NewzIntel.com

Category: Intelligence

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Highlights DEA Drug Seizures for First Half of 2025, Successful Operations Over the Last Several Weeks

    Source: United States Attorneys General 11

    WASHINGTON — Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi highlighted the great work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to get illegal drugs off our streets and protect innocent Americans from addiction, overdose, and drug-related crime and violence. Since January 20, 2025, DEA has seized approximately 44 million fentanyl pills, 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, nearly 65,000 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 201,500 pounds of cocaine, and made over 2,105 fentanyl-related arrests.

    “Our DEA agents are doing historic work to keep our communities safe from deadly drugs like fentanyl and dismantle the cartels selling them,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I want to remind all Americans to exercise extreme caution: a pill can kill.”

    “DEA is hitting the cartels where it hurts—with arrests, with seizures, and with relentless pressure. From meth labs in California to fentanyl pills disguised as pharmaceuticals seized at our border, these operations are saving American lives every single day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “We are not slowing down. We are dismantling these networks piece by piece—and we won’t stop until the last brick of their empire falls.”

    Over the last several weeks, DEA has conducted a number of successful operations across the United States including:

    • In Lexington County, South Carolina,  DEA, in coordination with its state and local partners, seized over 156 pounds of fentanyl and 44 pounds of methamphetamine, a firearm and arrested one trafficker.
    • In Gainesville, Georgia, DEA, and its state and local partners intercepted over 705 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a truckload of cucumbers and arrested two traffickers.
    • In Minneapolis, Minnesota, DEA and its federal and local partners seized 889 pounds of methamphetamine, one handgun and arrested three traffickers.
    • In Kern County, California, DEA and its local partners shut down a major methamphetamine conversion lab, seizing over 240 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 151 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, and arrested five traffickers.
    • In Fresno, California, DEA and its federal, state and local partners seized 24 pounds of carfentanil disguised as real prescription pills— the largest single seizure to date of carfentanil in Northern California.
    • In Galveston, Texas, DEA, in close coordination with its federal partners at CBP, helped uncover over 1,700 pounds of methamphetamine—worth more than $15 million dollars—hidden inside a vehicle.
    • In Austin, Texas, DEA, in coordination with its FBI, state and local partners, seized 783 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside a refrigerated truck carrying blueberries.
    • In a single coordinated takedown spanning Indiana, Kentucky, and Arizona, DEA, working alongside its federal, state and local partners, DEA seized 59 illegal firearms, possessed by serious violent felons—along with 74 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 pounds of fentanyl, 11 pounds of cocaine, cash, and conducted 23 arrests.
    • In Miami, Florida, DEA in coordination with its FBI partners, seized over $10 million dollars in cryptocurrency, directly linked to the Sinaloa cartel.
    • In El Paso, Texas, DEA, with the assistance of its federal partners at HSI and U.S. Border Patrol, seized 115 pounds of methamphetamine from a drug-laden vehicle outfitted with a GPS tracker.
    • In Omaha, Nebraska, DEA and its local partners seized machinegun conversion devices, AR-style pistols and fentanyl pills in a raid that dismantled a multi-state poly-drug operation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme Involving Telecommunications Companies

    Source: US State of California

    A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.

    According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.

    After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.

    Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.

    Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme Involving Telecommunications Companies

    Source: US State of California

    A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.

    According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.

    After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.

    Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.

    Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme Involving Telecommunications Companies

    Source: US State of California

    A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.

    According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 21, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.

    After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.

    Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI and DCIS are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.

    Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Antonio Man to Spend 65 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting 3 Children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 65 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting three young children.

    According to court documents, Charles Alexander Lopez, 30, stated in a group chat on the instant messaging app Wickr that he was engaged in the sexual abuse and exploitation of minor children in October 2023. He posted two images and a video to the group on Oct. 24, 2023, along with a message stating, “My conquest for the day.” The two images depicted a male toddler whom Lopez had just sexually assaulted, while the video depicted a portion of the sexual assault itself.

    An FBI Online Covert Employee (OCE) interacted with Lopez through a private chat, through which Lopez disclosed details of another sexual assault victimizing a female toddler a few days prior and that he has sexually exploited a non-verbal autistic male child as well. On Oct. 26, 2023, FBI San Antonio executed a federal search warrant for the home and person of Lopez, seizing electronic devices used to produce, distribute and possess child pornography.

    Lopez admitted to sexually exploiting a male toddler, using his smartphone to produce and share Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). He also provided the names of other children he sexually assaulted and exploited, stating that he had sexually assaulted 15 minors since he was 10 years old and produced CSAM of approximately five different children.

    Lopez was arrested on Oct. 27, 2023, and on Nov. 15, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted him for three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2025, to the three sexual exploitation charges. On July 14, Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra sentenced Lopez to 65 years in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release. Ezra also ordered Lopez to pay $150,000 in restitution to three minor victims.

    “Individuals like this, who take every opportunity to prey on helpless children simply cannot remain free in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This defendant has spent two-thirds of his life as a child predator, sexually assaulting, exploiting and forever altering the lives of vulnerable and defenseless children to fulfill his selfish and vile choices.”

    “There is no place in our society for those who prey on the most vulnerable among us,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for FBI San Antonio.” The FBI San Antonio Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, together with the United States Attorney’s Office, will relentlessly pursue every lead to investigate violent crimes against children and bring their perpetrators to justice.”

    FBI San Antonio investigated the case, assisted by a referral from FBI Albany.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Hacking and Extortion Scheme involving Telecommunications Companies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle –A former Army soldier, who was most recently stationed in Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the telecommunications companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.

    According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 19, used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least ten victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. The conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that they called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.

    After data was stolen, the conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. The conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office made the announcement.

    Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 6, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum of five years in prison for extortion in relation to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. Wagenius previously pleaded guilty in a separate case to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang of the Western District of Washington and Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribe to Smuggle Contraband to Prison Inmate

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLEVELAND – James P. Jackson, age 39, of Niles, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to using his role as an employee at a state prison to smuggle illicit substances and other prohibited items to an inmate at the facility.

    According to court documents, Jackson was employed by the Trumbull Correctional Institution (TCI) in Leavittsburg, from 2022 through 2024. He served as a corrections officer and later, as a general maintenance worker, where he regularly came into contact with inmates. His work duties and responsibilities allowed him full access to non-public areas including prison cells.

    Allegations in court documents show that Jackson was in communication with the wife of a TCI inmate. After some time spent exchanging text messages and keeping in touch by phone, the two agreed to meet. On Feb. 1, 2024, they met and she handed him two large, wrapped packages for him to deliver to her husband who was serving a sentence inside the facility. In return, Jackson accepted an initial bribe of $1,000 from her and was promised an additional $1,000 after the contraband was successfully delivered to the intended recipient. The next day, Jackson attempted to take the packages into TCI but was intercepted by law enforcement before entering.

    The investigation revealed that the packages Jackson received−and attempted to smuggle into the prison−contained 97.67 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 207.63 grams of synthetic cannabinoid, 32.85 grams of phencyclidine (aka PCP or angel dust), various other drugs, a cellphone, and SIM cards.

    On July 15, 2025, Jackson pleaded guilty after being charged by information for Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right for accepting money to smuggle two packages into TCI using his capacity as an employee of the facility. He faces a maximum of up to 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is yet to be scheduled.

