NewzIntel.com

Category: Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison on Multiple Child Exploitation Charges

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

    NASHVILLE – Robert L. Northrup, 55, of Niles, Michigan, was sentenced last Friday to 25 years in federal prison after having pled guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, advertising child pornography, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, attempted transfer of obscene material to an individual under the age of sixteen, and committing an offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Northrup will be required to continue registering as a sex offender.

    “Stopping those who intend to prey on children is among the highest priorities of our office and the Department of Justice,” said Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney. “This sentence will make sure that Robert Northrup will not harm another child for a quarter century. I commend the agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Morrison for their diligent pursuit of justice and drive to hold child sex offenders like Northrup accountable for their crimes.”

    According to court records, between July 21, 2022, and August 22, 2022, Northrup communicated with an FBI online covert employee, who was posing as a thirteen-year-old girl, on an online dating application and by text message. Northrop’s status block on the online dating application made clear that he was looking for young girls. This was one of eight accounts Northrop had on this online dating application. While Northrop was communicating with the FBI employee, he requested sexually explicit photos of multiple minors, discussed engaging in sexually activity with the online covert employee, and sent photos of his penis and a masturbation video.

    Northrup has prior convictions for a number of offenses including Criminal Sexual Conduct Third Degree, Child Solicitation, and Inappropriate Communication with a Child, which required him to register as a sex offender. He also has six convictions for Failure to Register or Attempted Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

    After serving his sentence, Northrup will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Clarksville Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: The Guardian: Democrats demand investigation into Musk over possible criminal corruption

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    March 17, 2025
    Leading Democrats on Monday demanded an investigation of possible criminal corruption involving Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and world’s richest man tasked by Donald Trump with slashing the federal government.
    The investigation should involve “the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to cancel a $2.4bn contract with Verizon to upgrade air traffic control communications, and to pay … Musk’s Starlink to help manage US airspace”, senators Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren wrote to Pam Bondi, the attorney general, and Mitch Behm, acting inspector general of the transportation department.
    “We ask that the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General and the Department of Justice investigate the scope of Mr Musk’s activities at the FAA,” the senators said.
    An investigation, the letter said, would determine whether Musk, “in his capacity as a special government employee in the White House … has participated in any particular matter in which he has a financial interest, which would violate the criminal conflict-of-interest statute”.
    …
    Read the full article here.
    By:  Martin PengellySource: The Guardian
    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Equal Access to Educational Opportunities and Facilities for Jewish UCLA Students

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced that the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the Central District of California to advance the appropriate interpretation of federal laws that prohibit colleges and universities from discriminating against students because of their religion or national origin. The statement of interest is part of the Task Force’s nationwide effort to combat antisemitism in all of its forms.

    According to the allegations in Frankel et al. v. Regents of the University of California et al., in the spring of 2024 administrators of the University of California system allowed members of a protest encampment to physically prevent University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) students and faculty from accessing portions of the UCLA campus if they were wearing articles reflective of their Jewish faith or if they refused to denounce Israel.

    The plaintiffs are Jewish students and a Jewish professor at UCLA who allege that the university knowingly acted in concert with or allowed members of the protest encampment to prevent them from accessing a central campus space and adjacent classrooms and library on the basis of their Jewish faith or national origin in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and California state law. The United States’ statement of interest addresses the sufficiency of plaintiffs’ claims that defendant administrators violated Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause.

    The Justice Department recently announced the formation of a multi-agency task force coordinated by the Civil Rights Division to combat antisemitism, which is visiting 10 university campuses that have experienced antisemitic events. The Department also recently announced its investigation into the University of California to assess whether the university system engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses, including UCLA. The Task Force also recently announced that the Department, together with other federal agencies, would cancel $400 million in federal contracts and grants to Columbia University due to the school’s inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.

    “The President, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Task Force know that every student must be free to attend school without being discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion or national origin,” said Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell. “The Department of Justice is working to combat antisemitism using all of the tools at our disposal.”

    “Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally for the Central District of California. “Our office will enforce anti-discrimination laws to address the issue of antisemitism affecting our residents.”

    To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Equal Access to Educational Opportunities and Facilities for Jewish UCLA Students

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced that the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the Central District of California to advance the appropriate interpretation of federal laws that prohibit colleges and universities from discriminating against students because of their religion or national origin. The statement of interest is part of the Task Force’s nationwide effort to combat antisemitism in all of its forms.

    According to the allegations in Frankel et al. v. Regents of the University of California et al., in the spring of 2024 administrators of the University of California system allowed members of a protest encampment to physically prevent University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) students and faculty from accessing portions of the UCLA campus if they were wearing articles reflective of their Jewish faith or if they refused to denounce Israel.

    The plaintiffs are Jewish students and a Jewish professor at UCLA who allege that the university knowingly acted in concert with or allowed members of the protest encampment to prevent them from accessing a central campus space and adjacent classrooms and library on the basis of their Jewish faith or national origin in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and California state law. The United States’ statement of interest addresses the sufficiency of plaintiffs’ claims that defendant administrators violated Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause.

