NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stephenville — Man arrested by Bay St. George RCMP for unlawful confinement and assault

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Bay St. George RCMP arrested 36-year-old Randolph Perrier for unlawful confinement, assault and other offences on April 13, 2025.

    Shortly before 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, Bay St. George RCMP received a report of a residential disturbance at a home in Stephenville. A man was being held against his will by another man who was in possession of a weapon. Police attended the home where Perrier was arrested without further incident.

    Perrier attended court on Sunday and was remanded into custody. He is charged with the following criminal offences:

    • Assault with a weapon
    • Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
    • Forcible confinement
    • Fail to comply with release order

    He is due to appear in court today. The investigation is ongoing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Sentenced to More than Seven Years for Hobbs Act Robbery Conspiracy and Using a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A Texas man was sentenced last week to seven years and 10 months in prison for conspiring with four co-defendants to commit a Hobbs Act robbery and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

    According to court documents, Harry Keith Dwyan Goffney, 23, of Houston, conspired to rob a semi-truck trailer, which he believed contained approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine and 400 firearms. When Goffney and co-conspirators approached the trailer, armed with firearms, they were caught on surveillance camera wearing masks and gloves. Goffney and two co-defendants opened the trailer but did not find the cocaine and firearms, so they left.

    Co-defendant Tracy Lee Stevenson, 31, of Houston, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI Houston Field Office investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Sarah J. Rasalam and Justin G. Bish of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Calls on Congressional Leaders to Pass Law Prohibiting PBMs from Owning or Operating Pharmacies

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Bipartisan coalition of attorneys general writes that federal action is needed to protect consumers and small businesses

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general in urging the leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to enact a law that prohibits Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), their parent companies, or affiliates from owning or operating pharmacies. Created in the late 1960s to process claims for drug companies, PBMs were supposed to help consumers access low-cost pharmaceutical care through negotiated volume-pricing discounts, generic substitution, manufacturer rebates, and other tools. However, the attorneys general write, PBMs have overtaken the market and now wield outsized power to reap massive profits at the expense of consumers and local community pharmacies. In particular, PBMs’ use of affiliated pharmacies — pharmacies owned by either the PBM itself or the PBM’s parent company — has exacerbated the problem of manipulated prices, the growth of pharmacy deserts, and the unavailability of certain prescription medications. 

    “PBMs’ priority is not consumers, but rather their own bottom line. They must be reined in,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Drug prices have skyrocketed in recent years, and PBMs have exacerbated the problem. To protect consumers and small businesses, we need more competition — not less — in the marketplace. A federal law prohibiting PBMs, and their parent companies or affiliates, from owning or operating pharmacies is long overdue, and I’m proud to be part of a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general that is calling on Congressional leadership to make it a reality.”

    In the letter, the attorneys general emphasize that:

    • Over the past few decades, horizontal consolidation and vertical integration have transformed PBMs from useful administrative service providers into market-dominating behemoths that control the industry. Horizontal consolidation here is the merger of competing PBMs and vertical consolidation here is the acquisition of pharmacies by PBMs at the expense of competitors of those PBMs and pharmacies.
    • The three largest PBMs — CVS Caremark, Optum Rx, and Express Scripts — process 80% of the nation’s prescriptions and bring in 70% of the specialty drug revenue. Furthermore, each of the top six PBMs operate their own affiliated pharmacies, while five of the top six are also a part of parent conglomerates that operate insurance companies and health care clinics.
    • In addition to owning pharmacies, PBMs also contract with non-affiliated pharmacies, including independent pharmacies, to create pharmacy networks that control where their members can get their drugs and at what prices. This creates the situation where the PBMs — through ownership of affiliated pharmacies — are contracting with and have power over their own pharmacies’ competition. The PBMs then use their place as middlemen to exert this power in ways that harm independent pharmacies, forcing these small businesses to accept contractual terms that are “confusing, unfair, arbitrary, and harmful” and ultimately causing them to go out of business.
    • Over the course of the last decade, approximately 10% of rural independent pharmacies in the United States have closed. The closure of independent pharmacies, and the community services they provide, is felt strongly by consumers — especially those in rural or otherwise underserved areas who are left with dwindling access to retail pharmacies that are ever farther away.

    In sending today’s letter, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

    A copy of the letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shapiro Administration Reaches Major Milestone in Construction of New Pennsylvania State Police Academy

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 11, 2025 – Hershey, PA

    Shapiro Administration Reaches Major Milestone in Construction of New Pennsylvania State Police Academy

    The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and Department of General Services (DGS) celebrated a milestone in the modernization of PSP’s 65-year-old training facilities. A “topping out” ceremony marked the placement of the final steel beam atop the structural frame of the Marquee Building, the centerpiece of the new Pennsylvania State Police Academy. Construction so far is on time and on budget.

    “Every step of this project brings us closer to providing our cadets with a world-class training facility that meets all their needs for success,” said PSP Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris. “The Pennsylvania State Police Academy is the nation’s best police academy, producing our country’s finest law enforcement officers. These new facilities ensure we continue to attract recruits of the highest caliber and prepare them for 21st-century policing in the best possible environment.”

    List of Speakers:
    Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris
    Brian Law, Wilson construction
    Carrie Moore, Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Wyden, Gillibrand Press Social Security Commissioner on Benefit Portal Malfunctions, Planned Firings of SSA Tech Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    April 14, 2025
    Lawmakers send letter amidst widespread website outages, benefit disruptions
    “We are concerned these cuts will lead to further website and benefit disruptions, preventing tens of millions of Americans from accessing their hard-earned Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – Senate Banking Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Senate Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Senate Special Committee on Aging Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), wrote to Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek with concerns about ongoing issues with the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) website and reported plans to worsen the situation by firing up to 50 percent of employees from the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). 
    OCIO is responsible for maintaining the agency’s benefit claims processing systems, managing SSA.gov and SSA’s online benefits portal, and protecting Social Security recipients’ sensitive information. In February, the agency announced plans to reduce its workforce by over 12 percent. Hundreds more staff firings will happen at OCIO, which has been directed to cut half of its staff. These cuts are expected to worsen the ongoing issues with SSA’s website and online portals.
    On March 27, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order stripping federal employees—including those at OCIO—of their bargaining rights, which would make it easier for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to fire OCIO staff and replace them with employees “more amenable to doing what (DOGE) want(s) to do.” 
    “(T)hese actions are dangerous for SSA—OCIO employees are the ones who know SSA’s programming language and…administration and oversight of the agency’s anti-fraud software, which DOGE has been tampering with,” wrote the lawmakers. 
    The senators emphasized that these firings will exacerbate the agency’s ongoing website issues, including recipients being incorrectly labeled as “not receiving payments” and losing access to their account histories. Senator Warren, along with Senators Wyden (D-Ore.) and Kelly (D-Ariz.), sent a letter to Dudek on April 7, 2025, demanding an explanation for their constituents’ reports of these disruptions, but the agency has not responded.
    “It is unsurprising that weeks after you allowed DOGE to invade SSA, improperly access SSA data, and announce closures of Social Security offices, our constituents began having problems accessing their benefits…We are concerned that these recurring issues will impact the benefits of our constituents—many of whom rely on Social Security to pay rent or put food on the table,” wrote the lawmakers. 
    The cuts to the agency also expose SSA to system vulnerabilities, risking Americans’ data to hackers and foreign agents seeking to obtain private information. In addition to the dozens of senior SSA officials with centuries’ worth of experience who have resigned or retired, SSA’s entire cybersecurity leadership was also part of the exodus.
    “Leaving Americans’ most sensitive information unguarded places immeasurable financial and economic harm on our most vulnerable…We ask that you immediately cease all OCIO firings and act swiftly to restore SSA system and website functionality to prevent any further disruption of…benefits,” concluded the lawmakers. 
    The senators asked Dudek to provide clarity on the impact of cuts to OCIO, DOGE’s role in the firings, and the Acting Commissioner’s plan to ensure technical knowledge of internal systems are not lost during work force reductions. 
    The letter is the latest oversight push from Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room, a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From trauma to anxiety and depression, how online sexual harassment can seriously harm victims’ mental health

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Freya O’Brien, Senior Lecturer in Policing, Liverpool John Moores University

    dean bertoncelj/Shutterstock

    In today’s hyperconnected world, where much of our social and professional lives plays out online, the digital realm should feel safe and respectful. But for many, particularly women, young boys and marginalised groups, that’s far from reality. Cyber-sexual harassment is a growing and deeply harmful issue that demands greater awareness and action.