    This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Trumbull Correctional Institutions-Office of Investigations, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol-Office of Criminal Investigations Prison Drug Unit and Investigative Services for the Warren District.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea S. Rice and Rebecca C. Lutzko prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defendants Charged with Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement Officers, Other Offenses During Protest Near Spokane ICE Office

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Spokane, Washington – Nine defendants are scheduled to make their first appearances in federal court at 3 P.M. today after the return of an indictment alleging several charges – including assaulting a federal officer – during a protest gathering at the Homeland Security office in Spokane.

    Benjamin Theodore Stuckart, age 53, has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

    Justice Forral, age 33, has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

    Mikki Pike Hatfield, age 34, has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers and Assault on a Federal Officer, Employee, or Person Assisting a Federal Officer (intent to cause another felony/use of a dangerous weapon)

    Erin Nicole Lang, age 31 has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

    Collin James Muncey, age 34 has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

    Thalia Marie Ramirez, age 20, has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

    Bobbi Lee Silva, age 38, has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers and Assault on a Federal Officer, Employee, or Person Assisting a Federal Officer (physical contact / intent to cause another felony)

    Bajun Dhunjisha Mavalwalla II, age 35 has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

    Jac Dalitso Archer, age 33, has been charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure Officers

    “We respect and honor everyone’s right to peacefully protest. However, the few who choose to cross the line from protest to violence and destruction will be held accountable,” stated Acting United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter. 

    According to court documents and information shared in court, on June 11, 2025, at approximately 12:52 pm, Stuckart posted on social media a call for others to come and join him as he blocked a bus that was going to be used to transport the federal detainees held at the federal facility in Spokane to Tacoma for their immigration hearings. Archer and other co-conspirators arrived in response to the post, and along with Stuckart, blocked the pathway and door to the transport bus, despite orders to disperse.

    As alleged in the indictment, a short time later, Forral parked his vehicle to block the exit path of the bus. Forral and Lang then released air from the tires of the bus, and other co-conspirators painted the windshield of the bus rendering it unsafe to drive.

    Archer reposted Stuckart’s call and posted additional calls urging others to come and join noting the intent was to “risk arrest to block the exits to ICE”.

    When federal officers attempted to leave the building through a secure parking lot on the south end of property, Forral, Hatfield, Muncey, Silva, Mavalwalla II, Archer, and other co-conspirators blocked the driveway and/or pushed against officers, despite orders to disperse and attempts to remove the defendants from the property. Silva struck a federal officer from behind as the officer was attempting to clear a path for transport vehicles to leave the building.

    Forral, Muncey, Hatfield, and other co-conspirators then placed trash cans, sand/cement bags, benches, signs, and other objects in front of doors and exits to block the exit of federal officers and detainees from the federal facility.

    After Spokane Police arrived, officers placed marked patrol vehicles in front of and behind a red transport van that was then designated to transport the detainees to Tacoma for their immigration hearings. The red van was quickly surrounded by Stuckart, Hatfield, Lang, Silva, and other co-conspirators. Ramirez, armed with a boxcutter, slashed the tires of the van, making it unsafe to drive.

    After dispersal orders issued by Spokane Police Department were ignored, the Spokane Police Department deployed crowd control measures to include inert smoke and pepper balls at the feet of those resistant to leave. According to the indictment, Hatfield picked one up one of those deployed incendiary devices and threw it in the direction of Spokane Police and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

    Multiple calls for assistance were made to local law enforcement agencies. Because of the defendants’ actions, federal agents and the detainees, as well as civilian employees were unable to leave the facility, until approximately 9:00 PM, and only with the assistance of the Spokane Police Department S.W.A.T team.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and other federal agencies, including the USMS.

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

    2:2025-cr-00113-RLP

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: The Former Senior Costa Rican Official Has Been Charged, Arrested, and is Pending Extradition to the United States on International Drug Trafficking Charges

    Source: US FBI

    The former senior Costa Rican official has been charged, arrested, and is pending extradition to the United States on international drug trafficking charges

    A former Costa Rican government official and judge has been charged with federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

    Celso Manuel Gamboa Sanchez, 49, was named in a federal indictment returned by a grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with manufacturing and distributing cocaine knowing it would be unlawfully imported into the United States and conspiracy.

    The indictment alleges that Gamboa Sanchez conspired with and assisted other international drug traffickers to manufacture, distribute, and transport significant quantities of cocaine, much of which was trafficked through Costa Rica and ultimately into the United States for further distribution. Gamboa Sanchez has held several governmental positions in Costa Rica, including Minister of Public Security in 2014, a position charged with overseeing crime prevention in the country, and judge from 2016 to 2018.  

    On June 23, 2025, Gamboa Sanchez was arrested in Costa Rica, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant issued because of similar international drug trafficking charges alleged against Gamboa Sanchez in 2024 in the Eastern District of Texas. Also on June 23, 2025, Costa Rican officials arrested another alleged Costa Rican international narcotics trafficker, Edwin Danny Lopez Vega, who was an associate of Gamboa Sanchez, and indicted in the Eastern District of Texas.

    Both remain jailed in Costa Rica and are awaiting extradition to the United States. 

    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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    If convicted, Gamboa Sanchez and Lopez Vega face a minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison.

    This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the North Texas Strike Force.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wes Wynne and Christopher Eason.

    A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison in Human Smuggling Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    TYLER, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally smuggling aliens through the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

    Octavio Hernandez-Hernandez, 50, a Mexican national illegally living in Austin, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens within the United States and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on July 10, 2025.

    According to information presented in court, in 2022 and 2023, Hernandez-Hernandez conspired with others to transport illegal aliens from the Texas border to other locations throughout the United States. Hernandez-Hernandez provided instructions and directions to those who were transporting the illegal aliens, including some from Smith County.  Hernandez-Hernandez admitted to conspiring to smuggle at least 100 illegal aliens, including unaccompanied minors.                                                 

    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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This case was investigated by the FBI; Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigation Division.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Jackson.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Merchandise trade posts strong growth in Q1 ahead of tariff hikes

    Source: WTO

    Headline: Merchandise trade posts strong growth in Q1 ahead of tariff hikes

    The new tariffs announced by the United States on 2 April at the start of the second quarter were widely anticipated, allowing importers to move purchases forward to avoid paying higher duties at a later date. Trade volume growth in the first quarter was above projections issued in the WTO’s Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report on 16 April, both for the Secretariat’s baseline forecast of 2.7% for 2025, which assumed a continuation of policies in place at the start of the year, and the adjusted forecast of ‑0.2% assuming policies in place on 16 April.
    Since then, a variety of trade agreements and trade measures have nudged the adjusted forecast up and down slightly, but as of mid-June merchandise trade growth for the year was still expected to be basically flat at 0.1%.
    Chart 1: World merchandise trade volume and value, 2019Q1-2025Q1Indices, 2019=100

    Sources: WTO and UNCTAD for merchandise trade volume, WTO for merchandise trade value.Note: Merchandise trade volume refers to the average of exports and imports, while merchandise trade value refers to exports in current US dollar terms.  SA indicates a seasonally-adjusted data series while NSA denotes non-seasonally-adjusted data.
    Meanwhile, the US dollar value of world merchandise trade — as measured by non-seasonally-adjusted exports — was up 4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting strong growth in volume terms and declining prices (Chart 1). The value of trade in the first quarter was down compared to the previous quarter due to regular seasonal variation, but seasonally-adjusted figures continued to rise.
    There were significant disparities across regions in merchandise trade volume growth in the first quarter, especially on the import side (Chart 2). North America recorded the strongest quarter-on-quarter import growth of any region by far at 13.4%, followed by Africa at 5.1%, South and Central America and the Caribbean at 3.6%, the Middle East at 3.0%, Europe at 1.3%, and Asia at 1.1%. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), including certain associate and former member states, was the only region to record a decline in the first quarter at -0.5%.  On the export side, the Middle East recorded the strongest quarter-on-quarter growth at 6.3%, followed by Asia at 5.6%, South America at 3.2%, Africa at 2.5%, Europe at 1.9% and North America at 1.8%. The CIS region also registered an export decline of -1.0% in the first quarter.
    Chart 2: Merchandise export and import volumes by region, 2019Q1 – 2025Q1Seasonally-adjusted indices, 2019=100

    a     Refers to South and Central America and the Caribbean.b     Refers to Commonwealth of Independent States, including certain associate and former member states.Source: WTO and UNCTAD estimates.
    Merchandise trade developments in value terms during the first quarter of 2025
    Chart 3 shows year-on-year growth in the US dollar value of world merchandise trade by broad product category in the first quarter.1 The strongest performance was in office and telecom equipment (+16% year-on-year), followed by chemicals (+12%) and clothing (+7%). Among the product categories shown, only automotive products (-4%), fuels and mining products (-4%; of which: fuels -7%) and iron and steel (-3%) decreased in value terms. While fuel prices changed little compared with the same quarter in the previous year, prices for metals and minerals (excluding gold & silver) were 8% higher.
    Chart 3: Year-on-year merchandise trade growth by product in the first quarter of 2025% change in US$ values

    a Includes electrical machinery, non-electrical machinery and power generating equipment.Source: WTO for total merchandise exports, WTO Secretariat estimates for products.
    Africa had the strongest merchandise export growth of any region in value terms in the first quarter, up 9% year-on-year (Chart 4). The increase was led by gold, ores, cocoa, and copper, while fuel shipments declined. It was followed by Asia (up 5%, led by precious metals and machinery) and South and Central America (up 4%, with increases in precious metals, ores and coffee/tea, and declines in fuels, oil seeds, and cereals). Among WTO regions, only the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)2 saw its exports decline (-6%).
    Chart 4: Merchandise trade growth by regions in the first quarter of 2025% change in US$ values

    a  Refers to South and Central America and the Caribbean.b Refers to Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), including certain associate and former member states.Source: WTO.
    On the import side, strong year-on-year increases were observed in North America (+19%) and South America (+12%). Regarding North America, imports of machinery, precious metals and pharmaceuticals showed marked increases, while vehicle imports dropped slightly. South America saw particularly strong imports of machinery, articles of iron and steel, and vehicles, while imports of fuel fell. Asia’s first quarter merchandise imports increased the least amongst the regions (1%), apart from the 0.1% decline in the CIS region. Asia saw strong import growth for gold and iron ore while imports of vehicles fell. In line with the world trend, Asian imports of fuels also declined year-on-year, while imports of integrated circuits rose.
    Monthly merchandise trade developments
    Monthly merchandise trade statistics in value terms are available for many countries into the second quarter of 2025.  These data show evidence of import demand starting to slow after the first quarter surge. This is illustrated by Chart 5, which shows year-on-year growth in the US dollar value of merchandise exports and imports in 2025 for selected economies in the first quarter, plus partial data for the second quarter (April-May or the latest available month).
    For example, imports of the United States were up 25% in the first quarter but only 1% in the first two months of the second quarter.  For the year to date (Jan-May), US imports were up 15%.  On the export side, shipments from China were up 6% year-on-year in both Q1 and Q2, but other Asian economies saw export growth accelerate (e.g. India, down 4% year-on-year in Q1 but up 9% in April).
    These latest quarterly and monthly merchandise trade statistics and other data can be downloaded from the WTO’s online database at stats.wto.org.
    Chart 5: Merchandise export and import growth of selected economies, Jan.-May 2025year-on-year % change in US$ values

    a  April-June.b  April.Source: National customs statistics accessed through Trade Data Monitor (TDM).

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kenel Man Convicted by Federal Jury for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

    Source: US FBI

    ABERDEEN – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Jesse Norman White Bull, age 45, of Kenel, South Dakota, was found guilty on July 10, 2025, of two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor following a three-day federal jury trial in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

    Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. 

    White Bull was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024.

    At trial, the evidence established White Bull sexually abused a 13-year-old girl on multiple occasions between June 2023 and July 2023 at a residence in Kenel, a community within the  Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal Court as opposed to State Court.

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

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

    A presentence investigation report was ordered and a sentencing date of September 29, 2025, was set. White Bull was released on bond pending sentencing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: OmegaPro Founder and Promoter Charged for Running Global $650 Million Foreign Exchange and Crypto Investment Scam

    Source: US FBI

    An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Puerto Rico charging two men for their alleged roles in operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international investment scheme that defrauded victim investors of over $650 million.

    According to court documents, Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, was a founder, strategic consultant, and promoter of OmegaPro, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, led OmegaPro’s operations in Latin America and parts of the United States, including Puerto Rico.

    “As alleged, the defendants preyed upon vulnerable individuals in the U.S. and abroad, defrauding them of over $650 million by making false promises of substantial returns and that their money was safe,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to prosecuting these bad actors and pursuing justice for their many victims. Thanks to the dedicated work of our multiagency and international law enforcement partners, we are leading efforts to combat these complex and insidious digital asset investor scams.” 

    “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants operated a global fraud scheme through OmegaPro that deceived investors with false promises of extraordinary returns, only to misappropriate hundreds of millions of victim funds,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain committed to dismantling international financial schemes that target U.S. victims — including here in Puerto Rico — and to recovering illicit proceeds through criminal prosecution and asset forfeiture.”

    “The FBI will not stand by while the American public is defrauded,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Through coordination with our partners, these individuals will have to defend their actions in a court of law.”

    “This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin – stealing over $650 million from everyday people and vanishing it into virtual currency. These weren’t just scams; they were precision-engineered betrayals. Our job is to stand up for those who’ve been exploited and continue our cross-agency collaboration until those responsible are brought to justice.”

    “This case highlights the critical role international partnerships play in dismantling transnational financial fraud schemes that exploit global markets and victimize unsuspecting investors,” said International Operations Assistant Director Ricardo Mayoral of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains committed to working with our partners worldwide to disrupt criminal networks that weaponize emerging technologies to conceal illicit profits and defraud the public.”

    Sims and co-conspirators established OmegaPro in or about January 2019, and Reynoso joined a few months later, in or about April 2019. As alleged, the defendants and others operated and promoted OmegaPro as a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme for investors to purchase “investment packages,” which the defendants and others falsely promised would generate 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange (forex) trading by elite traders. Investors were instructed to purchase these investment packages using virtual currency.

    According to court documents, Sims allegedly misled victims by vouching for OmegaPro’s trading performance and the skills of the hired traders and by falsely advertising the safety of investment in OmegaPro. Reynoso allegedly falsely and misleadingly represented that OmegaPro was operating pursuant to a legitimate license and, at other times, that OmegaPro was not subject to any country’s legal rules. The indictment alleges that Sims and Reynoso, together with co-conspirators, hosted lavish OmegaPro promotional events and trainings all over the world including, for example, projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, at an event in Dubai. The objective of these promotional events allegedly was to convince existing and prospective investors that OmegaPro was a legitimate enterprise that offered a path to wealth and a luxurious lifestyle.

    Further, Sims, Reynoso, and their co-conspirators used social media to display their expensive vacations and cars, as well as their designer clothes and watches. The indictment alleges that through the defendants’ and others’ misrepresentations, OmegaPro raised over $650 million in virtual currency from thousands of investors. After OmegaPro announced that it had suffered a network hack, Reynoso and others told victims in or about January 2023 that their investments were secure and that OmegaPro was transferring their investments to another platform called Broker Group. Despite these representations, victims were unable to withdraw money from either their OmegaPro accounts or their accounts at Broker Group, resulting in millions in victim losses.

    The more than $650 million in funds raised from victims allegedly was first sent to virtual currency wallet addresses controlled by OmegaPro executives and then allegedly transferred to OmegaPro insiders and high-ranking promoters to disperse the funds and obscure their origins. As alleged, Sims and Reynoso both profited millions from this scheme.

    Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Sims and Reynoso each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.

    The FBI, IRS-CI, and HSI New York are investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit, HSI Bangkok, HSI Bogota, HSI Frankfurt, HSI Istanbul, HSI London, HSI Miami, HSI New Delhi, HSI The Hague, the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, and the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), an alliance between the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from the U.K., and IRS-CI.

    Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Gottfried for the District of Puerto Rico and on detail to the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

    If you believe you were potentially victimized by OmegaPro or have information relevant to this investigation, please visit the FBI’s Victim Witness website at forms.fbi.gov/victims/omegaprovictims or contact OmegaProVictims@fbi.gov.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Puerto Rican Man Sentenced for Role in Trafficking 25 Kilograms of Cocaine on Jet Skis

    Source: US FBI

    St. Thomas, USVI – Acting U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Emanuel Rodriguez Rodriguez, 34, of Puerto Rico, was sentenced on Tuesday, July 7, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to 121 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 25 kilograms of cocaine.
     

    According to court documents, on December 11, 2021, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) air patrol detected four jet skis traveling from Culebra, PR towards St. Thomas, USVI. AMO air patrol watched the jet skis, each operated by a sole occupant, as they approached the west side of St. Thomas. Air patrol watched as the jet skis made way to the beach at Mermaid’s Chair where they were met by four individuals waiting on the beach. AMO agents saw duffle bags being loaded on to the skis, and the skis quickly leaving towards Culebra, PR. AMO agents also noticed that a red Jeep Wrangler was the only vehicle parked in the parking area above the beach while the skis were being loaded with the duffle bags.
     

    AMO law enforcement vessels pursued the four jet skis towards Culebra, PR. One driver drove his ski on to a Culebra, PR beach and fled on foot. A duffle bag was recovered near the abandoned ski. Inside the duffle bag, officers recovered 26 packages containing cocaine. Three other operators were apprehended.
     

    Meanwhile, DEA, CBP, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents responded to the Botany Bay Preserve community to investigate the red Jeep Wrangler seen by AMO air agents. As the Jeep was approaching the gated exit of the community, agents stopped it. Rodriguez-Rodriguez and five other individuals. were detained. A Glock pistol was seen in plain view inside the rear pocket of the driver’s seat where Vazquez Lopez was seated. Another Glock pistol without a serial number was in the center console.
     

    The investigation was conducted by CBP-AMO, Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virgin Islands Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Payne prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.
     

    This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten
    the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arapahoe Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor

    Source: US FBI

    Kendall Joseph Moss III, 35, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release for abusive sexual contact with a minor. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence in Casper on July 10.

    Moss was convicted by a federal jury on March 20, after a four-day trial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, an investigation began in connection with a minor witness’s disclosure to a student advocate and school resource officer at her elementary school of sexual abuse by the defendant in 2021. Dr. Gail S. Goodman, PH.D., a Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis, testified at trial on the dynamics of child sexual abuse, including that victims often delay disclosing the sexual abuse or make piecemeal disclosures of the abuse over time. The victim was interviewed twice over two years and provided more details of the sexual abuse in her second interview. The defendant made statements to law enforcement indicating the victim was not lying in her allegations against him. The jury’s verdict found the defendant guilty of touching the minor victim in her genital area over her clothing with the intent of sexual gratification.

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

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.

    Case No. 24-CR-00165

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dropout of White Supremacist Gang Sentenced for Drug and Firearms Trafficking

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A key figure in a Sinaloa Cartel-linked drug and firearms trafficking ring tied to white supremacist gangs was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his role in distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and illegal firearms in Albuquerque.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court records, an 18-month FBI investigation initiated in 2021 targeted a drug trafficking and firearms conspiracy linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and racially motivated violent extremist groups in Albuquerque, New Mexico. James Casady Cangro, 45, a former member of the Soldiers of Aryan Culture prison gang, was previously identified as a key figure in the white supremacist network before dropping out of the gang. The investigation revealed Cangro’s involvement in trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl sourced from Arizona, as well as illegal firearms possession and trafficking.

    Cangro selfie displaying tattoos

    In September 2021, a search of Cangro’s residence in southeast Albuquerque by U.S. Probation Officers uncovered a ballistic vest, methamphetamine pipes, anabolic steroids and handcuffs. Cell phone evidence further corroborated his drug and firearms activities. In April 2022, the FBI executed multiple search warrants, seizing over 35,000 fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, nine firearms, and other contraband, though Cangro evaded an initial warrant by relocating. Surveillance later tracked him to northeast Albuquerque, where he continued to offer firearms and fentanyl for sale.

    On April 19, 2022, Cangro was arrested in California, where corrections officials discovered 45 fentanyl pills and methamphetamine in his possession during a strip search. A subsequent search of his Albuquerque residence uncovered 11 firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun, additional drugs, and a ballistic vest. Cangro was subsequently charged with and pled guilty to two counts of possession of body armor by a violent felon, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, two counts of possession of unregistered firearms, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

    Upon his release from prison, Cangro will be subject to five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Mysliwiec prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Costa Rica Resident Sentenced for Orchestrating Multimillion-Dollar International Telemarketing Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    A Costa Rica resident was sentenced today to more than 15 years in prison for carrying out a years-long telemarketing scheme that defrauded victims in the United States from a call center in Costa Rica.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Roger Roger, 41, of Costa Rica, led a fraudulent telemarketing scheme in which co-conspirators, who falsely posed as U.S. government officials, contacted victims in the United States to tell them that they had won a substantial “sweepstakes” prize. After convincing victims, many of whom were elderly, that they stood to receive a significant financial reward, the victims were told that they needed to make a series of up-front payments before collecting their supposed prize. Co-conspirators used a variety of means to conceal their true identities, including Voice Over Internet Protocol technology, which made it appear as though they were calling from Washington, D.C., and other locations in the United States. Roger recruited and taught others how to mislead victims on the phone and convince them to send money from the United States to Costa Rica for non-existent prizes. The evidence at trial showed that Roger and his co-conspirators stole over $4 million from their hundreds of victims.

    In September 2024, Roger was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and two counts of international money laundering. At sentencing, Roger was ordered to pay more than $3.3 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $4.2 million.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina; Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Atlanta Division; Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Detroit Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.

    The USPIS, IRS-CI, and FBI investigated the case.  

    Trial Attorneys Andrew Jaco and Amanda Lingwood of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Costa Rica to secure the arrest and February 2023 extradition of Roger.

    If you or someone you know is aged 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pakistani Leader of International Alien Smuggling Organization Extradited from Mexico

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A Pakistani man made his initial appearance in court in Tucson, Arizona, today after being extradited from Mexico to face charges relating to his role in leading an international alien smuggling organization.

    In May 2024, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an indictment against Abbas Ali Haider, 48, of Sialkot, Pakistan, for conspiring to smuggle Pakistani nationals into the United States.

    Haider allegedly operated two sham film production companies, Diamond TV World Productions and Multimedia Advertising Ltd., which were fronts for his alien smuggling organization. According to court documents, Haider used those Pakistan-based companies to contract with film companies in Ecuador, Cuba, and Colombia. He then had those companies sponsor visas for Pakistani nationals purporting to work for Haider’s companies under the guise that they were working on a joint filming project in Latin America. Haider provided the Pakistani nationals with phony paperwork indicating that they worked for his companies, which they used at ports of entry in Panama, Brazil, and Colombia. Haider coached the aliens to say they worked in the film industry to deceive and thwart customs and border officials. Haider’s network of smugglers then assisted the Pakistani nationals in traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border, where they illegally crossed into California, Texas, and Arizona. Haider charged the aliens up to $40,000 for the trip.  

    Haider travelled from Pakistan to Mexico in late 2024 and was arrested in Mexico in January 2025 at the request of the U.S. government. Extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities resulted in Haider’s timely extradition.

    Haider is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring illegal aliens to the United States and four counts of bringing in illegal aliens for profit. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona, and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego, made the announcement.

    HSI Calexico led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI’s Brasilia, Quito, Tijuana, and Caribbean attaché offices and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Border Patrol; the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Miami, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Detroit provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Haider. 

    Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Kreamer Hope and Evan Wesley for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

    The indictment and extradition are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 390 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 350 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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

    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 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: $4 million electricity fraud scheme sends Texan to prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 51-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Daniel Rodriguez Martinez pleaded guilty May 1.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Martinez to serve 54 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that detailed how Martinez directly benefited from the scheme by personally receiving $1.4 million and that he played an integral role by creating a fraudulent company to conceal payments.

    From March 2021 to May 2024, Martinez and others ran the scheme by creating a fake utility company to conceal profits. They used stolen personal information, including Social Security numbers, to open electricity accounts with real providers. The stolen identities were linked to actual service addresses, allowing customers to receive power while the billing responsibility fell on unsuspecting victims.

    When providers shut off service for nonpayment, the group reopened accounts under new fake identities. In exchange for uninterrupted electricity, customers paid a flat fee of $80 per month to the fraudulent company. The operation allowed participants to avoid legitimate charges while the organizers profited from the deception.

    Martinez admitted to creating a fake electricity services company solely to conceal the theft scheme. He received payments from clients through peer-to-peer apps such as CashApp and Zelle, then transferred the funds into a business account to mask their origin.

    As a part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit $456,859.76 in U.S. currency as well as his interest in multiple properties.

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

    The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: $4 million electricity fraud scheme sends Texan to prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 51-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Daniel Rodriguez Martinez pleaded guilty May 1.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Martinez to serve 54 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that detailed how Martinez directly benefited from the scheme by personally receiving $1.4 million and that he played an integral role by creating a fraudulent company to conceal payments.

    From March 2021 to May 2024, Martinez and others ran the scheme by creating a fake utility company to conceal profits. They used stolen personal information, including Social Security numbers, to open electricity accounts with real providers. The stolen identities were linked to actual service addresses, allowing customers to receive power while the billing responsibility fell on unsuspecting victims.

    When providers shut off service for nonpayment, the group reopened accounts under new fake identities. In exchange for uninterrupted electricity, customers paid a flat fee of $80 per month to the fraudulent company. The operation allowed participants to avoid legitimate charges while the organizers profited from the deception.

    Martinez admitted to creating a fake electricity services company solely to conceal the theft scheme. He received payments from clients through peer-to-peer apps such as CashApp and Zelle, then transferred the funds into a business account to mask their origin.

    As a part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit $456,859.76 in U.S. currency as well as his interest in multiple properties.

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

    The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pakistani Leader of International Alien Smuggling Organization Extradited from Mexico

    Source: United States Attorneys General 11

    A Pakistani man made his initial appearance in court in Tucson, Arizona, today after being extradited from Mexico to face charges relating to his role in leading an international alien smuggling organization.

    In May 2024, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an indictment against Abbas Ali Haider, 48, of Sialkot, Pakistan, for conspiring to smuggle Pakistani nationals into the United States.

    Haider allegedly operated two sham film production companies, Diamond TV World Productions and Multimedia Advertising Ltd., which were fronts for his alien smuggling organization. According to court documents, Haider used those Pakistan-based companies to contract with film companies in Ecuador, Cuba, and Colombia. He then had those companies sponsor visas for Pakistani nationals purporting to work for Haider’s companies under the guise that they were working on a joint filming project in Latin America. Haider provided the Pakistani nationals with phony paperwork indicating that they worked for his companies, which they used at ports of entry in Panama, Brazil, and Colombia. Haider coached the aliens to say they worked in the film industry to deceive and thwart customs and border officials. Haider’s network of smugglers then assisted the Pakistani nationals in traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border, where they illegally crossed into California, Texas, and Arizona. Haider charged the aliens up to $40,000 for the trip.  

    Haider travelled from Pakistan to Mexico in late 2024 and was arrested in Mexico in January 2025 at the request of the U.S. government. Extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities resulted in Haider’s timely extradition.

    Haider is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring illegal aliens to the United States and four counts of bringing in illegal aliens for profit. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona, and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego, made the announcement.

    HSI Calexico led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI’s Brasilia, Quito, Tijuana, and Caribbean attaché offices and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Border Patrol; the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Miami, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Detroit provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Haider. 

    Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Kreamer Hope and Evan Wesley for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.

    The indictment and extradition are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 390 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 350 U.S. convictions; more than 300 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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

    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 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: July Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments Announced

    Source: US FBI

    United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the July Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments.

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

    Kennedy Antonio Ramirez Acosta. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Ramirez Acosta, 39, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-239

    Ventura Rivera Arteaga; Ruben Amadow Meza Medina. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 & 4); Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (Count 3); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 & 6). Rivera Arteaga, 40, a Mexican national, and Meza Medina, 20, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl. They are separately charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and maintaining two separate residences for fentanyl distribution. Additionally, Rivera Arteaga is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Dec. 2024. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-229

    Elijah Lee Chandler, Jr.  Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Chandler, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with attempting to possess more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and with possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He is further charged with maintaining a residence to distribute methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-231

    Douglas Eugene Chaney.Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Chaney, 50, of Tulsa, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from April to May 2025. The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-230

    Daniel Contreras-Martinez.Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Contreras-Martinez, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in June 2008. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-244

    Ramey Joe-Don Dill. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Dill, 38, of Ochelata, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender in May 2025. The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-232

    Luis Flores-Rodriguez.Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Flores-Rodriguez, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema Onias is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-245

    Franklin Francisco Gioani-Arubio. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Gioani-Arubio, 31, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Nov. 2017. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-246

    Jarod Wade Jenkins. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Jenkins, 26, of Hominy, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-247

    Thomas William Martin.Production of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. Martin, 42, of Mannford, is charged with coercing a minor child to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct. He is additionally charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. The FBI, the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Heign and Ashley Robert are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-233

    Felecia Martinez. Attempted Bulk Cash Smuggling Out of the United States. Martinez, 40, of Tulsa and a member of the Potawatomi Nation Tribe, is charged with concealing $32,950 in cash and attempting to transport it to Mexico. At the time of the offense, Martinez was on pre-trial release in the Northern District of Oklahoma related to a case charging her with drug conspiracy, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the U.S. Probation Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Department of Homeland Security Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team, and the Laredo Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McConney and Matthew Cyran are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-234

    Sebastain Quino-Velasco. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Quino-Velasco, 51, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in June 2010. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Luster is prosecuting the case. 
    25-CR-248

    Rebecca Dawn Quintero Torres. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony. Quintero-Torres, 50, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in June 2025. She is further charged with using the United Parcel Service and knowingly possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-240

    Dominic Rocky Torres. Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery; Hobbs Act Robbery; Aiding and Abetting Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Use of Minor in Crime of Violence (superseding). Torres, 22, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with conspiring with others and aiding and abetting others to obstruct commerce by robbery. Further, he knowingly aided and abetted in brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Lastly, Torres intentionally used a minor child to commit a crime of violence. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey Todd and Jessica Wright are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-112

    Luciano Vasquez, Jr. Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Varquez, 58, of Sand Springs, is charged with conspiring with others to launder more than $16 million, including depositing two fraudulent United States Treasury tax refund checks totaling more than $727,800. The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-242

    John Edgar Williams, IV; Jeremy Mindez Ruff; Savannah D’naisha May Gage; Nevaeh Charise Cox; Trinity Rinique Goudeau; Shavari Shantell Melton; Vanessa Lashay Bell; Ashley Elaine Charles. Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking (Count 1); Transporting an Individual for Prostitution (Counts 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, and 13); Interstate Travel to Aid Racketeering (Count 4); Distribution of Child Pornography (Count 5); Sex Trafficking (Counts 6 & 12); Sex Trafficking a Minor (Counts 8, 11, and 14) (superseding). Williams, 38, Gage, 25, Cox, 39, Goudeau, 24, Melton, 20, Bell, 20, Charles, 37, of Tulsa, and Ruff, 39, of Dallas, Texas, are charged with conspiring with each other to recruit, entice, and harbor a person by threats of force to engage in a commercial sex act for payment. Williams, Gage, Ruff, and Goudeau are charged separately for transporting people to engage in prostitution and other sexual activities. Williams, Ruff, Gage, Cox, Goudeau, Melton, and Charles are further charged with using interstate and foreign commerce to promote and manage a business enterprise involving prostitution. Ruff, Cox, Gage, Goudeau, and Melton are charged with recruiting and enticing minor children, between 14 and 18 years old, to engage in sexually explicit acts. Additionally, Williams, Gage, and Goudeau are charged with benefiting financially from recruiting, harboring, and providing transportation to an individual to engage in commercial sex acts. Lastly, Cox is further charged with knowingly distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The Tulsa Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore, John Brasher, and John W. Dowdell are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-197

    Allan Ray Wright; Jamie Lynn Wright. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Allan Wright, 30, and Jamie Wright, 32, of Tulsa are charged with attempting to coerce a minor child they believed to be under 18 years old to engage in sexually explicit activity. The Homeland Security Investigations and the Owasso Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Ashley Robert are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-241

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: The Victory Bancorp, Inc. 2025 Second Quarter Earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LIMERICK, Pa., July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Victory Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX: VTYB), the holding company for The Victory Bank, today announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

    Financial Highlights for Second Quarter 2025
       
    • Net Consolidated Earnings:
    Net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, surged to $693 thousand — a $404 thousand increase over the $289 thousand reported in Q2 2024. This substantial growth reflects the continued strength of our financial performance. Return on average equity climbed to 9.07%, up from 7.30% in the previous quarter and more than doubling the 4.08% reported a year ago. Return on average assets also improved significantly, rising to 0.59% from 0.25% in Q2 2024.
       
    • Deposit Growth:
    The bank opened a new branch in spring 2025 in the Horsham market. This new location, along with targeted promotions tied to the opening, has contributed to the growth in deposits in Q2. Total deposits grew to $426.43 million as of June 30, 2025, an increase of $41.82 million from June 30, 2024. This deposit growth has supported strategic balance sheet expansion while enabling the Bank to fully eliminate its highest funding source, borrowings, as of Q2 2025.
       
    • Book Value:
    Book value per common share rose to $15.57 as of June 30, 2025, compared to $14.84 at year-end 2024 and $14.28 as of June 30, 2024.
       
    • Stockholders’ Equity:
    Stockholders’ equity increased to $30.99 million, up from $29.34 million at December 31, 2024, and $28.16 million a year ago. This growth continues to reinforce the company’s strong capital position.
       
    • Credit Quality and Loan Metrics:
    Credit quality remained strong, with no nonperforming assets reported for the quarter and net charge-offs at -0.01%, indicating net recoveries. The allowance for credit losses to total loans stood at 0.88%, reflecting continued sound risk management practices.
       
    • Earnings per Share:
    Basic and diluted earnings per common share were $0.35 and $0.34, respectively, for Q2 2025, compared to $0.15 basic and $0.14 diluted in Q2 2024.

    Chairman and Bank Leader Joseph W. Major commented,

    “Victory Bancorp delivered an extraordinary second quarter in 2025, with net income soaring 140% compared to Q2 of 2024 — a remarkable milestone that highlights the strength and resilience of our financial performance. This improvement was powered by disciplined cost control, strong loan portfolio health, and continued deposit growth. We remained focused on protecting our margin by carefully managing interest expense on new deposits and maintaining rigorous pricing discipline on new loans. Our book value per share climbed to a record high of $15.57, and return on equity exceeded 9%, signaling continued momentum and exceptional operational execution.”

    “We continue to see the benefits of our community-focused relationship banking model and the dedication of our exceptional team. As we enter the second half of the year, we remain focused on supporting the financial success of our clients, expanding responsibly, and delivering sustained value to shareholders. The opening of our new Horsham branch further extends our footprint into a vibrant and growing market, positioning us to serve more businesses and individuals while deepening our community impact.”

    Victory Bancorp, Inc. is traded on the OTCQX market under the symbol VTYB and is the parent company of The Victory Bank. The Bank, founded in 2008, is a Pennsylvania state-chartered commercial bank headquartered in Limerick Township, Montgomery County. It offers a full range of banking services, including checking and savings accounts, home equity lines of credit, and personal loans. In addition to traditional banking, the Bank specializes in high-quality business lending, serving small and mid-sized businesses and professionals. With four offices across Montgomery and Berks Counties, it is dedicated to meeting the financial needs of the local community. For more information, visit its website at VictoryBank.com. FDIC-Insured.

    This presentation may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions, changes in interest rates, deposit flows, loan demand, real estate values, and competition; changes in accounting principles, policies, or guidelines; changes in legislation or regulation; and other economic; competitive, governmental, regulatory, and technological factors affecting the Company’s operations, pricing, products, and services.

    Contact:
    Joseph W. Major,
    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

    Robert H. Schultz,
    Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer

    Owen Magers
    Investor Relations
    484-791-3435

    The Victory Bancorp, Inc.
    548 N. Lewis Rd.
    Limerick, PA 19468

             
    CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (unaudited) 
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)
        3 Months Ended
        Jun 30,   Dec 31,   Jun 30,
    Selected Financial Data   2025   2024   2024
                 
    Investment securities $ 43,323   $ 44,642   $ 46,325  
                 
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses   392,557     390,954     396,499  
                 
    Total assets   477,089     461,024     469,787  
                 
    Deposits   426,433     397,080     384,615  
                 
    Borrowings   0     15,440     42,617  
                 
    Subordinated debt   17,342     17,309     12,843  
                 
    Stockholders’ equity $ 30,987   $ 29,337   $ 28,155  
                 
    Book value per common share $ 15.57   $ 14.84   $ 14.28  
                 
    Allowance/loans   0.88 %   0.92 %   0.89 %
                 
    Nonperforming assets/total assets   0.00 %   0.05 %   0.01 %
                 
        3 Months Ended
        Jun 30,   Dec 31,   Jun 30,
    Selected Operations Data   2025   2024   2024
                 
    Interest income $ 7,149   $ 7,281   $ 7,200  
                 
    Interest expense   3,620     3,886     3,994  
                 
    Net interest income   3,529     3,395     3,206  
                 
    Provision for loan losses   (75 )   (32 )   110  
                 
    Other income   257     299     209  
                 
    Other expense   2,980     3,000     2,935  
                 
    Income before income taxes   881     726     370  
                 
    Income taxes   (188 )   (168 )   (81 )
    Net income $ 693   $ 558   $ 289  
                 
                 
    Earnings per common share (basic) $ 0.35   $ 0.28   $ 0.15  
                 
    Earnings per common share (diluted) $ 0.34   $ 0.28   $ 0.14  
                 
    Return on average assets (annualized)   0.59 %   0.48 %   0.25 %
                 
    Return on average equity (annualized)   9.07 %   7.58 %   4.08 %
                 
    Net charge-offs(recoveries)/average loans   (0.01 )%   0.00 %   0.01 %

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chinese Nationals Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud Elderly Victims

    Source: US FBI

    WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that eight Chinese nationals who obtained student visas to attend college in the United States were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Those indicated include: Yankun Jiang, 24, of State College, PA, Hanlin Yang, 24, of State College; Chenhao Chen, 25, of California; Xiaoqing Tu, 24, of California; Dongjie Lu, 35, of California; Lei Bao, 22, of New York; Kuo Zhang, 31, of New Jersey; and Jiacheng Zhang, 25, of Florida.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, the indictment alleges that beginning in or about August of 2023 and continuing until on or about February 22, 2024, the defendants orchestrated a wide-scale computer “pop-up” scam targeting elderly victims falsely claiming that their computer or bank accounts had been compromised.  The indictment further alleges that members of the conspiracy traveled to victims’ homes and posed as federal law enforcement officers to collect large sums of cash from the victims claiming that the assets would be protected, among other falsehoods.  It is alleged that more than 50 victims across 19 states were defrauded of more than $10,000,000.

    “These indictments highlight the relentless efforts of Homeland Security Investigations to safeguard our elderly population from complex fraud operations,” stated Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of HSI Philadelphia. “Schemes like these cause significant emotional and financial harm to elderly victims across the country. HSI, in partnership with the FBI, remains steadfast in our commitment to securing justice for the victims and ensuring that those responsible are held fully accountable.”

    “As outlined in the indictment, this criminal enterprise not only exploited elderly victims but did so by impersonating federal law enforcement—an egregious abuse of trust,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “We urge older Americans and their families to remain alert to these kinds of scams. The FBI will never ask for money or payment of any kind. We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations for their dedicated work in bringing this case forward.”

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

    The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of 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 and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chinese Nationals Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud Elderly Victims

    Source: US FBI

    WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that eight Chinese nationals who obtained student visas to attend college in the United States were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Those indicated include: Yankun Jiang, 24, of State College, PA, Hanlin Yang, 24, of State College; Chenhao Chen, 25, of California; Xiaoqing Tu, 24, of California; Dongjie Lu, 35, of California; Lei Bao, 22, of New York; Kuo Zhang, 31, of New Jersey; and Jiacheng Zhang, 25, of Florida.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, the indictment alleges that beginning in or about August of 2023 and continuing until on or about February 22, 2024, the defendants orchestrated a wide-scale computer “pop-up” scam targeting elderly victims falsely claiming that their computer or bank accounts had been compromised.  The indictment further alleges that members of the conspiracy traveled to victims’ homes and posed as federal law enforcement officers to collect large sums of cash from the victims claiming that the assets would be protected, among other falsehoods.  It is alleged that more than 50 victims across 19 states were defrauded of more than $10,000,000.

    “These indictments highlight the relentless efforts of Homeland Security Investigations to safeguard our elderly population from complex fraud operations,” stated Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of HSI Philadelphia. “Schemes like these cause significant emotional and financial harm to elderly victims across the country. HSI, in partnership with the FBI, remains steadfast in our commitment to securing justice for the victims and ensuring that those responsible are held fully accountable.”

    “As outlined in the indictment, this criminal enterprise not only exploited elderly victims but did so by impersonating federal law enforcement—an egregious abuse of trust,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “We urge older Americans and their families to remain alert to these kinds of scams. The FBI will never ask for money or payment of any kind. We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations for their dedicated work in bringing this case forward.”

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

    The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of 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 and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment on Drug Trafficking and Firearms Charges

    Source: US FBI

    SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher Essameddin Birry, age 43, of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 9, 2025, to 15 years’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley on drug trafficking and firearms charges.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, between May 31, 2023, and July 27, 2023, Birry distributed methamphetamine on multiple occasions in the Wilkes-Barre area within Luzerne County. On September 11, 2023, Birry was involved in a motor vehicle stop in Olyphant, Lackawanna County. Birry attempted to flee on foot from law enforcement but was apprehended and found to be in possession of distribution amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl and possessed a loaded handgun. Birry was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony drug trafficking convictions. At the time of this offense, Birry was on probation for a prior drug trafficking conviction.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiate 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 case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania State Police and Olyphant Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Patrick Bannon prosecuted the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: One Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Charged, Another Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Violate Civil Rights While Providing Off-Duty Security for Clients

    Source: US FBI

    LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors today secured a guilty plea from a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy and charged and filed a plea agreement with another LASD deputy – both of whom used their positions in law enforcement while acting as private security for their off-duty clients, including a now-jailed cryptocurrency businessman who proclaimed himself “The Godfather.” 

    David Anthony Rodriguez, 43, of La Verne, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy against rights.

    Relatedly, Christopher Michael Cadman, 33, of Fullerton, agreed to plead guilty to a two-count information charging him with conspiracy against rights and subscribing to a false tax return. Cadman, who will face up to 13 years in federal prison at his sentencing hearing after he pleads guilty, is expected to make his initial appearance in United States District Court in the coming days.

    Rodriguez and Cadman formerly were employed by Adam Iza, 24, who resided in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, a cryptocurrency businessman who has been in federal custody since September 2024. Iza pleaded guilty on January 30 to one count of conspiracy against rights, one count of wire fraud, and one count of tax evasion. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 15.

    According to court documents, in August 2021, Cadman and a law enforcement officer identified as “LASD Deputy 6” intimidated and threatened a victim who was one of Iza’s adversaries. LASD Deputy 6 held the victim at gunpoint during a meeting at Iza’s office inside his Bel Air mansion. Immediately afterward, the victim transferred approximately $25,000 from his bank account to Iza’s bank account in response to the threat and demand.

    In September 2021, Cadman and other law enforcement officers orchestrated a traffic stop in Paramount to arrest the same victim. Cadman admitted in his plea agreement to helping organize the traffic stop and arrest on Iza’s behalf and to receiving cash payments while he worked for Iza.

    Cadman also received income he knowingly failed to report – at least $40,500 – on his 2021 federal tax return, which he signed and filed with the IRS in February 2022. Cadman admitted to owing approximately $11,000 in federal taxes for that year.

    In a separate plea agreement, Rodriguez admitted to using his powers as a law enforcement officer in July 2022 to improperly obtain a court-authorized search warrant, lying to a judge that it was related to a robbery investigation, to obtain GPS location information associated with another victim’s cellular phone on behalf of a client – other than Iza – who hired Rodriguez as a private security guard. 

    After securing the GPS location information for the victim’s phone, Rodriguez shared the coordinates with co-conspirators, including Eric Chase Saavedra, 42, of Chino, an LASD deputy and former federal task force officer who ran a private security company, who pleaded guilty on February 6 to one count of conspiracy against rights and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. LASD deputies and other co-conspirators would use information obtained from the court-authorized search warrant to harass, threaten, and intimidate the victim.

    Saavedra, who is free on $50,000 bond, is expected to be sentenced in the coming months.

    United States District Judge Percy Anderson scheduled a November 10 sentencing hearing for Rodriguez, who faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

    The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has assisted.

    Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell K. Coll of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section is prosecuting these cases.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grove Man Sentenced for Possessing and Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US FBI

    TULSA, Okla. – A Grove man was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country and Production of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

    U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Dakota Austin Clark, 24, to 240 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Clark will also be required to register as a sex offender.

    In February 2023, Clark began communicating with a 14-year-old through social media. The investigation revealed that Clark coerced and enticed the minor child to produce sexually explicit photos. Law enforcement further discovered that Clark possessed hundreds of images that contained the sexual abuse of minor children.

    Clark is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. 

    The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Grove Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson: Every Citizen, In Every Zip Code, In Every Pocket of America Will Benefit from the One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson addressed the anniversary of President Trump’s assassination attempt and highlighted how his constituents plan to utilize the thousands of dollars in savings from the One Big Beautiful Bill.

    Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here

    On the anniversary of President Trump’s assassination attempt:

    One year ago, Sunday, on that field in Butler, Pennsylvania, an assassin nearly took the life of President Trump. And we can’t talk about it too much because it was a turning point in American history. It could have gone the wrong way. I mean, if that assassin’s bullet missed just an inch to the right, or if President Trump would’ve turned his head just a millisecond later, he would’ve died on that stage and this country would’ve come apart at the seams. But now, because of all this recent success and the President’s success, it’s easy to forget that just 12 months ago, President Trump was the most vilified politician, arguably in the history of the country.

    Democrats spent years persecuting him on all fronts. They impeached him twice. Social media platforms removed his ability to communicate with his supporters. Armed FBI agents raided his home. Democrat judges and prosecutors bent the law to arrest him. And multiple assassins tried to kill him, but God miraculously spared the president’s life. I think it’s undeniable. And he did it for an obvious purpose. His presidency and his life are the fruits of divine providence. And he points that out, obviously now all the time. And he’s right to do so. President Trump has lived since with the acknowledgement every day since, he has acknowledged that each new day isn’t guaranteed to us. It isn’t to any of us, and that’s why we’re not wasting any time. It’s why he remains so strong and resilient. It’s why we have such a sense of urgency. President Trump took a bullet to his head. He got up shortly thereafter. He pleaded with the crowd to fight, and then he went on to win a historic election less than four months later. America’s changed because he survived that day.

    On the first 6 months of unified Republican government:

    Think about everything we’ve accomplished just the last few weeks. Gas prices hit a four-year low. The last four jobs reports exceeded expectations. The stock market is reaching record highs. We have the lowest monthly border encounters in the history of the United States. Our NATO partners committed to spending 5%, not 2% of their GDP on national defense. We brokered multiple peace agreements and struck many more trade deals, more to come. We significantly damaged Iran’s nuclear program. And on July 4th, we did sign the One Big Beautiful Bill, the president signed it into law. It’s the most consequential transformational legislation ever considered in our lifetimes. And we got it done because the Republican Party delivered on the promises we made to the American people, and the president did as well

    On the Republican agenda after One Big Beautiful Bill being signed into law:

    Every citizen in every zip code in every pocket of America will benefit from the One Big Beautiful Bill. You’ll hear story after story in the weeks ahead. Last week, my office sent a survey to our constituents. I serve Louisiana’s fourth congressional district. And we sent around a survey to Louisiana families, knowing that they’re going to save thousands of dollars now because of the vote that we took on July 3rd. We asked them, how would you use the extra money? And here’s some of the responses: James said he’s going to use the savings to open a Roth IRA for his family. Janice is an 80-year-old widow, she said she’s going to use the savings for much needed repairs to her home. Whitney is in a retirement home; she’s going to utilize the savings to help pay rent. Pamela is grateful for the increased standard deduction and will likely add these savings to a rainy-day fund for future expenses. Another constituent named James said he doesn’t even want the relief. He said he’d like to send it back to us to “use for more plane tickets for people heading back south of the border wall.”  That’s a real response. So many of my constituents said they would use their savings on things like basic needs and bills and debt, payment and transportation and home repairs, and helping family members and adding to their emergency funds or taking a well-deserved vacation. You know what, as Jimmy [Patronis] said earlier, it’s their money. It’s not the government’s money and we’re delighted to give it back to them. That’s the beauty of the One Big Beautiful Bill. And you can spend it however you please.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Multiple Defendants Charged in Cockfighting and Illegal Gambling Operation

    Source: US FBI

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury charged multiple defendants for conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and operate an illegal gambling business, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. 

    A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges James Shawn Murphree, 48, of Blountsville, Alabama, Denny Gonzalez-Guzman, 30, of Albertville, Alabama, Kasten Finis Murphree, 22, of Blountsville, Alabama, Kelby Shawn Murphree, 27, of Blountsville, Alabama, and Kimberly Ann Evans, 48, of Hayden, Alabama, with conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act and the Prohibition on Illegal Gambling Businesses. 

    According to the indictment, a cockfight is a contest where roosters fight each other. The fights are supervised by a referee, and the fight ends when one rooster is dead or refuses to continue fighting. Typical cockfights employ weapons that are attached to the backs of the roosters’ legs.  Owners and operators of cockfighting arenas, called “pits,” hold organized fights where people can fight their trained roosters against other roosters in cockfighting tournaments called “derbies.” In a derby, large numbers of cockfighters pit their roosters against one another for entertainment.  Spectators gamble on the outcomes of the cockfights, and the owners of the roosters stand to gain financially through their own wager, an arrangement where the derby winners receive a pre-determined portion of the derby entry fees, or through the enhanced value of their winning roosters.

    The indictment alleges that between March 2025 and June 2025, Kimberly Evans, James Murphree, Kasten Murphree, and Kelby Murphree conspired to organize multiple cockfighting derbies in Blountsville, Alabama. Attendees paid $40 to watch the fight. Competitors who entered roosters in the derbies paid an entry fee between $700 and $1,000. The winner of the derby would receive a share of the prize pool money.  

    The Gulf of America (“GoA”) Homeland Security Task Force, in partnership with United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, conducted this long-term investigation. The GoA Homeland Security Task Force is comprised of authorities from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. This investigation and operation received significant support from the United States Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, and ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Hundscheid and Jonathan S. Cross are 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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –