NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dutch-Italian cocaine trafficking route intercepted

    Source: Eurojust

    The Italian authorities were investigating a criminal group based in southern Sardinia, composed of eight individuals who were importing large quantities of cocaine from the Netherlands. The drugs were loaded into vehicles with hidden compartments at the bottom. After hiding the cocaine, the vehicles were driven to Italy, where the drugs were sold to local traffickers in Sardinia. During the investigation, over 20 kilograms of pure cocaine were seized, and three couriers were arrested.

    The cooperation with the Netherlands has started four years ago on the basis of mutual legal assistance on both police and judicial level. It culminated in an action day on 11 June, which took place simultaneously in Italy and the Netherlands. During the action day, two suspects were arrested in Italy and one in the Netherlands. In Italy, EUR 3 million and 90 properties were seized, along with bank accounts and vehicles. In the Netherlands parts of the EUR 600 000 profits of the Dutch suspect were seized.

    Eurojust coordinated the international cooperation in the cross-border investigation, ensuring that four European Investigation Orders were executed to gather information and continue the investigation into the criminal network. The Agency supported the action day on 11 June by preparing the European Arrest Warrant executed in the Netherlands.

    The following authorities carried out the operation:

    • Italy: Cagliari Public Prosecutor’s Office – Anti-Mafia District Directorate; Guardia di Finanza di Cagliari – GICO (Organised Crime Investigation Unit – Anti-Drug Section)
    • Netherlands: Public Prosecutor’s Office Zeeland-West-Brabant; Centre for International Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Zeeland-West-Brabant; Police Zeeland-West-Brabant

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Action to tackle human traffickers forcing female victims into prostitution in Romania and UK

    Source: Eurojust

    With support from Eurojust and Europol, Romanian and UK authorities have taken decisive action against a human trafficking network that forced at least 27 young female victims into prostitution. During a coordinated action day, twelve suspects have been identified and forty places were searched, while victims were brought to safety. Eurojust supported the action by setting up and financing a joint investigation team (JIT) in November 2024.

    Since 2019, the perpetrators have recruited young female victims from poor backgrounds or from social care centres without relatives, mainly in Bucharest and the Romanian Prahova region. Using the so-called ‘lover boy method’, the perpetrators promised the victims job opportunities in sectors such as catering or tourism, but in reality forced them into prostitution in Romania and the United Kingdom. This often occurred after they were deprived of their identity documents.

    © DIICOT Poliția Românăas

    The criminal network behind the human trafficking arranged for transport and housing in the UK. According to estimates from the Romanian authorities, they allegedly made profits of up to EUR 5.3 million. The identified perpetrators are suspected of organising a criminal group, engaging in continuous human trafficking, pimping and money laundering.

    Eurojust assisted the Romanian and UK authorities in setting up and financing the JIT, as well as organising three coordination meetings to prepare for the joint action in both countries. Experts from Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) provided analytical support and facilitated the exchange of intelligence and operational data between national authorities.

    The operations were carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:

    • Romania: Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) – Central Structure; Organised Crime Combatting Brigades of Ploiesti and Pitesti
    • United Kingdom: Crown Prosecution Service: London Metropolitan Police

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Swatting Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Brayden Grace, 19, of Columbus, Ohio, pled guilty to conspiracy, cyberstalking, interstate threatening communications, and threats to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosives. 

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.

    According to the guilty plea, Grace helped create an online group known as “Purgatory.”  The group used multiple online social-media platforms, including Telegram and Instagram, to coordinate and plan swatting and doxxing activities and to announce and brag about swats that they conducted.  

    “Grace and his co-conspirators threatened and terrorized others throughout the country, and then bragged about it online.  Make no mistake: swatting and doxxing are not pranks—they are dangerous and illegal acts that put lives at risk and drain critical law enforcement resources,” Hayes said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to relentlessly pursuing those who seek to gain notoriety by abusing our emergency services and striking fear in others. Such unlawful actions will not be tolerated.”

    “Brayden Grace admitted he engaged in swatting and doxxing to strike out at perceived rivals, gain online notoriety, attempt to make money, and for enjoyment. May his guilty plea make clear that the FBI and our partners take these threats seriously,” Koldjeski said. “Together, we will make sure offenders do not remain anonymous and face justice for their crimes which drain vital public safety resources, cause undue fear, and put innocent lives at risk.”

    “Swatting” is a term used to describe or refer to a criminal incident in which an individual contacts emergency services and falsely reports an emergency, often involving an act of violence that reportedly has or will occur at a particular location to elicit an armed law enforcement response to that location.  “Doxxing” is a term used to describe the practice of searching for and publishing on the Internet personal, private, or identifying information about an individual with malicious intent, such as providing the information for the purpose of swatting the individual.

    From December 10, 2023, through January 18, 2024, Grace and his co-conspirators placed swatting calls to police and other emergency departments. One or more of the conspirators falsely reported an emergency in the form of a violent act at a particular location to cause an armed law enforcement response with the intent to threaten, intimidate, and harass individuals and entities.

    Grace and his co-conspirators often used shared scripts to plan and coordinate their conduct and used Voice over Internet Protocol services to obscure their phone numbers and identities.

    As part of this scheme, the co-conspirators called the Houston County Sheriff’s Office (Dothan, Alabama). The co-conspirators threatened to burn down part of a residential trailer park and kill any law-enforcement officers who arrived to respond to the threat.

    Additionally, as part of the scheme, a Purgatory conspirator called the Newark Delaware Police Department falsely claiming that he heard a man firing shots in a Newark High School hallway. Moments later, a conspirator called the department again, threatening to shoot a specific Newark High School teacher and to kill unnamed students. As a result of this call, which occurred in the middle of the school day, authorities placed the school on lockdown and police officers responded to the scene. Later the same day, Grace agreed to post content from the incident, including images from news coverage of the incident, onto the group’s social media accounts.

    Grace also posted the address of the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio, the non-emergency telephone number for Columbus Police Department, and the name of a specific doxxing victim. Purgatory conspirators called the Columbus Police Department that day and threatened to “start shooting,” “kill everyone here,” and blow up the Hollywood Casino.

    Additionally, Purgatory conspirators called the Albany Police Department (Albany, New York), threatening the use of firearms and explosives at the airport.  Police units then rushed to respond to the threats.  On the same day, Grace bragged on a Purgatory group website about the group threatening the airport.

    Grace faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count of threatening to damage or destroy by fire or explosive and a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy, cyberstalking, and interstate threats. 

    Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  A federal district court judge determines sentencing after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, August 14, at 10 a.m.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation.  Additionally, Ms. Hayes praised the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Columbus; Ohio Police Department; Newark, Delaware Police Department; Lenoir City, Tennessee Police Department; Albany, New York Police Department; Albany County, New York Sheriff’s Office; Fairburn City, Georgia Police Department; Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Police Department; Giles County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office; Blue Springs, Missouri Police Department; Tarboro, North Carolina Police Department; Boston, Massachusetts Police Department; Dodge County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office; Houston County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office; and the FBI’s Mobile, Richmond, Boston, Charlotte, and Cincinnati Field Offices for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert I. Goldaris and Patricia C. McLane who are prosecuting the case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: DOJ and drug development researcher settle allegations he violated terms of National Science Foundation grant

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle – The United States Department of Justice and the recipient of a federal research grant have resolved allegations the lead researcher violated the terms of the grant when he performed the research outside the U.S., announced Acting United States Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Protein Engines, LLC (Protein Engines), founded and operated by Joshua Salafsky PhD, was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in late 2021 for scientific research with pharmaceutical applications. Protein Engines LLC will pay the U.S. $155,000 to resolve the allegations.

    “Despite being repeatedly informed that all research under the grant needed to be performed in the U.S., Dr. Salafsky spent little more than a month in the U.S. while he was accepting NSF grant funding for his research,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “These Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants require work in the U.S. so that federal funds go to support innovation here, using labs and equipment that generate business in the U.S. This deception defeated that purpose.”

    According to the settlement agreement, on November 26, 2021, Protein Engines LLC was awarded a $256,000 grant. The research was to be performed in the U.S. between December 1, 2021, and November 30, 2022. However, the principal researcher on the grant lived in the U.K. for all but 38 days of the grant funding.

    The National Science Foundation suspended the grant funding on September 8, 2023, when it determined the research had not been conducted in the U.S. as required.

    The Small Business Innovation Research/Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program is a critically important and highly competitive program created to fund technological advancements within the United States. Funding for this program strengthens the competitive free enterprise system and the U.S. economy. To maximize that impact, SBIR regulations require all research and development to be conducted in the United States.  This investigation resulted from the NSF Office of Inspector General’s proactive initiative to protect national security interests by identifying SBIR recipients who improperly operate outside the U.S.