    Cyber-sexual harassment describes a wide range of unwanted or abusive sexual behaviour online. Gender harassment includes offensive messages, images, or memes targeting someone’s gender, often without direct sexual content – but still deeply degrading. Unwanted sexual attention online can take the form of unsolicited sexting or cyberflashing – sending sexually explicit images to another person without their consent.



    Read more:
    Cyberflashing is a form of gendered sexual violence that must be taken seriously

    Sexual coercion is using threats, blackmail or emotional manipulation to force someone into sharing intimate content or engaging in sexual behaviour online. A growing concern is sextortion – where victims are blackmailed with private images, often under, sometimes unbearable, pressure.

    According to UK police data, an average of 117 sextortion cases involving children were reported monthly between January and May 2024. The Internet Watch Foundation even found children as young as 11 being targeted.

    Terrible toll

    Cyber-sexual harassment isn’t just invasive – it’s damaging. Our study builds on clinical psychologist Marvin Iroegbu’s doctoral research on the relationship between cyber-sexual harassment and psychological difficulties in women. We found that women who experienced online sexual harassment reported significantly poorer mental health than those who hadn’t. Anxiety, depression, trauma and poor body image were all more likely. Our research suggests that this may stem from increased self-objectification and a heightened focus on physical appearance due to being targeted.

    Government research shows that women experience online abuse more frequently – and more severely – than men. Unwanted images, comments and messages are just the beginning. And the impact starts young. Studies highlight the psychological toll on both children and adults, noting that unexpected, anonymous and rapid abuse can leave victims feeling fearful, powerless, deeply ashamed and with low self-esteem.

    Our research also found that younger women and those with large social media followings are more frequently targeted for cyber-sexual harassment. This may be due to greater online visibility or time spent on platforms. Our study also found that women in newer or no romantic relationships reported higher levels of harassment.

    There’s also a clear link between online and offline abuse. Victims of cyber-sexual harassment were more likely to report in-person harassment too. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality, online abuse often mirrors and extends to real-world gender-based violence.

    Unequal burden

    Cyber-sexual harassment disproportionately affects LGBT+ people and ethnic minorities. LGBT+ people often face sexualised threats, non-consensual outing and image-based abuse. People from ethnic minorities, meanwhile, are often subjected to racially charged sexual abuse, combining racism and misogyny.

    Research into how cyber-sexual harassment affects these groups is still lacking, however. Many national cybercrime studies fail to include data on race, gender identity, or sexual orientation – making it harder to advocate for targeted support.

    While the Online Safety Bill now allows for prosecution of offences such as cyberflashing – with recent convictions in some cases leading to prison sentences for the offender – many victims still don’t report abuse. Barriers include frustrating reporting systems, victim-blaming, and the perception among victims that their complaints won’t be taken seriously.

    New legislation should be assessed to see whether it sufficiently supports victims, encourages reporting, leads to convictions and deters perpetrators.

    Many charities and organisations now provide support for online abuse victims – but more needs to be done. Mental health professionals are encouraged to consider online experiences as part of their patient assessments. Meanwhile, research like ours explores how different types of cyber-sexual harassment – such as the frequency or content of explicit messages – affect people differently.

    One thing is clear: cyber-sexual harassment is intrusive, traumatic and rooted in a lack of respect for consent. Cyberflashing and other forms of online sexual abuse are not harmless jokes. They’re violations. And no one should have to deal with them in silence.

    Freya O’Brien does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. From trauma to anxiety and depression, how online sexual harassment can seriously harm victims’ mental health – https://theconversation.com/from-trauma-to-anxiety-and-depression-how-online-sexual-harassment-can-seriously-harm-victims-mental-health-226531

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Celebrating Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 14, 2025

    The Government of Saskatchewan is proclaiming April 13-19, 2025, as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This week is dedicated to celebrating and recognizing the hard work and commitment of 9-1-1 call takers, dispatchers and technicians across the province.

    “Telecommunicators are essential in saving lives,” Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod said. “They ensure that the information you provide during a 9-1-1 call is accurately relayed to the emergency personnel who are coming to your aid. We recognize and appreciate their vital role in keeping our citizens safe.”

    This week is an opportunity to acknowledge and express gratitude to those who devote their lives to serving the public.

    In Saskatchewan, 9-1-1 calls are taken by highly trained professional staff in Regina, Saskatoon and near Prince Albert. These telecommunicators received over 570,000 calls in 2024. 

    The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) provides monitoring and dispatching services across the province. The SPSA works with volunteer and professional first responders, as well as provincial and municipal government ministries and agencies to support public safety, protection and enforcement. 

    National Public Safety Telecommunicators week is observed annually during the second full week of April. 

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Honduran man extradited to US for alleged role in international drug smuggling conspiracy

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WASHINGTON — A Honduran man was extradited to the United States April 11 for his alleged involvement in a drug smuggling conspiracy, following extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Honduran law enforcement authorities.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune made the announcement.

    Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado, 39, allegedly conspired to transport approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine from Honduras to the U.S. on a vessel attempting to illegally bring 23 Honduran nationals into the country. This operation was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard in February 2022, about 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana after the vessel, M/V Pop, developed engine trouble.

    According to court documents, Velasquez Maldonado was tasked with ensuring the cocaine was safely transported on the M/V Pop, which set sail from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana. When he was apprehended, Velasquez Maldonado allegedly pretended to be an undocumented immigrant aiming to stay in the U.S. to avoid prosecution.

    Velasquez Maldonado is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. He made his initial court appearance in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

    If convicted, Velasquez Maldonado faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    His co-defendants, Carl Allison, 47, Darrel Martinez, 41, and Josue Flores-Villeda, 37, previously pleaded guilty to associated charges in 2023. Lenord Cooper, 40, admitted to aiding in the unlawful entry of aliens into the U.S. and attempting to do so for financial gain. Hennessy Devon Cooper Zelaya, 29, and Rudy Jackson Hernandez, 38, were also convicted after trial of aiding in the unlawful entry of aliens into the U.S. and attempting to do so for financial gain.

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

    The investigation and extradition of Velasquez Maldonado was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the attorney general with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 315 U.S. convictions; more than 260 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

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

    ICE HSI Houma, Louisiana investigated the case, with assistance from ICE HSI Pittsburgh, ICE HSI Atlanta and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The ICE HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance, in addition to the substantial assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training in Honduras.

    Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice of the General Crimes Unit for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Truro Homicide Case Added to Rewards Program

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    The Province is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the homicide of 23-year-old Zachery Vaughan Kellock.

    On January 16, 2024, police responded to a report of a missing person who was last seen at an address on Millbrook First Nation. The investigation has led police to believe that criminality was involved in Mr. Kellock’s disappearance. His body has not been recovered, and charges have not been laid.

    “Someone may have the missing piece that investigators need,” said Becky Druhan, Attorney General and Minister of Justice. “I urge anyone with details about what happened to Mr. Kellock to contact the rewards program and help bring justice and closure for his family, friends and loved ones.”

    Anyone with information regarding this crime should call the Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program at 1-888-710-9090. People who come forward must provide their name and contact information, and they may be called to testify in court. All calls will be recorded.

    People who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers of Nova Scotia at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

    Quick Facts:

    • the Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program is an additional tool to help police in major unsolved crime cases
    • the reward amount will be based on the investigative value of the information provided
    • including this case, there are now 120 active cases in the program
    • employees of law enforcement and correctional agencies are not eligible to collect this reward

    Additional Resources:

    A photo of Mr. Kellock is available at: https://novascotia.ca/just/Public_Safety/Rewards/case_detail_zachery_vaughan_kellock.asp

    Cases under the Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program are listed at: https://novascotia.ca/just/Public_Safety/Rewards

    RCMP release, April 11, 2025 – RCMP continues to seek tips on the 2024 disappearance of Zachery Kellock: https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2025/rcmp-continues-seek-tips-2024-disappearance-zachery-kellock

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alford Leads Bicameral Letter to USDA, HHS, EPA: MAHA Commission Stance on Crop Protection Tools Would Hurt America’s Food System

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)

    Today, Congressmen Mark Alford (R-MO-04) and Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), along with Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), led a bicameral group of colleagues in sending a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. In the letter, the members call for the use of sound science and risk-based analysis as the MAHA Commission finalizes its work, particularly on crop protection tools and food-grade ingredients. The letter states:

    “We write to express our strong appreciation for your leadership and interest in working with each of you to ensure America has the healthiest people in the world. In recent decades, chronic illness rates have risen. This warrants our careful scrutiny to support better health outcomes. It is essential that policies supported by sound science and risk-based analyses are used to accomplish this goal.”

