vacancies Reform Act, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews is now the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.  As Acting U.S. Attorney, Andrews is the chief federal law enforcement official in the state of South Carolina.

    Andrews is a career federal prosecutor who first joined the Department of Justice through the Attorney General’s Honors Program in 2009. In addition to serving as First Assistant, Andrews previously served as Deputy Criminal Chief over the White Collar and General Crimes Section, District Ethics Officer, and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney handling a wide range of criminal, civil, and appellate matters. Andrews received an undergraduate degree from Davidson College, a master’s degree from the George Washington University, and a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Before joining the Department of Justice, Andrews clerked for U.S. District Judge Margaret Seymour of the District of South Carolina, and Chief Justice Jean Toal of the South Carolina Supreme Court.

    Boroughs was sworn in as United States Attorney in July of 2022, following a nomination by President Biden and confirmation by the U.S. Senate. As United States Attorney, Boroughs oversaw a staff that included approximately 140 attorneys and support personnel. During her tenure, Boroughs prioritized enforcement of federal civil rights laws and partnering with local, state, and federal law enforcement to address violent crime. The office secured five federal hate crime convictions and hosted seven United Against Hate events around the state in partnership with FBI Columbia to educate the public on the existence of a federal hate crime statute and encourage the reporting of hate crime incidents.

    Boroughs prioritized the prosecution of offenders driving violence in South Carolina communities and recognized the value of local partners in identifying these offenders. Under her tenure, the office announced multi-defendant indictments and takedowns disrupting gun trafficking rings, illegal narcotics operations, and gang violence. She also oversaw multiple human trafficking, child exploitation, and white-collar prosecutions, including the recent indictment and extradition of a Nigerian national for a sextortion scheme resulting in the death of a 17-year-old Gavin Guffey. 

    “It has been the honor of my career to return to the Department of Justice and to serve alongside the men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Adair Ford Boroughs, “The career men and women of this office work tirelessly day in and day out to meet the Department’s mission–to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights. It has been my honor to support them in this critical and patriotic work however I could for as long as I could. To my colleagues, our law enforcement partners, and our South Carolina community, thank you for trusting me with this work.”

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana announces departure of U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BILLINGS — The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana today announced the departure of U. S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, effective yesterday.

    Mr. Laslovich has served as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of Montana since being sworn into office on June 2, 2022. President Joe Biden nominated Mr. Laslovich for the position on Jan. 31, 2022, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him on May 17, 2022.

    As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Laslovich oversaw all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation on behalf of the U.S. government. The district has offices in Helena, Great Falls, Missoula, Butte, and Billings.

    “It has been the honor of my life to serve as the United States Attorney for the state that raised me. I am profoundly grateful to the talented and hard-working people in this office, as well as our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners who strive every day to uphold the rule of law, keep people safe, and steadfastly defend the interests of the United States of America. I have never been prouder to have served with them, and I will always be rooting hard for their continued safety and success,” Mr. Laslovich said.

    During Mr. Laslovich’s tenure, the U.S. Attorney’s Office focused on prosecuting drug trafficking and violent and sexual abuse crimes occurring on Montana’s six Indian Reservations that are within federal jurisdiction for major crimes; building strong partnerships with other federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement agencies; addressing violent and firearms crimes in communities across the state through initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF); and protecting civil rights for all Montanans. The office continued its work to protect children from online and in person sexual predators, abusers, and traffickers, and to catch fraudsters, especially those who prey on elderly and vulnerable persons.

    Mr. Laslovich also emphasized the importance of strong working relationships with numerous law enforcement agencies at the local, state, tribal and federal levels. Mr. Laslovich and office representatives met regularly with tribal leadership to discuss various issues. The office also worked closely with other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners and organizations to strengthen trust, communications, and cooperation in working toward the shared goal of keeping people safe and holding offenders accountable.

    In Indian Country, the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked with tribal and federal law enforcement partners to shut down trafficking rings attempting to set up bases on Montana reservations and enlist residents to distribute drugs transported from outside Montana. One of those cases involved dismantling a large, multi-state drug trafficking organization that was based on Crow Indian Reservation property known as Spear Siding and distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl to three other Montana Indian reservations and communities from suppliers in Washington and a Mexican cartel. The case resulted in federal convictions in Montana of 27 persons and was one of the largest federal drug trafficking investigations in Montana.

    Additionally, a recent six-month-long enforcement initiative led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, in cooperation with Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Reservation, led to indictments of multiple individuals on drug crimes. The enforcement action was aimed at identifying hot spots and devoting law enforcement resources to communities facing rising rates of drug-related violent crime and overdose deaths.

    During the last three years, federal prosecutors remained committed to making communities across Montana safer by identifying and prosecuting the most dangerous offenders through initiatives like PSN and OCDETF. In Great Falls, a multi-agency investigation into a large fentanyl trafficking ring led to a coordinated take down of suspects and convictions of 10 individuals.

    During Mr. Laslovich’s tenure, prosecutions of individuals on federal firearms crimes increased significantly. The average number of defendants charged with illegal possession of a firearm averaged 111 cases a year from 2022 through 2024, compared with an average of 83 cases per year from 2014 to 2021. And the number of defendants charged with carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence or drug trafficking also increased to an average of 56 cases a year from 2022 to 2024 from an average of 40 cases per year from 2014 to 2021.

    Additionally, Mr. Laslovich oversaw the launch in Montana of United Against Hate, a Justice Department initiative focused on improving the prevention of hate crimes and hate incidents by building relationships at the local level. Laslovich and the office’s civil rights coordinator and prosecutor held a series of community meetings across the state with law enforcement partners, community and faith organizations, tribal communities, and citizens to discuss identifying and reporting hate crimes and to learn about available resources. Further, the office successfully prosecuted a Basin man on federal hate and firearms crimes after he fired an AK-style assault rifle at the residence of a woman, who identified as lesbian, and was home at the time. The defendant was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

    The office’s civil team continued its work defending the United States in litigation, collecting debts owed to the federal government, and investigating fraud. As part of that work, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reached a civil settlement agreement in 2024 between the federal government and St. Peter’s Health, in Helena, in which St. Peter’s agreed to pay $10,844,201 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payments to federal health care programs for services performed by an oncology doctor.

    Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Mr. Laslovich served as regional vice president for SCL Health Montana-Wyoming since 2017. From 2009 to 2016, Mr. Laslovich was chief legal counsel in the office of the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, where he prosecuted securities fraud cases. During 2011 and 2012, Laslovich also served as a special assistant U.S. attorney on securities cases in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana. He previously worked in the Montana Attorney General’s Office. Mr. Laslovich began his legal career at Datsopoulos, MacDonald & Lind, P.C. in Missoula and taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Montana School of Law for two semesters.

    As one of the youngest Montanans ever elected to the Montana Legislature, Mr. Laslovich first served in the House of Representatives from 2001 through 2004 and then in the Senate from 2005 to 2010, representing Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Granite, and Powell counties.

    Mr. Laslovich received his J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law in 2006 and his B.A., with high honors, from the University of Montana in 2003.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Media Alert: FBI Offers Reward for Los Lunas Bandit in a Black Hoodie Responsible for a Bank Robbery

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

    The FBI and Los Lunas Police Department are asking for the public’s help to identify a man who robbed U.S. Bank at 2421 Main Street SE, Los Lunas, on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at approximately 5 p.m.

