NewzIntel.com

Category: CTF

  • MIL-OSI USA: Aderholt Underscores Strengthening American Health and Well-Being During Hearing with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, underscored the critical need to strengthen public health systems and enhance the well-being of Americans. The hearing featured testimony from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who discussed the Department’s FY26 priorities.

    “Despite spending nearly $2 trillion annually on health care, America continues to face unacceptable health outcomes,” said Chairman Aderholt. “We need bold, innovative approaches—not simply more spending—to truly improve the health of our citizens. I’m encouraged by Secretary Kennedy’s willingness to bring fresh perspectives and reforms to HHS.”

    During his opening remarks, Chairman Aderholt welcomed Secretary Kennedy, noting his recent confirmation and swift engagement in the Administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative. Aderholt expressed his hope that Kennedy’s leadership will catalyze needed reforms and restore public trust in health agencies.

    Chairman Aderholt specifically highlighted key challenges facing rural communities like those in Alabama—including disproportionately high rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, coupled with mounting pressures on rural hospitals and persistent shortages in the health care workforce.

    “The health care challenges in rural America are urgent and deeply personal for the communities we serve,” Aderholt noted. “I’m committed to working with Secretary Kennedy to find practical, life-affirming solutions to protect access to care and support our rural hospitals and providers.”

    Aderholt also praised the Secretary’s commitment to protecting the sanctity of life and the conscience rights of medical professionals, stating, “As a strong supporter of the right to life, I appreciate Secretary Kennedy’s pledge to uphold these fundamental values.”

    During the hearing, Chairman Aderholt raised concerns about previous actions taken under the Biden administration that undermined pro-life protections. He cited reports that the CDC funded abortion-related activities overseas in violation of the Helms Amendment, and that Title X funding had been denied to states for not providing abortion counseling, contrary to their laws.

    Additionally, the Congressman acknowledged the public health impact of President Trump’s success in curbing illegal border crossings, including the 54% reduction in fentanyl inflow and a sharp decline in the trafficking of unaccompanied minors. “The President’s actions at the border are not only a national security issue but a public health victory as well,” he said.

    The hearing also focused on proposed structural reforms at HHS, including the creation of a new Administration for a Healthy America and efforts to overhaul the National Institutes of Health. Aderholt expressed optimism about these initiatives and reiterated his commitment to a collaborative legislative process.

    “Reforming Washington is never easy,” Aderholt concluded, “but we in Congress stand ready to work with the Secretary and the Administration to deliver lasting, meaningful improvements to our health care system.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National With Three Prior Deportations Sentenced To Prison For Illegally Reentering The United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced this week to a total of 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States, while on federal supervised release, after being removed from the country on three prior occasions. On Thursday, Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Geraldo Maya-Gonzalez to 18 months in prison. On Friday, he was sentenced to an additional, consecutive six months by United States District Judge James C. Mahan for violating the terms of his supervised release imposed after his 2018 conviction for the same offense.

    According to court documents, Maya-Gonzalez was found by immigration officials on January 27, 2021, after he was previously deported on or about March 3, 2011, June 5, 2012, and July 26, 2019. Maya-Gonzalez came into ICE custody in 2024, after serving a state sentence for drug trafficking.

    Maya-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. This was his third such conviction.

    United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.

    The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Nampa Man of Attempting to Produce Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOISE – After a three-day trial, a federal jury sitting in Boise found William Walls, 52, of Nampa, guilty of three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill presided over the trial, which began on May 12, and concluded with guilty verdicts on May 14.

    According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Walls used his cellphone to surreptitiously record three female children in the bathroom of his apartment. Walls was babysitting the victims at the time. The video captured one of the children showering and the other two children changing their clothes.

    The charge of attempted sexual exploitation of a child carries a minimum of fifteen years and up to life in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and at least five years and up to lifetime of supervised release. Walls will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.

    Sentencing is set for July 31, 2025, before Judge Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the Nampa Police Department for a thorough and professional investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Kassandra McGrady and Erin Blackadar prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ‘King’ of Violent Haitian Gang Found Guilty on All Charges for Hostage Taking of 16 American Christian Missionaries

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Joly Germine, 32, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, was found guilty today by a federal jury in the District of Columbia for his role in orchestrating the 2021 hostage taking of 16 American citizens, including five children, and holding them hostage for 62 days.

               The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan James of the Miami Field Office.

               “This office will fight aggressively to protect Americans who are taken hostage and abused, and to uphold the religious freedoms of our people, including Christians.  As the evidence demonstrated, Joly Germine orchestrated a plot that leveraged American Christian missionaries as bargaining chips to try to secure his own release from a Haitian prison,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “When you commit crimes against Americans in other countries, it makes no difference where you are — we are coming for you. Justice may not always be swift but it is certain.”

               “This conviction demonstrates the FBI’s determination to follow the evidence wherever it leads and to work our way up to the leaders of criminal plots wherever they are. Haitian gang leader and convicted kidnapper Joly Germine found out he was not beyond the reach of the FBI,” said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge James. “Neither time nor distance will weaken our resolve. We will use all tools available and go to farthest reaches of the globe to bring to justice those who kidnap Americans.”

               Following a 10-day trial in U.S. District Court, the jury found Germine guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and 16 counts of hostage taking of a U.S. national for ransom. 

