Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Cultural tourism promotion event on Spring Festival held in Brussels
Category: DJF
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MIL-OSI China: Cultural tourism promotion event on Spring Festival held in Brussels
Artists perform Kunqu Opera during a cultural tourism promotion event ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, at the China Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan. 24, 2025. Various activities marking the upcoming Chinese New Year are being held in many countries around the world as the festival approaches. [Photo/Xinhua] Artists perform Kunqu Opera during a cultural tourism promotion event ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, at the China Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan. 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] A piece of Jinling paper-cutting work is presented during a cultural tourism promotion event ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, at the China Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan. 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] Children pose for photos with woodblock paintings of Chinese character “Fu” which means “good fortune” during a cultural tourism promotion event ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, at the China Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan. 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] -
MIL-OSI China: 2025 ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ global launching ceremony and gala held in Malaysian capital
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
2025 ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ global launching ceremony and gala held in Malaysian capital
Traditional Chinese Wushu is performed at the 2025 “Happy Chinese New Year” global launching ceremony and gala in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 26 — The 2025 “Happy Chinese New Year” global launching ceremony and gala was held here on Saturday evening, featuring wonderful performances presented by actors from Malaysia and China.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli, and Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Tiong King Sing attended the event and delivered speeches.
At the beginning of the ceremony, distinguished guests from both the Malaysian and Chinese governments jointly performed the “dotting of the lion’s eyes” ritual, officially inaugurating the event.
During the event, artists from China, Malaysia, Britain, France, the United States, New Zealand, Egypt, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, and some other countries collaborated in performances, fully showcasing the cultural essence of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) and creating a festive atmosphere of global celebration.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim addresses the 2025 “Happy Chinese New Year” global launching ceremony and gala in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] The “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations worldwide, organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, have been held annually for 25 consecutive years.
The year 2025 will mark the first Chinese New Year following the festival’s successful inscription on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This year, the “Happy Chinese New Year” event will feature nearly 500 diverse performances and exhibitions across more than 100 countries and regions worldwide.
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MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HA shopping centres’ panda decorations to welcome Year of Snake (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
HA shopping centres’ panda decorations to welcome Year of Snake (with photos)
HA shopping centres’ panda decorations to welcome Year of Snake (with photos)
*****************************************************************************The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority: To welcome the Year of the Snake, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has put up festive New Year decorations featuring lovely pandas in its various commercial properties. “To celebrate the joyous Lunar New Year, the HA’s regional shopping centre in Yau Tong, Domain, features the theme ‘Lion Dance, New Attire and Dream Building’. There are plenty of performances and festive decorations for all visitors to enjoy while they shop,” said a spokesman for the HA today (January 26). Domain dresses up the pandas in lion dance cape and features decorations of the crossover of pandas and lion dance, the latter being one aspect of Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage. In collaboration with a renowned local designer of traditional Chinese attire, colourful light installations have been placed in the Atrium and Rooftop Garden. With advanced technology integrated with traditional Lunar New Year elements, Domain offers an immersive experience for all visitors. There are also delightful panda decorations at the HA’s Cheung Ching Commercial Complex in Tsing Yi, Queens Hill Shopping Centre in Sheung Shui, and Ching Long Shopping Centre in Kowloon City to enliven the festive mood. To encourage and support young people in pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams, the HA launched the “Well Being‧Start-up” Programme. This programme offers rent-free shop premises in HA shopping centres (including Domain, Kai Chuen Shopping Centre, Hoi Lai Shopping Centre, Shui Chuen O Plaza, Kwai Chung Shopping Centre, Lei Muk Shue Shopping Centre and Queens Hill Shopping Centre) to young people to trial their business plans. To celebrate the New Year, members of Domain Club may redeem a set of lai see packets with 300 bonus points or two sets with 500 bonus points from now on while stocks last at Domain. Inside each lai see is a 10 per cent off coupon for shopping at 14 of the participating shops under the “Well Being‧Start-up” Programme. Shoppers can support local young start-ups at the start of the happy new year. In addition, Domain will organise a Lunar New Year Fair and evening street performances at the Open Plaza from January 22 to 28. There will also be two special weekend events on February 2 and 9, respectively, featuring parades of the God of Wealth and lion dance performances. “To attract patronage to the HA’s retail provisions, free parking will be offered to shoppers who spend a designated amount at the HA’s retail facilities, restaurants or wet markets. Also, Domain and Yau Lai Shopping Centre will provide free parking for members of Domain Club, subject to specified spending requirements. For more details, please refer to the notices at the shopping centres,” the spokesman added.
Ends/Sunday, January 26, 2025Issued at HKT 14:30NNNN
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MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s message to the General Assembly of the International Science Council
Source: United Nations secretary general
Uniting through science is key to tackling our common challenges – from addressing the climate crisis, to combatting global pandemics, to taking on the untold risk posed by emerging technologies.
The International Science Council is an indispensable bridge between science and policy, connecting researchers to the work of global decision-makers.
Your crucial role is the reason I invited the Council to contribute to the work of the United Nations through the Scientific Advisory Board. By uniting experts across disciplines, the Board connects UN leaders to global networks representing thousands of scientists and academics, especially in developing countries. And it helps ensure that science shapes policy solutions for people and planet.
This spirit is central to the Pact for the Future, adopted at the United Nations by Member States last September. The Pact recognizes the crucial role of science and technology cooperation to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and supercharging progress around the world.
We need your insights and expertise in this important task. Together, let’s harness the power of science to build a more peaceful, sustainable and healthy future for all.
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MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s message on the International Day of Clean Energy [scroll down for French version]
Source: United Nations secretary general
This year, renewables are projected to become the world’s largest source of electricity generation for the first time. Meanwhile, their prices keep plummeting.
On the International Day of Clean Energy, we celebrate this revolution. But we also recognise the challenges ahead.
The end of the fossil fuel age is certain. But governments must ensure that it comes swiftly and fairly. This is crucial to save us from the worst of the climate crisis, and to connect every person to clean energy – lifting millions out of poverty.
This year offers an unparalleled opportunity for countries to align their climate ambitions with their national energy and development strategies. All countries have committed to produce new national climate action plans aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. They must deliver with plans that cover all greenhouse gases and sectors; map a just fossil fuel phase-out; and contribute to the global goal to triple renewables capacity by 2030.
The G20 have the largest capacities and responsibilities – they must lead. All this must be achieved in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. But all countries must do more.
We also need action to get finance flowing to the renewables revolution in emerging markets and developing economies. That includes increasing the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks, tackling the high cost of capital, and taking effective action on debt.
On the International Day of Clean Energy, let’s commit to an international era of clean energy with speed, justice, and collaboration at its core.
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Cette année, pour la première fois, les sources d’énergie renouvelables devraient devenir la plus grande source de production d’électricité au monde, et leur prix ne cesse de baisser.
En cette Journée internationale des énergies propres, nous célébrons cette révolution, tout en étant conscients des défis qui nous attendent.
Il est certain que l’ère des combustibles fossiles va prendre fin. Mais les gouvernements doivent veiller à ce que cette fin arrive rapidement et qu’elle soit juste. Ceci est essentiel pour nous protéger des pires conséquences de la crise climatique et donner à chacun et à chacune les moyens d’accéder à une énergie propre – sortant des millions de personnes de la pauvreté.
Cette année offre aux pays une occasion unique d’intégrer leurs ambitions climatiques dans leurs stratégies nationales en matière d’énergie et de développement. Tous les pays se sont engagés à élaborer de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux pour le climat qui soient compatibles avec l’objectif de limiter la hausse de la température mondiale à 1,5 degré Celsius. Ils doivent présenter des plans qui couvrent tous les gaz à effet de serre et tous les secteurs, organiser un abandon progressif et juste des combustibles fossiles et contribuer à l’objectif mondial de tripler la capacité en sources d’énergie renouvelables d’ici à 2030.
Le Groupe des 20 a les plus grandes capacités et les plus importantes responsabilités en la matière : il doit jouer le rôle de chef de file. Tout ceci doit être réalisé conformément au principe des responsabilités communes mais différenciées. Cependant, tous les pays doivent en faire davantage.
Il faut également faire le nécessaire pour assurer le financement de la révolution des sources d’énergie renouvelables dans les économies émergentes et les économies en développement. Il s’agit notamment d’accroître la capacité de prêt des banques multilatérales de développement, de s’attaquer au coût élevé du capital et de prendre des mesures efficaces pour agir sur la dette.
En cette Journée internationale des énergies propres, engageons-nous à favoriser l’avènement dans le monde entier d’une ère des énergies propres, avec en son cœur la rapidité, la justice et la collaboration.
