Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The Prime Minister got acquainted with the progress of the border crossing reconstruction and visited the Kanikurgan customs and logistics terminal.
Mikhail Mishustin inspected the automobile checkpoint across the state border of Kani-Kurgan. With the Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic Alexey Chekunkov, the Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin, the Governor of the Amur Region Vasily Orlov and the Head of the Border Department of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region Yevgeny Trukhanov
Kani-Kurgan is one of the key border crossings on the Russian-Chinese border. On June 10, 2022, the official ceremony of opening the movement of freight transport through the border bridge crossing took place and the first trucks went through the Kani-Kurgan-Heihe checkpoint. The nature of the international traffic is freight and passenger.
Currently, a temporary scheme of operation of the automobile checkpoint (ACP) with restrictions on infrastructure and throughput capacity has been implemented on the Russian side. The temporary scheme was created for the period until the completion of the creation of the permanent ACP Kani-Kurgan. At the same time, on the Chinese side, a permanent ACP with a throughput capacity of 1,100 vehicles per day operates.
To launch the movement of freight transport in the conditions of the temporary scheme of work of the APP Kani-Kurgan, the service “Electronic queue for vehicles” was created. With the efforts of the attracted investor, at a distance of 4 km from the APP, an accumulation site for 250 trucks for registration and waiting for departure to the checkpoint was equipped. Own software for managing the process of formation of the queue of vehicles was developed and implemented.
As of July 7, 2025, over 170 thousand vehicles have crossed the bridge during the entire period of operation. This year, the maximum level of traffic flow was recorded in May and amounted to 7943 vehicles, and the average daily figure was 265 vehicles per day.
Packaging, tires, auto parts, equipment, building materials, clothing, electrical appliances, wheeled special equipment and cars are imported through the border bridge crossing. Soybean and sea buckthorn oil, legumes, lumber, veneer, cosmetics, raw materials for Chinese traditional medicine, and dry milk are exported.
Since August 2023, transportation of dangerous goods has been open. Helium, liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are currently exported. In 2025, the export flow of transport with dangerous goods increased from 91 vehicles in January to 225 vehicles in June.
In addition, a regular international passenger route between the cities of Blagoveshchensk and Heihe was opened via the bridge on December 10, 2024.
The Kanikurgan customs and logistics terminal was put into operation in the fourth quarter of 2023. Total area – 180 thousand sq. m. Usable area of the temporary storage warehouse – 22 thousand sq. m. Capacity – simultaneous placement of at least 600 large-capacity vehicles.
The terminal provides comprehensive customs services for import and export cargo flows all year round, 24 hours a day. The complex includes 2 sites:
— cargo clearance and customs control area. There is a temporary storage warehouse with an area of 3 thousand square meters. The premises provide a loading area for all types of vehicles, rack storage of cargo is organized, and a fleet of equipment has been purchased;
— a cargo complex. It has 2 transshipment terminals, cold and dry warehouses, including a multi-temperature one.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Microsoft has issued an alert about “active attacks” on server software used by government agencies and businesses to share documents within organizations, and recommended security updates that customers should apply immediately.
The FBI said on Sunday it is aware of the attacks and is working closely with its federal and private-sector partners, but offered no other details.
In an alert issued on Saturday, Microsoft said the vulnerabilities apply only to SharePoint servers used within organizations. It said that SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365, which is in the cloud, was not hit by the attacks.
“We’ve been coordinating closely with CISA, DOD Cyber Defense Command and key cybersecurity partners globally throughout our response,” a Microsoft spokesperson said, adding that the company had issued security updates and urged customers to install them immediately.
The Washington Post, which first reported the hacks, said unidentified actors in the past few days had exploited a flaw to launch an attack that targeted U.S. and international agencies and businesses.
The hack is known as a “zero day” attack because it targeted a previously unknown vulnerability, the newspaper said, quoting experts. Tens of thousands of servers were at risk.
In the alert, Microsoft said that a vulnerability “allows an authorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network.” It issued recommendations to stop the attackers from exploiting it.
Microsoft has issued an alert about “active attacks” on server software used by government agencies and businesses to share documents within organizations, and recommended security updates that customers should apply immediately.
The FBI said on Sunday it is aware of the attacks and is working closely with its federal and private-sector partners, but offered no other details.
In an alert issued on Saturday, Microsoft said the vulnerabilities apply only to SharePoint servers used within organizations. It said that SharePoint Online in Microsoft 365, which is in the cloud, was not hit by the attacks.
“We’ve been coordinating closely with CISA, DOD Cyber Defense Command and key cybersecurity partners globally throughout our response,” a Microsoft spokesperson said, adding that the company had issued security updates and urged customers to install them immediately.
The Washington Post, which first reported the hacks, said unidentified actors in the past few days had exploited a flaw to launch an attack that targeted U.S. and international agencies and businesses.
The hack is known as a “zero day” attack because it targeted a previously unknown vulnerability, the newspaper said, quoting experts. Tens of thousands of servers were at risk.
In the alert, Microsoft said that a vulnerability “allows an authorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network.” It issued recommendations to stop the attackers from exploiting it.
In a spoofing attack, an actor can manipulate financial markets or agencies by hiding the actor’s identity and appearing to be a trusted person, organization or website.
Earlier, Microsoft said it is working on updates to 2016 and 2019 versions of SharePoint. If customers cannot enable recommended malware protection, they should disconnect their servers from the internet until a security update is available, it added.
In a spoofing attack, an actor can manipulate financial markets or agencies by hiding the actor’s identity and appearing to be a trusted person, organization or website.
Earlier, Microsoft said it is working on updates to 2016 and 2019 versions of SharePoint. If customers cannot enable recommended malware protection, they should disconnect their servers from the internet until a security update is available, it added.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Photo taken on Jan. 18, 2022 shows a job center sign in Manchester, Britain. [Photo/Xinhua]
Britain’s job market continues to show clear signs of weakening, with unemployment rising and recruitment stagnating amid escalating labor costs and external economic pressures. Experts have warned that uncertainty stemming from U.S. tariffs is further exacerbating the situation.
Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday revealed that the country’s unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over stood at 4.7 percent during the March-May period of 2025. This marks a notable increase both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, pushing the rate to its highest level in nearly four years.
The ONS figures also showed job vacancies climbing to new highs, indicating that despite a growing number of unemployed individuals, businesses are still struggling to fill positions.
“The government’s tax rises, a higher minimum wage and the U.S. trade war are hitting the jobs market,” Financial Times reported.
David Bharier, head of research at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), told Xinhua that steep increases in national insurance contributions and the national living wage weigh heavily on the latest employment data.
“BCC research shows that recruitment remains challenging, and businesses cite labor costs as the biggest pressure,” Bharier said. “This mounting financial pressure, alongside pervasive skills shortages, remains a massive challenge for business, presenting big risks to investment and productivity.”
According to Bharier, the BCC’s most recent economic forecast suggests hiring will remain subdued and the unemployment rate is expected to stay largely static. “We currently forecast a rate of 4.6 percent at the end of 2027,” he said.
Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), stressed that the latest trends paint a worrying picture for Britain’s small business sector.
“New FSB research has found that twice as many small businesses shed staff in the second quarter of 2025-20 percent-than increased their employee numbers,” she said.
For the first time in the 15-year history of the FSB’s quarterly Small Business Index, more small businesses expect to shrink or close over the next 12 months than those that expect to expand. “That’s more than alarming for the economy and for communities across Britain where these hard-working businesses operate,” she said, noting that small businesses currently provide more than 16 million jobs in Britain-over half of all private sector employment.
Experts also believe the ongoing threat of U.S. tariffs is contributing to the negative data and will continue to influence Britain’s job market and economy in the long term, despite the existence of a trade agreement.
William Bain, head of policy at the BCC, said their April survey revealed that 62 percent of firms exporting to the U.S. had been affected by rising costs and order book pressures caused by higher U.S. tariffs, a sentiment that aligns with the rising unemployment figures reported by the ONS.
David Bailey, professor of business economics at the University of Birmingham, noted that U.S. tariffs are impacting Britain’s export-driven sectors and, in turn, the job market.
“Even though Britain has got this deal with Trump on tariffs, the tariffs are still going up from 2.5 percent to 10 percent. It may not be 25 percent, but it’s still going to affect exports from Britain and therefore hit economic growth,” Bailey said, adding that this uncertainty for British firms, combined with the government’s “mistake” of raising national insurance contributions alongside the higher minimum wage, has contributed to the sluggish employment situation.
DHS has accomplished more in six months than most Administrations achieve in an entire term
WASHINGTON – In just six months, President Trump and Secretary Noem have delivered the American people a long list of victories in their mission to secure the homeland and Make America Safe Again.
Under their leadership, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has closed the southern border, removed violent criminal illegal aliens, restored law and order to our immigration system, supported Americans in times of crisis, revolutionized our Coast Guard to meet the challenges of the 21st Century, and kept Americans safe.
Secured the Southern Border
On day one, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border.
President Trump immediately reinstated “Remain in Mexico” and ended catch-and-release.
Daily border encounters have plunged by 93% since President Trump took office.
Under President Trump’s leadership, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has located over 10,000 unaccompanied children.
Migrants are turning BACK before they even reach our border— migration through Panama’s Darien Gap is down 99%.
President Trump—with $46.5 billion from the Big Beautiful Bill—is finishing the border wall. DHS already has more than 85 miles either planned or under construction with funding from the prior year, in addition to hundreds of miles that are now planned to be funded by the bill. President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill also includes over $5 billion for new technology and border surveillance.
With the Big Beautiful Bill, CBP will get the resources they need to keep America safe, including $4.1 billion to hire additional personnel, including 5,000 more customs officers and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents.
In June, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had the lowest number of nationwide encounters in CBP history at 25,228.
The number of nationwide apprehensions in June was also a historic low of just 8,024.
Notably, on June 28, Border Patrol recorded only 136 apprehensions across the entire Southwest Border—the lowest single-day total in agency history.