               The former leader and self-described “king” of the notoriously violent Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo, Germine previously pleaded guilty to his role in a gun trafficking conspiracy that smuggled firearms to Haiti in violation of U.S. export laws and the laundering of the gang’s funds derived from ransoms paid for other U.S. hostage victims. For those crimes, he was sentenced in June 2024 to 35 years in federal prison. 

               Germine’s gang, 400 Mawozo, operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Germine directed the gang’s operations from prison using unmonitored cell phones and was constantly in touch with other 400 Mawazo leaders, most of whom were his relatives. Germine controlled the gang’s finances, supplied the gang’s weapons, and otherwise directed operations. 

               On October 16, 2021, 17 Mennonite missionaries from Christian Aid Ministries, an Ohio-based missionary aid organization, were returning from visiting an orphanage when they were stopped by 400 Mawozo’s armed and masked soldiers. Many of the gang’s soldiers were brandishing firearms supplied by Germine.  The group included 12 adults and 5 children, including a 6-year-old, 3-year-old, and an 8-month-old. Sixteen of the victims were U.S. citizens and one was a Canadian citizen.  

               The gang drove the missionaries to a field and robbed them, while consulting by phone with Germine, their leader. The gang took the missionaries to a building in a rural area, held them at gunpoint, and demanded ransom of $1 million each for their return. In postings on social media, the gang threatened to kill all the hostages if the ransom was not paid. Early on in the negotiations, senior gang leadership said that, in lieu of the ransom monies, 400 Mawozo would accept Germine’s release from prison in exchange for the hostages. 

               On November 20, 2021, two hostages were released after one was suffering from life-threatening health conditions. On December 5, 2021, 400 Mawozo released three of the hostages, two adults who had significant medical issues and the six-year old child, after receiving a $350,000 ransom payment. Though the gang had stated they would release all the hostages for the ransom paid, at Germine’s direction, the gang thereafter refused to release any more hostages. On December 16, 2021, the remaining hostages escaped under cover of darkness while their captors were distracted, walking for five hours through the Haitian bush until they were out of the gang’s territory. They were received by the FBI, which had deployed to Haiti and arranged to immediately transport them from Haiti before the gang could respond to their escape. In total, most of the missionaries were held for 62 days. 

              The evidence at trial showed that Germine had directed the initial kidnapping, had arranged for the locations where hostages were held, and set the $17 million ransom demand, knowing it was too high to be paid and would result in the Haitian government negotiating his release from prison in exchange for the missionaries.  The evidence also showed that Germine was involved in or consulted on the decisions to release victims.

               The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. During the law enforcement response to the kidnapping, extraordinary assistance was provided in a whole of government response by various agencies, including Customs and Border Protection Service, the Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Defense, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Valuable assistance was provided by the government of Haiti, the government of the Dominican Republic, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Department of State and the Embassy in Port-au-Prince, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida’s Special Prosecutions Section.

               The case was  prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Tom Saunders and Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas for the District of Columbia, with invaluable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall, Victim Advocate Yvonne Bryant, and Victim Witness Coordinators Tonya Jones and Guisela Castillo. 

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

    Recent matters of interest include:

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

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

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

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

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

    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-078_May 16 Immigration Enforcement

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Sentenced To 49 Years In Prison For Multiple Armed Robberies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who has prior felony convictions was sentenced today by United States District Judge Miranda M. Du to 49 years in prison for committing multiple armed robberies of businesses in Las Vegas.

    According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, from January 19, 2022, to January 25, 2022, George Perez committed seven store robberies. At all seven robberies, Perez approached the cashiers with store merchandise, pretending he was going to purchase it. At six of the seven robberies, he pointed a Taurus G2 9mm firearm at the cashiers and demanded money. Perez stole money by threatened force, physical violence, and fear of injury.

    Perez has prior convictions including attempt possession of controlled substance with intent to sell; two burglaries; and possession of credit or debit card without cardholder’s consent, all in Clark County, Nevada, and he is prohibited by law to possess a firearm.

    In February 2025, following a five-day trial, a jury convicted Perez of seven counts of interference with commerce by robbery, seven counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

    United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.

    This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys David Kiebler and Lauren Ibanez prosecuted the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

    This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal law enforcement agencies and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Arizona Strike Force located in Tucson. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

    The FBI investigated the case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Owner of San Diego Surrogacy Consulting Businesses Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Clients

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO –Lillian Arielle Markowitz, former owner of three San Diego-based surrogacy consulting businesses, was sentenced in federal court today to 24 months in prison for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her clients.

    At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson also ordered Markowitz to pay $389,142.00 in restitution to her former clients.

    According to court documents, Markowitz owned three businesses — My Donor Cycle, Surrogacy Beyond Borders, and Expecting Surrogacy — through which she marketed herself as a surrogacy consultant to those seeking to realize their dreams of becoming parents. Beginning around 2018, when Markowitz and her businesses began to experience financial distress, she devised a scheme to steal money from her surrogacy clients by, among other things, submitting fraudulent requests to withdraw client funds from the escrow company where the funds were maintained. Markowitz submitted four fraudulent escrow disbursement requests, including one in which she forged a client’s signature in order to steal his escrow funds.

