NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Georgia: Protester’s detention extended in unprecedented closed hearing

    Source: Amnesty International –

    300 protestors detained since November have alleged beatings and torture

    ‘We believe that Saba Skhvitaridze’s prosecution is politically motivated. He should be released, and his torture allegations must be effectively investigated’ – Denis Krivosheev

    On 28 January, the Tbilisi City Court extended the pre-trial detention in a high-security prison of Saba Skhvitaridze, an activist accused by police of using violence against law enforcement during ongoing pro-European protests on 5 December 2024.

    For several hours after his initial detention, Saba Skhvitaridze was denied access to his legal counsel and was allegedly subjected to torture to extract a confession. Independent medical examinations confirmed injuries consistent with his torture allegations, yet there has been no indication that the authorities have conducted an effective investigation into his claims. Saba Skhvitaridze faces a potential sentence of up to 11 years.

    During his remand hearing, the court ordered members of public to leave the courtroom before delivering its decision – a measure largely unprecedented for protest-related trials in Georgia.

    Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director, said:

    “The Georgian authorities arrested and reportedly subjected Saba Skhvitaridze to torture and other ill-treatment for participation in anti-government protests and have now extended his detention in a hearing concluded behind closed doors.

    “We believe that Saba Skhvitaridze’s prosecution is politically motivated. He should be released, and his torture allegations must be effectively investigated.

    “If there is sufficient admissible evidence to prosecute him, he should receive a fair trial in an open court hearing. Saba Skhvitaridze’s case is just one of many – hundreds of others face injustice and reprisals in relation to the recent protests in Georgia.”

    Police violence against protestors

    Police have detained several hundred protesters in Georgia during the latest wave of protest ongoing since 29 November 2024, with more than 300 of those detained alleging beatings and torture and other ill-treatment in detention.

    Detainees faced swift court hearings resulting in hefty fines or detention for alleged administrative offences, and over 50 individuals have been arrested as criminal suspects in the context of the ongoing pro-European protests. New legislation has been adopted unduly restricting the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, and there has a clear pattern of abuse of administrative and criminal proceedings by the Georgian authorities to crackdown on protest and peaceful dissent.

     

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Georgia: Protester’s detention extended in closed hearing

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to the extension of pre-trial detention for Saba Skhvitaridze, a protester who has alleged being tortured by the police, Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director, said:

    “The Georgian authorities arrested and reportedly subjected Saba Skhvitaridze to torture and other ill-treatment for participation in anti-government protests and have now extended his detention in a hearing concluded behind closed doors. We believe that Saba Skhvitaridze’s prosecution is politically motivated, and he should be released, and his torture allegations must be effectively investigated.”

    We believe that Saba Skhvitaridze’s prosecution is politically motivated, and he should be released, and his torture allegations must be effectively investigated

    Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director

    “If there is sufficient admissible evidence to prosecute him, he should receive a fair trial in an open court hearing. Saba Skhvitaridze’s case is just one of many – hundreds of others face injustice and reprisals in relation to the recent protests in Georgia.”

    Background

    On 28 January, the Tbilisi City Court extended the pre-trial detention in a high-security prison of Saba Skhvitaridze, an activist accused by police of using violence against law enforcement during ongoing pro-European protests on 5 December 2024. During his remand hearing, the court ordered members of public to leave the courtroom before delivering its decision – a measure largely unprecedented for protest-related trials in Georgia.

    For several hours after his initial detention, Saba Skhvitaridze was denied access to his legal counsel and was allegedly subjected to torture to extract a confession. Independent medical examinations confirmed injuries consistent with his torture allegations, yet there has been no indication that the authorities have conducted an effective investigation into his claims. Saba Skhvitaridze faces a potential sentence of up to 11 years.

    Police have detained several hundred protesters in Georgia during the latest wave of protest ongoing since 29 November 2024, with more than 300 of those detained alleging beatings and torture and other ill-treatment in detention.

    Detainees faced swift court hearings resulting in hefty fines or detention for alleged administrative offences, and over 50 individuals have been arrested as criminal suspects in the context of the ongoing pro-European protests. New legislation has been adopted unduly restricting the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, and there has a clear pattern of abuse of administrative and criminal proceedings by the Georgian authorities to crackdown on protest and peaceful dissent.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Votes Against Advancing Pam Bondi’s Nomination to be the Next Attorney General of the United States

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the Senate Judiciary Committee today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) voted against advancing Pamela Bondi’s nomination to be the next Attorney General of the United States. In remarks following his vote, Senator Welch cited Ms. Bondi’s evasion on questions about the 2020 presidential election and concerns about her willingness to stand up against the President to preserve an independent Department of Justice. He called on his colleagues in the United States Senate to fulfill their role in serving as a check and balance to President Trump’s illegal power grabs. 
    “I would like to think that Pam Bondi would have the ability to stand up because she is qualified, she is engaging, but I was very disturbed on the question from Senator Hirono: ’Who won the election?’ And she couldn’t answer it. It was the Trump-permissible answer: that President Biden is the President, but could not say that he won the election. That bodes poorly,” said Senator Welch. “That is the reason for my no vote. But this raises a question that I think we as the United States Senate have to ask ourselves in view of the nine days of the reckless conduct and the illegal conduct of the President. Will we fulfill our Constitutional role as a separate and independent branch of government to maintain the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances? Our founders knew that would be needed. What they didn’t know is whether those who served in this position as United States Senators would meet the challenge when the check and balance was needed.” 
    Watch video of his remarks below:  
    Read his remarks in the Senate Judiciary Committee below: 
    “Pam Bondi is qualified. She has done outstanding work as an Attorney General, both as a County Prosecutor and as the Florida Attorney General, and I actually quite admire the grit that she had to take on a challenging statewide campaign to become Attorney General. 
    “Number two, she had very good testimony from Republicans and Democrats about her managerial style, and when I met with her, she was very engaging and responsive to the concerns I have about criminal justice. She is qualified.  
    “The question that we face as a Senate is: What kind of Department of Justice will we have? There has been a bipartisan recognition of the importance of independence at the Department of Justice. Will we have a Department of Justice that is independent, or will we have a Department of Justice that, in the words of President Trump, is ‘my’ Department of Justice, where I have the right to do anything I want to do.  
    “There is no question about where President Trump is going. Nine days into the President’s administration, he is on a rampage — a rampage of reckless conduct and illegal conduct. The reckless conduct, of course, are these horrible pardons. People who grabbed the shields that police were using to defend themselves and then started battering police with them, stomping them, kicking them, spitting on them, and then these folks who are pardoned, they get out and they say they want to come back here, and they want those who certified the election of the president to be hanged. We have people who are pardoned, who are wanted for soliciting sex with a minor. Those pardons are so disrespectful to the men and women of law enforcement. It is absolutely despicable in my view. 
    “But then the illegal conduct: The President says that he can do what he wants to do, regardless of the law.  
    “One of the laws that I am so proud of is something, Mr. Chairman, you authored and it’s the Inspector Generals. And he fired them all, despite the specific provision in the law that you wisely included, that there be a 30-day notice. Illegal. Clearly illegal. He did the same thing at the National Labor Relations Board.  
    “There are specific statutory, legislative responsibilities if you want to remove a person. Just blew by it. Illegal. Then, of course, the shocking announcement about impoundment. Absolutely illegal, interfering with the Constitutional right of the Article I branch of Congress to be the appropriator of funds. And what he is doing is illegal.  
    “Then TikTok—we passed a law in Congress—bipartisan—that it has to comply or be sold. The president picks and chooses and says, ‘No, we are not applying the law.’ Illegal.  
    “At the Justice Department, before the new AG is even there, the President has installed his personal lawyers. His personal lawyers. And they started doing dirty work, firing career prosecutors. 
    “There is no mystery here about what the president is going to insist upon. It’s that the DOJ will be ‘my’ law firm. That’s what it is. And there is no question because, if past is prologue, goodbye to Attorney General Barr, goodbye to Attorney General Sessions when they didn’t comply with the demands of an overbearing president.  
    “Now, I would like to think that Pam Bondi would have the ability to stand up because she is qualified, she is engaging, but I was very disturbed on the question from Senator Hirono: ’Who won the election?’ And she couldn’t answer it.  
    “It was the Trump-permissible answer that ‘President Biden is the President,’ but could not say that he won the election. That bodes poorly.  
    “That is the reason for my no vote. But this raises a question I think we as the United States Senate have to ask ourselves – in view of the nine days of the reckless conduct and the illegal conduct of the President: Will we fulfill our constitutional role as a separate and independent branch of government to maintain the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances? Our founders knew that would be needed. What they didn’t know is whether those who served in this position as United States Senators would meet the challenge when the check and balance was needed.” 
    Watch Senator Welch’s questioning of Ms. Bondi during her confirmation hearing, as well as legal and ethics experts and former colleagues.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: John Matthew Nigh

    Source: US Marshals Service

    NOTICE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT: Before arrest, verify warrant through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). If subject is arrested or whereabouts known, contact the nearest U.S. Marshals Service office, American Embassy/Consulate, call the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or submit a tip using U.S. Marshals Service Tips.

    For More Information Scan Code Above.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Federal Council to stop international adoptions

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English

    In Switzerland, it will no longer be possible to adopt children from abroad in the future. The Federal Council has instructed the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) to prepare a consultation draft on a ban on international adoptions by the end of 2026 at the latest. An independent group of experts has concluded in its report that even well-crafted adoption laws cannot prevent abuse and that a ban is the best way to adequately protect all those affected, particularly children.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson stands up for farmers: fights California’s power grab on porkRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that he has joined 22 other state attorneys general in filing a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case Iowa Pork Producers Association v. Bonta. This case challenges California’s Proposition 12, a law that imposes strict animal welfare regulations on pork producers across the country, regardless of the state that they operate in. 

    “California’s Californication of our food supply is out of control—first, they come for pork, next, they’ll have us eating crickets. Proposition 12 is nothing more than a power grab by coastal elites who want to dictate how the rest of America farms, eats, and does business. South Carolina won’t stand by while they force their radical agenda on the entire country.” said Attorney General Wilson. 

    The brief argues that California’s Proposition 12 Law: 

    • Harms agricultural states and consumers by imposing costly regulations that raise pork prices nationwide. 
    • Encourages economic protectionism by allowing one state to impose its regulatory preferences on others, creating a dangerous precedent that could lead to conflicting state mandates. 
    • Violates the U.S. Constitution, including the Dormant Commerce Clause, Import-Export Clause, and Full Faith and Credit Clause. 
    • Proposition 12 requires that all pork sold in California come from pigs raised under specific housing conditions but also requires these standards for pork produced in other states. Given California’s position as the largest consumer of pork in the nation while producing very little itself, the law effectively forces out-of-state farmers to comply with California’s regulations or be excluded from the market. 

    “The Constitution was designed to prevent exactly this kind of economic balkanization,” Attorney General Wilson said. “If Proposition 12 is allowed to stand, it will set a dangerous precedent where states can impose their own regulatory will on others, leading to chaos in national markets.” 

    The U.S. Supreme Court is being urged to review the Ninth Circuit’s decision, which declined to consider key constitutional issues raised by the petitioners. The coalition of attorneys general argues that the Supreme Court must step in to clarify the limits of state power and uphold the principles of free and fair interstate commerce. 

    You can read the brief here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hantsport — West Hants RCMP Detachment charges a man involved in break-in

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    West Hants RCMP Detachment has charged a man following a break and enter in Windsor.

    On January 4, at approximately 9:15 a.m., RCMP officers responded to a break and enter at a residential construction site on Abbey Rd. Officers learned that a Chevrolet Aveo was seen fleeing the area with stolen tools valued at approximately $5,000.

    Through the investigation, officers linked the Chevrolet to an address on Smith Rd. in Glooscap First Nation and later observed two people leave in the vehicle at a high rate of speed. A traffic stop was attempted, but the driver didn’t pull over. In the interest of public safety, a pursuit was not initiated.

    A short time later, another RCMP officer attempted to stop the Chevrolet as it travelled on Hwy. 1. The vehicle came to a stop on West Brooklyn Rd. before fleeing; the officer didn’t pursue the vehicle.

    Shortly afterwards, the Aveo was located in a ditch along West Brooklyn Mountain Rd. At the scene, RCMP officers followed two sets of footprints leading from the crash site and located and arrested one of the vehicle’s occupants, 26-year-old Morgan Cynthia Hennigar of Halifax. Hennigar has been charged with Obstructing a Peace Officer and Failure to Comply with Order; she’s due in Windsor Provincial Court on May 15.

    From the information gathered, a second person of interest was identified.

    On January 27, RCMP officers safety arrested 27-year-old Michael Jody James Paul at a Hantsport residence. He’s facing the following charges:

    • Break and Enter and Theft
    • Flight from a Peace Officer
    • Dangerous Operation of a Conveyance
    • Operation While Prohibited
    • Failure to Comply with Order (seven counts)

    “After identifying Michael Paul on January 4, we continued our efforts to locate and apprehend him,” says Cpl. Travis MacDonald of the West Hants RCMP Detachment. “On two occasions, his vehicle fled from police in a dangerous manner and officers did not pursue it in the interest of public safety. On January 27, investigators organized an operation involving surveillance and RCMP Police Dog Services, which resulted in Paul being safety arrested.”

    Paul has been remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in Windsor Provincial Court on January 29.

    The investigation is ongoing.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yarmouth — RCMP Southwest Traffic Services arrests two impaired drivers

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Southwest Traffic Services (SWTS) locates impaired drivers, both on and off duty.

    On January 15, at approximately 2:32 p.m., an RCMP officer from SWTS completed a traffic stop when they observed the driver of a vehicle not wearing their seatbelt. The driver, a 50-year-old Yarmouth woman, exhibited signs of impairment and provided roadside breath samples into an approved screening device (ASD), which resulted in a “fail”. She was arrested and transported to the Yarmouth RCMP detachment, where she provided breath samples that registered 230 mg% and 210 mg%, almost three times the legal limit.

    On January 27, at approximately 4:30 p.m., an off-duty officer from SWTS observed a Ford Ranger in the ditch on Hwy 203 in Carleton, and stopped to render assistance. During his interaction with the officer, the 60-year-old Carleton man exhibited signs of impairment. The driver was detained for impaired operation of a vehicle and on-duty RCMP officers from Yarmouth Rural RCMP attended the scene and took over the investigation. The man was arrested and later provided breath samples that registered 210 mg% and 220 mg%.

    The RCMP is reminding the public that if you suspect an impaired driver, it’s an emergency; call 911.

    Once you call 911, dispatchers will ask for:

    • Your location
    • A description of the vehicle, including the licence plate number, colour, make and model
    • The direction of travel for the vehicle
    • A description of the driver if visible

    File #s: 2025-65233 / 2025-121696

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tennessee Man Sentenced to 270 Months for Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS – CHARLES CUNIGAN (“CUNIGAN”), a resident of Tennessee, was sentenced on January 14, 2025, for conspiring to commit sex trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1594(c).

    According to court documents, CUNIGAN, age 31, and his girlfriend Latesha Gardner, age 31, forced a seventeen-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex acts in New Orleans for three months to generate money so CUNIGAN could purchase a vehicle.  The defendants advertised the minor victim for commercial sex on the internet and used physical abuse and other means to force her to comply.  CUNIGAN carried a firearm and pistol whipped the minor victim on one occasion.  CUNIGAN kept all of the money the minor victim made from commercial sex transactions and required her to meet a minimum daily dollar threshold from these sex acts.  He conditioned the victim’s ability to eat on whether she earned enough money.  CUNIGAN also tracked the geolocation data on the victim’s phone and threatened to kill her if she left.

    U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced CUNIGAN to 270 months’ imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.  CUNIGAN was ordered to pay $48,750 in restitution to the minor victim and to participate in the sex offender registration and notification program.  In addition, Judge Zainey imposed a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  In September 2024, CUNIGAN’s co-defendant, Gardner, was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment for her role in this conspiracy.

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

    U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, made the announcement.

    The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orlando, Florida Metropolitan Bureau of Investigations. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni and Trial Attorney Melissa E. Bücher of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Votes Against Sean Duffy’s Nomination to Be Transportation Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    January 28, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee (CST)—released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Rep. Sean Duffy by a vote of 77-22 to serve as Secretary of the Department of Transportation.
    “Heading into this week, I was prepared to vote to confirm Rep. Duffy. Our conversations were productive and encouraging, and I thought he was sufficiently qualified to serve as Transportation Secretary. But President Trump’s sweeping order to freeze federal grant funding—including historic investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—is illegal and hurting Americans in red and blue states alike, and I cannot vote to confirm a Transportation Secretary while transportation funding is being unlawfully withheld.”
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 Speech

    Source: Scottish Greens

    29 Jan 2025 Peace

    Maggie Chapman MSP’s speech at Holocaust

    North East Scotland

    Justice, Equalities, Social Justice and Human Rights spokesperson

    More in Peace

    A memorial is an act of remembrance, and today we remember in two senses.

    We remember who it was who bore this unutterable pain, each individual and precious human being, those now lost to the world and those who remain with us.

    We remember them with love, with sorrow and with anger, reiterating the humanity that their oppressors tried so hard to deny.

    And we remember how it happened, and for us as politicians and parliamentarians, that is perhaps a harder memory. For the Holocaust was not an act of insurgency, a violation of domestic law and order. It came about not in spite of political processes: elections, legislation, policy implementation, but through and because of them.

    There were some bystanders who knew exactly what was going on. There were others who knew nothing. But in between, across Europe and beyond, was a wide spectrum of simultaneous knowledge and ignorance, of eyes that were closed, faces turned away. Reassurance that rhetoric was only that, that genocidal intent was the expression of legitimate concern, that there was no need to open doors or hearts, that reality was still represented by the diplomacy of gentlemen.

    And the bodies of children lay uncovered.

    We have learned the story of this deep, deep horror, but have we learned to recognise its narrative when it comes again, with different clothes, different names, different labels?

    When the richest man in the world salutes the most powerful man in the world with a gesture that specifically recalls that older story, do we shrug and move on?

    When that most powerful man uses the language of cleaning about the dispossession of already dispossessed people, already bereft of their children, do we pretend not to have heard?

    Hannah Arendt wrote, in the context of the Holocaust, about the banality of evil. For evil can be banal, can be ridiculous, can come with buffoonery and bluster, without subtlety or nuance. But when it announces itself, we would do well to listen.

    And we can listen, as well, to the voices of those with experience, those for whom that experience illuminates the realities of today. Suzanne Berliner Weiss writes:

    I am a survivor of the Jewish Holocaust, and understand the system of hate first hand. Hitler’s war against the Jews aimed to eradicate our history and the Jewish people. Nazism Is hatred of the other – it is racism…

    Judaism, the religion and its traditions, does not stand for racism.

    Conflating Zionism and Judaism is an unforgivable crime against the Jewish people, a crime against the Palestinians, and a crime to humanity.

    I was saved from Hitler by world solidarity. I was among the thousands of Jewish children in France who were saved by the solidarity of the Jewish resistance, communities of Christians in Southern France, and the peoples of the world united against Nazism….

    To be against Israel’s policies is not anti-Jewish. It is not anti-Semitic. We claim the Palestinians as our sisters and brothers. We are all humanity.

    We say: “Not in our name!”

    For the victims of the Holocaust, the world closed its eyes, its hearts and its doors until it was too late. Today we remember and honour them, with respect, with love and with bitter regret. Let us not close our eyes, our hearts, our doors in the face of genocide and oppression happening today in Palestine.

    Let us not make the same mistakes again.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Palmerston North Police make arrests after three violent incidents

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Palmerston North Police have made arrests following three violent incidents across the city this month.

    In the last few weeks, Police have arrested three men aged 22 to 26 following two serious assaults at two bars, and a violent incident outside a petrol station.

    In the early hours of New Years Day, Police responded to a bar on Rangitikei Street, following reports of an assault where one person received serious injuries.

    The victim has since been discharged from hospital.

    A 24-year-old man has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in Palmerston North District Court on 4 March, on a charge of wounding with intent to injure. 

    Then, on Monday 27 January, Police responded to a bar on Main Street around 11.30pm where one person received serious injuries consistent with a stab wound.

    The victim is expected to be discharged from hospital today.

    A 26-year-old man appeared in Palmerston North District Court this week on a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He is due to reappear in court on 10 March. 

    In a third, separate incident, on 10 January two men received injuries following an incident where one of the men was struck by a vehicle on Ferguson Street, and another person received injuries consistent with stab wounds.

    They have both been discharged from hospital.

    A 22-year-old man has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear before the Palmerston North District Court on 4 March on charges including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possessing an offensive weapon, and assault with a blunt instrument.

    It has been pleasing to be able to hold people account for these violent actions, and Police will continue to work hard to keep our community safe.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Named Ranking Member of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced she will serve as Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies (Ag-FDA). This Subcommittee oversees funding for the majority of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
    “I’m honored to serve in this new role and committed to building on my work to address the high cost of living that so many Granite Staters are experiencing,” said Senator Shaheen. “I look forward to finding new and creative opportunities to improve support for New Hampshire’s rural communities, including by investing in rural housing and water infrastructure, championing our small businesses and small and diversified farmers, continuing my bipartisan efforts to tackle the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs, such as those to treat Type 1 diabetes, as well as funding federal nutrition programs that help Granite Staters put food on the table.”
    Shaheen has served on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee since 2012, and formerly chaired the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee. She will also serve as a member of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services and Education and Related Agencies and State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittees.
    Shaheen has long fought to support farmers in New Hampshire, including by successfully helping to secure disaster supplemental funding for farmers impacted by crop losses in 2023. Shaheen also has a strong record of working to improve crop insurance policies to support farmers in New Hampshire and leads legislation to reform the federal government’s crop insurance program. Senator Shaheen has supported more than 230 New Hampshire small businesses who have received over $25 million to lower energy bills and cut costs through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. She has consistently fought for increased funding and improved support for rural development programs, including rural water programs.
    Shaheen also spearheads efforts to combat rising drug prices and make essential medications more affordable, including leading legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and bring generic drugs to market faster. Last Congress, Shaheen introduced bipartisan legislation, the Ensuring Timely Access to Generics Act, that would work to increase competition from generic drugs through better oversight of FDA’s citizen petition process. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed this bill unanimously. As co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus, Shaheen has also consistently worked with FDA on access to diabetes technology and cures for type 1 diabetes. Senator Shaheen’s bipartisan INSULIN Act also includes proposals to expedite FDA approval of biosimilar drugs, which are proven to increase competition and lower drug costs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Superior Energy Services Announces Stock Split Ratios to Effectuate the Going Private Transaction

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Superior Energy Services, Inc. (the “Company”) today announced that in connection with its previously announced plan to suspend the obligations of the Company to file periodic reports and other information pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) determined the reverse stock split ratio to be 1-for-750 and the forward stock split ratio to be 750-for-1. These stock split ratios are within the ranges approved by written consent of the Company’s stockholders on December 16, 2024, pursuant to Section 228 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. The Board also determined to abandon all other stock split ratios within the ranges approved by written consent of the stockholders. As authorized by the Board, the Company will file with the State of Delaware certificates of amendment to the Company’s certificate of incorporation to effectuate the stock splits, which will become effective as of today. Following the effectiveness of the stock splits, the Company will file a Form 15 with the SEC certifying that it has fewer than 300 stockholders, which will suspend the Company’s obligations to file periodic reports and other information pursuant to the Exchange Act.

    For more information regarding the going private transaction, please refer to the Schedule 13E-3 and accompanying Disclosure Statement filed with the SEC on January 6, 2025.

    About Superior Energy Services
    Superior Energy Services serves the drilling, completion and production-related needs of oil and gas companies through a diversified portfolio of specialized oilfield services and equipment that are used throughout the economic life cycle of oil and gas wells. In addition to operations in North America, both on land and offshore, Superior Energy Services operates in approximately 47 countries internationally. For more information, visit: www.superiorenergy.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains, and future oral or written statements or press releases by the Company and its management may contain, certain forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, the words “expects,” “anticipates,” “targets,” “goals,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks”, “will” and “estimates,” variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements other than statements of historical fact regarding the Company’s financial position and results, financial performance, liquidity, strategic alternatives (including dispositions, acquisitions, and the timing thereof), market outlook, future capital needs, capital allocation plans, business strategies and other plans and objectives of our management for future operations and activities are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company’s management in light of its experience and prevailing circumstances on the date such statements are made. Such forward-looking statements, and the assumptions on which they are based, are inherently speculative and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to conditions in the oil and gas industry, U.S. and global market and economic conditions generally and macroeconomic conditions worldwide, (including inflation, interest rates, supply chain disruptions and capital and credit markets conditions) that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from such statements. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of uncertainties and factors, many of which are outside the control of the Company, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements.

    While the Company believes that the assumptions concerning future events are reasonable, it cautions that there are inherent difficulties in predicting certain important factors that could impact the future performance or results of its business.

    These forward-looking statements are also affected by the risk factors, forward-looking statements and challenges and uncertainties described in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and those set forth from time to time in the Company’s other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.superiorenergy.com. Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    Joanna Clark, Corporate Secretary
    1001 Louisiana St., Suite 2900
    Houston, TX 77002
    Investor Relations, ir@superiorenergy.com, (713) 654-2200

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan City Man Sentenced to 58 Months in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SOUTH BEND – Andre Anderson-Dawson, 41 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Anderson-Dawson was sentenced to 58 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

    According to case documents, in December 2019, Anderson-Dawson violated a protective order while armed with a stolen firearm. Police recovered the 9-millimeter firearm. Anderson-Dawson, previously convicted of a felony, was prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case. He pled guilty to the federal charge in October 2023, but while on releasee pending sentencing, was allegedly involved in conduct resulting in 3 state court felony domestic battery charges. 

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Michigan City Police Department and the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lexington Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking and Conspiracy to Launder Drug Proceeds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LEXINGTON Ky. – A Lexington man, Jamele Mundy, 35, was sentenced on Monday, to 156 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, conspiracy to commit money laundering offenses, and concealment money laundering.

    According to his guilty plea agreements and other Court records, Mundy participated in a multi-jurisdictional, international money laundering and drug trafficking organization.  In doing so, Mundy received kilogram quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack” cocaine) for distribution in Lexington.  In May 2023, DEA executed a search warrant at a stash house being operated by Mundy.  There, they seized 3.132 kilograms of fentanyl, 2.314 kilograms of cocaine base, and $67,315 in cash.  The residence also contained plastic blenders with drug residue, a metal kilogram press, heat sealing machines, and a digital scale.

    Mundy would process these narcotics for further distribution, using the kilogram press and heat-sealing machine at the residence.  He would then collect the money from the sale of these drugs and contact his source of supply, to return the proceeds.  Mundy participated in this money laundering of drug proceeds by delivering bulk cash to others, who were responsible for converting it to cryptocurrency and sending those proceeds to members of the  drug trafficking organization.  In February 2023, Mundy delivered $147,540 in drug proceeds for laundering.

    Under federal law, Mundy must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.  Mundy was also required to forfeit the $67,315 that was seized from his residence. 

    Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by the DEA.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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

     

    – END –

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Massive Amount of Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ATLANTA – Gilberto Contreras has pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute nearly 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine. 

    “Contreras distributed massive quantities of dangerous drugs that posed a significant threat to the health and safety of our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr.  “Our office is grateful for the diligent work of our federal and local law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to remove these poisons from our streets and to hold accountable those who peddle them.”

    “This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs, such as methamphetamine,” said Jae Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: On July 2, 2024, DEA special agents received information about a local methamphetamine trafficker with multiple kilograms of methamphetamine for sale.  The investigation led agents to a parking lot in Clayton County, Georgia, where the agents encountered Contreras.  Law enforcement stopped Contreras’s vehicle a short time later and located a black trash bag containing approximately 44 pounds of methamphetamine.  Agents then searched Contreras’s residence and backyard in Ellenwood, Georgia and located approximately 915 pounds of methamphetamine and $40,000 in cash.

    Gilberto Contreras, 54, of Ellenwood, Georgia, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr.

    This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Clayton County Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwayne A. Brown, Jr. is prosecuting the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito to Chair Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today announced that she will serve as the chairman of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding across a large range of programs within the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), and other independent agencies. Senator Capito previously served as ranking member of the subcommittee during the 118th Congress.
    “I’m honored to continue my efforts—now as chairman—on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee to represent the needs of West Virginians. In this impactful role, I will strive to ensure the funding we provide is used in the most efficient and effective manner and that critical oversight is provided.
    “Additionally, I look forward to working with committee leadership and members in this new role to support many priorities that are important to my state of West Virginia, such as Alzheimer’s research, efforts to end childhood cancer, fighting the addiction crisis, the wellbeing of our miners, and supporting the education and research missions of our schools and universities. Regardless of the scope or challenges, I will approach this opportunity with the objective of ensuring the voices and priorities of West Virginia are heard and understood. I appreciate the support of Chairman Collins in this role and I am excited to work together in our Republican Congress to advance the goals of the Trump administration,” Chairman Capito said.
    In addition to her chairman role, Senator Capito will continue serving on the following Appropriations Subcommittees: Defense; Homeland Security; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.
    In addition to the Appropriations Committee, Senator Capito will continue serving on the Committee on Environment and Public Works as chairman; the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and the Committee on Rules and Administration.
    This is the fourth Appropriations Subcommittee Senator Capito has been a chairman of as a member of the committee during her time in the Senate. She previously chaired the Homeland Security, Financial Service and General Government, and Legislative Branch subcommittees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man convicted of murdering former girlfriend in Croydon

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been convicted of the murder of his ex-girlfriend in Croydon.

    Hussain Haron, 24 (17.09.00) of London Road, Mitcham was found guilty of the murder of Felecia Cadore on Wednesday, 29 January at Snaresbrook Crown Court, following a six-day trial.

    Police were called to a report of an altercation at an address in Grenaby Avenue, Croydon on 9 June 2023.

    Felecia, aged 29, was found with stab wounds and was taken to hospital in a critical condition. She sadly died from her injuries on 14 June 2023.

    The court heard that Haron climbed through the window of the address in the search of Felecia. Following an altercation between the two, Haron grabbed a knife and violently stabbed her.

    He was arrested later that afternoon and was found in possession of the knife he used to attack Felecia.

    Despite claiming he was acting in self-defence, Haron was found guilty of murder by the jury.

    He is due to be sentenced at the same court on Friday, 31 January.

    Detective Chief Inspector Craig Magee, from Specialist Crime, said: “Today, justice has been served following the conviction of Hussain Haron for the murder of Felecia Cadore in June 2023. It is an example of the devastating impact violence against women and girls can have.

    “The verdict is a result of officers working meticulously and tirelessly to secure evidence. It is also testament to the courage of the witnesses who helped establish the facts, and bravely stood in the court room to give their evidence.

    “It has been 18 months since Felecia was killed. I hope that today’s verdict provides her family with some comfort and allows them to begin to process the effect this brutal crime has had. We will continue to support the family of Felecia following this horrific attack.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Schakowsky Introduce Mentoring To Succeed Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    January 29, 2025
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), today introduced the Mentoring to Succeed Act in recognition of January as National Mentoring Month.  U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), and Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) introduced companion legislation in the House earlier this week.  This legislation creates a strong, sustainable support system through mentorship to ensure that children who experience barriers like poverty, disability, adverse childhood experiences, or drug or alcohol abuse, can successfully transition to high school, college, and the workforce.  The Mentoring to Succeed Act would strengthen investments in mentorship programs to help youth facing risk develop the academic, social, and workforce skills that lead to success. 
    “Across Illinois and the country, young kids, especially from underserved communities, face obstacles like community violence and underfunded schools that have a dramatic impact on their ability to graduate from high school and transition to college and the workforce.  But with the guidance of a mentor, youth could lean on a trusted adult to help them navigate these challenges,”said Durbin.  “I’m introducing the Mentoring to Succeed Act to ensure that our most vulnerable children have the opportunity to succeed and achieve their full potential with the guidance of a mentor.”
    “Too many young people, particularly young people of color, don’t have access to the academic or economic opportunities that everyone deserves,” Duckworth said.  “At the same time, too many struggle with violence in their communities and other obstacles that stifle their dreams and their ambitions.  Our nation’s children deserve a chance to reach their full potential, and mentoring programs have been proven to help students do just that.  I’m proud to join my colleagues in re-introducing this legislation to help ensure every child gets the guidance and resources they need to succeed in school, in the workforce and in life.”
    “Across the country, young kids lack access to the resources they need to thrive academically and succeed post-graduation,” said Booker.  “Mentorship programs have a proven track record of helping young people stay on track and achieve their dreams by providing a stable support system for the kids who don’t have one at home.  The Mentoring to Succeed Act will expand access to high quality, trauma-informed mentorship programs and help at-risk kids receive the help, support, and skills they need to pursue their aspirations.”
    “In celebration of National Mentoring Month, I am proud to reintroduce the Mentoring to Succeed Act in the House of Representatives,” said Schakowsky.  “Whether it be the gun violence epidemic, the ongoing threat of climate change, the rising cost of college education, or anything in-between, today’s students are dealing with a lot and deserve access to a support system.  TheMentoring to Succeed Act will give students that support system – through a mentor – helping them get the resources and support they need to thrive in school, the workforce, and beyond.”
    A study by MENTOR found that 70 percent of today’s young people could remember a time when they wanted a mentor for support but did not have one.  As a result, these youth missed out on the powerful effects of mentoring that have been shown to make a child more likely to enroll in college, participate regularly in sports and extracurricular activities, volunteer in their communities, and hold leadership positions.  Researchers at the University of Chicago found that Youth Guidance’s school-based mentoring program, Becoming a Man, reduced rates of arrests for violent crime, improved school engagement, and increased high school graduation rates.
    Mentoring programs help youth develop valuable workforce skills that employers are seeking and prepare young people for future apprenticeships, internships, and workforce-based learning opportunities.  A 2024 study found that 84 percent of employers say job candidates must demonstrate social and emotional skills, such as communication and problem-solving—with the majority of employers stating that these types of skills were the most important.  The federal government can strengthen investments in mentoring programs to help youth facing significant barriers develop the academic, social, and workforce skills that lead to success in career and life.
    The Mentoring to Succeed Act would:
    Invest in Mentoring Programs.  Establish a three-year, competitive grant program that provides federal funding to establish, expand, or support mentoring programs.
    Help Youth Overcome Adversity and Trauma.  Provide grant recipients with funding to train mentors in trauma-informed practices and interventions to increase resilience in youth and reduce juvenile justice involvement.
    Strengthen Workforce Readiness.  Support partnerships with local businesses and private companies to help youth facing risk with hands-on career training and career exploration.
    Close the Opportunity Gap.  Give preference to applicants that develop a plan to help prepare youth facing barriers for college and the workforce.
    Support Capacity Building.  Support partnerships with nonprofit, community-based, and faith-based organizations to increase the number of youth facing risk served.
    Enhance Youth Success.  Provide grant recipients with funding for program evaluation and identification of successful strategies.
    The Mentoring to Succeed Act is endorsed by MENTOR; Big Brothers Big Sisters of America; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa; Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago; Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound; Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County; Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah; Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston; Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago; Boys & Girls Club of Livingston County; College Mentors for Kids; Friends of the Children; Girls Inc. of Chicago; Instituto del Progreso Latino; National Alliance of Faith and Justice; National Organization of Concerned Black Men; Partners for Youth with Disabilities; Sisters Circle; Union League Boys and Girls Clubs; Year Up United; and YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Votes ‘No’ On Advancing President Trump’s Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    January 29, 2025
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today voted against advancing President Trump’s pick to be Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi, in the Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting this morning. The Committee voted to advance her nomination on a party-line vote of 12-10.
    Key Quotes:
    “If you want to know the role of the Department of Justice under President Trump, just listen to his words. He said ‘I have the absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department.’ He not only uses the Justice Department to advance his political interests but he has also promised to seek ‘retribution’ against ‘the enemy within.’ The President has repeatedly threatened to weaponize the justice system against those he feels have wronged him and that’s a long list. It includes career prosecutors, military officials, and his own former political appointees. Unfortunately, we are seeing these threats emerge in real time.”
    “Given the massive upheaval that President Trump has caused at the Justice Department in just the first few days in office, the next Attorney General will have their work cut out for them. As I said during Ms. Bondi’s hearing, it is absolutely critical that any nominee for this position be committed first and foremost to the Constitution and the American people—not the President and his political agenda. Unfortunately, I am unconvinced that Ms. Bondi shares my belief. She is one of four personal lawyers of President Trump that he has already selected for top positions at the Department of Justice. And she has echoed President Trump’s calls for exacting revenge on his political opponents.”
    “Ms. Bondi undermined our democracy by joining in President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. It appears she does not regret this decision, as she refused before this Committee repeatedly during her hearing to acknowledge that President Trump actually lost the vote in 2020. During her hearing, I asked if she was familiar with the January 2021 phone call in which President Trump called on the Republican Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger [to] ‘find 11,780 votes.’ Ms. Bondi denied having ever listened to that phone call. However, in August 2023, she appeared on a news program and defended President Trump’s conduct with Raffensperger. She stated that his actions were ‘not a crime’ and were instead ‘free speech.’ She condemned the criminal charges that had been filed against President Trump due to his conduct on this call where he asked the Georgia Secretary of State to ‘find 11,780 votes.’ I asked Ms. Bondi to explain why she spoke so authoritatively on the legal strength of a case when she was, according to her own claim before this Committee, unfamiliar with the evidence. Her explanation was that she was on television, not in a court of law.”
    “It is deeply concerning that someone seeking the role of Attorney General believes it is appropriate to comment publicly on a criminal case without conducting even a minimal assessment of the evidence against the defendant. The role of Attorney General is a serious one. It requires someone who is committed to the facts and the law—not someone who is willing to say whatever is most politically expedient.”
    “During Ms. Bondi’s hearing, I was shocked to hear her speak of a ‘peaceful transition of power’ in 2021. In written questions, Ms. Bondi attempted to walk that statement back, instead referring to ‘a smooth transition of power.’ I was at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The events of that day were neither peaceful nor smooth. You don’t have to take my word for it. The 140 law enforcement officers who were assaulted by President Trump’s supporters on January 6 can attest to what actually happened. Ms. Bondi also refused to comment on possible pardons for January 6 rioters who violently assaulted police officers. One of my Republican colleagues—a friend on this panel—dismissed my question on the subject and said it was ‘an absurd and unfair hypothetical,’ to even ask if President Trump was going to grant pardons to those who assaulted police officers. Now we know what happened.”
    “I went into Ms. Bondi’s hearing with an open mind for obvious reasons… There remains one basic question that I wanted answered—whether she would be willing to tell President Trump and wealthy special interests ‘No’ if faced with pressure to use her position as Attorney General to benefit those parties. In light of the Trump Administration’s actions over the course of the past week, that question is even more critical. And I did not receive a satisfactory answer from Ms. Bondi. Since Watergate, there has been bipartisan support for the idea that the Justice Department must be independent from the White House. President Trump’s conduct during his first term underscored the need for this independence. I do not believe that Ms. Bondi will provide it.”
    “I hope she proves me wrong, but I cannot support her nomination.”
      
    Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.
    Ms. Bondi was previously a registered lobbyist with the Washington, D.C.-based firm Ballard Partners. In that role, she has represented wealthy special interests and foreign governments, presenting serious potential conflicts of interest if she is confirmed as Attorney General. In response to Question 22 of the Senate Judiciary Questionnaire regarding conflicts of interest, she only listed two potential conflicts of interest: her work for the America First Policy Institute and her brother’s legal practice.
    To view Durbin’s questions to Ms. Bondi in her confirmation hearing click here.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott, Cassidy, Lead Colleagues in Reintroducing Bill to Expand School Choice, Educational Opportunity

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.), co-chair of the Congressional School Choice Caucus and member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), chair of the Senate HELP Committee, led 16 Republican colleagues in introducing the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), bicameral legislation to expand education freedom and opportunity for students. Specifically, it provides a charitable donation incentive for individuals and businesses to fund scholarship awards for students to cover expenses related to K-12 public and private education.
    “When you give parents a choice, you give kids a better chance at achieving their dreams,” said Senator Scott. “By empowering families with more education resources and freedom, this bill will unlock opportunities that have been out of reach for students across America who deserve every chance to succeed and a schooling system that fosters their potential.”
    “Parents want to see their child succeed. Giving them the ability to make decisions over their child’s education puts that child’s needs first,” said Dr. Cassidy. “More freedom empowers parents and allows American children to thrive in school.”
    The Educational Choice for Children Act:
    Provides $10 billion in annual tax credits to be made available to taxpayers. Allotment of these credits to individuals would be administered by the Treasury Department.
    Sets a base amount for each state and then distributes the credits on a first-come, first-serve basis.
    Uses a limited government approach with respect to federalism, thus avoiding mandates on states, localities, and school districts.
    Includes provisions that govern Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), as SGOs are given the ability to determine the individual amount of scholarship awards.
    An estimated two million students in any elementary or secondary education setting, including homeschool, are eligible to receive a scholarship. Eligible use of scholarships awards includes tuition, fees, book supplies, and equipment for the enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary school.
    Senators Scott and Cassidy were joined by U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) in introducing the bill. 
    The Educational Choice for Children Act has received the endorsement from former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos; former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Dr. Mick Zais; former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr; Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley; LA Kids Matter; Louisiana Family Forum; Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors; ACE Scholarships Louisiana Founder Eddie Rispone; ACE Scholarships; Invest in Education Coalition; ACSI Children’s Education Fund; America First Policy Institute; American Association of Christian Schools; American Federation for Children (AFC); American Principles Project; Americans for Tax Reform; Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI); Black Mothers Forum; U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); Catholic Education Partners; CatholicVote; Center for Education Reform; Children’s Scholarship Fund; Club for Growth; Coalition for Jewish Values; Agudath Israel of America; Orthodox Union Advocacy; Republican Jewish Coalition; Concerned Women for America; Council for American Private Education (CAPE); Defense of Freedom Institute (DFI); Family Policy Alliance; Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd); Freedom Foundation; Heartland Institute; Heritage Action for America; Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA); Independent Women’s Forum; Mountain States Policy Center; Parental Rights Foundation; Parents Defending Education Action; Partners in Mission; Project 21; Protect the First; 60Plus Association; Former Virginia & Florida Secretary of Education Gerard Robinson; and several other conservative leaders.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defendant Extradited To Face Charges Related To International Bank Fraud And Money Laundering Ring That Caused Over $60 Million In Losses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Members of the Charged Conspiracy Opened Bank Accounts for Over 1,000 Fake Businesses to Receive and Launder the Proceeds of Fraudulent Schemes, Causing Actual Losses of Over $60 Million and Intended Losses of Over $150 Million

    Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Patrick J. Freaney, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the United States Secret Service (“USSS”), announced today that ERICK JASON VICTORIA-BRTIO was extradited from the Dominican Republic and will appear in a federal courtroom in Manhattan later today.  VICTORIA-BRITO is charged in a two-count Indictment with conspiring to commit bank fraud and money laundering from December 2017 through November 2022.  In connection with the scheme, VICTORIA-BRITO and other members of the charged conspiracy registered over 1,000 fake businesses, used those fake businesses to open bank accounts to receive money stolen through business e-mail compromise schemes, and then laundered that money.  Members of the conspiracy caused over $60 million in actual losses and attempted to steal over $150 million.

    U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As we allege, Erick Jason Victoria-Brito and his co-conspirators ran an international bank fraud and money laundering scheme designed to help carry out business email compromise scams. These scams cause significant harm to businesses, nonprofits, and even local governments.  As the successful extradition of Erick Jason Victoria-Brito shows, this Office and our partners will not rest until every individual responsible is held accountable.” 

    USSS Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Freaney said: “This alleged scheme rained down financial ruin upon unwitting businesses and individuals. While the suspects operated with impunity across the nation and beyond, the U.S. Secret Service and its partners remained steadfast in building a strong case — no matter where the evidence took them. I commend the investigators and prosecutors for their commitment to  disrupting this type of insidious fraud on behalf of all those victimized by it.”

    As alleged in the Indictment, Superseding Indictments, and court filings:[1]

    From at least December 2017 through at least November 2022, a group of individuals perpetrated a massive, international bank-fraud and money-laundering scheme (the “Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme”) designed to obtain and launder the proceeds of business e-mail compromise schemes.  In a business email compromise scheme, a scheme member fraudulently induces a company or individual to send money to a bank account controlled by that scheme member or the scheme member’s compatriots. 

    The Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme operated across borders and preyed on businesses large and small. Between 2020 and 2021 alone, participants in the scheme stole tens of millions of dollars, targeting victims that included a major American sports organization, a publicly traded healthcare company, and a prominent international nonprofit organization, along with multiple city governments, law firms, construction companies, and investment funds. Participants in the Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme registered over 1,000 fake businesses, then used those businesses to open bank accounts. Those bank accounts then received the proceeds of business email compromise schemes. Once the stolen funds reached those fraudulent bank accounts, participants in the Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme worked quickly to take advantage of the international banking system by either withdrawing the money or helping to launder it by wiring it to overseas banks, thereby preventing victims from recouping their losses. The co-conspirators accomplished that primarily by wiring stolen money to banks in China, outside the reach of American banks. During the course of the charged conduct, members of the conspiracy participated in inflicting over $60 million in actual losses and attempted to inflict losses of over $150 million.

    *                *                *

    VICTORIA-BRITO, 30, of Hollywood, Florida, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

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

    Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, USSS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.  Ms. Sassoon further thanked the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations for their assistance.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Burnett and Amanda C. Weingarten are in charge of the prosecution.

    The charges contained in the Indictment and Superseding Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
     

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ‘Keeping America Left-of-Boom Safe’

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

    The FBI is the lead federal agency for responding to WMD threats. The Bureau’s program has existed since 1995, but in 2006 it shifted to a more operational posture as the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate inside the Bureau’s National Security Branch. The directorate, located at FBI Headquarters, develops the overall policy, guidance, and countermeasures for operators in the field. In FBI field offices across the U.S., WMD coordinators put it all into action.

    “We’re the boots on the ground,” said Caviggiola.

    Their primary roles include training first responders, partners, and even fellow agents and task force officers on the different modalities of WMD investigations—chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive, often referred to as CBRNE. They are subject matter experts who coordinate the tactical responses when WMDs are suspected.

    In the Vermont case, for example, WMD coordinator Tom Stewart led all the responding agencies through the FBI’s Threat Credibility Evaluation (TCE) to determine the gravity of the threat and develop a plan of action. While the TCE process follows strict guidelines established by national policy for interagency responses, the FBI also developed a 14-point checklist—available on an FBI phone application—that helps WMD coordinators and first responders evaluate and process scenes that may not rise to the level of Headquarters involvement.

    “We’re constantly in a state of being an investigator and being an educator,” Stewart said. Indeed, many WMD coordinators wear multiple hats: the full cadre includes SWAT operators, special agent bomb technicians, and members of evidence response teams (ERT) and hazardous evidence response teams (HERT). Like each of those disciplines, WMD coordinators receive extensive training and certifications before stepping into the uniquely dangerous role.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Just Stop Oil protesters charged

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two Just Stop Oil protesters have been charged, after they allegedly disrupted a theatre performance in central London.

    Richard Weir, 60, (05.12.1964), of Hotspur Street, Tynemouth, Nottinghamshire and Hayley Walsh, 42 (01.05.1982), of Grantham Road, Radcliffe on Trent, Nottinghamshire were charged with aggravated trespass on Tuesday, 28 January.

    The charges relate to an incident at Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, WC2, where at around 20:00hrs two Just Stop Oil protesters entered the stage area.

    They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 February.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arrest made in Wimbledon school fatal collision investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the fatal collision at the Study Prep School in Wimbledon in July 2023 have arrested the driver as part of their ongoing investigation, as they appeal for further potential witnesses to come forward.

    The 48-year-old female driver was arrested on Tuesday 28 January, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving – she has been bailed pending further enquiries to a date in late April. This is the second time she has been arrested for this offence, the first time being at the scene of the collision on 6 July 2023.

    Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau – both eight years old – died when a car crashed through a fence and collided with a building at the school.

    An initial investigation by the Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) resulted in a direction from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in June 2024 that the driver should face no further action.

    After concerns were raised by the families of Nuria and Selena regarding this outcome, it was agreed the Specialist Crime Review Group (SCRG) would carry out a review of the investigation. That review identified lines of enquiry which required further examination.

    In October the investigation was moved to the Specialist Crime Command, under Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford. He leads a team who have since been pursuing new lines of enquiry identified by the review.

    Detective Superintendent Basford said: “I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to any witnesses or individuals with information who are yet to speak to police to please come forward.

    “Were you attending the local golf course or driving in or around the area of the Study Prep School in Wimbledon at the time of the collision? Did you see the vehicle – a distinctive gold Land Rover Defender – in the lead up to the collision? We believe there were people in the local area who have not been spoken to by police and remain unidentified. I would ask those individuals to please contact us.

    “Our main priority is to ensure the lines of enquiry identified by the review are progressed. This is a live investigation and in order to maintain its integrity I can’t go into further detail at this stage. I would urge people to avoid speculation.”

    + To provide information you can contact the major incident room on 0207 175 0793, call 101 quoting CAD 6528/27Jan, or message @MetCC on X providing the CAD reference. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Slovak Republic: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    January 29, 2025

    A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

    The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund mission, led by Magnus Saxegaard, and comprising Christian Bogmans, Shinya Kotera, Yen Mooi, and Jonathan Pampolina conducted discussions for the 2025 Article IV consultation with the Slovak Republic virtually during December 4-13, 2024, and in Bratislava, Slovakia, during January 15-28, 2025. Sumiko Ogawa, Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) mission chief, joined the concluding meeting. At the conclusion of the visit, the mission issued the following statement:

    Slovakia, like much of the EU, faces headwinds related to geoeconomic fragmentation, high energy costs, and demographic change. Growth has held up in recent years, but at the cost of a much-increased fiscal deficit. Steadfast implementation of the authorities’ ambitious 4-year consolidation plan is needed to reverse the upward trajectory in public debt, alongside policies to strengthen financial resilience and structural reforms to bolster medium-term growth, including through efforts to strengthen governance and reduce vulnerability to corruption.

    Economic Developments, Outlook, and Risks

    The Slovak economy is recovering. The economy slowed sharply in 2022-23, but growth is estimated to have accelerated to 2.1 percent in 2024, outpacing that in the euro area. Private consumption was the main driver fueled by recovering real wages, the extension of household energy support, and more generous pensions. Meanwhile, an increase in public consumption partially offset a slowdown in EU-funded public investments. While inflation has declined from record-highs in 2023, it increased in 2024H2 due to higher global food price inflation. Core inflation is higher than in the euro area, driven by a tight labor market and strong nominal wage growth.

    Economic growth is projected to moderate to 1.9 percent in 2025, before rising to 2.1 percent in 2026. The fiscal consolidation in 2025 will lower growth directly by slowing government spending, and indirectly as higher taxes put upward pressure on prices and dampen private consumption, though the effect will be partially mitigated by the one-year extension of household energy support and strong EU-funded public investments. Meanwhile external demand is expected to remain subdued. For 2026, higher growth in trading partners and increased capacity in the automotive sector is expected to boost exports. Inflation is projected to rise temporarily to 4.0 percent in 2025 and moderate to 3.2 percent in 2026. Adverse demographic trends and lower productivity growth imply that Slovakia’s medium-term growth, as projected by staff, is expected to be significantly lower than its pre-pandemic average, and below IMF forecasts of medium-term growth in other Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) countries with comparable income levels.

    Risks to growth are tilted to the downside while risks to inflation are broadly balanced. Near term risks include a global slowdown or intensifying trade policy uncertainty which would weigh on growth and exert downward pressure on inflation. Domestically, slippages in fiscal consolidation could increase sovereign spreads and tighten financial conditions. A lack of political consensus on structural reforms and concerns about institutional quality could deter private investment and slow the disbursement of EU funds that have been critical in supporting public investment. A correction in real estate prices combined with an economic downturn could trigger losses for financial institutions. Meanwhile, continued strong nominal wage growth could undermine competitiveness and keep inflation elevated.

    Fiscal Policy

    Slovakia’s fiscal outlook is challenging. The fiscal deficit is projected to have increased to 5.7 percent in 2024 from 5.2 percent in 2023 due to a combination of revenue easing and higher spending that more than offset the 0.6 percent of GDP in net consolidation measures in the 2024 budget. This increase follows the 3.6 percentage points of GDP widening of the fiscal deficit in 2023. While the change in government in October 2023 meant time to finalize the 2024 budget was short, it is clear ex-post that robust growth combined with significant medium-term fiscal challenges would have warranted a tighter fiscal stance in 2024.

    The mission welcomes the authorities’ ambitious fiscal consolidation targets for 2025-28, which is commensurate with the scale of Slovakia’s fiscal challenges.

    • The 2025 budget targets a reduction in the headline deficit to 4.7 percent of GDP. Fund staff’s more conservative macroeconomic forecasts imply an overall deficit of 4.9 percent of GDP in 2025. However, the projected structural tightening is broadly in line with the budget. These forecasts are subject to significant downside risks, including from a lower-than-expected yield from the fiscal consolidation measures or a worse economic outlook. If revenues in 2025 appear to be falling short of targets (as implied by staff’s macroeconomic forecasts) the authorities should limit the resulting increase in the deficit, including by saving as much as possible of the contingency buffer.
    • Beyond 2025, the medium-term fiscal structural plan targets another 2.5 percentage points of GDP reduction in the fiscal deficit to bring it close to 2 percent of GDP by 2028, though measures to achieve this consolidation are not yet specified. Staff projections suggest that the fiscal consolidation envisaged over the next four years, if met, will reverse the increase in the deficit over the past two years and put public debt on a downward path by the end of the projection period. Staff’s baseline forecast, which does not include any further consolidation beyond that in the 2025 budget, entails a gradual increase in the deficit over the medium term, with public debt rising to 75 percent of GDP by end-2030 from 56 percent of GDP in 2023.

    The consolidation measures for 2025 are a step in the right direction. Several of the measures are welcome and will help reduce the deficit on a structural basis, including the increase in the basic VAT rate, and better targeting of child benefits. However, the increase in the number of items subject to reduced VAT rates deprives the government of much needed revenue, while the financial transactions tax (FTT) could weaken financial intermediation and increase incentives for informality.

    The measures to lower Slovakia’s fiscal deficit closer to 2 percent of GDP by 2028 should be consistent with Slovakia’s long-term growth and climate objectives, while protecting the most vulnerable in society. While there is no definitive evidence that reducing spending is more effective than increasing revenues in terms of economic efficiency or equity, prioritizing the rationalization of expenditures moving forward would result in a more balanced fiscal consolidation, given the reliance on revenue-based measures thus far.

    • Spending: According to Fund staff estimates, value for Money initiatives, including a reduction in subsidies, could yield savings of up to 0.5 percent of GDP, while improved targeting could reduce social spending by as much as 0.8 percent of GDP. Also, there may be scope to increase efficiency by trimming departmental budgets and reducing public sector wage growth, though this should be done cautiously to avoid unintended cuts in service delivery. Reversing the increase of the 13th pension could yield about 0.4 percent of GDP in savings while eliminating the recently introduced early retirement option could yield fiscal savings over the long-term. Finally, energy support measures to households (projected to cost 0.2 percent of GDP in 2025) should be phased out as they are costly and discourage energy conservation.
    • Revenues: Reducing the number of items subject to reduced VAT rates could generate as much as 1.3 percent of GDP in savings, while raising property taxes by transitioning to a market value-based system could generate around 0.3 percent in additional revenue. Plans to counter tax evasion and reduce the VAT compliance gap are welcome and could yield up to 0.5 percent of GDP in revenues. Finally, the authorities should replace the FTT with alternative revenue sources, while phasing out the bank levy as planned.

    Safeguarding Slovakia’s strong fiscal framework is essential for the credibility of the consolidation effort. Aligning Slovakia’s national expenditure ceiling framework with the new EU fiscal rules avoids inconsistencies and streamlines the budget process but continued focus on the long-term fiscal outlook (beyond the horizon used for the EU fiscal framework) remains useful given Slovakia’s medium-term fiscal challenges. Slovakia’s strong and independent Council for Budgetary Responsibility can help by monitoring the impact of government policies on the long-term sustainability of public finances. Lastly, the mission recommends reforming the debt brake before it comes into effect in 2026, to avoid the risk of a disruptive fiscal consolidation.

    The mission welcomes the government’s objective to increase absorption of EU funds. The Slovak government is working with the OECD and the European Commission to identify concrete measures to increase absorption. In this regard, there is a need to strengthen project management capacity, especially at the municipal level, while the preparation of a national investment plan could help guide the timely selection of investment projects.

    Financial Sector Policy

    The 2024 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP)—an in-depth review of the financial sector—assessed the banking sector to be resilient against severe shocks, reflecting a healthy level of buffers and profitability. The residential real estate market remains a source of vulnerability. In particular, tighter financial conditions, an economic slowdown, and a decline in still-elevated house prices could put pressure on households’ repayment capacity and increase the riskiness of banks’ mortgage portfolios. Also, risks remain elevated in the office segment of the commercial real estate (CRE) market while banks with large exposures to firms facing geopolitical risks could be vulnerable to credit losses. That said, solvency stress tests indicate that banks have sufficient capital to withstand severe macro-financial shocks. Likewise, liquidity stress tests indicate that the banking system as a whole is resilient to funding and market liquidity shocks.

    The current macroprudential stance is broadly appropriate, but the policy framework could be further developed over the medium term to help attenuate cyclical and structural risks.

    • Residual risks in the residential and CRE markets suggest the current level of the countercyclical capital buffer (CCyB) is appropriate. Borrower-based measures (BBMs) have contributed to contain household credit risk and should remain in force. The authorities should stand ready to activate the systemic risk buffer on banks’ CRE exposures before risks in the sector become systemic.
    • The macroprudential policy framework could be further strengthened by adopting a positive neutral countercyclical capital buffer (pnCCyB). A pnCCyB would help safeguard the availability of releasable capital and give policymakers time to collect evidence of a build-up in vulnerabilities. A healthy level of profitability and/or the availability of voluntary buffers would help facilitate a smooth introduction of a pnCCyB. In addition, remaining leakages in the BBMs (e.g. co-financing a mortgage with a consumer loan) should be closed, while the BBM speed limits should be differentiated across borrower categories (e.g. first- and second-time home buyers, investors, and mortgage top-ups).

    Financial resilience could be bolstered by strengthening the supervision of less significant institutions (LSIs) as well as the crisis management framework.

    • The NBS’s supervisory powers and operational independence should be enhanced by restricting banks’ appeals only to supervisory decisions and corrective measures that are finalized, and by strengthening the legal protections for supervisors. Moreover, the NBS should streamline off-site supervision to align with LSI’s risk profile and strengthen on-site inspections to bolster the overall effectiveness of LSI supervision.
    • The financial safety net and crisis management framework should be reinforced by ensuring that the National Resolution Authority (NRA) has adequate resources, preventing the judiciary from suspending or reversing resolution decisions, ensuring NRA resolutions are immediately enforceable, and enhancing the legal protection of staff involved in resolution. Meanwhile, the authorities should remove active bankers from the board of the deposit guarantee fund to prevent conflicts of interest, while expanding the fund’s mandate and financial strength to enable it to play a broader role in crisis management.

    Efforts to strengthen the AML/CFT framework should continue. In particular, the authorities should review the criteria for the application of ML/TF sanctions, strengthen coordination between the NBS and Financial Intelligence Unit, and introduce mechanisms to verify beneficial ownership information and sanction the submission of inaccurate information.

    Structural Policy

    Slovakia needs structural reforms to diversify its economy, enhance resilience to global shocks and sustain productivity growth. The success of the automotive sector has led to decades of strong growth but exposed Slovakia to global trends related to the green transition and automation. To improve resilience and sustain productivity growth the authorities should intensify efforts to promote innovation and technology adoption. In this context, the mission welcomes the increase in direct government R&D spending, but further efforts are needed to stimulate business R&D including in small firms and startups that are not yet profitable. At the same time, deepening the European single market would allow innovative firms to leverage economies of scale. Finally, advancing the capital market union would facilitate cross-border flows of capital including equity financing and venture capital, which is critical for supporting startups, particularly in countries with less-developed capital markets.

    The automotive sector is facing headwinds related to the unfolding green transition and rapid rise of electronic vehicle (EV) production in other markets. To address these challenges, the authorities should encourage innovation across the entire domestic EV production supply chain, promote efforts to diversify the economy, and enhance Active Labor Market Policies (ALMPs) to facilitate the movement of workers across sectors.

    The challenges of an aging population require policies to increase the labor force. Flexible working arrangements, shortening the 3-year long maximum parental leave period, and improved child and elderly care could increase female participation, while tax credits and restrictions on early retirement could raise labor force participation among the elderly. The recent easing of national visa rules for foreign workers in professions with shortages could boost migrant inflows, but further efforts are needed to integrate and retain migrants, including by scaling up language training and streamlining certification recognition. Increased focus on vocational education and training would help bring down Slovakia’s high youth unemployment.

    Maintaining a favorable investment climate, strengthening governance, and reducing vulnerability to corruption will help lift the economy’s growth potential.

    • Governance indicators and perceptions of judicial independence lag peers, and recent surveys point to a decline in the perceived effectiveness of anti-corruption policies.
    • A new national anti-corruption strategy is expected to be released mid-year. In that context, the authorities should verify that the new institutional framework that replaced the dissolved Special Prosecutor’s Office and National Crime Agency has not weakened the institutional capacity to investigate and prosecute high-level corruption. Also, the asset declaration and conflict of interest framework for high-risk public officials could be improved. Specifically, broadening the scope of covered public officials, and centralizing and digitizing the submission and publication process with robust verification procedures and appropriate sanctions, would be beneficial. Finally, existing safeguards pertaining to the Prosecutor General’s authority to annul decisions by lower-level prosecutors should be strengthened.
    • Safeguards to ensure members of the Judicial Council can only be recalled based on specific and reasonable grounds would enhance judicial independence. Also, the crime of “abuse of law”, whereby judges are subject to criminal liability for their decisions, can have an intimidating effect on judges. Additional safeguards to ensure the framework balances the accountability of judges and independent judicial decision-making would be beneficial.

    While greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 50 percent since 1990, further efforts are needed to cut emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and to reach net-zero by 2050. Slovakia should move expeditiously to fully implement the ETS II scheme for road transport and buildings and could consider gradually raising environmental levies in these sectors until the scheme becomes operational in 2027. The authorities should continue exploring options to replace two coal-fired blast furnaces in the steel industry and phase out fossil fuel subsidies. Also, supporting environmental R&D and green technology would support mitigation efforts and economic diversification. Lastly, a more integrated energy market in Europe would encourage investment in renewables and enhance energy security and reduce energy prices.

    The IMF team thanks the authorities and other interlocutors for their generous hospitality and constructive dialogue.

     Table 1. Slovakia: Selected Economic Indicators, 2020–2030 
     
    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Boris Balabanov

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/01/29/mcs-012925-slovak-republic-staff-concluding-statement-of-the-2025-article-iv-mission

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE ERO Boston arrests illegal MS-13 member charged with firearms, drug crimes

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston apprehended an illegally present 19-year-old Guatemalan gang member charged with drug and weapons crimes. Officers from ICE ERO Boston arrested Luis Adolfo Guerra-Perez in Boston Jan. 22.

    “Luis Adolfo Guerra-Perez is an illegally present gang member, who has shown complete disregard for American laws,” said acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “He is a member of a violent street gang charged with illegally possessing a high-capacity firearm and drugs. We will not tolerate such offenders to threaten the residents of our New England neighborhoods. ERO Boston will continue to arrest and remove egregious alien offenders from our communities.”

    U.S. Border Patrol arrested Guerra on March 21, 2021, after he illegally entered the United States at the Southern Border. Authorities with USBP issued Guerra a Notice to Appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.

    ERO Dallas released Guerra on an Order of Recognizance May 8, 2021.

    On Oct 2, 2024, a DOJ immigration judge ordered Guerra removed from the United States to Guatemala.

    The East Boston District Court arraigned Guerra Jan. 3 for the offenses of possession of a large capacity weapon/firearm, possession of class D controlled substance, possession of firearm without permit and possession of ammunition.

    ICE ERO Boston issued an immigration detainer against Guerra with the Nashua Street Jail in Boston Jan. 6; however, the East Boston District Court ignored the immigration detainer and ordered Guerra released from custody Jan. 21.

    Officers from ERO Boston arrested Guerra in Boston, Massachusetts Jan 22. He remains in ERO custody.

    ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. EOIR is a separate entity from DHS and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

    As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

    Members of the public with information regarding child sex offenders 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 ERO Boston’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Food Distributor Settles False Claims Act Liability Relating to Self-Disclosure of Small Business Contracting Violations

    Source: US State of California

    GS Foods Group Inc. (GS Foods), headquartered in Ontario, California, has agreed to pay $949,696.90 to resolve False Claims Act liability in connection with bidding on contracts reserved for small businesses when GS Foods did not qualify as a small business. The contracts involved supplying food to facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that GS Foods took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government. 

    “Businesses that participate in federal small business contracting programs must ensure that they comply with applicable rules and regulations relating to eligibility,” said Acting  Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When businesses run afoul of small business contracting requirements, they can mitigate the consequences by making timely self-disclosures, cooperating with investigations, and taking appropriate remedial measures.”

    The settlement resolves allegations that, between Oct. 1, 2018 and March 8, 2024, GS Foods did not qualify as a small business because of its affiliation with certain other companies. The United States alleged that subsidiaries of GS Foods, GoodSource Solutions Inc., and Dori Foods Inc., bid on contracts and orders that had been expressly reserved, or set-aside, exclusively for small businesses. As a result, GoodSource Solutions and Dori Foods allegedly obtained contracts for which they were not eligible. GS Foods timely self-reported the conduct to the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), and cooperated with the Justice Department’s investigation, including, for example, by identifying key witnesses and documents and making employees available for interviews. The company also took remedial measures, including updating its code of conduct, establishing an Ethics and Compliance Management Committee, establishing the position of Chief Compliance Officer, and developing and implementing additional employee training.

    “It is a disservice to small businesses when contracts that were expressly set aside to create opportunities for small businesses are awarded to ineligible organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Andrew Hartwell of DOJ-OIG, Fraud Detection Office. “The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to playing our part to maintain the integrity of small business contracts.”  

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and DOJ-OIG. Fraud Section Senior Trial Counsel Jonathan H. Gold handled the matter.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saskatchewan — Saskatchewan RCMP concerned as fatal collisions on the rise for 2025

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Eleven lives are already lost on Saskatchewan roadways this year. There have been eight fatal collisions on roads in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction between January 1 and 29. These collisions have resulted in 11 people’s deaths.

    This is a dramatic increase from the two fatal collisions and three deaths from the same time period in 2024.

    “These numbers are extremely concerning to see,” says Supt. Grant St. Germaine, Officer in Charge of Saskatchewan RCMP Traffic Services. “We must all do our part and ask ourselves, ‘What can be done to make Saskatchewan roads safer?’ We all have a part to play in reversing this tragic trend.”

    What are the causes?

    Eleven lives are already lost on Saskatchewan roadways this year. There have been eight fatal collisions on roads in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction between January 1 and 29. These collisions have resulted in 11 people’s deaths.

    This is a dramatic increase from the two fatal collisions and three deaths from the same time period in 2024.

    Collisions impact everyone

    “We have had 11 people die on roads in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction the first month of 2024 – think of how many people are impacted by these tragedies. There are family and friends grieving and our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected,” Supt. St. Germaine says. “It also impacts first responders. These incidents can be traumatic and nothing can prepare you for these types of calls where loss of life occurs.”

    More work to do

    “We’ve all heard basic driving safety tips hundreds of times,” Supt. St. Germaine says. “I may sound like a broken record, but I’ll keep repeating myself. Please remember the basics, drive to road conditions, obey speed limits, never drive while distracted or impaired by alcohol or drugs and always wear your seatbelt, because choosing to wear one can make the difference between life and death in a collision.”

    He also strongly urges motorists to take things slow if they’re driving on icy or snowy roads and to always check hotline.gov.sk.ca/map (English only) for road conditions and to monitor what roads have been recently plowed, salted, and or/sanded.

    MIL Security OSI –