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Category: Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Leads Push Demanding Trump Rescind Illegal Anti-Voter Executive Order

    US Senate News:

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

    Senators to Trump: “Requirements in this illegal order would likely disenfranchise millions of American voters…places a variety of other process burdens on voters, especially married women, rural residents, and low-income voters, and communities of color.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, led 14 Democratic Senators in calling on President Trump to revoke his illegal anti-voter executive order that would disenfranchise millions of Americans.

    “This unlawful directive exceeds your authority over an independent agency and would likely disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters by creating barriers to voting, while also inviting chaos into state voter registration processes – including by inappropriately sharing Americans’ data with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” wrote the Senators. “Under the Constitution and existing law, this Executive Order cannot be implemented. Sadly, we are not surprised at your continued efforts to undermine our free and fair elections. From welcoming foreign election interference in our elections, to supporting the January 6 insurrection, to promoting baseless election conspiracy theories, your dangerous rhetoric has undermined public confidence in our election system.”

    The proof of citizenship requirements in the executive order would restrict the right to vote for millions of Americans given the burden it creates to obtain these documents. Nearly half of all American citizens do not have valid passports, and millions more have a legal name that differs from other government-issued documents, including up to 69 million married women whose birth certificates no longer match their legal name.

    The Senators emphasized that the order runs counter to the constitutional foundation that elections are to be primarily administered by the states. They also sounded the alarm on the order’s attempt to empower the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to review state voter registration lists, other state records, and various federal databases, with the power of subpoena.

    “Voting by noncitizens is already a federal crime and, despite unsubstantiated claims to the contrary, is extremely rare. By interjecting DOGE into the process, this order would interfere with states’ maintenance of voter registration lists, compromising voters’ personal information,” continued the Senators.

    “The new federal voter registration requirements in this illegal order would likely disenfranchise millions of American voters. Millions of Americans do not have passports and many face challenges obtaining other documents that would be required by this order, if it was ever implemented,” concluded the Senators. “This order also places a variety of other process burdens on voters, especially married women, rural residents, and low-income voters, and communities of color.”

    In addition to Senator Padilla, the letter is also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    In a statement earlier this week, Senator Padilla condemned Trump’s unlawful attempt at a Presidential power grab through his anti-voter executive order.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear President Trump,

    We write to demand that you immediately rescind your recent Executive Order “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” This unlawful directive exceeds your authority over an independent agency and would likely disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters by creating barriers to voting, while also inviting chaos into state voter registration processes – including by inappropriately sharing Americans’ data with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

    Under the Constitution and existing law, this Executive Order cannot be implemented. Sadly, we are not surprised at your continued efforts to undermine our free and fair elections. From welcoming foreign election interference in our elections, to supporting the January 6 insurrection, to promoting baseless election conspiracy theories, your dangerous rhetoric has undermined public confidence in our election system.

    This order runs counter to the constitutional foundation that elections are to be primarily administered by the states. The Federal role in elections is focused on helping states with the costs and technical challenges and ensuring that the right to vote is appropriately protected. This order places new mandates on the states and inserts new federal interference in state voter registration processes by federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. We expect state and local election administrators of both parties to have significant legal and operational concerns about this order.

    One of the most disturbing aspects of this illegal order is Sec. 2(b)(iii), which attempts to empower DHS and the DOGE Administrator to review state voter registration lists, other state records and various federal databases, with the power of subpoena. Voting by noncitizens is already a federal crime and, despite unsubstantiated claims to the contrary, is extremely rare. By interjecting DOGE into the process, this order would interfere with states’ maintenance of voter registration lists, compromising voters’ personal information. This effort by DOGE is similar to your 2017 Executive Order that established the “Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity” that sought voter files from states and was rejected by 44 states and the District of Columbia. If this provision were implemented, it would allow Elon Musk and DOGE to recreate this effort to purge state voter databases, preventing the participation of eligible American voters.

    The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was created as an independent, evenly balanced agency in the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which was enacted on an overwhelming bipartisan basis. The EAC receives appropriations from Congress to support states with the growing financial and technical challenges of administering elections in thousands of jurisdictions across the nation on a nonpartisan basis. This order lacks the authority to place new conditions on Congressionally appropriated funding or order the EAC require documents that many eligible Americans do not have in order to register to vote in federal elections.

    The new federal voter registration requirements in this illegal order would likely disenfranchise millions of American voters. Millions of Americans do not have passports and many face challenges obtaining other documents that would be required by this order, if it was ever implemented. This order also places a variety of other process burdens on voters, especially married women, rural residents, and low-income voters, and communities of color.

    For these reasons, we must urge you to rescind this illegal order.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: International law enforcement cooperation leads to takedown and immigration arrests of alien smugglers in US and Brazil

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WORCESTER, Mass. – Extensive coordination and cooperation between the United States and Brazilian law enforcement and prosecution authorities culminated March 26 in a significant enforcement operation to dismantle a transnational criminal organization allegedly responsible for the illicit smuggling of hundreds of individuals from Brazil to the United States.

    The enforcement operation included the arrest of a previously convicted alien smuggler who allegedly reentered the United States illegally after deportation to Brazil and was residing unlawfully in Worcester. The Brazilian Federal Police (PF) executed multiple search warrants in Brazil and arrested an alleged Brazil-based human smuggler.

    Flavio Alexandre Alves, also known as “Ronaldo,” 41, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Worcester on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to bring aliens to and transport aliens within the United States for the purpose of commercial or financial gain in violation of law. Alves appeared in federal court in Worcester the day of his arrest.

    According to court documents, Alves conspired with others to transport aliens from Brazil through Mexico and then into the United States. Once the aliens arrived in the United States, Alves allegedly purchased airline tickets for the aliens to other U.S. destinations. Alves also allegedly transferred money from the United States to aliens and smugglers located in Mexico to pay for expenses associated with transit into the United States and collected fees from aliens for being smuggled into the United States. Alves allegedly was previously convicted of human smuggling in the Central District of California in 2004 and deported to Brazil in February 2005. Court documents indicate that Alves has been residing in the United States without an immigration status after illegally re-entering the United States.

    It is alleged that between May 2021 and August 2022, Alves purchased more than 100 individual airline tickets from Tucson or Phoenix to destination cities in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania (Boston, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia). Some of these purchases were for migrants who recently had encounters with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers or were recently released from detention.

    Additionally, ICE Homeland Security Investigations offices in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia, supported by partner law enforcement agencies, detained four individuals associated with the alien smuggling organization on administrative immigration violations.

    The investigation and arrest of Alves was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the attorney general with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 315 U.S. convictions; more than 260 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and ICE HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present national security, public safety risks or grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    ICE HSI New England led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with the ICE HSI Attaché Brasilia, ICE HSI Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and the ICE HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. with substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided crucial assistance in this matter.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Department of Justice Releases Report on Officer-Involved Shooting of Anthony and Savannah Graziano

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), today released a report on Anthony and Savannah Graziano’s death from an officer-involved shooting in Hesperia, California, on September 27, 2022. The incident involved officers from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department (SBSD). The report is part of the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ongoing efforts to provide transparency and accountability in law enforcement practices. The report provides a detailed analysis of the incident and outlines DOJ’s findings. After a thorough investigation, DOJ concluded that criminal charges were not appropriate in this case.  

    “This was a tragic situation with a tragic outcome that grieved the local community and California as a whole,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This report was quite difficult to publish, and I sincerely hope it provides the community with the answers they’ve been waiting for. The California Department of Justice aims to partner with law enforcement to build a just and equitable legal environment, ensuring that the rule of law is upheld, and justice is accessible to everyone.”

    On September 26, 2022, Mr. Graciano shot and killed his wife, Tracy Martinez, on a public street in Fontana, California as Ms. Martinez attempted to flee from Mr. Graziano’s white Nissan Frontier pickup truck. Their daughter, 15-year-old Savannah Graziano, was in the Nissan Frontier when her mother was shot. Mr. Graziano drove off with Savannah after Ms. Martinez’s shooting. An Amber Alert was issued for Savannah. On September 27, 2022, witnesses called 911 and reported seeing the Nissan Frontier and Savannah Graziano in San Bernardino County. The Nissan Frontier was then spotted by San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department deputies, and a 41-mile pursuit ensued on southbound Interstate 15. During the last 34 miles of the pursuit, as Mr. Graziano drove the vehicle, numerous rounds were fired at pursuing deputies from the rear and passenger-side windows of the Nissan Frontier. Mr. Graziano ultimately drove off the freeway. Shots continued to be fired from the Nissan Frontier as Mr. Graziano drove the wrong way up an on-ramp, attempted to drive up an embankment, and reversed onto the shoulder of the freeway. Twenty-one deputies returned fire. The Nissan came to a stop and Savannah Graziano got out of the front passenger door and crouched on the ground. She was wearing a tactical helmet and vest. She rose and as she ran towards one of the deputies, she was shot by other SBSD deputies. She later succumbed to her injuries. After the shooting stopped, Mr. Graziano was discovered deceased in the driver’s seat of the Nissan Frontier.

    Under AB 1506, which requires DOJ to investigate all incidents of officer-involved shootings resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state, DOJ conducted a thorough investigation into this incident and concluded that there is insufficient evidence to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the deputies involved acted without the intent to defend themselves and others from what each of them reasonably believed to be the imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of the deputies. As such, no further action will be taken in this case. 

    As part of its investigation, DOJ has identified four policy recommendations related to this incident. The first recommendation is that SBSD give their deputies a refresher training on crossfire and field of fire to avoid and minimize risk to bystanders and deputies. The second recommendation is that SBSD provide refresher training on incident command and communications between ground units when using lethal force. SBSD immediately implemented the training, subsequent to this incident, to address recommendations one and two. 

    The third recommendation is that SBSD consider equipping and installing an in-car video system in its patrol units. At the time of this event, SBSD did not have dashboard mounted cameras in its patrol vehicles. The fourth recommendation is that SBSD should revise its policies regarding the use of body worn cameras. 

    A copy of the report can be found here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Unseals Charges for Theft of Texas Republican Party Data

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    AUSTIN, Texas – The Department of Justice announced the unsealing of charges against Canadian national Aubrey Cottle, 37, of Oshawa, Ontario, in connection with the theft of data relating to the Texas Republican Party in 2021. Canadian authorities arrested Cottle on Wednesday and are pursuing charges under Canadian law.

    A criminal complaint filed in the Western District of Texas alleges Cottle gained unauthorized access to a third-party hosting company’s computer system to deface and download a backup of Texas Republican Party’s web server, which contained personal identifying information. The information was distributed and made available for download online. Cottle allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack on social media. A search of Cottle’s electronic devices revealed he was in possession of the data stolen from the Texas Republican Party.

    Cottle has been charged with unlawfully transferring, possessing, or using a means of identification with the intent to commit, or aid or abet, or in connection with, unlawful activity under state or federal law. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

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

    The FBI Austin Cyber Task Force is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the Ontario Provincial Police and the Durham Regional Police Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Karthik Srinivasan is prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.

    A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Files More Than 250 New Immigration Cases This Week in the Western District of Texas

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 261 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 21 through March 27.

    Among the new cases, Guatemalan national Noe Mardoquero Calel-Cabinal was pulled over March 24 on Highway 85 near Dilley by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper. The area is known to be commonly used to smuggle undocumented aliens further into the U.S. from Mexico. A U.S. Border Patrol agent stopped to assist with the traffic stop. Calel-Cabinal allegedly presented a Guatemalan identification card, did not have proper immigration documentation to be in the U.S. legally, and could not provide a reason for being in the area that aligned with his travel route. A criminal complaint alleges that Calel-Cabinal later confessed to being in the area to pick up and transport four illegal aliens to San Antonio and would be paid $1,300 per illegal alien. A review of his cell phone allegedly confirmed Calel-Cabinal’s confession and he was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens.

    In El Paso, Mexican national Luis Francisco Alarcon-Sanchez allegedly stated at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry on March 22 that he was a U.S. citizen born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was returning to Albuquerque to visit his ex-wife and mother. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer received a system alert for prior deport and further procedures confirmed that Alarcon-Sanchez had been previously removed on May 16, 2024. A criminal complaint alleges that Alarcon-Sanchez admitted he is affiliated with the Paisas Gang. In addition to the 2024 removal, records show he was removed from Texas to Mexico in 2015, 2003, and in 1998 following an aggravated felony conviction.

    Mexican national Jesus Barraza-Frias was also arrested in El Paso. He was allegedly located less than a mile east of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry without immigration documents allowing him to be or remain in the U.S. legally. Barraza-Frias was just removed from the U.S. on Nov. 27, 2024, after being convicted for illegal re-entry in El Paso. He now has three total removals as well as a domestic violence/harassment conviction in Lamar, Colorado from 2007, a 2002 disorderly conduct conviction as a juvenile in Lamar, and a sexual assault conviction as a juvenile in Prowers County, Colorado from 2001.

    In Del Rio, Honduran national Carlos Alejandro Varela-Avila was arrested March 20 and charged with re-entry after deportation from the United States. A criminal complaint alleges that Varela-Avila was previously deported on April 16, 2024 through Alexandria, Louisiana and has five prior removals and a criminal record that includes aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

    Another Honduran national, Alba Jeannet Medina-Chavez, was arrested March 23 near Del Rio after being previously deported Dec. 29, 2014 through Phoenix, Arizona. A criminal complaint reflects five prior removals for Medina-Chavez as well as a criminal history that includes child cruelty, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and assault against an elderly or disabled individual.

    Amir Hassan Riley was also arrested March 23 near Eagle Pass. According to a criminal complaint, U.S. Border Patrol agents inspected a vehicle drive by Riley at a Highway 57 checkpoint and allegedly located three illegal aliens from Honduras and Yemen concealed in the rear seat and trunk of the vehicle. Further investigation allegedly led to the discovery of two more illegal aliens at a motel. The complaint alleges that Riley said he responded to a job post on Facebook and coordinated to pick up people at pinned locations in Eagle Pass. Riley is charged with one count of conspiring with others to transport illegal aliens within the United States.

    A Mexican national is charged in Pecos with illegal re-entry. Ibrahim Villanueva was arrested by Presidio Border Patrol agents after being previously removed on June 6, 2024 through El Paso. Villanueva’s criminal and immigration history indicate four total deportations and a 2007 felony conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child in Odessa.

    In Austin, Mexican national Cesario Bueno-Figueroa was arrested March 23 and charged with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a crash. If convicted, criminal records show that this would be at least his third DWI. He previously served 18 months in jail after he was arrested for driving under the influence of liquor in 2010, and 65 days for the same charge in 2018. Bueno-Figueroa has also served 30 days in jail after being arrested in 2012 for illegal entry and 97 days in 2018 for illegal re-entry. Bueno-Figueroa is federally charged with illegal re-entry.

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

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

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

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former EDD Employee Sentenced to 66 Months for Mail Fraud and Bribery Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Regina Brice, a former employee of the California Employment Development Department, was sentenced in federal court today to 66 months in prison for using her position to file $858,339 in fraudulent unemployment claims, effectively stealing money that was intended to give economic relief to people impacted by the pandemic.

    According to court documents, Brice was employed by the EDD since 2010. During the pandemic, she was responsible for processing COVID-related unemployment claims. However, between July 2020 and May 2021, Brice exploited her employee access at EDD to manipulate and file fraudulent unemployment claims for her co-conspirators in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribes. These co-conspirators included California prison inmates whom she instructed on how to bypass the system’s fraud checking software to obtain the money.

    “This defendant turned her back on the oath of her office and those she was supposed to help during a once-in-a-century pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Today she is being held accountable for her greed.”

    “Former California Employment Development Department (EDD) Employment Program Representative Regina Brice filed fraudulent and manipulated unemployment insurance (UI) claims in exchange for kickbacks, diverting vital taxpayer resources away from unemployed American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). “Brice violated the public trust afforded to her as an EDD employee to enrich herself and others. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the integrity of the UI program for those who need it. This sentencing demonstrates DOL-OIG’s commitment to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in DOL programs.”

    DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., said, “Regina Brice defrauded government programs meant to help Americans at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. DHS OIG will continue to prioritize pandemic-related fraud investigations and work with our law enforcement partners to bring perpetrators to justice. I appreciate the continued partnership between DHS OIG and the Department of Labor OIG in bringing this case to a close.”

    “Today’s sentencing marks a significant victory for justice and accountability,” said Matt Shields, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Los Angeles Division. “The exploitation of vulnerable individuals’ personal information for nearly a million dollars in fraudulent gains, facilitated by an EDD employee’s corruption, is a betrayal of public trust. I commend the relentless efforts of our inspectors and collaboration with the Department of Labor OIG and Department of Homeland Security OIG in bringing this case to a close and ensuring that such misconduct results in severe consequences.”

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

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Sou.

    DEFENDANT                                   Case Number 23-CR-2082-RBM                          

    Regina Brice                                       Age: 43                                   San Diego, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Mail Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1341

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

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General

    Department of Homeland Security – Office of the Inspector General

    United States Postal Inspector Service

    California Employment Development Department – Investigation Division

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 23 Lubbock-Area Defendants Charged in Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking Cases

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Twenty-three alleged methamphetamine and fentanyl traffickers in Lubbock, Texas, have been federally charged with drug crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

    The defendants, charged in nine indictments, were apprehended on Wednesday, March 26th.  Initial appearances began today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda ‘Amy’ R. Burch.

    This investigation began in March 2023.  Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized over 43 kilograms of methamphetamine, 285.4 grams of fentanyl (approx. 1,902 pills), 335.5 grams of cocaine, 2,296.7 grams of marijuana, and six firearms.  The 285.4 grams of seized fentanyl equals potentially 21,662 lethal doses of fentanyl.

    Those charged in the indictments include:

    •    Vida Tamor Overstreet, 49, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful use of communication facility, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Patrick Wayne Frazier aka Pat Pat, 38, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Juantay Dewayne Frazier aka Broadway, 39, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful use of communication facility, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    David Wayne Frazier aka Dinky, 39, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful use of communication facility, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Santiago Daniel Baltazar aka Chago, 26, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl

    •    Walter Wood, 36, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl

    •    Santos Moncada aka Tos, 28, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Jessie Franco, 41, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Shondra Christine Walker, 40, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Orian Emanuel Garcia, 35, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Rudolfo Luna aka Roy Luna, 43, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Adam Lee Arredondo, 37, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Justin Lee Dominguez, 37, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Anthony James Lockett, 44, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, distribution of     methamphetamine

    •    Rita Adelita Castillo, 44, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Paul Wayne Frazier, 38, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Charles Andre Sykes, 41, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Heather Jane Whitehead, 40, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Henry Tienda, Jr., 35, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Gary Dewayne Bolton aka Bay Bay, 36, charged with distribution of fentanyl

    •    Arhmad Rashad Fountain aka Ra Ra, 47, charged with distribution of methamphetamine

    •    Rubith Diaz Rodriguez, age 24, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

    •    Tyler Kristian Piseno, 37, charged with distribution of fentanyl.

    “Cooperation of local, state and federal law enforcement led to success in disrupting a drug trafficking organization,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “These arrests will have a considerable impact on the distribution of methamphetamine in the greater-Lubbock area, and law enforcement will continue work together to ensure the safety and security of our communities.”

    “This operation sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the flow of illegal drugs into our neighborhoods,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA.  “By working together at every level of law enforcement, we are leveraging all available resources to destroy these criminal networks and commit to safeguard our communities from drug trafficking and violent crime.”

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    If convicted, some of the defendants face up to life in federal prison.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham praised the joint efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in the case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Office, the Caprock HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Anti-Gang Center, the Levelland Police Department, and the Hockley County Sheriff’s Office.  The cases are being prosecuted by the West Texas Branch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

    This prosecution stems from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transitional criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.  

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Memphis Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    A Tennessee man was sentenced today to over seven years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Memphis area.

    According to court documents, Courtney Davis, 28, of Memphis, also known as Geo and Geo Grape, conspired with co-defendant Brian Lackland, also known as Stupid Duke, Spooky Duke, Duke, and Homework, and others, in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. This investigation targeted a Memphis-based gang Young Mob, also known as Young Mob Military, and its involvement in the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in March 2024, investigators and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Memphis Multiagency Gang Unit began court-authorized wiretaps in which Davis was intercepted multiple times discussing with Lackland the acquisition and distribution of “blues,” which are fentanyl pills that resembled blue 30mg oxycodone pills. Davis was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of approximately 90 grams of fentanyl and 1360 grams of methamphetamine.

    Davis is one of 18 defendants charged as part of this ongoing investigation and the first to be sentenced. In December 2024, Davis pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.

    The ATF and the Memphis Multiagency Gang Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Multiagency investigation results in Cartel Del Noreste leader sentencing for murder-for-hire, kidnapping conspiracies

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    LAREDO, Texas – A illegal Mexican alien who is a Cartel Del Noreste leader was sentenced March 26 by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. Noe Gonzalez-Martinez, also known as Tocayo, 41, will serve the rest of his life plus 60 months in federal prison for his role in multiple convictions related to a murder-for-hire scheme that brought three sicarios, or hitmen, across the U.S. border into Laredo. At the hearing, the court heard about his role as a leader/organizer and his conduct in the crimes as well as the substantial progress Gonzalez-Martinez made toward the completion of the offenses. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Laredo Police Department.