    In her plea agreement, Markowitz admitted that from 2019 through 2021, she defrauded nine additional clients by falsely promising that their funds would be deposited into an escrow account and that their funds would be accessed only to pay for expenses related to their respective surrogacy journey. Instead, Markowitz deposited these clients’ funds into her business checking account, then immediately used them to cover general business expenses, expenses related to other clients’ surrogacy journeys, expenses related to her unrelated yoga and float business, and to pay for her personal expenses.

    “Lillian Markowitz turned her surrogacy businesses into a Ponzi scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “She did not simply steal funds. She stole the dream of parenthood from her victims. She exploited hope and heartbreak for profit. Those who prey on the desperate will be held accountable.”

    “Today’s sentencing of Lilian Markowitz marks the conclusion of a cruel and deceitful scheme that deeply exploited the victims’ hopeful dreams of becoming parents,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi. “After years of deception, Ms. Markowitz will now be held accountable for her egregious breach of trust and unethical conduct.”

    This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill and Assistant United States Attorney Mark W. Pletcher.

    DEFENDANT                                                           Case Number 24-CR-0904-TWR

    Lillian Arielle Markowitz (aka Lillian Frost)            Age: 40                                   Portland, OR

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 134

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

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Federal Bureau of Investigation        

    Contact

    Kelly Thornton, Director of Media Relations

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oswego County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Tyler Hull, age 42, of Fulton, New York, pled guilty yesterday to possession with intent to distribute over 300 grams of a schedule I synthetic cathinone. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.

    As part of his guilty plea, Hull admitted that during a traffic stop, police found approximately 316 grams of a synthetic cathinone he intended to distribute to others in Oswego County. During questioning, Hull also admitted that he had distributed a similar quantity of the same substance on two prior occasions. The synthetic cathinone Hull intended to distribute is a schedule I controlled substance and has pharmacological effects on the central nervous system similar to other schedule I or II substances such as methylone, pentylone, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA.  At the time, Hull was serving a term of supervised release imposed after a 2022 federal drug trafficking conviction.

    Hull also admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release by committing the new offense and by possessing a controlled substance.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on the new offense and his supervised release violations by United States District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby on September 24, 2025, in Syracuse, New York.

    U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is deeply committed to working closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to root out those who seek to profit by peddling poison in our communities through the distribution of controlled substances.”

    “Yesterday’s guilty plea underscores the successful and unwavering collaboration between state, local, and federal partners, who continuously place the public’s safety above all else,” said Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge, HSI Buffalo. “I commend the law enforcement community for ensuring no stone is left unturned as we strive to protect our New York communities.”

    For his new criminal offense, Hull faces up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $2,000,000, and a term of post-release supervision of at least 6 years and up to life.  Hull also faces up to two years in prison on his violations of supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

    The case was investigated by HSI and the other members of the Oswego County Drug Task Force, which is comprised of members of HSI, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Fulton Police Department, the City of Oswego Police Department, the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, and United States Border Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

    MIL Security OSI –

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

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Chinese consortium acquires 100 H135s from Airbus Helicopters

    Source: Airbus

    Headline: Chinese consortium acquires 100 H135s from Airbus Helicopters

    A Chinese consortium made up of China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS), Qingdao United General Aviation Industrial Development Company (Qingdao United) and CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co. Ltd (COHC) has ordered 100 H135 light-twin helicopters, becoming China’s first customer to form an industrial partnership to launch a H135 final assembly line (FAL) in Qingdao, Shandong province. This is an important step forward, fulfilling the commitment of purchasing 100 H135s signed in the Letter of Intent (LOI) last year.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China Strengthens Legal Protections for Elderly

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) — Seven Chinese government agencies, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Supreme People’s Court, have issued guidelines to improve legal services and protect the elderly.

    As China’s population ages, with more than 310 million people aged 60 and above, the move aims to address controversies surrounding the elderly and create a favourable social environment for the group.

    One of the key elements of the document is the improvement of infrastructure for unimpeded access of elderly people to judicial bodies and the improvement of the quality of services provided by them. In addition, the document provides for the provision of specialized services, such as preliminary court proceedings and the provision of these services at home.

    The recommendations also call for tougher penalties for crimes targeting older people, including fraud, theft and extortion, as well as attacks on their property rights under the guise of providing care services. They also focus on early risk prevention in areas such as inheritance disputes, elderly care, financial management and health-related products.

    To better protect vulnerable groups, the document proposes to remove income restrictions for older people seeking legal aid in cases of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.

    It also expands the reach of legal aid to include older people living alone, those with disabilities and those suffering from dementia. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Former Vice Chairman of Heilongjiang Province Sentenced to Life for Bribery

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    JINAN, May 17 (Xinhua) — Wang Yixin, former vice chairman of the people’s government of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, has been sentenced to life in prison and deprived of political rights for the rest of his life on charges of bribery.

    The verdict was handed down on Friday by the Intermediate People’s Court of Heze City, Shandong Province, East China, during the hearing of the former official’s case.

    All of Wang Yixin’s personal property and illegally obtained funds will be confiscated in favor of the state.

    During the trial, it was established that between 2008 and 2020, while holding a number of positions in Hainan and Shanxi provinces, he abused his official position in the interests of third parties, for which he received financial and material assets worth more than 129 million yuan (about 17.9 million US dollars). -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s courier sector grows in April 2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) — China’s courier sector recorded strong growth in April 2025, data released by the State Post Administration (SPA) showed Friday.

