NewzIntel.com

Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI USA: Media Alert: Low-level flights to image geology over Black Hills, Bear Lodge area

    Source: US Geological Survey

    The flights are a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earth Mapping Resources Initiative and the state geological surveys of South Dakota and Wyoming, and are part of a national effort to modernize mapping of the nation’s geology.

    “Partnership with state surveys helps accomplish national goals like mapping the critical minerals the U.S. needs, as well as water and potential hazards. The Wyoming and South Dakota geological surveys are helping with the work of the nation—and adding to state knowledge crucial to water access, hazards and the mining economy,” said Jamey Jones, science coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earth Mapping Resource Initiative.

    “Collection of these fundamental geologic data addresses the national prioritization of locating domestic mineral resources needed to drive the U.S. economy and provide for national security,” said Erin Campbell, Director and State Geologist of the Wyoming State Geological Survey.

    The survey is designed to advance interpretations of the Precambrian geologic framework of the greater Black Hills area, as well as aid in mapping Tertiary-age intrusions known to host rare earth elements. These elements are used in magnets for electric motors, wind turbines, and hard drives, as well as defense applications such as radar and guidance systems in fighter jets and missile systems. In 2024, the U.S. was reliant on imports for 80% of rare earth element use.

    Tim Cowman, State Geologist and Program Administrator for the South Dakota Geological Survey, noted the importance of this regional work. 

    “The collaboration between the USGS, Wyoming, and South Dakota geological surveys will benefit the entire country,” he said. “Once completed, we will have a better understanding of the complicated structure of this region and how that structure influenced emplacement of carbonatite intrusions.”

    The survey will acquire both magnetic and radiometric data using a fixed-wing aircraft. The aircraft will fly along pre-planned flight paths relatively low to the ground at about 300 feet (100 meters) above the surface. Ground clearance will be increased to 1,000 feet (300+ meters) over populated areas and will comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

    Flights may be based out of several regional airports, with Rapid City as the primary airport.

    The USGS has contracted with Fugro and Xcalibur Aviation Limited to collect data.

    Funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has facilitated coverage of such a large area.

    The survey fits into a broader effort by the USGS, the Wyoming State Geological Survey, the South Dakota Geological Survey, and other partners—including private companies, academics and state and federal agencies—to modernize our understanding of the Nation’s fundamental geologic framework and knowledge of mineral resources. 

    This effort is known as the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, and it includes airborne geophysical surveys like this one, geochemical reconnaissance surveys, topographic mapping using LiDAR technology, hyperspectral surveys and geologic mapping projects.

    Caption: Outline of survey boundaries. The fixed wing survey will take place within the blue polygon on the map.Caption: Photo of the contractor’s fixed wing survey aircraft with a “tail boom” containing sensors that measure the magnetic field. (Photo courtesy of Xcalibur Smart Mapping)

    Caption: Photo of the contractor’s fixed wing survey aircraft with a “tail boom” containing sensors that measure the magnetic field. (Photo courtesy of Xcalibur Smart Mapping)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE New England investigation lands Trinitarios leader 14 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON —The former leader of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios was sentenced in Boston federal court on July 16 to RICO conspiracy charges following an investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations New England field office.

    Aaron Diaz Liranzo aka Sosa, 26, was sentenced to 14 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2025, Diaz Liranzo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. Diaz Liranzo was arrested and charged in February 2025 at which time he was the Leader of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios.

    Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol, U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks, Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker, Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey D. Noble and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Redd made the announcement.

    The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprising thousands of members across the United States. The group adheres to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to organize and execute violence, and have undertaken extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.

    In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 Trinitarios leaders and members. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders and a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in the Lynn area, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members.

    From at least 2021 through 2025, Diaz Liranzo served as the “Primera,” or “Number One” of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios. He admitted to participating in a shooting that took place in March 2019 that targeted multiple rival gang members outside a Lynn nightclub. Another gang member, who posed as a woman who needed a ride, lured the victims there. Equipped with a firearm and knowledge of the victims’ vehicle and whereabouts, the defendant traveled to the nightclub and opened fire, discharging at least six rounds. During the incident, Diaz Liranzo shot two of the three victims seated in the car. Both victims suffered life-threatening injuries, but ultimately survived the incident.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office, the Rockingham County District Attorney’s Office and the Andover, Boston, Lawrence, Peabody and Salem Police Departments provided valuable assistance.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2 MS-13 members sentenced for racketeering following ICE New England, partner investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON — An investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations New England alongside its law enforcement partners led to the July 15 sentencing of two members of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, for their roles in a previously-unsolved murder.

    Jose Vasquez aka Cholo aka Little Crazy, 31, was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2025, Vasquez pleaded guilty to violent crime in aid of racketeering. He was already serving a 212-month prison sentence for a May 2018 federal conviction for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. In total, Vasquez will serve a total of 37 years for his MS-13-related crimes.

    William Pineda Portillo aka Humilde, 31, a Salvadoran national who was unlawfully residing in Everett, was sentenced to 16 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He is subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In May 2023, Pineda Portillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise conspiracy.

    Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in ChargeMichael J. Krol, U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks, Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey D. Noble, Somerville Police Chief Shumeane Benford and Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton made the announcement July 17.

    Pineda Portillo and Vazquez were indicted by a federal grand jury along with other MS-13 members in September 2024. Specifically, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez conspired with others to murder a 28-year-old man on Dec. 18, 2010, in Chelsea. That evening, law enforcement responded to a 911 call in the vicinity of the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1 in Chelsea. There, they found the victim with approximately 10 stab wounds to his chest and back, along with injuries to his head. The victim was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. A recent reexamination of evidence collected during the initial investigation identified members of MS-13, including Vasquez, as having committed the murder.

    In the week leading up to the incident, Vasquez and other MS-13 members conspired to murder the victim because they believed he belonged to a rival gang. Evidence revealed that on the day of the murder, Pineda Portillo picked up Vasquez, other MS-13 members and the victim in Allston. Driving a vehicle registered to his father, Pineda Portillo took the MS-13 members and the victim to Chelsea, where Vasquez and the other gang members led him to an area under an on-ramp to Route 1. Once in the secluded area under the highway, an MS-13 member hit the victim in the head with a rock and another MS-13 member stabbed him with a machete. During the attack, Vasquez stabbed the victim with a knife. Vasquez’s palm print was identified on the handle of a silver kitchen knife recovered from the murder scene. The victim’s blood was also found on the knife.

    An undercover recording obtained approximately six weeks after the murder captured one MS-13 member acknowledging his participation in the murder and other gang members disciplining him for leaving Massachusetts after the murder without the gang’s permission.

    Pineda Portillo fled to El Salvador before investigators could interview him about his role in the murder. On or about April 29, 2015, after Pineda Portillo returned to the U.S., he arranged to sell a firearm loaded with eight rounds of ammunition to a cooperating witness in exchange for money.

    On or about June 1, 2015, Pineda Portillo conspired to murder an MS-13 member he incorrectly believed had been arrested and was cooperating with law enforcement. Specifically, in a conversation recorded by law enforcement, Pineda Portillo said, among other things: “I want that son of a bitch killed, man … You will see, homeboy! We are going to do a complete thing to that son of a bitch, dude.”

    Pineda Portillo was originally indicted in 2017. Shortly before the indictment was returned, he was deported to El Salvador. Approximately five years later, on May 10, 2022, Pineda Portillo was arrested as he tried to return to the U.S, illegally crossing the border into Texas from Mexico.

    According to court documents, after being arrested at the border, Pineda Portillo admitted that he was a member of MS-13. A fingerprint analysis indicated there was a warrant for his arrest. Pineda Portillo was then returned to the District of Massachusetts, where he remained in custody.

    ATF Boston, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance in this case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat offender sentenced to 20 years in prison for trafficking narcotics and laundering the proceeds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Connecticut man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to import GBL with intent to manufacture GHB, and concealment money laundering.

    In May 2024, investigators learned that Hatem S. Salem, 56, was importing quantities of GBL, a precursor for the “date-rape” drug GHB, into Virginia from China. From August 2024 through January 2025, law enforcement conducted five controlled purchases of various controlled substances, including cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, and over 100 grams of meth from Salem.