    Suspect description:

    • Race: Hispanic
    • Height: approximately 5’10”- 6’0”
    • Build: Thin
    • Clothing: Blue Jeans, Black Hoodie, Sunglasses, Face mask, black shoes

    The suspect entered the bank and passed a demand note to the teller, then verbally demanded more money from a second teller. He was observed leaving northbound from the bank.

    The FBI is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of this suspect. Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to contact the FBI at (505) 889-1300.

    Information about other bank/credit union robbers wanted by the FBI can be found at bankrobbers.fbi.gov. Bank robbery carries a possible prison term of up to 20 years. The use of a gun, other dangerous weapon, toy gun, or hoax bomb device during the commission of a bank robbery can be punishable by a prison term of up to 25 years.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Provincially Funded Specialized Policing Teams Continue to Build Public Safety

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on February 18, 2025

    From July 1 to December 31, 2024, officers from Saskatchewan’s municipal Crime Reduction Teams (CRTs) and Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team (STRT) seized 67 firearms, more than 23 kilograms of methamphetamine and nearly 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl from Saskatchewan communities. Officers also charged 89 people with a total of 475 criminal charges.

    “These numbers highlight the tireless efforts of our specialized policing teams in Saskatchewan and the positive impact they are having on our neighbourhoods and communities,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod said. “We are proud to continue supporting provincial law enforcement initiatives, and we are grateful for the work that is done by our municipal police services every day in support of community safety and wellbeing.”

    There are currently three municipal CRT and STRT teams operating out of Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon. CRTs are dedicated to targeting street gangs and prolific offenders while responding to urban and rural crime surges when needed. STRT investigates illegal weapons, drugs and human trafficking cases.

    “Crime is more complex than ever, and we need to be able to respond to the changing needs of our community,” Regina Police Service Chief Farooq Sheikh said. “Collaborating with government and community partners allows us to respond more effectively. This ongoing funding is a great example of how working together we can keep our communities safe.”

    Between July and December 2024, municipal STRTs opened 19 human trafficking files and initiated 21 human trafficking interventions.

    On November 27, 2024, members of the Saskatoon Police CRT investigated a case of suspected drug trafficking, resulting in the seizure of:

    • $69,000 CAD;
    • approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine;
    • 470 grams of powdered cocaine;
    • 175 grams of carfentanyl;
    • 4 litres of gamma-hydroxybutyrate;
    • 16 grams of fentanyl; and
    • assorted paraphernalia consistent with drug trafficking.

    As a result of this investigation, 15 charges were laid related to the possession of controlled substances and the proceeds of crime over $5,000.

    “The Saskatoon Police Service is appreciative of provincial funding and support that allows us to enhance our policing efforts, invest in critical resources, and ensure our officers have the tools they need to keep our neighbourhoods safe,” Saskatoon Police Service Chief Cameron McBride said. “It is not just an investment in law enforcement – it is an investment in the safety and wellbeing of all of our communities.”
     
    On October 24, 2024, during the execution of two search warrants, the Prince Albert Police Service CRT charged two individuals and seized over 1,200 grams of cocaine, more than $39,000 cash, over 1,300 grams of cutting agent, two firearms and other evidence related to drug trafficking.

    “The provincially funded CRTs and STRTs continue to play a critical role in enhancing public safety across the province, including Prince Albert,” Prince Albert Police Service Chief Patrick Nogier said. “These specialized units provide the resources and flexibility needed for officers to focus on 21st century policing initiatives. In Prince Albert, their ongoing efforts have substantially contributed to reducing drug trafficking, removing illegal firearms and disrupting organized crime. This sustained impact reflects the dedication of the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety in supporting proactive policing initiatives that protect our communities and promote long-term public safety.”

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: RCMP Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams Continue to Deliver Safer Communities

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on February 18, 2025

    Provincially funded RCMP Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams (SERTs) continue to deliver significant results in preventing and addressing crime in Saskatchewan. From July to December 2024, RCMP SERT executed 385 arrest warrants, seized over 11.4 kilograms of illicit drugs, 144 firearms and more than $286,000 in cash from Saskatchewan communities.

    “Our partnership with the RCMP plays an important role in reducing crime across Saskatchewan and promoting community safety,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod said. “These teams tackle a wide range of critical issues and we are proud of their accomplishments. The province will continue to work collaboratively with our policing partners to ensure the continued safety and security of Saskatchewan residents.”

    SERT includes the Crime Reduction Teams (CRTs), Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST), and the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team (STRT), each tackling critical areas of enforcement across the province.

    “These investigational successes demonstrate how SERT and local RCMP detachments work together as the provincial police force to enhance community safety across Saskatchewan,” Saskatchewan RCMP Commanding Officer Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said. “As a highly skilled and specialized unit, SERT’s intelligence-led, enforcement-based policing initiatives continue to combat dangerous crime and violent gang activity in the province. We will continue to help make Saskatchewan a safer place for all those who call it home.”

    RCMP STRT is a specialized, intelligence-led enforcement team that investigates weapons, drug and human trafficking cases. From July through December 2024, the STRT opened 17 human trafficking files, executed 37 search warrants and made 31 arrests, seizing over 651,000 packs of tobacco and more than 900 grams of cocaine and laying 81 charges.

    In July 2024, a Saskatchewan Highway Patrol (SHP) Officer conducted an inspection of a semi and trailer near Swift Current and determined the semi’s documentation was inconsistent. As a result of the investigation, the officer located approximately 30 pallets of unstamped tobacco in the trailer. Working collaboratively, RCMP STRT took carriage of the investigation with assistance of the Swift Current Rural RCMP detachment. STRT determined the truck was carrying about 8.75 million unstamped cigarettes, which SHP indicated was one of the largest tobacco seizures in their history. 

    RCMP CRT responds to crime surges in rural areas, targeting prolific offenders and street gangs in Saskatchewan. From July through December 2024, the CRT executed 288 arrest warrants, laid over 400 charges, seized more than 8.6 kg of illicit drugs and made 352 arrests.

    In October 2024, North Battleford RCMP CRT- Gang Task Force executed search warrants at two residences as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation. At the residences, officers located and seized a loaded handgun, a rifle, approximately 81 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 58 grams of crack cocaine, ammunition, a sum of cash and drug trafficking paraphernalia. Continued investigation led officers to arrest three individuals and charge two with possession for the purpose of trafficking, among other charges.

    RCMP WEST targets high-profile offenders who are a significant threat to public safety, such as gang members and violent offenders with outstanding warrants. The RCMP operates one WEST team out of Saskatoon and Meadow Lake and another out of Prince Albert. From July through December 2024, WEST executed 97 arrest warrants and made 82 arrests.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Finance Director Admits to Embezzling From Non-Profit

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

                WASHINGTON – Jarrett Lewis, 44, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with an embezzlement scheme that bilked a District non-profit advocacy organization of more than $320,000, announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

                U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 16, 2025.

                Lewis was employed by the victim agency between June 2021 and October 2022. According to the statement of facts, while serving as Director of Finance for the non-profit, Lewis perpetrated a scheme to defraud his employer. Lewis was one of three employees at Victim 1 with access to the non-profit’s bank account. It was part of Lewis’s duties to pay bills on behalf of the organization. Lewis was also provided with a VISA card for an account belonging to Victim 1, and was authorized to use the VISA card to incur expenses on behalf of Victim 1 for goods and services related to its operations.

