Category: Justice

MIL-OSI: Shaping the Future of Work: HP Amplify 2025
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

News Highlights
- Brings world’s largest portfolio of AI PCs to the mainstream¹ with new HP EliteBooks, HP EliteDesks, and HP OmniBooks – delivering smarter workflows and incredible productivity.
- Launches the world’s first printers that protect against quantum computer attacks² with the HP LaserJet Enterprise 8000 Series Printers for enhanced hardware security.
- Enhances AI-powered insights in Workforce Experience Platform (WXP) to improve IT and employee experiences.
- Optimizes gameplay with OMEN AI on the new OMEN 16 Slim Gaming Laptop, and HyperX Cloud III S Wireless Gaming Headset delivers unmatched immersive audio experiences.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At its annual Amplify Conference, HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) today announced new products and services designed to shape the future of work, empowering people and businesses to create and manage their own way of working. The company unveiled more than 80 PCs, AI-powered print tools for SMBs, and Workforce Experience Platform enhancements all built to drive company growth and professional fulfillment.

“HP is translating AI into meaningful experiences that drive growth and fulfillment,” said Enrique Lores, President and CEO at HP Inc. “We are shaping the future of work with game-changing AI innovations that seamlessly adapt to how people want to work.”

Leading the Future of Work

HP’s 2024 Work Relationship Index reports that only 28 percent of workers have a healthy relationship with work. Companies and people are seeking better work experiences and new advancements in technology – from seamless device connectivity to AI applications – that can help people work faster, think more creatively, and connect on a deeper level.

With customers looking to refresh their devices to Windows 11,³ HP is supercharging its PCs to take advantage of the latest technologies available with select models qualifying as Copilot+ PCs, ⁴ so work doesn’t feel like work:
- The HP EliteBook 8 Series is masterfully redesigned with mainstream enterprise workers in mind, delivering AI-powered productivity and seamless collaboration in a repairable and upgradeable package. With NPU options up to 50 TOPS, experience up to 224% better power efficiency and up to 43 times faster AI image generation for incredible performance gains versus previous non-NPU models.⁵
- The HP EliteDesk 8 Series brings AI powerfully and securely to the company’s desktop portfolio. These devices are ideal for corporate project managers and workers who need a reliable PC that can manage even the most demanding projects for smarter workflows and productivity. This is the world’s first business desktop PC portfolio to protect against quantum computer hacks,⁶ combining high performance with lower power consumption to reduce costs.
- The HP EliteStudio 8 AiO G1i is the perfect tool for an on-the-go employee constantly moving around the office. As the world’s first commercial PC with integrated KVM ability through HP Device Switch,⁷ an employee can use the all-in-one for work or quickly plug their laptop into the AIO with a single cable to power the notebook and access all the available peripherals.
- The OmniBook X Series is designed for creators who need a PC that adapts to their workflow, whether it be a svelte 14-inch flip device to ideate and draw, or a powerhouse clamshell 17.3-inch PC to power through their larger-than-life creations. The OmniBook 7 Series is built for power users on their PC for all-day productivity for school or work. And the OmniBook 5 Series is ideal for families and students with a versatile design that’s built for streaming, light gaming, and personal productivity. Devices across the consumer notebook portfolio are offered in a variety of sizes with powerful Intel Ultra or AMD Ryzen™ processors.
HP is also delivering powerful new AI software experiences to complement this next generation of AI PCs. Qualifying consumer and commercial devices from HP are equipped with exclusive software designed to transform how people work in the office, at home, and everywhere in between:
- HP AI Companion is an advanced on-device AI research assistant that delivers instant answers and secured file analysis, even without an internet connection.⁸^,⁹ New features planned for this Spring include intuitive voice and text commands and built-in keylogger protections to enhance productivity while keeping data secure on the device.
- HP Go¹⁰ plans to deliver seamless global connectivity for highly mobile professionals. With automatic network switching regardless of carrier, advanced fleet management, and effortless setup, road warriors can connect and be productive wherever work takes them. The HP Go service option will first be available on the HP EliteBook 6 G1q powered by Snapdragon X Series, making it the world’s first AI PC with zero-touch multi-carrier 5G deployment.¹¹
- Poly Camera Pro newest features make virtual interactions and video conferencing more dynamic and engaging, with AI-powered features like Magic Background, seamless streaming integrations, and presenter overlays.¹² Multi-camera support, customizable aesthetics, and auto-framing transforms any workspace into a professional studio experience.
HP is changing the way customers print and manage documents, making it easier and more efficient with new features and technology:
- Two new features to its collection of AI-powered tools that help SMBs simplify and enhance the print experience. The first feature streamlines the process of sharing scanned documents by using AI to summarize them and draft an email with the document attached, allowing for easy sharing via email or chat. The second feature offers automatic and guided redaction to safeguard sensitive information, ensuring that private data remains secure on HP devices without requiring a cloud connection. These innovations aim to reduce the complexity and enhance the security of document handling for small businesses.
- The HP LaserJet Enterprise 8000 Series Printers are the world’s first printers that protect against quantum computer attacks². They provide enhanced hardware-level security for highly regulated organizations that rely on secure printing, ensuring protection against future quantum computer attacks while seamlessly integrating with Zero Trust architectures.
- The HP Latex R530 Printer is the only compact all-in-one HP Latex printer¹³, capable of handling both rigid and flexible media. Its digital operation simplifies workflows and maximizes space, boosting efficiency. It helps small and medium-sized print shops (PSPs) meet customer demands with high-quality prints and impressive output.
HP provides IT with valuable insights that empower employees to thrive with HP Workforce Experience Platform (WXP)¹⁴ enhancements and expanded availability. New features include:
- AI Sentiment Analysis now includes AI capabilities to assess and improve employee experience by analyzing thousands of free text surveys.
- Fleet Explorer is a new AI-powered natural language processing (NLP) tool lets users query fleet data instantly for insights.
- Vyopta Integration¹⁵ enables HP and Vyopta customers to now check on the overall health of their organization’s collaboration environment in WXP.
- Pre-built scripts, alerts and dashboards help organizations monitor fleets, automate workflows.
Shaping the Future in Play

Technology can also offer people a smooth transition from work into play. According to Mohamed Ala Saayed, Senior Program Director & Fellow, Frost & Sullivan, “About 60% of gaming PCs owners likely use their systems for work-related activities in addition to gaming.”¹⁶

New gaming hardware across OMEN and HyperX delivers meaningful performance and personalization for the ultimate in gameplay:
- The OMEN 16 Slim Gaming Laptop redefines portable gaming with its ultra-thin design to game anywhere. The PC delivers next-level performance with up to Intel^® Core™ Ultra 9 285H processors,¹⁷ and comes with up to an NVIDIA^® GeForce RTX™ 5070 Laptop GPU for next-level graphics fidelity.
- The OMEN Transcend 14 Gaming Laptop is refreshed to deliver the same powerful CPU and GPU performance as the OMEN 16 Slim for gamers and creators on the go, bringing 25% more power.¹⁸
- OMEN AI is a personalized, one-click solution that recommends the best system, hardware, and gaming settings based on each unique device and game to eliminate endless tinkering. Accessible within OMEN Gaming Hub, OMEN AI is available on all HP gaming and consumer PCs.
- The HyperX Cloud III S Wireless Gaming Headset delivers unmatched comfort and immersive audio for up to 120 hours of battery life in 2.4GHz and up to 200 hours in Bluetooth mode on a single charge.¹⁹ HyperX-tuned acoustics ensure crystal-clear audio and the durable yet flexible design, boom and boomless mic options, and customizable earcup plates let gamers play longer, sound better, and do it in style.²⁰
HP Amplify Newsroom
For all the latest HP Amplify Partner Conference news and updates, visit the HP Newsroom including the just released Threat Research Report press release and news from the Advanced Compute Solutions business. More news posting at 2 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET.
- Follow @HP on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram
- Follow @Enrique Lores on LinkedIn
- Follow #HPAmplify across social platforms for the latest updates
About HP
HP Inc. is a global technology leader and creator of solutions that enable people to bring their ideas to life and connect to the things that matter most. Operating in more than 170 countries, HP delivers a wide range of innovative and sustainable devices, services and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and more. For more information, please visit http://www.hp.com.

¹ Based on HP’s internal analysis of AI-enabled platforms across all commercial PC and consumer PC vendors as of March 2025. “AI PC” is defined as a PC with an integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) designed to accelerate AI workloads, regardless of TOPS count.
Comparison includes commercially and consumer available AI PCs available in the market.
² Based on HPs internal analysis of business Printers with preinstalled encryption, authentication, malware protection, post-quantum digital signature, and initial BIOS firmware integrity protection with automatic self-healing recovery finding that no other in-class Printers implement a quantum-resistant cryptographic scheme to protect the integrity of the BIOS and firmware as of March 2025.
³ Not all features are available in all editions or versions of Windows. Systems may require upgraded and/or separately purchased hardware, drivers, software or BIOS update to take full advantage of Windows functionality. Windows is automatically updated and enabled. High speed internet and Microsoft account required. ISP fees may apply and additional requirements may apply over time for updates. See http://www.windows.com.
⁴ On some devices, some Copilot+ PC experiences require free updates continuing to roll out through early 2025. Timing varies by device and region. See aka.ms/copilotpluspcs. Copilot is not available in China, Russia, Belarus, and embargoed regions Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea.
⁵ Based on image generation with NPU vs. non-NPU processor using Amuse software generating a 1024 x 1024 pixel image from the same text prompt repeatedly until battery depletion to determine power efficiency. Configurations tested: HP EliteBook 8 G1a AI with AMD Ryzen AI PRO 350 and 32GB RAM vs. HP EliteBook 845 G10 with AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U and 32GB RAM. Results may vary
⁶ Based on HPs internal analysis of business PCs with preinstalled encryption, authentication, malware protection, BIOS-level protection and passing MIL-STD testing, finding that no other in-class PC implements a quantum-resistant cryptographic scheme to protect the integrity of UEFI BIOS firmware as of February 2024. Requires Windows 10 or higher. For supported HP PCs with the latest HP Endpoint Security Controller. See https://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=4AA8-3644ENW.
⁷ Optional feature must be configured at the time of purchase.
⁸ HP AI Companion is available preloaded on select HP next gen AI PCs or is available for download from the Microsoft store and requires a HP next gen AI PC with a NPU supporting 40-60 TOPS with 16 GB or more of storage and requires Windows 11. Perform requires account set up within 30 days of PC boot or enrollment through the HP AI Companion app. Some features require customer upload of local data. Ten (10) library 100 MB limit each, supported files may vary and at launch include pdf, .txt., .docx files. For ‘On device’ AI use, your HP Next Gen AI PC requires 32GB RAM and will require up to 4.5 GB storage on your PC. “On device” mode uses a downloaded LLM Phi 3.5 to process queries locally and does not require an internet connection. “Cloud” mode uses GPT-4o to process queries online and requires an internet connection. Spotlight and voice capability expected availability in Spring 2025 Availability varies by region.
⁹ HP AI Companion requires an HP Next Gen AI PC with a NPU supporting 40-60 TOPS and requires Windows 11. For ‘On device’ AI use, your HP Next Gen AI PC requires 32 GB RAM and will require up to 4.5 GB storage on your PC.
¹⁰ HP Go integrates pre-embedded carrier profiles, pre-activation processes, and pre-configured APNs at the factory, enabling seamless out-of-the-box connectivity. Requires 5G module and Windows support for carrier profile management and network selection. North America subscription service ONLY. Available in Spring 2025.
¹¹ Zero-touch multi-carrier 5G deployment is the ability to automatically onboard and activate 5G connectivity across multiple carriers without requiring manual carrier selection, IT-managed profile provisioning, or traditional enterprise (STD) onboarding methods. Unlike standard WWAN and eSIM-based setups, HP Go integrates pre-embedded carrier profiles, pre-activation processes, and pre-configured APNs, enabling automatic connection to the fastest available network. North America subscription service ONLY. Available in Spring 2025.
¹² Requires myHP application and Windows OS.
¹³ Based on internal HP testing.
¹⁴ HP Workforce Experience Platform (WXP) is available in various tiers with optional add-on solutions in various term licenses. WXP is for commercial customers and some features and capabilities may require additional purchase of HP Services and/or commercial hardware supporting the HP Insights agent for Windows, Mac, & Android available for download at https://workforceexperience.hp.com/software.admin.hp.com/software. For full system requirements and services that require the agent, please visit https://workforceexperience.hp.com/requirements. Activation and restrictions may apply. The agent collects telemetry and analytics around devices and applications that integrate into the Workforce Experience platform and is not sold as a standalone service. The agent is ISO27001, ISO27701, ISO27017 and SOC2 Type2 certified for Information Security.
¹⁵ HP Vyopta license required for collaboration technology monitoring
¹⁶ March 2025. Mohamed Alaa Saayed, Senior Program Director & Fellow, Frost & Sullivan. 60% of gaming PCs are split between 55% desktop and 65% laptop users.
¹⁷ Multi-core is designed to improve performance of certain software products. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of this technology. Performance and clock frequency will vary depending on application workload and your hardware and software configurations. Intel’s numbering, branding and/or naming is not a measurement of higher performance. Intel, Core, and the Intel logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
¹⁸All performance specifications represent the typical specifications provided by HP’s component manufacturers; actual performance may vary either higher or lower. Total processors power = Total GPU power plus total thermal power.
¹⁹ Tested at 50% headphone volume, continuous playback. Using 2.4GHz mode, the headset has a battery life of up to 120 hours. Using Bluetooth mode, the headset has a battery life of up to 200 hours. Actual battery life will vary with use and maximum battery capacity will naturally decrease with time and usage.
²⁰ Earcup plates sold separately. Available in select countries/regions.

The MIL Network –
March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Welcomes President Donald J. Trump to the Justice Department

Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

On Friday, March 14, 2025, Attorney General Pamela Bondi welcomed President Donald J. Trump to the Justice Department. Both President Trump and Attorney General Bondi delivered remarks, as did FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl9V_JNFa0c

MIL OSI Video –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Violence Triggers Record Displacements in Port-au-Prince: Over 60,000 People in a Month

Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Port-au-Prince, 18 March 2025 – In just one month, intense violence has forced nearly 60,000 people to flee—yet another record in Haiti’s worsening humanitarian situation. For years, gang violence, displacement, and instability have gripped Port-au-Prince and large parts of the country, each wave of attacks deepening the suffering of already vulnerable communities. However, in the last two months, the security situation has sharply deteriorated even further in the capital, with escalating attacks on civilians, eroding the few remaining gang-free areas, and forcing repeated and record displacements. The Port-au-Prince airport remains closed and the capital under siege.

Escalating violence has heavily impacted communities in several neighborhoods of the capital, including Delmas, Carrefour-Feuilles, Martissant, Fort National, Pétion-Ville, and Tabarre, forcing thousands to flee for safety. Most of the displaced have sought refuge in 48 displacement sites, including 12 newly established ones, while others have taken shelter with already overstretched host families.

“This alarming surge in displacements underscores the relentless cycle of violence devastating Haiti’s capital, we have never observed a such large number of people moving in this short time” said Grégoire Goodstein, IOM’s Chief in Haiti. “Families are being uprooted time and again, forced to leave everything behind as they flee for safety. Many of those displaced were already living in precarious conditions after previous displacements.”

Overall, more than 1 million people are displaced across the country, a number that has tripled in the past year. Yet, as suffering reaches new extremes, Haiti’s crisis continues to struggle for the world’s attention. Resources are stretched thin, and humanitarian needs far exceed the current response capacity. Additionally, insecurity keeps growing. Support for the Haitian National Police must be enhanced to provide them with the necessary resources and capabilities to restore stability and security.

“People fleeing violence need immediate protection, food, water, and shelter. The situation is worsening by the day, and without additional support, we risk seeing an even greater humanitarian catastrophe unfold,” emphasized Goodstein.

IOM continues to provide life-saving assistance to displaced communities in Haiti. Last month alone, over 16,000 people were reached with clean water and hygiene support, while 3,700 people benefited from emergency shelter, hygiene kits, medical care and psychosocial support. IOM teams remain on the ground, engaging with affected families, assessing urgent needs, and delivering aid throughout the country.

From emergency relief to long-term recovery, IOM is committed to providing relief and support for displaced Haitians, ensuring they receive the aid they need to survive and rebuild. However, significant challenges persist. Resources are overstretched, and humanitarian access is increasingly constrained due to insecurity, leaving thousands without adequate protection and essential services.

Note to Editor 

A detailed analysis of displacements in Haiti is available here.

For more information please contact:

In Haiti: Antoine Lemonnier, alemonnier@iom.int

In Panama: Jorge Gallo, jgallo@iom.int

In Geneva: Daniela Rovina, drovina@iom.int

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Albanian alpine police officers undergo intensive training organized by OSCE Presence, Austria

Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

Headline: Albanian alpine police officers undergo intensive training organized by OSCE Presence, Austria

Training of Albanian Alpine Police, Korça, 13 March 2025. (OSCE) Photo details

Thirty police officers from the alpine units of Tirana, Fier and Shkodra participated in a specialized training programme in the mountains of Korça from 10 to 13 March 2025. Organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania, in close co-operation with trainers from the Austrian Federal Police, this intensive course aimed to enhance Albanian police officers’ ability to navigate and operate in challenging alpine environments, ensuring the safety and security of both local communities and tourists.
Building on the foundation laid by a previous training in Theth in 2022, this programme marked another significant step in Albania’s efforts to improve its law enforcement capabilities in mountainous terrains. The Theth training was a milestone in strengthening the operational readiness of Albania’s alpine police and this latest session further advanced those objectives.
Austria, renowned for its expertise in alpine policing, provided highly experienced trainers who led participants through a combination of theoretical and practical exercises. Officers were trained in essential skills such as effective rescue operations, safety protocols and tactical mountain policing. The course also included rigorous endurance tests, quick-thinking drills and adaptability training for emergency situations. Participants gained hands-on experience in first aid, casualty evacuation and the use of specialized alpine equipment, including ropes and harnesses crucial for survival in extreme conditions.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Deputy Head of Presence Clarisse Pasztory emphasized that, in co-operation with the Austrian Ministry of Interior, the OSCE Presence will continue to support further training for Albania’s alpine police.
Director of the National Security Force, Hamdi Fjora, highlighted that, following a joint needs assessment with Austrian experts, a selected group of officers will undergo a training-of-trainers programme. This initiative aims to integrate alpine training into the annual curriculum of Albania’s public security structures, ensuring continuous capacity-building in this field.
The activity was part of a project implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania and funded by the Austrian government.

MIL OSI Europe News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison on Multiple Child Exploitation Charges

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

NASHVILLE – Robert L. Northrup, 55, of Niles, Michigan, was sentenced last Friday to 25 years in federal prison after having pled guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, advertising child pornography, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, attempted transfer of obscene material to an individual under the age of sixteen, and committing an offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Northrup will be required to continue registering as a sex offender.

“Stopping those who intend to prey on children is among the highest priorities of our office and the Department of Justice,” said Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney. “This sentence will make sure that Robert Northrup will not harm another child for a quarter century. I commend the agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Morrison for their diligent pursuit of justice and drive to hold child sex offenders like Northrup accountable for their crimes.”

According to court records, between July 21, 2022, and August 22, 2022, Northrup communicated with an FBI online covert employee, who was posing as a thirteen-year-old girl, on an online dating application and by text message. Northrop’s status block on the online dating application made clear that he was looking for young girls. This was one of eight accounts Northrop had on this online dating application. While Northrop was communicating with the FBI employee, he requested sexually explicit photos of multiple minors, discussed engaging in sexually activity with the online covert employee, and sent photos of his penis and a masturbation video.

Northrup has prior convictions for a number of offenses including Criminal Sexual Conduct Third Degree, Child Solicitation, and Inappropriate Communication with a Child, which required him to register as a sex offender. He also has six convictions for Failure to Register or Attempted Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

After serving his sentence, Northrup will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Clarksville Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted the case.

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MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: The Guardian: Democrats demand investigation into Musk over possible criminal corruption

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
March 17, 2025
Leading Democrats on Monday demanded an investigation of possible criminal corruption involving Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and world’s richest man tasked by Donald Trump with slashing the federal government.
The investigation should involve “the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to cancel a $2.4bn contract with Verizon to upgrade air traffic control communications, and to pay … Musk’s Starlink to help manage US airspace”, senators Chris Van Hollen, Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren wrote to Pam Bondi, the attorney general, and Mitch Behm, acting inspector general of the transportation department.
“We ask that the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General and the Department of Justice investigate the scope of Mr Musk’s activities at the FAA,” the senators said.
An investigation, the letter said, would determine whether Musk, “in his capacity as a special government employee in the White House … has participated in any particular matter in which he has a financial interest, which would violate the criminal conflict-of-interest statute”.
…
Read the full article here.
By: Martin PengellySource: The Guardian
Previous Article

MIL OSI USA News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests 31 illegal aliens, 3 charged for criminal activity

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with support from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, arrested 31 illegal aliens March 9 during a targeted enforcement operation in the San Juan area.

The multi-agency operation took place at an illegal cockfight location. Three of the arrested were charged for criminal activity.

All the illegal aliens are in ICE custody pending removal.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Juan Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos said: “This operation is part of ongoing enforcement under the Presidential Executive Order, to combat illegal immigration across Puerto Rico. Local enforcement partnerships are key to fulfill our mission of keeping our communities safe.”

ICE is focused on public safety and national security threats. Individuals illegally present in the United States who are encountered during an enforcement operation may be taken into custody and processed for removal as stated by law.

Members of the public with information can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ICE HSI mission to increase public safety in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on X at @HSISanJuan.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Equal Access to Educational Opportunities and Facilities for Jewish UCLA Students

Source: US State of North Dakota

The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced that the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the Central District of California to advance the appropriate interpretation of federal laws that prohibit colleges and universities from discriminating against students because of their religion or national origin. The statement of interest is part of the Task Force’s nationwide effort to combat antisemitism in all of its forms.

According to the allegations in Frankel et al. v. Regents of the University of California et al., in the spring of 2024 administrators of the University of California system allowed members of a protest encampment to physically prevent University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) students and faculty from accessing portions of the UCLA campus if they were wearing articles reflective of their Jewish faith or if they refused to denounce Israel.

The plaintiffs are Jewish students and a Jewish professor at UCLA who allege that the university knowingly acted in concert with or allowed members of the protest encampment to prevent them from accessing a central campus space and adjacent classrooms and library on the basis of their Jewish faith or national origin in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and California state law. The United States’ statement of interest addresses the sufficiency of plaintiffs’ claims that defendant administrators violated Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause.

The Justice Department recently announced the formation of a multi-agency task force coordinated by the Civil Rights Division to combat antisemitism, which is visiting 10 university campuses that have experienced antisemitic events. The Department also recently announced its investigation into the University of California to assess whether the university system engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses, including UCLA. The Task Force also recently announced that the Department, together with other federal agencies, would cancel $400 million in federal contracts and grants to Columbia University due to the school’s inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.

“The President, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Task Force know that every student must be free to attend school without being discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion or national origin,” said Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell. “The Department of Justice is working to combat antisemitism using all of the tools at our disposal.”

“Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally for the Central District of California. “Our office will enforce anti-discrimination laws to address the issue of antisemitism affecting our residents.”

To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Equal Access to Educational Opportunities and Facilities for Jewish UCLA Students

Source: United States Attorneys General

The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced that the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the Central District of California to advance the appropriate interpretation of federal laws that prohibit colleges and universities from discriminating against students because of their religion or national origin. The statement of interest is part of the Task Force’s nationwide effort to combat antisemitism in all of its forms.

According to the allegations in Frankel et al. v. Regents of the University of California et al., in the spring of 2024 administrators of the University of California system allowed members of a protest encampment to physically prevent University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) students and faculty from accessing portions of the UCLA campus if they were wearing articles reflective of their Jewish faith or if they refused to denounce Israel.

The plaintiffs are Jewish students and a Jewish professor at UCLA who allege that the university knowingly acted in concert with or allowed members of the protest encampment to prevent them from accessing a central campus space and adjacent classrooms and library on the basis of their Jewish faith or national origin in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and California state law. The United States’ statement of interest addresses the sufficiency of plaintiffs’ claims that defendant administrators violated Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause.

The Justice Department recently announced the formation of a multi-agency task force coordinated by the Civil Rights Division to combat antisemitism, which is visiting 10 university campuses that have experienced antisemitic events. The Department also recently announced its investigation into the University of California to assess whether the university system engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses, including UCLA. The Task Force also recently announced that the Department, together with other federal agencies, would cancel $400 million in federal contracts and grants to Columbia University due to the school’s inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.

“The President, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Task Force know that every student must be free to attend school without being discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion or national origin,” said Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell. “The Department of Justice is working to combat antisemitism using all of the tools at our disposal.”

“Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally for the Central District of California. “Our office will enforce anti-discrimination laws to address the issue of antisemitism affecting our residents.”

To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: South Carolina man pleads guilty to sexually exploiting two children in Virginia

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A South Carolina man pled guilty today to sexually exploiting two children to whom he had access while residing in Reston.

According to court documents, from at least July 2019 through July 2022, Christopher George Schoenmann, 43, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, created sexually explicit images of two minor victims, identified as MV1 and MV2, and distributed the images to a man in Minnesota, in exchange for sexually explicit images of the Minnesota man’s minor children.

Schoenmann and the Minnesota man used WhatsApp to discuss their sexual interest in young girls, and to trade images of their victims. Between July 2019 and July 2022, Schoenmann created at least eight images depicting MV1 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. MV1 was between six and eight years old when Schoenmann sexually exploited her. Schoenmann also created at least eight sexually explicit images of MV2, who was between less than a year old and two years old when Schoenmann sexually exploited her. Schoenmann distributed the sexually explicit images of his victims to the Minnesota man.

Schoenmann also stored on 4 different electronic devices more than 1,400 images and videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including approximately 39 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants or toddlers.

Schoenmann is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C. made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alessandra Serano and Lauren Halper are prosecuting the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-22.

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Exploring the link between school exclusion and crime – new research

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Iain Brennan, Professor of Criminology, University of Hull

The rate of children permanently excluded from school in England rose against last year and is higher than before the pandemic.

A recent BBC documentary by actor Idris Elba pointed out that being excluded from school can be a tipping point that pushes a child towards serious violence. This observation is backed up by convincing evidence.

Data in a joint report by the Ministry of Justice and Department for Education shows that the risk of being cautioned or charged for a serious violence offence by age 18 is 15 times higher in children who had been excluded from school.

Crucially, though, exclusion and violence have many risk factors in common. Children who have special educational needs, have grown up in deprivation or have been in care, for instance, are more at risk both of being excluded from school and of committing a violent offence.

This makes the job of teasing out the impact of exclusion on violence challenging. Research needs to account for the contribution of these other factors.

We carried out research to isolate the effect of school exclusion on serious violence, trying to do so in a way that just focused on the impact of exclusion.

The best way to know whether or not something has caused a change is to split a group of people at random and give one group something and not the other, be that a medicine, a programme or anything else. This is known as a randomised controlled trial.

Finding a cause

By randomly splitting the group, any other risk factors – ones that we know about and ones that we don’t – are shared equally across the two groups, so if we see a difference between the groups, the only explanation is the difference introduced by the researchers.

However, there are lots of situations where randomisation would be unethical. We could never randomise people to start smoking to test if it causes a disease, nor could we randomise skydivers to not wear parachutes. School exclusion is a situation like this. Excluding some children but not excluding others in the name of science would be a dangerous experiment.

Instead of this unethical coin toss, we used a new technique from medical research, known as a target trial emulation. This approach seeks to mimic the circumstances of a randomised controlled trial.

It does so by ensuring that the study only includes people who meet the “eligibility” criteria for the study, that the two groups are as similar as possible and that they are followed up for identical periods.

It is important to define who is “eligible” for exclusion. While in theory, any children can be excluded, they are only truly eligible if they have done something “exclusion-worthy”.

There are many common risk factors for exclusion and violence.
polya_olya/Shutterstock

Finding groups of people who meet these criteria and where some have been excluded and others have not is challenging. Fortunately, in 2020, the Department for Education linked the records of over 15 million people to criminal records held by the Ministry of Justice and anonymised them. This data set is just the type of “big data” we need for this question.

We identified every record of a child who had been excluded between 2006 and 2016 – over 20,000 children. We then matched these records against those of other children from the same data set who had the same background, educational experience and history of suspensions and (non-violent) offending, but who, crucially, were never excluded.

Following those cases from the time of the exclusion and comparing them, we found that, within a year, the excluded children were more than twice as likely to commit serious violent crime than their not excluded peers.

A doubling of risk of the most serious violence in an already high-risk group points to exclusion being an important factor in youth violence.

But because we cannot rule out other factors and because we can’t know if the comparison group were truly “eligible” for exclusion, this may be as close as we can get to understanding the causal influence of exclusion.

Cut back on exclusions?

The evidence on a link between exclusion and future violence might suggest that it would be a good idea to limit exclusions from schools. But this is an extremely contentious issue.

Limiting or preventing exclusions risks schools having to spend a great deal of precious resources keeping a small number of children in school. The Department for Education and many teachers state that exclusions are necessary when a child’s behaviour becomes a risk to their classmates and teachers or harms the potential to learn.

On the other hand, continuing with increasing rates of exclusions risks letting down the most vulnerable and traumatised children – as well as potentially creating victims of crime and heaping pressure on prisons later on.

Critics of exclusions argue that, as well as increasing risk of offending, exclusions unfairly target children from ethnic minorities and children with special educational needs, and should be avoided as much as possible.

We may never truly know the causal effect of exclusion on violent offending. But perhaps we do not need to. Addressing the common causes of exclusion and violence should be the greater priority.

The warning signs for a child’s exclusion and violence will have been clear in many cases but too often schools and teachers lack the time and resources to help and include a child showing these signs, falling back on disciplinary policies that may be doing more harm than good.

It would be better to introduce an inclusive system that views schools as being part of a system that does not just respond to violence but can prevent it. However, although exclusion from school may be a trigger and a predictor of serious violence, preventing such violence cannot be the responsibility of schools alone.

Iain Brennan receives funding from Economic and Social Research Council, Home Office, College of Policing, Youth Endowment Fund and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside.

Rosie Cornish receives funding from the UK Medical Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Youth Endowment Fund, the Home Office and the Avon and Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership.

– ref. Exploring the link between school exclusion and crime – new research – https://theconversation.com/exploring-the-link-between-school-exclusion-and-crime-new-research-252122

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Twillingate — Twillingate RCMP investigates break, enter and attempted theft at Dearing’s Automotive in Fairbank

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Twillingate RCMP is investigating a commercial break, enter and attempted theft of an ATM machine that occurred on March 14, 2025, at Dearing’s Automotive in Fairbank.

Shortly after 5:00 a.m. on Friday, Twillingate RCMP received a report of a break and enter in progress at the business. Video surveillance captured a masked suspect on the property who arrived in a pickup truck. The suspect used the truck to smash the front entrance of the building and attempted to steal an ATM from inside the business by towing it with the vehicle. The attempt was unsuccessful. The suspect then fled the scene in the vehicle.

A short time later, police received a report of a truck on fire in Summerford, matching the description of the vehicle used in the break and enter.

The abandoned truck, a 2010 black GMC Sierra, was extinguished by firefighters and confirmed as being involved in the break and enter.

The investigation is continuing.

Twillingate RCMP is seeking assistance from the public in identifying the suspect. Anyone having information about this crime is asked to call Twillingate RCMP at (709) 884-2811. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Lackawanna County Man Sentenced to 96 Months’ Imprisonment for Theft of Major Artwork
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Thomas Trotta, age 49, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 13, 2025, to 96 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a term of supervised release, and to pay restitution in the amount of $2,759,073, by U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for one count of theft of major artwork.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Trotta had previously pleaded guilty to one count of theft of major artwork, and admitted to stealing the following:
- “Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania;
- Nine (9) World Series rings, seven (7) other championship rings, and two (2) MVP plaques all belonging to Yogi Berra, worth over $500,000 stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls, New Jersey;
- Six (6) championship belts, including four belonging to Carmen Basilio and two belonging to Tony Zale stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York;
- The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy belonging to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum in Fargo, North Dakota;
- The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library;
- Fourteen (14) trophies and other awards worth approximately $300,000 stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York;
- Five (5) trophies worth over $30,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York;
- Three antique firearms stolen in 2006 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum in Wantage, New Jersey;
- A 1903/1904 Tiffany Lamp stolen in 2010 from the Lackawanna Historical Society in Scranton, Pennsylvania,
- “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Crospey, worth approximately $120,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey;
- Antique firearms worth over $150,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey;
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of gold nuggets stolen in 2011 from the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, New Jersey;
- An antique shotgun worth over $30,000 stolen in 2018 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum in Wantage, New Jersey;
Trotta committed the above thefts as part of a larger, eight-person conspiracy. After a month-long trial held earlier this year, co-conspirators Nicholas Dombek, age 54, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Damien Boland, age 48, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, and Joseph Atsus, age 48, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania, were convicted of conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property, as well as multiple related substantive offenses. They are presently pending sentencing.

Three additional co-conspirators pleaded guilty pursuant to felony informations and were sentenced by Judge Mannion earlier this year. They include:
- Dawn Trotta, age 53, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property;
- Frank Tassiello, age 52, of Taylor, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property; and
- Ralph Parry, age 47, of Springbrook Township, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to three years of probation as well as a period of home-confinement for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
After stealing the above-described items, the conspirators would transport the stolen goods back to northeastern Pennsylvania, often to the residence of Dombek, and melt the memorabilia down into easily transportable metal discs or bars. The conspirators would then sell the raw metal to fences in the New York City area for hundreds or a few thousands of dollars, significantly less than the sports memorabilia would be worth at fair market value.

Dombek burnt the painting “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Crospey, valued at approximately $100,000, to avoid the painting being recovered by investigators and used as evidence against the members of the conspiracy. The whereabouts of many of the other paintings and stolen objects are currently unknown, however, several antique firearms stolen from the Space Farms: Zoo and Museum and the Ringwood Manor Museum, both in New Jersey, were recovered by investigators.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the New Jersey State Park Police, the Newport Police Department (Rhode Island), the Fargo Police Department (North Dakota), the Chester Police Department (New York), the Exeter Borough Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Scranton Police Department, the Franklin Police Department (New Jersey), the Village of Goshen Police Department (New York), the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.), the West Milord Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Montclair Police Department (New Jersey), the Saratoga Springs Police Department (New York), the Canastota Police Department (New York), the South Abington Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Bernards Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Salisbury Township Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Montclair State University Police Department (New Jersey) the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office (Pennsylvania), the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (New York), and multiple other local law enforcement agencies from across the country.

Assistant United States Attorneys James M. Buchanan, Jenny Roberts, and Sean Camoni prosecuted the case.

# # #

MIL Security OSI –
March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Carbon County Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Prison for Producing Child Pornography

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

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ignacia Salcido-Lopez, age 19, of Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 13, 2025, to 240 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for producing child pornography.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, between December 23, 2023, and January 14, 2024, Salcido-Lopez produced hundreds of images of child pornography involving two children, ages seven and three, that he was babysitting.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts.

###

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Mt. Carmel Borough Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Violate Civil Rights

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

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that former Lt. David Donkochik, age 53, of the Mt. Carmel Borough Police Department, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. Chief District Judge Matthew W. Brann, to conspiring to use excessive force when arresting people over a three-year period.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, former Lt. Donkochik was previously indicted on June 15, 2023, with former Officer Jonathan McHugh, age 36, and former Officer Kyle Schauer, age 36, on charges of conspiracy to deprive rights under color of law. Donkochik, McHugh, and Schauer conspired to violate the civil rights of those they arrested from 2018 to 2021. During 22 different arrests, one or more of the defendants kicked, punched, choked, or otherwise used excessive force against those they were arresting. In those arrests, they caused bodily injuries to their victims.

Donkochik, McHugh, and Schauer also took steps to ensure that video of the arrests was not captured by police cameras, or if footage that incriminated them was captured, took steps to ensure that footage was not preserved. They falsely reported that arrestees acted in a manner requiring violence and then charged arrestees with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and related offenses to conceal their own use of violence.

Schauer pleaded guilty on October 24, 2024, to conspiracy to deprive rights under color of law.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio and Carlo D. Marchioli and are prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

# # #

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: City Man Charged in 2023 Kidnapping, Death of Philadelphia Man Abducted Outside His Home

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tyheem Tyler, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping resulting in death, and aiding and abetting.

The indictment alleges that on or about March 6, 2023, the defendant traveled to Wey Um’s place of business in Philadelphia and participated in a robbery of Wey Um at gunpoint.

The indictment further alleges that in the early hours of March 31, 2023, Tyler and his co-conspirators drove a Ford Explorer SUV to Wey Um’s Philadelphia home, kidnapped Wey Um from outside of his residence, and at approximately 2:12 a.m., drove Wey Um in the Ford Explorer to a location near the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

As alleged, Tyler knowingly, willfully, and unlawfully seized, confined, kidnapped, abducted, carried away, and held, and aided and abetted the unlawful seizing, confining, abduction, carrying away, and holding of, Wey Um, deceased, for ransom, reward, and otherwise, resulting in the death of Wey Um, and in committing and in furtherance of the commission of the offense used means, facilities, and instrumentalities of interstate commerce.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment or death.

The case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Timothy Lanni.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Southern District of Texas Charges Nearly 250 People in Second Week of March in Relation to Border Enforcement Efforts

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

HOUSTON – A total of 245 new cases have been filed in the last week related to immigration and border security, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Of those, 115 are charged with illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses. A total 118 face charges of illegally entering the country, 10 cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and assault of federal officers.

Of those facing allegations of illegally re-entering the country is Santos Demetrio Marquez-Hernandez from El Salvador. The criminal complaint indicates he has a felony conviction of contact with a minor with sexual intent and was removed just over two months ago on Jan. 8. He could receive up to 20 years in U.S. prison.

Juan Daniel Pena and Jose Cristian Cantu Jr. were also arrested this week for attempting to smuggle 15 aliens through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. The charges allege the aliens, who were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Vietnam, were hidden inside two trucks being hauled on a flatbed trailer. Five of the illegal aliens were allegedly previously ordered removed from the United States and are now facing their own charges of illegal reentry into the United States.

Relevant cases also featured this week include an Arkansas man who was found guilty of transporting illegal aliens in a truck’s wheel well and fuel tank. The jury deliberated for under 30 minutes following a less than two-day trial before finding Noel Mercado guilty on two counts of alien smuggling. An x-ray scan revealed at least two individuals in the truck’s wheel wells – found bolted inside modified wheel well compartments. Law enforcement also discovered two more individuals in the auxiliary fuel tank below the truck bed. All four were illegal aliens from the countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala with no authority to be in the United States.

Among those charged this week also includes Gerardo Hervey Rodriguez-Toscano, a Mexican citizen who allegedly ran up the Mexican side of the Hidalgo port of entry and attempted to evade U.S. law enforcement at the midpoint. Authorities were able to detain him, but after a struggle, according to the allegations. One officer allegedly suffered injuries to his wrist, knee and elbow. If convicted, Rodriguez-Toscano faces up to eight years in prison.

In addition, a Honduran man attempted to enter the country illegally by pretending to be a minor. Elger Fabricio Cotto-Navarro claimed he was born in May 2007, when he was actually born the previous year. He initially denied the allegations and made a written statement as such, but ultimately acknowledged he was an adult and that he provided an incorrect date of birth and made false statements.

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, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General 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 –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Western District of Texas Exceeds 200 New Immigration Cases in Four Days

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

SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 215 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 10 through March 13.

In Austin, several individuals were charged with illegal reentry after deportation, after being found in local area jails. Among those were Ricardo Hernandez-Hernandez, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States to Mexico on two prior occasions and had been convicted of indecency with a child sexual contact and failure to register as a sex offender; Andres Garcia-Saldana, a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States on four occasions and had been convicted of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and driving while intoxicated three times—the third time being a felony conviction; Hernan Vasquez-Medina, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States three times before and had been convicted of making a terroristic threat and driving while intoxicated three times—like Garcia-Saldana, Vasquez-Medina’s third DWI was charged as a felony as well; and Jaime Ricardo Lopez-Rojas, a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States a total eight times and had been convicted of illegal entry twice, illegal reentry after deportation four times, driving while intoxicated three times, and family violence assault causing bodily injury.

In the Midland-Odessa area, two individuals with prior federal convictions were found in local area jails and were charged with illegal entry after deportation. Mexican national Saul Villalobos-Vasquez was allegedly removed from the United States once before and convicted in the Eastern District of Texas for unauthorized use of a social security number for which he had been sentenced to 12-months imprisonment in 2016. Daniel Olivas-Nieto, also a Mexican national, had been allegedly removed from the United States and was previously convicted in the Western District of Texas for the illegal transportation of aliens for financial gain, for which he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.

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

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

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

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: EV battery recycling becomes critical area for ongoing investments in automotive industry, says GlobalData

Source: GlobalData

EV battery recycling becomes critical area for ongoing investments in automotive industry, says GlobalData

Posted in Automotive

As the automotive industry accelerates its transition towards electric vehicles (EVs), the focus on sustainable practices has never been more critical. Central to this evolution is the lifecycle management of EV batteries, which poses both opportunities and challenges. As the future of the automotive industry is undoubtedly intertwined with the success of battery recycling, it has become a critical area for ongoing investment and development, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The rising adoption of EVs has significantly increased the demand for efficient battery recycling processes. As EV batteries reach the end of their lifecycle, the automotive industry faces the critical challenge of managing their disposal. Current recycling methods, including hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, and direct recycling, are being explored to recover valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, and manganese. Among these, hydrometallurgical recycling has emerged as the most effective method, demonstrating a notable positive environmental impact.

Madhuchhanda Palit, Automotive Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The automotive sector is increasingly embracing circular economy practices, focusing on reusing and recycling materials to minimize waste. This transition not only benefits the environment but also presents lucrative opportunities for businesses in the growing market for recycled battery materials. Patent analytics indicate a surge in research and development aimed at improving recycling efficiency and reducing costs. Companies are investing in innovative technologies that enhance recovery rates while lowering the carbon footprint associated with recycling processes.”

Regulatory frameworks are undergoing significant evolution, as governments across the globe implement increasingly stringent guidelines concerning battery disposal and recycling. For instance, the European Union’s Battery Law mandates that by 2030, recycling processes must achieve recovery rates of 95% for cobalt, copper, lead, and nickel, and 70% for lithium. In the US, various states are progressively adopting Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies, which will hold automakers accountable for the recycling of all batteries. This regulatory momentum is anticipated to drive investments in recycling technologies and infrastructure, thereby promoting a more sustainable automotive ecosystem.

Palit concludes: “In conclusion, the journey towards a sustainable future for EVs hinges on the effective management of battery lifecycles. As the automotive industry embraces recycling as a core component of its strategy, the potential for growth and innovation is significant.

“While challenges remain, the advancements in recycling technologies and the increasing emphasis on sustainability present a promising outlook for the automotive market. As stakeholders navigate this evolving landscape, the commitment to sustainable practices will not only mitigate environmental hazards but also drive market growth in the years to come.”

MIL OSI Economics –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Companies House launches registration of Authorised Corporate Service Providers
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Companies House launches registration of Authorised Corporate Service Providers

Companies House has taken a big step towards greater certainty about who is filing information on behalf of companies.
Today (18 March 2025), sees the launch of a new service that allows third-party corporate service providers, such as accountants, legal professionals and company formation agents to apply to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

The new ACSP service is one of the changes being made under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (‘the Act’) to strengthen the business landscape in the UK.

As the Act is further implemented, third-party providers will have to register using this new service to file information and confirm that they have verified the identities of their clients.   

The Act provides a more robust framework for anyone filing on behalf of a company.

For example, ACSPs will be required to:

be based in the UK

register with Companies House, providing opportunities for oversight

be registered with a UK supervisory body for anti-money laundering (AML) purposes

retain records of identity verification checks

Where appropriate, the registrar may suspend or cease an ACSP’s registration with Companies House.

Companies House CEO Louise Smyth CBE said:

The new ACSP regime is a step towards a more transparent and secure business environment in the UK.

Requiring third party agents to register as authorised corporate service providers will provide assurance that identity checks they carry out achieve the same level of assurance as identity verification directly through Companies House.

Soon all new and existing company directors (and equivalents), people with significant control, as well as those filing information with Companies House will need to verify their identity.

This will provide more assurance about who is setting up, running, owning and controlling companies in the UK.

To become an ACSP, businesses must be registered with one of the UK’s 25 anti-money laundering supervisory bodies. When registering as an ACSP, applicants will need to provide their AML supervisory body membership number.

Michelle Giddings, Head of AML and Operations, Professional Standards, ICAEW said:

ICAEW is the largest accountancy professional body supervisor in the UK, supervising around 10,000 firms. We welcome the launch of this new service which will enhance the integrity of the UK’s company registration system, combat financial crime and close the loopholes that have historically facilitated the misuse of corporate entities.

Chartered accountants can play a vital role in the reforms by registering as an ACSP and supporting their clients with filing information and meeting the new verification requirements.

The ACSP registration process will need to be completed by someone who holds a senior role within the business, such as a director.

Companies House estimates that up to 50,000 businesses could apply to register as ACSPs within 12 months of the service launch.

Notes to editors

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced robust new laws to fight corruption, money laundering and fraud.

The changes we are introducing in phases will enable us to crack down on misuse of the UK companies register.

From 18 March 2025, individuals and organisations will be able to register as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP).

From 8 April 2025, individuals will be able to voluntarily verify their identity using GOV.UK One Login or via an ACSP.

In due course, Companies House will be able to:

make identity verification a compulsory part of incorporation and new appointments for new directors and PSCs

begin the 12-month transition phase to require more than 7 million existing directors and PSCs to verify their identity – the identity verification will happen as part of the annual confirmation statement filing

make identity verification of the presenters a compulsory part of filing any document

require third-party agent firms filing on behalf of companies to be registered as an ACSP

reject documents delivered by disqualified directors as they will be prohibited from doing so, unless they are delivered by an ACSP for specified filings permitted by law

Useful links:

Authorised Corporate Service Providers – Changes to UK company law

Registering as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) – YouTube

Guidance:

Applying to register as a Companies House authorised agent

Being an authorised corporate service provider

How to meet Companies House identity verification standard

Registrar’s rules

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Published 18 March 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: More than 23 million trips have been recorded on the Tavrida highway since the launch of traffic

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

This year marks 11 years since the reunification of Crimea with Russia. All this time, a lot of work has been done on the socio-economic development of the republic and the city of Sevastopol. One of the key areas has become the modernization of the road infrastructure, which plays an important role in improving the quality of life of Crimeans and integrating the region into the country’s economic space.

“Today, on the instructions of the President, we are actively implementing the program of socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, including ensuring stable road connections of the regions with other subjects of Russia, creating convenient high-speed routes. In total, since 2015, more than 1.2 thousand km of roads have been built and repaired there at the expense of the federal budget. As part of the national project “Safe High-Quality Roads”, more than 18 million square meters of asphalt concrete pavement have been laid on the peninsula, and more than 1.8 thousand km have been brought into compliance. One of the most important road arteries is the A-291 “Tavrida” highway, which runs through the entire Crimea from east to west. Since August 2020, when traffic on the highway was launched, more than 23 million trips have been recorded on “Tavrida”, and the average daily traffic intensity was about 14 thousand cars,” said Marat Khusnullin.

Positive changes in the road sector of the Republic of Crimea have not gone unnoticed by residents of the region. According to a study by VTsIOM conducted at the end of 2024, 73% of Crimeans are satisfied with the quality and accessibility of regional and local roads. This is one of the highest rates in Russia, with the national average being 56%. And in Sevastopol, the same rate reached 83%, which is second place among all 89 regions of the country.

Among the significant completed road projects on the Crimean Peninsula, in addition to the Tavrida highway, are the transport crossing over the Kerch Strait, the Simferopol-Yevpatoriya-Mirny highway on the Skvortsovo-Yevpatoriya section with a bypass of Lake Sasyk-Sivash, the first stage of the construction of the Simferopol bypass on the Donskoye-Perevalnoye road section. In addition, at the end of 2024, a high-speed section to the Crimean Bridge, almost 120 km long, was launched, which connects the M-4 Don highway with the Tavrida highway. Thanks to this, a single route of about 2.6 thousand km long was created between St. Petersburg and Sevastopol without a single traffic light or intersection.

With the development of an alternative land route to the Republic of Crimea in 2024, a section of the R-280 “Novorossiya” highway, 118 km long, running from Simferopol through Dzhankoy to the border with the Kherson region, was accepted into federal ownership. The highway will become part of the ring road around the Sea of Azov.

As the head of the Federal Road Agency Roman Novikov noted, the comprehensive modernization of the Novorossiya highway is one of the main tasks of road workers from the point of view of the development of the Republic of Crimea and the development of the economic potential of the entire south of Russia. That is why a plan for the repair, maintenance and development of the road was quickly determined.

In particular, in 2024, federal road workers completed ahead of schedule the repair of a section within the city of Dzhankoy with a length of 5.3 km. At the same time, a set of works was carried out to eliminate deformations and destruction of the road surface on sections with a length of 7 km from Dzhankoy to Simferopol. And in the current road construction season, work has begun to replace the asphalt concrete surface on the section from the 567th to the 585th km in the Krasnogvardeisky district of the republic.

In addition, a three-year development program has been formed, which will allow us to take the necessary pace of work to convert the entire R-280 Novorossiya highway to a four-lane design in the future.

In general, today the total length of federal, regional and inter-municipal roads of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol is more than 7.6 thousand km.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: More than 215 thousand square meters of housing have been commissioned and 22 billion rubles have been attracted to the economy on the Crimean peninsula thanks to infrastructure projects

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Square on Novikov Street, Balaklava, Sevastopol

Since the reunification of Crimea with Russia in 2014, a large-scale comprehensive work on infrastructure development has been carried out on the peninsula, aimed at creating comfortable living conditions for people and sustainable socio-economic development of the regions. Modern housing, roads, social institutions, housing and communal services facilities are being built, and public spaces are being improved, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported.

“Today we celebrate 11 years since the Crimean Peninsula returned to Russia. During this time, the peninsula has been transformed almost beyond recognition. The state program of socio-economic development, national projects and targeted support instruments have allowed us to create and update the peninsula’s infrastructure at an accelerated pace. This work has yielded results. I would like to note the good pace of housing construction. In particular, effective regional development instruments have contributed – infrastructure budget and special treasury loans (IBK and STK). The projects implemented since 2022 with their help have stimulated the commissioning of 215.5 thousand square meters of housing and attracted more than 22.1 billion rubles of private investment to the local economy,” said Marat Khusnullin.

Thus, with the involvement of IBC and SKK funds, six housing and communal services facilities were commissioned in the Republic of Crimea. Among them are the reconstructed Moinaki electrical substations in Yevpatoria, Foton and Severnaya in Simferopol. They made it possible to ensure a stable and uninterrupted power supply to thousands of consumers, and also, due to the increase in capacity, to form a reserve for connecting new facilities to the power grid. In addition, the reconstruction of Mramorny Lane, leading to a developing residential area in Simferopol, was completed, and a kindergarten for 250 children was built in the city of Saki. At the expense of IBC, the construction of a kindergarten for 280 children in Yevpatoria and Antichny Prospekt in Sevastopol continues.

When creating comfortable living conditions for people, much attention is also paid to the improvement of populated areas. This work was successfully carried out within the framework of the national project “Housing and Urban Environment”.

“Since 2019, about 500 public areas and courtyards have been renovated in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. Moreover, the opinions of local residents are taken into account when choosing priority locations. Last year, more than 213 thousand residents of the peninsula took part in the voting for improvement sites. Now, work on creating a comfortable urban environment continues within the framework of the national project “Infrastructure for Life”. In 2025, it is planned to improve 100 public areas: 77 in Crimea and 23 in Sevastopol,” said Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Irek Fayzullin.

For example, the central city square in Yalta was improved. A light and music fountain was installed there, an amphitheater was arranged, navigation systems, shaded areas, and places for tourist groups to gather appeared for the convenience of vacationers. Now this square can host small events and open-air film screenings.

A promising mechanism for the high-quality renewal of cities, the formation of a comfortable environment for life, work and recreation of citizens is the integrated development of territories. This tool allows for the renewal of housing stock, modernization or creation of the necessary social, communal and transport infrastructure, and the involvement of inefficiently used areas in municipalities in circulation.

“By the decision of the Government, the Territorial Development Fund, with the involvement of a subsidiary, is implementing the KRT project in the village of Privetnoye in the urban district of Alushta. The total area of the territory to be developed is 480.6 hectares. It is planned to build more than 3.2 million square meters of real estate there. The implementation of the project will contribute to the socio-economic development of the Republic of Crimea, create a year-round resort with beaches and berths for small vessels, as well as with modern infrastructure for comfortable living, increase the tourist flow and attract additional investment to the region. Currently, urban development documentation is being developed, support measures for the construction of infrastructure facilities are being worked out,” said Ilshat Shagiakhmetov, General Director of the Territorial Development Fund.

In addition, large social facilities are being built on the peninsula. Thus, on the instructions of the President, the Federal Children’s Rehabilitation Center is being built in Yevpatoria. The work is being carried out under the supervision of the public-law company “Single Customer in the Sphere of Construction”.

“The first stage of the center’s construction is currently being completed. A consultative and diagnostic building and a hospital building with 300 beds have already been erected. They are currently being equipped with new technological and medical equipment. The administrative building was previously put into operation. The construction of a boarding house for accommodating young patients with their parents and a dormitory for medical workers is also ongoing,” said Karen Oganesyan, General Director of the Unified Customer PPC.

Construction and reconstruction of facilities is underway on the territory of the Kiparisny and Solnechny camps of the International Children’s Center Artek. The infrastructure for the Krymsky training center in Alushta is actively developing – a new sports complex with a swimming pool and a hotel are already ready, and reconstruction of the incline-cross track is ongoing.

Also in Sevastopol, on Cape Khrustalny, a large cultural cluster with a total area of 150 thousand square meters will appear. The Academy of Choreography has already opened and is working. The museum complex, in which the Russian State Art Gallery will open, is at a high level of readiness.

The work on the development of the peninsula is aimed not only at updating the infrastructure, but also at creating a favorable investment climate. The growth of the economy of Crimea and Sevastopol is also facilitated by the free economic zone, which has been operating since 2015, and which provides for a special legal regime for doing business. In 2024 alone, its participants invested 58.2 billion rubles in the economy. Today, there are 1,526 participants in the free economic zone, thanks to which 6.4 thousand infrastructure facilities have been commissioned and 111.5 thousand jobs have been created, and 481.2 billion rubles have been invested in the economy of the peninsula, including 272.4 billion rubles in capital investments.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Pasco Tow Truck Operator Charged with Firearm Offense

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

Richland, Washington – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced today that Socorro Jesus Lopez-Spindola, 59, has been charged by criminal complaint with one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Lopez-Spindola was arraigned on March 13, 2025, before the U.S. District Court in Richland, Washington.

According to court documents, in November of 2024, Pasco Police detained Lopez-Spindola in connection to an investigation involving robbery, extortion, and threats to kill. Pasco Police also obtained a search warrant for the business Classic Towing and Recovery, which is owned and operated by Lopez-Spindola. During a search of Lopez-Spindola’s office, investigators allegedly located a loaded .22 caliber revolver in a desk drawer.

Prior to November of 2024, Lopez-Spindola had been convicted of a number of crimes, including an Unlawful Reentry after Deportation conviction.

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

This case is being investigated by the FBI and the Pasco Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon L. Pang.

4:25-mj-07039-ACE

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

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Tanner Settlement — Lunenburg District RCMP investigating suspected arson in Tanner Settlement

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Lunenburg District RCMP is investigating a suspected arson after a structure fire in Tanner Settlement.

On March 17, at approximately 2:10 am, Lunenburg District RCMP and fire services responded to a report of a fire at a home on Tanner Settlement Rd. Upon arrival, the residence was fully engulfed in flames.

The fire was extinguished, but the home sustained extensive damage. No one was at the residence at the time of the fire.

Initial investigation indicates the fire was intentionally set.

The investigation is ongoing and is being led by the Lunenburg District RCMP with assistance from RCMP Forensic Identification Services and the Nova Scotia Fire Marshal’s Office.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lunenburg District RCMP at 902-634-8674. To remain anonymous, contact Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). A secure web tip can be submitted at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or use the P3 Tips App.

File #: 2025-345521

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Water cooperation is essential when countries share lakes and rivers – yet it’s been deteriorating in many places, with serious consequences

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Susanne Schmeier, Associate Professor of Water Law and Diplomacy, IHE Delft

Lake Chad once provided adequate livelihoods for 20 million people in Africa, but it lost 90% of its surface area in 30 years. AP Photo/Christophe Ena

Just over half the world’s population shares a river or lake basin with at least one other country. To sustainably manage those water resources for the health of people, ecosystems and economies, neighboring countries must work together.

However, many countries have been less willing to cooperate in recent years, even to protect a resource as vital as freshwater.

This trend away from multilateralism isn’t unique to water. The world is seeing a decline in the general willingness of countries to jointly solve many interstate, regional and global challenges. It shows as countries, like the U.S., pull out of the global institutions, such as the World Health Organization, and drop their support for global climate goals.

The breakdown in cooperation can have severe consequences. If one country takes more water than agreed upon, and builds dams or pollutes the water, its neighbors and their people, cities, agriculture, energy production and wildlife can suffer. That can ultimately destabilize local communities, deteriorate relations between countries and endanger regional peace and stability.

Water flowing into Africa’s Nile River affects several countries. A large dam being built by Ethiopia has led to concerns and disputes in the region.
AP Photo/Amr Nabil

We conduct research and work with governments and international organizations on environment and water law, policy and governance. The shift we’re seeing away from multilateral cooperation and rules-based order to more nationalistic tendencies, in which a country prioritizes itself to the detriment of all others, is raising concerns about the future.

Thousands of years of water cooperation paid off

More than 4,000 years ago, two Sumerian city-states – Lagash and Umma – were engaged in a fierce war over a strip of fertile land and a canal fed by the Tigris River in what today would be southern Iraq.

The conflict ended in 2550 B.C. with the first known precursor to an international water treaty. The Mesilim Treaty included payments and agreements on collaborative water use. It didn’t hold the peace permanently, but it created a model that lasted.

Conflict still occurs over shared waters; however, since the late 1800s, and particularly since the end of World War II, cooperation has been the dominant interaction between countries in the world’s 313 surface water basins, 468 transboundary aquifers and more than 300 transboundary wetlands.

In Europe, for example, countries have worked together through treaties, data sharing and joint projects to improve water quality, including in the Rhine and Danube rivers.

Nine countries work closely to protect the health of the Rhine River, which each depends on. In 2018, that cooperation became essential as water levels dropped to levels that interrupted ship travel.
AP Photo/Martin Meissner

Having cooperative processes in place also helps when disagreements arise. In Southeast Asia, negotiations and technical exchanges between countries that share the Mekong River have helped to ease tensions over the construction of dams in Laos.

Unilateralism is rising

Despite the proven benefits from cooperating over water resources, we’re seeing a troubling trend: Countries are increasingly taking actions that undermine water cooperation.

Even in the Columbia River Basin, often considered a model of cross-border cooperation, the status of an updated treaty between the U.S. and Canada is in question after the Trump administration paused talks in March 2025.

Since 1964, the U.S. has paid Canada to control the river’s flow to prevent flooding and to serve U.S. hydropower plants. The updated deal has been agreed to in principle, but is not signed. That’s raising questions about what will happen if the interim agreements expire in 2027 before the new treaty comes into force.

Another example is in the Zambezi River Basin in southern Africa, where countries increasingly disregard agreements to notify one another before building projects that will affect the water flow. Similar behavior happens in the Nile and Aral Sea regions, among others.

Ethiopia’s construction of a large hydroelectric damage on the Blue Nile has upset its downstream neighbors.

As unilateral actions over shared water resources become more frequent, the willingness of governments to enter into agreements and establish joint institutions to guide that cooperation is declining. The rate of establishing multilateral agreements has significantly slowed since the 2010s. Only around 10 agreements have been signed since 2020, and only two joint institutions have been established. A large proportion of basins have no agreements or institutions at all.

The few recent attempts to establish cooperative mechanisms have stalled or failed. The formal establishment of an organization to manage Lake Kivu and the Ruzizi River basin, shared by Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, was never formally ratified by its member countries. That left the once-promising organization a zombie.

Even when institutions already exist, some governments are withdrawing from them. But moves made for short-term gain can have long-term repercussions.

An example involves the Aral Sea, which has shrunk dramatically since the 1960s due to a combination of water demand for cotton crops and climate change drying the region.

The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, IFAS, was created in 1993 by five countries to support projects designed to ensure water use remains possible along its rivers. However, in 2016, Kyrgyzstan froze its membership, arguing that the organization wasn’t taking Kyrgyzstan’s national interests into account. Kyrgyzstan contributes about 25% of water flowing into the region. Its frozen participation limits IFAS’ effectiveness.

The Aral Sea in Central Asia has been shrinking since the 1960s, but dramatically lost water each year over the past two decades. The top left image is from 2000.
NASA

Similarly, Egypt and Sudan froze their participation in the Nile Basin Initiative in 2010 over a cooperative agreement that they saw as violating their historical water rights – established in colonial 1929 and 1959 agreements – in favor of governance centered on “equitable water allocations.” While Sudan resumed participation in the Nile Basin Initiative in 2012, Egypt’s participation remains frozen.

Erosion of multilateralism

The changes we’re seeing with water agreements and institutions reflect a broader decline in countries’ willingness to address shared problems through multilateral cooperation — a trend that seems to be rapidly increasing.

In the United States, the Trump administration is pursuing expansionist foreign policies and protectionist trade policies. The administration has also publicly wavered on the U.S. commitment to NATO and announced it was leaving the World Health Organization.

Argentina also announced it would withdraw from the WHO. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States, which promotes economic and political cooperation in the region.

The environment has been particularly affected by this trend. The U.S. move to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and the difficulty of reaching a global plastics treaty also reflect the growing difficulty in reaching cooperative solutions to benefit future generations.

Harm to ecosystems, people and countries

As climate change shrinks freshwater resources, and growing populations lead to overexploitation of water supplies, countries will increasingly need multilateral cooperation to avoid conflict.

These agreements and institutions provide forums for communication and cooperation. Losing them can lead to less well-governed water resources, declining environmental, economic and health benefits, and increasing conflict.

Lake Chad is a cautionary example. The Lake Chad Basin Commission was established in 1964 by Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria to oversee its water and other natural resources and coordinate projects related to the lake. But the countries never fully committed to cooperating.

Since then, the lake has shrunk by around 90%, which has increased poverty by reducing people’s access to vital water resources to support their livelihoods. And that has created optimal conditions for terrorist group Boko Haram’s violent insurgency to succeed in recruiting young men who had limited livelihood options left.

People collect water from a branch of Lake Chad in Ngouboua, Chad, which has been attacked by the terrorist group Boko Haram. People depend on the lake for water, but it has been shrinking.
Philippe Desmazes/AFP via Getty Images

We believe this decline in countries’ commitment to multilateral cooperation should be a wake-up call for everyone. If the world’s most precious resource is not managed cooperatively and sustainably across international boundaries, more than just water is at risk.

Melissa McCracken has not received funding related to this article.

Susanne Schmeier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Water cooperation is essential when countries share lakes and rivers – yet it’s been deteriorating in many places, with serious consequences – https://theconversation.com/water-cooperation-is-essential-when-countries-share-lakes-and-rivers-yet-its-been-deteriorating-in-many-places-with-serious-consequences-251864

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: The ‘Wolf of West Virginia’ Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

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

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Theodore Miller, 35, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty today to two counts of wire fraud. Miller admitted to defrauding more than 170 individuals through two real estate-related investment schemes that caused losses of between $395,000 and $434,501.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller conceived and perpetrated the two fraudulent schemes between the spring of 2022 and September 2024. One scheme solicited direct investments to develop modern residential duplexes and a dry-storage lot on Bigley Avenue in Charleston. The other scheme offered a pooled real estate investment vehicle dubbed “Bear Lute.”

To carry out these schemes, Miller portrayed himself on social media as the “Wolf of West Virginia,” a wealthy, successful and knowledgeable real estate mogul with enough disposable income to travel the world at his leisure. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that in reality, he had poor credit, thin month-to-month financial margins, was delinquent on property taxes and bills, and defaulted on loans.

In each scheme, Miller made multiple misrepresentations to investors. These misrepresentations included that individuals would receive returns on their investments, that their investments were secured by real property, and that they could withdraw their investments. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that there were no returns on investments, that he never owned the real property he identified as security for the investments, and that he used the money from his fraud schemes to pay unrelated expenses, debts and obligations.

Miller’s victims included an individual who wired $20,000 to Miller from California for the storage lot project on July 5, 2022, and an individual who wired $2,500 to Miller from Texas for Bear Lute on December 12, 2022.

The money from the schemes was deposited into bank accounts for several entities Miller solely owned and operated including Bear Industries LLC, which initially served as an umbrella entity for the related businesses. Miller’s mother, Deanna Drumm, served as vice president of operations for Bear Industries from in or around 2019 to September 2024. While Miller lived outside the United States from in or about June 2021 to on or about August 8, 2024, he directed his mother to handle the day-to-day operational tasks for the Bear entities including the management of finances and transfer of funds.

Drumm, 61, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on November 21, 2024, to aiding and abetting the sale and offer of unregistered securities. Both the direct investments and the Bear Lute investments were securities as defined by federal law, offered through interstate commerce via the internet, and were required to be registered. Drumm admitted that no registration statement was in effect for either of these securities, and that neither was exempt from the registration requirement. Drumm further admitted that she aided and abetted the offering of these unregistered securities in the course of her duties as vice president of operations for Bear Industries. Drumm is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025.

In September 2022, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bear Industries ordering it to stop the unregistered sale and offering of securities in Bear Lute. In November 2022, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist order regarding the same. Miller admitted that he continued to operate Bear Lute in violation of the order and never disclosed the order to his investors.

On August 9, 2024, law enforcement officers arrested Miller following his return to the United States. Miller admitted that he told his wife during a recorded jail phone call on August 11, 2024, to report his iPhone stolen to make it inaccessible to law enforcement and to hide a backpack containing his laptop computer. Miller further admitted that the laptop contained most of the documents related to the direct investments and Bear Lute.

Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Miller also owes restitution of between $395,000 and $434,501, with the final amount to be determined by the Court.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia Fusion Center, the West Virginia Securities Commission, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Holly Wilson and Joshua Hanks are prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a parallel civil action against Miller, Bear Industries LLC, Bear Investments and Business Consulting LLC, and Drumm in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The lawsuit alleges that Miller has engaged in the unregistered and fraudulent offer of securities related to his real estate-related investment programs since at least 2022, and that Miller’s social-media persona and businesses were all a calculated fraud to divert investor funds for his own personal benefit. The lawsuit seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and prejudgment interest, and civil penalties.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:24-cr-145 and 2:24-cv-479.

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MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor announces new £6 million fund to support survivors of domestic abuse
Source: Mayor of London
- New £6 million investment from Mayor will help ensure thousands of victims and survivors of domestic abuse get the help and support they need to reach safe accommodation, and rebuild their lives for the long term
- Since its launch in 2021, the Mayor’s Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation (DASA) programme has ensured more than 23,500 victims and survivors have received support
- Additional funding builds on Sadiq’s record £233 million funding to tackle violence against women and girls in all its forms
- Mayor visits voluntary organisations Refuge, Solace and Asha in Lambeth to see first-hand how his Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation (DASA) programme is supporting the most vulnerable in London’s diverse communities
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced a new £6 million package of funding to support grassroots community organisations delivering life-changing support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and violence across the capital.

The funding will be used to fund keyworkers, helplines, advocates who can help support victims find new housing, legal advice, counselling and specialist play therapy for children alongside a range of other initiatives.

It is part of Sadiq’s £54 million investment in his Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation (DASA) programme¹ which funds vital support and services for survivors and their children in safe accommodation.

The additional £6 million announced today builds on the record support the Mayor has already provided for domestic abuse services in London, which includes the delivery of 81 vital services for domestic abuse survivors between 2022 and 2024.²

Since it launched in 2021, the Mayor’s DASA programme has helped more than 23,500 survivors of domestic abuse, including vulnerable men, women, and children from across London’s communities rebuild their lives. Thanks to new City Hall investment, it is expected that thousands of more victims and survivors will benefit over the course of the Mayor’s DASA programme.

The latest Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) found that an estimated 2.3 million people aged 16 or over in the UK had experienced domestic abuse in the last year ending March 2024.³ In London there were 86,863 police recorded domestic abuse offences in the 12-month period to February 2025.⁴

Sadiq is continuing to work in partnership with community organisations, government, charities, the police and other partners to support victims of domestic abuse access safe housing and one-to-one support to cope and recover from trauma and abuse.

However, victims and survivors are still facing barriers in receiving the help they need and the situation has been exacerbated by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis which is forcing many people who have been impacted to stay with abusers or face financial hardship.

The Mayor is determined to ensure that all Londoners in need are able to access the domestic abuse support they need, in a way that benefits them. To help achieve that, Sadiq has today set out a new refreshed approach to Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation which will create more safe spaces for victims and survivors from minority backgrounds – included faith-based communities and those with more complex needs. The new approach will help communities from London’s diverse communities feel more comfortable reaching out for support. ⁵

Today, the Mayor visited voluntary organisations Refuge, Solace and Asha in Lambeth to see first-hand how his funding will continue to help dedicated staff deliver high-quality care and support for survivors of domestic abuse and their families.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Domestic abuse refuges and community organisations are a lifeline for so many Londoners in need. Despite caseloads growing, grassroot support groups are struggling to survive due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and years of underfunding from the previous government.

“So I’m pleased to be working with partners to fund vital support services for thousands of survivors of domestic abuse and violence who need safe accommodation across our city.

“The investment I have announced today will build on my record £233 million funding to tackle violence against women and girls in all its forms and help community organisations continue their life-changing work with some of the most vulnerable people experiencing domestic abuse so we can build a safer and fairer London for everyone.”

Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said: “The Mayor’s funding for domestic abuse victims and survivors is changing lives. Since 2021, the DASA programme has ensured more than 23,500 victims and survivors have received the support they need to move forward.

“This latest investment and refreshed strategy will help us do even more and ensure Londoners of all backgrounds can access the vital one-to-one care they need to rebuild their lives. All of this is happening alongside record funding for the police to go after the worst domestic abuse offenders and better education and public campaigns to tackle the root causes of misogyny and domestic violence.”

Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, said: “This vital new investment from the Mayor will ensure thousands of victims and survivors of domestic abuse in safe accommodation receive the help they need to rebuild their lives.

“This will enable grassroots community organisations to continue delivering life-changing services for victims, including helplines and therapy, as we build a safer London for all.”

London’s Independent Victims’ Commissioner, Claire Waxman OBE, said: “It’s absolutely critical that victims and survivors affected by domestic abuse and violence receive the support and help they need to access safety and rebuild their lives.

“I know first-hand from my work with victims across the capital just how important these specialist services are; safe accommodation offers survivors a lifeline and ensures they can escape their abusers. Whilst there is a still a lot more work to do to tackle the root causes of domestic abuse, I hope this new funding from City Hall will support the most vulnerable victims and survivors in our diverse communities.”

Cllr Claire Holland, the Leader of Lambeth Council, said: “We are proud of Lambeth’s leading work to support women and girls who are victims and survivors of domestic abuse and to work with the Mayor of London on our shared ambitions to keep women and girls safe.

“This visit recognises Lambeth’s long history of strong local funding, partnerships and expertise. We are committed to tackling gender based violence in all its forms in our borough and have protected these services from the deep funding cuts our sector has faced over many years. Lambeth Council’s strategy for tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) has been in place since 2021 and sets out how the council works with its partners on the issue over the following five years. It builds on previous strategies and a decade of work to establish effective services, partnerships and processes that support victims and survivors and their children and hold perpetrators to account.

“Lambeth council funds 52 refuge bed spaces, which is the highest number of commissioned domestic abuse safe accommodation beds in any London borough, and twice as many as the London average. The majority offer culturally specific support in recognition of the evidenced benefit of tailored support for women and their children fleeing abuse. There is also specialist community-based support for victims and survivors of all genders and ages who are at risk of gender based violence through our free, confidential and independent service, the Gaia Centre. We look forward to working with the Mayor and his team on a fair and sustainable offer for those fleeing domestic abuse across London.”

Martina Palmer, Head of Services at Refuge, said: “Refuge is delighted to welcome a new strategy for domestic abuse safe accommodation from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). Violence against women and girls (VAWG) in London remains at ‘endemic’ levels, and funding for safe accommodation for survivors is an integral part of what’s needed to make good on the Government’s pledge to halve VAWG within the next decade.

“Refuges play a lifesaving role for survivors by giving them the space, safety and support required to rebuild their lives free from abuse. We are proud to be continuing our work with Lambeth and other expert partners to deliver a co-ordinated approach to domestic abuse that is inclusive, accessible and tailored to each survivor’s individual needs.”

Nahar Choudhury, Chief Executive of Solace, said: “Safe and accessible accommodation is a lifeline for survivors of domestic abuse, and we welcome the Mayor’s commitment to improving provision across London. Solace has been proud to contribute to the consultation on this strategy, which takes important steps to expand safe accommodation, strengthen specialist support, and remove barriers for those most in need.

“We are particularly pleased to see a focus on grant funding for ‘by and for’ services, improving sanctuary schemes, expanding move on housing, and investing in psychologically informed environments. We look forward to continuing our work with the Mayor’s Office and partners to ensure every survivor in London has a secure place to rebuild their life.”

Ila Patel, Director of Asha, said: “We welcome the Mayor’s new strategy for Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation, which is an important step in ensuring survivors have the support they need.

Specialist by and for organisations like Asha play a crucial role in supporting women who are often the most vulnerable and least visible.

“Working together with our Lambeth partners, we have delivered quality support to survivors, ensuring they feel safe, valued, and empowered to rebuild their lives. As a small organisation, this achievement was made possible through the DASA funding, which has been vital in enabling us to provide this essential support.”
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Fatal collision close to The Strand

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Police are on scene and dealing with a collision close to The Strand, WC2.

Officers were called at 11:41hrs on Tuesday, 18 March following a collision involving a van and pedestrians.

Three pedestrians suffered injuries, with a woman in her twenties sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Two pedestrians have been taken to hospital, one has potentially life-threatening injuries, and the other has minor injuries.

The driver of the van, a 26-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion causing death by careless driving and driving with concentration of specified controlled drug above specified limit.

He remains in custody.

Enquiries are ongoing and a crime scene is in place.

This collision is not being treated as terrorism-related.

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Cocoa Man Who Drove Across the State to Commit Armed Robbery in Tampa and Shot Employee in the Face Charged

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

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Phillip Johnson (21, Cocoa) with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, robbery, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted on all counts, Johnson faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to the complaint, during the early morning hours of February 1, 2025, three individuals traveled from Brevard County to Tampa to commit a robbery. After arriving in Tampa, the three individuals went inside the Dreams Club near Ybor City. The three individuals were wearing all black clothing, ski masks, and armed with rifles and handguns.

While inside, the three individuals demanded money from the victim, and Johnson ultimately shot the victim in the face.

A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with great assistance provided by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Cocoa Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office for the 13^th Judicial Circuit in Tampa. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

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

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Haines City Man Arrested for String of Convenience Store Robberies

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

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the arrest of Davian Walker (19, Haines City) for robberies of convenience stores throughout the Middle District of Florida. If convicted, Walker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

According to the complaint and court statements, Walker committed five robberies over the course of less than three months. Each robbery involved Walker brandishing what appeared to be a handgun to store clerks and demanding cash.

Through an investigation into the first four robberies, law enforcement was able to link Walker to the robberies by identifying his phone number and the vehicle Walker was using to travel to each of the robberies. Using that information, law enforcement tracked and ultimately arrested Walker shortly after he committed a robbery in Titusville during the early morning hours of March 13, 2025.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Zephyrhills Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Titusville Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

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

MIL Security OSI –

March 19, 2025