Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Offshore Patrol Vessel Saksham made a port call at Antsiranana, Madagascar on March 18, 2025 as part of its overseas deployment to friendly countries in the Indian Ocean Region. During the visit, ICGS Saksham’s crew will engage with the Madagascar Coast Guard in joint training sessions and knowledge exchange programs focused on Marine Pollution Response (MPR), Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR), and Maritime Law Enforcement. The schedule includes cross-deck training, cultural engagements and friendly sporting events, further strengthening the camaraderie between the two maritime forces.
ICG personnel will also conduct specialised training on Marine MPR, focusing on handling oil spills, chemical spills and marine pollution incidents to enhance Madagascar’s preparedness for environmental emergencies. Additionally, 10 NCC cadets and 10 Assam Rifles personnel onboard the ship will participate in beach clean-up drives and awareness programs in collaboration with local youth organisations as part of the ‘Puneet Sagar Abhiyan’, reinforcing the importance of marine conservation.
ICGS Saksham’s visit to Madagascar aligns with India’s broader maritime vision, ‘SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region’, emphasising regional stability, security, and sustainability. The deployment reflects India’s proactive engagement with Indian Ocean nations, highlights its shipbuilding capabilities under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, and fosters stronger diplomatic & security ties.
BOSTON – A Boston area man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.
Jose Afonseca, 32, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 100 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In October 2024, Afonseca pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and dealing in firearms without a license.
According to court documents, Afonseca was identified as member of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston that uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect, and expand its territory, promote a climate of fear, and enhance its reputation. During the investigation, Afonseca worked with other Cameron Street members to distribute hundreds of grams of cocaine and cocaine base, more commonly referred to as “crack” cocaine, from a stash house in Somerville. Afonseca was also recorded discussing his ability to acquire illegal firearms and was recorded selling two firearms and over 30 rounds of ammunition to a cooperating witness.
On Aril 15, 2022, 398 grams of cocaine, along with packaging materials, two hydraulic presses, a digital scale, a cell phone, and $14,986 in U.S. currency were seized during a search of a stash house.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The remaining defendants named in the indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced Keith E. Sonderling as the 38th Deputy Secretary of Labor.
Sonderling returns to the department, where he served as Acting and Deputy Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division. He most recently served as the Commissioner of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity from 2020-2024.
During his first stint at the Department of Labor from 2017-2020, the Wage and Hour Division set records for enforcement collections and educational outreach events. Sonderling also oversaw the development and publication of large-scale deregulatory rules and authored numerous Opinion Letters, Field Assistance Bulletins, and All-Agency Memorandums. In addition, Sonderling was instrumental in developing the division’s first comprehensive self-audit program, which collected more than $7 million for nearly 11,000 workers.
“Keith’s institutional knowledge and policy expertise will continue to be invaluable in our fight to put the American Worker First,” Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said. “I’m thrilled to have him on the team and look forward to working alongside him to renew the American Dream.”
“Returning to the U.S. Department of Labor, where I began my career in government, is truly an honor,” said Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling. “In my new role, I am committed to helping Secretary Chavez-DeRemer in advancing President Trump’s labor agenda and most importantly putting American Workers first!”
Before entering government service, Sonderling was a partner at Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest law firms. There, he counseled employers and litigated labor and employment disputes. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Florida and a Juris Doctor at Nova Southeastern University. He has also been a Professional Lecturer in the Law at the George Washington University Law School, teaching employment discrimination.
Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) introduced the Protecting Americans’ Right to Silence (PARTS) Act to cut government red tape and ensure gun owners and businesses are not unfairly targeted by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The bill modernizes outdated federal regulations on firearm suppressors, providing much-needed clarity to manufacturers, retailers, and law-abiding gun owners.
Cassidy and Sheehy were joined by U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Ted Budd (R-NC), Jim Justice (R-WV), and John Cornyn (R-TX) in introducing the bill.
The ATF’s vague and outdated definition of “silencer” under the Gun Control Act could allow unelected bureaucrats to classify individual silencer components as regulated silencers, leading to unnecessary restrictions on gun owners and manufacturers. In 2023, the ATF issued guidance suggesting that even simple, unassembled parts could be considered regulated silencers—an overreach that threatens Second Amendment rights and stifles industry innovation.
The PARTS Act brings clarity to federal firearm regulations by:
Updating the definition of ‘silencer’ to focus on complete devices and a single principal component—similar to a firearm’s frame or receiver—rather than broad, vague terms like “combination of parts” or “any part intended only for use” in a silencer.
Ensuring gun owners can purchase replacement parts like wipes without burdensome ATF paperwork.
Preventing ATF from using subjective interpretation to unfairly target gun owners and businesses.
Background
Currently, outdated federal definitions could allow the ATF to classify individual silencer components as silencers themselves, leading to unnecessary regulatory burdens on manufacturers, retailers, and law-abiding gun owners. The PARTS Act would clarify that a silencer refers to a complete device or a single principal component, rather than an assortment of parts that could be used in its construction.
Additionally, the bill would streamline the purchase of consumable silencer parts, such as wipes, without requiring additional ATF paperwork, ensuring gun owners can properly maintain their lawfully owned suppressors.
The PARTS Act is supported by the Silencer Shop, American Suppressor Association, National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, and Firearm Regulatory Accountability Coalition.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a single-count indictment against Brandon Chanell Joyner, 28, of Columbia, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that on July 18, 2023, Joyner possessed a firearm after having been convicted of a felony. On that date, Joyner was arrested on state charges from a shooting incident near Stoneridge Drive and Greystone Boulevard in Columbia that involved a significant law enforcement response from multiple agencies.
Joyner has previous felony convictions that prevent him from lawfully possessing a firearm. He is currently detained awaiting trial for the state charges related to the incident. He is only charged federally with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Joyner faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Columbia Police Department and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sanford is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 81 illegal aliens during an enhanced targeted enforcement operation March 10 to 14 which included multiple federal law enforcement agencies in Kentucky, with 25 of the aliens charged with criminal offenses including illegal reentry, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal possession of controlled substances.
Illegal aliens who were not charged criminally will be held in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
Arrests included illegal aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, India and Palau.
Among those arrested during the operation include:
A 35-year-old citizen of Honduras charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and illegal reentry.
A 50-year-old citizen of Mexico charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
A 30-year-old citizen of Mexico charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
A 45-year-old citizen of Guatemala convicted of domestic violence conviction, public intoxication, driving without a license, and DUI.
A 44-year-old citizen of India convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor, intimidation, and battery.
A 28 -year-old citizen of Mexico charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
A 32-year-old citizen of Mexico convicted of drug trafficking, possession of multiple firearms with machine gun conversion devices who is charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and illegal reentry.
“Public safety relies on the expertise of ICE officers who are able to coordinate across federal agencies to accomplish these arrests,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago Field Office Director Sam Olson. “Operations that lead to the arrest and detention of alien offenders can be complex and may, at times, prove to be challenging. Our agency is more than capable to meet those challenges. I’m grateful for all our federal partners here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and we are committed, as a united group, to removing individuals from our communities who pose a threat to public safety and national security.”
Partner law enforcement participating in the operation included the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Criminal charges by indictment or criminal complaint are pursued by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Kentucky and the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community on X at @EROChicago.
Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
HOUSTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) introduced the Protecting Americans Right to Silence (PARTS) Act, which would modernize the definition of “silencer” to ensure gun owners can safely exercise their Second Amendment rights without fear of criminalization:
“No law-abiding American should have their Second Amendment rights violated because of outdated language or bureaucratic red tape,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This commonsense bill would modernize the definition of a firearm silencer, and I’m glad to support it.”
The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Ted Budd (R-NC), and Jim Justice (R-WV).
Background:
The current definition of “silencer” under the Gun Control Act could be interpreted to classify each individual component of a silencer as a silencer itself, leading to potential overreach through unconstitutional rulemaking. The Protecting Americans Right to Silence (PARTS) Act would redefine the term “silencer” to focus on complete devices and a single principal component — similar to a firearm’s frame or receiver — rather than broad terms like “combination of parts” or “any part intended only for use” in a silencer. The bill would also streamline the purchase of consumable silencer parts, such as wipes, without requiring additional paperwork from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The bill is supported by Silencer Shop, American Suppressor Association, National Rifle Association (NRA), National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, and Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with support from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, arrested 31 illegal aliens March 9 during a targeted enforcement operation in the San Juan area.
The multi-agency operation took place at an illegal cockfight location. Three of the arrested were charged for criminal activity.
All the illegal aliens are in ICE custody pending removal.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Juan Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos said: “This operation is part of ongoing enforcement under the Presidential Executive Order, to combat illegal immigration across Puerto Rico. Local enforcement partnerships are key to fulfill our mission of keeping our communities safe.”
ICE is focused on public safety and national security threats. Individuals illegally present in the United States who are encountered during an enforcement operation may be taken into custody and processed for removal as stated by law.
Members of the public with information can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE HSI mission to increase public safety in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on X at @HSISanJuan.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
HOUSTON – A total of 245 new cases have been filed in the last week related to immigration and border security, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Of those, 115 are charged with illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses. A total 118 face charges of illegally entering the country, 10 cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and assault of federal officers.
Of those facing allegations of illegally re-entering the country is Santos Demetrio Marquez-Hernandez from El Salvador. The criminal complaint indicates he has a felony conviction of contact with a minor with sexual intent and was removed just over two months ago on Jan. 8. He could receive up to 20 years in U.S. prison.
Juan Daniel Pena and Jose Cristian Cantu Jr. were also arrested this week for attempting to smuggle 15 aliens through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. The charges allege the aliens, who were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Vietnam, were hidden inside two trucks being hauled on a flatbed trailer. Five of the illegal aliens were allegedly previously ordered removed from the United States and are now facing their own charges of illegal reentry into the United States.
Relevant cases also featured this week include an Arkansas man who was found guilty of transporting illegal aliens in a truck’s wheel well and fuel tank. The jury deliberated for under 30 minutes following a less than two-day trial before finding Noel Mercado guilty on two counts of alien smuggling. An x-ray scan revealed at least two individuals in the truck’s wheel wells – found bolted inside modified wheel well compartments. Law enforcement also discovered two more individuals in the auxiliary fuel tank below the truck bed. All four were illegal aliens from the countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala with no authority to be in the United States.
Among those charged this week also includes Gerardo Hervey Rodriguez-Toscano, a Mexican citizen who allegedly ran up the Mexican side of the Hidalgo port of entry and attempted to evade U.S. law enforcement at the midpoint. Authorities were able to detain him, but after a struggle, according to the allegations. One officer allegedly suffered injuries to his wrist, knee and elbow. If convicted, Rodriguez-Toscano faces up to eight years in prison.
In addition, a Honduran man attempted to enter the country illegally by pretending to be a minor. Elger Fabricio Cotto-Navarro claimed he was born in May 2007, when he was actually born the previous year. He initially denied the allegations and made a written statement as such, but ultimately acknowledged he was an adult and that he provided an incorrect date of birth and made false statements.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 215 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 10 through March 13.
In Austin, several individuals were charged with illegal reentry after deportation, after being found in local area jails. Among those were Ricardo Hernandez-Hernandez, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States to Mexico on two prior occasions and had been convicted of indecency with a child sexual contact and failure to register as a sex offender; Andres Garcia-Saldana, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States on four occasions and had been convicted of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and driving while intoxicated three times—the third time being a felony conviction; Hernan Vasquez-Medina, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States three times before and had been convicted of making a terroristic threat and driving while intoxicated three times—like Garcia-Saldana, Vasquez-Medina’s third DWI was charged as a felony as well; and JaimeRicardo Lopez-Rojas, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States a total eight times and had been convicted of illegal entry twice, illegal reentry after deportation four times, driving while intoxicated three times, and family violence assault causing bodily injury.
In the Midland-Odessa area, two individuals with prior federal convictions were found in local area jails and were charged with illegal entry after deportation. Mexican national Saul Villalobos-Vasquez was allegedly removed from the United States once before and convicted in the Eastern District of Texas for unauthorized use of a social security number for which he had been sentenced to 12-months imprisonment in 2016. Daniel Olivas-Nieto, also a Mexican national, had been allegedly removed from the United States and was previously convicted in the Western District of Texas for the illegal transportation of aliens for financial gain, for which he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with law enforcement partners from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, apprehended 24 illegal aliens in Charlotte during an enhanced targeted enforcement operation which ran March 1 to 8.
Charges from those arrested included:
13 aggravated felonies or other violent offenses.
Three illegal firearms or weapons offenses.
Two MS-13 gang member affiliation cases.
One assault on a federal officer.
Five property crimes.
11 DWI charges.
Of these criminal aliens, six had active immigration detainers which the Charlotte Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Office had not honored. There are 18 additional targeted aliens still at large who also had detainers that were not honored. ICE has been unable to locate those individuals, and they remain at large and pose a potential danger to the community. These aliens could have been safely and efficiently transferred into ICE custody if their detainers had been honored.
ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that protects the U.S. homeland through the arrest and removal of those individuals who compromise the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws.
Entering the United States without authorization is a violation of federal law, and those who do so may be subject to administrative arrest and, in some cases, criminal prosecution.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROAtlanta.
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing a new Central Sector Sub-scheme namely the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) under the ongoing Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for a period of four years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27 at an estimated outlay of ₹6000 crore.
Under PM-MKSSY, the Sub-scheme provides support for: (i) formalization of the unorganized part of fisheries sector by providing work based digital identity to fishers, fish farmers and other stakeholders through National Fisheries Digital Platform (ii) facilitating access to institutional credit, (iii) incentive for adoption of aquaculture insurance by providing ‘one-time incentive’ to the farmers by providing 40% of the premium (up to ₹25,000 per hectare, or ₹1 lakh per farmer for 4 hectares, SC/ST and women beneficiaries get an additional 10% incentive (iv) improvement of fisheries value-chain efficiencies under component 2 through Performance grant for a Microenterprise i.e. 25% of the total investment or Rs.35 lakhs, whichever is lower, for General Category and 35% of total investment or Rs.45 lakhs, whichever is lower, for SC, ST and Women owned microenterprises. In addition, Performance Grant for Village Level Organizations and Federations of SHGs, FFPOs and Cooperatives shall not exceed 35% of total investment or Rs.200 lakhs, whichever is lower and for establishment of supply chains of safe fish products to consumers under Component 3 through Performance grant for a Small and Microenterprise i.e. 25% of the total investment or Rs.35 lakhs, whichever is lower for microenterprise and 25% of total investment or ₹75 lakhs, whichever is lower for small enterprise for General Category and 35% of total investment or Rs.45 lakhs, whichever is lower for microenterprise and 35% of total investment or ₹100 lakhs, whichever is lower, for SC, ST and Women for small enterprise. In addition, Performance Grant for Village Level Organizations and Federations of SHGs, FFPOs and Cooperatives shall not exceed 35% of total investment or Rs.200 lakhs, whichever is lower. Along with this, PM-MKSSY aims to provide an amount of Rs.10,000 and Rs.15,000 per year for creation and maintenance of jobs for a men and woman respectively subject to the limit of 50% of total eligible grant.