                On 32 occasions, Lewis took advantage of his position by accessing Victim 1’s account and causing funds to be transferred to his personal account and for his own personal benefit. The total loss suffered by Victim 1 resulting from these transfers is $309,950.88. Lewis also used the non-profit’s VISA to book and pay for personal travel for himself, his family, and friends, totaling $9, 112. 96. In total, the parties stipulate that Lewis’s scheme to defraud amounts to a total of $321,057.98.

                Lewis was arrested on September 5, 2024. He faces a custodial sentence in addition to fines and restitution.

                This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott with the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

    ##

    24cr391

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  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council – on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Practicing Multilateralism, Reforming and Improving Global Governance [bilingual as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    xcellencies,

    I thank Minister Wang Yi and China for convening this important discussion.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.

    Born out of the ashes of the Second World War, our organization was the result of a global commitment to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”

    It also signaled a commitment to an entirely new level of international cooperation grounded in international law and our founding Charter.

    To help countries move past the horrors of conflict to forge sustainable peace. 

    To tackle poverty, hunger and disease. 

    To assist countries in climbing the development ladder.

    To provide humanitarian support in times of conflict and disaster.

    To embed justice and fairness through international law and respect for human rights.

    And to work through this Council to push for peace through dialogue, debate, diplomacy and consensus-building.

    Eight decades later, one can draw a direct line between the creation of the United Nations and the prevention of a third world war.

    Eight decades later, the United Nations remains the essential, one-of-a-kind meeting ground to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights.  

    But eight decades is a long time.

    And because we believe in the singular value and purpose of the United Nations, we must always strive to improve the institution and the way we work. 

    We have the hardware for international cooperation — but the software needs an update. 

    An update in representation to reflect the realities of today.

    An update in support for developing countries to redress historical injustices.

    An update to ensure countries adhere to the purposes, principles and norms that ground multilateralism in justice and fairness.

    And an update to our peace operations. 

    Excellencies,

    Global solidarity and solutions are needed more than ever. 

    The climate crisis is raging, inequalities are growing, and poverty is on the rise. 

    As this Council knows well, peace is getting pushed further out of reach — from the Occupied Palestinian Territory to Ukraine to Sudan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond. 

    Terrorism and violent extremism remain persistent scourges.

    We see a dark spirit of impunity spreading.   

    The prospect of nuclear war remains — outrageously — a clear and present danger.

    And the limitless promise of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence is matched by limitless peril to undermine and even replace human thought, human identity and human control. 

    These global challenges cry out for multilateral solutions.

    The Pact for the Future you adopted in September is aimed at strengthening global governance for the 21st century and rebuilding trust — trust in multilateralism, trust in the United Nations, and trust in this Council.

    At its heart, the Pact for the Future is a pact for peace — peace in all its dimensions.

    It puts forward concrete solutions to strengthen the machinery of peace, drawing from proposals to the New Agenda for Peace that prioritize prevention, mediation and peacebuilding.

    The Pact seeks to advance coordination with regional organizations, and ensure the full participation of women, youth and marginalized groups in peace processes.

    And it calls for strengthening the Peacebuilding Commission to mobilize political and financial support for nationally owned peacebuilding and prevention strategies.

    The Pact also includes the first multilateral agreement on nuclear disarmament in more than a decade…

    New strategies to end the use of chemical and biological weapons…

    And revitalized efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space and advance discussions on lethal autonomous weapons.

    It also calls on Member States to live up to their commitments enshrined in the UN Charter, and the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of states.

    It reaffirms unwavering commitment to abide by international law and prioritize the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue.

    It recognizes the role of the United Nations in preventive diplomacy.

    It reinforces the need to uphold all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

    It calls for the meaningful inclusion of women and youth in all peace processes.

    And it specifically calls on this Council to ensure that peace operations are guided by clear and sequenced mandates that are realistic and achievable — with viable exit strategies and transition plans.

    But the Pact does even more for peace. 

    It recognizes that we must address the root causes of conflict and tensions.

    Sustainable peace requires sustainable development.

    The Pact includes support for an SDG Stimulus to help developing countries invest in their people and tackle key challenges, like moving towards a future anchored in renewable energy.

    It includes a revitalized commitment to reform the global financial architecture to better and more fairly represent the needs of developing countries.

    And it includes a Global Digital Compact that calls for an AI governance body that brings developing countries to the decision-making table for the first time.

    Excellences,

    Le Pacte reconnaît également que le Conseil de sécurité doit refléter le monde d’aujourd’hui, et non celui d’il y a 80 ans, et énonce des principes importants pour guider cette réforme tant attendue.

    Ce Conseil devrait être élargi et devenir plus représentatif des réalités géopolitiques d’aujourd’hui.

    Nous devons aussi continuer à améliorer les méthodes de travail du Conseil afin de le rendre plus inclusif, plus transparent, plus efficace, plus démocratique et plus responsable.

    Cela fait plus de dix ans que l’Assemblée générale examine ces questions.

    Le moment est venu de tirer parti de l’élan donné par le Pacte pour l’avenir et d’œuvrer en faveur d’un consensus plus large entre les groupes régionaux et les États Membres – y compris les membres permanents de ce Conseil – afin de faire avancer les négociations intergouvernementales.

    À tous les niveaux, j’appelle les membres de ce Conseil à surmonter les divisions qui bloquent une action efficace en faveur de la paix.

    Le monde compte sur vous pour contribuer véritablement à mettre fin aux conflits et à alléger les souffrances que ces guerres infligent à des innocents.

    Les membres du Conseil ont montré qu’il était possible de trouver un terrain d’entente.

    Qu’il s’agisse du déploiement d’opérations de maintien de la paix… de l’adoption de résolutions vitales sur l’aide humanitaire… de la reconnaissance historique des problèmes de sécurité rencontrés par les femmes et les jeunes… ou encore de la résolution 2719, qui appuie les opérations de soutien à la paix menées par l’Union africaine à travers des contributions obligatoires.

    Même aux heures les plus sombres de la guerre froide, la prise de décisions collégiales et le dialogue vif entretenu au Conseil de sécurité ont permis de préserver un système de sécurité collective, certes imparfait, mais fonctionnel.

    Je vous exhorte à retrouver cet esprit, à poursuivre vos efforts pour surmonter les divergences et bâtir les consensus nécessaires pour instaurer la paix dont tous les peuples ont tant besoin et qu’ils méritent.

    Excellences,

    La coopération multilatérale est le cœur battant de l’Organisation des Nations Unies.

    Guidé par les solutions offertes dans le Pacte pour l’avenir, le multilatéralisme peut devenir un instrument de paix encore plus puissant.

    Mais la puissance du multilatéralisme dépend directement du niveau d’engagement de chaque pays.

    Face aux enjeux du monde qui nous entoure, j’invite tous les États Membres à continuer de renforcer et d’actualiser nos mécanismes mondiaux de résolution des problèmes.

    Faisons en sorte qu’ils soient à la hauteur de la mission… à la hauteur des besoins des populations… à la hauteur de la paix.

    Je vous remercie. 

    ****
    [all-English]

    Excellencies,

    I thank Minister Wang Yi and China for convening this important discussion.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.