    “Drug trafficking and violence go hand-in-hand, and this is particularly true in the case of cartels, as this case shows,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei from the Southern District of Texas. “The Department of Justice is committed to preventing the cartels from ever gaining a foothold in America, and the vigorous prosecution of their leadership is a critical component of that. Through the conviction of Mr. Gonzalez-Martinez, the Southern District of Texas has dealt a major blow to the CDN cartel. This is, however, just the beginning. SDTX is pursuing every opportunity and every avenue to dismantle cartel operations on both sides of the border. Stay tuned.”

    “With drug trafficking comes violence that typically spills over from Mexico and into the United States, particularly the southwest border. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s tenacious agents did not only thwart the drug trafficking activities of this violent CDN but successfully managed to halt several murders, one of which would have been carried out by the drug trafficking organization’s trusted lead enforcer Noe Gonzalez-Martinez,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux. “This case is a testament that the DEA is definite in its fight against these foreign terrorist drug trafficking organizations who illegally crossed into the United States for the sole purpose of kidnapping and murdering an American Citizen. We will continue to bring to justice anyone thinking about ripping peace out of our American neighborhoods and communities.”

    “This brazen scheme planned out by CDN is a direct threat to the safety and stability of South Texas. The campaign of terror, drug-trafficking, and violence this man employed has no place on American soil. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in coordination with our federal partners, have prioritized Mexican cartels, like CDN, and will continue to aggressively combat their criminal acts until they are no more,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee.

    A federal jury deliberated for approximately one hour before convicting him Dec. 13, 2023, on all counts following a three-day trial. They found him guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder for hire, conspiracy to kidnap, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking-related crime and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.

    During the trial, the jury heard evidence that between Sept. 7, 2021, and Sept. 13, 2021, Gonzalez-Martinez and several other CDN members traveled from Nuevo Laredo into Laredo. There, Gonzalez-Martinez solicited the help of other CDN affiliates to recruit, plan and coordinate the kidnapping and murder of an individual the cartel believed had stolen from them. Testimony also revealed the CDN’s operations and additional details of the murder-for-hire plot. The three sicarios were to kidnap the suspected drug thief and return him to Mexico for cartel members to make an example of him. If they were unable to do so, they were to kill him and return the stolen property to the cartel. The jury heard from law enforcement who were able to thwart the crime and take the hitmen into custody prior to carrying out the murder. Authorities apprehended Gonzalez-Martinez July 29, 2022, at the international port of entry in Laredo. At trial, Gonzalez-Martinez attempted to convince the jury someone else was responsible for arranging and overseeing the commission of the crime. The jury did not believe defense’s claims and found him guilty as charged.

    According to court documents, the investigation revealed Gonzalez-Martinez communicated via cellphone with co-conspirators to plan and coordinate the recovery of drugs and proceeds from the intended victim. In addition, Gonzalez-Martinez provided co-conspirators with an address where they could retrieve firearms to execute the murder. On Sept. 13, 2021, co-conspirators took possession of an automobile and firearms to carry out the murder. The firearms included a .45 caliber pistol, .357 magnum revolver, and two AR-15s.

    The three sicarios – Juan Antonio Martinez-Padilla, also known as Juan Antonio Martinez-Lopez and Otoniel Martinez-Padilla, 60, Gregorio Gonzalez-Barragan, 34, and Rodolfo Reyna-Zapata, 27, all from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, previously received sentences of 240, 352, and 352 months, respectively.

    Gonzalez-Martinez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

    Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys’ Jose Angel Moreno and Steven Chamberlin from the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Colombian Navy Lieutenant Sentenced to 15 Years for Helping Sell Locations of Navy Drug Interdiction Vessels to International Drug Traffickers

    Source: US State of Vermont

    On Wednesday, Cesar Augusto Romero Caballero, of Colombia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge James Moody Jr. for conspiracy to distribute cocaine having reasonable cause to believe it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Romero Caballero pleaded guilty on April 8, 2024.

    According to court documents, Caballero, 35, was a former member of the Colombian Navy. In exchange for money, he recruited active-duty members of the Colombian Navy to secretly plant global positioning system (GPS) tracking devices in Colombian Navy vessels. Transnational Criminal Organizations used the location data derived from these tracking devices to direct vessels filled with cocaine bound for the United States around Colombian Navy ships and patrols.

    “This foreign national committed serious crimes to enable the flow of drugs into our country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This sentencing reflects the Department of Justice’s ironclad commitment to not only hunting down criminals, but ensuring that they suffer severe legal consequences following their apprehension.”

    “Our teams focus on sophisticated and violent drug trafficking organizations and work countless investigative hours,” said Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division. “I am proud of our team’s efforts and thankful for our law enforcement partners who brought this case to conclusion.”

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Stoia for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted this case.

    The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi- jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Colombian Navy Lieutenant Sentenced to 15 Years for Helping Sell Locations of Navy Drug Interdiction Vessels to International Drug Traffickers

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    On Wednesday, Cesar Augusto Romero Caballero, of Colombia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge James Moody Jr. for conspiracy to distribute cocaine having reasonable cause to believe it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Romero Caballero pleaded guilty on April 8, 2024.

    According to court documents, Caballero, 35, was a former member of the Colombian Navy. In exchange for money, he recruited active-duty members of the Colombian Navy to secretly plant global positioning system (GPS) tracking devices in Colombian Navy vessels. Transnational Criminal Organizations used the location data derived from these tracking devices to direct vessels filled with cocaine bound for the United States around Colombian Navy ships and patrols.

    “This foreign national committed serious crimes to enable the flow of drugs into our country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This sentencing reflects the Department of Justice’s ironclad commitment to not only hunting down criminals, but ensuring that they suffer severe legal consequences following their apprehension.”

    “Our teams focus on sophisticated and violent drug trafficking organizations and work countless investigative hours,” said Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division. “I am proud of our team’s efforts and thankful for our law enforcement partners who brought this case to conclusion.”

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Stoia for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted this case.

    The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi- jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former federal officer sentenced for smuggling aliens and receiving bribes from cartel

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer has been sentenced to federal prison in two separate cases for allowing aliens and cocaine across the border, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Emanuel Isac Celedon, 37, Laredo, pleaded guilty March 11, 2024, for his role in illegally smuggling illegal aliens into the United States through the Lincoln Juarez Port of Entry (POE) in Laredo. He also admitted to bribery and attempted importation of cocaine for accepting money to allow what he thought was cocaine to cross into the United States from Mexico. 

    U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now imposed a total of 117 months in prison for both cases to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a money judgment of $17,980. At the hearing, the court noted Celedon’s job was to protect the United States from introduction of controlled substances and people not authorized to be in the country, and that he had failed in both regards. Judge Saldana added that Celedon was deeply involved in the organization and appeared to want to go even deeper.

    “Anybody who aids or works for the cartel is going to find themselves on the wrong end of a federal indictment,” said Ganjei. “This case was especially troubling given the position of trust the defendant held. His criminal conduct stands in stark contrast to the heroic work the men and women of CBP are doing every day to keep our border and ports secure.”

    While employed as a CBP Officer in Laredo in 2023, Celedon sought contacts within the Mexican criminal organization known as the Cartel del Noreste in order to smuggle drugs and aliens through his inspection lane in exchange for monetary payment.

    During an undercover operation, Celedon expressed his interest in smuggling cocaine for payment, provided his duty schedule and gave instructions directing a loaded vehicle to his inspection lane at the port of entry. He then allowed the vehicle to safely cross into the United States. 

    Using his position as a CBP officer, Celedon allowed several kilograms of what he believed to be cocaine into the United States on two separate occasions in October 2023. In exchange, he received $6,000.

    Further investigation revealed Celedon also conspired with at least three others to bring illegal aliens into the United States without inspection. Celedon provided his daily lane assignment to Mexican national Homero Romero-Hernandez, 32, who passed the information to Jose Osvaldo Zapata-Vasquez, 25, another Mexican national with ties to the cartel. Zapata-Vasquez hired Cotulla resident Beatris Guadalupe Martinez, 22, to act as the driver.

    Zapata-Vasquez relayed instructions to Martinez based on information Celadon provided regarding when to pick up the aliens in Mexico and which lane to approach when making entry to the United States.

    The investigation revealed Martinez transported people through Celedon’s lane on at least nine separate occasions between September and November 2023. Each time, Celedon permitted entry without inspecting any of Martinez’s passengers. Additionally, on at least two of those dates, Celedon falsely inputted information into a CBP database in order to avoid sending Martinez to a mandatory secondary inspection.

    Celedon then asked Zapata-Vasquez and Romero-Hernandez to relay this to smugglers in Mexico in order to reassure them that he was doing his part to facilitate the cartel’s smuggling efforts. Law enforcement seized $1,980 in cash from Celedon at the time of his arrest, which he admitted were proceeds from human smuggling.

    Judge Saldana previously sentenced Zapata-Vasquez, Romero-Hernandez and Martinez to 46, 36, and 42 months in prison, respectively.

    Celedon has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Office of Inspector General, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and CBP – Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the investigation with assistance from the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, Texas Department of Public Safety, Border Patrol, Webb County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office and CBP Laredo Joint Forensic Center.

    The case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation and coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA).

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

    JTFA, a partnership with DHS, has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling, more than 320 U.S. convictions, more than 265 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day and Arthur R. Jones prosecuted the cases.  

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Midland Felon Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIDLAND, Texas – A Midland man was sentenced in federal court to 360 months in prison for child pornography production and drug and firearm offenses.

    According to court documents, Job Jasso Jr., 27, led a Midland County Sheriff’s Office deputy on a high-speed chase following an attempted traffic stop on March 13, 2024. Jasso crashed the vehicle and fled on foot, leaving a 17-year-old female in the passenger seat. A search of her phone revealed multiple sexually explicit photos of Jasso and the minor female.

    On March 25, 2024, the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and other partnered agencies executed an arrest warrant at a hotel where Jasso was staying. Inside the room, Jasso and the minor victim from the March 13 incident were naked and taken into custody. Two firearms were seized during the arrest. An executed search warrant also revealed additional firearms, along with firearm accessories and ammunition, drug paraphernalia, 63.2 grams of fentanyl pills, and other related items. Review of a recovered smartphone found approximately 44 images and two videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and child exploitative material (CEM) depicting the minor victim. A search warrant return for a cloud storage account also uncovered 12 videos of CSAM and CEM of the minor victim.

    Jasso had previously been convicted in the 142nd District Court in Midland for aggravated kidnapping and received a sentence of five years’ confinement.

    On Aug. 28, 2024, Jasso was indicted for one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime; and one count of possession of stolen firearms. A federal jury found him guilty of all four counts Nov. 6, 2024.