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MIL-OSI China: Presidential election kicks off in Belarus
Source: China State Council Information Office
The presidential election kicked off in Belarus on Sunday with polling stations opening at 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) and closing at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT).
Five candidates, including incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, have been registered for the presidential election.
Voters will cast their ballots at 5,325 polling stations nationwide and the number of voters stands at about 6.9 million, according to the country’s Central Election Commission.
Elections are considered valid if more than half of the citizens included in the voter list cast their ballots. The head of state is considered elected if a candidate is supported by more than half of the voters who took part in the voting.
Early voting for the country’s presidential election took place from Jan. 21 to 25. The Central Election Commission said Saturday that 41.81 percent of eligible voters have cast their ballots during the five-day early voting session, which is organized for those unable to vote on the election day.
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MIL-OSI China: 4 Israeli hostages arrive in Israel after released by Hamas in Gaza
Source: China State Council Information Office
Four Israeli hostages are seen during the ceremony of their release in Palestine Square in Gaza City on Jan. 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Four female Israeli soldier hostages held in Gaza were transferred to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) on Saturday and crossed the border into Israel, the IDF and the ISA said in a joint statement.
Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy, army observers aged between 19 and 20, were abducted by Hamas from the Israeli army’s surveillance base at Nahal Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, near the Gaza Strip border.
“The four returning hostages were accompanied by IDF special forces and ISA forces on their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment,” the statement reads.
The four are scheduled to meet their families at the IDF’s Reim camp, near the Gaza Strip border, and from there they will be transferred by helicopter to Beilinson Hospital in central Israel.
The transfer of the four soldiers from Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza was broadcast live. The four appeared to be in good health, walking and smiling.
The hostage release is part of the second phase of a prisoner-hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel, implemented under the initial terms of a ceasefire agreement.
The first stage of the six-week ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19.
The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel was reached after 15 months of intense fighting, as a result of negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.
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MIL-OSI China: Black box of S. Korea’s crashed plane stops recording after bird strike warning
Source: China State Council Information Office
This photo shows the site of an airplane crash at the Muan International Airport, some 290 km southwest of Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 29, 2024. [Photo/NEWSIS via Xinhua]
The black box of an airplane that crashed in South Korea’s southwestern airport late last month stopped recording just a minute after the warning of bird strike, the transport ministry said Saturday.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s aviation railway accident investigation committee held a meeting with the bereaved families to disclose the analysis of the passenger jet’s flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR).
The flight control tower warned the ill-fated plane of a possible bird strike just one minute before the jet’s FDR and CVR stopped recording simultaneously.
Immediately before the discontinued recording, the plane’s power supply was believed to have been cut off as both of its engines collided with birds.
One of the pilots declared a Mayday, caused by the bird strike, to the control tower during a go-around.
The airport’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed that the airplane struck a flock of birds, while feathers and bloodstains of one of the country’s most common winter birds were found from both of the engines.
On Dec. 29 last year, the passenger jet landed without heels, skidded off the runway and hit a concrete mound equipped with a localizer at the end of the runway at Muan International Airport, some 290 km southwest of the capital Seoul.
The localizer refers to a part of the instrument landing system providing aircraft with runway centerline guidance.
A total of 179 of the 181 people aboard the aircraft were confirmed dead. Only two were rescued.
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MIL-OSI China: Announcement on Open Market Operations No.19 [2025]
Source: Peoples Bank of China
Announcement on Open Market Operations No.19 [2025]
(Open Market Operations Office, January 26, 2025)
In order to keep liquidity adequate before the Spring Festival, the People’s Bank of China conducted reverse repo operations in the amount of RMB151 billion through quantity bidding at a fixed interest rate on January 26, 2025.
Details of the Reverse Repo Operations
Maturity
Volume
Rate
14 days
RMB151 billion
1.65%
Date of last update Nov. 29 2018
2025年01月26日
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MIL-OSI Global: Finding ‘Kape’: How Language Documentation helps us preserve an endangered language
Source: The Conversation – Indonesia – By Francesco Perono Cacciafoco, Associate Professor in Linguistics, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Shiyue Wu, a member of Francesco Perono Cacciafoco’s research team at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), who is currently developing intensive fieldwork in Alor Island to document and preserve endangered languages, discovered and first documented Kape during a Language Documentation fieldwork in August 2024 and therefore actively contributed to this study.
As of 2025, more than 7000 languages are spoken across the world. However, only about half of them are properly documented, leaving the rest at risk of disappearing.
Globalisation has propelled languages such as English and Chinese into the mainstream, and they now dominate global communication.
Parents today prefer their children learn widely-spoken languages. Meanwhile, indigenous languages, such as Copainalá Zoque in Mexico and Northern Ndebele in Zimbabwe, are not even consistently taught in schools.
Indigenous people generally did not use writing for centuries and, therefore, their languages do not have ancient written records. This has contributed to their gradual disappearance.
To prevent the loss of endangered languages, field linguists – or language documentarists – work to ensure that new generations have access to their cultural heritage. Their efforts reveal the vocabulary and structure of these languages and the stories and traditions embedded within them.
My research team and I have spent over 13 years documenting endangered Papuan languages in Southeast and East Indonesia, particularly in the Alor-Pantar Archipelago, near Timor, and the Maluku Islands. One of our significant and very recent discoveries is Kape, a previously undocumented and neglected language spoken by small coastal communities in Central-Northern Alor.
Not only is the discovery important for mapping the linguistic context of the island, but it also highlights the urgency of preserving endangered languages by employing Language Documentation methods.
The discovery of Kape
In August 2024, while working with our Abui consultants, Shiyue Wu, my Research Assistant at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, discovered a previously-ignored, presumably undocumented Papuan language from Alor, ‘Kape’.
At the time, she was gathering information about the names and locations of ritual altars known as ‘maasang’ in the Abui area, with assistance from our main consultant and several native speakers. In Central Alor, every village has a ‘maasang’.
During conversations about the variants in altar names across Alor languages and Abui dialects, some speakers mentioned the name of the ‘maasang’ (‘mata’) in Kape—a language previously unrecorded and overlooked in linguistic documentation.
‘Kape’ translates to ‘rope’, symbolising how the language connects its speakers across the island, from the mountains to the sea. Geographically and linguistically, it is associated with Kabola in the east and Abui and Kamang in Central Alor.
At this stage, it is unclear whether Kape is a distinct language or a dialect of Kamang, as the two are mutually intelligible. Much of Kape’s basic lexicon (the collection of words in one language), indeed, shares cognates (related words among languages) with Kamang.
However, Kape is spoken as the primary (native) language by the whole Kape ethnic group of Alor, and the speakers consider themselves an independent linguistic and ethnic community. This could serve as an element for regarding Kape as a language.
Kape also shows connections with Suboo, Tiyei, and Adang, other Papuan languages from Alor Island. The speakers, known as ‘Kafel’ in Abui, are multilingual, fluent, to some extent, in Kape, Kamang, Bahasa Indonesia, Alor Malay, and, sometimes, Abui.
So far, no historical records have been found for Kape, though archival research may reveal more about its origins. Based on its typology and lexical characteristics, Kape appears as ancient as other languages spoken in Alor. Like many Papuan languages, it is critically endangered and requires urgent documentation to preserve its legacy.
Documenting languages: An ongoing challenge
Language Documentation aims to reconstruct the unwritten history of indigenous peoples and to guarantee the future of their cultures and languages. This is accomplished by preserving endangered, scarcely documented or entirely undocumented languages in disadvantaged and remote areas.
External sources, like diaries by missionaries and documentation produced by colonisers, can help reconstruct some historical events. However, they are insufficient for providing reliable linguistic data since the authors were not linguists.
My research team and I document endangered languages, starting with their lexicon and grammar. Eventually, we also explore the ancient traditions and ancestral wisdom of the native speakers we work with.
We have contributed to the documentation of several Papuan languages from Alor Island, especially Abui, Kula, and Sawila. These languages are spoken among small, sometimes dispersed communities of indigenous peoples belonging to different but related ethnic clusters.
They communicate with each other mostly in Bahasa Indonesia and Alor Malay. This is because their local languages are almost never taught in schools and are rarely used outside their groups.
Over time, in addition to documenting their lexicons and grammars, we worked to reconstruct their place-names and landscape names, oral traditions, foundation myths, ancestral legends and the names of plants and trees they use.
We also explored their traditional medical practices and local ethnobotany, along with their musical culture and number systems.
Safeguarding Kape is not just linguistically relevant. Its preservation and documentation are not just about attesting its existence – they also contribute to revitalising the language, keeping it alive, and allowing the local community to rediscover its history, knowledge, and traditions to pass down to the next generations.
This journey has just begun, but my team and I – with the indispensable collaboration from our local consultants and native speakers – are prepared to go all the way towards its completion.
Francesco Perono Cacciafoco received funding from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU): Research Development Fund (RDF) Grant, “Place Names and Cultural Identity: Toponyms and Their Diachronic Evolution among the Kula People from Alor Island”, Grant Number: RDF-23-01-014, School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou (Jiangsu), China, 2024-2025.
– ref. Finding ‘Kape’: How Language Documentation helps us preserve an endangered language – https://theconversation.com/finding-kape-how-language-documentation-helps-us-preserve-an-endangered-language-247465
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MIL-OSI Australia: Police update on city events
Source: South Australia Police
Police were pleased with the overwhelming majority of community members who attended the Adelaide CBD today to participate in the events held, including the Tour Down under and other Australia Day events.
At least a dozen people from across the Country, not involved in organised events or protests, were arrested and charged with various street offences including failing to cease loiter, possess articles of disguise, hinder and resist arrest. One of the males arrested has also been charged with displaying a Nazi symbol.
Further details on arrests will be released later this afternoon.
Police would like to thank those people who safely and peacefully attended city events.
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MIL-OSI Security: Twelve Indicted in Connection with Violent Drug Trafficking Gang That Distributed Fentanyl in Seattle and Everett
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
Group referred to two distribution sites in U District of Seattle as “the House” and “the Office” – Leader shot dead outside one location earlier this year
Seattle – A coordinated law enforcement operation over the last 48 hours has resulted in eleven arrests of members of a drug trafficking ring that set up shop in the University District of Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. A year-long wire-tap investigation led to the indictment of 11 defendants on drug distribution and weapons charges. A twelfth defendant with ties to the organization was indicted on illegal weapons possession in connection with a deadly shooting at a Hookah bar in South Seattle. The defendants arrested over the last two days have or will be making appearances in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
“These defendants were prolific fentanyl dealers who were frequently armed when guarding their stash or distributing their drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “The danger to the community cannot be overstated in this case. The leader of the drug crew was gunned down last summer – right in front of one of the U District locations where members of the crew distributed their poison, and continued do so, following the deadly shooting.”
“This operation exemplifies the power of collaboration among law enforcement agencies at all levels,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “By uniting our resources and expertise, we have successfully dismantled a criminal network that has endangered our communities through violent acts and the distribution of fentanyl. Together, we will continue to fight against violent crime and protect the lives of our citizens.”
“There’s no true relief for those who have lost loved ones to drug-related crime or rising overdoses,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke of IRS-CI Seattle. “We stand with our law enforcement partners to stop groups that profit from the fentanyl epidemic by following the money.”
Thirty-one locations were searched yesterday by some 600 law enforcement officers from ten different agencies. A total of eleven people were arrested: nine of those indicted and two additional defendants were arrested on criminal complaints.
Three defendants are indicted for both gun and drug crimes:
Cooper Sherman, aka “Coop,” 27, of Seattle is charged with conspiracy, two counts of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Alvin Whiteside, aka “Mafia, 51, of Federal Way is charged with conspiracy, one count of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Whiteside is in state custody and will be transferred to federal custody.
Muhamed Ceesay, aka “Mo,” 27, of Lynnwood is charged with conspiracy, two counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Ceesay remains a fugitive.
These eight defendants are charged in the indictment for the drug conspiracy and various drug distribution crimes:
Ali Kuyateh, aka “Pops,” 49, of Seattle
Lamin Saho aka “Buck,” 38, of Everett, Washington
Oche Poston, 31, of Everett, Washington
Jaquan Means, 45, of Bellevue, Washington
Dominque Sanders, 34, of Everett, Washington – remains a fugitive.
Patrick Smith, 27 of Edmonds, Washington – remains a fugitive.
Matthew Robinson, 37, of Everett, Washington
Yohannes Wondimagegnehu, aka “Jon,” 35, of Seattle
Finally, Khaliil Ahmed, aka “Bossup,” 26, of Kent, Washington, was identified as someone who supplied guns to members of the conspiracy. He is charged in a separate indictment with three counts of illegal possession of firearms, and one count of illegal possession of ammunition. Two of the charges relate to guns he possessed on August 20, 2023, at the time of a fatal shooting at a hookah bar in South Seattle. Ahmed was injured in the shooting and three others were killed. The final two charges relate to a firearm and ammunition he possessed on May 30, 2024. Ahmed is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2022 conviction for illegally possessing firearms.
Two defendants – Anteneh Tesfaye, 39, of Edmonds, Washington, and Michael Janisch, 25, of Mercer Island, Washington, were arrested on criminal complaints.
Over the course of the investigation law enforcement has seized more than 19 kg of fentanyl, 12 firearms, and more than $130,000 in cash. In the operations yesterday they seized over 50 firearms to include fully automatic weapons and handguns with Glock switches; thousands of rounds of ammunition, including high capacity drum magazines, and armor-piercing rounds; several hundred thousand dollars of bulk cash and jewelry; 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 4 kilograms of cocaine.
The charges contained in the indictments 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.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .
This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant participation by Seattle Police Department (SPD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Patrol (WSP), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellevue Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Everett Police Department, Renton Police Department, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Washington State National Guard, Washington State Gambling Commission, Yakima County Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D) Narcotics and Gang Task Force, and Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jensen and Joseph Silvio.
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MIL-OSI USA: Beyond the Console: Kenneth Attocknie’s Mission to Bridge Cultures at NASA
Source: NASA
From the Mission Control Center to community celebrations, Kenneth Attocknie blends safety expertise with a commitment to cultural connection.
For the past 25 years at NASA, Attocknie has dedicated his career to safeguarding the International Space Station and supporting real-time mission operations at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
As a principal safety engineer in the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, Attocknie ensures the safe operation of the space station’s environmental control and life support system. This system is vital for maintaining the life-sustaining environment aboard the orbiting laboratory— a critical foundation for similar systems planned for future Artemis missions.As a contractor with SAIC, Attocknie has served as a flight controller, astronaut crew office engineer, and astronaut crew instructor. He joined NASA just as the first two modules of the space station, Zarya and Unity, connected in space on Dec. 6, 1998.
“I’ve supported the space station ever since and have been blessed to witness the remarkable progression of this amazing orbiting experiment,” he said. “I feel I have found a way to contribute positively to NASA’s mission: to improve life for all people on our planet.”
He also contributed to closing out the Space Shuttle Program and worked in system safety for the Constellation program.
As part of SAIC’s Employee Resource Group, Attocknie supports the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement project, which uses project-based learning to inspire high school students from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. He continues to advocate for Native Americans as a member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, helping NASA engage with college students across Indian Country.Attocknie strives to contribute to a space exploration legacy that uplifts and unites cultures, paving the way for a future in human spaceflight that honors and empowers all.
A member of the Comanche and Caddo tribes of Oklahoma, he has made it his mission to create a cross-cultural exchange between NASA and Native communities to provide opportunities for Natives to visit Johnson.
One of his proudest moments was organizing a Native American Heritage Month event with NASA’s Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office. The celebration brought together Native dancers and singers from Oklahoma and Texas to honor their heritage at Johnson.
“Seeing the Johnson community rally around this event was amazing,” said Attocknie. “It was a profound experience to share and celebrate my culture here.”Overcoming challenges and setbacks has been part of his NASA experience as well. “Finding and achieving my purpose is always an ongoing journey,” he said. “Accepting what might seem like a regression is the first step of growth. There’s always a lesson to be found, and every disappointment can fuel a new ambition and direction. Ride the waves, be humble, learn lessons, and above all, always keep going.”
He believes that NASA’s mission is deeply connected to diversity and inclusion. “You can’t truly benefit humankind if you don’t represent humankind,” said Attocknie. “The status quo may feel comfortable, but it leads to stagnation and is the antithesis of innovation.”Attocknie’s hope for the Artemis Generation? “A healthier planet, society, and the desire to pass on lessons of stewardship for our environment. All life is precious.”
He sees NASA as a gateway to a brighter future: “NASA can truly harness its influence to be an example for our planet, not only in the new heavenly bodies we journey to but also in the new human spirits we touch.” -
MIL-OSI Security: Bay d’Espoir — Bay d’Espoir RCMP investigates break and enter at Canada Post storage shed
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Bay d’Espoir RCMP is investigating a break, enter and theft that occurred at a Canada Post storage shed sometime between Saturday, November 2 and Monday, November 4.
Shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Monday, police received the report of the crime that occurred at the storage shed located on Route 360, approximately 1 km north of the Route 361 turnoff. Suspect(s) forced entry into the shed, causing property damage. In the same area, a passenger van was stolen and was later recovered abandoned at an apartment building parking lot in Grand Falls-Windsor. See images attached.
Police believe the two incidents may be related. The investigation is continuing.
Anyone with information about this crime or the identity of those responsible is asked to contact Bay d’Espoir RCMP at 709-882-2230. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.
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MIL-OSI Security: Albuquerque FBI Division Announces It’s 2025 Citizen’s Academy
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
Have you ever wondered how the FBI solves a case? Want to hear about the work agents are doing across New Mexico? Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda welcomes business, civic, and faith-based community leaders to apply for FBI Albuquerque’s Citizens Academy program, where we will give participants a first-hand look into life at the FBI.
“The FBI’s Citizens Academy provides an incredible opportunity for members of the community to better understand the work of the FBI and partner with us in keeping New Mexico citizens safe,” said Raul Bujanda, special agent in charge for the FBI Albuquerque Division. “The FBI Citizens Academy program is a unique opportunity for us to share our work one-on-one with community leaders of all backgrounds, and for them to provide us with feedback. Through frank discussion and information sharing, we can improve relationships and advance our mission to protect all Americans.”
FBI Albuquerque is now accepting nominations for the 2025 FBI Citizens Academy. Over the course of 8 sessions this spring, select business, religious, civic, and community leaders will be given an opportunity to go behind the scenes of local FBI operations and experience case studies and demonstrations led by Special Agents, Intelligence Analysts, and FBI Professional Staff. Topics will include how the FBI works to combat violent crime, human trafficking, cybercrime, counterintelligence, Indian Country, terrorism, and how teams train in forensics, firearms, evidence recovery, and more.
- When: Wednesday evenings February 19th, 2025 – April 23rd, 2025
- Where: FBI Albuquerque 4200 Luecking Park Ave NE, Albuquerque New Mexico 87107
How to Apply: The FBI Citizens Academy is open to anyone with an interest in learning how the FBI works to protect and serve the community. Candidates can be nominated by a program alumnus, former or current FBI employee, or self-nominated. The nomination form must be completed in full and returned by the close of business on Friday, December 20, 2024. If selected, there is no cost to attend. Questions regarding the program or application process can be directed to aq.outreach@fbi.gov
Requirements:
- Business, religious, civic, or community leader
- Be at least 21 years of age
- No felony or serious misdemeanor convictions
- Cannot be under investigation as a subject in a criminal case
- Must live or work in New Mexico
- Must agree to and pass a limited background check
- Must be able to attend classes in person
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MIL-OSI Security: Two National MS-13 Gang Leaders and Other MS-13 Members and Associates Indicted for Murders in Queens and Long Island
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
Superseding Indictment Adds Charges Relating to Three Murders, Including Charges Against National Gang Leaders Edenilson Velasquez Larin and Hugo Diaz Amaya
A 49-count superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn that includes new charges relating to murders allegedly ordered and committed by national leaders, members and associates of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13. To date, multiple MS-13 members and associates have been charged in the case for numerous crimes including the murders of Andy Peralta in 2018, Victor Alvarenga in 2018, Abel Mosso in 2019 and Eric Monge in 2020. The superseding indictment filed today includes new charges against the following MS-13 members and associates:
- Edenilson Velasquez Larin, also known as “Agresor,” “Saturno,” “Tiny,” “Erick” and “Paco,” allegedly a national leader of MS-13 and the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (Fulton) clique, who is charged with the 2016 murder of Kenney Reyes and for ordering the murders of Monge in 2020 and Oswaldo Gutierrez Medrano in 2022.
- Hugo Diaz Amaya, also known as “21” and “Splinter,” allegedly another national leader of MS-13 and the Park View Locos Salvatruchas clique, who is charged with racketeering conspiracy and the murder of Gutierrez Medrano in 2022.
- Numerous other members of the Fulton clique, all of whom were previously charged in the case, have also now been charged with the murders of Reyes, Monge and Gutierrez Medrano.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, Thomas G. Donlon, Interim Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Patrick Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the arrests and charges.
“My Office and our law enforcement partners have worked tirelessly to hold MS-13 accountable for the unspeakable harm it has done to its victims and our communities. As these charges make clear, our pursuit of those responsible will not be deterred by the passage of time or by the leaders of MS-13’s futile attempts to hide in the shadows,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This indictment strikes yet another blow at MS-13’s leadership and demonstrates our work to dismantle MS-13 from top to bottom.”
Mr. Peace also thanked the FBI Baltimore Field Office’s Cross Border Task Force, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their valuable coordination with the investigation.
“Edenilson Velasquez Larin and Hugo Diaz Amaya, national MS-13 leaders, allegedly assumed the role of executioner by ordering and participating with the other charged defendants in a series of brutal murders to achieve status and revenge. These alleged conspiracies highlight the fearmongering and callousness in which MS-13 leaders and members operate. May today’s charges reflect the FBI’s commitment to continue its close collaboration with our law enforcement partners to rigorously dismantle the MS-13 hierarchy and disrupt all gang violence terrorizing our communities,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy.
“The defendants’ ruthless violence, in furtherance of the MS-13 gang, has no place in society and our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker. “Everyday, HSI New York and our law enforcement partners are utilizing every tool at our disposal to dismantle transnational gangs that jeopardize the safety of New Yorkers, as demonstrated with today’s announcement. No stone will be left unturned in our pursuit of justice on behalf of the victims slain by MS-13 gang members.”
“These new charges highlight the NYPD’s relentless pursuit of individuals terrorizing our communities,” stated NYPD Interim Commissioner Donlon. “We and our law enforcement partners must continue to find and dismantle the gangs that fuel crime on our streets, and we must hold their members accountable for their senseless acts of violence. I express my gratitude to all of our federal, state, and local partners for their steadfast dedication to our shared public safety goal.”
“We want to thank our partners in federal law enforcement, particularly the United States Attorney’s Office, for this collaborative effort to bring these violent and destructive criminals to justice,” stated Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “From our patrol officers on the street to the dedicated investigators in our Detective Division, the Nassau County Police Department is committed to fighting gang violence and rooting out those who bring destruction to our communities.”
The U.S. Program
As alleged in court filings, MS-13 is an extraordinarily violent street gang operating through “cliques” or chapters in Queens, Long Island and communities across the United States, as well as El Salvador, Honduras and other countries in the Americas and Europe. The gang primarily makes money through drug trafficking and extortion, and is known for its gruesome murders of perceived gang rivals and gang members and associates who have violated the gang’s rules. MS-13 has been responsible for dozens of murders in the Eastern District of New York alone.
Since approximately 2021, virtually all MS-13 cliques in the United States have been united under a single hierarchy known as the “U.S. Program.” The U.S. Program is led by a group of senior gang leaders, most of whom are incarcerated, known as “La Mesa” or “The Table.” La Mesa, among other roles, allegedly authorizes and directs murders throughout the country, including in New York. Prior to their arrests, Velasquez Larin and Diaz Amaya were allegedly two of the few members of La Mesa outside of prison — Velasquez Larin was living in Colorado and Diaz Amaya was living in Kansas — and were among the top leaders responsible for the gang’s operations on the East Coast.
Murder of Kenny Reyes
The superseding indictment adds charges for the 2016 murder in Uniondale, New York, of 18-year-old Kenny Reyes, who had recently come to the United States from Honduras. As alleged in court filings, Fulton clique member Jose Espinoza Sanchez befriended Reyes and learned that he had been associated with the 18th Street gang, rivals of MS-13. Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez plotted with other members of MS-13 in Nassau County to murder Reyes to increase their positions in the gang. On May 23, 2016, Velasquez Larin, Espinoza Sanchez and two others lured Reyes to a wooded area to smoke marijuana, where they killed him with machetes and buried his body. For years after the murder, Velasquez Larin bragged about their roles in the killing to other MS-13 members.
Murder of Eric Monge
The superseding indictment charges Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez for their roles in ordering the murder of Eric Monge, and Jose Guevara Aguilar, Jose Arevalo Iraheta and Erick Zavala Hernandez for their participation in the murder. As alleged, in the early morning hours of September 6, 2020, Guevara Aguilar and fellow Fulton clique member Oscar Hernandez Baires shot and killed Monge while he was seated in the front passenger seat of his parked car near his home in Queens. Monge’s wife had just returned to the car after bringing their young children inside their residence when Hernandez Baires and Guevara Aguilar began shooting. After the shooting, Guevara Aguilar and Hernandez Baires ran back to a car where Arevalo Iraheta and Zavala Hernandez were waiting to help them escape. As they fled to the car, Guevara Aguilar dropped his hat, which was later found to have his DNA on it.
Murder of Oswaldo Gutierrez Medrano
The superseding indictment also adds charges relating to the 2022 murder in Nassau County of 20-year-old Oswaldo Gutierrez Medrano, a member of the Sailors clique of MS-13. As alleged, Velasquez Larin and Diaz Amaya ordered the murder of Gutierrez Medrano, and Diaz Amaya coordinated luring Gutierrez Medrano to meet other MS-13 members under the false pretense that he would be receiving a promotion within MS-13. In Nassau County, on February 13, 2022, Gutierrez Medrano allegedly met with those other members of MS-13, including defendants Arevalo Iraheta, Carlos Alvarado, Erick Galdamez Leon and Jose Mejia Hernandez, who allegedly killed him with machetes and knives, dismembered his body and buried him in a wooded area.
The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated as part of the ongoing efforts by the OCDETF, a partnership that brings together the combined expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Today’s charges are the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2009, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 70 murders in the district and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by our law enforcement partners.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel, Michael W. Gibaldi, Anna L. Karamigios and Sophia M. Suarez are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Eleanor Jaffe-Pachuilo.
New Defendant:
HUGO DIAZ AMAYA (also known as “21” and “Splinter”)
Age: 36
Kansas City, KansasDefendants Previously Indicted:
RAMIRO GUTIERREZ (also known as “Cara de Malo”)
Age: 31
Flushing, New YorkVICTOR LOPEZ (also known as “Curioso”)
Age: 26
Flushing, New YorkTITO MARTINEZ-ALVARENGA (also known as “Imprudente”)
Age: 24
Flushing, New YorkISMAEL SANTOS-NOVOA (also known as “Profe” and “Travieso”)
Age: 36
Flushing, New YorkEDENILSON VELASQUEZ LARIN (also known as “Agresor,” “Saturno,” “Tiny,” “Erick” and “Paco”)
Age: 35
Thornton, ColoradoCHRISTIAN ALAS LEON (also known as “Pata de Chucho”)
Age: 26
Westbury, New YorkCARLOS ALVARADO (also known as “Brayle” and “Danny”)
Age: 21
Westbury, New YorkJOSE AREVALO IRAHETA (also known as “Splinter,” “Inesperado” and “Daniel”)
Age: 27
Queens, New YorkJOSE ESPINOZA SANCHEZ (also known as “Cable,” “Bleca,” “Clave,” “Fantasma” and “Victor”)
Age: 25
Carrboro, North CarolinaERICK GALDAMEZ LEON (also known as “Truco,” “Burro,” and “Chicle”)
Age: 24
Westbury, New YorkJOSE GUEVARA AGUILAR (also known as “Tranquilo,” “Malhechor,” and “Angel”
Age: 25
Queens, New YorkKEILA HERNANDEZ MAY
Age: 37
Carrboro, North CarolinaYONATHAN HERNANDEZ
Age: 25
Hempstead, New YorkJOSE MEJIA HERNANDEZ (also known as “Mismo” and “Timbre”)
Age: 22
Westbury, New YorkJOSE PEREZ OVANDO (also known as “Domino” and “Incompleto”)
Age: 24
Westbury, New YorkERICK ZAVALA HERNANDEZ (also known as “Berry,” “Berro,” and “Alex”)
Age: 26
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-228 (S-3) (LDH)
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MIL-OSI Security: Owner and Senior Executive of New York Contracting Company Plead Guilty to Paying Kickbacks to Obtain Construction Contracts From a Fortune 500 Company
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TROY CARUSO, the owner and chief executive officer of a commercial construction and contracting company headquartered in New York, New York (the “Contracting Company”), and JOHN NOLAN, a senior executive at the Contracting Company, pled guilty Friday, November 1, 2024, to conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud in connection with their scheme to pay kickbacks to a senior project manager at a Fortune 500 real estate services firm in order to obtain contracting work. CARUSO and NOLAN pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who is scheduled to sentence CARUSO on February 12, 2025, and NOLAN on February 13, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Corruption has no place in our business landscape. Troy Caruso and John Nolan sought to exploit the system for their own benefit, but today’s outcome shows that integrity will prevail. This Office is dedicated to ensuring that the integrity of our contracting processes is upheld, and we will relentlessly pursue those who engage in such dishonest schemes.”
According to the documents filed in this case, including the Indictment and the plea agreements of CARUSO and NOLAN, and statements made in Court:
From at least in or about February 2021, up to and including in or about September 2023, CARUSO and NOLAN agreed to pay, and did pay, kickbacks to an employee of a global and publicly traded commercial real estate services company (the “Real Estate Firm”) in exchange for assistance and preferential treatment so that the Contracting Company would be awarded projects managed by the Real Estate Firm (the “Kickback Scheme”).
In or about March 2021, CARUSO and NOLAN were introduced by an individual (“CC-1”) to a senior project manager at the Real Estate Firm (“CC-2”). CC-2 managed the process by which contracting companies bid for, and were awarded, contracts to work on construction projects for various of the Real Estate Firm’s clients. Beginning in or about March 2021, because of the Kickback Scheme, CC-2 took a series of actions CC-2 otherwise would not have taken to ensure that the Contracting Company was awarded a pre-construction contract and a construction contract relating to a certain project (“Project-1”), which was managed by the Real Estate Firm on behalf of its client, a health services business that provides hospital, medical, and other health services to patients. For example, CC-2 ensured that the Contracting Company was on the Real Estate Firm’s “bid list” so that it could submit bids relating to Project-1 that it otherwise could not have submitted. CC-2 also provided non-public information to CARUSO and NOLAN about the bidding process, and recommended the Contracting Company for both the pre-construction contract and the construction contract relating to Project-1. As a result of the Kickback Scheme and CC-2’s actions, the Contracting Company was awarded the pre-construction and construction contracts for Project-1, the latter of which was valued at approximately $3.55 million (to be paid to the Contracting Company).
In exchange for CC-2’s assistance and preferential treatment, CARUSO and NOLAN agreed to pay kickbacks to CC-2 in the amount of approximately one percent of the construction value of any project managed by the Real Estate Firm that resulted in a contract award to the Contracting Company. Accordingly, CARUSO and NOLAN agreed to pay CC-2 approximately $35,500 for Project-1, and ultimately paid CC-2 approximately $33,000 in kickbacks for CC-2’s assistance on Project-1. Most of these payments were made in cash at locations around New York City. CARUSO and NOLAN also paid CC-1 approximately $15,000 for CC-1’s assistance in the Kickback Scheme, which included connecting CC-2 with CARUSO and NOLAN.
CARUSO and NOLAN attempted to obtain additional contracts from the Real Estate Firm, with CC-2’s assistance as part of the Kickback Scheme. Between in or about 2022 and in or about 2023, in exchange for CARUSO and NOLAN’s promise of payment for any contract awarded to the Contracting Company, CC-2 provided CARUSO and NOLAN with assistance relating to two additional construction projects managed by the Real Estate Firm that did not result in contract awards to the Contracting Company.
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CARUSO, 57, of Smithtown, New York, and Ludlow, Vermont, and NOLAN, 43, of Brooklyn, New York, each pled guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the defendants’ sentences will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents and the Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Williams also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Kim is in charge of the prosecution.
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MIL-OSI Security: Leader of International Stock Manipulation Ring Pleads Guilty
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RONALD BAUER pled guilty to conspiring to commit securities fraud in connection with his role in a long-running “pump-and-dump” stock manipulation scheme. BAUER pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Ronald Bauer orchestrated a sprawling ‘pump-and-dump’ scheme involving the shares of numerous U.S.-based issuers that preyed on ordinary, retail investors. While Bauer and his co-conspirators lived outside of the United States, they took advantage of the U.S. markets to perpetrate their fraud and reaped millions upon millions in profits at the expense of the victims. Today’s guilty plea should send a clear message that this Office is committed to holding market manipulators accountable no matter how hard they try to conceal their crimes.”
According to allegations in the Indictment, public filings, and statements made in court:
BAUER, a/k/a “Patek,” a citizen of Canada and the United Kingdom who resided in the United Kingdom, orchestrated numerous “pump-and-dump” schemes, controlling various aspects of the plans. The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) had previously filed securities fraud claims against BAUER in 2005 for engaging in an alleged market manipulation scheme that was alleged to have issued false and misleading press releases while secretly dumping tens of millions of shares into the inflated market that BAUER and his associates had created. In 2006, without admitting or denying the allegations, BAUER consented to the entry of a judgment against him providing for injunctive relief, barring BAUER from serving as an officer or director of a public company or participating in an offering of penny stock for a period of five years, and payment of disgorgement of $840,000.
As he admitted in connection with his guilty plea, BAUER and his co-conspirators participated in a conspiracy to commit securities fraud with respect to seven issuers: Cantabio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CTBO) (previously Lion Consulting Group (LIOC)); Virtus Oil and Gas Corp. (VOIL) (previously Curry Gold Corp. (CURGD)); Steampunk Wizards (SPWZ) (previously Freedom Petroleum (FPET)); Black Stallion Oil and Gas Inc. (BLKG) (previously Secure IT Corp.); PetroTerra Corp. (previously Loran Connection Corp (LRNC)); Black River Petroleum (BRPC) (previously American Copper Corp. (AMCU)); and Cyberfort Software Inc. (CYBF) (previously Patriot Berry Farms (PBFI)) (collectively, the “Issuers”).
To perpetrate the “pump-and-dump” scheme, BAUER and his co-conspirators obtained ownership and control of all or the vast majority of the unrestricted (i.e., free trading) stock of the Issuers. BAUER and his co-conspirators sought to conceal their beneficial ownership of these controlling interests in the shares of the Issuers by causing their shares to be distributed to and divided amongst nominee entities that had been established by a Swiss corporation called Blacklight, S.A. These entities were nominally owned by unrelated third parties but were, in fact, controlled by BAUER or his co-conspirators. Thereafter, BAUER and his co-conspirators retained trading authority over the blocks of shares of the Issuers held by the Blacklight nominee entities and BAUER regularly provided trading instructions with respect to these shares to executives or employees at Blacklight. In addition, BAUER and his co-conspirators effectively controlled or otherwise maintained significant influence over the management of the Issuers during the “pump-and-dump” scheme.
At times, BAUER and his co-conspirators caused nominees to engage in “match trades”—i.e., place both buy and sell orders in the same stock on the same day—for no legitimate economic purpose. Furthermore, BAUER and his co-conspirators financed and coordinated promotional campaigns touting the Issuers to stoke trading interest in the Issuers’ stock, though without publicly disclosing their relationship to the promotional campaigns, their controlling interest, or their intent to sell a significant percentage of their holdings into the buying interest that they intended the promotional campaigns would generate. BAUER and his co-conspirators took steps to conceal the fact that the nominee entities they controlled were the true funding source for the promotional campaigns.
During or shortly after the promotional campaigns, BAUER and his co-conspirators caused the Blacklight nominee entities to engage in trading activity in the Issuers’ stock, including selling a large percentage of their holdings of the Issuers’ stock, then caused the Blacklight nominee entities they controlled to remit to them the proceeds of the stock sales.
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BAUER, 49, of London, United Kingdom, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. As part of his guilty plea, a money judgment in the amount of $4,377,228.74 was entered against BAUER.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He further thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, as well as authorities in the United Kingdom, in particular the Crown Prosecution Service’s National Extradition Unit. Finally, Mr. Williams also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which separately initiated civil proceedings against BAUER.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Richman, Matthew R. Shahabian, Noah Solowiejczyk, and Vladislav Vainberg are in charge of the prosecution.
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MIL-OSI Security: Defendant Pleads Guilty to Federal Kidnapping and Carjacking Charges
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
WASHINGTON – David Zanders, 22, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of federal kidnapping and one count of carjacking, stemming from an incident on May 1, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves; FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 4, 2024. The defendant was arrested on November 18, 2022, and has been detained ever since.
According to the court documents, in the early morning hours of May 1, 2022, Zanders and a conspirator kidnapped two males outside of a nightclub located at 645 Florida Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. The pair posed as an Uber and the two male victims subsequently got into the defendant’s vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Zanders pulled over on a neighborhood street in Washington, D.C., pointed a firearm at the two victims and robbed them of their phones and money. The victims were then driven around so the kidnappers could attempt to withdraw money using the victims’ credit cards. One of the victims was able to escape at a gas station in Washington D.C., when Zanders and the other suspect were looking for an ATM. After the first victim escaped, the second victim was driven to a supermarket in Maryland. The defendant and his cohort then retrieved money from an ATM at the supermarket using the second victim’s ATM card. The second victim was then driven to another location in Maryland and released.
That same evening, Zanders, his cohort and a third individual met at 955 Longfellow Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Zanders had arranged a meeting with two additional victims where he was purporting to sell his vehicle but was, in fact, going to take their vehicle. When the two victims arrived in their vehicle, a 2019 green Dodge Charger, Zanders pulled out a gun, threatened to shoot the third victim, and demanded his phone, money and keys. The additional suspects turned towards the fourth victim and demanded the car keys. The fourth victim complied and one of the suspects then drove away with the 2019 green Dodge Charger. Zanders and the additional suspect then drove away in their own vehicles and fled the scene.
Zanders faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison for kidnapping and 15 years for carjacking. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, SAC Geist, and Chief Smith commended the MPD officers and FBI agents who collaborated on the investigation as members of MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Unit and FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer and by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Renaud. The case was initially investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Strong.
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MIL-OSI Security: Romance Scammer Who Took U.S. Citizens Hostage in the Dominican Republic Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
WASHINGTON – Deivy Jose Rodriguez Delgado, 30, a Venezuelan national, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 25 years in federal prison for the 2022 armed hostage takings of three U.S. citizens in the Dominican Republic, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the Miami Field Office.
On December 11, 2023, after a nearly two week trial, a jury convicted Delgado of one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking and three counts of hostage taking. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Delgado to serve five years of supervised release. Following his release from prison, Delgado will be subject to deportation proceedings.
According to the government’s evidence, Delgado, also known as “Sebastian,” kidnapped three men in separate instances between July 5 and July 30, 2022. In each of the three hostage-takings, Delgado lured his victim online with the promise of a friendly “date” and picked the victim up in his car. After driving a short distance, Delgado suddenly stopped to let an accomplice into the backseat, at which point Delgado and his accomplice held the victim at knifepoint, physically restrained the victim, and demanded ransom for his release. Delgado ordered that the ransoms be paid to online banking accounts, including the same CashApp account.
Each of the three victims was forced at knifepoint to call his friends and family and ask for money to secure his release. The victims were held in captivity by Delgado and his accomplice(s) for up to an hour and were only released after Delgado believed a ransom payment had been made by the victims’ friends and family. In all three hostage takings, the victims were also robbed of their personal belongings before being released on the streets of the Dominican Republic.
Following multiple victim reports, Dominican authorities began an investigation in August 2022. Local law enforcement in the Dominican Republic traced a vehicle used in one of the hostage takings to Delgado and arrested him on Sept. 14, 2022. During a search of the vehicle, Dominican authorities found two serrated knifes like those used in the hostage takings.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Dominican Republic’s Division Especial de Investigacion de Crimen Organizado Internacional (DECROI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Korba and Jolie Zimmerman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with assistance from paralegal Michael Watts.
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Deivy Jose Rodriguez Delgado, 30, a Venezuelan national, used this image of himself to meet his victims on a social media dating application.
During a search of the vehicle linked to Delgado, Dominican authorities found two serrated knifes like those used in the hostage takings.
An image Delgado used on his social media app to lure victims.
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MIL-OSI Security: El Dorado Convicted Sex Offender Indicted for Distribution of Child Pornography
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment against Kevin Dail Meadors, 56, of El Dorado Hills, charging him with receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between July 1, 2023, and Dec. 9, 2023, Meadors knowingly received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment alleges that Meadors suffered a prior conviction for committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14, which affects the potential penalties he faces in this case.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, and Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Meadors faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
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MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Methamphetamine Delivery to Fresno
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
FRESNO, Calif. — Donis Ariel Maldonado, 28, a Guatemalan national residing in El Monte, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Maldonado agreed with other members of the conspiracy to distribute 22 pounds of heroin and over 80 pounds of methamphetamine sourced from Mexico. On June 24, 2019, Maldonado delivered the drugs to an informant in Fresno.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA), which consists of personnel from the California Department of Justice, Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Maldonado is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Feb. 18, 2025. Maldonado faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $2 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
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MIL-OSI Security: Jacksonville Medical Records Technician Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexually Exploiting Numerous Children Online
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Arin Caleb Ellis (27, Jacksonville) to 35 years in federal prison for producing and distributing videos depicting children being sexually abused. Ellis was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Ellis was arrested on August 29, 2022, and has been in federal custody since that date. On February 28, 2024, Ellis pleaded guilty to persuading and coercing a child to engage in producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct and to distributing a video depicting a child being sexually abused.
