NewzIntel.com

Category: Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: HUMAN TRAFFICKING CONSPIRACY SPANNING FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA DISMANTLED

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kimberly Robinson Gandy, 47, of Gulfport, Mississippi, was found guilty on Wednesday afternoon, June 18, 2025, by a federal jury, of: Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; and Money Laundering. Her codefendant, Chad Cornelius Seymore, 49, of Dothan, Alabama, pled as charged, on Monday, June 9, 2025, immediately prior to the scheduled trial, to: Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; Receiving Benefits From Sex Trafficking; Interstate Travel In Aid of Racketeering; and Money Laundering. The guilty plea and verdict were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the tireless efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and the tenacious work of the federal prosecutors and support staff in my office, we have dismantled this sex trafficking conspiracy and obtained justice on behalf of its victims.  My office is committed to fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to aggressively prosecute those who prey upon and profit from human trafficking victims. This outcome is a testament to the outstanding collaborative work of the Capital City Human Trafficking Task Force.”

    Court documents reflect that over a four-year period Seymore conspired with others to bond adult women out of county jail and then force them to commit commercial sex acts in Alabama and North Florida. Seymore recruited women suffering from drug addictions at hotels and through online advertisements. He threatened and physically abused his sex trafficking victims.  Gandy conspired with Seymore to traffic women in Panama City Beach and Destin. They used online money exchange platforms to transfer funds received from commercial sex acts.  

    Sentencing for Chad Seymore is scheduled for August 15, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.  Kim Gandy will be sentenced on September 15, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.   The defendants will be sentenced at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Alan C. Winsor.

    The convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dothan, Alabama Police Department, the Panama City Beach Police Department, the Panama City Police Department, with assistance from the United States Marshal’s Service, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama. The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: HUMAN TRAFFICKING CONSPIRACY SPANNING FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA DISMANTLED

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kimberly Robinson Gandy, 47, of Gulfport, Mississippi, was found guilty on Wednesday afternoon, June 18, 2025, by a federal jury, of: Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; and Money Laundering. Her codefendant, Chad Cornelius Seymore, 49, of Dothan, Alabama, pled as charged, on Monday, June 9, 2025, immediately prior to the scheduled trial, to: Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; Receiving Benefits From Sex Trafficking; Interstate Travel In Aid of Racketeering; and Money Laundering. The guilty plea and verdict were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the tireless efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and the tenacious work of the federal prosecutors and support staff in my office, we have dismantled this sex trafficking conspiracy and obtained justice on behalf of its victims.  My office is committed to fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to aggressively prosecute those who prey upon and profit from human trafficking victims. This outcome is a testament to the outstanding collaborative work of the Capital City Human Trafficking Task Force.”

    Court documents reflect that over a four-year period Seymore conspired with others to bond adult women out of county jail and then force them to commit commercial sex acts in Alabama and North Florida. Seymore recruited women suffering from drug addictions at hotels and through online advertisements. He threatened and physically abused his sex trafficking victims.  Gandy conspired with Seymore to traffic women in Panama City Beach and Destin. They used online money exchange platforms to transfer funds received from commercial sex acts.  

    Sentencing for Chad Seymore is scheduled for August 15, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.  Kim Gandy will be sentenced on September 15, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.   The defendants will be sentenced at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Alan C. Winsor.

    The convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dothan, Alabama Police Department, the Panama City Beach Police Department, the Panama City Police Department, with assistance from the United States Marshal’s Service, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama. The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Members Of Drug Conspiracy Distributing Fentanyl And Methamphetamine Are Sentenced To Prison

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

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two members of a drug conspiracy that distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine were sentenced to prison yesterday, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Ashton Durrell Farley, 32, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced to 235 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Thomas Eugene Ikard, 46, of Lenoir, N.C., was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Farley and Ikard pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    U.S. Attorney Ferguson is joined in making the announcement by Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department.

    Two other members of the drug conspiracy were previously sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Dustin Eric Wilson, 35, of Charlotte was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Harold Marquis Wilfong, 37, of Hickory, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

    According to court documents and court proceedings, federal charges were filed against the defendants following a 10-month investigation led by the ATF and the Hickory Police Department (HPD), aimed at reducing drug distribution and drug-induced criminal activity in Catawba County and surrounding areas. The drug trafficking ring operated out of Hickory and distributed large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the area. To identify the drug conspirators and their operations, ATF agents and HPD officers utilized controlled drug purchases, conducted physical surveillance, and executed search warrants. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that members of the drug ring used several residences either as “stash houses” to store drugs and/or guns, or to conduct drug sales and other drug trafficking activities. One of the alleged stash houses was located two blocks from the federal courthouse in Charlotte.

    According to court records, during the investigation, law enforcement seized multiple kilograms of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Law enforcement also seized multiple firearms used by some of the traffickers to support their drug distribution, including an AR-15 rifle and a privately made firearm or “ghost gun,” and ammunition.

    In making the announcement U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the ATF, HPD, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office investigation of this case and thanked the U.S. Marshals Service for their invaluable assistance.

    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 Security: Nearly 2 dozen charged in large drug and money laundering operation spanning multiple jurisdictions

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

    Operations Red Ranger, Borrowed Time, and Resurrection lead to seizure of drugs and millions in illicit proceeds

    HOUSTON – A total of 23 people are now in custody for various drug trafficking, firearms and money laundering charges following major law enforcement operations in Houston/Galveston and Rio Grande Valley areas of Texas this week, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Some of those arrested have already begun to make their appearances U.S. Magistrate Judges Christina Bryan in Houston, Andrew Edison in Galveston and Nadia Medrano in McAllen. Others are in state custody on related charges and expected in federal court in the near future. 

    Grand juries in Houston and McAllen returned the five separate, but related indictments in May. The charges allege crimes that occurred as early as January 2023 for some and between May 2024 and December 2024 for others and involve cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine trafficking, firearms-related offenses and money laundering.

    The charges allege some of the individuals were truck drivers delivering drugs north. According to information presented to the court, 10 kilograms of cocaine had been taken to Georgia and money returned to pay drivers and other expenses.

    The arrests are the culmination of multiple months-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations dubbed Operation Red Ranger, Borrowed Time and Resurrection. During the investigation and operations, law enforcement also seized over 170 kilograms of cocaine and heroin, over two thousand kilograms methamphetamine, more than 100 firearms and nearly $3 million as well as four properties valued at $1.2 million.

    If convicted, many charged with drug trafficking offenses face up to life in federal prison and could pay millions in fines. Those charged with money laundering offenses face up to 20 years, while the firearms convictions carry up to 10 or 15 years in federal prison.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the OCDETF operations with the assistance of U.S. Marshals Service; Texas Department of Public Safety; sheriff’s offices in Fort Bend, Galveston, Chambers, Hidalgo, Harris and Kleberg counties; Texas Attorney General’s Office – Money Laundering Unit; West Tennessee Drug Task Force and police departments in Houston, Katy and Galveston as well as Houston and South Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area programs. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leo J. Leo III, Patricia Cook Profit, Michael Day and Roberto Lopez are prosecuting the cases.

    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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Largest Ever Seizure of Funds Related to Crypto Confidence Scams

    Source: US FBI

    United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225 Million in Funds Involved in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering

                WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected to the theft and laundering of funds from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, commonly referred to as cryptocurrency confidence scams.

                The civil action was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the San Francisco Field Office, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the San Francisco Field Office.

                The complaint alleges that the cryptocurrency addresses that held the over $225.3 million in cryptocurrency were part of a sophisticated blockchain-based money laundering network that executed hundreds of thousands of transactions and was used to conceal the nature, source, control, and ownership of proceeds derived from cryptocurrency investment fraud. The scam operators dispersed proceeds across an extensive group of cryptocurrency addresses and accounts on the blockchain to conceal the source of the illicitly obtained funds.

                As part of the investigation of the laundering network, dozens of victims across the country were confirmed to have lost funds through the belief that they were making legitimate cryptocurrency investments, with more than 400 suspected victims around the world. The complaint discussed millions of dollars in victim losses.

                “Under my leadership, with the support of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia is taking a leading role in the fight against crypto-confidence scams, partnering with law enforcement throughout the country to seize and forfeit stolen funds and rip them from the hands of foreign criminals, all with the eye toward making victims whole,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro.

                “Today’s civil forfeiture complaint is the latest action taken by the Department to protect the American public from fraudsters specializing in cryptocurrency-based scams, and it will not be the last,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes harm American victims, costing them billions of dollars every year, and undermine faith in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Our investigators and prosecutors are relentlessly pursuing these scammers and their ill-gotten gains, and we will relentlessly pursue recovery of victim funds.”

                “This seizure of $225.3 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment scams marks the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. Secret Service history,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the U.S. Secret Service’s San Francisco Field Office. “These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims. The U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and our private partners worked diligently to trace these illicit transactions, identify victims and seize these funds so that they can eventually be returned to their rightful owners.”

                “Cryptocurrency investment schemes can have devastating and long-lasting consequences for victims, far beyond just financial losses,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the San Francisco Field Office. “In this case, hundreds of victims lost millions of dollars to an elaborate scheme, and I commend the work of the FBI San Francisco investigative team and the United States Secret Service, San Francisco Office who worked tirelessly to return stolen assets to the victims. The FBI continues to aggressively pursue the criminals behind these heartless frauds, working alongside our federal partners and the private sector to disrupt malicious networks and recover funds for those targeted.”  

                According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, cryptocurrency investment fraud caused more than $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone.

                This investigation is being handled by the U.S. Secret Service San Francisco Field Office and the FBI San Francisco Field Office. The Department of Justice thanks Tether for its proactive assistance in this investigation.

                This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Rick Blaylock, Jr., of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz and Ethan Cantor of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).

                Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov. If you believe you may be a victim of one of the scams alleged in the government’s complaint, add the code “BT06182025” in the narrative of your complaint, and if you have previously filed a related complaint, make note of the prior complaint in the narrative.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Exploiting Minors via Snapchat

    Source: US FBI

    INDIANAPOLIS— Darren Ringenberg, 30, of Louisville, Kentucky, a registered sex offender, was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, followed by ten years of supervised release, after being convicted of two counts of sexual exploitation of a child while required to register as a sex offender.

    According to court documents, in 2019, Ringenberg was previously convicted in Kentucky of twenty counts of Possession of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor and was required to register as a sex offender for life.

    Then, after his release from the Kentucky offense, in June 2023, Ringenberg, using the Snapchat username “devil_hell6969,” communicated with a nine-year old girl living in Monroe County, Indiana and coerced her to send sexually explicit images and videos, threatening to hack into her social media accounts and remove all her friends if she did not comply. Ringenberg directed her as to what images to send, how to take the photos and told her that they could meet in person in the future. He also falsely claimed to be sixteen years old and would screen-record and save many of the images and conversations without the child’s knowledge.

    After receiving a tip about his illicit behavior online, law enforcement conducted judicially authorized searches of both Ringenberg’s Snapchat account and his residence in Louisville. Investigators found text messages, many of which were sexual in nature, between Ringenberg and various other unidentified minors, including the nine-year-old girl. Also located on his cell phone camera roll were many Snapchat screen recordings of minor victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

    “Sex offenders often use manipulation and threats to sexually exploit children with utter disregard for the lasting trauma they inflict. I urge parents and guardians to talk to the children in their lives about what they’re doing online and make sure they have trusted adults they can turn to for help,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I commend the FBI and the Bloomington Police Department for their work to seek justice for this victim and protect other children from this online predator.”

    “This case is a tragic reminder that with today’s technology, predators can reach across state lines with a few clicks. While the distance didn’t help protect this child from harm, it did not stop the offender from being brought to justice,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting children and holding offenders accountable – no matter where they are.”

    The FBI and Bloomington Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryAnn T. Mindrum, who prosecuted this 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. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

    If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: High-Ranking Member of Violent Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for His Role in an International Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: United States Attorneys General 12

    A Mexican national and violent member of Los Zetas cartel was sentenced today to 35 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $792 million for conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana knowing that the drugs would be unlawfully imported into the United States.The United States Department of State designated Los Zetas, now known as Cartel del Noreste, as a foreign terrorist organization on Feb. 20, 2025.

    According to court documents, Jaime Gonzalez-Duran, also known as Hummer, 49, was personally responsible for importing into the United States more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana, engaging in acts of violence against rival drug trafficking groups for control over drug plazas and trafficking routes, storing and transporting weapons, explosives, and ammunition, and bribing law enforcement officers to ensure drug loads would not be disturbed.

    Gonzalez-Duran was an original member of Los Zetas, a drug trafficking organization comprised of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing for the Gulf Cartel. Gonzalez-Duran later served as a regional commander in the Mexican cities of Matamoros, Reynosa, and Miguel Aleman, after Los Zetas formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel known as “The Company.” Gonzalez-Duran personally maintained a warehouse in Reynosa from which, in November 2008, authorities seized 540 rifles, 165 grenades, 500,000 rounds of ammunition, and 14 sticks of TNT that were used to secure drug territory and shipments. Gonzalez-Duran also was intercepted in a phone call in May 2007 coordinating the transportation of almost $1.5 million in cash from McAllen, Texas, into Mexico.

    “Jaime Gonzalez-Duran employed violence and intimidation tactics to maintain Los Zetas’ reign over key drug trafficking routes, especially on the U.S.-Mexico border, used to send vast quantities of narcotics into the United States,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentence is a forceful reminder to Mexican terrorist organizations that the Department of Justice is committed to bringing to justice those who threaten the wellbeing and safety of the American people for their own personal gain.”

    “For decades, DEA agents have tirelessly pursued justice to bring down one of Los Zetas’ most violent leaders, Jaime Gonzalez-Duran,” Said Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of the DEA Houston Division. “Today, those relentless efforts by our agents have paid off, and Duran will now be held accountable for years of bringing deadly drugs into American communities and killing those who stood in his way. No matter the distance of a violent drug trafficking organization or the rank of its leader, DEA will track down anyone who threatens our national safety and security.”

    On Feb. 28, Gonzalez-Duran pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine and marijuana for unlawful importation into the United States from Mexico.

    The DEA Houston Division investigated the case.

    Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Jayce Born of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and October 2022 extradition of Gonzalez-Duran.

    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 other 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 Neighborhoods.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: High-Ranking Member of Violent Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for His Role in an International Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: United States Attorneys General 12

    A Mexican national and violent member of Los Zetas cartel was sentenced today to 35 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $792 million for conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana knowing that the drugs would be unlawfully imported into the United States.The United States Department of State designated Los Zetas, now known as Cartel del Noreste, as a foreign terrorist organization on Feb. 20, 2025.

    According to court documents, Jaime Gonzalez-Duran, also known as Hummer, 49, was personally responsible for importing into the United States more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana, engaging in acts of violence against rival drug trafficking groups for control over drug plazas and trafficking routes, storing and transporting weapons, explosives, and ammunition, and bribing law enforcement officers to ensure drug loads would not be disturbed.

    Gonzalez-Duran was an original member of Los Zetas, a drug trafficking organization comprised of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing for the Gulf Cartel. Gonzalez-Duran later served as a regional commander in the Mexican cities of Matamoros, Reynosa, and Miguel Aleman, after Los Zetas formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel known as “The Company.” Gonzalez-Duran personally maintained a warehouse in Reynosa from which, in November 2008, authorities seized 540 rifles, 165 grenades, 500,000 rounds of ammunition, and 14 sticks of TNT that were used to secure drug territory and shipments. Gonzalez-Duran also was intercepted in a phone call in May 2007 coordinating the transportation of almost $1.5 million in cash from McAllen, Texas, into Mexico.

    “Jaime Gonzalez-Duran employed violence and intimidation tactics to maintain Los Zetas’ reign over key drug trafficking routes, especially on the U.S.-Mexico border, used to send vast quantities of narcotics into the United States,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentence is a forceful reminder to Mexican terrorist organizations that the Department of Justice is committed to bringing to justice those who threaten the wellbeing and safety of the American people for their own personal gain.”

    “For decades, DEA agents have tirelessly pursued justice to bring down one of Los Zetas’ most violent leaders, Jaime Gonzalez-Duran,” Said Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of the DEA Houston Division. “Today, those relentless efforts by our agents have paid off, and Duran will now be held accountable for years of bringing deadly drugs into American communities and killing those who stood in his way. No matter the distance of a violent drug trafficking organization or the rank of its leader, DEA will track down anyone who threatens our national safety and security.”

    On Feb. 28, Gonzalez-Duran pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine and marijuana for unlawful importation into the United States from Mexico.

    The DEA Houston Division investigated the case.

    Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Jayce Born of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and October 2022 extradition of Gonzalez-Duran.

    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 other 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 Neighborhoods.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: General Manager Pleads Guilty to Practice of Hiring Aliens

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    Click Here to Sign Up for SBA OIG Email Updates on Recent Investigative Cases, Audit Oversight Reports, and General News

    Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release

    John Washburn, general manager of San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings in El Cajon, pleaded guilty in federal court today to engaging in a pattern or practice of hiring undocumented immigrants without authorization to work.

    As part of the plea agreement, Washburn admitted that he knew at least 10 workers were undocumented immigrants at the company, and that three were living in a company warehouse where U.S. Navy submarine components were being stored. These charges stemmed from a search warrant that was served by federal agents at the company’s warehouses in March of this year.

    Washburn was immediately sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara L. Major to one year probation and 50 hours of community service.

    According to the plea agreement, Washburn admitted he had communicated with other managers at San Diego Powder & Protective Coating about certain employees who had “issues” with their paperwork or “bad paperwork,” meaning some employees lacked valid documents showing they had legal authorization to work in the U.S.

    In or around 2024, the defendant communicated with company officials regarding assigning employees with “good paperwork” to work at the military base because those employees would be subjected to additional screening prior to entering restricted areas on the base.

    Homeland Security Investigations San Diego is investigating these cases with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; GSA – Office of Inspector General; United States Border Patrol; Customs and Border Protection, ERO; NCIS; SBA – Office of Inspector General; Drug Enforcement Administration San Diego Field Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.   

    These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry F.B. Beshar and Michael A. Deshong.

    DEFENDANT                                                         Case Number 25mj1458-BLM

    John Washburn                                                         Age: 57           

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Engaging in a Pattern or Practice of Employing Aliens, in violation of Title 8 U.S.C. § 1324a(a)(1)(A) and (f); Maximum Penalty: Six months in prison; $3,000 fine per alien.

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Homeland Security Investigations

    Naval Criminal Investigative Service

    U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General

    General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General

    Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General

    Enforcement and Removal Operations

    Drug Enforcement Administration

    Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives

    U.S. Border Patrol

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    This investigation 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 OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Riverside County Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Running $1.7 Million COVID-19 Benefits Fraud She Advertised on Instagram

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    Click Here to Sign Up for SBA OIG Email Updates on Recent Investigative Cases, Audit Oversight Reports, and General News

    Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release

    An Inland Empire woman was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $1.7 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits, federally-guaranteed small business loans, California Small Business COVID-19 relief grants, and Los Angeles County economic opportunity grants.

    Jasmine Unique Mallard-McCarter, 30, a.k.a. “JassyMC,” of Eastvale, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who also ordered her to pay $1,765,407 in restitution.

    McCarter pleaded guilty on February 28 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

    McCarter impersonated others to apply online for government benefits that she used for herself. McCarter also used the personal identifying information provided by her co-conspirators to apply for government benefits on their behalf, knowing those co-conspirators were not eligible for those benefits.

    McCarter charged fees to instruct others how to apply for government benefits for which they were not eligible without getting caught. Also, for a fee, McCarter served as a broker for counterfeit documents, such as Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, IRS Forms 1040, W-2s, bank statements, education degrees and transcripts, pay stubs, and doctors’ notes for handicapped placards. In some instances, the McCarter and her co-conspirators used the counterfeit documents to trick the government into paying unjustified benefits.

    McCarter advertised her fraud services on Instragram, using handles “JassyMc” and “EliteRealEstateandBusiness.” McCarter referred to herself as the “Jass of All Trades” in social media posts, because she could file fraudulent unemployment insurance applications, file grant applications, and broker counterfeit documents and identification in return for a fee.

    According to McCarter’s Instagram posts, she charged a fee for introducing customers to her connection at the California Department of Motor Vehicles, who could help bypass requirements for smog checks, insurance, and registration.

    The U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Employee Development Department Investigations Division, U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Secret Service investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolster efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of the three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.

    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.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gorham Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Maine: A Gorham man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material. 

    According to court records, Cody J. Merrill, 33, who had been previously convicted of unlawful sexual conduct involving a minor in York County Superior Court, sent a video file depicting child sexual abuse material to an undercover Special Agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) over a messaging application. In February 2025, HSI executed a search warrant at his residence, resulting in the seizure of multiple digital media devices that contained child sexual abuse material files. During a recorded interview with investigators, Merrill admitted to accessing, viewing, and distributing child sexual abuse material over the internet.

    Merrill faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum supervised release term of life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    HSI investigated the case.

    To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Further Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Extension.  (a)  The enforcement delay specified in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14166 of January 20, 2025 (Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok), as extended by Executive Order 14258 of April 4, 2025 (Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), is further extended until September 17, 2025.  During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the “Act”) (Public Law 118-50, Div. H) or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act, including for distributing, maintaining, or updating (or enabling the distribution, maintenance, or updating) of any foreign adversary controlled application as defined in the Act.  In light of this direction, even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period or any period prior to the issuance of this order, including the period of time from January 19, 2025, until the date of this order.(b)  The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to issue written guidance to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.(c)  The Attorney General shall further issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period, as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act until the date of this order.(d)  Because of the national security interests at stake and because section 2(d) of the Act vests authority for investigations and enforcement of the Act only in the Attorney General, attempted enforcement by the States or private parties represents an encroachment on the powers of the Executive.  The Attorney General shall exercise all available authority to preserve and defend the Executive’s exclusive authority to enforce the Act.
    Sec. 2.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Justice. 
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    June 19, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Further Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Extension.  (a)  The enforcement delay specified in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14166 of January 20, 2025 (Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok), as extended by Executive Order 14258 of April 4, 2025 (Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), is further extended until September 17, 2025.  During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the “Act”) (Public Law 118-50, Div. H) or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act, including for distributing, maintaining, or updating (or enabling the distribution, maintenance, or updating) of any foreign adversary controlled application as defined in the Act.  In light of this direction, even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period or any period prior to the issuance of this order, including the period of time from January 19, 2025, until the date of this order.(b)  The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to issue written guidance to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.(c)  The Attorney General shall further issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period, as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act until the date of this order.(d)  Because of the national security interests at stake and because section 2(d) of the Act vests authority for investigations and enforcement of the Act only in the Attorney General, attempted enforcement by the States or private parties represents an encroachment on the powers of the Executive.  The Attorney General shall exercise all available authority to preserve and defend the Executive’s exclusive authority to enforce the Act.
    Sec. 2.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Justice. 
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    June 19, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump administration’s conflicting messages on Chinese student visas reflect complex US-China relations

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Meredith Oyen, Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    The U.S. announced plans to scrutinize and revoke student visas for students with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or whose studies are in critical fields, but appears to have reconsidered. The decision and apparent about-face could have a wide-ranging impact on both nations. LAW Ho Ming/Getty Images

    President Donald Trump appears to have walked back plans for the U.S. State Department to scrutinize and revoke visas for Chinese students studying in the country.

    On June 11, 2025, Trump posted on his social media platform TruthSocial that visas for Chinese students would continue and that they are welcome in the United States, as their presence “has always been good with me!”

    The announcement came weeks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that his department would begin scrutinizing and revoking student visas for Chinese nationals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, or whose studies are in critical fields.

    The contradictory moves have led to confusion among Chinese students attending college or considering studying in the United States.

    Over time, Chinese nationals have faced barriers to studying in the U.S. As a scholar who studies relations between the two nations, I argue that efforts to ban Chinese students in the United States are not unprecedented, and historically they have come with consequences.

    Student visas under fire

    The Trump administration laid out the terms for revoking or denying student visas to Chinese nationals but then backtracked.
    STAP/Getty Images

    Since the late 1970s, millions of Chinese students have been granted visas to study at American universities. That total includes approximately 277,000 who studied in the United States in the 2023-2024 academic year.

    It is difficult to determine how many of these students would have been affected by a ban on visas for individuals with Chinese Community Party affiliations or in critical fields.

    Approximately 40% of all new members of the Chinese Communist Party each year are drawn from China’s student population. And many universities in China have party connections or charters that emphasize party loyalty.

    The “critical fields” at risk were not defined. A majority of Chinese students in the U.S. are enrolled in math, technology, science and engineering fields.

    A long history

    Since the late 1970s, the number of Chinese students attending college in the U.S. has increased dramatically.
    Kenishiroite/Getty Images

    Yung Wing became the first Chinese student to graduate from a U.S. university in 1852.

    Since then, millions of Chinese students have come to the United States to study, supported by programs such as the “Chinese Educational Mission,” Boxer Indemnity Fund scholarships and the Fulbright Program.

    The Institute for International Education in New York estimated the economic impact of Chinese students in the U.S. at over US$14 billion a year. Chinese students tend to pay full tuition to their universities. At the graduate level, they perform vital roles in labs and classrooms. Just under half of all Chinese students attending college in the U.S. are graduate students.