    A second indictment was filed Sept. 25, 2024, for two counts of production of child pornography. Jasso was also found guilty on both of those counts in a federal trial Dec. 10, 2024. U.S. District Judge David Counts sentenced Jasso to 360 months in prison for both child pornography charges, as well as a concurrent 300 months in prison for the other four counts. Judge Counts also ordered Jasso pay $55,000 in restitution.

    “Jasso has amassed a troubling criminal record over the years, carelessly placing others—including minors—in grave danger through his illicit actions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “The 30-year sentence that he will now serve in federal prison is a significant penalty that appropriately fits the multiple offenses for which he was found guilty by a jury.”

    “This sentence serves as a reminder to all predators. We will not allow crimes against children to go unpunished,” said John Morales, FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge. “While this significant sentence cannot repair the damage done, it is a warning to those who engage in this behavior: FBI and our law enforcement partners will be relentless in our pursuit of child predators.”

    The FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety, Odessa Police Department, and Midland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Sloane 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Covert Agent, NCMEC CyberTips Lead to 30-Month Sentence for Cornville Man Who Accessed Child Sexual Abuse Material

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

    BANGOR, Maine: A Cornville man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for accessing child sexual abuse material.

    U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Wade Willette, 46, to 30 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Willette pleaded guilty on October 3, 2024.

    According to court records, in August 2020, an individual using the Kik Messenger app contacted an FBI online covert employee (OCE) after the OCE posted on an online bulletin board known to be frequented by people with a sexual interest in children and/or child pornography. The username for the Kik account and associated email address were traced to Willette. In January 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Kik revealing that the same username had uploaded three videos containing child sexual abuse material the previous month.

    In March 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Willette’s residence, and FBI agents interviewed him. In the interview, he confirmed the Kik account was his, that he had searched for and viewed child sexual abuse material on his phone, and that he had engaged in online conversations about child pornography in the past. Two images of young children being sexually abused were recovered from his phone.

    The FBI investigated the case.

    To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with NCMEC at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Against 5 Louisville Residents – Charges Include Fentanyl and Firearms Offenses

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

    Louisville, KY – On March 19, 2025, a federal grand jury in Louisville charged 5 Louisville residents in an indictment involving fentanyl and firearms offenses.    

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

    According to the indictment, Abdulkadir Malindo, 21, Abdulkadir Ali, 21, Hussein Hussein, 19, Henry Martinez, 20, and Bilal Malindo, 19, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl between October 28, 2024, and March 5, 2025.

    Abdulkadir Malindo is also charged with twelve counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, seven counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of illegal possession of a machine gun, and one count of firearms trafficking. On the following dates, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed the listed firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

    On November 9, 2024, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a Plumcrazy Firearms, Gen II, multi-caliber pistol.

    On December 3, 2024, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a P80, 9-millimeter pistol.

    On December 5, 2024, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed an American Tactical Imports, Omni Hybrid, multi-caliber pistol.

    On December 12, 2024, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a Glock Switch. A Glock Switch device allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as an automatic and is defined as a machine gun under federal law.

    On January 2, 2025, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a Glock, Model 19X, 9-millimeter pistol.

    On January 17, 2025, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a Bear Creek Arsenal, Model BCA19, multi-caliber pistol and a Canik55, Model TP-9SF, 9-millimeter pistol.

    On March 5, 2025, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a Palmetto, multi-caliber rifle, a Sig Sauer, Model P226, .40 caliber pistol, a Canik, 9-millimeter pistol, and a Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber pistol.

    Abdulkadir Ali is also charged with one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

    Hussein Hussein is also charged with one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On November 21, 2024, Hussein possessed a Radical Firearms, Model RF-15, multi-caliber pistol.

    Henry Martinez is also charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl.

    Bilal Malindo is also charged with two counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

    Abdulkadir Malindo, Ali, Hussein, and Martinez have been arrested and made their initial court appearances this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Bilal Malindo is in state custody and will make an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on a later date. 

    If convicted, Abdulkadir Malindo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, Abdulkadir Ali faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, Hussein Hussein faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, Henry Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and Bilal Malindo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. All the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.   

    The cases are being investigated by the ATF, DEA, HSI, KSP, and LMPD. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts is prosecuting the cases.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that Marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Latin Music Talent Agency and Its CEO Found Guilty of Violating U.S. Sanctions by Doing Business with Cartel-Linked Concert Promoter

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

    LOS ANGELES – The CEO of a Latin music conglomerate and his talent agency were found guilty by a jury today of conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by conducting business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter with ties to Mexican drug cartels.

    José Ángel Del Villar, 44, of Huntington Beach, the CEO of Del Records and its related talent agency Del Entertainment Inc., was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers in violation of the Kingpin Act and 10 counts of violating the Kingpin Act.

    Co-defendant Del Entertainment also was found guilty of all 11 counts of which Del Villar was convicted.

    According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, in April 2018, the defendants did business with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a.k.a. “Chucho,” of Guadalajara, Mexico, a music promoter who controlled Gallistica Diamante, a.k.a. Ticket Premier. Pérez promoted concerts for Del Entertainment in Mexico until March 2019.

    The U.S. Treasury Department listed Pérez and his company as “specially designated narcotics traffickers” under the Kingpin Act on April 6, 2018, after concluding he facilitated money laundering for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Los Cuinis drug trafficking organization. The Kingpin Act prevents people in the United States from conducting business with sanctioned persons and entities.

    Even though Del Villar and Del Entertainment were aware that it was illegal to engage in transactions or dealings with Pérez, they willfully did business with him by continuing to have a Del Entertainment musical artist perform at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had a financial interest.

    For example, on April 19, 2018, FBI agents approached a well-known musician and explicitly told him about Pérez’s designation under the Kingpin Act and how that prohibited him from conducting business with Pérez and performing concerts that Pérez promoted.

    On April 28, 2018, the musician performed at a music concert which Pérez organized. Del Villar’s credit card was used to pay for a private jet that brought the musician from Van Nuys Airport to the performance in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

    On multiple other occasions in 2018 and 2019, Pérez and Del Villar continued to do business by arranging for the musician to perform at concerts in Mexico – including Mexicali and San José Iturbide, Guanajuato.

    “The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.”

    “Doing business with government-sanctioned individuals is illegal and can have very serious consequences,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s guilty verdict sends a message to music industry associates and others who engage in business with those sanctioned for laundering money for Mexican drug cartels will not be tolerated by the FBI, nor our partners at the IRS and the United States Attorney’s Office.”

    United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled an August 15 sentencing hearing, at which time Del Villar will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count. Del Entertainment will face a sentence of five years of probation and a fine of $10 million for each count.

    Co-defendant Luca Scalisi, 58, of West Hollywood, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in this case and is scheduled to be tried separately in July 2025.

    Co-defendant Pérez, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers, was murdered in Mexico in December 2024. 

    The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control provided significant assistance in this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Benedetto L. Balding and Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, prosecuted this case, with substantial assistance from the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.

    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 Neighborhood (PSN).

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier Pillai urges federal action on bail reform

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Premier Pillai urges federal action on bail reform
    jlutz
    March 25, 2025 – 1:03 pm

    On March 18, 2025, Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai joined Canada’s Premiers in sending a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney urging the federal government to take immediate action on bail reform and to strengthen public safety measures. The letter, which builds on past efforts by the Yukon and other provinces and territories, calls for comprehensive legislative changes to address critical issues in Canada’s bail system.

    While the Government of Yukon believes that legal experts are best placed to advise on issues of criminal law, there is widespread agreement across provinces and territories that evidence-based reform is needed for Canada’s bail system. Careful consideration of the broader impact on public safety and individual rights must be considered, but so must the experiences of victims of crime, their families and Yukon communities.

    The letter commended the federal government’s amendments introduced through Bill C-48, but notes that while these changes represent progress, they do not fully address the ongoing risk posed by violent and repeat offenders released on bail.

    Key points of the letter include the need for:

    • swifter action: The Government of Yukon was pleased to see that in response to previous calls from the Premiers for bail reform, the federal government committed to amending the Criminal Code to address the bail system in the December 2024 Fall Economic Statement. The Government of Yukon urges the Government of Canada to move forward with these efforts as soon as possible.
    • enhanced data monitoring: The letter stresses the need for the Department of Justice Canada to allocate resources to support provinces and territories in collecting, analyzing and reporting reliable data on bail and probation, including to monitor the effectiveness of the legislative changes brought into force through C-48. Improved data collection and sharing is a part of the Government of Yukon’s improvements to repeat offender management within the territory.
    • shared responsibility: The Premiers’ letter acknowledges that while provincial and territorial governments are actively addressing interconnected issues such as poverty, homelessness, addiction, trauma and mental health, the federal government must lead in enacting meaningful legislative reform in criminal law, over which it has exclusive jurisdiction.

    Additionally, the Government of Yukon is continuing to focus on public safety by:

    • increasing funding for the RCMP by $5.2 million in Budget 2025–26, bringing the total investment in the RCMP for the upcoming fiscal year to $47 million. This increased funding will result in the creation of eight new RCMP positions, including new officers for specialized teams, permanent funding for two officer positions with Car 867 and two additional officers for the Whitehorse detachment. The funding in this year’s budget also supports modernized equipment for safer policing and public accountability. This funding is subject to legislative approval.
    • leading work with the City of Whitehorse, the Aboriginal Community Safety Planning Initiative and the Canadian Centre for Safer Communities to develop a multi-year Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan for Whitehorse, including issues in the downtown core. This roadmap will identify local safety concerns, set priorities and outline actionable steps to reduce risk and vulnerability, while encouraging active community engagement throughout the process.
    • implementing action items outlined in the Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan to create a safe, vibrant and inclusive downtown for all.
    • partnering with organizations like Safe at Home Society to renovate properties and launch supportive housing programs that offer safe, stable housing along with wrap-around services to support vulnerable populations.
    • working with the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce and industry partners to launch SafeBiz, the Whitehorse Community Safety Pilot Program, to address concerns about crime, theft and the escalation of workplace violence impacting the Whitehorse business community. With funding from the Government of Yukon, the SafeBiz program offers businesses free security assessments and recommendations, safety and de-escalation training and resources to help businesses improve their security measures.
    • encouraging Yukoners to report criminal activity to the RCMP or to Crimestoppers. Yukoners can also submit complaints about certain illegal activities occurring at properties to SCAN, the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Unit, a complaint-driven process to disrupt illegal activities and improve community safety.

    The Government of Yukon reaffirms its commitment to public safety and continues to call on the federal government to act swiftly to help the provinces and territories better protect communities. 