    The Justice Department recently announced the formation of a multi-agency task force coordinated by the Civil Rights Division to combat antisemitism, which is visiting 10 university campuses that have experienced antisemitic events. The Department also recently announced its investigation into the University of California to assess whether the university system engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses, including UCLA. The Task Force also recently announced that the Department, together with other federal agencies, would cancel $400 million in federal contracts and grants to Columbia University due to the school’s inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.

    “The President, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Task Force know that every student must be free to attend school without being discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion or national origin,” said Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell. “The Department of Justice is working to combat antisemitism using all of the tools at our disposal.”

    “Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally for the Central District of California. “Our office will enforce anti-discrimination laws to address the issue of antisemitism affecting our residents.”

    To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina man pleads guilty to sexually exploiting two children in Virginia

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A South Carolina man pled guilty today to sexually exploiting two children to whom he had access while residing in Reston.

    According to court documents, from at least July 2019 through July 2022, Christopher George Schoenmann, 43, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, created sexually explicit images of two minor victims, identified as MV1 and MV2, and distributed the images to a man in Minnesota, in exchange for sexually explicit images of the Minnesota man’s minor children.

    Schoenmann and the Minnesota man used WhatsApp to discuss their sexual interest in young girls, and to trade images of their victims. Between July 2019 and July 2022, Schoenmann created at least eight images depicting MV1 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. MV1 was between six and eight years old when Schoenmann sexually exploited her.  Schoenmann also created at least eight sexually explicit images of MV2, who was between less than a year old and two years old when Schoenmann sexually exploited her. Schoenmann distributed the sexually explicit images of his victims to the Minnesota man.

    Schoenmann also stored on 4 different electronic devices more than 1,400 images and videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including approximately 39 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants or toddlers.

    Schoenmann is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C. made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alessandra Serano and Lauren Halper are prosecuting the case.

    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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-22.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Southern District of Texas Charges Nearly 250 People in Second Week of March in Relation to Border Enforcement Efforts

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

    HOUSTON – A total of 245 new cases have been filed in the last week related to immigration and border security, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    Of those, 115 are charged with illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses. A total 118 face charges of illegally entering the country, 10 cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and assault of federal officers. 

    Of those facing allegations of illegally re-entering the country is Santos Demetrio Marquez-Hernandez from El Salvador. The criminal complaint indicates he has a felony conviction of contact with a minor with sexual intent and was removed just over two months ago on Jan. 8. He could receive up to 20 years in U.S. prison.

    Juan Daniel Pena and Jose Cristian Cantu Jr. were also arrested this week for attempting to smuggle 15 aliens through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. The charges allege the aliens, who were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Vietnam, were hidden inside two trucks being hauled on a flatbed trailer. Five of the illegal aliens were allegedly previously ordered removed from the United States and are now facing their own charges of illegal reentry into the United States.

    Relevant cases also featured this week include an Arkansas man who was found guilty of transporting illegal aliens in a truck’s wheel well and fuel tank. The jury deliberated for under 30 minutes following a less than two-day trial before finding Noel Mercado guilty on two counts of alien smuggling. An x-ray scan revealed at least two individuals in the truck’s wheel wells – found bolted inside modified wheel well compartments. Law enforcement also discovered two more individuals in the auxiliary fuel tank below the truck bed. All four were illegal aliens from the countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala with no authority to be in the United States. 

    Among those charged this week also includes Gerardo Hervey Rodriguez-Toscano, a Mexican citizen who allegedly ran up the Mexican side of the Hidalgo port of entry and attempted to evade U.S. law enforcement at the midpoint. Authorities were able to detain him, but after a struggle, according to the allegations. One officer allegedly suffered injuries to his wrist, knee and elbow. If convicted, Rodriguez-Toscano faces up to eight years in prison.

    In addition, a Honduran man attempted to enter the country illegally by pretending to be a minor. Elger Fabricio Cotto-Navarro claimed he was born in May 2007, when he was actually born the previous year. He initially denied the allegations and made a written statement as such, but ultimately acknowledged he was an adult and that he provided an incorrect date of birth and made false statements.   

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Western District of Texas Exceeds 200 New Immigration Cases in Four Days

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

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 215 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 10 through March 13.

    In Austin, several individuals were charged with illegal reentry after deportation, after being found in local area jails. Among those were Ricardo Hernandez-Hernandez, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States to Mexico on two prior occasions and had been convicted of indecency with a child sexual contact and failure to register as a sex offender; Andres Garcia-Saldana, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States on four occasions and had been convicted of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and driving while intoxicated three times—the third time being a felony conviction; Hernan Vasquez-Medina, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States three times before and had been convicted of making a terroristic threat and driving while intoxicated three times—like Garcia-Saldana, Vasquez-Medina’s third DWI was charged as a felony as well; and Jaime Ricardo Lopez-Rojas, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States a total eight times and had been convicted of illegal entry twice, illegal reentry after deportation four times, driving while intoxicated three times, and family violence assault causing bodily injury.

    In the Midland-Odessa area, two individuals with prior federal convictions were found in local area jails and were charged with illegal entry after deportation. Mexican national Saul Villalobos-Vasquez was allegedly removed from the United States once before and convicted in the Eastern District of Texas for unauthorized use of a social security number for which he had been sentenced to 12-months imprisonment in 2016.  Daniel Olivas-Nieto, also a Mexican national, had been allegedly removed from the United States and was previously convicted in the Western District of Texas for the illegal transportation of aliens for financial gain, for which he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), 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), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

    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).

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pasco Tow Truck Operator Charged with Firearm Offense

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

    Richland, Washington – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced today that Socorro Jesus Lopez-Spindola, 59, has been charged by criminal complaint with one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Lopez-Spindola was arraigned on March 13, 2025, before the U.S. District Court in Richland, Washington.

    According to court documents, in November of 2024, Pasco Police detained Lopez-Spindola in connection to an investigation involving robbery, extortion, and threats to kill. Pasco Police also obtained a search warrant for the business Classic Towing and Recovery, which is owned and operated by Lopez-Spindola. During a search of Lopez-Spindola’s office, investigators allegedly located a loaded .22 caliber revolver in a desk drawer.

    Prior to November of 2024, Lopez-Spindola had been convicted of a number of crimes, including an Unlawful Reentry after Deportation conviction.

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

    This case is being investigated by the FBI and the Pasco Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon L. Pang.

    4:25-mj-07039-ACE

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Cocoa Man Who Drove Across the State to Commit Armed Robbery in Tampa and Shot Employee in the Face Charged

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

    Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Phillip Johnson (21, Cocoa) with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, robbery, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted on all counts, Johnson faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.  

    According to the complaint, during the early morning hours of February 1, 2025, three individuals traveled from Brevard County to Tampa to commit a robbery. After arriving in Tampa, the three individuals went inside the Dreams Club near Ybor City. The three individuals were wearing all black clothing, ski masks, and armed with rifles and handguns.  

    While inside, the three individuals demanded money from the victim, and Johnson ultimately shot the victim in the face. 

    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 Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with great assistance provided by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Cocoa Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit in Tampa. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Haines City Man Arrested for String of Convenience Store Robberies

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

    Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the arrest of Davian Walker (19, Haines City) for robberies of convenience stores throughout the Middle District of Florida. If convicted, Walker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

    According to the complaint and court statements, Walker committed five robberies over the course of less than three months. Each robbery involved Walker brandishing what appeared to be a handgun to store clerks and demanding cash.

    Through an investigation into the first four robberies, law enforcement was able to link Walker to the robberies by identifying his phone number and the vehicle Walker was using to travel to each of the robberies. Using that information, law enforcement tracked and ultimately arrested Walker shortly after he committed a robbery in Titusville during the early morning hours of March 13, 2025.

    An indictment 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, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Zephyrhills Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Titusville Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Transnational Criminal Organization That Dispatched Thousands of Kilograms of Cocaine From the Venezuela/Colombia Border Dismantled

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

    Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the dismantlement of a transnational criminal organization (TCO) that operated out of La Guajira, a peninsula on the Venezuelan/Colombian border. From there, the organization dispatched thousands of kilograms of cocaine intended for the United States and Europe.

    Socrates Barros-Fince Transnational Criminal Organization

    Name

    Age

    Sentence Imposed
    Socrates Gabriel Barros-Fince, a/k/a “Chunchun,” “Chun,” “Indio,” “El Loco,” “Tawara,” “Chupo”

    45

    		 17 years, 6 months
    Cristian Camilo Cordoba-Cuesta, a/k/a “Cris,” “El Primo”

    37

    		 14 years
    Jorge Leonardo Diaz-Ramos, a/k/a “40,” “Numerito”

    35

    		 7 years, 3 months
    Santander Barros-Pulido, a/k/a “Pollo,” “Tio,” “Divino”

    57

    		 15 years, 8 months
    Nefer Alfonso Hinojosa-Larrada, a/k/a “El Negrito,” “Divino”

    45

    15 years, 8 months

     

    According to the plea agreements, the above-named individuals were part of a transnational criminal organization that dispatched cocaine-laden vessels to the Dominican Republic and Spain. From the Venezuela/Colombia border, the organization planned smuggling trips and recruited crewmembers for that purpose. It was foreseeable to the conspirators that some of the cocaine was intended for the United States.

    The investigation resulted in several seizures totaling over 6,700 kilograms associated with the organization that were prosecuted in the United States and abroad, to include:

    • Seizure of about 932 kilograms of cocaine near the Dominican Republic on August 15, 2016;
    • Interdiction of a go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea on November 9-10, 2016, smuggling about 700 kilograms of cocaine and prosecuted in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico;
    • Interdiction of a go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea on October 4, 2018, smuggling over 450 kilograms of cocaine and prosecuted in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida;
    • Interdiction of the M/V KARAR carrying about 4,000 kilograms of cocaine off the coast of Galicia, Spain on April 25, 2020, resulting in the arrests of 15 crewmembers and a dozen Spanish organized crime members.

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

    This prosecution is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Panama Express Strike Force Initiative, whose mission is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Colombian National Police, Spanish National Police, and Spanish Coast Guard provided critical investigative support. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá assisted in the extradition of these defendants. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Wainwright Soldier Arrested on Multiple Child Pornography Charges

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

    Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is seeking additional information.

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Soldier stationed at Fort Wainwright was arrested yesterday evening on the military base after a criminal complaint was filed in federal court charging him with production and possession of child pornography.

