NewzIntel.com

Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • MIL-OSI Security: Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Demetrius Terrell Burns, 32, of Beckley, was sentenced today to 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base. Burns admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2024 Burns received fentanyl from a supplier in Beckley that he used to supply Tilford Joe Bradley Jr., a co-defendant. Burns admitted that on April 12, 2024, he told Bradley by phone that he had received a shipment of “raw” fentanyl. Burns further admitted that he offered to sell Bradley $1,800 worth of raw fentanyl, and they discussed adding cutting agent to the fentanyl to make a larger profit when it was sold. Burns also admitted that he knew Bradley intended to redistribute these drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.

    Burns and Bradley are among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. All 12 have pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

    Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A California man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to trafficking and conspiring to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

    Marcos Haro, 39, of Sacramento, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; aiding and abetting; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; aiding and abetting. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2025. In April 2023, Marcos Haro was indicted along with his brother Noel Haro.

    Noel Haro is a member and influential leader of the “Border Brothers” gang – a large-scale international gang known to be involved in drug, weapon and human trafficking in Southern Arizona with a presence in Nogales, Mexico and the Arizona prison system. Noel Haro is currently serving a life sentence following convictions in Arizona for drug distribution, conspiracy and money laundering. Noel Haro was previously serving his sentence at a facility in Arizona but was transferred to serve his sentence in Massachusetts upon being deemed a security concern due to his alleged influence over other inmates and repeated introduction of cell phones and narcotics into Arizona facilities.

    Beginning in or about April 2019, and investigation began into Noel Haro’s attempts to facilitate the trafficking of narcotics to Massachusetts. Investigators monitoring Noel Haro’s inmate calls learned that he was attempting to solicit friends and family members to transport narcotics from Arizona to Massachusetts on his behalf. In April 2022, recorded inmate calls indicated that Noel Haro worked with his brother, Marcos Haro, to arrange drug deals outside of prison.

    In June 2022, Marcos Haro agreed to supply a cooperating witness- with samples of multiple narcotics – including fentanyl and methamphetamine. Marcos Haro later mailed the narcotics concealed in a purple teddy bear inside a postal package. On July 13, 2022, the package was retrieved and found to contain powdered fentanyl, five counterfeit fentanyl pills, methamphetamine and approximately 3 grams of heroin. On July 25, 2022, during a recorded inmate call, Noel Haro and Marcos Haro discussed selling one pound of methamphetamine to the same individual. On July 27, 2022, investigators retrieve the package sent from Marcos Haro which contained approximately 446.6 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine. On Aug. 10, 2022, Noel Haro directed Marcos Haro to arrange the sale of five pounds of methamphetamine to the same individual. Later, on Sept. 12, 2022, investigators retrieved two packages sent from Marcos Haro, which contained approximately 892.3 grams of 86% pure methamphetamine and approximately 1,320.2 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine.

    In October 2022, Marcos and Noel Haro made arrangements to sell an individual 2,000 fentanyl pills. On Nov. 17, 2022, Marcos sent the individual a photograph of a United States Postal Service shipping box, label and receipt. On Nov. 20, 2022, investigators retrieved the package sent by Marcos Haro to the individual, which contained approximately 2,000 blue pills, which tested positive for approximately 215.3 grams of fentanyl.

    According to court documents, on April 2, 2023, Marcos Haro was arrested in Sacramento, Calif. following a motor vehicle stop. A 9mm handgun with eight live rounds in the magazine and approximately 2.9 grams of suspected fentanyl that field tested positive for the presence of opiates, were found during a subsequent search of Marcos Haro’s vehicle. Marcos Haro has a criminal history including a 2016 conviction for possession of a controlled substance while armed and illegal possession of an assault weapon with a large capacity magazine, for which he was sentenced to seven years in prison.

    Noel Haro pleaded guilty in March 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2025.

    The charge conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; aiding and abetting each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; aiding and abetting provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    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.
        
    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Department of Correction’s Commissioner Shawn Jenkins made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sacramento Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and Charles Dell’Anno of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case. 
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Milton, Vermont Man Charged with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on March 27, 2025 a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Willard Perry, 66, of Milton, Vermont, with possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography.  

    Perry entered a plea of not guilty to the charge during an arraignment on March 28, 2025 before United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford. Judge Crawford ordered that Perry be released on conditions, including that Perry provide the probation officer with a complete and current inventory of the number of media storage devices and electronic devices capable of internet access that he uses or possesses, and that he not use an internet-capable device until an Internet Use Plan is developed and approved by the Probation Officer.

    According to court records, law enforcement uncovered on Perry’s computer thousands of photos and videos, most of which law enforcement believes contain child sexual abusive material, including content involving the sexual assault of prepubescent girls.

    The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Perry is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Perry faces up to 20 years’ incarceration if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Arra. Perry is represented by Brooks G. McArthur, Esq.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Participant in Nationwide Rental Car Theft Scheme Sentenced to 75 Months in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a man who participated in a nationwide scheme that stole $1.17 million worth of luxury rental cars to 75 months in prison.

    James E. McGhaney, 36, of New York City, was also ordered to repay $938,963.

    McGhaney recruited and supervised others who picked up the rental cars by using false driver’s licenses and counterfeit credit cards. The vehicles had been reserved using stolen identities. In all, the conspirators used the identities of at least 23 victims to steal 19 rental vehicles. McGhaney was one of eight defendants who have pleaded guilty in the case.

    Tyrell A. Oliver, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, was the scheme’s organizer. He was sentenced in February to 90 months in prison after pleading guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. McGhaney pleaded guilty to one conspiracy count and three counts of wire fraud.

    Rashad Holder, 35, of New York, was sentenced to 65 months in prison and ordered to repay $581,711. Steven B. Matthews, 40, of Atlanta, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to repay $107,072. Reginald M. Glenn, 36, was sentenced to 13 months in prison. Marlique J. McGhaney, 35, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and ordered to repay $237,447. Daquasia M. Robinson, 33, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $119,805. Shawnta B. Fonseca, 34, is scheduled to be sentenced in April. Glenn, Marlique McGhaney, Fonseca and Robinson are all New York residents.

    The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Wrap Technologies, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wrap Technologies, Inc, (NASDAQ: WRAP) (“Wrap” or, the “Company”), a global leader in innovative public safety technologies and non-lethal tools, today announced financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024.

    Q4 2024 Financial Results:

    • Revenue increased 47%, from $0.6 million in 2023 to $0.9 million in 2024.
    • Gross Profit improved by $0.7 million, rising from $(0.3) million in 2023 to $0.4million in 2024
    • Total Operating Expenses decreased 21%, from $6.3million in 2023 to $5.0million in 2024
    • Sales, General & Administrative (SG&A) Expenses declined 19%, from $5.8million in 2023 to $4.7million in 2024
    • Net Loss from Operations improved by $10.8million, decreasing from $(18.4) million in 2023 to $(7.6) million in 2024

    2024 Financial Results:

    • Revenue was $4.5 million in 2024, down 27% from $6.1million in 2023.
    • Cost of Revenue decreased 37%, from $3.2million in 2023 to $2.0million in 2024.
    • Gross Margin increased by over 7 percentage points, rising from 47% to over 54%.
    • Operating Loss improved 17%, decreasing from $(18.7) million in 2023 to $(15.6) million in 2024,
    • Net Loss improved 81%, from $(30.2) million in 2023 to $(5.9) million in 2024,

    Recent Operational Highlights:

    • October 2024: Wrap regained compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements.
    • November 2024: announced Wrap’s Go-Forward Strategy, including a new advanced manufacturing facility in Wise, Virginia, focused on innovation, job creation, and expanding Wrap’s presence in defense, education and public safety markets.
    • February 2025: introduced Wrap’s Managed Safety and Response (MSR) connected ecosystem, bringing together tools, technology and training to deliver real-time, integrated public safety support.
    • February 2025: acquired W1 Global, LLC, integrating former FBI, DEA, and DoD leadership into Wrap’s organization and enhancing its ability to deliver Made-in-America, end-to-end public safety and defense solutions.
    • February 2025: closed a $5.8 million private placement of the Company’s securities to support the execution of its go-forward strategy.
    • March 2025: expanded Wrap’s leadership in managed services with the addition of Joseph Bonavolonta, a 27-year FBI veteran, and Rob Heuchling, a 15-year FBI career, to scale the Company’s support offerings.
    • March 2025: appointed Stephen M. Renna, former Executive at the Export-Import Bank of the United States, to lead Wrap’s international growth and financing strategy, strengthening its global expansion efforts.

    2024 Management Commentary Summary:

    2024 was a transformational year for Wrap. The Company made a deliberate choice to restructure. This reset led to a significant reduction in monthly cash burn to approximately $600,000 on an annualized cash basis, which we believe allows for the rebuild of a sustainable and high-performing business.

    Despite a 27% decline in revenue to $4.5 million, we believe Wrap dramatically improved financial discipline, reducing cost of revenue by 37%, operating losses by 17%, and net losses by 81%. We believe these improvements show the success of the restructuring strategy.

    The Company’s BolaWrap remains as an entry-point into a broader public safety platform. Usage data collected by the Company shows officers deploy the device more frequently than any other on their belt when Wrap provides full support. Demand is expanding, both domestically and internationally, as restrictive use-of-force policies create a market need for early-stage de-escalation tools paired with robust training.

    Wrap’s product roadmap is evolving into an integrated, end-to-end solution, with agencies requesting complementary tools such as VR training, body cameras and additional services. The Company has begun to engage with U.S. government resources like EXIM Bank and the DoD’s Office of Strategic Capital to scale international expansion and support “Made in USA” public safety initiatives.

    Wrap revitalized every leadership role, assembling what we believe to be a high-caliber team with backgrounds across elite public and private sector institutions. The acquisition of W1 Global, LLC has already yielded new opportunities and expanded the Company’s reach into critical law enforcement networks, both domestic and global.

    Outlook:
    As we enter 2025, we believe Wrap is well positioned to capitalize on the groundwork laid during its transformation year. We anticipate measurable progress each quarter as we execute our strategy and scale operations.

    Key priorities for 2025 include:

    • Scaling Integrated Solutions: we expect to continue expanding beyond the BolaWrap into a full ecosystem of de-escalation tools, including training, VR simulation, and more.
    • Global Growth: we are leveraging U.S. government partnerships and resources (e.g., EXIM Bank, DoD) to support our international strategy. Several late-stage international deals are in motion, and we anticipate converting those into significant revenue opportunities.
    • Federal and Strategic Engagements: our recent additions to the team opens the door to U.S. federal funding programs and public safety initiatives, which we believe enables Wrap to serve as a trusted vendor for government-backed public safety efforts globally.
    • Innovation: the expanded talent bench is expected to provide new capabilities in high-trust, high-security sectors. We plan to productize and monetize these capabilities through partnerships, contracts and services.
    • Performance and Accountability: we are building a culture that rewards execution with compensation structures dependent upon results. We expect KPIs around product deployment, training efficacy, customer satisfaction and recurring revenue will guide our actions and investments.

