Category: India

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pryor Man Sentenced to Life After Jury Convicts Him of Aggravated and Abusive Child Sexual Abuse

    Source: US FBI

    TULSA, Okla. – Previously convicted by a jury in July, Adam Joseph King, was sentenced today for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country.

    U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced King, 36, to life imprisonment on both counts.

    “King took advantage of a child entrusted in his care and continues to show no remorse for his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The only way to stop someone like King and protect the community is by giving him a lengthy prison sentence.”

    “The victim in the case was just eight years old when King began abusing her. Despite the trauma she endured, she found the courage to tell her story in court, and as a result this dangerous predator will now live behind bars where he can never harm another child,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “Her resilience is a powerful reminder of why we do this work – to protect the most vulnerable members of our community and hold violent offenders accountable for their crimes.”

    Evidence presented to the jury showed that King repeatedly sexually abused his girlfriend’s child from age eight through eleven years old. King exploited the child that was in his care and warned the victim not to tell.

    The child victim testified about the sexual abuse she received and eventually reported the abuse to a school counselor. Experts further testified that the evidence collected from King’s bedroom matched the DNA of the child victim.

    The investigation showed that King and his girlfriend, the victim’s mother, denied any wrongdoing by King. Once the investigation began, the minor victim and sibling were removed from the home and placed in the custody of their grandparents, where they have remained.

    The minor victim is a tribal citizen. King will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    The FBI, the Catoosa Police Department, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria Luster and Matthew Cyran prosecuted the case.

    If you want to make a report of child sexual exploitation, you can use the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline.

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: January Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments Announced

    Source: US FBI

    United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the January Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.

    The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

    Bradley Andrew Friend. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Production of Child Pornography; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. Friend, 40, of Oologah, is charged with enticing and persuading a minor child to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with producing, possessing, receiving, and distributing materials that depict the sexual abuse of children. The Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-013

    Gary Syd Goldberg. Possession of Child Pornography. Goldberg, 76, of Mannford, is charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Mannford Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-253

    Shawn Ray Murnan. Bank Fraud (Counts 1 through 4); False Statements (Counts 5 through 8); Unlawful Monetary Transactions (Counts 9 through 14). Murnan, 56, of Windemere, Florida, is charged with fraudulently submitting 14 applications on behalf of his various businesses seeking more than $2.7 million in CARES Act Funds. Of those applications, Murnan received more than $1.6 million in PPP and EIDL loans. After receiving CARES Act funds, Murnan requested loan forgiveness. More than $1.3 million was forgiven. Two of the PPP loans were funded by a bank located within the NDOK. Each application submitted by Murnan contained false representations and inaccurate accounting regarding employees’ wages, including that he owned no other businesses. The FRB-CFPB Office of the Inspector General, the SBA Office of the Inspector General, and TIGTA are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Whipple and Cheryl Baber are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-014

    Xavion Eugene Paggett. Attempted Bank Robbery; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Paggett, 24, of Broken Arrow, is charged with using a firearm to rob a bank in Nov. 2024. He is further charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema M. Onias is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-012

    Anthony Clay Russell. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (superseding). Russell, 32, of Tulsa and a member of the Osage Nation, is charged with maliciously killing Tasha Shepard on Oct. 22, 2024. He is further charged with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and intentionally assaulting a second victim with a dangerous weapon. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. McConney and John Brasher are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-365

    Marcos Javier Suazo-Otero; Marcos Javier Suazo-Mancilla. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 and 3); Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute (Count 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 and 6); Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (Count 7); Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 8); Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms (Count 9) (superseding). Suazo-Otero, 46, and Suazo-Mancilla, 23, both Mexican nationals, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 2024 through Nov. 2024. They are further charged with maintaining a residence for drug distribution. Suazo-Otero knowingly possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute and is additionally charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Aug. 2018. Lastly, Suazo-Mancilla knowingly possessed cocaine with intent to distribute, possessed firearms while drug trafficking, and knowingly did so while being an alien illegally in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-397

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins in Recognizing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day and Announces Appointment of Regional MMIP Coordinator

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5, 2024, as National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.

    The office also announced today the appointment of an MMIP Regional Coordinator based in the District of Oregon. Cedar Wilkie Gillette, who since June 2020 has served as the District of Oregon MMIP Coordinator, will now serve as regional coordinator for the Northwest Region under the Justice Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program. The Northwest Region includes the states of California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

    Ms. Wilkie Gillette will work alongside Ms. Bree R. Black Horse who was appointed in February 2024 in the Eastern District of Washington to serve as the MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northwest Region.

    “We are delighted that Cedar Wilkie Gillette will serve as northwest regional coordinator for the Justice Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program is a critical next step in the department’s ongoing effort to address this crisis, which has affected tribes and communities across our region and country. Cedar is abundantly qualified for this position and we are eager for her to expand the great work she has done here in Oregon throughout the Northwest Region,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    “There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.”

    Launched in July 2023, the MMIP Regional Outreach Program permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered indigenous people. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. 

    The regional outreach program program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorney’s Offices promoting public safety in Indian Country and fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022. 

    The Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort. In March, the Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered indigenous peoples and human trafficking crisis.

    Over the past year, the Department awarded $268 million in grants to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.

    For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website. Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.

    In early 2022, the District of Oregon established an MMIP Working Group to increase multi-agency communication and collaboration in support of and response to Oregon-connected MMIP cases. The working group includes representatives from each of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon, the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior Regional Solicitor’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, and Oregon State Police.

    Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2020, Ms. Wilkie Gillette served as a law fellow for Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization. She has a juris doctorate from the Vermont Law School and a bachelor’s degree in applied social justice and human rights activism from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Wilkie Gillette is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and a direct descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. She has conducted extensive research on indigenous human rights and environmental justice issues.

    MIL Security OSI

  • PM Modi inaugurates Rising North East Investors Summit 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rising North East Investors Summit 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today, reaffirming the government’s commitment to the holistic development of the North Eastern region. Addressing a gathering of dignitaries, industry leaders, and stakeholders, the Prime Minister expressed pride and confidence in the region’s vibrant future.
     
    Welcoming participants to the summit, the Prime Minister recalled the recently held Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav at the same venue, saying that today’s event is not just a meeting of minds but a celebration of investment and opportunity in the Northeast.
     
    Highlighting the enthusiastic participation of industry leaders, PM Modi praised the collaborative efforts of ministries and state governments in creating an investor-friendly environment. “The presence of so many industry leaders reflects the growing interest in the Northeast’s potential,” he said, extending his best wishes to all stakeholders involved.
     
    Describing India as the world’s most diverse country, the Prime Minister said that the Northeast represents the most diverse part of this diversity. He underlined the region’s strengths across sectors—trade, tradition, textiles, and tourism—and identified it as a hub of bio-economy, bamboo, tea, petroleum, sports, skill development, eco-tourism, organic products, and energy.
     
    Referring to the Northeast as Ashtalakshmi, symbolising prosperity and opportunity, he said that each Northeastern state is now asserting itself as ready for investment and leadership.
     
    Underscoring the strategic importance of Eastern India in the mission to build a Viksit Bharat (Developed India), the Prime Minister said, “For us, EAST is not just a direction—it is a vision: Empower, Act, Strengthen, and Transform. This is the guiding framework of our policy for Eastern India.”
     
    The Prime Minister also highlighted the transformation witnessed in the Northeast over the past 11 years. He stressed that this progress is not confined to statistical achievements but is visible in real, on-ground development. He said the government’s engagement with the region goes beyond policy—it is rooted in an emotional connection with its people.
     
    “Infrastructure projects in the region are not just about roads and bridges; they are about emotional connectivity,” he said.
     
    He further stated that the government’s transition from a “Look East” to an “Act East” policy has brought tangible results. “The Northeast was once seen as a frontier region; today, it is emerging as a front-runner in India’s growth story,” the Prime Minister concluded.
     
    The Rising North East Investors Summit 2025 is a two-day event being held on May 23 and 24. The agenda for the two-day summit includes ministerial sessions, Business-to-Government (B2G) and Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings, and a dedicated exhibition zone. 
     
    Key sectors identified for focused investment promotion include Tourism and Hospitality, Agro-Food Processing and allied industries, Textiles, Handloom and Handicrafts, Healthcare, Education and Skill Development, IT and IT-enabled Services, Infrastructure and Logistics, Energy, as well as Entertainment and Sports.
  • PM Modi highlights infrastructure revolution in Northeast, positions region as gateway to ASEAN

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the inaugural session of the Rising North East Summit on Friday, underscored the transformative role of infrastructure in boosting tourism, trade, and investment in the North Eastern region. 
     
    He said the government has launched an “Infrastructure Revolution” in the North East, aimed at addressing historical challenges and transforming the region into a “Land of Opportunities.” “Well-developed roads, reliable power infrastructure, and efficient logistics networks are essential to the growth of any industry,” PM Modi said, adding that thousands of crores have been invested to enhance connectivity across the region.
     
    Among key projects mentioned were the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh and the Bhupen Hazarika Bridge in Assam, which are improving both mobility and economic integration. He also cited major achievements of the past decade, including the construction of 11,000 kilometers of highways, new railway lines, the doubling of airports, development of waterways on the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers, and the installation of hundreds of mobile towers to strengthen digital connectivity.
     
    The Prime Minister highlighted the commissioning of the 1,600-kilometer-long Northeast Gas Grid, which will ensure a steady energy supply to support local industries.
     
    “The synergy between highways, railways, waterways, and digital infrastructure is creating a fertile ground for industries to take the First Mover Advantage,” he said.
     
    Touching upon India’s growing trade relations with ASEAN nations, the Prime Minister said that the country’s trade volume with the bloc currently stands at $125 billion, with projections to cross $200 billion in the near future. He positioned the North East as a strategic trade bridge and gateway to the ASEAN region.
     
    He emphasized the strategic importance of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, which aims to connect India directly with Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. He also mentioned the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Project, which will link Kolkata Port with Myanmar’s Sittwe Port, further connecting to Mizoram, thereby significantly reducing the travel time and boosting trade between West Bengal and the North Eastern states.
     
    Further developments include the transformation of Guwahati, Imphal, and Agartala into Multi-Modal Logistics Hubs, alongside the establishment of Land Custom Stations in Meghalaya and Mizoram, designed to expand cross-border trade.
     
    “These advancements are not only accelerating the growth of the North East but also positioning it as a rising force in India’s trade with the Indo-Pacific region,” PM Modi said.
  • MIL-OSI Security: Northern Nevada Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering Pregnant Indigenous Woman on Reservation

    Source: US FBI

    RENO, Nev. — A Northern Nevada man was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Miranda M. Du to life in prison, plus 20 years in prison, for murdering a pregnant indigenous woman on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation in December 2020.

    According to court documents, Michael Burciaga (36) stabbed his pregnant girlfriend, a registered member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, multiple times, causing her death and the death of their unborn child. Shortly after midnight on December 15, 2020, officers with Pyramid Lake Police Department responded to an emergency call from the victim’s daughter at the victim’s home located on the Pyramid Lake reservation in Nixon, located in Washoe County.

    Burciaga has prior convictions for Domestic Assault in Becker County, Minn.; Domestic Battery in Fernley; and Battery and Domestic Battery in Sparks.

    A jury convicted Burciaga of Murder in the First Degree within Indian Country, a violation of the Protection of Unborn Children Act, and Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender Within Indian Country.

    “Today’s sentence illustrates our collaborative efforts to ensuring justice for the victim and holding the defendant accountable for his heinous crime,” said United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “The Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis is a priority for the Department of Justice and we will continue to work alongside Tribes and law enforcement partners in the pursuit of justice.”

    “Today’s sentencing ends a tragic story of cold-blooded murder,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI. “While life in prison will not undo the crime committed by Mr. Burciaga, it will prevent him from victimizing anyone on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation again. I appreciate the work of our investigators and tribal partners ensuring violent offenders such as this are held accountable, and residents can feel safe in their homes.”

    This case was investigated by the FBI and Pyramid Lake Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Penelope Brady, Megan Rachow, and Richard Casper prosecuted the case.

    For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/mmip.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Shawnee Resident Pleads Guilty to Felony Assault Charge

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dustin James Coggins, age 34, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Indictment charging him with one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.

    The Indictment alleged that on August 2, 2024, Coggins assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm.  The crime occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The charge arose from an investigation by the Okemah Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.  Coggins will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Soverly and Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Durant Resident Sentenced for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Hr’Lee Wayde Hisaw, age 23, of Durant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm, in Indian country.

    The charge arose from an investigation by the Ada Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    On September 26, 2024, Hisaw pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on February 18, 2024, Hisaw fired a semiautomatic handgun at the victim’s vehicle as it drove away from a residence.  The crime occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee.  Hisaw will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Felony Assault

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Colby Eric Dean Ballard, age 29, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, and Dating Partner in Indian Country.

    The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muskogee Police Department.

    On March 21, 2024, Ballard pleaded guilty to the charge.   According to investigators, on April 4, 2023, Ballard assaulted the victim, strangling the victim and causing injuries to the victim’s face, head, wrist, and stomach.  The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Ballard will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick M. Flanigan and Edith Singer represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Antlers Resident Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Clyde Park Crews III, age 34, of Antlers, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child/Use of a Child to Produce a Visual Depiction.

    The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

    On September 4, 2024, Crews pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, between December 2022 and May 2023, Crews induced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce and transmit images of that conduct on the internet.

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

    We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement.  You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com, through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP.

    The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Crews will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI

  • PM Modi: ₹21,000 crore invested in education sector in North-East over last decade

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the Rising North East Summit in New Delhi, underscored the pivotal role of skill development in accelerating growth and shaping a secure future for the region. He said the North-East offers a conducive environment for progress in this direction, with the central government consistently investing in education and capacity-building efforts.
     
    The Prime Minister informed that over the last ten years, ₹21,000 crore has been allocated to the education sector in the North-East. This has led to the establishment of more than 800 new schools, nine new medical colleges, two new Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and the region’s first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
     
    Further emphasizing the region’s growing educational infrastructure, he said a new campus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) has been set up in Mizoram. In addition, nearly 200 skill development institutes have been established across the region to support youth empowerment and employment.
     
    The Prime Minister also highlighted major strides in the field of sports. He said the country’s first Sports University is being developed in the North-East, supported by significant investment under the Khelo India initiative. So far, eight Khelo India Centres of Excellence and over 250 Khelo India Centres have been set up to nurture sports talent across the region.
     
    He said the North-East is now emerging as a hub of top-tier talent across various sectors and urged industries and investors to explore the vast opportunities the region presents.
  • North-East to lead ‘heal in India’ mission: PM Modi

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday outlined a comprehensive vision for the North-East region as a global hub for wellness, tourism, and digital innovation.
     
    Speaking at the Rising North East Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, the Prime Minister underscored the importance of the Heal in India initiative, which aims to establish India as a global provider of health and wellness solutions. He highlighted the North-East’s natural advantages—its rich biodiversity, pristine environment, and organic way of life—as ideal for wellness tourism and urged investors to see the region as an integral part of the Heal in India mission.
     
    “The North-East offers the perfect climate and ecological diversity for wellness-driven industries. This makes it a critical component of India’s global health and wellness roadmap,” he said.
     
    Emphasizing the region’s vibrant cultural heritage, the Prime Minister praised its deep-rooted traditions in music, dance, and festivals, positioning the North-East as a complete tourism destination. He noted that the area is well-suited for international conferences, concerts, and even destination weddings.
     
    “As development reaches every corner of the North-East, the tourism sector has experienced a surge in growth. Tourist numbers have doubled, leading to a rise in homestays, employment for young guides, and a thriving travel ecosystem,” he added.
     
    He called for greater investment in eco-tourism and cultural tourism, stating that the region holds vast untapped potential.
     
    Touching upon security, the Prime Minister emphasized that peace and stability are vital for sustained development. “Our government follows a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and insurgency,” he said. He recalled the earlier perception of the North-East as a conflict-prone area, plagued by blockades and unrest. “That image has changed. In the last 10–11 years, over 10,000 youth have shunned violence and embraced peace through several landmark peace agreements,” he said.
     
    This, he said, has opened new avenues for employment and entrepreneurship in the region.
     
    Highlighting the impact of the MUDRA Yojana, PM Modi said that financial support worth thousands of crores has been extended to lakhs of young entrepreneurs in the North-East. He also pointed to the growing network of educational institutions that are skilling the youth for future challenges.
     
    “The youth of the North-East are not just consumers of the internet—they are becoming digital innovators,” he said, adding that over 13,000 kilometres of optical fibre have been laid in the region, alongside the expansion of 4G and 5G coverage.
     
    He remarked that the North-East is fast emerging as India’s digital gateway, with young entrepreneurs launching impactful startups across sectors.
     
    The Rising North East Investors Summit, being held on May 23–24, is aimed at attracting both domestic and international investment to unlock the region’s potential as a driver of economic growth and innovation.
     
  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Washakie Man Sentenced for Murder in the Second Degree

    Source: US FBI

    Ezekiel Frank James Ute, 23, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was sentenced to 192 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for second degree murder. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Oct. 31.

    According to court documents, on Jan. 2, 2024, a group of five people, including Ezekiel Ute, were drinking alcohol and driving around the Wind River Indian Reservation when Ute began driving recklessly and saying he was going to intentionally wreck the car. When Ute stopped the car, one of the passengers (P1) got out and refused to get back in. The victim also got out to coax P1 back into the car. As they argued, Ute got out and stabbed the victim multiple times.

    After the stabbing, Ute forced P1 back into the car then drove away, leaving the victim by the side of the road. The passengers urged Ute to turn around so they could help the victim. Ute eventually drove back, but as soon as P1 and another passenger (P2) got out of the car Ute sped off with the remaining passenger in the back seat. Despite P1 and P2’s attempts to save the victim, he died from his injuries the following morning. In addition to the passengers’ statements, Ute acknowledged during an interview that he may have stabbed the victim while under the influence of alcohol.

    Ute was arrested on Jan. 4, indicted on March 13, and pleaded guilty on July 15. This crime was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist.

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

    Case No. 24-CR-00040

    MIL Security OSI

  • Taliban in talks with Russia, China for trade transactions in local currencies

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Taliban administration is in advanced talks with Russia for banks from both sanctions-hit economies to settle trade transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars in their local currencies, Afghanistan’s acting commerce minister said.

    The Afghan government has made similar proposals to China, the minister, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, told Reuters on Thursday. Some discussions have been held with the Chinese embassy in Kabul, he said.

    The proposal with Russia, Azizi said, was being worked on by technical teams from the two countries. The move comes as Moscow focuses on using national currencies to shift reliance away from the dollar and as Afghanistan faces a stark drop in the U.S. currency entering the country due to aid cuts.

    “We are currently engaged in specialised discussions on this matter, considering the regional and global economic perspectives, sanctions, and the challenges Afghanistan is currently facing, as well as those Russia is dealing with. Technical discussions are underway,” Azizi said in an interview at his office in Kabul.

    The Chinese foreign ministry and the Russian central bank did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    Azizi added that annual bilateral trade between Russia and Afghanistan was currently around $300 million and that was likely to grow substantially as the two sides boost investment. His administration expected Afghanistan to buy more petroleum products and plastics from Russia, he said.

    “I am confident that this is a very good option…we can use this option for benefit and interests of our people and our country,’ Azizi said.

    “We want to take steps in this area with China as well,” he said, adding Afghanistan had around $1 billion in trade with China each year. “A working team composed of members from the (Afghan) Ministry of Commerce and the Chinese embassy which is an authorized body representing China in economic programmes has been formed, and talks are ongoing.”

    Afghanistan’s financial sector has been largely cut off from the global banking system due to sanctions placed on some leaders of the ruling Taliban, which took over the country in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew.

    Rivalry with China and fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine have put the dollar’s status as the world’s dominant currency under fresh scrutiny in recent years.

    In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin questioned the need to hold state reserves in foreign currencies since they could easily be confiscated for political reasons, saying that domestic investment of such reserves was more attractive.

    The dollar has had a lock on commodity trading, allowing Washington to hinder market access for producer nations from Russia to Venezuela and Iran.

    Afghanistan since 2022 has imported gas, oil and wheat from Russia, the first major economic deal after the Taliban returned to power facing international isolation following 20 years of war against U.S.-led forces.

    Billions of dollars in cuts to aid to Afghanistan, accelerated this year by the United States, have meant far fewer dollars, which are flown in cash for humanitarian operations, are entering the country.

    Development agencies and economists say the Afghani currency has so far remained relatively stable but may face challenges in future.

    Azizi said that the stability of the currency and his administration’s efforts to boost international investment including with the Afghan diaspora, would prevent a shortage of U.S. dollars in the country.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Global: International Booker prize 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels, including winner Heart Lamp

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Helen Vassallo, Associate Professor of French and Translation, University of Exeter

    Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq has won the 2025 International Booker prize. Here, our literature experts review the book and the other five novels that were shortlisted for the prize.

    Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi

    Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp shines a light on the lives of Muslim women in rural India. In a bold and memorable translation from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, this quietly powerful collection of short stories opens up the intimate space of domestic rituals and family tensions.

    Mushtaq’s fervent advocacy of women’s rights is evident in the compassion with which she brings to life the women in the stories: from the lack of autonomy suffered by young girls forced into wedlock to the indignity of an older woman obliged to accept her husband taking a second wife or a widow whose son arranges a new marriage for her, the women’s lives are dictated by men.

    Heart Lamp is perhaps best summed up in the final story, “Be a Woman Once, O Lord!” Throughout these stories, Mushtaq invites us – and whichever male deity might be listening – to walk in the shoes of women overlooked by an unquestioned patriarchal hierarchy.

    Helen Vassallo, Associate Professor of French and Translation




    Read more:
    Heart Lamp by the Indian writer Banu Mushtaq wins 2025 International Booker prize – a powerful collection of stories inspired by the real suffering of women


    Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa Yoneda

    Hiromi Kawakami’s Under the Eye of the Big Bird offers us glimpses of one imagined future for earth and humanity.

    Its vision could be described as post-apocalyptic. After unspecified cataclysmic events, humans exist only in tiny, scattered communities and extinction seems imminent. But this is also a beautiful, if dreamlike, world and one in which humanity still has the potential for astonishing growth and change.

    Each chapter introduces something new and startling to the reader. Many of the tropes are familiar – cloning, superpowers, mutation, AI. Yet they are configured in unfamiliar ways and prompt reflections on the nature of humanity and our relationship with the rest of creation – as well as on time, religion and the possibility of an afterlife.

    Despite grappling with so many huge questions, Under the Eye of the Big Bird is an accessible and absorbing novel. And, although tragedy is never far away, there remains humour – and hope.

    Sarah Annes Brown, Professor of English Literature

    A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson

    Published in France in 2008 as Un chapeau léopard, A Leopard-Skin Hat is a novel about a friendship spanning 20 years between a woman called Fanny and a man known throughout only as “the Narrator”. He is not, though, the narrator of the novel. Rather, an unknown storyteller tells us how the Narrator sees Fanny gradually lose the fight against madness (the novel’s word) and, in the end, death.

    This is a novel about the mystery of other people, about how unknowable others are to us. It explores how we narrate to try to understand people who are not us, but whom we love. What is most extraordinary about Serre’s novel is the way it shows us two friends doing very ordinary things – going out for dinner, going on holiday, walking in the countryside and swimming in lakes – but shows us through this the strangeness and complexity of friendship, love and life.

    Leigh Wilson, Professor of English Literature




    Read more:
    A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre explores what its like being human in relation to other human beings


    Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes

    Perfection is a slim account of the way that time “disappears” for Anna and Tom, an expat couple living in Berlin as creative freelancers in the 2010s.

    Written in homage to Georges Perec’s Things: The Story of the Sixties (1965), the novel opens with an overbearing description of the items in their apartment, moving in and out of the characters’ dissatisfaction with the aesthetic, social, creative, economic and political routes open to them in 120 pages spanning a little over 10 years.

    As international elections, the European refugee crises and climate catastrophe dance in and out of their peripheral vision, Anna and Tom find neither satisfaction with their current moment nor successfully imagine a better one. As such, Latronico gently, but with an increasing sense of fatalism, considers the stagnation of a millennial creative class whose views on influence, status, power and happiness remain deeply linked to the “new emotions” of digital mediation.

    By Rachel Sykes, Associate Professor in Contemporary Literature and Culture

    On The Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle, translated by Barbara Haveland

    In On The Calculation of Volume, a woman, Tara Selter, finds herself trapped in an endlessly repeating day, November 18. Volume I, the first of seven books, recounts the first 365 days of this time loop, with Tara attempting to make sense of her predicament, to explain it to her husband – who is still bound by the normal rules of time – and to try to fix whatever has initiated this situation.

    As the novel continues, it becomes less focused on the novelty of the situation and more on the philosophical questions it raises: the alternate claustrophobia and liberation of replaying the same day; how our friends and partners sometimes feel like they inhabit a different reality; the way in which time pulls things and people apart; of the importance we place in the idea of “tomorrow”.

    What’s remarkable about Balle’s novel is how compulsive it is – even though we know time is standing still, we still want to know what will happen next.

    David Hering, Senior Lecturer in English Literature

    Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, translated by Helen Stevenson

    Vincent Delecroix’s Small Boat is a slim, bruising novel that centres on a real horror: the drowning of 27 migrants in the English Channel in November 2021. In a small, inflatable craft, they reached out over crackling radio lines, asking for help that never came.

    Small Boat focuses not on the migrants themselves, but on a French coastguard operator who spent that night on the radio, fielding their calls for rescue. Delecroix’s brilliance lies in showing how violence at the border is carried out not by villains, but by workers. It was not evil that allowed those people to die in the water, it was a string of decisions made by people in warm rooms who believed they were doing their jobs.

    In a world ever more brutal towards those who flee war, hunger and despair, Delecroix’s novel is a necessary – and merciless – indictment. It reminds us that the shipwreck is not theirs alone. It is ours too.

    Fiona Murphy, Assistant Professor in Refugee and Intercultural Studies




    Read more:
    Small Boat: this slim, devastating novel about a real migrant shipwreck reminds us of the cruelty of indifference


    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. International Booker prize 2025: six experts review the shortlisted novels, including winner Heart Lamp – https://theconversation.com/international-booker-prize-2025-six-experts-review-the-shortlisted-novels-including-winner-heart-lamp-255464

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Security: Northern Nevada Resident Convicted of Murdering Pregnant Indigenous Woman on Reservation

    Source: US FBI

    RENO, Nev. — A jury convicted a Northern Nevada man yesterday for murdering a pregnant indigenous woman on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation in December 2020.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Burciaga (36) stabbed his pregnant girlfriend, a registered member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, multiple times, causing her death and the death of their unborn child. Shortly after midnight on December 15, 2020, Pyramid Lake Police Department officers responded to an emergency call from the victim’s 15-year old daughter at the victim’s home located on the Pyramid Lake reservation in Nixon, located in Washoe County.

    Burciaga was convicted of Murder in the First Degree within Indian Country, a violation of the Protection of Unborn Children Act, and Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender Within Indian Country. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Miranda M. Du on September 25, 2023, and he faces a statutory minimum sentence of life imprisonment. The sentencing will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.

    The FBI and Pyramid Lake Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Penelope Brady, Megan Rachow, and Richard Casper are prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • Northeast emerges as investment hub with Rs 6.75 lakh crore boost in a decade: Scindia

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, on Friday lauded the remarkable transformation of the north eastern states over the past decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Addressing the inaugural session of the Rising North East Investors Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Scindia underlined the government’s unwavering commitment to the region’s progress. He announced that gross budgetary support for the northeast has surged dramatically, enabling investments worth nearly ₹6.75 lakh crore in the past ten years.

    “This significant allocation has been a game changer in redefining the region’s growth trajectory, turning it into a land of opportunity,” the minister said.

    The summit, which aims to attract both domestic and international investors, seeks to highlight the untapped economic potential of the northeast.

    Scindia highlighted the region’s historical importance, particularly the areas surrounding the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers, describing it as a cradle of India’s ancient culture and commerce. “There was a time when these eight states served as South Asia’s global trading hubs, playing a vital role in linking the East and West through both land and water routes,” he noted.

    Despite this legacy, he lamented that the region had been neglected for nearly seventy years after India’s independence. “In the past ten years, the destiny and story of this entire region have transformed. And the architect of that transformation stands before us today in the form of our esteemed Prime Minister, Narendra Modi ji,” Scindia said, crediting PM Modi for spearheading the region’s revival.

    Recounting the region’s past infrastructure challenges, the minister pointed out that the northeast previously had only nine airports, and two states had no airport facilities at all. Today, that number has risen to seventeen, significantly enhancing connectivity and economic integration.

    ANI

  • North-East emerging as organic farming hub, says PM Modi

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday underlined the growing global demand for organic food and said his vision is to see Indian food brands on dining tables across the world. 
     
    Speaking at the Rising North East Summit, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said that over the past decade, the scope of organic farming in the region has more than doubled. He noted that the North-East is producing a wide range of high-quality products such as tea, pineapples, oranges, lemons, turmeric, and ginger.
     
    “The exceptional taste and quality of these products have led to increasing international demand,” he said, urging stakeholders to tap into this opportunity and recognize the region as a key driver of India’s organic food exports.
     
    Prime Minister Modi also reiterated the Centre’s commitment to strengthening food processing infrastructure in the North-East. He said that enhanced connectivity is already aiding the initiative, while additional steps are being taken to develop mega food parks, expand cold storage networks, and establish testing lab facilities.
     
    Referring to the recently launched Oil Palm Mission, the Prime Minister highlighted the North-East’s favourable soil and climate for palm oil cultivation. He said this initiative not only offers farmers strong income potential but also reduces the country’s dependence on imported edible oils.
     
    “Palm oil farming in the North-East is a significant opportunity, and I encourage industries and stakeholders to actively participate in harnessing the region’s agricultural potential,” he added.
  • Explained: All you need to know about Amrit Bharat Stations inaugurated by PM Modi

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 103 redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme on Thursday, marking a historic leap towards modernizing Indian Railways.

    Amrit Bharat Station Scheme

    The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is a long-term plan to redevelop and modernize railway stations across India in a phased manner in order to elevate the travel experience for millions of passengers. Under this scheme, detailed plans are made for each station and the work is done in phases, based on what each station needs.

    The origin of the Amrit Bharat Stations scheme can be traced back to 2021, when Gandhinagar became the first Railway station to undergo modernization, replete with all modern facilities and a five star hotel. Later on in the same year, Rani Kamalapati Railway Station, formerly known as Habibganj wore a new look.

    The goal of the scheme is to make stations cleaner, more comfortable, and easier to use. Local products will be sold at kiosks under the ‘One Station One Product’ scheme, and efforts will be made to make stations look greener and more attractive.

    The Amrit Bharat Mission scheme also focuses on upgrading the station buildings, connecting both sides of the city through the station, and linking stations with other transport options like buses and metros. Special care is being taken to make stations friendly for Divyangs. Eco-friendly solutions, noise-free tracks, and better planning are also part of the improvements.

    Key features of Amrit Bharat Stations

    Equipped with modern amenities, these stations have been upgraded and redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme as city centres, showcasing regional culture and heritage.

    The scheme envisages building modern passenger amenities like aesthetically designed façade, resurfaced platforms, beautiful landscaping, roof plaza, kiosks, food courts, kids play area among others.

    The designs of redeveloped station buildings is inspired by local culture, heritage and architecture. While the Ahmedabad station draws inspiration from the Modhera Sun Temple, Dwarka station is inspired by the Dwarkadheesh Temple. While Gurugram station will carry the IT theme, the Baleshwar station in Odisha will be designed on theme of Bhagwan Jagannath Temple. The influence of the Chola architecture will reflect in the Kumbhakonam Station in Tamil Nadu. Deshnoke railway station, which serves tourists and pilgrims visiting the Karni Mata Temple among others, is inspired with temple architecture and arch and column theme. Begumpet railway station in Telangana is inspired by the architecture of the Kakatiya empire. Thawe station in Bihar incorporates various murals and art works representing Maa Thawewali, one of the 52 Shakti Peethas and depicting Madhubani paintings. Dakor station in Gujarat is inspired by Ranchhodrai Ji Maharaj.

    Some key features of these stations include enhanced passenger information systems, free Wi-Fi, wider roads, well-constructed underpasses, foot overbridges, modern waiting areas, executive lounges, spacious circulating areas, grand porches, enhanced parking facilities, alongside improved lighting arrangements, modern restrooms, and lifts, all designed to be disability-friendly.

    Over 1,300 stations are being redeveloped with modern facilities, designed to reflect regional architecture and enhance passenger amenities under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

    The 103 stations inaugurated by PM Modi on May 22 are spread across 86 districts in 18 states and union territories and were developed at a cost of over Rs 1,100 crore. Out of these 19 are in Uttar Pradesh; 18 in Gujarat; 15 in Maharashtra; 9 in Tamil Nadu; 8 in Rajasthan; 6 in Madhya Pradesh; 5 each in Karnataka and Chhattisgarh; 3 each in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Telangana; 2 each in Bihar and Kerala; 1 each in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.

  • MIL-OSI Security: Muskogee Residents Sentenced for Child Neglect

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrew Allen Maher, age 33, and Azalee Louellen Maher, age 28, both of Muskogee, Oklahoma, were sentenced to five years supervised release for child neglect in Indian country.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    On April 15, 2024, Andrew Maher and Azalee Maher each pleaded guilty to one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country.  According to investigators, on August 18, 2023, Muskogee officers responding to reports of an accidental firearm discharge at a Muskogee residence discovered a two-year old child with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the lower abdomen.  EMS workers successfully resuscitated and stabilized the child, who was transported for life-saving surgery.  As part of the plea, both defendants admitted failing to provide adequate supervision to the child in their care, resulting in the child accessing a firearm.

    The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie Pippin represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ardmore Resident Pleads Guilty to Felony Assault Charge

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Richard Alan Chastain, age 52, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea of one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.

    The Indictment alleged that on July 17, 2024, Chastain assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, with intent to do bodily harm. The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Ardmore Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea, and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.  Chastain will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: December Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments Announced

    Source: US FBI

    United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the December Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.

    The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

    Terrance Frank Buffalomeat. Second Degree Burglary in Indian Country; Simple Assault. Buffalomeat, 20, of Hominy and a member of the Osage Nation, is charged with breaking into Midwest Wraps with intent to steal. He is further charged with assaulting a victim. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Goodrum is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-392

    Mark Verron Callshim, Jr. Robbery in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (superseding). Callshim, 37, of Tulsa and a member of the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, is charged with taking something of value by force, violence, and intimidation. He is further charged with brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-159

    Tony Deanglio Davis. Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Davis, 50, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-393

    Keith Edward Enyart; Jennifer Barger Enyart. Child Neglect in Indian Country (Counts 1 & 4); Child Abuse in Indian Country (Counts 2 & 5); Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (Count 3). Keith Enyart, 52, a member of the Wyandotte Nation, and Jennifer Enyart, 44, of Wyandotte, are charged with willfully failing to provide appropriate medical care and supervision to protect a child under their care. They both are charged with willfully harming the safety and welfare of the minor victim. Jennifer is additionally charged with intentionally assaulting the minor child by tasing his testicles. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Ihler is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-394

    Sarai Jamila Nyasha Freeman. Passing and Uttering Counterfeit Obligations and Securities (Counts 1 & 2); Aggravated Identity Theft (Counts 3 & 4); Failure to Appear (Count 5) (superseding). Freeman, 40, of Aurora, Colorado, is charged with forging and cashing counterfeit U.S. Treasury checks. She is further charged with using the victim’s last name and social security number without lawful authority. Additionally, Freeman failed to appear for trial, knowing she was required under the conditions of her pretrial release. The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Treasury Inspector General are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David D. Whipple is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-220

    Grant Stephen Goers. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor (Counts 1, 3, & 4); Production of Child Pornography (Count 2). Goers, 23, of Greenwood, Arkansas, is charged with knowingly persuading and enticing three separate minor victims under 18 years old to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with enticing a minor victim to produce sexually explicit material. Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa Police Department, the Sand Springs Police Department, and the Tahlequah Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-395

    Diana May Harjo. Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. Harjo, 39, of Tulsa and a member of the Sac and Fox Nation, is charged with assaulting the victim, which resulted in serious bodily injury. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele W. Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-403

    Ricky Troy Juarez. Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. Juarez, 32, of Tulsa and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is charged with unlawfully killing Shane Thompson, Sr., with malice aforethought. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-404

    Jose Jesus Lozano-Gonzalez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Lozano-Gonzalez, 25, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Feb. 2022. Further, Lozano-Gonzalez unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies in Oklahoma. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-374

    Stuwart Raymon Owens. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Owens, 39, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-405

    Rudi Reyes-Rosales. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Reyes-Rosales, 30, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in July 2021. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-396

    Kyle Thomas Smith. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Smith, 33, of Claremore, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Brasher is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-406

    Ryan Blake Still. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Still, 33, transient, is charged with knowingly failing to register
    as a sex offender from June 2024 through July 2024 after previously being convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in 
    Indian County in 2021. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-407

    Marcos Javier Suazo-Otero; Marcos Javier Suazo-Mancilla. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Suazo-Otero, 46, and Suazo-Mancilla, 23, both Mexican nationals, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 2024 through Nov. 2024. They are further charged with maintaining a residence for drug distribution. Suazo-Otero knowingly possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute and is additionally charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Aug. 2018. Lastly, Suazo-Mancilla knowingly possessed cocaine with intent to distribute and possessed firearms while drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-397

    Aristride Villatoro-Izaguirre. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Villatoro-Izaguirre, 32, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Feb. 2018. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Goodrum is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-398

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greater Manchester to benefit from recent trade deals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Greater Manchester to benefit from recent trade deals

    Trade deals with India, US and the EU that have seen tariffs on key industries slashed are set to help drive growth in Greater Manchester.

    • Prime Minister to meet with the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burham to discuss the benefits of the recent trade deals.
    • Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change.
    • The deals benefit the automotive sector that supports 15,000 jobs.

    Trade deals with India, US and the EU that have seen tariffs on key industries slashed are set to help drive growth in Greater Manchester. 
      
    Reductions in tariffs on automobile exports have provided security for 15,000 workers.   

    Opens up the region to greater investment to grow the economy, raise living standards and put more money into working people’s pockets – priorities of our Plan for Change. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 

    The trade deals that we have closed delivers stability for the automotive sector in the region that employs 15,000 workers.

    It also will create opportunities for more seamless trade, attracting inward investment that will grow the local economy and make a difference to people’s lives.  

    These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve livelihoods across Greater Manchester.

    32,962 people employed in agriculture across the North West will also benefit from our trade deal with the EU. It will reduce checks and red tape, meaning produce grown and farmed in the region has easy access to the UK’s biggest trading partner. 

    British steel exports are also protected from new rules and restrictive tariffs from the EU, supporting 4,300 people working in the steel industry across the North West. 

    The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.   

    He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.   

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need. 

    We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in Manchester, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

    India is a significant marker for the Northwest where over 900 business exported goods worth £412 million last year. 

    Home to iconic car companies such as Jaguar Land Rover and Bentley, this sector will benefit from measures that reduce automative tariffs from over 100% to 10% under a quota.

    This is in addition to the region welcoming investment from businesses in India with IndiGo, India’s biggest airline carrier choosing Manchester as its first ever European destination. 

    Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said: 

    At Manchester Airport, our mission is to connect the North with the world, helping people visit new places, connecting businesses with key global markets, and welcoming tourists and investors to our region.  

    That is why I am proud that IndiGo – India’s biggest carrier – has chosen Manchester, alongside Amsterdam, as its first ever European destinations.   

    We know connectivity is a key enabler of trade and productivity. By providing direct access to the world’s fastest-growing major economy, this route will deliver a significant boost to the government’s economic growth mission and coincides perfectly with new of a new UK-India trade deal.

    In the same week as the agreement with India, we negotiated the first of its kind deal with the US to reduce tariffs on car exports. Both of these arrangements secure greater certainty for the sector, the 15,000 workers and their families, while also enhancing opportunities for manufacturing in the region to grow. 

    Manchester will also benefit from access to India’s growing telecommunications market and the commitment in our US deal to increase digital trade and access for the world leading industries in the city. 

    Just this week, the Prime Minister confirmed a new agreement with the European Union that will deliver on his core mission to grow the economy, create more jobs in South Yorkshire, raising living standards and put more money in people’s pockets.   

    At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Hull and East Yorkshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Hull and East Yorkshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Hull and East Yorkshire’s top job creators including the life sciences and auto industry are set to benefit from the UK’s new trade deals with India and the US that slashes tariffs and boosts access to the world’s fastest growing economy.

    • Prime Minister to meet with the Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire Luke Campbell to discuss the benefits of his recent trade deals.
    • Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change.
    • Boost for top job creators including pharmaceuticals that employs almost 2,000 and the automotive industry that employs 3,000 people in the region.

    Hull and East Yorkshire’s top job creators including the life sciences and auto industry are set to benefit from the UK’s new trade deals with India and the US that slashes tariffs and boosts access to the world’s fastest growing economy. 

    The US deal negotiated by the Prime Minister deliver long term certainty for 3,000 people employed in the auto industry locally and almost 2,000 in pharmaceuticals. 

    It also will deliver opportunities for major job creators in the region such as Smith + Nephew and Advanced Wound Management to grow – the first priority of our Plan for Change. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:  

    The trade deals that we have closed delivers stability in the automotive and pharmaceuticals industry in Hull and East Yorkshire that employs 5,000 people. 

    It also will create opportunities for more seamless trade, attracting inward investment that will grow the local economy and make a difference to people’s lives.

    These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve livelihoods across Hull and East Yorkshire.

    Over 31,000 people employed in agriculture across the region will also benefit from our agreement with the EU. It will reduce checks and red tape, meaning regional specialties like crab, Yorkshire Pudding and cheeses will have easy access to the UK’s biggest trading market. 

    The agreement also protects British steel exports from new EU rules and restrictive, providing further security for 8,400 jobs in the steel industry across Yorkshire and the Humber. 

    The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.  

    He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.  

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need. 

    We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in East Yorkshire, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

    Our increased trade with India will unlock opportunities for every region in the UK to access the world’s fastest growing major economy, including Hull and East Yorkshire. In the same week, we negotiated the first of its kind agreement with the US that will reduce car export tariffs from 27.5% to 10% – providing 3,000 workers in Hull and East Yorkshire with long-term security and certainty.  

    The agreement also secures the UK preferential access to the US market for pharmaceuticals in the case of new US tariffs in coming weeks, and we are working closely to get the best deal for our pharma industry that supports 2,000 jobs in Hull and East Yorkshire. 

    Just this week the Prime Minister acted in the national interest by confirming a new agreement with the EU that will deliver on our core mission to grow the economy, creating more jobs in Hull and East Yorkshire and putting more money in people’s pockets.  

    At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: West Yorkshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    West Yorkshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    The three trade deals that we have struck in three weeks will benefit manufacturing that employs nearly 10% of all people in West Yorkshire.

    • Prime Minister to meet with the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracey Brabin to discuss the benefits of his recent trade deals.
    • Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change.
    • The deals benefit local manufacturing which employs nearly 10% of people in the region.

    The three trade deals that we have struck in three weeks will benefit manufacturing that employs nearly 10% of all people in West Yorkshire.  

    Reducing India’s tariffs on machinery, slashing tariffs on car exports in both deals and our agreement with the US to remove the 25% tariff on steel provides stability for the biggest employers in the region like Hitachi, Bombardier and Siemens.  

    This means greater job security for workers, stronger economic growth to create more jobs and higher living standards across West Yorkshire.  

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    The trade deals that we have closed delivers stability for manufacturing in West Yorkshire that employs 10% of people in the region. 

    It also will create opportunities for more seamless trade, attracting inward investment that will grow the local economy and make a difference to people’s lives.  

    These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve people’s lives across West Yorkshire.

    Over 31,000 people employed in agriculture across the region will also benefit from our agreement with the EU. It will reduce checks and red tape, meaning regional specialties like crab, Yorkshire Pudding and cheeses will face easy access to the UK’s biggest trading market. 

    The agreement also protects British steel exports from new EU rules and restrictive, providing further security for 8,400 jobs in the steel industry across Yorkshire and the Humber. 

    The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.   

    He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.   

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need. 

    We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in West Yorkshire, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

    Our increased trade with India will unlock opportunities for every region in the UK to access the world’s fastest growing economy, including West Yorkshire. Aeroservices, a leading global player in the aviation industry headquartered in Leeds, has also praised the India trade deal, which will enable them to level up the office they opened in Bangalore back in 2022. 

    Under the Free Trade Deal that was concluded, India has agreed to reduce tariffs on products including machinery, enhancing the region’s renowned engineering sector.  

     Based on 2022 trade alone, India will cut tariffs worth over £400 million when the deal comes into force, which will more than double to around £900 million after 10 years.    

    Formed in 1824, Group Rhodes designs and manufactures advanced metal, heavy ceramic and composite forming machinery.

    Mark Ridgway, CEO of Group Rhodes, said:

    As a manufacturer of advanced metalforming machinery used in the forming and lightweighting of aircraft, India is a strong market for Group Rhodes and offers significant growth potential. 

    The recent UK-India trade deal not only sets the scene for reduced tariffs on machinery but also serves to both enhance our competitiveness as a UK exporter and reduce the complexity of trade with this fast-growing market.

    In another win for a historic part of the West Yorkshire economy, India has committed to reducing tariffs on UK textiles – that will give local firms access to India’s booming middle class.  

    In the same week, we negotiated the first of its kind agreement with the US that will reduce tariffs on UK car exports and remove tariffs on steel, protecting two key industries in the region that employ thousands of people.  

    The US deal also contains provisions to streamline custom rules on textiles and clothes made in West Yorkshire, making it easier for small and medium sized businesses to enter the US market.  

    Just this week, the Prime Minister confirmed a new agreement with the European Union that will deliver on his core mission to grow the economy, create more jobs in West Yorkshire, raising living standards and put more money in people’s pockets.   

    At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lincolnshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Lincolnshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Manufacturing and farming in Greater Lincolnshire are set to benefit from the UK’s new trade deals with India, the US and EU.

    • Prime Minister to meet with the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire Andrea Jenkyns
    • Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change
    • Delivers welcome boost and security for the manufacturing industry that employs 39,000 workers

    Manufacturing and farming in Greater Lincolnshire are set to benefit from the UK’s new trade deals with India, the US and EU.  

    The deals negotiated by the Prime Ministers deliver long-term certainty for 39,000 jobs in Greater Lincolnshire’s manufacturing sector, including 2,700 steel workers in Scunthorpe. 

    Our deal with the EU will benefit around 100,000 people (including in food retail) that are employed in the county’s food sector. It means less checks and red tape so that farmers and producers who grow food in Lincolnshire now have easy access to the EU, the UK’s biggest trading partners.  

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:   

    These trade deals that we have closed delivers stability for 39,000 workers employed in the manufacturing sector in Greater Lincolnshire. 

    It also will create opportunities for more seamless trade, attracting inward investment that will grow the local economy and make a difference to people’s lives.    

    These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve livelihoods across Greater Lincolnshire.

    The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.      

    He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.     

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need. 

    We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

    Just weeks after he stepped into support the UK steel industry that was on the brink of collapse, the Prime Minister has negotiated the 25% tariff down to zero, meaning that UK steelmakers, like British Steel in Scunthorpe can carry on exporting to the US.   

    The UK exported £343 million in primary steel products to the US in 2024, so the deal agreed supports the viability of 40,000 jobs in the industry nationwide, including 2,700 workers in Scunthorpe and their families.  

    Lisa Coulson, British Steel’s Interim Chief Commercial Officer, said:  

    Europe is a strategically important market for our business, so we whole-heartedly welcome this agreement and the new working relationship between the UK and EU.  

    It will enable us to deliver more of the high-quality products synonymous with the British Steel name and support our drive to be one of the world’s leading manufacturers of steel.

    In the same week, the Prime Minister agreed a trade deal with India that could see cheaper prices and more choice on products including clothes, footwear, and food products. 

    From this position of strength, we also upheld our red lines on standards including in agriculture, meaning that produce farmed in Greater Lincolnshire has been protected.  

    At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • Netanyahu accuses France, Britain and Canada of ’emboldening’ Hamas

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the leaders of France, Britain and Canada of wanting to help the Palestinian militant group Hamas after they threatened to take “concrete action” if Israel did not stop its latest offensive in Gaza.

    The criticism, echoing similar remarks from Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Thursday, was part of a fightback by the Israeli government against the increasingly heavy international pressure on it over the war in Gaza.

    “You’re on the wrong side of humanity and you’re on the wrong side of history,” Netanyahu said, accusing the three countries of supporting “mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers” in reference to the Oct 2023 attacks on Israel.

    As the flow of images of destruction and hunger in Gaza has continued, fuelling protests in countries across the world, Israel has struggled to turn world opinion, which has increasingly shifted against it despite the Hamas attacks.

    Israeli officials have been particularly concerned about growing calls for European countries including France to follow others such as Spain and Ireland in recognizing a Palestinian state, as part of a two-state solution to resolve decades of conflict in the region.

    Netanyahu argues a Palestinian state would threaten Israel and framed the killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington on Tuesday by a man who allegedly shouted “Free Palestine” as a clear example of that threat.

    He said “exactly the same chant” was heard during the attack on Israel by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023.

    “They don’t want a Palestinian state. They want to destroy the Jewish state,” he said in a statement on the social media platform X.

    “I could never understand how this simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others,” he said, adding that any moves by Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state would “reward these murderers with the ultimate prize.”

    The Israeli leader, whose government depends on far-right support, said Hamas had thanked French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canada’s Mark Carney over what he said was their demand for an immediate end to the war.

    The leaders’ statement on Monday did not demand an immediate end to the war, but a halt to Israel’s new military offensive on Gaza and a lifting of its restrictions on humanitarian aid.

    Hamas did issue a statement welcoming the move but Netanyahu gave no evidence of any direct contact with the three countries, which all describe the group as a terrorist organisation which should not have any role in running Gaza after the war.

    “By issuing their demand – replete with a threat of sanctions against Israel, against Israel, not Hamas – these three leaders effectively said they want Hamas to remain in power,” Netanyahu said.

    “And they give them hope to establish a second Palestinian state from which Hamas will again seek to destroy the Jewish state.”

    French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France was “unwaveringly committed to Israel’s security”.

    He said it was determined to combat antisemitism and that it was “absurd and slanderous” to accuse supporters of a two-state solution of encouraging antisemitism or Hamas.

    Asked about Netanyahu’s remarks, Britain’s armed forces minister Luke Pollard said London stood with Israel in their right to self defence, “but that self defence must be conducted within the bounds of international humanitarian law.”

    “At this moment, we stand fast against terrorism, but we also want to make sure that the aid is getting into Gaza,” he told Times Radio.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Plea From Gallup Man in Navajo Nation Shooting

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup man pleaded guilty today in federal court to shooting and seriously injuring another man during a confrontation on the Navajo reservation last year.

    According to court documents, on January 22, 2024, Arthur Chee Pat, 69, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, heard a commotion near his residence in Gallup and drove to investigate. Upon arriving at John Doe’s residence, where his son and three other men were gathered, Pat retrieved a firearm from his vehicle. He then fired three gunshots in the direction of one man and two more towards John Doe, striking Doe once in the knee.

    After the shooting, Pat fled the scene with his son. John Doe was initially transported to Gallup Indian Medical Center and later transferred to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque for treatment. Law enforcement apprehended Pat at his residence shortly after the incident and recovered the handgun from his vehicle.

    Pat will remain on condition of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduledAt sentencing, Pat faces up to 10 years in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    Indictment Charges Nigerian Citizens Living in the New York City Area with Orchestrating Multi-Million Dollar Bank Fraud Conspiracy Using Stolen Identities from Across the U.S.

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Sherry Ozmore, age 56, of Richmond, Virginia, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with her role as a “runner” for a nationwide conspiracy to impersonate customers of financial institutions to fraudulently obtain cash, checks, loans, and credit.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    Ozmore was indicted in October 2024 as part of a superseding indictment charging the alleged ringleader of the conspiracy, Oluwaseun Adekoya, 39, a Nigerian citizen living in New Jersey, as well as David Daniyan, 60, a Nigerian citizen who according to prosecutors has lived in the United States under stolen identities for decades, with orchestrating a conspiracy to steal the identities of people who resided all over the country and impersonate those people at banks and credit unions to fraudulently obtain cash, checks, loans, and credit. According to documents previously filed in court, the conspirators also allegedly opened bank accounts in the names of identity theft victims, which were then used to deposit and access the funds from checks they had fraudulently obtained from banks and credit unions by impersonating other individuals.  The conspirators’ conduct allegedly involved nearly $3 million in intended losses, over $1.7 million of which was successful.

    Ozmore admitted that she was recruited to join the conspiracy as a runner in or around January 2023 and fraudulently obtained over $195,000 over a five-month period that year from banks and credit unions by impersonating identity-theft victims whose personal identifying information was supplied to her by supervisors.  Ozmore was paid a small portion of the money she fraudulently obtained.

    The following defendants are charged as follows in the superseding indictment: 

    • Adekoya is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and nine counts of aggravated identity theft;
    • Daniyan is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and four counts aggravated identity theft;
    • Kani Bassie, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft;
    • Davon Hunter, 27, of Richmond, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft;
    • Jermon Brooks, 20, of Richmond, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft;
    • Christian Quivers, 20, of Richmond, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft; and
    • Crystal Kurschner, 44, of Brooklyn, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    The prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI-Albany, which began after the May 2022 arrest of Daniyan, Gaysha Kennedy, 46, of Brooklyn, and Victor Barriera, 64, of the Bronx, by the Cohoes Police Department after the trio had allegedly traveled to the Capital Region to commit bank fraud. 

    Adekoya, Daniyan, Kennedy, and Barriera were originally indicted, along with coconspirators Jerjuan Joyner, 50, of Brooklyn, Akeem Balogun, 56, of Brooklyn, Danielle Cappetti, 46, of the Bronx, and Lesley Lucchese, 53, of Brooklyn.

    At sentencing on May 6, 2025, Ozmore faces a maximum term of 30 years’ incarceration, an order of restitution in the amount of $195,500, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years.

    Kennedy, Barriera, Joyner, Balogun, Cappetti, and Lucchese have pled guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and are pending sentencing.

    The charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    FBI Albany is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in New York, Newark, Richmond and Resident Agencies in Westchester, New York; Brooklyn/Queens, New York; Garrett Mountain, New Jersey; and Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  Additional assistance was provided by other law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement & Removal Operations (New York Field Office & Albany sub-office); U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (Buffalo Field Office & St. Albans Resident Office); U.S. Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General; New York law enforcement agencies including the New York State Police; Cohoes PD; Colonie PD; Elmira PD; Corning PD; Plattsburgh PD; Florida law enforcement agencies including the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Pennsylvania State Police; Alabama law enforcement agencies including the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Gasden PD, and Rainbow City PD; Georgia law enforcement agencies including the Georgia State Patrol, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, and Morrow PD; Kansas law enforcement agencies including Lawrence PD and Overland Park PD; New Hampshire law enforcement agencies including Rochester PD, Manchester PD, and Amherst PD; the Delaware State Police; Maryland law enforcement agencies including the Maryland State Police, Harford County Sheriff’s Office and Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office; Wisconsin law enforcement agencies including Onalaska PD and Eau Claire PD; and Indiana law enforcement agencies including the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • Amit Shah chairs high-level meeting on Yamuna clean-up and Delhi water infrastructure

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Thursday to address the long-standing issues of pollution in the Yamuna River and the challenges facing Delhi’s water infrastructure. The meeting focused on formulating strategies for cleaning the Yamuna, ensuring a reliable drinking water supply, and upgrading the capital’s sewage and drainage systems.

    Addressing the meeting, Shah underscored the cultural and spiritual significance of the river, describing it not merely as a waterbody but as a “symbol of faith.” He reiterated the Modi government’s commitment to restoring the river’s sanctity and ecological balance.

    The home minister directed the Ministry of Jal Shakti to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), focusing on consistent standards for quality, maintenance, and discharge. He also suggested that the SOP be shared with other states to promote a unified approach to sewage management across the country.

    Emphasizing the need for forward-looking governance, Shah called for all planning related to the Yamuna, drinking water, and drainage in Delhi to be guided by a 20-year vision. He identified the Delhi Jal Board as a critical player in the clean-up effort and directed that all vacant posts within the organization be filled without delay to enhance its operational capacity.

    The home minister also highlighted the pressing need to improve Delhi’s water distribution efficiency, noting that proper water management is vital to ensure a reliable drinking water supply for all residents. He instructed the Delhi Jal Board to prioritize modernizing the water distribution network and to take urgent steps to prevent pipeline leakages.

    Furthermore, the home minister called for the use of world-class technology in desilting the city’s drains—an often overlooked but essential part of urban water and waste management.