According to court documents, from January 2018 through August 29, 2022, Ellis was an active member of several online groups on social media applications (apps) dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children and the sharing of child sexual abuse materials. Ellis and other members of these groups conspired and worked together to locate and sexually exploit minors across a variety of online social media platforms. During online text conversations, Ellis and other members discussed and strategized on how to pressure and coerce targeted children into producing sexually explicit photos and videos and engaging in sexually explicit conduct live on social media apps. Ellis and the other members also exchanged information about the identity of children who had an online presence, such as the minors’ names, ages, locations, and online user identifiers. Ellis told other group members that he preferred targeting female children who were 8 to 11 years old. Posing as minor children, Ellis and the other members persuaded and coerced the targeted children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to live-stream the conduct that Ellis and his co-conspirators would covertly record. When Ellis and the other members obtained the sexually explicit recordings, they shared these materials through online group chats and other cloud-based file storage apps and websites.
Ellis developed and used certain recording tools to capture live-streaming content over the internet that depicted the targeted children engaging in sexual acts. These tools allowed Ellis to simultaneously record multiple streaming video feeds from different children, and he shared these tools with other members for their use. Ellis used a variety of social media apps to communicate with the targeted minors across the United States and portrayed himself as a 10 or 11-year-old female child named “nova” from Florida. Ellis initially sent the targeted child sexually explicit photos and videos depicting an actual minor female that he was pretending to be and asked the child to be his “girlfriend.” After gaining some measure of trust, he then asked the child to send him sexually explicit photos and videos and recorded the child as she live-streamed sexually explicit conduct at his direction. Ellis also threatened some of the targeted children who refused to provide him with sexually explicit materials.
Ellis and the other group members also collaborated to hack into baby monitors, “nanny” cameras, and other internet-enabled cameras within private residences. The co-conspirators periodically provided Ellis with internal protocol addresses, which he developed his own computer code to remotely hack into these devices, allowing him to capture streaming video from compromised baby monitors.
During this investigation, the FBI executed multiple search warrants and seized the contents of the accounts used by Ellis and other group members. That content, combined with the evidence recovered from Ellis’ electronic devices, revealed that Ellis potentially targeted thousands of minor children for online sexual exploitation.
On August 29, 2022, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Ellis’ residence and seized his computers and electronic devices, several of which were encrypted. Forensic examination of one of Ellis’ cellphones revealed that he used a particular online app to send two videos of child sexual abuse to a co-conspirator just hours before FBI agents arrived at his residence. In total, the FBI recovered at least 1,700 photos and 700 videos depicting children engaging in sexually explicit conduct that Ellis maintained on his electronic devices and in his online social media accounts. Many of these materials depict young children, some as young as 6 years old.
Roger B. Handberg, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director B. Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kristin Rehler of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, made this announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Operational Unit in Linthicum, Maryland, and the FBI Jacksonville Field Office, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorneys Kaylynn Foulon and McKenzie Hightower of the DOJ Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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MIL-OSI Security: Sapotaweyak Cree Nation — Swan River RCMP lay numerous charges in robbery
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
On November 2, 2024, at 3:25 pm, Swan River RCMP responded to a report of a 24-year-old male having assaulted several people and was now walking around the community with a firearm.
As officers arrived in the community, information was received that the suspect had fled the area after being picked up in a vehicle.
Patrols were made and the suspect vehicle was located at the gas bar in Mafeking. A traffic stop was conducted on this vehicle that led to the arrest of the 24-year-old male, a 27-year-old male and a 40-year-old female. The 24-year-old male suspect had been found lying in the back of the vehicle with a loaded sawed-off shotgun, machete and ammunition.
The investigation has determined that the 24-year-old male had assaulted two male victims (22, 20), threatened to harm them and forced them to empty their pockets and turn over their cell phones all while having the firearm pointed at them.
24-year-old Chandler Cook and 27-year-old Travis Cook, both from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, were remanded into custody on charges including Careless Use of a Firearm x2, Point Firearm x2, Robbery with Firearm x2 as well as numerous other firearm-related offences.
The 40-year-old female, from Brandon, was later released from custody for a future court appearance in Swan River.
Swan River RCMP continue to investigate.
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MIL-OSI Security: Springhill — Cumberland County District RCMP investigating suspicious circumstances
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Cumberland County District RCMP is seeking assistance to identify a man following a suspicious incident in Springhill.
On November 4, RCMP officers responded to a report of a suspicious person on Pine St. Investigators learned that at approximately 5:00 p.m., a man driving a truck stopped on the roadway and waved to a child outside a nearby home in an attempt to have them approach his vehicle.
Based on there having been a significant distance between the child and the road, the child is not believed to have been at risk of physical harm during this incident. The child quickly informed an adult, and the vehicle left the area. Police did patrols but the vehicle was not located.
“This child did the right thing by immediately telling an adult about this incident,” says Sgt. Brian Cameron, Operations NCO of Cumberland County District RCMP. “We don’t know the driver’s intent and would like to hear from him.”
The male driver had brown hair and a mask that covered his nose and mouth. He was wearing a sweater and pants, possibly blue and green. The pick-up truck was silver in colour.
Police want to speak with people who have information about this incident, as well as anyone who has witnessed or experienced a similar incident in the area. Anyone with information is asked to contact Cumberland County District RCMP at 902-243-2181. To remain anonymous, contact Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.
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MIL-OSI Security: Canton Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Jackson, MS – A Canton man was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on January 2, 2024, Damonik Robinson, 23, was found in possession of a firearm after Capitol Police conducted a traffic stop on Madison Street near Fortification Street in Jackson. There were four firearms found in the vehicle, three of which were equipped with attached machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as “switches,” which convert semi-automatic handguns to automatic weapons. At the time of this possession, Robinson already had a previous felony conviction for drug and gun possession. It is a violation of federal law for a convicted felon to possess a firearm or ammunition.
Robinson was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 21, 2024. He pled guilty on July 18, 2024, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has seen an increase in cases involving illegal firearm conversion devices, commonly known as “switches” or “auto sears,” which convert semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons (i.e., machineguns) in a matter of seconds. The rapid fire of firearms converted to machineguns presents a significant danger in our community to both the public and law enforcement. According to a 2023 report by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), there was a 570% increase in the number of machinegun conversion devices taken into ATF custody between 2017 and 2021.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The ATF and Capitol Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber Jones is prosecuting the case.
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.
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MIL-OSI Security: Marion County Man Indicted for Drug, Firearms Charges
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Vincent Irving Jones, 33, of Fairmont, West Virginia, has been indicted on methamphetamine and firearms charges.
Jones is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. According to the court documents, Jones was found with methamphetamine and a .32 caliber pistol in Marion County. Jones is prohibited from having firearms because of prior felony convictions of voluntary manslaughter, escape from custody, and fleeing while under the influence of alcohol.
Jones faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the drug charge, up to 15 years for the unlawful firearms charge, and up to five years for the obliterated serial number charge. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fairmont Police Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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MIL-OSI Global: No, America’s battery plant boom isn’t going bust – construction is on track for the biggest factories, with thousands of jobs planned
Source: The Conversation – USA – By James Morton Turner, Professor of Environmental Studies, Wellesley College
Workers install battery packs in a BMW X5 in South Carolina. A new battery plant under construction nearby will supply BMW factories. BMW The United States is in the midst of the biggest boom in clean energy manufacturing investments in history, spurred by laws like the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
These laws have leveraged billions of dollars in government support to drive private sector investments in clean energy supply chains across the country.
For several years, one of us, Jay Turner, and his students at Wellesley College have been tracking clean energy investments in the U.S. and sharing the data at The Big Green Machine website. That research shows that companies have announced 225 projects, totaling US$127 billion in investment, and more than 131,000 new jobs since the Inflation Reduction Act became law in 2022.
You may have seen news stories that said these projects are at risk of failure or significant delays. In August 2024, the Financial Times reported that 40% of more than 100 projects it evaluated were delayed. These included battery manufacturing, renewable energy projects and metals and hydrogen projects, as well as semiconductor manufacturing plants. More recently, The Information, which covers the technology industry, warned that 1 in 4 companies were walking away from government-supported grants for battery investments.
Workers assemble battery packs for electric vehicles in Spartanburg, S.C. New battery plants in the state will help move the supply chain closer to U.S. EV factories.
BMWWe checked up on all 23 battery cell factories announced or expanded since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed – almost all of them gigafactories, which are designed to produce over 1 gigawatt-hour of battery cell capacity. These factories have some of the largest employment potential of any project supported by the act.
We wanted to find out if the boom in U.S.-based clean energy manufacturing is about to go bust. What we have learned is mostly reassuring.
The biggest battery factories are on track
While the exact investment totals are challenging to pin down, our research shows that planned capital expenditures add up to $52 billion, which would support 490 gigawatt-hours of battery manufacturing capacity per year – enough to put roughly 5 million new electric vehicles on the road.
While not all 23 companies have announced their hiring plans, these facilities are expected to support nearly 30,000 new jobs, with projects mostly in the U.S. Southeast, Midwest and Southwest.
We wanted to know if these projects are on track or experiencing delays or problems.
To do that, we first reached out to local and state economic development agencies. In many instances, local and state tax incentives are supporting these projects. Where possible, we sought to confirm the project’s status through public data or formal announcements. In other instances, we looked for news stories to see if there is evidence of construction or hiring.
Of the 23 projects, our research shows that 13 appear to be on track, with total planned capital investments in excess of $40 billion and nearly 352 gigawatt-hours per year of capacity. Importantly, these include most of the biggest projects with the largest investments and projected production.
By our count, 77% of the total planned capital investment, 79% of the proposed jobs and 72% of the planned battery production are on track, which means that a project is likely to happen, roughly on time, and generally with their expected level of investment and employment.
Three projects are on the bubble. These have shown progress but experienced delays in construction or financing.
Five others show deeper signs of distress. We don’t yet have enough information to draw a conclusion on two projects.
An example of a project that is on track is Envision AESC’s battery factory in Florence, South Carolina. Its scale has been expanded twice since it was first announced in December 2022. It is now a $3 billion investment intended to manufacture 30 gigawatt-hours of batteries annually to supply BMW’s factory in Woodruff, South Carolina.
In early October 2024, South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey conducted a tour of the Envision site and posted a video. Construction on the plant started in February 2024, and 850 workers are working six days a week to finish the 1.4 million-square-foot facility by August 2025. Once it goes into full production, the project is expected to employ 2,700 people.
2024 election could end or accelerate the boom
But a lot hinges on what happens in the upcoming elections.
Our data suggests the real risk that these projects and projects like them face isn’t slow demand for electric vehicles, as some people have suggested – in fact, demand continues to climb. Nor is it local opposition, which has slowed only a few projects.
The biggest risk is policy change. Many of these projects are counting on Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credits authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act through 2032.
On the campaign trail, Republicans up and down the ticket are promising to repeal key Biden-led legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes grant funding and loans to support clean energy as well as tax incentives to support domestic manufacturing.
While full repeal of the act may be unlikely, an administration hostile to clean energy could divert its unspent funds to other purposes, slow the pace of grants or loans by slow-walking project approvals, or find other ways to make the tax incentives harder to get. While our research has focused on the battery industry, this concern extends to investments in wind and solar power too.
So, is the big boom in U.S.-based clean energy manufacturing about to go bust? Our data is optimistic, but the politics is uncertain.
Joshua Busby receives funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. He is affiliated with the Center for Climate and Security and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
James Morton Turner and Nathan Jensen do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. No, America’s battery plant boom isn’t going bust – construction is on track for the biggest factories, with thousands of jobs planned – https://theconversation.com/no-americas-battery-plant-boom-isnt-going-bust-construction-is-on-track-for-the-biggest-factories-with-thousands-of-jobs-planned-242567
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MIL-OSI Australia: $8 million mobile coverage boost for regional Victoria
Source: Australian Ministers 1
The Albanese Government has announced $8 million in funding to deliver better mobile coverage along highways and major roads for people who live, work and holiday in regional Victoria.
The funding – set to be delivered as part of the Albanese Government’s $50 million Regional Roads Australia Mobile Program (RRAMP) – is supporting pilot programs across Australia.
In Victoria, the pilot projects cover parts of the Great Alpine Road, Great Ocean Road and Monaro Highway, with a focus on boosting resilience and connectivity during emergencies and natural disasters.
The Albanese Government is providing $8 million with the Victorian Government to design and deliver the pilot through a competitive grants program.
Once delivered, the pilot programs will improve road safety, strengthen economic growth, improve social connectivity, and support regional development – including throughout Victoria.
Outcomes from the RRAMP will inform the design of a national program to be announced in 2025.Applications for the Victorian pilot programs are planned to open in 2025.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
“The Albanese Government is narrowing the digital divide in rural and regional Australia.
“This important pilot program is just another way we’re delivering significant connectivity and safety improvements for communities across Victoria, and nationally, as the remainder of the program is rolled out.
“The RRAMP pilot programs are being delivered under the Albanese Government’s $1.1 billion Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia, which is funding initiatives to improve connectivity for regional and rural communities right across the country.”
Quotes attributable to Libby Coker MP, Federal Member for Corangamite:
“The Albanese Government understands access to mobile coverage across the electorate of Corangamite is essential.“Boosting coverage along the Great Ocean Road will empower locals and visitors to stay safe and connected.
“This program compliments communication upgrades across Corangamite, demonstrating Labor’s commitment to regional connectivity and development.”
Quote attributable to Victorian Minister for Government Services, Gabrielle Williams:
“The Allan Labor Government is delivering more than 1,200 mobile projects and 150 broadband projects across the state, ensuring Victorians can connect with loved ones, the community and essential services – especially during emergencies.“This new pilot program will deliver fast, reliable mobile services in regional Victoria – improving connectivity for communities, tourists and businesses.”
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MIL-OSI USA: Savencia Cheese USA Announces an Expanded Voluntary Recall of Select Soft Ripened Cheeses
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3
Summary
- Company Announcement Date:
- FDA Publish Date:
- Product Type:
- Food & Beverages
- Reason for Announcement:
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Recall Reason Description
Potential Foodborne Illness – Listeria monocytogens
- Company Name:
- Savencia Cheese USA
- Brand Name:
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Brand Name(s)
Aldi, La Bonne Vie and others
- Product Description:
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Product Description
Soft ripened cheeses
Company Announcement
NEW HOLLAND, Pa. (Nov. 4, 2024) – Savencia Cheese USA is recalling select soft ripened cheeses manufactured in our Lena manufacturing facility because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
The following products are affected by this recall:
Description Best Buy Date Case GTIN Product UPC Mfg Date Aldi Emporium Selection Brie, 12/8oz Brie 12/24/2024 4099100084016 9/30/2024 Supreme Oval 7oz, 6/7oz 12/24/2024 10071448504211 071448504214 9/30/2024 La Bonne Vie Brie, 6/8oz 12/24/2024 10820581678538 9/30/2024 La Bonne Vie Camember, 6/8oz 12/24/2024 10820581678613 9/30/2024 12/8oz Industrial Brie 12/24/2024 10077901005226 077901005229 9/30/2024 Market Basket Brie 6/8oz 12/24/2024 10049705666309 049705666302 9/30/2024 Glenview Farms Spreadable Brie, 2/3lb 1/13/2025 50758108712312 10/15/2024 The only products being recalled are those in the table above. You can identify these products by reviewing the UPC and the best buy date on the product labels. These products had limited regional distribution in the United States. The few retailers that received the product have been informed of this possible contamination and are in the process of removing products from shelves. Consumers that have any of the recalled products listed in the table above should refrain from consuming them and return them to their place of purchase for a full refund.
At this time, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse health events due to consumption of these products.
Through routine testing, it was identified that processing equipment at the site may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. While finished product testing has not identified contaminated product, we have initiated a voluntary recall to retrieve the potentially affected product.
This voluntary recall is being conducted in coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Consumer Relations at (800)-322-2743 or email sc.customer.service@savencia.com.
*UPC was stated incorrectly in original release. Updated to reflect correct UPC.
Media Contact:
Kriston Ohm
kriston.ohm@savencia.comLabels for Identification Purposes:
Product Name UPC -A UPC – B Label Aldi Emporium Selection Brie, 12/8oz Brie 4099100084016 See image below La Bonne Vie Brie, 6/8oz See image below La Bonne Vie Camembert, 6/8oz See image below 12/8oz Industrial Brie 077901005229 See image below Market Basket Brie 6/8oz 004970566630 049705666302 See image below Supreme Oval 7oz, 6/7oz 007144850421 071448504214 See image below Glenview Farms Spreadable Brie, 2/3lb 50758108712312 See image below Initial Press
Company Contact Information
Product Photos