    According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, the Fort Eustis Resident Unit of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (DACID) received a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) cybertip reporting that five images of alleged child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were uploaded to an online platform. Fort Eustis DACID reviewed the images and determined they depicted CSAM of prepubescent female children.

    A subsequent investigation resulted in law enforcement executing search warrants in October 2024 for the residence of David Andres Mayoral, 20, Mayoral’s electronic devices and his account on the previously mentioned online platform.

    A review and forensic examination of Mayoral’s accounts and electronic devices allegedly revealed over 2,500 images and over 680 videos of suspected CSAM that Mayoral possessed and communicated across four messaging applications.

    The complaint also alleges Mayoral engaged in sexually explicit conversations with minor victims, where he requested and directed the victims to take sexually explicit photos and send them to him.

    Mayoral is charged with three counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, Mayoral faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of the DACID Western Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

    The DACID and FBI Anchorage Field Office are investigating the case.  If anyone has information concerning Mayoral’s alleged actions or may have encountered an individual using the name “David Mayoral” or “ghoulishclown” online, please contact DACID at (907)353-6212 or anonymously at www.cid.army.mil/Submit-a-Tip/.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Vosacek and Jennifer Ivers are prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.

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

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  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston arrests illegal Guatemalan alien charged with sex crimes against Massachusetts minor

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BRIGHTON, Mass. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended Sostenes Perez-Lopez, 59, an illegal Guatemalan alien charged with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child in Brighton, Feb. 18.

    “Sostenes Perez-Lopez stands accused of some horrific crimes against a child in Massachusetts,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “We will not tolerate the victimization of our residents at the hands of alien offenders. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of our public by arresting and removing illegally present lawbreakers.”

    Perez illegally entered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location and without being inspected by a U.S. immigration official.

    ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Perez with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, Nashua Street Jail Nov. 28, 2024, following Perez’ apprehension for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

    The Boston Municipal Court, Brighton Division, arraigned Perez Nov. 29, 2024, on two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. Following his arraignment, the court ordered Perez committed to the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department in lieu of posting bail in the amount of $8,000.

    The Boston Municipal Court ignored the ICE detainer and released Perez on bail Dec. 12, 2024. The court fitted Perez with GPS to include special conditions pending the outcome of his case.

    ICE served Perez with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge following his arrest and he remains in ICE custody.

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

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Schenectady County Man Arrested for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gregory Magin, age 44, of Glenville, New York, was arrested on Friday on a criminal complaint charging him with distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    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.

    The criminal complaint alleges that from on or about July 18 through July 20, 2024, Magin distributed CSAM videos over the internet.  Magin sent CSAM videos to other users on an online chat application in order to get access to certain groups.  The charges in the complaint are merely accusations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    Magin initially appeared Friday in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Tuesday, March 18.

    The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is investigating the case, with assistance from the New York State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Allen J. Vickey is prosecuting the case as Part of Project Safe Childhood.

    Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, and led by the U.S. 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 Security: Honduran National Indicted for Re-Entry of Removed Alien

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, age 27, a native of Honduras, was indicted on March 13, 2025, for re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

    According to the filed indictment, on or about March 7  2025, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the defendant, EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, was found in the United States, after having been officially deported and removed therefrom, on or about June 8, 2018.

    EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00, if convicted of re-entry of a removed alien.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge, and the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

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

    *   *   *

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Durbin Lead Push to Save Task Force Combating Threats to Election Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Durbin Lead Push to Save Task Force Combating Threats to Election Officials

    Senators to Attorney General: “In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on [DOJ] to uphold the law”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led 29 Democratic Senators in urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to continue the essential work of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Election Threats Task Force, which directs the Department’s efforts to protect election officials from rising threats and acts of violence.
    The Senators’ letter comes as the Trump Administration has significantly rolled back the federal government’s capacity to fight against foreign and domestic election security threats. On Attorney General Bondi’s first day in office, she disbanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Foreign Influence Task Force, hindering efforts to address secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries. Additionally, the Administration has fired or put on leave dozens of officials responsible for combating foreign election interference at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and has reportedly frozen all of CISA’s ongoing election security work. The Administration has also defunded CISA’s nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
    “Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections,” wrote the Senators.
    “Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law,” continued the Senators.
    In addition to Senators Padilla and Durbin, the letter was also signed by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    As Ranking Member of the Rules Committee, which has oversight over federal elections, Senator Padilla has fought against President Trump’s unprecedented attacks against election security. Last month, he pressed senior officials at CISA for answers after they fired employees who have worked to combat election misinformation. During his first business meeting as Rules Committee Ranking Member, Padilla highlighted threats to election security and the importance of free and fair elections. Additionally, Padilla expressed serious concerns about the dangerous implications for elections following President Trump’s executive order purporting to bring independent regulatory agencies under total control of the White House. Padilla previously denounced the illegal firing of Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chair Ellen Weintraub and led 10 Democratic Senators to demand President Trump rescind his attempt. 
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to strongly urge you to continue the critical law enforcement work of the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force, which protects election officials from ongoing threats and acts of violence. Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections.
    The Task Force was established in the wake of the 2020 election cycle when election officials across the political spectrum began facing unprecedented threats of violence intended to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that is the hallmark of our democracy. In close collaboration with state and local law enforcement, the Task Force has assessed thousands of complaints of suspected threats of violence and investigated and prosecuted violent offenders. Over the years, these threats have not only continued but escalated.  The Task Force has investigated fentanyl-laced letters, bomb threats, and swatting incidents—serving as a legacy of the 2020 election and impacting the ways election officials interact with voters in their communities.
    Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law.
    Moreover, the federal government’s ability to fight election interference has been greatly hampered in the early weeks of this Administration. Dozens of officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who are responsible for combatting foreign election interference, have been fired or put on leave. CISA has also reportedly frozen all of its ongoing election security work, including defunding its nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the “Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.” Additionally, on your first day in office, you signed a directive disbanding the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which was aimed at responding to secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries.
    We request a response on the status and future plans of the Election Threats Task Force, the extent of resources and personnel dedicated to its work, and how it plans to incorporate related work previously led by CISA and the Foreign Influence Task Force by March 31, 2025.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fresno Man Sentenced to Over 12 Years in Prison for Federal Gun and Drug Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — Antonio Sorondo Jr., 52, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 12 years and seven months in prison for conspiring to traffic methamphetamine and cocaine as well as illegally possessing firearms, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, in January and February 2022, Sorondo conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. On Feb. 1, 2022, when law enforcement officers tried to contact Sorondo, he fled and tossed a firearm over a chain-link fence. The officers apprehended Sorondo and then recovered the abandoned, loaded firearm. Two weeks later, a police officer arrested Sorondo in possession of another two firearms and about 100 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Sorondo is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony convictions.

    This case is the product of an investigation by FORT, a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

    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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Indicted for Re-Entry of Removed Alien

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ENRIQUE TORRES-BEIZA, a/k/a “Enrique B. Torres,” age 39, a native of Mexico, was indicted on March 13, 2025, for re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

    According to the filed indictment, on or about October 26, 2024, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the defendant, ENRIQUE TORRES-BEIZA, a/k/a “Enrique B. Torres,”, was found in the United States, after having been officially deported and removed therefrom, on or about December 26, 2018

    ENRIQUE TORRES-BEIZA, a/k/a “Enrique B. Torres,” faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00, if convicted of  re-entry of a removed alien.

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

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 750 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the Second week in March.

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 750 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the Second week in March.

    President Trump has been clear that securing the Southwestern Border of the United States is a priority of the absolute highest level. To that end, the Department of Justice is prosecuting every possible immigration violation, including first-time illegal entry cases, and is seeking a meaningful prison sentence in every possible case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 750 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the Second week in March.

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    President Trump has been clear that securing the Southwestern Border of the United States is a priority of the absolute highest level. To that end, the Department of Justice is prosecuting every possible immigration violation, including first-time illegal entry cases, and is seeking a meaningful prison sentence in every possible case.

    Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Western Texas, Southern Texas, New Mexico, and Central California charged more than 750 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.

    “The District of Arizona has brought immigration-related criminal charges against 232 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 92 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 124 aliens for illegally entering the United States.”

    “The Western District of Texas announced [Friday], that federal prosecutors in the district filed 215 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases. Several individuals were charged with illegal reentry after deportation, after being found in local area jails.”

    The Southern District of Texas announced Friday “A total of 245 new cases have been filed. Of those, 115 are charged with illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses. A total 118 face charges of illegally entering the country, 10 cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and assault of federal officers.”

    The Central District of California “filed charges against 16 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States after being removed. Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felony offenses before they were removed from the U.S., offenses that include sexual abuse of children. One of the defendants is charged in state court with a murder in Inglewood last month.”

    The District of New Mexico “brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 38 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 5 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), and 22 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325).”

    We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Memphis Man Sentenced to 220 Months Imprisonment for Trafficking 14-Year-Old Girl to New Orleans for Commercial Sex

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JEREMY TALBERT (a/k/a “J-Nasty,” a/k/a “Jay Nastie”) (“TALBERT”), age 29, from Memphis, Tenn., was sentenced on March 12, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1), 1591(b)(2), 1594(a), and 2, by  U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to 220 months in prison.  TALBERT was also sentenced to ten (10) years of supervised release after  release from prison. Judge Africk further ordered TALBERT to pay $47,000 in restitution to the victim, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  TALBERT will also have to register as a sex offender.

    According to court documents, TALBERT brought a fourteen-year-old female (“Minor Victim”) from Memphis to New Orleans to have  her engage in commercial sex acts between in or about October 2020 and on or about December 17, 2020.  During this time, TALBERT was aware of Minor Victim’s age from her mother, who informed TALBERT that Minor Victim was missing.  TALBERT falsely told Minor Victim’s mother that he would help locate Minor Victim and bring her home.

    Instead, TALBERT advertised Minor Victim on websites commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money.  TALBERT directed and supervised Minor Victim when she  performed commercial sex acts including, setting the fee  sexual acts, waiting in a nearby vehicle while Minor Victim solicited “dates,” requiring Minor Victim to share her location via phone with him, and providing  condoms for her use during commercial sex dates.  TALBERT required Minor Victim to earn approximately $1,000 per day from commercial sex acts and, kept all or most of the money she earned.

    TALBERT trafficked Minor Victim until December 17, 2020, when law enforcement officers encountered them during the execution of a search warrant at a hotel in New Orleans. During the search warrant, agents seized approximately $1,223 in United States currency, a black handgun, and TALBERT’s Phone, which connected him to the trafficking of Minor Victim.

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

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department, in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Baltimore Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Maryland Unemployment Insurance Scheme

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

    Defendant obtained people’s personal information to file false and fraudulent unemployment insurance claims.

    Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Devante Smith, 30, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with his role in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme. Through the conspiracy, victims lost at least $298,685. 

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office.

    According to the guilty plea, beginning in June of 2020, and continuing through at least May 2021, Smith engaged in a conspiracy to defraud and obtain money under fraudulent pretenses in connection with an unemployment insurance scheme.  Smith obtained personal identifiable information of identity victims to fraudulently file claims for unemployment insurance with the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL).

    Smith and his co-conspirators used the unemployment insurance benefits, which were designated to assist persons who were unemployed or underemployed due to the COVID-19 national emergency, for their own personal use. Additionally, Smith and co-defendant Tiia Woods, 47, of Jacksonville, Florida, stole identification cards, social security cards, and/or birth certificates from identity victims, to submit with fraudulent UI applications to MD-DOL.

    The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized increased unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits.  UI benefits have historically been a state and federal program that provided monetary benefits to eligible workers.  The CARES Act expanded states’ ability to provide UI benefits for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including self-employed workers or independent contractors, who would not normally be eligible for UI benefits. 

    The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

    For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and FBI, along with Bank of America – Detection and Complex Investigations Fraud Rings and Analytics, for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evelyn Lombardo Cusson and Harry M. Gruber who prosecuted the federal case

    For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Peters, Casten, Johnson Introduce Legislation to Combat Trafficking of Dangerous Gun Conversion Devices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    Legislation would help address gun violence epidemic by tackling proliferation of machine gun conversion devices and seizing profits from illegal weapons trafficking
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and 11 of their colleagues introduced legislation to combat the trafficking and proliferation of dangerous gun conversion devices. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act would help tackle the ongoing gun violence epidemic by requiring federal law enforcement to coordinate efforts to prevent the importation and trafficking of ‘auto-sears’ — illegal gun modification devices that can convert semi-automatic weapons into fully-automatic weapons — and seize all profits that come from the illegal trafficking of these devices. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is led by Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL) and Hank Johnson (D-GA). 
    “We must address the alarming prevalence of gun conversion devices that can turn ordinary hand guns into automatic weapons. These devices that can be easily 3-D printed or cheaply purchased online have devastating consequences for public safety,” said Klobuchar. “By preventing the importation and trafficking of these deadly devices and by stopping traffickers from profiting from illegal sales, this legislation will help keep our communities safe and save lives.”
    “Law enforcement must do more to protect our communities from gun violence by stopping the flow of illegal gun modification devices into and throughout our country,” said Peters. “This bill will enhance coordination across law enforcement agencies to prevent these dangerous and deadly devices from being used.”
    “Congress has an obligation to do everything we can to make our communities safer from gun violence,” said Rep. Casten. “This epidemic needs to be addressed head-on and that includes the proliferation of illegal gun conversion. Devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to be easily converted into fully automatic weapons should not be readily accessible. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Rep. Johnson, Sen. Klobuchar, and Sen. Peters to prevent the importation and trafficking of these dangerous modifications.”
    “Auto-sears and other gun conversion devices are making the gun violence epidemic in the U.S. that much worse,” said Rep. Johnson. “The dramatic rise in the use of conversion devices and 3-D printed guns in crimes must be addressed. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act will give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on and confiscate these dangerous devices. We in Congress must do what we can to keep our communities safe, and this bill helps us address this growing menace.”
    The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act is cosponsored by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), Duckworth (D-IL), Durbin (D-IL), Heinrich (D-NM), Hirono (D-HI), Markey (D-MA), Padilla (D-CA), Shaheen (D-NH), Smith (D-MN), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Wyden (D-OR). It has been endorsed by GIFFORDS and Brady: United Against Gun Violence.
    “Auto sears and other machine gun conversion devices make deadly weapons more lethal,” said Emma Brown, Executive Director at GIFFORDS. “These illegal devices, which are increasingly recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes, pose an urgent public safety risk that Congress must address. Senator Klobuchar’s bill helps to intercept these devices before they fall into the hands of those who wish to do harm, and drives attention to a developing issue for communities and law enforcement. We urge Congress to take action to help keep these dangerous weapons off the streets.”
    “Conversion devices are an all too common means of illegally converting semiautomatic firearms into machine guns,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady: United Against Gun Violence. “Such firearms are being recovered by law enforcement at a staggering rate, with a nearly 570% increase between 2011 and 2021. Providing law enforcement with the resources to stem the flow of illegally trafficked machine gun conversion devices must be a top priority for Congress. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act will help law enforcement agencies coordinate efforts to crack down on these dangerous, and illegal devices. Brady is proud to endorse this bill and thanks Sen. Klobuchar for her dedication to protecting Americans and communities across the country from the proliferation of illegal machine guns.”
    The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act of 2025 would: 
    Direct the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of the Treasury to develop a coordinated national strategy to prevent or intercept the importation and trafficking of automatic gun conversion devices;
    Ensure that proceeds from the illegal trafficking of automatic gun devices are subject to forfeiture; and 
    Require that the Attorney General include data and information about illegal gun modification devices in the Justice Department’s annual firearms trafficking report.
    Auto-sears and other gun conversion devices can be installed in about a minute, and 3-D printed or purchased online for less than $20. An investigation by The Trace and VICE News found that federal prosecutions involving gun conversion devices have increased over eight-fold from 2017-2021. Additionally the investigation reported that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) seized 1,500 weapons modified with auto sears in 2021, a five-fold increase from the year before. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arkansas Man Convicted of Armed Bank Robbery

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted BRIAN KEITH MAYS, 58, of Arkansas, of committing armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    On January 21, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Superseding Indictment, charging Mays with armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On March 13, 2025, after a three-day trial, a federal jury found Mays guilty of both counts.

    According to evidence presented at trial, on July 5, 2024, Mays brandished a pistol at the FNB Community Bank in Harrah, Oklahoma, and demanded money from the tellers. The tellers complied, and Mays left the bank with $12,123.00. Agents with the FBI reviewed surveillance footage from the bank and an adjoining store, where they viewed Mays flee the scene. An eyewitness was able to obtain the tag number of the get-away vehicle, and an investigation into that car led authorities to Mays. Location data from Mays’s cell phone showed that Mays was in the area of the bank at the time of the robbery and visited a Walmart shortly after the robbery. While at Walmart, Mays transferred approximately $3,000.00 dollars to a person in Arkansas and could be seen on surveillance video pulling a large amount of cash from his pocket to pay for an item.

    At sentencing, Mays faces up to life in federal prison and fines of up to $500,000.00.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City and Fort Smith Field Offices, Harrah Police Department, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley and Drew E. Davis are prosecuting the case.

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

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Davidson and Davie County Men Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREENSBORO, NC – Two North Carolina man have recently been sentenced to more than ten years in prison each for possession of child pornography by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Senior United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC) in unrelated cases, announced Randall S. Galyon, Acting United States Attorney for the MDNC. 

    DAVID ARNOLD SHARPE, 41, of Davidson County, was sentenced today to 228 months in prison plus 20 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography. The sentence will run consecutive to a 24-month sentence for the revocation of supervised release in a prior case.

    According to court documents, SHARPE, a registered sex offender, was on federal supervised release when he admitted to his probation officer that he possessed an unauthorized device and child pornography. United States Probation Officers searched SHARPE’s residence where they located a cell phone that contained child pornography. Less than three weeks later, SHARPE was identified by investigators from the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) after a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) tip revealed that a Facebook user in Davidson County was suspected of uploading images of suspected child pornography to the platform. After going to Sharpe’s residence, investigators discovered SHARPE’s unauthorized phone had already been seized and they contacted the United States Probation Office and took over the investigation. Further investigation revealed SHARPE had been trading child pornography in groups online.    

    On March 14, 2025, LUIGI CARCIATI, age 49, of Davie County, was sentenced to 168 months imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography in October 2023. He was also ordered to pay $74,000 in restitution. According to court documents, multiple tips from NCMEC led to the execution of a search warrant at CARCIATI’s Mocksville residence where investigators located a tablet and cell phone containing child pornography. A review of the devices also revealed CARCIATI had secretly recorded minors in the bathroom at La Vita e Bella, a Mocksville restaurant CARCIATI owned and operated. During execution of a search warrant at the restaurant, investigators located two hidden cameras in the women’s restroom, and a third one in a drawer under the cash register.

    The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), the United States Probation Office, and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) assisted with the SHARPE investigation. The Davie County Sheriff’s Office, NCSBI, and HSI assisted in the CARCIATI investigation. Both cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kennedy Gates and Karla Painter.

    The cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and focuses on coordinating federal, state, and local resources to better identify and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Beckley Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Beckley Drug Trafficking Organization

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kimberly Rosetta Logan, 48, of Beckley, was sentenced today to two years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl. Logan admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 10, 2024, Logan sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant at her residence in Beckley. Logan admitted to the transaction and to distributing additional amounts of fentanyl and cocaine to other individuals while using some herself throughout May 2024. Logan ordered an average of 8 grams of fentanyl and 4 grams of cocaine per week from her Beckley-based supplier by phone during that time period, receiving the controlled substances at her residence.

    Logan has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions including for battery, obstruction of an officer, numerous shoplifting offenses, and controlled substances offenses.

    Logan is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. All 12 have pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

    Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.

    The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison

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

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Mexican man convicted of Illegal Reentry after Deportation. The sentencing took place on March 10, 2025.

    Jose Jimenez, a/k/a Jose Lidio Chavez Flores, 42, was sentenced to two months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Jimenez was also ordered to be removed from the United States.

    Jimenez was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Illegal Reentry after Deportation by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025.

    On November 8, 2024, in Rapid City, South Dakota, law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle Jimenez was driving. Instead of stopping, Jimenez led law enforcement on a pursuit. Once stopped, law enforcement located a semi-automatic rifle in a rear seat of the vehicle.  Jimenez is not a United States citizen, and he has been removed from the United States to Mexico on two previous occasions. Jimenez had not obtained consent to reenter the United States from the U.S. Attorney General or the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

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

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.

    Jimenez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Slingerlands Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Victim Reported Abuse After Attending Elementary School Presentation on Inappropriate Touching

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daniel Fuino, age 75, of Slingerlands, New York, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a child who was 6 years old during the abuse.  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.

    Last year, Fuino pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor and admitted that between the summer of 2022 and April 2023, he babysat a female child born in 2016 and used the child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.  According to statements previously made in court, the victim reported the abuse in May 2023 after attending an elementary school presentation on inappropriate touching and sexual contact.  During the execution of a federal search warrant at Fuino’s residence in Slingerlands shortly after the child’s report, Fuino admitted having touched the victim’s genitals.  Fuino has been incarcerated in pretrial detention since that time.

    Today, United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentenced Fuino to 15 years’ incarceration, followed by 15 years of supervised release.  Judge D’Agostino also ordered Fuino to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $36,962.25 and imposed special assessments totaling $5,100.  Fuino will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 

    The FBI investigated this case, with assistance from the New York State Police and the Colonie Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

    Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s 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.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Raskin, Blumenthal, Lawmakers Push White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles on Trump Administration Corruption

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    March 17, 2025
    Given Concerns, Warren, Blumenthal, Van Hollen Also Push for Investigations of Elon Musk’s Potential Ethics Violations and VA Secretary Doug Collins Also Serving as Acting Director of Federal Ethics Office
    “Despite President Trump’s promises to fight for working families, he has appointed a string of corporate billionaires and industry insiders, putting them in positions to enrich themselves at the expense of ordinary Americans.”
    Text of Letter to Wiles (PDF) | Text of Letters to Investigators (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), along with House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), sent White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles a 10-page letter sounding the alarm on the overwhelming corruption and vast conflicts of interest throughout the Trump administration. 
    This comes just days after President Donald Trump joined Elon Musk to make what appeared to be a sales pitch for Teslas on the White House lawn. 
    This letter was sent along with two additional letters from Senators Warren, Blumenthal, and Van Hollen urging 1) the Department of Justice and Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General to determine whether Elon Musk has broken ethics rules through his possible involvement in the Federal Aviation Administration’s work with Starlink, despite his financial interest in the work, and 2) the Government Accountability Office to determine whether Doug Collins’s competing responsibilities as both Acting Director of the Office of Government Ethics and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is undermining the work of either OGE or the VA.
    “One month into President Trump’s second term, his new administration is already beating his earlier record of corruption,” wrote the lawmakers.
    Within the first 50 days of his second term, President Trump has:

    Appointed former lobbyists, billionaire chief executive officers (CEOs), and stockholders with a direct financial stake in their own policy work. 

    Ceded power to the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

    Maintained his network of foreign real estate ventures and refused to divest from his maze of business interests.

    Attempted to fire at least 17 Inspectors General who were working to root out corruption in federal agencies and fired the head of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC).

    Become the first president in history to fire the director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), the primary office responsible for mitigating conflicts of interest in the executive branch.

    At the start of his last term, he released an executive order requiring appointees to agree to an ethics pledge. Now, Trump has still not issued any such pledge — though the past three presidential administrations did so.
    “Even now, it is not too late for President Trump to reverse course and put our national interests ahead of his personal dealings,” continued the lawmakers.
    The members of Congress urged President Trump to take the following steps to not just pay lip service to “draining the swamp” and to remediate the Administration’s worst signs of corruption: 

    Reinstate the government watchdogs who President Trump purportedly fired, including all Inspectors General, the OGE Director, and the OSC Director, and commit to protecting those offices from further political interference.

    Thoroughly vet potential nominees for all conflicts of interest and refuse to appoint anyone who would enter with clear conflicts that existing recusal and divestment rules alone cannot resolve. 

    Promptly issue an ethics pledge that is at least as robust as the Biden ethics pledge or President Trump’s own pledge from 2017, and ensure robust enforcement.

    Divest from his business holdings, in this case by either liquidating the Trump Organization assets or placing them in a truly blind trust operated by an independent trustee who is instructed to divest the assets and reinvest the proceeds in other holdings so that the President does not know what the trust contains. He should also disclose his tax returns from the past three years.

    Revoke Mr. Musk’s power to profit from his efforts to manipulate the executive branch for his own benefit. Mr. Musk should also be required to promptly release his financial disclosure form so that the public can understand his potential conflicts of interest.

    “The American people deserve a presidential administration that governs exclusively in the public’s interest,” concluded the lawmakers. 
    The lawmakers requested that the White House respond regarding its intention to take action on these concerns by March 31, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Files Second Amicus Brief in Support of Challenge to Refugee Ban and Refugee Funding Suspension

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Friday, March 14, 2025

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

    OAKLAND – Attorney General Bonta, as part of a coalition of 20 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief in Pacito v. Trump in support of a challenge to the Trump Administration’s Refugee Ban and Refugee Funding Suspension, arguing that the actions are unlawful, misrepresent the concerns and interests of states, and undermine states’ ongoing efforts to successfully assimilate and integrate newly arrived refugees.

    A copy of the brief is available here. 

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