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Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Court Orders Michigan Man, California Man, and Two Nevada Companies to Pay Over $25 Million for Digital Asset Fraud

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered a final default judgement against Mark Gillespie of Michigan, John Roche of California, My Big Coin Pay, Inc., and My Big Coin, Inc., both of Nevada. 
     
    The order requires Gillespie, My Big Coin Pay, Inc., My Big Coin, Inc., and Roche to pay, jointly and severally a $19,326,324 civil monetary penalty and $6,442,108 in restitution to defrauded victims in connection with their role in a digital asset fraud scheme. The order also imposes a permanent injunction against the defendants and bans them from trading in any CFTC-regulated markets; entering into any transactions involving commodity interests or digital asset commodities; and registering with the CFTC. 
     
    Case Background
     
    The default order finds from at least January 2014 through June 2017, Gillespie, My Big Coin Pay, Inc., My Big Coin, Inc., and Roche, together with co-defendant Randall Crater, one of the other co-defendants named in the CFTC’s amended complaint, operated a digital asset scheme in which they fraudulently offered the sale of a fully-functioning virtual currency, My Big Coin (MBC), a commodity in interstate commerce. The CFTC dismissed its enforcement action against named co-defendant Michael Kruger because of his death.
     
    The defendants obtained more than $6 million from at least 28 customers through fraudulent solicitations, including false and misleading claims and omissions about MBC’s value, usage, and trade status, and that MBC was backed by gold. Crater misappropriated virtually all the money solicited from customers, using those misappropriated funds wrongfully.
     
    The order resolves the claims against Gillespie, Roche, My Big Coin Pay, Inc., and My Big Coin, Inc., in the CFTC’s enforcement action. [See CFTC Press Release 7678-18] The court had previously entered a consent order resolving the CFTC’s claims against Crater, who is currently imprisoned for his role in the scheme. [See CFTC Press Release 9051-25]
     
    The CFTC cautions that orders requiring repayment of funds to victims may not result in the recovery of any money lost because the wrongdoers may not have sufficient funds or assets. The CFTC will continue to fight vigorously for the protection of customers and to ensure the wrongdoers are held accountable.
     
    Parallel Criminal Action
     
    On January 18, 2022, a grand jury returned an eight-count superseding indictment charging Crater with wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business based on the same conduct alleged in the CFTC’s amended complaint. [United States v. Randall Crater, No. 1:19-cr-10063-DJC (D. Mass. Jan. 18, 2022)).] Crater was found guilty of those charges on July 21, 2022, and was sentenced to 100 months in prison and ordered to pay $7,668,317.50 in restitution to defrauded customers and to forfeit $7,668,317.50, which represented the proceeds he received from his violations.
     
    The CFTC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, and the FBI.
     
    Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case are Traci Rodriguez, Daniel Ullman II, Chrystal Gonnella, Dmitriy Vilenskiy, Paul G. Hayeck, and former Division staff members Jonah E. McCarthy, Jason Mahoney, John Einstman, Hillary Van Tassel, Patricia Gomersall, and Kyong J. Koh.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Thousands Turn Out For DHS Career Expo, Defying Politicians’ Anti-Cop Rhetoric

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    The Trump Administration’s Support for Law Enforcement Sparks More Record Recruitment

    CHANTILLY, VA – The Department of Homeland Security’s 2025 Career Expo for Law Enforcement was a record-breaking success.

    The large-scale hiring event was held in Chantilly, VA, last week, and it focused on recruiting American citizens eager to fill mission-critical law and immigration enforcement, border security, and national security roles across the department. The event drew more than 3,000 candidates and led to more than 1,000 tentative job offers given. These numbers nearly doubled the numbers from DHS’s last 2-day law enforcement hiring event in 2023, at which only 564 tentative job offers were given.

    The record turnout for the event proves that President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem have inspired a new generation of Americans to serve their country in law enforcement. These numbers were possible even despite doxing threats, increased assaults and the recent wave of politicians’ anti-cop rhetoric. Under their leadership, more Americans are willing to answer the call to protect and serve their fellow citizens.

    At the Expo, applicants met with representatives of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Protective Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as other DHS components and Offices. Exceptional candidates met recruiters, received interviews, tentative job offers and undertook steps for security and background check purposes.

    President Trump’s and Secretary Noem’s mission to restore excellence across federal agencies and ensure law enforcement has the resources they need, has sparked historic recruiting success. For example, between January – May 2025, more Americans applied to the Border Patrol than over any similar time frame in its history. U.S. Secret Service recruitment is up 200%.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to UK Ministry of Defence’s expression of concern over cross-strait peace and stability in Strategic Defence Review

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to UK Ministry of Defence’s expression of concern over cross-strait peace and stability in Strategic Defence Review

    • Date：2025-06-03
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    June 3, 2025  

    On June 2, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) of the United Kingdom published its Strategic Defence Review, which stressed that the Indo-Pacific was strategically important to the United Kingdom and that growing Chinese assertiveness was a key driver of regional and global instability. The report also emphasized that China’s military exercises around Taiwan risked dangerous escalation in the Taiwan Strait and that its aggressive actions were fueling tension in the South China Sea. Moreover, the review stated that the MOD would continue strengthening regional partnerships and protecting freedom of navigation so as to further defend and shape international rules and norms. 

     

    At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, Admiral Tony Radakin, UK Chief of the Defence Staff, publicly stated that upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the principles of freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific mattered greatly to the United Kingdom. He added that Royal Navy ships had therefore been exercising the right of freedom of navigation in the region, including in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. The fact the MOD’s Strategic Defence Review once again expressed grave concern over the Taiwan Strait and clear opposition to China’s provocative military actions demonstrates the United Kingdom’s consistent stance regarding the need to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly affirms and appreciates the UK statements. 

     

    The United Kingdom, a like-minded partner, shares with Taiwan such universal values as democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. It also plays a key role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan will continue to engage in close cooperation with the United Kingdom and other democratic countries, taking concrete action to uphold peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, defend the rules-based international order, and jointly advance security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and throughout the world. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE-led investigation leads to repeat offender’s guilty plea for possessing child sexual abuse material

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey man admitted to possessing images of child sexual abuse material following an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.

    John Mangan, 78, of Lanoka Harbor, pleaded guilty June 10 to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Trenton.

    “Mangan is a prior convicted sex offender with depraved desires that fuel the hideous market of online child sexual exploitation and abuse ICE Homeland Security Investigations vows to dismantle,” said ICE HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel. “The success in this investigation is the tips we received led to the justice that will now be served on behalf of all the innocent minors who are targeted by these disturbed predators. Anytime a person suspects that someone is exploiting or abusing a child, they should notify law enforcement authorities as soon as possible.”

    According to the investigation, on Oct. 29, 2024, ICE HSI special agents executed a search warrant at Mangan’s residence in Lanoka Harbor and discovered an electronic device containing over 250 images of children being sexually abused. Mangan was previously convicted of sexual offenses involving minors, including a New Jersey conviction for sexual assault against a minor for conduct that occurred while Mangan was a school principal, and a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography.

    The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Lacey Township Police Department assisted HSI Newark in the investigation.

    Because Mangan has been previously convicted of certain qualifying offenses, the count of possession of child pornography carries an enhanced mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 21.

    HSI is at the forefront of the U.S. government’s efforts to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse through its investigations, victim assistance programs, intelligence and analysis, policy development, and training and awareness programs.

    For any child, parent, guardian of New Jersey, searching for resources and information on how to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation, go to Know2Protect.gov. If you suspect a child might be a victim, please call the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).

    Know2Protect is a national public awareness campaign from the Department of Homeland Security. K2P’s aim is to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults, and policymakers to prevent, combat, and report online child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information, please visit our YouTube playlists at Know2Protect Campaign PSA Playlist and Know2Protect Digital Safety Series Playlist on the DHS main channel. Additional resources are available at Know2Protect.gov, Instagram, Facebook and X.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department and FTC to Host Listening Sessions on Lowering Americans’ Drug Prices Through Competition

    Source: US State of California

    Sessions to Discuss Generic and Biosimilar Availability, Prescription Drug Formularies and Benefits, and Regulatory Barriers

    As part of implementing President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14273, Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission, along with the Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Human Services, will jointly host listening sessions to discuss ways to make prescription drugs more affordable for Americans by promoting competition. The three listening sessions will occur under the direction of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater and FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson.

    The listening sessions will focus on improving the affordability of pharmaceuticals by increasing generic and biosimilar availability and promoting competition through drug formularies and benefits. The sessions, which will feature remarks by practitioners and scholars, will cover anticompetitive practices as well as eliminating regulatory barriers and rent seeking. The listening sessions will inform the FTC and DOJ’s joint report on combatting anticompetitive practices in pharmaceutical markets, as mandated by President Trump’s Executive Order.

    The dates for the sessions are as follows:

    • Monday, June 30 at 2 p.m. ET – Anticompetitive Conduct by Pharmaceutical Companies Impeding Generic or Biosimilar Competition

    • Thursday, July 24 at 2 p.m. ET – Formulary and Benefit Practices and Regulatory Abuse Impacting Drug Competition

    • Monday, August 4 at 2 p.m. ET – Turning Insights into Action to Reduce Drug Prices

    The listening sessions will be streamed on the FTC and DOJ websites, with videos and transcripts posted after the events. Additional information will be posted to the event page to each session. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department and FTC to Host Listening Sessions on Lowering Americans’ Drug Prices Through Competition

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Sessions to Discuss Generic and Biosimilar Availability, Prescription Drug Formularies and Benefits, and Regulatory Barriers

    As part of implementing President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14273, Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission, along with the Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Human Services, will jointly host listening sessions to discuss ways to make prescription drugs more affordable for Americans by promoting competition. The three listening sessions will occur under the direction of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater and FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson.

    The listening sessions will focus on improving the affordability of pharmaceuticals by increasing generic and biosimilar availability and promoting competition through drug formularies and benefits. The sessions, which will feature remarks by practitioners and scholars, will cover anticompetitive practices as well as eliminating regulatory barriers and rent seeking. The listening sessions will inform the FTC and DOJ’s joint report on combatting anticompetitive practices in pharmaceutical markets, as mandated by President Trump’s Executive Order.

    The dates for the sessions are as follows:

    • Monday, June 30 at 2 p.m. ET – Anticompetitive Conduct by Pharmaceutical Companies Impeding Generic or Biosimilar Competition

    • Thursday, July 24 at 2 p.m. ET – Formulary and Benefit Practices and Regulatory Abuse Impacting Drug Competition

    • Monday, August 4 at 2 p.m. ET – Turning Insights into Action to Reduce Drug Prices

    The listening sessions will be streamed on the FTC and DOJ websites, with videos and transcripts posted after the events. Additional information will be posted to the event page to each session. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Man of Trafficking Multiple Rifles in Chicago

    Source: US FBI

    CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man of trafficking six rifles, including AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, and a handgun in Chicago.

    CEDRIC CURTIS, 32, of Chicago, sold the six rifles and handgun to a buyer in 2018 and 2019.  Unbeknownst to Curtis, the buyer was cooperating with federal law enforcement.  Curtis was not a licensed firearms dealer and, having been previously convicted of a felony offense, could not legally possess a firearm.

    The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago last week convicted Curtis on one count of dealing firearms without a license and six counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.  U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso set sentencing for Oct. 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

    The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn D. McCarthy and Margaret A. Steindorf.

    A co-defendant, DEONTA MOORE, 31, of Chicago, pleaded guilty prior to trial to a charge of illegal firearm possession by a previously convicted felon.  Moore was sentenced to three years and a month in federal prison.

    Holding illegal firearm dealers accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods.  In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Memphis Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Trafficking 17-Year-Old Female to Perform Commercial Sex Acts

    Source: US FBI

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DOMINIQUE PEEPLES (“PEEPLES”), age 28, from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced on May 28, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1), 1591(b)(2), 1594(a), and 2.

    According to court documents, PEEPLES brought a seventeen-year-old female (“Minor Victim”) from Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Houston, Texas, and required her to engage in commercial sex acts.  During this time, PEEPLES was aware of Minor Victim’s age.  PEEPLES advertised Minor Victim on websites commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money and kept all or most of the proceeds from her work.   PEEPLES waited in a vehicle and watched Minor Victim while she solicited commercial sex “dates.”  Minor Victim worked under PEEPLES’ supervision between August of 2020 and her escape in mid-January 2021.  After Minor Victim ran away, PEEPLES posted a video on social media in which he boasted about exploiting Minor Victim and pointed firearms at the screen.

    U.S. District Court Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced PEEPLES to seventeen (17) years in prison.  PEEPLES was also sentenced to ten (10) years of supervised release after release from prison. Judge Vance further ordered PEEPLES to pay $120,000 in restitution to Minor Victim, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  PEEPLES will also have to register as a sex offender.

    This case was part of a broader investigation involving defendants JEREMY TALBERT and MACEO ROBERTS, both of whom have pleaded guilty for related sex trafficking crimes.  In February 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ROBERTS to 22.5 years of imprisonment for conspiring to traffic three minors and two adults.  In March 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Lance Africk sentenced TALBERT to 18 years for trafficking a fourteen-year-old minor to New Orleans.

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

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorneys Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Barragán, Rep. Gomez, Sen. Schiff Lead Bicameral Effort Demanding President Trump Withdraw National Guard and Marines from LA

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    For Immediate Release

    Contact: jin.choi@mail.house.gov

    Date: June 11, 2025

    Rep. Barragán, Rep. Gomez, Sen. Schiff Lead Bicameral Effort Demanding President Trump Withdraw National Guard and Marines from LA

    Lawmakers say Trump’s deployment of troops is plainly unlawful and violates constitutional limits

    WASHINGTON, DC – Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), and 39 other California Delegation Representatives are demanding President Donald Trump immediately withdraw the National Guard and U.S. Marines from Los Angeles, California. In a bicameral letter sent yesterday, the lawmakers condemn the deployments as an unlawful overreach that bypassed state and local authority and urge the immediate withdrawal of the National Guard and Marines.

    “We are writing to express grave concern regarding the deployment of the National Guard and the activation of 700 Marines to Los Angeles. These actions were taken without the consent of California Governor Gavin Newsom and over the objections of local law enforcement. It constitutes a clear violation of constitutional principles and law, and a grave overreach of executive authority,” wrote the lawmakers.

    “This deployment does not appear to be motivated by any public safety emergency that could not be dealt with successfully by local authorities. Instead, it coincides with a broader federal enforcement escalation involving mass ICE raids, militarized immigration tactics, and the use of tear gas and riot control methods in civilian areas. These actions undermine civil liberties, destabilize communities, erode public trust in government institutions, and violate the law,” continued the lawmakers.

    On June 7 and June 9, Rep. Jimmy Gomez was illegally denied access to the Roybal Federal Building, where ICE is reportedly detaining migrant families—including moms and kids—under inhumane conditions. Rep. Gomez called for a formal DHS investigation and submitted a written inquiry demanding answers and accountability from Secretary Kristi Noem. As protests erupted in Los Angeles in response to the raids and detentions, the Trump administration escalated the situation by authorizing the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines—without the consent of California Governor Gavin Newsom and over the objections of local elected and community leaders. They argue the legal authority Trump cited doesn’t apply—making the deployment plainly unlawful.

    “As federal officials we must prioritize de-escalation and adherence to the constitutional principles that govern the balance of power between federal and state and local governments. For these reasons, we urge you to immediately withdraw the National Guard and U.S. Marines from Los Angeles and to refrain from further deployments of any military personnel in circumstances that violate constitutional boundaries and escalate domestic tensions,” concluded the lawmakers.

    In addition to Representative Barragán, Representative Gomez, and Senator Schiff, the bicameral letter was signed by Representatives Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Ami Bera (CA-6), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert Cisneros Jr. (CA-31), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-8), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jared Huffman (CA-2), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Doris Matsui (CA-7), Dave Min (CA-47), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Scott Peters (CA-50), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Mike Thompson (CA-4), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and George Whitesides (CA-27).

