NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Illegal arrest and detention of MEP, activists and EU citizens by Israeli authorities in international waters – Violation of international law – Blockade of Gaza – P-002314/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-002314/2025
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Maria Zacharia (NI)

    On 9 June 2025, the Israeli Government carried out a military operation against the Freedom Flotilla vessel Madleen, which was carrying humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip and starving civilians, victims of the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. The operation took place in international waters with drones, chemical deployment and the violent arrest, kidnapping and taking hostage of 12 civilians, including MEP Rima Hassan and well-known peace activists.

    Israel has unilaterally imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since 2007. The UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry (2011) has ruled that the blockade constitutes collective punishment against the civilian population and violates the Geneva Conventions. The Israeli action in international waters constitutes an international crime, a violation of the Convention on the Law of the Sea, international law, the principle of freedom of navigation, international humanitarian law and international criminal law, while the Israeli Prime Minister is wanted for international crimes.

    In view of the above:

    • 1.What measures has or will the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy put in place for the immediate release of the arrested EU citizens and MEP Hassan?
    • 2.What actions will the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy take regarding this act of hostility against EU citizens and a Member of the European Parliament, and what actions will the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy take to get the blockade lifted?
    • 3.Will the EU activate the mechanism of the human rights clause (Article 2) of the EU-Israel Association Agreement?

    Submitted: 10.6.2025

    Last updated: 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Calls May Come from Unfamiliar Numbers

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA Calls May Come from Unfamiliar Numbers

    FEMA Calls May Come from Unfamiliar Numbers

    LITTLE ROCK, Ark

    – After Arkansans apply for disaster assistance, FEMA may call to schedule an inspection of the damaged home or for more information to process the application

    These calls may come from unfamiliar area codes or phone numbers

    It is important to answer the call

    A FEMA inspection may be required to determine whether a home is safe, functional and accessible

    If an inspection cannot be scheduled, that may cause a delay in FEMA’s review of a homeowner’s or renter’s application

    There is no charge for an inspection

    The inspector will have FEMA photo ID and your application number

    FEMA representatives never ask for money

    If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a FEMA representative, but you aren’t sure, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to verify the caller’s identity

    Residents who suffered losses after the March 14-15 and April 2-22 severe storms can apply for FEMA assistance for losses not covered by insurance

     Survivors affected by both disasters are encouraged to file a separate FEMA application for each disaster

    Survivors in Greene, Hot Spring, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp and Stone counties may apply if they had damage in March

    Additionally, those affected by the April storms in Clark, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Desha, Fulton, Hot Spring, Jackson, Miller, Ouachita, Pulaski, Randolph, St

    Francis, Saline, Sharp and White counties may also apply

    The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance for the March storms is Monday, July 14

    The last day to apply for the April storms is Tuesday, July 22

     There are several ways to apply

    Go to DisasterAssistance

    gov, use the FEMA App for mobile devices or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

    Lines are open from 6 a

    m

    to 10 p

    m

    CDT seven days a week and specialists speak many languages

     In-person survivor assistance is also available at several sites across the impacted area

    To find hours and locations, visit fema

    gov/disaster/4865 or fema

    gov/disaster/4873, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the link under “In-person Survivor Assistance

    ”To view an accessible video on how to apply, visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube

    For the latest information about Arkansas’ recovery, visit fema

    gov/disaster/4865 or fema

    gov/disaster/4873

    Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x

    com/FEMARegion6 and at facebook

    com/FEMARegion6/

    thomas

    wise
    Fri, 06/13/2025 – 14:00

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Tax Preparer for Fabricating Expenses and Credits

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    Note: View complaint here.

    The Justice Department filed a complaint today to permanently bar tax preparer Tanja D. Hollis, of Griffin, Georgia, and her business, Tanja Tax Preparations LLC, from preparing federal tax returns for others.

    The complaint, filed in a federal court in Newnan, Georgia, alleges that Hollis prepared and filed false federal tax returns through Tanja Tax Preparations that understated her customers’ tax liabilities by reporting false or exaggerated business expenses and claiming tax credits for false education expenses.

    According to the complaint, despite knowing them to be false, Hollis prepared returns claiming business expenses for customers who did not own or operate a business and education expenses for customers who were not enrolled as students. The IRS interviewed Tanja Tax Preparations customers who said they did not give Hollis any reason to believe that the items reported on their returns were legitimate.

    The complaint alleges that, by repeatedly understating her customers’ tax liabilities, Hollis caused the United States to lose substantial tax revenue.

    In addition to a permanent injunction, the complaint asks the court to order Hollis to turn over the ill-gotten tax preparation fees she earned while preparing and filing fraudulent tax returns.

    Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found here. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rwandan Immigrant Arrested for Concealing Role as Perpetrator of Genocide After Fraudulently Entering the United States

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A federal grand jury in Ohio has returned a three-count indictment unsealed today charging Rwandan national Vincent Nzigiyimfura, also known as Vincent Mfura, 65, of Dayton, Ohio with lying on his U.S. immigration and naturalization applications. Specifically, the indictment alleges that he concealed his role as a perpetrator of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, among other misrepresentations. Nzigiyimfura was arrested Wednesday in Dayton and made his initial appearance yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

    According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura participated in the genocide that took place between April and July 1994, when members of Rwanda’s majority Hutu population killed hundreds of thousands of the country’s minority Tutsi ethnic group in an attempt to eradicate the ethnic group. An estimated 500,000 to 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed during the three-month genocide. Nzigiyimfura, a Rwandan businessman and butcher, was allegedly a leader and organizer of the genocide against Tutsis in the area in and around Gihisi and Nyanza. Nzigiyimfura allegedly provided weapons, transportation, and material inducements to other Hutus and directed them to search for and apprehend people to be killed based on their status as Tutsis. He allegedly set up roadblocks to detain and kill Tutsis, using his personal vehicle to transport materials to build the roadblocks. According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura devised a scheme to trick Tutsis in hiding to believe that the killings had stopped only to have them rounded up and murdered. 

    “As alleged, Vincent Nzigiyimfura directed and encouraged murders during the genocide in Rwanda and then lied to U.S. authorities to start a new life in this country,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The United States is not a safe haven for human rights violators. Those, like the defendant, who commit immigration fraud to hide their violent pasts will be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    Mr. Galeotti thanked the prosecutors from the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), agents from HSI Cincinnati and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio for their work in bringing this important prosecution.

    “The indictment alleges this defendant facilitated the killings of Tutsis during the Rwandan genocide and then lied about it on immigration applications in the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio. “This egregious conduct will not be tolerated.”

    “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) is committed to pursuing justice for victims of genocide by ensuring that those who committed atrocities in foreign lands cannot hide in Ohio or any other community in the United States,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of ICE HSI Detroit. “No one wants a war criminal as their neighbor and these allegations paint a grim picture of the horror Nzigiyimfura inflicted on the Tutsi people. His indictment and arrest is a step toward justice for those victims. ”

    When the genocide ended in 1994, as alleged, Nzigiyimfura fled Rwanda and later lived in Malawi. While living in Malawi in 2008 to 2009, Nzigiyimfura allegedly submitted materially misleading applications for an immigrant visa and alien registration, including by falsely representing that he was not an alien who had engaged in genocide. In the presence of a U. S. Consular Officer, Nzigiyimfura affirmed he understood that any willfully false or misleading statement or willful concealment of material facts could subject him to criminal prosecution. Additionally, according to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura submitted an affidavit in which he misleadingly claimed he “left Rwanda in 1994 due to the Genocide,” when in fact, he fled the country because of his participation in the persecution and massacre of Tutsis. His alleged misrepresentations and omissions yielded an immigrant visa to enter the United States in 2009.