    On Jan. 30, investigators searched Salem’s residence in Shelton, Connecticut. Agents recovered 151 grams of meth, 626 grams of cocaine, various quantities of Ketamine, MDMA, and LSD, bottles containing GBL and GHB, and 157 boxes containing nearly 1,200 liters of suspected GBL in Salem’s basement. As part of his guilty plea, Salem admitted that over 2,000 liters of GBL was involved in the importation conspiracy.  Investigators also discovered a clandestine lab in Salem’s shed that contained substances and equipment for manufacturing GHB. A financial investigation revealed that Salem used various methods, such as convoluted transactions between business and personal bank accounts, to conceal or disguise the proceeds from his drug conspiracy. Investigators seized assets constituting proceeds of Salem’s drug trafficking conspiracy and property involved in money laundering, including approximately $370,000 in cash and $171,500 in cryptocurrency.

    Salem has several prior federal narcotics-related convictions. In 1999, Salem was convicted for conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, distribution of anabolic steroids, and making false statements. In 2005, Salem was convicted for distribution of GBL and GHB while he was on probation for his 1999 conviction. In 2015, Salem was convicted for unlawful importation of GBL with intent to manufacture GHB.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hahn and Assistant U.S. Attorney Annie Zanobini prosecuted the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-105.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Robbers who vandalized ATMs so they could steal cash when repair technicians opened the machines, arrested in Mississippi

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle – Two Texas men made initial appearances Thursday July 17, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Seattle charged with conspiracy to commit robbery for their scheme to steal from banks by assaulting and threatening ATM technicians, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Ahmon Hogg, 22, of Humble Texas and Seth Coles-Body, 23, of Houston, were identified as part of a robbery ring operating across the country. The men would allegedly disable ATM machines with a glue-like substance and when the technician showed up to fix the machine, they would threaten the technician to give them the cash containers, called cassettes, from the ATM.

    In December 2024, the pair allegedly were part of a gang that disabled ATMs on December 23 and 24, when the machines would be loaded with cash for the Christmas holiday. The coconspirators disabled a Bank of America ATM in Renton with a glue-like substance that caused the card reader to stop functioning. After the technician arrived and began repairing the machine, he was forcibly confronted by two men who brandished a screwdriver and demanded he open the machine and provide them with the cash cassettes. The technician did not open the machine and after a scuffle the technician was able to escape. Bank surveillance video did capture images of the robber’s vehicle and clothing. The men were wearing masks.

    The next day in Vancouver, Washington a technician was sent to repair a Bank of America ATM on SE Mill Plain Boulevard. Again, a glue-like substance had been used to disable the card reader. The technician noticed the cash dispenser was also jammed. As she started repairs, two men ran up and shoved her out of the way and grabbed five cash cassettes filled with currency. The men fled in a car that matched one seen the previous day in connection with the attempted robbery in Renton. Some of the clothing worn by the suspects was also a match for the Renton attempted robbery.

    Authorities also learned that a Bank of America ATM was disabled that same day in Battleground Washington, not far from Vancouver.

    While the investigations were ongoing in Washington, Hogg and Coles-Body were identified in connection to ATM tampering cases on January 3, 2025, in the Phoenix, Arizona area. ATMs for Bank of America and Wells Fargo had been tampered with – a card covered in glue had been inserted into the machines. The FBI set up surveillance on the ATMs and ultimately spotted a car that bank images connected to the tampering. The car and its occupants appeared to be waiting for a technician to arrive at the ATM. Law enforcement stopped the car and was able to identify Hogg and Coles-Body. They were released from custody.

    On March 7, 2025, a technician at a Bank of America in Redmond, Washington, reported he had been robbed. He was working on a machine where once again the card reader was disabled by a glue-like substance. Once the machine was open, two robbers ran up and stole cash canisters filled with money from the machine. Five of the canisters were later recovered, damaged, on the shoulder of highway 520.  A few days later, Coles-Body was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol attempting to travel into Mexico by Greyhound bus with approximately $209,000 in cash. The cash was seized, and Coles-Body was released.

    A criminal complaint and warrant for arrest were sworn on July 2, 2025. The men were arrested in a traffic stop in Mississippi, with stolen firearms found in their car. They made an initial appearance in Jackson Mississippi federal court on July 3, 2025, and the Magistrate Judge ordered the Marshal Service to transport them to Seattle.

    Conspiracy to commit robbery is punishable by up to five years in prison.

    The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Columbia River Organized Crime Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tri-Cities Registered Sex Offender Facing Federal Charges for Assaulting ICE Agents

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Richland, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter announced that Victor Martin Lara-Lopez, age 41, has been charged by complaint with two counts of Assault on a Federal Officer. Lara-Lopez made his initial appearance in federal court on July 17, 2025.

    According to court documents and information presented in court, on the morning of June 13, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officers attempted to detain Lara-Lopez on an Administrative Warrant for Arrest of an Alien. The officers spotted Lara-Lopez driving his F-350 truck in Pasco, Washington.

    The officers, driving two separate vehicles, activated the emergency lights on their vehicles, parked in front of and behind Lara-Lopez, then approached the driver side window. Both officers were wearing ICE-issued ballistic vests with “POLICE” patches on the front and back.

    The officers instructed Lara Lopez to roll down the window. Lara-Lopez only rolled the window halfway down and refused a request to turn off the vehicle or give his name or identification to the officers.

    Lara-Lopez then attempted to roll up the window. One of officers stepped on the vehicle’s running board and attempted to keep the window down. Lara-Lopez took the vehicle out of park and started to back up. Both officers struggled with Lara-Lopez through the half-closed window in an attempt to gain control of Lara-Lopez and the vehicle.

    After reversing a short distance, Lara-Lopez put the vehicle in drive and began to drive forward. Both ICE agents jumped backward to avoid being crushed between the F-350 and the agent’s parked vehicle. Lara-Lopez drove up on the sidewalk, struck the agent’s vehicle, then sped off. Both agents remained at the scene and did not pursue Lara-Lopez.

    One of the ICE agents had bruises on their arm from the altercation. The other agent experienced pain and loss of mobility in their left shoulder.

    Later that day, a federal complaint and arrest warrant were obtained for Lara-Lopez.  Federal law enforcement authorities sought, but were unable to locate, Lara-Lopez for approximately one month.  During this time, a Washington State Department of Corrections warrant was also issued for Lara-Lopez after he failed to report to his Community Corrections Officer.  Lara-Lopez was under supervision by the Washington State DOC due to a conviction from 2022 for Child Molestation in the Second Degree with the Aggravating Circumstance of Position of Trust for which Lara-Lopez was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment to be followed by 36 months of supervision.  Lara-Lopez was also sentenced to a number of conditions, to include a prohibition on contact with minors.

    On July 15, 2025, Law enforcement identified the same F-350 driven by Lara-Lopez on June 13th, driving on Highway 12 between Walla Walla and Pasco, Washington. Officers stopped the truck and the driver, a female, and a juvenile exited the vehicle. Lara-Lopez was also in the vehicle, but refused to exit until he was advised that K9 unit had been called to respond to the scene.  Lara-Lopez then exited from the passenger door of the truck and was arrested by law enforcement.

    “Every day, law enforcement officers in this district go to work to protect our community.  Often, they must contact individuals with serious criminal histories who do not want to be apprehended and present a danger to our community. It is not uncommon for law enforcement to be assaulted in the course of doing the job, which is not lawful and should never be acceptable,” stated Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter. “My office will continue to hold those accountable who use violence in attempt to avoid arrest.”

    This case was investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Holland.

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

    4:25-mj-07126-ACE

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Defendant Guilty in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Weapons Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that a jury found Nathan James Meek of Colorado Springs guilty of one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

    According to evidence presented at trial, Meek sold large quantities of narcotics in the Colorado Springs area, including methamphetamine and fentanyl. He was arrested on January 18, 2024, and investigators recovered a cellphone, a firearm, 10 fentanyl pills, 6.2 grams of methamphetamine, and over $3,000 in cash from his person and vehicle. Officers obtained a search warrant for Meek’s apartment and recovered 2,202 grams of methamphetamine, 131 grams of fentanyl, 80 grams of cocaine, 698 grams of marijuana, and three firearms. Meek’s cellphone contained records of drug-related communications dating from January 1, 2024, through the time of his arrest.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colorado Springs Police Department.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Garreth Winstead and Daniel McIntyre.