    We believe the public safety market is at an inflection point, and believe that Wrap is positioned to lead a new era of non-lethal policing solutions. We believe our value proposition is more relevant than ever—officers and agencies need tools that de-escalate situations without force and communities are demanding safer outcomes.

    Our confidence is not theoretical—it’s reflected in the capital, commitment, and conviction of our leadership team.

    About Wrap Technologies, Inc.
    Wrap Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: WRAP) is a global leader in public safety solutions, bringing together cutting-edge technology with exceptional people to address the complex, modern day challenges facing public safety organizations.

    Wrap’s BolaWrap® solution is a safer way to gain compliance—without pain. This innovative, patented device deploys light, sound, and a Kevlar® tether to safely restrain individuals from a distance, giving officers critical time and space to manage non-compliant situations before resorting to higher-force options. The BolaWrap 150 does not shoot, strike, shock, or incapacitate—instead, it helps officers operate lower on the force continuum, reducing the risk of injury to both officers and subjects. Used by over 1,000 agencies across the U.S. and in 60 countries, BolaWrap® is backed by training certified by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST), reinforcing Wrap’s commitment to public safety through cutting-edge technology and expert training.

    Wrap Reality™ VR is an advanced, fully immersive training simulator designed to enhance decision-making under pressure. As a comprehensive public safety training platform, it provides first responders with realistic, interactive scenarios that reflect the evolving challenges of modern law enforcement. By offering a growing library of real-world situations, Wrap Reality™ equips officers with the skills and confidence to navigate high stakes encounters effectively, leading to safer outcomes for both responders and the communities they serve.

    Wrap’s Intrensic solution is an advanced body-worn camera and evidence management system built for efficiency, security, and transparency. Designed to meet the rigorous demands of modern law enforcement, Intrensic seamlessly captures, stores, and manages digital evidence, ensuring integrity and full chain-of-custody compliance. With automated workflows, secure cloud storage, and intuitive case management tools, it streamlines operations, reduces administrative burden, and enhances courtroom credibility.

    Trademark Information
    Wrap, the Wrap logo, BolaWrap®, Wrap Reality™ and Wrap Training Academy are trademarks of Wrap Technologies, Inc., some of which are registered in the U.S. and abroad. All other trade names used herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective holders.

    Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements – Safe Harbor Statement
    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should”, “believe”, “target”, “project”, “goals”, “estimate”, “potential”, “predict”, “may”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, and variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Moreover, forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company’s control. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: the expected benefits of the acquisition of W1 Global, LLC, the Company’s ability to maintain compliance with the Nasdaq Capital Market’s listing standards; the Company’s ability to successfully implement training programs for the use of its products; the Company’s ability to manufacture and produce products for its customers; the Company’s ability to develop sales for its products; the market acceptance of existing and future products; the availability of funding to continue to finance operations; the complexity, expense and time associated with sales to law enforcement and government entities; the lengthy evaluation and sales cycle for the Company’s product solutions; product defects; litigation risks from alleged product-related injuries; risks of government regulations; the business impact of health crises or outbreaks of disease, such as epidemics or pandemics; the impact resulting from geopolitical conflicts and any resulting sanctions; the ability to obtain export licenses for counties outside of the United States; the ability to obtain patents and defend intellectual property against competitors; the impact of competitive products and solutions; and the Company’s ability to maintain and enhance its brand, as well as other risk factors mentioned in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    (800) 583-2652
    ir@wrap.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Phoenix man sentenced to prison for alien smuggling resulting in death following ICE Arizona investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SELLS, Ariz. – A Glendale man was sentenced March 11 to 38 months in prison for his role in transporting two illegal aliens in March 2024, one of whom suffered fatal injuries after jumping out of the vehicle while it was moving. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation, assisted by other law enforcement agencies.

    “Smuggling activity brings all aspects of danger especially for those involved in human smuggling,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola. “Whether it is traversing over treacherous desert landscapes or placing your life in the hands of a smuggler, you are sure to face a harrowing journey. Completely avoidable, human smuggling often turns deadly, as in this case. HSI is committed to ending smuggling activity that ends with preventable fatalities.”

    Steven Beltran-Lugo, of Glendale, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit placing in jeopardy the life of any person and resulting in death on Oct. 1, 2024.

    On March 6, 2024, Beltran-Lugo and his co-defendant, Cesar Velazquez-Munoz, picked up two illegal aliens near the border to transport them further into the United States. Beltran-Lugo was riding as a passenger in the front seat of the vehicle and was on the phone with a Phoenix-based smuggling coordinator throughout the event. When law enforcement began to follow the vehicle, the victim aliens were told to get out of the vehicle. One of the victims jumped out of the vehicle while it was still moving at about 45 miles per hour. The driver accelerated as the second victim exited the moving vehicle and hit the pavement, causing a brain hemorrhage and internal bleeding. The victim eventually succumbed to these injuries and passed away at the hospital two days later.

    Cesar Velazquez-Munoz is scheduled to be sentenced March 31.

    The sentencing is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with DHS, has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 300 U.S. convictions; more than 250 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

    The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration To Reverse Illegal Gutting Of U.S. Agency For Global Media

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined a bicameral letter urging United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Acting CEO Victor Morales and Special Advisor Kari Lake to rescind the Trump administration’s illegal actions to dismantle the agency, terminate grants for several government-funded outlets worldwide, and place Voice of America and other federal staff on administrative leave.
    “Congress reaffirmed its commitment to your agency, its mission, and its personnel by funding the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) at $866.9 million in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025, and expects that each of the entities will continue their unique mission of broadcasting content to audiences around the world,” the lawmakers wrote. “Your decisions to terminate the grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia (RFA) (in addition to withholding funds for the BenarNews service), Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and Open Technology Fund; place on administrative leave Voice of America (VOA), Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Technology, Services, and Innovation, and other federal staff; cancel hundreds of contracts; and pull transmissions from the air violate several provisions in the appropriations bill.”
    “These actions are not just illegal and wasteful, they run counter to our interests,” they continued. “America’s authoritarian adversaries are investing billions in state-backed media, targeting the same countries USAGM entities reach. With an audience of 427 million people speaking more than 60 languages, USAGM networks are a trusted and reliable source of information in the face of state censorship, including in the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Afghanistan, and across Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The technology developed by the Open Technology Fund and used across grantees will leave users who are dependent on their tools to circumvent censorship stranded. Once America loses the trust of these audiences, it will be difficult to get it back.”
    “We respectfully request that you rescind the actions you have taken to date and refrain from any further downsizing or terminations, and that you ensure you are in compliance with your legal requirements, including to consult and notify Congress of any proposed changes and to meet congressional spending directives,” they concluded.
    U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), as well as U.S. Representatives Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) also signed the letter.
    The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear Acting CEO Morales and Ms. Lake:
    You are at the helm of an agency with a critical mission to increase freedom of expression, circumvent censorship, and deliver objective, accurate, and relevant information to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. This mission directly supports U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
    Given its importance, we write to express our concerns with the decisions you have made in response to the March 14, 2025 Executive Order titled “Executive Order on Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.”
    Congress reaffirmed its commitment to your agency, its mission, and its personnel by funding the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) at $866.9 million in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025, and expects that each of the entities will continue their unique mission of broadcasting content to audiences around the world. Your decisions to terminate the grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia (RFA) (in addition to withholding funds for the BenarNews service), Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and Open Technology Fund; place on administrative leave Voice of America (VOA), Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Technology, Services, and Innovation, and other federal staff; cancel hundreds of contracts; and pull transmissions from the air violate several provisions in the appropriations bill. This includes sections 7015 and 7063, and the provisions under the United States Agency for Global Media heading, of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024, as carried forward by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025.
    Additionally, the actions you have taken to significantly downsize the agency, including termination of the new building lease and closeout costs, will cost the U.S. taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars.
    These actions are not just illegal and wasteful, they run counter to our interests. America’s authoritarian adversaries are investing billions in state-backed media, targeting the same countries USAGM entities reach. With an audience of 427 million people speaking more than 60 languages, USAGM networks are a trusted and reliable source of information in the face of state censorship, including in the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Afghanistan, and across Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The technology developed by the Open Technology Fund and used across grantees will leave users who are dependent on their tools to circumvent censorship stranded. Once America loses the trust of these audiences, it will be difficult to get it back.
    In 2020, when then-USAGM CEO Michael Pack instituted mass firings, then-Senator Rubio led a bipartisan effort to have such actions reversed. In the letter, Senator Rubio and colleagues stated:
    “We are at a critical moment in history where malign actors including Russia, China, and Iran, are using advanced tools and technology to undermine global democratic norms, spreading disinformation, and severely restricting their own free press to hamper access to independent news for their citizens. As these and other authoritarian regimes further crack down domestically, their citizens turn to outside media as their only trustworthy source of unbiased, accurate news.”
    This is no less true today.
    We are equally troubled that these actions put staff across all of those entities, who have faithfully served the interests of the U.S. government, at risk if they are forced to return to authoritarian countries where they may be subject to harassment, persecution, or arbitrary arrest. The agency appears to have no plan in place to address these risks. Already, 1,300 VOA staff and 75 percent of RFA U.S.-based staff have been put on leave.
    We respectfully request that you rescind the actions you have taken to date and refrain from any further downsizing or terminations, and that you ensure you are in compliance with your legal requirements, including to consult and notify Congress of any proposed changes and to meet congressional spending directives. We request that you respond to this letter no later than April 4, 2025 confirming your intent to do so.
    Thank you for your attention to this matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tonia Haddix Admits Lying Repeatedly to Court About Death of Tonka the Chimpanzee

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A Missouri woman on Monday admitted lying in U.S. District Court and in court filings about the purported death of “Tonka,” a chimpanzee that was one of the subjects of a long running federal civil suit.

    Tonia Haddix waived her right to indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three felony charges: two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. She admitted that her false statements influenced and obstructed the administration of justice in the pending civil suit.

    That suit, originally filed in 2016, involved allegations by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) over the care of primates, including Tonka, at a facility near Festus, Missouri.  

    On October 2, 2020, the District Court entered its consent decree requiring that Haddix, who was then operating the Festus facility, take certain steps relative to Tonka.  What followed, based upon Haddix’s failure to comply with the provisions of the District Court’s consent decree, were a series of motions seeking civil contempt against Haddix filed by PETA.  The District Court entered a number of orders granting temporary restraining orders against Haddix, finding Haddix in civil contempt relative to the District Court’s consent decree.  On March 26, 2021, the District Court issued a temporary restraining order against Haddix requiring that Haddix not transfer Tonka and continue to provide appropriate caregiving to him.  On July 14, 2021, the District Court found Haddix in violation of that order and entered an additional order requiring that Tonka and six other chimpanzees be transferred from Haddix’s possession to the Center for Great Apes.  During that July 14, 2021 hearing, Haddix falsely claimed that Tonka had died, but failed to provide the Court with proof of death.  The District Court’s July 14, 2021 order provided that the transfer of Tonka and the six other chimpanzees to the Center for Great Apes be carried out by representatives of PETA, representatives of the Center for Great Apes, and Deputy U.S. Marshals.  On July 28, 2021, access was only provided to the six chimpanzees which were duly transferred to the Center for Great Apes, but no information was provided by Haddix as to the whereabouts of Tonka.  

    On August 2, 2021, PETA filed its fourth motion seeking civil contempt against Haddix for failing to transfer Tonka as ordered by the District Court.  On August 16, 2021, Haddix filed her declaration with the District Court, under penalty of perjury, which contained the materially false statement that, “On May 30, 2021, Tonka died.  On that same date, [my husband] cremated Tonka’s body.  After the cremation, he gave me Tonka’s cremated remains.  Since then, I have retained—and continue to retain—Tonka’s remains.”  Haddix well knew at that time that Tonka was not dead, but alive and living in a known location.  On December 27, 2021, Haddix filed in the District Court her pro se motion to dismiss with prejudice PETA’s fourth motion seeking civil contempt.  In that motion, Haddix again made numerous materially false representations that Tonka was dead.  Her materially false statements influenced, obstructed and impeded the due administration of justice in that pending civil case.  

    On January 5, 2022, the District Court convened a hearing during which Haddix gave sworn testimony and again made materially false statements, including that on May 30, 2021, “…and then I went in and I opened the cage door and [Tonka] was dead.  He was dead.”  “…we took him around and let the chimps say good-bye.  Then we put him in the Gator and we backed the Gator up against the truck, the bed of the truck, the tailgate, and then we put his body over into the truck and then he left.”  “…and I waited for [my husband] to call me, to let me know [that he had completed his cremation.]”  “…I wanted to keep trying to save Tonka if I could.  But then he just died on his own, so there was no saving him.”  Based upon her false testimony, the District Court denied PETA’s motion for civil contempt.  

    On June 2, 2022, based upon newly discovered evidence presented to the District Court that Tonka was alive, the District Court entered its temporary restraining order requiring Haddix to cooperate in the transfer of Tonka from her possession to a facility designated by PETA.  On June 8, 2022, representatives of PETA and representatives of the Save the Chimps Foundation, with the assistance of Deputy U.S. Marshals, were finally able to transfer Tonka from where he was being held in a cage in Haddix’s basement to a Save the Chimps sanctuary, where Tonka continues to live to this date.

    “Despite repeatedly being warned by the District Court about the consequences of flouting the consent decree and court orders and being given ample opportunity to come into compliance, Haddix continued to defy the Court,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “She then repeatedly lied about Tonka’s death while she was under oath.”

    “Tania Haddix swore to tell the truth under oath and then proceeded to blatantly lie to a federal judge,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “There is no excuse.”

    Haddix is scheduled to be sentenced July 16. Each perjury charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The obstruction charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the same fine range.

    The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Charged with Multiple Drug Charges Following Arrests at Local Nightclub

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NASHVILLE – Rimon Salim, 37, a naturalized citizen of the United States; Antuan Rhodes, 44, of Nashville, Tennessee; and Jorge Luis, 35, a citizen of Mexico without legal status in the United States, have been arrested and charged in three separate criminal complaints for their involvement in drug-related crimes at two Antioch, Tennessee, nightclubs, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

    “The extraordinary number of calls from citizens to police about these establishments justifies law enforcement efforts to hold these individuals accountable for their criminal activity,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Night clubs like these, where illegal activity is rampant, are a blight on our city and we will do what it takes to clean them up for the benefit of the community.”

    “This operation exemplifies the effectiveness of collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies who have united to combat a drug trafficking operation,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to keep illegal drugs off our streets and holding those accountable for endangering our communities.”

    According to court documents, Salim owns and operates Miami Club and Paisanos bar and billar. Paisanos operates as a nightclub on the weekends from 6:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. When Paisanos closes, Miami Club opens next door as an “after-party nightclub” from 2:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.

    Between 2020 and 2024, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has received over 400 calls for service from these clubs and nearby businesses. These calls have been for fights, weapons, shots fired, individuals suffering gunshot wounds, theft, disorderly conduct, and various other crimes.

    Approximately 18 months ago, law enforcement began investigating drug trafficking in these clubs. Undercover agents went inside the clubs and observed drug sales and drug usage. Law enforcement also used informants to purchase drugs from individuals in the nightclubs’ bathrooms. Specifically, between February 2024 and March 2025, Jorge Luis sold informants cocaine in Paisanos’ bathroom on multiple occasions. In addition, between August 2024 and March 2025, Salim, Rhodes, and others sold and provided informants methamphetamine and cocaine in Miami Club on multiple occasions.

    Salim is charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises and distributing controlled substances. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine for maintaining a drug-involved premises. He faces up to life in federal prison and a $10,000,000 fine for distributing controlled substances.

    Luis and Rhodes are both charged with distributing controlled substances. They face up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine for each count.

    This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah is prosecuting the case.

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

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

    # # # # #

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kissimmee Man Indicted For Receipt Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Christian Harmon (38, Kissimmee) with receipt of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Harmon faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. 

    According to court documents, on April 7, 2024, Harmon was chatting with another user on an internet-based application. During that chat, Harmon requested child sexual abuse material and received approximately 22 illicit videos depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as infants.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.          

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.

    This is another case 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Middlesex County Man Charged for Making False Statement About Terrorist Organization Association on U.S. Citizenship Application

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

    NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey returned a two-count indictment against a New Jersey man for falsely stating on an application for naturalization that he had never been associated with a terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced. 

    Gafur Abdudzhamilovich Aliev, 44, of Edison, New Jersey, is charged with one count of making a false statement on an application for naturalization and one count of perjury. Aliev is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor via videoconference. 

    According to the indictment, between in or around January 2018 and in or around January 2020, Aliev was a moderator and/or member of numerous channels on a social media application with encryption features that targeted members, associates, supporters, and potential recruits of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”).  On or about August 7, 2020, Aliev told Individual-1, in substance, that he previously sent money to ISIS for the purchase of weapons, and on or about August 16, 2020, Aliev additionally told Individual-1, in substance, that sending even a small amount of money ($100 to $400) to ISIS was “ok.”  On or about September 28, 2020, Aliev further told Individual-1, in substance, that those who commit jihad in the name of Allah should commit jihad financially and physically and that without financial support, jihad could not be performed, as money was needed to purchase equipment to conduct jihad.

    On or about December 26, 2020, Aliev, under penalty of perjury, falsely stated in his application for naturalization that he had never been a member of, or in any way associated with, a terrorist organization.

    The false statement on a naturalization application count carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The perjury count carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

    U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, deportation officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, and the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Bryan, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanks U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for its assistance with the case. 

    The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

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

                                                                          ###

    Defense counsel: Naz Ahmad, Esq.

                               Linda Foster, AFPD, Esq.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Long Beach Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Smash-and-Grab Robbery of Jewelry Worth $2.6 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Long Beach man was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for his role in a smash-and-grab robbery of a Beverly Hills jewelry store in 2022 in which more than $2.6 million in merchandise was stolen – and the proceeds of which he later displayed on his Instagram account.

    Ladell Tharpe, 39, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him to pay $2,674,600 in restitution.  

    Tharpe pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act).

    “Brazen criminal action that directly targets our small businesses in Los Angeles County will not be tolerated,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “The consequences for such action are severe and penalized accordingly, and I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their exceptional and dutiful work during this investigation.”

    “The Beverly Hills Police Department is committed to protecting our community and ensuring justice,” said Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark G. Stainbrook. “We value our partnership with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and appreciate the investigators who relentlessly pursued and prosecuted those responsible for this crime. As a reminder, crime will not be tolerated in Beverly Hills.” 

    In March 2022, Tharpe and his accomplices, Deshon Bell, 22, Jimmy Lee Vernon III, 33, both from Long Beach, as well as an unnamed minor drove three vehicles to a jewelry store in Beverly Hills and used sledgehammers and crow bars to break the glass surrounding the merchandise while employees and customers were present.

    One of the vehicles driven to the jewelry store had been reported stolen four days prior to the robbery and was left in front of the victim store.

    The thieves removed from the store’s display cases at least 19 bracelets, seven pairs of earrings, four necklaces, a pair of obelisks, eight rings, and 20 watches, all of which was valued at approximately $2,674,600. The robbers then returned to the car in which Bell was waiting and then fled the scene.

    Two days after the heist, Tharpe posted images of large amounts of cash on his Instagram with the text “Robbery Gang.”

    Tharpe has been in federal custody since March 2023.

    Bell and Vernon each pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery. Judge Wu sentenced Bell to one year and one day in federal prison in February 2024, as well as ordering him to pay $2,674,000 in restitution.

    Vernon, whose cellphone fell out of his sweatpants pocket during the conduct of the robbery and was recovered by investigators, was sentenced last month to 80 months in prison and was also ordered to repay $2,674,000 in restitution.

    The FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Kevin B. Reidy of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Fifth-Grade Teacher at San Gabriel Valley School Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

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

    RIVERSIDE, California – A former elementary school teacher who worked at a school district in the San Gabriel Valley was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for possessing more than 400 videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    Steven Pilar, 47, of Las Vegas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes, who also ordered him to pay $115,000 in restitution.

    Pilar pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of possession of child pornography. He has been in federal custody since August 2024.

    In February and April of 2020, Pilar used his computer and a peer-to-peer file-sharing program called BitTorrent to download videos and images containing CSAM via the internet. Specifically, Pilar – at his then-home in Victorville – knowingly received and downloaded approximately 444 videos containing CSAM, and knowingly possessed the videos for a time before deleting them. 

    At the time of download and possession, Pilar knew these videos and images contained visual depictions of actual children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

    Many of the videos and images that Pilar knowingly downloaded involved a pre-pubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age, sadistic and masochistic conduct, and sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant and toddler.

    Pilar was employed as a fifth-grade teacher working in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District at the time of the offense. He no longer works at the school.

    In April 2020, Pilar was arrested on state charges, which were later dropped so a federal case could be pursued.

    “His actions caused direct and significant harm to the victims in this case, and his offense is aggravated by fact that he was teaching young children at the time,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “In fact, when [Pilar] downloaded and viewed the CSAM, he took part of a perpetual re-victimization of the victims.”

    The FBI and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Joshua J. Lee of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.

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

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

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

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

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

    Those charged in the indictments include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Taos Man Admits to Killing Up-And-Coming Native American Artist Deanna Suazo

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – Santiago Martinez pleaded guilty in federal court to voluntary manslaughter for the death of his girlfriend, DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo, a talented Indigenous artist, following a late-night argument in November 2021.

    According to court records, on November 12, 2021, Santiago Martinez and his girlfriend, DeAnna Suazo, were at their shared home, where they consumed alcohol and listened to music in her vehicle. Early in the morning hours, the couple engaged in a heated argument outside their home about the future of their relationship, during which Suazo reiterated her desire to end things. The argument escalated into a physical altercation, leading to Martinez intentionally running over Suazo with her SUV, resulting in her death due to mechanical asphyxia and blunt trauma

    Although Martinez had consumed alcohol, he acknowledged being aware of his actions and their wrongfulness at the time of the incident.

    DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo (Diné, Taos Pueblo) was a talented artist and the daughter of Native American artists Geraldine Tso, a Navajo artist, and David Gary Suazo, a Taos Pueblo painter. She celebrated her Indigenous heritage through figural paintings of strong Indigenous women, blending traditional and contemporary styles with inspiration from Japanese manga. Suazo’s work was exhibited nationwide, including at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts and the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery. In 2022, IAIA established the DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo Memorial Fund for Indigenous female artists in the MFA in Studio Arts Program, honoring her legacy and contributions to the art world.

    DeAnna pictured with her artwork courtesy of David Gary Suazo

    At sentencing, Martinez faces between 10 and 15 years in prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrinand Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Jones and Nora Wilson are prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former CBP Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison and Community Service for Bribery and Role in Alien Smuggling

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EL PASO, Texas – A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 51 months in prison and 80 hours of community service for one count of bribery of a public official and one count of bringing in certain aliens for financial gain.

    According to court documents, in December 2022, investigating agents received information that Omar Moreno, 46, of Horizon City, was smuggling illegal aliens into the United States as a CBP officer, receiving $4,000 per alien from a smuggling organization. On Feb. 1, 2024, a video recording captured Moreno escorting two illegal aliens, one being a foot guide, into the U.S. through the Ysleta Port of Entry without undergoing an inspection.

    On Feb. 23, 2024, two undercover officers posed as illegal aliens and used a confidential human source as a foot guide to enter the U.S. from Mexico. Again, Moreno allowed the smuggling to occur through the port of entry. After his shift ended, Moreno was paid $8,000 and arrested.

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

    The case was investigated by the FBI, Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, and Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Johnston and Andres Ortega prosecuted the case.

    ###

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  • MIL-OSI USA News: ONDCP Recognizes Law Enforcement’s Work to Stop Drug Traffickers

    Source: The White House

    class=”wp-block-heading has-text-align-center”>National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Awards Ceremony Recognizes Excellence Across 14 Key Categories

    Washington, D.C.—Last night, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) recognized individuals and initiatives of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program at the 2025 National HIDTA Awards Ceremony for their critical work to combat the national security threat posed by drug traffickers, including those who traffic deadly illicit fentanyl in the United States, killing tens of thousands of Americans each year.  

    The Trump Administration is taking the fight to the cartels and drug traffickers in order to save American lives. The HIDTA Program plays a key role in disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations and provides assistance to federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions across all 50 states. Last year, the 33 HIDTAs seized 4.1 million pounds of fentanyl and other drugs and denied drug traffickers $17.7 billion in illicit profits. For every dollar invested in the HIDTA Program, the American people get $68.07 in benefits, making HIDTA an effective and efficient use of taxpayers’ money, and an important tool in the nation’s effort to stop drug traffickers and save American lives.  

    The following awards were presented March 27 to individuals and initiatives of the HIDTA Program for their efforts to reduce the supply and trafficking of dangerous drugs in communities across the country: 

    INVESTIGATIVE COLLABORATION

    Chicago HIDTA, Chicago HIDTA Counternarcotics and Cryptocurrency Task Force

    Created to identify, disrupt, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), the Chicago HIDTA Counternarcotics and Cryptocurrency Task Force (CNCTF) targeted one of the largest, fastest-growing dark net markets in the world – Nemesis Market. This marketplace facilitated drug trafficking, fraud, hacking, and other illicit activities responsible for more than $20 million in illicit transactions to more than 150,000 registered users around the world. Led by DEA and comprising an array of federal and local partners, CNCTF undertook Operation Keyboard Warrior, which received designation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). In March 2024, CNCTF, working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the German Bundescriminalamt, disrupted Nemesis Market by executing simultaneous, multinational search and seizure warrants on critical technological infrastructure. The warrants resulted in nearly $1 million in frozen and seized cryptocurrency-related assets, twelve computer servers, various electronic devices, and terabytes of data containing financial records and personal information of more than 1,000 vendors trafficking in drugs and engaging in fraud, hacking, and forgeries on the marketplace. CNCTF leveraged this information to effect arrests and warrants in eight U.S. federal districts, and provided investigative leads to foreign law enforcement counterparts in multiple countries using international treaty-based disclosure agreements that were novel to cyber cases.

    PROSECUTION

    South Florida HIDTA, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gerarde and Sean McLaughlin

    With the support of the South Florida HIDTA and assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Kevin Gerarde and Sean McLaughlin secured a jury verdict against the Premier of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for drug trafficking. Andrew Fahie, who was elected as the Premier in 2019, was accused of assisting the Sinaloa Cartel in transporting loads of cocaine weighing three metric tons from the coast of Colombia through the BVI en route to the United States for distribution. In exchange for his assistance, Fahie allegedly received a 12 percent cut of the proceeds when the cocaine was sold in the United States. After an extensive undercover operation conducted with the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, DEA arrested Fahie. In prosecuting Fahie, AUSAs Gerarde and McLaughlin overcame a variety of evidentiary challenges, including United Kingdom and BVI foreign law determinations regarding the applicability of U.S. money laundering statutes. On February 8, 2024, the jury returned a verdict finding Fahie guilty on all counts, and he was subsequently sentenced to 135 months imprisonment.

    PUBLIC HEALTH/PUBLIC SAFETY COLLABORATION

    Texoma HIDTA, Caprock Drug Initiative

    The Texoma HIDTA’s Caprock Initiative launched a program at the behest of local officials to address alarming increases in fentanyl overdoses in and around Lubbock, Texas. Since its inception, the program has reached nearly 26 thousand individuals from all walks of life. Undertaken with substantial support from the United States Attorney’s Office, the Texas Anti-Gang Center, and the Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office, the program has become the most requested fentanyl awareness presentation in the South Plains region. It has been presented to numerous local schools, including to the Texas Tech football team. The program provides candid, factual information from people in recovery, overdose survivors, and families of overdose victims. It is credited with raising public awareness and contributing to a reduction in overdoses in the region.

    HIDTA SUPPORT

    Atlanta Carolinas HIDTA, Lydia Sheffield

    Lydia Sheffield has served the Atlanta Carolinas HIDTA for two decades, providing continuity with her outstanding support to three executive directors. In addition to her myriad duties as the Executive Assistant, Ms. Sheffield is the primary Performance Management Process (PMP) Coordinator for the HIDTA, and has established herself as an expert user of PMP. In that role, she has generously provided training to PMP users from multiple other regional HIDTAs at the behest of the National HIDTA Assistance Center and to National HIDTA Program staff. Ms. Sheffield has drawn upon her own background and experience as a skilled trainer to develop curriculum materials to support trainings to both peer PMP coordinators and initiative commanders across the United States.

    INVESTIGATION INVOLVING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES

    Gulf Coast HIDTA, Mobile Baldwin Major Investigations Team

    In 2023, the Mobile Baldwin Major Investigations Team (MBMIT) began investigating a deactivated DEA confidential source who was coordinating large shipments of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine from Texas and Georgia into the Mobile, Alabama area. Because the former source was familiar with law enforcement communication and investigative techniques and was still being used by local law enforcement agencies, the source was emboldened to conduct illicit drug-related transactions via an end-to-end encrypted phone app. MBMIT agents successfully executed a search warrant to clone the source’s phone and initiated real-time Title III intercepts of the encrypted app. This was the first time an end-to-end encryption application was successfully intercepted in the New Orleans Division and only the third time this type of intercept had been conducted worldwide within DEA. The success of this investigative technique enabled 120 electronic and voice Title III intercepts resulting in 24 state and federal arrests, the seizure of 19 kilograms of cocaine and 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, and the seizure of over $500,000 in cash, jewelry, and vehicles. Additionally, these intercepts lead to the identification and follow-on investigation of regional drug traffickers in the United States with links to multiple Mexican TCOs.

    INTELLIGENCE AND INFORMATION SHARING

    Nevada HIDTA, Investigative Research Assistant Phillip Scichilone

    In early 2024, the Nevada Highway Patrol received a tip regarding a suspicious trucking company suspected of transporting illicit drugs from northern Nevada across the county, and subsequently passed the tip to Investigative Research Assistant Phillip Scichilone. Mr. Scichilone provided Northern Nevada Interdiction Task Force members with key intelligence related to the travel patterns of the vehicle involved, suspicious financial activity of the trucking company, and identification of the suspected owner and driver of the vehicle. The task force used this information to interdict the vehicle involved, resulting in the seizure of approximately $1 million and the identification of the driver and passenger, who were suspected of being linked to a known terrorist organization. After conducting follow-up analysis linking the suspects to out-of-state DEA and FBI investigations, Mr. Scichilone connected representatives of both agencies to deconflict and share information and then worked with both agencies to pass on key intelligence information.

    INTERDICTION

    New England HIDTA, Greater Boston HIDTA Task Force

    The Greater Boston HIDTA Task Force, co-led by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), initiated an investigation targeting a California-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) involved in large-scale illicit drug smuggling, distribution, and transportation from the Southwest Border to destinations throughout the United States and Canada. The initial phase of this ongoing investigation resulted in the disruption of a large-scale criminal enterprise with two arrests and the interdiction of 32 kilograms of methamphetamine and 490 kilograms of cocaine from a tractor trailer that traveled cross country to meet with undercover law enforcement agents in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts State Police have claimed this to be the largest seizure of narcotics from a tractor trailer in New England history, and the ongoing investigation has wide-ranging impact on DTO operations in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

    INVESTIGATION INVOLVING A VIOLENT ORGANIZATION

    Texoma HIDTA, ATF Oklahoma City Violent Crime Initiative

    The ATF Oklahoma City Violent Crime Initiative led interagency Operation Sonic Boom that used information from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to overlay maps of Oklahoma City with shooting incidents to identify critical, high gun violence areas to deploy additional resources. In a 60-day operation, ATF Confidential Sources and Undercover Agents conducted 117 undercover firearm purchases that led to the indictment of 64 defendants and the seizure of 110 firearms, 83 machinegun conversion devices (MCDs), 53 kilograms of methamphetamine, 5 kilograms of cocaine, and more than 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl tablets. Highlighting the critical links between the undercover operations in this case and the ongoing violent crime investigations in Oklahoma City, twelve of the firearms purchased by undercover agents had confirmed links in NIBIN to open shooting and homicide cases by violent criminal gangs in the greater Oklahoma City area. From a HIDTA perspective, the case was also a statistical success, with investigators identifying eight separate Drug Trafficking or Money Laundering Organizations and disrupting six of them during the course of the operation. 