    You can read the full letter HERE.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: SWALWELL INTRODUCES BICAMERAL BILL TO REPEAL THE GUN INDUSTRY’S LEGAL LIABILITY SHIELD

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15)

    Legislation would give victims of gun violence their day in court & enable them to hold manufacturers accountable for negligence

    Legislation would give victims of gun violence their day in 

    court & enable them to hold manufacturers accountable for negligence

    Video of a virtual press conference announcing 

    the bill is available here

     

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – During the first week of Gun Violence Awareness Month, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Dwight Evans (D-PA), and Mike Thompson (D-CA) led a group of 81 Members of Congress in introducing the bicameral Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, legislation to ensure that victims of gun violence have their day in court and that negligent gun companies and gun sellers are not shielded from liability when they disregard public safety. The bill would repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), passed by Congress in 2005, which gives the gun industry a unique and unjustifiable legal liability shield that protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits.  

    Blumenthal, Swalwell, Schiff, Murphy, Evans, and Thompson announced the legislation this week during a virtual press conference joined by leading gun violence prevention advocates: Kris Brown, President of Brady; Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director of Moms Demand Action; and Adam Skaggs, Chief Counsel and Vice President of GIFFORDS Law Center. Video of the press conference is available here.

    “PLCAA is the ultimate sweetheart deal – legal immunity afforded to basically no other industry for a product that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year,” Blumenthal said. “Despite the strength and perseverance of the Sandy Hook, Uvalde, and Highland Park families – and the tenacity of their legal teams – this is a problem that cannot be solved only through the courts. PLCAA must be repealed by Congress.”

    “No industry in American has a liability shield like gun manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers,” said Swalwell. “The NRA and their GOP stooges made sure that the gun industry has a unique immunity from accountability. This bill ends that ridiculous carve out. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act will finally repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) once and for all, allowing victims of gun violence to bring civil suits against gun producers and sellers. The time has long since come for Congress to be clear – if you put the most dangerous weapons in the hands of the most dangerous people, you will be held accountable.”

    “More than a 100 Americans are killed by a gun every single day in America. And yet, Congress does nothing to hold the gun industry accountable when the negligence of gun makers and dealers is responsible for the tragic consequences their products have on our kids, our families, and our communities. As long as gun violence continues to take the lives of so many in California and across the nation, I will fight to repeal the liability shield that wrongly protects negligent gun industry actors from liability,” said Schiff.

    “There’s absolutely no reason why the gun industry should get special treatment when it comes to negligence. Their immunity from lawsuits effectively gives them a license to kill. It’s past time for Congress to repeal PLCAA and allow gun violence victims their day in court,” said Murphy. 

    “Victims and survivors should be able to hold the gun industry accountable in court for negligent behavior. But right now, the gun industry is shielded from any liability when they disregard public safety. That’s wrong,” said Crow. “I’m introducing this bill so we can finally hold the gun industry responsible.”

    “As someone who’s advocated for this concept in Pennsylvania’s legislature and now in Congress, I’m proud to be a co-lead on this bill to restore this basic right of victims and survivors – a right that a heavy-handed federal government took away 20 years ago. So many American gun deaths could be avoided if we held companies accountable for things like illegal sales, defective guns and irresponsible marketing. State attorneys general were able to hold Big Tobacco accountable in the 1990s, and they should be able to hold gun manufacturing companies accountable in the 21st century since thousands of lives depend on it. This legislation would be an important tool in the toolbox to protect our citizens from gun violence,” said Evans. 

    “In the 20 years since PLCAA was passed, it’s become clear that negligent gun manufacturers and dealers have taken advantage of the law. Responsible manufacturers and dealers don’t need this legal protection – and irresponsible ones are hiding behind it. As a hunter, combat veteran and responsible gun owner, I’m proud to work with Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell to introduce this sensible legislation,” said Thompson, Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. 

    When Congress passed PLCAA, its supporters argued that it was necessary to protect the gun industry from frivolous lawsuits, and that victims of gun violence would not be shut out of the courts. In reality, numerous cases around the nation have been dismissed on the basis of PLCAA, even when the gun dealers and manufacturers acted in a fashion that would qualify as negligent if it involved any other product. Victims in these cases were denied the right to even discover or introduce evidence. This legislation allows civil cases to go forward against irresponsible bad actors.

    In 2005, the National Rifle Association (NRA) identified PLCAA as their “number one” legislative priority, and the NRA celebrated the passage calling it the “most significant piece of pro-gun legislation in twenty years.” Letting courts hear these cases would provide justice to victims and their families, while creating incentives for responsible business practices that would reduce injuries and deaths. Effectively, the gun industry would once again be subject to the same laws as every other industry, just as it was prior to 2005.

    The legislation is endorsed by Brady, GIFFORDS Law Center, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Guns Down America, Newtown Action Alliance, Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund, and Equality California.

    “PLCAA gives the gun industry a free pass to put profits over people—legally. When defective firearms or irresponsible gun sellers cause harm, victims are left powerless and justice is delayed or denied. No other industry gets this kind of special treatment,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady. “The gun industry has made it clear: they won’t change on their own, no matter how much devastation they leave behind. So the law must change. Brady is proud to endorse Senator Blumenthal’s bill to end the gun lobby’s stranglehold on accountability and remove the option of hiding behind PLCAA to dodge responsibility. The gun industry shouldn’t get special protection while communities suffer.”

    “For too long, gun lobby CEOs have operated above the law, shielded from accountability while families of gun violence victims are denied their day in court. The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act will finally repeal the gun lobby’s sweetheart deal and restore Americans’ right to seek justice. When companies can be held responsible for harm, they have a reason to act more safely—it’s time to hold the gun industry accountable and put people over profits. We applaud Senator Blumenthal for championing this critical legislation and for his commitment to reducing gun violence and improving public safety,” said Emma Brown, Executive Director of GIFFORDS and GIFFORDS Law Center. 

    “The gun industry has a long track record of putting profits over public safety – and it’s the American people who are paying the price,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “We’re proud to stand with Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell as they work to hold the gun industry to the same rules as every other industry.” 

    “Every student in America goes to school wondering if today will be the day they don’t come home. They practice lockdown drills while gun manufacturers hide behind PLCAA, a law that shields them from any accountability,” said Jackie Corin, Executive Director of March For Our Lives. “The families of Parkland victims fight for justice while gun companies profit from illegal gun sales and reckless marketing practices that fuel mass shootings, all while being protected from consequences. When grieving families are denied their day in court because of special protections for gun manufacturers, that is not justice. That is cruelty. Every family shattered by gun violence deserves a system that protects them, not the companies profiting off their pain. That’s why March For Our Lives is proud to support the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act and ensure the gun industry finally has to answer to us.”

    “The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act restores the rights of the American people to seek justice from negligent corporations. People, families, and communities have been systematically denied access to valid litigation against the gun industry since President George W. Bush signed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act in 2005. This legal shield has privileged the gun industry with sweeping immunity, leading them to lean into more aggressive, more deadly, and ever more avaricious corporate actions that endanger every American,” said Hudson Munoz with Guns Down America. “We commend Senator Blumenthal and Representative Swalwell for their dedication to seeing that shield fall so every person impacted by gun violence has the ability to pursue justice again.”

    “As a neighbor of the Sandy Hook shooter and many victims, I carry the heartbreak of that day every single moment,” said Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance. “I’m grateful to Senator Blumenthal for reintroducing the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act—because no industry that profits from death should be shielded from accountability. The gun industry’s unique civil legal protection has allowed it to market weapons of war and other deadly firearms and accessories with impunity, fueling an epidemic that steals thousands of lives each year. The families impacted by gun violence from Sandy Hook to Chicago to Monterey Park—and every family member shattered by gun violence—deserve their day in court.”

    “The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) provides a pathway for the firearms industry to continue irresponsible practices in ways that no other industry is permitted to conduct. Under this legislation, the rights of victims – some of whom have been irrevocably harmed by these deadly products – are shown to be less important than the special interests of manufacturers, distributors, and dealers. This cannot be allowed to continue. We applaud Senator Blumenthal and his team for their leadership in re-introducing the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act, and call upon Congress to pass this bill,” said Mark Barden, co-founder and co-CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

    The legislation is also co-sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Don Beyer (D-VA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Shontel Brown (D-OH), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Sean Casten (D-IL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Danny Davis (D-IL), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Daniel Goldman (D-NY), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Timothy Kennedy (D-NY), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Betty McCollum (D-MN), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Joe Morelle (D-NY), Kelly Morrison (D-MN), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), David Scott (D-GA), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Jill Tokuda (D-HI).