    “We have concerns that environmentalists are advancing harmful health, economic, or food security policies under the guise of human health,” the letter continues. “Despite insinuations to the contrary, regular testing by FDA and USDA finds that more than 99% of all pesticide residues meet extremely conservative limits established by EPA according to the best available science.”

    In addition to Congressmen Alford and Feenstra, the letter was also signed by Reps. Mike Flood (R-NE-01), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA-05), Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Mike Bost (R-IL-12), James Comer (R-KY-01), Troy Downing (R-MT-02), Jake Ellzey (R-TX-06), Gabe Evans (R-CO-08), Mike Ezell (R-MS-04), Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), Mark Alford (R-MO-04), Vince Fong (R-CA-20), Michael Guest (R-MS-03), Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL), David Kustoff (R-TN-08), Darin LaHood (R-IL-16), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), Frank Lucas (R-OK-03), Tracy Mann (R-KS-01), Mark Messmer (R-IN-08), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-01), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mike Rogers (R-AL-03), Derek Schmidt (R-KS-02), Austin Scott (R-GA-08), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN-06), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), David Valadao (R-CA-22), and Ann Wagner (R-MO-02).

    The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jim Justice (R-WV), Jim Risch (R-ID), Todd Young (R-IN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).

    Read the full letter here or below:

    Dear Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Rollins, and Administrator Zeldin:

    We write to express our strong appreciation for your leadership and interest in working with each of you to ensure America has the healthiest people in the world. In recent decades, chronic illness rates have risen. This warrants our careful scrutiny and to support better health outcomes. It is essential that policies supported by sound science and risk-based analyses are used to accomplish this goal.

    We also urge you to safeguard the work of the Make America Healthy Again Commission (Commission) from activist groups promoting misguided and sometimes even malicious policies masquerading as health solutions. The influence of these groups in the Commission would result in shoddy science; a less abundant, less affordable food supply; greater reliance on foreign adversaries for our food; diminished U.S. agricultural production and manufacturing; and, ultimately, poorer health outcomes.

    President Trump recently stated environmental activists were holding the economic prosperity of our country hostage. We now have concerns that they are seeking to influence the work of the Commission to advance their agenda. For decades activist groups have tried to ban safe, well-regulated agricultural inputs by any means necessary. Without these products, yields and quality are negatively impacted by otherwise avoidable insects, fungus, weeds, and other pest pressures. This drives up food prices for American consumers and forces reliance of food imports.

    The same groups have seized upon the Commission’s work as an opportunity to misrepresent the science on common food and feed categories or ingredients, such as plant-based oils. These inputs are subject to a robust, risk-based regulatory system which focuses on protecting human health. Unfounded accusations harm the U.S. farmers who grow our food, upend food and feed supply chains, and significantly increase grocery food prices – all without public health benefit.

    We have concerns that environmentalists are advancing harmful health, economic, or food security policies under the guise of human health. Despite insinuations to the contrary, regular testing by FDA and USDA finds that more than 99% of all pesticide residues meet extremely conservative limits established by EPA according to the best available science.

    We applaud the Commission’s desire to improve the health and well-being of Americans. We implore you to ensure policy decisions are grounded in sound science and risk-based analyses. With unity, we can protect American agricultural producers from environmental activists’ attacks on proven-safe inputs critical to their profitability and long-term viability while promoting positive health outcomes.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: United States Department of Justice Transfers 13 Mexican Nationals with Drug Convictions to Mexico Pursuant to the U.S.-Mexico International Prisoner Transfer Treaty

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs with the assistance of the Department’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) transferred 13 Mexican nationals, serving prison sentences for drug distribution-related convictions in the United States, to their home country on Friday.

    “Friday’s transfer of 13 federal inmates to correctional authorities in Mexico has saved the United States over $3 million by eliminating the need to pay incarceration costs for the 75 years remaining on their combined sentences,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department’s International Prisoner Transfer Program, which is administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, enhances offender rehabilitation, reduces incarceration costs, and relieves overcrowding in federal prisons. The transfer is pursuant to the Treaty between the United States of America and the United Mexican States on the Execution of the Penal Sentences.”

    All 13 inmates transferred today were serving sentences relating to the distribution of controlled substances, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The inmates will complete the remainder of their sentences in Mexico pursuant to the treaty. The inmates requested to be transferred to their home country, and the governments of both the United States and Mexico approved these transfers.

    The U.S. Congress enacted legislation authorizing the International Prisoner Transfer Program in October 1977, which also set the requirements of the transfer program. The United States signed its first transfer treaty with Mexico in 1976, which entered into force in November 1977, and since that time has entered into 10 additional bilateral transfer agreements and two multilateral transfer conventions. These international agreements give the United States transfer treaty relationships with more than 85 countries.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit (IPTU) administers the program. Under the program, approved foreign national inmates in federal and state prisons are permitted, under certain circumstances, to complete their prison terms in their home countries’ prisons.

    This is the 184th such transfer since the treaty entered into force in 1977. The last transfer prior to today, which took place in December 2024, transferred nine inmates to Mexico pursuant to the treaty. To learn more about the International Prisoner Transfer Program, visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-oia/iptu 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maine PUC Observes National Safe Digging Month in April

    Source: US State of Maine

    April 14, 2025

    Hallowell, Maine – The Maine Public Utilities Commission (Commission) is joining other utility regulators, public safety advocates, and industry professionals across the country in recognizing April as National Safe Digging Month. Governor Janet Mills has officially proclaimed April as Safe Digging Month in Maine, urging homeowners, contractors, and excavators to always call 811 before starting any outdoor digging projects.

    Calling 811 before digging can prevent damage to underground utility lines, avoid costly repairs, and most importantly, help keep people safe.

    “The Commission is committed to public safety and urges all residents and businesses to make the call to 811 before digging,” said Philip L. Bartlett II, Chair of the Maine Public Utilities Commission. Safe Digging Month is a reminder that protecting underground infrastructure is a shared responsibility. Taking just a few minutes to contact 811 before digging can prevent accidents and ensure a safer Maine.

    Whether planting a tree, installing a fence, or undertaking major excavation work, calling 811 at least 72 hours in advance is a free and necessary step that helps locate and mark underground utility lines. Striking gas, electric, water, or communication lines can cause serious injuries, service outages, and expensive repairs.

    To ensure a safe and smooth digging process, homeowners should follow these key steps:

    1. Plan Ahead: Determine the scope and location of your project before calling 811.

    2. Call 811 Before You Dig: Contact Dig Safe by dialing 811 at least 72 hours before digging to have underground utilities marked.

    3. Wait for Utility Markings: Professional locators will visit your property to mark underground utility lines using paint or flags. Each color represents a different type of utility.

    4. Respect the Marks: Avoid digging within 18 to 24 inches of marked utility lines to prevent accidental damage.

    5. Dig with Care: Use hand tools when working near utility marks and proceed cautiously.

    6. If You Hit a Utility Line, Stop Immediately: Leave the area and call 911 if there is a gas leak or other hazard.

    Report any damage to the appropriate utility company. Calling 811 before digging is free, required by law, and helps protect both people and infrastructure. For more information about safe digging practices, visit www.DigSafe.com or www.maine.gov/mpuc.

    About the Commission

    The Maine Public Utilities Commission regulates electric, telephone, water and gas utilities to ensure that Maine citizens have access to safe and reliable utility service at rates that are just and reasonable for ratepayers and utilities, while also helping achieve reductions in state greenhouse gas emissions. Commission programs include Maine Enhanced 911 Service and safety programs. Philip L. Bartlett II serves as Chair, Patrick Scully and Carolyn Gilbert serve as Commissioners.

    The Damage Prevention section of the Commission’s Consumer Assistance and Safety Division (CASD) is charged with enforcing Maines underground facilities damage prevention law, called the Dig Safe Law (23 M.R.S. 3360-A). This law is intended to prevent damage to underground utility facilities such as gas lines, water lines, or underground telecommunications and electric cables resulting from excavation.