    Delays in criminal justice system and bail reform compromise the safety of our communities. Alongside the other provinces and territories, our government has repeatedly raised concerns about shortcomings in the criminal justice system to federal counterparts. This letter is another step in our efforts to stop criminal activity, protect Yukoners and Yukon businesses and make our communities safer for everyone. 

    Premier Ranj Pillai

    Public safety is a top priority for our government. We are leading innovative approaches to enhance safety in our communities. The Yukon stands ready to work with all levels of government to implement data-driven, evidence-based and effective reforms to our criminal justice system.

    Minister of Justice and Attorney General Tracy-Anne McPhee

    Media contact

    Laura Seeley
    Cabinet Communications
    867-332-7627
    laura.seeley@yukon.ca  

    News release #:

    25-133

    Related information:

    Funding and investment for Yukon RCMP in Budget 2025–26
    Get updates on the Downtown Whitehorse Safety Response Action Plan
    SafeBiz: Whitehorse Community Safety Pilot Program
    Report a suspicious property or activity in your neighbourhood

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Leads Multistate Coalition in Requesting Meeting with Trump Administration Officials to Express Concerns Over Potential Rollback of Abortion Care for Veterans and their Families

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Friday, March 28, 2025

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

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today led a coalition of six attorneys general in sending a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought requesting a meeting on a federal rule that provides veterans’ and their families’ access to vital reproductive health services. The rule at issue, “Reproductive Health Services” (the Rule), permits the VA medical benefits package and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) to provide abortion counseling for all pregnancies and abortion services in situations where the patient’s life or health is threatened and in cases of self-reported rape or incest. The Trump Administration has indicated it is currently reviewing the Rule and has held meetings with other stakeholders on the Rule. 

    “My fellow attorneys general and I are requesting a meeting with Veterans Affairs Secretary Collins and OMB Director Vought because we strongly believe that our veterans and their families deserve access to necessary healthcare services — including abortion care,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Day after day, members of our military community make extraordinary sacrifices, and we are concerned that the Trump Administration may be taking action to eliminate or rescind the important protections provided by this Rule. Especially in cases of rape, incest, and when the life or health of the woman is at risk, we firmly agree with the vast majority of Democrats and Republicans that abortion care is critical.”

    On September 2, 2022, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the VA announced the interim version of the Rule. On October 11, 2022, Attorney General Bonta led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing a comment letter supporting the VA’s efforts to increase reproductive freedom. After receiving public comment, the VA finalized the Rule on March 4, 2024. Since the Dobbs decision, at least 19 states have banned or restricted abortion care, while others are still proposing new restrictions.  

    In the letter, the attorneys general write that: 

    • The Rule fills a significant gap in healthcare for an important population, offering veterans and their families access to the same healthcare services available to many civilians. Of the 2 million women veterans in the United States, 42% use VA healthcare and are of childbearing age.
    • Many pregnancy and miscarriage complications are emergency medical conditions requiring time-sensitive stabilizing treatment that can include abortion. In an emergency, any failure to provide, or delays in providing, necessary abortion care puts the pregnant patient’s life or health at risk.
    • Permitting abortion where a pregnancy is the result of self-reported rape or incest, particularly given the prevalence of sexual violence resulting in pregnancy, is vitally important. Sexual violence is far too common in our culture and has pervasive physical and mental health consequences, which are often exacerbated by a resulting pregnancy. Veterans report higher rates of sexual trauma than their civilian peers.
    • Ensuring access to abortion counseling is part of patient-centered care, which builds trust among providers and patients.
    • In order to more fully outline the importance of the Rule to families in our States, we request a meeting with our staff at the soonest possible date.

    Joining Attorney General Bonta in sending today’s letter are the attorneys general of Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington. 

    A copy of the letter can be found here. General background on OMB meetings can be found here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIDLAND, Texas – An Oklahoma man was sentenced in a federal court in Midland to 540 months in prison for charges related to sexual exploitation of children.

    According to court documents, on Jan. 30, 2024, Jonathon Chase Russell, 36, of Elk City, posted in a messaging app 15 images that depicted two minor females engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The next day, Russell sent three of the images to an undercover federal investigator, stating that the two minors were three and 11 years old. Further investigation led FBI agents to identify Russell’s IP addresses and locate him at a hotel in Midland. On Feb. 8, 2024, agents executed a warrant on his hotel room, where they discovered pairs of children’s underwear and a green tactical backpack that contained sexual devices. Agents also discovered a smartphone, which had been hidden underneath a refrigerator and which forensic examination revealed contained a substantial collection of images depicting sexual abuse of minor children. 

    The Western District of Texas filed a three-count indictment on Feb. 28, 2024, charging Russell with possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Russell was also indicted in the Western District of Oklahoma on April 3, 2024, for one count of production of visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. His Oklahoma case was transferred to Midland, and on Aug. 19, 2024, Russell pleaded guilty to the count charged in the Western District of Oklahoma indictment and to all three counts charged in the Western District of Texas via a superseding indictment.

    “The lengthy sentence imposed in this case reflects the immense damage this individual inflicted on multiple children, who will be plagued by these experiences for the rest of their lives,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Along with our law enforcement partners and, when necessary, across districts, we will continue to hold accountable the predators who harm the lives of children through illicit sexual crimes.”

    “This defendant’s abhorrent behavior has been put to an end thanks to cooperation between federal prosecutors and law enforcement across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “The lengthy sentence imposed is yet another example of the Department’s focus on protecting children and serving justice to those who seek to target the most vulnerable in our communities.”

    “The significant sentence imposed on Jonathan Chase Russell sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those individuals who exploit children. Russell will serve the next 45 years in federal prison for his incomprehensible acts,” said John Morales, FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge. “We remain committed in working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who victimize the most vulnerable members of our society, our children, from infants to toddlers to young children to teenagers, we will hunt you down and serve justice for these horrendous crimes.”

    The FBI investigated the case with assistance of the Elk City Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Haywood prosecuted the case for the Western District of Texas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz prosecuted the Western District of Oklahoma’s case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deforest Business Owner Sentenced to Nine Years for Cocaine Trafficking

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

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin announced that Luis Angel Rios, 50, of DeForest, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 9 years in federal prison for attempting to distribute a large quantity of cocaine and maintaining a place for storing and distributing cocaine. Rios pleaded guilty to these charges on January 10, 2025.

    In late 2022 and early 2023, investigators with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a cocaine trafficking organization operating in Dane County. During an investigation that included the interception of communications between Rios and other participants in the trafficking, investigators determined that Rios was obtaining and selling multiple kilograms of cocaine, and at times cooperating with another local kilogram-level cocaine trafficker to assist in maintaining a drug supply. On June 1, 2023, as a result of phone interceptions and surveillance, investigators intercepted a half-kilogram delivery of cocaine intended for one of Rios’s customers.

    Rios was the owner of a cleaning and maintenance business in DeForest. During the sentencing, Judge Peterson credited Rios with being a hard-working family man, with no criminal history, but observed that the investigation demonstrated that he also applied his hard-working efforts to managing his ability to secure and distribute large quantities of cocaine. The court found that Rios brought more than 15 kilograms of cocaine into the community in a short period of time, which exploited those who had addictions and served to feed other crimes created by drug use.

    Rios’s co-defendant, Braulio Martinez Salazar, was sentenced by Judge Peterson on March 11, 2025, to 3 years for his role in the cocaine trafficking operation.   

    The charges against Rios were the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Anderson and William M. Levins prosecuted this case.

    The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Universal City Man Will Spend 60 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A Universal City man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 720 months in prison for three charges related to sexual exploitation of children.

    According to court documents, Christopher Lee Castano, 44, accessed and transferred child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to and from external devices using his employer’s computer system while at a facility in San Antonio. The employer contacted the FBI in August 2022, after having discovered that Castano possessed files with names associated with child pornography on four removable devices since January 2022. On Aug. 3, 2022, an employee observed the files as Castano connected the external devices to the employer’s computers.

    A federal search warrant led to the search of Castano’s work area and his devices, and an investigation revealed CSAM produced by Castano between 2015 and 2018 when the female child victim in the images was 11-14 years old. FBI personnel also located multiple CSAM images and videos depicting another minor female produced around 2016 when that victim was between the ages of five and 26 months old. A graphic CSAM video of Castano’s was produced using his cell phone on July 21, 2018, depicting the second child victim when she was just over two years old.

    Castano has remained in federal custody since his arrest on Aug. 10, 2022. He was indicted for 13-counts on Sept. 7, 2022 and pleaded guilty to three counts on Oct. 12, 2023.

    In addition to his 60-year prison sentence, Castano was also ordered to pay restitution to two child victims in the amount of $50,000 each and another $5,000 each to five additional victims who were identified through the investigation.

    “Unless he lives well into his hundreds, this child predator is rightfully going to serve what is essentially a life sentence for the heinous crimes he has committed against at least half a dozen children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “I thank Castano’s employer for reporting his actions to our partners at the FBI, who helped us achieve this just sentence. While this does not erase what the child victims endured, we hope that they find some solace in the fact that Castano is no longer a threat to anyone.”

    “Castano heinously abused some of the most vulnerable among us. This sentence properly reflects the seriousness of his crimes and will hopefully provide some semblance of justice for his victims. The FBI is committed to protecting our children and relentlessly pursuing those who would cause them harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their partnership and dedication to this important mission.”

    The FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Danny K. Davis Denounces Harmful Budget Cuts Favoring the Wealthy at the Expense of Essential Services

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Danny K Davis (7th District of Illinois)

    Washington, D.C. – Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL) today strongly condemned the passage of the House Republican budget, which enacts substantial tax cuts favoring the affluent while imposing severe reductions on critical programs. The budget, narrowly approved by a 217-215 vote, proposes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over the next decade, disproportionately benefiting high-income individuals. To offset these cuts, the budget mandates at least $2 trillion in spending reductions, adversely affecting vulnerable populations, particularly in Illinois’s 7th Congressional District. In addition, these cuts target programs that support low and middle-income families, effectively redistributing resources from the most vulnerable to the most affluent.

    Favoring the Wealthy at the Expense of the Many

    “Budgets are moral documents, and this one makes it painfully clear that working families, seniors, and the most vulnerable members of our society are not a priority,” stated Congressman Danny K. Davis. “This budget not only strips away necessary resources but also exacerbates social and economic inequities by directly attacking the social determinants of health—factors like healthcare access, education, economic stability, housing, and community support that determine well-being.”

    Severe Impact on the 7th District and the Nation

    The budget proposes $880 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade, endangering healthcare access for nearly 80 million Americans, including thousands in Illinois’s 7th District. These cuts disproportionately impact low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities, worsening health disparities and increasing preventable hospitalizations.