     

    Text of the legislation can be found here. 

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: PASSED THE SENATE: Senators Hassan, Ernst, Slotkin, and Banks’s Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Foreign Adversaries Directing Violent Crimes in the U.S.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Jim Banks (R-IN) to increase criminal penalties for individuals who commit, or attempt to commit, violent crimes in the United States on behalf of foreign adversaries. The DETERRENCE Act would both hold offenders accountable and deter criminals, including criminal organizations, from taking money from foreign adversaries in exchange for committing crimes on American soil. 
    “It is a direct assault on our national security when foreign adversaries recruit criminals to commit violence on American soil,” said Senator Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation will strengthen criminal penalties on gangs and criminals who engage in violent behavior on behalf of a foreign government. The Senate has sent a clear message that such behavior will be met with severe consequences, and I urge my colleagues in the House to quickly pass this bill to strengthen our national security.” 
    “America will not allow foreign adversaries, like Iran, to finance violent crimes on our soil,” said Senator Ernst. “Peace through strength is back and that includes right here at home. I look forward to the House swiftly passing this commonsense bill to create severe consequences for those who wish to harm our citizens.”
    “If you commit crimes in America on behalf of foreign adversaries, you must face serious consequences,” said Senator Slotkin. “The bipartisan Deterrence Act helps strengthen penalties for these crimes and sends a clear message about how seriously we take our national security and how we will hold accountable those who commit crimes against our nation.”
    Under the DETERRENCE Act, criminals working for foreign adversaries can be sentenced to longer prison sentences. The bill specifically increases criminal penalties for the following federal crimes when the crimes are committed under U.S. jurisdiction on behalf of foreign governments: 
    Engaging in a murder-for-hire scheme 
    Murdering or attempting to murder certain federal officials, including the President
    Murdering or attempting to murder certain former federal officials, or their families, because of their official actions 
    Assaulting certain former federal officials, or their families, because of their official actions 
    Kidnapping or attempted kidnapping 
    Threats of violence using a dangerous weapon against certain current and former federal officials, as well as their families, because of their official actions 
    Stalking 
    This legislation follows reports that foreign adversaries are increasingly turning to criminals to commit violent crimes against their critics, including those who reside in the United States. In November, the Department of Justice (DOJ) charged an Iranian asset and two members of his criminal network for their alleged involvement in a plot to murder a U.S. citizen who has spoken out against the Iranian regime. Senators Hassan, Ernst, and a bipartisan group of colleagues previously wrote to DOJ calling for more information – and discussing the need for increased criminal penalties – to address this troubling trend of foreign-directed violence. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: ICE Arrests Illegal Alien for Molotov Cocktail Attack on Law Enforcement Caught on Video

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    This illegal alien has been charged with attempted murder

    WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Emiliano Garduno-Galvez—an illegal alien from Mexico—for attempted murder after he threw a Molotov cocktail at law enforcement during the Los Angeles riots.  

    On June 9, 2025, ICE agents in Los Angeles arrested Garduno-Galvez after he was identified as a suspect who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at law enforcement during the Los Angeles riot on Saturday, June 7. Last night, he was charged with attempted murder.

    “Emiliano Garduno-Galvez is a criminal illegal alien from Mexico who threatened the lives of federal law enforcement officers by attacking them with a Molotov cocktail during the violent riots in Los Angeles. ICE arrested Garduno-Galvez, and he is now being charged with attempted murder. These are the types of criminal illegal aliens that rioters are fighting to protect,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “The Los Angeles rioters will not stop us or slow us down. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” 

    Garduno-Galvez had previously been deported. He has a previous criminal record: In 2024, Garduno-Galvez was arrested by the Anaheim Police Department in California for grand theft and by the Long Beach Police Department for a DUI.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Drug Trafficker Convicted by Federal Jury

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted an Elizabeth City man Tuesday on one charge of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Charles Gregory, 36, was stopped for a traffic violation in Elizabeth City on August 7, 2022.  An Elizabeth City police officer observed Gregory, the sole occupant of the car, toss an item out the window before coming to a stop. Officers recovered the tossed item from the street and found it to be a bag containing multiple smaller baggies of crack cocaine. Officers placed Gregory under arrest and searched the vehicle, where they found a stolen pistol in the glovebox. Gregory later made statements on recorded jail phone calls about the drugs and gun. Gregory is a convicted felon who has multiple prior felony drug convictions, including possession of cocaine and sell/deliver a Schedule II controlled substance.

    Charles Gregory faces a mandatory minimum of five years of imprisonment and a statutory maximum of life imprisonment when sentenced on a later date.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Elizabeth City Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office and the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Jermaine Sellers prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-CR-14.

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    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Puerto Rican Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison For Trafficking Fentanyl into Maine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Maine: A Bayamon, Puerto Rico man was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Rafael Omar Ojeda Lopez, 44, to a term of imprisonment of 57 months, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

    According to court records, in September 2023, at the direction of agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a confidential source negotiated the purchase of a kilogram of fentanyl from Lopez for $40,000, following several smaller “test” buys. While Lopez and the source were working to finalize the transaction in Rockland, Maine, HSI agents arrested Lopez and seized the fentanyl, which was later lab confirmed to contain a mixture of fentanyl, caffeine, heroin, and xylazine, a powerful tranquilizer. The mixture of fentanyl and xylazine is particularly dangerous to drug users: because xylazine is not a narcotic, its effects cannot be reversed by naloxone, which serves to heighten the risk of overdose death.

    HSI and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) investigated the case.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norton Condemns Three Anti-D.C. Bills Ahead of Rules Committee Consideration

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

    The bills will be before the Rules Committee at 4:00 p.m. today, and the House is expected to vote on all three this week.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of today’s Rules Committee consideration of three anti-D.C. home rule bills, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that the bills’ advancement is another example of paternalistic, undemocratic incursions by Congress on the democratically expressed will of more than 700,000 D.C. residents. The Committee will consider a bill introduced by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) to prohibit D.C. residents who are not citizens from voting in local D.C. elections, a bill introduced by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) that would repeal parts of D.C.’s 2022 local police accountability and transparency law, and a bill introduced by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) to nullify locally-enacted D.C. laws, policies and practices regarding D.C. exchanging information about the citizenship and immigration status of individuals. Higgins’ bill would require D.C. to comply with requests by the Department of Homeland Security regarding immigration detainers.

    “Republicans introduced 14 bills or amendments to prohibit noncitizens from voting in D.C. or to repeal, nullify or prohibit the carrying out of D.C.’s law that permits noncitizens to vote last Congress,” Norton said. “Despite being fixated on the subject of D.C. elections, Republicans refuse to make the only election law change D.C. residents have asked Congress to make, which is the right to hold elections for voting members of the House and Senate by passing my D.C. statehood bill.

    “It is always wrong and never the right time for Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters, but I’ll address Rep. Garbarino’s bill to repeal parts of D.C.’s police transparency law. This bill was introduced three days after House Republicans passed a continuing resolution that cut D.C.’s local budget by one billion dollars. That was an act of fiscal sabotage, which did not save the federal government any money. It’s been almost three months since the Senate passed the D.C. Local Funds Act to reverse the cut and over two months since President Trump called for an immediate House vote on it. The D.C. Local Funds Act is still just sitting in the House. Like President Trump and the National Fraternal Order of Police, I call on the House immediately to pass the D.C. Local Funds Act.

    “Like states, cities and counties across the country, D.C. has passed laws to support and protect the safety of all its residents, regardless of immigration status. In passing those laws, D.C. followed its values, the evidence on the benefits of such laws for the entire city, and the democratic process to enact policy consistent with its goals. Congress has no business overturning D.C.’s democratically enacted local laws and should keep its hands off D.C.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brookfield — RCMP Northeast Traffic Services arrests a man for Flight from Police

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Northeast Traffic Services (NETS) has arrested a man involved in a flight from police in Brookfield.