    Born out of the ashes of the Second World War, our organization was the result of a global commitment to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”

    It also signaled a commitment to an entirely new level of international cooperation grounded in international law and our founding Charter.

    To help countries move past the horrors of conflict to forge sustainable peace. 

    To tackle poverty, hunger and disease.  

    To assist countries in climbing the development ladder.

    To provide humanitarian support in times of conflict and disaster.

    To embed justice and fairness through international law and respect for human rights.

    And to work through this Council to push for peace through dialogue, debate, diplomacy and consensus-building.

    Eight decades later, one can draw a direct line between the creation of the United Nations and the prevention of a third world war.

    Eight decades later, the United Nations remains the essential, one-of-a-kind meeting ground to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights.   

    But eight decades is a long time. 

    And because we believe in the singular value and purpose of the United Nations, we must always strive to improve the institution and the way we work. 

    We have the hardware for international cooperation — but the software needs an update. 

    An update in representation to reflect the realities of today.

    An update in support for developing countries to redress historical injustices.

    An update to ensure countries adhere to the purposes, principles and norms that ground multilateralism in justice and fairness.

    And an update to our peace operations.  

    Excellencies,

    Global solidarity and solutions are needed more than ever.  

    The climate crisis is raging, inequalities are growing, and poverty is on the rise. 

    As this Council knows well, peace is getting pushed further out of reach — from the Occupied Palestinian Territory to Ukraine to Sudan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond. 

    Terrorism and violent extremism remain persistent scourges.

    We see a dark spirit of impunity spreading.    

    The prospect of nuclear war remains — outrageously — a clear and present danger.

    And the limitless promise of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence is matched by limitless peril to undermine and even replace human thought, human identity and human control. 
    These global challenges cry out for multilateral solutions.

    The Pact for the Future you adopted in September is aimed at strengthening global governance for the 21st century and rebuilding trust — trust in multilateralism, trust in the United Nations, and trust in this Council.

    At its heart, the Pact for the Future is a pact for peace — peace in all its dimensions.

    It puts forward concrete solutions to strengthen the machinery of peace, drawing from proposals to the New Agenda for Peace that prioritize prevention, mediation and peacebuilding.

    The Pact seeks to advance coordination with regional organizations, and ensure the full participation of women, youth and marginalized groups in peace processes.

    And it calls for strengthening the Peacebuilding Commission to mobilize political and financial support for nationally owned peacebuilding and prevention strategies.

    The Pact also includes the first multilateral agreement on nuclear disarmament in more than a decade…

    New strategies to end the use of chemical and biological weapons…

    And revitalized efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space and advance discussions on lethal autonomous weapons.

    It also calls on Member States to live up to their commitments enshrined in the UN Charter, and the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of states.

    It reaffirms unwavering commitment to abide by international law and prioritize the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue.

    It recognizes the role of the United Nations in preventive diplomacy.

    It reinforces the need to uphold all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

    It calls for the meaningful inclusion of women and youth in all peace processes.
    And it specifically calls on this Council to ensure that peace operations are guided by clear and sequenced mandates that are realistic and achievable — with viable exit strategies and transition plans.

    But the Pact does even more for peace. 

    It recognizes that we must address the root causes of conflict and tensions.

    Sustainable peace requires sustainable development.

    The Pact includes support for an SDG Stimulus to help developing countries invest in their people and tackle key challenges, like moving towards a future anchored in renewable energy.

    It includes a revitalized commitment to reform the global financial architecture to better and more fairly represent the needs of developing countries.

    And it includes a Global Digital Compact that calls for an AI governance body that brings developing countries to the decision-making table for the first time.

    Excellencies,

    The Pact also recognizes that the Security Council must reflect the world of today, not the world of 80 years ago, and sets out important principles to guide this long-awaited reform.

    This Council should be enlarged and made more representative of today’s geopolitical realities.

    And we must continue improving the working methods of this Council to make it more inclusive, transparent, efficient, democratic and accountable.

    These issues have been under consideration by the General Assembly for more than a decade.

    Now is the time to build on the momentum provided by the Pact for the Future, and work towards a greater consensus among regional groups and Member States — including the permanent members of this Council — to move the intergovernmental negotiations forward.

    Throughout, I call on Members of this Council to overcome the divisions that are blocking effective action for peace.

    The world looks to you to act in meaningful ways to end conflicts, and ease the suffering these wars inflict on innocent people.

    Council Members have shown that finding common ground is possible.

    From deploying peacekeeping operations…to forging lifesaving resolutions on humanitarian aid…to historic recognitions of the security challenges faced by women and young people…to the landmark Resolution 2719 supporting African Union-led peace support operations through assessed contributions.

    Even in the darkest days of the Cold War, the collective decision-making and vigorous dialogue in this Council maintained a functioning, if imperfect, system of collective security.

    I urge you to summon this same spirit, continue working to overcome differences and focus on building the consensus required to deliver the peace all people need and deserve.

    Excellencies,

    Multilateral cooperation is the beating heart of the United Nations.

    Guided by the solutions in the Pact for the Future, multilateralism can also become an even more powerful instrument of peace.

    But multilateralism is only as strong as each and every country’s commitment to it.

    As we look to the challenges around us, I urge all Member States to continue strengthening and updating our global problem-solving mechanisms.

    Let’s make them fit for purpose — fit for people — and fit for peace.

    Thank you.

    ****
    [all-French]

    Excellences,

    Je remercie le Ministre Wang Yi et la Chine d’avoir organisé cet important débat.

    Cette année marque le quatre-vingtième anniversaire de l’Organisation des Nations Unies.

    Née des cendres de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, notre Organisation est le fruit de l’engagement pris à l’échelle mondiale de « préserver les générations futures du fléau de la guerre ».

    Sa création a également marqué un engagement en faveur d’un niveau de coopération internationale entièrement nouveau, ancré dans le droit international et dans notre Charte fondatrice.

    L’engagement d’aider les pays à dépasser les horreurs du conflit pour instaurer une paix durable.

    De lutter contre la pauvreté, la faim et la maladie.

    D’aider les pays à progresser sur l’échelle du développement.

    De fournir une aide humanitaire en cas de conflit ou de catastrophe.

    D’ancrer la justice et l’équité grâce au droit international et au respect des droits humains.

    D’œuvrer, dans le cadre de ce Conseil, pour faire avancer la paix par le dialogue, le débat, la diplomatie et la recherche d’un consensus.

    Huit décennies plus tard, on peut établir un lien direct entre la création de l’Organisation des Nations Unies et la prévention d’une troisième guerre mondiale.

    Huit décennies plus tard, l’ONU reste un lieu de rencontre unique en son genre et indispensable à la promotion de la paix, du développement durable et des droits humains.

    Mais huit décennies, c’est long.

    Et parce que nous croyons à la valeur et à l’objectif de l’ONU, qui lui sont propres, nous devons en permanence nous efforcer d’améliorer l’institution et notre façon de travailler.

    Le dispositif de coopération internationale est opérationnel, mais une refonte du système d’exploitation s’impose.

    Une refonte de la représentation, pour rendre compte des réalités d’aujourd’hui.

    Une refonte de l’aide apportée aux pays en développement, afin de réparer les injustices historiques.

    Une refonte visant à s’assurer que les pays adhèrent aux objectifs, principes et normes qui fondent le multilatéralisme sur la justice et l’équité.