    According to the agency’s information, in April the express delivery development index increased by 6.5 percent year-on-year to 443.2.

    The sub-index of the scale of development of the mentioned sector increased by 15.7 percent year-on-year to 571.9, while the sub-indices of service quality and development potential increased by 1.5 percent and 1.4 percent year-on-year to 658.3 and 224.1, respectively.

    The sector development index, compiled from data from major Chinese logistics companies, reflects overall business activity and trends in the country’s courier sector. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Beijing authorities to issue 20,000 license plates to carless families

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) — The Beijing Municipal People’s Government has decided to provide 20,000 additional license plates for new energy vehicles (NEVs), on top of the 40,000 license plates it allocated in January this year, aiming to further meet the transportation needs of car-less families, local authorities announced Friday.

    In 2025, the total quota for passenger car license plates in Beijing will be 160,000 units. This figure includes 100,000 units under the annual quota system and another 60,000 new license plates for NIE. According to the Beijing Transportation Bureau, the additional license plates are exclusively for NIE.

    The measure will bring the number of electric vehicle license plates provided to car-free families this year to 118,400, the department said.

    Starting from May 26, households that applied for a license plate can enter the city’s special points-based lottery system to check their ranking. Once verified, households will receive a certificate of confirmation of receipt of a license plate quota, which will be valid for 12 months.

    Beijing authorities have taken various measures to combat traffic congestion and air pollution, including introducing a lottery system for license plates for internal combustion engine vehicles in 2011 and allocating quotas for license plates for electric vehicles a few years later. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Belarus’ GDP grew by 2.8 percent in four months since the beginning of 2025 — Belstat

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    MINSK, May 17 (Xinhua) — Belarus’ gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.8 percent in January-April 2025, the Belarusian National Statistical Committee said on Friday.

    The country’s GDP in current prices amounted to 81.4 billion Belarusian rubles, or 102.8 percent in comparable prices compared to the level of January-April 2024.

    The GDP deflator index in Belarus in January-April 2025 compared to the same period last year amounted to 106.6 percent. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China begins testing its flood-fighting capabilities ahead of rainy season

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) — Ahead of the annual flood season, Chinese authorities have sent inspection teams to regions along the country’s major river basins to prevent possible flooding.

    According to the Ministry of Emergency Management of China, eight inspection teams have been dispatched to 15 provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Hebei Province, Liaoning Province, etc.

    According to the ministry, the reviews focused on various aspects of flood management, including local emergency response capabilities, resourcing, and identifying risks to facilities and projects.

    Inspections found that some areas and sectors lacked updated risk assessments, adequate evacuation plans or sufficient resources to respond to natural disasters, despite preliminary data indicating that most areas were well prepared for the upcoming flood season.

    Local authorities were ordered to immediately eliminate all identified deficiencies, the department reported. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smucker’s IEWOTC Act Delivers Pro-Growth, Pro-Work Agenda

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

    WASHINGTON—The Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (IEWOTC) Act sponsored by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), a senior member of the Committee on Ways and means, would lead to job creation and reduce reliance on safety net programs, according to a recent study. 

    The study indicates the enactment of IEWOTC Act would “directly support 350,000 new jobs.” Additionally, the report shows the legislation would increase federal revenue by an estimated $5.8 billion and reduce federal expenditure by an estimated $5.6 billion. It would also add $56 billion to GDP over ten years. 

    “The Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act is pro-growth and pro-worker. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a program that supports employers and employees as they reenter the workforce. I am committed to helping disadvantaged Americans get back to work by advancing legislation to improve this proven tool,” said Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11). 

    WOTC has not been updated since its enactment twenty-seven years ago, and its value has been eroded significantly due to inflation. The National Employment Opportunity Network reports that the WOTC has saved federal governments an estimated $202 billion over ten years.

    The Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act would:

    1. Update the WOTC, which has not been changed since its enactment twenty-seven years ago and encourage longer-service employment.
    2. Increase the current credit percentage from 40% to 50% of qualified wages.
    3. Add a second level of credit for employees who work 400 or more hours.
    4. Eliminate the arbitrary age cap at which SNAP recipients are eligible for WOTC. This change will provide an incentive to hire older workers and better align the credit with previously adopted work reforms.  

    Smucker introduced the legislation with his colleagues Reps. Steven Horsford (NV-4), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), and Tom Suozzi (NY-03). Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).  

    # # # 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Thirty-Two Republican Members, Led by Smucker, Renew Call for a Fiscally Responsible Budget Reconciliation Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

    WASHINGTON—Thirty-one Members of the House Republican Conference, led by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) Vice Chair of the Budget Committee, are calling for Congress to pass reconciliation legislation that is “genuinely fiscally responsible.” Failure to achieve the spending reduction targets outlined in the budget resolution will mean “the Ways and Means Committee’s instruction must be lowered dollar-for-dollar to keep the reconciliation bill within the agreed limits.”

    The Members write: “We are fully committed to passing a reconciliation bill that achieves the objectives we all support, which include extending President Trump’s tax cuts, growing our economy, securing our borders, unleashing American energy, and ensuring peace through strength.”

    The lawmakers continue, “We remain firmly committed to ensuring the bill is genuinely fiscally responsible. We reaffirm that our support depends, at minimum, on the bill’s strict adherence to the House framework for instructions contained in the concurrent budget resolution (Section 4001 of H.Con.Res.14).”

    The group expresses its appreciation for the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Leader Scalie’s commitments that no measure will be brought to the floor unless it fully meets the standards of the House framework for instructions contained in the concurrent budget resolution. 

    Signatories to the letter include Representatives: Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Lauren Boebert (CO-04), Josh Brecheen (OK-02), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Eric Burlison (MO-07), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Andrew Clyde (GA-09), Elijiah Crane (AZ-02), Brandon Gill (TX-26), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Andy Harris (MD-01), Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Morgan Luttrell (TX-08), Richard McCormick (GA-07), Mary Miller (IL-15), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Jay Obernolte (CA-23), Andrew Ogles (TN-05), Robert Onder (MO-03), Scott Perry (PA-10), Chip Roy (TX-21), David Schweikert (AZ-01), Keith Self (TX-03), Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Victoria Spartz (IN-05), Greg Steube (FL-17), Marlin Stutzman (IN-03), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), and Ryan Zinke (MT-01).

    The full letter is available here. 

    Full text follows below: 

    May 7, 2025
     

    The Honorable Mike Johnson

    Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives

    Washington, D.C. 20515

    The Honorable Steve Scalise

    Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives

    Washington, DC 20515

    Subject: Commitment to House Framework in Reconciliation

    Dear Speaker Johnson and Leader Scalise,

    We are fully committed to passing a reconciliation bill that achieves the objectives we all support, which include extending President Trump’s tax cuts, growing our economy, securing our borders, unleashing American energy, and ensuring peace through strength.

    Additionally, we remain firmly committed to ensuring the bill is genuinely fiscally responsible. We reaffirm that our support depends, at minimum, on the bill’s strict adherence to the House framework for instructions contained in the concurrent budget resolution (Section 4001 of H.Con.Res.14). We also appreciate your assurance that no measure will be brought to the floor unless it fully meets this standard.

    The Big Picture

    America’s fiscal path is unsustainable and worsening. The national debt has exceeded $36 trillion and is growing by nearly $2 trillion each year. Annual interest costs are on track to surpass $1 trillion, overtaking what we spend on Medicare or national defense. Federal outlays remain at record highs, and the recent strain in Treasury markets makes it clear that we can no longer count on historically low interest rates. We must move decisively to restore market confidence and put the budget on a sustainable path.
     

    Minmum Criteria for Our Support

    Under the House’s framework, the reconciliation bill must not add to the deficit. The House budget resolution assumes that enacting President Trump’s agenda, including extending the 2017 tax cuts, will generate $2.5 trillion in additional revenue through economic growth. This means that all additional tax cuts or increases in spending above this level must be offset. To fully extend and build upon the 2017 tax cuts, this means that the reconciliation bill must include at least $2 trillion in verifiable savings either through spending reductions or scaling back the size of the tax package. If savings fall short, the Ways and Means Committee’s instruction

    must be lowered dollar-for-dollar to keep the reconciliation bill within the agreed limits.

    In practice, the Ways and Means Committee’s instruction may not exceed $2.5 trillion more than the debt reduction achieved by all other committees.

    Deficit Reduction in Other Committees                 Maximum Ways and Means Instruction

    $2.0 trillion                                                                 $4.5 trillion

    $1.5 trillion                                                                 $4.0 trillion

    $1.0 trillion                                                                 $3.5 trillion

    Critically, the deficit reduction target must be met with real, enforceable spending cuts – not budget gimmicks. The final bill must deliver structural reforms that strengthen long-term growth and produce long-term savings.

    Bottom Line

    A $2 trillion reduction in spending may sound substantial. However, it equals only 2.3 percent of projected federal outlays over the next decade and only reduces the rate of growth in spending. Even with those savings, annual spending is expected to grow from $7 trillion to $10 trillion over the next 10 years, and debt will exceed $50 trillion by 2035.

    The House reconciliation instructions are binding. They set a floor for savings, not a ceiling. We must hold that line on fiscal discipline to put the country back on a sustainable path.

    We are more committed than ever to making that happen.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smucker Announces 2025 Congressional Art Competition Winner

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

    Lancaster—Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) announced the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for high school students in Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District.  

    “Congratulations to this year’s Congressional Art Competition winner and thank you to all the students who submitted their incredible work,” said Rep. Smucker. “Once again, the entries showcased a remarkable range of talent and creativity, making this year’s contest especially competitive. I’m deeply impressed by the artistic abilities of students throughout PA-11, and I’m proud to see their work represented in our nation’s capital. I wish Gianna continued success in all her endeavors and thank her for sharing her artistic gift with the many visitors to Washington, D.C.”

    The winning entry, American Heritage by Gianna Fasano of Lampeter-Strasburg School District, will have the distinction of representing Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District in the 43rd Annual Congressional Art Exhibition. The artwork will be displayed for one year in the Cannon Tunnel of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC. The Cannon Tunnel is the most highly traveled access point between the office buildings of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Capitol. Every day, Members of Congress, distinguished visitors, and tens of thousands of tourists – from the United States and abroad – walk through the tunnel and admire the award-winning artwork from congressional districts across the nation. 

    The Congressional Art Competition showcases the remarkable artistic talents of students in each Congressional district and across the nation. Since the Congressional Art Competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. 