    Case Number:  24-cr-00082-RMR-1

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JOSHUA HOGAN, (“HOGAN”), age 36, was sentenced on, July 8, 2025, by United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, after previously pleading guilty to a six-count Superseding Bill of Information. Counts One and Two charged HOGAN with distribution of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).  Counts Three and Four charged HOGAN with distribution of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).  Count Five charged HOGAN with possession with intent to distribute Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). Count Six charged HOGAN with felon in possession of a firearm/ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

    HOGAN was sentenced to 66 months imprisonment as to all six counts of his Superseding Bill of Information, such terms to be served concurrently. Judge Long also ordered that HOGAN be placed on supervised release for a total of four years. This term of supervised release consists of three years as to Counts One, Two, Five, and Six, and four years, as to Counts Three and Four. All such terms to be served concurrently. Also, HOGAN is ordered to pay a $600 mandatory special assessment fee.

    In August 2023, as part of Operation Big Easy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) became aware of the identity of HOGAN, a narcotics trafficker. According to court records, on August 3, 2023, ATF arranged for contact with HOGAN on a phone number HOGAN had provided previously and arranged for the purchase of a half ounce of fentanyl.  HOGAN met with two individuals who he believed to be legitimate buyers in the 1300 block of Tonti Street and purchased 13.89 grams of a substance that later tested positive for heroin and fentanyl for $600.

    On August 7, 2023, ATF again arranged for contact with HOGAN to arrange the purchase of an ounce of fentanyl for $1450. Again, two individuals who he believed to be legitimate buyers, met with HOGAN at a residence on Lapeyrouse Street and purchased 28.11 grams of a substance that later tested positive for heroin and fentanyl for $1450.

    On August 10, 2023, an individual who he believed to be legitimate buyer, contacted HOGAN to arrange for the purchase of two ounces of fentanyl for $2500. The individuals met HOGAN at the Lapeyrouse Street residence and purchased 56.05 grams of a substance that later tested positive for heroin and fentanyl for $2500.

    On August 21, 2023, HOGAN was contacted by an individual who he believed to be legitimate buyer, to arrange for the purchase of two ounces of fentanyl for $2500. The individuals met HOGAN at the Lapeyrouse Street residence and purchased 55.40 grams of a substance that later tested positive for heroin and fentanyl for $2500.

    On October 18, 2023, ATF prepared to execute an arrest warrant for HOGAN.  ATF simultaneously executed a previously obtained search warrant for HOGAN’s residence on Lapeyrouse Street. Inside the residence, agents recovered an additional 4.3 grams of fentanyl and a Polymer 80, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, bearing no serial number and equipped with an extended magazine, as well as ammunition, on the dresser in HOGAN’s bedroom

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

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Boston Teacher Indicted for Child Exploitation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant is believed to have communicated with at least 20 underage females around the world; Engaged in sexualized conversations while teaching in class

    BOSTON – A former science teacher at Josiah Quincy Upper School in Boston has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly coercing or enticing at least one underage female to engage in sexual conversations online and requesting she produce and send child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of herself.

    John Magee Gavin, 35, of Brookline, was indicted on one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of receipt of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant is currently in state custody on related charges and will appear in federal court in Boston on July 21, 2025 at 10:45 a.m.

    According to court filings, Gavin is a former teacher at the Josiah Quincy Upper School in Boston. Prior to that, he was a 6th grade teacher at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Hyde Park and was a paraprofessional with the Brookline Public Schools.

    In January 2025, Gavin was allegedly identified as the owner of a Discord account who messaged at least 20 underage females between the ages of 12 and 17 years old located throughout the country, including Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, as well as the United Kingdom and Canada. It is alleged that, in these chats, Gavin disclosed that he was a teacher, engaged in sexual conversations and often asked the minors to send him pictures of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct – knowing that the children were underaged. He was arrested by local authorities in February 2025 and charged in Brookline District Court with enticing a child under 16, possession of child pornography and other offenses.

    A forensic review of evidence seized from Gavin’s Brookline residence  allegedly revealed approximately 147 files (94 images and 53 videos) on his iPhone depicting CSAM. It is alleged that the CSAM depicted rape of both female and male minors, ranging in age from approximately five to 17 years old.

    Further analysis of Gavin’s Discord account identified numerous chats with underage females in which he allegedly engaged in online masturbation sessions with the minors, solicitated images from and exchanged images with the minors and engaged in sexualized conversations with the minors while he was at school. The chats also allegedly included conversations in which Gavin expressed his sexual interest in certain students at Josiah Quincy. In one conversation, Gavin allegedly discussed his sexual interest in a freshman student at the school where he was employed as a teacher and fantasied about having sex with her.

    The charge of coercion and enticement of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Brookline Police Department; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations; and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fargo Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for a Large Dangerous Drug Distribution Enterprise and Distribution of Drugs Resulting in Death

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

    FARGO:  Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that Karmen Charles Fox, age 34 of Fargo, ND, appeared in United States District Court today, and was sentenced by Chief Judge Peter Welte to serve 480 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release for the offenses of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute 400 grams or more of Fentanyl (Count 1); Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering (Count 2); Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) (Count 3); Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting In Death (Count 4); Distribution of a Controlled Substance (fentanyl) (Count 5); Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) (Count 7); and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon (Count 9).  Fox was also ordered to pay a $700 Special Assessment.   

    As reflected in court documents, federal law enforcement responded to an overdose death on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation, North Dakota.  A subsequent investigation revealed that Karmen Fox was the primary source of the pills that were ingested by the victim.  Fox sold fentanyl pills to individuals throughout North Dakota, including on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation and Fort Berthold Indian Reservation for further distribution, including codefendants Scott Roberts (Roberts), Kristin Carrington (Carrington), Chasity Lynn Feather (Feather), Aiana Richotte (Richotte), among other coconspirators. Throughout the conspiracy, Fox and his codefendants used CashApp and other money transfer services to transfer the drug proceeds.

    In December 2022, Fox distributed more than 100 fentanyl pills to Feather and Richotte who in turn drove the pills from Fargo to Devils Lake for further distribution.  While in Devils Lake, Richotte and the overdose victim smoked a pill.  Thereafter, the victim returned to her residence on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation where she later died.  After the victim was found unresponsive by her significant other, he called emergency medical personnel who unsuccessfully performed life-saving measures.  

    Law enforcement later obtained search warrants for Richotte and Feather’s hotel room in Devils Lake as well as Feather’s person.  Law enforcement seized $1,293 from Feather’s purse and approximately 175 fentanyl pills from Feather’s person.

    Further investigation of the coconspirators’ social media accounts revealed that Scott Roberts and Fox discussed having previously distributed “thousands” of pills.  They also discussed the arrests of Feather and Richotte in Devils Lake on December 13, 2022.  On November 21, 2023, a search warrant was executed on Fox’s residence in Fargo. Law enforcement seized approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine, two grams of heroin, three firearms, and 34 boxes of various ammunition.  Fox was prohibited from possessing firearms because of two prior felony convictions, including Attempted Delivery of Controlled Substance-Heroin.

    Following a jury trial, Fox was found guilty of the above-mentioned offenses on March 19, 2025.  Fox’s coconspirators plead guilty and were sentenced to federal prison for the following terms of incarceration:

    • Roberts was sentenced to 120 months
    • Carrington was sentenced to 42 months
    • Richotte was sentenced to 28 months
    • Feather is awaiting sentencing.

    “Today’s action reflects the significant prison sentence that awaits those who choose to infect our community with fentanyl, methamphetamines and illegal firearms,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Drug dealers can’t hide from law enforcement in North Dakota, or anywhere in this country. The FBI is proud of our role in this joint effort with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners.”