    “When companies fail to follow the domestic requirements of the SBIR program, it is not only a misuse of taxpayer dollars but also takes away funding from deserving U.S. businesses. NSF OIG remains committed to pursuing oversight of these programs to ensure taxpayer funds are invested in the United States to benefit U.S. businesses, the U.S. economy, and national security. I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for supporting this important proactive effort,” said Megan E. Wallace, NSF’s Acting Inspector General.

    Of the $155,000 settlement, $77,500 is restitution and the rest is a penalty for the misconduct. Additionally, $25,000 in grant funds were never paid out to Protein Engines LLC.

    Protein Engines LLC says the settlement is not an admission of liability but chooses to resolve the matter instead of the expense and uncertainty of protracted litigation.

    The case was investigated by the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General (NSF-OIG). The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Kayla C. Stahman in this matter.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Felon with Gun Who Ran From Police

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Led officers on high-speed chase in Cedar Rapids before fleeing on foot and tossing firearm

    A felon who possessed a firearm was convicted by a jury today after a three‑day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

    Marcus Dejohn Wallace, age 29, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.  The verdict was returned this afternoon following about three hours of jury deliberations.

    The evidence at trial showed that on September 5, 2024, Wallace led officers on a high-speed car chase through Cedar Rapids before pulling over in a residential neighborhood and running from officers.  He was apprehended by a police K-9 and taken into custody.  Law enforcement found a loaded firearm within throwing distance of where Wallace was apprehended.  The firearm was missing a magazine.  That missing magazine was later located in the path where Wallace had run.  Wallace has a prior federal conviction for distribution of heroin resulting in serious bodily injury.  

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    Sentencing before United States District Court Chief C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Wallace remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Wallace faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra Hake, Shawn Wehde, and Dan Tvedt, and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 24-CR-90.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan Man Sentenced After Being in the United States Illegally

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A Guatemalan man who was in the United States illegally after being removed twice was sentenced today to 90 days in prison.

    Hector Palencia-Morales, age 55, a citizen of Guatemala, received the prison term after an April 7, 2025, guilty plea to being found in the United States after illegal reentry.

               On March 1, 2025, Palencia-Morales was found at a residence in Postville, Iowa, while law enforcement officers were executing a search warrant at the residence.  Officers confirmed he was in the country illegally.  Officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him on March 14, 2025.  Palencia-Morales had previously been removed from the United States in 2013 following a conviction for illegal entry and again in 2022.  

    Palencia-Morales was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Palencia-Morales was sentenced to 90 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 25-CR-1012. 

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader in scheme to monopolize transmigrantes market imprisoned for 11 years

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Mission man has been sentenced for his role in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency (TFA) industry in the Los Indios border region, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Carlos Martinez, who pleaded guilty Feb. 6, and his co-conspirators controlled the transmigrate industry through monopolization and extortion of competitors.

    U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Martinez to serve 132 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay a $2 million fine. 

    Martinez and others used fear to control pricing, eliminate competition and keep the transmigrante industry profitable through “pool” allocations and piso payments.

    Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. Only a few U.S. border crossings, including the Los Indios Bridge, allow transmigrantes to enter Mexico.

    Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that help clients complete customs paperwork to export vehicles into Mexico. Martinez and his co-conspirators fixed prices for forwarding services and created a centralized entity, known as the “pool,” to collect and divide revenue among conspirators. They used the pool to eliminate competition and raise prices.

    “Price fixing is not a victimless crime; it harms customers in the form of artificially high prices. Consumers need to have faith that the prices they pay are fairly determined by the market, rather than the product of illegal collusion,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “The 11-year sentence Mr. Martinez received reflects the size and scope of his criminal operation, as well as his leadership role in organizing and facilitating the unlawful scheme.”

    “The defendants extorted victims trying to make an honest living in the freight forwarding business, and by fixing prices illegally drove up the cost of moving goods,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The lead defendant’s sentence of 11 years in prison reflects the harm caused to the business community along the Southern border. The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division will continue to work to ensure that competition is fairly preserved.”

    “Today’s sentence reflects the significant danger and harm the American people face from violent and extortive actions aimed at fixing prices and monopolizing the market for essential services in the Texas border region,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to aggressively pursue violent criminals who aim to corrupt America’s free markets and advocate for their incarceration.”

    “This case underscores the serious threat posed by transnational criminal networks operating at our borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio. “Carlos Martinez and his co-conspirators orchestrated a violent scheme that extorted small businesses, fixed prices, and laundered millions of dollars — all while threatening the safety and integrity of lawful commerce. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit legitimate industries through corruption and intimidation, and we remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities and our economy.”

    “The FBI will remain laser focused on transnational criminal organizations, including organizations that use violence, threats or extortion to fix prices and eliminate competition,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “The American people deserve access to fair markets, free from threats of violence or the corrosive impact of illegal market interference, manipulation, or collusion. Together with our partners, we are committed to protecting our borders and dismantling every component of transnational criminal organizations.”

    Martinez, the son-in-law of a former Gulf Cartel leader in Mexico, ran a violent criminal syndicate operating at the U.S.-Mexico border. He seized control of the Los Indios bridge near Harlingen and Brownsville and hired workers to monitor transmigrante forwarding agencies and calculate the piso each owned.

    Workers collected piso payments in cash and submitted them to Martinez’s organization. He enforced compliance by ordering disciplinary action against agencies that operated without permission, violated pool rules, failed to charge fixed prices or refused to make extortionate payments.

    Forwarders not involved in the conspiracy were forced to join and pay into the pool. Martinez and other pool members monitored whether agencies followed pricing rules and made required payments. Martinez and his co-conspirators also demanded additional extortion fees, including a piso for each processed transaction and a fine for operating outside the pool. They used threats, intimidation and violence to enforce compliance and further their antitrust and extortion conspiracies.

    Clients who didn’t comply faced consequences ranging from being denied access to the Los Indios Bridge to having their cars stolen. In more severe cases, they were kidnapped, beaten, firebombed, shot or killed.

    Martinez personally collected at least $9.5 million in extortion payments. He and his family laundered the money through bank accounts they controlled, disguising the deposits to hide the true source, nature and ownership of the illicit funds.

    To date, seven others have been convicted, three of whom have already been sentenced in the case.

    ICE-HSI and FBI conducted the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section; Senior Litigation Attorney John Davis and Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis and Michael G. Lepage, all of the of the Antitrust Division.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Sentenced for Roles in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in Monongalia County

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking organization in Monongalia County.

    Jason Davis, 35, of Youngstown, Ohio, was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison. James Peoples, II, 28, of Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, was sentenced to 72 months in prison. According to court documents, Davis and Peoples worked with others to distribute drugs in Morgantown, West Virginia.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

    This case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; the WVU Police Department; the Granville Police Department; and the Star City Police Department.

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

    Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Wasilla man indicted for distributing carfentanil resulting in two overdoses, one fatal and one non-fatal

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment yesterday charging a Wasilla man with distributing carfentanil to two individuals, resulting in the non-fatal overdose of an adult victim and the fatal overdose of a minor.

    Per court documents, the Alaska Bureau of Investigations (ABI) discovered that between Nov. 14 and 15, 2024, Sean Mobley, 45, allegedly distributed what appeared to be powder fentanyl to two different people, one adult and one minor. Both victims allegedly used the substance and overdosed. The adult victim was successfully revived by Narcan, but the minor victim died.  Further analysis revealed that the substance causing the overdose and death was not fentanyl, but carfentanil. Carfentanil is a highly potent opioid not approved for human use. It is used by veterinarians to sedate large animals and is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

    Court filings indicate that on Nov. 14, 2024, Mobley and an unnamed individual allegedly sold a small quantity of what appeared to be powdered fentanyl to the adult victim. Later that night, the unnamed individual received a telephone call informing them that the victim was overdosing. The individual returned to the victim’s residence where Narcan was administered to revive the victim.

    These same court documents further allege that Mobley later distributed the same carfentanil to a minor victim, causing her to overdose and die. Specifically, during the late evening of Nov. 14, 2024, Mobley drove to a gas station and met the minor victim. The minor victim entered Mobley’s truck, and at roughly 11:54 p.m., texted a friend that she was, “banging one out with Sean” (a slang phrase that allegedly means using drugs).

    The court records then allege that Mobley drove the minor victim to a remote ATV trail in Wasilla, arriving around midnight on Nov. 15, 2024. While at the trail, the minor victim used some of the carfentanil that Mobley allegedly provided to her, which resulted in the minor victim fatally overdosing in his truck.  He then allegedly dumped her body at the trail, all between 12:00 and 12:13 a.m.  Court documents additionally allege that after discarding the minor victim’s body, Mobley left to distribute more narcotics.

    On Nov. 15, 2024, a man walking his dog found the body of the minor female on the ATV trail. The state medical examiner found the minor’s cause of death as acute combined toxic effects of carfentanil and methamphetamine. 

    “Unfortunately, this indictment marks a troubling milestone – the first federal prosecution in Alaska for the distribution of poisonous carfentanil. To make matters worse, Mr. Mobley is accused of distributing this toxic substance to two people, resulting in the near deadly overdose of one and the heartbreaking fatal overdose of a local minor whose body he then dumped onto a secluded trail in the middle of the night,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Aggressive prosecutions of individuals peddling deadly drugs to our communities, including our children, is a national priority, especially when those narcotics kill and the perpetrator acts with callous disregard for his victims. I want to commend the ABI and the DEA for their diligent investigation, and to the Alaska Department of Law for their continued collaboration as we pursue justice for the victims and loved ones impacted by this tragedy.”

    “The callousness and cowardice of poisoning then dumping a young woman goes way beyond the pale, even for an alleged drug distributor,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This case cries for justice and I am proud that DEA and our partners helped bring federal charges in this case.”

    “This is a tragic reminder of the deadly consequences of dangerous drug use and distribution in our great state—especially when it involves our youth,” said Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes. “Your Alaska State Troopers remain committed to holding those accountable who deal deadly drugs like carfentanil. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice for victims and disrupt drug trafficking in Alaska no matter where it occurs.”

    “The tragedy of this case highlights the urgent need to protect our Alaskan communities from the deadly impact that the illicit sale of controlled substances has on our state,” said Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor. “The Department of Law is resolved to aggressively prosecute those who traffic in these dangerous drugs and to work closely with our criminal justice partners to deter anyone who seeks to bring this harm into Alaska.”

    Mobley is charged with one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury and death, one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of distribution of a controlled substance to a person under the age of twenty-one. The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 20 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The DEA Anchorage District Office and the ABI are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Bradley and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case, with assistance and collaboration from the State of Alaska Department of Law.

    Learn more: Carfentanil: A Synthetic Opioid Unlike Any Other

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and drug trafficking. 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, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison and Ordered to Pay $2M Fine for Conspiring to Monopolize International Transit Industry, Fix Prices, Extort $9.5M, and Launder Money

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Carlos Martinez, 39, of Mission, Texas, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison and a fine of $2 million for his conduct in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency (TFA) industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region. Martinez and his co-defendants controlled the TFA industry through monopolization and extortion of competitors.

    Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale across Central America. There are only a few locations where transmigrantes are permitted to cross from the United States into Mexico, one of those being the Los Indios Bridge in Texas. TFAs are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico. According to court documents and statements made in court, Martinez and his co-defendants fixed prices for TFA services and created a centralized entity known as “The Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services.

    “The defendants exploited hardworking professionals in the freight forwarding business using extortion and illegal price-fixing schemes to manipulate the market and inflate the cost of moving goods,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The lead defendant’s 11-year prison sentence reflects the serious economic harm inflicted on the business community along the southern border. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue and prosecute those who threaten fair competition and the integrity of our markets.”

    “Today’s sentence reflects the significant danger and harm the American people face from violent and extortive actions aimed at fixing prices and monopolizing the market for essential services in the Texas border region,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to aggressively pursue violent criminals who aim to corrupt America’s free markets and advocate for their incarceration.”

    “Price fixing is not a victimless crime; it harms customers in the form of artificially high prices. Consumers need to have faith that the prices they pay are fairly determined by the market, rather than the product of illegal collusion,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “The 11-year sentence Mr. Martinez received reflects the size and scope of his criminal operation, as well as his leadership role in organizing and facilitating the unlawful scheme.”  

    “All of these defendants used their positions with the TFA to extort hardworking individuals who relied on these services to support their families and livelihood,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI is committed to dismantling criminal enterprises that prey on vulnerable communities, and today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those who abuse systems will be found, stopped and brought to justice.”

    “This case underscores the serious threat posed by transnational criminal networks operating at our borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “Carlos Martinez and his co-conspirators orchestrated a violent scheme that extorted small businesses, fixed prices, and laundered millions of dollars — all while threatening the safety and integrity of lawful commerce. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit legitimate industries through corruption and intimidation, and we remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities and our economy.”

    Individuals in the industry who were not part of the conspiracy were forced to join and pay into The Pool or face financial and violent consequences. Martinez and other members enforced the rules by monitoring whether forwarding agencies were charging the agreed-upon prices and whether the forwarder was making payments to The Pool.  

    Martinez and some of his co-defendants also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. Martinez and his co-defendants intimidated, coerced, and used threats and acts of violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies.

    Martinez was responsible for collecting at least $9.5M in extortion payments. Cash obtained from the extortions was laundered through bank accounts controlled by Martinez and his family, with the cash deposits disguised to hide the nature, source, ownership, and control of the dirty money.

    Martinez is the son-in-law of the former leader of the Gulf Cartel in Mexico, a violent criminal syndicate that operates at the U.S.-Mexico border and elsewhere. Martinez took control of  Los Indios Bridge and employed individuals who worked to track TFA transactions to calculate the piso owed by each forwarding agency. Pool and piso payments were made in cash to the individuals working for Martinez. Martinez ordered disciplinary actions against those operating in the transmigrante market without permission, those who violated Pool rules, those who did not charge the fixed prices, and those who did not pay the piso. Disciplinary actions could include clients not being allowed to cross Los Indios Bridge, cars being stolen, or more serious repercussions such as kidnappings, beatings, firebombings, shootings, and murder.

    Carlos Martinez pleaded guilty in February  to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for TFA services, conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion, interference with commerce by extortion, and money laundering conspiracy. The government will also seek forfeiture of at least one house, luxury vehicles, a boat, and expensive watches.

    Prior to Martinez’s sentencing, his co-defendants were sentenced as follows:

    Carlos Yzaguirre, 66, of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced to two years in prison, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.

    Sandra Guerra Medina, 70, of Rancho Viejo, Texas, was sentenced to eight months of home detention, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for TFA services and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market.

    Juan Hector Ramirez Avila, 59, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served, after pleading guilty to one count of structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.

    Jose Tapia, Mireya Miranda, Pedro Calvillo and Roberto Garcia Villarreal pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Three other defendants, Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto, were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives.

    The Court will determine the final restitution amount owed to victims of the conspiracies at a hearing set for Sept. 3, 2025. 

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section; Senior Litigation Attorney John Davis and Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis, and Michael G. Lepage of the of the Antitrust Division; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

    Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the HSI Tip Line at 866-347-2423; the FBI Tipline at tips.fbi.gov, or by contacting the FBI San Antonio Field Office at 210-225-6741; or the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: From coast to community: Local leaders drive early warning action at UN Ocean Conference

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Nice, France, 9 June 2025 – As climate extremes intensify and sea levels rise, coastal communities are sounding the alarm – not about distant threats, but about dangers already unfolding. At the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, a side event titled “From Coast to Community: Building Resilience Through Early Warnings” put the spotlight a critical mission: ensuring that every person on Earth is protected by Early Warnings for All (EW4All) by 2027. Co-hosted by the UN Office for Partnerships, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the event brought together ministers, mayors, scientists, and UN leaders.Their message was clear: early warnings save lives – but only if they are inclusive, trusted, and locally led.

    The call: early warnings must be inclusive, trusted and locally led

    Opening the session, Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of the UN Office for Partnerships, underscored that nearly half the world still lacks access to basic early warning systems- She emphasized that early warnings are not just about sensors and satellites, – they are about people, institutions, leadership, and action at every level. From coastlines to city halls, from community organizers to data scientists, everyone has a role to play. 

    “Sea levels are rising. Storms are intensifying. Lives and livelihoods are hanging in the balance. And when disaster strikes without warning, the results are brutal. That’s not just a gap – that’s an injustice.” – Annemarie Hou, UN Office for Partnerships

    Jamaica: Reaching people where they are

    H.E. Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s Foreign Minister, shared how the country is integrating smart technologies and community engagement into its early warning systems. With 70% of the population living within five kilometers of the coast, Jamaica has installed flood gauges, hurricane detection systems, and 15 early warning siren towers – covering 95% of the population. 

    “We’ve partnered with mobile networks to deliver real-time alerts and even used TikTok to reach people where they are. Early warnings must be accessible, relatable, and trusted.” – Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jamaica

    Jamaica’s approach is grounded in legislation, with early warnings embedded in both its Disaster Risk Management Act and Climate Change Policy Framework.

    WMO: The physics of urgency

    Prof. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, delivered a sobering message: science is clear, and the window for action is closing. Greenhouse gas concentrations are at record highs, and the last decade has been the hottest on record. She emphasized that adaptation and coastal resilience are no longer optional – they are essential. Early warnings are a cornerstone of that resilience, but they must be timely, actionable, and globally supported.

     “We cannot negotiate with the laws of physics. Every fraction of a degree matters. Early warnings work – but only if they work for everyone, everywhere.” – Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, WMO

    UNDRR: Local leadership is not optional – It’s essential

    Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, emphasized that early warnings are central to achieving the Sendai Framework’s goals. He reminded the audience that while 108 countries report having multi-hazard early warning systems, 85 still do not. He outlined three priorities: empower local leadership, bridge science and community knowledge, and embed early warnings into broader systems of resilience. He also called for simplified, accelerated financing to support small island states and vulnerable communities. 

    “If we fail on early warnings, we fail on reducing disaster losses. Local actors are not waiting – they are innovating. They deserve investment and political support.” – Kamal Kishore, UNDRR

    Local leadership in action: Voices from the frontlines

    Moderated by Pulitzer Center journalist Delger Erdenesanaa, the panel showcased how cities and communities are turning global goals into local action: 

    – Thabani Nyawose, Speaker of Council, Durban, South Africa, shared how community-based early warning systems saved lives during the devastating 2022 floods. In Quarry Road informal settlement – home to 1,000 residents – not a single life was lost, thanks to a locally managed alert system linked to the South African Weather Service. 

    – Dr. Jérôme Aucan, Head of PCCOS, described how Pacific Island nations are building resilience through decades of investment in ocean modeling, risk knowledge, and regional cooperation. In Tuvalu, early warning data informed over $50 million in adaptation investments and supported legal advocacy at the International Court of Justice. 

    – Rym Nadia Benzina Bourguiba, President of La Saison Bleue, emphasized the power of inclusive dialogue and South-South cooperation. Her organization has mobilized thousands of students and citizens across Africa and the Mediterranean through education, cleanups, and regional summits. 

    – Patricia Desouza, UN Resident Coordinator in Cabo Verde, described how the UN is helping transform early warnings into daily tools for dignity and security. In Mozambique, early alerts triggered evacuation protocols that protected over 3 million people. In Cabo Verde, early warnings are now embedded in agriculture, water governance, and national policy planning.

    A Call to Action: Urgency, Innovation, and Equity

    Closing the session, Prof. Dwikorita Karnawati, Head of Indonesia’s BMKG, called for harnessing AI, big data, and IoT to make early warnings smarter and more accessible. She emphasized that innovation must be paired with capacity building and local ownership. 

    “We must move from managing disasters to managing risk. Early warnings are the bridge.” – Dwikorita Karnawati, BMKG Indonesia

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Jacobs, Sens. Hirono and Wyden Reintroduce Bill to Protect Reproductive and Sexual Health Data

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53)

    June 11, 2025

    Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51) and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) reintroduced the landmark My Body, My Data Act, which would create a new national standard to protect reproductive and sexual health data. 

    The weaponization of private reproductive and sexual health data has increased in recent years, especially since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In 2017, police used web searches and text messages to charge Latice Fisher with second-degree murder after a stillbirth at home. Facebook messages were also a key piece of evidence in an abortion-related investigation of a Nebraska mother and daughter in 2022. A data broker shared cell phone and geo-location data with an anti-abortion political group that then dispensed disinformation about reproductive health to people who visited 600 abortion clinics in 48 states. Earlier this year, police investigated a Pennsylvania mother and daughter after receiving text messages about her pregnancy. 

    Rep. Sara Jacobs said: “Like millions of young people, I use a period tracking app – and the information in these apps, search history, location data, and so much more, has been collected, shared, and sold without our consent and even used to investigate and prosecute abortion cases. These threats are even scarier and more real in the second Trump Administration. That’s why I’m proud to reintroduce the My Body, My Data Act to ensure that bodily autonomy extends to our online lives and our private data. Our bicameral legislation provides the highest level of protection for our most sensitive data – reproductive and sexual health data – and I will keep fighting to pass it.”

    “As apps and devices that collect reproductive and sexual health information—like period and fertility trackers—become increasingly popular, everyone should be able to trust that their personal health data is safe and secure,” said Senator Hirono. “I am proud to reintroduce this legislation to protect people’s reproductive and sexual health data and prevent this information from being used against them. As Republicans continue their assault on our bodily autonomy and reproductive rights, I will continue doing everything in my power to ensure people have the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and futures.”

    Sen. Ron Wyden said: “Anti-abortion Republicans are restricting abortion state-by-state, and they’re not going to stop until they get a national abortion ban,” Wyden said. “The way MAGA prosecutors and politicians enforce their cruel assault on women’s rights is by going after their privacy and abusing their personal data to track down and punish women for their personal reproductive health choices. Congress has to draw a line. I’m proud to partner with Rep. Jacobs and Sen. Hirono on the My Body, My Data Act to set the toughest protections ever for reproductive health data.”

    CEO and President of Reproductive Freedom for All, Mini Timmaraju, said: “Everyone deserves the freedom to make personal decisions about their bodies, lives, and health without the fear of surveillance or criminalization. The ‘My Body, My Data Act’ is a critical step toward protecting our most private health information—including abortion and pregnancy care—from being weaponized against us. We’re grateful to Representative Jacobs and Senator Hirono for their leadership in introducing this bold federal action. We are committed to working with them to fight back as Trump and Republicans continue to attack our fundamental freedoms.”

    “In a chaotic and dangerous post-Roe landscape, no one seeking an abortion should have to fear that their health information will be used to criminalize them,” said Jocelyn Frye, President of National Partnership for Women & Families. “Many women, including many women of color and those with low incomes, already face over-surveillance and heightened barriers to accessing abortion care. This bill is an important step in protecting data privacy surrounding abortion care, and we thank Rep. Jacobs and Senators Hirono and Wyden for their leadership on this issue.”

    “Americans’ health data is constantly used in ways that they do not expect. The My Body, My Data Act protects the privacy and safety of people seeking reproductive care but putting strict limits on when reproductive and sexual health information can be collected and how it can be used. Health care and privacy go hand in hand, and EPIC commends Rep. Jacobs for introducing this important bill,” said Caitriona Fitzgerald, Deputy Director, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC).

    Andrew Crawford, Senior Counsel, Center for Democracy & Technology, said: “It’s been nearly three years since the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and we continue to see states hostile to reproductive rights seeking access to health data. The My Body My Data Act contains critical privacy protections that limit the data companies collect and retain about their customers while providing people clear ways to access and delete their health data when they want. When companies don’t collect and keep people’s health data, they won’t have anything to turn over if folks come asking for it.”

    “As a physician, I know how critical it is for the personal information of the patients I care for to be protected. Too often, data related to reproductive health care is used to target and criminalize people seeking essential care. I am thankful to Senators Wyden and Hirono and Representative Jacobs for introducing the My Body, My Data Act of 2025. Ensuring the health and well-being of patients includes protecting the privacy of personal reproductive health information,” said Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, Physicians for Reproductive Health Board Chair and OB/GYN in Texas. 

    The My Body, My Data Act would:

    • Limit the personal reproductive and sexual health data that can be collected, retained, used, or disclosed to only what is needed to deliver a product or service.
    • Protect personal data collected by entities not currently covered under HIPAA, including data collected by apps, cell phones, and search engines.
    • Require regulated entities to develop and share a privacy policy outlining how they collect, retain, use, and disclose personal reproductive health information.
    • Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce the law and to develop rules to implement the statute.
    • Create a private right of action to allow individuals to hold regulated entities accountable for violations. 
    • Provide additional consumer protections, including the right of an individual to access, delete, or correct their personal data if they choose to.

    The legislation is supported by Center for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Privacy Information Center, Electronic Frontier Foundation, National Partnership for Women & Families, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Reproductive Freedom for All, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Women’s Law Center, National Abortion Federation, Catholics for Choice, National Council for Jewish Women, Power to Decide, United for Reproductive & Gender Equity, Indivisible, Guttmacher, and National Network of Abortion Funds, All* Above All.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Foreign interference in Hungary and recommendations on the transparency of foreign-funded non-governmental organisations – P-002264/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-002264/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    András László (PfE)

    At the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs’ meeting of 4 June 2025, the Commission again failed to answer my questions. I therefore request answers to the following:

    • 1.Is the Commission aware of the foreign interference in the 2022 Hungarian parliamentary elections funded by the United States of America?
    • 2.In the context of foreign-funded political activism, what concrete measures does the Commission recommend the Member States take to ensure the transparency of foreign-funded non-governmental organisations, in line with what it considers to be European values?

    Submitted: 4.6.2025

    Last updated: 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – The use of Paragon Solutions spyware against journalists – E-000617/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission is aware of the recent reports on the use of Paragon. Its position on the use of spyware is very clear: any attempts to illegally access data of citizens, including journalists and political opponents, is unacceptable, if confirmed.

    The 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 ePrivacy Directive[1], the interception or surveillance of communications is prohibited without the consent of the user. While restrictions 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. Supervisory authorities have effective powers to examine any allegations of misuse, and data processed can be subject to judicial review.

    As regards the protection of journalistic sources and confidential information, the Commission recalls that Article 4(3)(c) of the European Media Freedom Act[3] (EMFA) will become applicable as of 8 August 2025.

    The application of this and other safeguards in EMFA will ensure free and independent media across the EU and protect them against interference. The Commission will use all tools at its disposal to ensure the effective application of EU law.

    • [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.
    • [3]  Regulation (EU) 2024/1083: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1083. The provision stipulates that ‘Member States shall ensure that journalistic sources and confidential communications are effectively protected’ and that, subject to a strictly limited derogation, ‘Member States shall not deploy intrusive surveillance software on any material, digital device, machine or tool used by media service providers, their editorial staff or any persons who, because of their regular or professional relationship with a media service provider or its editorial staff, might have information related to or capable of identifying journalistic sources or confidential communications’.
    Last updated: 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes in the Palestinian occupied West Bank – E-001332/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU reiterates its strong opposition to Israel’s settlement policy and actions taken in this context, including demolitions, forced displacement and settler violence.

    Widespread demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures by the Israeli authorities, coupled with a rapid expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank through the advancement of a record number of housing units during 2025, are seriously undermining the viability of the two-state solution.

    The EU is gravely concerned that the occupation of the Palestinian territory that began in 1967 continues to this day, underlining in particular that the International Court of Justice has found that the continued presence of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful.

    The EU strongly condemns the demolitions of structures funded by the EU or its Member States and expects that Israel makes good the damage in accordance with international law[1].

    The EU is concerned about the escalating violence in the West Bank, with the ongoing Israeli military operation against armed militants leading to the destruction of large parts of refugee camps and the evacuation of some 40 000 Palestinians from their homes. The EU recalls the utmost importance of ensuring the protection of all civilians in military operations.

    The EU is committed to a just, comprehensive and lasting political resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign, and viable State of Palestine[2], living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition, and with Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both states. The EU is engaging with both sides to achieve this goal.

    • [1] The EU’s position for the 13th EU-Israel Association Council -https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6511-2025-INIT/en/pdf.
    • [2]  This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.
    Last updated: 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – The Commission’s recent statement on the 28th regime and labour law – E-000673/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Competitiveness Compass announced the initiative on the 28th regime as one of the key measures to contribute to EU competitiveness and to make business easier and faster in Europe.

    The burden due to fragmentation of rules in different policy areas, including national corporate regimes , is proportionately greater for smaller companies, which have less financial and human resources. The diversity of national regimes also creates constraints for investors by increasing complexity and costs.

    This initiative will provide companies, in particular innovative ones, with a harmonised set of rules to make investing and operating in the single market easier.

    As a key element, it will set out a new corporate legal framework for companies. It will build further on existing solutions in EU acquis, in particular on fully online procedures and digital tools for companies in EU company law.

    This corporate legal framework will be complemented by targeted actions in other policy areas to help innovative companies, start-ups and scale-ups develop in the S ingle Market. Whether and what labour law elements could be included is to be determined.

    The initiative will be subject to an open public consultation where all interested parties can express their views. In addition, the 28th regime will be discussed in t he High-Level Forum on Justice for Growth.

    The Forum will be composed of representatives of all Member States, the European Parliament and stakeholders, including the main cross-industry organisations representing social partners at EU level. Further specific consultations would be considered, depending on the possible actions related to labour law.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Regulation EU 631/2019 – E-001345/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Delivering on the EU’s climate targets[1] requires a swift decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors, including transport.

    The CO2 emission standards Regulation[2] sets targets to reduce emissions for new cars and vans, which creates long-term predictability for manufacturers and investors, while giving industry the necessary lead-time to adapt.

    This supports competitiveness, as EU manufacturers are strongly investing in zero-emission technologies and a strong home market is a crucial enabler for them to regain leadership in this area.

    From 2025, the limit value curve used for calculating car manufacturers’ specific targets has changed, taking into account recent developments in the relationship between the mass and CO2 emissions of new cars, including due to the increased uptake of battery electric vehicles.

    The CO2 targets apply to vehicles’ tailpipe emissions. This ensures that manufacturers implement innovative technologies, which reduce emissions of the vehicles when driven on the road.

    Emissions from other lifecycle stages of vehicles are regulated under separate pieces of EU legislation[3]. By end 2025, the Commission is required to adopt a methodology for assessing and reporting life-cycle CO2 emissions of vehicles.

    From June 2026, manufacturers may submit to the Commission life-cycle CO2 emissions data for their vehicles, calculated according to that methodology.

    • [1] Enshrined in the European Climate Law — http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1119/oj.
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/851/oj/eng.
    • [3] Such as the EU Emission Trading System Directive — http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2003/87/2024-03-01 and the Renewable Energy Directive — http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/2001/2024-07-16.
    Last updated: 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Blue Card scheme in the EU – E-001405/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Directive (EU) 2021/1883[1] applies to all Member States except Ireland and Denmark, in accordance with Protocol No 21[2] and Protocol No 22[3], annexed to the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

    Consequently, Denmark is not bound by EU legislation in the area of legal migration (opt-out), while Ireland has chosen to not opt-in to the directive.

    Directive (EU) 2021/1883 harmonises the conditions of entry and residence for third-country nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment.

    Member States are required to put in place the necessary procedures in line with the relevant provisions of the directive and they remain competent to assess applications for an EU Blue Card. In all instances, in accordance with Article 79(5) of the TFEU, Member States retain the right to determine the number of admissions of third-country nationals seeking work in their territory.

    Regarding family reunification, Directive 2003/86/EC[4] applies, subject to some specific derogations. Article 4 of that directive enumerates the family members who are entitled to family reunification subject to compliance with the conditions laid down in this directive.

    These are the Blue Card holder’s spouse as well as minor dependent children, including adopted children. In addition, Member States may choose to authorise the entry and residence of other family members, including dependent ascending relatives, adult unmarried children, unmarried or registered partners with their dependent children in compliance with the conditions laid down in Directive 2003/86/EC.

    • [1] Directive (EU) 2021/1883 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2021 on the conditions of entry to and residence in the Union of third-country nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment, and repealing Council Directive 2009/50/EC, OJ L 382, 28.10.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2021/1883/oj.
    • [2] Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Protocol (No 21) on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 295, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tfeu_2016/pro_21/oj.
    • [3] Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Protocol (No 22) on the position of Denmark, OJ C 326, 26.10.2012, p. 299, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tfeu_2012/pro_22/oj.
    • [4] Council Directive 2003/86/EC of 22 September 2003 on the right to family reunification, OJ L 251, 3.10.2003, p. 12.
    Last updated: 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Israeli settlement products: alignment of EU policies with UN resolution – P-001801/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU has been consistently clear in its position that settlements are illegal under international law and repeatedly condemned Israel’s settlement policy and the occupation of the Palestinian territory that began in 1967.

    As reiterated by the European Council on 27 June[1] and 17 October 2024[2], the EU has recalled the requirement for Israel, in exercising its right to defend itself, to fully comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, in all circumstances .

    EU positions and policies are fully aligned with United Nations (UN) resolutions on the status of the O ccupied Palestinian T erritory (OPT) and are therefore overall consistent with the conclusions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the OPT, including East Jerusalem, of 19 July 2024[3], as regards the duty of non-recognition, the duty to distinguish in the dealings with Israel between its territory and the OPT, and the duty of non-assistance.

    With regard to the duty to distinguish in the dealings with Israel between its territory and the OPT, the EU has taken care to fully comply with the obligations set out in paragraph 278 of the ICJ Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 and point 4(d) of the UN General Council resolution of 13 September 2024[4].

    The Commission continues to monitor the situation in the OPT and has already listed nine individuals and five entities under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime for serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank.

    The EU is firmly committed to a lasting and sustainable peace and has spared no effort to work with partners to revive the political process towards the implementation of a two-state solution.

    • [1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/qa3lblga/euco-conclusions-27062024-en.pdf.
    • [2] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/2pebccz2/20241017-euco-conclusions-en.pdf.
    • [3] Summary of the Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, https://www.icj-cij.org/node/204176.
    • [4] https://docs.un.org/en/A/ES-10/L.31/Rev.1.
    Last updated: 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Schengen Information System (SIS) reporting on returns – E-001100/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The statistical data collected by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) and by the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat) have different scope and cover different time periods[1].

    The data collected by eu-LISA include return alerts entered in the Schengen Information System (SIS)[2]; Member States may refrain from entering such alerts in some cases[3].

    The statistics on SIS hits only cover the cases where the person subject to a SIS return alert left the territory of the Member States through a different Member State than the one that issued the alert.

    Teams composed of Commission and Member States’ experts evaluate the application of the Schengen acquis by Member States in accordance with Council Regulation (EU) 2022/922[4], including in the areas of return and of the large-scale information systems supporting the application of the Schengen acquis, such as SIS.

    While, according to eu-LISA’s annual statistics for 2023, all Member States that participate in Regulation (EU) 2018/1860 created return alerts, some experienced delays and, in some cases, return decisions were not systematically followed by a SIS alert.

    As follow-up to the Schengen evaluations, the Commission is working with Member States to ensure a seamless connection between return case management systems and the SIS to avoid delays and inconsistencies.

    The Commission does not collect statistics on the number of cases where a Member State executes the return decision issued by another Member State.

    • [1] Eurostat statistics cover the period between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023 while the eu-LISA statistics cover the period between 7 March 2023 and 31 December 2023.
    • [2] Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1860 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the use of the Schengen Information System for the return of illegally staying third-country nationals, OJ L 312, 7.12.2018, p. 1-13.
    • [3] Article 3(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1860.
    • [4] Council Regulation (EU) 2022/922 of 9 June 2022 on the establishment and operation of an evaluation and monitoring mechanism to verify the application of the Schengen acquis, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013, OJ L 160, 15.6.2022, p. 1-27.
    Last updated: 11 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE conducts worksite inspections at Baton Rouge massage parlors

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    June 11, 2025Baton Rouge, LA, United StatesWorksite Enforcement

    On June 11, 2025, HSI Baton Rouge conducted a worksite enforcement operation at nine (9) illicit massage businesses in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana metropolitan area. Agents obtained entry to the premises based on state criminal search warrants for prostitution and pandering. As a result of the operation, ten (10) Chinese-national females were detained by HSI for further identification and removal processing. Interviews are currently being conducted to determine removability. Bulk cash and other evidence was seized during the operation and is actively being counted and analyzed. The Attorney General of Louisiana, Liz Murrill, and the District Attorney of East Baton Rouge Parish, Hillar Moore, participated in the operation and remain on scene at the HSI Baton Rouge command post.

    This is a joint investigation between HSI and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office with support from Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Louisiana Attorney General, the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, the Baton Rouge Police Department, the Zachary Police Department, Baton Rouge Fire Department, and the St. George Fire Department.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grand Jury Indicts Two Individuals for Involvement with Online Groups Dedicated to Monkey Torture and Mutilation

    Source: US State of California

    A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging two individuals for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

    The indictment alleges that Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, and Robert M. Craig, of North Carolina, conspired with previously charged defendant Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, Ohio, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.” Favret is also charged with creating and with distributing animal crush videos.

    According to court documents, the defendants conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against juvenile and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.

    The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy included depictions of monkeys being sodomized with a heated screwdriver and a monkey having its genitals cut with scissors.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.

    The FBI and USFWS investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Ernst Legislation to Stop Billions in Bogus Payments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is codifying one of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) largest cost savings actions to identify and stop fraudulent and improper payments after more than $160 billion occurred in Fiscal Year 2024.
    The Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act enacts a strict anti-fraud process before the government is allowed to spend a dime to effectively eliminate improper payments and safeguard tax dollars. The bill also requires annual verifications of payment accuracy for ongoing transactions and increases transparency by requiring the public disclosure of every payment on the USASpending.gov website.
    Here is some of the coverage:
    New York Post | GOP senators push to cement core Musk-inspired DOGE savings at Treasury
    “A group of Republican lawmakers is pushing to cement some of the core reforms enacted at the Treasury by President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).”
    Fox News | DOGE will go on: Hill pork hawk says rooting out government waste will continue after Elon
    “The bill’s name also signaled that the Senate, too, would continue its Musk-inspired work long after the mogul has left.”
    Politico | GOP senators look to codify DOGE operations of Treasury payment systems
    “Congressional DOGE Caucus Chairs Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) will introduce legislation next week to codify changes that the cost-cutting operation once led by Elon Musk made to the Treasury Department’s payments system.”
    Breitbart | Sen. Joni Ernst: Bureaucrats ‘Asleep at the Wheel,’ Let Fraudsters Take $79 Billion in Coronavirus Aid Without Using Basic Safeguard to Prevent Fraud
    “Following the release of the report, Ernst introduced a bill, the DOGE in Spending Act, on Friday that would require basic questions to be asked to eliminate improper payments government-wide.”
    Daily Wire | DOGE Caucus Introduces Bill Aimed At $162 Billion In ‘Improper Payments’
    “The bill comes the same week that the government’s COVID watchdog released a report titled “Pre-Award Vetting Using Data Analytics Could Have Prevented Over $79 Billion in Potentially Fraudulent Pandemic Relief Payments.’”
    Daily Caller | Joni Ernst Introduces First Major DOGE Bill That Could Save Taxpayers
    “The legislation, the Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Spending Act, would mandate compliance provisions from a March 25 executive order by President Donald Trump that instituted new procedures to prevent fraudulent payments, including validating recipients of payments and also by coding the payments with information linking them to budget items.”
    Washington Examiner | Congressional DOGE Republicans move to codify protections against fraudulent payments
    “Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) introduced the Delivering On Government Efficiency in Spending Act, which would codify reforms by the DOGE, forcing the Treasury Department to implement a new system providing more information for payments.”
    Townhall | Ernst and Bean Unleash DOGE Spending Act to Crack Down on Waste, Support Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill
    “DOGE Caucus Chairs Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) are teaming up to introduce a commonsense bill that would codify one of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) most significant cost-cutting measures.”
    National Review | Republican Lawmakers Introduce DOGE Legislation to Combat Billions in Wasteful Spending
    “Ernst and Bean’s legislation codifies sections three and four of President Trump’s executive order, “Protecting America’s Bank Account Against Waste, Fraud, and Abuse,” designed for Treasury to verify agency payment information and implement the verification process.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castor, Evans, Baldwin and Shaheen Intro Bill to Reverse Trump’s Cuts to Key ACA Program That Helps More Americans Sign Up for Health Insurance

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    As President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans work to gut the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (FL-14) and Dwight Evans (PA-03) and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Jeanne Shaheen (NH) introduced legislation today in the House and Senate to restore a key initiative of the health care law that helps American families navigate the ACA marketplace and connect them with high quality, affordable health care plans. The Expand Navigators’ Resources for Outreach, Learning and Longevity (ENROLL) Act would ensure the Navigator program, established under the ACA to help Americans navigate, shop and enroll in affordable health care plans, will continue despite the Trump Administration cutting funding by 90 percent in February. 

    “Florida families value and appreciate affordable health coverage.  In fact, over 4.7 million Floridians selected an affordable marketplace plan for 2025—almost one-fifth of the nation’s 24.2 million enrollees. Robust outreach and assistance by Navigators is vital to families so they can evaluate options and choose a health plan that is right for them.  Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has slashed Navigator support and complicated the lives of families who need advice on lifesaving health coverage,” said Representative Castor. “President Trump and Congressional Republicans appear dead set on making Affordable Care Act coverage more expensive, driving up premiums and putting hardworking families at risk. I am proud to work with Senators Baldwin and Shaheen and Representative Evans to protect American’s health, well-being and pocketbooks by ensuring Navigators stay on the job.”

    “The Affordable Care Act Navigators program provides free, objective, expert advice and information to Americans in red, purple and blue states alike to help them find affordable health coverage that meets their needs. A similar cut to the program in President Trump’s first term resulted in more people being uninsured, and letting his new cut stand is likely to raise costs for working-class Americans at a time when the cost of living is already high,” said Representative Evans. “One of the ways the Navigators program has helped American families is by helping hundreds of thousands of eligible consumers in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. President Trump recently promised not to touch Medicaid, and keeping people who qualify for Medicaid from getting covered breaks that promise, as far as I’m concerned.”

    “We have seen this movie before: when he doesn’t get his way to fully repeal it, Donald Trump tries every which way to chip away at the Affordable Care Act and kick Wisconsin families off their health care, and sadly, it works. At a time when Wisconsinites are worried their care is on the chopping block under Republicans’ plan to give tax breaks to the wealthy, the Trump Administration is also gutting a key program that helps our neighbors find health care coverage that they can afford,” said Senator Baldwin. “Wisconsin’s Navigator has connected thousands of families with good health care coverage, ensuring more Wisconsinites can access the care and treatment they need to stay healthy. We should be investing in bringing the cost of care down for Wisconsinites, not jacking up costs and eliminating proven resources that connect more families with affordable insurance.” 

    “We’ve seen this before: When the first Trump administration slashed funding for the Navigator program, ACA health care enrollment shrank by more than 2.5 million – and when that funding was restored, enrollment rose and reached historic levels. Despite the hard facts that it helps everyday Americans access critical health care, the administration is gutting the Navigator program again and leaving Granite Staters in rural and underserved areas behind,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our ENROLL Act is urgently needed to restore this funding so Granite Staters—and all Americans—have access to the help they need to make informed decisions about their health insurance coverage.”

    In 2017 and 2018, the first Trump Administration cut funding for the Navigator program by 84 percent, contributing to 2.5 million fewer people accessing healthcare through the ACA Marketplace over the course of the first Trump Administration. Navigator funding was restored in 2021, and enrollment reached historic levels for the 2025 plan year. In February 2025, the Trump Administration slashed nearly 90 percent of funding for the Navigator program, threatening to leave millions of Americans without critical assistance to access health insurance at a time of increased uncertainty due to Congressional Republicans’ sabotage of the ACA. 

    The ENROLL Act would:

    • Ensure that Navigators have the resources they need to assist Americans in finding affordable health care coverage by restoring funding for the program to $100 million annually;
    • Promote public education and assistance that helps consumers, including those who may need extra help signing up, find coverage rather than prioritizing application numbers;
    • Clarify that Navigator responsibilities include enrolling consumers in lifesaving Medicaid and CHIP coverage;
    • Provide Americans with information on comprehensive health insurance that protects individuals with pre-existing conditions.

    The ENROLL Act is supported by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Federation of Teachers American Heart Association, American Public Health Association, Community Catalyst, Epilepsy Foundation MomsRising, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, National Health Council, National Immigration Law Center, National Kidney Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Psoriasis Foundation and Young Invincibles.

    “Marketplace Navigators are a crucial resource for the more than 24 million people who access their health coverage through the ACA Marketplace and anyone who has questions about their coverage options. Appropriately funding health care Navigators is essential for making sure consumers—especially those with complex medical conditions like cancer—can get access to the most appropriate health insurance coverage that will meet their needs. We commend Senator Baldwin, Senator Shaheen, and Representative Castor for acting to reverse the significant and damaging funding cuts that were enacted earlier this year and urge the Senate and House to pass this legislation quickly,” said Lisa Lacasse, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

    “At a time when health care is under relentless attack, advancing the ENROLL Act is a clear signal that there are leaders in Congress committed to putting people over profit. The current administration has gutted funding for Navigators, trusted community members who guide people through the daunting, complex process of enrolling in coverage. Restoring that funding is essential to ensuring everyone, especially those facing the greatest barriers, can enroll in the most affordable, comprehensive options for their families. We thank Senator Baldwin and Representative Castor for their leadership and for standing with communities who depend on this trusted, unbiased help,” said Mona Shah, Senior Director of Policy and Strategy, Community Catalyst.

    A one-pager on this legislation is available here. Full bill text of this legislation is available

    here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Appeal for information on missing woman in Tuen Mun (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Appeal for information on missing woman in Tuen Mun Issued at HKT 21:44

    Police today (June 11) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Tuen Mun. Tsui Yiu-ling, aged 56, went missing after she was last seen at Light Rail Town Centre Station on June 3 afternoon. Her family made a report to Police yesterday (June 10). She is about 1.65 metres tall, 60 kilograms in weight and of medium build. She has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short black hair. She was last seen wearing a red and white striped shortsleeved shirt, black trousers, a grey cap, a grey mask, carrying a blue bag and a blue shopping cart. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories North on 3661 3127 or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station Ends/Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Issued at HKT 21:44 NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Grand Jury Indicts Two Individuals for Involvement with Online Groups Dedicated to Monkey Torture and Mutilation

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging two individuals for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

    The indictment alleges that Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, and Robert M. Craig, of North Carolina, conspired with previously charged defendant Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, Ohio, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.” Favret is also charged with creating and with distributing animal crush videos.

    According to court documents, the defendants conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against juvenile and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.

    The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy included depictions of monkeys being sodomized with a heated screwdriver and a monkey having its genitals cut with scissors.

    Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.

    The FBI and USFWS investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard, Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, British Virgin Islands Royal Marine Police assist mariner aboard demasted sailing vessel

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    06/11/2025 02:15 PM EDT

    US Coast Guard, British Virgin Islands Royal Marine Police, and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard air and surface units rescued a sole mariner aboard demasted sailing vessel in Eastern Caribbean waters northeast of Anegada, British Virgin Islands, Tuesday. Rescued was French citizen Frank Rouvray, 58, who reportedly was on a voyage to the island of Saint Martin when the vessel became demasted, and the distress signal was transmitted to the Coast Guard.

    For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Waters Introduce CLASS Act To Give Students Cheated By For-Profit Colleges Their Day In Court

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    June 11, 2025
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) today reintroduced bicameral legislation designed to strengthen students’ ability to hold for-profit colleges accountable in court for their misconduct.  The Court Legal Access and Student Support (CLASS) Act would enhance accountability for for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving Title IV federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or otherwise restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court.
      
    “For decades, for-profit colleges have used the fine print in student enrollment agreements to force students to give up their rights to go to court over the predatory behavior of these institutions,” said Durbin.  “Students should have the right to hold for-profit colleges responsible for defrauding them in court.  I’m reintroducing the CLASS Act with Congresswoman Waters to end the for-profit college industry’s ability to use this shady practice to evade accountability.”
    “I am proud to reintroduce the CLASS Act with Senator Durbin to hold predatory for-profit colleges accountable when they defraud students,” said Waters, the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee.  “The for-profit college industry is rife with bad actors that lure potential students into expensive academic programs, while knowingly and fraudulently misrepresenting the quality of the programs.  These unscrupulous schools then use mandatory arbitration clauses to prevent students from taking them to court, thereby shielding themselves from being held responsible for wrongdoing.  Our legislation will ensure that defrauded students retain the right to sue predatory schools and have their day in court.”
    Specifically, the CLASS Act would enhance the accountability of for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by:
    Prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court;
    Ensuring that the Federal Arbitration Act, which governs the enforcement of arbitration proceedings, would not apply to student enrollment agreements;
    Taking effect one year after enactment to allow schools to make any necessary changes; and
    Exempting legitimate non-profit colleges and universities because these institutions do not include mandatory arbitration clauses in their enrollment agreements.  The CLASS Act thus squarely focuses on schools that might seek to profit off of students while hiding from accountability in a court of law.
    Along with Durbin, the CLASS Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). 
    The bill has earned the endorsement of Consumer Action; The Institute for College Access and Success; National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients); National Association forCollege Admission Counseling; Veterans Education Success; National Association of Consumer Advocates; American Association for Justice; Center for Justice and Democracy; Woodstock Institute; Public Justice; Earthjustice; Public Citizen; The National Employment Lawyers Association; Americans for Financial Reform; National Consumers League; Consumer Federation of America; Young Invincibles; and Center for Responsible Lending.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: London — Ontario-based RCMP candidates: Get three years of hands-on policing experience in Saskatchewan and be guaranteed a spot in the RCMP’s Federal Policing Program in Ontario

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    The Saskatchewan RCMP and the RCMP’s Federal Policing Program based in Ontario are working together to provide prospective RCMP officers from Ontario a unique opportunity that gets them hands-on experience and sets them up for an interesting and exciting career!

    How exactly does the agreement work?

    New and prospective RCMP officers who have a desire to work in Central Region (the RCMP in Ontario) will have a three-year posting with the Saskatchewan RCMP to gain essential training and experience to thrive in their future role as an officer in the Federal Policing Program.

    Upon completion of the new officer’s three-year posting with the Saskatchewan RCMP, it is mutually agreed upon that the new member will have the opportunity to work in Central Region (Ontario), unless the participant wishes to remain in Saskatchewan or has expressed another career preference.

    “We have a unique opportunity here for RCMP officers starting their careers. Saskatchewan – or, as we call it internally, F Division – is a very busy province when it comes to policing. It allows new officers to gain lots of hands-on experience early on, which also means they get lots of training to be able to carry out those duties. Working here sets new RCMP officers up with the tools they need to be successful elsewhere and helps them to progress their careers. I encourage anyone interested in joining the RCMP to consider getting their start in F Division.”
    – Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore, Commanding Officer, Saskatchewan RCMP

    What’re the perks?

    Working with the Saskatchewan RCMP, new officers can expect a unique policing experience. The RCMP provides services to 99.9% of the geographic area of the province – so, as one can imagine, there’s never a shortage of work! This means new officers will get the experience of a life-time. It’s a challenge that comes with many benefits – learn fast, make money, take advantage of exciting training opportunities and enjoy the life that Saskatchewan offers!

    In Saskatchewan, new officers can expect a low cost of living – it can be a great place to grow your savings or raise a family! It’s also the ideal spot for outdoor enthusiasts. The province is home to more than 100,000 lakes, which means there’s plenty of places to fish, go boating or have fun doing other water sports. The fun doesn’t stop when summer’s over here – the province boasts a wealth of year-round activities like cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, camping, hunting, biking, and much, much more! Want to learn more about what Saskatchewan has to offer? Check out Tourism Saskatchewan.

    Those who take part in this agreement will come out of their posting in Saskatchewan with knowledge and skills that new officers may not get in other jurisdictions. After three years, these officers are guaranteed the choice to go back to Ontario with a spot in the RCMP’s Federal Policing Program – unless, of course, they wish to stay in Saskatchewan!

    How can prospective or new RCMP officers sign up for this?

    For those who haven’t yet applied to the RCMP:
    When you apply, express to your RCMP recruiter or contact that you’re interested in taking part in this agreement. They will provide you further information about the next steps!

    For those already in the Cadet Training Program at Depot:
    If you haven’t yet been assigned your posting (Division/Detachment), it’s not too late to contact your Resourcing Advisor to request taking part in this agreement.

    How do I learn more?

    If you would like more information about this opportunity, please contact RCMP.CRrecruiting-recrutementRC.GRC@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

    To learn more generally about a policing career with the RCMP, visit: https://www.rcmp.ca/careers

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, Professor of Theater, Temple University

    Local residents sitting on the steps in the shade at 3106 N. Broad St. in North Philadelphia in 1986.
     Joseph V. Labolito/Philadelphia Collections

    To celebrate Father’s Day, The Conversation U.S. asked Philadelphia anthropologist, playwright and poetic ethnographer Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon to reflect on a poem she recently performed to accompany a 1986 photograph by Philadelphia photographer Joseph V. Labolito.

    Williams-Witherspoon, who also serves as senior associate dean of the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts at Temple University, shares how the collaboration came about, and why one of Labolito’s photos in particular brought back a rush of cherished memories of being a little girl hanging out with her dad.

    Local residents sitting on the steps in the shade at 3106 N. Broad St. in North Philadelphia in 1986.
    Joseph V. Labolito/Philadelphia Collections

        There Are Black Fathers 
    To Daddy, Father’s Day, June 19, 1983

    I’ve known men 
    Who rise at dawn 
    To run a sort of race; 
    Working through sleep 
    Stopping long enough to yawn
    Providing for their families Just a little      
    place. 
    Black men going, going, going 
    (sometimes, till their gone.) 

    I’ve known men 
    Who trudge home after long hours 
    And an even longer pain, 
    And still manage to smile, 
    Warmed by the voice of a child. 
    "Hi, Daddy!" 
    "How was your day?" 

    I’ve known men Who take care 
    Even when Mommy can’t. 
    And, even though they can only 
    Cook hamburgers really good, 
    They put band-aids on awfully well. 

    I’ve known men 
    Who loving replace lost teeth 
    With shiny new dimes; 
    Remember birthdays and Christmas’. 
    Dutifully repair 
    Old, broken toys And, even, sometimes, 
    Wipe away salty tears. 

    I’ve known men 
    Who reprimand, 
    Teach us values 
    And, if we’re lucky, 
    Along with Mom, 
    Help us take a stand. 
    Who calm us when we’re frightened; 
    Scare us when we’re bad — Hold our hands. 

    I’ve known men, 
    Not just as Fathers; 
    But, more so, as "Dads" — 
    Who give us what we get 
    And gave us what we had. 
    Loving and kind; 
    Stern, yet strong, 
    I’ve known men 
    Who’ve guided generations along 
    As provider, supporter, parent — Pop, Dad! 

    There are Black fathers 
    Who would gladly do it again 
    Parenting future generations. 
    Yes, I have known These men. 

    © 2025 Kimmika L. H. Williams-Witherspoon

    What do you want people to take away from the poem?

    The whole poem is a tribute to my father, Samuel Hawes Jr., who lived from 1920 to 1989, and the many men like him who were always present and participatory in the parenting of their children and the providing for their families.

    Because of stereotypes and popular culture – media, movies, news stories – that tend to demonize and pathologize Black men, there’s a myth that men in our communities are all cut from the same cloth.

    For me, the poem discounts that stereotypical narrative and celebrates the African American men that I knew growing up – Daddy, my uncles, the deacons in our church, the neighborhood dads on my block.

    The men in this photograph represent men like Daddy, who at one point worked two jobs to provide for his family. He drove a yellow cab and worked the graveyard shift as a presser at the U.S. Mint. He took me to school every morning when I was in high school. He made it to every school function or occasion, drove me to and from parties so I could hang out with friends, took me to church every Sunday morning and on those special road trips to Cleveland, Akron, Ohio, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, throughout my life.

    Tell us about your collaborator for this piece

    Joe Labolito is a Philadelphia photographer whose work, I believe, is visual ethnography at its best. Throughout the ‘80s, ’90s and 2000s, he documented the people, streets and neighborhoods of Philadelphia. His photographs are housed in several public and private collections, including the Special Collections Research Center at Temple University and the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Print and Picture Collection.

    About a year ago, I saw an exhibit of Joe’s work at Temple. Since that time, I have been using some of his photographs as a visual prompt for my students, while he and I talked about doing something together down the road.

    When I was asked to participate in Temple University President John Fry’s investiture events in March 2025, I asked Joe if he wanted to do something with me. Right away he said “Yes … whatever it is.” I asked him to send me maybe 25 of his favorite photos, and instead, he sent me about a hundred. When I got a minute to sift through them, there were 11 that, as soon as I looked at them, immediately prompted lines of poetry.

    This photograph of the two men and the little girl, however, made me remember an old poem, “There Are Black Fathers,” I had written a long time ago – on Father’s Day on June 19, 1983 – for my father before he passed away from prostate and bone cancer. I went digging through my old journals until I found the poem that I had written for Daddy, and I performed that poem to this photograph at the event.

    What stood out to you about this photograph?

    The juxtaposition between the men and the little girl – their beautiful, bright smiles, the joy they seemed to radiate – it all made me think about and remember how much I loved Daddy my entire life but especially as a little girl.

    That’s the power in these kinds of artistic, material and visual artifacts. This photograph transported me right back to my childhood, filled with the warmth of a summer’s day, hanging out with my dad, and the promise of a banana Popsicle later in the afternoon.

    What is your process for writing a poem to accompany a photograph?

    Whatever the prompt – a photograph, a landscape, a person I’ve passed on the street, a word or phrase – the first draft is a free-write sensory download dump. I ruminate and then write down everything that comes to me in whatever order it comes.

    And then with each subsequent draft or pass at it, I start reading the poem out loud and tweaking it, making edits, moving and changing things while crafting lines that frame and build the story. I read the piece aloud over and over and over again until the poem tells me when I’ve got it right. I don’t know how, but my ear will tell me when it’s done and right with my spirit.

    What is poetic ethnography?

    Ethnography is an area of anthropology. From the Greek word “ethnos,” ethno simply means people or culture, and graphy, from the Greek word “graphia,” is the writing about said people or culture.

    Traditional ethnographies are usually written in a diarylike journal form. You end up jotting things down – thoughts, feelings, expressions, verbatim texts from interview participants – alongside bits and pieces of theory that correlate. Field notes are a combination of prose and scientific inquiry. I am a proponent of compiling poetic ethnographies – turning my observation and investigation of cultures, communities, and my field notes, into poetic form.

    Growing up in Philadelphia and a product of Philadelphia public schools, my primary language is mainstream U.S. English, but I tell people that my actual language is poetry. I see the world through poetry, and through the medium of poetry, I think I am better able to articulate the world I see.

    Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.

    Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon has received funding from Lumena Foundation’s Fund for Racial Justice and Equity (2018-19) and PEW Charitable Trusts Arts Grant (2020).

    Joseph V. Labolito owns the copyright to Philadelphia Collections. Philadelphia Collections research and operations is supported and partially funded by the Bridge award; an internal grant provided by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at Temple University for the 2024 – 2025 year.

    – ref. A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father – https://theconversation.com/a-portrait-taken-in-north-philly-in-the-1980s-reconnects-poet-with-cherished-memories-of-her-own-beloved-father-255810

    MIL OSI Analysis –