    Rep. Smucker pictured with the winner of the PA-11 2025 Congressional Art Competition Gianna Fasano and her artwork entitled American Heritage. 

    # # # 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Smucker Champions Key Tax Relief Measures Included in “One Big, Beautiful Bill”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

    WASHINGTON—Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means, voted to advance the committee’s legislative proposals in compliance with the instructions of H. Con. Res. 14, the Concurrent Resolution on the budget for Fiscal Year 2025. 

    “Today’s vote is a great step forward to enacting the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” to provide hardworking families, small businesses, seniors, and farmers with additional tax relief. This legislation will put more money back into Americans’ pockets and unleash greater business investment by providing them with much-needed certainty in our tax code. We must get this done for the American people,” said Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11). “As Congress continues to move forward throughout this process, we must ensure that it is done in a fiscally responsible manner and complies with the outlines of the House’s budget resolution.”

    The committee reported legislative language to permanently extend many expiring provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including the individual tax rates, the small business tax deduction, and relief for family-farmers from the death tax. 

    The Ways and Means Committee proposal contains legislative provisions authored by Rep. Smucker, including: 

    • Permanent Tax Relief and Certainty for Small Businesses: Permanently increasing and enhancing the small business tax deduction, known as Section 199A of the tax code. Smucker’s Main Street Tax Certainty Act has the support of 187 Members of the House and the legislation has broad support among stakeholders in PA-11 and across the nation.  
       
    • Expanded Support for Individuals with Disabilities Using ABLE Accounts: Smucker’s bipartisan ENABLE Act to allow individuals with disabilities and their families to save and invest in tax-advantaged accounts without jeopardizing their eligibility for essential federal support programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income, is included making these tax provisions permanent. 
       
    • Improved Access to Primary Care: The Ways and Means Committee’s proposals include Smucker’s Primary Care Enhancement Act, which would clarify provisions of the Internal Revenue Code to remove barriers for individuals with Health Savings Accounts from using those funds to access Direct Primary Care, a health care delivery model which provides high-quality care at lower cost for individuals of all ages and incomes across America.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kansas City Lawmakers Support National Historic Landmark Designation of Quindaro Townsite

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

    (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Derek Schmidt (R-KS), and Sharice Davids (D-KS) have called on the National Park Service to designate the Quindaro Townsite in Wyandotte County as a National Historic Landmark. The Kansas City, Kansas site served as a critical entry point for anti-slavery settlers and a sanctuary for those escaping bondage via the Underground Railroad prior to and during the U.S. Civil War.

    “The Quindaro Townsite is a vital piece of U.S. history that demonstrates our national commitment to liberty and self-determination, which ought to be celebrated and shared with future generations,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Just as I was proud to introduce the bipartisan Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act with Reps. Schmidt and Davids, I’m once again honored to advocate for the designation of Quindaro as a National Historic Landmark, preserving this important chapter in America’s story until the end of time.”

    “Quindaro is a meaningful part of our region, state, and country’s history,” Congressman Schmidt said. “Recognizing the site as a National Historic Landmark will provide the designation necessary to properly preserve the legacy of this important historical site. I’m proud to lead my fellow Kansas City area lawmakers in this effort.”

    “Quindaro is a powerful part of Kansas’ history in the fight for freedom and equality, but for too long, local preservation efforts of this important site have lacked much-needed resources,” Representative Davids said. “I’m proud to work with Representatives Schmidt and Cleaver to ensure this site receives the recognition and protection it deserves through a National Historic Landmark designation.”

    Founded in 1857, Quindaro emerged as a beacon for Free-State advocates during the turbulent “Bleeding Kansas” era. Strategically located along the Missouri River, it served as a critical entry point for anti-slavery settlers and a sanctuary for those escaping bondage via the Underground Railroad. The town’s establishment was a collaborative effort among the Wyandot Nation, New England abolitionists, and African American settlers, exemplifying a unique and harmonious multicultural alliance during a period marked by division and conflict.

    Beyond its pivotal role in the anti-slavery movement, Quindaro became a nucleus for post-Civil War African American advancement. The establishment of the Quindaro Freedman’s School, later known as Western University, marked a significant milestone as the first Black school west of the Mississippi River. Institutions like Douglass Hospital further underscored the town’s commitment to education and healthcare within the African American community.

    Archaeological excavations have unveiled a wealth of artifacts, offering invaluable insights into the daily lives of Quindaro’s diverse inhabitants. The site’s preserved foundations and structures provide a tangible connection to this rich history. Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002, Quindaro’s significance has been further acknowledged through its designation as a National Commemorative Site in 2019.

    In 2023, the lawmakers introduced the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act to designate the Quindaro Townsite as a National Historic Landmark.

    The official letter from lawmakers is available here.

     

    Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cleaver’s Statement on the Passing of Former Missouri Governor and Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

    (Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement after the passing of former Missouri Governor and Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond.

    “Kit Bond was a superb statesman, an exemplary public servant, and a dear friend to myself and Missourians across the Show Me State. From his time as State Auditor to his stewardship of Missouri as Governor, and eventually as Missouri’s Senator in Washington, Kit was the kind of elected official that every Missourian could be proud to call their representative; I know I was.  

    “Having come from the small town of Mexico, Missouri, Kit would go on to graduate top of his class in law school and use his brilliant legal mind to clerk for the Chief Judge on the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. He was the epitome of the American Dream and what is possible through hard work and perseverance. While he could have stayed in Washington, D.C. to pursue a lucrative career in law, his love for Missouri and passion for public service were a magnetic force that brought him back home. 

    “As a City Councilman and then Mayor, I had the privilege of working with Governor-turned-Senator Bond on numerous projects to the benefit of Kansas City and those who reside in our community. From the Charles E. Whittaker Federal Courthouse to the National World War I Museum and Memorial, as well as the redevelopment of 18th & Vine and the construction of the Christopher S. Bond Bridge, one cannot walk around our community without experiencing the important work of Kit Bond – and every Kansas Citian should be grateful for his willingness to seek common ground and work across the aisle to make each of them possible.”

    “With time, our professional relationship grew into a profound friendship that I will cherish forever. It is with deep sadness that I say farewell to a true friend, and I extend my deepest condolences to the entire Bond family as they grieve this colossal loss. May every Missourian take a moment to give thanks to this Missouri hero, and may his memory be a blessing to all.”

    ###

    Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cleaver, Graves Introduce Resolution Honoring America’s Teachers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

    (Washington, D.C.) – In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) and Sam Graves (R-MO) introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to recognize the dedication and lasting impact of America’s teachers. This bipartisan resolution highlights the important role that teachers play in shaping the next generation to become productive, responsible, and successful citizens, and encourages every American to show appreciation for the teachers in their life. 

    “America’s teachers play an invaluable role in shaping our children, and the future of the country, into the resilient, intelligent, and morally virtuous individuals we expect them to become,” said Congressman Cleaver. “During Teacher Appreciation Week, I’m proud to join my friend Sam Graves in introducing this bipartisan resolution to formally recognize the important work educators do in Missouri and all across this great nation. On behalf of the communities we represent and from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your service.”

    “Our dedicated teachers go above and beyond to ensure that our children have the best possible education,” said Congressman Graves. “They show up every day to help students succeed, learn, and grow. I’ve been lucky to learn from great teachers throughout my life, and I’ve seen the same impact on my kids and grandkids. Thank you to all of America’s teachers. During Teacher Appreciation Week and every week, we thank the educators who shape our communities and help prepare our children for a successful future.”

    Congressman Cleaver has been a strong supporter of public education and American teachers. In 2023, Congressman Cleaver co-introduced the American Teacher Act to incentivize states to establish a K-12 teacher salary requirement of at least $60,000. Additionally, Rep. Cleaver previously called on Governor Parson to strengthen Missouri’s education system by boosting teacher pay. In March, following President Trump’s illegal executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, Cleaver hosted Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, in Kansas City to meet with local educators in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District to discuss the impact of potential cuts to public education.

    The bipartisan resolution is cosponsored by Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN), Ed Case (D-HI), and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR).

    Official text of the resolution from Reps. Cleaver and Graves is available here.

     

    Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cleaver, Local Federal Employees Hold Press Conference Condemning Cuts to Federal Workforce

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

    (Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) held a press conference with local employees from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Missouri National Education Association (MNEA), National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) to highlight the impact of the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s cuts to the federal workforce. More than 30,000 federal workers are employed in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, with one economist estimating the region could lose 6,000 good-paying federal jobs, which could wipe out thousands of other jobs in the process. 

    “The Trump administration and Elon Musk have treated our federal workforce like a disposable expense, rather than the backbone of a functioning democracy,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Slashing jobs, hollowing out agencies, and undermining public service isn’t reform – it’s sabotage. I’m proud to stand with the unions representing the men and women who keep this country running. Today’s gathering is a line in the sand. We’re standing with the workers who’ve been silenced, sidelined, and scapegoated – and we won’t let billionaires hollow out public service under the guise of efficiency without a fight.”

    The basics:

    Where do federal employees work?

    • Federal employees work in every congressional district in the country. In fact, 80 percent of the 2.3 million federal civilian employees work outside the D.C. region. As a result, mass firings have the potential to not only affect government services, but also to disrupt local economies.

    What departments employ the most federal employees?

    • Eight departments each employ over 100,000 civilian employees. They are the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force, Department of Justice, Department of Treasury, and other Department of Defense employees not included in the branches of the military. Employees at these agencies account for almost 75 percent of the federal civilian workforce, not including U.S. Postal Service workers. 

    How much money is spent on federal employees?

    • Approximately 4 percent of all federal spending is compensation for civilian employees. In fiscal year 2022, the federal government spent $6.3 trillion in total outlays but only $271 billion was from compensation to civilian employees. For comparison, the gross tax gap from taxes the wealthy owe but refuse to pay is approximately $696 billion, or 2.5 times more than all compensation to civilian employees. Total civilian employee compensation is dwarfed by the amounts that wealthy tax cheats don’t pay in taxes.
    • Moreover, as Congressional Republicans enable DOGE cuts in communities across the country, they are currently working to pass a $4.5 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefits the top 5% of Americans.

    Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott: Republican Budget is a Big, Bad Bill

    Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

    Headline: Scott: Republican Budget is a Big, Bad Bill

    WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) delivered the following statement at the House Budget Committee’s failed markup of Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, H. Con. Res. 14, President Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”:  
     

     

    “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It’s hard to take my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seriously when they come here and give speech after speech after speech, complaining about the deficit and then support this reconciliation plan that INCREASES the deficit. But this should not come as a surprise because every single Democratic president and presidential administration since Kennedy has left for their Republican successors a better deficit situation than the one they inherited. And every single Republican presidential administration since Nixon has left a WORSE deficit situation for the Democrats than the one they inherited. All without exception. 