    Additionally, the budget:

    • Jeopardizes Education and Workforce Development: The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is directed to identify $330 billion in cuts, potentially affecting federal funding for public education, Pell Grants, and job training programs. These reductions could lead to larger class sizes, decreased access to higher education for low-income students, and diminished support for workforce development initiatives, hindering economic mobility and widening income inequality in Chicago and beyond.
    • Jeopardizes Nutrition and Food Security: Mandating the House Committee on Agriculture to find at least $230 billion in cuts, largely from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the budget increases food insecurity, particularly among children and seniors. In Illinois, nearly 1.8 million residents rely on SNAP benefits to meet their nutritional needs.
    • Reduces Housing Security: The budget includes significant cuts to affordable housing programs, with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) facing potential staff reductions of up to 50%, affecting critical services such as rental assistance and homelessness support. These cuts threaten housing stability for low-income families, potentially increasing homelessness and housing insecurity in the 7th District.
    • Weakens Community Safety: The House Republican budget proposes eliminating the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which has provided $1.1 billion since 2016 to fund over 8,200 law enforcement positions. Additionally, the budget includes a $1.3 billion cut to the Department of Justice, potentially reducing federal agents, analysts, and prosecutors, weakening efforts to combat crime and national security threats. 
    • Undermines Public Health Efforts: Funding cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) threaten critical programs addressing mental health and addiction crises, disproportionately impacting communities of color. The budget’s exact figures for these reductions are unspecified, but the anticipated decrease in funding could severely limit access to essential mental health services.
    • Reduces IRS Funding: The House Republican budget includes $20 billion in IRS cuts, reducing tax enforcement against wealthy evaders and leading to an estimated $44 billion revenue loss, increasing the deficit by $24 billion. It also results in 7,000 IRS layoffs, weakening tax compliance.
    • Small businesses: The budget cuts SBA funding by 5%, eliminating vital technical-assistance grants. Additionally, if the 2017 tax cuts expire, 6 million jobs could be lost. 

    A Call for a Just and Equitable Budget

    Congressman Danny K. Davis urges the U. S. Senate to reject this inequitable budget and instead pass legislation that invests in health, education, housing, and economic opportunity rather than providing disproportionate benefits to the wealthy at the expense of essential services. “We must adopt a budget that reflects our collective values—one that uplifts all Americans and fosters equitable growth. I remain committed to advocating for policies that ensure no one is left behind,”Davis concluded.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norton Releases Statement on President Trump’s Anti-Home Rule D.C. Executive Order

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a statement tonight after President Trump signed an anti-D.C. home rule executive order (EO) establishing a task force to combat crime by surging law enforcement officers in public areas, increasing immigration enforcement, changing D.C. pre-trial detention policies, expediting concealed carry licenses, and working on fare enforcement on the Metro system. The EO also created a program to allegedly “beautify” D.C. by restoring federal buildings, monuments and roadways, removing graffiti, and ensuring cleanliness of public spaces and parks. Additionally, the EO directed the National Park Service to clear homeless encampments and graffiti on federal lands.

    “President Trump’s thoroughly anti-home rule EO is insulting to the 700,000 D.C. residents who live in close proximity to a federal government, which continues to deny them the same rights afforded to other Americans. The task force created by the EO would not include a single D.C. official to represent the interests of the people who reside within the District,” Norton said. “The Revolutionary War was fought to give consent to the governed and to end taxation without representation. President Trump’s rhetoric runs counter to this history. D.C.’s population is larger than that of two states. D.C. pays more federal taxes per capita than any state and pays more federal taxes than 21 states. D.C.’s gross domestic product is larger than that of 15 states. D.C. residents have fought and died in all this nation’s wars. We deserve statehood.

    “The ‘Fact Sheet’ about the EO currently on the White House’s website states that crime in D.C. is ‘near historic highs.’ This simply isn’t true. It is contradicted by the Department of Justice, which noted on January 3 that violent crime was down 35% in 2024 and overall violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low.

    “Like states, cities, and counties across the country, D.C. has passed laws to support and protect the safety of all its residents, regardless of immigration status. In passing these laws, D.C. followed its values and was convinced of the benefits for the entire city. Anyone watching can see plainly that the immigration provisions in the EO were motivated by President Trump’s longstanding antipathy for immigrants, not concern about law and order in the nation’s capital.

    “Finally, the recently enacted CR omitted a longstanding provision to allow D.C. to continue spending under its local fiscal year 2025 budget, and instead forces the District to revert to spending at fiscal year 2024 levels for the remainder of the year. The CR will result in projected cuts of approximately $1 billion in its own locally raised funds through the end of September, which will force dramatic reductions in essential services the city provides, including those related to public safety. House Republicans did this intentionally and had time to correct the issue. If Republicans are concerned about public safety in the nation’s capital, they should not have passed a CR that cut D.C.’s funding, including for public safety purposes, halfway through the fiscal year.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Dan Goldman Leads Demand for Pam Bondi to Appoint a Special Counsel to Investigate Signal Breach Involving Senior Trump Appointees

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    18 Senior Trump Administration Officials, Including Cabinet Members, Were Using Open-Source Commercial Messaging App Signal to Discuss Confidential War Plans, Jeopardizing National Security 

     

    Letter Argues Trump Appointees’ Episode of Incompetence is in Violation of the Espionage Act  

     

    Members Demand Appointment of Independent Special Counsel to Investigate and Bring Potential Charges as Demanded by Law 

      

    Read the Letter Here  

    Washington, DC – Congressmen Dan Goldman (NY-10) led 5 of his colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding she appoints an independent special counsel to investigate the security breach involving senior Trump officials sharing classified military plans on an unsecured messaging app. 

    Under the Espionage Act, the unauthorized disclosure of national defense information is subject to penalties, including fines or imprisonment. Specifically, the statute criminalizes the transmission of classified information to unauthorized individuals. Additionally, the Federal Records Act prohibits the removal, alteration, or destruction of records documenting federal agency activities, a regulation Mr. Waltz seemingly violated by setting all messages to automatically delete after a specified period. At this juncture, it remains unclear whether former President Trump or senior members of his administration are broadly utilizing Signal chats to circumvent both the Federal Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act. 

    “This egregious breach of security protocol – from an Administration whose leader was criminally charged with violating laws related to classified materials and who once called for a political opponent to be jailed for possessing classified materials on a private email server – is unacceptable and demands an immediate and independent investigation. This security breach may run afoul of multiple laws, including those requiring the proper protection of classified information and requiring that all official communications be preserved,” the members said. 

    Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to a Signal chat titled “Houthi PC Small Group” by National Security Advisor Michael Waltz on March 13th. Signal, an unsecured messaging platform, is susceptible to surveillance by foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, and Iran. The chat contained 18 other senior officials from the Trump Administration, including Vice President Vance, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Gabbard, and CIA Director Ratcliffe. 

    Given the potential violations of the law and AG Bondi’s position in the Administration, the members demand the appointment of an independent special counsel to avoid conflicts of interest.  

    “As Attorney General, it is your responsibility to uphold criminal laws that protect the security of our nation and its military. It is also your duty, as you acknowledged during your Senate confirmation hearing, to enforce these laws impartially, including by avoiding the appearance of conflicts of interest. We trust that you will act swiftly and decisively by appointing a special counsel to investigate this breach and, if warranted, prosecute anyone who knowingly and willfully violated our criminal laws, putting at risk the safety and security of our most sensitive secrets and our servicemen and women. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter,” the members concluded. 

    Read the letter here or below: 

    Dear Attorney General Bondi, 

    We write to express our shock and disgust at the recent alarming report about the most senior officials in the Trump administration sharing classified military operations plans with a reporter on an open-source, commercial messaging app, as detailed in The Atlantic article, “The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans.” This remarkably careless and dangerous episode calls into question the integrity of our national security procedures and the security of our most sensitive military and intelligence information. Given the gravity of this error and the need for independent review, we believe that your appointment of a special counsel to investigate the conduct of these senior administration officials in this case is both urgent and necessary. 

    According to Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz added Goldberg to a Signal chat entitled “Houthi PC small group,” which included a principals committee of 18 of the most senior members of the Administration – including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, among others. On this group chain that included a journalist, Secretary Hegseth included a detailed tick-tock from Central Command of a highly classified planned military strike in Yemen. Signal is an unsecure messaging app likely targeted by surveillance from adversaries such as China, Russia, and Iran; indeed, we are lucky that the Houthis did not receive the detailed plans with sufficient time to prepare a counterattack, jeopardizing the security of our servicemen and women. 

    Notwithstanding Secretary Hegseth’s prototypical denial of the clear facts by attacking Mr. Goldberg, the Trump Administration has confirmed the authenticity of the text chain. This egregious breach of security protocol – from an Administration whose leader was criminally charged with violating laws related to classified materials and who once called for a political opponent to be jailed for possessing classified materials on a private email server – is unacceptable and demands an immediate and independent investigation. This security breach may run afoul of multiple laws, including those requiring the proper protection of classified information and requiring that all official communications be preserved. 

    Under 18 U.S.C. § 798 of the Espionage Act, unauthorized disclosure of national defense information can be punished by a fine or imprisonment. Specifically, the statute criminalizes any of the following uses of classified information: communicating the information or making it “available” to unauthorized persons; publishing the information in any manner; or using the information in any other manner that goes against U.S. interests or benefits a foreign entity. To successfully prosecute an individual under 18 U.S.C. 798, the government must prove the following elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt: (1) the information in question is classified; (2) the disclosure was unauthorized; and (3) knowledge and intent of the disclosure – unless it is an act of reckless negligence. As the first two elements are undoubtedly met, an investigation is necessary to determine whether there is evidence that reckless negligence occurred. 

    Separately, the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. § 31) requires federal agencies to maintain records documenting their activities, ensuring safe storage and efficient retrieval, and disposing of records according to agency schedules. In the event that records have been unlawfully removed, destroyed, or altered, Section 3106 mandates that federal agency heads notify the Archivist of the United States and initiate action with the Attorney General to recover unlawfully removed records, or the Archivist will do so if the agency head fails to act. In this case, Mr. Waltz set the messages to be deleted after one or four weeks. An investigation is required to determine if there were any protocols set in place to preserve these records, and whether other such Signal chats are being used to circumvent the Federal Records Act and possibly the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 

    Further, the Department of Defense (DOD) has an express prohibition on the use of Signal as a means of transmitting non-public DOD information unless previously authorized. As the head of the Department, Secretary Hegseth’s adherence to DOD’s own regulations is, of course, essential as an example to those who serve under him. Moreover, an investigation is needed to determine whether other classified information or materials have been shared on Signal by the Secretary of Defense or other members of DOD. 

    Given the fact that those included in the Signal group include the Vice President, other cabinet officials, and the most senior officials in the White House, it is self-evident that you, as a similarly-situated politically appointed cabinet official, cannot conduct an investigation without the appearance of a conflict of interest. Under 28 CFR § 600.1, the Attorney General is required to appoint a special counsel when she determines that criminal investigation of a matter is warranted and that investigation by a United States Attorney’s Office or litigating Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) would present a conflict of interest; and it is in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel. Here, this standard is easily met. 

