NewzIntel.com

Category: Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Missouri Man Sentenced 21 Years in Prison for Recording Minor Victim in Bathroom

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a man whose trial for recording a girl in the bathroom revealed allegations that he had sexually abused at least three other children to 21 years in prison.

    Rayford Evans, 52, of Doniphan, in Ripley County, was convicted of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor after a one-day bench trial in January. Evidence and testimony showed that Evans used his cell phone to record a 15-year-old girl while she was bathing and using the bathroom by holding it up to a window above the bathroom door. The victim saw the phone and told a friend, the friend’s father and then her own father, who contacted the Doniphan City Police Department. An officer found three videos of the girl that Evans tried to delete.

    During Evans trial, another victim testified about her sexual abuse at the hands of Evans, and there was testimony that Evans had recorded videos of a different girl. Three others testified at Evans’ sentencing hearing Tuesday about his sexual abuse of them.

    “Evans has sexually exploited children for decades,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter wrote in a sentencing memo, and “used bribery in the form of electronics, toys, and candy to violate the trust of innocent children to sexually abuse them.”

    One victim described Evans in a letter as a predator who has “hunted children, for his depraved sexual appetite, for at least 26 years.”

    Evans has disputed the allegations involving other victims.

    The FBI and the Doniphan City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operators of New Jersey Company Sentenced to Prison and Enter Into Related Civil Settlement Agreement for Roles in $127 Million Health Care Fraud and Kickback Scheme

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

    NEWARK, N.J. – Two operators of a New Jersey marketing company were sentenced to prison for their roles in conspiracies to commit health care fraud and to pay and receive illegal kickbacks, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Eric Karlewicz a/k/a “Anthony Mazza,” 46, of Rockland County, New York, and Nicco Romanowski, 33, of Roswell, Georgia, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court following their guilty pleas to Informations charging conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute and conspiracy to commit health care fraud.  Karlewicz was sentenced to 51 months in prison and Romanowski was sentenced to 80 months in prison.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    From in or around June 2017 through in or around May 2019, Karlewicz and Romanowski participated in a scheme with durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies, telemedicine companies, and doctors to submit false claims to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and TRICARE, based on a circular scheme of kickbacks and bribes.  Karlewicz and Romanowski controlled a New Jersey-based marketing company, Empire Pain Center Holdings LLC (“Empire”), though which they and their co-conspirators identified Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries to target.  Employees of Empire called the beneficiaries to pressure them to agree to accept DME, frequently consisting of back, shoulder, and knee braces. Karlewicz and Romanowski paid Empire’s employees commissions, bonuses, and incentives to encourage them to convince as many beneficiaries as possible to accept DME, regardless of medical necessity.

    Karlewicz and Romanowski, through Empire, then paid kickbacks to telemedicine companies, which in turn paid kickbacks to doctors in exchange for prescriptions for the DME. As agreed upon, the doctors signed the prescription orders regardless of medical necessity, often without ever speaking to the patient.  Karlewicz and Romanowski distributed the prescriptions to DME suppliers around the country, with which Empire had additional kickback arrangements. These DME suppliers submitted claims for reimbursement to health care benefit programs including Medicare and TRICARE, and thereafter sent a portion of the proceeds to Empire as payment for the doctor’s orders generated through the conspiracy.  Empire received more than $63 million from DME suppliers in exchange for the referrals. 

    In total, Karlewicz and Romanowski caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs totaling in excess of $127 million for DME.  Using proceeds from the scheme, Karlewicz and Romanowski purchased luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari, and Lamborghini, a Bentley, and a BMW.

    In addition to the prison terms, Judge Salas sentenced each defendant to three years of supervised release and ordered them to pay $127,600,000 in restitution.  Karlewicz was ordered to forfeit over $63 million, and Romanowski was ordered to forfeit over $5.5 million.

    United States Attorney Habba also announced that Karlewicz and Empire entered into a civil settlement agreement. As part of that civil settlement agreement, Karlewicz and Empire admitted to violating the False Claims Act and agreed to the entry of a consent judgment against them in the amount of $63.8 million.

    The civil settlement agreement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The relator, Robert Jackson Tyler, Jr., will receive a share of the funds recovered by the United States pursuant to the False Claims Act.

    United States Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, and U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Silvestro, with the investigation.

    The government is represented in the criminal case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Barbara Ward of the Bank Integrity, Recovery, and Money Laundering Unit in Newark.

    The government is represented in the civil case by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Trial Attorney Martha Glover of U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Fraud Section. 

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    Defense counsel: Darren Gelber, Esq. (for Eric Karlewicz)

                                Alyssa Cimino, Esq. (for Nicco Romanowski)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ecuadorian Man Charged with Transporting Aliens

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Manuel Rolando Meza-Cambo, 34, of Los Rios Province, Ecuador, has been charged by criminal complaint with transporting illegal aliens.

    On April 21, 2025, Meza-Cambo appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Meza-Cambo be detained during the pendency of this matter.

    According to court records, Meza-Cambo attempted to pick-up four illegal aliens along Richford Road in Richford, Vermont, in the early morning hours of April 19, 2025. A member of the United States Border Patrol spotted Meza-Cambo’s minivan before he could pick up the aliens and followed the minivan. After the minivan stopped in the middle of road, investigating Border Patrol Agents then found two Mexican citizens and two Venezuelan citizens near the side of the road. These four individuals are being prosecuted separately for illegal entry to the United States.

    The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Meza-Cambo is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Meza-Cambo faces up to 5 years of imprisonment if convicted.  The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.  

    The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Meza-Cambo is represented by the Federal Public Defenders Office.

    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).
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sex Offender from Uxbridge Charged with Possessing Child Pornography While on Federal Supervised Release

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – An Uxbridge man has been charged in federal court in Worcester for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while on federal supervised release for a prior CSAM conviction.

    Scott Morrill, 52, was charged with possession of child pornography. Morrill was arrested on April 7, 2025 and remains detained in federal custody following a detention hearing that was held on April 17, 2025. 
     
    According to the charging documents, during a search of his residence, Miller’s laptop was allegedly found to contain images and videos depicting CSAM. At the time of the alleged offense, Morrill was on federal supervised release for a 2013 conviction of distribution of child pornography, for which he was sentenced to five years in federal prison.

    The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and the Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson joins 26-state coalition backing federal Second Amendment Task ForceRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today he has joined a 26-state coalition of attorneys general in sending a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi in strong support of the newly created Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force. 

    The letter, led by West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey, applauds the Trump Administration and AG Bondi for launching the Task Force as a powerful new tool to protect and enforce Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms. 

    “The Biden administration spent four years trying to punish gun owners and dismantle Second Amendment protections,” said Attorney General Wilson. “This Task Force marks a major course correction. It shows that under President Trump, we’re back to defending the Constitution, not bypassing it.” 

    In the letter, the 26 attorneys general commit to partnering with the U.S. Department of Justice to support litigation, share regulatory expertise, and assist in law enforcement efforts to uphold Second Amendment rights. The coalition described the Task Force as a crucial reset from the prior administration’s anti-gun agenda and a vital step toward restoring the Second Amendment as a first-class liberty. 

    “My office is ready to assist however we can, whether that’s in court, with policy reform, or alongside law enforcement,” Attorney General Wilson added. “South Carolina will always defend our citizens’ right to bear arms, and we’re proud to stand with AG Bondi and President Trump in this fight.” 

    The attorneys general also cited recent actions in their own states to protect firearm freedoms and combat discrimination against the firearms industry. 

    Read a copy of the letter here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hudson County Man Charged with Production, Distribution, and Possession of Child Pornography, and Coercion and Enticement

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey man was arrested for allegedly inducing multiple minors to send him sexually explicit videos and pictures over online platforms, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Julian Nova, 19, of Bayonne, New Jersey is charged by complaint with two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of coercion and enticement, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Nova appeared on April 17, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was detained.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    In or around October and November 2023, Nova coerced multiple minor victims to produce child pornography, which he then distributed online. After gaining the victims’ trust, including by posing as a teenage girl, Nova enticed the victims to send child pornography of themselves. Nova then blackmailed the minor victims into producing additional child pornography, some of which included acts of self-degradation, by threatening to distribute the existing images and videos to the minor victims’ family and friends if they did not comply.

    The charges of production of child pornography carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charges of coercion and enticement carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit with the investigation leading to the charges.  She also thanked the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence Reilly for their assistance.

    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 Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Kober of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

    The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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    Defense counsel: Carol Dominguez, Esq.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: CTI Chairman Pfluger Responds to Homeland Democrats’ Calls to Visit Deported Salvadoran MS-13 Gang Member, Domestic Abuser

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, released the following statement regarding the detention of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national with ties to the transnational gang and foreign terrorist organization MS-13, who was unlawfully present in Maryland, as multiple House and Senate Democrats are reportedly planning performative trips to visit Garcia being held in El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center.

    “Americans should not have their hard-earned tax dollars paying for an all-expenses-paid trip to import criminal illegal aliens back into our communities,” said Chairman August Pfluger. “Members who are rushing to El Salvador to retrieve an international gang-affiliated member, yet show zero urgency in meeting with Rachel Morin’s family or addressing the devastation from the Biden border crisis, have their priorities completely misaligned. This isn’t just failed leadership—it’s a complete abandonment of their duty to protect American citizens. While Democrats are fighting on behalf of illegal criminals on your dime, Republicans will continue to fight for the safety of American citizens.”

