NewzIntel.com

Category: Intelligence Agencies

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests Tren de Aragua gang member illegally residing in Houston area

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    HOUSTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Jesus Alberto Escalona-Mujicas, a 47-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela and documented Tren de Aragua gang member, April 9, in Bryan, Texas.

    Escalona-Mujicas was arrested during routine targeted multi-agency enforcement operations that are being conducted around the United States to restore integrity to U.S. immigration laws and bolster public safety, national security and border security.

    Escalona-Mujicas was taken into ICE custody and transported to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, pending his removal from the U.S.

    Escalona-Mujicas illegally entered the U.S. on an unknown date and at an unknown location. He was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol April 10, 2023, near Brownsville, Texas, and was taken into custody and placed into immigration proceedings. An immigration judge from the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Escalona-Mujicas removed March 6, 2024, but he absconded from authorities before his removal could be carried out.

    “The law enforcement community in South Texas is united in our determination to restore integrity to our nation’s immigration laws and sovereignty over our southern border,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford. “Every transnational gang member or dangerous criminal alien that we remove from the community is another life saved, and another violent crime prevented. This is especially true for Tren de Aragua gang members who are known to be among the most brutal transnational gangs with a presence in the U.S. Our immigration officers have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact that transnational gang violence can have on a community, and they are committed to work tirelessly to prevent that from taking hold in Texas.”

    For more news and information on ICE’s efforts to enforce our nation’s immigration laws in Texas follow us on X at @EROHouston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ISIS Supporter Sentenced to 230 Months’ Imprisonment for Recruiting for ISIS, Obstruction, and Attempting to Flee Justice

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, also known as “Umm Nutella,” Initially Cooperated with Law Enforcement, but then Secretly Contacted ISIS Supporters, Deleted Evidence, Lied to Investigators, and Tried to Flee the Country Rather than Face Prison

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced to a total term of 230 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto for three separately charged crimes: conspiring to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization; obstructing justice while released on bail pending sentencing; and failing to appear before the court as required when she attempted to flee the United States.  Ceasar pleaded guilty to the material support charge in February 2017, to the obstruction charge in March 2019, and to the failure to appear charge in October 2022.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.

    “With today’s sentence, Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, an unrepentant ISIS recruiter, will be incarcerated for a significant period of time to protect Americans here and abroad from her violent extremism,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Even after pleading guilty to providing material support to ISIS, the defendant continued to support terrorists, obstructed justice and fled from prosecution.  This Office, together with the FBI, the NYPD, and all the members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, work tirelessly to pursue and hold accountable all those who support terrorism.”

    “Today’s re-sentencing marks the end of a righteous journey that began a decade ago,” stated Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.  “Terrorist organizations like ISIS rely on recruiters like Ceasar to attract, indoctrinate, and enlist new followers.  The Department is committed to holding accountable those who seek to follow a similar path.  Today was made possible by our prosecutors, staff, and members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.  We are grateful for their tireless pursuit of justice in this case.”

    “Sinmyah Amera Ceasar flagrantly ignored conditions of her prior arrest by rekindling former relationships with ISIS members and implementing a plan to personally abscond the country to join their cause,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “Her actions demonstrate little remorse for radicalizing other United States citizens and promoting ISIS’s heinous ideologies. May today’s sentencing reflect the FBI JTTF’s relentless pursuit of any individual conspiring to participate in terrorist organizations.”

    “This sentence is a fitting and meaningful outcome for a woman who assisted ISIS in recruiting, squandered the chance for redemption by exposing herself as cooperating with the U.S. government, and persisted in promoting extremist ideologies to potential new recruits online,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “I commend our diligent NYPD investigators and all members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force for their unwavering commitment to public safety.  The level of teamwork they demonstrate each day is crucial in ensuring the security of New York City and our nation.”

    Between January 2016 and November 2016, Ceasar used numerous social media accounts to praise, promote, and support ISIS and violent jihad and to disseminate ISIS propaganda.  Ceasar posted under a variety of names, including her nom de guerre, or war name, “Umm Nutella,” which translates to “Mother of Nutella.”  Ceasar developed contacts with ISIS members overseas, recruited individuals in the United States to travel overseas to join and fight for ISIS, and used her contacts with ISIS facilitators to attempt to help at least five people from the United States join ISIS abroad.  Ceasar also expressed her own desire to travel to ISIS-controlled territory to join the group and die as a martyr.

    In November 2016, Ceasar was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport as she prepared to board an international flight, which was to be the first leg of her journey to join ISIS.  Ceasar pleaded guilty in February 2017 to conspiring to provide material support and resources to ISIS, and agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigations of ISIS members and supporters.

    In April 2018, Ceasar was released on bail, subject to court-ordered conditions of release.  However, she violated those conditions, and her cooperation agreement with the government, by reconnecting with individuals she had identified to the government as supporters of ISIS.  Ceasar attempted to conceal these communications from the government and from the court, attempted to delete more than 1,000 of her electronic communications, and lied to the government about her conduct.  The court revoked Ceasar’s bail in July 2018.  Ceasar pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding in March 2019.

    In June 2019, the late United States District Judge Jack B. Weinstein sentenced Ceasar to 48 months’ imprisonment for the material support and obstruction offenses, and the government appealed.  In August 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated the sentence imposed by Judge Weinstein, calling it “shockingly low, and unsupportable as a matter of law,” and sent the case back to the district court for resentencing.

    While the appeal was pending, however, Ceasar completed serving the 48-month sentence in July 2020, and began serving an eight-year term of supervised release.  Almost immediately after her release, Ceasar began to repeatedly violate the conditions of her supervision by downloading and using phone apps that she failed to report to the Probation Department, recontacting and communicating with ISIS supporters, soliciting funds from ISIS supporters, communicating with convicted felons, using extremist language, and deleting the evidence of her violations of these conditions of supervision.

    In August 2021, after the Second Circuit issued its decision remanding her case for resentencing, Ceasar fled.  On the day she was scheduled to appear before the Court, Ceasar removed her ankle bracelet location monitoring device, and fled New York City on a cross-country bus trip to New Mexico, setting off a nationwide fugitive investigation that led to her arrest in New Mexico two days later.  The evidence established that Ceasar intended to escape the United States and travel to Russia, and that while fleeing, she used an Internet-based messaging application to contact an individual in Afghanistan to seek assistance to travel there.  She sought assistance from the individual in Afghanistan in the hours after ISIS Khorasan carried out a bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed hundreds, including 13 members of the U.S. Armed Forces.  In connection with her flight from prosecution, Ceasar ultimately pleaded guilty to her third separate felony offense, a charge of failing to appear before the Court as required, in October 2022.

    After being returned to custody at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons’ Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to await sentencing, Ceasar routinely violated Bureau of Prisons institutional rules, circumvented telephone and email monitoring and use restrictions, and continued to communicate and associate with other ISIS supporters.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section.  Special Assistant United States  Attorney Ian C. Richardson and Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Reich are in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendant:

    SINMYAH AMERA CEASAR (also known as “Rita Daoudii,” “Qeuz,” “Umm Nutella,” “Amera Dawah Shakir,” “Bint Dawah Muslimah,” and “Qulli Allahu Akbar”)
    Age: 30
    Brooklyn, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 17-CR-48 (KAM), 19-CR-117 (KAM), and 22-CR-459 (KAM)     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ISIS Supporter Sentenced to Over 19 Years in Prison for Recruiting for ISIS, Obstruction, and Attempting to Flee Justice

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, also known as ‘Umm Nutella,’ Initially Cooperated with Law Enforcement, but then Secretly Contacted ISIS Supporters, Deleted Evidence, Lied to Investigators, and Tried to Flee the Country Rather than Face Prison

    A Brooklyn woman, Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, 30, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced today to serve 230 months in prison for three separately charged crimes: conspiring to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization; obstructing justice while released on bail pending sentencing; and failing to appear for court as required when she attempted to flee the United States. Ceasar pleaded guilty to the material support charge in February 2017, to the obstruction of justice charge in March 2019, and to the failure to appear charge in October 2022.