    Learn more about the Commission at www.maine.gov/mpuc

    CONTACT: Susan Faloon, Media Liaison CELL: 207-557-3704 EMAIL: susan.faloon@maine.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Department of Justice Transfers 13 Mexican Nationals with Drug Convictions to Mexico Pursuant to the U.S.-Mexico International Prisoner Transfer Treaty

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs with the assistance of the Department’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) transferred 13 Mexican nationals, serving prison sentences for drug distribution-related convictions in the United States, to their home country on Friday.

    “Friday’s transfer of 13 federal inmates to correctional authorities in Mexico has saved the United States over $3 million by eliminating the need to pay incarceration costs for the 75 years remaining on their combined sentences,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department’s International Prisoner Transfer Program, which is administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, enhances offender rehabilitation, reduces incarceration costs, and relieves overcrowding in federal prisons. The transfer is pursuant to the Treaty between the United States of America and the United Mexican States on the Execution of the Penal Sentences.”

    All 13 inmates transferred today were serving sentences relating to the distribution of controlled substances, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The inmates will complete the remainder of their sentences in Mexico pursuant to the treaty. The inmates requested to be transferred to their home country, and the governments of both the United States and Mexico approved these transfers.

    The U.S. Congress enacted legislation authorizing the International Prisoner Transfer Program in October 1977, which also set the requirements of the transfer program. The United States signed its first transfer treaty with Mexico in 1976, which entered into force in November 1977, and since that time has entered into 10 additional bilateral transfer agreements and two multilateral transfer conventions. These international agreements give the United States transfer treaty relationships with more than 85 countries.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit (IPTU) administers the program. Under the program, approved foreign national inmates in federal and state prisons are permitted, under certain circumstances, to complete their prison terms in their home countries’ prisons.

    This is the 184th such transfer since the treaty entered into force in 1977. The last transfer prior to today, which took place in December 2024, transferred nine inmates to Mexico pursuant to the treaty. To learn more about the International Prisoner Transfer Program, visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-oia/iptu 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW BERN, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced Friday to 68 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and distribution of a quantity of fentanyl. Nedall Alwan, 30, pled guilty to the charge on January 14, 2025. 

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, in March 2023, the Tarboro Police Department and Edgecombe Sheriff’s Office received information that Alwan, who operated a vape and tobacco store in Tarboro, was involved in the sale of narcotics.  Between March 8 and April 5, 2023, law enforcement made three controlled purchases of “Perc 30” pills from Alwan. The pills contained fentanyl.  On April 6, 2023, law enforcement searched Alwan’s vape and tobacco business. Law Enforcement found 290 “M-30” pills which contained 30 grams of fentanyl, a 9mm rifle and $9,533.00 in U.S. currency.  A 9mm handgun was also found in Alwan’s car, and additional U.S. currency was found at Alwan’s residence.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Enforcement, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tarboro and Rocky Mount Police Departments investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo 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. 4:24-CR-0035.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Muskegon Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Conspirators used the U.S. Postal Service to Mail Kilograms of Cocaine from Texas to Michigan

              LANSING – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge today announced that Srecko Darnell Walker, 35, of Muskegon, has been sentenced to a total of 32 years in federal prison. At sentencing, Chief United States District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou remarked on Walker’s extensive criminal history, which now includes a total of seven drug-related convictions, and instances of criminal dishonesty. Before pronouncing its sentence, the Court told Walker, “You’ve spent most of your life lying. You’ve spent most of your life committing crimes . . . You have earned the sentence that you’re going to get.”

              The Court imposed concurrent terms of 30 years for each of the three crimes a federal jury found Walker guilty of in November 2024: (1) conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine; (2) distribution of cocaine; and (3) possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The Court also imposed a consecutive 2-year sentence for violations Walker committed while on supervised release following a previous federal cocaine trafficking conviction.

              Evidence admitted at trial showed that in 2021 and 2022, Walker worked with Steven Rasic, a Muskegon-based U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, to import kilograms of cocaine into West Michigan from Hugo Benavides, a Texas-based cocaine supplier. Walker coordinated the cocaine shipments, which were sent to vacant addresses on Rasic’s mail route. Both Rasic and Benavides pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge prior to trial and have been sentenced separately.

              During trial, the jury heard that over the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents seized five kilograms of cocaine from the mail that Walker and his co-conspirators intended to distribute in West Michigan. In March 2022, investigators seized two kilograms of cocaine. After the seizure, Rasic tried to recover the parcel containing cocaine, falsely stating that he was acting on behalf of the U.S. Postal Service. In fact, Rasic was trying to recover the cocaine on Walker’s behalf, and text messages from Rasic’s phone showed that Rasic had alerted Walker to the cocaine seizure. Months later, in October 2022, investigators saw Walker distribute cocaine to a woman in Muskegon, and later, inside Walker’s residence, investigators found more cocaine, a cutting agent, and digital scale used to weigh cocaine.

              The jury also learned that after the search of his residence, Walker admitted to importing cocaine through the mail, and told investigators that he sold his first kilogram of cocaine sometime in 2021. Walker also admitted to tracking some of the mail parcels that contained cocaine, including one parcel with over one kilogram of cocaine inside.

              “This sentence reflects the hard work and dedication of USPS OIG Special Agents, U.S. Postal Inspectors and DEA Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant narcotics investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”

              “As the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Inspection Service prioritizes the safety and security of postal employees and customers above all else,” said Detroit Division Acting Inspector in Charge Sean McStravick. “Let the severity of this sentence be a warning to those who abuse the nation’s mail system to transport narcotics and other dangerous or illegal substances: We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will seek to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

              “The DEA remains committed to continue to dismantle criminal organizations—domestic and foreign,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton, DEA Detroit Field Division. “This operation is a testament to the power of collaboration between agencies to ensure justice is served and our communities are protected.”

              The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), The United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General (USPS OIG), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Michigan State Police (MSP) West Michigan Enforcement Team (WEMET) investigated this case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Austin J. Hakes and Stephanie M. Carowan.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man charged with Lewisham murder

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been charged with murder following a death in Lewisham.

    Hai Van Nguyen, 41 (29.04.1983) of Hatfield Close, Lewisham was charged on Monday, 14 April with the murder of his wife, Hien Thi Vu, 45.

    Nguyen was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court this afternoon. His next hearing will be at a court and on a date that is yet to be decided.

    At 06:41hrs on Sunday, 13 April London Ambulance Service alerted police to a seriously injured woman in Hatfield Close, SE14.

    First responding officers were immediately deployed along with London’s Air Ambulance. Despite the emergency services best efforts, she was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

    Shortly after, at 06:52hrs, a 44-year-old man self-presented at Lewisham Police Station in connection to the incident. He was arrested and charged with murder.

    Hien Vu’s next-of-kin have been informed and continue to be supported by specialist officers.

    A post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant sexually abused two minor females, ages 6 and 3, and produced images in 2020 and 2022.

    Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Gary Hammond Jackson, III, 33, of Pasadena, Maryland, to 35 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for the sexual exploitation of a minor and the commission of a felony involving a minor by a registered sex offender.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP), and State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess, Office of the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

    According to his guilty plea, in 2020 and 2022, Jackson sexually abused two minor females, ages 6 and 3, and produced child sexual abuse material.  In November 2020, Jackson sexually abused the first victim —who was 6 at the time — and used his cell phone to produce three images of the act.  It was discovered that Jackson sexually assaulted the same victim numerous times between January 2020 and December 2020.  As a result, Jackson was convicted of a fourth-degree sex offense and second-degree assault in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

    Following his release in June 2022, Jackson was placed on probation and required to register as a sex offender. But in November 2022, Jackson produced child sexual abuse material, in the form of images, with the 3-year-old victim. 

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

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, MSP, and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Spencer L. Todd and Paul E. Budlow who prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Indicted on Gun Charge After Allegedly Discarding Loaded Firearm Near U Street

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Raymond Davon Benson, 32, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal firearm charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.

                Benson was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

                According to court documents, on March 29, 2025, MPD officers observed defendant Benson walking eastbound on U Street NW.  The officers witnessed Benson holding a red solo cup, known to be frequently used for consuming alcohol in the U Street corridor.    

                Upon observing the police presence, defendant Benson allegedly dumped amber liquid from the cup and tossed it to the ground. As officers approached to investigate a potential open container of alcohol violation, Benson reportedly fled the scene, running down sidewalks and into an alley. As he fled in the alley, Benson was allegedly observed throwing a firearm before continuing his flight. Benson was apprehended a short time later. Officers recovered a Cobray M-11 firearm with a high-capacity magazine and approximately 30 rounds of ammunition from the location where Benson allegedly tossed the firearm.

                Benson is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction in Superior Court for the District of Columbia. 

            This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Strong. 

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Finds St. Paul Felon Guilty in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn.  – Kurtis Gordon-Greenwood of St. Paul, Minnesota, has been convicted by a federal jury for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, attempted possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and illegal possession of a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement began investigating a fentanyl distribution crew in St. Paul in 2022.  During that investigation, they intercepted a UPS package from Arizona containing more than five kilos—50,000 fentanyl pills—addressed to the apartment of Kurtis Lavonte Gordon-Greenwood, 30. In a subsequent search of Gordon-Greenwood’s apartment, officers discovered a Fedex shipping receipt for a package sent to Phoenix, three cell phones, and a Taurus 9mm pistol with an extended magazine. When law enforcement intercepted the Fedex package Gordon-Greenwood sent to Phoenix, they discovered $8,240 in cash inside.

    Because Gordon-Greenwood has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.

    “Firearms and drugs are a deadly combination – make no mistake that lives will be saved with Gordon-Greenwood off the streets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Drugs are trafficked to Minnesota by air, vehicle, or through the mail, as we saw in this case. Thanks to the work of our task force partners on this investigation, we have kept thousands of deadly fentanyl pills from hitting our neighborhoods.”

    “It can’t be stated enough that fentanyl pills carry deadly consequences,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “If these 50,000 pills had made their way to the streets, there would be countless families across the Twin Cities mourning the loss of a loved one. Remind your loved ones that one pill can kill.”

    After a three-day trial before Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court, Gordon-Greenwood was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Gordon-Greenwood’s co-defendants, Joshua Lanard Howse, 33, and Cornelius David Pierce, 34, have both pleaded guilty for their respective roles in the conspiracy.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst tried the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Robert Garcia Statement on Attempted Unauthorized Entry by Homeland Security Agents at Los Angeles Elementary Schools

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Garcia California (42nd District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) released the following statement after unauthorized Homeland Security agents attempted to enter two Los Angeles Unified School District elementary schools without a warrant.

    “We should all be deeply angered and concerned by the attempt of Homeland Security agents to access two elementary schools in Southeast Los Angeles,” said Congressman Garcia. “Both schools are in my congressional district and part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

    I commend the principals and staff at both schools who refused to allow the agents to enter without a warrant, and I’m grateful to Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho for working to protect all students across Los Angeles.

    It’s outrageous that Homeland Security would target children, and as a member of the Homeland Security Committee in Congress, I’m demanding answers immediately from Secretary Noem and the Trump Administration. We will not allow our students and their families to be intimidated or harmed.”

    Congressman Garcia remains committed to reforming our immigration system, creating fair pathways to citizenship, and treating immigrants with respect and dignity. In July 2024, Congressman Garcia introduced the SHIELD Act, which allocated grants through the Attorney General and the Department of Justice to local and state governments to support the recruitment of staff and attorneys to ensure that immigrants receive quality, affordable representation in immigration court. Last Congress, Congressman Garcia led investigations into fundamental integrity and credibility issues within the DHS, including identifying what actions have been taken to address the threat of domestic violent extremism within the DHS. Congressman Garcia has also defended humane immigration procedures and condemned extreme rhetoric on immigration and border security that dehumanizes migrants legally seeking asylum. Congressman Garcia has also investigated the use of inappropriate language and behavior among Border Patrol agents within ICE toward immigrants following reports from the Huffington Post. Congressman Garcia also continues to champion legislation that increases resources and efficiencies for vital government departments and agencies.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Leads Bicameral Letter to USDA, HHS, EPA: MAHA Commission Stance on Crop Protection Tools Would Hurt America’s Food System

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), with Congressmen Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04) and Mark Alford (R-MO-04), led a bicameral group of colleagues in sending a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. In the letter, the members call for the use of sound science and risk-based analysis as the MAHA Commission finalizes its work, particularly on crop protection tools and food-grade ingredients. The letter states:

    “We write to express our strong appreciation for your leadership and interest in working with each of you to ensure America has the healthiest people in the world. In recent decades, chronic illness rates have risen. This warrants our careful scrutiny to support better health outcomes. It is essential that policies supported by sound science and risk-based analyses are used to accomplish this goal.”

    “We have concerns that environmentalists are advancing harmful health, economic, or food security policies under the guise of human health,” the letter continues. “Despite insinuations to the contrary, regular testing by FDA and USDA finds that more than 99% of all pesticide residues meet extremely conservative limits established by EPA according to the best available science.”

    In addition to Ricketts and Fischer, other signatories include Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jim Justice (R-WV), Jim Risch (R-ID), Todd Young (R-IN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).

    The letter was also signed by members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Mike Flood (R-NE-01), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA-05), Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Mike Bost (R-IL-12), James Comer (R-KY-01), Troy Downing (R-MT-02), Jake Ellzey (R-TX-06), Gabe Evans (R-CO-08), Mike Ezell (R-MS-04), Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), Mark Alford (R-MO-04), Vince Fong (R-CA-20), Michael Guest (R-MS-03), Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL), David Kustoff (R-TN-08), Darin LaHood (R-IL-16), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), Frank Lucas (R-OK-03), Tracy Mann (R-KS-01), Mark Messmer (R-IN-08), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-01), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mike Rogers (R-AL-03), Derek Schmidt (R-KS-02), Austin Scott (R-GA-08), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN-06), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), David Valadao (R-CA-22), and Ann Wagner (R-MO-02).

    Read the full letter here or below:

    Dear Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Rollins, and Administrator Zeldin:

    We write to express our strong appreciation for your leadership and interest in working with each of you to ensure America has the healthiest people in the world. In recent decades, chronic illness rates have risen. This warrants our careful scrutiny and to support better health outcomes. It is essential that policies supported by sound science and risk-based analyses are used to accomplish this goal.

    We also urge you to safeguard the work of the Make America Healthy Again Commission (Commission) from activist groups promoting misguided and sometimes even malicious policies masquerading as health solutions. The influence of these groups in the Commission would result in shoddy science; a less abundant, less affordable food supply; greater reliance on foreign adversaries for our food; diminished U.S. agricultural production and manufacturing; and, ultimately, poorer health outcomes.

    President Trump recently stated environmental activists were holding the economic prosperity of our country hostage. We now have concerns that they are seeking to influence the work of the Commission to advance their agenda. For decades activist groups have tried to ban safe, well-regulated agricultural inputs by any means necessary. Without these products, yields and quality are negatively impacted by otherwise avoidable insects, fungus, weeds, and other pest pressures. This drives up food prices for American consumers and forces reliance of food imports.

    The same groups have seized upon the Commission’s work as an opportunity to misrepresent the science on common food and feed categories or ingredients, such as plant-based oils. These inputs are subject to a robust, risk-based regulatory system which focuses on protecting human health. Unfounded accusations harm the U.S. farmers who grow our food, upend food and feed supply chains, and significantly increase grocery food prices – all without public health benefit.

    We have concerns that environmentalists are advancing harmful health, economic, or food security policies under the guise of human health. Despite insinuations to the contrary, regular testing by FDA and USDA finds that more than 99% of all pesticide residues meet extremely conservative limits established by EPA according to the best available science.

    We applaud the Commission’s desire to improve the health and well-being of Americans. We implore you to ensure policy decisions are grounded in sound science and risk-based analyses. With unity, we can protect American agricultural producers from environmental activists’ attacks on proven-safe inputs critical to their profitability and long-term viability while promoting positive health outcomes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Marion County Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Transporting a Minor with the Intent to Engage in Sexual Activity

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

    Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Thomas Allen Ebersole (32, Dunnellon) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for transporting a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity. Ebersole is also required to register as a sex offender. He entered a guilty plea on January 6, 2025.  

    According to court records, in December 2023, Ebersole met and communicated with a 16-year-old girl through online video games. On December 28, 2023, Ebersole drove from his home in Marion County to Ohio, where the minor lived. He then drove the victim back to his Florida home to engage in sexual activity with her. After the victim’s family reported her missing, law enforcement identified the Internet Protocol (IP) address the victim had used to play video games while at Ebersole’s home. Law enforcement located and removed the victim from Ebersole’s home on January 3, 2024. The victim told law enforcement that she never left Ebersole’s home during the week she had been missing. She also admitted that Ebersole had engaged in sexual intercourse with her multiple times, which was subsequently confirmed through DNA testing.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lima (Ohio) Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harlan County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LONDON, Ky. – A Kenvir, Ky., man, Anthony Carr, 54, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 78 months in prison, for distribution of methamphetamine. 

    According to his plea agreement, on August 17, 2023, law enforcement used a confidential informant to purchase approximately 54 grams of a methamphetamine mixture from Carr. On August 23, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Carr’s residence and found approximately 27 grams of methamphetamine, baggies, and three sets of digital scales.  

    Under federal law, Carr must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years. 

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Chris Brewer, Harlan County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, and Harlan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Scranton Man Sentenced to 24 years in Prison for Drug Distribution Resulting in Death

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Federico Rosario, age 30, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 11, 2025, to 24 years’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and drug distribution resulting in death.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, in July of 2021, Rosario sold small quantities of cocaine to a 17-year-old minor.  On August 11, 2021, Rosario sold the minor victim .4 grams of a substance represented to be cocaine.  Less than 30 minutes later, after consuming a portion of the substance, the victim sent Rosario a message asking what was in the substance because it had him “spinning” as though he was drunk. Receiving no response from Rosario, the minor victim sent a follow-up message eight seconds later.  Rosario never responded or took any other action in response to the victim’s messages.  The next morning, the minor victim was found dead in his room.

    Laboratory analysis of the substance sold to the victim by Rosario revealed it to be a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl.  Autopsy and post-mortem toxicology confirmed the presence of fatal levels of fentanyl in the minor victim’s system at death. During a four-day jury trial, expert testimony established that but for the toxic level of fentanyl, which is 50-100 times more potent than morphine, the otherwise healthy minor victim would not have died.  At the conclusion of trial, the jury returned a verdict finding Rosario guilty on three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of drug distribution resulting in death.        

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Scranton Police Department.  Former Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara and Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuted the case.

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

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southern District of Texas Charges More Than 200 Persons for Immigration and Border Security Offenses This Week

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

    HOUSTON – A total of 229 cases have been filed in border security-related matters from April 4-10, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. 

    As part of those cases, 80 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, firearms or sexual offenses, or prior immigration crimes. A total of 126 people face charges of illegally entering the country, 18 cases involve various instances of human smuggling with others relating to firearms, false statements and other immigration matters.  

    One such case alleges Victor D. Perozo-Zarraga committed fraud and misuse of a visa after authorities found him in possession of fraudulent legal permanent resident and Social Security documents. He indicated he had legal status to be in the United States, which he does not, according to the complaint. 

    Other relevant matters this week include a Mexican visa holder who attempted to bring child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and drugs across the border. Christian Christopher Rodriguez-Lopez was ordered to serve 151 months after attempting to enter the United States from Mexico. Upon inspection, law enforcement located approximately five kilograms of cocaine in his vehicle. Further investigation following his arrest resulted in the additional discovery of CSAM on his cell phone. His visa has since been revoked. 

    “Mr. Rodriguez-Lopez is a perfect example of why our more aggressive approach to border security is so critical,” said Ganjei. “Neither these drugs, nor this defendant, have any place in our communities. Due to the excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this cocaine will never make it to the streets and this offender will spend the next decade in federal prison.”

    Also announced was a 29-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history who was sentenced for illegally entering the country without authorization. Joaquin Hernandez-Reyes has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as assault of a public servant and possession of a controlled substance. He was first removed from the United States in 2016 and returned illegally several more times. He received a 72-month sentence. 

    A Mexican national who illegally resided in Roma has been ordered to federal prison for 37 months for human smuggling. Allan Eduardo Mar-Uballe was driving a Ford Expedition with the back seats and seatbelts removed. Inside the vehicle were 18 illegal aliens, including two unaccompanied minors. Authorities attempted to stop the vehicle, but he evaded at a high rate of speed and drove erratically, disregarding stop signs and other vehicles, before crashing into a ditch. Several inside the vehicle sustained injuries. 

    Another human smuggler was sentenced to 46 months. On Dec. 23, 2024, Felipe Montez attempted to transport seven illegal aliens. He was driving a vehicle waiting by the Rio Grande River near Escobares as the individuals ran from the river towards him. Upon the sight of law enforcement, they all attempted to flee, but authorities apprehended them. Further investigation revealed Montez was involved in four previous alien smuggling events which involved attempts to evade law enforcement. His crimes have involved a total of 41 illegal aliens.

    In a case out of the Corpus Christi office, the court found Hosmel Vences responsible for organizing the smuggling of at least 75 illegal aliens between Aug. 16 – Dec. 17, 2023, and ordered him to serve 48 months. The investigation revealed Vences recruited many different drivers from all over South Texas to drive to Brownsville and Raymondville for the purpose of transporting illegal aliens further into the United States.

    Authorities also arrested a former Texas National Guard soldier for alien smuggling. Mario Sandoval was allegedly deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border with the Texas National Guard as part of Operation Lonestar. The charges allege that following his service in that capacity, Sandoval remained in the Rio Grande Valley and participated in alien smuggling from July 11-23, 2024. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

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

    Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.  

    The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. 

    An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Six to appear in court for various crimes

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Six suspects are expected to appear in court soon on charges of the possession of unlicensed firearms, ammunition and drugs, say Gauteng police.

    This comes after members of the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) executed a series of successful operations on Friday night leading to multiple arrests and significant seizures of illegal firearms, ammunition and drugs in Westbury and Eldorado Park.

    “During routine foot patrols in Westbury, AGU members arrested a 31-year-old male for possession of an unlicensed firearm and 15 live rounds of ammunition. In a separate incident on the same patrol, a 26-year-old male was also arrested for possessing an unlicensed firearm and two live rounds of ammunition. Both arrests underscore the AGU’s relentless commitment to maintaining safety in our communities,” said the South African Police Service (SAPS).

    The AGU also received a tip-off regarding drug activities at a residence along Steytler Street in Westbury. Upon arrival, the AGU team found a 52-year-old female in possession of 14 tablets and four halves of suspected mandrax drugs, leading to her arrest for possession of drugs.

    In the early hours on Saturday, AGU members acted on information regarding a male with an unlicensed firearm along Sneeuberg Street, Extension 2, in Eldorado Park. They gained entry to a B-section flat and arrested a man found with an unlicensed firearm and eight live rounds of ammunition. 

    Additionally, another suspect at the same location in a different flat, was apprehended for possessing 20 bags containing substances suspected to be khat.

    At approximately 02:45, the AGU team conducted another operation at the B-section flats, arresting a male suspect for possession of an unlicensed firearm and 16 live rounds of ammunition, following a tip-off. 

    The team was praised for their hard work which resulted in the confiscation of four unlicensed firearms, 41 live rounds of ammunition and two drug arrests with significant quantities of suspected drugs.

    “The AGU remains steadfast in its mission to combat crime and protect our communities, urging residents to continue providing valuable information to support these efforts,” said the SAPS. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Call to monitor rented spaces 

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says municipalities must rise to the occasion and be aware of the activities taking place in the spaces they rent out.

    The Minister’s comments come as he visited various drug laboratories and a warehouse which were discovered and shut down by the Hawks in Mpumalanga.

    “The spaces where this operation was carried out (industrial and residential areas) are indicative that municipalities have to rise to the occasion and be aware of the activities which take place in relation to the spaces they rent out,” the Minister said following his visit to the sites on Sunday.

    READ | Police Minister to visit Mpumalanga drug labs following arrests 

    The visit follows an operation carried out by a team comprising of among others, the Hawks in Secunda, Standerton K9, and the Standerton Crime Intelligence on 4 April.

    “A search warrant was obtained and large quantities of liquid chemicals in drums, powder chemicals in sacks, machinery and equipment were found. It was confirmed that the building was used as a storage facility for illicit drug producing material,” the Minister said.

    Three Mozambican nationals found at the scene were arrested; a fourth suspect who is also a Mozambican national was also arrested. 

    “All these individuals are illegal immigrants. Three vehicles were seized. Further investigation led us to a farm, where a clandestine drug lab was discovered, and a Mozambican couple was arrested – parents to one of the suspects arrested prior. Again, these individuals do not have the requisite papers to be in South Africa,” he said.

    The combined value of items found was around R20 million.

    All six suspects appearance in the Standerton Magistrate court on Monday, 07 April 2025.
    Additionally, intelligence about two additional laboratories in the area were received. Search warrants were applied for and executed on 8 April 2025.

    “The Investigation team comprising of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI/Hawks) Secunda, SANEB [South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau] head office, Standerton K9, Standerton Crime Intelligence, and private security visited a farm and discovered it was empty and then proceeded to a residential address. 

    “A tablet pressing machine, a disassembled machine worth over R2 million, petrol generator and 20 litre buckets full of finished powder products valued at over R28 million were found,” said the Minister.

    Two South African males were arrested while a third suspect, handed himself in. They appeared in the Standerton Magistrates Court on 10 April 2025.

    Several luxury vehicles were seized, including a Mercedes Benz and an amount of R3 689 200 was found in the boot of the Mercedes Benz. A white Isuzu van was found at another address and is in police custody.

    “All suspects have since appeared in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court; one suspect (South African) has been released but investigations are still underway. The eight suspects who are in custody will appear again for a formal bail hearing on the 25th of April 2025.

    This whole operation is an indication that we need to increase our law enforcement capacity in order to achieve such results and more. This is one aspect which we as the SAPS [South African Police Service] are focused on,” the Minister explained.

    He added that the police have prioritised tackling the drug trade and is looking at dismantling the entire value chain.

    “Since August 2024, the SAPS have uncovered several clandestine drug laboratories, leading to significant seizures of illicit substances and manufacturing equipment.”

    Among some of the drug busts made by police previously include the dismantling of a laboratory valued at R100 million was dismantled in Rietfontein, Tshwane, resulting in the arrest of a 39-year-old Mexican national in November last year.

    In December 2024, a drug bust valued at R4.5 million was executed, uncovering machines used for drug production, though no suspects were found at the scene in Kibler Park, Johannesburg.

    “The total estimated street value of the 800 kilograms of drugs that were destroyed on 7 March 2025 is in excess of R340 million. About a year ago, drugs worth R550 million were destroyed. In three years, various types of drugs worth R5.2 billion have been destroyed.

    “As the SAPS, we have a constitutional duty to ensure that all South Africans are and feel safe. Drugs have a negative impact on our communities. They have an impact on the crime levels, they destroy young lives and the health of those who consume them,” he said.-SAnews.gov.za 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Indicted for Making Threats to Employee of Augusta National Golf Club

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

    AUGUSTA, GA:  The Grand Jury for the Southern District of Georgia returned an indictment against a man for his role in making threats against an employee of the Augusta National Golf Club.

    Joseph Armand Zimmer, 48, of North Dakota, is charged with Threats in Interstate Communication, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.  Zimmer was arrested on April 8, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He appeared in federal court in the District of Nevada on April 9, 2025, for an initial appearance. He will be required to appear in the Southern District of Georgia to answer to the charge.   

    “Those who make threats against members of our community in violation of federal law will be held accountable, as we continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring to justice those who seek to intimidate and instill fear in our citizens,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons.

    As described in court, Zimmer made a phone call on February 18, 2025, to the Augusta National Golf Club, during which he made numerous violent threats to the individual who answered the call.  These threats included that he would “throw [the individual] in a cell and have [her] set on fire,” and that he would “blow [her] head off.”

    Zimmer faces up to 5 years imprisonment on the charge.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    “The FBI treats threatening communications with the utmost seriousness and will dedicate all available resources to locating and prosecuting those responsible for such actions,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We trust that this indictment sends a clear message to anyone contemplating making threats, whether genuine or fabricated, through electronic means.”

    Criminal indictments contain only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patricia G. Rhodes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Who Possessed a Gun Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison

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

    A convicted felon who unlawfully possessed a handgun was sentenced April 8, 2025, to more than three years in federal prison.

    Torion Tamaz Byrd, age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2024, bench trial where he was found guilty of one count of felon in possession of a firearm

    Evidence at trial showed that Byrd was found in possession of a handgun when Waterloo police officers stopped a car Byrd was driving.  During the traffic stop, officers arrested the passenger in the car who was wanted for failing to appear for a state court hearing.  Officers saw a loaded handgun with an extended magazine in the glove box.  Byrd’s DNA was eventually found in three places on the handgun.  

    Byrd was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Byrd was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

    Byrd is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.  

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

    The case file number is 24-CR-2016.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Plantro Ltd. Files Amended and Restated Offer Documents in Respect of Premium All-Cash Tender Offer to Acquire up to 15% of Class A Limited Voting Shares of Information Services Corporation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Offer Documents relate to amendment and extension of the Tender Offer, which were previously announced on April 8, 2025
    • Tender Offer is an opportunity for shareholders to de-risk their investment in ISC for an attractive all-cash premium in the face of ongoing business and dilution risks, and the lack of trading liquidity of the Class A Shares
    • Plantro believes Board refreshment is necessary to unlock ISC’s potential to allow it to become a made-in-Saskatchewan success story

    ST. MICHAEL, Barbados, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plantro Ltd. (“Plantro”) today announced that it has filed amended and restated offer documents in respect of its offer (the “Tender Offer”) to acquire up to 2,777,242 Class A Limited Voting Shares (the “Class A Shares”) in the capital of Information Services Corporation (TSX: ISC) (“ISC” or the “Company”) at a price of $27.25 per Class A Share, payable in cash. The amendments and extension, which will benefit ISC shareholders, were previously announced on April 8, 2025, and were made following constructive engagement with the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan and the Ontario Securities Commission.

    Shareholders depositing Class A Shares pursuant to the Tender Offer should utilize the amended and restated Letter of Transmittal filed today. Any deposits of Class A Shares utilizing the prior form of Letter of Transmittal must be resubmitted using the amended and restated Letter of Transmittal to be accepted as valid.

    Plantro’s Premium Offer Provides Shareholders a Rare Opportunity for Cash Liquidity in a Company With ‘Upside Down Economics’

    Plantro believes that the economics of ISC are ‘upside down’ and do not benefit long term shareholders. Since ISC’s IPO in 2013, there has been a clear troubling trend, expense growth has consistently outpaced revenue growth. When expenses consistently outpace revenue, it sets the stage for serious financial challenges over the long term.

    The Risk of Shareholder Dilution

    On April 10, 2025, despite recommending against the Tender Offer as “highly undervalued”, ISC filed a $275 million preliminary short form base shelf prospectus with the Canadian securities regulators (the “Prospectus”). Plantro believes it is impossible for ISC to fund its ‘buy-to-grow’ strategy to meet its 2028 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA targets through cash flow generation or without incurring significant new debt, and would have to sell equity. Plantro is concerned that the Prospectus provides ISC flexibility to issue up to $275 million in equity – more than half of its current market capitalization, which would massively dilute ISC shareholders.

    Board Refreshment Will Drive Shareholder Returns

    Plantro believes that the board of directors (the “Board”) must be refreshed, so that it can drive accretive growth for shareholders and derive true operating leverage and economies of scale. Plantro believes the Board requires an infusion of relevant skills and experience, and directors that can hold management accountable and drive operational execution. The interests of the directors, who collectively own little stock, differs from that of other shareholders. The Board has little incentive to prioritize shareholder returns and avoid unnecessary equity dilution.

    The Opportunity for a Made-in-Saskatchewan Success Story

    As a first step, a refreshed Board should fulfil ISC’s true potential to be a made-in-Saskatchewan success story. Saskatchewan has developed a business-friendly tech ecosystem and ISC should take full advantage of these benefits. However:

    The number of employees ISC has based in Saskatchewan appears to have steadily declined since its IPO1.

    Today, most of its remaining workforce, which make up the majority of ISC employees, is concentrated in high-cost global hubs, such as Toronto and Dublin, Ireland, where it appears new positions continue to be added.

    Plantro believes that a refreshed Board should commit to relocating at least 100 of these positions back to Saskatchewan over the next year.

    This move would establish a “center of excellence”, in Saskatchewan, driving enhanced operational performance and enabling opportunities for margin expansion. Plantro believes this would deliver significant near-term value to both the Company and its shareholders. Centralizing and repatriating jobs to Saskatchewan is just good business sense.

    The Board Should Engage with Plantro and Stop Attacking Constructive Shareholders

    From the outset, Plantro has made every effort to resolve these matters confidentially, in good faith, and behind closed doors. Unfortunately, the ISC Board has chosen a different path—pursuing public litigation of these matters and resorting to inappropriate personal attacks and mischaracterizations in the media.

    Despite the path chosen by the ISC Board to date, Plantro hopes to accomplish the refreshment of the Board through constructive engagement, and has not nominated individuals for the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”). Plantro continues to make repeated requests to meet with the Chair, other members of the Board, and management. Unfortunately, all such outreaches have been ignored to date. If the Board does not engage constructively, and continues its current approach, Plantro may withhold votes, including those acquired through the Tender Offer, from the Board at the Annual Meeting, and it reserves all of its rights as a shareholder to take action in the future.

    An Opportunity for Long Term Shareholders to Receive an Attractive Risk-Adjusted Cash Premium

    Since the Class A Shares are so illiquid, even long term shareholders have no prospect of being able to sell stock without meaningfully affecting the price of the Class A Shares. The changes outlined above will take time, and for shareholders who been in the stock for many years, this is a unique opportunity – if they so choose.

    Important Amendments for ISC Shareholders

    The amendments to the terms of the Tender Offer include, among other things:

    • Extended Tender Offer Period – The Tender Offer is now open for acceptance by shareholders of the Company until 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on April 28, 2025 (the “Expiry Time”), unless the Tender Offer is further extended, varied or withdrawn.
    • Tender Offer Made to All Shareholders – Plantro is making the Tender Offer to all shareholders of the Company, including shareholders who were not holders of record on March 24, 2025 and the Crown Investment Corporation of Saskatchewan.
    • No Longer Acquiring Shares on a First Come First Serve Basis – Plantro will only take up and pay for Class A Shares that are deposited pursuant to the Tender Offer as at the Expiry Time, and not on a “first come, first served” and/or “rolling” basis. As a result, if more than the maximum number of Class A Shares for which the Tender Offer is made are delivered in accordance with the Tender Offer and not withdrawn at the time of take up of the Class A Shares, the Class A Shares to be purchased from each depositing shareholder will be determined on a pro rata basis according to the number of Class A Shares delivered by each shareholder, disregarding fractions, by rounding down to the nearest whole number of Class A Shares.
    • Shareholders Have the Right to Opt Out of Voting Tender – Plantro has further amended the Tender Offer to allow Class A Shareholders of record on March 24, 2025, to opt out of appointing representatives of Plantro as their nominees and proxy in respect of such shares owned by a shareholder that are not deposited pursuant to the Tender Offer and ultimately taken up and paid for. For clarity, such opt out right will not apply to Class A Shares of record on March 24, 2025, which are deposited pursuant to the Tender Offer and ultimately taken up and paid for, and the holder of such shares will be required to appoint representatives of Plantro as its nominees and proxy for the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 24, 2025 in respect of such shares.

    In addition to the above amendments, the size of the Tender Offer has been reduced by 100 Class A Shares to reflect that Plantro has acquired such number of shares in the market, all in compliance with the terms of the Tender Offer.

    Plantro is relying on the exemption under section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations to the circular requirements of applicable Canadian proxy solicitation laws. For further details, please see below under the heading “Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption Under Canadian Law”. The Tender Offer is not a formal or exempt take-over bid under Canadian securities laws and regulations. In no event will Plantro (or its affiliates or associates) make any such purchases of Class A Shares that would result in Plantro, together with its affiliates and associates, beneficially owning or exercising control or direction over more than 15% of the outstanding Class A Shares upon completion of the Tender Offer.

    Full details of the Tender Offer are included in the Offer Documents and are available online on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Plantro’s Advisors

    Plantro has engaged Goodmans LLP as its legal advisor, Carson Proxy as its information agent, Odyssey Trust Company as depositary, and Gagnier Communications as its strategic communications advisor.

    About Plantro

    Plantro is a privately-held company, with an established track record of making successful investments in undervalued and high quality legal, financial, and information services businesses.

    Shareholder Questions

    Shareholders who have questions with respect to the Tender Offer, or who need assistance in depositing their Class A Shares, please contact the depositary and information agent for the Tender Offer:

    Depositary: Odyssey Trust Company

    Toll Free (US & Canada): 1-888-290-1175
    Calls (All Regions): 587-885-0960
    Email: corp.actions@odysseytrust.com

    Information Agent: Carson Proxy

    North America Toll Free: 1-800-530-5189
    Local and Text: 416-751-2066
    Email: info@carsonproxy.com

    Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption Under Canadian Law

    Plantro is relying on the exemption under section 9.2(4) of National Instrument 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations to make this public broadcast solicitation. The following information is provided in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations.

    This solicitation is being made by Plantro, and not by or on behalf of management of ISC. The information agent will receive a fee of up to $250,000 for its services as information agent under the Tender Offer, plus ancillary payments and disbursements. Based upon publicly available information, ISC’s registered and head office is located at 300 – 10 Research Drive, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 7J7, Canada. Plantro is soliciting proxies in reliance upon the public broadcast exemption to the solicitation requirements under applicable Canadian corporate and securities laws, conveyed by way of public broadcast, including press release, speech or publication, and by any other manner permitted under applicable Canadian securities laws. In addition, this solicitation may be made by mail, telephone, facsimile, email or other electronic means as well as by newspaper or other media advertising and in person by representatives of Plantro. All costs incurred for such solicitation will be borne by Plantro.

    A registered shareholder who has given a proxy under the terms of the Letter of Transmittal may, prior to its Class A Shares being taken up and paid for under the Tender Offer, revoke the proxy by instrument in writing, including a proxy bearing a later date. The instrument revoking the proxy must be deposited at the registered office of ISC at least 48 hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, preceding the date of the meeting or an adjournment or postponement thereof, or with the Chair of the meeting on the day of the meeting, or in any other manner permitted by law, provided that, in each circumstance, a copy of such revocation has been delivered to the depositary, at its principal office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada prior to the Class A Shares relating to such proxy having been taken up and paid for under the Tender Offer.

    A non-registered shareholder may revoke a form of proxy or voting instruction form given to an intermediary at any time by written notice to the intermediary in accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered shareholder by its intermediary. Non-registered shareholders should contact their broker for assistance in ensuring that forms of proxies or voting instructions previously given to an intermediary are properly revoked.

    None of Plantro nor, to its knowledge, any of its associates or affiliates, has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of ISC’s most recently completed financial year, or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or will materially affect ISC or any of its subsidiaries. None of Plantro nor, to its knowledge, any of its associates or affiliates, has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at any upcoming shareholders’ meeting, other than as set out herein.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This press release may contain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Specifically, certain statements contained in this press release, including without limitation statements regarding the Tender Offer, taking up and paying for Class A Shares deposited under the Tender Offer, and the expiry of the Tender Offer, contain “forward-looking information” and are prospective in nature. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as “plans”, “targets”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “an opportunity exists”, “is positioned”, “estimates”, “intends”, “assumes”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate” or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “will” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements.

    Statements containing forward-looking information are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the future outcomes expressed or implied by the statements containing forward-looking information.

    Although Plantro believes that the expectations reflected in statements containing forward-looking information herein made by it (and not, for greater certainty, any forward-looking statements attributable to the Company) are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Material factors or assumptions that were applied in formulating the forward-looking information contained herein include the assumption that the business and economic conditions affecting the Company’s operations will continue substantially in the current state, including, without limitation, with respect to industry conditions, general levels of economic activity, continuity and availability of personnel, local and international laws and regulations, foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, inflation, taxes, that there will be no unplanned material changes to the Company’s operations, and that the Company’s public disclosure record is accurate in all material respects and is not misleading (including by omission).

    Plantro cautions that the foregoing list of material factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. While these factors and assumptions are considered by Plantro to be appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances as of the date of this press release, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Plantro and there is no assurance that they will prove correct.

    Important facts that could cause outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information include, among other things, actions taken by the Company in respect of the Tender Offer, the content of subsequent public disclosures by the Company, the failure to satisfy the conditions to the Tender Offer, general economic conditions, legislative or regulatory changes and changes in capital or securities markets. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the opinions, estimates or assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results or future events might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Although Plantro has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other risk factors not presently known to Plantro or that Plantro presently believes are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking information.

    Statements containing forward-looking information in this press release are based on Plantro’s beliefs and opinions at the time the statements are made, and there should be no expectation that such forward-looking information will be updated or supplemented as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, and Plantro disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by applicable law. All of the forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements.

    1405-7479-8102

    1 Based on 2014 Annual Information Form vs. 2025 Annual Information Form and current LinkedIn Data.

    The MIL Network –