    “The defendant prioritized financial gain over human life and it’s my hope that his sentence will serve as a stark warning to others who are engaging in the same conduct,” said Acting US Attorney Puhl. “If you distribute dangerous narcotics that result in overdose deaths, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; BIA, Lake Region Narcotics Task Force; North Dakota Crime Lab, BCI; Cass County Task Force; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  This case was prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office, District of North Dakota.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Oil Shocks and Labor Market Developments

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    Summary

    This paper examines how oil shocks shape labor market outcomes across 89 countries from 1975 to 2022. Leveraging a high-frequency oil supply shock series and a rich panel of quarterly labor market data, we find that shocks raising oil prices trigger sharp and persistent employment losses, particularly in oil-importing countries, oil-intensive sectors, and among male workers. Delayed but enduring employment declines also emerge in oil-moderate sectors and among female workers, revealing broader labor market implications. In contrast, employment gains in oil-exporting countries, and following expansionary supply shocks, are comparatively modest. Labor force participation responds less consistently, with patterns displaying higher variability. These findings highlight how oil shocks transmit unevenly through labor markets, with lasting impacts across countries, sectors, and demographic groups, extending well beyond short-term macroeconomic fluctuations.

    Subject: Commodities, Economic theory, Employment, Employment rate, Labor, Labor force participation, Labor markets, Oil, Oil prices, Oil production, Prices, Production, Supply shocks, Unemployment

    Keywords: Bank of England, Cross-country labor adjustment, Employment, Employment heterogeneity, Employment rate, Global, High-frequency identification, Interim surveillance review, Labor force participation, Labor market, Labor markets, Oil, Oil exports, Oil prices, Oil production, Oil supply shocks, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Supply shocks, Unemployment, Unemployment rate

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Accounting and Fiscal Reporting in EU Countries

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Financial Imbalances, Systemic Stress, and Macroprudential Implications

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    Summary

    The effectiveness of macroprudential policy framework depends to a large extent on how the process of monitoring and assessing systemic risks and the calibration of macroprudential policy tools are operationalized in practice. This paper has two main contributions. First we propose an enhanced composite indicator, the Systemic Vulnerabilities Index (SVI), which captures the buildup of systemic vulnerabilities. The index is built on an innovative approach that uses optimal aggregation of subindices, and without imposing exogenous constraints. Specifically, making use of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for a broad set of relevant input variables, we determine their relative importance in contributing to the buildup of systemic vulnerabilities. Subsequent use of Monte Carlo simulation techniques allows us to select the optimal SVI that best predicts future credit losses. The proposed SVI captures both time and sectoral dimensions of the buildup of risks. We provide evidence showing a superior performance of the SVI, compared to the traditional credit-to-GDP gap in documenting risk accumulation. We investigate the relationship between our SVI and financial condition index and provide evidence of a negative correlation between the two, whereby a loosening of financial conditions is associated with more accumulation of imbalances. Second, we provide a framework that guides on how the SVI can be used for increasing Countercyclical Capital Buffer (CCyB) beyond its neutral level. Specifically, we propose a mapping that shows how the SVI can help determine the timing of setting a CCyB beyond the neutral rate as well as its magnitude.

    Subject: Countercyclical capital buffers, Credit, Financial institutions, Financial regulation and supervision, Financial sector policy and analysis, Financial sector stability, Macroprudential policy, Money, Nonperforming loans, Systemic risk

    Keywords: Countercyclical capital buffers, Credit, Credit-to-GDP Gap, Financial Imbalances, Financial sector stability, Global, Macroprudential policy, Macroprudential Policy, Nonperforming loans, Systemic risk

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Trade Partners’ Responses to US Tariffs

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    Summary

    Recently announced and enacted US tariffs reduce partners’ access to the US market and lead to trade diversion. Impacted countries may respond in (at least) three ways: imposing retaliatory tariffs on the US, resorting to industrial policy to support their producers, and/or signing trade agreements to find new market access opportunities. Relying on a quantitative trade model, we study the trade and welfare implications of these policy responses. Retaliation hurts US exports, can improve the terms of trade, but also creates distortions. Subsidies can expand exports, making up for lost markets in the US, but they are costly, increase distortions especially for the subsidizers, and worsen trade diversion effects that could eventually lead to new tariffs targeting subsidizers. Seeking deeper integration with other partners can help countries expand trade while reducing distortions. Even in presence of US tariffs, real income for the liberalizing countries and the world is higher when partners choose to deepen integration as part of their policy strategy.

    Subject: Economic integration, Exports, Imports, International trade, Tariffs, Taxes, Trade agreements, Trade policy

    Keywords: East Asia, Exports, Global, Imports, Industrial policy, Retaliation, Tariffs, Tariffs, Trade agreements, Trade agreements, Trade policy

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Issa Introduces Legislation to Ban Foreign Purchase of American Land

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50)

    WASHINGTON– Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) has introduced H.R. 4454 – the Safeguarding Invaluable Land (SOIL) Act – legislation to prohibit China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing land within 10 miles of sensitive U.S. agencies and strategic sites, including military bases and federally funded research labs. 

    “Our country has a clear and compelling interest in preventing our adversaries from controlling property near the most sensitive and strategic sites in the American homeland,” said Rep. Issa. “The risks to national security are manifestly obvious, and we must move swiftly as a Congress and as a nation to counteract the spying and surveillance that is enabled when we allow our most hostile adversaries a foothold on American soil.” 

    Currently, affiliates and entities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) own 384,000 acres of American agricultural land, a 30 percent increase since 2019 and more than $80 million in CCP-backed investments than 10 years ago. 

    Cosponsors of the SOIL Act include Congressman Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06), Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Congressman Rudy Yakym (IN-02), and Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (WY-At Large).

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Presses Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs on Commitment to Fund and Complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, questioned Mr. William Kirkland during a nomination hearing to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs within the Department of the Interior. Specifically, Senator Luján pressed Mr. Kirkland on his commitment to support the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, which the Trump administration fails to adequately fund.

    An excerpt of the exchange is available here and below:

    Senator Luján: Mr. Kirkland, do you know how many Navajo brothers and sisters are waiting to have water delivered from the Navajo-Gallup Water project?

    Mr. Kirkland: I can’t give you that.

    Senator Luján: I’ll give it to you. 250,000. Mr. Kirkland, do you know how many recognized Indian water rights settlements are in New Mexico?

    Mr. Kirkland: I’m sure you have that number for me, I look forward to hearing it.

    Senator Luján: I’ll share that with you. Mr. Kirkland, do you know how much funding is needed for the FY26 budget to keep the Navajo-Gallup Water project on track?

    Mr. Kirkland: I look forward to hearing.

    Senator Luján: $175 million. Do you know if this fails, it will be the first Indian water rights settlement to fail in America’s history?

    Mr. Kirkland: No sir, I was not aware of that.

    Senator Luján: It would be. Mr. Kirkland, do you know how much the President’s budget, President Donald Trump, allocated for the Navajo-Gallup Water project?

    Mr. Kirkland: Not offhand, no sir.

    Senator Luján: Zero dollars. Is that okay?

    Background:

    Senator Luján has long supported efforts to fund and complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. Senator Luján secured $137 million for the project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law toward the total authorized project cost.

    In August 2024, Senator Luján and the N.M. Delegation welcomed a $267 million Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project contract to design and build the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant in northwest New Mexico. The plant is the largest and most important feature of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

    In January 2025, Senator Luján announced $120 million for Fiscal Year 2025 for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project using funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Reclamation Water Settlements Fund. The original version of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments Act was passed out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in November 2023. However, new legislation is required to authorize additional time and resources to complete the project and for its long-term, sustainable operations and maintenance.

    For more information about the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Fischer’s Effort, Education Department Releases Critical Funds

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) announced that the U.S. Department of Education will officially release funds, including those that support 21st Century Community Learning Centers. 

    This announcement comes after Fischer joined her Republican colleagues in a letter this week to Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating to release anticipated education formula funding. Click here to read the letter. 

    “I’m pleased OMB Director Vought followed through on our request to release these funds, which provide critical learning opportunities and support for Nebraska’s students and families,”     Fischer said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock, Ossoff Deliver Upgrades for Johns Creek’s Bridges and Sidewalks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Johns Creek, GA — Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced new federal funding to upgrade bridges and sidewalks in Johns Creek.