    As Attorney General, it is your duty to enforce criminal laws designed to protect our nation’s and our military’s security. It is also your duty, as you acknowledged at your Senate confirmation hearing, to impartially enforce our criminal laws, including by avoiding the appearance of conflicts of interest. We trust that you will take swift and decisive action by appointing a special counsel to investigate this breach and, if appropriate, charge anyone who knowingly and willfully violated our criminal laws, jeopardizing the safety and security of our most closely held secrets and our servicemen and women. Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kathy Hochul, Fresh Off Her Disastrous Handling of the Corrections Officers Strike, Bungles It Again With Home Care Chaos

    Source: US Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17)

    Pearl River, N.Y. – 3/24/25… Today, Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration once again admits they stumbled into a self-made disaster, this time with the botched rollout of New York’s home healthcare overhaul. After weeks of insisting that everything was “going according to plan,” the Hochul team has now caved on its own deadline, delaying the transition following a whistleblower’s bombshell revelation that the process is a “s–t show.”

    The overhaul, a $9 billion endeavor meant to fold payroll services under Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) that has faced credible allegations of bid rigging, has spiraled into a mess of delays and dysfunction. Reports indicate PPL has been overwhelmed, drowning in phone calls, and unable to keep up with the demands of the transition. For the elderly and disabled New Yorkers who depend on home healthcare, this is a betrayal that threatens their daily lives.

    “Kathy Hochul’s encore to her mishandling of the corrections officers strike is a masterclass in chaos, and now the most vulnerable New Yorkers are paying the price,” said Congressman Mike Lawler. “All this change has done is create confusion and show incompetence, and the Governor  is putting the lives of over 280,000 vulnerable New Yorkers at risk while doing it.”

    PPL’s struggles have been compounded by decisions that weaken oversight, such as skipping consumer sign-offs on time cards and being understaffed to handle the influx of home healthcare aides attempting to register. For weeks, Hochul’s team brushed off concerns but is now backtracking one week before the overhaul goes into effect. This also follows Congressman Lawler and the NYGOP Congressional Delegation demanding that HHS step back as far as the summer of 2024 to prevent Hochul from wrecking home health care in New York State.

    “The Department of Health and Human Services must step in immediately to protect these essential services. At the same time, the Department of Justice needs to investigate the credible allegations of bid rigging in this broken contracting process. New Yorkers deserve answers,” concluded Congressman Lawler.

    Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Burlison Welcomes Former U.S. Air Force Officer David Grusch as Special Advisor

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Burlison (R-Missouri 7th District)

    Washington, D.C. – Congressman Eric Burlison (R-MO-07) is pleased to announce David Grusch, a decorated former U.S. Air Force officer and senior civilian intelligence official, as a Special Advisor. Grusch, recognized for his previous sworn testimony before House Oversight & Accountability Committee about the federal government’s Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) activities, will contribute his expertise to Rep. Burlison’s efforts to promote transparency regarding UAP and other matters on the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets. 

    “The American people deserve answers about UAPs,” said Rep. Burlison. “David Grusch has risked his career to expose critical information. His expertise will be vital as we work to uncover the truth and hold the government accountable.”   

    Grusch served 14 years in the Air Force, reaching the rank of Major, with a combat tour of duty in Afghanistan supporting counter-illicit finance, drug, and arms-trafficking operations with Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and ISAF. He later worked as a senior intelligence officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and from 2019-2021 officially represented the NRO on the UAP Task Force. In 2022 while at NGA, Mr. Grusch filed a federal whistleblower complaint with the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) which was found “credible and urgent” for reporting to the Congressional intelligence committees. In 2023, he testified before Congress, alleging that elements of the U.S. government had thwarted Congressional oversight, withheld information from proper Executive Branch officials and illegally concealed programs tied to the recovery and reverse engineering of craft of unknown, non-human origin. 

    “I’m both immensely humbled and deeply honored to join Congressman Burlison and his amazing team of professionals in pushing for government transparency,” said Grusch. “The public is rightfully demanding to know the truth and it is my true privilege for me to serve the people of this country once again. I will use all my expertise to support Rep. Burlison and help the US Congress restore full oversight while enabling the Legislative Branch’s ability to investigate and hold those accountable who have broken the law and lied not only to our Congress, but also to the Executive Office of the President, Director of National Intelligence, and Department of Justice.” 

    Rep. Burlison, a strong advocate for government transparency, underscores his commitment to government accountability and transparency on the UAP topic with this appointment. 

    VIDEO: NewsNation’s Blake Burman Discusses David Grusch Hire With Rep. Burlison

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Suspect arrested, charged in connection with Tesla arson attack in US

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A Las Vegas resident has been arrested and charged in connection with a violent Tesla arson attack in the Nevada city earlier this month, authorities said on Thursday.

    Paul Hyon Kim, 36, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of arson, said the U.S. Department of Justice in a statement.

    Kim was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers on Wednesday and remains in federal custody. The Las Vegas resident made his initial appearance on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla collision business, according to the statement.

    “Today’s federal charges demonstrate our strong partnerships and collaboration with law enforcement partners and the joint pursuit to end domestic terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada in the statement.

    According to allegations in the complaint, on March 18, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers responded to an emergency call about a person setting vehicles on fire and hearing gunshots at a Tesla collision business. During the investigation, it was determined that Molotov cocktails and a .30 caliber AR-style firearm were used to damage and destroy five Tesla vehicles, and graffiti was sprayed to write “Resist” on the front of the building.

    If convicted, Kim faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm charge, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of 20 years in prison for the arson charge, the statement added.

    Kim’s attack at the Tesla service center in Las Vegas was the latest of its kind to target Tesla cars, dealerships and charging stations across the nation in protest of the company’s CEO Elon Musk’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency.

    “Has there ever been such a level of coordinated violence against a peaceful company?” Elon Musk wrote in a post on socia media X last week, adding that “I understand not wanting to buy a product, but this is extreme arson and destruction.”

    Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke in a show of support for Musk, describing violence against Tesla as domestic terrorism. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi also described attacks on Tesla as “nothing short of domestic terrorism” and announced charges against three individuals responsible for the violent destruction of Tesla properties.

    “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars,” Bondi noted in a statement.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Cantwell Take Action to Improve Local Overdose Tracking

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act to help communities identify and tackle drug abuse trends. The bipartisan bill would provide Department of Justice (DOJ) grants to states, cities, law enforcement units and tribes that operate overdose data collection programs, such as the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP). 
    “The fight to end addiction and drug abuse in our communities requires a robust understanding of the problem at hand. By investing in local partners, we empower communities to more effectively track drug abuse trends and prevent future overdoses,” Grassley said. “I’m glad to support this cost-effective plan to expand vital data collection programs.”
    “When responding to fentanyl overdoses, an extra minute can save a life,” Cantwell said. “Tracking fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses will help our first responders, law enforcement, and public health professionals better target and prevent OD spikes and surge resources to communities that need them the most.”
    Additional cosponsors include Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).
    View bill text HERE.
    Background:
    ODMAP is a free, web-based platform that reports in near real-time suspected overdose events, as well as incidents where overdose reversal medications, like Naloxone, were administered. ODMAP helps to identify spikes and clusters of overdoses in communities, neighboring communities and nationwide. While ODMAP is a widely favored platform, the DOJ would retain discretion in determining which data collection program is best for each grant applicant.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 7103(b)(1) of title 5 and 4103(b) of title 22, United States Code, to enhance the national security of the United States, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Determinations.  (a)  The agencies and agency subdivisions set forth in section 2 of this order are hereby determined to have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.  It is also hereby determined that Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, cannot be applied to these agencies and agency subdivisions in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations.
    (b)  The agency subdivisions set forth in section 3 of this order are hereby determined to have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.  It is also hereby determined that Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of title 22, United States Code, cannot be applied to these subdivisions in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations.
    Sec. 2.  Additional National Security Exclusions.  Executive Order 12171 of November 19, 1979, as amended, is further amended by:
    (a)  In section 1-101, adding “and Section 1-4” after “Section 1-2” in both places that term appears.
    (b)  Adding after section 1-3 a new section 1-4 that reads:
    “1-4.  Additional Exclusions.
    1-401.  The Department of State.
    1-402.  The Department of Defense, except for any subdivisions excluded pursuant to section 4 of the Executive Order of March 27, 2025, entitled ‘Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs.’
    1-403.  The Department of the Treasury, except the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
    1-404.  The Department of Veterans Affairs.
    1-405.  The Department of Justice.
    1-406.  Agencies or subdivisions of the Department of Health and Human Services:
    (a)  Office of the Secretary.
    (b)  Food and Drug Administration.
    (c)  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    (d)  Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
    (e)  Office of the General Counsel.
    (f)  Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families.
    (g) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.
    1-407.  Agencies or subdivisions of the Department of Homeland Security:
    (a)  Office of the Secretary.
    (b)  Office of the General Counsel.
    (c)  Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans.
    (d)  Management Directorate.
    (e)  Science and Technology Directorate.
    (f)  Office of Health Security.
    (g)  Office of Homeland Security Situational Awareness.
    (h)  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
    (i)  United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
    (j)  United States Coast Guard.
    (k)  Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
    (l)  Federal Emergency Management Agency.
    1-408.  Agencies or subdivisions of the Department of the Interior:
    (a)  Office of the Secretary.
    (b)  Bureau of Land Management.
    (c)  Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
    (d)  Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
    1-409.  The Department of Energy, except for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
    1-410.  The following agencies or subdivisions of the Department of Agriculture:
    (a)  Food Safety and Inspection Service.
    (b)  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
    1-411.  The International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.   
    1-412.  The Environmental Protection Agency.
    1-413.  The United States Agency for International Development.
    1-414.  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
    1-415.  The National Science Foundation.
    1-416.  The United States International Trade Commission.
    1-417.  The Federal Communications Commission.
    1-418.  The General Services Administration.
    1-419.  The following agencies or subdivisions of each Executive department listed in section 101 of title 5, United States Code, the Social Security Administration, and the Office of Personnel Management:
    (a)  Office of the Chief Information Officer.
    (b)  any other agency or subdivision that has information resources management duties as the agency or subdivision’s primary duty.
    1-499.  Notwithstanding the forgoing, nothing in this section shall exempt from the coverage of Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code:
    (a)  the immediate, local employing offices of any agency police officers, security guards, or firefighters, provided that this exclusion does not apply to the Bureau of Prisons;
    (b)  subdivisions of the United States Marshals Service not listed in section 1-209 of this order; or
    (c)  any subdivisions of the Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs for which the applicable Secretary has issued an order suspending the application of this section pursuant to section 4 of the Executive Order of March 27, 2025, entitled ‘Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs.’”
    Sec. 3.  Foreign Service Exclusions.  Executive Order 12171, as amended, is further amended by:
    (a)  In the first paragraph:
    (i)   adding “and Section 4103(b) of Title 22,” after “Title 5”; and
    (ii)  adding “and Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of Title 22” after “Relations Program.”.
    (b)  Adding after section 1-102 a new section 1-103 that reads:
    “1-103.  The Department subdivisions set forth in section 1-5 of this order are hereby determined to have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.  It is also hereby determined that Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of title 22, United States Code, cannot be applied to those subdivisions in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations.  The subdivisions set forth in section 1-5 of this order are hereby excluded from coverage under Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of title 22, United States Code.”
    (c)  Adding after the new section 1-4 added by section 2(b) of this order a new section 1-5 that reads:
    “1-5.  Subdivisions of Departments Employing Foreign Service Officers.
    1-501.  Subdivisions of the Department of State:
    (a)  Each subdivision reporting directly to the Secretary of State.
    (b)  Each subdivision reporting to the Deputy Secretary of State.
    (c)  Each subdivision reporting to the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources.
    (d)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Management.
    (e)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security.
    (f)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.
    (g)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment.
    (h)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs.
    (i)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy.
    (j)  Each United States embassy, consulate, diplomatic mission, or office providing consular services.
    1-502.  Subdivisions of the United States Agency for International Development:
    (a)  All Overseas Missions and Field Offices.
    (b)  Each subdivision reporting directly to the Administrator.
    (c)  Each subdivision reporting to the Deputy Administrator for Policy and Programming.
    (d)  Each subdivision reporting to the Deputy Administrator for Management and Resources.”.
    Sec. 4.  Delegation of Authority to the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs.  (a)  Subject to the requirements of subsection (b) of this section, the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs are delegated authority under 5 U.S.C. 7103(b)(1) to issue orders suspending the application of section 1-402 or 1-404 of Executive Order 12171, as amended, to any subdivisions of the departments they supervise, thereby bringing such subdivisions under the coverage of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute.
    (b)  An order described in subsection (a) of this section shall only be effective if:
    (i)   the applicable Secretary certifies to the President that the provisions of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute can be applied to such subdivision in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations; and
    (ii)  such certification is submitted for publication in the Federal Register within 15 days of the date of this order.
    Sec. 5.  Delegation of Authority to the Secretary of Transportation.  (a)  The national security interests of the United States in ensuring the safety and integrity of the national transportation system require that the Secretary of Transportation have maximum flexibility to cultivate an efficient workforce at the Department of Transportation that is adaptive to new technologies and innovation.  Where collective bargaining is incompatible with that mission, the Department of Transportation should not be forced to seek relief through grievances, arbitrations, or administrative proceedings.
    (b)  The Secretary of Transportation is therefore delegated authority under section 7103(b) of title 5, United States Code, to issue orders excluding any subdivision of the Department of Transportation, including the Federal Aviation Administration, from Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute coverage or suspending any provision of that law with respect to any Department of Transportation installation or activity located outside the 50 States and the District of Columbia.  This authority may not be further delegated.  When making the determination required by 5 U.S.C. 7103(b)(1) or 7103(b)(2), the Secretary of Transportation shall publish his determination in the Federal Register.
    Sec. 6.  Implementation.  With respect to employees in agencies or subdivisions thereof that were previously part of a bargaining unit but have been excepted under this order, each applicable agency head shall, upon termination of the applicable collective bargaining agreement:
    (a)  reassign any such employees who performed non-agency business pursuant to section 7131 of title 5 or section 4116 of title 22, United States Code, to performing solely agency business; and
    (b)  terminate agency participation in any pending grievance proceedings under section 7121 of title 5, United States Code, exceptions to arbitral awards under section 7122 of title 5, United States Code, or unfair labor practice proceedings under section 7118 of title 5 or section 4116 of title 22, United States Code, that involve such employees.
    Sec. 7.  Additional Review.  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the head of each agency with employees covered by Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, shall submit a report to the President that identifies any agency subdivisions not covered by Executive Order 12171, as amended:
    (a) that have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work, applying the definition of “national security” set forth by the Federal Labor Relations Authority in Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Operations, and National Association of Government Employees Local R5-181, 4 FLRA 644 (1980); and
    (b)  for which the agency head believes the provisions of Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, cannot be applied to such subdivision in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations, and the reasons therefore.
    Sec. 8.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        March 27, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: At Hearing on Antisemitism on Campuses, Senator Murray Details How Trump and Musk Gutting Office for Civil Rights Worsens the Problem

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Senator Murray: “If you want to fight antisemitism, you should support OCR. It is as straight forward as it gets. It’s like saying if you want to fight fires—you should support the fire department. Well, I hate to tell you all: Trump is axing the fire department. He has fired nearly half of OCR staff, and shuttered more than half of OCR offices. So, I don’t know how anyone can actually say they are serious about stopping antisemitism on campus without also saying that they are concerned by this movement to gut the agency on the frontline of stopping antisemitism.”

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Executive Order Seeking to Abolish the Department of Education

    *** VIDEO of Senator Murray’s Remarks and Questioning HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today—at a hearing on antisemitism on college campuses—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, underscored how President Trump and Elon Musk are gutting the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Education (ED) and seriously impeding ongoing investigations into antisemitism—and other critical investigations to ensure students’ rights are protected on campuses nationwide. OCR is the federal agency tasked with enforcing federal civil rights laws in schools and other recipients of ED funding—but he has fired nearly half its staff.

    Senator Murray began by underscoring that every student should feel safe at school, and not live in fear of harassment—or government retaliation for exercising their first amendment rights: “Everyone in this country should be able to use their voice and exercise their first amendment rights—peacefully—without fear of government retaliation. And at the very same time, no one should ever fear for their safety on campus. No one should ever be forced to tolerate bigotry. That’s a simple principle, and I think it’s one that the vast majority of Americans agree with. In fact, here in Congress, we agree with it so much we have an Office at the Department of Education dedicated to upholding that principle—the Office for Civil Rights, that the Senator from Maine just referenced. And that is why I have fought for years to secure more resources and funding for OCR. It does important work to make sure every student is safe on campus, and it makes sure schools are living up to their obligations under our civil rights laws. When hatred and bigotry are on the march—from recent spikes in antisemitism, and islamophobia, or to the wave of anti-Asian hate during COVID. When student safety is at stake—whether that means addressing hate crimes and hostile environments or actually addressing sexual assault on college campuses. OCR is really our frontline.”

    “So, if you want to fight antisemitism, you should support OCR. It is as straight forward as it gets! It’s like saying if you want to fight fires—you should support the fire department,” Senator Murray continued, noting that Trump and Musk are actually decimating the agency. “Well, I hate to tell you all: Trump is axing the fire department. He has fired nearly half of OCR staff, and shuttered more than half of OCR offices. So, I don’t know how anyone can actually say they are serious about stopping antisemitism on campus–without also saying that they are concerned by this movement to gut the agency on the frontline of stopping antisemitism. Because you can’t upend that entire office–as Trump wants to do–without upending the work. You can’t pause investigations—which Trump already did—without creating a huge backlog that means students will not get the justice that they deserve.”

    “You can’t just cut an agency in half and pretend everything is fine. Closing these offices means throwing 6,000 cases into limbo, leaving students in 28 states without the critical tools to fight back. Firing those workers means doubling the case load for the remaining investigators—who are already stretched thin. I think it’s clear that if we are serious about fighting antisemitism, we need to get serious about fighting this administration’s decimation not only of OCR, but the entire Department.”

    Senator Murray then asked Rabbi David Saperstein, Director Emeritus at Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, “Does drastically eliminating OCR’s capacity help protect students, including Jewish students?”

    Rabbi Saperstein responded, “It harms it in so many ways, Senator. You already talked about how overloaded they were before any of these cuts. Each one of the investigators averaged from 46 cases that they had to deal with, now it’s 86 cases that they’re going to have to deal with, with the staff after the cuts were made. They shut 7 of the 12 regional offices. They’re talking about moving this kind of work, integrating it into the Justice Department. The Justice Department is not an administrative enforcement agency; it doesn’t look at it in a holistic kind of manner. This is really something extraordinary. ProPublica did a deep dive before the cuts happened and in the first few weeks, 20 new cases were opened in the beginning of this administration. In the beginning of the Biden administration in the same period of time, 110 cases. In the last year of the Biden administration 240 cases. Now it was down to 20, they’re grinding it to a halt, and it is the students of America, of all kinds, who are facing discriminations that are going to suffer.”

    Murray concluded by asking the same question of Kenneth Stern, Director of The Bard Center for Study of Hate. Mr. Stern replied, “I had the experience of working with OCR. There were Jewish students outside of Binghamton, NY. There was a ‘kick a Jew day.’ The school district did nothing. I can tell you OCR worked magic—it helped the students. It helped the district do something that was educationally important. Also, there were other students that didn’t want to be part of the complaint because they were worried about the retribution to them. This gave an opportunity to go work with them behind the scenes to make sure their voices were heard too. I agree with Rabbi Saperstein, if this becomes a Department of Justice issue, I think back to that case, I don’t know that there would have been a complainant, I don’t know that the students would have come forward.”

    A senior member and former chair of the HELP Committee, Senator Murray has championed students and families at every stage of her career—fighting to help ensure every child in America can get a high-quality public education. Among other things, Senator Murray negotiated the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), landmark legislation that she got signed into law, replacing the broken No Child Left Behind Act. As a longtime appropriator, she has successfully fought to boost funding to support students and invest in our nation’s K-12 schools, and she has secured significant increases to the Pell Grant so that it goes further for students pursuing a higher education. Senator Murray also successfully negotiated the FAFSA Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation to reform the financial aid application process, simplify the FAFSA form for students and parents, and significantly expand eligibility for federal aid.

    Senator Murray spoke out on the Senate floor against Secretary Linda McMahon’s nomination and sounded the alarm over President Trump and Elon Musk’s plans to dismantle the Department of Education.

    Earlier this month, Senator Murray led a letter demanding detailed answers from the Department of Education about the Trump administration’s mass firings and other detrimental actions, which risk major reductions in support for and oversight of federal investments in our nation’s K-12 schools and institutions of higher education and which threaten vital support for students with disabilities, access to Pell Grants and other financial aid, oversight of student loan servicers, scrutiny of for-profit colleges, and more. The letter follows an earlier letter Senator Murray sent alongside colleagues demanding answers about the chaotic, harmful actions taken by ED since January—which the Department has yet to respond to.

    A fact sheet outlining how the Department of Education supports students in Washington state is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –