NewzIntel.com

Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Employee Admits Embezzling At Least $300,000 from St. Louis County Company

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A man from Charlotte, North Carolina has admitted embezzling at least $300,000 from a St. Louis County company, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced Monday.

    Scott H. Foster, 48, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of wire fraud. He admitted as part of his plea that he committed the crime from January 2018 to December 2022, while employed as a mid-level executive of the company. Foster manipulated the human resources systems to create an employee account for his paramour, triggering wages and benefits totaling more than $273,000.00 to be paid to his paramour over nearly five years, despite this individual performing little or no actual work for the company. Foster also used a corporate American Express card to pay for more than $33,000 in personal travel for himself, his paramour and other friends and acquaintances.

    Foster is scheduled to be sentenced May 22.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Men Sentenced to Prison for Carjackings and Armed Robberies in Chicago

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — Three men who committed multiple carjackings and robberies in Chicago, including carjacking a vehicle with an infant in the back seat and pistol-whipping a convenience store clerk, have been sentenced to federal prison terms ranging from 15 to 22 years.

    DAMANDRE HENLEY, DWIGHT HASBERRY, TYLER OATES-NELSON, and DAVARIO MCDOWELL engaged in a series of carjackings and robberies in Chicago in the overnight hours of Sept. 28 and 29, 2022.  The four defendants pleaded guilty last year to federal carjacking, armed robbery, and firearm charges. 

    On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Manish Shah sentenced Oates-Nelson, 29, of Chicago, to 15 years in federal prison. On Wednesday, Judge Shah sentenced McDowell, 25, of Chicago, to 18 years.  On Feb. 11, 2025, Judge Shah sentenced Henley, 28, of Chicago, to 22 years. Hasberry, 31, of Chicago, is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Shah on March 20, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.

    Four of the carjackings occurred in the early morning hours of Sept. 28, 2022.  The carjacking involving the infant occurred late that evening, when the four men carjacked a Volkswagen Tiguan in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. After the men drove to the neighborhood in Oates-Nelson’s vehicle, Henley, Hansberry, and McDowell pointed guns at the driver and the infant in a rear car seat and ordered them out of the vehicle.  One of the carjackers patted down the driver and removed a registered handgun from his pocket.  The driver removed the infant from the car before Henley, Hansberry, and McDowell got into the Tiguan and drove away.

    A short time later, the four men, now all traveling in the stolen Tiguan, drove to Chicago’s Ravenswood Manor neighborhood, where Henley, McDowell, and Hansberry robbed one victim at gunpoint of their cell phone, wallet, and keys, and another victim of their backpack.

    The four men then robbed a nearby 7-Eleven convenience store.  With Oates-Nelson waiting in the stolen Tiguan, Henley, McDowell, and Hansberry entered the store carrying guns.  Henley used his gun to strike a store clerk in the head while forcing him to open the cash register.  The defendants fled the store with cash, cigarettes, and liquor bottles.

    The sentences were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Charlotte Sex Trafficker And Co-Conspirator Are Sentenced To Prison

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  A Charlotte man and his co-conspirator were sentenced to prison today for sex trafficking a minor, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina joins Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.

    Tawaan Batten, 34, also known as “Slicc,” was sentenced to 34 years in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release. In December 2023, Batten was convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking of a minor, and transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in commercial sexual activity. Batten’s co-conspirator, Kristi Heather King, 34, of Locust, N.C., was sentenced to 42 months in prison and a period of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.

    “Batten and his then-girlfriend preyed on a vulnerable child and repeatedly subjected her to physical and psychological harm for their profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: federal prosecutors and law enforcement are committed to ensuring that sex traffickers will face the full force of justice.”

    “It is difficult to fathom that someone would sell a child for sex. But that is exactly what Batten and King did and now both of them will do federal prison for their crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge DeWitt. “The FBI works tirelessly to hold accountable those who carry out crimes against children, and we devote significant resources to help sex trafficking victims recover from the trauma they suffer.”

    According to evidence presented at Batten’s trial, witness testimony, and court documents, from July 2021 to December 2021, Batten, at times assisted by King, sex trafficked a 15-year-old minor victim. Batten met the minor victim, who had run away from her home, in a hotel parking lot in Charlotte. Batten then introduced the minor victim to King, who was Batten’s girlfriend at the time. The minor victim began engaging in commercial sex transactions shortly after meeting Batten.

    Trial evidence showed that Batten, at times assisted by King, created and posted advertisements of the minor victim on commercial sex websites and arranged for the minor victim to engage in sexual encounters with customers, usually multiple times a day. Most of these encounters took place in hotel rooms booked by Batten in North Carolina and South Carolina. Other times, Batten and King drove the minor victim to a customer’s location to engage in commercial sex. Batten kept the money the victim earned from these commercial sexual encounters and continued to have the victim work even when she was not feeling well.

    According to testimony and evidence at Batten’s trial, Batten gave the minor victim drugs. Batten also controlled the minor victim through intimidation and manipulation, including branding the minor victim with tattoos. Batten also physically assaulted King multiple times.

    Batten remains in federal custody pending placement to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.

    In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron commended the FBI for leading this investigation and thanked the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their invaluable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Spaugh and Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

    If you are the victim of human trafficking or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, please call the FBI, local law enforcement, or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888.  NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year related to potential trafficking victims, suspicious behaviors, and/or locations where trafficking is suspected to occur. To submit a tip to the NHTRC online please visit https://humantraffickinghotline.org/report-trafficking.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Barrio Azteca Gang Leader and Member Extradited from Mexico to the United States to Face Charges Related to 2010 U.S. Consulate Murders in Juarez

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Two alleged members of the Barrio Azteca (BA), a transnational criminal organization allied with the Juarez Cartel, were extradited from Mexico to the United States to face charges related to the March 2010 murders of U.S. Consulate employees in Juarez, Mexico. Eduardo Ravelo, also known as Tablas, Tablero, and T-Blas, and Enrique Guajardo Lopez, also known as Kiki, arrived in the United States on Feb. 20 and made their initial appearances today in the Western District of Texas. Ravelo, a former FBI Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive, and Guajardo were charged in a 12-count third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011.

    “The defendants allegedly participated in the murder of three U.S. Consulate employees in Mexico in March 2010, along with many other acts of senseless violence,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “No U.S. citizen, on either side of our border with Mexico, should have to live in fear of Barrio Azteca, any other violent border gang, or any drug cartel. The defendants’ extradition to the United States is an example of the Department’s unwavering commitment to eliminating transnational criminal organizations and the pursuit of justice for the victims of those tragic murders in Juarez, Mexico.”

    “The extradition and U.S. custody of these two defendants, who are both alleged to be members of Barrio Azteca operating along the border, is essential to our mission of disrupting and dismantling these dangerous criminal organizations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “With the help of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, this U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute Ravelo and Guajardo throughout this case for their alleged participation in the 2010 Consulate murders and other gang related activity.”

    “These extraditions demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to holding violent criminals accountable, no matter where they flee,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively pursue the Barrio Azteca and other transnational gangs wherever they operate and seek justice for the victims affected by their violent actions.”

    “The extradition of these two members of the Barrio Azteca transnational criminal organization brings us another step closer to justice for the victims of the 2010 U.S. Consulate murders in Juarez,” said Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “DEA never forgets and we never give up. Our commitment to pursue the members of violent criminal organizations threatening American lives is as strong as ever, and our message is clear — DEA will use every resource we have to get justice for American lives lost as a result of these violent networks.”

    A total of 35 BA members and associates based in the United States and Mexico were charged in the third superseding indictment for allegedly committing various criminal acts, including racketeering, narcotics distribution and importation, retaliation against persons providing information to U.S. law enforcement, extortion, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and murder. Of the 35 defendants, 10 Mexican nationals, including Ravelo and Guajardo, were charged with the March 13, 2010, murders in Juarez of U.S. Consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton; her husband, Arthur Redelfs; and Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of another U.S. Consulate employee. All the defendants have been apprehended, and 28 have pleaded guilty. Three defendants have been convicted at trial, one committed suicide before the conclusion of his trial, and one is awaiting extradition from Mexico.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at co-defendant trials, the BA is a violent street and prison gang that began in the late 1980s and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. In the 2000s, the BA formed an alliance in Mexico with “La Linea,” which is part of the Juarez Drug Cartel (also known as the Vincente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Cartel or VCF). The purpose of the BA-La Linea alliance was to battle the Chapo Guzman Cartel and its allies for control of the drug trafficking routes through Juarez and Chihuahua. The drug routes through Juarez, known as the Juarez Plaza, are important to drug trafficking organizations because they are a principal illicit drug trafficking conduit into the United States.

    The gang has a militaristic command structure and includes captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and soldiers — all with the purpose of maintaining power and enriching its members and associates through drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, intimidation, violence, threats of violence, and murder.

    According to court documents, Ravelo and Guajardo participated in BA activities, including narcotics trafficking and acts of violence by BA members, both in Mexico and the United States. If convicted, Ravelo and Guajardo each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Ravelo’s and Guajardo’s extraditions are the result of close coordination between U.S. law enforcement and the government of Mexico in the investigation and prosecution of this case. The cooperation and assistance of the government of Mexico was essential to achieving the successful extraditions.

    The FBI El Paso Field Office; FBI Albuquerque Field Office, Las Cruces Resident Agency; DEA Juarez Division; and DEA El Paso Division investigated the case. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Diplomatic Security Service; Texas Department of Public Safety; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; El Paso Police Department; El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; El Paso Independent School District Police Department; Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission; New Mexico State Police; Dona Ana County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office; Las Cruces, New Mexico Police Department; Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility and Otero County Prison Facility New Mexico.