    Five years later, Nzigiyimfura submitted an application to naturalize as a U. S. citizen. Here, too, according to the indictment, he knowingly made false statements and omitted material facts, including claiming he had never persecuted any person, never committed a crime or offense, and never lied to any U. S. Government official to gain entry to the United States. In a November 2014 interview with a U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer, Nzigiyimfura verbally reaffirmed these false statements, as well as others, according to the indictment. His application for naturalization has not been granted. Nzigiyimfura has lived in the United States since 2009.

    In 2018, according to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura submitted an application and supporting documentation for a replacement Permanent Resident Card (green card) that was due to expire in 2019 and obtained a new fraudulently procured green card with an expiration date in 2029. On July 27, 2021, Nzigiyimfura allegedly used his fraudulently procured replacement green card in connection with an application for an Ohio driver’s license.

    Nzigiyimfura is charged with one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U. S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    HSI Cincinnati is investigating the case, with assistance from the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers. 

    Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U. S. Attorney Rob Painter of the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

    Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U. S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also email HRV. ICE@ice. dhs. gov or complete its online tip form at www. ice. gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips. asp.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Labrador Letter: Strengthening Our Fight Against Child Exploitation in North Idaho

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom Labrador Letter: Strengthening Our Fight Against Child Exploitation in North Idaho

    Dear Friends,
    This week I traveled to North Idaho to strengthen our partnerships with local law enforcement in the fight against child exploitation. The trip included meetings with police chiefs, time with our Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigators, and important discussions about how we can better protect children across Idaho.
    I attended the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association Conference, where I had the opportunity to thank police chiefs from across our state for their dedication to protecting Idaho communities. I wanted them to know that my office is here as a resource, ready to assist with investigations and prosecutions, especially when it comes to ICAC cases. Our ICAC investigators do incredibly demanding work to protect vulnerable children from online predators, and they can’t do it alone.
    The reality is that building strong partnerships with police departments across Idaho is essential to keeping kids safe. At the conference, I spent time at our ICAC booth speaking directly with chiefs about collaboration opportunities and the resources available to their departments. These conversations matter because protecting children requires all of us working together.
    I also joined our ICAC investigators and team members in Post Falls for their biannual Mental Health and Resiliency training. This training is conducted by Dr. Alex Crampton and Dr. Ross Ginkel, the contracted psychologists for our ICAC team. These investigators are heroes who work tirelessly to protect children in Idaho. Every day, they confront horrific images and disturbing cases as they conduct search warrants and arrest online predators.
    What many people don’t realize is the emotional toll this work takes on the men and women who do it. My office ensures these investigators have mental health resources available whenever they need them, and it was an honor for me to join them for part of this critical training. We hold these full-team mental health trainings in different locations across Idaho to accommodate investigators statewide and bring the entire team together.
    I then met with Captains Mark Brantl and Jason Mealer at the Post Falls Police Department to discuss ongoing collaboration between local law enforcement and our ICAC Task Force. Our ICAC Unit works with the Idaho ICAC Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet to criminally exploit children.
    These partnerships aren’t just professional relationships, they’re critical lifelines in our mission to protect children in our state. When local departments have the support they need and our investigators have the mental health resources to sustain this difficult work, children in Idaho are safer.
    As both a parent and your Attorney General, I know there’s no more important work than protecting children from those who would harm them. This trip reminded me that we have dedicated professionals throughout Idaho who share that commitment, and together, we’re making a difference.
    Best regards, 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – EU climate target for 2040 – E-002269/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002269/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Nikolas Farantouris (The Left)

    In February 2024, the Commission announced a 90 % reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels as the recommended target for 2040 to ensure that the EU reaches climate neutrality by 2050[1]. This recommended target was based on a detailed Commission impact assessment[2] and a proposal from the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, which proposed that the target should be 90-95 %[3]. However, the legislative proposal to include the target in the European Climate Law[4] has been significantly delayed and is now expected on 2 July 2025. At the same time, it seems that the Commission will propose flexibilities that undermine climate efforts and the achievement of EU climate neutrality[5] (notably the possibility to use international carbon credits instead of implementing domestic action[6]), which is strongly criticised by the Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change[7].

    In view of this, can the Commission say:

    • 1.Will it present its proposal on 2 July 2025?
    • 2.Does it intend to propose flexibilities and, if so, which ones?
    • 3.Will the Commission’s proposal be accompanied by an analytical and detailed impact assessment demonstrating its full compatibility with the climate-neutrality objective, but also comparing that proposal’s expected results with the results of a proposal based on domestic action rather than on the use of international carbon credits?

    Submitted: 5.6.2025

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2024%3A63%3AFIN, https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2040-climate-target_en.
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52024SC0063
    • [3] https://climate-advisory-board.europa.eu/reports-and-publications/scientific-advice-for-the-determination-of-an-eu-wide-2040
    • [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R1119.
    • [5] https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-2040-climate-target-with-carbon-credits-expected-in-july-diplomats-say/
    • [6] Carbon credits allow one country to finance emission reduction projects in another (usually a poorer, developing country) and subtract those CO2 emission reductions from its own carbon balance.
    • [7] https://climate-advisory-board.europa.eu/reports-and-publications/scientific-advice-for-amending-the-european-climate-law-setting-climate-goals-to-strengthen-eu-strategic-priorities
    Last updated: 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Cyprus’s Supreme Constitutional Court avoided the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) over transparency law – P-001545/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    In line with the ruling in Case C-283/81 Cilfit v Ministerio della Sanità[1], national supreme courts are not required to request a preliminary ruling if the EU legislation in question has already been the subject of interpretation by the Court of Justice of the European Union or if the issue of the correct application of EU law leaves no scope for any reasonable doubt as to the manner in which the question will be resolved.

    The Commission does not, in principle, initiate infringement proceedings under Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) if the infringement of obligations under Article 267(3) TFEU constitutes an isolated case.

    The Commission monitors significant developments concerning the rule of law in Member States, including on the anti-corruption framework in the context of the annual Rule of Law Report.

    The Commission follows closely developments in this area and will provide an up-to-date assessment in its 2025 Rule of Law Report, planned to be published in July 2025.

    • [1] ECLI:EU:C:1982:335.
    Last updated: 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Final draft agenda – Tuesday, 17 June 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    34 Combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (recast)
    Jeroen Lenaers (A10-0097/2025)      – Amendments; rejection Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 50 Amending Regulation (EU) No 228/2013 as regards additional assistance and further flexibility to outermost regions affected by severe natural disasters and in the context of cyclone Chido devastating Mayotte     – Amendments; rejection Friday, 13 June 2025, 12:00     – Requests for “separate”, “split” and “roll-call” votes Monday, 16 June 2025, 19:00 36 Electoral rights of mobile Union citizens in European Parliament elections
    Sven Simon (A10-0090/2025)      – Amendments Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 30 Amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure concerning the declaration of input (Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure)
    Sven Simon (A10-0086/2025)      – Amendments Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 16 Strengthening rural areas in the EU through cohesion policy
    Denis Nesci (A10-0092/2025)      – Amendments by the rapporteur, 71 MEPs at least; Alternative motions for resolutions Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 28 Financing for development – ahead of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville
    Charles Goerens (A10-0101/2025)      – Amendments by the rapporteur, 71 MEPs at least; Alternative motions for resolutions Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 26 Implementation report on the Recovery and Resilience Facility
    Victor Negrescu, Siegfried Mureşan (A10-0098/2025)      – Amendments Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 19 The Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law report
    Ana Catarina Mendes (A10-0100/2025)      – Amendments by the rapporteur, 71 MEPs at least, Alternative motions for resolutions Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 25 2023 and 2024 reports on Montenegro
    Marjan Šarec (A10-0093/2025)      – Amendments Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 17 2023 and 2024 reports on Moldova
    Sven Mikser (A10-0096/2025)      – Amendments Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 Separate votes – Split votes – Roll-call votes Texts put to the vote on Tuesday Friday, 13 June 2025, 12:00 Texts put to the vote on Wednesday Monday, 16 June 2025, 19:00 Texts put to the vote on Thursday Tuesday, 17 June 2025, 19:00 Motions for resolutions concerning debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 150) Wednesday, 18 June 2025, 19:00

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Final draft agenda – Wednesday, 18 June 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    51 Macro-financial assistance to Egypt
    Céline Imart (A10-0037/2025)      – Amendments; rejection Monday, 16 June 2025, 20:00     – Requests for “separate”, “split” and “roll-call” votes Tuesday, 17 June 2025, 16:00 39 Adoption by the Union of the Agreement on the interpretation and application of the Energy Charter Treaty
    Anna Cavazzini, Borys Budka (A10-0009/2025)      – Amendments; rejection Friday, 13 June 2025, 12:00 26 Implementation report on the Recovery and Resilience Facility
    Victor Negrescu, Siegfried Mureşan (A10-0098/2025)      – Amendments Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 19 The Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law report
    Ana Catarina Mendes (A10-0100/2025)      – Amendments by the rapporteur, 71 MEPs at least, Alternative motions for resolutions Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 25 2023 and 2024 reports on Montenegro
    Marjan Šarec (A10-0093/2025)      – Amendments Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 17 2023 and 2024 reports on Moldova
    Sven Mikser (A10-0096/2025)      – Amendments Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 38 Clean Industrial Deal
    (O-000020/2025 – B10-0006/25)      – Motions for resolutions Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions Friday, 13 June 2025, 12:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions Friday, 13 June 2025, 13:00 41 Electricity grids: the backbone of the EU energy system
    Anna Stürgkh (A10-0091/2025)      – Amendments by the rapporteur, 71 MEPs at least, Alternative motions for resolutions Wednesday, 11 June 2025, 13:00 65 Media freedom in Georgia, particularly the case of Mzia Amaglobeli     – Motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Monday, 16 June 2025, 20:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 18 June 2025, 13:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 18 June 2025, 14:00 66 Case of Ahmadreza Jalali in Iran     – Motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Monday, 16 June 2025, 20:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 18 June 2025, 13:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 18 June 2025, 14:00 68 Dissolution of political parties and the crackdown on the opposition in Mali     – Motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Monday, 16 June 2025, 20:00     – Amendments to motions for resolutions; joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 18 June 2025, 13:00     – Amendments to joint motions for resolutions (Rule 150) Wednesday, 18 June 2025, 14:00 Separate votes – Split votes – Roll-call votes Texts put to the vote on Tuesday Friday, 13 June 2025, 12:00 Texts put to the vote on Wednesday Monday, 16 June 2025, 19:00 Texts put to the vote on Thursday Tuesday, 17 June 2025, 19:00 Motions for resolutions concerning debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 150) Wednesday, 18 June 2025, 19:00

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – National sovereignty undermined due to abuse of the freedom to transfer capital set out in Article 63 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU – E-001529/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Member States have the right to regulate real estate markets. In doing so, however, they must respect the basic principles of the EU Treaties, first and foremost the fundamental freedoms.

    The right to acquire, use or dispose of real estate falls under the free movement of capital principle set out in Articles 63 et seq. of the TFEU, or, depending on the purpose, under freedom of establishment pursuant to Article 49 TFEU.

    As a rule, these freedoms prohibit any restrictions on the acquisition of real estate as well as direct or indirect discrimination on grounds of nationality, unless they are justified by legitimate reasons of public interest as recognised in the Treaties or in the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

    Where a measure pursues such a legitimate objective, restrictions to property transactions can be justified only insofar as they are suitable for securing, in a consistent and systematic manner, the attainment of the objective which they pursue and do not go beyond what is necessary in order to attain that objective[1].

    The free movement of capital also extends to investments from third countries. However, special considerations apply to justifications for restrictions on the movement of capital to and from third countries.

    The CJEU stressed that the relations with third countries can be said to ‘take place in a different legal context’ from that which occurs within the EU, when EU legislation is not applicable to third countries.

    Consequently, under the Treaty additional justifications may be acceptable in the case of Member States’ restrictions as regards third countries.[2] To be noted that the freedom of establishment extends to nationals of Member States as well as legal entities established in the EU.

    • [1] Case C-670/21, BA (Inheritance — Public housing policy in the European Union), EU:C:2023:763, p. 67 and the case-law cited.
    • [2] CJEU, cases C-101/05, Skatteverket, p. 36; C-446/04, Test Claimants in the FII Group Litigation, p. 171.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – ‘Exit tax’ in connection with relocating to another Member State – P-001754/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission understands that the Belgian Government is currently reflecting on the introduction of an exit tax in the context of a broader discussion on capital gains taxation. Based on publicly available information, this discussion appears to be still ongoing, and no legal act has been proposed yet by the Belgian Government or adopted by the Chamber of Representatives.

    Since there is no legal act or provisions in place, the Commission is not able to take a view on the compatibility of such an envisaged exit tax with EU law.

    In principle, restrictions to the Single Market are generally prohibited under the Treaties. Member States can adopt such exit taxes by exercising their national tax competence provided they fully comply with the free movement of capital (Article 63 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), as clarified by the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

    Last updated: 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Commission communication on spyware – E-000435/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission has followed closely the work of the Committee to investigate the use of Pegasus surveillance spyware (PEGA) conducted during the previous parliamentary term.

    Based on the report and the recommendations, as well as its own fact-gathering exercise, the Commission will decide on the most appropriate way forward.

    The Commission’s position is very clear: any attempts to illegally access data of citizens, including journalists and political opponents, is unacceptable, if confirmed.

    Even where the use of spyware is linked to national security, and in instances where it falls outside the scope of EU law, national checks and balances need to ensure that safeguards are in place.

    The Commission has followed up on developments concerning the alleged illegal use of intrusive surveillance software in its annual Rule of Law Reports, in particular as regards the functioning of national checks and balances in response to such allegations.

    The EU data protection and privacy acquis offers comprehensive protection to the confidentiality of communications and users’ personal data and terminal equipment. EU data protection law is applicable to the processing of personal data by private entities, even where such processing is required for national security purposes.

    Under the provisions of the ePrivacy Directive[1], the interception or surveillance of communications by public or private bodies is prohibited without the consent of the user.

    While restrictions to these provisions are permitted for important public objectives, they are subject to strict conditions and safeguards.

    The Law Enforcement Directive[2] is also applicable when competent authorities process personal data for law enforcement purposes. Processing of personal data under these instruments is subject to control by supervisory authorities, which have effective powers to examine any allegations of misuse, as well as subject to judicial review.

    • [1] Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (Directive on privacy and electronic communications), OJ L 201, 31.7.2002, p. 37.
    • [2] Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Council Framework Decision 2008/977/JHA, OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 89-131.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – A cloud to call our own! – E-001198/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission aims to support an enhanced availability and uptake of European cloud solutions across the EU through the upcoming Cloud and Artificial intelligence Development Act[1].

    The main objective is to at least triple the EU’s overall data centre capacity within the next five to seven years[2] and ensure that highly critical use cases in the EU are served by highly secure EU-based cloud capacity[3].

    The Act will be complemented by a single EU-wide cloud policy for public administrations and public procurement[4].

    Moreover, the Commission has approved the ongoing implementation of the Important Project of Common European Interest on Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services[5].

    Also, through the co-financing under the Digital Europe Programme, the Commission also supports the deployment of an EU marketplace for federated cloud services[6] to facilitate the provision and the procurement of cloud services across the EU by EU cloud service providers[7].

    The Commission’s adequacy decision on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework[8] is based on the key safeguards included in Executive Order 14086 (EO 14086) adopted by the President of the United States[9].

    In particular, EO 14086 introduced safeguards to ensure that the collection and use of personal data of Europeans by United States intelligence agencies is limited to what is necessary and proportionate in pursuit of defined national security objectives.

    Moreover, EO 14086 established the Data Protection Review Court, providing EU citizens with a redress mechanism with binding investigatory and remedial powers.

    EO 14086 continues to be in place, providing key safeguards to data transferred from the EU[10], and addressing all the points raised by the Court of Justice in its Schrems II judgment[11].

    • [1] Mission letter from the President of the European Commission to the Executive Vice-President-designate for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/3b537594-9264-4249-a912-5b102b7b49a3_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20VIRKKUNEN.pdf.
    • [2] This will be achieved by streamlining the permitting procedures and improving access to suitable sites, energy and funding for data centres that meet ambitious resource efficiency requirements. This is an important opportunity for European data centre operators and cloud service providers will have an important role to play in meeting this objective.
    • [3] Such highly critical uses cares in the EU are characterised by high sovereignty and operational autonomy requirements.
    • [4] The aim will be to assist the Act’s implementation in the public sector, guide public authorities in their cloud procurement decisions and empower them to leverage their purchasing power more strategically.
    • [5] IPCEI CIS/8ra Europe’s Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services — 8ra: https://www.8ra.com/ Seven Member States will provide up to EUR 1.2 billion in public funding, expected to unlock an additional EUR 1.4 billion.
    • [6]  Project DOME DOME Mark etplace: https://dome-marketplace.eu/dashboard.
    • [7]  Such providers offer highly trustworthy, curated cloud services that serve the interests of crucial sectors dealing with sensitive data, such as the public sector.
    • [8]  Commission Implementing Decision EU 2023/1795 of 10 July 2023 pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the adequate level of protection of personal data under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (notified under document C(2023)4745) (Text with EEA relevance) C/2023/4745 OJ L 231, 20.9.2023, p. 118-229 https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.
    • [9]  Executive Order 14086 on ‘Enhancing Safeguards for United States Signals Intelligence Activities’.
    • [10]  Its requirements and safeguards have also been recently assessed in the Commission’s report of 9 October 2024 to the European Parliament and the Council on the first periodic review of the functioning of the adequacy decision on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework COM(2024) 451 final: https://commission.europa.eu/document/25695177-8073-4ce3-bf81-eb816dc6b468_en.
    • [11]  C-311/18, Data Protection Commissioner v Facebook Ireland Limited and Maximillian Schrems (‘Schrems II’), 16 July 2020, ECLI:EU:C:2020:559.
    Last updated: 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Compliance with the rule of law in Spain amid the wave of legal proceedings regarding corruption – E-002213/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002213/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Dolors Montserrat (PPE)

    There are an increasing number of legal proceedings involving those closest to the Prime Minister of Spain: his wife, his brother, the organisational secretary of the ruling party, and several former high-ranking government officials are all implicated in alleged cases of corruption, influence peddling, misappropriation of public funds and irregularities related to public procurement.

    The most egregious examples include:

    – the charges brought against the Prosecutor General of Spain for politically-motivated leaks of confidential information;

    – the initiation of legal proceedings against the Prime Minister’s brother for misconduct and influence peddling;

    – suspected circumvention of the law to obtain special immunity for regional leaders facing charges;

    – the involvement of former ministerial officials in allegedly rigged public contracts;

    – and the possible use of institutional influence to favour those associated with the ruling party who are close to Sánchez.

    The principles of the rule of law, the separation of powers and accountability are under threat.

    • 1.Does the Commission plan to include an explicit warning in its Rule of Law Report about these signs of structural corruption connected to the Spanish Government, as well as a warning about possible political interference in the legal proceedings currently under way?

    Submitted: 3.6.2025

    Last updated: 13 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Chinese Culture Festival 2025 opens today (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Chinese Culture Festival 2025 opens today

    The Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) 2025, presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), opened today (June 13) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC), launching over 280 events to be held from June to September.

    In a video speech addressing the opening ceremony, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said that the Government will fully leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the “one country, two systems” principle to promote outstanding traditional Chinese culture globally and ride on Hong Kong’s international network in telling good stories of China to the world. Mr Lee pointed out that an important strategic direction featured in the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development, published by the Government last year, is on the promotion of the profound traditional Chinese culture. He is confident that the Chinese Culture Festival will become an annual signature cultural event in Hong Kong, presenting the rich and vibrant Chinese culture to audiences through innovative approaches. He said that the Government will continue to promote the essence of Chinese culture to citizens of Hong Kong and visitors from overseas and the Mainland, with a view to achieving “shaping tourism with cultural activities and promoting culture through tourism” and fostering the integration and mutual reinforcement of culture and tourism.

    Officiating guests at the opening ceremony included the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; the Secretary General of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government (LOCPG) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Wang Songmiao; the Deputy Director General of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the LOCPG in the HKSAR, Mr Li Shuguang; the Chairperson of the Working Group on Patriotic Education under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee and Legislative Council Member, Dr Starry Lee; the Chairman of the Legislative Council Panel on Home Affairs, Culture and Sports, Mr Ma Fung-kwok; and the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan.

    The opening programme of this year’s CCF staged tonight is a contemporary dance performance “Dongpo: Life in Poems”, which is sponsored by the Agricultural Bank of China Limited Hong Kong Branch and performed by the China Oriental Performing Arts Group. Directed by internationally acclaimed choreographer and visual artist Shen Wei, the production is inspired by the poetry and life of Su Dongpo, a literary master in the Song dynasty. It revolves 12 of Su’s poems that epitomise the poet’s life philosophy, while reinterpreting Su’s multifaceted legacy through contemporary dance. The production deeply integrates various fine traditional Chinese culture elements, such as poetry writing, traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, seal engraving, guqin, Chinese opera and martial arts. By merging “cognitive essence” and “aesthetic realm”, this approach is designed to transcend linguistic barriers, allowing audiences to explore Su’s spiritual world through a contemporary lens. The audience gave rounds of warm applause for the splendid performance by main cast performers Su Peng and Liu Jie, outstanding young dancers from the China Oriental Song and Dance Troupe and the Meishan Song and Dance Theatre, as well as for guqin virtuoso and Professor of the Central Conservatory of Music Zhao Xiaoxia.

    The programme also featured an open rehearsal under the “Chinese Culture for All: A Special Performance Series” this afternoon at the Grand Theatre of the HKCC. Close to 400 primary and secondary school students and teachers as well as members of the community were invited to attend, free of charge. This session enabled them to appreciate the humanistic emotions conveyed in Su’s poetry and embark on an artistic journey where “poetry embodies dance and dance incorporates poetry” in appreciating the beauty of traditional Chinese culture.

    The thematic exhibition on “Dongpo: Life in Poems” is currently being held at the Foyer of the HKCC. Apart from introducing the concept and structure of the production, the exhibition also presents Shen’s research notes and design sketches created during the creative process through photographs. Three paintings by Shen that were displayed on stage during the performance are featured in the exhibition. The exhibition will run until tomorrow (June 14). Admission is free and members of the public are welcome to visit.

    The CCF aims to promote Chinese culture and enhance the public’s national identity and cultural confidence. It also aims to attract top-notch artists and arts groups from the Mainland and other parts of the world for exchanges in Chinese arts and culture. The CCF 2025 is held from June to September. Through different performing arts programmes in various forms and related extension activities, as well as community and school activities and more, the festival provides members of the public and visitors with more opportunities to enjoy distinctive programmes that showcase fine traditional Chinese culture, thereby facilitating patriotic education and contributing to the inheritance, transformation and development of traditional Chinese culture in Hong Kong. For more information about programmes and activities of the CCF 2025, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk.

    Ends/Friday, June 13, 2025
    Issued at HKT 22:20

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Tax Preparer for Fabricating Expenses and Credits

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Note: View complaint here.

    The Justice Department filed a complaint today to permanently bar tax preparer Tanja D. Hollis, of Griffin, Georgia, and her business, Tanja Tax Preparations LLC, from preparing federal tax returns for others.

    The complaint, filed in a federal court in Newnan, Georgia, alleges that Hollis prepared and filed false federal tax returns through Tanja Tax Preparations that understated her customers’ tax liabilities by reporting false or exaggerated business expenses and claiming tax credits for false education expenses.

    According to the complaint, despite knowing them to be false, Hollis prepared returns claiming business expenses for customers who did not own or operate a business and education expenses for customers who were not enrolled as students. The IRS interviewed Tanja Tax Preparations customers who said they did not give Hollis any reason to believe that the items reported on their returns were legitimate.

    The complaint alleges that, by repeatedly understating her customers’ tax liabilities, Hollis caused the United States to lose substantial tax revenue.

    In addition to a permanent injunction, the complaint asks the court to order Hollis to turn over the ill-gotten tax preparation fees she earned while preparing and filing fraudulent tax returns.

    Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found here. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Osceola County, Florida, Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: US FBI

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed has sentenced Alex Ramon (34, Kissimmee) to 16 years and 3 months in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Ramon to forfeit the electronic device used in the commission of the offense. Ramon pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025. 

    According to court documents, a search warrant was executed at Ramon’s residence following cyber tips related to online child sexual abuse activities, which resulted in the recovery of Ramon’s cellphone. The cellphone contained more than 450 videos and 160 images of child sexual abuse material. A further forensic examination of the device revealed that Ramon also shared links and screen-recorded live streams of child sexual abuse, producing his own child sexual abuse material. 

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Testerman and Kaley Austin-Aronson.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Paducah Woman Sentenced to Over Two Years in Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay $400,000 in Restitution for Defrauding Employer

    Source: US FBI

    Paducah, KY – A Paducah woman was sentenced on June 11, 2025, to 2 years and 4 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

    Nichole M. Lawrence, 35, was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, between December 2019 and February 2023, Lawrence was employed as an office manager for a business in Western Kentucky and used her position to embezzle approximately $400,000 from the business. Lawrence used the stolen money to pay personal expenses.

    Lawrence was also ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution.

    “Ms. Lawrence’s conduct was fueled by pure greed to the detriment of her employer—who provides many solid jobs to Western Kentuckians,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner. “This sentence appropriately reflects the abuse of trust her employer bestowed on her.”

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Paducah Satellite Office and the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offense

    Source: US FBI

    Owensboro, KY – A Muhlenberg County, Kentucky man was sentenced on June 10, 2025, to 5 years in federal prison for distribution of child pornography.

    U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

    According to court documents, James Matthew Rosenkranz, 41, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for one count of distribution of child pornography.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    The case was investigated by the FBI Owensboro Resident Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: June 13th, 2025 Heinrich’s ‘Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act’ Heads to the White House

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich announced that his Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I drugs, under the Controlled Substances Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Heinrich introduced the HALT Fentanyl Act in January with U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Heinrich announced passage of his bill in the U.S. Senate in March. The legislation now heads to the White House to be signed into law.

    This permanent scheduling will give law enforcement added tools to help get extremely lethal and dangerous drugs off our streets, dismantle organized criminal trafficking operations, and keep New Mexicans safe.

    “I’m pleased that my HALT Fentanyl Act passed both chambers of Congress and is headed to the White House to be signed into law,” said Heinrich. “I urge the president to immediately sign the HALT Fentanyl Act, which is urgently needed to help our law enforcement crack down on illegal trafficking and allow prosecutors to build stronger, longer-term criminal cases. I will never stop fighting to deliver the resources to get deadly fentanyl out of our communities and save lives.”

    The HALT Fentanyl Act is endorsed by the Drug Enforcement Association of Federal Narcotics Agents, the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies, the National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Directors Association, the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition, and the National District Attorneys Association, as well as state and local law enforcement across New Mexico.

    “Fentanyl has negatively impacted the city of Las Cruces in significant ways. In the past five years, we have experienced a substantial increase in crime, homelessness, and quality of life issues. I firmly believe fentanyl has been the biggest driver of these issues. It is time to take meaningful action to reverse the harm caused by this illicit substance,” said Jeremy Story, Chief of the Las Cruces Police Department.

    “Like any illegal substance, whether it be opioids or fentanyl use, there are no easy or quick solutions and often combatting their abuse requires a multi-layered approach. The HALT Fentanyl Act is just that, which is why I fully support it. We may be inclined to not concern ourselves with research, for example, but those trafficking in this market do concern themselves with research. Let us endorse this bigger picture approach to help combat fentanyl use in our country,” said Kim Stewart, Doña Ana County Sheriff.

    “The HALT Fentanyl Act is another tool to go after transnational gangs and help make our community safer. Legislation is key for law enforcement to do their job,” said John Allen, Bernalillo County Sheriff.

    Background:

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there were 107,543 overdose deaths in the United States in 2023. Fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances accounted for nearly 75,000 of those deaths. Since 1999, the overdose crisis has increasingly been characterized by deaths involving these illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl-related substances (FRS), which are commonly sold through illicit drug markets for their fentanyl-like effect, and are often mixed with heroin or other drugs, such as cocaine, or pressed in to counterfeit prescription pills. During this same period, overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids (excluding methadone) increased 103-fold. By comparison, overdose deaths involving heroin and prescription opioids increased 2.5-fold and 4.1-fold, respectively.

    Traffickers are continually altering the chemical structure of fentanyl to evade regulation and prosecution, sometimes with tragic results. Since 2013, China has been the principal source of fentanyl, fentanyl-related substances, and the precursor chemicals from which they are produced. Chinese product is commonly shipped to Mexico and smuggled into the United States’ illicit drug market via U.S. citizens. Traffickers have favored fentanyl-related substances to skirt around committing the crime of trafficking fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. In 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized nearly 12,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl, including fentanyl powder and more than 78 million pills laced with illicit fentanyl. The 2023 seizures were equivalent to more than 388.8 million lethal doses of fentanyl.

    In 2018, as an initial response to this unprecedented crisis, the DEA issued a temporary scheduling order that placed FRS in Schedule I, under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), after classifying it as an imminent hazard to public safety. Previously, Congress has only closed this loophole temporarily by designating fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs. Congress has extended the FRS temporary scheduling order several times, most recently on December 21, 2024, with a measure that expires on March 31, 2025.

    Heinrich’s HALT Fentanyl Act will finally make permanent the scheduling of illicitly produced fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs and streamline the regulatory process for scientists seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to research Schedule I substances.

    Clear and Enforceable Criminal Penalties for Fentanyl Trafficking:

    A permanent scheduling of FRS is necessary to make penalties for criminals clear and enforceable under the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), reducing the supply and availability of illicitly manufactured FRS. The HALT Fentanyl Act places controls and penalties on FRS that have no accepted medical use and a high abuse potential.

    Specifically, the HALT Fentanyl Act will permanently impose the following quantity-based federal trafficking penalties on FRS:

    Mandatory minimum penalties: 5 years for 10 grams or more (10 years for second offense); and 10 years for 100 grams or more (20 years for second offense).

    Discretionary maximum penalties: 40 years for 10 grams or more (life for second offense); and life for 100 grams or more.

    Expanded Scientific and Medical Research:

    More closely aligning the research and registration process for Schedule I substances, including FRS, with Schedule II substances will facilitate increased FRS research. By accommodating more medical research into fentanyl-related substances, the bill will establish a new, streamlined registration process for research funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or under an Investigative New Drug (IND) exemption from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    Specifically, the HALT Fentanyl Act will enhance our understanding of these illicitly manufactured substances by:

    • Allowing researchers in the same institution to participate in multiple scientific studies.
    • Permitting researchers with ongoing studies to examine newly added Schedule I substances.
    • Allowing researchers to manufacture small quantities of FRS without a separate registration.

    The text of the HALT Fentanyl Act is here.

    A section-by-section summary of the HALT Fentanyl Act is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Grassley Outlines Judiciary Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON –Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) authored a Fox News op-ed offering a detailed look at the Judiciary Committee’s provisions included in Senate Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    “The Judiciary Committee’s provisions provide historic investments to strengthen our nation’s border security and immigration system, support local law enforcement and protect American families,” Grassley wrote. “I look forward to helping turn this legislation into law and deliver on President Trump’s promise of a secure border for years to come.”

    Click HERE for a one-pager of the Judiciary title.
    Click HERE for a section-by-section of the Judiciary title.
    Click HERE for bill text of the Judiciary title.

    Read the full op-ed HERE and below.

    How Senate Republicans are restoring the rule of law and securing the border for years to come.
    By Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley
    Fox Digital
    June 13, 2025

    America is at a crossroads.

    During the Biden-Harris administration, over 10 million illegal immigrants – including violent criminals and potential terrorists – poured over our nation’s border. After four years of chaos, Americans overwhelmingly elected President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a platform of securing the border, removing dangerous criminals and restoring law and order.

    President Trump is standing on that platform, and Senate Republicans are supporting him every step of the way.

    In President Trump’s first 100 days, illegal border encounters plummeted by 95 percent, illegal immigrant “gotaways” fell 99 percent and violent criminals and suspected terrorists were quickly removed from the country.

    During those same 100 days, Democrats fought to keep criminals in the country and took taxpayer-funded trips to El Salvador to defend an illegal immigrant who’s facing charges of human trafficking, gang-related killing and domestic abuse.

    In the past week, thousands of rioters have taken to the streets of Los Angeles to violently protest ICE officers who are simply enforcing federal immigration law, as well as court-ordered search warrants. Rioters have lit cars on fire, looted mom and pop shops and attacked police officers with concrete slabs and Molotov cocktails. Yet Democrats insist the mob’s actions are “peaceful.”

    The nation is keenly aware of what happens when law enforcement is slow to respond to violent protests. During the Los Angeles riots of 1992, 63 people died, thousands were injured and the violence only stopped after the National Guard arrived. Thankfully, President Trump isn’t repeating the mistakes of the past. His quick decision to mobilize the National Guard protected innocent lives and valuable property.

    Hardworking and decent Americans know it’s wrong to attack law enforcement officers, rob small businesses and break the law.

    While Democrat allies riot in the streets, Republicans are standing up for what’s right.

    Today, as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I released legislative text for my committee’s section of the One Big Beautiful Bill. The Judiciary Committee’s provisions provide historic investments to strengthen our nation’s border security and immigration system, support local law enforcement and protect American families from violence like we’ve seen in Los Angeles.

    It significantly boosts funding for local law enforcement and immigration agencies that were overwhelmed by the Biden-Harris administration’s open border. The Department of Homeland Security will receive funding to hire more staff and enhance migrant screening and vetting processes, including background checks. It will also allow for the expedited removal of criminal illegal aliens and coordination with state and local governments to root out cartels and gangs.

    The costs of the Judiciary section are offset by immigration application fees, which inject accountability into the immigration system. The Judiciary Committee’s bill also preserves humanitarian protections by including fee exemptions for certain emergency or humanitarian purposes, and it makes fees paid by sponsors of migrant children 100 percent reimbursable, so long as the child safely appears in court as the law intends.

    When the Biden-Harris administration turned its back on border security, patriotic states stepped up to protect American communities. The Senate Judiciary Committee is giving these states the thanks they deserve by implementing the Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Reimbursement Fund. The BIDEN Reimbursement Fund will help states recoup the dollars they spent investigating, locating, apprehending and temporarily detaining criminal illegal aliens. It also helps cover the cost inflicted on local courts for prosecuting crimes committed by illegal aliens, like drug and human trafficking.

    American taxpayers spent billions covering for Biden’s Border Breakdown. It’s time they were compensated for their losses.

    Despite Democrat efforts to defund the police, Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans are unwavering in our support for local, state and federal law enforcement. That’s why our legislation expands resources for these brave men and women in blue.

    Finally, the Senate Judiciary Committee is advancing solutions in the One Big Beautiful Bill to restore the constitutional role of the federal judiciary and ensures courts follow current law when handing down decisions. Our bill will provide funding to the Department of Justice to hire additional attorneys focused on challenging universal injunctions and require courts to track the frequency of universal injunctions. It will also establish judicial training programs on universal injunctions’ lack of constitutionality and enforce the existing, lawful requirement that courts impose a bond upfront when attempting to hit the government with a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order that results in costs and damages ultimately sustained by American taxpayers.

    The rule of law matters, and Republicans are committed to enforcing it. I look forward to helping turn this legislation into law and deliver on President Trump’s promise of a secure border for years to come.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced in the Death and Injury of 2-Month-Old Twins

    Source: US FBI

    TULSA, Okla. – Michael David Gregory from Commerce, Oklahoma was sentenced today for the death of a two-month-old child who died from severe head and eye injuries that a child abuse pediatrician diagnosed as abusive head trauma. Additionally, Gregory was also sentenced for assault related to brain injuries he caused to another two-month-old child, the twin sister of the first infant, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

    U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Gregory, 30, to a total of 240 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Hill further ordered Gregory to pay a $200 special monetary assessment.

    According to a charging document, Gregory pleaded guilty to one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. According to his plea agreement, Gregory was caring for the twin two-month-old infants at an apartment he shared with his girlfriend in Commerce, Oklahoma. While Gregory’s girlfriend was at work, Gregory forcefully picked up and handled the newborn infants. Gregory admitted that his actions caused traumatic and severe brain and eye injuries in both infants, resulting in the death of one child identified as A.M.R.

    Michael David Gregory is not a member of a federally recognized tribe. However, the apartment in which Gregory cared for the twins is located on the Quapaw Nation reservation, and both infants are considered “Indian persons” because they are eligible for membership in the Choctaw Nation. 

    Michael David Gregory was previously released on bond in this case. Judge Hill ordered him to report to a United States Bureau of Prisons facility on July 22, 2025.

    The Commerce Police Department and the Quapaw Nation Marshal Service in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melody Nelson prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Labrador Visits North Idaho to Strengthen Partnerships with Law Enforcement in Fight Against Child Exploitation

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom AG Labrador Visits North Idaho to Strengthen Partnerships with Law Enforcement in Fight Against Child Exploitation

    POST FALLS — Attorney General Raúl Labrador visited North Idaho this week to meet with police chiefs and strengthen partnerships between local law enforcement and the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The visit included stops at the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association Conference, participation in biannual mental health training for ICAC investigators, and discussions with Post Falls Police Department leadership.
    “Our ICAC investigators do incredibly demanding work to protect vulnerable children from online predators, and they can’t do it alone,” said Attorney General Labrador. “Building strong partnerships with police departments across Idaho, including here in North Idaho, is essential to keeping our kids safe. Our investigators confront the worst of humanity in their work, which is why providing them with mental health resources through professionals like Dr. Crampton and Dr. Ginkel is so critical to supporting our team.”
    At the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association Conference, Labrador thanked police chiefs for their dedication to protecting Idaho communities. He let them know his office is available to be a resource and assist local law enforcement with certain investigations and prosecutions, especially ICAC cases. The Attorney General then spent time at the ICAC booth at the conference, speaking directly with chiefs who stopped by about collaboration opportunities and resources available to their departments.
    Attorney General Labrador then joined his ICAC investigators and team members in Post Falls for their biannual Mental Health and Resiliency training conducted by Dr. Alex Crampton and Dr. Ross Ginkel, the contracted psychologists for the ICAC team. These investigators are heroes who work tirelessly to protect children in Idaho. Every day, they confront horrific images and disturbing cases as they conduct search warrants and arrest online predators. The Attorney General’s office ensures these investigators have mental health resources available whenever they need them, and it was an honor for Labrador to join them for part of this critical training. The Attorney General’s office has ICAC investigators stationed throughout the state. These full-team mental health trainings are held in different locations across Idaho to accommodate investigators statewide and bring the entire team together.
    The Attorney General also met with Captains Mark Brantl and Jason Mealer at the Post Falls Police Department to discuss ongoing collaboration between local law enforcement and the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force.
    The Attorney General’s ICAC Unit works with the Idaho ICAC Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet to criminally exploit children.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Hamburg Sex Offender Arrested on New Child Pornography Charges, Investigators Looking to the Public for Assistance

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Bernard (“Bernie”) J. Keller, 27, of Hamburg, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years and a $250,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that in 2017 and 2018, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received reports that files of suspected child pornography had been shared on the Kik application. Subsequent investigation traced the files to Keller, who was ultimately convicted in Erie County Court of Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child less than 16 in August 2022, sentenced to 10 years’ probation, and placed on the New York State Sex Offender registry. In March 2025, the New York State Police received another report from NCMEC that four files of suspected child pornography were shared between two users on the Kik application. Subsequent investigation traced the files once again to Keller. On May 21, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Keller’s residence, during which investigators seized his cellular telephone. A preliminary search located suspected child pornography on the cell phone.

    If any members of the public have information regarding this defendant, you are asked to call the FBI at 716-856-7800.

    The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.

    The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.   

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Business Owner and Town of Cortlandt Employee Sentenced to Prison for $2.4 Million Environmental Crime Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that GLENN GRIFFIN, the owner and president of Griffin’s Landscaping Corporation, was sentenced to two years in prison for a scheme in which GRIFFIN bribed a Town of Cortlandt employee to gain unauthorized access to a Town facility to dump loads of unauthorized materials.  GRIFFIN was also sentenced for a separate bid-rigging scheme.  The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.

    On May 20, 2025, ROBERT DYCKMAN, the former Assistant General Foreman for the Town of Cortlandt, was sentenced by Judge Briccetti to a year and a day in prison for his participation in the bribery and dumping scheme.  As part of their sentences, GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN were each ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution to their victims.

    “Glenn Griffin and Robert Dyckman’s corruption not only damaged public land and fragile wetlands but also undermined the public’s faith in our government and institutions” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Griffin, a successful business owner and president, bribed Dyckman so that he could save money and, in the process, illegally dump harmful, unauthorized materials on public property generating $2.4 million in damages.  Moreover, Griffin then took government money to remove and haul away the very materials that he had illegally dumped.  Together with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to rooting out such brazen and wasteful corruption.” 

    According to statements made in public filings and court proceedings:

    Illegal Dumping Scheme

    From 2018 until February 2020, GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN engaged in an unauthorized dumping scheme.  DYCKMAN gave GRIFFIN and his employees unauthorized access to Arlo Lane, a Cortlandt facility, to dump hundreds of large truckloads of unauthorized materials such as thick concrete, cement with rebar, tiles, bricks, large rocks, and soil.  After the illegal dumping, GRIFFIN billed and received payments from the Town of Cortlandt for removing and hauling away the very materials that GRIFFIN had illegally dumped at Arlo Lane with DYCKMAN’s assistance.

    DYCKMAN generally allowed GRIFFIN and his employees to access Arlo Lane on Saturdays or after working hours.  To carry out the scheme, DYCKMAN would attempt to clear senior Town of Cortlandt management away from Arlo Lane around the time of the unauthorized dumping.  When DYCKMAN arranged for a subordinate Town of Cortlandt worker to work overtime when GRIFFIN was dumping unauthorized loads, DYCKMAN would falsely record the worker’s overtime as having occurred during the week in order to conceal the scheme.

    In exchange for access to Arlo Lane, GRIFFIN paid DYCKMAN cash bribes.

    GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN were ordered to pay the Town of Cortlandt and the Westchester Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization which owns damaged wetlands abutting the Town of Cortlandt’s Arlo Lane property, a total of $2.4 million to remediate and restore their property following GRIFFIN’s and DYCKMAN’s criminal conduct.

    Bid-Rigging Scheme

    Between 2015 and 2018, Griffin also engaged in a bid-rigging scheme.  GRIFFIN defrauded the village of Croton-on-Hudson for work on its schools, and the hamlet of Verplanck for work at its fire department.  GRIFFIN made sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids on behalf of entities that GRIFFIN did not work for or have authorization to submit bids on behalf of, so that GRIFFIN would be the low bidder in a pool of purportedly competitive bids and receive public money for work on the projects. Based on these sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids, GRIFFIN was awarded contracts with a combined value exceeding $133,000.

    *                *                *

    In addition to the prison term, GRIFFIN, 56, of Cortlandt, New York was sentenced to three years of supervised release and a $50,000 fine.  He was also ordered to forfeit $220,000 and pay $2.4 million in restitution, with $1.2 million due to the Town of Cortlandt and $1.2 million due to the Westchester Land Trust.  On August 26, 2024, GRIFFIN pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

    In addition to the prison term, DYCKMAN, 53, of Verplanck, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution, with $1.2 million due to the Town of Cortlandt and $1.2 million due to the Westchester Land Trust.  On August 26, 2024, DYCKMAN pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Reznik to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. 

    Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Westchester County Police Department in this investigation.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation.

    This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Monticello, New York, Man Charged with 2017 Murder

    Source: US FBI

    Victim of Alleged Homicide Was Murdered in Connection with Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia; and the District Attorney for Sullivan County, New York, Brian Conaty, announced the filing of a Superseding Indictment charging DWAYNE JOHNSON with the May 2017 murder of Shaniece Harris (the “Victim”), as well as additional controlled substance and firearms offenses.  JOHNSON was previously taken into custody on controlled substance and firearms charges following the recovery of, among other things, marijuana and approximately 30 firearms from his residence in May 2023.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti.  Earlier today, JOHNSON was arraigned on the charges in the Superseding Indictment.

    “As alleged, more than eight years ago, Dwayne Johnson murdered Shaniece Harris in Monticello, New York, in connection with a long-running drug conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Thanks to the hard work of the prosecutors in this Office and our law enforcement partners at FBI, New York State Police, NYPD, and the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, Johnson will be held to account for this cold-blooded crime.  This brutal murder shows the harsh truth that drug trafficking and violence go together, and drug trafficking poses incredible dangers to communities throughout New York.  As this Superseding Indictment shows, we work every day to deliver justice for the victims of senseless violence—no matter how many years have passed.  We hope this prosecution brings some measure of peace to the victim’s loved ones.”

    “Dwayne Johnson allegedly murdered Shaniece Harris as part of his drug trafficking operation,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia.  “We are committed to ending the senseless and irreparable damage caused to our communities by violence connected to drug trafficking.  The FBI has a long memory.  No matter how much time has passed, we will not cease in our efforts to find justice for victims of murder and other violent crimes.”

    “I am thrilled that this arrest is the first step in bringing closure to the family and loved one’s of Shanice Harris,” said District Attorney Brian Conaty.  “I applaud the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Southern District of New York.  I am proud that members of my office were able to assist these entities in this investigation.  I thank all the law enforcement entities involved for their unwavering dedication to investigating and apprehending the individual who was responsible for this heinous crime.  It is law enforcement collaborations such as this that send a stark message that the victims of violent crime will never be forgotten.”

    As alleged in the Superseding Indictment and other public filings: [1] 

    On or about May 29, 2017, JOHNSON shot and killed Shaniece Harris in Monticello, New York, in furtherance of his long-running conspiracy to traffic over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere. Following a series of searches in 2023, law enforcement recovered multiple videos made by JOHNSON in which Johnson displayed his cache of firearms and articulated his intent to shoot anyone who attempted the steal his marijuana or marijuana proceeds.  On or about May 24, 2023, law enforcement recovered from JOHNSON’s residence body armor, a large quantity of ammunition, and approximately 30 firearms, including multiple short-barreled rifles.

    *                *                *

    JOHNSON, 46, of Monticello, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in prison; one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of possession of a short-barreled rifle in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison to be served consecutively to any other term of prison imposed and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of unlawful possession of firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

    The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

    Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI Hudson Valley White Collar Crime Task Force, the New York State Police, the NYPD, the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, and the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. 

    This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Jorja Knauer are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam Ronan.

    The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
     

    [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug Trafficker Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Dispatcher-Based Drug Trafficking Organization

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.— A Portland drug trafficker was sentenced to federal prison Friday for possessing fentanyl on multiple occasions.

    Yesmin Miseal Medina Vargas, 20, a Honduran national unlawfully residing in Oregon, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release.

    According to court documents, in February 2023, Medina Vargas was identified as a leader of a dispatcher-based drug trafficking organization in the Portland area. Medina Vargas was responsible for taking orders from customers and coordinating drug deliveries.

    In February 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a search warrant on Medina Vargas’ residence and seized more than 20 pounds of fentanyl, body armor, ammunition, and cellular phones.

    Medina Vargas resumed drug trafficking and several months later, in August 2023, Medina Vargas arrived at a controlled buy in Tigard, Oregon, with a minor in his vehicle. Medina-Vargas and the minor were arrested, and agents seized approximately 2,000 fentanyl pills.

    On September 12, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Medina Vargas with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

    On November 5, 2024, Medina Vargas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. As part of his plea agreement, Medina Vargas admitted that he was part of a drug trafficking organization that caused an overdose death.

    This case was investigated by HSI with assistance from the FBI, Westside Interagency Narcotics Team, and Lake Oswego Police Department. It was prosecuted by Cassady A. Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.

    If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.

    If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Murphy, Gomez, Beyer: Let Every American Choose Medicare

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

    Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Connecticut’s U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy, and U.S. Representatives Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34) and Donald Beyer (D-VA-08) today reintroduced the Choose Medicare Act. This revolutionary proposal opens Medicare to all Americans with a new ‘Part E’ and builds on the system we have today by allowing Medicare to compete with private health insurance.

    “In the richest country in the world, no person should have to worry about whether they’ll be able to afford care if they become sick or get into an accident. At a time when proposed cuts from Republicans threaten the health and financial security of millions, it’s more important than ever to expand access to high-quality, affordable health care,” said Merkley. “The Choose Medicare Act does just that by allowing every American to buy into Medicare, protecting and expanding this effective, popular system, and putting consumers and businesses in the driver’s seat on the road to universal health care.”

    “Instead of shielding big insurance companies from competition, we should give Americans the option to choose Medicare’s high-quality, low-cost coverage if it’s right for them and their families,” said Murphy. “While Republicans spike the cost of living and cut health care for millions of Americans, we’ll keep fighting to expand access and affordability.”

    “I got pneumonia when I was seven years old, and my family almost went bankrupt because we were uninsured. Today too many families are still one medical emergency away from financial crisis,” said Gomez. “Our bicameral legislation lets every American opt into Medicare — which is affordable, effective, and trusted — and we’re going to keep fighting until everyone has access to the care they need.”

    “Our bill would give all Americans access to Medicare, one of the most popular and successful health care delivery programs in history,” said Beyer. “Allowing employers and the general public the option to choose Medicare would fill many of the gaps in our health care system, get more people covered, and make the nation healthier. Every American should be able to access affordable, quality health care, and this bill represents the kind of bold action required to make that a reality for all.”

    The Choose Medicare Act is co-sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-AL). The bill is supported by Families USA, MoveOn, American Federation of Teachers, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, and the Center for Health and Democracy.

    “Now, more than ever, millions of people are grappling with skyrocketing health care costs and rising concerns that they won’t be able to access affordable health insurance and the care they need to keep their families healthy. Lawmakers should be doing all they can to ensure people across the country have more options for affordable health care, not less. The Choose Medicare Act is an important effort that creates a new pathway to make Medicare accessible to more consumers and employers, and makes important improvements to the current program like coverage of all reproductive health and essential health benefits,” said Jane Sheehan, Deputy Senior Director of Government Relations for Families USA.

    “The Choose Medicare Act would improve the existing Medicare program by creating a critically needed out-of-pocket cap in traditional Medicare,” said David Lipschutz, Co-Director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy. “The bill would also enable people currently not yet eligible for Medicare to enjoy the benefits of traditional Medicare, without the restrictions of limited provider networks found in many Medicare Advantage plans.”

    “Big Insurance’s monopoly control over health care in this country has led to higher health care costs and a growing medical debt crisis, all while making health care unaffordable and inaccessible to a majority of Americans. It is a system designed to put profits over patients. This bill is a vital step towards breaking Big Insurance’s strangle hold over health care in this country and will open up the most successful health care program in our country’s history, Medicare, to even more people. I applaud Senator Merkley for introducing it,” said Wendell Potter, President, Center for Health and Democracy.

    Medicare ‘Part E’ aims to be self-sustaining and fully paid for by premiums. Plans would be offered on all state and federal exchanges, giving people the ability to use existing Affordable Care Act subsidies to help cover their premiums. Additionally, employers could choose to select Medicare ‘Part E’ rather than private insurance to provide affordable and reliable health care to their employees.

    The Choose Medicare Act:

    Increases Access, Competition, and Choice

    1. Opens Medicare to employers of all sizes and allows them to purchase high-quality, affordable health care for their employees without requiring replacement of employment-based health insurance.
    2. Addresses the discrepancy between consumer protections in the individual and group markets by extending the ACA’s rating requirements to all markets, to end discrimination based on pre-existing conditions once and for all.

    Provides Comprehensive Coverage

    1. Includes the ACA’s 10 essential health benefits and all items and services covered by Medicare.
    2. Provides high-quality, gold-level coverage and cost-sharing.
    3. Ensures coverage for a wide range of reproductive services, including abortion.

    Improves Affordability

    1. Establishes an out-of-pocket maximum in traditional Medicare.
    2. Increases the generosity of premium tax credits and extends eligibility to all earners.
    3. Directs Medicare to negotiate fair prices for prescription drugs by incorporating in the program the drug price negotiation section of the Inflation Reduction Act.
    4. Drives down private insurance premiums through competition from Medicare by allowing the HHS Secretary to block excessive private insurance rates.
    5. Extends traditional Medicare protections on balance billing or surprise bills to ‘Part E’ plans.

    Full text of the Choose Medicare Act can be found by clicking here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Grand Juries in Bowling Green and Paducah Indict 4 Illegal Aliens for Immigration Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Bowling Green and Paducah, KY – Federal grand juries in Bowling Green and Paducah, Kentucky, returned indictments on June 10 and 11, 2025, charging three individuals with illegal reentry after deportation or removal and one individual with use of a false passport.

    U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, and Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement made the announcement.

    According to the indictments:

    Santiago Tehandon-Paneda, age 45, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Owensboro, Kentucky, with reentry after deportation or removal and false claim to United States citizenship. On or about May 12, 2025, Tehandon-Paneda was an alien found in United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about May 4, 2007, and August 13, 2012. On or about May 15, 2025, Tehandon-Paneda willfully represented himself to be a citizen of the United States. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE-ERO.

    Feliz Morales-Rangel, age 38, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Bowling Green with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 26, 2025, Morales-Rangel was an alien found in United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about March 20, 2008, and May 1, 2010. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE-ERO.

    Francisco Campos-Guardian, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Paducah with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about May 8, 2025, Campos-Guardian was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 7, 2020. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE-ERO.

    Bogdan Drapac, age 41, a citizen of Romania, was charged in Paducah with use of a false passport. On or about May 14, 2025, Drapac willfully and knowingly used and attempted to use a false, forged, and counterfeited Spanish passport; that is, he presented the passport to law enforcement during a traffic stop to conceal his identity. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE-ERO.

    A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, and Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, are prosecuting the cases.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Baxter Springs man charged with child pornography possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man has been charged through criminal complaint in Wichita, Kansas, on allegations related to child sexual abuse materials.  

    According to court documents, Kenneth Norman Baker, 41, of Baxter Springs is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.

    Project Safe Childhood
    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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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