    COMMUNITY IMPACT INVESTIGATION

    Northwest HIDTA, DEA Bellingham Regional HIDTA Task Force

    Over the past year, the DEA Bellingham Regional HIDTA Task Force (BRHTF) initiated an investigation that resulted in a substantial impact concerning public safety and health on the greater Lummi Nation Tribal Lands. Over a one-year period, BRHTF, along with partner agencies, seized over 850,000 fentanyl pills, seven kilograms of fentanyl powder, seven kilograms of cocaine, 29 illicit firearms, over $120,000 in U.S. currency, and disrupted a centralized DTO responsible for trafficking and distributing fentanyl and other drugs in the Lummi Nation within Whatcom County, WA. This investigation resulted in a notable decrease in both fentanyl availability and overdose deaths on Lummi Tribal Lands.

    OVERDOSE REDUCTION

    South Texas HIDTA, Laredo DEA HIDTA Task Force

    In 2023, the DEA Laredo District Office created a HIDTA Overdose Task Force initiative to address the dramatic rise in overdose deaths in Laredo, Texas, and its surrounding communities. The City of Laredo experienced 21 overdose deaths in 2021, rose to 41 overdose deaths in 2022, and was on pace to experience nearly 100 overdose deaths in 2023, when the task force was launched. Formed with multiple local and federal agencies and comprising six task force officers, the task force proved to be effective, with Laredo reporting 73 deaths in 2023, well short of the expected numbers. Throughout 2024, Laredo and its surrounding communities experienced 40 overdose deaths, and preliminary data indicate the city is on pace for a remarkable 45 percent decrease.

    INVESTIGATION

    Arizona HIDTA, Metro Intelligence Support and Technical Investigative Center (MISTIC)

    Throughout 2024, the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) Drug Enforcement Bureau’s (DEB) Conspiracy Squad and the DEA Phoenix Field Division’s Financial Investigations Group (FIG) conducted a long-term, complex investigation that targeted a TCO responsible for the trafficking and distribution of bulk quantities of illicit drugs, as well as for money laundering. Investigators conducted 2,000 hours of surveillance, utilized 225 court orders and search warrants, and initiated 35 wire intercepts targeting TCO members. Through the course of this investigation, detectives identified, disrupted, and dismantled the international drug trafficking activities of both foreign and United States-based sources of supply, load coordinators, couriers, stash house operators, and distribution coordinators, while also dismantling metropolitan Phoenix-based DTO operations.

    TASK FORCE OF THE YEAR

    Appalachia HIDTA, Appalachia HIDTA Diversion Task Force

    In response to an influx of counterfeit pharmaceuticals flooding southeastern Kentucky that were contributing to a rise in drug poisoning deaths, investigators with the Appalachia HIDTA Diversion Drug Task Force initiated an investigation into a dark net market distributor operating under the name GreenBeansUSA. This investigation was conducted jointly with the Appalachia HIDTA DEA London Task Force in coordination with the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service under the OCDETF Operation “Loyal Business.” Investigators identified GreenBeansUSA as a global supplier responsible for the sale and distribution of over 16 million counterfeit pharmaceutical pills, and the receipt of over $11 million in drug proceeds in the form of illicit cryptocurrency. In the course of the operation, investigators issued more than 200 grand jury subpoenas, 47 pen registers, 8 ping orders, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) requests, IP analysis, blockchain and cluster analysis, 2703(d) orders, undercover purchases, undercover money laundering operations, pole cameras, and electronic search warrants to multiple telecommunications and technological entities. Their efforts resulted in federal indictments of six key members of the organization, the seizure of 11 kilograms of controlled pharmaceuticals (nitazene, benzodiazepine, and ketamine), six pill press machines, and approximately $1.2 million in assets.

    HIDTA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

    Ohio HIDTA, Sergeant Breck Williamson, Ohio State Highway Patrol

    Sergeant Breck Williamson has distinguished himself as both a prolific and successful interdictor of illicit drugs transiting the nation’s highways, and as an expert instructor and mentor to other officers conducting highway interdictions. Since October 2023, Sergeant Williamson has personally seized over 405 pounds of methamphetamines, 11 pounds of fentanyl, 141 pounds of cocaine, 3,203 pounds of marijuana, and $135,000 in U.S. currency. He also serves as an instructor for both the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) and the Drug Interdiction Awareness Program (DIAP), sharing his expertise with hundreds of students throughout the past year. In addition to his day-to-day supervisory and highway interdiction duties, Sergeant Williamson is a DEA task force officer and is regularly called upon by DEA offices nationwide to advise on interdiction tactics and techniques.

    HIDTA OF THE YEAR

    SOUTH FLORIDA HIDTA

    The South Florida HIDTA has demonstrated an exemplary capacity for multidimensional vision and leadership. Through its Executive Director and Executive Board, it has targeted emerging threats, such as synthetic drugs, while remaining steadfastly committed to the interdiction of metric tons of cocaine destined for the United States from South America. It has inspired national efforts, like the launch of Crime Gun Intelligence Centers in HIDTA regions across the United States, without losing focus of the core HIDTA mission to disrupt and dismantle DTOs and while maintaining deep and sustaining partnerships at the local level. It has launched enterprising collaborations with law enforcement partners, such as partnering with the Federal Aviation Administration to access radar interdiction operability and records of straw registration of aircraft, while embracing public health initiatives focused on overdose reduction and drug use prevention.

    Among its many accomplishments, in 2023 South Florida HIDTA initiatives dismantled or disrupted 54 DTOs, of which 19 were international in scope and nearly 20 percent were OCDETF-designated or linked to consolidated or regional priority organization targets. Task forces seized illicit drugs with a total estimated value of $748 million, including 23 metric tons of cocaine, 248 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 224 kilograms of fentanyl. South Florida HIDTA initiatives also seized more than $105 million in cash and other assets, delivering a return on investment of $56.22 for every dollar financed by the National HIDTA Program. Finally, in pursuit of one of its most vital functions – ensuring officer safety – the South Florida HIDTA provided deconfliction services to all its partners, preventing more than 400 “blue on blue” incidents.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fitchburg Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

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

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that David Junius, 47, of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years in federal prison for possessing 500 or more grams of cocaine intended for distribution. Junius pleaded guilty to this charge on December 19, 2024.

    In late 2022, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating a large cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in Portage, Madison, and La Crosse. Intercepted phone communications in April 2023 led to the surveillance of a delivery of 4 kilograms of cocaine from Junius to other individuals. Further investigation led agents to a storage unit in Madison rented and regularly accessed by Junius in which police found almost 1½ kilograms of cocaine and $20,000 in U.S. currency.   

    In sentencing Junius, Judge Peterson expressed concern that despite Junius’s extensive criminal history, which included nine prior convictions for drug-related offenses, Junius again became involved in drug trafficking. Judge Peterson found that Junius played a significant role in the drug organization by storing drugs and cash, as well as by making deliveries. Judge Peterson further found that such large-scale trafficking encouraged criminal enterprises and violence in the community.

    Junius’s co-defendant, Angel Flores, also pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3, 2025.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson issues warning to parents on the dangers and signs of children being victimized by violent online gore-seeking groups such as 764Read More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Attorney General Alan Wilson is warning parents of the increasing presence of an online gore trend, like the 764 movement, that is targeting teens. Those perpetuating these trends, who often are teens themselves, seek to generate online gore material through coercion and victimization of other teens, including but not limited to:  cutting, blood signs, child sexual abuse material, sextortion, bestiality, the torture or killing of animals, and documented suicide. These subjects also encourage their victims to become the subject and victimize others via online video games and chat rooms.

    Leaders of these online trends also often encourage and execute attacks on others via swatting and bomb threats.

    Some signs that your child may be at risk for participating in or becoming a victim of these gore groups are:

    • Teens and pre-teens aged 11-17 who experience mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, or are part of the LGBT community.
    • Spend an unusual amount of time online in a private space such as a bedroom (these activities usually take place on a desktop, laptop, or gaming computer).
    • Refer to “friends” by screen names only.
    • Have any signs of cutting themselves (this can be done anywhere on the body). The cuts are used to make a “blood-sign,” which is the writing of a message in blood, usually written in the bathroom/shower, then photographed.
    • The harming of pets and animals (most specifically cats).
    • Receive gifts, money, food deliveries, etc. from online or unknown relationships.

    Many victims do not realize that they are victims. If they refuse to provide content, subjects will often be threatened when they refuse to meet requests and/or recruit new victims.

    If you think your child may be a victim of these crimes, you should immediately report it to local law enforcement or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

    More information on 764 and their activities can be found here: Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Violent Online Networks Target Vulnerable and Underage Populations Across the United States and Around the Globe

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Relentless Pursuit: U.S. Marshals Arrest Suspected Norteños Murderers in Multi-State Manhunt

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Spokane, WA – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), in coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, continues to demonstrate the effectiveness of its rapidly advancing manhunt program in the pursuit and apprehension of violent fugitives.

    Following the tragic March 21, 2025, drive-by shooting in Moses Lake, Washington, which claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy and critically injured four others, the USMS Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) launched an intensive multi-agency effort to locate and arrest those responsible.

    Case Progression:

    • March 24, 2025: A juvenile suspect was arrested in Richland, Washington, at the request of the U.S. Marshals Service to prevent his escape while he received treatment for a self-inflicted gunshot wound at Kadlec Regional Medical Center. The arrest was conducted in coordination with the Richland Police Department. The suspect was charged with first-degree murder and multiple felony counts.
    • March 25, 2025: Arrest warrants were issued for Jose Beltran-Rodriguez and Matthew Valdez, charging them with first-degree murder, five counts of first-degree assault, drive-by shooting, and felon in possession of a firearm.
    • March 27, 2025: The U.S. Marshals Task Force and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team executed a search warrant at a Spokane residence in pursuit of Beltran-Rodriguez.
    • March 28, 2025: Fugitive Matthew Valdez was apprehended in Beaverton, Oregon, with assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Community Violence Reduction Team and Tactical Negotiations Team.
    • March 29, 2025: The U.S. Marshals Service announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Beltran-Rodriguez, the last remaining suspect.
    • March 30, 2025: Jose Beltran-Rodriguez was arrested in Redding, California, and booked into jail pending extradition hearings.