    Background:

    Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran national who, according to the Department of Justice, has been repeatedly identified as having ties to MS-13, a transnational gang and foreign terrorist organization. Garcia, who was unlawfully present in Maryland, was arrested and deported by the Trump administration in early March.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Leader of Notorious Philadelphia ‘10th and O Crew’ Sentenced to Six Years for Opioid Drug Conspiracy

    Source: US State of California

    A South Philadelphia man was sentenced yesterday in the District of New Jersey to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance. 

    According to court documents, between January 2022 and February 2024, Michael Procopio, 50, coordinated the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a leader of South Philadelphia’s notorious “10th and O Crew.” Procopio obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area. He then unlawfully distributed them through a network of intermediaries. In February 2024, during a search of Procopio’s residence pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement found oxycodone, Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine), and other drugs stored in a safe concealed in a hollowed-out dictionary. During the execution of the search warrant, Procopio stated, “take me to jail” and “I f***ed up.”

    Pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, one gram of actual oxycodone is equivalent to 6,700 grams of converted drug weight. Procopio admitted to distributing approximately 14,925 milligrams of oxycodone, which equates to between 80 and 100 kilograms of opioids by converted drug weight.

    “The defendant led a criminal ‘crew’ that diverted addictive prescription drugs to sell on the streets of Philadelphia,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The unlawful distribution of opioids ravages communities, whether it’s fentanyl from overseas or prescription oxycodone obtained from a doctor. The Department of Justice is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate the illegal sale of these dangerous drugs.” 

    In June 2024, Procopio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. Court documents show that Procopio was previously convicted of sexual assault in Pennsylvania.  

    Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Philadelphia Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Jersey Field Division joined the announcement.

    The FBI, DEA, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section 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 Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Colbert County Man Arrested for Failure to Register in the State of Alabama as a Sex Offender

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Colbert County man has been charged for violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and United States Marshal Martin Keely.

    A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Michael Shane McDaniel, 56, of Plainfield, Indiana, with failing to register or update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). McDaniel was convicted of child molestation in the Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis, Indiana, and required to register as a sex offender under SORNA. Following this conviction, McDaniel travelled across state lines from Indiana to Alabama and did not register as a sex offender. McDaniel was arrested on April 16, 2025, in Colbert County, Alabama. McDaniel will be detained and held in federal custody pending disposition of this case.

    The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 implemented SORNA and established a comprehensive national system for the registration of sex offenders. The Act requires anyone convicted of specified crimes to register with the national sex offender registry. It is a federal felony offense for sex offenders to travel to another state and fail to register. Federal violations of SORNA can result in imprisonment for up to 10 years.

    The U.S. Marshals Service for the Northern District of Alabama investigated the case along with the U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of Indiana, the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Hendricks County, Indiana Sheriff’s Office, and the Colbert County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.

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

    An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: A Leader of Notorious Philadelphia ‘10th and O Crew’ Sentenced to Six Years for Opioid Drug Conspiracy

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    A South Philadelphia man was sentenced yesterday in the District of New Jersey to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance. 

    According to court documents, between January 2022 and February 2024, Michael Procopio, 50, coordinated the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a leader of South Philadelphia’s notorious “10th and O Crew.” Procopio obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area. He then unlawfully distributed them through a network of intermediaries. In February 2024, during a search of Procopio’s residence pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement found oxycodone, Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine), and other drugs stored in a safe concealed in a hollowed-out dictionary. During the execution of the search warrant, Procopio stated, “take me to jail” and “I f***ed up.”

    Pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, one gram of actual oxycodone is equivalent to 6,700 grams of converted drug weight. Procopio admitted to distributing approximately 14,925 milligrams of oxycodone, which equates to between 80 and 100 kilograms of opioids by converted drug weight.

    “The defendant led a criminal ‘crew’ that diverted addictive prescription drugs to sell on the streets of Philadelphia,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The unlawful distribution of opioids ravages communities, whether it’s fentanyl from overseas or prescription oxycodone obtained from a doctor. The Department of Justice is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate the illegal sale of these dangerous drugs.” 

    In June 2024, Procopio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. Court documents show that Procopio was previously convicted of sexual assault in Pennsylvania.  

    Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Philadelphia Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Jersey Field Division joined the announcement.

    The FBI, DEA, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section 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 Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Support of North Carolina Church in Land Use Case

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    The Justice Department filed a statement of interest Friday in support of a Christian Church in North Carolina alleging violations of federal law by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners.

    The Civil Rights Division filed the statement in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina supporting a claim by a Christian church under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The Church alleges the County unlawfully denied an application to rezone several parcels of land to allow the church to build a new place of worship.

    “RLUIPA protects the rights of religious groups to exercise their faith free from the precise type of undue government interference exhibited here,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to defending religious liberties as our founders intended and as federal law requires.”

    Summit Church-Homestand Heights Baptist Church worshipped at East Chapel Hill High School for several years but has grown and now needs additional space to meet the religious needs of its congregation. In its complaint, Summit Church claims that the denial of its rezoning applications by the Board treated the Church on less than equal terms to nonreligious assemblies and imposed an unjustified substantial burden on its religious exercise.

    Summit Church filed a motion for preliminary injunction, seeking an order requiring the County to approve the church’s rezoning request and associated site plan. The County moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the zoning decision is a “legislative act” under state law and is therefore not controlled by RLUIPA. The department’s statement of interest supports the church’s claim that RLUIPA protects against the County’s discriminatory zoning decision.

    RLUIPA is a federal law that guards individuals and religious institutions from unduly burdensome, unequal, or discriminatory land use regulations. More information about RLUIPA and the department’s work can be found on the Place to Worship Initiative’s webpage.

    As part of this initiative, the department distributed a letter to state, county, and municipal leaders throughout the country to remind them of their obligations under RLUIPA, including its requirement that land use regulations treat religious assemblies and institutions at least as well as nonreligious assemblies and institutions.

    Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section at (718) 254-7000 or the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (833) 591-0291 or may submit a complaint through the RLUIPA complaint portal. More information about RLUIPA, including questions and answers about the law and other documents, may be found at www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/rluipaexplain.php.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Charleston Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization and Violating Supervised Release

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

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Anthony Michael Mowery, 48, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and violating supervised release.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about January 2024 to in or about May 2024, Mowery conspired with others in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine in the Charleston area. Mowery facilitated meetings during which his co-conspirators exchanged large quantities of methamphetamine for distribution.

    On May 5, 2024, Mowery arranged for co-conspirator Michael Dale Cain to travel to Charleston for the purpose of picking up approximately 3 pounds of methamphetamine from another co-conspirator, Kirt Ray King, that Cain intended to transport to Parkersburg and distribute to others. After Cain acquired the methamphetamine, he was stopped by law enforcement officers who searched his vehicle, seized the methamphetamine, and arrested Cain.

    Mowery has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for unlawful assault, assault, battery, child abuse, destruction of property, and fleeing from an officer. At the time of this offense, Mowery was serving a term of supervised release as a result of his July 5, 2018, conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Today’s sentence includes two years in prison, to run concurrently to the nine-year sentence imposed by the Court, for committing a crime while on supervised release.

    Mowery is among four individuals indicted by a federal grand jury in the DTO conspiracy. All four pleaded guilty. Cain, 49, of Parkersburg, was sentenced on January 29, 2025, to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. King, 48, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on January 27, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025. Co-defendant John Wayne Harkless, 46, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-95.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: 27 Members or Associates of Tren de Aragua Charged with Racketeering, Narcotics, Sex Trafficking, Robbery and Firearms offenses

    Source: US State of California

    Note: A copy of the Anti-Tren indictment can be found here.

    Today, two superseding indictments were unsealed charging 27 individuals currently or formerly associated with the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, robbery, and firearms offenses. The first superseding indictment (the “TdA Indictment”) charges six alleged members of TdA. The second superseding indictment (the “Anti-Tren Indictment”) charges 19 alleged members of “Anti-Tren,” a splinter faction comprised of former TdA members, along with two additional associates of Anti-Tren. Of the 27 defendants, 21 are in federal custody, including 16 who were already in federal criminal, immigration, or state custody and five who were arrested last night and today in operations in New York and other jurisdictions.

    “As alleged, Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country.”

    “Today, we have filed charges against 27 alleged members, former members, and associates of Tren de Aragua, for committing murders and shootings, forcing young women trafficked from Venezuela into commercial sex work, robbing and extorting small businesses, and selling ‘tusi,’ a pink powdery drug that has become their calling card,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York.  “Today’s Indictments make clear that this Office will work tirelessly to keep the law-abiding residents of New York City safe, and hold accountable those who bring violence to our streets.”“Tren de Aragua is one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, and the NYPD has taken significant action to shut down their operations in New York City,” said New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.  “For the first time ever, TdA is being named and charged as the criminal enterprise that it is. This isn’t just street crime—it’s organized racketeering, and this gang has shown zero regard for the safety of New Yorkers. As alleged in the indictment, these defendants wreaked havoc in our communities, trafficking women for sexual exploitation, flooding our streets with drugs, and committing violent crimes with illegal guns.  Thanks to the dedicated members of the NYPD and the important work of our federal partners, their time is up.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Indictments:[1]

    The TdA Indictment

    TdA is a criminal organization that operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, as well as internationally in Venezuela, Peru, and elsewhere. The purposes of TdA included:

    • Preserving and protecting the power and territory of TdA and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, robbery, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at former members and associates of TdA who associated with a splinter organization known as Anti-Tren.
    • Enriching the members and associates of TdA through, among other things:
      • The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including young women from Venezuela, into Peru and the United States;
      • The sex trafficking of young women (whom members and associates of TdA often refer to as “multadas”) who had been unlawfully smuggled into Peru and the United States;
      • The trafficking of controlled substances, including a mixed substance called “tusi” that contains ketamine; and
      • Armed robberies.
    • Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of TdA and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
    • Promoting and enhancing TdA and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
    • Providing assistance to members and associates of TdA who committed crimes for and on behalf of TdA, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of TdA to flee prosecution.
    • Protecting TdA and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of TdA.

    Members and associates of TdA transported “multadas” from Venezuela into Peru and the United States in exchange for debts that the “multadas” would pay back to TdA by engaging in commercial sex work. Members of TdA enforced compliance among “multadas” by, among other things:

    • Threatening to kill “multadas” and their families,
    • Assaulting “multadas,”
    • Shooting or killing “multadas,” and
    • Tracking down and kidnapping “multadas” who tried to flee.

    Members of TdA also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and expand TdA’s criminal operations; resolve disputes within TdA; to retaliate against rival organizations, including Anti-Tren; and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. TdA members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.

    The TdA Indictment charges Jarwin Valero-Calderon, also known as “La Fama,” 29; Samuel Gonzalez Castro, also known as “Klei” and “Kley, ” 28; Eferson Morillo-Gomez, also known as “Jefferson” and “Efe Trebol,” 20; Brayan Oliveros-Chero, 28; Sandro Oliveros-Chero, 25; and Armando Jose Perez Gonzalez, also known as “Biblia,” 30, (the “TdA Defendants”) with conspiring to participate in the TdA racketeering enterprise. Various of the TdA defendants are also charged with participating in offenses relating to drug trafficking, carjacking, robbery, and extortion, as well as firearms offenses. This case is assigned U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote for the Southern District of New York.

    If convicted of racketeering conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, Morillo-Gomez, Brayan Oliveros-Chero, Sandro Oliveros-Chero, and Perez Gonzalez face up to life in prison. If convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Brayan Oliveros-Chero, Sandro Oliveros-Chero, and Perez Gonzalez face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of carjacking conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to five years in prison. If convicted of carjacking, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of Hobbs Act robbery, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison. If convicted of attempted Hobbs Act extortion, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession – conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, Morillo-Gomez, Brayan Oliveros-Chero, and Sandro Oliveros-Chero face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of possession of ammunition by an illegal alien, Brayan Oliveros-Chero faces up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, Sandro Oliveros-Chero faces up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession, Perez Gonzalez faces up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, Perez Gonzalez faces up to 15 years in prison.

    The Anti-Tren Indictment

    Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of TdA. Anti-Tren operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, and in New Jersey, and elsewhere. Like TdA, the purposes of Anti-Tren included:

    • Preserving and protecting the power and territory of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at members and associates of TdA.
    • Enriching the members and associates of Anti-Tren through, among other things:
      • The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including women and girls from Venezuela, into the United States;
      • The sex trafficking of “multadas” who had been unlawfully smuggled into the United States;
      • The trafficking of controlled substances, including “tusi”; and
      • Armed robberies.
    • Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
    • Promoting and enhancing Anti-Tren and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
    • Providing assistance to members and associates of Anti-Tren who committed crimes for and on behalf of Anti-Tren, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of Anti-Tren to flee prosecution, or bail money for members or associates of Anti-Tren who are detained.
    • Protecting Anti-Tren and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of Anti-Tren.

    Like TdA, Anti-Tren engaged in human smuggling and sex trafficking of “multadas,” into the United States in exchange for debts that the “multadas” would pay back by engaging in commercial sex work. And like TdA, members of Anti-Tren enforced compliance among “multadas” by, among other things:

    • Threatening to kill “multadas” and their families,
    • Assaulting “multadas,”
    • Shooting or killing “multadas,” and
    • Tracking down and kidnapping “multadas” who tried to flee.

    Members of Anti-Tren also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and to expand Anti-Tren’s criminal operations, resolve disputes within Anti-Tren, to retaliate against rival organizations, including Tren de Aragua, and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. Anti-Tren members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.

    The Anti-Tren Indictment charges Reinaldo Rafael Gonzales-Valdez, also known as “Mariguana” and “Marijuana,” 41; Jose Manuel Guerrero-Zarate, also known as “Mantequilla,” 29; Jose David Valencia-De La Rosa, 27; Johan Carlos Mujica-Urpin, also known as “Sobrino,” 27; Luis Jose Velasquez-Hurtado, also known as “Chito,” 30; Stefano Said Pachon-Romero, 21; Guillermo Freites Velazquez, 26; Jesus David Barrios Garcia, also known as “Morocho,” 27; Giovanny Valentin Blanco Luciano, also known as “Cachorrito,” 20; Anderson Jesus Duran Berroteran, also known as “Cachorro, ” 22; Roiman Noe Bello Ferrer, 37; Luis Miguel Rodriguez-Tapia, 25; Mario Andres Pereda, also known as “Cara de Hombre,” 44; Anderson Smith Zambrano-Pacheco, 26; Yeferson Alejandro Prieto Galviz, also known as “Flaco T” and“Flacote,” 24; Jhonkennedy Bravo-Castro, also known as  “Negrito,” 27; Yender Maykier Mata, 36; Kellen Alejandro Jaspe Bustamante, 20; and Luis Andres Bello-Chacon, also known as  “Care de Peo,” 31 (the “Anti-Tren Defendants”) with conspiring to participate in an Anti-Tren racketeering enterprise. Various of the Anti-Tren Defendants, along with co-defendants Wilfredo Jose Avendaño Carrizalez and Carlos Gabriel Santos Mogollon, are also charged with participating in offenses relating to sex trafficking, conspiracy to import and harbor aliens, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and firearms offenses. This case is assigned U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil of the Southern District of New York.

    If convicted of racketeering conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Valencia-De La Rosa, Mujica-Urpin, Velasquez-Hurtado, Pachon-Romero, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Blanco Luciano, Duran Berroteran, Bello Ferrer, Rodriguez-Tapia, Pereda, Zambrano-Pacheco, Prieto Galviz, Bravo-Castro, Maykier Mata, Jaspe Bustamante, and Bello-Chacon face up to life in prison. If convicted of sex trafficking conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Valencia-De La Rosa, Mujica-Urpin, Velasquez-Hurtado, Pachon-Romero, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Duran Berroteran, Rodriguez-Tapia, Pereda, Zambrano-Pacheco, and Bravo-Castro face up to life in prison. If convicted of alien importation and harboring for immoral purpose – conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Valencia-De La Rosa, Mujica-Urpin, Velasquez-Hurtado, Pachon-Romero, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Duran Berroteran, Rodriguez-Tapia, Pereda, Zambrano-Pacheco, and Bravo-Castro face up to five years in prison. If convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Mujica-Urpin, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Blanco Luciano, Duran Berroteran, Prieto Galviz, Maykier Mata, Jaspe Bustamante, and Bello-Chacon face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Mujica-Urpin, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Blanco Luciano, Zambrano-Pacheco, Prieto Galviz, Maykier Mata, Jaspe Bustamante, and Bello-Chacon face up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. If convicted of obstruction of justice, Velasquez-Hurtado faces up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of unlicensed dealing of firearms, Pachon-Romero faces up to five years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a fugitive from justice and illegal alien, Zambrano-Pacheco, faces up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, Bravo-Castro, Avendaño Carrizalez and Santos Mogollonface up to 15 years in prison.

    The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

    Attorney General Bondi and Acting U.S. Attorney Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and NYPD. They also thanked the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado; the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colorado; the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); the HSI National Gang Unit and New York Human Intelligence Division; ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations New York; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and the New York City Crime Analysis Center at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

    This case received significant support from Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua, and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern District of New York; the Eastern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; the Southern District of Texas; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division.  Additionally, the FBI; DEA; HSI; ATF; USMS; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department 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). In February 2025, Tren de Aragua was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, and Timothy Ly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution.

    The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    [1] The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 27 Members Or Associates Of Tren De Aragua Charged With Racketeering, Narcotics, Sex Trafficking, Robbery And Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Pamela Bondi, the Attorney General of the United States; Kristi Noem, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”); Todd M. Lyons, the Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today two Superseding Indictments charging 27 individuals currently or formerly associated with the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (“TdA”) with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, robbery, and firearms offenses.  The first Superseding Indictment (the “TdA Indictment”) charges six alleged members of TdA.  The second Superseding Indictment (the “Anti-Tren Indictment”) charges 19 alleged members of “Anti-Tren,” a splinter faction comprised of former TdA members, along with two additional associates of Anti-Tren.  Of the 27 defendants, 21 are in federal custody, including 16 who were already in federal criminal, immigration, or state custody and five who were arrested last night and today in operations in New York and other jurisdictions.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Today, we have filed charges against 27 alleged members, former members, and associates of Tren de Aragua, for committing murders and shootings, forcing young women trafficked from Venezuela into commercial sex work, robbing and extorting small businesses, and selling ‘tusi,’ a pink powdery drug that has become their calling card.  Today’s Indictments make clear that this Office will work tirelessly to keep the law-abiding residents of New York City safe, and hold accountable those who bring violence to our streets.”

    Attorney General Pam Bondi said: “As alleged, Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities.  Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country.” 

    NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “Tren de Aragua is one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, and the NYPD has taken significant action to shut down their operations in New York City.  For the first time ever, TdA is being named and charged as the criminal enterprise that it is.  This isn’t just street crime—it’s organized racketeering, and this gang has shown zero regard for the safety of New Yorkers.  As alleged in the indictment, these defendants wreaked havoc in our communities, trafficking women for sexual exploitation, flooding our streets with drugs, and committing violent crimes with illegal guns.  Thanks to the dedicated members of the NYPD and the important work of our federal partners, their time is up.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Indictments:[1]

    The TdA Indictment

    TdA is a criminal organization that operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, as well as internationally in Venezuela, Peru, and elsewhere.  The purposes of TdA included:

    • Preserving and protecting the power and territory of TdA and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, robbery, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at former members and associates of TdA who associated with a splinter organization known as Anti-Tren.
    • Enriching the members and associates of TdA through, among other things:
      • The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including young women from Venezuela, into Peru and the U.S.;
      • The sex trafficking of young women (whom members and associates of TdA often refer to as “multadas”) who had been unlawfully smuggled into Peru and the U.S.;
      • The trafficking of controlled substances, including a mixed substance called “tusi” that contains ketamine; and
      • Armed robberies.
    • Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of TdA and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
    • Promoting and enhancing TdA and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
    • Providing assistance to members and associates of TdA who committed crimes for and on behalf of TdA, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of TdA to flee prosecution.
    • Protecting TdA and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of TdA.

    Members and associates of TdA transported “multadas” from Venezuela into Peru and the U.S. in exchange for debts that the “multadas” would pay back to TdA by engaging in commercial sex work.  Members of TdA enforced compliance among “multadas” by, among other things:

    • Threatening to kill “multadas” and their families,
    • Assaulting “multadas,”
    • Shooting or killing “multadas,” and
    • Tracking down and kidnapping “multadas” who tried to flee.

    Members of TdA also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and expand TdA’s criminal operations; resolve disputes within TdA; to retaliate against rival organizations, including Anti-Tren; and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims.  TdA members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.

    The TdA Indictment charges JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON, a/k/a “La Fama”; SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO, a/k/a “Klei,” a/k/a “Kley”; EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ, a/k/a “Jefferson,” a/k/a “Efe Trebol”; BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO; SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO; and ARMANDO JOSE PEREZ GONZALEZ, a/k/a “Biblia” (the “TdA Defendants”) with conspiring to participate in the TdA racketeering enterprise.  Various of the TdA Defendants are also charged with participating in offenses relating to drug trafficking, carjacking, robbery, and extortion, as well as firearms offenses.  This case is assigned U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote.

    The Anti-Tren Indictment

    Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of TdA.  Anti-Tren operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, and in New Jersey, and elsewhere.  Like TdA, the purposes of Anti-Tren included:

    • Preserving and protecting the power and territory of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at members and associates of TdA.
    • Enriching the members and associates of Anti-Tren through, among other things:
      • The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including women and girls from Venezuela, into the U.S.;
      • The sex trafficking of “multadas” who had been unlawfully smuggled into the U.S.;
      • The trafficking of controlled substances, including “tusi”; and
      • Armed robberies.
    • Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
    • Promoting and enhancing Anti-Tren and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
    • Providing assistance to members and associates of Anti-Tren who committed crimes for and on behalf of Anti-Tren, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of Anti-Tren to flee prosecution, or bail money for members or associates of Anti-Tren who are detained.
    • Protecting Anti-Tren and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of Anti-Tren.

    Like TdA,  Anti-Tren engaged in human smuggling and sex trafficking of “multadas,” into the U.S. in exchange for debts that the “multadas” would pay back by engaging in commercial sex work. And like TdA, members of Anti-Tren enforced compliance among “multadas” by, among other things:

    • Threatening to kill “multadas” and their families,
    • Assaulting “multadas,”
    • Shooting or killing “multadas,” and
    • Tracking down and kidnapping “multadas” who tried to flee.

    Members of Anti-Tren also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and to expand Anti-Tren’s criminal operations, resolve disputes within Anti-Tren, to retaliate against rival organizations, including Tren de Aragua, and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims.  Anti-Tren members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.

    The Anti-Tren Indictment charges REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ, a/k/a “Mariguana,” a/k/a “Marijuana”; JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE, a/k/a “Mantequilla”; JOSE DAVID VALENCIA-DE LA ROSA; JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN, a/k/a “Sobrino”; LUIS JOSE VELASQUEZ-HURTADO, a/k/a “Chito”; STEFANO SAID PACHON-ROMERO; GUILLERMO FREITES VELAZQUEZ; JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA, a/k/a “Morocho”; GIOVANNY VALENTIN BLANCO LUCIANO, a/k/a “Cachorrito”; ANDERSON JESUS DURAN BERROTERAN, a/k/a “Cachorro”; ROIMAN NOE BELLO FERRER; LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ-TAPIA; MARIO ANDRES PEREDA, a/k/a “Cara de Hombre”; ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO; YEFERSON ALEJANDRO PRIETO GALVIZ, a/k/a “Flaco T,” a/k/a “Flacote”; JHONKENNEDY BRAVO-CASTRO, a/k/a “Negrito”; YENDER MAYKIER MATA; KELLEN ALEJANDRO JASPE BUSTAMANTE; and LUIS ANDRES BELLO-CHACON, a/k/a “Care de Peo” (the “Anti-Tren Defendants”) with conspiring to participate in an Anti-Tren racketeering enterprise.  Various of the Anti-Tren Defendants, along with co-defendants WILFREDO JOSE AVENDAÑO CARRIZALEZ and CARLOS GABRIEL SANTOS MOGOLLON, are also charged with participating in offenses relating to sex trafficking, conspiracy to import and harbor aliens, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and firearms offenses.  This case is assigned U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.

    *                *                *

    A chart containing the names, ages, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below.

    The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

    Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) and NYPD.  He also thanked the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado; the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colorado; the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service (“USMS”); the Homeland Security Investigations National Gang Unit and New York Human Intelligence Division; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s New York Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”); and the New York City Crime Analysis Center at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

    This case received significant support from Joint Task Force Vulcan (“JTFV”), which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua, and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern District of New York; the Eastern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; the Southern District of Texas; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division.  Additionally, the FBI; DEA; HSI; ATF; USMS; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department 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). In February 2025, Tren de Aragua was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, and Timothy Ly are in charge of the prosecution.

    The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    The Tren de Aragua Indictment

    COUNT

    CHARGE

    DEFENDANTS

    MAX. PENALTIES

    1

    Racketeering

    conspiracy

    18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)

    JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,

         a/k/a “La Fama,” 29;

    SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,

         a/k/a “Klei,” 

         a/k/a “Kley,” 28;

    EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,

         a/k/a “Jefferson,” 

         a/k/a “Efe Trebol,” 20;

    BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO, 28;

    SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO, 25; and

    ARMANDO JOSE PEREZ GONZALEZ,

               a/k/a “Biblia,” 30

    		 Life in prison

    2

    Drug trafficking conspiracy

    21 U.S.C. §  846

    JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,

         a/k/a “La Fama,”

    BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO,

    SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO, and

    ARMANDO JOSE PEREZ GONZALEZ,

               a/k/a “Biblia”

    		 20 years in prison

    3

    Carjacking conspiracy

    18 U.S.C. § 371

    JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,

         a/k/a “La Fama,”

    SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,

         a/k/a “Klei,” 

         a/k/a “Kley,” and

    EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,

         a/k/a “Jefferson,” 

         a/k/a “Efe Trebol”

    		 5 years in prison

    4

    Carjacking

    18 U.S.C. § 2119

    JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,

         a/k/a “La Fama,”

    SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,

         a/k/a “Klei,” 

         a/k/a “Kley,” and

    EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,

         a/k/a “Jefferson,” 

         a/k/a “Efe Trebol”

    		 15 years in prison

    5

    Hobbs Act robbery

    18 U.S.C. §§  1951 and 2

    JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,

         a/k/a “La Fama,”

    SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,

         a/k/a “Klei,” 

         a/k/a “Kley,” and

    EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,

         a/k/a “Jefferson,” 

         a/k/a “Efe Trebol”

    		 20 years in prison

    6

    Firearm use, carrying, and possession

    18 U.S.C. §§  924(c)(1)(A)(i) and (ii), and 2

    JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,

         a/k/a “La Fama,”

    SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,

         a/k/a “Klei,” 

         a/k/a “Kley,” and

    EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,

         a/k/a “Jefferson,” 

         a/k/a “Efe Trebol”

    Life in prison

    Mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years in prison

    7

    Attempted Hobbs Act extortion

    18 U.S.C. §§  1951 and 2

    JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,

         a/k/a “La Fama,”

    SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,

         a/k/a “Klei,” 

         a/k/a “Kley,” and

    EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,

         a/k/a “Jefferson,” 

         a/k/a “Efe Trebol”

    		 20 years in prison

    8

    Firearm use, carrying, and possession – conspiracy

    18 U.S.C. §  924(o)

    JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,

         a/k/a “La Fama,”

    SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,

         a/k/a “Klei,” 

         a/k/a “Kley,” and

    EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,

         a/k/a “Jefferson,” 

         a/k/a “Efe Trebol”

    		 20 years in prison

    9

    Firearm use, carrying, and possession – conspiracy

    18 U.S.C. §  924(o)

    BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO, and

    SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO

    		 20 years in prison

    10

    Firearm use, carrying, and possession

    18 U.S.C. §  924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2

    BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO, and

    SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO

    		 20 years in prison

    11

    Possession of ammunition by an illegal alien

    18 U.S.C. §§  922(g)(5) and 2

    		 BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO 15 years in prison

    12

    Possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien

    18 U.S.C. §§  922(g)(5) and 2

    		 SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO 15 years in prison

    13

    Firearm use, carrying, and possession

    18 U.S.C. §§  924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2

    ARMANDO JOSE PEREZ GONZALEZ,

               a/k/a “Biblia,”

    Life in prison

    Mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison

    14

    Possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien

    18 U.S.C. §§  922(g)(5) and 2

    ARMANDO JOSE PEREZ GONZALEZ,

               a/k/a “Biblia,”

    		 15 years in prison

    The Anti-Tren Indictment

    COUNT

    CHARGE

    DEFENDANTS

    MAX. PENALTIES

    1

    Racketeering

    conspiracy

    18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)

    REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ, 

         a/k/a “Mariguana,” 

         a/k/a “Marijuana,” 41;

    JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE,

         a/k/a “Mantequilla,” 29;

    JOSE DAVID VALENCIA-DE LA ROSA, 27;

    JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN,

          a/k/a “Sobrino,” 27;

    LUIS JOSE VELASQUEZ-HURTADO,

         a/k/a “Chito,” 30;

    STEFANO SAID PACHON-ROMERO, 21;

    GUILLERMO ENRIQUE FREITES-VELAZQUEZ, 26;

    JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA,

         a/k/a “Morocho,” 27;

    GIOVANNY VALENTIN BLANCO LUCIANO,

         a/k/a “Cachorrito,” 20;

    ANDERSON JESUS DURAN BERROTERAN,

         a/k/a “Cachorro,” 22;

    ROIMAN NOE BELLO FERRER, 37;

    LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ-TAPIA, 25;

    MARIO ANDRES PEREDA,

         a/k/a “Cara de Hombre,” 44;

    ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO, 26;

    YEFERSON ALEJANDRO PRIETO GALVIZ,

         a/k/a “Flaco T,” 

         a/k/a “Flacote,” 24;

    JHONKENNEDY BRAVO-CASTRO,

         a/k/a “Negrito,” 27;

    YENDER MAYKIER MATA, 36;

    KELLEN ALEJANDRO JASPE BUSTAMANTE, 20; and

    LUIS ANDRES BELLO-CHACON,

        a/k/a “Care de Peo,” 31

    		 Life in prison

    2

    Sex trafficking conspiracy

    18 U.S.C. § 1594(c)

    REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ, 

          a/k/a “Mariguana,” a/k/a “Marijuana,”

    JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE, 

          a/k/a “Mantequilla,”  

    JOSE DAVID VALENCIA-DE LA ROSA,

    JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN, 

          a/k/a “Sobrino,”

    LUIS JOSE VELASQUEZ-HURTADO,

          a/k/a “Chito,”

    STEFANO SAID PACHON-ROMERO, GUILLERMO FREITES VELAZQUEZ,

    JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA, 

          a/k/a “Morocho,”

    ANDERSON JESUS DURAN BERROTERAN,        a/k/a “Cachorro,”

    LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ-TAPIA,

    MARIO ANDRES PEREDA, 

          a/k/a “Cara de Hombre,”

    ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO, and

    JHONKENNEDY BRAVO-CASTRO,

          a/k/a “Negrito”

    		 Life in prison

    3

    Alien importation and harboring for immoral purpose – conspiracy

    18 U.S.C. § 371

    REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ, 

          a/k/a “Mariguana,” a/k/a “Marijuana,”

    JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE, 

          a/k/a “Mantequilla,” JOSE DAVID VALENCIA-DE LA ROSA,

    JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN, 

          a/k/a “Sobrino,”

    LUIS JOSE VELASQUEZ-HURTADO,

          a/k/a “Chito,”

    STEFANO SAID PACHON-ROMERO, GUILLERMO FREITES VELAZQUEZ,

    JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA, 

          a/k/a “Morocho,”

    ANDERSON JESUS DURAN BERROTERAN,        a/k/a “Cachorro,”

    LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ-TAPIA,

    MARIO ANDRES PEREDA, 

          a/k/a “Cara de Hombre,”

    ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO, and

    JHONKENNEDY BRAVO-CASTRO,

          a/k/a “Negrito”

    		 5 years in prison

    4

    Drug trafficking conspiracy

    21 U.S.C. §  846

    REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ,

          a/k/a “Mariguana,” a/k/a “Marijuana,”

    JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE, 

          a/k/a “Mantequilla,”  

    JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN, 

          a/k/a “Sobrino,”

    GUILLERMO FREITES VELAZQUEZ,

    JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA, 

          a/k/a “Morocho,”

    GIOVANNY VALENTIN BLANCO LUCIANO, 

          a/k/a “Cachorrito,”  

    ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO,

    YEFERSON ALEJANDRO PRIETO GALVIZ,        a/k/a “Flaco T,” a/k/a “Flacote,”

    YENDER MAYKIER MATA,

    KELLEN ALEJANDRO JASPE BUSTAMANTE, and

    LUIS ANDRES BELLO-CHACON, 

          a/k/a “Care de Peo”

    		 20 years in prison

    5

    Firearm use, carrying, and possession

    18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2

    REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ,

          a/k/a “Mariguana,” a/k/a “Marijuana,”

    JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE, 

          a/k/a “Mantequilla,”  

    JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN, 

          a/k/a “Sobrino,”

    GUILLERMO FREITES VELAZQUEZ,

    JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA, 

          a/k/a “Morocho,”

    GIOVANNY VALENTIN BLANCO LUCIANO, 

          a/k/a “Cachorrito,”  

    ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO,

    YEFERSON ALEJANDRO PRIETO GALVIZ,        a/k/a “Flaco T,” a/k/a “Flacote,”

    YENDER MAYKIER MATA,

    KELLEN ALEJANDRO JASPE BUSTAMANTE, and

    LUIS ANDRES BELLO-CHACON, 

               a/k/a “Care de Peo”

    Life in prison

    Mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison

    6

    Obstruction of justice

    18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(c) and 2

    LUIS JOSE VELASQUEZ-HURTADO,

          a/k/a “Chito,”

    		 20 years in prison

    7

    Unlicensed dealing of firearms

    18 U.S.C. §§   922(a)(1)(A) and 2

    		 STEFANO PACHON-ROMERO 5 years in prison

    8

    Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a fugitive from justice and illegal alien

    18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(2) and (5), and 2

    		 ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO 15 years in prison

    9

    Possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien

    18 U.S.C. §§  922(g)(5) and 2

    JHONKENNEDY BRAVO-CASTRO,

               a/k/a “Negrito,”

    		 15 years in prison

    10

    Possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien

    18 U.S.C. §§  922(g)(5) and 2

    WILFREDO JOSE AVENDAÑO CARRIZALEZ, 26; and

    CARLOS GABRIEL SANTOS MOGOLLON, 31

    		 15 years in prison

    [1] The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Suspected Murderer Wanted in Mexico Arrested in Spokane

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Spokane, WA – On April 18, 2025, at approximately 9:30 a.m., Jesus Salas-Rubio was arrested near the 1000 block of E Mission Ave in Spokane, Washington. Salas-Rubio was wanted on an outstanding federal arrest warrant in connection to a homicide in Mexico.

    The U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) made the arrest without incident in coordination with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Spokane Police Department, and the Washington State Department of Corrections. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with the Eastern District of Washington United States Attorney’s Office to issue a warrant and for the U.S. Marshals to execute an arrest warrant on April 16, 2025.

    Salas-Rubio was booked into the Spokane County Jail for his federal warrant. Mexican authorities have been notified that he is currently in custody.

    Salas-Rubio has a documented history of violence, including prior offenses involving shootings, assaults, and being a felon in possession of firearms.

    “The U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force prioritizes working with the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and our global law enforcement partners to pursue justice for victims, no matter where the crime occurred. This arrest also reflects the continued collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies in identifying, locating, and apprehending the most dangerous fugitives,” said U.S. Marshal Craig Thayer.

    The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives.

    Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or USMS Tips.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Wisconsin Couple for Forced Labor

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    An indictment was unsealed today in Madison, Wisconsin charging a Wisconsin man with seven counts of forced labor, conspiracy to commit forced labor, and seven counts of alien harboring for private financial gain; the indictment further charged the man’s wife with seven counts of forced labor and conspiracy to commit forced labor.

    According to the indictment, between September 2015 and March 2018, Luis Abreu, 50, and his wife, Cybell Abreu, 50, used threats of serious harm and abuse of the law and legal process to coerce seven minor males and young men to perform labor and services. The indictment further alleges that Luis Abreu harbored the seven boys and young men, who he knew or recklessly disregarded to be unlawfully present in the United States.

    The defendants made their initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Wisconsin on April 21. The charge of forced labor carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of alien harboring carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when done for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin, and Homeland Security Investigations Resident Agent in Charge Eric Rice of the HSI Milwaukee Office made the announcement.

    The HSI Milwaukee Office of the Resident Agent in Charge conducted the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Slava Kuperstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

    If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California State Prisoner Indicted for Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — Nathaniel Ray Diaz, 21, of Greenfield, was arraigned today after a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment that charged him with sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted receipt of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and obstruction of justice, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, Diaz was serving a three-year sentence at Avenal State Prison in Kings County for committing lewd acts against a 12-year-old and making criminal threats with a gun. Between July 5, 2024, and Nov. 25, 2024, Diaz used prison phones, a CDCR-issued tablet, and prison-monitored ViaPath messaging equipment to communicate with the victim. Although Diaz had a 10-year no contact order for a minor, he placed thousands of calls to the minor. He instructed the minor to create and transmit to him images of the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. When Diaz learned that someone had contacted law enforcement about the communications, he directed people to delete evidence.

    This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Service Unit, and the Salinas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower from the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Diaz faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the sexual exploitation of a child, a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for attempted receipt of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. If convicted of the obstruction of justice charge, Diaz faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran Nationals Accused of Possessing and Distributing Fentanyl Face Federal Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging two Honduran nationals, living in the United States illegally, with drug crimes.

    Jorge Luis Hernandez-Valle, 36, and Luis Alfredo Hernandez, 35, both Honduran nationals, living in the United States illegally in Salt Lake County, Utah, were charged by complaint on April 10, 2025. 
        
    According to court documents, since March 2025, detectives with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force began investigating an alleged drug trafficking organization. During the investigation, detectives purchased narcotics during a controlled buy. During this time, two alleged drug runners involved with the organization and two vehicles were identified. On April 8, 2025, one of the vehicles, a Toyota 4-Runner, was stopped in Kearns, Utah, and a search warrant was executed. From the vehicle, detectives seized approximately 4,500 individual field-tested positive fentanyl pills. Hernandez and Hernandez-Valle were subsequently taken into custody. According to court documents, Hernandez was previously removed from the United States in July 2009 and September 2018. Hernandez-Valle was previously removed from the United States on three occasions, December 2007, September 2010, and May 2019.

    Hernandez-Valle and Hernandez are charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Their initial appearance on the indictment was April 18, 2025 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

    Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated jointly by the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    Special Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Albanian National Charged with Conspiring to Smuggle Illegal Aliens into the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Fatjon Shytani, an Albanian national and resident of the Bronx, New York, with a scheme to smuggle illegal aliens from Canada into the United States for financial gain.  Shytani was arrested yesterday morning and was arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and indictment.

    “As alleged, Shytani conspired to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States to benefit himself financially, but was thwarted by the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “These types of schemes represent a significant threat to our national security and will not be tolerated.  This case demonstrates our Office’s continued dedication to protect our border security and the integrity of the immigration process.”

    Mr. Durham also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the New York City Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Albanian State Police for their valuable assistance during the investigation.

    Fatjon Shytani, an Albanian national, allegedly facilitated the illegal entry of foreign nationals into the United States in exchange for cash payments.  This alleged conspiracy established unauthorized border access designed to circumvent proper protocols and evade authorities.  The FBI remains dedicated to apprehending any individual who profits from violating the borders and security of our nation.

    As alleged in court filings, Shytani and his co-defendants conspired to smuggle foreign nationals from to enter the United States via illegal border crossing at the U.S. border with Canada.  During the course of the investigation, Shytani accepted cash from an undercover agent (UC-1) in exchange for arranging to have the agent’s significant other, who purportedly was from the Republic of Kosovo, smuggled across the Canadian border into the United States.  In reality, the agent’s significant other was another undercover law enforcement agent (UC-2).  Between March 12, 2024 and March 13, 2024, Shytani and UC-1 exchanged phone calls and text messages during which they agreed to meet in person on March 14, 2024, at a coffee shop on Long Island, New York.  On March 14, 2024, Shytani met UC-1 at the agreed-upon location where they discussed details regarding UC-2’s illegal crossing from Canada into the United States. At the conclusion of the meeting, UC-1 paid Shytani $14,000 in cash for the planned smuggling service.  On March 16, 2024, Shytani’s co-conspirators then attempted to smuggle UC-2 and two other aliens from Canada into the United States before being apprehended and later released by Canadian law enforcement.

    The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted of alien smuggling and transportation conspiracy, Shytani faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

    Assistant United States  Attorneys Andrew Roddin, Stephanie Pak, and Kate Mathews are in charge of the prosecution.  This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and 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 Project Safe Neighborhood.

    The Defendant:

    FATJON SHYTANI (also known as “Fati”)
    Age:  41
    Bronx, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-133 (SJB)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Pharmaceutical Company Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Distribution of $60 Million in Diverted HIV Drugs

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – Adam Brosius, 60 of Delray Beach, pleaded guilty in connection with his role in a nationwide scheme to unlawfully distribute misbranded and adulterated HIV drugs to unsuspecting patients.

    According to court documents, Brosius was a part owner of Safe Chain Solutions LLC (“Safe Chain”), a wholesale distributor of pharmaceuticals based in Cambridge, Maryland, that purported to sell legitimate prescription drugs to pharmacies throughout the country, including expensive HIV medication. 

    In connection with his guilty plea, Brosius admitted that he and his co-conspirators illegally acquired HIV drugs that had been diverted from the regulated pharmaceutical distribution chain by various means.  One common method of prescription drug diversion involved buying bottles of supposed prescription HIV medication from individuals on the street, repackaging and relabeling the bottles, and then reselling the drugs to Safe Chain at steeply discounted prices with falsified documentation concealing the drugs’ true origin.  Brosius and his co-conspirators were notified of the false documentation accompanying these drugs but continued purchasing the steeply discounted HIV drugs and reselling them to pharmacy customers, which dispensed the diverted drugs to unsuspecting patients.  According to court documents, at times patients received bottles labeled as their prescription medication but which contained a different drug entirely, with one patient passing out and remaining unconscious for 24 hours after taking an anti-psychotic drug thinking it was his prescribed HIV medication.

    Sentencing is set for August 29, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale before United States District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.  Brosius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison. 

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Miami Regional Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

    Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian of the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case. 

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20255.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 1,220 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the Third week in April as part of Operation Take Back America.

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 1,220 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the Third week in April as part of Operation Take Back America.

    Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from 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 Security: Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Huntington Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Mark Lawrence Lowe, also known as “Cell,” 24, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Lowe admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least September 2023 through November 2023, Lowe participated in the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl at various locations in the Southern District of West Virginia and elsewhere as part of the DTO.

    On September 9, 2023, Lowe and co-conspirator Paul Anthony Rucker were transporting fentanyl and methamphetamine from Huntington to Nitro when law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle on Interstate 64 in Cabell County. An officer seized approximately 149 grams of fentanyl and 222.62 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle during the traffic stop. As part of his guilty plea, Lowe admitted that he and Rucker intended to distribute the seized controlled substances.

    Lowe is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.

    Rucker, 47, of Nitro, was sentenced on July 15, 2024, to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

    Lowe and Rucker are among 27 individuals indicted on charges alleging the DTO distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

    Lowe, Rucker and 22 other defendants have pleaded guilty, including one who pleaded guilty to a separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment. Charges against the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.

    United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 1,220 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the Third week in April as part of Operation Take Back America.

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from 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).

    Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 1,220 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.

    The Southern District of Texas filed 216 cases in immigration and security-related matters. As part of those cases, 86 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, firearms or sexual offenses, or prior immigration crimes. A total of 119 people face charges of illegally entering the country while 11 cases involve various instances of human smuggling. Some of those charged with felony reentry include Mexican national Alejandro Contreras-Zapata, who was allegedly found near Roma. The charges allege he had been previously sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon before his removal March 7.

    The Western District of Texas filed 378 new immigration-related criminal cases. Among the new cases, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE ERO) agents in San Antonio received notification that Mexican national Netsai Moreno-Suarez was arrested for a traffic violation on April 11. Moreno-Suarez was transferred into ICE ERO custody, charged with illegal re-entry. She was previously removed from the United States in August 2023 after being convicted for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and being sentenced to five years of probation. If convicted, Moreno-Suarez faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

    The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 328 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 130 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 179 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 16 cases against 18 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. The United States also charged one individual with failing to register, as required by law.

    The Southern District of California filed 135 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances. A sample of border-related arrests this week: On April 15, Jesus Manuel Zuniga Huerta and Jose Alberto Flores Avalos of Mexico were arrested at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and charged with importing deadly fentanyl into the U.S. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 148 pounds of fentanyl in the rear frame well of a tractor-trailer driven by Zuniga Huerta. On April 15, Brian Jaime Sanchez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found an undocumented immigrant concealed in the trunk of Sanchez’s car as he attempted to cross the border at the Tecate Port of Entry. On April 17, Sergio Villalba-Serrano, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Departed Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Villalba-Serrano was taken into custody near the Tecate Port of Entry after his vehicle was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Villalba-Serrano had previously been deported on Oct. 26, 2019, from Laredo, Texas.

    The Central District of California filed criminal charges against 34 defendants who are alleged to have been found in the United States following removal, the Justice Department announced today. Many of the defendants charged previously were convicted of felony offenses prior to their removal from the United States, including domestic violence, unlawful sex with a minor, and assault with a deadly weapon.

    The District of New Mexico brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 68 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), and 55 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325).  Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, aggravated driving under the influence and possession of a forgery writing/device.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Announces Sentencing of Former Sutter Roseville Nursing Assistant for Theft from Elders

    Source: US State of California

    Monday, April 21, 2025

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

    ROSEVILLE – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the sentencing of a former Sutter Roseville nursing assistant for stealing credit cards and cash from multiple patients at Sutter Roseville Medical Center. Between November and December 2022, Shekira Thompson stole cash and credit cards from three elderly patients under her care. She charged over two thousand dollars on the credit cards at several locations such as a wig store, nail salon, and the mall.   

    “Healthcare providers have a profound responsibility to treat their patients with the highest level of compassion and dignity,” said Attorney General Bonta. “They support individuals during some of the most challenging moments in their lives. At the California Department of Justice, we are committed to fighting against all types of elder abuse and neglect. We will take prompt action to ensure that anyone who exploits or harms these vulnerable members of our community is held accountable. We appreciate the collaboration with Sutter Health Department of Protective Services on this investigation.”
     
    Thompson was charged with two felony counts of theft from an elder or dependent adult, one misdemeanor count of theft from an elder or dependent adult, and one count of felony identity theft. Thompson entered a plea of guilty to all charges and admitted to all aggravating factors set forth in the criminal complaint. Today, Thompson was sentenced to serve 200 days in jail, placed on formal probation for two years, ordered to pay restitution to the victims, and was prohibited from working as a caregiver in a facility whose primary purpose is to care for elders or dependent persons.
     
    The Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $69,244,976 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of California. FY 2025 is from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
     
    A copy of the complaint can be found here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Up to $5 Million Reward Offered for Capture of Archaga Carías, a Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive and Leader of Foreign Terrorist Organization MS-13

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organization MS-13 leader Yulan Andony Archaga Carías, also known as “Alexander Mendoza” and “Porky,” 43, is the highest-ranking member of MS-13, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), in Honduras and was previously charged in 2021 in a superseding indictment in the Southern District of New York with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. Archaga Carías, a Honduran national, was subsequently placed on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List, the DEA’s Most Wanted Fugitives List, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI)’s Most Wanted Fugitives List. The Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is offering a reward under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction in any country.

    “This terrorist leader can no longer be allowed to live free as MS-13’s evil devastates communities in America and throughout the western hemisphere,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “If you can contribute information leading to his arrest – come forward now.”

    Archaga Carías remains at large. If you have information, please contact the FBI by email at archaga-carias_tips@fbi.gov, or via WhatsApp at +1-832-267-1688. If you are outside the United States, you may also contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are in the United States, you may also contact the local FBI, DEA, or HSI office in your city. Only tips sent to U.S. Government will be considered for reward.

    “Dismantling and ultimately eliminating MS-13 continues to be one of the FBI’s highest priorities, and we’re not stopping until that mission is complete,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Alongside our dedicated law enforcement partners, the FBI will find Archaga Carías — a terrorist whose reign of terror at the helm of MS-13 is coming to an end.”

    “With MS-13 now officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, the rules have changed — and so has the mission,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “Archaga Carías isn’t just a fugitive — he’s a foreign terrorist waging war on innocent Americans through murder, trafficking, and terror. Let me be clear: under this Administration, we will dismantle MS-13 piece by piece—and anyone protecting him will fall with him. A $5 million is on the table. Turn him in. End this threat.”

    A co-defendant, David Campbell, aka “Viejo Dan” and “Don David,” a Honduran national, is currently in custody in the United States facing the charges contained in the superseding indictment. In addition to Archaga Carías and Campbell, the superseding indictment charges three other MS-13 leaders, Juan Carlos Portillo Santos also known as “Juancy;” Victor Eduardo Morales Zelaya also known as “Cuervo;” and Jorge Alberto Velasquez Paz also known as “Chacarron,” with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. Portillo Santos, a Honduran national, is in custody in Honduras serving a lengthy prison sentence. Morales Zelaya and Velasquez Paz, both Honduran nationals, remain at large. The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Gregory H. Woods for the Southern District of New York.   

    “MS-13 remains one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world, and the recent designation of MS-13 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization underscores this reality,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York. “This Office, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate, prosecute and track down MS-13’s leadership, no matter where in the world they may be hiding.”

    As alleged in the superseding indictment previously unsealed in Manhattan federal court, Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13 is a transnational criminal and foreign terrorist organization that engages in acts of violence, including murders, kidnapping, and assaults, extortion, and large-scale drug importation and distribution throughout Central America and the United States. Archaga Carías is the highest-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras. As the leader and highest-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras, Archaga Carías is in charge of, among other things, the gang’s drug trafficking operations, ordering and coordinating acts of violence, including numerous murders, and the laundering of drug proceeds. MS-13’s drug trafficking operations led by Archaga Carías include the processing, receiving, transporting, and distributing of multi-ton loads of cocaine shipped through Honduras and into the United States.

    “President Trump has been very clear — we will not allow criminal groups and their members like Porky to threaten Americans,” said Senior Bureau Official F. Cartwright Weiland of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We will work with our international partners to find these criminals wherever they may be hiding.”

    Archaga Carías and other MS-13 members and associates acting at his direction also provided protection to drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) engaged in transporting multi-ton loads of cocaine through Honduras and destined for the United States. Archaga Carías contracted out members of MS-13 as “Sicarios,” or hit men, to DTOs for payment. Members of MS-13 committed numerous murders for hire for DTOs trafficking cocaine through Honduras to the United States. Archaga Carías and MS-13 also supplied DTOs with firearms, including machineguns, that were received from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and elsewhere. Archaga Carías also ordered multiple murders of rival gang members and drug trafficking competitors in Honduras, as well as other members of MS-13 whom Archaga Carías believed had been disloyal to the gang.

    Campbell was one of the principal suppliers of cocaine and weapons, including machineguns, to MS-13. As an associate of MS-13 and close confidant of Archaga Carías, Campbell planned and coordinated retaliatory acts of violence with Archaga Carías, and assisted MS-13 and Archaga Carías in establishing businesses to launder the gang’s drug proceeds. Campbell and MS-13 used businesses they owned or controlled to launder drug proceeds, including through banks in the United States.

    Morales Zelaya was a national leader of MS-13 in Honduras and a close associate of Archaga Carías. Morales Zelaya coordinated the gang’s drug trafficking business, acts of violence (including murders) against rivals, and the movement of proceeds from the gang’s illicit activities.

    Portillo Santos was a high-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras who reported to Morales Zelaya. Portillo Santos was responsible for leading MS-13 in one of the largest sectors in Honduras, which included the distribution and movement of large shipments of cocaine, acts of violence (including murders and kidnappings) of rival gang members, and contract murders carried out against rival drug dealers. Campbell, 58, of Honduras, is currently in Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) custody facing the charges in the superseding indictment. Portillo Santos, 36, of Honduras, is currently in custody in Honduras on local charges. Archaga Carías, 43, and Morales Zelaya, 50, of Honduras, remains at large.

    If convicted, Archaga Carías faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 40 years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

    Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) and the Southern District of New York’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit are handling the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Robles and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Eason, and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are in charge of the prosecution.

    This case was brought by JTFV, which was created in 2019 to destroy MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern District of New York; Eastern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; HSI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the FBOP have been essential law enforcement partners and spearheaded JTFV’s investigations.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal aliens, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Up to $5 Million Reward Offered for Capture of Archaga Carías, a Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive and Leader of Foreign Terrorist Organization MS-13

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organization MS-13 leader Yulan Andony Archaga Carías, also known as “Alexander Mendoza” and “Porky,” 43, is the highest-ranking member of MS-13, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), in Honduras and was previously charged in 2021 in a superseding indictment in the Southern District of New York with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. Archaga Carías, a Honduran national, was subsequently placed on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List, the DEA’s Most Wanted Fugitives List, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI)’s Most Wanted Fugitives List. The Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is offering a reward under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction in any country.

    “This terrorist leader can no longer be allowed to live free as MS-13’s evil devastates communities in America and throughout the western hemisphere,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “If you can contribute information leading to his arrest – come forward now.”

    Archaga Carías remains at large. If you have information, please contact the FBI by email at archaga-carias_tips@fbi.gov, or via WhatsApp at +1-832-267-1688. If you are outside the United States, you may also contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are in the United States, you may also contact the local FBI, DEA, or HSI office in your city. Only tips sent to U.S. Government will be considered for reward.

    “Dismantling and ultimately eliminating MS-13 continues to be one of the FBI’s highest priorities, and we’re not stopping until that mission is complete,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Alongside our dedicated law enforcement partners, the FBI will find Archaga Carías — a terrorist whose reign of terror at the helm of MS-13 is coming to an end.”

    “With MS-13 now officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, the rules have changed — and so has the mission,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “Archaga Carías isn’t just a fugitive — he’s a foreign terrorist waging war on innocent Americans through murder, trafficking, and terror. Let me be clear: under this Administration, we will dismantle MS-13 piece by piece—and anyone protecting him will fall with him. A $5 million is on the table. Turn him in. End this threat.”

    A co-defendant, David Campbell, aka “Viejo Dan” and “Don David,” a Honduran national, is currently in custody in the United States facing the charges contained in the superseding indictment. In addition to Archaga Carías and Campbell, the superseding indictment charges three other MS-13 leaders, Juan Carlos Portillo Santos also known as “Juancy;” Victor Eduardo Morales Zelaya also known as “Cuervo;” and Jorge Alberto Velasquez Paz also known as “Chacarron,” with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. Portillo Santos, a Honduran national, is in custody in Honduras serving a lengthy prison sentence. Morales Zelaya and Velasquez Paz, both Honduran nationals, remain at large. The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Gregory H. Woods for the Southern District of New York.   

    “MS-13 remains one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world, and the recent designation of MS-13 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization underscores this reality,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York. “This Office, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate, prosecute and track down MS-13’s leadership, no matter where in the world they may be hiding.”

    As alleged in the superseding indictment previously unsealed in Manhattan federal court, Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13 is a transnational criminal and foreign terrorist organization that engages in acts of violence, including murders, kidnapping, and assaults, extortion, and large-scale drug importation and distribution throughout Central America and the United States. Archaga Carías is the highest-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras. As the leader and highest-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras, Archaga Carías is in charge of, among other things, the gang’s drug trafficking operations, ordering and coordinating acts of violence, including numerous murders, and the laundering of drug proceeds. MS-13’s drug trafficking operations led by Archaga Carías include the processing, receiving, transporting, and distributing of multi-ton loads of cocaine shipped through Honduras and into the United States.

    “President Trump has been very clear — we will not allow criminal groups and their members like Porky to threaten Americans,” said Senior Bureau Official F. Cartwright Weiland of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We will work with our international partners to find these criminals wherever they may be hiding.”

    Archaga Carías and other MS-13 members and associates acting at his direction also provided protection to drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) engaged in transporting multi-ton loads of cocaine through Honduras and destined for the United States. Archaga Carías contracted out members of MS-13 as “Sicarios,” or hit men, to DTOs for payment. Members of MS-13 committed numerous murders for hire for DTOs trafficking cocaine through Honduras to the United States. Archaga Carías and MS-13 also supplied DTOs with firearms, including machineguns, that were received from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and elsewhere. Archaga Carías also ordered multiple murders of rival gang members and drug trafficking competitors in Honduras, as well as other members of MS-13 whom Archaga Carías believed had been disloyal to the gang.

    Campbell was one of the principal suppliers of cocaine and weapons, including machineguns, to MS-13. As an associate of MS-13 and close confidant of Archaga Carías, Campbell planned and coordinated retaliatory acts of violence with Archaga Carías, and assisted MS-13 and Archaga Carías in establishing businesses to launder the gang’s drug proceeds. Campbell and MS-13 used businesses they owned or controlled to launder drug proceeds, including through banks in the United States.

    Morales Zelaya was a national leader of MS-13 in Honduras and a close associate of Archaga Carías. Morales Zelaya coordinated the gang’s drug trafficking business, acts of violence (including murders) against rivals, and the movement of proceeds from the gang’s illicit activities.

    Portillo Santos was a high-ranking member of MS-13 in Honduras who reported to Morales Zelaya. Portillo Santos was responsible for leading MS-13 in one of the largest sectors in Honduras, which included the distribution and movement of large shipments of cocaine, acts of violence (including murders and kidnappings) of rival gang members, and contract murders carried out against rival drug dealers. Campbell, 58, of Honduras, is currently in Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) custody facing the charges in the superseding indictment. Portillo Santos, 36, of Honduras, is currently in custody in Honduras on local charges. Archaga Carías, 43, and Morales Zelaya, 50, of Honduras, remains at large.

    If convicted, Archaga Carías faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 40 years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

    Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) and the Southern District of New York’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit are handling the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Robles and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Eason, and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are in charge of the prosecution.

    This case was brought by JTFV, which was created in 2019 to destroy MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern District of New York; Eastern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; HSI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the FBOP have been essential law enforcement partners and spearheaded JTFV’s investigations.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal aliens, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A man who possessed a firearm as a felon pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

    Mickey Lee Miller, age 37, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

    In a plea agreement, Miller admitted that on October 16, 2024, in Dubuque, Iowa, he possessed a loaded firearm and ammunition.  A witness told law enforcement officers that Miller had pointed the firearm at her and threatened to kill her and others.  Miller has a prior felony conviction for robbery with threat of force.  

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    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).

    Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Miller remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Miller faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 25-CR-1008.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Flew From California to Texas to Smuggle Aliens, Will Spend 5 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national who had resided illegally in Vallejo, California was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 66 months in prison for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens placing lives in jeopardy.

    According to court documents, on July 10, 2024, a U.S. Border Patrol agent initiated a lawful immigration stop of a pickup truck suspected of picking up undocumented noncitizens near U.S. Route 277 in Eagle Pass. The driver, Guillermo Hernandez-Gonzalez, 23, refused to yield and led agents on a 25-mile pursuit at speeds between 50 and 80 mph. At one point during the pursuit, Hernandez-Gonzalez placed his truck in reverse and crashed into an agent’s patrol vehicle as he was attempting to exit.

    The pursuit came to an end when Hernandez-Gonzalez crashed into a cattle fence and telephone pole. He attempted to flee from the scene but was quickly apprehended by responding agents who discovered a total of seven illegal aliens in the truck. Three of the aliens were in the truck’s bed, while four sat in the cabin. Two of the seven were transported to the hospital to be treated for a lacerated scalp and sprained ankle.

    Hernandez-Gonzalez admitted that he learned of the alien smuggling opportunity through an advertisement on Instagram, which offered to pay him between $7,700 and $15,000. Hernandez-Gonzalez flew from Oakland, California to San Antonio and followed instructions from an unindicted co-conspirator.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    USBP investigated the case with support from the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayvee Rhoda prosecuted the case.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Newtown Resident Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a four-count indictment charging DONALD S. HAMMALIAN, JR, 50, last residing in Newtown, with child exploitation offenses.

    The indictment was returned on April 10, 2025, and Hammalian appeared today before U.S. District Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  He has been detained on a violation of supervised release since November 16, 2023.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in January 2010, Hammalian was sentenced in the Middle District of Florida to 48 months of imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.  In 2015, Hammalian’s supervision was transferred to the District of Vermont where he moved after his release from prison.  In June 2018, Hammalian pleaded guilty to violating his supervised release by again possessing child pornography and was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release.  In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a federal judge in Vermont reduced Hammalian’s sentence to time served and Hammalian was released from prison.

               It is alleged that on November 13, 2023, the U.S. Probation Office searched Hammalian’s residence and found five unapproved internet capable devices, including three smartphones and two tablets, two of which contained child sex abuse material.  The investigation revealed that Hammalian was managing about a dozen social media accounts and had more than 100,000 followers, and he was using the accounts to communicate with minors, sometimes posing as a 16-year-old boy.

    The indictment alleges that between July 2022 and November 2023, Hammalian received child pornography.  The indictment further alleges that between July 2022 and February 2023, Hammalian enticed a minor to send him child pornography, that he transferred obscene material to a minor, and that he committed these offenses while a registered sex offender.

    The indictment charges Hammalian with receipt of child pornography, which, based on Hammalian’s criminal history, carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; coercion and enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; transfer of obscene material to a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and commission of a felony offense involving a minor by a registered sex offending; which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Hammalian faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel M. Krull and Nancy V. Gifford through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Walgreens Agrees To Pay Up to $350M for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and Submitting False Claims

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WASHINGTON — The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.

    The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. 

    The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

    In light of the settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

    “Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”

    “This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”

    “Importantly, Walgreens’s agreements with the DEA and HHS-OIG provide swift relief in the form of monitoring and claims review that will improve Walgreens’s practices immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”

    “This landmark civil settlement is the largest Controlled Substances Act resolution in our district’s history and once again confirms the high priority our office has placed upon confronting those responsible for the opioid crisis here,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the energy and collaborative spirit brought to this effort by our colleagues in the DEA, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.”  

    “With the power to dispense potentially harmful substances comes the responsibility to ensure that every prescription is legitimate before it is filled,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “When pharmacies fail that responsibility, this office will work with others across the country to hold accountable those who put patients and communities at risk.”

    “This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”    

    “Strict compliance with the law is essential to safeguarding the public, who rely on carefully considered and limited prescriptions for their health and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those companies and individuals authorized to provide controlled substances have a professional responsibility to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are within the course of professional practice and regulations. Medically unnecessary prescriptions are a cost ultimately borne by the taxpayers and consumers. As we continue to address the opioid crisis here in Virginia and across the nation, we are determined to ensure pharmacies and pharmacists operate within the law.”

    In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a memorandum of agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances. 

    “Pharmacies have an obligation to ensure that every prescription for highly addictive controlled substances is legitimate and issued responsibly in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “When one of the nation’s largest pharmacies fails at this obligation, they jeopardize the health and safety of their customers and place the American public in danger. The DEA remains committed to protecting all Americans from unscrupulous practices that prioritize profit over patient safety.”

    “Pharmacies that neglect their legal duties and their critical role in delivering safe and appropriate medications to enrollees of federal health care programs, and instead exploit these programs for market advantage, squander taxpayer dollars and put patient safety at risk,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to prevent these outcomes. This settlement and corporate integrity agreement reflect HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring compliance, correcting failures in oversight, and protecting the foundation of federally-funded health care.”

    “In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General at OPM OIG. “We applaud our investigative staff, law enforcement partners, and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work and unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm.”

    The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.

    The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS-OIG, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisianaprovided substantial assistance in the investigation.

    The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner) and Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.

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

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