    “Today’s re-sentencing marks the end of a righteous journey that began a decade ago,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Terrorist organizations like ISIS rely on recruiters like Ceasar to attract, indoctrinate, and enlist new followers. The Department is committed to holding accountable those who seek to follow a similar path. Today was made possible by our prosecutors, staff, and members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. We are grateful for their tireless pursuit of justice in this case.”

    “With today’s sentence, Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, an unrepentant ISIS recruiter, will be incarcerated for a significant period of time to protect Americans here and abroad from her violent extremism,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “Even after pleading guilty to providing material support to ISIS, the defendant continued to support terrorists, obstructed justice and fled from prosecution. This office, together with the FBI, the NYPD, and all the members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, works tirelessly to pursue and hold accountable all those who support terrorism.”

    “Ceasar pleaded guilty to helping ISIS, yet she continued on the same path by communicating with other ISIS supporters, “said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Her actions demonstrate a failure to truly accept responsibility for her actions, and she ultimately cut off her electronic monitoring device and went on the run. Ceasar’s efforts failed and with today’s sentencing she is being held accountable for her criminal actions.”

    Between January 2016 and November 2016, Ceasar used numerous social media accounts to praise, promote, and support ISIS and violent jihad and to disseminate ISIS propaganda. Ceasar posted under a variety of names, including her nom de guerre, or war name, “Umm Nutella,” which translates to “Mother of Nutella.” Ceasar developed contacts with ISIS members overseas, recruited individuals in the United States to travel overseas to join and fight for ISIS, and used her contacts with ISIS facilitators to attempt to help at least five people from the United States join ISIS abroad. Ceasar also expressed her own desire to travel to ISIS-controlled territory to join the group and die as a martyr.

    In November 2016, Ceasar was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport as she prepared to board an international flight, which was to be the first leg of her journey to join ISIS. Ceasar pleaded guilty in February 2017 to conspiring to provide material support and resources to ISIS and agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigations of ISIS members and supporters.

    In April 2018, Ceasar was released on bail, subject to court-ordered conditions of release. However, she violated those conditions, and her cooperation agreement with the government, by reconnecting with individuals she had identified to the government as supporters of ISIS. Ceasar attempted to conceal these communications from the government and the court, attempted to delete more than 1,000 electronic communications, and lied to the government about her conduct. The court revoked Ceasar’s bail in July 2018. Ceasar pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding in March 2019.

    In June 2019, the late U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein sentenced Ceasar to 48 months in prison for the material support and obstruction offenses, and the government appealed. In August 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated the sentence imposed by Judge Weinstein, calling it “shockingly low, and unsupportable as a matter of law,” and sent the case back to the district court for resentencing.

    While the appeal was pending, however, Ceasar completed serving this 48-month sentence in July 2020, and began serving an eight-year term of supervised release. Almost immediately after her release, Ceasar began to repeatedly violate the conditions of her supervision by downloading and using phone apps that she failed to report to the Probation Department, recontacting and communicating with ISIS supporters, soliciting funds from ISIS supporters, communicating with convicted felons, using extremist language, and deleting the evidence of her violations of these conditions of supervision.

    In August 2021, after the Second Circuit issued its decision remanding her case for resentencing, Ceasar fled. On the day she was scheduled to appear before the Court, Ceasar removed her ankle bracelet location monitoring device, and fled New York City on a cross-country bus trip to New Mexico, setting off a nationwide fugitive investigation that led to her arrest in New Mexico two days later. The evidence established that Ceasar intended to escape the United States and travel to Russia, and that, while fleeing, she used an internet-based messaging application to contact an individual in Afghanistan to seek assistance to travel there. She sought assistance from the individual in Afghanistan in the hours after ISIS Khorasan carried out a bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed hundreds, including 13 members of the U.S. Armed Forces. In connection with her flight from prosecution, Ceasar ultimately pleaded guilty to her third separate felony offense, a charge of failing to appear before the court as required, in October 2022.

    After being returned to custody at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons’ Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to await sentencing, Ceasar routinely violated Bureau of Prisons institutional rules, circumvented telephone and email monitoring and use restrictions, and continued to communicate and associate with other ISIS supporters.

    The government’s case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian C. Richardson, currently of the National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew D. Reich of the Eastern District of New York’s National Security and Cybercrime Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Orange County man sentenced to federal prison for kidnapping attorney

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BEAUMONT, Texas – An Orange, Texas, man has been sentenced to federal prison for violations related to a kidnapping in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Putnam Darwin Richardson, 79, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm and was sentenced to 294 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on April 9, 2025.

    “Thanks to the quick and outstanding work of the FBI, in concert with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange Police Department, an innocent victim was rescued from the clutches of a gun-wielding kidnapper and returned safely home to his family, and a now-twice convicted armed kidnapper is returned home to prison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. “This case serves as a reminder that violent predators come in all shapes, sizes and age-ranges, and to always stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings.”  

    “Putnam Richardson clearly failed to learn from his previous imprisonment for kidnapping, and he definitely underestimated FBI Houston’s capacity to mobilize critical resources when a life is at risk,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “We are in the business of saving lives, and cases like this are why we exist. I’m especially grateful to the FBI Beaumont investigators, crisis negotiators, and special surveillance teams who swiftly deployed and worked tirelessly for days to rescue and reunite the victim with his family.”

    According to information presented in court, on July 15, 2024, a kidnapping for ransom was reported to the FBI.  The victim, a local attorney, was kidnapped at gunpoint that morning after arriving at his law office in Beaumont.  The victim’s wife received a call from the victim’s cell phone, during which the kidnapper indicated the victim was being held hostage in exchange for $1 million ransom. The kidnapper also indicated he would kill the victim if the ransom was not met.  Richardson, a former client of the victim, was identified as a suspect during the investigation.  Richardson had previously been convicted of kidnapping in 1984 and was sentenced to 50 years in prison.  On July 17, 2024, Richardson was arrested at a gas station and the victim was rescued by law enforcement authorities.

    This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, the Beaumont Police Department, the Orange Police Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ISIS Supporter Sentenced to Over 19 Years in Prison for Recruiting for ISIS, Obstruction, and Attempting to Flee Justice

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, also known as ‘Umm Nutella,’ Initially Cooperated with Law Enforcement, but then Secretly Contacted ISIS Supporters, Deleted Evidence, Lied to Investigators, and Tried to Flee the Country Rather than Face Prison

    A Brooklyn woman, Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, 30, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced today to serve 230 months in prison for three separately charged crimes: conspiring to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization; obstructing justice while released on bail pending sentencing; and failing to appear for court as required when she attempted to flee the United States. Ceasar pleaded guilty to the material support charge in February 2017, to the obstruction of justice charge in March 2019, and to the failure to appear charge in October 2022.

    “Today’s re-sentencing marks the end of a righteous journey that began a decade ago,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Terrorist organizations like ISIS rely on recruiters like Ceasar to attract, indoctrinate, and enlist new followers. The Department is committed to holding accountable those who seek to follow a similar path. Today was made possible by our prosecutors, staff, and members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. We are grateful for their tireless pursuit of justice in this case.”

    “With today’s sentence, Sinmyah Amera Ceasar, an unrepentant ISIS recruiter, will be incarcerated for a significant period of time to protect Americans here and abroad from her violent extremism,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “Even after pleading guilty to providing material support to ISIS, the defendant continued to support terrorists, obstructed justice and fled from prosecution. This office, together with the FBI, the NYPD, and all the members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, works tirelessly to pursue and hold accountable all those who support terrorism.”

    “Ceasar pleaded guilty to helping ISIS, yet she continued on the same path by communicating with other ISIS supporters, “said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Her actions demonstrate a failure to truly accept responsibility for her actions, and she ultimately cut off her electronic monitoring device and went on the run. Ceasar’s efforts failed and with today’s sentencing she is being held accountable for her criminal actions.”

    Between January 2016 and November 2016, Ceasar used numerous social media accounts to praise, promote, and support ISIS and violent jihad and to disseminate ISIS propaganda. Ceasar posted under a variety of names, including her nom de guerre, or war name, “Umm Nutella,” which translates to “Mother of Nutella.” Ceasar developed contacts with ISIS members overseas, recruited individuals in the United States to travel overseas to join and fight for ISIS, and used her contacts with ISIS facilitators to attempt to help at least five people from the United States join ISIS abroad. Ceasar also expressed her own desire to travel to ISIS-controlled territory to join the group and die as a martyr.

    In November 2016, Ceasar was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport as she prepared to board an international flight, which was to be the first leg of her journey to join ISIS. Ceasar pleaded guilty in February 2017 to conspiring to provide material support and resources to ISIS and agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigations of ISIS members and supporters.

    In April 2018, Ceasar was released on bail, subject to court-ordered conditions of release. However, she violated those conditions, and her cooperation agreement with the government, by reconnecting with individuals she had identified to the government as supporters of ISIS. Ceasar attempted to conceal these communications from the government and the court, attempted to delete more than 1,000 electronic communications, and lied to the government about her conduct. The court revoked Ceasar’s bail in July 2018. Ceasar pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding in March 2019.

    In June 2019, the late U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein sentenced Ceasar to 48 months in prison for the material support and obstruction offenses, and the government appealed. In August 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated the sentence imposed by Judge Weinstein, calling it “shockingly low, and unsupportable as a matter of law,” and sent the case back to the district court for resentencing.

    While the appeal was pending, however, Ceasar completed serving this 48-month sentence in July 2020, and began serving an eight-year term of supervised release. Almost immediately after her release, Ceasar began to repeatedly violate the conditions of her supervision by downloading and using phone apps that she failed to report to the Probation Department, recontacting and communicating with ISIS supporters, soliciting funds from ISIS supporters, communicating with convicted felons, using extremist language, and deleting the evidence of her violations of these conditions of supervision.

    In August 2021, after the Second Circuit issued its decision remanding her case for resentencing, Ceasar fled. On the day she was scheduled to appear before the Court, Ceasar removed her ankle bracelet location monitoring device, and fled New York City on a cross-country bus trip to New Mexico, setting off a nationwide fugitive investigation that led to her arrest in New Mexico two days later. The evidence established that Ceasar intended to escape the United States and travel to Russia, and that, while fleeing, she used an internet-based messaging application to contact an individual in Afghanistan to seek assistance to travel there. She sought assistance from the individual in Afghanistan in the hours after ISIS Khorasan carried out a bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed hundreds, including 13 members of the U.S. Armed Forces. In connection with her flight from prosecution, Ceasar ultimately pleaded guilty to her third separate felony offense, a charge of failing to appear before the court as required, in October 2022.

    After being returned to custody at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons’ Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn to await sentencing, Ceasar routinely violated Bureau of Prisons institutional rules, circumvented telephone and email monitoring and use restrictions, and continued to communicate and associate with other ISIS supporters.

    The government’s case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian C. Richardson, currently of the National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew D. Reich of the Eastern District of New York’s National Security and Cybercrime Section.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Department of Energy to Distribute First Amounts of HALEU to U.S. Advanced Reactor Developers

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON, D.C. —The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today made conditional commitments to provide high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to five U.S. nuclear developers to meet their near-term fuel needs. This first round of HALEU allocations brings innovative American nuclear technologies one step closer to commercialization and will expand the use of nuclear energy to deliver more secure, affordable, and reliable energy to the American people.

    “The Trump Administration is unleashing all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy – and this includes accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. “Allocating this HALEU material will help U.S. nuclear developers deploy their advanced reactors with materials sourced from secure supply chains, marking an important step forward in President Trump’s program to revitalize America’s nuclear sector.” 

    Many advanced reactors will need HALEU to achieve smaller designs, longer operating cycles, and increased efficiencies over current technologies, but HALEU is not currently available from domestic suppliers.

    To help fill this gap, DOE created the HALEU allocation process for nuclear developers to request HALEU material from DOE sources, including material from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). DOE received HALEU requests from 15 companies. For this first round, DOE identified five of those companies that met prioritization criteria, with three of them requiring fuel delivery in 2025.  

    The five companies that received conditional commitments are:
    •    TRISO-X, LLC.
    •    Kairos Power, LLC.
    •    Radiant Industries, Inc.
    •    Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC
    •    TerraPower, LLC.

    The allocated HALEU supports both Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) Pathway 1 award recipients, companies planning to demonstrate in the DOME test bed, along with some ARDP risk reduction awardees – reinforcing DOE’s commitment to our industry partnerships.

    As a next step, DOE will initiate the contracting process to allocate the material to the five companies, some of which could receive their HALEU as early as this fall. The allocation process is ongoing, and DOE plans to continue HALEU allocations to additional companies in the future.

    The first round of conditional commitments of HALEU were made through the HALEU Availability Program, which was established in 2020 to secure a domestic supply of HALEU for civilian domestic research, development, demonstration, and commercial use. 

    Learn more about DOE’s HALEU Availability Program at HALEU Availability Program | Department of Energy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cheswick Resident Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 240 months of incarceration, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, on his conviction of receiving material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Cam John Zmenkowski, 28.

    According to information presented to the Court, from August 2022 through September 2022, during online chats, Zmenkowski induced a minor to send to him nude and sexually explicit images and videos that law enforcement recovered from Zmenkowski’s personal cell phone.

    Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Pittsburgh and FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, including the Allegheny County Police Department and Sharpsburg Police Department, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Zmenkowski.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Waynesville Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Waynesville, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for sharing child pornography over the internet.

    Michael Howard Collard, 44, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Collard to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration and to pay $3,000 in restitution to his victims. Collard has been in federal custody since his arrest.

    Collard will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

    On June 17, 2024, Collard pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. According to court documents, Collard admitted that he used Kik messenger to share images of child sexual abuse material with an undercover law enforcement officer.

    On May 4, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Collard’s residence and seized Collard’s Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Kyocera E6920 cell phones. A forensic evaluation found evidence of the receipt and distribution of child pornography on the phones, including over 160 images and 90 videos.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.

    Project Safe Childhood

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brooklyn-Based Ninedee Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Covid-19 Unemployment Benefits Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Darnell Jones, also known as “EJ,” pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud and committing aggravated identity theft.  During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 through August 2021, Jones engaged in a fraud scheme using stolen personal identifying information to fraudulently obtain more than $800,000 from federally funded unemployment insurance programs established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  In addition, as part of his guilty plea, Jones admitted to fraudulently obtaining personal identifying information, including bank account information, between May 2021 and October 2024, to commit wire fraud with an intended victim loss of more than $3.5 million.  The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry.  When sentenced, Jones faces up to 32 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of two years’ imprisonment.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea.

    “Today, Jones admitted to his extensive fraud scheme to swindle millions of dollars of unemployment benefits by using the stolen identities of innocent victims,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Even worse, the federal funds were intended to provide relief to those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic and instead were diverted by the defendant to finance violent crimes of the Ninedee gang in Brooklyn.  My Office and our law enforcement partners recognize that a key means of dismantling violent gangs is, as here, to cut off their sources of income.” 

    Mr. Durham also thanked the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General and the New York State Department of Labor, Office of Special Investigations for their assistance on the case.

    “At the height of a global crisis, Darnell Jones exploited the identities of vulnerable New Yorkers to bankroll a violent gang’s criminal enterprise,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “His guilty plea today is a powerful reminder that no scam is too sophisticated, no network too hidden – we will find you, and we will bring you to justice. I commend our investigators, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their relentless pursuit of justice.”

    According to court filings, witness testimony, and the record from the defendant’s detention hearing, Jones is a member of the Ninedee Gang, a violent criminal enterprise operating out of the Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York, Brooklyn, who led the gang’s fraud schemes.  Ninedee Gang members were affiliated with the “5” and “6” Pink Houses apartment buildings and engaged in gang-related violence within and outside of the New York City Housing Authority complex.  The Ninedee Gang protected its turf through violence, made money by selling drugs and committing fraud, and sought to silence those they perceived to be working with law enforcement.  Ninedee Gang members were responsible for the July 2020 murder of Shatavia Walls, a former federal witness who testified against a Ninedee Gang member in Brooklyn federal court in 2019.  Seven Ninedee Gang members have been prosecuted for their gang-affiliated crimes, including the murder in-aid-of-racketeering of Shatavia Walls. Five Ninedee defendants have pled guilty and a sixth, Maliek Miller, was convicted at trial in June 2024.  The remaining defendant, high-ranking Ninedee leader Raquel Dunton, is charged with drug trafficking and acting as an accessory after-the-fact to Walls’ murder, among other crimes, and is awaiting trial.

    Jones and other Ninedee Gang members engaged in “scamming,” or various financial fraud schemes, including check fraud, postal money order fraud, and unemployment benefits fraud.  For example, beginning in approximately November 2020, Jones sent a co-conspirator text messages containing the names of 10 New York residents, the purpose of which was to obtain personally identifiable information (PII) for those individuals without their consent.  The co-conspirator sent Jones the requested individuals’ dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers.  In exchange, Jones paid the co-conspirator with cryptocurrency.  Subsequently, Jones submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits to the New York State Department of Labor using the stolen PII.  As introduced at the trial of Ninedee Gang leader Maliek Miller, text messages in 2020 showed that Jones coordinated with fellow Ninedee Gang member Kevin Wint about pooling their money to purchase “glicks” or “plates,” which are references to firearms.  Notably, in August 2021, law enforcement agents recovered two firearms, which were outfitted with laser sights, in a residence shared by Jones and Wint. 

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Emily J. Dean and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Theodore Rader.

    The Defendant:

    DARNELL JONES (also known as “EJ”)
    Age: 30
    Brooklyn, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-369 (DLI)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Nasdaq Announces End-of-Month Open Short Interest Positions in Nasdaq Stocks as of Settlement Date March 31, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At the end of the settlement date of March 31, 2025, short interest in 3,140 Nasdaq Global MarketSM securities totaled 13,072,444,217 shares compared with 13,066,514,117 shares in 3,124 Global Market issues reported for the prior settlement date of March 14, 2025. The mid-March short interest represents 2.64 days compared with 2.14 days for the prior reporting period.

    Short interest in 1,625 securities on The Nasdaq Capital MarketSM totaled 2,682,510,166 shares at the end of the settlement date of March 31, 2025, compared with 2,598,104,131 shares in 1,634 securities for the previous reporting period. This represents a 1.12 day average daily volume; the previous reporting period’s figure was 1.17.

    In summary, short interest in all 4,765 Nasdaq® securities totaled 15,754,954,383 shares at the March 31, 2025 settlement date, compared with 4,758 issues and 15,664,618,248 shares at the end of the previous reporting period. This is 2.14 days average daily volume, compared with an average of 1.88 days for the prior reporting period.

    The open short interest positions reported for each Nasdaq security reflect the total number of shares sold short by all broker/dealers regardless of their exchange affiliations. A short sale is generally understood to mean the sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale that is consummated by the delivery of a security borrowed by or for the account of the seller.

    For more information on Nasdaq Short interest positions, including publication dates, visit http://www.nasdaq.com/quotes/short-interest.aspx or http://www.nasdaqtrader.com/asp/short_interest.asp.

    About Nasdaq:
    Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions, and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.

    Media Contact:
    Camille Stafford
    camille.stafford@nasdaq.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e732179-9f7c-4e87-b3b9-7b6783f4a5cd

    NDAQO

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Ahead of the Threat Podcast: Episode Nine – FBISupp

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

    Who disrupted the world’s most prolific ransomware provider? Find out in this special episode where hosts Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI Cyber Division, and Jamil Farshchi, an FBI strategic engagement advisor, welcome “FBISupp,” an undercover special agent, who discusses the operation that returned victim funds and ruined the reputation of the notorious LockBitSupp, a.k.a. Dmitry Khoroshev.

    Appearing in blurred video and with a disguised voice, FBISupp reveals his unusual investigative techniques to engage with LockBitSupp, identify him, and even negotiate to spare some victims from paralyzing ransomware attacks. Experts estimate that LockBitSupp has cost companies close to half a billion dollars.

    In this episode’s Top Three, topics include the (hopeful) reauthorization of CISA 2015, a potential breach at Oracle, and the continuing trend of stolen user credentials.

    Links to useful documents:

    Tips leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Dmitry Khoroshev can lead to an award of up to $10 million. You can read more at https://www.state.gov/transnational-organized-crime-rewards-program-2/lockbit-ransomware-administrator-dmitry-yuryevich-khoroshev/.

    You can read the CISA 2015 at https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/cybersecurity-information-sharing-act-2015.

    Listen to Ahead of the Threat episodes, read the transcripts, and find related material at https://www.fbi.gov/aheadofthethreat.

    —————————————————
    Subscribe to Inside the FBI wherever you get your podcasts:
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4H2d3cg…
    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…
    Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0…
    More ways to follow us: https://inside-the-fbi.transistor.fm/…

    Follow us on social media:
    X: https://twitter.com/fbi
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjJAcqe9-o8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Johnson, Grassley Release Additional Arctic Frost Records Detailing Sweeping Anti-Trump Investigation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    WASHINGTON – On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, followed up on their oversight of the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” investigation, which formed the basis of Jack Smith’s elector case against President Donald Trump.

    Newly-disclosed FBI emails provided by legally protected whistleblowers show:

    1. Officials in the Biden White House, including then-White House Deputy Counsel Jonathan Su, personally assisted the FBI in securing the government cell phones of President Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. The cell phones were acquired before Trump was formally added as a subject of the investigation. 
    2. Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C. – including U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom, who later joined Jack Smith’s team as a main attorney – coordinated extensively with FBI agents in the Washington Field Office to plan, approve and execute Arctic Frost.
    3. Further evidence anti-Trump FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Timothy Thibault played a central role in opening and advancing the Arctic Frost investigation, despite other agents’ concerns that the evidence only supported a limited preliminary investigation.

    In addition to publicizing these records, the chairmen are reiterating their request for Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel to produce all DOJ and FBI records regarding the Arctic Frost investigation, with emphasis on communications between and among the FBI and Biden White House officials. 

    The full text of the letter and exhibits can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miller County Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

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

    TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS – A Doddridge, Arkansas man was sentenced yesterday to 198 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.  The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Texarkana.

    According to court documents, Nathaniel Gareth Doggett, age 22, used an online social media platform to distribute child pornography to a minor.  Doggett’s crime came to light after a CyberTip was submitted to the FBI by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  When interviewed by FBI agents, Doggett admitted to downloading and distributing child pornography, including files of pre-pubescent children, through the social media application.   

    Doggett was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in June of 2023 and entered a plea of guilty in August of 2025.  His conviction requires him to register as a sex offender.

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

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Miller County Sheriff’s Office, the El Dorado Police Department, and the Arkansas State Police investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devon Still and Graham Jones prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

    This case was prosecuted 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former West Covina Resident Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Memorabilia of Professional Athletes and Other Celebrities

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

    SANTA ANA, California – A former San Gabriel Valley resident pleaded guilty today to selling hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fake sports and celebrity memorabilia to customers, including a fake “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” photograph containing forged signatures from several of the show’s stars.

    Anthony J. Tremayne, 58, formerly of West Covina but who now lives in Rosarito, Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud.

    According to his plea agreement, from at least 2010 until December 2019, Tremayne was in the business of selling memorabilia containing purportedly genuine signatures of famous athletes, musicians, actors, and other celebrities. Tremayne advertised nationwide the memorabilia with purportedly genuine signatures. 

    Relying on Tremayne’s statements that the signatures were genuine, customers sent Tremayne money to purchase the memorabilia and have it mailed to them. When Tremayne mailed the memorabilia to his customers, he sometimes included a “Certificate of Authenticity” form, certifying that the signatures were real.

    In fact, Tremayne forged the signatures, and the authenticity certificates were bogus.

    Tremayne admitted in his plea agreement to selling more than $250,000 and up to $550,000 of fake memorabilia to his customers.

    For example, in November 2019, Tremayne mailed a “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” photograph containing forged signatures of three of the show’s 22 personalities, which he purported to be genuine signatures. Tremayne sold the fake memorabilia to a buyer – who happened to be an undercover FBI agent – in Anaheim in exchange for $200.

    United States District Judge James V. Selna scheduled an August 11 sentencing hearing, at which time Tremayne will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    The FBI investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Michigan Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Return and Employment Tax Crime

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A Michigan man pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return for his international vehicle shipping business along with not paying taxes on cash wages he paid to his employees.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Ali Kassem Kain owned and operated a business called Specialized Overseas Shipping that arranged for vehicles to be shipped to West Africa and other destinations for third parties. For tax years 2017 through 2020, Kain underreported the company’s gross receipts by $6.4 million on the business’ tax returns. Kain also did not collect and pay over to the IRS taxes on $249,000 in cash wages he paid to his employees.

    Kain faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the employment tax offense and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Leitman for the Eastern District of Michigan scheduled sentencing for Aug. 14.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI Detroit Field Office are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Richard J. Kelley and Jeffrey A. McLellan of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Return and Employment Tax Crime

    Source: United States Attorneys General 9

    A Michigan man pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return for his international vehicle shipping business along with not paying taxes on cash wages he paid to his employees.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Ali Kassem Kain owned and operated a business called Specialized Overseas Shipping that arranged for vehicles to be shipped to West Africa and other destinations for third parties. For tax years 2017 through 2020, Kain underreported the company’s gross receipts by $6.4 million on the business’ tax returns. Kain also did not collect and pay over to the IRS taxes on $249,000 in cash wages he paid to his employees.

    Kain faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the employment tax offense and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Leitman for the Eastern District of Michigan scheduled sentencing for Aug. 14.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI Detroit Field Office are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Richard J. Kelley and Jeffrey A. McLellan of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Houston Seeks Suspect in April Fools’ Foiled Bank Robbery

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

    HOUSTON, TX—The FBI Houston’s Violent Crime Task Force is asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating the man behind an “April Fools’ Day” foiled bank robbery in southwest Houston. Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the robber.

    The robbery occurred at approximately 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the PNC Bank located at 7414 South Sam Houston Parkway in southwest Houston. During the robbery, the suspect entered the bank, approached the counter, and handed the teller a note threatening the robber’s own family and demanding money. The teller was able to walk to a secure part of the bank, hence foiling the bank robbery, and the suspect eventually departed without any money. No one was physically hurt during the robbery.

    The robber is described as a black male in his late 40s, approximately 6’0” tall, with a slim build. During the robbery he wore a black hoodie, black pants, and black/white sneakers.

    Photographs of the suspect from the robbery can be found on FBI Houston’s X and Facebook accounts.

    Crime Stoppers of Houston, a non-governmental organization, is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of this robber. If you have any information, please call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or the FBI Houston Field Office at (713) 693-5000. Tips may also be submitted to Crime Stoppers through their website, www.crime-stoppers.org, or the Houston Crime Stoppers mobile phone app which can be downloaded for both iPhone and Android devices. All tipsters remain anonymous.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India and UK hold 13th Economic and Financial Dialogue in London today

    Source: Government of India

    India and UK hold 13th Economic and Financial Dialogue in London today

    India and UK reaffirm their commitment to continue collaboration in financial services sector, FinTech and Digital economy and between the respective regulatory bodies; collaboration at bilateral and multilateral fora to address mutual and global economic issues

    13th EFD concludes with adoption of Joint Statement by Union Finance Minister of India and Chancellor of Exchequer of United Kingdom

    Posted On: 09 APR 2025 8:46PM by PIB Delhi

    The 13th Ministerial meeting of the India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (13th EFD) was held today at London. The Indian delegation, led by Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, held high-level discussions with the UK delegation led by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt. Hon. Rachel Reeves.

    The Indian delegation comprised of the Finance Secretary, Chairman IFSCA, Whole Time Member from SEBI and other senior officers from Ministry of Finance and Indian High Commission in London. Governor RBI also attended the meeting in virtual mode. The UK delegation included the Governor of Bank of England, FCA CEO, Economic Secretary of Treasury, and senior officials from HM’s Treasury.

    Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue collaboration in financial services sector, FinTech and Digital economy and between the respective regulatory bodies; collaboration at bilateral and multilateral fora to address mutual and global economic issues including mobilising affordable finance and investment for low carbon economic growth, taxation matters and illicit financial flows.

    Both sides welcomed the recent announcement of UK universities establishing campus in India, release of report of the India-UK Financial Partnership (IUKFP) on direct listing in IFSC GIFT City, launching of new private sector workstream on green finance, under the auspices of the IUKFP and other new areas of focus.

    The 13th EFD concluded with the adoption of the Joint Statement by Union Finance Minister of India and Chancellor of Exchequer of United Kingdom.

    Annexure:

    JOINT STATEMENT OF 13TH INDIA-UK ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL DIALOGUE

    ****

    NB/KMN

    (Release ID: 2120597) Visitor Counter : 188

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LOK SABHA SPEAKER APPRECIATES UZBEK SCHOLARS’ DEEP INTEREST IN INDIAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURE

    Source: Government of India

    LOK SABHA SPEAKER APPRECIATES UZBEK SCHOLARS’ DEEP INTEREST IN INDIAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURE

    INDIA HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN SHAPING THE 21ST CENTURY: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    INDIA AND UZBEKISTAN WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN REALIZING DREAM OF GLOBAL HUMAN VALUES, PEACE, STABILITY, PROGRESS, AND FREEDOM IN THE 21ST CENTURY: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    LOK SABHA SPEAKER INTERACTS WITH INDOLOGISTS AND STUDENTS IN UZBEKISTAN

    Posted On: 09 APR 2025 8:07PM by PIB Delhi

    Tashkent/New Delhi; 09 April 2025: Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla has appreciated the scholars of Uzbekistan for their deep interest and understanding in Indian languages, including Hindi and Sanskrit. The Uzbek scholars have not only learned Indian languages but have also expressed it in their literary works, he observed. Interacting with the Indologists, teachers and students at the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri School in Tashkent today, Shri Birla noted that the scholars through their teaching and research works, have strengthened the historic relationship between India and Uzbekistan. Over 600 students are learning Hindi at the school and are having a deep appreciation for Indian languages and culture.

    Shri Birla mentioned that many Indologists have received prestigious awards for their diplomatic activities, including the highest awards in India and other countries. He also noted that an Uzbek-Hindi dictionary has also been created by the teachers in Uzbekistan which was inaugurated by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.

    Shri Birla said that India has an important role in shaping the 21st century, adding that there are immense opportunities for collective development and collaboration with friendly nations like Uzbekistan. He further said that through engagement in areas such as the environment, language, culture, and education, mutual understanding would be broadened. Shri Birla recalled that during his visit, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had highlighted the popularity of Indian films and music in Uzbekistan and reminded the audience that in 2012, Uzbek Radio completed 50 years of broadcasting

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Johnson Release Additional Arctic Frost Records Detailing Sweeping Anti-Trump Investigation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) are following up on their oversight of the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” investigation, which formed the basis of Jack Smith’s elector case against President Donald Trump.

    Newly-disclosed FBI emails provided by legally protected whistleblowers show:

    1. Officials in the Biden White House, including then-White House Deputy Counsel Jonathan Su, personally assisted the FBI in securing the government cell phones of President Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. The cell phones were acquired before Trump was formally added as a subject of the investigation. 
    2. Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C. – including U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom, who later joined Jack Smith’s team as a main attorney – coordinated extensively with FBI agents in the Washington Field Office to plan, approve and execute Arctic Frost.
    3. Further evidence anti-Trump FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Timothy Thibault played a central role in opening and advancing the Arctic Frost investigation, despite other agents’ concerns that the evidence only supported a limited preliminary investigation.

    In addition to publicizing these records, the chairmen are reiterating their request for Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel to produce all DOJ and FBI records regarding the Arctic Frost investigation, with emphasis on communications between and among the FBI and Biden White House officials.

    Read their full letter and the attached exhibits HERE.

    Previous Arctic Frost oversight:

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: West Virginia Man Charged with Possession of an Unregistered Firearm After Attempting to Take Flashbang Grenade Through Airport Security

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

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Morgantown, West Virginia, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of an unregistered firearm, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    The one-count Indictment named Zachary Vincent Velling, 26, as the sole defendant.

    According to the Indictment and public information from the Allegheny County Police Department, on November 12, 2024, Velling entered airport security at the Pittsburgh International Airport and placed his carry-on luggage through the x-ray machine. Representatives with the Transportation Security Administration noticed a suspicious object within Velling’s luggage, which officers from the Allegheny County Police Department ultimately determined to be a MK24 MOD 0,6 Bang/Flash diversionary hand grenade. The grenade is a firearm and destructive device under federal law that was not registered to Velling in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Velling was previously charged in relation to this incident in the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas with possession of an offensive weapon and criminal attempt. Those charges have been dismissed as a result of this federal Indictment.

    “Attempting to pass through airport security with any firearm or destructive device poses an unacceptable risk of harm to the innocent traveling public,” said Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti. “This danger is heightened when, as in this case, the destructive device is possessed illegally. We are steadfast in our commitment to work with our partners at the FBI, ATF, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, and Transportation Security Administration to ensure safe air travel.”

    The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Allegheny County Police Department; Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office; and Transportation Security Administration conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

    An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Justice Department, FBI Join U.S. Coast Guard During Offload of More than $509 Million in Illegal…

    Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

    Attorney General Pamela Bondi joined FBI Director Kash Patel and leaders from the U.S. Coast Guard as they offloaded over 48,400 pounds of illegal drugs valued at more than $509 million at Port Everglades, Florida.

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

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Monroe County Men Charged With Drug Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eli Valentine Calero, age 43, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and John Charles Ehrhard, Jr., age 56, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, were indicted yesterday, April 8, 2025, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges. 

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the superseding indictment alleges that between May 2024 and March 2025, Calero and Ehrhard, Jr. conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.  The indictment alleges that during that time Ehrhard, Jr. distributed methamphetamine on multiple occasions and possessed a firearm and ammunition in furtherance of his drug trafficking, when he was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction. The indictment further alleges that on March 12, 2025, Calero possessed over 500 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine for distribution.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is lifetime imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

    Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Defendants Charged Following Armed Coup Attack in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Source: US State of California

    Three defendants transferred from the DRC to the U.S. and one other arrested in Utah after Armed Coup Attack to overthrow the DRC government

    Note: View the criminal complaint.

    A criminal complaint was unsealed today in the District of Utah charging Marcel Malanga, 22, Tyler Thompson, 22, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, and Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, all U.S. citizens, with conspiring to provide material support and resources, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country, among other offenses.

    Malanga, Thompson, and Polun are expected to make their initial appearances at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. Moesser is expected to make his initial appearance on April 10 at the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. After their initial appearances in New York, it is expected that Malanga, Thompson, and Polun will appear in Salt Lake City, Utah, for further legal proceedings.

    As alleged in the complaint, the defendants conspired to unlawfully carry out a coup d’état in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The coconspirators conducted an armed military operation (Armed Coup Attack) specifically targeting DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Vital Kamerhe (Kamerhe), attacking both the Palais de la Nation (the official residence and principal workplace of the president) and Kamerhe’s private residence in Kinshasa, DRC. Men wearing camouflage fatigues and armed with weapons attacked and entered the Palais de la Nation. Armed men also attacked Kamerhe’s residence, which was riddled with bullet holes after the attack. At least six people died during the attack, including two police officers protecting Kamerhe’s residence, and at least one innocent civilian. The goal of these rebel forces was to overthrow the DRC government, establish a new government known as the New Zaire, and install Christian Malanga, now deceased, as the president of the New Zaire.

    Christian Malanga acted as a leader and organizer of these rebel forces. It was the goal of these rebel forces to topple the DRC government and to murder President Félix Tshisekedi, Kamerhe, and others, with the goal of installing Christian as the new president of the DRC. Marcel Malanga also held himself out as a leader of the rebel forces and identified himself as the “Chief of Staff of the Zaire army.” Polun was Christian Malanga’s chief of staff. Moesser was the explosives maker, explosives technician, and explosives supplier. Thompson was a soldier and drone specialist/operator.

    Also as alleged in the complaint, Christian Malanga, Marcel Malanga, Thompson, Polun, and Moesser conspired to provide material support and resources including services, training, expert advice or assistance, communication equipment, weapons, explosives, and personnel to the rebel army which was formed to overthrow the DRC government. Further, the defendants conspired to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction during the Armed Coup Attack. The coconspirators planned to use bombs that could be deployed to their targets by drone(s). Targets included people, private residences, and public buildings. They also intended to attach a flamethrower device to a drone and use it as an incendiary device to light people on fire.

    The defendants planned, scouted out targets, and identified victims for the Armed Coup Attack, with the purpose and intent to murder other persons, including high-level DRC government officials. They recruited others to join in the Armed Coup Attack as personnel for the rebel army and, in some cases, recruited personnel in exchange for money. The defendants also acquired and attempted to acquire explosive and incendiary devices with the purpose and intent to use such devices to target individuals, private property, and DRC government buildings. Coconspirators communicated with and procured destructive devices, to include carrier devices such as drones, explosives, incendiary devices, and delivery mechanisms, from businesses, private parties, and at least one individual associated with a foreign military to effectuate the Armed Coup Attack.

    Additionally, they procured from businesses and private parties, military equipment to include firearms, ammunition, uniforms, communication equipment, and communication jamming equipment. The coconspirators planned to transport weapons, explosives, and resources from the United States to the DRC to effectuate the Armed Coup Attack, and they then transported weapons and resources to the DRC. Further, the defendants engaged in firearms and weapons training in the United States and in Africa to provide services and support during the conspiracy and Armed Coup Attack.

    If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison for each count of conspiring to provide material support and resources; and up to life in prison for each count of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country. Additionally, if convicted, Malanga and Thompson each face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison for each count of taking a firearm out of the United States to engage in a felony. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Sue J. Bai, head of the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah, and Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, with assistance by the FBI New York Field Office and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi, Kenya, which oversees the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan R. Whittaker, Chief, National Security and Cybercrimes Section, and Jonathan Stowers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, and Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has also provided substantial assistance to the prosecution team.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defendants Charged Following Armed Coup Attack in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Three defendants transferred from the DRC to the U.S. and one other arrested in Utah after Armed Coup Attack to overthrow the DRC government

    Note: View the criminal complaint.

    A criminal complaint was unsealed today in the District of Utah charging Marcel Malanga, 22, Tyler Thompson, 22, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, and Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, all U.S. citizens, with conspiring to provide material support and resources, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country, among other offenses.

    Malanga, Thompson, and Polun are expected to make their initial appearances at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. Moesser is expected to make his initial appearance on April 10 at the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. After their initial appearances in New York, it is expected that Malanga, Thompson, and Polun will appear in Salt Lake City, Utah, for further legal proceedings.

    As alleged in the complaint, the defendants conspired to unlawfully carry out a coup d’état in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The coconspirators conducted an armed military operation (Armed Coup Attack) specifically targeting DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Vital Kamerhe (Kamerhe), attacking both the Palais de la Nation (the official residence and principal workplace of the president) and Kamerhe’s private residence in Kinshasa, DRC. Men wearing camouflage fatigues and armed with weapons attacked and entered the Palais de la Nation. Armed men also attacked Kamerhe’s residence, which was riddled with bullet holes after the attack. At least six people died during the attack, including two police officers protecting Kamerhe’s residence, and at least one innocent civilian. The goal of these rebel forces was to overthrow the DRC government, establish a new government known as the New Zaire, and install Christian Malanga, now deceased, as the president of the New Zaire.

    Christian Malanga acted as a leader and organizer of these rebel forces. It was the goal of these rebel forces to topple the DRC government and to murder President Félix Tshisekedi, Kamerhe, and others, with the goal of installing Christian as the new president of the DRC. Marcel Malanga also held himself out as a leader of the rebel forces and identified himself as the “Chief of Staff of the Zaire army.” Polun was Christian Malanga’s chief of staff. Moesser was the explosives maker, explosives technician, and explosives supplier. Thompson was a soldier and drone specialist/operator.

    Also as alleged in the complaint, Christian Malanga, Marcel Malanga, Thompson, Polun, and Moesser conspired to provide material support and resources including services, training, expert advice or assistance, communication equipment, weapons, explosives, and personnel to the rebel army which was formed to overthrow the DRC government. Further, the defendants conspired to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction during the Armed Coup Attack. The coconspirators planned to use bombs that could be deployed to their targets by drone(s). Targets included people, private residences, and public buildings. They also intended to attach a flamethrower device to a drone and use it as an incendiary device to light people on fire.

    The defendants planned, scouted out targets, and identified victims for the Armed Coup Attack, with the purpose and intent to murder other persons, including high-level DRC government officials. They recruited others to join in the Armed Coup Attack as personnel for the rebel army and, in some cases, recruited personnel in exchange for money. The defendants also acquired and attempted to acquire explosive and incendiary devices with the purpose and intent to use such devices to target individuals, private property, and DRC government buildings. Coconspirators communicated with and procured destructive devices, to include carrier devices such as drones, explosives, incendiary devices, and delivery mechanisms, from businesses, private parties, and at least one individual associated with a foreign military to effectuate the Armed Coup Attack.

    Additionally, they procured from businesses and private parties, military equipment to include firearms, ammunition, uniforms, communication equipment, and communication jamming equipment. The coconspirators planned to transport weapons, explosives, and resources from the United States to the DRC to effectuate the Armed Coup Attack, and they then transported weapons and resources to the DRC. Further, the defendants engaged in firearms and weapons training in the United States and in Africa to provide services and support during the conspiracy and Armed Coup Attack.

    If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison for each count of conspiring to provide material support and resources; and up to life in prison for each count of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country. Additionally, if convicted, Malanga and Thompson each face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison for each count of taking a firearm out of the United States to engage in a felony. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Sue J. Bai, head of the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah, and Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, with assistance by the FBI New York Field Office and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi, Kenya, which oversees the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan R. Whittaker, Chief, National Security and Cybercrimes Section, and Jonathan Stowers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, and Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has also provided substantial assistance to the prosecution team.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chicago Real Estate Broker Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Bilking Investors out of More Than $3 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A Chicago real estate broker has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme that bilked at least four investors out of more than $3 million.

    STANISLAV SANNIKOV, also known as “Steve Sannikov,” owned and operated Chestnut Realty Group, a real estate company in Chicago.  From 2016 to 2020, Sannikov fraudulently claimed to investors that certain properties were for sale and that he could negotiate the purchase on their behalf.  Sannikov further claimed that the properties could be re-sold or leased for a substantial profit.  In reality, Sannikov knew that the properties were not available for sale or lease. Sannikov induced the victim investors to deposit earnest money into what he told them was an escrow account maintained by Chestnut Realty.  In fact, Sannikov knew that Chestnut Realty was not licensed to act as an escrow agent and that the account was actually a checking account controlled by Sannikov.

    Sannikov withdrew the investor funds and spent the money on his own lavish lifestyle.  One victim, who is now in his 70s, had to put off retirement so that he could pay off his losses.

    Sannikov, 42, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge.  On Friday, U.S. District Joan Humphrey Lefkow ordered Sannikov to pay $2.19 million in remaining restitution to four victims.  Judge Lefkow in February sentenced Sannikov to four years and two months in prison.

    The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office.  

    “This was not a one-time lapse in judgment,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri H. Mecklenburg argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant, over the course of at least four years, designed and engaged in a calculated, sustained, multi-faceted scheme to defraud multiple individuals.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Calumet Township Trustee Sentenced for Wire Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HAMMOND – Kimberly Robinson, age 57, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to a single count of wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Robinson was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay $11,200 in restitution. Robinson had previously resigned her position as  Calumet Township Trustee.  

    According to documents in the case, Robinson served as the elected Calumet Township Trustee from 2015 to 2024. The Calumet Township Trustee’s Office is a local governmental entity whose primary mission is to provide public assistance to individuals and families in need. In her position as Trustee, Robinson illegally used approximately $11,200 of Township assistance funds, to pay rent for her own personal residence from funds that were meant to be disbursed to aid people in need.

    Robinson pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to resolve the criminal charges. By resigning and entering into a plea agreement before being indicted, Robinson demonstrated that she accepted responsibility for her criminal conduct

    The public is reminded it may contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (usainn.pctips@usdoj.gov) or the FBI in Merrillville, Indiana at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) if they have information to report related to public corruption within the Northern District of Indiana.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Philip C. Benson.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ILLEGAL ALIEN SENTENCED TO 46 MONTHS’ FEDERAL PRISON FOR REENTRY OFFENSE

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Rafael Sanchez-De La Rosa, 51, a Mexican citizen, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for Illegal Reentry by Removed Alien.  The sentence was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    “Enforcing immigration laws is a priority of the Department of Justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Spaven.  “This sentence reflects the seriousness of committing crimes while being in our country illegally.  The Northern District of Florida and our law enforcement partners are committed to keeping our communities safe.”

    “This case highlights the serious public safety risks posed by individuals who repeatedly violate our laws, both criminal and immigration,” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE-ERO) Miami Acting Field Office Director Juan Agudelo. “Despite being removed from the United States on multiple occasions, Mr. Sanchez-De La Rosa unlawfully re-entered the country and continued to endanger lives through repeated DUI offenses. ICE remains committed to working with local law enforcement partners to identify and remove those who present a threat to our communities.”

    On May 5, 2024, at around 1:30 a.m., Sanchez-De La Rosa was arrested by the Pensacola Police Department (PPD) and charged with his third driving under the influence (DUI) within ten years, amongst other offenses.  Sanchez-De La Rosa had been speeding nearly twenty miles over the speed limit.  PPD located two open containers in the center console of his vehicle, and Sanchez-De La Rosa admitted to consuming at least eight beers.  Federal officers with ICE subsequently determined Sanchez-De La Rosa was present in the United States illegally.  Sanchez-De La Rosa had been previously removed from the United States to Mexico in 2017 and again in 2018.  Sanchez-De La Rosa has now been convicted of DUI in Escambia County three times, in 2014, 2015, and 2024, two of which cases were felony convictions.  During his first DUI offense, Sanchez-De La Rosa seriously injured his passenger, requiring hospitalization.

    Sanchez-De La Rosa has an ICE detainer lodged against him and will begin deportation proceedings after he serves his federal prison term.  Sanchez-De La Rosa’s imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release, meaning if he returns to the United States during such timeframe, he will potentially face an additional period of incarceration related to violating his supervision.

    This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) Pensacola.  Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Callahan prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Speaks with DOD Nominees About Improving National Security, Saving Taxpayer Dollars

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) participated in a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing to consider the nominations of Bradley D. Hansell to be Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security; Earl G. Matthews to be General Counsel of the Department of Defense; Dale R. Marks to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment; and Former U.S. Representative Brandon M. Williams to be Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security. During the hearing, Senator Tuberville spoke with the nominees about a variety of issues including military construction, military intelligence, and nuclear security. 
    Read Senator Tuberville’s remarks below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.

    MILITARY CONSTRUCTION (MILCON):
    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Chairman. Thank you, gentlemen, for being here and your willingness to serve.
    Mr. Marks, I want to talk a little bit about an issue that affects many of our installations across the country, including my home state, Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. The issue is military construction, better known as MILCON. We need to move fast, and traditional military construction processes are way, way too slow. Back at Redstone Arsenal, there are two warehouses as we speak that are going up. One, [U.S.] Military Corps of Engineers is building, and the other is by the FBI. These warehouses are roughly the same size, but the FBI facility has a lot more bells and whistles. Yet, the military warehouse is going to take double the amount of time to build and 150% over the cost of what it’s costing [to build] the FBI building.
    How on earth does this make sense? It is a disaster, and I’m sure we’re having those problems across the country. Can I get your commitment to go and look at this situation? Lieutenant General Chris Mohan, the AMC Commander down there, is really looking into this, and I think he could help us with some of this in the future. We need to cut back on the time and the cost of a lot of these buildings, Mr. Marks.”
    MARKS: “Senator, thank you for that question and I couldn’t agree more. We absolutely need to look at additional best practices on ways to speed up our MILCON to include how it aligns with our programs. And, so, if confirmed I absolutely would want to dig deeper with you on this to ensure that I see how we can potentially go faster.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. And another quick question for you, Mr. Marks. You recently discussed drone incursions with my staff. Can you tell the committee about that conversation and your experience?”
    MARKS: “Senator, thank you. What we have seen across the country and especially there at Eglin [Air Force Base] is an increase in drone activity and, in fact, activities surrounding our installations, whether that is foreign national turnarounds or other investments, things that we need to make. And so, Senator, in the local area at the installation I currently serve at, we’ve increased our investment to increase detection capability so that we can then use the authorities that we have been provided at the installation level to defend those installations. And Senator, if confirmed, I would want to see it expanded so that we can work with the combatant commanders to ensure we are defending our local installations here in the homeland.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, very much needed.”
    MILITARY INTELLIGENCE:
    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Hansell, as you know, one of the organizations you will oversee as OUSD(I&S). If you are confirmed, is the Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC), which is a component of DIA […] it’s located in Huntsville, Alabama. MSIC provides world class analysis and performance of foreign weapons systems. Mr. Hansell, can you talk a little bit about how important it is for our warfighters to assess the kind of foreign material data that the DIA and MSIC provide?”
    HANSELL: “Yes, Senator. I’d first highlight the importance of MSIC relative to the growing importance of the space domain. It becomes ever more critical to our national security, as well as, I think, critical intel from MSIC should be used to inform the Golden Dome architecture design at every stage of the milestones.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.”
    NUCLEAR SECURITY:
    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Williams, [National Nuclear Security Administration]NNSA has been plagued by cost overrun, schedule delays, project cancellations related to construction of nuclear facilities, including uranium processing facility—The Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility—and others. If confirmed, what specific steps would you take to ensure that these project management failures are not repeated in the future?”
    WILLIAMS: “Thank you, Senator. And that is right at the heart to the plutonium pit production that you mentioned in Savannah River as well in Los Alamos, you know, is the critical path to restoring our ability to make new nuclear weapons and to ensure the long-life extension of our existing stockpile. There’s a number of details, a number of classified details, that I’ve not been briefed on in that, but I commit to you, should I be confirmed, that it is absolutely a commitment to get that back and to deliver, you know, for the weapons programs.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.”
    JAG CORPS REFORM:
    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Matthews, if confirmed, what role would you have in advising the president and the secretary on reforming the JAG Corps?”
    MATTHEWS: “Thank you, Senator, for the question. If confirmed, I would be a legal adviser to the Secretary of Defense and not to the President unless he asked me. But if the President were to ask me, I would consider the question he asked, and in light of the facts and information available to me, I would make a recommendation. The JAG Corps, the Army, the General Corps, the Joint Force JAGs, play an important role in ensuring the delivery of military justice, ensuring compliance with the law of armed conflict, a whole myriad of activities. And, so, it’s important that we get it right.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Man Sentenced for $300,000 Romance Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Georgia man was sentenced in federal court for his role in an online romance scam with elderly victims in Missouri, Minnesota, and New Jersey.

    Badetito O. Obafemi, 42, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 24 months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Obafemi to three years of supervised release following incarceration and ordered him to pay restitution of $311,520 to the victims of his crime.

    On April 18, 2024, Obafemi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Obafemi admitted to his participation in a romance scam which targeted victims in Taney County, Mo., Northfield, Minn., and Bergen County, N.J., from June 2016 through at least March 2018.

    The perpetrators of the romance scams used online communications to develop relationships with the victims. The scammers then began to request money from the victims for a variety of reasons, including business expenses, medical expenses, travel expenses, and food.

    According to court records, the Taney County victim was contacted via Facebook by an individual claiming to be “Kevin Condon” in May 2016. Following several conversations by email, phone, and Facebook, “Condon” convinced the victim to send him money for expenses related to his overseas business project and various medical issues. Conspirators stole a total of $27,460 from the Taney County victim. “Condon” also attempted to convince the victim to deposit $40,000 into an account controlled by Obafemi, purportedly to pay a court in South Africa for his release from jail.

    Obafemi conspired with the perpetrators to receive wire transfers from the victims, coordinating the necessary bank account information, the timing of transfers, and the transfer of funds across accounts. Obafemi received funds in his personal accounts as well as those of two businesses, EasyTickets, LLC, and Goeasy Logistics, LLC, which he owned and operated out of his Georgia residence.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and the Northfield, Minn., Police Department.

    Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its elder fraud enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).

    MIL Security OSI –