And in both May and June, U.S. Border Patrol reported zero parole releases—reinforcing the Administration’s commitment to ending catch-and-release policies.
Removed the Worst of the Worst Illegal Aliens
The Trump Administration empowered our brave men and women in law enforcement to use common sense to do their jobs effectively.
DHS returned to using the term “illegal alien” which is the statutory language. President Trump will not allow political correctness to hinder law enforcement.
The Trump administration has arrested more than 300,000illegal aliens in 2025 alone.
70% of ICE arrests are criminal illegal aliens with criminal charges or convictions.
The Big Beautiful Bill will allow ICE to arrest and remove even more criminal aliens by providing $14.4 billion for removals, 10,000 new ICE agents, 80,000 new ICE beds, and a $10,000 signing bonus for new ICE agents. This will help ICE achieve as many as 1 million deportations per year.
As part of 287(g), DHS partnered with the State of Florida and opened Alligator Alcatraz, giving the Trump administration the capability to lock up some of the worst scumbags who entered the country illegally under the previous administration. The new facility expands facility and bed space by the thousands.
Operation Tidal Wave, the first 287(g) enforcement operation coordinated with state and federal law enforcement partners, resulted in over 800 arrests.
President Trump and Secretary Noem are empowering state and local law enforcement to get these criminal illegal aliens off our streets. DHS has secured more than 800 signed agreements with state and local partnerships under 287(g).
At the direction of President Trump, CBP and ICE began widescale immigration enforcement operations in sanctuary city Los Angeles and southern California. The month-long operation resulted in arresting some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.
In July, federal law enforcement officers executed criminal warrant operations at marijuana grow sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo. At least 14 migrant children have been rescued from potential exploitation, forced labor and human trafficking. Federal officers also arrested at least 361 illegal aliens from both sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo.
After weeks of delays by activist judges, the Department of Homeland Security finally deported eight barbaric, violent criminal illegal aliens to South Sudan.
Delivering Justice for Victims of Illegal Immigration
President Trump and Secretary Noem reopened the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office, which was shuttered by the Biden Administration. President Trump and Secretary Noem are standing up for the victims of illegal alien crime and ensuring they have access to much needed resources and support they deserve.
Incentivizing Historic Self-Deportations
President Trump ended the CBP One app that allowed more than one million aliens to illegally enter the U.S. The Trump Administration replaced this disastrous program with the CBP Home app, which has a new self-deportation reporting feature for aliens illegally in the country.
President Trump launched Project Homecoming through a presidential EO. The United States is also offering any illegal alien who uses the CBP Home App a stipend of $1,000 dollars, paid after their return to their home country has been confirmed through the app. So far, tens of thousands of illegal aliens have used the app to self-deport.
In addition to offering CBP Home, DHS announced illegal aliens who self-deport through the app will receive forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties for failing to depart the United States. DHS also made CBP Home more user friendly by eliminating certain steps and making it easier than ever for illegal aliens to self-deport.
DHS and DOJ are enforcing our immigration laws and fining illegal aliens who do not depart when they are supposed to. So far, nearly 10,000 fine notices have been issued by ICE.
Restoring Common Sense to America’s Legal Immigration System
President Trump ended the broad abuse of humanitarian parole and returned the program to a case-by-case basis. As part of this effort, Secretary Noem terminated the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela parole programs.
Following victory at the U.S. Supreme Court, DHS began sending termination notices in June, informing the illegal aliens both their parole is terminated, and their parole-based employment authorization is revoked – effective immediately.
DHS has returned the Temporary Protected Status immigration program to its original status: temporary. No longer will this program be abused and exploited by illegal aliens. Secretary Noem rescinded the previous administration’s extension of Venezuelan, Haitian, Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Afghan TPS.
Secretary Noem terminated Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification—meaning Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status—for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.
It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from higher tuition to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard University repeatedly abused this privilege and even stonewalled DHS’s request for information.
Initiating a Golden Age in American Air Travel
Secretary Noem terminated the politically motivated Quiet Skies Program, which since its existence has failed to stop a single terrorist attack while costing US taxpayers $200 million a year. The program, under the guise of “national security,” was used to target political opponents and benefit political allies.
TSA ended the “shoes-off” travel policy, allowing passengers traveling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints. This change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience.
The Trump administration fully implemented REAL ID enforcement measures nationwide—a law signed 20 years ago. REAL ID helps ensure that travelers are who they say they are and prevents fraud by criminals, terrorists, and illegal aliens. Most travelers have not even noticed a difference because nearly 94% of travelers are already REAL ID compliant.
Secretary Noem ended collective bargaining for the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Transportation Security Officers, which constrained TSA’s chief mission to safeguard our transportation systems.
Fixing Disaster Relief for the 21st Century
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is now shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens. The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades.
President Trump has established the FEMA Review Council to provide recommendations on how to best conduct disaster relief at the federal level.
Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, the FEMA Review Council is developing a comprehensive plan for necessary change.
DHS has empowered state and local governments to lead disaster relief efforts without interference from the federal government.
Provided Rapid and Effective Support to Flood Victims in Texas
Within moments of the flooding in Texas, DHS assets, including the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), CBP Border Search, CBP BORSTAR, and FEMA personnel surged into unprecedented action alongside Texas first responders for search and rescue operations.
FEMA deployed 311 staffers delivering critical intelligence, aerial imagery, and shelter for 171 survivors.
Combined state and federal rescue efforts evacuated and rescued over 1,500 people.
Getting CISA Back on Mission
Under the Biden Administration, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) censored free speech and targeted Americans.
Under President Trump’s direction, DHS closed CISA’s politically weaponized offices and fired those responsible for abusing their power.
CISA is now back on-mission: Protecting Americans and critical infrastructure from cyberthreats.
CISA is shifting away from an all-hazards approach to a risk-informed approach, prioritizing resilience and action over mere information sharing.
CISA personnel are deployed across 10 regions in support of all 56 states/territories.
CISA is also on the front lines of defending America from cyberattacks.
CISA partnered with the FBI and NSA to ensure state and local governments have information and resources necessary for protection.
CISA is also providing security support for next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Secretary Noem discontinued the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC) as a part of the implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order 14217, Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy, and removed members of the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), which CISA oversees.
Revolutionizing the Coast Guard
When President Trump came back into office, the Coast Guard faced its greatest readiness crisis since World War II because the Biden Administration left it underfunded and neglected.
President Trump’s order to surge Coast Guard assets to our maritime border changed the game.
In the first few months of the Trump Administration, the Coast Guard seized more cocaine and other illegal drugs than during the entirety of 2024.
For the first time in years, the Coast Guard expects to exceed its recruiting goals.
In Fiscal Year 2025, the Coast Guard has brought in more than 4,250 recruits – 1,200 more than the same time last year.
That’s 108% over the goal.
Under Biden, the Coast Guard fell short of its recruiting goals four years straight.
Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, the Coast Guard is unleashing “Force Design 2028,” a revolutionary new blueprint that will make the Coast Guard more agile, more capable, and more responsive than ever before.
Standing up for the American taxpayer
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) eliminated an ineffective information technology (IT) program, saving nearly $33 million, and is now focusing resources where they’re most needed to protect our homeland.
USCG partially terminated a wasteful Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) contract with Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG), which has been slow to deliver four OPCs, harming U.S. defense capabilities.
The Trump Administration stopped aliens on the Terror Watchlist from receiving Medicaid benefits.
Secretary Noem cancelled CISA’s expensive headquarters project, saving taxpayers over half a billion dollars.
To stop policies that were magnets for illegal immigration, DHS froze all funding to non-governmental organizations that facilitate illegal immigration and announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure taxpayer dollars do not go to housing illegal aliens.
Newark, New Jersey, July 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ETHRANSACTION, a leading cloud mining platform has launched new mining contracts that utilize XRP conversion to yield other crypto currencies like BTC. Bitcoin has always held a special place in the cryptocurrency market. It is more than just a currency; it is a cultural movement, driven by a passionate and growing community.
What is cloud mining? And how ETHRANSACTION users can yield BTC Cloud mining is the process by which cloud mining service providers are rewarded with new Bitcoins by checking transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain. It seems simple, but it is not easy! Cloud mining service providers process the same batch of transactions through multiple computers at the same time, but only one computer can be rewarded with new coins. The way to get new coins is that nodes add new transaction blocks to old blocks. This requires complex mathematical equations to achieve. The first node to solve the math problem wins, it can then append the newly confirmed transaction block to the rest of the blockchain. Most cryptocurrency mining works like this. However, BTC cloud mining differs from other currencies in some important ways. These aspects include:
Algorithm: Each cryptocurrency has a set of rules for mining new coins. These rules are called mining algorithms or hashing algorithms. Block time: This is the average length of time it takes to check a new block of transactions and add it to the blockchain. Difficulty: This number indicates how hard it is to mine each new block of that currency. Mining difficulty fluctuates based on the number of miners. The currency protocol also adjusts the difficulty to ensure that the block time remains constant. Reward: This is the amount of new currency awarded to the miner for each new block.
How to do BTC cloud mining
Step 1:Choose ETHRANSACTION cloud mining service provider. The platform has a professional analyst and IT team who will analyze the computing power generated by the operation of the mining machine and replace the latest mining machine in time. Ensure that users get higher returns in cloud mining. If you are worried about missing out on investment opportunities, now is the best time to join cloud mining. Step 2: Select the Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency contract you want to buy. The new contract is as follows: ⦁ Invest in WhatsMiner M30S [Daily Sign-in Rewards]: Investment amount: $19, total net profit: $19 + $0.9. ⦁ Invest in Avalon Manufacturing A1346 [Experience Contract]: Investment amount: $100, total net profit: $100 + $18. ⦁ Invest in ElphaPex DG Home1 contract plan: Investment amount: $600, total net profit: $600 + $52.5. ⦁ Invest in Antminer L7 contract plan: Investment amount: $1,300, total net profit: $1,300 + $236.6. ⦁ Invest in Antminer T21 contract plan: Investment amount: $3,700, total net profit: $3,700 + $1,021.2.
You can get income the next day after purchasing the contract. When the account funds reach $100, you can choose to withdraw to your wallet or continue to purchase other contracts.
About ETHRANSACTION Cloud mining is extremely convenient and perfect for novices. The platform’s user-friendly interface ensures that even cryptocurrency novices can easily get started. For ETHRANSACTION, laziness is not a disadvantage, but a path to success. As a pioneer in cloud mining services, ETHRANSACTION has more than 100 mining farms and more than 800,000 mining equipment around the world. All mining equipment is driven by new renewable energy cycles and has won the recognition and support of more than 8.1 million real users with stable returns and security guarantees.
ETHRANSACTION Advantages: Get $19 immediately after registration. Users do not need to buy expensive cryptocurrency mining equipment, sign contracts, and receive returns every 24 hours. Provide multiple cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals: DOGE, BTC, ETH, XRP, USDC, LTC, USDT-TRC20, USDT-ERC20 and other cryptocurrencies. Intuitive interface designed for beginners and experienced miners. The affiliate program allows users to receive up to 4% + 2% referral rewards and up to $1 million in bonuses. No extra fees: pricing is transparent, with no hidden service or management fees. Fund security: At ETHRANSACTION, users’ funds are securely stored in a first-tier bank, and all users’ personal information is protected by SSL encryption. The platform provides insurance for each investment, underwritten by AIG Insurance Company.
Security and sustainability In the world of mining, trust and security are crucial. ETHRANSACTION knows this and puts user safety first. ETHRANSACTION is committed to transparency and legality, ensuring that your investment is protected and allowing you to focus on profitability. All mine energy consumption is provided by new energy, making cloud mining join the ranks of carbon neutrality. Renewable energy protects the environment from pollution and brings super value returns, allowing every investor to enjoy opportunities and benefits.
Summary For investors who want to explore free cryptocurrency mining, ETHRANSACTION is the first choice because it has cutting-edge technology, environmentally friendly methods and generous free tickets. Whether you are a novice or an experienced user, ETHRANSACTION welcomes everyone from all over the world to participate. Simply click the corresponding system APP button on ETHRANSACTION to download the ETHRANSACTION application. Media Details: Email: info@ethransaction.vip For more information, please visit the official website:https://ethransaction.vip Or contact the platform official email: info@ethransaction.vip
Los Angeles, California, July 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EthransactionCloud mining has become the first choice for stable investment-if ordinary investors buy Bitcoin directly, they not only have to bear the risk of market fluctuations. If they choose to mine cryptocurrencies themselves, they also have to face high mining machine costs and electricity consumption. Ethransaction cloud mining uses advanced cloud computing technology and intelligent contract planning operation mode, so that users can easily participate in Bitcoin mining through the platform without purchasing physical mining machines and enjoy stable income.
Ethransaction platform core advantages
1. Zero threshold, easy to start crypto asset income
Registration reward: Become an Ethransaction user and get a $19 reward. You can start mining for free immediately and earn a fixed $0.9 every day.
2. Flexible contracts, transparent and controllable returns The platform provides a variety of cloud computing contracts to meet different investment needs:
Example: Someone invests $103,000, [s19 hyd pro 198T hydr] Advanced cloud computing contract, the plan period is 45 days, and the daily interest rate is 2.15%. Daily income is $2214.5. Total income at maturity = $103,000 + $2214.5*45 = $202,652.5
Transparency-all income can be checked in real time through mobile devices or computer devices to ensure the safety and transparency of funds. Security: All cloud computing contracts of Ethransaction are provided with investment protection by L&G Insurance.
3. Multi-currency support, diversified investment risks In addition to Bitcoin (BTC), Ethransaction also supports mining of popular currencies such as Ethereum (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE), helping users optimize asset allocation and reduce the risk of fluctuations in a single currency.
4. Reinvest income and compound interest growth Users can renew their daily income into cloud computing contracts to accelerate wealth accumulation, which is especially suitable for long-term investors.
5. Zero maintenance cost, zero investment benefits Ethransaction is responsible for all hardware and operation maintenance. (No maintenance fee or hidden fee is required) Customer service is online all day to provide you with any help to ensure a smooth mining experience. Ethransaction launched an affiliate referral program with a 6% long-term commission.
It only takes a few minutes to learn about the growth path from a novice to a senior player on the official website:
Ethransaction not only provides a stable income channel, but also has a complete novice tutorial and market analysis tools to help users gradually master cryptocurrency investment strategies. Whether it is a novice entering the market or an experienced miner, you can find a growth path suitable for yourself on the platform.
Seize the bull market opportunity and act now: Ethransaction is committed to innovating and continuously optimizing the high efficiency of the mine’s output and the convenience of the platform. With low thresholds, high flexibility and transparent operations, it has become the best choice for investors to make steady profits. Register now, both new and experienced players can enjoy exclusive cloud computing contracts for new users, helping you seize the first opportunity in the crypto market!
Los Angeles, California, July 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EthransactionCloud mining has become the first choice for stable investment-if ordinary investors buy Bitcoin directly, they not only have to bear the risk of market fluctuations. If they choose to mine cryptocurrencies themselves, they also have to face high mining machine costs and electricity consumption. Ethransaction cloud mining uses advanced cloud computing technology and intelligent contract planning operation mode, so that users can easily participate in Bitcoin mining through the platform without purchasing physical mining machines and enjoy stable income.
Ethransaction platform core advantages
1. Zero threshold, easy to start crypto asset income
Registration reward: Become an Ethransaction user and get a $19 reward. You can start mining for free immediately and earn a fixed $0.9 every day.
2. Flexible contracts, transparent and controllable returns The platform provides a variety of cloud computing contracts to meet different investment needs:
Example: Someone invests $103,000, [s19 hyd pro 198T hydr] Advanced cloud computing contract, the plan period is 45 days, and the daily interest rate is 2.15%. Daily income is $2214.5. Total income at maturity = $103,000 + $2214.5*45 = $202,652.5
Transparency-all income can be checked in real time through mobile devices or computer devices to ensure the safety and transparency of funds. Security: All cloud computing contracts of Ethransaction are provided with investment protection by L&G Insurance.
3. Multi-currency support, diversified investment risks In addition to Bitcoin (BTC), Ethransaction also supports mining of popular currencies such as Ethereum (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE), helping users optimize asset allocation and reduce the risk of fluctuations in a single currency.
4. Reinvest income and compound interest growth Users can renew their daily income into cloud computing contracts to accelerate wealth accumulation, which is especially suitable for long-term investors.
5. Zero maintenance cost, zero investment benefits Ethransaction is responsible for all hardware and operation maintenance. (No maintenance fee or hidden fee is required) Customer service is online all day to provide you with any help to ensure a smooth mining experience. Ethransaction launched an affiliate referral program with a 6% long-term commission.
It only takes a few minutes to learn about the growth path from a novice to a senior player on the official website:
Ethransaction not only provides a stable income channel, but also has a complete novice tutorial and market analysis tools to help users gradually master cryptocurrency investment strategies. Whether it is a novice entering the market or an experienced miner, you can find a growth path suitable for yourself on the platform.
Seize the bull market opportunity and act now: Ethransaction is committed to innovating and continuously optimizing the high efficiency of the mine’s output and the convenience of the platform. With low thresholds, high flexibility and transparent operations, it has become the best choice for investors to make steady profits. Register now, both new and experienced players can enjoy exclusive cloud computing contracts for new users, helping you seize the first opportunity in the crypto market!
Tampa, Florida, July 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Although Bitcoin hit a new high this week, the crypto market is still tense. Many investors prefer the core of stable value-added, and it is safer to choose to invest in cloud mining. Because the current crypto market is full of uncertain risks. With industry-leading technology and compliant and safe operations, ETHRANSACTION Cloud Mining Platform provides you with risk-free, high-return digital asset value-added solutions, allowing you to easily obtain returns from mainstream cryptocurrencies such as BTC, ETH, DOGE, XRP, LTC, etc.!
Why choose ETHRANSACTION? Safe and compliant, trustworthy The British government fully supervises, holds a legal license, and funds are protected by L&G Insurance. SSL encryption + intelligent risk control system to ensure the absolute safety of user data and assets. 0 threshold, easily start wealth growth No need to buy expensive mining machines, no technical knowledge, just a mobile phone or computer to participate. Sign up and get $19, experience cloud mining immediately, and start your profit journey at 0 cost! High fixed income, far exceeding market returns, daily income of $19,494
Flexible and diverse contract plans, suitable for different investment needs: Investment amount Total income Net income $100 $118 + $18 $600 $652.5 + $45 $1,300 $1,553.5 + $253.5 $6,300 $8,757 + $2457 100% green energy mining, environmentally sustainable Using renewable energy, in line with international environmental standards, benefits and responsibilities coexist. Referral rewards + additional income pool Invite friends to join, enjoy 6% commission permanently, and have the opportunity to share a $1,000,000 reward pool!
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QAnon supporters wait for Donald Trump to speak at a campaign rally at Atlantic Aviation on September 22, 2020, in Moon Township, Pennsylvania.eff Swensen/Getty Images
In early 2025, a federal court unsealed portions of the court documents. While names of some of the alleged clients and victims were released, many were redacted or withheld.
Epstein’s arrest and death became a central focus for QAnon followers, who saw them as proof of a hidden global elite engaged in child trafficking and protected by powerful institutions. The release – or withholding – of the Epstein files is often cited within QAnon movement circles as evidence of a broader cover-up by the so-called “deep state.”
Some followers of the MAGA – Make America Great Again – movement and the Republican Party believe in the false claim that the United States is secretly controlled by a cabal of elites who are pedophiles, sex traffickers and satanists.
Over time, what started as a baseless conspiracy on obscure platforms has migrated into the mainstream. It has influenced rhetoric and policy debates, and even reshaped the American political landscape. The foundational belief of many of the QAnon followers is that Trump is a heroic figure fighting the elite pedophile ring.
Trump’s attempts at downplaying or obstructing the very disclosures they believe would validate their worldview has led to confusion. To some, the delay in the release of the files feels like a betrayal, or even the possibility of his wrongdoing. Others are trying to reinterpret Trump’s actions through increasingly baseless conspiracy logic.
Trump has publicly dismissed demands for the full release of the Epstein Files as a “hoax.” He has also made false claims. On July 15, 2025, Trump said: “And I would say that, you know, these files were made up by Comey. They were made up by Obama.”
As a scholar who studies extremism, I know that the movement views Trump as a mythological figure and it interprets Trump’s actions to fit this overarching narrative – an elasticity which makes the movement both durable and dangerous.
From Pizzagate to QAnon
The QAnon movement began with the Pizzagate conspiracy theory in 2016, which falsely claimed that high-ranking Democrats were operating a child sex trafficking ring out of a Washington, D.C., pizzeria. The baseless theory gained enough online momentum that a man armed with an assault rifle stormed the restaurant, seeking to “free the children.”
In 2017, an anonymous figure called “Q” began posting cryptic messages on message boards like 4chan and 8kun. The baseless accusations of a global network of elites involved in controlling global institutions, including governments, businesses, and the media, as well as operating a child trafficking and ritual abuse, were central to the QAnon movement’s narrative.
Supporters of President Donald Trump with messages referring to the QAnon conspiracy theory at a campaign rally at Las Vegas Convention Center on February 21, 2020. Mario Tama/Getty Images
The movement has recruited followers through language like “Save the Children,” to mobilize around issues of child trafficking.
The QAnon movement recruits new followers through appeals to stop child trafficking. Hollie Adams/Getty Images
QAnon followers perceived Trump as a messianic figure working to expose this cabal in a climactic reckoning known as “The Storm” – a moment when mass arrests would finally bring justice.
They claimed that this moment would eventually bring about a “Great Awakening,” a reference to the religious revivalist movements of the 18th and 19th centuries. In this context the phrase described the supposed political and spiritual enlightenment that would follow “The Storm” – a moment of mass realization when people would “wake up” to the truth about the “deep state.”
In 2019, the FBI identified QAnon as a domestic terrorism threat, and major social media platforms began banning related content, but by then, QAnon had bled into mainstream conservative politics. Q-endorsing candidates, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, ran for and won elected office a year later.
Trump and QAnon
During Trump’s first administration – from 2017 to 2021 – the QAnon movement flourished. The posts from Q claimed to reveal insider knowledge of a secret war being waged by the president, often in coordination with the military, against the powerful elite.
Trump’s rhetoric, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 election, gave new life to QAnon narratives. When he questioned the integrity of the electoral process, QAnon followers interpreted it as confirmation of the deep state’s meddling.
However, after Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race, QAnon followers revised their original prophecy to maintain belief in “The Storm” and “The Great Awakening.” Some claimed the defeat was part of a larger secret plan, with Biden’s presidency serving as a cover for exposing the deep state. Some believed Trump remained the true president behind the scenes, while others reframed the awakening as a spiritual rather than political event.
At various campaign rallies in 2022 and after Trump used the movement’s symbolism. On Truth Social, his social media platform, he retweeted Q-affiliated accounts, and praised QAnon supporters as “people who love our country.” That same year he reposted an image of himself wearing a Q lapel pin overlaid with the words “The Storm is Coming.”
After the 2020 elections
Trump’s departure from the White House in January 2021 created an existential crisis for the QAnon movement. Predictions that he would declare martial law or arrest Joe Biden and other Democrats on Inauguration Day failed to materialize. Q’s posts also stopped, leaving many followers adrift.
Some abandoned the theory. Others rationalized the failed predictions or embraced new conspiracy narratives, such as the belief that Trump was still secretly in charge or that the military would soon act to reinstate him.
Estimating the number of QAnon believers is difficult because many individuals do not openly identify with the movement, and those who do often hold a range of loosely connected or partial beliefs rather than adhering to a consistent or uniform ideology. Not everyone who shares a Q meme or echoes a Q talking point identifies as being part of the movement.
That said, surveys by groups like the 2024 Public Religion Research Institute and the Associated Press have found that 15–20% of Americans believe in some of QAnon’s core claims, such as the existence of a secret group of Satan-worshipping elites controlling the government.
This does not mean all these people are hardcore QAnon adherents, but it does show how far the narrative, or parts of it, has seeped into mainstream thinking.
Epstein as evidence of ‘the cabal’
The Trump administration’s failure to disclose the information in Epstein files has fueled internal confusion, disillusionment and even radicalization within the movement.
For some QAnon believers, this failure was a turning point: if Trump – once seen as the hero in the conspiracy narrative – would not or could not reveal the truth, then the “deep state” must be more entrenched than imagined.
At the same time, frustrations have grown within MAGA and the QAnon movement’s spaces. Some see it as a failure to fulfill one of his most important promises: exposing elite pedophiles. Others believe the delay is strategic, another example of “the plan” requiring more patience.
The QAnon movement continues to evolve, even as its central figure hedges and hesitates, showing how potent myths can be in times of uncertainty. In my view, understanding why this belief continues to gain traction is essential for understanding the current state of American democracy.
Art Jipson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Telegram of the Holy Father, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, for the fire in Kut, Iraq, 19.07.2025
The following is the telegram of condolence sent on behalf of the Holy Father Leo XIV by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin for the victims of the fire in a shopping centre in Kut, Iraq:
Telegram
SADDENED TO BE INFORMED OF THE FIRE IN KUT THAT LEFT MANY DEAD AND INJURED, HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV SENDS THE ASSURANCE OF HIS SPIRITUAL SOLIDARITY TO ALL WHO ARE SUFFERING THE EFFECTS OF THIS TRAGEDY, ESPECIALLY THE WOUNDED AND THE FAMILIES WHO GRIEVE. HE COMMENDS THE SOULS OF THE DECEASED TO THE LOVING MERCY OF THE ALMIGHTY, AND OFFERS HIS PRAYERS FOR THE EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WHO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. UPON ALL, HIS HOLINESS INVOKES THE DIVINE BLESSINGS OF STRENGTH, CONSOLATION AND PEACE.
CARDINAL PIETRO PAROLINSECRETARY OF STATE
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
July 18, 2025
Durbin files official oversight requests with Bondi, Patel, Bongino, as MAGA world continues imploding over the Epstein cover up and breaking reporting by the Wall Street Journal describes Trump sending a lewd letter to Epstein
CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino on apparent discrepancies regarding the handling of the Epstein files and findings from a July 7 Department of Justice (DOJ) memorandum and instructions reportedly received by FBI personnel to identify records mentioning President Trump.
In letters to Bondi, Patel, and Bongino, Durbin began by highlighting contradictions between its first finding revealing no “incriminating client list” and Bondi’s public statements, writing: “The first finding directly contradicts public statements Attorney General Bondi has repeatedly made. On February 21, 17 days after her confirmation as Attorney General, Attorney General Bondi was asked directly by Fox News’ America Reports host John Roberts: ‘DOJ may be releasing the list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients; will that really happen?’ She responded: ‘It’s sitting on my desk right now to review.’ On February 27, Attorney General Bondi released binders of documents related to Epstein to conservative influencers and commentators, but despite the major media event the White House staged around this release, these files were largely already publicly available. After intense blowback from this incident, Attorney General Bondi then appeared on another FOX News show, Life Liberty Levin, and claimed that a ‘whistleblower’ told her that ‘New York SDNY [was] sitting on thousands of pages of documents’; that ‘we will get everything’; that she was ‘assured’ there was more; and that the country would eventually see ‘the full Epstein files.’ She also claimed that the ‘FBI withheld all of those documents’ and you were providing a detailed report as an explanation for the FBI’s actions with respect to those materials.”
Durbin then invoked breaking reporting that Trump sent a bawdy letter to Epstein, writing: “Notably, in 2002, Mr. Trump said of Mr. Epstein, ‘I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy, He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.’ Just yesterday, it was reported that the Department previously reviewed a ‘leather-bound album’ comprised of dozens of letters from Mr. Epstein’s friends in celebration of his 50th birthday in 2003. The letters were collected by Mr. Epstein’s partner Ghislaine Maxwell and included one from President Trump that allegedly ‘contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker … and the future president’s signature is a squiggly ‘Donald’ below her waist.’”
Durbin continued: “Despite tens of thousands of personnel hours reviewing and re-reviewing these Epstein-related records over the course of two weeks in March, it took DOJ more than three additional months to officially find there is ‘no incriminating ‘client list,’’ and the memorandum with this finding includes no mention of the whistleblower or additional documents, the existence of which Attorney General Bondi publicly claimed on February 27.”
Durbin then discussed public scrutiny over the memorandum’s second finding that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide, writing: “The second finding in the July 7 memorandum does not contradict any official statement from DOJ and accords with the DOJ Inspector General’s investigation into the Bureau of Prisons’ custody of Jeffrey Epstein. However, public skepticism of the government’s transparency in this matter has been needlessly increased due to the release of surveillance video from outside of Jeffrey Epstein’s cell in the hours leading up to his death, which the July 7 memorandum described as ‘full raw’ footage; in fact, the footage was likely modified, according to the metadata embedded in the video.”
To Director Patel, Durbin wrote: “According to information my office received, the FBI was pressured to put approximately 1,000 personnel in its Information Management Division (IMD) … on 24-hour shifts to review approximately 100,000 Epstein-related records in order to produce more documents that could then be released on an arbitrarily short deadline. This effort, which reportedly took place from March 14 through the end of March, was haphazardly supplemented by hundreds of FBI New York Field Office personnel, many of whom lacked the expertise to identify statutorily-protected information regarding child victims and child witnesses or properly handle FOIA requests. My office was told that these personnel were instructed to ‘flag’ any records in which President Trump was mentioned.”
To Deputy Director Bongino, Durbin wrote: “Prior to becoming FBI Deputy Director, you spent years as a private citizen making claims about the Jeffrey Epstein case. For example, you stated: ‘That Jeffrey Epstein story is a big deal. Please do not let that story go. Keep your eye on it.’ On July 11, far-right activist Laura Loomer claimed that you and FBI Director Patel ‘[were] livid with [Attorney General Bondi] over her DOJ Memo and the lack of transparency from her office regarding the Jeffrey Epstein files.’ Subsequent public reporting indicates this apparent dispute came to a head at a meeting between White House, DOJ, and FBI officials that you and Director Patel attended, leading to claims that you may resign from your position over these issues. You have made no public statements since these reports have come out, but reports have emerged that the dispute may have been related to Attorney General Bondi accusing you of leaking to NewsNation a story critical of her for allegedly preventing the FBI from releasing more Epstein-related records.”
Durbin concluded with requests for information to be produced by August 1, 2025, citing “the serious questions about the veracity of Attorney General Bondi’s public statements regarding the Epstein-related records in DOJ’s possession and the effect those questions are having on the public’s ability to trust DOJ’s July 7 finding that there is ‘no incriminating “client list.”’”
For a PDF of the letter to Attorney General Bondi, clickhere.
For a PDF of the letter to Director Patel, clickhere.
For a PDF of the letter to Deputy Director Bongino, clickhere.
Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representative Mark Harris (R-N.C.) introduced the National Education Association Charter Repeal Act to revoke the congressional charter of the nation’s largest teachers’ union and the only labor union with a federal charter:
“Time and again, teachers’ unions have shown they’ll put their political agenda ahead of students’ needs,” said Senator Blackburn. “The National Education Association has made it crystal clear it’s a partisan organization, and it shouldn’t be rewarded with a federal charter that platforms woke gender ideology, antisemitism, and left-wing propaganda. Our students deserve better.”
“Congress established the NEA in 1906 to support America’s teachers and strengthen our schools, but it has abandoned that mission in favor of a radical agenda,” said Representative Harris. “From branding President Trump a fascist to embracing divisive gender ideology and walking away from efforts to fight antisemitism, the NEA has become nothing more than a partisan advocacy group. Since the NEA is clearly not prioritizing students, parents or even teachers, it’s time to remove Congress’ seal of approval from this rogue organization.”
BACKGROUND
Last week, the National Education Association (NEA) voted to fight against President “Trump’s embrace of fascism,” promote LGBTQ events in public schools, and sever all ties with the Anti-Defamation League. These latest examples of NEA’s blatant political bias, along with its recent promotion of hatred and antisemitism, are a clear departure from the organization’s intended purpose.
The NEA has a long list of egregious violations of public trust:
In the 2024 election cycle, 98 percent of NEA political donations went to Democrats.
In 2023, the NEA partnered with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), who collaborated with the Target Corporation to promote an obscene, radical agenda in their stores.
In July 2021, the NEA adopted measures to support critical race theory.
The NEA stood in the way of reopening schools in 2020 and 2021 by threatening strikes and influencing CDC guidance process to make it harder for schools to reopen.
THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION CHARTER REPEAL ACT
The National Education Association Charter Repeal Act would:
Eliminate the congressional authorization of the NEA; and
Formally remove Congress’ “seal of approval” and the suggestion that the government is responsible for the NEA’s operations.
Click here for bill text.
ENDORSEMENTS
The National Education Association Charter Repeal Act is endorsed by Moms for Liberty, Heritage Action, Young America’s Foundation, American Principles Project, and the National Right to Work.
“It’s incredibly sad that the nation’s largest teachers union has put woke politics before America’s children. The NEA’s embrace of radical left policies and antisemitism combined with their rejection of parental rights has forced moms and dads across America to condemn this organization. Moms For Liberty is incredibly thankful for Congressman Mark Harris, and his bold stand to remove the NEAs congressional charter. While other members just talk, Mark stepped up and took action,” said Tina Descovich, CEO of Moms for Liberty.
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison Thursday for illegally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Rocky Allan Rainwater, 25, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in January 2024, investigators with the FBI and Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF) learned that an individual, later identified as Rainwater, used Telegram, an encrypted messaging service, to advertise the sale of various illegal narcotics including cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA, ketamine, LSD, Xanax, Adderall, and marijuana.
During the investigation, investigators learned that Rainwater sold drugs to several minors in the Portland area and determined that he was advertising and selling drugs to both adults and minors. In addition to delivering drugs locally, Rainwater, using the Telegram username “smokeyinpdx,” also advertised that he would sell and ship drugs to out-of-state customers.
On March 22, 2024, investigators arranged a controlled buy of cocaine from Rainwater. When Rainwater arrived, investigators arrested him and seized a loaded .22 caliber pistol, 73 grams of cocaine, 465 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, dextroamphetamine, and a scale. The same day, investigators executed a search warrant on Rainwater’s residence and found cocaine, LSD, methamphetamine, an electronic scale, .22 caliber ammunition, $1,490 in cash, and a money ledger.
On March 23, 2024, Rainwater was charged by criminal complaint with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On February 7, 2025, Rainwater pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF). It was prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
CCITF is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
An armed serial robber and convicted felon who robbed five cash loan businesses across the Fort Worth metroplex was sentenced today to 60 years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Charles Brownlee, 37, was convicted by a jury in March 2025 for one count of Hobbs Act Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery, five counts of Hobbs Act Interference with Commerce by Robbery, five counts of Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm during a Crime of Violence, and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He was sentenced today to 720 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor, who also ordered him to pay $21,123.47 in restitution.
According to evidence presented at trial, between May 9 and May 21, 2024, Brownlee robbed at gunpoint five Cash Store businesses in Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Euless, Hurst, and Grapevine. Trying to conceal his identity, Brownlee covered his face with a medical mask and wore different baseball caps and outfits for the robberies.
“After terrorizing employees at multiple businesses throughout the DFW area, this defendant’s violent crime spree ended because of the stellar work of our law enforcement partners,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “The lengthy sentence imposed justly puts this serial felon behind bars for a very long time and serves as a message to others that we will vigorously prosecute those who jeopardize our communities’ safety.”
“The significant sentence received by the defendant is a result of the collaborative efforts of the Longhorn Violent Crimes Task Force to hold a violent, serial robber accountable. This individual committed a series of robberies throughout Tarrant County and strong partnerships with local law enforcement allowed us to stop these acts of violent crime,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI will continue to work alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement to surge resources and fight violent crime in our communities across North Texas.”
Numerous law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Fort Worth Resident Agency, Grand Prairie Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department, Euless Police Department, Hurst Police Department, and Grapevine Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas prosecuted and tried the case.
An intense, weeklong manhunt for Benjamin Hanil Song—an alleged shooter at the Prairieland Detention Center on July 4th—has ended with his arrest by FBI agents in Dallas, Texas, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Song’s capture marks the fourteenth arrest in the case. Court documents reflect that Song, a former United States Marine Corps reservist, joined ten others in an organized attack against officers at the Prairieland Detention Center just after 10:30 p.m., Friday, July 4. Song has been charged by federal complaint with three counts of attempted murder of federal agents and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
Ten others charged with these offenses in a July 7th complaint include Cameron Arnold, Savanna Batten, Nathan Baumann, Zachary Evetts, Joy Gibson, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Seth Sikes, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto. Also on July 7, Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada was charged with obstruction of justice for concealing evidence related to the ambush after talking with Rueda, who was in custody at the time. Two others, John Thomas and Lynette Sharp, were charged on July 14 with accessory after the fact when law enforcement agents determined that they helped Song abscond from the Prairieland area and evade arrest.
The complaints allege that group was dressed in black military style clothing. The group began shooting fireworks towards the detention center, and some sprayed graffiti on vehicles and a guard structure in the parking lot at the facility. These destructive acts were designed to lure correctional officers outside the facility. After correctional officers called 911 to report suspicious activity, an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene. Upon exiting his vehicle, the officer was shot in the neck by a defendant positioned in nearby woods. Another alleged assailant across the street fired 20 to 30 rounds at unarmed correctional officers who had stepped outside the facility.
As alleged in the complaints, Song purchased four of the guns associated with the ambush. Additionally, defendants communicated using Signal Chat groups to plan the attack and share reconnaissance, including an image of the Prairieland Detention Center that identified the locations of six local police departments.
Ten assailants charged in the July 7th complaint fled from the detention center but were apprehended by additional responding law enforcement officers. Song, however, was not located by law enforcement officers that night. As alleged, the location data associated with Song’s cellular telephone indicates that his phone was located within several hundred meters of the Prairieland Detention Center from late in the evening of July 4, 2025, until after dark on July 5, the day after the shooting.
“After the immediate apprehension of Song’s coconspirators at the scene, the FBI and our federal prosecutors—together with our other law enforcement partners—worked tirelessly around the clock pursuing Song. Their tremendous efforts culminated in the arrest of this alleged violent criminal today,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “Though Song escaped by hiding overnight after the attack, we were confident he would not remain hidden for long. The fourteen individuals who planned and participated in these heinous acts will be prosecuted, and we expect justice will be swift.”
“The FBI has worked tirelessly to arrest everyone associated with the shooting at the Prairieland Detention Center. We would like to thank all the entities that publicized this case and assisted in our efforts to successfully locate Benjamin Song,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “His arrest is the result of our determination to protect not only the community, but also our law enforcement partners that were the targets of a coordinated attack. We have said it before, the FBI will not tolerate acts of violence toward law enforcement and will thoroughly investigate anyone that commits these types of offenses.”
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, most of the charged defendants face a minimum penalty of ten years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Those defendants charged with obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact face a maximum of ten years and fifteen years in federal prison, respectively.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI—Dallas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO), ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
BOSTON —The former leader of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios was sentenced in Boston federal court on July 16 to RICO conspiracy charges following an investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations New England field office.
Aaron Diaz Liranzo aka Sosa, 26, was sentenced to 14 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2025, Diaz Liranzo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. Diaz Liranzo was arrested and charged in February 2025 at which time he was the Leader of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios.
Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol, U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks, Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker, Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey D. Noble and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Redd made the announcement.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprising thousands of members across the United States. The group adheres to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to organize and execute violence, and have undertaken extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 Trinitarios leaders and members. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders and a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in the Lynn area, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members.
From at least 2021 through 2025, Diaz Liranzo served as the “Primera,” or “Number One” of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios. He admitted to participating in a shooting that took place in March 2019 that targeted multiple rival gang members outside a Lynn nightclub. Another gang member, who posed as a woman who needed a ride, lured the victims there. Equipped with a firearm and knowledge of the victims’ vehicle and whereabouts, the defendant traveled to the nightclub and opened fire, discharging at least six rounds. During the incident, Diaz Liranzo shot two of the three victims seated in the car. Both victims suffered life-threatening injuries, but ultimately survived the incident.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office, the Rockingham County District Attorney’s Office and the Andover, Boston, Lawrence, Peabody and Salem Police Departments provided valuable assistance.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
BOSTON — An investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations New England alongside its law enforcement partners led to the July 15 sentencing of two members of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, for their roles in a previously-unsolved murder.
Jose Vasquez aka Cholo aka Little Crazy, 31, was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2025, Vasquez pleaded guilty to violent crime in aid of racketeering. He was already serving a 212-month prison sentence for a May 2018 federal conviction for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. In total, Vasquez will serve a total of 37 years for his MS-13-related crimes.
William Pineda Portillo aka Humilde, 31, a Salvadoran national who was unlawfully residing in Everett, was sentenced to 16 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He is subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In May 2023, Pineda Portillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise conspiracy.
Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in ChargeMichael J. Krol, U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks, Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey D. Noble, Somerville Police Chief Shumeane Benford and Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton made the announcement July 17.
Pineda Portillo and Vazquez were indicted by a federal grand jury along with other MS-13 members in September 2024. Specifically, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez conspired with others to murder a 28-year-old man on Dec. 18, 2010, in Chelsea. That evening, law enforcement responded to a 911 call in the vicinity of the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1 in Chelsea. There, they found the victim with approximately 10 stab wounds to his chest and back, along with injuries to his head. The victim was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. A recent reexamination of evidence collected during the initial investigation identified members of MS-13, including Vasquez, as having committed the murder.
In the week leading up to the incident, Vasquez and other MS-13 members conspired to murder the victim because they believed he belonged to a rival gang. Evidence revealed that on the day of the murder, Pineda Portillo picked up Vasquez, other MS-13 members and the victim in Allston. Driving a vehicle registered to his father, Pineda Portillo took the MS-13 members and the victim to Chelsea, where Vasquez and the other gang members led him to an area under an on-ramp to Route 1. Once in the secluded area under the highway, an MS-13 member hit the victim in the head with a rock and another MS-13 member stabbed him with a machete. During the attack, Vasquez stabbed the victim with a knife. Vasquez’s palm print was identified on the handle of a silver kitchen knife recovered from the murder scene. The victim’s blood was also found on the knife.
An undercover recording obtained approximately six weeks after the murder captured one MS-13 member acknowledging his participation in the murder and other gang members disciplining him for leaving Massachusetts after the murder without the gang’s permission.
Pineda Portillo fled to El Salvador before investigators could interview him about his role in the murder. On or about April 29, 2015, after Pineda Portillo returned to the U.S., he arranged to sell a firearm loaded with eight rounds of ammunition to a cooperating witness in exchange for money.
On or about June 1, 2015, Pineda Portillo conspired to murder an MS-13 member he incorrectly believed had been arrested and was cooperating with law enforcement. Specifically, in a conversation recorded by law enforcement, Pineda Portillo said, among other things: “I want that son of a bitch killed, man … You will see, homeboy! We are going to do a complete thing to that son of a bitch, dude.”
Pineda Portillo was originally indicted in 2017. Shortly before the indictment was returned, he was deported to El Salvador. Approximately five years later, on May 10, 2022, Pineda Portillo was arrested as he tried to return to the U.S, illegally crossing the border into Texas from Mexico.
According to court documents, after being arrested at the border, Pineda Portillo admitted that he was a member of MS-13. A fingerprint analysis indicated there was a warrant for his arrest. Pineda Portillo was then returned to the District of Massachusetts, where he remained in custody.
ATF Boston, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance in this case.
Seattle – Two Texas men made initial appearances Thursday July 17, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Seattle charged with conspiracy to commit robbery for their scheme to steal from banks by assaulting and threatening ATM technicians, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Ahmon Hogg, 22, of Humble Texas and Seth Coles-Body, 23, of Houston, were identified as part of a robbery ring operating across the country. The men would allegedly disable ATM machines with a glue-like substance and when the technician showed up to fix the machine, they would threaten the technician to give them the cash containers, called cassettes, from the ATM.
In December 2024, the pair allegedly were part of a gang that disabled ATMs on December 23 and 24, when the machines would be loaded with cash for the Christmas holiday. The coconspirators disabled a Bank of America ATM in Renton with a glue-like substance that caused the card reader to stop functioning. After the technician arrived and began repairing the machine, he was forcibly confronted by two men who brandished a screwdriver and demanded he open the machine and provide them with the cash cassettes. The technician did not open the machine and after a scuffle the technician was able to escape. Bank surveillance video did capture images of the robber’s vehicle and clothing. The men were wearing masks.
The next day in Vancouver, Washington a technician was sent to repair a Bank of America ATM on SE Mill Plain Boulevard. Again, a glue-like substance had been used to disable the card reader. The technician noticed the cash dispenser was also jammed. As she started repairs, two men ran up and shoved her out of the way and grabbed five cash cassettes filled with currency. The men fled in a car that matched one seen the previous day in connection with the attempted robbery in Renton. Some of the clothing worn by the suspects was also a match for the Renton attempted robbery.
Authorities also learned that a Bank of America ATM was disabled that same day in Battleground Washington, not far from Vancouver.
While the investigations were ongoing in Washington, Hogg and Coles-Body were identified in connection to ATM tampering cases on January 3, 2025, in the Phoenix, Arizona area. ATMs for Bank of America and Wells Fargo had been tampered with – a card covered in glue had been inserted into the machines. The FBI set up surveillance on the ATMs and ultimately spotted a car that bank images connected to the tampering. The car and its occupants appeared to be waiting for a technician to arrive at the ATM. Law enforcement stopped the car and was able to identify Hogg and Coles-Body. They were released from custody.
On March 7, 2025, a technician at a Bank of America in Redmond, Washington, reported he had been robbed. He was working on a machine where once again the card reader was disabled by a glue-like substance. Once the machine was open, two robbers ran up and stole cash canisters filled with money from the machine. Five of the canisters were later recovered, damaged, on the shoulder of highway 520. A few days later, Coles-Body was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol attempting to travel into Mexico by Greyhound bus with approximately $209,000 in cash. The cash was seized, and Coles-Body was released.
A criminal complaint and warrant for arrest were sworn on July 2, 2025. The men were arrested in a traffic stop in Mississippi, with stolen firearms found in their car. They made an initial appearance in Jackson Mississippi federal court on July 3, 2025, and the Magistrate Judge ordered the Marshal Service to transport them to Seattle.
Conspiracy to commit robbery is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Columbia River Organized Crime Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell.
Richland, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter announced that Victor Martin Lara-Lopez, age 41, has been charged by complaint with two counts of Assault on a Federal Officer. Lara-Lopez made his initial appearance in federal court on July 17, 2025.
According to court documents and information presented in court, on the morning of June 13, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officers attempted to detain Lara-Lopez on an Administrative Warrant for Arrest of an Alien. The officers spotted Lara-Lopez driving his F-350 truck in Pasco, Washington.
The officers, driving two separate vehicles, activated the emergency lights on their vehicles, parked in front of and behind Lara-Lopez, then approached the driver side window. Both officers were wearing ICE-issued ballistic vests with “POLICE” patches on the front and back.
The officers instructed Lara Lopez to roll down the window. Lara-Lopez only rolled the window halfway down and refused a request to turn off the vehicle or give his name or identification to the officers.
Lara-Lopez then attempted to roll up the window. One of officers stepped on the vehicle’s running board and attempted to keep the window down. Lara-Lopez took the vehicle out of park and started to back up. Both officers struggled with Lara-Lopez through the half-closed window in an attempt to gain control of Lara-Lopez and the vehicle.
After reversing a short distance, Lara-Lopez put the vehicle in drive and began to drive forward. Both ICE agents jumped backward to avoid being crushed between the F-350 and the agent’s parked vehicle. Lara-Lopez drove up on the sidewalk, struck the agent’s vehicle, then sped off. Both agents remained at the scene and did not pursue Lara-Lopez.
One of the ICE agents had bruises on their arm from the altercation. The other agent experienced pain and loss of mobility in their left shoulder.
Later that day, a federal complaint and arrest warrant were obtained for Lara-Lopez. Federal law enforcement authorities sought, but were unable to locate, Lara-Lopez for approximately one month. During this time, a Washington State Department of Corrections warrant was also issued for Lara-Lopez after he failed to report to his Community Corrections Officer. Lara-Lopez was under supervision by the Washington State DOC due to a conviction from 2022 for Child Molestation in the Second Degree with the Aggravating Circumstance of Position of Trust for which Lara-Lopez was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment to be followed by 36 months of supervision. Lara-Lopez was also sentenced to a number of conditions, to include a prohibition on contact with minors.
On July 15, 2025, Law enforcement identified the same F-350 driven by Lara-Lopez on June 13th, driving on Highway 12 between Walla Walla and Pasco, Washington. Officers stopped the truck and the driver, a female, and a juvenile exited the vehicle. Lara-Lopez was also in the vehicle, but refused to exit until he was advised that K9 unit had been called to respond to the scene. Lara-Lopez then exited from the passenger door of the truck and was arrested by law enforcement.
“Every day, law enforcement officers in this district go to work to protect our community. Often, they must contact individuals with serious criminal histories who do not want to be apprehended and present a danger to our community. It is not uncommon for law enforcement to be assaulted in the course of doing the job, which is not lawful and should never be acceptable,” stated Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter. “My office will continue to hold those accountable who use violence in attempt to avoid arrest.”
This case was investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Holland.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
FARGO: Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that Karmen Charles Fox, age 34 of Fargo, ND, appeared in United States District Court today, and was sentenced by Chief Judge Peter Welte to serve 480 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release for the offenses of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute 400 grams or more of Fentanyl (Count 1); Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering (Count 2); Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) (Count 3); Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting In Death (Count 4); Distribution of a Controlled Substance (fentanyl) (Count 5); Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) (Count 7); and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon (Count 9). Fox was also ordered to pay a $700 Special Assessment.
As reflected in court documents, federal law enforcement responded to an overdose death on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation, North Dakota. A subsequent investigation revealed that Karmen Fox was the primary source of the pills that were ingested by the victim. Fox sold fentanyl pills to individuals throughout North Dakota, including on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation and Fort Berthold Indian Reservation for further distribution, including codefendants Scott Roberts (Roberts), Kristin Carrington (Carrington), Chasity Lynn Feather (Feather), Aiana Richotte (Richotte), among other coconspirators. Throughout the conspiracy, Fox and his codefendants used CashApp and other money transfer services to transfer the drug proceeds.
In December 2022, Fox distributed more than 100 fentanyl pills to Feather and Richotte who in turn drove the pills from Fargo to Devils Lake for further distribution. While in Devils Lake, Richotte and the overdose victim smoked a pill. Thereafter, the victim returned to her residence on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation where she later died. After the victim was found unresponsive by her significant other, he called emergency medical personnel who unsuccessfully performed life-saving measures.
Law enforcement later obtained search warrants for Richotte and Feather’s hotel room in Devils Lake as well as Feather’s person. Law enforcement seized $1,293 from Feather’s purse and approximately 175 fentanyl pills from Feather’s person.
Further investigation of the coconspirators’ social media accounts revealed that Scott Roberts and Fox discussed having previously distributed “thousands” of pills. They also discussed the arrests of Feather and Richotte in Devils Lake on December 13, 2022. On November 21, 2023, a search warrant was executed on Fox’s residence in Fargo. Law enforcement seized approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine, two grams of heroin, three firearms, and 34 boxes of various ammunition. Fox was prohibited from possessing firearms because of two prior felony convictions, including Attempted Delivery of Controlled Substance-Heroin.
Following a jury trial, Fox was found guilty of the above-mentioned offenses on March 19, 2025. Fox’s coconspirators plead guilty and were sentenced to federal prison for the following terms of incarceration:
Roberts was sentenced to 120 months
Carrington was sentenced to 42 months
Richotte was sentenced to 28 months
Feather is awaiting sentencing.
“Today’s action reflects the significant prison sentence that awaits those who choose to infect our community with fentanyl, methamphetamines and illegal firearms,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Drug dealers can’t hide from law enforcement in North Dakota, or anywhere in this country. The FBI is proud of our role in this joint effort with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners.”
“The defendant prioritized financial gain over human life and it’s my hope that his sentence will serve as a stark warning to others who are engaging in the same conduct,” said Acting US Attorney Puhl. “If you distribute dangerous narcotics that result in overdose deaths, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; BIA, Lake Region Narcotics Task Force; North Dakota Crime Lab, BCI; Cass County Task Force; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office, District of North Dakota.
NORFOLK, Va. – A Smithfield man pled guilty today to possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle and possession of an unregistered destructive device.
According to court documents, on July 31, 2021, Brad Kenneth Spafford, 36, was admitted to an emergency room with a completely amputated right thumb, partially amputated right middle and index fingers, hearing loss, and scalp lacerations. Spafford falsely told the hospital his injuries were caused by fireworks. An investigation later revealed that Spafford’s injuries resulted from his misfire of a launcher at a family member’s rural property where Spafford routinely detonated explosives he made.
On Dec. 17, 2024, law enforcement arrested Spafford for possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle. Immediately following Spafford’s arrest, law enforcement searched his Smithfield property and vehicles. Agents recovered an unregistered short barrel rifle and ammunition compatible with the rifle. Agents also found approximately 155 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that appeared to be homemade pipe bombs. Some of the IEDs had handwritten identification on them, including “lethal” and “concussion.”
Among the IEDs analyzed were propellant capabilities consistent with use in a launcher and IEDs capable of causing property damage, personal injury, or death. Investigators also recovered bomb-making equipment, along with riot gear, Tannerite, two empty grenade canisters, an improvised mine, precursor chemicals for explosive materials, and numerous rounds of homemade ammunition.
Spafford is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18 and faces up to 10 years in prison for each charge. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
The Suffolk Police Department, Norfolk Bomb Squad, Virginia State Police, Isle of Wight County Fire Rescue, and Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation, with continued support from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Norfolk.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Gantt and Luke Bresnahan are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-3.
CLEVELAND – The last of three defendants involved in a 2021 carjacking and kidnapping was sentenced this week. Anton Woodley, 22, Cashaun Woodley, 24, and Lavontay Johnson, 23, all of Cleveland, each previously pleaded guilty to carjacking after they used firearms to drive an individual around the city so they could steal his money and take his motor vehicle by force.
Court documents show that on Dec. 12, 2021, a male victim visiting downtown Cleveland met two women who suggested they visit a nearby apartment building. After arriving, one of the women contacted the defendants to tell them about the man she had just met. She then worked out a plan to help them rob him. The Woodley brothers and Johnson traveled to the apartment and waited outside for the male victim to exit the building. When the victim appeared and walked out to his vehicle, the Woodley brothers and Johnson ambushed him at gunpoint. They pressed a pistol up against the back of his head and ordered him into the backseat of his car. The defendants abducted the victim and entered the car, with the Woodley brothers flanking the victim with guns while Johnson drove away.
With a gun pressed into his side, the defendants demanded money from the victim. They forced him to transfer several hundred dollars out of his accounts and disclose his financial information on his cellphone. After some time driving around the east side of Cleveland, they released the victim on East 80th Street and then sped away in his vehicle.
The victim’s car was recovered later that month when Garfield Heights police chased Johnson. As he fled the stolen vehicle on foot, officers found a Glock 23, 40 caliber pistol in Johnson’s flight path.
U.S. District Court Judge Pamela A. Barker imposed the following sentences:
Anton Woodley was sentenced July 15, 2025, to 78 months (6.5 years) in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
Lavontay Johnson was sentenced March 13, 2025, to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
Cashaun Woodley was sentenced Dec. 19, 2024, to 100 months (8.3 years) in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Each defendant was ordered to pay $1,240 in restitution. This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Cleveland Division of Police, and the Garfield Heights Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Joines prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that three Fort Towson, Oklahoma co-conspirators in a 2020 double homicide were sentenced in federal district court.
Ashlie Nicole Rose Martin, age 22, was sentenced to 456 months in prison for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder.
Chad Jon’Dale Voyles, age 23, was sentenced to 420 months in prison for one count of Murder in Indian Country.
Bryson Noel Miller, age 19, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for one count of Murder in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office.
According to investigators, on December 22, 2020, Martin, then age 17, recruited Voyles, age 18, and Miller, age 15, to murder her parents. That evening, Martin let Voyles and Miller into her house through a rear window. Miller and Voyles found Martin’s mother sleeping on a couch and beat her to death. All three assisted in burying her in a shallow grave in the backyard. After the murder of Martin’s mother, the co-conspirators cleaned up and disposed of evidence of the murder.
Over the next few hours, Martin attempted to arrange plans to flee, while Voyles and Miller awaited the arrival of Martin’s father at Martin’s residence. When Martin’s father arrived, Voyles ambushed him and fired at him with a compound bow and field-tipped arrow. Voyles missed, leading to a struggle with the father. Ultimately, Miller intervened and struck the father in the head with a dumbbell. Once incapacitated, Voyles and Miller doused the man in gasoline and set him and the house on fire.
The crimes occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“In December 2020, two lives were tragically cut short, and the entire community of Fort Towson was gripped by fear and disbelief,” said FBI Oklahoma City Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Ogden. “The ruthless violence displayed by all three defendants in this case undoubtedly proves they belong behind prison walls. The efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners have guaranteed they will each feel the full weight of the federal justice system.”
“The defendants’ actions were brutal and horrifying,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Although nothing can erase the effects of these crimes or ease these families’ agony, the sentences imposed remove three very dangerous people from our community for a very long time.”
The Honorable David C. Joseph, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearing. The defendants will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.
TULSA, Okla. – A Warrensburg, Missouri man was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Jimmie Lloyd Skelton, 34, to 168 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Skelton will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, the Claremore Police Department responded to a report of child exploitation. The homeowner found Skelton masturbating to a video of a child under 12 years old. When law enforcement searched the home, they found several electronic devices owned by Skelton. Investigators found videos that Skelton recorded secretly of the child victim.
Skelton will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and the Claremore Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Dunn and Stacey Todd prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Armenian national extradited from Ukraine to the United States faces federal charges for his role in Ryuk ransomware attacks and extortion conspiracy targeting companies throughout the United States, including a technology company operating in Oregon.
Karen Serobovich Vardanyan, 33, an Armenian national, has been charged with conspiracy, fraud in connection with computers, and extortion in connection with computers. Vardanyan was extradited from Ukraine to the United States on June 18, 2025.
Levon Georgiyovych Avetisyan, 45, an Armenian national, has been charged with conspiracy, fraud in connection with computers, and extortion in connection with computers. Avetisyan is the subject of a United States extradition request in France.
Oleg Nikolayevich Lyulyava, 53, and Andrii Leonydovich Prykhodchenko, 53, both Ukrainian nationals, have been charged with conspiracy, fraud in connection with computers, and extortion in connection with computers. Lyulyava and Prykhodchenko are not in custody.
According to court documents, between March 2019 and September 2020, Vardanyan and co-conspirators are alleged to have illegally accessed computer networks of victim companies to deploy Ryuk ransomware on hundreds of compromised servers and workstations. Ryuk ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to encrypt data on a victim’s computer or network and prevents the victim from accessing the encrypted files until a ransom is paid.
Ryuk has been used to target thousands of victims worldwide across a variety of sectors, including private industry, state and local municipalities, local school districts, critical infrastructure, and hospitals and other healthcare services and providers. Ryuk attacks have severely disrupted these entities’ abilities to function by restricting access to data and impacting communications.
As part of the scheme, ransom payments were extorted from victim companies in exchange for decryption keys to regain access to their data. A ransom note was placed on the computer systems demanding ransom payments in Bitcoin, a form of cryptocurrency, and provided an email address that victims could use to communicate with the cybercriminals. Vardanyan and co-conspirators are alleged to have received approximately 1,610 bitcoins in ransom payments from the victim companies, which was valued at over $15 million at the time of payment.
Vardanyan made his first appearance in federal court June 20, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a seven-day jury trial scheduled to begin on August 26, 2025.
If convicted, Vardanyan faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for each count.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Katherine A. Rykken, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Vardanyan’s arrest and extradition from Ukraine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the Ukrainian authorities for their assistance in this matter.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
TULSA, Okla. – A former coach and middle school teacher was sentenced today for six counts related to child exploitation and sexual abuse of a minor child, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Ronald Dale Sanders, 57, of Belton, Missouri, for Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct, Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country, Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country, Tampering with Evidence by Corrupt Persuasion, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, and Production of Child Pornography.
Judge Hill ordered Sanders to serve 360 months’ imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervision. Upon his release, Sanders will also be required to register as a sex offender.
“Sanders is a dangerous child predator and every parent’s worst nightmare,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “His career in teaching and coaching put him in a position to manipulate and exploit a minor child and their family to fulfill his sexual desires.”
“As a teacher, the defendant held a position of trust in the eyes of his victim and the community. He violated that trust by exploiting a former student for his own sexual gratification,” said FBI Oklahoma City Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Ogden. “There is no place in our society for predators like Ronald Sanders, and the FBI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure they face justice.”
On several occasions between August 2023 and October 2023, Sanders admitted to driving from Missouri to Oklahoma to engage in sexual acts with a 14-year-old. Court records show that Sanders began messaging with a former 6th-grade student through social media. The messages quickly turned into inappropriate sexual conversations, and he coerced the minor child to send him sexually explicit photos. Sanders manipulated the minor child into believing that they were in a relationship and to delete messages or deny their relationship if anyone asked. He purchased gifts for the minor child, including lingerie and a ring with Sanders’ initials on it.
Court records show that Sanders’ employment career included teaching special education, middle school education, and coaching boys’ and girls’ teams. He used that background to insert himself into the minor child’s life by claiming he was a tutor and befriending the child’s family, attending school football games, and visiting the minor child during school. In October, one of the minor child’s parents caught Sanders outside their house late at night. When the parent attempted to confront Sanders, he hit their vehicle and sped off. The parent followed Sanders and called 911.
Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol pulled over Sanders. He had alcohol and sex toys inside his vehicle. The investigation revealed that Sanders was blatant in his pursuit of the minor child and that he had 1,000’s of messages with the minor child that contained sexually explicit material.
Sanders will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, the Miami Police Department, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Miami Public Schools played a significant role in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Hockenbury and Valeria Luster prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, JOSE MELGAR-RIVAS, 34, of Honduras, was charged by Complaint with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer resulting in bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to the Complaint, on July 15, 2025, officers with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pulled over a vehicle on NW 23rdStreet in Oklahoma City. The driver, Melgar-Rivas, was a Honduran national and an ICE fugitive. The Complaint alleges that Melgar-Rivas refused the officer’s demands to exit the vehicle, and, as officers attempted to remove Melgar-Rivas from the vehicle, a struggle ensued. During the struggle, Melgar-Rivas put the vehicle into drive and fled the scene. As the vehicle accelerated, an ICE officer became trapped in the door of the vehicle, which caused the officer to be dragged down the road. The officer ultimately freed himself from the vehicle but sustained several injuries. Melgar-Rivas, who fled the scene, was arrested several hours later.
“Ensuring the safety of law enforcement personnel in executing their lawful duties is paramount, and it remains a top priority of the Justice Department,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Those who assault or interfere with members of law enforcement for simply doing their job enforcing the law must and will be held accountable.”
“Those who assault federal officers will face swift and stern accountability for their actions,” said Travis Pickard, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas Special Agent in Charge over North Texas and Oklahoma. “Violence and any threats of violence to a federal officer in the performance of their duties will result in an immediate and collaborative law enforcement response to track down the perpetrator.”
“Assaults on federal agents will not be tolerated by the FBI,” said FBI Oklahoma City Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Ogden. “We will continue to aggressively support and defend our fellow public servants so they can safely carry out their sworn duties.”
If found guilty, Melgar-Rivas faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Melgar-Rivas appeared today in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City and was ordered to be detained in federal custody pending further proceedings.
The public is reminded this charge is merely an allegation, and that Melgar-Rivas is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Oklahoma City Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Axel Gustavo Calderon-Rosado, 36, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine.
Evidence presented in court revealed that in 2021, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Postal Inspection Service began investigating Calderon-Rosado for his involvement in a drug trafficking operation that used the U.S. Postal Service to ship parcels of drugs and drug proceeds. Investigators identified Calderon-Rosado as a significant supplier of cocaine in both the Columbia and Lexington County areas.
According to the investigation, Calderon-Rosado regularly shipped large sums of cash to Puerto Rico, and in return, received kilogram quantities of cocaine by mail. Investigators identified two locations associated with Calderon-Rosado that he used for storing and distributing illegal drugs. On July 13 and Oct. 4, 2021, investigators intercepted two suspicious parcels addressed to locations associated with Calderon-Rosado. The first package contained approximately one kilogram of cocaine; the second, more than three kilograms.
Following the October package, authorities executed an undercover operation involving the second package, and arrested Calderon-Rosado after he took possession of the cocaine. Law enforcement searched both associated addresses and seized more than $30,000 in cash, cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, including a kilogram press, multiple stolen firearms, and ammunition. A review of postal and financial records revealed that between April 2020 and November 2023, Calderon-Rosado received over 30 kilograms of cocaine through the mail as part of the trafficking operation.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Axel Gustavo Calderon-Rosado to 168 months imprisonment, to be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI Columbia field office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Columbia Police Department, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ariyana Gore and Lamar Fyall prosecuted this case.
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for attacking his ex-girlfriend with a knife, causing serious injuries.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on November 2, 2024, Jane Doe, and her sister were stopped at a road construction zone when her ex-boyfriend, Tyrell Lee Johnson, 29, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, approached their vehicle. Johnson physically attacked Jane Doe, striking her head, stabbing her abdomen with a knife, and striking her with his vehicle as he fled the scene. Jane Doe sustained injuries, including an abdominal wound, bruises, and abrasions.
Navajo Police located Johnson’s vehicle in Cudei, New Mexico, identified by its damaged front bumper, and apprehended him after a brief pursuit. Officers recovered a black folding knife from Johnson’s possession and confirmed he had no alcohol in his system during processing.
Upon his release from prison, Johnson will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.
ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced today the recovery of $4.9 million for victims of the Ayudando Guardians fraud scheme. The U.S. Department of Justice has retained a third-party administrator to assist with disbursing the funds to victims of the decade-long embezzlement scheme that exploited vulnerable individuals under guardianship.
The U.S. Marshals Servicedemanded coverage from Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America (Travelers) under a “Wrap + Crime” policy for the losses sustained due to the criminal acts of Ayudando employees. Travelers Insurance denied coverage under the policy, so on March 31, 2022, the United States filed a civil action against Travelers in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (“Civil Action”). The United States pursued claims against Travelers for coverage under the policy, bad faith, and violation of the New Mexico Unfair Insurance Practices Act and the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act, alleging that Travelers’ denial of the United States’ claim was unfounded and frivolous, and that Travelers misrepresented the coverage afforded.
On September 20, 2024, the parties participated in a settlement conference before the Honorable Gregory J. Fouratt, resulting in a settlement of the Civil Action. Travelers has agreed to pay the United States the amount of $4.9 million.
On July 17, 2025, the U.S. District Court entered a final order of forfeiture in the related criminal case, awarding $4.9 million in funds obtained through the settlement with Travelers. The recovered funds satisfy a portion of the $6.8 million money judgment against Harris.
In relation to the original criminal case, Harris, the former president and 95% owner of Ayudando, was sentenced to 47 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Her husband, William S. Harris, who worked as a guardian, received a 15-year prison sentence, also followed by three years of supervised release. Sharon A. Moore, former chief financial officer and 5% owner, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Craig M. Young, Susan Harris’ son, was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick, IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI and the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the criminal investigation with the assistance of the Complex Assets Unit and the U.S. Marshals Service, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Dallas Field Division of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. The original criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña. The Civil Action and settlement were led by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Keegan and Jesse Hale, with assistance from Clifford Krieger, forfeiture counsel for the U.S. Marshals Service and several attorneys from the Social Security Administration. The asset forfeiture proceedings were overseen by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kotz.