Further, The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying has launched National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP) under PM-MKSSY on 11.09.2024. The NFDP aims at formalization of the Indian fisheries and aquaculture sector through creation of work-based digital identity and the database for all stakeholders in fisheries sector. It also serves as ‘one-stop’ solution for access to institutional credit, strengthening of fisheries co-operatives, incentivizing aquiculture insurance, performance-based incentives, fisheries’ traceability systems and training and capacity building. Till date, 20,25,676 fishers, fish farmers and other stakeholders have registered on NFDP including 209850 registrations from Andhra Pradesh. The registrations include 56,165 Women beneficiaries, 8374 SC beneficiaries and 5075 ST beneficiaries. The district-wise details are furnished at Annexure-I.
Under the NFDP, the module for aquaculture insurance, credit Facilitation, performance grant, traceability and training and capacity building has been developed and made live. The beneficiary can login to the NFDP portal and apply for availing the benefit. As on date, 286 lead applications for Aquaculture Insurance including 13 applications from Andhra Pradesh have been submitted by the beneficiaries covering 716 hectare farms and the same have been forwarded to the insurance companies on the portal. Further, 8 applications for Performance Grant including 6 applications under component 2 and 2 applications under component 3 have been received under PM-MKSSY. As of now, no applications have been received from Andhra Pradesh for Performance Grant.
Annexure-I
District-wise details of registrations under National Fisheries Digital Platform in Andhra Pradesh
Name of the District
No. of Female registrations
No. of Male registrations
Total registrations
SC registrations
ST registrations
Alluri Sitharama Raju
57
364
421
25
140
Anakapalli
305
1126
1431
18
47
Anantapur
291
1692
1983
183
47
Annamayya
8
150
158
8
17
Bapatla
990
2076
3066
43
125
Chittoor
684
928
1612
224
138
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema
4299
6363
10662
90
6
East Godavari
12380
35557
47937
340
174
Eluru
619
1352
1971
308
28
Guntur
1574
7745
9319
658
807
Krishna
11406
20778
32184
2202
594
Kurnool
373
3450
3823
363
90
Nandyal
63
327
390
17
16
NTR
193
362
555
122
24
Palnadu
42
254
296
59
126
Parvathipuram Manyam
73
617
690
34
338
Prakasam
1952
7687
9639
305
212
Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore
3195
10355
13550
743
1058
Sri Sathya Sai
51
606
657
38
15
Srikakulam
8547
17094
25641
65
64
Tirupati
572
2692
3264
241
287
Visakhapatnam
5434
19673
25107
172
210
Vizianagaram
1457
3547
5004
98
343
West Godavari
1495
8514
10009
1944
96
Y.S.R. Kadapa
105
376
481
74
73
Total
56165
153685
209850
8374
5075
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 18th March, 2025.
MEASURES TO PREVENT DRUG ABUSE AND COMBAT ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE
Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:26PM by PIB Delhi
To address the problem of Drug Abuse, Government has formulated and implemented the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) under which the Government is taking a sustained and coordinated action for arresting the problem of substance abuse. This includes:
Launched Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) in all districts of the country through more than 10000 master volunteers. It has reached out to more-than 14.79 crore people including 4.96 crore youth and 2.97 crore women.
350 Integrated Rehabilitation Centers for Addicts (IRCAs) are supported by the Government to provide treatment for the drug victims, preventive education, awareness generation, motivational counseling, detoxification/de-addiction, after care and re-integration into the social mainstream.
46 Community based Peer led Intervention (CPLI) Centers supported by the Government focuses on vulnerable and at risk children and adolescents.
74 Outreach and Drop In Centers (ODICs) supported by the Government provide safe and secure space for treatment, rehabilitation, screening, assessment, counseling, referral, linkage for treatment and rehabilitation services for substance users.
142 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) has been established in Government hospitals through All India Institute of Medical science (AIIMS), New Delhi.
124 District De-addiction Centres (DDACs) which provides all three facilities provided by IRCA, ODIC and CPLI under one roof have been set up so far.
A Toll-free Helpline for de-addiction, 14446 is operated for providing primary counseling and immediate assistance to persons seeking help.
Government through its autonomous body National Institute of Social Defense (NISD) and other collaborating agencies like State Counsel of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, etc. provides for regular awareness generation and sensitization sessions for all stakeholders including students, teachers, parents.
Navchetna Modules, teachers training modules have been developed by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) for sensitizing students (6th – 11th standard), teachers and parents on drug dependence, related coping strategies and life skills.
As per latest data published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) pertaining to the year 2022; Drug-wise seizures under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act during 2018 to 2022 is at Annexure-I.
The Government made various efforts to tackle the illegal drug trade in border areas, some of which are as under: –
A 4-tier Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) mechanism for ensuring better coordination between Central & State Drug Law Enforcement Agencies and other stakeholders in the field of controlling drug trafficking and drug abuse in India has been established. An all-in-one NCORD portal has been developed for information related to drug law enforcement.
A dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) headed by Additional Director General/ Inspector General level Police Officer has been established in each State/ Union Territory to function as the NCORD Secretariat for the State/ Union Territory and follow-up on compliance of decisions taken in NCORD meetings at different levels.
To monitor the investigation of important and significant seizures, a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) under the Chairmanship of Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been set up.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been empowered under NDPS Act, 1985 in the year 2020 for investigation of narco-terrorism cases.
Border Guarding Forces (Border Security Force, Assam Rifles and Sashastra Seema Bal) have been empowered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 to carry out search, seizure and arrest for illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs at international border. Further, Railway Protection Force (RPF) has also been empowered under NDPS Act to check drug trafficking along the railway routes.
Narcotics Control Bureau coordinates with other agencies like, Navy, Coast Guard, Border Security Force, State ANTF, etc. to conduct joint operations to control the drug trafficking.
A high level dedicated group has been created in National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in November 2022 to analyze the drug trafficking through maritime routes, challenges and solutions (Maritime Security Group – NSCS).
Director General Level Talks are organized with neighboring and other countries such as Myanmar, Iran, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Singapore, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, etc. to resolve various issues on drug trafficking having international implications.
As a part of international co-operation, India has signed Bilateral Agreements with 27 countries, Memorandum of Understanding with 16 countries and Agreements on Security Cooperation with 02 countries for combating illicit trafficking of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) and Chemical Precursors as well as related offences.
India is closely associated with International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and all its programs viz. PEN (Pre-Export Notification), PICS (Precursors Incident Communication System), and IONICS (International Operations on New Psychoactive Substances Incident Communication System).
Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) co-ordinates with various international organizations such as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation- Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (SAARC-SDOMD), Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS), Colombo Plan, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD), Bay of Bengal Initiative For Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-Operation (BIMSTEC), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),
International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), etc. for sharing information and intelligence to combat trans-national drug trafficking.
NCB India takes part in real-time information sharing with various Drug Liaison Officers of other countries such as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) of the United States of America, the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of Canada, Australian Federal Police (AFP) of Australia, Office Anti-Stupefiants (OFAST) of France, etc for operational and intelligence information.
This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
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Released 17/03/2025
Six local emergency service members have been recognised for their contributions to the Canberra community, with each receiving an ACT Community Protection Medal at a ceremony today.
The Community Protection Medal was established in 2002 to acknowledge police and emergency services members who have made sustained and distinguished or outstanding service to the community.
The medals are awarded each year, with Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Dr Marisa Paterson presenting medals to the recipients during a ceremony at Regatta Point today.
Minister Paterson said that these six recipients embodied the best of our emergency service staff and volunteers.
“I’m deeply impressed by the unwavering dedication of the people in these agencies in ensuring the safety and well-being of our community,” said Dr. Paterson.
“Today’s award recipients are being acknowledged for their excellence in training, response, membership, and health and wellbeing, and they should all should be very proud of their work.”
“They are true examples of the outstanding individuals within our emergency services. In times of crisis, they are the people who step up. We have seen this recently with our personnel heading to Queensland.”
“We also extend our gratitude to the families for their ongoing support. The commitment, the deployments, and the overnight and public holiday shifts is what allows us to live in a safe and secure city.”
“To the six award recipients, on behalf of the ACT community and the ACT Government, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and thank you for your service.”
The six recipients of the 2024 ACT Community Protection Medal are:
Michael Caldwell, ACT Ambulance Service
In recognition of his commitment to the provision and improvement of professional pre-hospital emergency services within the ACT Ambulance Service Communication Centre. During his 14-year career with the Service, Michael has progressed through the Communications Centre as a call taker, to now being the Coordination Officer. His leadership and experience has assisted in building the knowledge of the team around him, ensuring the Canberra community have call-takers who can respond effectively in times of need.
Commander Guy Cassis, ACT Fire and Rescue
In recognition of his distinguished and outstanding contribution to community safety through the awareness and promotion of firefighter health, safety and wellbeing. Throughout his 22-year career, Commander Cassis has dedicated his time, over and above that required of his regular duties, to develop and improve process and procedure around firefighter safety, including being a Peer Support Officer and Health and Safety Representative.
Mr Colin Dawes, ACT Emergency Services Agency
In recognition of his leadership within ESA for almost 20 years. Whether an emergency event or day-to-day operations, Colin consistently provides outstanding service, working tirelessly to deliver aid and support to the Services as they respond and help the community. During the most recent emergency events of fire, smoke, storm, and the pandemic, Colin proved himself to be an adaptable, reliable, competent, and compassionate leader, colleague, and mentor.
Detective Sergeant Lauren Gilliland, ACT Policing
In recognition of her sustained distinguished and outstanding service to the ACT community over the past 15 years as an extremely highly regarded and effective police officer, instructor, mentor, and role model. Detective Sergeant Gilliland’s work has revolutionised the delivery of training and investigations into sexual offences and child abuse in the ACT and is now recognised internationally as best practice. Detective Sergeant Gilliland has had a major positive contribution to the lives of numerous victims in Canberra and is an exemplary police officer in every regard.
Commander Adam Hartnett, ACT State Emergency Service
Adam has significantly increased membership participation and ensured robust ready team for emergency callouts. His active participation in all aspects of the SES, from frontline operations to training and community engagement exemplifies his commitment to service. Adam has fostered a culture of preparedness and resilience, ensuring his team is always ready to provide critical assistance to the ACT community during storms, floods and land searches.
Ms Nicola Lewis, ACT Rural Fire Service
In recognition of her sustained service to training and recruitment across the ACT Rural Fire Service. For the past 15 years Nicola has provided outstanding service to individual and collective training, recruitment, and provided administration and operational support to the Service. During her service, Nicola has served as the Gungahlin Brigade Training Coordinator and has coordinated 10 firefighter courses. She has also been the lead assessor across courses and her knowledge and wisdom will shape the next generation of firefighters within the ACT Community.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – Amid Sunshine Week, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), is highlighting the historic scale of his recent oversight work, which secured victories for national security, government transparency, health care and more.
Grassley in the 118th Congress sent over 600 oversight letters to federal, state and private sector entities, as well as all 74 Offices of the Inspector General and the Office of Special Counsel – sending more oversight letters over the past two years than in any Congress prior. Grassley’s oversight – a hallmark of his time in public service – inspired bipartisan laws and prompted action from numerous federal agencies to address government waste, fraud and abuse.
“The Framers of our Constitution tasked Congress with conducting oversight as part of our system of checks and balances. I take this constitutional responsibility very seriously, and always have,” Grassley said. “My oversight and investigations help ensure the government is a service to the people of Iowa and the American taxpayer. I’m proud of the work I’ve done to safeguard our national security, improve health care outcomes, protect patriotic whistleblowers and hold agencies’ feet to the fire. I’m keeping my nose to the grindstone this Congress as I continue fighting for a more transparent and accountable government.”
Grassley gave an overview of his oversight achievements in a speech on the Senate floor. He noted: “We’re [now] in the 119th Congress. As this Congress gets underway, I have become Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. My oversight is already full-speed-ahead, and I look forward to what the next couple of years produce.”
Highlights of Grassley Oversight in the 118th Congress
Digging into agency mismanagement | Grassley:
Unveiled the “most detailed picture” of the Secret Service’s communication failures leading up to the first assassination attempt against President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General opened a formal review into the Secret Service just hours after receiving a request from Grassley to do so. Grassley’s request ultimately resulted in five ongoing reviews into the Secret Service’s protection processes.
Shone light on inappropriate expenditures billed to the Environmental Protection Agency under the guise of “environmental justice.”
Revealed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) misclassified employees as law enforcement, an illegal practice that cost taxpayers billions.
Demanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) come clean on its failure to investigate child sex crimes and crack down on sexual misconduct among its workforce, including questionable disciplinary patterns allowing wrongdoers to evade accountability.
Spearheaded efforts to root out partisan bias at the FBI, stop the weaponization of government against law-abiding Americans for their religious faith and expose bureaucratic sabotage of congressional oversight.
Built on his yearslong oversight of the Pentagon by crafting a bipartisan measure to ensure the U.S. Armed Forces identify items the Defense Department (DOD) could produce itself through reverse engineering. Grassley’s bill, introduced with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.
Exposed U.S. Attorney David Weiss for lacking the authorities then-Attorney General Merrick Garland publicly asserted Weiss had to fully prosecute the Hunter Biden case. Grassley further exposed, through legally protected whistleblower disclosures, that the FBI had dozens of sources who provided potentially criminal information relating to the Biden family.
Protecting whistleblowers | Grassley:
Forced the ATF, Executive Office of Immigration Review and Internal Revenue Service to update its nondisclosure agreements with language informing whistleblowers of their rights.
Demanded all Offices of Inspectors General review their parent agency’s whistleblower protection measures to ensure federal agencies maintain lawful anti-gag provisions.
Unanimously passed a resolution and delivered remarks celebrating National Whistleblower Appreciation Day.
Supporting crime victims | Grassley:
Shone a light on Credit Suisse’s failure to disclose Nazi-linked accounts the bank historically serviced. Credit Suisse reinitiated an internal investigation of the accounts thanks to Grassley’s probing.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a global Jewish human rights organization, recognized Grassley for his work to right historic wrongs.
At Grassley’s request, Argentinian President Javier Milei has agreed to cooperate with the investigation to provide Argentine-based records related to Credit Suisse’s use of Nazi “ratlines.”
Secured a Government Accountability Office study of the Justice Department (DOJ)’s Crime Victims Fund to ensure DOJ doesn’t squander money intended to support victims of crime. The DOJ Office of Inspector General opened its own audit following Grassley’s oversight.
Cracking down on Biden border chaos | Grassley:
Spurred a federal investigation into potential trafficking of unaccompanied migrant children. Homeland Security Investigations followed up on 102 investigative targets Grassley identified.
Brought Health and Human Services (HHS) whistleblowers before a congressional panel to expose the abuse they witnessed in HHS’ Unaccompanied Children program.
Earned recognition as “the only person in a position of power” who exhibited consistent dedication to addressing government-funded migrant child trafficking.
Called on dozens of federal contractors and grantees to account for what actions they’ve taken to safeguard unaccompanied migrant children in their care.
Brought Customs and Border Protection whistleblowers before a congressional panel to discuss the government’s unlawful refusal to collect DNA from all individuals encountered at the border.
Advancing life-saving health care reforms | Grassley:
Championed a bipartisan law to reform the U.S. organ transplant system for the first time in four decades. The Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act ensures the best-qualified contractors manage and operate nationwide organ donations and placements, providing patients with the highest-quality care and ensuring generous donations are used to save lives.
The nonpartisan Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy recognized Grassley and his bipartisan colleagues for their work to “[achieve] the best outcome for the American people.”
Spearheaded a bipartisan investigation with then-Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) into private equity ownership of hospital systems that operate across the country, including in Iowa. Grassley and Whitehouse pulled back the curtain on access and quality changes that had occurred at hospital systems purchased by private equity.
Cutting off resources to Mexican drug cartels | Grassley:
Published a detailed report revealing federal agencies’ decades-long failure to conduct oversight of U.S. resources sent to Mexico, allowing taxpayer dollars to fall into the hands of cartels and fuel drug trafficking operations.
Informed by his report, Grassley authored bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve intercountry drug destruction efforts. The bill passed the House of Representatives last Congress.
Exposed how Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) loopholes enable drug cartels to transport illicit drugs on U.S. registered planes. Grassley’s bipartisan bill to close FAA’s loopholes was signed into law as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On March 13, 2025, a federal grand jury returned four separate indictments against Brown Brotherhood Gang Members Leo Alphonzo Alonso-Medina, 32, of Vallejo; Jeremiah I’amafana Salanoa, 22, of Vallejo; Doroteo Suastegui, 47, of Vallejo; and Carlos Osvaldo Higuera-Aldana, 22, of Dixon, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, the Brown Brotherhood gang is a subset of the Sureño gang and has been a frequent target of investigations of the Vallejo Police Department and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. The primary criminal activities of this gang have included murder, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, burglary, and stolen vehicles. The current investigation began in February 2024 and led to searches and arrests on Feb. 27, 2025. FBI agents and task force officers arrested these four members of the Brown Brotherhood gang on that day for federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Contraband seized from search warrants executed on Feb. 27, 2025.
The indictment against Leo Alphonzo Alonso-Medina charges counts of distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine, unlawful dealing in firearms, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, Alonso-Medina faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
The indictment against Jeremiah I’amafana Salanoa charges three counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, Salanoa faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
The indictment against Doroteo Suastegui charges counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and unlawful dealing in firearms. If convicted, Suastegui faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
Finally, the indictment against Carlos Osvaldo Higuera-Aldana charges three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, Higuera-Aldana faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
These cases are the product of investigations by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fairfield Police Department, the Vacaville Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, and the Solano County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, R. Alex Cárdenas, and Adrian Kinsella are prosecuting these four federal cases.
Any sentence imposed would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
Legislation would help address gun violence epidemic by tackling proliferation of machine gun conversion devices and seizing profits from illegal weapons trafficking
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and 11 of their colleagues introduced legislation to combat the trafficking and proliferation of dangerous gun conversion devices. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act would help tackle the ongoing gun violence epidemic by requiring federal law enforcement to coordinate efforts to prevent the importation and trafficking of ‘auto-sears’ — illegal gun modification devices that can convert semi-automatic weapons into fully-automatic weapons — and seize all profits that come from the illegal trafficking of these devices. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is led by Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL) and Hank Johnson (D-GA).
“We must address the alarming prevalence of gun conversion devices that can turn ordinary hand guns into automatic weapons. These devices that can be easily 3-D printed or cheaply purchased online have devastating consequences for public safety,” said Klobuchar. “By preventing the importation and trafficking of these deadly devices and by stopping traffickers from profiting from illegal sales, this legislation will help keep our communities safe and save lives.”
“Law enforcement must do more to protect our communities from gun violence by stopping the flow of illegal gun modification devices into and throughout our country,” said Peters. “This bill will enhance coordination across law enforcement agencies to prevent these dangerous and deadly devices from being used.”
“Congress has an obligation to do everything we can to make our communities safer from gun violence,” said Rep. Casten. “This epidemic needs to be addressed head-on and that includes the proliferation of illegal gun conversion. Devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to be easily converted into fully automatic weapons should not be readily accessible. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Rep. Johnson, Sen. Klobuchar, and Sen. Peters to prevent the importation and trafficking of these dangerous modifications.”
“Auto-sears and other gun conversion devices are making the gun violence epidemic in the U.S. that much worse,” said Rep. Johnson. “The dramatic rise in the use of conversion devices and 3-D printed guns in crimes must be addressed. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act will give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on and confiscate these dangerous devices. We in Congress must do what we can to keep our communities safe, and this bill helps us address this growing menace.”
The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act is cosponsored by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), Duckworth (D-IL), Durbin (D-IL), Heinrich (D-NM), Hirono (D-HI), Markey (D-MA), Padilla (D-CA), Shaheen (D-NH), Smith (D-MN), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Wyden (D-OR). It has been endorsed by GIFFORDS and Brady: United Against Gun Violence.
“Auto sears and other machine gun conversion devices make deadly weapons more lethal,” said Emma Brown, Executive Director at GIFFORDS. “These illegal devices, which are increasingly recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes, pose an urgent public safety risk that Congress must address. Senator Klobuchar’s bill helps to intercept these devices before they fall into the hands of those who wish to do harm, and drives attention to a developing issue for communities and law enforcement. We urge Congress to take action to help keep these dangerous weapons off the streets.”
“Conversion devices are an all too common means of illegally converting semiautomatic firearms into machine guns,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady: United Against Gun Violence. “Such firearms are being recovered by law enforcement at a staggering rate, with a nearly 570% increase between 2011 and 2021. Providing law enforcement with the resources to stem the flow of illegally trafficked machine gun conversion devices must be a top priority for Congress. The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act will help law enforcement agencies coordinate efforts to crack down on these dangerous, and illegal devices. Brady is proud to endorse this bill and thanks Sen. Klobuchar for her dedication to protecting Americans and communities across the country from the proliferation of illegal machine guns.”
The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act of 2025 would:
Direct the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of the Treasury to develop a coordinated national strategy to prevent or intercept the importation and trafficking of automatic gun conversion devices;
Ensure that proceeds from the illegal trafficking of automatic gun devices are subject to forfeiture; and
Require that the Attorney General include data and information about illegal gun modification devices in the Justice Department’s annual firearms trafficking report.
Auto-sears and other gun conversion devices can be installed in about a minute, and 3-D printed or purchased online for less than $20. An investigation by The Trace and VICE News found that federal prosecutions involving gun conversion devices have increased over eight-fold from 2017-2021. Additionally the investigation reported that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) seized 1,500 weapons modified with auto sears in 2021, a five-fold increase from the year before.
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Jonen Castillo (24, Orlando) to two years in federal prison for smuggling goods from the United States. The court also ordered Castillo to forfeit two Glock pistols, which were involved in the offense. Castillo entered a guilty plea on November 25, 2024.
According to court records, in June 2023, Castillo concealed five firearms and nine firearm magazines inside record players and mailed them to a friend residing in Canada.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
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.
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kimberly Rosetta Logan, 48, of Beckley, was sentenced today to two years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl. Logan admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 10, 2024, Logan sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant at her residence in Beckley. Logan admitted to the transaction and to distributing additional amounts of fentanyl and cocaine to other individuals while using some herself throughout May 2024. Logan ordered an average of 8 grams of fentanyl and 4 grams of cocaine per week from her Beckley-based supplier by phone during that time period, receiving the controlled substances at her residence.
Logan has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions including for battery, obstruction of an officer, numerous shoplifting offenses, and controlled substances offenses.
Logan is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. All 12 have pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
MIAMI – Carlos Abreu, 36, of Sunrise, Fla., has pleaded guilty in two consolidated federal cases (24cr60155 and 25cr60015) to the following charges: (1) falsely claiming United States citizenship to register to vote; (2) using a United States citizen’s name to vote; (3) possessing firearms as an alien without lawful status; (4) making false statements in support of a passport application; and (5) aggravated identity theft.
According to the two factual proffers, Abreu entered the United States without inspection and, in 2007, assumed the identity of the victim, “C.R.V.” Between 2007 and his August 2024 arrest, Abreu held himself out as “C.R.V.” to Federal, state, and local government agencies. The victim, “C.R.V.,” is a United States citizen living in Puerto Rico who did not know Abreu.
Abreu obtained a Florida driver’s license in 2007. He registered to vote under the name “C.R.V.” in 2016, and renewed his registration in 2020. He admitted to voting in federal elections in 2016 and 2022. Abreu also admitted to obtaining a Florida concealed carry permit in “C.R.V.’s” name and purchasing four firearms. Abreu also conceded that, in 2021, he had attempted to obtain U.S. passports for his two minor daughters as well as himself, using “C.R.V.’s” name and personal identifying information, all without lawful authorization.
Abreu is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2025, before U.S. District Judge David S. Leibowitz. Abreu faces up to fifteen years on the gun possession count, ten years on the passport counts, five years on the voting counts, and a mandatory minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Conklin of the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
DSS’ Miami Field Office investigated the case. The DSS San Juan Resident Office in Puerto Rico and ATF Miami provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brianna Coakley and Daniel Rosenfeld are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadya Z. Cheatham is handling asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 24-cr-60155 and 25-cr-60015.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
An Iowa woman who illegally possessed a sawed-off shotgun and shared multiple guns with her husband, a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms, was sentenced March 14, 2025, to 42 months’ imprisonment.
Sarah Kay Johnson, age 38, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 17, 2024 guilty plea to possession of a national firearms destructive device not registered to possessor.
In October 2023, law enforcement officers traffic stopped Ian Jon Duffy, Johnson’s then boyfriend, due to concerns about his wellbeing. At that time, he possessed multiple loaded firearms. Duffy had a prior domestic abuse conviction which prohibited him from possessing firearms. After the traffic stop, Duffy had Johnson obtain a Glock handgun for him. At this time, Duffy was also prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a felony conviction. Johnson obtained several firearms that she shared with Duffy in their residence, including a sawed-off shotgun.
Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Johnson was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Cedar Falls Police Department.
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.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Mexican man convicted of Illegal Reentry after Deportation. The sentencing took place on March 10, 2025.
Jose Jimenez, a/k/a Jose Lidio Chavez Flores, 42, was sentenced to two months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Jimenez was also ordered to be removed from the United States.
Jimenez was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Illegal Reentry after Deportation by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025.
On November 8, 2024, in Rapid City, South Dakota, law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle Jimenez was driving. Instead of stopping, Jimenez led law enforcement on a pursuit. Once stopped, law enforcement located a semi-automatic rifle in a rear seat of the vehicle. Jimenez is not a United States citizen, and he has been removed from the United States to Mexico on two previous occasions. Jimenez had not obtained consent to reenter the United States from the U.S. Attorney General or the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Jimenez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Davonta D. Brogdon, 32, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 150 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine as a part of a larger drug trafficking operation in Harrison County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Brogdon, also known as “Zone” and “Tay,” was one of the main conspirators, transporting large quantities of controlled substances from Detroit to Clarksburg, West Virginia. During one of Brogdon’s trips, a traffic stop recovered 443 grams of methamphetamine and more than 50 grams of fentanyl. Brogdon also recruited others to assist in the operation.
Brogdon will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie Utt prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Naseem Rashidi Clouden, 23, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 13 by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 121 months in prison and five years of supervised release for one count of carjacking and one count of carrying and using a firearm during, and in relation to, the commission of a crime of violence.
Clouden was indicted on those violations in January of 2023. He pleaded guilty in November of 2024, admitting to carjacking a woman who was sitting in her mother’s Toyota Camry at approximately 8 p.m. on November 3, 2022, in Philadelphia. As part of his plea, the defendant also admitted that a firearm was used during and in relation to the armed carjacking.
According to the publicly filed documents in this case, the victim reported that while sitting in her mother’s vehicle in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia, six men including the defendant approached the vehicle on foot. The defendant and his accomplices pulled on the door handles of the car and ordered the victim out of the vehicle and two of the men pointed guns at her. When she did not move fast enough, one of the men yelled: “shoot her” and the victim immediately complied and got out of the car. Four offenders then jumped into the vehicle and drove away.
The victim immediately called the police, and two officers enroute to the scene observed the victim’s mother’s vehicle. The officers pursued the vehicle until it stopped on the 6200 block of Old York Road and three men fled from the vehicle on foot. The officers then chased after the men, recovered a firearm on the block, and within a short time, located the defendant hiding under a van. The defendant was taken into custody and identified as one of the persons who committed the carjacking.
“Naseem Clouden terrorized our city at gunpoint. These offenses are a priority for my office and our partners on Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We simply won’t stand for these senseless acts of violence. The crime of federal carjacking brings significant prison time, as Clouden’s sentence shows: a decade in prison for a crime that took just moments to commit.”
“‘Shoot her!’ a carjacker yelled, as the victim scrambled to save her own life. Armed carjacking is a brutal, dangerous crime, and thanks to the responding police officers, Naseem Rashidi Clouden has been convicted and sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison for it,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Together with our Carjacking Task Force partners we are applying ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools to stop criminals like this from terrorizing our neighborhoods.”
“This latest sentencing of a carjacker is a testament to the continued commitment of the Philadelphia Police Department and our law enforcement partners to stem the tide of violent crime in our city,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “Carjacking endangers the safety and peace of mind of our residents, and we will not tolerate it. Through our continued collaboration with federal agencies, we will ensure those who commit these crimes are pursued, prosecuted, and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Stram.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert of the Eastern District of Virginia along with federal and state partners announced today the recently established Virginia Homeland Security Task Force (VHSTF), an interagency group founded to combat transnational organized crime and coordinate ongoing immigration enforcement efforts across Virginia. In the two weeks since the VHSTF’s creation on March 3, task force members have arrested 247 individuals.
Hundreds of personnel are supporting the task force, including representatives from U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI’s Washington, Norfolk, and Richmond Field Offices; Homeland Security Investigations; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service; Virginia Department of Corrections; Virginia Office of the Attorney General; Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; Virginia State Police; and the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
The VHSTF is part of Operation Take Back America, which streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The VHSTF is the first of these task forces. Task force members are building on existing partnerships and initiatives to enforce immigration laws and policies to dismantle TCOs threatening the safety of millions of Virginians.
These organizations operate across international borders, wholly or in part, by illegal means. Regardless of structure, TCOs destabilize local communities and fuel violence by engaging in drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, human trafficking, assault, kidnapping, murder, and extortion.
One of the VHSTF’s goals is the elimination of TCOs across Virginia. Task force members seek to target these organizations’ infrastructures — including leaders, intermediaries, and street-level offenders — utilizing the State Department’s new foreign terrorist designations of various gangs, such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13); Cártel de Sinaloa; and Tren de Aragua (TdA). Under the guidance provided by Attorney General Pamela Bondi, leaders and managers of cartels and TCOs may be prosecuted for such crimes as terrorism, racketeering, continuing criminal enterprise offenses, violations of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
To date, the VHSTF has arrested numerous gang affiliates, including 18 MS-13 affiliates, six TdA affiliates, and 12 individuals affiliated with other TCOs.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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Thanks to a one-of-a-kind Microsoft program championed by one of their own, military members are learning valuable skills to help them establish new careers in the tech industry. The Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA) is a 17-week, remote program that has placed nearly 4,000 graduates in tech jobs from more than 1,000 companies over the last decade.
Learn more about how the MSSA program was created and read the success stories of a cross-section of graduates and MSSA supporters.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from March 8, 2025, through March 14, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has brought immigration-related criminal charges against 232 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 92 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 124 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 11 cases against 15 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Edwin Andres Valdez-Gutierrez: On March 12, 2025, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a two-count indictment against Edwin Andres Valdez-Gutierrez, an illegal alien and citizen of Mexico, for Assault on a Federal Officer and Reentry of Removed Alien. On February 10, 2025, federal officers from the United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Response Team were investigating Valdez-Gutierrez’s unlawful presence in the United States. While ICE officers attempted to apprehend Valdez-Gutierrez, Valdez-Gutierrez reversed his vehicle into a vehicle occupied by ICE officers, causing significant damage. There were no injuries to the officers. Case No. CR-25-00392-PHX-DLR.
United States v. Jorge Fontes-Garcia: On March 4, 2025, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a four-count superseding indictment against Jorge Fontes-Garcia, 25, an illegal alien from Sonora, Mexico, for Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States Unlawfully Resulting in Death, Conspiracy to Bring Illegal Aliens to the United States Unlawfully, Bringing Illegal Aliens to the United States Unlawfully, and Reentry of Removed Alien. The superseding indictment alleges that on August 23, 2023, Fontes-Garcia acted as the foot guide, leading a group of eight aliens across the Mexico-United States border into southern Arizona. United States Border Patrol apprehended all but one of the illegal aliens in the open desert approximately 19 miles south of Tacna, Arizona. The remaining alien was found by Border Patrol agents shortly thereafter, already deceased due to excessive heat exposure. Case No. CR-23-01322-PHX-JAT.
United States v. Carlos Rene Montes and Miguel Angel Sesma: Carlos Rene Montes, 32, a United States Citizen from Tucson, and Miguel Angel Sesma, 30, a legal permanent resident from Mexico living in Phoenix, were charged on Tuesday by federal criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl after agents seized a combined total of approximately 700,000 blue M30 pills from Sesma’s truck and Montes’ residence. According to the criminal complaint, on March 10, 2025, DEA Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force (EVDETF) investigators observed Montes drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee into a Phoenix store parking lot and park next to a white Ford F250 bearing Sonora license plates. After speaking briefly with Sesma, the driver of the Ford F250, Montes transferred factory-sealed packages of roofing shingles from his vehicle to the bed of the Ford F250. After Montes left the parking lot, EVDETF investigators conducted traffic stops on both the Jeep Cherokee and Ford F250. A Mesa Police Department Canine Detective conducted an open-air sniff of the Ford F250 and alerted to narcotics in the vicinity of the truck bed. Investigators searched Sesma’s truck and seized approximately 52 kilograms (114 pounds) of blue M30 pills laced with fentanyl, which were concealed in the roofing shingles. Sesma and Montes were subsequently placed under arrest. According to the criminal complaint, Montes advised investigators that he possessed more drugs at his residence in Tucson. During a consensual search of Montes’ residence, investigators seized approximately 14.68 kilograms of blue M30 pills (32 pounds) containing fentanyl. Case No. 25-MJ-6099-PHX-ASB.
A criminal complaint and criminal indictment are simply methods by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
CASE NUMBER: CR-25-00392-PHX-DLR CR-23-01322-PHX-JAT 25-MJ-6099-PHX-ASB
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZfor the latest news.
NEW ORLEANS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a large-scale consensual worksite enforcement operation at Port of Lake Charles, Louisiana March 13, in support of an investigation into the illegal hiring of unauthorized employees by commercial and industrial general contractors currently engaged in a construction project within the Port of Lake Charles, a Critical Infrastructure and Key Resource location.
As a result of the operation, 11 aliens were identified and arrested as working on the port and amenable to removal proceedings. The aliens came from Mexico, Nicaragua and Ecuador.
This was an ICE HSI-led operation executed by the Homeland Security Task Force Louisiana with the support of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, CBP Border Patrol, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Coast Guard, USCG Investigative Service, the Louisiana State Police, the Calcasieu Parrish Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake Charles Harbor Police.
Under federal law, employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all individuals they hire, and to document that information using the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9. ICE uses the I-9 inspection program to promote compliance with the law, part of a comprehensive strategy to address and deter illegal employment. Inspections are one of the most powerful tools the federal government uses to ensure that businesses are complying with U.S. employment laws.
ICE’s worksite enforcement strategy includes leveraging the agency’s other investigative disciplines, since worksite investigations can often involve additional criminal activity, such as alien smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, document fraud, worker exploitation and/or substandard wage and working conditions.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
Defendant prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions including one connected to gang gun battle in downtown Seattle in 2020
Seattle – A Tacoma resident, who was previously charged and acquitted in state court in a 2020 downtown Seattle mass shooting, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Seattle to drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Marquise Tolbert, 29, of Tacoma, Washington, was arrested in June 2023, and has been in federal custody since that time. Tolbert is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Tana Lin on June 18, 2025.
According to records in the case, Marquise Tolbert admits he possessed a firearm on June 1, 2023. On that day Tolbert was arrested at this Tacoma address on a Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) warrant. A Ruger 5.7 pistol and loaded magazine were found in his residence. Tolbert is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a September 2022 conviction in King County Superior Court for illegally possessing a firearm.
Investigators with the FBI Safe Streets task force, the DEA, and the Seattle Police Gun Violence Reduction Unit were investigating a drug trafficking organization when Tolbert and his coconspirators were heard on a wiretap discussing a shoot-out in Federal Way. From that point on, investigators worked to identify those who were possessing and using firearms as part of their criminal activity. Investigators heard Tolbert discussing his purchase of the Ruger firearm from another member of the conspiracy. On the day he bought the gun law enforcement, surveilled Tolbert, followed him to his residence, arrested him, and secured the firearm.
Additionally, the investigation determined that Tolbert was involved in distributing controlled substances including oxycodone that was being shipped to Washington State from Arizona.
Illegal firearms possession is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The drug distribution count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend no more than seven years in prison for both counts of conviction. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Lin after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
In 2020, Tolbert was involved in a gang shootout at 3rd Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Seattle. One woman was killed, and seven other bystanders were injured in the gun battle. Tolbert was acquitted on murder and assault charges connected to the case. His attorney’s argued he was not the first to fire in the gang related shooting. He was convicted of illegal firearms possession.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, and the DEA as part of their focus on getting firearms off the streets.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs.
Despite the phrase’s rich history, the fame of Jane Austen’s novel ended up drowning out all other associations.Suzy Hazelwood/Pexels
Most readers hear “pride and prejudice” and immediately think of Jane Austen’s most famous novel, that salty-sweet confection of romance and irony with a fairy-tale ending.
Like most Austen fans and scholars, I had read and loved her novels for years without learning much about the history of the title, which Austen chose after scrapping the original one, “First Impressions.”
By the 20th century, “pride and prejudice” became solely associated with Austen’s 1813 novel.
The phrase, which has religious origins, appeared in hundreds of works before Austen was born. From Britain it traveled to America, and from religious tomes it expanded to secular works. It even became a hallmark of abolitionist writing.
Fighting words for religious factions
While 2025 marks Austen’s 250th birthday, the phrase “pride and prejudice” first appeared more than 400 years ago, in religious writings by English Protestants. As the daughter, sister, cousin and granddaughter of Church of England ministers, Austen was certainly aware of the tradition.
If ministers wanted to reproach their parishioners or their opponents, they attributed criticism of their sermons to “pride and prejudice” – as coming from people too arrogant and narrow-minded to entertain their words in good faith.
One early takeaway is that, amid fervent religious conflicts, various denominations similarly used “pride and prejudice” as a criticism.
The unnamed minister himself complained that, owing to “the Pride and Prejudice of mens Spirits, the prevailing Interests of some Factions and Parties, the greatest part of the Nation are miserably wanting in their Duty.”
At the same time, the phrase could be invoked to support religious toleration and in pleas for inclusiveness.
“When all Pride and Prejudice, all Interests and Designs, being submitted to the Honour of God, and the Discharge of our Duty,” an anonymous clergyman wrote in 1734, “the Holy Scriptures shall again triumph over the vain Traditions of Men; and Religion no longer take its Denomination from little Sects and Factions.”
From politics to prose
In the 18th century, advances in publishing led to an explosion of secular writing. For the first time, regular people could buy books about history, politics and philosophy. These popular texts spread the phrase “pride and prejudice” to even more distant shores.
One fan was American founding father Thomas Paine.
In his 47-page pamphlet “Common Sense,” Paine argued that kings could not be trusted to protect democracy: “laying aside all national pride and prejudice in favour of modes and forms, the plain truth is, that it is wholly owing to the constitution of the people, and not to the constitution of the government[,] that the crown is not as repressive in England as in Turkey.”
Others included Daniel Defoe, author of “Robinson Crusoe.” In his 1708 essay “Review of the State of the British Nation,” Defoe satirically exhorted the public to vote Tory rather than electing men of sense, to “dispell the Poisons” that “Sloth, Envy, Pride and Prejudice may have contracted, and bring the Blood of the Party into a true circulation.”
After the philosophers, the historians and the political commentators came the novelists. And among the novelists, female writers were especially important. My annotated list in “Jane Austen, Abolitionist” includes more than a dozen female writers using the phrase between 1758 and 1812, the year Austen finished revising “Pride and Prejudice.”
Among them was Frances Burney. Scholars have often attributed Austen’s famous title to Burney, who used the phrase “pride and prejudice” in her novel “Cecilia.”
As the critique embodied in the phrase progressed beyond religious and partisan conflict, it became increasingly used in the context of ethics and social reform.
My most striking discovery in this research is the long-standing association of the phrase “pride and prejudice” with abolitionism, the movement to eradicate enslavement and the slave trade.
The leaders of transnational antislavery organizations used it at their conventions and in the books and periodicals they published. In 1843, 30 years after the publication of Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” British Quaker Thomas Clarkson wrote to the General Antislavery Convention, which was meeting in London.
He exhorted the faithful to repudiate slavery “at once and forever” if there were any among them “whose eyes may be so far blinded, or their consciences so far seared by interest or ignorance, pride or prejudice, as still to sanction or uphold this unjust and sinful system.”
He even used the phrase twice. Acknowledging that some violent abolitionists had aroused reaction, he warned his audience that “this state of feeling arises as much from pride and prejudice on the one hand, as from indiscretion or impropriety on the other.”
At the funeral for abolitionist John Brown, the minister prayed over his body, “Oh, God, cause the oppressed to go free; break any yoke, and prostrate the pride and prejudice that dare to lift themselves up.”
Use of the phrase did not end with Emancipation or the end of the U.S. Civil War.
In fact, it was one of Frederick Douglass’ favorite phrases. On Oct. 22, 1883, in his “Address at Lincoln Hall,” Douglass excoriated the Supreme Court’s decision rendering the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional.
As was typical of Douglass, the speech ranged beyond racial inequities: “Color prejudice is not the only prejudice against which a Republic like ours should guard. The spirit of caste is malignant and dangerous everywhere. There is the prejudice of the rich against the poor, the pride and prejudice of the idle dandy against the hard-handed workingman.”
Austen’s independent women
Early on in “Pride and Prejudice,” the conceited Caroline Bingley snipes that Elizabeth Bennet shows “an abominable sort of conceited independence.” Later, the snobbish Lady Catherine accuses Bennet of being “headstrong.” But near the ending, Mr. Darcy tells Bennet that he loves her for “the liveliness” of her “mind.”
In this respect, Bennet reflects a quality that all of Austen’s heroines possess. While they try to adhere to standards of courtesy and respect, none are guilty of saying only what the leading man wants to hear.
Given that Austen chose her title to honor the phrase and its history, it is ironic that her own fame ended up drowning out the abolitionist associations of “pride and prejudice” after the Civil War.
If there is any work of fiction that successfully makes self-sufficiency, independent thinking and open-mindedness look good – and makes sycophants, rigidity and hysterical devotion to rank and status look bad – it is “Pride and Prejudice.”
Yet the lasting popularity of Austen’s novel demonstrates that the ethics contained in the phrase continue to resonate today, even if its context has been lost.
Margie Burns does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