    Trial Attorney Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Spitzer for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations provided significant assistance in this case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Barrio Azteca Gang Leader and Member Extradited from Mexico to the United States to Face Charges Related to 2010 U.S. Consulate Murders in Juarez

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Two alleged members of the Barrio Azteca (BA), a transnational criminal organization allied with the Juarez Cartel, were extradited from Mexico to the United States to face charges related to the March 2010 murders of U.S. Consulate employees in Juarez, Mexico. Eduardo Ravelo, also known as Tablas, Tablero, and T-Blas, and Enrique Guajardo Lopez, also known as Kiki, arrived in the United States on Feb. 20 and made their initial appearances today in the Western District of Texas. Ravelo, a former FBI Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive, and Guajardo were charged in a 12-count third superseding indictment unsealed in March 2011.

    “The defendants allegedly participated in the murder of three U.S. Consulate employees in Mexico in March 2010, along with many other acts of senseless violence,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “No U.S. citizen, on either side of our border with Mexico, should have to live in fear of Barrio Azteca, any other violent border gang, or any drug cartel. The defendants’ extradition to the United States is an example of the Department’s unwavering commitment to eliminating transnational criminal organizations and the pursuit of justice for the victims of those tragic murders in Juarez, Mexico.”

    “The extradition and U.S. custody of these two defendants, who are both alleged to be members of Barrio Azteca operating along the border, is essential to our mission of disrupting and dismantling these dangerous criminal organizations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “With the help of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, this U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute Ravelo and Guajardo throughout this case for their alleged participation in the 2010 Consulate murders and other gang related activity.”

    “These extraditions demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to holding violent criminals accountable, no matter where they flee,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively pursue the Barrio Azteca and other transnational gangs wherever they operate and seek justice for the victims affected by their violent actions.”

    “The extradition of these two members of the Barrio Azteca transnational criminal organization brings us another step closer to justice for the victims of the 2010 U.S. Consulate murders in Juarez,” said Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “DEA never forgets and we never give up. Our commitment to pursue the members of violent criminal organizations threatening American lives is as strong as ever, and our message is clear — DEA will use every resource we have to get justice for American lives lost as a result of these violent networks.”

    A total of 35 BA members and associates based in the United States and Mexico were charged in the third superseding indictment for allegedly committing various criminal acts, including racketeering, narcotics distribution and importation, retaliation against persons providing information to U.S. law enforcement, extortion, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and murder. Of the 35 defendants, 10 Mexican nationals, including Ravelo and Guajardo, were charged with the March 13, 2010, murders in Juarez of U.S. Consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton; her husband, Arthur Redelfs; and Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, the husband of another U.S. Consulate employee. All the defendants have been apprehended, and 28 have pleaded guilty. Three defendants have been convicted at trial, one committed suicide before the conclusion of his trial, and one is awaiting extradition from Mexico.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at co-defendant trials, the BA is a violent street and prison gang that began in the late 1980s and expanded into a transnational criminal organization. In the 2000s, the BA formed an alliance in Mexico with “La Linea,” which is part of the Juarez Drug Cartel (also known as the Vincente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Cartel or VCF). The purpose of the BA-La Linea alliance was to battle the Chapo Guzman Cartel and its allies for control of the drug trafficking routes through Juarez and Chihuahua. The drug routes through Juarez, known as the Juarez Plaza, are important to drug trafficking organizations because they are a principal illicit drug trafficking conduit into the United States.

    The gang has a militaristic command structure and includes captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and soldiers — all with the purpose of maintaining power and enriching its members and associates through drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, intimidation, violence, threats of violence, and murder.

    According to court documents, Ravelo and Guajardo participated in BA activities, including narcotics trafficking and acts of violence by BA members, both in Mexico and the United States. If convicted, Ravelo and Guajardo each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Ravelo’s and Guajardo’s extraditions are the result of close coordination between U.S. law enforcement and the government of Mexico in the investigation and prosecution of this case. The cooperation and assistance of the government of Mexico was essential to achieving the successful extraditions.

    The FBI El Paso Field Office; FBI Albuquerque Field Office, Las Cruces Resident Agency; DEA Juarez Division; and DEA El Paso Division investigated the case. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Diplomatic Security Service; Texas Department of Public Safety; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; El Paso Police Department; El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; El Paso Independent School District Police Department; Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission; New Mexico State Police; Dona Ana County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office; Las Cruces, New Mexico Police Department; Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility and Otero County Prison Facility New Mexico.

    Trial Attorney Jay Bauer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Spitzer for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations provided significant assistance in this case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fourteen Members of Extensive Alien Smuggling Organization Charged and Eight Arrested for Smuggling Hundreds of Illegal Aliens into the United States

    Source: US State of California

    Note: View the indictment here.

    Fourteen alleged members of a prolific alien smuggling organization were charged for their roles smuggling aliens from South and Central America into the United States via the southern border.

    A grand jury in Las Cruces, New Mexico, returned an indictment on Feb. 19 against 14 individuals for conspiracy to transport, harbor, and bring in illegal aliens to the United States. Eight of those charged were arrested on Feb. 20 and 21.

    “Today’s indictment alleges that the defendants engaged in a sophisticated conspiracy to smuggle aliens into and throughout the United States at great danger to the aliens, resulting in the death of one person,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department worked with our partners at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to dismantle an alien smuggling organization based in Mexico that has allegedly smuggled hundreds of illegal aliens, including unaccompanied children, through New Mexico and South Texas. We are committed to eliminating transnational alien smuggling organizations that exploit migrants purely for profit and undermine our national security.”

    According to the indictment unsealed today, the defendants participated in a conspiracy to illegally bring undocumented aliens from Mexico into the United States via the U.S. southern border. The indictment alleges that the defendants were also responsible for transporting the aliens within the United States and concealing them in “stash houses” along the way. During some of the smuggling events, the defendants allegedly evaded law enforcement by travelling at high rates of speed on the road and instructing aliens how to flee U.S. Border Patrol and evade checkpoints. Additionally, the indictment alleges that one undocumented alien died from heat exposure during a smuggling event and was abandoned in the desert.

    “Human smuggling organizations threaten our national security and exploit vulnerable individuals for profit, putting their lives at risk and undermining public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin for the District of New Mexico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Mexico is committed to continuing to work with our federal, state and local partners to dismantle transnational human smuggling organizations, hold their leaders accountable, and seize the illicit proceeds generated by these exploitative enterprises.”

    “We are appreciative of our brave law enforcement partners for their continued vigilance in investigating and apprehending members of transnational criminal organizations who conspire to undermine our nation’s immigration laws for their profit, with a callous and reckless disregard for the sanctity of life,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens. “As this case sadly demonstrates, human smuggling is a crime that takes lives and puts the public at risk. ICE HSI is passionately devoted to using its abundant authority to identify, investigate, and arrest criminals who prey on the vulnerabilities of people they treat as human cargo.”

    Michelle Martinez, 29, of El Paso, Texas; Jesus Calvillo, 44, of El Paso; Jorge Calvillo, 25, of El Paso; Abel Aguilar-Cano, 53, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Jose Palomino, 27, of El Paso, made their initial court appearances today in the District of New Mexico and remain in U.S. custody. Edna Valdez-China, 48, of El Paso; Leslie Nicole Calvillo, also known as Leslie Jaramillo, 24, of El Paso; and Melissa Vargas, 22, of El Paso, are in U.S. custody and will make their initial appearances on Feb. 25 in the District of New Mexico. Jorge Alberto De La Cruz-Dominguez, also known as Guero, 54, of Juarez, Mexico; Jorge Valdez China, also known as Lolo, 23, of El Paso; Jonathan Valdez-China, also known as China and Dior, 24, of Juarez; and Alma Guadalupe Valdez-China, 41, of Juarez, are also charged in the indictment.

    Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to bring to, transport, and harbor illegal aliens in the United States. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    ICE HSI El Paso investigated the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and the Texas Department of Public Safety provided substantial assistance with the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson R. Hehr for the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) are prosecuting the case.

    These actions are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was established in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Justice Department, in partnership with DHS, to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous alien smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA 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 HRSP and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. 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 245 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourteen Members of Extensive Alien Smuggling Organization Charged and Eight Arrested for Smuggling Hundreds of Illegal Aliens into the United States

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Note: View the indictment here.

    Fourteen alleged members of a prolific alien smuggling organization were charged for their roles smuggling aliens from South and Central America into the United States via the southern border.

    A grand jury in Las Cruces, New Mexico, returned an indictment on Feb. 19 against 14 individuals for conspiracy to transport, harbor, and bring in illegal aliens to the United States. Eight of those charged were arrested on Feb. 20 and 21.

    “Today’s indictment alleges that the defendants engaged in a sophisticated conspiracy to smuggle aliens into and throughout the United States at great danger to the aliens, resulting in the death of one person,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department worked with our partners at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to dismantle an alien smuggling organization based in Mexico that has allegedly smuggled hundreds of illegal aliens, including unaccompanied children, through New Mexico and South Texas. We are committed to eliminating transnational alien smuggling organizations that exploit migrants purely for profit and undermine our national security.”

    According to the indictment unsealed today, the defendants participated in a conspiracy to illegally bring undocumented aliens from Mexico into the United States via the U.S. southern border. The indictment alleges that the defendants were also responsible for transporting the aliens within the United States and concealing them in “stash houses” along the way. During some of the smuggling events, the defendants allegedly evaded law enforcement by travelling at high rates of speed on the road and instructing aliens how to flee U.S. Border Patrol and evade checkpoints. Additionally, the indictment alleges that one undocumented alien died from heat exposure during a smuggling event and was abandoned in the desert.