    However, there is a long history of equating Chinese migrants as invaders, spies or risks to national security.

    After the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the U.S. Department of Justice began to prevent Chinese scholars and students in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math – from returning to China by stopping them at U.S. ports of entry and exit. They could be pulled aside when trying to board a flight or ship and their tickets canceled.

    In one infamous case, Chinese rocket scientist Qian Xuesen was arrested, harassed, ordered deported and prevented from leaving over five years from 1950 to 1955. In 1955, the United States and China began ambassadorial-level talks to negotiate repatriations from either country. After his experience, Qian became a much-lauded supporter of the Communist government and played an important role in the development of Chinese transcontinental missile technology.

    During the 1950s, the U.S. Department of Justice raided Chinatown organizations looking for Chinese migrants who arrived under false names during the Chinese Exclusion Era, a period from the 1880s to 1940s when the U.S. government placed tight restrictions on Chinese immigration into the country. A primary justification for the tactics was fear that the Chinese in the U.S. would spy for their home country.

    Between 1949 and 1979, the U.S and China did not have normal diplomatic relations. The two nations recognized each other and exchanged ambassadors starting in January 1979. In the more than four decades since, the number of Chinese students in the U.S. has increased dramatically.

    Anti-Chinese discrimination

    The idea of an outright ban on Chinese student visas has raised concerns about increased targeting of Chinese in the U.S. for harassment.

    In 1999, Taiwanese-American scientist Wen Ho Lee was arrested on suspicion of using his position at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico to spy for China. Lee remained imprisoned in solitary confinement for 278 days before he was released without a conviction.

    In 2018, during the first Trump administration, the Department of Justice launched its China Initiative. In its effort to weed out industrial, technological and corporate espionage, the initiative targeted many ethnic Chinese researchers and had a chilling effect on continued exchanges, but it secured no convictions for wrongdoing.

    Trump again expressed concerns last year that undocumented migrants from China might be coming to the United States to spy or “build an army.”

    The repeated search for spies among Chinese migrants and residents in the U.S. has created an atmosphere of fear for Chinese American communities.

    Broader foreign policy context

    An atmosphere of suspicion has altered the climate for Chinese international students.
    J Studios/Getty Images

    The U.S. plan to revoke visas for students studying in the U.S. and the Chinese response is being formed amid contentious debates over trade.

    Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian accused the U.S. of violating an agreement on tariff reduction the two sides discussed in Geneva in May, citing the visa issues as one example.

    Trump has also complained that the Chinese violated agreements between the countries, and some reports suggest that the announcement on student visas was a negotiating tactic to change the Chinese stance on the export of rare earth minerals.

    When Trump announced his trade deal with China on June 11, he added a statement welcoming Chinese students.

    However, past practice shows that the atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion may have already damaged the climate for Chinese international students, and at least some degree of increased scrutiny of student visas will likely continue regardless.

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

    – ref. Trump administration’s conflicting messages on Chinese student visas reflect complex US-China relations – https://theconversation.com/trump-administrations-conflicting-messages-on-chinese-student-visas-reflect-complex-us-china-relations-258351

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FDA Halts New Clinical Trials That Export Americans’ Cells to Foreign Labs in Hostile Countries for Genetic Engineering

    Source: US Food and Drug Administration

    For Immediate Release:
    June 18, 2025

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced an immediate review of new clinical trials that involve sending American citizens’ living cells to China and other hostile countries for genetic engineering and subsequent infusion back into U.S. patients – sometimes without their knowledge or consent.
    This action by the FDA follows mounting evidence that some of these trials failed to inform participants about the international transfer and manipulation of their biological material and may have exposed Americans’ sensitive genetic data to misuse by foreign governments including adversaries.
    This practice was made possible by a data security rule finalized under the Biden Administration in December 2024 and implemented in April 2025 by the U.S. Department of Justice. While the rule imposed export controls to limit sensitive data transfers to countries of concern, the Biden Administration specifically requested and approved a sweeping exemption that allowed U.S. companies to send trial participants’ biological samples — including DNA — for processing overseas as part of FDA-regulated clinical trials. This exemption applied even in cases involving companies partially owned or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
    “The previous administration turned a blind eye and allowed American DNA to be sent abroad — often without the knowledge or understanding of trial participants,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. “The integrity of our biomedical research enterprise is paramount. We are taking action to protect patients, restore public trust, and safeguard U.S. biomedical leadership.”
    The FDA is actively reviewing all relevant clinical trials that relied on this exemption and will require companies to demonstrate full transparency, ethical consent, and domestic handling of sensitive biological materials. New trials that cannot meet these standards will not proceed.
    The agency is also working closely with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to ensure that no federally funded research is compromised by these practices. Additional enforcement and policy measures could be forthcoming.
    This action is part of a broader national effort to implement Executive Orders 14117 and 14292, which direct the federal government to prevent the exploitation of sensitive biological data by foreign adversaries and ensure research funding flows only to secure, transparent, and U.S.-compliant institutions.

    Consumer:888-INFO-FDA

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    Boilerplate

    The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

    Content current as of:
    06/18/2025

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tucson Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison on Child Pornography Charges

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    TUCSON, Ariz. – Sergio Herran, 47, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on June 17, 2025, by Senior United States District Judge Raner C. Collins to a term of 8 years in prison and a term of 5 years in prison, to be served concurrently. Following a four-day trial in March, a jury convicted Herran of Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Herran will be on lifetime supervision upon release from prison and must register as a sex offender. Herran was also ordered to pay restitution to identified victims.

    Herran was previously tried and convicted in 2019 before a jury, but the conviction was reversed on appeal by the Ninth Circuit. On retrial, the evidence presented showed that Herran was responsible for downloading, viewing, and sharing images and videos of child pornography. These videos and images were located on Herran’s computer hard drive, phone SD card, and a tablet, which were found in Herran’s bedroom within an arm’s reach from where he slept. In total, there were over 10,000 images and 1,500 videos of child pornography on Herran’s devices, although only a representative sample was charged in the indictment. Herran was found guilty of distribution of two videos of child pornography, possession of 13 images of child pornography, and possession of eight videos of child pornography.

    Homeland Security Investigations’ Tucson Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Sandra M. Hansen and Anshul Krishn, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.

    CASE NUMBER:            CR-17-01026-TUC-RCC
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-096_Herran

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Prolific Guatemalan Drug Traffickers Extradited to the United States to Face Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Charge

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Steven Ovaldino Lorenzana Alvarenga, also known as “Chipi,” and Allan Mendoza, also known as “Carnes” and “Carnitas,” both of Guatemala, made their initial appearances today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia following their June 17 extraditions from Guatemala to the United States.

    Lorenzana Alvarenga, 30, and Mendoza, 40, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    According to court documents, from 2006 through 2023, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza were key members of the Guatemala-based Lorenzana drug trafficking organization (“DTO”), which transports multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America into Mexico and the United States on behalf of various Mexican, Honduran, and Venezuelan cartels. The Lorenzana DTO allegedly controls multiple departments in Guatemala and regularly uses violence, including murder, assault, kidnapping, assassination, and torture in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities. As alleged, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza were part of a loyal group of associates surrounding the leader of the Lorenzana DTO, Haroldo Waldemar Lorenzana Terraza.

    If convicted, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza face a maximum penalty of life in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 30 years in prison on the firearm charge.

    The extraditions of Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza mark another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to dismantle the Lorenzana DTO and bring its members to justice. Lorenzana Terraza assumed leadership of the Lorenzana DTO in the mid-2000s, after the indictment, extradition, and conviction of multiple family members who previously served as key leaders, including Lorenzana Terraza’s grandfather, Waldemar Lorenzana Lima, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 23 years in prison in February 2020;  Lorenzana Terraza’s uncles, Eliu and Waldemar Lorenzana Cordon, who received life sentences following a conviction at trial in 2016; and Lorenzana Terraza’s aunt, Marta Julia Lorenzana-Cordon, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 33 years in prison in March 2024. Lorenzana Terraza was charged alongside Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza with conspiring to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and he also faces two additional charges of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and conspiring to import heroin into the United States. Lorenzana Terraza is still a fugitive, and the U.S. Department of State is currently offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Administrator Robert J. Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.

    The DEA Bilateral Investigation Unit and DEA Guatemala City Country Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs working with Guatemalan law enforcement authorities, INTERPOL, and the DEA provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza to the United States.

    Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Ligia Markman of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section 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 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.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prolific Guatemalan Drug Traffickers Extradited to the United States to Face Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Charge

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Steven Ovaldino Lorenzana Alvarenga, also known as “Chipi,” and Allan Mendoza, also known as “Carnes” and “Carnitas,” both of Guatemala, made their initial appearances today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia following their June 17 extraditions from Guatemala to the United States.

    Lorenzana Alvarenga, 30, and Mendoza, 40, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    According to court documents, from 2006 through 2023, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza were key members of the Guatemala-based Lorenzana drug trafficking organization (“DTO”), which transports multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America into Mexico and the United States on behalf of various Mexican, Honduran, and Venezuelan cartels. The Lorenzana DTO allegedly controls multiple departments in Guatemala and regularly uses violence, including murder, assault, kidnapping, assassination, and torture in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities. As alleged, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza were part of a loyal group of associates surrounding the leader of the Lorenzana DTO, Haroldo Waldemar Lorenzana Terraza.

    If convicted, Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza face a maximum penalty of life in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 30 years in prison on the firearm charge.

    The extraditions of Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza mark another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to dismantle the Lorenzana DTO and bring its members to justice. Lorenzana Terraza assumed leadership of the Lorenzana DTO in the mid-2000s, after the indictment, extradition, and conviction of multiple family members who previously served as key leaders, including Lorenzana Terraza’s grandfather, Waldemar Lorenzana Lima, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 23 years in prison in February 2020;  Lorenzana Terraza’s uncles, Eliu and Waldemar Lorenzana Cordon, who received life sentences following a conviction at trial in 2016; and Lorenzana Terraza’s aunt, Marta Julia Lorenzana-Cordon, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 33 years in prison in March 2024. Lorenzana Terraza was charged alongside Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza with conspiring to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and he also faces two additional charges of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and conspiring to import heroin into the United States. Lorenzana Terraza is still a fugitive, and the U.S. Department of State is currently offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Administrator Robert J. Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.

    The DEA Bilateral Investigation Unit and DEA Guatemala City Country Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs working with Guatemalan law enforcement authorities, INTERPOL, and the DEA provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Lorenzana Alvarenga and Mendoza to the United States.

    Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Ligia Markman of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section 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 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eastside Rollin’ 20s Crips Members and Associates Indicted, Including Murder, Robbery, Fentanyl Distribution and Firearms Offenses

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A twelve-count indictment was unsealed today in the Eastern District of Virginia charging nine members of the Eastside Rollin’ 20s Crips (RTC) violent street gang with crimes including a drug conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, and  a racketeering conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, conspiring to distribute large quantities of pressed fentanyl pills, narcotics trafficking, identity fraud, and the illegal use and straw purchasing of firearms.

    According to the indictment, the RTC is a subunit or “set” of the Crips national street gang. The indictment alleges RTC members and associates committed numerous violent acts on behalf of the RTC, including a June 2022 murder in Alexandria, Virginia; a July 2021 attempted shooting of several individuals in the District of Columbia; an August 2021 armed robbery and pistol whipping of an individual in Hollywood, Florida; and a January 2021 attempted murder of two individuals in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. To finance and promote the RTC’s criminal activities, the indictment alleges that RTC members and associates obtained and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of pressed fentanyl pills. The indictment also alleges that, as part of the gang’s criminal activity, the RTC recruited children and encouraged them to commit crimes on behalf of the gang, including acts of violence and drug trafficking.

    “As alleged, RTC members unleashed a wave of violence across three states and the District of Columbia, extending down the East Coast to Florida,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their commission of brutal, indiscriminate acts over perceived slights on social media reflects a particularly dangerous form of gang activity. The Criminal Division remains firmly committed to prosecuting menacing gangs and ensuring the safety of our communities.”

    “The offenses alleged in this indictment represent the spectrum of danger presented by nationwide criminal enterprises,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Any of these elements alone – from violence to illegal drugs to identity theft – is enough to destroy communities and lives, and these organizations employ them without compunction. Through coordination with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we are determined to eradicate criminal gangs and protect our citizens from the detriment they bring.”

    “DEA is committed to protecting Americans by investigating and taking down major violators of drug laws who operate within the United States and around the world,” said Special Agent in Charge Ibrar Mian of the DEA Washington Field Division. “As demonstrated by today’s indictment, drug trafficking, firearms, and violence are undeniably connected, which is why we continue to address these threats with the full force of the federal government. The tenacious and hard-working men and women of DEA are combatting the illicit manufacture and distribution of drugs, removing illicit firearms from American streets, helping to put public threats in jail, and restoring safety in our communities.”

    “Today’s announcement indicates a significant step towards making it even more clear that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with our partner agencies are committed to protecting our communities from violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the ATF Washington Field Division. “There just isn’t a place for criminal behavior in our neighborhoods. Although this is very early on in the judicial process, we remain optimistic that all of those involved will be held accountable for their actions.”

    If convicted, the defendants face penalties including: up to life in prison or the death penalty for murder in aid of racketeering and use of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death; up to life in prison for racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and use of a firearm during or in relation to drug trafficking; up to 25 years in prison for straw purchasing of firearms; up to 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering. 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.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Virginia State Police; and Arlington County Police Department are investigating the case with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; United States Postal Inspection Service; FBI; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI); U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Fairfax County Police Department; Prince William County Police Department; Prince William County’s Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney; Prince William County Parks and Recreation; United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina; Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office; Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office; Stafford County Sherriff’s Office; Manassas Park Police Department; George Mason University Police Department; Chesterfield County Police Department; Del City, OK, Police Department; Valley Brook, OK, Police Department; Tonto Apache Police Department; Sumter County, SC, Sheriff’s Office; Hollywood, FL, Police Department; Nash County, NC, Sheriff’s Office; Winston-Salem, NC, Police Department; and Nebraska State Patrol.

    Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edgardo J. Rodriguez and Ryan B. Bredemeier for the Eastern District of Virginia 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs), which identify, disrupt, and dismantle 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.

    An indictment is merely an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Eastside Rollin’ 20s Crips Members and Associates Indicted, Including Murder, Robbery, Fentanyl Distribution and Firearms Offenses

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A twelve-count indictment was unsealed today in the Eastern District of Virginia charging nine members of the Eastside Rollin’ 20s Crips (RTC) violent street gang with crimes including a drug conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, and  a racketeering conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, conspiring to distribute large quantities of pressed fentanyl pills, narcotics trafficking, identity fraud, and the illegal use and straw purchasing of firearms.

    According to the indictment, the RTC is a subunit or “set” of the Crips national street gang. The indictment alleges RTC members and associates committed numerous violent acts on behalf of the RTC, including a June 2022 murder in Alexandria, Virginia; a July 2021 attempted shooting of several individuals in the District of Columbia; an August 2021 armed robbery and pistol whipping of an individual in Hollywood, Florida; and a January 2021 attempted murder of two individuals in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. To finance and promote the RTC’s criminal activities, the indictment alleges that RTC members and associates obtained and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of pressed fentanyl pills. The indictment also alleges that, as part of the gang’s criminal activity, the RTC recruited children and encouraged them to commit crimes on behalf of the gang, including acts of violence and drug trafficking.

    “As alleged, RTC members unleashed a wave of violence across three states and the District of Columbia, extending down the East Coast to Florida,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their commission of brutal, indiscriminate acts over perceived slights on social media reflects a particularly dangerous form of gang activity. The Criminal Division remains firmly committed to prosecuting menacing gangs and ensuring the safety of our communities.”

    “The offenses alleged in this indictment represent the spectrum of danger presented by nationwide criminal enterprises,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Any of these elements alone – from violence to illegal drugs to identity theft – is enough to destroy communities and lives, and these organizations employ them without compunction. Through coordination with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we are determined to eradicate criminal gangs and protect our citizens from the detriment they bring.”

    “DEA is committed to protecting Americans by investigating and taking down major violators of drug laws who operate within the United States and around the world,” said Special Agent in Charge Ibrar Mian of the DEA Washington Field Division. “As demonstrated by today’s indictment, drug trafficking, firearms, and violence are undeniably connected, which is why we continue to address these threats with the full force of the federal government. The tenacious and hard-working men and women of DEA are combatting the illicit manufacture and distribution of drugs, removing illicit firearms from American streets, helping to put public threats in jail, and restoring safety in our communities.”

    “Today’s announcement indicates a significant step towards making it even more clear that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with our partner agencies are committed to protecting our communities from violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the ATF Washington Field Division. “There just isn’t a place for criminal behavior in our neighborhoods. Although this is very early on in the judicial process, we remain optimistic that all of those involved will be held accountable for their actions.”