    Participating Agencies:

    The USMS Investigation Operations Division (IOD) played a pivotal role in supporting the rapidly advancing manhunt, bringing together a vast network of resources from across the country, including:

    •    Moses Lake Police Department
    •    USMS Aviation
    •    USMS Domestic Investigations Branch
    •    USMS District of Oregon
    •    USMS Eastern District of California
    •    USMS Incident Management Team
    •    USMS Northern District of California
    •    USMS Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)/Organized Crime and Gangs (OCAG) Unit
    •    USMS PSWRTF
    •    USMS Special Operations Group
    •    USMS TOG
    •    USMS TOG Rocky Mountain
    •    Members from USMS Regional Fugitive Task Forces across the country
    •    Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
    •    Benton County Sheriff’s Office – Washington
    •    Stockton Police Department – California
    •    Spokane County Sheriff’s Office – Washington
    •    U.S. Border Patrol
    •    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
    •    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington
    •    Washington County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon
    •    Washington State Department of Corrections
    •    Washington State Patrol
    •    Yakima PD
    •    Yakima County Sheriff’s Office
    •    And many other agencies

    Additionally, the Moses Lake Police Department worked tirelessly around the clock, contributing significantly to the investigation and ensuring coordination among all involved agencies. Their relentless efforts were instrumental in the swift conclusion of this manhunt.

    Ongoing Investigations and New Charges:

    As a result of the investigation, associates of Beltran-Rodriguez, Valdez, and the juvenile in both Moses Lake and Spokane, Washington, are now facing criminal investigations and new charges. The ATF and the Moses Lake Police Department are actively pursuing federal charges against all individuals involved in this violent crime.

    Beltran-Rodriguez, Valdez, and the juvenile suspect are all suspected members of the Norteños, a transnational criminal organization with ties to violent crime, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses across the United States and beyond.

    Rapidly Advancing Manhunt (RAM):

    The rapidly advancing manhunt program combines real-time intelligence sharing, cutting-edge technology, and interagency collaboration to track and capture violent fugitives. This case highlights the use of the RAM model.

    “The swift identification and arrest of multiple fugitives in this case demonstrates the strength of the U.S. Marshals Service’s proactive manhunt strategy,” said Craig Thayer, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington. “By leveraging cutting-edge investigative tools, intelligence analysis, and close partnerships with our law enforcement partners, we ensure that violent criminals are swiftly brought to justice.”

    This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Further details will be released as they become available.

    The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives. Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Alectra working through Sunday night to restore power to approximately 18,000 customers

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BARRIE, Ontario, March 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alectra Utilities’ powerline crews will continue restoration efforts overnight on Sunday to return service to approximately 18,000 customers still without power in Barrie, Penetanguishene and Richmond Hill. This is down from the more than 44,000 customers who were without power at the height of the storm early Sunday morning.

    Alectra crews are working 24/7 in very challenging and hazardous conditions, prioritizing public safety and critical infrastructure while restoring service as efficiently as possible. The utility has also brought in additional forestry crews to clear downed tree limbs from around the damaged powerlines in advance of the emergency crews that are repairing the grid. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the damage from ice accretion across Alectra’s service territory, and significant tree damage in downtown Barrie that is complicating restoration, some customers will be without power overnight and into Monday morning.

    Customers can continue to get outage updates by following the Alectra X account, @AlectraNews, or by viewing the outage map at alectrautilities.com.

    As power is restored, if residents notice that their neighbours have power again, but they are still out, it may be because their home’s service mast was damaged during the storm. Here is what they’ll need to know before we can re-energize: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ8AWvfN_oo.

    Refrigerated food should be checked if power has been out for a lengthy period. We recommend avoiding opening your refrigerator or freezer doors unless necessary. Keep them closed as much as possible to prevent cold air from escaping. Learn more about ‘food safety in an emergency’ here: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-drinking-water-safe-emergency.html#a3. Additional safety information can be found at alectrautilities.com/what-do-during-outage.

    We know this is an extremely difficult time for those still without power, especially given the weather. We want to express our sincere appreciation to our customers for their patience, resilience and understanding as we work to restore service safely.

    About Alectra Utilities

    Serving more than one million homes and businesses and approximately three million people in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe area, Alectra Utilities is the largest municipally-owned electric utility in Canada, based on the total number of customers served. We contribute to the economic growth and vibrancy of the 17 communities we serve by investing in essential energy infrastructure, delivering a safe and reliable supply of electricity, and providing innovative energy solutions. Our mission is to be an energy ally, helping our customers and the communities we serve to discover the possibilities of tomorrow’s energy future.

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/alectranews
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alectranews/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alectranews/?hl=en
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/16178435/admin/
    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alectranews.bsky.social
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/alectranews

    Media Contact

    Email: media@alectra.com | 24/7 Media Line: 1-833-MEDIA-LN

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0ceacb1-6c95-492e-afb5-7e93a8d63238

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How is classified information typically shared and can officials declassify secrets whenever they want? A national security expert explains

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Dakota Rudesill, Associate Professor of Law, The Ohio State University

    Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testifies during a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on March 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

    U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on March 27, 2025, ordered top Trump administration officials to preserve records of their messages sent on the messaging app Signal from March 11 to March 15 following a transparency watchdog group’s lawsuit alleging that the officials have violated the Federal Records Act.

    This marked the latest development since The Atlantic on March 24 published a Signal chat among Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other national security officials discussing specific plans to attack Houthi militants in Yemen. Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief at The Atlantic, was mistakenly included in the chat and wrote about what he saw.

    Trump administration officials have shared contrasting accounts about whether they were discussing sensitive war information on Signal – but maintain that they did not share classified information.

    Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Arms Services committee, and Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat chairing the committee, on March 27 requested an investigation into how the Trump officials used Signal to discuss military strikes.

    Amy Lieberman, a politics and society editor, spoke with national security scholar Dakota Rudesill to better understand what constitutes classified information and how the government typically handles its most closely kept secrets.

    Democratic representatives share text messages on March 26, 2025, sent by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to other top Trump administration officials.
    Kayla Bartowski/Getty Images

    How are government officials supposed to communicate about classified information?

    The first way someone with the proper clearance can communicate about classified information is in person. They can talk about secret things in what is called a sensitive compartmented information facility, or SCIF. This means a secure place, often with a big, heavy door and a lock on it, where security officials have swept the area for bugs and no one can easily eavesdrop. People who are in SCIFs usually have to leave their cell phones outside of the room, and then they can talk freely about secret information. A SCIF can be a particular room, or a floor of a building, or even an entire building.

    Second, there is print communication: written documents with classification markings, which have to be handled in really particular ways, like in a safe location, and can be transported between SCIFs in secure containers.

    Third, intelligence agencies, the White House and the Department of Defense also all have secure electronic systems. These include visual teleconferences, which are similar to a Zoom call and are secure for discussing highly classified information, as well as secure email systems and secure phones.

    Many people with clearances have what is called “high side” email, which is shorthand lingo for classified email and messaging. Many people with security clearance would have two work hard drives and two computers. One of them is “low side,” where there is access to unclassified official email, documents and the internet.

    All of these methods of secure communication can be clunky and take more time than people in our smartphone age are used to. That is the cost of protecting the nation’s secrets. My sense is the Trump administration officials wanted to move fast and turned to Signal, a commercial app that promises encryption. Signal is generally considered secure but is not perfect. There is abundant public evidence that Signal is not totally secure and indeed has been penetrated by Russian intelligence.

    Can something be declassified after the information has been shared?

    Yes. The president can classify and declassify at will via oral or written instruction.

    The president’s constitutional powers include removing classification controls after information has been released or leaked. Trump could at any point declassify the information shared on Signal. Several of the Cabinet-level officials on that Signal chat also have expansive delegated powers over classification.

    Even so, Trump’s national security Cabinet would have presumably still violated the law. For example, by putting national defense information inappropriately on an insecure app and not checking to verify the clearances of everyone on the chat and thereby allowing a reporter to be present, one could reasonably conclude that the team was showing “gross negligence,” running afoul of the Espionage Act.

    The Espionage Act, enacted in 1917, criminalizes unauthorized retention and dissemination of sensitive information that could undermine the national security of the U.S. or help a foreign country.

    Was the information shared on Signal likely classified?

    Looking at the Signal message transcript that The Atlantic shared, it seems like at least four things were all but surely classified.

    The most obvious was the details that Secretary of Defense Hegseth provided on the strike plans. These include the precise times that planes were taking off, what kind and when the bombs would fall. Recent reports have quoted defense officials confirming that this information at the time was classified.

    Second, the chat revealed that the president gave a green light for secret strikes at a Situation Room meeting.

    Third, there is the mere fact of these top officials deciding whether and when to execute attacks authorized by the president.

    And fourth, according to media reports, the chat included the name of an intelligence officer whose position may have been secret.

    The Trump administration says that there was no classified information in the chat. But several analysts have noted that defies belief. The exception would be a prior decision to declassify, but we have no evidence of that.

    FBI Director Kash Patel, left, Tulsi Gabbard, director of National Intelligence, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe testify during a House Select Intelligence Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on March 26, 2025.
    Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

    What other issues does this bring to mind?

    First, we don’t know whether the Trump officials carefully thought about it before they set up this chat on Signal, which the Pentagon has warned government officials against using because of hacking concerns.

    Second, even if the officials did make a focused decision to use Signal, what is the wisdom of that? I find it really, really hard to imagine that was a prudent decision when we think about how insecure this app is. There is also the fact that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy to Ukraine and the Middle East, was party to the chat while he was in Russia. We do not know for sure if he had a device running Signal on him personally while he was in Russia, but in any event he would have been under intense Russian surveillance.

    A broader issue is how the Trump administration is enforcing the law is a giant question mark. Usually, the law both authorizes the U.S. government to do things, and also says it cannot do things. Law enables and limits everyone, including the president. However, Trump wrongly claims that he is the final authority on the law, and so far the Justice Department only seems to be enforcing the law against people outside of the administration.

    So does the law limit the Trump administration in any practical sense? Right now it is not clear – and there is abundant reason to be concerned about that from a rule of law standpoint.

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

    – ref. How is classified information typically shared and can officials declassify secrets whenever they want? A national security expert explains – https://theconversation.com/how-is-classified-information-typically-shared-and-can-officials-declassify-secrets-whenever-they-want-a-national-security-expert-explains-253207

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Pomona Gang Members and Mexican Mafia Associates Found Guilty of Racketeering, Murder, Drug Trafficking, and Firearms Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Four Pomona gang members and Mexican Mafia associates were found guilty by a jury today of a series of racketeering-related crimes, including the murder of a federal inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in downtown Los Angeles in June 2020.

    At the conclusion of a 20-day trial, the following defendants – all of Pomona – were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, one count of violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VICAR) murder, and one count of first-degree murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States:

    • Michael Lerma, 68, a.k.a. “Pomona Mike” and “Big Mike;”
    • Carlos Gonzalez, 41, a.k.a. “Popeye;”
    • Juan Sanchez, 33, a.k.a. “Squeaks;” and
    • Jose Valencia Gonzalez, 44, a.k.a. “Swifty.”

    The jury also found Lerma and Valencia Gonzalez guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (methamphetamine and heroin) at MDC and in the Pomona area. Finally, the jury found Gonzalez and Valencia Gonzalez guilty each of one count of being felons in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Sanchez was found not guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

    All the defendants have been in federal custody since 2018.

    “These defendants were key players in a criminal enterprise that committed murder, assault, and drug trafficking,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Today’s verdict will take these offenders off our streets and make our community safer.”

    “This case makes it clear that gang violence by Mexican Mafia members and associates has not only been directed from the streets, but also from prisons in California,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “This lengthy investigation exemplifies the commitment by agencies at the federal, state and local level who’ve collaborated for several years on a task force to arrive at justice in this case.”

    According to evidence presented at trial, from February 2012 to June 2020, Lerma – a full member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang – controlled and extorted drug proceeds from Latino street gangs in and around Pomona, as well as from incarcerated Latinos in Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County. Members of Lerma’s criminal enterprise also engaged in robberies, identity theft and fraud, drug trafficking, and other acts of violence. 

    In June 2020, Carlos Gonzalez, Valencia Gonzalez, and Sanchez – at Lerma’s direction – entered the cell at MDC Los Angeles and killed a victim – identified in court documents as “S.B.” The defendants murdered S.B. in retaliation for S.B. failing to pay drug debts deemed owed to Lerma’s cell of the Mexican Mafia prison gang. 

    United States District Judge George H. Wu will schedule sentencing hearings in the coming months, at which time each defendant will face a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison.

    Federal prosecutors so far have secured 16 convictions in this case, including that of Cheryl Perez-Castaneda, 62, of Pomona, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence for using her power on the street as a “señora” – a high-level female associate of Lerma’s – to solicit a murder and for participating in a carjacking attempt that resulted in the July 2013 shooting of M.A.

    Kelly Deshannon, 43, of La Verne, is serving a prison sentence of more than seven years for serving as a “secretary” to Lerma and for facilitating the July 2013 armed robbery of M.A. and for extortion and distributing narcotics.

    The FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force (SGVSSTF), which is comprised of agents and officers with the FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Pomona Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigated this matter in conjunction with the FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Violent Crime Task Force. The Pomona Police Department is the sponsoring agency of the SGVSSTF and has been the headquarters for the task force since its inception in 2008.          

    Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle W. Kahan and Jason A. Gorn of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Kellye M. Ng of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Senate Judiciary Democrats Send Letter To Deputy Director Bongino Raising Concerns Over His Ability To Lead The FBI

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    March 28, 2025

    Senators to FBI Deputy Director Bongino: “As the newly appointed Deputy Director, your past public statements raise concerns about your ability to impartially lead the Bureau and credibly command the respect of its workforce”

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter to the Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Dan Bongino, raising serious concerns over his ability to lead the Bureau with FBI Director Kash Patel. Deputy Director Bongino is a former conservative political commentator, podcast host, and conspiracy theorist peddler. The position of the FBI Deputy Director is not Senate-confirmed.

    The Senators wrote, “As the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) finalizes its new leadership structure, we are deeply concerned that Director Kash Patel’s senior leadership team is unprepared forthe challenges of managing our nation’s premier law enforcement agency and its approximately 38,000 public servants.”

    “As the newly appointed Deputy Director, your past public statements—which include inflammatory remarks and unsubstantiated accusations against the FBI, including calling for the Bureau’s disbandment—raise concerns about your ability to impartially lead the Bureau and credibly command the respect of its workforce. Your record, on the other hand, does not reflect the expertise required to manage the FBI’s complex and expansive operations,” the Senators continued.

    In the letter, the Senators ask for clarification regarding Deputy Director Bongino’s past controversial comments including when he said on his podcast, “The only thing that is going to stop the FBI from doing what they’re doing now, which is become full-time activists and bouncers, in many cases, thugs for the Democrat [sic] party, is imposing real material losses on them (emphasis added). Fire everyone involved in this stuff. Everyone—no excuses. Disband the entity.”

    On November 14, 2024, Deputy Director Bongino described the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and the placement of pipe bombs outside of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters as an “inside job” and said, “There is a massive cover-up, because the person who planted those pipe bombs—they don’t want you to know who it was, because it’s either a connected anti-Trump insider, or this was an inside job. Those bombs were planted there. This was a setup. I have zero doubt… And whoever goes into FBI… you better get an answer… about why.” He continued to say, “It is clear, this all adds up to they know who this person is. They just don’t want you to know who this it is. Later in the podcast, Bongino went on to say that “the FBI knew the entire time the identity of this person and then tried to unknow it, because it was an insider and an inside attack and a plot to, you know, stop Republicans from questioning the election results.”

    The Senators continued, “Your claim that the FBI is responsible for a cover-up is an extremely serious allegation that you have an obligation either to substantiate or repudiate. Now that you have access to the information you have long claimed that the FBI possesses, can you answer who was responsible for the pipe bombs on January 6, 2021 and provide evidence proving their identity to the public and Congress? If no, will you apologize to the men and women of the FBI for spreading this dangerous and irresponsible lie?”

    The Senators asked for clarification of these statements by April 11, 2025.

    The full text of the letter can be found here and below:

    Dear Deputy Director Bongino:

    As the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) finalizes its new leadership structure, we are deeply concerned that Director Kash Patel’s senior leadership team is unprepared for the challenges of managing our nation’s premier law enforcement agency and its approximately 38,000 public servants. As the newly appointed Deputy Director, your past public statements—which include inflammatory remarks and unsubstantiated accusations against the FBI, including calling for the Bureau’s disbandment—raise concerns about your ability to impartially lead the Bureau and credibly command the respect of its workforce. The Deputy Director oversees all FBI domestic and international investigative and intelligence activities and has historically been a career agent with extensive experience in the Bureau. Your record, on the other hand, does not reflect the expertise required to manage the FBI’s complex and expansive operations. To help address these concerns, we ask that you answer the following questions by April 11, 2025:

    1. You previously said, “We don’t just fire the people who did this. Everyone who stood by and did nothing while the Department of Justice and the FBI have been ravaged, ravaged by ‘corruptocrats’ [sic].Everyone gets fired. Everyone (emphasis added).” As Deputy Director, do you still believe that every one of the FBI’s employees who “stood by” should be fired? How do you intend to determine which of the FBI’s approximately 38,000 employees “stood by”?
    2. On September 26, 2022, you said on your podcast: “The only thing that is going to stop the FBI from doing what they’re doing now, which is become full-time activists and bouncers, in many cases, thugs for the Democrat [sic] party, is imposing real material losses on them (emphasis added). Fire everyone involved in this stuff. Everyone—no excuses. Disband the entity.” Now that you are a member of the Bureau’s senior leadership team, do you believe the thousands of personnel who report to you still need to suffer “real material losses”? Do you still believe the FBI should be disbanded? If yes, how do you plan on implementing such an agenda?
    3. On August 29, 2024, in response to the FBI releasing information about the Butler assassination attempt, you posted: “Folks, the FBI is at it again. I don’t trust these people at all.” How can the FBI’s career law enforcement personnel earn your trust in light of this statement? Conversely, how do you intend to earn their trust when you have spent years attacking their integrity?
    4. On November 14, 2024, you described the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and the placement of pipe bombs outside of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters as an “inside job” and said:

    There is a massive cover-up, because the person who planted those pipe bombs—they don’t want you to know who it was, because it’s either a connected anti-Trump insider, or this was an inside job. Those bombs were planted there. This was a setup. I have zero doubt…. And whoever goes into FBI… you better get an answer… about why.

    Now that you are inside the FBI, have you seen evidence to prove your implausible and outrageous allegation that the January 6 attack was an “inside job”? If yes, when do you plan to provide that evidence to the public and Congress? If no, will you apologize to the American people for perpetuating this baseless conspiracy theory?

    1. Earlier this year, you said on your podcast about the unsolved January 6, 2021 pipe bombs case:

    It is clear, this all adds up to they know who this person is. They just don’t want you to know who this it is. Later in the podcast, you went on to say that “the FBI knew the entire time the identity of this person and then tried to unknow it, because it was an insider and an inside attack and a plot to, you know, stop Republicans from questioning the election results.

    You then claimed that “they did conduct an investigation, a legitimate one, for probably a couple of weeks because a friend of mine, who’s a federal agent, was involved in it. And they told him, once they started to hone in on who it was, to stand down.” We are disappointed that the pipe bomb case remains unsolved, given the significant danger this threat presented to the public, staff, and elected officials at the RNC and DNC on January 6, 2021. Your claim that the FBI is responsible for a cover-up is an extremely serious allegation that you have an obligation either to substantiate or repudiate. Now that you have access to the information you have long claimed that the FBI possesses, can you answer who was responsible for the pipe bombs on January 6, 2021 and provide evidence proving their identity to the public and Congress? If no, will you apologize to the men and women of the FBI for spreading this dangerous and irresponsible lie?

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges 260 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in Arizona This Week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from March 22, 2025, through March 28, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 260 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 96 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 155 aliens for illegally entering the United States.  In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 9 cases against 9 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. 

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

    Recent matters of interest include:

    United States v. Greiby Melissa Barcelo-Velasquez: On March 25, 2025, Greiby Melissa Barcelo-Velasquez, a Columbian national, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States. Since approximately June 2023, Barcelo-Velasquez coordinated the smuggling of over 100 illegal aliens from Columbia to the United States using her travel company, Baul Travel SAS. This case is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha. Case No. CR-24-00392-PHX-JJT.

    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-044_March 28 Immigration Enforcement

    # # #

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Serial Robber of Five Cash Stores Convicted at Trial

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    An armed serial robber and convicted felon was found guilty by a jury on March 26, 2025, of robbing five cash loan businesses across the Fort Worth metroplex in May 2024, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.

    Charles Lenard Brownlee, 37, was charged via criminal complaint in July 2024 and indicted in August 2024.  After two-and-a-half days of trial, a jury convicted him of one count of Hobbs Act Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery, five counts of Hobbs Act Interference with Commerce by Robbery, five counts of Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm during a Crime of Violence, and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

    According to evidence presented at trial, between May 9 and May 21, 2024, Brownlee robbed at gunpoint five Cash Store businesses in Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Euless, Hurst, and Grapevine. Trying to conceal his identity, Brownlee covered his face with a medical mask and wore different baseball caps and outfits for the robberies. 

    Reviewing hours of surveillance footage from nearby businesses and other camera systems, detectives from the Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Euless, Hurst, and Grapevine police departments ascertained that Brownlee used the same vehicle—a black Hyundai Santa Fe equipped with a blue fuzzy steering-wheel cover—to drive to and from each of the five robberies.

    At trial, the jury heard from an eyewitness who observed the robber drop a Black & Mild cigarillo as he was running from one of the robberies and thereafter enter the backseat of a black SUV that had a blue fuzzy covering on its steering wheel.  Law enforcement collected that cigarillo for DNA testing, and the DNA test results were consistent with Brownlee being the robber from that incident.

    The jury also heard testimony from a member of the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team who testified that the cellular phones tied to Brownlee placed him at or near each Cash Store location when it was robbed.

    For two of the robberies, Brownlee enlisted the help of his girlfriend and co-conspirator, who testified that she and Brownlee conspired to rob the Fort Worth and Euless Cash Stores—driving there together in the black Hyundai SUV and with her serving as Brownlee’s getaway driver. She also testified that after committing these “licks” (robberies), Brownlee planned to target jewelry stores and ultimately obtained a Mini Draco-style firearm to do so, since that gun had more “muscle.”

    Shortly after committing the May 21 Grapevine robbery, Brownlee was arrested, and—upon searching the vehicle he was in—law enforcement found a black leather bag that Brownlee used in the Hurst and Grapevine robberies, a blue hat that Brownlee wore during the Euless robbery, a disposable medical mask matching what he wore for all of the robberies, and two loaded firearms—a black Smith & Wesson handgun matching the make and model of the gun identified by one of the victim-witnesses and a Century Arms Mini Draco AK-style pistol. Law enforcement also seized the black Hyundai Santa Fe with the blue fuzzy steering wheel cover, which at the time was being driven by Brownlee’s sister.

    Brownlee’s cell phone showed that he had conducted multiple online searches of and for Cash Stores during the time span of the robbery spree and that he ran searches for nearby jewelry stores and where to purchase a Mini Draco gun. The jury also saw videos and images from Brownlee’s and his co-conspirator’s phones showing them posing with piles of cash and Brownlee smoking a Black & Mild cigarillo like that observed to have been dropped by the perpetrator of the Euless robbery.

    Brownlee now faces a statutory minimum of 35 years and up to life in federal prison. His sentencing date is set for July 11, 2025, before the Honorable Reed O’Connor, who also presided over this trial.

    Brownlee’s co-conspirator pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison. She is set to be sentenced on April 8, 2025.

    “A strong relationship with our local law enforcement partners is crucial to tackling violent crime,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The collaboration with multiple agencies from Tarrant County resulted in a successful guilty verdict and sends a message that we will not tolerate acts of violent crime in our communities.”

    Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham praised the joint efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in the case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Fort Worth Resident Agency, Grand Prairie Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department, Euless Police Department, Hurst Police Department, and Grapevine Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric B. Chen and Levi Thomas prosecuted and tried the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Gordon for the Northern District of Texas provided appellate support. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CEO of Company that Owned Rights to Notorious Drug Lord’s Name Extradited to United States to Face Fraud, Money Laundering Counts

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Swedish national was extradited from Spain and was arraigned today on a 115-count federal indictment alleging he licensed the rights of the late Colombian narcoterrorist Pablo Escobar and defrauded investors by marketing and selling products – including flamethrowers and cellphones – that he never delivered.

    Olaf Kyros Gustafsson, 31, a.k.a. “El Silencio,” arrived in Los Angeles this morning after Spanish authorities extradited him. Gustafsson is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, 41 counts of money laundering, 35 counts of international money laundering, and 25 counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.

    Gustafsson was arrested in Spain in December 2023 and was arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Gustafsson pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. A May 20 trial date was scheduled. A federal magistrate judge scheduled an April 3 detention hearing. Gustafsson remains in federal custody. 

    According to the indictment, Gustafsson was the CEO of Escobar Inc., a corporation registered in Puerto Rico that held successor-in-interest rights to the persona and legacy of Pablo Escobar, the deceased Colombian narcoterrorist and head of the Medellín Cartel. Escobar Inc. used Pablo Escobar’s likeness and persona to market and sell purported consumer products to the public.

    From July 2019 to November 2023, Gustafsson identified existing products in the marketplace that were being manufactured and sold to the public. He then used the Escobar persona to market and advertise similar and competing products purportedly being sold by Escobar Inc., advertising them at a price substantially lower than existing counterparts being sold by other companies.

    Gustafsson then purportedly sold the products – including an Escobar Flamethrower, an Escobar Fold Phone, an Escobar Gold 11 Pro Phone, and Escobar Cash (marketed as a “physical cryptocurrency”) – to customers, receiving payments via PayPal, Stripe, Coinbase, among other payment processors.

    Despite receiving customer payments, Gustafsson did not deliver the Escobar Inc. products to paying customers because the products did not exist.

    In furtherance of the scheme, Gustafsson sent crudely made samples of the purported Escobar Inc. products to online technology reviewers and social media influencers to attempt to increase the public’s demand for them. For example, Gustafsson allegedly sent Samsung Galaxy Fold Phones wrapped in gold foil and disguised as Escobar Inc. phones to online technology reviewers to attempt to induce victims who watched the online reviews into buying the products that never would be delivered.

    Also, rather than sending paying customers the actual products, Gustafsson mailed them a “Certificate of Ownership,” a book or other Escobar Inc. promotional materials so there was a record of mailing from the company to the customer. When a paying customer attempted to obtain a refund when the product was never delivered, Gustafsson fraudulently referred the payment processor to the proof of mailing for the Certificate of Ownership or other material as proof that the product itself was shipped and that the customer had received it so the refund requests would be denied.

    Some of the victims include residents of Los Angeles, Gardena, and Commerce.

    Gustafsson allegedly also caused bank accounts to be opened under his name and entities he controlled to be used as funnel accounts – bank accounts into which he deposited and withdrew proceeds derived from his criminal activities. The purpose was to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds. The bank accounts were located in the United States, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates.

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

    IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General are investigating this matter, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the United States Marshals Service, and the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation.

    Assistant United States Attorney Joshua O. Mausner of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fitchburg Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that David Junius, 47, of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years in federal prison for possessing 500 or more grams of cocaine intended for distribution. Junius pleaded guilty to this charge on December 19, 2024.

    In late 2022, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating a large cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in Portage, Madison, and La Crosse. Intercepted phone communications in April 2023 led to the surveillance of a delivery of 4 kilograms of cocaine from Junius to other individuals. Further investigation led agents to a storage unit in Madison rented and regularly accessed by Junius in which police found almost 1½ kilograms of cocaine and $20,000 in U.S. currency.   

    In sentencing Junius, Judge Peterson expressed concern that despite Junius’s extensive criminal history, which included nine prior convictions for drug-related offenses, Junius again became involved in drug trafficking. Judge Peterson found that Junius played a significant role in the drug organization by storing drugs and cash, as well as by making deliveries. Judge Peterson further found that such large-scale trafficking encouraged criminal enterprises and violence in the community.

    Junius’s co-defendant, Angel Flores, also pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3, 2025.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southern District charges 265 individuals in border security-related cases this week

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A total of 257 cases have been filed in relation to immigration and border security from March 21-27, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    Of those, 98 face allegations of illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 132 face charges of illegally entering the country, 23 cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and other immigration matters.

    Among those charged as part of these new cases include two illegal alien human smugglers who engaged in a dangerous pursuit and crash (pictures attached). Jose Manuel Zamarripa-Torres picked up brush guide Daniel Flores-Hernandez and four illegal aliens who had crossed the Rio Grande in a raft, according to the allegations. Authorities attempted to stop the SUV he was driving, but the charges allege he fled which resulted in a 6.1-mile pursuit with Zamarripa-Torres ultimately crashing into an occupied civilian vehicle, a power pole and fence. If convicted, they both face up to 10 years in federal prison.

    Other relevant cases announced this week include a 20-year-old Mexican national affiliated with Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) was sentenced in Laredo for illegally possessing thousands of rounds of ammunition. Charbel Garza Macias admitted it was to be smuggled into Mexico and that it was for the CDN. In handing down the 63-month sentence, the court noted Macias was providing tools of war to a brutal criminal organization.

    In Corpus Christi, a jury convicted Cuban citizen Jorge Grimon Maturell for transporting seven illegal aliens in a tractor-trailer. They had been hiding in the corner of the sleeper area and underneath a mattress. Maturell had directed the illegal aliens where to hide when entering his vehicle and to not make any noise when they arrived at the checkpoint. As a result of the verdict, he is now in custody.

    The last of five members of an alien smuggling group also learned his fate for leading the conspiracy. Jaquon Davis was a long-time alien smuggler who recruited several people. On March 19, 2024, Davis and four others travelled in three cars using an access road in an attempt to avoid law enforcement. Authorities ultimately pulled them over and discovered a total of 12 illegal aliens in the vehicles. One was concealed in a box located in a truck bed. Davis will now serve 44 months for leading and coordinating the event.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

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

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sanjay Virmani Named Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco Field Office

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

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation has named Sanjay Virmani as the special agent in charge of the San Francisco Field Office. He most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office over the Counterterrorism Division.

    Mr. Virmani joined the FBI as a special agent in 2003 and was assigned to the San Francisco Field Office where he worked cyber and counterterrorism matters. In 2007, he was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters.

    In 2010, he was selected as the supervisory special agent to lead the San Francisco Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in the Oakland Resident Agency. Mr. Virmani was then selected to serve as director of the INTERPOL Digital Crime Center at the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore in 2013.

    In 2016, Mr. Virmani returned to FBI Headquarters as a unit chief, working cyberterrorism matters.

    In 2018, he was promoted to assistant section chief of the Internet Operations Section of the Counterterrorism Division, where he worked to foster partnerships within the U.S. intelligence community and with international partners. He returned to the San Francisco Field Office as a supervisory special agent, then was promoted to assistant special agent in charge over the Cyber Branch in 2018 as well.

    In 2021, Mr. Virmani returned to the Counterterrorism Division as section chief of the Strategic Partner Engagement Section, where he oversaw the FBI’s liaison efforts with the law enforcement community, U.S. interagency, and private sector partners on counterterrorism-related matters.

    In 2022, he served as the acting special agent in charge of the Tampa Field Office. That same year, he was promoted to deputy assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division. In 2024, he was selected as the special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office over the Counterterrorism Division.

    Mr. Virmani earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from California State Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo and received a master’s degree in business administration from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California.   

    MIL Security OSI –