    “Human smuggling organizations threaten our national security and exploit vulnerable individuals for profit, putting their lives at risk and undermining public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin for the District of New Mexico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Mexico is committed to continuing to work with our federal, state and local partners to dismantle transnational human smuggling organizations, hold their leaders accountable, and seize the illicit proceeds generated by these exploitative enterprises.”

    “We are appreciative of our brave law enforcement partners for their continued vigilance in investigating and apprehending members of transnational criminal organizations who conspire to undermine our nation’s immigration laws for their profit, with a callous and reckless disregard for the sanctity of life,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens. “As this case sadly demonstrates, human smuggling is a crime that takes lives and puts the public at risk. ICE HSI is passionately devoted to using its abundant authority to identify, investigate, and arrest criminals who prey on the vulnerabilities of people they treat as human cargo.”

    Michelle Martinez, 29, of El Paso, Texas; Jesus Calvillo, 44, of El Paso; Jorge Calvillo, 25, of El Paso; Abel Aguilar-Cano, 53, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Jose Palomino, 27, of El Paso, made their initial court appearances today in the District of New Mexico and remain in U.S. custody. Edna Valdez-China, 48, of El Paso; Leslie Nicole Calvillo, also known as Leslie Jaramillo, 24, of El Paso; and Melissa Vargas, 22, of El Paso, are in U.S. custody and will make their initial appearances on Feb. 25 in the District of New Mexico. Jorge Alberto De La Cruz-Dominguez, also known as Guero, 54, of Juarez, Mexico; Jorge Valdez China, also known as Lolo, 23, of El Paso; Jonathan Valdez-China, also known as China and Dior, 24, of Juarez; and Alma Guadalupe Valdez-China, 41, of Juarez, are also charged in the indictment.

    Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to bring to, transport, and harbor illegal aliens in the United States. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    ICE HSI El Paso investigated the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and the Texas Department of Public Safety provided substantial assistance with the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson R. Hehr for the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) are prosecuting the case.

    These actions are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was established in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Justice Department, in partnership with DHS, to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous alien smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA 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 HRSP and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. 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 245 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Kash Patel Sworn In as FBI Director

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    “I am living the American Dream. We will uphold the Constitution – we will uphold ourselves to the Constitution.” – FBI Director Kash Patel

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9DFrjouj4Y

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Fort Campbell Soldier Sentenced to Over Five Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Paducah, KY – A former Fort Campbell soldier was sentenced last week to 5 years and 4 months in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.     

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

    According to court documents, Brett Nicolas Ellison, 24, was sentenced to 5 years and 4 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Between November 2019 and June 2022, Ellison received and possessed child sexual abuse material while he was a soldier stationed at the Fort Campbell Army Post, possessing over 90 images and 70 videos containing child sexual abuse material.

    Ellison was also ordered to pay $57,000 in restitution to victims.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Hopkinsville Satellite Office and Army CID.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Prolific Alien Smuggler Extradited from Mexico to the United States in Joint Task Force Alpha Investigation

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities culminated in the extradition of an alleged alien smuggler who operated in Mexicali on the U.S.-Mexico border for several years as part of an international alien smuggling conspiracy.

    Raul Saucedo-Huipio, 49, was arrested in Mexico on March 2, 2023, pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition, and was surrendered by Mexico to U.S. authorities on Feb. 21 to face charges previously filed in the District of Arizona. Saucedo-Huipio made his initial appearance on Feb. 21 in the Southern District of California. His co-conspirator, Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, 62, was extradited to the United States from Mexico in 2023 and pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024, to conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States and substantive counts of bringing an alien to the United States.

    According to court documents, Saucedo-Huipio conspired with other smugglers, including Hernandez-Salas, to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants into the United States from and through Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan, Eritrea, India, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. Saucedo-Huipio and Hernandez-Salas allegedly charged the migrants as much as tens of thousands of dollars to make the journey and directed the migrants where to unlawfully cross the border into the United States, including by providing them with a ladder to climb over the border fence. Saucedo-Huipio and co-conspirators also allegedly robbed the migrants of money and personal belongings while armed with guns and knives.

    In June 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed corresponding sanctions on this transnational criminal organization.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachel C. Hernandez for the District of Arizona, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola, made the announcement.

    ICE HSI Yuma is investigating the case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection (CBP); U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; FBI; and the U.S. Marshals Service, working in concert with ICE HSI Tijuana, INTERPOL, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI also received substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center/Counter Network Division and OFAC.

    Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart J. Zander for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Saucedo-Huipio, and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office and the Mexican Foreign Ministry for making the extradition possible.

    The indictments against Raul Saucedo-Huipio and Hernandez-Salas, and their subsequent arrests and extraditions, were coordinated through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime. The initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién in June 2024. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, the District of Arizona, the District of New Mexico, and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; OIA; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 300 U.S. convictions; more than 245 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prolific Alien Smuggler Extradited from Mexico to the United States in Joint Task Force Alpha Investigation

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities culminated in the extradition of an alleged alien smuggler who operated in Mexicali on the U.S.-Mexico border for several years as part of an international alien smuggling conspiracy.

    Raul Saucedo-Huipio, 49, was arrested in Mexico on March 2, 2023, pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition, and was surrendered by Mexico to U.S. authorities on Feb. 21 to face charges previously filed in the District of Arizona. Saucedo-Huipio made his initial appearance on Feb. 21 in the Southern District of California. His co-conspirator, Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, 62, was extradited to the United States from Mexico in 2023 and pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024, to conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States and substantive counts of bringing an alien to the United States.

    According to court documents, Saucedo-Huipio conspired with other smugglers, including Hernandez-Salas, to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants into the United States from and through Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan, Eritrea, India, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. Saucedo-Huipio and Hernandez-Salas allegedly charged the migrants as much as tens of thousands of dollars to make the journey and directed the migrants where to unlawfully cross the border into the United States, including by providing them with a ladder to climb over the border fence. Saucedo-Huipio and co-conspirators also allegedly robbed the migrants of money and personal belongings while armed with guns and knives.

    In June 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed corresponding sanctions on this transnational criminal organization.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachel C. Hernandez for the District of Arizona, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola, made the announcement.

    ICE HSI Yuma is investigating the case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection (CBP); U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; FBI; and the U.S. Marshals Service, working in concert with ICE HSI Tijuana, INTERPOL, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI also received substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center/Counter Network Division and OFAC.

    Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart J. Zander for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Saucedo-Huipio, and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office and the Mexican Foreign Ministry for making the extradition possible.

    The indictments against Raul Saucedo-Huipio and Hernandez-Salas, and their subsequent arrests and extraditions, were coordinated through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime. The initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién in June 2024. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, the District of Arizona, the District of New Mexico, and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; OIA; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 300 U.S. convictions; more than 245 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Northwest Arkansas Man Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Prison for Operating an Illegal Money Transmitting Business Using Pandemic Funds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FAYETTEVILLE – A Northwest Arkansas man was sentenced on February 20, to 51 months in Federal Prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution of $725,558.00 on one count of operating an Illegal Money Transmitting Business. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which took place in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

    According to court documents, Richard Harold Stone, age 77, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business in the State of Arkansas. Stone was the President or Chief Officer of numerous businesses registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State, including: Partex Oman Corp., Renewable Energy Campus Arkansas, Inc., Stonetek Global Corp., and Tires 2 Energy, LLC. Stone also was associated with Environmental Energy & Finance Corp., a Delaware corporation. The advertised purpose of these businesses was developing technology and facilities to repurpose waste materials, such as tires, into useable fuel sources. None of these businesses were registered with the State of Arkansas as a money transmitting business, as required by Arkansas law (Arkansas Code, Section 23-55-806(b)&(c)).

    Between November 2020 and March 2021, Stone received through various bank accounts associated with the above entities and other accounts under his control, deposits of funds from applications made on behalf of unwitting victims for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Economic Impact Disaster Loans (EIDL), and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), totaling more than $600,000. After receiving these funds, Stone immediately transferred most of the funds by wire transfer to parties in locations including Berne, Switzerland; London, England; New York, NY; Chennai, India; and Mumbai, India.

    At the conclusion of Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Stone was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

    U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

    The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Bridges is prosecuting the case.

    Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Rock Hill Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Their Role in Drug Conspiracy (DOJ)

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

    strong>COLUMBIA, S.C. — Emmanuel Deon Foster, 36, and Bobby Antoinios Hall, 41, both of Rock Hill, have been sentenced for their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute quantities of fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin.   

    Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Foster and Hall had a close relationship with the leader of the conspiracy. Based upon law enforcement efforts, they learned both Foster and Hall purchased fentanyl-lased pills during the time of the conspiracy from the leader.  These pills were then sold to other dealers in the Rock Hill area. Foster also purchased and sold cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine. These drugs were purchased from other members of the conspiracy and sold to other dealers. This operation has been responsible for the arrest and conviction of more than 20 individuals during its existence.

    United States District Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Foster to a total of 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. Hall was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

    This joint law enforcement activity and prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational 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 case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump, Putin and Musk all share a leadership style – we’ve figured out what it is

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrei Lux, Lecturer of Leadership and Research Cluster Lead, Edith Cowan University

    Dictatorships would appear to be on the rise. Russian president Vladimir Putin, US president Donald Trump and even un-elected tech entrepreneur, Elon Musk are ruling by decree like “kings”.

    Some might naively call these leaders “authentic” for saying and often doing what they believe. But that’s not the whole story.

    Such unilateral decisions are deeply divisive, and often opposed. In the US, the federal court blocked Trump’s executive order banning workplace diversity, equity and inclusion programs to try to contain the damage.

    Researchers used to think that authenticity was inherently good and moral. But as authentic leadership research gets more sophisticated with robust experimental methods, what we know about this powerful approach is changing quickly.

    Experiments use controlled simulations and real-world field trials to show how leadership behaviour influences followers. These new methods are the gold standard for establishing cause-and-effect relationships, and they’re challenging old ideas.

    Authentic leadership redefined

    After 20 years of research, we’ve redefined authentic leadership as a process of sending leadership “signals”. What leaders say and do sends powerful messages about their values.

    In a digital age where every tweet and public act is scrutinised, understanding these signals is important for employees and voters. And keeping up with this new way of expressing authentic leadership is vital for anyone seeking to lead in today’s volatile world.

    In our latest article, we looked at what authentic leadership involves and why signalling is so important.

    But what exactly is “signalling”?

    Sending leadership ‘signals’

    Everything leaders do or say – how they behave, express themselves, look, and communicate – sends messages to everyone watching. These messages are “signals”. Leaders influence their followers by sending signals that will trigger specific thoughts or emotions.

    But executive life is complex and full of inherent contradictions between personal authenticity and the demands of leadership roles.

    High-profile figures such as Musk and Trump show how leadership signals can be polarising. Just last week Musk used his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to call for an unconstitutional election in Ukraine.

    Musk’s edicts and announcements have prompted demonstrations around the US.
    Rena Schild/Shutterstock

    Signalling authentic leadership

    Demonstrating authentic leadership depends on sending clear, observable signals that reflect the leaders’ principles and ethical convictions.

    Here are some tips for spotting authentic leadership signals in everyday interactions. It is notable that it’s easier to find examples of leaders displaying the complete opposite.

    1. Self-awareness

    Leaders signal self-awareness by regularly seeking honest feedback and reflecting on their own strengths and weaknesses. They openly acknowledge mistakes and share their learning. They value personal growth and continuous improvement.

    Instead, Trump repeatedly ignores his own mistakes, even after they are exposed. His latest claim to be debunked was that Ukrainian President Zelensky’s approval was 4%, while his actual approval is closer to 60%.

    2. Internal moral perspective

    Leaders signal an internal moral perspective by making decisions – even if they are unpopular – firmly rooted in core ethical values. Upholding these values and encouraging open discussions on ethics is a principled approach to leadership.

    Instead, Musk has given federal workers 48 hours to justify their employment. The directive leaves little room for open dialogue on the ethical rationale or moral implications of such a drastic measure. He relies, instead, on top-down command.

    Key federal agencies including the FBI and Pentagon have told employees to ignore the email.

    3. Balanced processing

    Leaders signal balanced processing by seeking different views and considering all options before making a decision. Admitting any biases and using team brainstorming or surveys, ensures fair and informed decision-making.

    Instead, Trump has signed more than 50 executive orders since taking office in January. These include some that are unlawful, as an open display of personal bias and unilateral decision-making.

    4. Relational transparency

    Leaders signal relational transparency by sharing appropriate personal experiences and vulnerabilities with their teams. Being honest about limitations and inviting open dialogue builds trust through genuine and consistent communication.

    Instead social media guru, Mark Zuckerberg, another Trump ally, assured staff his charity the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative would continue its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Then, only weeks later, he dismantled it.

    You can’t just fake it, either

    Leadership signals can convey honest information or be manipulated to send contrived messages.

    Trying to fake it doesn’t work. Leadership behaviour has to align with the leaders’ real values and internal sense of self – otherwise it’s not authentic leadership. It’s just impression management.

    Learning the difference empowers us to understand leaders’ actions and better navigate the post-truth era of global business and politics.

    Andrei Lux works for Edith Cowan University and is a Member of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management.

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

    – ref. Trump, Putin and Musk all share a leadership style – we’ve figured out what it is – https://theconversation.com/trump-putin-and-musk-all-share-a-leadership-style-weve-figured-out-what-it-is-250502

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Sally Harrell and Sen. Elena Parent Introduce Legislation to Create Voluntary “No Sell” Firearms List

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (February 24, 2025) — Last week, Sen. Sally Harrell (D–Atlanta) and Sen. Elena Parent (D–Atlanta) filed Senate Bill 224, “Donna’s Law,” to allow Georgia citizens at risk for suicidal ideations to place themselves on the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Firearms Checks List to protect themselves.

    Donna’s Law would allow individuals to place themselves on the list through a healthcare professional or under oath through a probate court in their county of residence. Once an individual applies, they would be placed on the NICS firearms checklist within 24 hours. The legislation also allows applicants to remove themselves from the list no sooner than seven days after they apply.

    “This is an important way we can support and protect people suffering from mental illness. Sadly, as I was working on this bill, a friend of my family took her life with a firearm,” said Sen. Harrell. “Studies show that suicides are often very hasty decisions that are not well thought out. Donna’s Law could help prevent people who are suffering from making impulsive decisions.”

    “The last few years, we’ve been very focused on finding better solutions to help people with mental health issues. Firearms are used in over half of suicides in Georgia. With firearms, there are very few second chances — about 85% of gun suicide attempts result in death,” said Sen. Parent. “We have the opportunity to offer an important tool to reduce the probability of death or self-harm to those who are suffering from mental health challenges and the professionals who treat them.”

    If passed, Georgia would become the fourth state to adopt this legislation. The law is named for Donna Nathan, who suffered from bipolar disorder for 30 years and voluntarily admitted herself to psychiatric treatment facilities to protect herself.  In 2018, she googled “gun stores,” drove to one, purchased a gun and shot herself, ending her life.

    For the full version of SB 224, read here.

    # # # #

    Sen. Sally Harrell represents the 40th Senate District which includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett County. She may be reached by phone at (404) 463-2260 via email at sally.harrell@senate.ga.gov.

    Sen. Elena Parent serves as Chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. She represents the 44th Senate District which includes portions of DeKalb and Clayton County. She may be reached at her office at (404) 656-5109 or by email at elena.parent@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Plea in Child Exploitation Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pled guilty to federal charges of using social media and text messages to entice a minor into illegal sexual activity.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, between February 1, 2021, and April 1, 2021, Kenzie Roy Rockmen, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, used text messages and Facebook communications to coerce a minor to engage in illegal sexual acts.

    Rockmen was charged along with his brother, Dustin Roy Rockmen. On October 15, 2024, Dustin pled guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

    At sentencing, Rockmen faces not less than 120 months and up to 135 months in prison, followed by not less than five years and up to life of supervised release.

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

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II and Mark A. Probasco are prosecuting this case 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: Child Predator Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison after Transporting 14-Year-Old Michigan Girl Across State Lines for Sex and Impregnating Her

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS— Larry Goldsmith., 26, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity.

    According to court documents, in 2020, Goldsmith began messaging a 14-year-old girl living in Michigan through the social media applications Spot-a-Friend and Snapchat. Goldsmith knew of the child’s age at the time yet engaged in sexually explicit conversations with her. 

    At the end of August 2020, the child got into a verbal argument with her mother and expressed to Goldsmith that she wanted to run away from home. Goldsmith drove over four hours to Michigan and picked her up at a business near her home. Goldsmith was 21 years old at the time.

    On the way back to Indiana, Goldsmith engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the child at a rest stop in Michigan and then transported her across state lines to a home he rented in Indianapolis.  During their time living together, Goldsmith had sex with the child numerous times and impregnated her.

    After committing these offenses, Goldsmith continued his sexual abuse of minors by committing essentially the same conduct with another child in Georgia – where he drugged and raped a 13-year-old. In 2022, Goldsmith pleaded guilty to those crimes in Georgia and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, which he is currently serving.

    “Goldsmith is no longer a danger to children and families in our community,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “He is a manipulative, child predator who used the tools of social media to abuse a vulnerable child over and over again. I commend the outstanding work of local law enforcement agencies in Indiana and Georgia, along with the FBI, to bring the victim home safely.”

    “The FBI is unwavering in our mission to protect the most vulnerable members of our society – our children. This case highlights the disturbing reality of sexual exploitation, and the sentence ensures this predator will remain behind bars and unable to continue to perpetrate such atrocities,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to work together to ensure no child is victimized in this way.”

    “This sentence sends a clear message—those who harm children will be held accountable,” said IMPD Chief Chris Bailey. “The dedication and diligence of our IMPD officers, along with law enforcement agencies across the country, played a critical role in getting this predator behind bars.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman. Under federal law, Goldsmith must register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school for life.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryAnn T. Mindrum, who prosecuted this case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Seven Charged In Central Florida Gun Trafficking Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging six individuals involved in an alleged gun trafficking operation. An additional individual was separately charged by complaint in the same conspiracy. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit specific firearms recovered in the operation. 

    Name

    (Age, City of Residence)

    		 Charge Maximum Penalties

    Victor Manuel LaFontaine Ruiz

    (31, Poinciana)

    Gun trafficking conspiracy  

    Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

    Possession of machinegun

    15 years 

    5 years 

    10 years

    Jose Emanuel Maldonado Rodriguez

    (32, Kissimmee)

    Gun trafficking conspiracy 

    Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

    Possession of machinegun

    15 years 

    5 years 

    10 years

    Freddie Geovani Cruz Batiz

    (36, Kissimmee)

    Gun trafficking conspiracy 

    Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

    15 years 

    5 years 

    Jomar Manuel Lopez Montanez

    (30, Kissimmee)

    Gun trafficking conspiracy

    Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

    Felon in possession

    15 years 

    5 years 

    15 years

    Derrick Yamil Rivera Robles

    (29, Kissimmee)

    Gun trafficking conspiracy 

    Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

    Possession of machinegun

    15 years 

    5 years 

    10 years

    Leonardo David Joseph Guerra

    (23, Orlando)

    Gun trafficking conspiracy

    Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

    Alien in possession

    15 years 

    5 years 

    15 years

    Jincheng Shi

    (27, St. Cloud)

    Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

    Alien in possession

    5 years 

    15 years

    According to court documents, from at least as early as September 2023 onward, Lafontaine and Maldonado operated a gun trafficking ring involving hundreds of firearms, machineguns, machinegun conversion devices, and high-capacity magazines needed for fully automatic weapons. This operation did not involve any federally licensed firearms dealers. Instead, Lafontaine and Maldonado obtained firearms parts, including from Jincheng Shi, a Chinese national. Lafontaine and Maldonado allegedly assembled, manufactured, and modified semi-automatic and automatic firearms using a “ghost gunner” machine and specialized “endmill” drilling devices at a workspace on Maldonado’s property in Kissimmee: 

    From there, Lafontaine and Maldonado, along with assistance from Batiz, sold firearms, including fully automatic weapons and machine gun conversion devices (“chips” or “buttons”) that are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machineguns. They sold those items to illegal aliens and convicted felons such as Lopez Montanez, Rivera Robles, and Joseph Guerra, who were often brokering such transactions on behalf of other unknown customers.

    On September 17, 2023, for example, Lafontaine showed a fully automatic firearm to a customer that was later sold during this operation and, on October 9, 2023, Lafontaine quoted Rivera Robles (a convicted felon) a price of $150 for a machinegun conversion device known as a “chip,” that Rivera Robles purchased in March 2024.               

    On February 7, 2025, Lafontaine sold Lopez Montanez (a convicted felon) two firearms falsely branded to appear as though they were legitimate firearms manufactured with engraved fake sequential serial numbers. When Lopez Montanez was stopped, he fled from law enforcement and attempted to hide the weapons that were eventually recovered. 

    The next day, Lafontaine delivered five similar firearms to Maldonado.           

    On February 20, 2025, law enforcement executed five search warrants at various locations associated with this conspiracy. The items are still be inventoried.  Preliminarily, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have recovered at least five AR-style pistols with sequential and identical serial numbers at Maldonado’s residence (depicted below), along with at least three machinegun conversion devices, machinery used to assemble, modify, and manufacture the firearms and machine guns sold through this operation. 

     At Lafontaine’s residence, agents recovered a completed rifle, gun parts, gun manufacturing and modification equipment, and drug distribution paraphernalia with a blender and a powder that field-tested positive for fentanyl, packaged for sale. At Batiz’s residence, agents recovered a handgun and an AR pistol, four machinegun conversion devices, along with drug paraphernalia and powders packaged for distribution that are still being tested. Eight handguns, three rifles, and eight AR-style receivers were recovered from Shi’s residence and storage lockers.

    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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Orlando Police Department, Winter Garden Police Department, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Apopka Police Department, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Highway Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

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

    This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Private Sector Coordinators: Connecting Industry with the FBI

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)

    Our partnerships with Bridgestone, L3Harris, and UPS are just a few examples of how private sector coordinators lead field office engagement with private industry. Our PSCs further the FBI’s mission by extending resources, providing expertise, and mitigating threats to businesses across the United States. Knowing who to connect with is essential to ensuring a timely and efficient response.

    Learn more: fbi.gov/ops

    For a full transcript and download, visit: http://fbi.gov/video-repository/ops-private-sector-coordinators-connecting-industry-fbi-022425.mp4/view
    —————————————————
    Follow us on social media:
    X: https://twitter.com/fbi
    Facebook: https://facebook.com/FBI
    Instagram: https://instagram.com/fbi
    YouTube: youtube.com/user/fbi

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlemfjPgBtM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Former Kansas City Police Officer of $200,000 Charity Fraud Scheme

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

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Kansas City, Mo., police officer who ran an anti-crime charity has been convicted in federal court of a scheme in which he spent more than $200,000 in donations for his own personal expenses.

    Aaron Wayne McKie, 47, was found guilty on Thursday, Feb. 20, of nine counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. McKie worked as a police officer for the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department for 24 years, assigned as a police officer to the Crime Free Multi-Housing section from 2002 through 2023.

    McKie served from 2009 to 2023 as president of Mid-America Crime Free, Inc. (MACF), a non-profit organization that claimed to provide training to persons in the rental housing industry and promote anti-crime programs. He was an officer of the charity for three years prior, from 2006 to 2009.

    Evidence produced during the trial indicated that McKie devised a scheme to defraud MACF and its donors that began in July 2009 and lasted until October 2023. Individuals and businesses contributed $387,620 to MACF, not including in-kind donations. McKie spent at least $200,060 for his own personal purposes.

    The biggest source of MACF funds was an annual golf tournament, “Fairways 4 Fuzz Golf Tournament.” Individuals and businesses donated both money and in-kind donations, such as food and beverages, to MACF via the golf tournament. At least 121 donors have been identified.

    From 2009 to 2023, the flyers soliciting donations and players for the tournament claimed the funds raised would enable MACF to provide free seminars to owners of rental properties and train police officers. In reality, those claims were false. The Kansas City Police Department paid the salaries and expenses of Crime Free Multi-Housing unit officers who may have provided training to landlords; McKie used the majority of MACF funds for personal spending; and the IRS had revoked the organization’s tax-exempt status in 2010.

    Under federal statutes, McKie is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the 10 counts on which he was convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for nine hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, Feb. 10.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sextortionist Gets 24 Years for Victimizing Minors Online

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

    HOUSTON – A 22-year-old New York native has been sentenced for production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of minors and cyberstalking, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Tyler N. Grundstrom pleaded guilty Oct. 8, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen has now sentenced Grundstrom to a total of 288 months in federal prison. When he is eventually released, he will be on supervised release for the rest of his life, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Grundstrom will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

    “The significant sentence in this case is a reminder of how seriously the Department of Justice takes the online victimization of minors,” said Ganjei. “Gone are the days where the predator lives next door or down the street; now a would-be exploiter can be thousands of miles away. Grundstrom, and similar online predators, are the reason why parents need to know who is talking to their child online.”

    “This case is a chilling reminder there are twisted criminals, like Tyler Grundstrom, who use the internet’s anonymity to manipulate children’s innocence for their own sick ends,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “I want to remind every child and parent to remain vigilant, especially on social media, because predators regularly use these platforms to find their victims. Today’s sentencing shows the FBI will relentlessly hunt down those who harm children, no matter where they live, and ensure they face the full force of the law for their vile crimes.”

    Grundstrom used popular online communication platforms to identify and target young girls for extortion and exploitation. Grundstrom would manipulate, threaten and coerce the victims into producing explicit and offensive content. The investigation revealed more than one victim in at least two states had been targeted, and the abuse occurred from 2021 and continued through 2022.

    He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the future.

    FBI Houston and FBI Atlanta’s Athens Resident Agency conducted the investigation.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian Extradited From Switzerland to the United States to Face Indictment Charging Involvement in $290 Million Plus Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme

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

    Tens of thousands of investors deposited bitcoin expecting an investment strategy – Instead, new investor bitcoin used to pay off other investors in a Ponzi scheme

    SEATTLE – A citizen of Brazil appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle today, after being extradited from Switzerland to face a 13-count indictment for wire fraud and conspiracy regarding his bitcoin investment scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Douver T. Braga, 48, lived in Florida between approximately 2016 and 2021 during the bulk of the alleged fraud. The indictment alleges Braga operated a bitcoin investment scheme that was really a Ponzi scheme, as well as an illegal multilevel marketing scheme.

    The grand jury returned the indictment in October 2022. It was unsealed last week following Braga’s arrest in Switzerland. Today Braga pleaded “Not Guilty,” and trial was scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Tana Lin on April 28, 2025.

    “Mr. Braga allegedly ran a fraud scheme that harkens back more than a century, but he updated his ‘Ponzi’ scheme with the hot new thing: bitcoin,” said U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “The victim investors have waited years to see justice. I commend our federal partners at the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation for their diligent work on this case.”

    According to the indictment, Braga conspired with others to create a cryptocurrency trading platform called Trade Coin Club (TCC) with an office in Belize. As early as 2016, Braga worked with others to promote TCC, claiming that investors would make money because the TCC had a sophisticated software program that allowed investors to profit on the fluctuating price of bitcoin. Braga also promised that investors could make money by referring other investors to the platform. In reality, there was no investment platform and no sophisticated software. Those who invested early were paid off by later investors as in a Ponzi scheme.

    Braga traveled the world promoting TCC: In Thailand in March 2017, in Nigeria and Macau in May 2017.  TCC was promoted on social media and in videos. At various events Braga claimed TCC had as many as 126,000 members in 231 different countries.

    Through his false promises of sophisticated investments and high returns, Braga induced tens of thousands of people to entrust over 82,000 bitcoin, valued at over $290 million at the time of investment, and to deposit it with TCC. Braga continued the false representations, creating an “online portal” where investors could track the supposed activity of their investment accounts. The site was a fiction as there was no trading activity.

    Braga withdrew and misappropriated investor funds. Between December 2016 and July 2019, at least $50 million in bitcoin was transferred to accounts Braga controlled.

    However, by late 2017 and early 2018, investors had trouble accessing their funds. In January 2018, TCC announced to investors that it was ceasing to operate in the United States and was cancelling their accounts.  Many investors were located in the Western District of Washington.

    Braga allegedly profited handsomely, while failing to report the earnings to the IRS. In 2017, he received bitcoin worth $30.5 million, but only reported income of $152, 298. In 2018, he reported $73,473 in income but got $13.1 million in bitcoin and in 2019, reported $72,870 in income while he received $10 million in bitcoin.

    “The type of scheme Mr. Braga is charged with operating is not new, he just used the allure of a flashy new technology to obscure the well-worn scam.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “While the victims in this case waited and wondered about the fate of their investments, he siphoned off millions of dollars for his personal use. This case demonstrates the determination of the FBI and our partners in IRS Criminal Investigation to hold fraudsters accountable, no matter where in the world they may be.”

    “The charges against Mr. Braga and his co-conspirators reflect a well-designed scheme to solicit investment in a fake cryptocurrency trading platform from victims around the globe,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI), Los Angeles Field Office.  “Furthermore, Mr. Braga is alleged to have knowingly ignored and circumvented laws regulating multi-level marketing programs in the U.S.- laws that exist to protect investors from becoming victims in pyramid schemes.  Despite the complexity of this scheme, IRS Criminal Investigation and our partners at the FBI successfully uncovered the evidence necessary to bring forth these charges.”

    Braga is charged with 12 counts of wire fraud reflecting 12 wires investors sent to TCC for deposits in their “accounts.” Braga is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

    The charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

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

    The case was investigated by the IRS-CI and the FBI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Dion and Phillip Kopczynski. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with securing the extradition.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Wrap Acquires W1 Global: Expands Managed Services with Former FBI, DEA, and DoD Leadership to Accelerate Made-in-America End-to-End Solutions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    This news follows: Wrap Unveils Managed Safety and Response (MSR) Connected Ecosystem in Virginia

    TEMPE, Ariz., Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wrap Technologies (NASDAQ: WRAP) (“Wrap” or, the “Company”) today announced it has completed the acquisition of W1 Global, LLC (“W1”) a preeminent professional services and consulting firm led by an executive team of former high-ranking law enforcement and U.S. Intelligence Community professionals, with deep competencies in complex international criminal investigation, regulatory matters and compliance issues.

    The acquisition of W1 is expected to increase Wraps access to the skill and experience of this distinguished group, as well as expand the international reach of its MSR Connected Ecosystem. It is also expected to support a tech-enabled enhancement of the suite of professional and consulting services that W1 has provided to its clients all over the world.

    Wrap’s acquisition has now assembled a deep team of senior leaders from both the public sector and national security agencies:

    • Professional Services will be led by Bill McMurry, a career law enforcement and intelligence professional. Mr. McMurry is a retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent who served in the FBI’s New York Office for twenty-four years. Mr. McMurry worked closely with the US DOJ, DEA, ATF, HSI, OFAC, DOD and the USIC to develop a national strategy to implement a whole of government response to combat the threat posed by Transnational Organized Crime.
    • Managed Safety and Response will be led by Jim DeStefano, former Assistant Special Agent in Charge of a Special Operations Branch responsible for the New York field division’s preparation for, response to, and recovery from all crisis and special events – including training and tactics in response to emotionally disturbed persons. John Penza, adds experience from state and federal corrections, local law enforcement, and as the former New York Division’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Violent Crimes and Drug Trafficking Branch.
    • Investigative, Regulatory and Compliance professional services will be supported by Ric Bachour, a former local and state police officer, U.S. Marine, and Purple Heart recipient. His international experience includes leadership roles in the DEA Sensitive Undercover Operations Unit, Special Operations, and DEA’s Foreign and Domestic Field Offices.

    Additional Talent Pipeline and International Go-To-Market

    Wrap anticipates accessing a deep talent pool as individuals transition from long government tenures, marking the first of many strategic talent acquisitions to meet growing market demands.

    The W1 Global transaction is expected to position Wrap for international expansion by leveraging W1’s global network and expertise in investigative services. This in-country support network, consisting of former government personnel, provides valuable entry points for global distribution while aligning with U.S. resources and support systems.

    End-to-End Ecosystem

    The W1 Global transaction creates an end-to-end ecosystem with two key business lines: leveraging top talent to deliver comprehensive Managed Safety and Response (MSR) solutions and expanding tech-enabled professional services to enhance client support. Both companies’ clients demonstrate a strong appetite for each other’s services—Wrap’s international clients show significant interest in investigative services, while W1 Global’s clients are keen on Wrap’s BolaWrap, drones, and expanding cyber solutions within the MSR portfolio. This strategic combination effectively meets the market demand for integrated safety and technology-driven professional services, driving growth and enhancing client support.

    Scot Cohen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wrap, commented, “The acquisition of W1 Global is a transformational step in establishing Wrap as a leader in Managed Safety and Response services. It is expected to drive immediate revenue growth, be accretive, and create synergies with our existing business, including the revamped BolaWrap program, while supporting our expanding global channel system.”

    Bill McMurry, Chief Executive Officer of W1 Global, commented, “W1 and Wrap can now deliver comprehensive MSR solutions with expert consulting, integration, and customization. By combining cutting-edge technology like the BolaWrap with professional services, we hope to ensure seamless implementation and continuous support. Our deep industry expertise is expected to allow us to optimize safety solutions for public safety agencies, effectively addressing complex challenges.”

    About Wrap Technologies, Inc.

    Wrap Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: WRAP) is a leading global provider of advanced public safety solutions, integrating ultramodern technology, cutting-edge tools, and comprehensive services to address the complex, modern day challenges facing public safety organizations around the world. Guided by a no-harm principle, Wrap is dedicated to developing groundbreaking solutions that empower public safety agencies to safeguard the communities they serve in a manner that fosters stronger relationships, driving safer outcomes, empowering public safety and communities to move forward together.

    Wrap’s BolaWrap® solution encompasses an innovative and patented hand-held remote restraint device, strategically engineered with Wrap’s no-harm guiding principle to proactively deter escalation by deploying a Kevlar® tether that safely restrains individuals from a distance. Combined with BolaWrap® training, certified by the esteemed International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST), Wrap enables officers from over 1000 agencies across the U.S. and 60 countries around the world, with the expertise to effectively use BolaWrap® as an early intervention measure, mitigating potential risks and injuries, averting tragic outcomes, with the goal to save lives with each wrap.

    Wrap Reality™, the Company’s advanced virtual reality training system, is a fully immersive training simulator and comprehensive public safety training platform that equips first responders with the discipline and practice to prevent escalation, de-escalate conflicts, and apply appropriate tactical use-of-force measures to better perform in the field. By offering a growing range of real-life scenarios, Wrap Reality™ addresses the dynamic nature of modern law enforcement situations for positive public safety outcomes, building safer communities one decision at a time.

    Wrap’s Intrensic solution is a comprehensive, secure and efficient body worn camera and evidence collection and management solution designed with innovative technology to quickly capture, safely handle, securely store, and seamlessly track evidence, all while maintaining full transparency throughout the process. With meticulous consolidation and professional management of evidence, confidence in law enforcement and the justice system soars, fostering trust and reliability in court outcomes. Intrensic’s efficient system streamlines the entire process seamlessly, empowering all public safety providers to focus on what matters, expediting justice with integrity.

    Connect with Wrap:
    Wrap on Facebook
    Wrap on Twitter
    Wrap on LinkedIn

    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, 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 Security: New Orleans Man Guilty of Machinegun Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LADONTE RICHARDSON (“RICHARDSON”), age 22, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on February 13, 2025, to possession of  a machinegun, announced Acting U. S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

    RICHARDSON faces a maximum term of 10 years of imprisonment, and/or a fine up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    According to court records, on August 29, 2023, RICHARDSON posted a photo on his Instagram page with three train emojis, along with an emoji of a cellphone.  Investigators believed this to be an advertisement for selling Tapentadol pills, which are commonly referred to as “trains.”  On September 7, 2023, RICHARDSON posted another advertisement for drugs.  Based upon these posts, on September 8, 2023, a Federal Bureau Investigation (“FBI”) Task Force Officer (“TFO”) obtained  a search warrant for RICHARDSON’s Instagram account that showed RICHARDSON possessing firearms.  Specifically, on September 17, 2023, RICHARDSON live streamed himself on a video brandishing a firearm with a laser sight.  On September 21, 2023, an arrest warrant was issued for RICHARDSON for two counts of second-degree murder that occurred on December 7, 2022.  U.S. Marshals located and arrested RICHARSON in New Orleans.  A search of his residence revealed the same firearm brandished by RICHARDSON on his Instagram page, in a bedroom dresser.  The firearm was equipped with a switch.  The firearm was also stolen. 

    RICHARDSON admits possessing and knowing it was a machine gun.

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

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Rand Paul Introduces NIH Reform Act to Bring Accountability to Public Health Bureaucracy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    February 21, 2025

     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

     

     

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced the NIH Reform Act, legislation aimed at overhauling the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to increase congressional oversight on the agency’s leadership. The NIH Reform Act would separate the NIAID into three national research institutes: the National Institute of Allergic Diseases, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and the National Institute of Immunologic Diseases. Each new institute would be led by directors subject to Senate confirmation and limited to no more than two 5-year terms to prevent the unchecked authority that led to sweeping and disastrous pandemic-era mandates.

    “For nearly four decades, Dr. Anthony Fauci sat atop a bureaucratic empire, wielding unchecked power over public health policy—despite never being confirmed by the Senate once,” said Dr. Paul. “He dictated mandates that shut down businesses, kept kids out of school, and trampled individual liberties—all while being the highest-paid official in the federal government. That kind of power without oversight is dangerous, and my legislation will ensure it never happens again. This legislation will bring accountability and oversight into a taxpayer-funded position that has largely abused its power and has been responsible for many failures and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

    The legislation is currently cosponsored by U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) in the Senate. 

    “Anthony Fauci single-handedly shut down small businesses, forced our children out of classrooms, and took away the opportunity for many Americans to say goodbye to loved ones during the COVID pandemic,” said Senator Tuberville. “It’s scary to think that someone who was never elected – or even confirmed by the Senate – had so much power over health care decisions that impacted millions of Americans.  We need greater transparency in our government’s institutions to ensure this never happens again. I’m proud to join Senator Paul in this legislation to increase oversight of the NIH and give the American people greater transparency surrounding our government institutions.”

    U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-TX-21) introduced the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “From the earliest days of the pandemic, public health bureaucrats proved themselves far more adept at ruining lives than saving them. Never again should a single, unaccountable government employee, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, wield unchecked power and influence over the lives of the American people. Jay Bhattacharya is an excellent choice for NIH Director, and I support his efforts to regain trust in America’s health agencies and promote healthcare freedom. However, we can’t structure government on the assumption that we’ll always have great people in office. Breaking up Dr. Fauci’s taxpayer funded bully pulpit into three separate agencies — and requiring Senate confirmation for all their future directors — is one of many actions necessary to allow the American people to check government power and hold public health agencies accountable,” said Congressman Roy.

    Background:

    Dr. Anthony Fauci was Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for over 38 years—longer than J. Edgar Hoover was Director of the FBI. By the time he retired, he was the highest paid official in the entire federal government. Yet the Senate never voted to confirm him once. The law does not require Senate confirmation of the NIAID Director.

    The NIAID’s stated mission is “to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.” This sweeping mandate covers everything from asthma to Ebola, from peanut allergies to the plague. As the head of that institute, Dr. Fauci installed himself as a de facto pandemic czar, advocating for misguided policies like mandatory vaccinations for school-aged children (one of the populations least at risk from COVID-19).

    To improve accountability of the NIH, the NIH Reform Act will restructure the NIAID to better align with its mission as follows:

    Abolish the NIAID and replace it with the following three new institutes:

    1. National Institute of Allergic Diseases;
    2. National Institute of Infectious Diseases; and
    3. National Institute of Immunologic Diseases.

    The directors of each new institute would be:

    1. Appointed by the president,
    2. Subject to Senate confirmation, and
    3. Limited to no more than two 5-year terms.

    This type of reorganization is nothing new. In the aftermath of J. Edgar Hoover’s decades-long tenure as head of the FBI, Congress passed a law in 1976 limiting the FBI Director to a single 10-year term, and as recently as 2012, Congress eliminated one center within the NIH and replaced it with a new one. In the aftermath of the damage done by pandemic-era mandates and restrictions, Congress must enact the NIH Reform Act to ensure that one official cannot claim the unquestioned authority to dictate the federal response to public health emergencies.

    The NIH Reform Act is part of Dr. Paul’s ongoing fight to bring transparency and accountability to federal agencies and rein in government overreach.

    You can read the NIH Reform Act HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: America First Investment Policy

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
             THE SECRETARY OF STATE
             THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
             THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
             THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
             THE SECRETARY OF LABOR
             THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY
             THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY
             THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
             THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
             THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
             THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
             THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS
             THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
             THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
             THE DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

    SUBJECT:       America First Investment Policy
     
     
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:
     
             Section 1.  Principles and Objectives.  America’s investment policy is critical to our national and economic security.  Welcoming foreign investment and strengthening the United States’ world-leading private and public capital markets will be a key part of America’s Golden Age.  The United States has the world’s most attractive assets, in technology and across our economy, and we will make it easier for our overseas allies to support United States jobs, United States innovators, and United States economic growth with their capital.
     
             Investment by United States allies and partners can create hundreds of thousands of jobs and significant wealth for the United States.  Our Nation is committed to maintaining the strong, open investment environment that benefits our economy and our people, while enhancing our ability to protect the United States from new and evolving threats that can accompany foreign investment.
     
             Investment at all costs is not always in the national interest, however.  Certain foreign adversaries, including the People’s Republic of China (PRC), systematically direct and facilitate investment in United States companies and assets to obtain cutting-edge technologies, intellectual property, and leverage in strategic industries.  The PRC pursues these strategies in diverse ways, both visible and concealed, and often through partner companies or investment funds in third countries. 
     
             Economic security is national security.  The PRC does not allow United States companies to take over their critical infrastructure, and the United States should not allow the PRC to take over United States critical infrastructure.  PRC-affiliated investors are targeting the crown jewels of United States technology, food supplies, farmland, minerals, natural resources, ports, and shipping terminals.
     
             The PRC is also increasingly exploiting United States capital to develop and modernize its military, intelligence, and other security apparatuses, which poses significant risk to the United States homeland and Armed Forces of the United States around the world.  Related actions include the development and deployment of dual-use technologies, weapons of mass destruction, advanced conventional weapons, and malicious cyber‑enabled actions against the United States and its people.  Through its national Military-Civil Fusion strategy, the PRC increases the size of its military-industrial complex by compelling civilian Chinese companies and research institutions to support its military and intelligence activities.
     
             Those Chinese companies also raise capital by:  selling to American investors securities that trade on American and foreign public exchanges; lobbying United States index providers and funds to include these securities in market offerings; and engaging in other acts to ensure access to United States capital and accompanying intangible benefits.  In this way, the PRC exploits United States investors to finance and advance the development and modernization of its military.
     
             Sec. 2.  Policy.  (a)  It is the policy of the United States to preserve an open investment environment to help ensure that artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies of the future are built, created, and grown right here in the United States.  Investment in our economy from our allies and partners, some of whom have tremendous sovereign wealth funds, supports the national interest.  My Administration will make the United States the world’s greatest destination for investment dollars, to the benefit of all of us. 
     
             (b)  Yet for investment in United States businesses involved in critical technology, critical infrastructure, personal data, and other sensitive areas, restrictions on foreign investors’ access to United States assets will ease in proportion to their verifiable distance and independence from the predatory investment and technology-acquisition practices of the PRC and other foreign adversaries or threat actors.
     
             (c)  The United States will create an expedited “fast-track” process, based on objective standards, to facilitate greater investment from specified allied and partner sources in United States businesses involved with United States advanced technology and other important areas.  This process will allow for increased foreign investment subject to appropriate security provisions, including requirements that the specified foreign investors avoid partnering with United States foreign adversaries.  
     
             (d)  My Administration will also expedite environmental reviews for any investment over $1 billion in the United States.
     
             (e)  The United States will reduce the exploitation of public and private sector capital, technology, and technical knowledge by foreign adversaries such as the PRC.  The United States will establish new rules to stop United States companies and investors from investing in industries that advance the PRC’s national Military-Civil Fusion strategy and stop PRC-affiliated persons from buying up critical American businesses and assets, allowing only those investments that serve American interests.
     
             (f)  The United States will use all necessary legal instruments, including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), to restrict PRC-affiliated persons from investing in United States technology, critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, raw materials, or other strategic sectors.  My Administration will protect United States farmland and real estate near sensitive facilities.  It will also seek, including in consultation with the Congress, to strengthen CFIUS authority over “greenfield” investments, to restrict foreign adversary access to United States talent and operations in sensitive technologies (especially artificial intelligence), and to expand the remit of “emerging and foundational” technologies addressable by CFIUS.
     
             (g)  To reduce uncertainty for investors, reduce administrative burden, and increase Government efficiency, my Administration will cease the use of overly bureaucratic, complex, and open-ended “mitigation” agreements for United States investments from foreign adversary countries.  In general, mitigation agreements should consist of concrete actions that companies can complete within a specific time, rather than perpetual and expensive compliance obligations.  More administrative resources, in turn, will be directed toward facilitating investments from key partner countries.
     
             (h)  The United States will continue to welcome and encourage passive investments from all foreign persons.  These include non-controlling stakes and shares with no voting, board, or other governance rights and that do not confer any managerial influence, substantive decisionmaking, or non-public access to technologies or technical information, products, or services.  This will allow our cutting-edge businesses to continue to benefit from foreign investment capital, while ensuring protection of our national security.
     
             (i)  The United States will also use all necessary legal instruments to further deter United States persons from investing in the PRC’s military-industrial sector.  These may include the imposition of sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) through the blocking of assets or through other actions, including actions pursuant to Executive Order 13959 of November 12, 2020 (Addressing the Threat From Securities Investments That Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies), as amended by Executive Order 13974 of January 13, 2021 (Amending Executive Order 13959 — Addressing the Threat From Securities Investments That Finance Communist Chinese Military Companies) and Executive Order 14032 of June 3, 2021 (Addressing the Threat From Securities Investments That Finance Certain Companies of the People’s Republic of China), and actions pursuant to Executive Order 14105 of August 9, 2023 (Addressing United States Investments in Certain National Security Technologies and Products in Countries of Concern).  Executive Order 14105 is under review by my Administration, pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 (America First Trade Policy), to examine whether it includes sufficient controls to address national security threats.
     
             (j)  This review will build on measures taken under my authority in 2020 and 2021 and consider new or expanded restrictions on United States outbound investment in the PRC in sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, hypersonics, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, directed energy, and other areas implicated by the PRC’s national Military-Civil Fusion strategy.  Covered sectors should be reviewed and updated regularly, including by the Office of Science and Technology Policy.  As part of the review, my Administration will consider applying restrictions on investment types including private equity, venture capital, greenfield investments, corporate expansions, and investments in publicly traded securities, from sources including pension funds, university endowments, and other limited-partner investors.  It is past time for American universities to stop supporting foreign adversaries with their investment decisions, much as they should stop granting university access to supporters of terrorism.
     
             (k)  To further reduce incentives for United States persons to invest in our foreign adversaries, we will review whether to suspend or terminate the 1984 United States-The People’s Republic of China Income Tax Convention.  That tax treaty, along with the PRC’s admission to the World Trade Organization and the related undertaking by the United States to accord unconditional Most Favored Nation treatment to goods and services of the PRC, led to the deindustrialization of the United States and the technological modernization of the PRC military.  We will seek to reverse both those trends.  United States investors will invest in the future of America, not the future of the PRC.
     
             (l)  To protect the savings of United States investors and channel them into American growth and prosperity, my Administration will also:
     
             (i)    determine if adequate financial auditing standards are upheld for companies covered by the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act;
     
             (ii)   review the variable interest entity and subsidiary structures used by foreign-adversary companies to trade on United States exchanges, which limit the ownership rights and protections for United States investors, as well as allegations of fraudulent behavior by these companies; and
     
             (iii)  restore the highest fiduciary standards as required by the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, seeking to ensure that foreign adversary companies are ineligible for pension plan contributions.
     
             Sec. 3.  Implementation.  The policy set forth in section 2 of this memorandum shall be implemented, to the extent permitted by law and available appropriations, and subject to internal programmatic and budgetary processes, as follows:
     
             (a)  With respect to sections 2(a) through 2(k) of this memorandum, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, the United States Trade Representative, and the heads of other executive departments and agencies (agencies) as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of the Treasury, and with respect to the authorities of CFIUS in coordination with the members thereof, shall take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, to support all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, and other statutes to carry out the purposes of this memorandum.
     
             (b)  With respect to section 2(d) of this memorandum, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the heads of other agencies as appropriate, shall carry out the purposes of this memorandum.
     
             (c)  With respect to section 2(l)(i) of this memorandum, the Secretary of the Treasury shall engage as appropriate with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; with respect to section 2(l)(ii) of this memorandum, the Attorney General, in coordination with the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shall provide a written recommendation on the risk posed to United States investors based on the auditability, corporate oversight, and evidence of criminal or civil fraudulent behavior for all foreign adversary companies currently listed on domestic exchanges; and with respect to section 2(l)(iii) of this memorandum, the Secretary of Labor shall publish updated fiduciary standards under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 for investments in public market securities of foreign adversary companies.
     
             Sec. 4.  Definition.  For purposes of this memorandum, the term “foreign adversaries” includes the PRC, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macau Special Administrative Region; the Republic of Cuba; the Islamic Republic of Iran; the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; the Russian Federation; and the regime of Venezuelan politician Nicolás Maduro.
     
             Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

                      (i.) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

                      (ii.) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

             (b)  This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
     
             (c)  This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE executes federal search warrant at local rental equipment business

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SAN JUAN, P.R. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed a federal criminal search warrant at a local San Juan rental equipment business, Feb 21., as part of an ongoing ICE Homeland Security Investigations worksite enforcement criminal investigation targeting establishments allegedly involved in labor exploitation and the employment of undocumented aliens from Dominican Republic and Haiti.

    The ICE HSI-led immigration enforcement operation was supported by other federal agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Enforcement Removal Operations, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the FBI.

    During the search warrant, no arrests were conducted, however ICE HSI seized documents and digital media devices for evidence purposes. The documents included employment records, tax records, I-9 forms, bank statements, sales, and contracts information. The digital media devices included electronic equipment, such as cellular telephones and computers.

    ICE HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos said, “This investigation encompasses several aspects of our mission in Puerto Rico. We are not only enforcing immigration laws but also identifying any labor exploitation crimes including forced labor, a modality of human trafficking.”

    If you see Say Something, Say Something. Call ICE HSI Communication Center at 787-729-6969.

    Members of the public can follow us on X @HSISanJuan.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Diego Gang Member Sentenced in Organized Crime Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Odyssey Carrillo, a member of the Emerald Hills Bloods gang, was sentenced in federal court today to 168 months in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy involving coordinated violent crimes by street gangs.

    Carrillo is the ninth and final member of the conspiracy to be sentenced. He pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity and Hobbs Act Robbery. According to court documents, the crimes committed by the enterprise included armed robbery, sex trafficking, prostitution, violence and other profit-driven illegal activities.

    The defendants were charged with racketeering conspiracy – the statute’s original inspiration was to combat organized-crime syndicates and mobsters. But as criminal street gangs have become more sophisticated and prolific in their illicit business pursuits, this statute has become an effective tool to address all aspects of coordinated violent criminal conduct.

    Previously sentenced defendants include Jerome Brunson, Cedric Jordan, Stephen Nathaniel Calhoun, Jr., Carl Moore, Maurice Johnson, Dajay Leon Scott, Taashawn Henderson and Sergio Valentin Louden.

    In his plea agreement, Carrillo admitted that he joined the conspiracy that engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity that included robbery, prostitution and sex trafficking. Carrillo further admitted to committing racketeering activity himself, including two specific armed robberies.

    Carrillo, Calhoun and Moore admitted to participating in the January 19, 2019, armed robbery of San Carlos Jewelers in San Diego and the February 11, 2019, armed robbery of the Bert Levi Family Jewelers in San Diego.

    Calhoun also admitted to robbing the Medicine Shoppe in San Diego by gunpoint on May 20, 2019. Calhoun and Moore both admitted to being Lincoln Park Bloods (LPK) gang members; Carrillo admitted to being an Emerald Hills gang member, a Bloods-aligned street gang that often works cooperatively with LPK. Calhoun and Moore were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant to 176 months and 105 months in custody, respectively.

    According to their plea agreements, in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy, Jerome Brunson admitted to being an LPK member who participated in the November 19, 2019, armed robbery of a Jared’s jewelry store in National City. Judge Bashant sentenced Brunson to 57 months in custody. Dajay Scott and Sergio Louden admitted to being LPK members who robbed numerous women of their purses outside nail salons in January 2020. Judge Bashant sentenced Scott and Louden to 48 months and 72 months in custody, respectively.

    Cedric Jordan, Maurice Johnson, and Taashawn Henderson admitted to being LPK members who, during the course and in furtherance of the conspiracy, engaged in sex offenses related to sex trafficking and transportation for purposes of prostitution. Judge Bashant sentenced Jordan, Johnson, and Henderson to 63 months, 60 months, and 58 months in custody, respectively.

    “Every member of our community is put at risk when criminal street gangs engage in armed robberies, sex trafficking, and other violent criminal acts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “This case is the result of outstanding teamwork and collaboration between our local and federal law enforcement partners. We will continue to hold these violent groups accountable, using the RICO tools at our disposal, to bring justice to crime victims and to make our community safer.”

    “Today’s sentencing reflects the hard work, determination, and collaboration of multiple agencies to dismantle an organized crime conspiracy,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The violent crime and gang threats are too diverse, too dangerous, and too all-encompassing for any of us to tackle alone. FBI will continue to work with our partners to disrupt violent crime, human traffickers, and violent gangs whose criminal acts devastate our communities.”

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mario J. Peia, Katherine E. A. McGrath, and Matthew Brehm.

    DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number 21cr2909-BAS                           

    Jerome Brunson                                              Age: 27                                   San Diego, CA

    Cedric Jordan                                                  Age: 36                                   San Diego, CA

    Stephen Nathaniel Calhoun, Jr.                      Age: 24                                   San Diego, CA

    Carl Moore                                                      Age: 34                                   San Diego, CA

    Maurice Johnson                                             Age: 34                                   San Diego, CA

    Dajay Leon Scott                                            Age: 26                                   San Diego, CA

    Taashawn Henderson                                      Age: 29                                   San Diego, CA

    Sergio Valentin Louden                                  Age: 36                                   San Diego, CA

    Odyssey Carrillo                                             Age: 23                                   San Diego, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1962(d)

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

    Interference with Commerce by Robbery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1951

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

    Brandishing a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 924(c)

    Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a seven-year mandatory minimum and $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    San Diego Police Department

    San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force

    San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

    National City Police Department

    San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: O’Fallon, Missouri Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison on Child Sex Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a man who engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old that he met online and discussed sex with another 15-year-old to 25 years in prison.

    Andrew Haller, 34, met two 15-year-old girls on Tumblr before moving their conversations to the encrypted app Telegram.

    The 15-year-old California victim came forward in October of 2023 and told the FBI that Haller was sexually abusing another teen. She said Haller told her that he had imposed rules on the other victim, and proposed rules for the California victim. The rules included that she would have to ask his permission once a day to urinate, wear a collar and refer to him only as “Sir,” Dad” or “Daddy.” He also asked her for nude photos and sent her photos and videos of the other victim.

    After identifying Haller and performing a court-approved search of his home in November of 2023, the FBI identified that other victim. The victim told the FBI that she met Haller in person twice in 2023 and engaged in sexual activity. Haller struck her during the first visit and took pictures and videos of her, his plea says. He also told her he wanted to abuse children too young to talk or remember the abuse. She sent Haller sexually explicit photos at his direction.

    In a letter to the court, the second victim said Haller won her trust by claiming that he suffered mental illness, as she did. Then he began controlling her, making demands and ordering her to carve his initial into her thigh. “He wanted me to have kids so he could abuse them,” she wrote.

    Haller also possessed 195 images and 92 videos of known or suspected child sexual abuse material and sent that material to others via Telegram and Signal, another encrypted app, his plea says.

    Haller pleaded guilty in October to two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.

    The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ethete man sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment for second-degree murder

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Kevin Joseph Mendibles, 37, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison with five years of supervised release to follow for second-degree murder. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 19, in Casper. The court also ordered the defendant to pay $8,983.19 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.

    According to court documents, on Feb. 25, 2024, the BIA Wind River Police Department was dispatched to a residence in Ethete for a woman who had been beaten badly and was barely breathing. Upon arrival, officers found the victim in a room with multiple stab wounds, blunt force injuries, and lacerations. When EMTs arrived, she had no pulse and was declared deceased. The defendant was interviewed and initially denied involvement but stated the victim had given him a place to live. In a follow-up interview, Mendibles admitted he killed the victim by beating and stabbing her. Mendibles was indicted on May 16, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 26, 2024.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    Case No. 24-CR-00076

     

    MIL Security OSI –