    Et une refonte de nos opérations de paix.

    Excellences,

    La solidarité mondiale et des solutions globales sont plus que jamais nécessaires.

    La crise climatique fait rage, les inégalités se creusent et la pauvreté augmente.

    Comme ce Conseil le sait bien, la paix est de plus en plus hors de portée – du Territoire palestinien occupé à l’Ukraine, en passant par le Soudan, la République démocratique du Congo, etc.

    Les fléaux que sont le terrorisme et l’extrémisme violent persistent.

    Nous voyons se répandre une sombre culture de l’impunité.

    La menace d’une guerre nucléaire demeure un danger clair et présent, ce qui est révoltant.

    Les possibilités illimitées offertes par les technologies émergentes telles que l’intelligence artificielle s’accompagnent d’un risque également illimité d’affaiblissement, voire de remplacement de la pensée humaine, de l’identité humaine et du contrôle humain.

    Ces problèmes mondiaux demandent des solutions multilatérales.

    Le Pacte pour l’avenir que vous avez adopté en septembre vise à renforcer la gouvernance mondiale pour le vingt et unième siècle et à rétablir la confiance – confiance dans le multilatéralisme, confiance dans les Nations unies et confiance dans ce Conseil.

    Au fond, le Pacte pour l’avenir est un pacte pour la paix – la paix dans toutes ses dimensions.

    Il propose des solutions concrètes pour renforcer les mécanismes de paix, s’inspirant des propositions du Nouvel Agenda pour la paix qui donnent la priorité à la prévention, à la médiation et à la consolidation de la paix.

    Le Pacte vise à renforcer la coordination avec les organisations régionales et à garantir la pleine participation des femmes, des jeunes et des groupes marginalisés aux processus de paix.

    Il appelle au renforcement de la Commission de consolidation de la paix afin de mobiliser le soutien politique et financier nécessaire à la mise en œuvre des stratégies de prévention et de consolidation de la paix pilotées par les pays.

    Il contient également le premier accord multilatéral sur le désarmement nucléaire conclu depuis plus de dix ans…

    Présente de nouvelles stratégies visant à mettre fin à l’emploi d’armes chimiques et biologiques…

    Ainsi que des mesures revitalisées visant à prévenir une course aux armements dans l’espace et à faire avancer les débats sur les armes létales autonomes.

    Il exhorte les États Membres à respecter les engagements qu’ils ont pris, consacrés dans la Charte des Nations Unies, ainsi que les principes de respect de la souveraineté, de l’intégrité territoriale et de l’indépendance politique des États.

    Il réaffirme leur volonté inébranlable à respecter le droit international et à privilégier le règlement pacifique des différends par le dialogue.

    Il reconnaît le de l’Organisation des Nations Unies dans la diplomatie préventive.

    Il réaffirme la nécessité de respecter tous les droits humains – civils, politiques, économiques, sociaux et culturels.

    Il appelle à une véritable inclusion des femmes et des jeunes dans tous les processus de paix.

    Il demande en particulier au Conseil de sécurité de veiller à ce que les opérations de paix soient guidées par des mandats clairs et séquencés, réalistes et réalisables, ainsi que des stratégies de sortie et des plans de transition viables.

    Mais le Pacte va encore plus loin pour la paix.

    Il prend acte du fait que nous devons nous attaquer aux causes profondes des conflits et des tensions.

    Le développement durable passe par l’instauration d’une paix durable.

    Le Pacte dispose qu’il faut soutenir la mise en place d’un plan de relance des objectifs de développement durable afin d’aider les pays en développement à investir dans leur population et à relever des défis majeurs, notamment à s’orienter vers un avenir ancré dans les énergies renouvelables.

    Il comprend un engagement renouvelé de réformer l’architecture financière mondiale afin de représenter de manière plus exacte et plus équitable les besoins des pays en développement.

    Il comprend également un Pacte numérique mondial qui appelle à la création d’un organe de gouvernance de l’intelligence artificielle associant pour la première fois les pays en développement à la prise de décisions.

    Excellences,
    Le Pacte reconnaît également que le Conseil de sécurité doit refléter le monde d’aujourd’hui, et non celui d’il y a 80 ans, et énonce des principes importants pour guider cette réforme tant attendue.

    Ce Conseil devrait être élargi et devenir plus représentatif des réalités géopolitiques d’aujourd’hui.

    Nous devons aussi continuer à améliorer les méthodes de travail du Conseil afin de le rendre plus inclusif, plus transparent, plus efficace, plus démocratique et plus responsable.

    Cela fait plus de dix ans que l’Assemblée générale examine ces questions.
    Le moment est venu de tirer parti de l’élan donné par le Pacte pour l’avenir et d’œuvrer en faveur d’un consensus plus large entre les groupes régionaux et les États Membres – y compris les membres permanents de ce Conseil – afin de faire avancer les négociations intergouvernementales.

    À tous les niveaux, j’appelle les membres de ce Conseil à surmonter les divisions qui bloquent une action efficace en faveur de la paix.

    Le monde compte sur vous pour contribuer véritablement à mettre fin aux conflits et à alléger les souffrances que ces guerres infligent à des innocents.

    Les membres du Conseil ont montré qu’il était possible de trouver un terrain d’entente.

    Qu’il s’agisse du déploiement d’opérations de maintien de la paix… de l’adoption de résolutions vitales sur l’aide humanitaire… de la reconnaissance historique des problèmes de sécurité rencontrés par les femmes et les jeunes… ou encore de la résolution 2719, qui appuie les opérations de soutien à la paix menées par l’Union africaine à travers des contributions obligatoires.

    Même aux heures les plus sombres de la guerre froide, la prise de décisions collégiales et le dialogue vif entretenu au Conseil de sécurité ont permis de préserver un système de sécurité collective, certes imparfait, mais fonctionnel.

    Je vous exhorte à retrouver cet esprit, à poursuivre vos efforts pour surmonter les divergences et bâtir les consensus nécessaires pour instaurer la paix dont tous les peuples ont tant besoin et qu’ils méritent.

    Excellences,

    La coopération multilatérale est le cœur battant de l’Organisation des Nations Unies.

    Guidé par les solutions offertes dans le Pacte pour l’avenir, le multilatéralisme peut devenir un instrument de paix encore plus puissant.

    Mais la puissance du multilatéralisme dépend directement du niveau d’engagement de chaque pays.

    Face aux enjeux du monde qui nous entoure, j’invite tous les États Membres à continuer de renforcer et d’actualiser nos mécanismes mondiaux de résolution des problèmes.

    Faisons en sorte qu’ils soient à la hauteur de la mission… à la hauteur des besoins des populations… à la hauteur de la paix.

    Je vous remercie.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council – on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Practicing Multilateralism, Reforming and Improving Global Governance [bilingual as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Excellencies,

    I thank Minister Wang Yi and China for convening this important discussion.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.

    Born out of the ashes of the Second World War, our organization was the result of a global commitment to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”

    It also signaled a commitment to an entirely new level of international cooperation grounded in international law and our founding Charter.

    To help countries move past the horrors of conflict to forge sustainable peace. 

    To tackle poverty, hunger and disease. 

    To assist countries in climbing the development ladder.

    To provide humanitarian support in times of conflict and disaster.

    To embed justice and fairness through international law and respect for human rights.

    And to work through this Council to push for peace through dialogue, debate, diplomacy and consensus-building.

    Eight decades later, one can draw a direct line between the creation of the United Nations and the prevention of a third world war.

    Eight decades later, the United Nations remains the essential, one-of-a-kind meeting ground to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights.  

    But eight decades is a long time.

    And because we believe in the singular value and purpose of the United Nations, we must always strive to improve the institution and the way we work. 

    We have the hardware for international cooperation — but the software needs an update. 

    An update in representation to reflect the realities of today.

    An update in support for developing countries to redress historical injustices.

    An update to ensure countries adhere to the purposes, principles and norms that ground multilateralism in justice and fairness.

    And an update to our peace operations. 

    Excellencies,

    Global solidarity and solutions are needed more than ever. 

    The climate crisis is raging, inequalities are growing, and poverty is on the rise. 

    As this Council knows well, peace is getting pushed further out of reach — from the Occupied Palestinian Territory to Ukraine to Sudan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond. 

    Terrorism and violent extremism remain persistent scourges.

    We see a dark spirit of impunity spreading.   

    The prospect of nuclear war remains — outrageously — a clear and present danger.

    And the limitless promise of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence is matched by limitless peril to undermine and even replace human thought, human identity and human control. 

    These global challenges cry out for multilateral solutions.

    The Pact for the Future you adopted in September is aimed at strengthening global governance for the 21st century and rebuilding trust — trust in multilateralism, trust in the United Nations, and trust in this Council.

    At its heart, the Pact for the Future is a pact for peace — peace in all its dimensions.

    It puts forward concrete solutions to strengthen the machinery of peace, drawing from proposals to the New Agenda for Peace that prioritize prevention, mediation and peacebuilding.

    The Pact seeks to advance coordination with regional organizations, and ensure the full participation of women, youth and marginalized groups in peace processes.

    And it calls for strengthening the Peacebuilding Commission to mobilize political and financial support for nationally owned peacebuilding and prevention strategies.

    The Pact also includes the first multilateral agreement on nuclear disarmament in more than a decade…

    New strategies to end the use of chemical and biological weapons…

    And revitalized efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space and advance discussions on lethal autonomous weapons.

    It also calls on Member States to live up to their commitments enshrined in the UN Charter, and the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of states.

    It reaffirms unwavering commitment to abide by international law and prioritize the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue.

    It recognizes the role of the United Nations in preventive diplomacy.

    It reinforces the need to uphold all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

    It calls for the meaningful inclusion of women and youth in all peace processes.

    And it specifically calls on this Council to ensure that peace operations are guided by clear and sequenced mandates that are realistic and achievable — with viable exit strategies and transition plans.

    But the Pact does even more for peace. 

    It recognizes that we must address the root causes of conflict and tensions.

    Sustainable peace requires sustainable development.

    The Pact includes support for an SDG Stimulus to help developing countries invest in their people and tackle key challenges, like moving towards a future anchored in renewable energy.

    It includes a revitalized commitment to reform the global financial architecture to better and more fairly represent the needs of developing countries.

    And it includes a Global Digital Compact that calls for an AI governance body that brings developing countries to the decision-making table for the first time.

    Excellences,

    Le Pacte reconnaît également que le Conseil de sécurité doit refléter le monde d’aujourd’hui, et non celui d’il y a 80 ans, et énonce des principes importants pour guider cette réforme tant attendue.

    Ce Conseil devrait être élargi et devenir plus représentatif des réalités géopolitiques d’aujourd’hui.

    Nous devons aussi continuer à améliorer les méthodes de travail du Conseil afin de le rendre plus inclusif, plus transparent, plus efficace, plus démocratique et plus responsable.

    Cela fait plus de dix ans que l’Assemblée générale examine ces questions.

    Le moment est venu de tirer parti de l’élan donné par le Pacte pour l’avenir et d’œuvrer en faveur d’un consensus plus large entre les groupes régionaux et les États Membres – y compris les membres permanents de ce Conseil – afin de faire avancer les négociations intergouvernementales.

    À tous les niveaux, j’appelle les membres de ce Conseil à surmonter les divisions qui bloquent une action efficace en faveur de la paix.

    Le monde compte sur vous pour contribuer véritablement à mettre fin aux conflits et à alléger les souffrances que ces guerres infligent à des innocents.

    Les membres du Conseil ont montré qu’il était possible de trouver un terrain d’entente.

    Qu’il s’agisse du déploiement d’opérations de maintien de la paix… de l’adoption de résolutions vitales sur l’aide humanitaire… de la reconnaissance historique des problèmes de sécurité rencontrés par les femmes et les jeunes… ou encore de la résolution 2719, qui appuie les opérations de soutien à la paix menées par l’Union africaine à travers des contributions obligatoires.

    Même aux heures les plus sombres de la guerre froide, la prise de décisions collégiales et le dialogue vif entretenu au Conseil de sécurité ont permis de préserver un système de sécurité collective, certes imparfait, mais fonctionnel.

    Je vous exhorte à retrouver cet esprit, à poursuivre vos efforts pour surmonter les divergences et bâtir les consensus nécessaires pour instaurer la paix dont tous les peuples ont tant besoin et qu’ils méritent.

    Excellences,

    La coopération multilatérale est le cœur battant de l’Organisation des Nations Unies.

    Guidé par les solutions offertes dans le Pacte pour l’avenir, le multilatéralisme peut devenir un instrument de paix encore plus puissant.

    Mais la puissance du multilatéralisme dépend directement du niveau d’engagement de chaque pays.

    Face aux enjeux du monde qui nous entoure, j’invite tous les États Membres à continuer de renforcer et d’actualiser nos mécanismes mondiaux de résolution des problèmes.

    Faisons en sorte qu’ils soient à la hauteur de la mission… à la hauteur des besoins des populations… à la hauteur de la paix.

    Je vous remercie. 

    ****
    [all-English]

    Excellencies,

    I thank Minister Wang Yi and China for convening this important discussion.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.

    Born out of the ashes of the Second World War, our organization was the result of a global commitment to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”

    It also signaled a commitment to an entirely new level of international cooperation grounded in international law and our founding Charter.

    To help countries move past the horrors of conflict to forge sustainable peace. 

    To tackle poverty, hunger and disease.  

    To assist countries in climbing the development ladder.

    To provide humanitarian support in times of conflict and disaster.

    To embed justice and fairness through international law and respect for human rights.

    And to work through this Council to push for peace through dialogue, debate, diplomacy and consensus-building.

    Eight decades later, one can draw a direct line between the creation of the United Nations and the prevention of a third world war.

    Eight decades later, the United Nations remains the essential, one-of-a-kind meeting ground to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights.   

    But eight decades is a long time. 

    And because we believe in the singular value and purpose of the United Nations, we must always strive to improve the institution and the way we work. 

    We have the hardware for international cooperation — but the software needs an update. 

    An update in representation to reflect the realities of today.

    An update in support for developing countries to redress historical injustices.

    An update to ensure countries adhere to the purposes, principles and norms that ground multilateralism in justice and fairness.

    And an update to our peace operations.  

    Excellencies,

    Global solidarity and solutions are needed more than ever.  

    The climate crisis is raging, inequalities are growing, and poverty is on the rise. 

    As this Council knows well, peace is getting pushed further out of reach — from the Occupied Palestinian Territory to Ukraine to Sudan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond. 

    Terrorism and violent extremism remain persistent scourges.

    We see a dark spirit of impunity spreading.    

    The prospect of nuclear war remains — outrageously — a clear and present danger.

    And the limitless promise of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence is matched by limitless peril to undermine and even replace human thought, human identity and human control. 
    These global challenges cry out for multilateral solutions.

    The Pact for the Future you adopted in September is aimed at strengthening global governance for the 21st century and rebuilding trust — trust in multilateralism, trust in the United Nations, and trust in this Council.

    At its heart, the Pact for the Future is a pact for peace — peace in all its dimensions.

    It puts forward concrete solutions to strengthen the machinery of peace, drawing from proposals to the New Agenda for Peace that prioritize prevention, mediation and peacebuilding.

    The Pact seeks to advance coordination with regional organizations, and ensure the full participation of women, youth and marginalized groups in peace processes.

    And it calls for strengthening the Peacebuilding Commission to mobilize political and financial support for nationally owned peacebuilding and prevention strategies.

    The Pact also includes the first multilateral agreement on nuclear disarmament in more than a decade…

    New strategies to end the use of chemical and biological weapons…

    And revitalized efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space and advance discussions on lethal autonomous weapons.

    It also calls on Member States to live up to their commitments enshrined in the UN Charter, and the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of states.

    It reaffirms unwavering commitment to abide by international law and prioritize the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue.

    It recognizes the role of the United Nations in preventive diplomacy.

    It reinforces the need to uphold all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

    It calls for the meaningful inclusion of women and youth in all peace processes.
    And it specifically calls on this Council to ensure that peace operations are guided by clear and sequenced mandates that are realistic and achievable — with viable exit strategies and transition plans.

    But the Pact does even more for peace. 

    It recognizes that we must address the root causes of conflict and tensions.

    Sustainable peace requires sustainable development.

    The Pact includes support for an SDG Stimulus to help developing countries invest in their people and tackle key challenges, like moving towards a future anchored in renewable energy.

    It includes a revitalized commitment to reform the global financial architecture to better and more fairly represent the needs of developing countries.

    And it includes a Global Digital Compact that calls for an AI governance body that brings developing countries to the decision-making table for the first time.

    Excellencies,

    The Pact also recognizes that the Security Council must reflect the world of today, not the world of 80 years ago, and sets out important principles to guide this long-awaited reform.

    This Council should be enlarged and made more representative of today’s geopolitical realities.

    And we must continue improving the working methods of this Council to make it more inclusive, transparent, efficient, democratic and accountable.

    These issues have been under consideration by the General Assembly for more than a decade.

    Now is the time to build on the momentum provided by the Pact for the Future, and work towards a greater consensus among regional groups and Member States — including the permanent members of this Council — to move the intergovernmental negotiations forward.

    Throughout, I call on Members of this Council to overcome the divisions that are blocking effective action for peace.

    The world looks to you to act in meaningful ways to end conflicts, and ease the suffering these wars inflict on innocent people.

    Council Members have shown that finding common ground is possible.

    From deploying peacekeeping operations…to forging lifesaving resolutions on humanitarian aid…to historic recognitions of the security challenges faced by women and young people…to the landmark Resolution 2719 supporting African Union-led peace support operations through assessed contributions.

    Even in the darkest days of the Cold War, the collective decision-making and vigorous dialogue in this Council maintained a functioning, if imperfect, system of collective security.

    I urge you to summon this same spirit, continue working to overcome differences and focus on building the consensus required to deliver the peace all people need and deserve.

    Excellencies,

    Multilateral cooperation is the beating heart of the United Nations.

    Guided by the solutions in the Pact for the Future, multilateralism can also become an even more powerful instrument of peace.

    But multilateralism is only as strong as each and every country’s commitment to it.

    As we look to the challenges around us, I urge all Member States to continue strengthening and updating our global problem-solving mechanisms.

    Let’s make them fit for purpose — fit for people — and fit for peace.

    Thank you.

    ****
    [all-French]

    Excellences,

    Je remercie le Ministre Wang Yi et la Chine d’avoir organisé cet important débat.

    Cette année marque le quatre-vingtième anniversaire de l’Organisation des Nations Unies.

    Née des cendres de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, notre Organisation est le fruit de l’engagement pris à l’échelle mondiale de « préserver les générations futures du fléau de la guerre ».

    Sa création a également marqué un engagement en faveur d’un niveau de coopération internationale entièrement nouveau, ancré dans le droit international et dans notre Charte fondatrice.

    L’engagement d’aider les pays à dépasser les horreurs du conflit pour instaurer une paix durable.

    De lutter contre la pauvreté, la faim et la maladie.

    D’aider les pays à progresser sur l’échelle du développement.

    De fournir une aide humanitaire en cas de conflit ou de catastrophe.

    D’ancrer la justice et l’équité grâce au droit international et au respect des droits humains.

    D’œuvrer, dans le cadre de ce Conseil, pour faire avancer la paix par le dialogue, le débat, la diplomatie et la recherche d’un consensus.

    Huit décennies plus tard, on peut établir un lien direct entre la création de l’Organisation des Nations Unies et la prévention d’une troisième guerre mondiale.

    Huit décennies plus tard, l’ONU reste un lieu de rencontre unique en son genre et indispensable à la promotion de la paix, du développement durable et des droits humains.

    Mais huit décennies, c’est long.

    Et parce que nous croyons à la valeur et à l’objectif de l’ONU, qui lui sont propres, nous devons en permanence nous efforcer d’améliorer l’institution et notre façon de travailler.

    Le dispositif de coopération internationale est opérationnel, mais une refonte du système d’exploitation s’impose.

    Une refonte de la représentation, pour rendre compte des réalités d’aujourd’hui.

    Une refonte de l’aide apportée aux pays en développement, afin de réparer les injustices historiques.

    Une refonte visant à s’assurer que les pays adhèrent aux objectifs, principes et normes qui fondent le multilatéralisme sur la justice et l’équité.

    Et une refonte de nos opérations de paix.

    Excellences,

    La solidarité mondiale et des solutions globales sont plus que jamais nécessaires.

    La crise climatique fait rage, les inégalités se creusent et la pauvreté augmente.

    Comme ce Conseil le sait bien, la paix est de plus en plus hors de portée – du Territoire palestinien occupé à l’Ukraine, en passant par le Soudan, la République démocratique du Congo, etc.

    Les fléaux que sont le terrorisme et l’extrémisme violent persistent.

    Nous voyons se répandre une sombre culture de l’impunité.

    La menace d’une guerre nucléaire demeure un danger clair et présent, ce qui est révoltant.

    Les possibilités illimitées offertes par les technologies émergentes telles que l’intelligence artificielle s’accompagnent d’un risque également illimité d’affaiblissement, voire de remplacement de la pensée humaine, de l’identité humaine et du contrôle humain.

    Ces problèmes mondiaux demandent des solutions multilatérales.

    Le Pacte pour l’avenir que vous avez adopté en septembre vise à renforcer la gouvernance mondiale pour le vingt et unième siècle et à rétablir la confiance – confiance dans le multilatéralisme, confiance dans les Nations unies et confiance dans ce Conseil.

    Au fond, le Pacte pour l’avenir est un pacte pour la paix – la paix dans toutes ses dimensions.

    Il propose des solutions concrètes pour renforcer les mécanismes de paix, s’inspirant des propositions du Nouvel Agenda pour la paix qui donnent la priorité à la prévention, à la médiation et à la consolidation de la paix.

    Le Pacte vise à renforcer la coordination avec les organisations régionales et à garantir la pleine participation des femmes, des jeunes et des groupes marginalisés aux processus de paix.

    Il appelle au renforcement de la Commission de consolidation de la paix afin de mobiliser le soutien politique et financier nécessaire à la mise en œuvre des stratégies de prévention et de consolidation de la paix pilotées par les pays.

    Il contient également le premier accord multilatéral sur le désarmement nucléaire conclu depuis plus de dix ans…

    Présente de nouvelles stratégies visant à mettre fin à l’emploi d’armes chimiques et biologiques…

    Ainsi que des mesures revitalisées visant à prévenir une course aux armements dans l’espace et à faire avancer les débats sur les armes létales autonomes.

    Il exhorte les États Membres à respecter les engagements qu’ils ont pris, consacrés dans la Charte des Nations Unies, ainsi que les principes de respect de la souveraineté, de l’intégrité territoriale et de l’indépendance politique des États.

    Il réaffirme leur volonté inébranlable à respecter le droit international et à privilégier le règlement pacifique des différends par le dialogue.

    Il reconnaît le de l’Organisation des Nations Unies dans la diplomatie préventive.

    Il réaffirme la nécessité de respecter tous les droits humains – civils, politiques, économiques, sociaux et culturels.

    Il appelle à une véritable inclusion des femmes et des jeunes dans tous les processus de paix.

    Il demande en particulier au Conseil de sécurité de veiller à ce que les opérations de paix soient guidées par des mandats clairs et séquencés, réalistes et réalisables, ainsi que des stratégies de sortie et des plans de transition viables.

    Mais le Pacte va encore plus loin pour la paix.

    Il prend acte du fait que nous devons nous attaquer aux causes profondes des conflits et des tensions.

    Le développement durable passe par l’instauration d’une paix durable.

    Le Pacte dispose qu’il faut soutenir la mise en place d’un plan de relance des objectifs de développement durable afin d’aider les pays en développement à investir dans leur population et à relever des défis majeurs, notamment à s’orienter vers un avenir ancré dans les énergies renouvelables.

    Il comprend un engagement renouvelé de réformer l’architecture financière mondiale afin de représenter de manière plus exacte et plus équitable les besoins des pays en développement.

    Il comprend également un Pacte numérique mondial qui appelle à la création d’un organe de gouvernance de l’intelligence artificielle associant pour la première fois les pays en développement à la prise de décisions.

    Excellences,
    Le Pacte reconnaît également que le Conseil de sécurité doit refléter le monde d’aujourd’hui, et non celui d’il y a 80 ans, et énonce des principes importants pour guider cette réforme tant attendue.

    Ce Conseil devrait être élargi et devenir plus représentatif des réalités géopolitiques d’aujourd’hui.

    Nous devons aussi continuer à améliorer les méthodes de travail du Conseil afin de le rendre plus inclusif, plus transparent, plus efficace, plus démocratique et plus responsable.

    Cela fait plus de dix ans que l’Assemblée générale examine ces questions.
    Le moment est venu de tirer parti de l’élan donné par le Pacte pour l’avenir et d’œuvrer en faveur d’un consensus plus large entre les groupes régionaux et les États Membres – y compris les membres permanents de ce Conseil – afin de faire avancer les négociations intergouvernementales.

    À tous les niveaux, j’appelle les membres de ce Conseil à surmonter les divisions qui bloquent une action efficace en faveur de la paix.

    Le monde compte sur vous pour contribuer véritablement à mettre fin aux conflits et à alléger les souffrances que ces guerres infligent à des innocents.

    Les membres du Conseil ont montré qu’il était possible de trouver un terrain d’entente.

    Qu’il s’agisse du déploiement d’opérations de maintien de la paix… de l’adoption de résolutions vitales sur l’aide humanitaire… de la reconnaissance historique des problèmes de sécurité rencontrés par les femmes et les jeunes… ou encore de la résolution 2719, qui appuie les opérations de soutien à la paix menées par l’Union africaine à travers des contributions obligatoires.

    Même aux heures les plus sombres de la guerre froide, la prise de décisions collégiales et le dialogue vif entretenu au Conseil de sécurité ont permis de préserver un système de sécurité collective, certes imparfait, mais fonctionnel.

    Je vous exhorte à retrouver cet esprit, à poursuivre vos efforts pour surmonter les divergences et bâtir les consensus nécessaires pour instaurer la paix dont tous les peuples ont tant besoin et qu’ils méritent.

    Excellences,

    La coopération multilatérale est le cœur battant de l’Organisation des Nations Unies.

    Guidé par les solutions offertes dans le Pacte pour l’avenir, le multilatéralisme peut devenir un instrument de paix encore plus puissant.

    Mais la puissance du multilatéralisme dépend directement du niveau d’engagement de chaque pays.

    Face aux enjeux du monde qui nous entoure, j’invite tous les États Membres à continuer de renforcer et d’actualiser nos mécanismes mondiaux de résolution des problèmes.

    Faisons en sorte qu’ils soient à la hauteur de la mission… à la hauteur des besoins des populations… à la hauteur de la paix.

    Je vous remercie.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prince Albert — Prince Albert RCMP respond to armed robbery of a vehicle

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On February 6, 2025 at approximately 9:56 p.m., Prince Albert RCMP received a report of an armed robbery near a business on Highway 2 and 264 in the Elk Ridge area.

    Investigation determined a female approached a vehicle, threatened the driver and directed them to drive to a specified location.

    The incident was reported to Prince Albert RCMP and officers located the vehicle at a business in Northside, SK and arrested the suspect at the scene. The driver did not report physical injuries to police.

    As a result of continued investigation, Saskatchewan RCMP arrested 20-year-old Jade Grieves.

    Jade Grieves from Nipawin is charged with:

    • one count, robbery – with other offensive weapon, Section 344(1)(b), Criminal Code;
    • three counts, fail to comply with a probation order, Section 733.1(1), Criminal Code.

    Jade Grieves appeared in Prince Albert Provincial Court on February 7 and February 10, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Swift Current  — Saskatchewan RCMP seize cocaine, charge female in Swift Current

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    An adult female is facing a drug trafficking charge after Saskatchewan RCMP executed a search warrant and seized cocaine in Swift Current, SK.

    On February 12, 2025, officers with Saskatchewan RCMP’s Swift Current Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team (STRT), Swift Current Municipal and Rural Detachments, and Police Dog Services (PDS) executed a search warrant at a residence on the 1100 block of Winnie Street East as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation.

    An adult female was arrested at the residence. RCMP officers located and arrested two adult females in a vehicle at a business on 6th Avenue Northeast and South Service Road.

    While searching the residence and vehicle, officers located and seized approximately 109 grams of powder cocaine, a small amount of methamphetamine and other evidence of drug trafficking.

    As a result of investigation, 31-year-old Lacey Mandel of Swift Current, SK is charged with one count, possession for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine, Section 5(2), Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

    The two other females were released without charges.

    Lacey Mandel will make her first appearance in Swift Current Provincial Court on March 12, 2024.

    MIL Security OSI –