    If convicted, the defendants face penalties including: up to life in prison or the death penalty for murder in aid of racketeering and use of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death; up to life in prison for racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and use of a firearm during or in relation to drug trafficking; up to 25 years in prison for straw purchasing of firearms; up to 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering. 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.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Virginia State Police; and Arlington County Police Department are investigating the case with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; United States Postal Inspection Service; FBI; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI); U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Fairfax County Police Department; Prince William County Police Department; Prince William County’s Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney; Prince William County Parks and Recreation; United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina; Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office; Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office; Stafford County Sherriff’s Office; Manassas Park Police Department; George Mason University Police Department; Chesterfield County Police Department; Del City, OK, Police Department; Valley Brook, OK, Police Department; Tonto Apache Police Department; Sumter County, SC, Sheriff’s Office; Hollywood, FL, Police Department; Nash County, NC, Sheriff’s Office; Winston-Salem, NC, Police Department; and Nebraska State Patrol.

    Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edgardo J. Rodriguez and Ryan B. Bredemeier for the Eastern District of Virginia 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs), which identify, disrupt, and dismantle 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.

    An indictment is merely an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Demands Answers from Verizon on Worker Exposure to Toxic Lead

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Letter Text (PDF)
    Washington (June 18, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today wrote to Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon, following the publication of a health evaluation from the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) showing extremely high concentrations of toxic lead at Verizon worksites and elevated levels of lead in workers’ blood. In 2023, an extensive Wall Street Journal investigation documented a sprawling nationwide network of legacy lead-sheathed cables that telecommunications companies—including Verizon—installed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and left underground, underwater, and overhead.
    In the letter the Senator writes, “It is Verizon’s responsibility—both moral and legal—to safeguard the well-being of its workers and the communities in which it operates. The exposure of telecom workers in Massachusetts to lead-laced environments, including manholes where sediment contained lead concentrations as high as 30,000 parts per million—150 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) current safety limit—demands the highest level of attention from Verizon. Verizon must act swiftly to eliminate lead exposure from its operations, remediate affected environments, and commit to full transparency and accountability moving forward.”
    Senator Markey continues, “Most recently, NIOSH completed a Health Hazard Evaluation confirming serious occupational exposures among Verizon workers in Massachusetts; we understand a copy of the final report has been provided to Verizon. NIOSH found that these workers were repeatedly exposed to lead because inadequate safety procedures in place failed to protect them. NIOSH also reviewed past blood-level testing by workers, which found examples of workers with elevated blood lead levels according to federal safety guidelines; this suggests recent worker exposure at unsafe levels of lead. Additionally, NIOSH hygienists found lead on workers hands, boots, and in their trucks, suggesting many may be unknowingly carrying home a substance that could endanger their families. Children are particularly sensitive to lead, with even low levels of exposure resulting in developmental delays, difficulty learning, and behavioral issues.”
    Senator Markey requests responses by July 9, 2025, to questions including:
    What is the status of Verizon’s efforts to compile a comprehensive inventory, including geographic mapping, of all known and suspected lead-sheathed cables it owns or for which it is responsible?
    What steps has Verizon taken since the publication of the Wall Street Journal investigation to:
    (a) Identify and monitor worker exposure to lead from lead-sheathed telecommunications cables?
    (b) Notify and protect workers performing duties in or near areas with lead-sheathed cables?
    (c) Inform the public, especially in environmental justice communities, about risks posed by lead-sheathed cables, and field and respond to concerns?
    (d) Test for and remediate environmental contamination around legacy infrastructure?
    (e) Provide medical monitoring, treatment, or compensation for lead-exposed workers?
    What is the status of any investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, the EPA, or OSHA into Verizon’s handling of its lead-sheathed cables?
    Will Verizon commit to fully implementing all the NIOSH recommendations, including conducting routine BLL testing and retrofitting hygiene and PPE protocols across all affected facilities? Which recommendations, if any, has Verizon already implemented? What is the status of recommendations not yet implemented?
    Has Verizon conducted its own personal air sampling at work sites containing lead-sheathed cables? If so, please provide the results by year and location of the tests.
    (a) Does Verizon have an explanation for the personal air sample tested by NIOSH that exceeded OSHA limits?
    (b) How did Verizon previously determine whether to conduct a personal air sampling test?
    Has Verizon conducted its own manhole-soil-sediment testing at worksites containing lead-sheathed cables? Does Verizon have an explanation for the bulk sediment sampled that exceeded 30,000 ppm for lead?
    Why was Verizon not providing its workers in Massachusetts with lead removal wipes prior to the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation? Why did Verizon start to provide them—in place of wet wipes—between the first and second NIOSH site visits?
    What internal accountability measures is Verizon adopting to ensure executive leadership is fully informed and responsive to worker safety concerns related to lead exposure from legacy telecommunications cables?
    In February 2024, Senator Markey hosted a roundtable event in Chicopee, Massachusetts, along with state and local elected officials, public health leaders, and occupational safety and environmental experts, to discuss the environmental, public health, and occupational safety concerns posed by lead-sheathed telecommunications cables.
    In July 2023, Senator Markey, author of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, wrote to the United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) demanding answers to questions raised by the Wall Street Journal investigation, which found detectable levels of lead contamination in water and soil samples collected near lead-sheathed cables across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Fort Hood soldiers sentenced to federal prison for alien smuggling as result of ICE El Paso investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    ALPINE, Texas — A former U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Hood was sentenced in a federal court in Pecos, Texas, to 33 months in prison for aiding and abetting the transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case with the assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Central Texas Field Office.

    “The sentencing of these individuals underscores the serious consequences of engaging in human smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens of ICE Homeland Security Investigations El Paso. “Recruiting fellow soldiers to participate in illegal activities, culminating in a reckless high-speed chase with law enforcement, is a blatant betrayal of duty and public trust. HSI alongside our law enforcement partners, remain committed to dismantling smuggling networks and ensuring those responsible face justice.”

    According to court documents, Enrique Jauregui, 26, organized a smuggling event in 2024, recruiting fellow soldiers Angel Palma, 21, and Emilio Mendoza-Lopez, 22. Jauregui provided Palma and Mendoza-Lopez with the location information to pick up illegal aliens to smuggle, supported them with encouraging messages and instructions, and intended to pay the two co-conspirators after they dropped off the illegal aliens.

    On Nov. 27, 2024, Palma and Mendoza-Lopez drove from Fort Hood (known at the time as Fort Cavazos) to Presidio, Texas, to pick up three illegal aliens before leading Border Patrol agents on a high-speed chase. At one point, the defendants hit a marked Border Patrol vehicle with an agent inside, causing injuries. Palma and Mendoza-Lopez, along with the three illegal aliens, fled the vehicle on foot. All were apprehended except for Palma, who was located at a hotel in Odessa, Texas, and eventually arrested.

    All three co-defendants pleaded guilty in early 2025. Palma and Mendoza-Lopez were each sentenced in May to 24 months in federal prison. In addition to their imprisonment, Palma, Mendoza-Lopez, and Jauregui were also sentenced to three years of supervised release. Jauregui was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. U.S. District Judge David Counts presided over the hearings.

    “These three individuals turned their backs on their values in a way that put our nation at risk, and put at risk the lives of others, including the lives of law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Everyone in this district, regardless of whether you wear the uniform or not, should take note: if you seek to enrich yourself by moving illegal aliens into or through this country, you will face the consequences of federal prosecution and will likely find yourself in federal prison.”

    “This sentencing demonstrates the strong partnership between Army CID, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Border Patrol,” said Special Agent in Charge Lane Allen of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Central Texas Field Office. “Maintaining the readiness and integrity of our fighting force remains our top priority.”

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Cayton prosecuted 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, 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.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin: Instead Of Conducting Critical Oversight, Judiciary Committee Republicans Are Holding Partisan Hearing Armchair Diagnosing Former President Biden

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    June 18, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, slammed Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans for holding a partisan hearing today where they plan to armchair diagnose former President Biden. In his opening remarks, Durbin called out the lack of oversight the Committee has conducted so far under the Trump Administration, despite the numerous, critical challenges facing the nation that are under the Committee’s jurisdiction.

    By this date in Durbin’s first year as Chair, the Committee had already held two major oversight hearings with Biden Administration agency heads, including one with FBI Director Wray on domestic terrorism threats. So far, the Republican majority on this Committee has not held a single oversight hearing.

    “This Committee has oversight responsibility over the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security. We have a constitutional duty to hold these agencies accountable with public hearings,” Durbin said. “In the last week alone, several events have demanded this Committee’s immediate attention: the horrific assassination in Minnesota, the treatment of our colleague Senator Padilla by federal agents in Los Angeles, and President Trump’s unprecedented deployment of the U.S. military in Los Angeles.”

    Durbin continued, “We should hear without delay from Attorney General Bondi and FBI Director Patel about what they are doing to address the unacceptable political violence in our country, including threats to Article III judges and justices, as well as members of Congress. And we need to hear from Homeland Security Secretary Noem about the treatment of our colleagues, Senator Padilla, and this Administration’s mass deportation campaign against immigrants. But instead of exercising this constitutional oversight duty, my Republican colleagues are holding this hearing. Apparently, armchair diagnosing former President Biden is more important than the current issues of grave concern that I have mentioned.”

    Durbin went on to note just a few examples of issues that the Senate Judiciary Committee should be addressing.

    “The Trump Administration has removed dozens of senior career prosecutors and FBI officials with decades of national security expertise, leaving our nation more vulnerable to terrorism and other national security threats. This should be explained to this Committee,” Durbin said. “The Justice Department has diverted hundreds of law enforcement agents away from combatting cartels, drug trafficking, and gun violence to participate in President Trump’s mass deportation campaign. This should be addressed in an open hearing of this Committee.”

    Durbin continued, “The Justice Department is also turning a blind eye to corruption. The Administration has gutted the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, which oversees political corruption cases, just as the President’s shameful crypto scheme unfolds. And the Administration has removed the Department of Justice’s career ethics officials and shut down the office charged with investigating misconduct by DOJ attorneys.”

    Durbin then called out how his Republican colleagues are eager to discuss President Biden’s pardons, but are ignoring the actual pardon crisis of President Trump’s “pay-to-play” scheme. Durbin highlighted the story of Paul Walczak, whom President Trump pardoned after Walczak pleaded guilty in 2024 to withholding more than $7 million of taxes from his employees’ paychecks and failing to pay the IRS.

    “What warranted Mr. Walczak’s swift pardon by President Trump? His pardon application explicitly cited millions of dollars his mother raised for President Trump’s campaigns and other efforts to support the President. But that was not enough,” Durbin said. “It was three weeks after Mr. Walczak’s mother attended a $1 million a person Trump fundraiser in April of this year that Mr. Walczak was miraculously receiving his pardon—and now he no longer must pay $4.4 million to the taxpayers of this country. That’s one example of the many pardons granted to President Trump’s wealthy donors and political supporters.”

    Durbin continued, “And, of course, these pay-to-play pardons are in addition to the more than 1,500 January 6 rioters who received blanket pardons from President Trump, including 169 who violently assaulted law enforcement officials.”

    Durbin concluded, “If my colleagues are truly interested in issues of presidential succession and disability under the 25th Amendment, I would suggest they embark on this constitutional journey with a proposed amendment, not today’s political adventure.”

    Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada officials to hold technical briefing on Part 14 and 4 of The Strong Borders Act: Timely Access to Data and Information, and Canada Post Corporation Act

    Source: Government of Canada News

    June 18, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada

    Government of Canada officials will hold a virtual technical briefing for media to provide information and answer questions related to Part 14 and Part 4 of The Strong Borders Act.

    The briefing will provide information on proposed amendments to the Timely Access to Data and Information (Part 14) and Canada Post Corporation Act (Part 4).

    Date: Thursday, June 19, 2025
    Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT
    Location: Virtual, via the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery

    Notes for media:

    • Media who would like to participate need to contact the Press Gallery at pressres2@parl.gc.ca to get a link.
    • Participation in the question and answer portion of this event is via Zoom, and is for accredited members of the Press Gallery only. Media who are not members of the Press Gallery may contact pressres2@parl.gc.ca for temporary access.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: US Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Crypto Investment Fraud Money Laundering

    Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

    The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected to the theft and laundering of funds from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, commonly referred to as “cryptocurrency confidence scams.”

    Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. If you believe you may be a victim of one of the scams alleged in the government’s complaint, add the code “BT06182025” in the narrative of your complaint, and if you have previously filed a related complaint, make note of the prior complaint in the narrative.

    Related: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-files-civil-forfeiture-complaint-against-225m-funds-involved-cryptocurrency

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIcFRqCvsbE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Department of Justice filed a civil forfeiture complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $225.3 million in cryptocurrency. According to the complaint, law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency is connected to the theft and laundering of funds from victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, commonly referred to as “cryptocurrency confidence scams.”

    Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. If you believe you may be a victim of one of the scams alleged in the government’s complaint, add the code “BT06182025” in the narrative of your complaint, and if you have previously filed a related complaint, make note of the prior complaint in the narrative.

    Related: United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Funds Involved in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Lab Owner Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison in Connection with $14M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    The owner of a Chicago laboratory has been sentenced today to seven years in prison for his role in a COVID-19 testing fraud scheme.

    According to court documents, Zishan Alvi, 46, of Inverness, Ill., owned and operated a laboratory in Chicago that performed testing for COVID-19. In 2021 and 2022, Alvi caused claims to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for COVID-19 tests that were either not performed at all or not performed correctly. As part of the scheme, the laboratory released negative test results to patients, even though the laboratory either had not tested the specimens or the results were inconclusive because Alvi had diluted the tests to save on costs, rendering the tests unreliable. Alvi knew that the laboratory was releasing negative results for tests that were not performed or were inconclusive but still caused the laboratory to bill HRSA for those tests. Alvi also lied to laboratory directors to conceal his fraud. As a result of the fraudulent claims, HRSA paid the laboratory more than $14 million.

    Alvi pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on September 30, 2024. At sentencing, he was also ordered to pay $14,199,217 in restitution, and forfeit approximately $6.8 million in cash, a 2021 Range Rover HSE, and over $630,000 from an E-Trade account.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

    The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Claire Sobczak Pacelli of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten for the Northern District of Illinois prosecuted the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces judicial appointments 6.18.25

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 18, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 16 Superior Court Judges: six in Los Angeles County; one in Merced County; one in Orange County; one in San Diego County; two in San Francisco County; three in Santa Clara County; one in San Joaquin County; and one in Tulare County. 

    Los Angeles County Superior Court

    William Forman, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Forman has been a Partner at Winston & Strawn, LLP since 2021. He was a Partner of Scheper Kim & Harris, LLP from 2009 to 2021. Forman was Counsel at Wilmer Hale from 2008 to 2009. He worked as an Associate at Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe from 2003 to 2008. Forman served as a Deputy Federal Public Defender at the Federal Public Defender, Central District of California from 1997 to 2003. He was an Associate at Arnold & Porter from 1992 to 1997. He worked as an Associate at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro from 1990 to 1991. Forman received a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James A. Kaddo. Forman is a Democrat.

    David Garcia, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Garcia has worked as a Supervising Attorney at Inner City Law Center since 2023. He worked as a Director of Investigations at Edison International from 2013 to 2022. He worked as a Senior Attorney at Southern California Edison Company from 1997 to 2013. He worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California from 1990 to 1997. He worked as a Deputy District Attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 1986 to 1990. He worked as an Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1985 to 1986. Garcia received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Daniel Feldstern. Garcia is registered as a Democrat.

    Sumako McCallum, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. McCallum has served as a Court Commissioner for the court since 2024. She served as Senior Deputy County Counsel at the Office of County Counsel, County of Los Angeles from 2014 to 2024. She worked as a Staff Attorney at the Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles from 2003 to 2014. McCallum worked as an Associate at Morrison & Foerster, LLP from 2000 to 2002. McCallum received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Anne Hwang to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. McCallum is a Democrat. 

    Alan Z. Yudkowsky, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles Superior Court. Yudkowsky has served as a Court Commissioner on that  court since 2019. He worked as Principal at the Law Offices of Alan Z. Yudkowsky from 2011 to 2019. Yukowsky held multiple positions  at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan since 1990, including Partner, Special Counsel, and Associate. Yudkowsky received a Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Barbara M. Scheper. Yudkowsky is a Democrat

    Melanie Chavira, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Chavira has served as a City Prosecutor at the Redondo Beach City Attorney’s Office since 2012. She has worked as a Trial Advocacy Instructor at the Trial Advocacy Prosecution Program from 2012 to 2024. Chavira served as a Prosecutor and Assistant Supervisor at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office from 2002 to 2012. Chavira received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Mary Lou Villar. Chavira is a Democrat. 

    Terrence Jones, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Jones has worked as Chief Trial Counsel at Cameron Jones since 2022. He worked as Chief Trial Counsel at the Law Office of Terrence Jones from 2017 to 2022. Jones worked as an Associate at Ballard Spahr from 2015 to 2017. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California from 2008 to 2015. Jones received a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Serena R. Murillo to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Jones is a Democrat. 

    Merced County Superior Court

    Ashley Albertoni Sausser, of Merced County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Merced County Superior Court. Albertoni Sausser has worked as an Attorney at Albertoni & Associates since 2015. She worked in multiple roles at Fagalde, Albertoni & Flores from 2010 to 2015, including as an Attorney and a Law Clerk. She was a part-time lecturer at the California State University, Stanislaus in 2011. Albertoni Sausser received a Juris Doctor degree from Humphreys Drivon School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Shelly Seymour. Albertoni Sausser is a Democrat.

    Orange County Superior Court

    Randall Bethune, of Orange County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Orange County Superior Court. Bethune has served as a Commissioner on that court since 2024. He was a Senior Deputy Public Defender at the Orange County Public Defender’s Office from 2006 to 2024. He was an Attorney at the Law Office of Randall S. Bethune from 2003 to 2006. Bethune received a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge James L. Waltz. Bethune is a Democrat.

    San Diego County Superior Court

    Deborah Cumba, of San Diego County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Diego County Superior Court. Cumba has served as a Commissioner on that court since 2021. Cumba served as a Deputy Attorney at the California State Department of Transportation from 2011 to 2021. She was an Associate at Wilson Elser from 2003 to 2011 and an Associate at Clark Hill in 2005. Cumba received a Juris Doctor degree from University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Howard H. Shore. Cumba is a Democrat.

    San Francisco County Superior Court

    John D. Echeverria, of San Francisco County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Francisco County Superior Court. Echeverria has served as a Supervising Deputy Attorney General at the California Attorney General’s Office since 2024 and served as a Deputy Attorney General from 2016 to 2024. He was an Adjunct Professor at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco from 2021 to 2025. He worked as an Associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP from 2010 to 2016. He served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California from 2009 to 2010. Echeverria earned a Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Anne-Christine Massullo. Echeverria is a Democrat.

    Dawn Payne, of San Francisco County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Francisco County Superior Court. Payne has served as an Attorney in the Legal Services office of the Judicial Council of California since 2016. She was a Staff Attorney at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2010 to 2015. Payne was an Associate at Calvo & Clark LLP from 2008 to 2010. She served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Claudia Wilken in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 2005 to 2007. Payne worked as an Associate at Morrison Foerster from 2003 to 2005. She served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Harry Pregerson at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2002 to 2003. Payne received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kathleen A. Kelly. Payne is a Democrat.

    Santa Clara County Superior Court

    Jeffrey El-Hajj, of San Francisco County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Santa Clara County Superior Court. El-Hajj has served as a Research Attorney for the Sixth Appellate District Court of Appeal since 2013. He was a Law Clerk at the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands from 2011 to 2013. El-Hajj worked as an Associate at Angel Law from 2009 to 2011. El-Hajj received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Peter H. Kirwan. El-Hajj is a Democrat.

    Eunice Lee, of Santa Clara County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Lee has served as a Deputy District Attorney for the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office since 2015. She worked as an Associate at Minami Tamaki from 2008 to 2015. Lee received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Vanessa Zecher. Lee is a Democrat.

    Erik Johnson, of Santa Clara County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Johnson has served as a Commissioner on that court since 2020. He worked as a Solo Practitioner at the Law Office of Erik Steven Johnson from 2010 to 2020. Johnson was an Associate for Hinkle Jachimowicz, Pointer & Emmanuel from 2007 to 2010. Johnson received a Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Carrie Zepeda-Madrid. Johnson is a Democrat.

    San Joaquin County Superior Court

    Adam Ramirez, of San Joaquin County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Joaquin County Superior Court. Ramirez has worked as a Shareholder at Hakeem, Ellis, Marengo & Ramirez since 2023 and as an Associate from 2008-2022. He was an Adjunct Professor at Humphreys University Drivon School of Law from 2019 to 2024. Ramirez was an Attorney at the Family Law Service Center from 2007 to 2008. He was an Attorney at the Law Office of Christopher K. Eley from 2007 to 2008. Ramirez received a Juris Doctor degree from the Humphreys University Drivon School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jose L. Alva. Ramirez is a Democrat.

    Tulare County Superior Court

    Frank Ruiz, of Tulare County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Tulare County Superior Court. Ruiz has served as a Deputy County Counsel at the Kings County Counsel’s Office since 2014. He worked as an Associate for the Children’s Advocacy Group in 2014. Ruiz was a Volunteer Attorney that same year for the Law Offices of the Public Defender in Riverside. Ruiz received a Juris Doctor degree from Seattle University School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Brett R. Alldredge. Ruiz is a Democrat.

    The compensation for each of these positions is $244,727.

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jun 18, 2025

    News What you need to know: After more than 170 events last week celebrating California’s state parks, Governor Newsom and his administration are calling out federal cuts to National Parks and public lands. SACRAMENTO – As the Trump administration threatens the future…

    Jun 18, 2025

    News What you need to know: Two sites in San Francisco are the latest to be transformed under Governor Newsom’s executive order converting excess and underutilized state land into affordable housing.  SAN FRANCISCO — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the…

    Jun 17, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom recently wrote an op-ed on the dangers of President Trump’s reach at authoritarianism, as well as the solution that lies within the power of each citizen to hold their electeds accountable to the Constitution they have sworn…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon In Possession Of Two Illegal Firearms Including An Unregistered “Ghost Gun ” Is Sentenced To Prison

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

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Phillip Leon Leggett, 30, of Kings Mountain, N.C., was sentenced yesterday to 102 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm, including a “ghost gun,” announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

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

    According to court records and court proceedings, in the fall of 2023, CMPD was monitoring an area in Charlotte for criminal activity, when officers observed an individual, later identified as Leggett, who appeared to be concealing a firearm in the front pocket of his sweatshirt. CMPD officers approached Leggett who immediately fled on foot. A foot chase ensued, during which the officers observed two firearms fall from Leggett’s person. The guns came to rest along the defendant’s flight path. One officer stopped to collect the firearms while other officers continued to pursue Leggett until the defendant was apprehended and taken into custody. The recovered firearms were a black Taurus PT111 G2 9mm loaded with a magazine, and an unregistered privately made firearm, commonly known as a “ghost gun,” fitted with a 17-round magazine and a round in the chamber. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Leggett has a criminal history, including multiple Felony Common Law Robbery convictions, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

    Leggett will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled 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 Security: Cartel firearms traffickers sent to federal prison

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

    LAREDO, Texas – Two men have been sentenced for attempting to traffic firearms into Mexico on behalf of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Mexican national Jorge Alberto Morales-Calvo, 25, pleaded guilty Jan. 8, while Homero Arteaga Jr., 45, Mission, entered his plea Nov. 21, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now imposed a 41-month-term of imprisonment for Morales-Calvo. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence. At the hearing, the court heard Morales-Calvo and Arteaga knew the firearms were going to be smuggled across the border and delivered to CJNG. In handing down the sentence, Judge Kazen noted that selling firearms to the cartel in Mexico leads to the destabilization of that country. Arteaga previously received 57 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

    The investigation revealed Arteaga and Morales-Calvo were purchasing firearms on behalf of a broker for CJNG. On Sept. 18, 2024, they planned to purchase a Barrett .50 caliber rifle for $15,000 and a FN Herstal Belgium, 5.7 x 28 caliber pistol with a large capacity magazine for $850.

    Arteaga and Morales-Calvo were given $16,000 in counterfeit U.S. currency to pay for the firearms.

    When they arrived in Zapata to complete the transaction, Morales-Calvo stayed in the vehicle while Arteaga inspected the firearms. Arteaga then retrieved the fake U.S. currency and took possession of the firearms. Law enforcement immediately arrested Arteaga. Morales-Calvo attempted to flee but authorities stopped him before making it out of the parking lot.

    “The Department of Justice is looking to hit the cartels from every angle and at every opportunity, which includes vigorously prosecuting not just the member of these terror groups, but those that enable them as well,” said Ganjei. “Those that arm or otherwise empower the cartels are going to the meet the full force of the federal criminal justice system.”

    “Trafficking firearms on behalf of violent cartels is not just illegal, it fuels deadly cycle of violence on both sides of the border,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “This case demonstrates how seriously we take these crimes and how we are using every tool and resource available to disrupt the illegal flow of weapons, dismantle cartel networks, and protect our communities.” The success of this investigation reflects the critical partnerships between all levels of law enforcement working together to stop this violence at its source.”

    Both men have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    The ATF conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch prosecuted 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 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.

    MIL Security OSI –