    Senators Warnock and Ossoff secured a $12.8 million investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program to help Johns Creek replace two bridges, build new sidewalks and a multi-use trail, and upgrade drainage systems on Old Alabama Road over the Chattahoochee Tributary.

    “Smart investments in our communities can bridge any political divide. This infrastructure funding will revitalize key bridges in the Johns Creek community and continue to keep our friends, families, and neighbors connected. I am proud to have worked with Senator Ossoff to get it done and will continue to champion federal investments in Georgia,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.

    “Johns Creek residents deserve safe bridges and sidewalks, and I am pleased to deliver the funds for these vital quality of life upgrades,” said Senator Ossoff. “It has been a pleasure working with Johns Creek leadership to get this done.”

    “This grant will help us improve safety and connectivity in the City and will benefit quality of life for our community,” said John Bradberry, Mayor of Johns Creek. “I’m grateful to our Georgia Congressional leaders for their support of our selection. Projects like this one help make Johns Creek one of the best places to live in the nation.”

    Senators Warnock and Ossoff continue delivering resources to upgrade Georgia’s infrastructure. In May, the senators delivered more than $13 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade and help maintain Georgia’s regional airports.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: US, Australian C-17s spearhead multinational joint force entry during Talisman Sabre 25

    Source: United States Airforce

    QUEENSLAND, Australia (AFNS) —  

    Multiple U.S. Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs executed a joint force-entry operation into Australia, deploying U.S. Army and international paratroopers in support of Talisman Sabre 25.

    Originating from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, the mission spanned the immense distances of the Pacific, sustained by U.S. Air Force aerial refueling operations. It culminated in the precision insertion of 314 U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division, Australian Defence Force and German Army paratroopers into a designated drop zone in eastern Australia.

    “We employ large formations to quickly and effectively place mass at the time and place of our choosing,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Bukowski, 535th Airlift Squadron, 15th Wing, director of operations. “Executing a drop like this at speed and scale, and in conjunction with our allies and joint partners, is crucial to honing that skill and sending a deterrent message to our adversaries.”

    The one-way, trans-Pacific journey spanned over 6,200 miles and was conducted by 13 C-17 aircraft assigned to the 15th Wing, Pacific Air Forces, 437th Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command, and 164th Airlift Wing, Tennessee Air National Guard, underscored the robust U.S.-Australia partnership and shared commitment to regional defense.

    “Through the strategic employment of U.S. Air Force mobility aircraft, our highly proficient teams—operating in close coordination with partners and allies — refined the ability to project personnel and mission-critical material across the vast Pacific with precision and speed,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Ana Donohue, 535th Airlift Squadron C-17 pilot. “This critical capability was showcased during a recent joint forcible entry operation, where the air domain proved to be the decisive bridge between strategic airlift and ground-based objectives, enabling the rapid achievement of essential outcomes across a geographically expansive and demanding operational theater.”

    The meticulous planning required for this complex joint force-entry operation extended months in advance of the Talisman Sabre 2025 exercise, highlighting the extensive coordination between allied forces.

    Talisman Sabre, the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States, is pivotal to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific. It fortifies relationships and interoperability among key allies and partners, concurrently enhancing collective capabilities to address a spectrum of complex security challenges.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: Rescue squadrons unite, strengthen interoperability during REFORPAC

    Source: United States Airforce

    Resolute Force Pacific highlights how exercises strengthen combined capability and coordination for real-world contingencies across the Indo-Pacific region.

    MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) —  Airmen of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Air Rescue Wing, the U.S. Air National Guard’s 102nd Rescue Squadron, and the 130th Rescue Squadron came together for a cross-unit static display and capability exchange during exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025 at Misawa Air Base, July 15.

    The event featured aircraft from both nations, including a JASDF UH-60J helicopter and U-125A search-and-rescue coordination aircraft, as well as a U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II from the 102nd Rescue Squadron.

    “The goal of the capabilities briefing and aircraft tours was to enable partner nation integration and foster mutual understanding among our rescue squadrons,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Richard Conner, 130th Rescue Squadron HC-130J rescue loadmaster. “This lays the groundwork for future collaboration in the INDOPACOM area, which is a part of our unit’s mission.”

    The static display was one of many engagements conducted as part of REFORPAC, a Pacific Air Forces-led contingency readiness exercise nested under the Department of the Air Force’s new Department-Level Exercise series. This DLE is a first-in-a-generation approach to preparing for operations in contested, dynamic environments, spanning more than 50 locations and involving more than 12,000 joint and coalition personnel and over 400 aircraft.

    U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 102nd and 130th Air Rescue Squadrons are shown a Japan Air Self-Defense Force Air Rescue Wing UH-60J helicopter for a cross-unit static display and capability exchange during exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025 at Misawa Air Base, July 15, 2025. The interaction reinforces REFORPAC’s goal to deepen allied coordination and advance shared security objectives in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Koby Mitchell)
    U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 102nd and 130th Rescue Squadrons are shown a Japan Air Self-Defense Force Air Rescue Wing U-125A search-and-rescue coordination aircraft for a cross-unit static display and capability exchange during exercise Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) at Misawa Air Base, July 15, 2025. Events like this highlight how REFORPAC strengthens combined capability and coordination for real-world contingencies across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Koby Mitchell)
    A Japan Air Self-Defense Force Airman assigned to the Air Rescue Wing displays the internals of a UH-60J helicopter for a cross-unit static display and capability exchange during exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025 at Misawa Air Base, July 15, 2025. These exchanges support REFORPAC’s objective to improve understanding and reinforce multilateral response readiness in contested environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Koby Mitchell)

    Throughout the display, participating Airmen discussed aircraft capabilities and differences in personnel recovery methods.

    “One notable difference is in the pararescue insertion methods,” Conner said. “JASDF Pararescue typically insert via hoist from the UH-60J, since their fixed-wing aircraft belong to the Airlift Command. Meanwhile, our HC-130J enables personnel airdrops, which allows our Pararescue to get to the fight.”

    Conner also pointed out technical details that stood out during the tour.

    “I was surprised to see the UH-60J outfitted with external fuel tanks — that really extends its loiter time,” he added.

    More than a showcase of equipment, the event fostered personal relationships, improved operational communication and strengthened shared tactics.

    “This event is extremely important in building a framework for further cooperation,” Conner said. “It puts faces and names to specific units and enables us to fly real-world missions together during REFORPAC. By briefing and mission planning together, we’re able to execute helicopter air-to-air refueling and speak the same language and brevity terms while flying in close formation over the Sea of Japan.”

    The visit concluded with a group photo symbolizing shared commitment among the rescue units. A common thread across all participating squadrons stood out: their shared motto, That Others May Live.

    “Everyone got a kick out of the fact that our units all share the same motto,” Conner said. “It’s a powerful reminder that no matter the uniform, our mission is the same.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News in Brief: REFORPAC 2025: US Air Force executes unprecedented surge into Pacific theater

    Source: United States Airforce

    JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) —  Over the last week, U.S. Pacific Air Forces accomplished a rapid, mass deployment and reception of personnel, equipment and aircraft to multiple locations in the Indo-Pacific theater of operations for Exercise Resolute Force Pacific 2025.

    “We’ve seen amazing global teamwork completing an incredible lift to kick off REFORPAC,” said Gen. Kevin Schneider, PACAF commander. “Airmen have innovated and overcome tough obstacles to get critical pieces in place, demonstrating our collective capability to project decisive air power into and throughout the Indo-Pacific with dramatic speed and scale.”

    The U.S. Air Force, alongside its joint allies and partners, will continue to train and integrate over the next several weeks, enhancing interoperability and readiness across the Pacific theater. REFORPAC is part of the first-in-a-generation Department-Level Exercise series, a new way the Air Force is exercising to conduct large operations in contested, dynamic environments. The aim is to improve interoperability and multilateral cooperation, leading to a stronger, more capable, deterrent force.

    The DLE series encompasses all branches of the Department of Defense, along with allies and partners, employing approximately 400 U.S. and coalition aircraft and more than 12,000 members at more than 50 locations spanning 3,000 miles.

    The monumental effort is made possible by extensive planning and coordination efforts throughout the Air Force, along with joint, allied and partner forces, which have shown the ready ability of combined joint forces to mobilize in great numbers for any contingency. In lockstep with PACAF, Air Mobility Command has provided critical airlift, air refueling and command and control capabilities to project, connect, maneuver and sustain joint forces.

    “We’re witnessing a complex operation in the Indo-Pacific driven by logistics – rapid, deliberate and mission-driven,” said Brig. Gen. Athanasia Shinas, mobilization assistant to PACAF’s director of logistics. “Our Total Force concept is critical to this capability, leveraging the unparalleled expertise and diverse talent drawn from every industry and sector of society through our Guard and Reserve. This integration creates extraordinary opportunities to strengthen our Total Force and coalition Airmen.”

    Airmen are exercising robust contested logistics and engineering capabilities, sustainment over vast distances, fuel resupply and access to forward operating locations.

    U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron stand by for mission operations in support of Department-Level Exercise 2025 as part of the 374th Air Expeditionary Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 14, 2025. Through this DLE, the Department of the Air Force is preparing to be a stronger, more lethal deterrent force, to provide an advantage against competitors and adversaries across all domains, and to ensure regional stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Kayla Karelas)
    U.S. Airmen assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing disembark from a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft ahead of their support for exercise Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) 2025 at Misawa Air Base, Japan, July 11, 2025. REFORPAC is part of the first-in-a-generation Department-Level Exercise series, employing more than 400 Joint and coalition aircraft and more than 12,000 members at more than 50 locations across 3,000 miles. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Andre Medina)
    U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II’s from the 354th Air Expeditionary Wing park on the flight line in Guam for Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) 25 exercise, July 12, 2025. REFORPAC is part of the first-in-a-generation Department-Level Exercise series, employing more than 350 Joint and coalition aircraft and more than 12,000 members at more than 50 locations across 3,000 miles. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrea Posey)

    “This is a logistical movement at an unprecedented scale – an explosive surge into the theater driven by precision and a resilient joint network,” said Brig. Gen. Mike Zuhlsdorf, PACAF director of logistics, engineering and force protection. “What makes it exceptional is the partnership with local leaders abroad, as well as infrastructure; their participatory enthusiasm has turned REFORPAC into a truly integrated regional effort. This support brings essential access and shared purpose to an extraordinary training landscape.”

    The tested Agile Combat Employment operational strategy, used to support joint operations, has prepared sites throughout the theater. ACE preparations have included shoring up building infrastructure and ensuring a constant flow of critical supplies, all to facilitate uninterrupted mission execution during the exercise.

    “PACAF continually seeks to improve our readiness to respond to any contingency, defend the interests of the United States and work closely together with our allies and partners to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Schneider said.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General Announces Members of Independent Scientific Panel on Effects of Nuclear War

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    NEW YORK, 18 July (United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs) — On 17 July, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of an independent scientific panel of experts tasked with examining the physical effects and societal consequences of a nuclear war on a local, regional and planetary scale in the days, weeks and decades following a nuclear war.

    The panel was established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 79/238, titled “Nuclear War Effects and Scientific Research”, and is mandated to examine “the physical effects and societal consequences” of a nuclear war “on a local, regional and planetary scale, including, inter alia, the climatic, environmental and radiological effects, and their impacts on public health, global socioeconomic systems, agriculture and ecosystems, in the days, weeks and decades following a nuclear war”.

    The panel is tasked with publishing a comprehensive report on these matters, making key conclusions, and identifying areas requiring future research.  The report will be considered by the UN General Assembly at its eighty-second session in 2027.

    The last cross-sectional United Nations study of this kind was undertaken almost four decades ago in 1988 (Study on the Climatic and Other Global Effects of Nuclear War, United Nations publication, Sales No. E.89.IX.1).

    The panel consists of 21 members drawn from a range of scientific fields, including:  nuclear and radiation studies; atmospheric sciences and climate; environment and environmental studies; agriculture, biology and life sciences; public health and medicine; and behavioural and social sciences and applied economics.

    As mandated by resolution 79/238, the Secretary-General selected members of the panel based on “their leading scientific expertise across relevant disciplines, while ensuring impartiality, and equitable geographical and gender balance”.  In selecting the panel, the Secretary-General drew on the expertise and recommendations of relevant agencies from the United Nations system.

    The panel will engage the widest possible range of stakeholders, including international and regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, civil society, affected communities, and peoples from around the world, in order to understand local, regional and global perspectives on the effects of nuclear war.  Member States, relevant international and regional organizations and others are encouraged to support the panel’s work.

    The independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War will consist of the following 21 members, each participating in their personal capacity:

    Arlene Alves dos Reis, Head, Division of Dosimetry at the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN);

    Ana María Cetto Kramis, former Deputy Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).  Full research professor at the Physics Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).  Founder and current holder of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair on Science Diplomacy and Heritage at UNAM;

    Manvendra K. Dubey, Senior Scientist and Fellow, Earth Systems Observations, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL);

    Friederike Renate Friess, Senior Scientist, BOKU University, Department of Landscape, Water and Infrastructure, Institute of Safety and Risk Sciences;

    Abel Gonzalez, Senior Adviser to the Argentina Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Olenum member of the National Academy of Sciences of Buenos Aires, the Argentine Academy of Environmental Sciences, the Argentine Academy of the Seas, and the International Nuclear Energy Academy;

    Md Ahsan Habib, Professor at the Department of Chemistry, University of Dhaka, Fellow, Chinese Academy of Sciences;

    Andrew Haines, Professor of Environmental Change and Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Co-Director World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Health;

    Gi Hoon Hong, former President and Research Professor, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology;

    Togzhan Kassenova, Senior Fellow, Center for Policy Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, former member of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (ABDM);

    Ausrele Kesminiene-Suonio, Senior Visiting Scientist, Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), former head of the Lithuanian Chernobyl Medical Centre;

    Peter Klimek, Director of the Supply Chain Intelligence Institute, Austria, Associate Professor, Section for Science of Complex Systems, Medical University of Vienna;

    Karina Meredith, Director of Environment Research and Technology at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Adjunct Professor in the Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences school at University of New South Wales;

    Thobela Nkukwana, Senior Lecturer, University of Pretoria, Sub-editor for the South African Journal of Animal Sciences, Editorial Board member and Sub-editor of Welwitschia International Journal of Agricultural Sciences;

    Sébastien Philippe, research scholar at the Princeton University Program on Science and Global Security, member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons;

    Laura Revell, Associate Professor in Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Canterbury, member of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) panel;

    Neil Rowan, Professor, Faculty of Science and Technological Health, University of the Shannon, Adjunct Professor to the School of Medicine, Nursing and Biomedical Science at the University of Galway;

    Rabia Sa’id, Professor of atmospheric and space-weather physics and a researcher at Bayero University Kano, Co-founder of Nigeria’s Association of Women Physicists;

    Georgiy L. Stenchikov, Professor Emeritus at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Professor of Earth Sciences, Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Earth Sciences and Engineering Program, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology;

    Masao Tomonaga, Emeritus Director, Atomic Bomb Hospital, former Director of the Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Atomic Bomb (Genbaku) Hospital, President of Nagasaki Prefecture Hibakusha Association and current President of IPPNW Nagasaki Branch.  A hibakusha from Nagasaki;

    Hüseyin Yalçinkaya, Anakara University Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Animal Nutrition and Nutritional Diseases, Veterinary Officer at the Turkish Directorate General for Food and Control/Department of Border Control for Animal and Animal Products; and

    Zhao Wuwen, Professor at the Center for Strategic Studies, China Academy of Engineering Physics.

    Questions regarding the panel can be addressed to:  nweffectspanel@un.org.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture meet to help strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the sector

    Source: Government of Canada News

    July 18, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario

    Yesterday, federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture met virtually to discuss ways to support a more resilient and competitive agriculture sector and food supply chains that make up Canada’s agri-food landscape. Ministers discussed possible measures to support the hard-working producers and processors across Canada to address the emerging challenges related to international trade and the potential opportunities that could be created by increased interprovincial trade.

    Ministers reiterated their commitment to enhancing the effectiveness of business risk management (BRM) programs. Due to the uncertain trade environment and unfavourable climate conditions in parts of the country, Ministers agreed to take the necessary steps to implement a package of enhancements to the AgriStability program. For the 2025 program year only, the compensation rate will be increased from 80% to 90% and the maximum payment limit will be increased from $3 million to $6 million. These changes are meant to help producers manage the risks they face. In addition, for AgriStability, starting in the 2026 program year, provinces and territories will have the option to use a new inventory valuation method for inventories destined to be used on-farm. Ministers agreed to seek the necessary approvals to include feed costs associated with rented pasture as an allowable expense in advance of the 2026 program year, report back on progress at the September annual meeting and to continue a review of AgriStability allowable expenses.

    FPT Ministers are working together to increase interprovincial trade of food. Ministers discussed a variety of options, including ways to remove barriers to internal food trade and identify new trade opportunities. Ministers also discussed enhanced client service support from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for small to medium-sized businesses wishing to market food products across Canada under a federal food licence, increasing slaughter capacity where possible in regions with restricted access to services, and allowing interprovincial trade of low-risk manufactured foods without a federal licence. These ideas will be informed by the 2 ongoing pilots on meat trade and slaughter that are being accelerated. These initiatives aim to support business growth and improve market access, while maintaining Canada’s robust food safety system.

    FPT Ministers highlighted the critical importance of joint efforts across governments to maintain, expand and diversify international market access. In support of this work, Ministers discussed the federal Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office and other resources in the region. Ministers also emphasized the importance of engaging with China at the highest level, to improve the overall trade relationship and to remove Chinese tariffs on Canadian agriculture and seafood products. Ministers also underscored the benefits of existing trade agreements and emphasized the importance of considering the impact of tariffs on businesses.

    The annual conference of FPT Ministers of Agriculture will take place in-person in Winnipeg, Manitoba September 7 to 9, 2025. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Republicans Push Forward with Energy and Water Funding Bill that Weakens Our National Security and Increases Energy Costs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    **STATE-BY-STATE FACT SHEET** Republicans Slash Vital Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Funding for States

    Washington, DC — Today, House Democrats exposed how Republicans’ Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee 2026 funding bill increases costs for American households, undermines infrastructure investments, and weakens our national security.

    The bill:

    • Increases energy costs, jeopardizes energy independence, and hurts United States’ competitiveness by slashing the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs nearly in half, revoking more than $5 Billion from the Department of Energy’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law resources, and eliminating funding for the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.
    • Weakens national security and leaves Americans more vulnerable to nuclear threats by cutting the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account by 17 percent.
    • Abandons commitments to communities to clean up radioactive waste by eliminating funding for the Corps of Engineers’ Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program and cutting the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management by 9 percent.

    “Sadly, this Republican Energy and Water bill did not have bipartisan input, and does not meet the moment to set the course for our nation’s future in the new age frontiers of energy and water,” Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) said. “This bill cedes American leadership in the global energy race to adversaries including the Chinese Communist Party. It weakens vital nuclear nonproliferation programs that help keep our country and world safe. By turning their backs on communities suffering from the long lasting impact of our early atomic weapons programs, Republicans show the callous disregard they have for America’s forgotten communities. We must invest in energy independence in perpetuity — or we will live to regret it, as our children and grandchildren inherit a future devoid of opportunity. The passage of this ill considered, and careless bill will hurt our communities from coast to coast, and is a true disservice to all the generations to come.”

    Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur’s full remarks are here.

    “House Republicans are wrapping up a long, chaotic week by advancing yet another funding bill that increases costs. This time, they are raising energy costs for American families and businesses,” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) said. “Their cut of nearly half the budget for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is a direct attack on the programs that lower energy bills for working families, create good-paying jobs in our communities, and keep America competitive. Republicans’ funding bill undermines the very programs that help us stop the spread of nuclear weapons, detect nuclear activity, and uphold arms control efforts that make America and the world safer – and it underfunds efforts to clean up sites contaminated by our nation’s early atomic energy program. Instead of working with Democrats to lower prices and invest in technology that promotes our energy independence, House Republicans are pushing a bill that raises energy costs for families and businesses and eliminates good-paying jobs.”

    During today’s markup, Democrats fought to make changes to Republicans’ bill, including to:

    • Prohibit the implementation of tariffs that would raise consumer energy prices.
    • Prevent the Department of Energy and other agencies from terminating critical projects simply based on the alignment with administration policies.
    • Prohibit the Republican’s Bonanza for Billionaires efforts to modify or terminate clean energy tax credits.
    • Increase funds for the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E).

    These changes were rejected by House Republicans.

    A summary of the bill is here. A fact sheet is here.
    The text of the bill, before the adoption of amendments in full committee, is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. Information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.
    A state-by-state breakdown of the amount of funding House Republicans are trying to slash from the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs is here.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Coast Guard Cutter Campbell to hold change-of-command ceremony

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    07/18/2025 03:56 PM EDT

    Editor’s note: News media interested in attending the ceremony are requested to RSVP no later than 10 a.m. Monday with Lt. j.g. Addison Stead by emailing Addison.M.Stead@uscg.mil or calling (401) 367-1634. Credentialed media are asked to bring a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance to access the base. It is recommended to arrive at the gate no later than 10:15 a.m., Tuesday, to attend the event as gate processing may take 5–10 minutes. NAVAL STATION NEWPORT, R.I. — Coast Guard Cutter Campbell (WMEC 909) is scheduled to hold a change-of-command ceremony, Tuesday, at 11 a.m. on Naval Station Newport.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Coast Guard Cutter Campbell to hold change-of-command ceremony

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    07/18/2025 03:56 PM EDT

    Editor’s note: News media interested in attending the ceremony are requested to RSVP no later than 10 a.m. Monday with Lt. j.g. Addison Stead by emailing Addison.M.Stead@uscg.mil or calling (401) 367-1634. Credentialed media are asked to bring a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance to access the base. It is recommended to arrive at the gate no later than 10:15 a.m., Tuesday, to attend the event as gate processing may take 5–10 minutes. NAVAL STATION NEWPORT, R.I. — Coast Guard Cutter Campbell (WMEC 909) is scheduled to hold a change-of-command ceremony, Tuesday, at 11 a.m. on Naval Station Newport.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Empowering Women through Clean Energy: African Development Bank Launches Country Diagnostics to Accelerate Inclusive Energy Transitions

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    In a significant step toward advancing inclusive climate solutions, the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), in partnership with the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) (https://apo-opa.co/44PhRQI), has launched the Gender and Renewable Energy Country Diagnostics (https://apo-opa.co/3GXAwSi)—a pivotal initiative exploring the nexus between gender equity and energy access in six African countries: Ghana (https://apo-opa.co/450VUOL), Liberia (https://apo-opa.co/44DKrFW), Mali (https://apo-opa.co/44ZZLM5), Lesotho (https://apo-opa.co/3GTIKeb), Madagascar (https://apo-opa.co/46jgk7Q), and Malawi (https://apo-opa.co/46dH5KX).

    Commissioned by the Bank under CIF’s Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program, the diagnostics provide evidence-based, country-specific recommendations to enhance women’s leadership, financial inclusion, and participation in Africa’s clean energy economy. Focusing on localized, actionable solutions, the reports identify opportunities to embed gender considerations into national energy planning, investment strategies, and policy frameworks. They also propose inclusive financing models that de-risk women-led energy enterprises and highlight the need for capacity-building efforts to strengthen technical skills, entrepreneurial readiness, and leadership among women in the renewable energy sector.

    The findings were officially unveiled at a virtual launch event on 30 June 2025, hosted by the Bank’s Climate Change and Green Growth Department and Gender and Women Empowerment Division. The event brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, the private sector, and development institutions, underscoring a strong regional commitment to gender-equitable and resilient energy transitions.

    Opening the event, Al Hamndou Dorsouma, Manager of the Climate Change and Green Growth, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to a just and inclusive energy transition. “Gender equality is a source of serious innovation and sustainable growth,” he stated, emphasizing the need to translate diagnostic findings into concrete reforms, strengthening institutional coordination, and gender-responsive business and financing mechanisms. He noted that the initiative directly responds to growing country-level demand for stronger gender integration in energy strategies, building on earlier successes in East Africa.

    Nathalie Gahunga, Manager of the Gender and Women Empowerment Division, closed the event with a compelling call to action. She urged governments, development partners, NGOs, financiers, and the private sector to turn the data into transformative investments, innovative programs, and inclusive policy reforms. “The real work begins now,” she declared, calling for cross-sector collaboration to remove structural barriers and unlock women’s full participation in Africa’s green economy.

    Fewstancia Munyaradzi, Executive Director of Rand Sandton Consulting Group (www.RandSandton.com), presented a consolidated action plan focused on closing financing gaps, building institutional capacity, and integrating gender-responsive approaches into energy policy and project design.

    At the African Development Bank, gender integration is a core priority. Gender considerations are mainstreamed in 100 percent of the Bank’s climate operations—from design through implementation. These diagnostics reflect that commitment, providing practical tools to help countries operationalize gender equality in energy planning and programming.

    As Africa advances on its path to energy transformation, diagnostics are now available to guide gender-responsive policy and investment decisions across the continent. They affirm that gender inclusion is not only a development imperative but a cornerstone of sustainable, resilient progress.

    This new effort builds on the Bank’s earlier collaboration with the Climate Investment Funds in 2020, which produced Gender and Sustainable Energy Access country briefs for Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda (https://apo-opa.co/46MLNiY). Those briefs guided gender-sensitive energy interventions and highlighted the importance of sex-disaggregated data, national-level engagement, and context-specific recommendations.

    To review the Country Diagnostic Studies on Gender and Renewable Energy, click here (https://apo-opa.co/3GXAwSi):

    Ghana
    (https://apo-opa.co/450VUOL)

    Liberia
    (https://apo-opa.co/44DKrFW)

    Mali
    (https://apo-opa.co/44ZZLM5)

    Lesotho
    (https://apo-opa.co/3GTIKeb)

    Madagascar
    (https://apo-opa.co/46jgk7Q)

    Malawi
    (https://apo-opa.co/46dH5KX)

    – on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Media Contact:
    Sonia Borrini
    Climate Change & Green Growth Department
    s.borrini@afdb.org

    About the African Development Bank Group:
    The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) provide $40 million investment in equity platform Zafiri to accelerate renewable energy access across Africa

    Source: APO – Report:

    The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has approved a $40 million equity investment in Project Zafiri, a transformative equity platform and flagship initiative under Mission 300 (https://apo-opa.co/4m1ve7m). This investment will accelerate the expansion of renewable energy access across Africa.

    Zafiri – jointly developed by the Bank, World Bank Group and other partners – aims to address the critical shortage of patient, longer-term equity capital needed to de-risk and scale Decentralized Renewable Energy solutions (DRE) for underserved communities across the continent.

    Decentralized Renewable Energy is the fastest, most cost-effective, and sustainable way to expand electricity access in rural Africa. Unlike centralized grids, DRE solutions—such as mini-grids and stand-alone solar home systems—can be deployed quickly and affordably, even in remote or fragile areas.

    Under Mission 300, which aims to connect an additional 300 million people to electricity by 2030, DRE will play a central role in ensuring no community is left behind. These decentralized systems are modular, scalable, and well-suited to the continent’s dispersed populations and geographic challenges. More than half of all new electricity connections by 2030 are expected to come from DRE.

    Zafiri is structured as a Permanent Capital Vehicle with a targeted capitalization of $1 billion, raised through a phased approach. Phase 1 targets $300 million in total commitments, equally split between junior and senior equity, with junior equity serving as a key catalyst to crowd-in private sector in this higher-risk, undercapitalized market.

    The African Development Bank’s $40 million contribution consists of $30 million in senior equity from its balance sheet and $10 million in junior equity from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), a multi-donor special fund managed by the Bank.

     “Zafiri is a catalytic platform that will be an integral component of the Bank’s strategy to accelerate universal access to modern energy in Africa. With just five years remaining to reach Mission 300’s goal of additional 300 million connections by 2030, this initiative provides a timely and innovative solution to scale private capital for impact,” noted Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth at the African Development Bank.

    Wale Shonibare, Director for Energy Financial Solutions, Policy, and Regulations, described Zafiri as the largest patient capital commitment to the African DRE sector to date. He said it exemplifies how structured blended financing can unlock commercial capital while delivering inclusive, climate-resilient energy access across the continent.

    Project Zafiri will address the lack of longer-term equity that is constraining the growth of the DRE sector in Africa, Daniel Schroth, Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, said, adding that by anchoring the junior equity tranche, SEFA is helping to crowd in private investment at scale.

    Zafiri aligns with the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033) to promote private investment in energy infrastructure, the High 5s, particularly Light Up and Power Africa, Industrialize Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa, and the New Deal on Energy for Africa. It also contributes to both mitigation and adaptation goals under the Bank’s Climate Change and Green Growth Policy and Strategy and supports the objectives of SEFA and the Private Sector Development Strategy (PSDS) to mobilize equity for clean energy and energy efficiency investments. Zafiri also aligns with the Bank’s Equity Investment Framework and represents a pioneering approach to blended finance in Africa’s energy transition and a critical step toward achieving universal energy access.

    – on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Contact:
    Amba Mpoke-Bigg
    Communication and External Relations Department
    Email: media@afdb.org

    About the African Development Bank Group:
    The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

    Media files

    .

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: G20 signals support for fairer global tax rules but comes up short on taxing the super-rich

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Durban, South Africa – Commenting on the outcome of the G20 3rd Finance Ministers and Central Bank Ministerial Meeting, Greenpeace welcomed the G20 ministers’ support for international tax negotiations at the United Nations. However, Ministers did not reference the proposal introduced under Brazil’s G20 presidency last year to tax the ultra-rich.[1]

    Fred Njehu, Global Political Lead of the Fair Share campaign, Greenpeace Africa, said: “This show of support for the UN Tax Convention is a welcome step in the right direction for new global tax rules that work for everyone, not just the select few. The G20 must now put words into action and engage constructively in the process as a global multilateral platform that will shape and determine the future of taxation, one rooted in equity, transparency and justice.

    “However, the G20 Finance Ministers are squandering an incredible opportunity to end financial apartheid and achieve a breakthrough on wealth taxation that could redistribute much needed funds to tackle the social, economic, environmental and climate polycrisis. Equality is not the accumulation of wealth and power in the hands of a few billionaires. We need to stand up to the power of billionaires who are a threat to our democracies, security and wellbeing.[2]

    “Turbulent economic times like these demand global cooperation and a multilateral response. G20 ministers have an historic obligation to help steer the global economy and environment towards safer waters. They must listen to growing public calls and build the political momentum for taxing the super-rich and set new global tax rules that work for all to achieve social and climate justice.”

    END

    Notes:

    [1] New global tax rules in an UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation are being negotiated, from now until 2027. It is a historic opportunity to redistribute power and wealth, and foster tax transparency and accountability. It aims to take control of global tax rules from the rich OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries to place it in the hands of the 193 member states of the United Nations. 

    [2] Greenpeace: Ramaphosa, G20 must end financial apartheid with tax on super-rich

    Contacts:

    Ibrahima Ka Ndoye, International Communications Coordinator, Greenpeace Africa. +221778437172, [email protected].

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Cambodia: Scamming crisis survivors must be protected amid police crackdown 

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Responding to reports and Cambodian government announcements that a crackdown on scamming compounds in the country is under way, Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director Montse Ferrer said:

    “A coordinated government response to Cambodia’s scamming crisis is long overdue. However, it is vital that authorities respect the human rights of individuals found in these locations, where we have documented slavery, torture and other abuses carried out by criminal gangs.

    “Emerging reports and social media footage raise concerns that police may not be using a human rights-based approach to who is being detained and who is being treated as a victim of human trafficking. Victims must be properly identified and protected, and the government should share details about the detention centres where they may now be held.

    “Finally, police should not only focus on the individuals carrying out scams, but on those controlling them. Any legitimate crackdown must include the investigation and questioning of compound landlords and managers, as well as the security guards and companies who have assisted them.”

    MIL OSI NGO –