    On June 5, at approximately 11:15 a.m. an RCMP officer from NETS attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle travelling on Hwy. 2 in Brookfield, for an expired plate. The driver of the Volkswagen Jetta refused to stop, accelerated and fled from police at a high rate of speed. In the interest of public safety, a pursuit was not initiated.

    RCMP officers later located the Jetta abandoned on an isolated dead-end road in Pleasant Valley.

    A search of the area, assisted by RCMP Police Dog Services, Colchester Country District RCMP, the Department of Natural Resources Air Services and an RCMP remotely piloted aircraft system operator, was successful in locating the driver and passenger fleeing the area on foot.

    The 24-year-old male driver from Dutch Settlement was subsequently safely arrested.

    He was later released on conditions and will appear in Truro Provincial Court at a later date to face charges of Flight from Police (two counts) and Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance.

    The driver was also issued summary offence tickets under the Motor Vehicle Act for:

    • Driving a Motor Vehicle Without a Motor Vehicle Liability Policy
    • Operating and Unregistered Vehicle
    • Failing to Display Number Plates for Current Registration Year
    • Operator of Vehicle Operating Vehicle Without a Valid Inspection Sticker in Place or Possession Valid Certificate for Vehicle

    File # 2025-777295

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group

    • Date：2025-06-09
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    June 9, 2025  

    No. 204  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on June 9 to welcome a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, Chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. He extended appreciation to the French Parliament for its staunch support and close friendship with Taiwan.

     

    In his speech, Minister Lin congratulated Ms. Battistel on her election as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group earlier this year and thanked the French Parliament for its long-standing and cross-party support of Taiwan, including the overwhelming endorsement in a resolution in 2021 supporting Taiwan’s international participation, the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023 supporting freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, and its enthusiastic response to sending a joint letter to the director-general of the World Health Organization in May backing Taiwan’s bid. Minister Lin noted that Europe’s support for Taiwan was crucial, that Taiwan-France relations continued to grow and thrive, and that there was great potential to deepen collaboration between Taiwan and France in key technological domains and innovative industries. He expressed hope that the two sides would further contribute to global prosperity and development through closer exchanges and cooperation in the future.

     

    In her speech, Chair Battistel said that she was honored to serve as chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and emphasized that she would continue to lead the group in its steadfast support of Taiwan, in line with French values and global common interests. She indicated that China’s threats and attempts to suppress Taiwan had had wide-ranging impacts on the world and urged democratic countries to jointly support Taiwan. She added that she believed Taiwan’s participation in international organizations was pivotal and that the entire international community stood to benefit from Taiwan’s knowledge and experience.

     

    This is the second delegation from the French National Assembly to visit Taiwan this year, following a visit in May by Guillaume Kasbarian, former French Minister of Civil Service and member of the National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. 

     

    At the invitation of Minister Lin, Professor Lee Hahn-ming of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, along with Wu Min-hsuan, CEO of Doublethink Lab, attended the luncheon and exchanged views with the delegation on such issues as how Taiwan and France could jointly cope with the use of artificial intelligence by foreign forces to manipulate information. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scalise: Democrats’ Vote Against OBBB is a Vote for More Riots in LA

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Congressman Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) to discuss how the One Big Beautiful Bill would directly address the violent riots in Los Angeles by providing funding for more ICE and Border Patrol Agents. Leader Scalise also highlighted the Office of Management and Budget’s report detailing how the One Big Beautiful Bill will unleash economic growth for hardworking Americans through no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and the largest tax cuts in history, and also reduce the national deficit by over $1.4 trillion.

    Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
    On the need for the One Big Beautiful Bill to help address the lawlessness in California:“Anybody who watched these just inflammatory scenes roll out in Los Angeles over the weekend sees one more example why we need to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill and why we need to get it to President Trump’s desk as soon as possible. One of the many great provisions in this bill that we came together to pass through the House are provisions that allow our ICE agents and our Border Patrol Agents to get more resources, to get more support hiring more Border Patrol Agents and more ICE agents. Frankly, it’s one of the reasons that every single Democrat voted no on the bill. Because they want open borders, they want the chaos and the mayhem that comes with sanctuary cities and sanctuary states that we’ve been standing up against. They had the opportunity to join us, and they deliberately chose to vote no because they want higher taxes, they want open borders, they want to close off our energy resources, all the things that were in that bill.“So we’re going to continue moving forward. The Senate is doing their work now, and I’m confident the Senate is going to move through quickly to get that bill through the Senate, ultimately back to the House for any minor changes, and then to the President’s desk so that we can hire those additional Border Patrol Agents, hire those additional ICE agents to keep Americans safe. And by the way, if you’re a citizen of the state of California while your governor is failing you miserably, at least we have a president, Donald Trump, who is willing to say that he will step up and try to protect those same people. Law-abiding people who are sick and tired of the lawlessness. They are disgusted by a foreign flag being waved in an American city and their governor defending the people that are actually burning down the city, trying to call it a peaceful protest. Don’t insult the intelligence of the American people. They see what’s happening. They know why it’s happening. The far-left Democrat Party wants open borders. There was an election run on this. The American people said enough is enough, we want secure borders, and that’s why they sent Donald Trump and a Republican House and Senate to Washington. And we’re going to keep fighting for those families who are sick and tired of what they’re seeing in cities like Los Angeles and other lawless cities in America. So we’re going to deliver on our promise.”On OMB’s projection of massive economic growth:“One more really positive thing that came out just a few days ago, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget did their assessment on the House’s version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, and confirmed what we knew, that with the economic growth you’ll get, with the job creation, the increased wages for families, we will end up seeing about a trillion and a half dollar reduction in the national deficit over the next 10 years – trillion and a half dollar reduction because of the growth we’ll get from this bill, because workers will have more money in their pockets when the government doesn’t have a four and a half trillion dollar tax increase that every Democrat voted to impose upon them. Waiters and waitresses at all of your local restaurants will have more money in their pockets because of no taxes on tips. Your blue-collar workers who go to work and sometimes have the opportunity to work overtime and maybe wonder if they should do it because of all the taxes that they’ll end up paying on that overtime to be away from their family, will no longer have to worry about paying taxes on overtime. And that’s going to spur investment. It’s going to spur more job creation. It’s going to spur more money in the pockets of those blue-collar workers. So that’s going to be another really big, important aspect, so that OMB report coming out really underscores one more reason why this bill is so important to the people of the United States.”On Leader Scalise’s rescissions package that will codify DOGE cuts:“And then, of course, this week, we’re taking up the rescissions package. Thursday, we will vote on that. We’ve been answering questions from our members, but our members are ready to go lock in some of those DOGE cuts. DOGE identified waste, fraud, and abuse in so many areas of the federal government. This is a start. It’s a good start. It’s an important first step, and we’re going to take it on Thursday.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pickleball Company Owner Waives Discharge of Over $47M in Unsecured Debt After USTP Investigation

    Source: US State of California

    A pickleball entrepreneur who was forced into bankruptcy by investors he lured with promises of generous returns recently agreed to waive his bankruptcy discharge after an investigation by the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), preventing the discharge of more than $47 million in unsecured debt.

    On May 14, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana approved a voluntary waiver of discharge by debtor Rodney Grubbs, owner of All About Pickleball LLC, an apparel and equipment company that did business as Pickleball Rocks. As a result, Grubbs remains personally liable for his debts, and creditors are free to pursue payment from him after the case is closed.

    Grubbs solicited investments from pickleball players and fans from across the United States, usually in the form of promissory notes with purportedly guaranteed interest rates of 10 percent or higher. In December 2023, several unpaid investors filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition against Grubbs under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Grubbs opposed the petition, but after a hearing in which he testified to using new investors’ funds to pay back previous investors, the bankruptcy court granted the involuntary petition and ordered the case to proceed. Grubbs eventually disclosed nearly $1.6 million in assets and more than $47 million in liabilities, the vast majority of them unsecured debts owed to hundreds of individuals.

    As part of its extensive investigation, the USTP’s Indianapolis office obtained Grubbs’ personal and business financial records and examined him under oath. Ultimately, Grubbs — who also faced allegations from multiple creditors consistent with a Ponzi scheme — elected to waive his bankruptcy discharge.

    “The USTP is committed to addressing fraudulent and abusive conduct that threatens the integrity of the bankruptcy system,” said U.S. Trustee Nancy J. Gargula for Region 10, which includes the Southern District of Indiana. “Our commitment to protecting consumers and those who fall victim to various schemes that come to light in bankruptcy is unwavering.”

    The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pickleball Company Owner Waives Discharge of Over $47M in Unsecured Debt After USTP Investigation

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A pickleball entrepreneur who was forced into bankruptcy by investors he lured with promises of generous returns recently agreed to waive his bankruptcy discharge after an investigation by the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), preventing the discharge of more than $47 million in unsecured debt.

    On May 14, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana approved a voluntary waiver of discharge by debtor Rodney Grubbs, owner of All About Pickleball LLC, an apparel and equipment company that did business as Pickleball Rocks. As a result, Grubbs remains personally liable for his debts, and creditors are free to pursue payment from him after the case is closed.

    Grubbs solicited investments from pickleball players and fans from across the United States, usually in the form of promissory notes with purportedly guaranteed interest rates of 10 percent or higher. In December 2023, several unpaid investors filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition against Grubbs under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Grubbs opposed the petition, but after a hearing in which he testified to using new investors’ funds to pay back previous investors, the bankruptcy court granted the involuntary petition and ordered the case to proceed. Grubbs eventually disclosed nearly $1.6 million in assets and more than $47 million in liabilities, the vast majority of them unsecured debts owed to hundreds of individuals.

    As part of its extensive investigation, the USTP’s Indianapolis office obtained Grubbs’ personal and business financial records and examined him under oath. Ultimately, Grubbs — who also faced allegations from multiple creditors consistent with a Ponzi scheme — elected to waive his bankruptcy discharge.

    “The USTP is committed to addressing fraudulent and abusive conduct that threatens the integrity of the bankruptcy system,” said U.S. Trustee Nancy J. Gargula for Region 10, which includes the Southern District of Indiana. “Our commitment to protecting consumers and those who fall victim to various schemes that come to light in bankruptcy is unwavering.”

    The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Westchester Mountain — Cumberland County District RCMP investigating multi-vehicle collision

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Cumberland County District RCMP is investigating a multi-vehicle collision that occurred on Hwy. 104.

    On June 9 at approximately 11:42 a.m., Cumberland County District RCMP, fire and EHS responded to a report of a collision involving three-vehicles and a fifth wheel trailer on Hwy. 104 near Westchester Mountain.

    Responding officers learned that a Ford F250 truck that was towing a fifth-wheel trailer had pulled over to the side of the highway due to a blown tire. As a Nissan Rogue and a Ford F150 were passing by the trailer a collision occurred between them. This collision caused the F150 to veer into the parked fifth wheel trailer. The driver of the Ford F250 and fifth wheel was outside the vehicle when the trailer was struck.

    The driver and of the Ford 250 truck, a 65-year-old man of Valley suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to hospital by EHS LifeFlight. The passenger of the Ford 250 truck, a 65-year-old woman of Valley, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at the scene. The driver of the Ford F150 truck, a 41-year-old woman, and passenger, a 59-year-old woman, both of Ontario suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at the scene. The driver and sole occupant of the Nissan Rogue, a 69-year-old woman of Donkin was transported by EHS with minor injuries.

    The investigation is ongoing and is being led by Cumberland County District RCMP, with assistance of RCMP Collision Analysis and Reconstruction.

    Anyone with information about the collision or who may have dash cam footage is asked to contact Cumberland County District RCMP at 902-667-3859. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    Hwy. 104 was closed for a period of time while RCMP Collision Analysis and Reconstruction completed their work.

    Note: On Monday, the collision was reported to have involved a tractor-trailer. The trailer involved has since been confirmed to be a fifth wheel.

    File #: 2025-799700

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Crime and Policing Bill: government amendments for committee and report stage

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    Crime and Policing Bill: government amendments for committee and report stage

    Correspondence relating to the Crime and Policing Bill, which was introduced in the House of Commons on 25 February 2025.

    Documents

    Letter from Minister Johnson to Matt Vickers MP detailing government amendments for report stage: 10 June 2025 (accessible)

    HTML

    Letter from Minister Johnson to Matt Vickers MP detailing government amendments for report stage: 10 June 2025

    PDF, 350 KB, 12 pages

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    Request an accessible format.
    If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

    Letter from Ministers Johnson and Davies-Jones to Public Bill Committee detailing government amendments for committee stage: 25 April 2025 (accessible)

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to UK Ministry of Defence’s expression of concern over cross-strait peace and stability in Strategic Defence Review

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    MOFA response to UK Ministry of Defence’s expression of concern over cross-strait peace and stability in Strategic Defence Review

    Date：2025-06-03
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    June 3, 2025  

    On June 2, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) of the United Kingdom published its Strategic Defence Review, which stressed that the Indo-Pacific was strategically important to the United Kingdom and that growing Chinese assertiveness was a key driver of regional and global instability. The report also emphasized that China’s military exercises around Taiwan risked dangerous escalation in the Taiwan Strait and that its aggressive actions were fueling tension in the South China Sea. Moreover, the review stated that the MOD would continue strengthening regional partnerships and protecting freedom of navigation so as to further defend and shape international rules and norms. 
     
    At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, Admiral Tony Radakin, UK Chief of the Defence Staff, publicly stated that upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the principles of freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific mattered greatly to the United Kingdom. He added that Royal Navy ships had therefore been exercising the right of freedom of navigation in the region, including in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. The fact the MOD’s Strategic Defence Review once again expressed grave concern over the Taiwan Strait and clear opposition to China’s provocative military actions demonstrates the United Kingdom’s consistent stance regarding the need to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly affirms and appreciates the UK statements. 
     
    The United Kingdom, a like-minded partner, shares with Taiwan such universal values as democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. It also plays a key role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan will continue to engage in close cooperation with the United Kingdom and other democratic countries, taking concrete action to uphold peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, defend the rules-based international order, and jointly advance security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and throughout the world. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Govt rejects slanderous remarks

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition against the slanderous remarks made by some Western countries, anti-China organisations and anti-China politicians regarding the case of Joshua Wong involving the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and the Hong Kong SAR’s work on safeguarding national security.

    The Hong Kong SAR Government said as the legal proceedings of the case involving Joshua Wong are still ongoing, it is inappropriate for any person to comment on the details of the case.

    The Hong Kong SAR Government strongly urges these Western countries, anti-China organisations and anti-China politicians to immediately stop interfering in the Hong Kong SAR’s internal affairs and the independent exercise of judicial power by the courts.

    The Hong Kong SAR law enforcement agencies have been taking law enforcement actions based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law in respect of the acts of the people or entities concerned, and have nothing to do with their political stance, background or occupation.

    The Department of Justice is in charge of criminal prosecutions under the Basic Law, with all its prosecutorial decisions made on an objective analysis of all admissible evidence and applicable laws.

    The Judiciary exercises judicial power independently in accordance with the law, and everyone charged with a criminal offence will receive a fair trial strictly. The courts decide cases strictly in accordance with the evidence and all applicable laws. Cases will never be handled any differently owing to the profession, political beliefs or backgrounds of the people involved. The prosecution has the burden to prove beyond reasonable doubt the commission of an offence before a defendant may be convicted by the court.

    The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that any attempt by any country, organisation or individual to interfere with the judicial proceedings in the Hong Kong SAR by means of political power, thereby resulting in a defendant not being able to have a fair trial that one should receive, is a reprehensible act undermining the rule of law and should be condemned.

    The Hong Kong SAR Government is appalled by irresponsible remarks of some countries, organisations or individuals that seemed to suggest that people with certain political beliefs should be immune to legal sanctions, or even call for release of suspects who have been arrested by the Hong Kong SAR law enforcement agencies in accordance with the law.

    Moreover, it elucidated that it will, as always, resolutely, fully and faithfully implement the HKNSL, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and other relevant laws safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong SAR, to effectively prevent, suppress and impose punishment for acts and activities endangering national security in accordance with the law.

    The Hong Kong SAR Government added that it will uphold the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people in accordance with the law, so as to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of the principle of “one country, two systems”.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: June 10th, 2025 Ranking Member Martin Heinrich Statement on Trump Administration’s Attack on America’s National Monuments, Undermining the Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement in response to an opinion issued by the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice asserting that Presidents can modify or revoke national monument designations made using the Antiquities Act of 1906. This position contradicts long-held views of the Justice Department dating back to 1938. 

    “At Donald Trump’s order, his Justice Department is attempting to clear a path to erase national monuments.   

    “Here’s what they don’t understand: Our national monuments are about who we are. They tell the story of our ancestors, support jobs and our rural economies, and connect Americans to our history and the land itself. No president can erase that. 

    “I will oppose any attempt by President Trump or Congressional Republicans to rip away our national monuments, using this outrageous path or otherwise. We’re ready to fight back — and we won’t back down.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Chair Battistel of French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group

    Date：2025-06-09
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    June 9, 2025  
    No. 204  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on June 9 to welcome a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, Chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. He extended appreciation to the French Parliament for its staunch support and close friendship with Taiwan.
     
    In his speech, Minister Lin congratulated Ms. Battistel on her election as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group earlier this year and thanked the French Parliament for its long-standing and cross-party support of Taiwan, including the overwhelming endorsement in a resolution in 2021 supporting Taiwan’s international participation, the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023 supporting freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait, and its enthusiastic response to sending a joint letter to the director-general of the World Health Organization in May backing Taiwan’s bid. Minister Lin noted that Europe’s support for Taiwan was crucial, that Taiwan-France relations continued to grow and thrive, and that there was great potential to deepen collaboration between Taiwan and France in key technological domains and innovative industries. He expressed hope that the two sides would further contribute to global prosperity and development through closer exchanges and cooperation in the future.
     
    In her speech, Chair Battistel said that she was honored to serve as chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and emphasized that she would continue to lead the group in its steadfast support of Taiwan, in line with French values and global common interests. She indicated that China’s threats and attempts to suppress Taiwan had had wide-ranging impacts on the world and urged democratic countries to jointly support Taiwan. She added that she believed Taiwan’s participation in international organizations was pivotal and that the entire international community stood to benefit from Taiwan’s knowledge and experience.
     
    This is the second delegation from the French National Assembly to visit Taiwan this year, following a visit in May by Guillaume Kasbarian, former French Minister of Civil Service and member of the National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. 
     
    At the invitation of Minister Lin, Professor Lee Hahn-ming of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, along with Wu Min-hsuan, CEO of Doublethink Lab, attended the luncheon and exchanged views with the delegation on such issues as how Taiwan and France could jointly cope with the use of artificial intelligence by foreign forces to manipulate information. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Connecticut Child Sex Offender Sentenced To 30 Years In Federal Prison For Attempted Child Enticement

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Andrew Thomas Bull (37, Tolland, CT), a/k/a Andrew Thomas Picard, to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing photos of her own sexual abuse. The court also ordered Bull to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and forfeit the electronic device that he used to commit this offense. Bull is a convicted sex offender who was convicted of importation and possession of child pornography in Connecticut in 2013, and was on court-ordered probation when he was arrested on May 25, 2023. Bull was detained and transported to Jacksonville. He pleaded guilty on February 18, 2025.  

    According to court documents, on November 15, 2022, an FBI agent (UC) in the Jacksonville area was conducting an online undercover operation to identify adults seeking to meet and engage in sexual activity with children. The UC posted a text message in a public chat room on a social media application (app) indicating that the UC had access to an 11-year-old “child.” Later that same day, user “brdr1066,” subsequently identified as Bull, contacted the UC directly using the private online text messaging feature of the app. Bull asked the UC to confirm the age and sexual experience of the “child.” Bull sent the UC explicit photos of himself to show to the “child.” Between November 2022 and May 2023, during text conversations on the app, Bull confirmed his desire to have sex with the “child,” and he sent the UC photos depicting young children being sexually abused. He solicited the UC to take and send to Bull pornographic photos of the “child,” and directed the UC as to how the UC could accomplish this. On May 9, 2023, Bull asked the UC, “do i get live pics tonight? / before she goes to bed hopefully / you ask to see her [genitalia] yet?”

    On May 25, 2023, FBI agents arrested Bull and executed a federal search warrant at his residence. A search of Bull’s cellphone revealed that it contained at least 15 videos and 40 photos depicting children being sexually abused, including an infant. 

    “Protecting kids from predators is among the most important work that we do at the FBI,” said Jason Carley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “Let this case be a warning – the FBI is relentless in our efforts to identify and stop child predators from abusing our kids.”          

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and New Haven, Connecticut. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys D. Rodney Brown and Kelly S. Milliron.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Doctor at L5 Pain Clinic Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison, Ordered to Pay $35,000 Fine and $200,000 in Forfeiture

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ROANOKE, Va. – A former doctor, who concealed health care fraud and prescribed highly-addictive opioid painkillers to at-risk patients at pain clinics in Central and Southwest Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 40 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $200,000 in forfeiture and a $35,000 fine.

    Duane Dixon, 66, of Bedford, Massachusetts, pled guilty in 2023 to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and other opioids without a legitimate medical purpose and failing to report a pattern of health care fraud at clinics operated by L5 Medical Holdings—an LLC which was doing business as Pain Care Center, a line of pain clinics that formerly operated in Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg.

    Dixon agreed as part of his plea agreement to surrender his medical licenses and to never practice medicine again.

    “Duane Dixon prioritized profit over patient care,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “Our nation is fighting an opioid epidemic on a scale we have never seen and doctors like this, who take advantage of the addictions of others for their own greed, must be held accountable.”

    “We will not tolerate anyone who abuses their position and betrays the trust of American citizens by exploiting their vulnerabilities. Dr. Dixon clearly showed a lack of respect for human life, as his reckless and fraudulent practices prioritize profits over the delicate lives of others. Our team is dedicated to the safety and well-being of all individuals across the nation. This commitment includes ensuring that licensed professionals adhere to the law and report any hazardous conduct,” DEA Washington Division Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian said.

    “This doctor betrayed his oath, exploited vulnerable Virginians, and pumped dangerous opioids into our neighborhoods, fueling addiction and tearing families apart. His selfish, reckless scheme contributed to the opioid epidemic and left entire communities to deal with the devastating consequences. Virginia’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will continue to aggressively pursue any healthcare provider who abandons their oath, preys on vulnerable patients, and fuels addiction for profit,” said Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.

    “The defendant’s illegal prescribing practices and violation of public trust endangered patients and took advantage of the addiction of others, all for personal gain,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Philadelphia Regional Office. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure individuals involved in schemes that threaten patient safety and target our most vulnerable populations are held accountable.”

    According to testimony and court documents, Dixon pre-signed dozens of blank prescriptions over several years at L5.  With Dixon’s knowledge, staff filled out the prescriptions for Schedule II opioids, including fentanyl and oxycodone, and distributed them to patients who had not seen a qualified medical provider.  Dixon admitted to agents that, shortly after starting work at L5, a local pharmacist said he was a “pill pusher” and L5 was a “pill mill,” and some pharmacies refused to fill his prescriptions.

    As part of his guilty pleas, Dixon agreed he facilitated illegal distribution of Suboxone by other medical providers who lacked the authority to prescribe the drug.  Dixon did so by sharing his unique identification number, which is necessary to prescribe controlled substances, with those unqualified providers for them to use when relaying prescriptions to pharmacists.

    Additionally, to obtain insurance payments, Dixon acknowledged in interviews and court filings he approved and signed patient files for patients he had not actually treated.

    The other doctor whose records Dixon falsified—former Dr. Wendell Lewis Randall—was sentenced in March 2024 to 18 months in prison for his role and was known to Dixon and others within L5 to issue medically illegitimate prescriptions.  In a recorded interview played at sentencing, Dixon stated Randall’s patient file notes were “lousy,” did not “justify[] why” Randall “was giving the pain medications,” and would have been insufficient even for a medical student.

    In addition to Dixon and Randall, five others have pled guilty in connection with drug or fraud crimes at L5 between 2015 and 2020. Charles Wilson Adams, Jr.—falsely held out by L5 as a trained medical professional—was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in 2022.  Nurse practitioner Debra Shaffer received jailtime and a fine in 2023.

    L5 owner John Gregory Barnes, former COO Jennifer Adams, and L5 itself have also pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing later this year.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.

    Assistant United States Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason Scheff and Special Assistant United States Attorney and Assistant Attorney General Janine Myatt prosecuted the case for the United States. 

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Belgium: Independent UN body finds systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    Download logo

    The UN International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement called on Belgium to take concrete steps to address the legacies of its colonial past and fight what it said was widespread, systematic racism that still permeates the nation today.

    The call came on the final day of a 10-day visit that began 2 June. Experts Tracie Keesee and Victor Rodriguez visited Brussels, Namur, Charleroi, Antwerp, and Mechelen.

    “Community members told us that they want to be treated as humans, that nothing has changed and nothing is changing, that diversions and political complexities are used to keep from committing to true change,” said Keesee. “They also explained the great work they do within their communities and expressed their commitment to work with the authorities to bring about meaningful change.”

    The experts recognized several good practices; for instance, the existence of a specialized police watchdog outside of the executive power and a centralised internal police control body, as well as the grants to some civil society organizations working to combat racism. “These practices can serve as a model for other States,” Rodriguez said.

    However, the experts concluded that Africans and people of African descent, as well as other persons perceived as “foreigners” – including Belgian nationals and persons born in Belgium – face systemic racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

    “Systemic racism permeates all sectors of society, including in law enforcement and the criminal justice system,” said Keesee. “It is a legacy of enslavement and colonialism, whose long-lasting impacts continue to be felt today. Belgium must continue to take concrete steps towards reparatory justice by confronting the legacies of its history, with the effective participation of affected communities.”

    The Mechanism heard testimonies of racial profiling and of excessive use of force by the police against Africans and people of African descent, including against children. “These cases are a clear illustration of systemic racism against these communities, which severely impacts trust in law enforcement institutions,” Rodriguez said.

    The Mechanism also witnessed very good community policing practices, which it said should be expanded and strengthened. “We visited police zones that have wonderful practices to bring the police closer to the population and vice versa, including programmes that encourage racialized and vulnerable young people to join the police, something that is lacking in Belgium,” Keesee said.

    The experts emphasized how the challenging and stressful nature of law enforcement work directly affects the mental health and well-being of officers, and how this can impact the way they perform their duty and their interactions with the communities they serve. “Peer support groups, and mental health resources should be readily available in support of officers,” Keesee said.

    The Mechanism also addressed overcrowding in prisons with disproportionate incarceration of Africans, people of African descent, and people of foreign origin. It noted the use of prisons for administrative migration detention and as mental health detention facilities.

    The experts thanked the Government for its invitation and for the smooth cooperation in organizing the visit. They also thanked all institutions and stakeholders who met with them and provided valuable information.

    During their visit, members of the Mechanism met with a wide range of governmental stakeholders, including police departments, federal and regional ministries and authorities, city authorities, and other specialized organs, including the Standing Commission of the Local Police, the Committee P, and the General Inspectorate of the Federal and Local Police.

    The experts also met human rights institutions, including Unia, the Flemish Institute of Human Rights, and the Federal Institute of Human Rights, and visited the Museum of Central Africa in Tervuren and the memorial museum of Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen. They also visited the administrative detention centre for migrants “Caricole,” the Namur prison, and the local police zones of PolBru and BruWest, in Brussels.

    The Mechanism shared its preliminary observations and recommendations with the Belgian Government earlier today. The full findings of its visit will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council at its 60th session in September/October 2025.

    – on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 12, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Velázquez Leads NY House Democrats in Urging Passage of New York for All Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) led nine members of New York’s Congressional delegation in a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie urging the immediate passage of the New York for All Act. The legislation would prohibit collaboration between local and state government agencies and federal immigration enforcement, helping to protect immigrant families in New York from Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

    “As members of New York’s Congressional Delegation, we believe that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, must be able to participate in their communities, provide for their families, and access critical support without intimidation,” the lawmakers wrote.

    In the letter, the lawmakers urge state leaders to protect immigrant communities in New York in the face of a nationwide immigration crackdown and increasingly aggressive tactics by the Trump administration.

    “We cannot stand idly by while our constituents and colleagues are ensnared by the Trump Administration’s mass deportation dragnet,” the lawmakers continued. “New York must be clear that it will establish critical guardrails to prevent local and state resources from being used for Trump’s mass deportation agenda.”

    The New York for All Act would ensure that no New Yorker has to fear detention or deportation when accessing essential services, working with local government, or interacting with law enforcement. It does not prohibit ICE from enforcing federal law, nor does it limit local police from addressing criminal matters—it simply ensures New York’s resources are not diverted for federal deportation operations.

    “We urge the New York State Legislature to reject Trump’s efforts to scapegoat our most vulnerable neighbors as a pretense for dismantling our core democratic institutions,” the lawmakers concluded.

    In addition to Rep. Velázquez, the letter was signed by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), George Latimer (NY-16), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Yvette Clarke (NY-11), Grace Meng (NY-06), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15).

    For a full copy of the letter, click here.

    We are deeply thankful for today’s call by Congresswoman Velázquez and eight additional members of the New York Congressional delegation for standing with us in imploring our state legislature to pass the New York for All Act now to protect New Yorkers from Trump’s mass deportation agenda,” said Linda Flor Brito, Senior Policy and Campaigns Organizer with the Immigrant Defense Project. “ICE entanglement with state and local agencies enables the separation of families, and further perpetuates a cruel double punishment of New Yorkers who are funneled from state prison sentences to ICE. To stop being complicit in this suffering, the legislature must pass New York for All – today – to create meaningful safety for all.”

     

    “We thank Congressmember Velázquez and her New York colleagues for urging State lawmakers to pass the New York for All Act before session ends,” said Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Immigration Policy Director at The Bronx Defenders. “As public defenders who helped build the nation’s first immigrant defense program in New York City, we know that disentangling local law enforcement from ICE builds trust and makes all New Yorkers safer. It’s time for New York to lead with dignity and stand against the Trump-era playbook of fear and disappearance.”

     

    Rosie Wang, program manager at the Vera Institute of Justice’s Advancing Universal Representation initiative, said: “We applaud the members of the New York Congressional delegation who have shown up for immigrant communities and urged state leadership to swiftly pass the New York for All Act. New York for All would prevent state and local resources from being diverted to assist cruel and escalating federal immigration enforcement. These resources should be invested in strengthening our communities and keeping families safe, rather than tearing them apart. This legislation has never been so urgently needed, and time is running out to protect New York families and preserve trust in state and local institutions. New York State must pass New York for All now, before this legislative window closes, to take this critically needed step in defense of our values and immigrant communities.” 

     

    “Leaders can’t just let the Trump administration wreak havoc on New York’s immigrant communities — the New York For All Act must pass now,” said Zach Ahmad, Senior Policy Counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union. “Between raiding workplaces, detaining children, and busting down people’s doors without a warrant, this anti-immigrant administration is hellbent on terrorizing New York’s immigrant communities. The Congressional leaders supporting New York 4 All are spot on: New Yorkers deserve to feel safe and protected — not watch the very people who are elected to keep them safe prioritize political interests over their wellbeing.”

     

    Luba Cortes, Civil Rights and Immigration Lead Organizer at Make the Road New York, said, “In a climate of unprecedented ICE enforcement, and the administration’s reckless abuse of power to carry out its mass deportation agenda, state officials must take strong measures to ensure that our immigrant neighbors are safe. We thank the members of the New York Congressional Delegation for showing tremendous leadership by urging state lawmakers to pass the New York for All before the end of the legislative session. All New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, should be able to go to school, work, church, and the hospital without fear that any interaction with law enforcement could lead to them being ripped away from their loved ones and funneled into deportation proceedings.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 12, 2025
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