    “So here we go again. A Republican president following a Democratic president. The Republicans are here to make speeches about deficits and debts, and then again set to increase the deficit and national debt just like clockwork. So, the reason we have all this debt is because Democrats have not been able to clean up the Republican messes as quickly as they make them.

    “This bill not only increases the deficit, it makes working families pay a price. As the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, I am particularly outraged Republicans want to fund tax cuts for corporations and billionaires by making cuts in educational and nutritional programs. This bill uses taxpayers’ money to take resources from public schools, which serve 90% of students, and divert them to private schools. The bill also harms children’s access to school meal programs and makes it harder for students to afford a college education. 

    “So, there’s nothing fiscally responsible about this budget and working families and middle-class families will pay the price.

    “Programs that keep kids, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities from going hungry and ensure that students receive a quality education should not be on the chopping block. And after weeks of statements from Republican members that the budget they voted for twice does not cut Medicaid, this bill will rip away health care away from millions of Americans using Medicaid and makes health care more expensive for everyone else.

    “This Big, Bad Bill is a collection of bad policies. It kicks millions of people off their health care, threatens food security for millions of families, makes it harder for students to afford education, and diverts taxpayer resources from public schools. It does all of this to give corporations and wealthy billionaires a tax cut and then it makes our debt worse. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this legislation.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McCaul to Co-Chair Friends of Australia Caucus

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

    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee — announced he will co-chair the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus alongside long-time co-chair, Congressman Joe Courtney AO (D-Conn.).

    “As the United States’ adversaries work together to create an increasingly dangerous world, trusted allies like Australia are as critical as ever. That’s why I’ve worked diligently to strengthen AUKUS — the Australia-U.K.-U.S. alliance that keeps Chairman Xi up at night,” said Rep. McCaul. “A strong U.S. relationship with Australia benefits both of our economies, enhances our mutual security, and deters the CCP’s malign ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. I look forward to working with Congressman Courtney, who has a proven commitment to the U.S.-Australia alliance, to continue bolstering the caucus’ work at this important time in history.” 

    “I am very excited to work with Congressman McCaul, who demonstrated his active support for the U.S.-Australia alliance in 2023 by partnering to enact historic bipartisan AUKUS authorities,” said Rep. Courtney AO. “As Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he guided committee approval of key ITAR provisions that were incorporated into the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. The bipartisan Friends of Australia Caucus has more work to do to build on that success, and I look forward to working with Michael to achieve this goal.”

    Background:

    The Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus seeks to expand and enrich the partnership between the United States and Australia, which enjoy strong economic and defense ties. McCaul has long supported the relationship between the U.S. and Australia, acknowledging that Australia is one of our most important strategic allies in the Indo-Pacific.

    Last Congress, McCaul championed several pieces of legislation to strengthen the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) defense pact. He also penned a recent op-ed in the National Review on the critical importance of AUKUS.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: McCaul Discusses Latest on Ukraine, Trump’s Visit to the Middle East, More on CBS’ Face the Nation

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

    Austin, Texas – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees — joined CBS’ “Face the Nation” with Ed O’Keefe to discuss the latest on ceasefire efforts in Ukraine, President Trump’s upcoming visit to the Middle East, and more.

    Click here to watch

    On ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia:

    “It’s very intense. … Mr. Putin decided to bomb Ukraine on Palm Sunday. He’s not making any concessions at all, while Zelensky seems to be making all the concessions. So the bottom line is: Putin has to agree to a 30-day cease-fire for any peace talks to go forward, and the land that he is asking for is — you know, even JD Vance talked about this, and the president — land that Russia has not even occupied in Ukraine. So [Putin] has to operate in good faith. We want peace, but not peace at any price. Because peace at any price is like appeasement, like we saw with Chamberlain and Hitler, and that’s unacceptable.

    On the likelihood of the US passing a sanctions package:

    “If Mr. Putin does not agree to a 30-day ceasefire, I think the sanctions are almost certain, not only from the Congress, but from the White House. … Getting [the national security supplemental package] passed the last time was a major accomplishment. Had we not accomplished that, Ed, Russia would be occupying Ukraine today — no question in my mind. … So again, it’s really up to Mr. Putin, who so far has not been negotiating in good faith, as to how we proceed from here. And we all want this war to end. We all want peace, but we want a just peace.”

    On President Trump’s upcoming trip to the Middle East:

    “We don’t have all the details. I know he’s there to discuss an economic alliance with the Saudis, with the UAE, with the Arab nations. And that’s important. Just like the minerals deal that the Ukraine parliament voted for, the more economically we’re tied to the Middle East, the more we’re security tied, and that will push China out of the region. The ultimate goal here, though, is a normalization agreement with Israel. We were getting close to that, until Iran decided, through its proxy in in Gaza — Hamas — to invade on October 7. So the point is, we need to be talking about all this as a package. But again, we cannot have normalization until you have a cease-fire in Gaza. And I think that’s the more difficult piece here.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

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

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

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

    Click to watch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Vice Chair McCaul: Thank you.

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