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  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Takes Action to Protect Women’s Olympic Sports in Honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) reintroduced the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to prohibit any governing body recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) from allowing men to participate in any athletic event intended for females. The bill modifies eligibility requirements for amateur sports governing organizations. Senator Tuberville re-introduced the legislation on National Girls and Women in Sports Day and as part of his continuing fight to protect Title IX and save women’s sports.

    Representative Greg Steube (R-FL-17) introduced the House version of this bill.

    “Men should not be competing in women’s sports at any level,” said Senator Tuberville. “We were all deeply disturbed last summer to see videos of men boxing against women in the Olympics. This is not only dangerous, but it is incredibly unfair to the young women who have trained their whole lives to compete. Whether in little league or the Olympics, it’s unsafe, it’s unfair, and it’s just plain wrong. I am proud to introduce this bill and hope to see it signed into law long before the United States hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics so we can all enjoy watching safe, fair competition.” 

    “From the swimming pool to the boxing ring, far-left activists have hijacked the rulebook to push their extremist agenda onto sports governing bodies. Not only is this antithetical to the principles of fair competition, but it constitutes a direct assault on the future of women’s sports altogether,” said Rep. Steube. “It is more important than ever that we stand up for common sense by prohibiting biological males from competing in female athletics. That is why I have reintroduced The Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to protect the integrity of women’s sports from woke ideologues.”

    The Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act boasts the support of a broad coalition of organizations, key stakeholders, and women’s groups.

    “As an athlete who has experienced the injustice of competing against a male firsthand, I’m grateful for the leadership of Representative Steube and Senator Tuberville. They have made it clear that they will fight for fairness, privacy, and safety for girls and women in sports,” said Riley Gaines, 12x NCAA All American Swimmer and Independent Women’s Forum Ambassador.

    “Women and girls deserve the opportunity to compete in sports on a level playing field, free from unfair competition with male athletes in their own categories. With no national governing body of Olympic sports currently barring all males from women’s categories, this glaring inequity undermines opportunities for female athletes and the integrity of women’s sports. Congressman Steube’s Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act is a vital step to ensure fairness, empower women, and preserve the future of women’s athletics.” —Independent Council on Women’s Sports

    “It’s obvious that men do not belong in women’s sports. Yet despite the overwhelming support for this position among the American people, too many sports bodies still allow men who claim to be women to compete against female athletes. This is incredibly unfair to women, and it needs to end. APP is grateful to Congressman Steube and Senator Tuberville for their long-standing leadership in defense of women’s sports, and we are proud to once again support this legislation.” —Terry Schilling, President of American Principles Project

    “On numerous occasions, women have been sidelined and victimized due to extreme transgender ideology. It’s time to keep men out of women’s sports. We applaud Representative Steube for his leadership on this issue and urge all members of Congress—regardless of party—to vote for The Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.” —Kris Ullman, President of Eagle Forum

    “Women’s Liberation Front applauds Rep. Steube’s legislation aimed at preserving women’s sports for women and girls. The world witnessed the travesty carried out in Women’s Olympic Boxing in 2024 when the International Olympic Committee allowed men to box women. The men of course won, robbing real women of medals and titles they trained for years to win. We appreciate this legislation as a return to sanity and a decisive move to protect women’s sports.” —Women’s Liberation Front

    “Women and girls should never be reduced to spectators in their own sports. Allowing men to deprive women of medals, podium spots, public recognition, and opportunities to compete is unfair and unacceptable. Our laws must acknowledge the clear biological differences between men and women in order to preserve equal athletic opportunities for female athletes. Women and girls deserve a fair and level playing field. We applaud Rep. Steube for his leadership on this bill,” said Matt Sharp, Director of the Center for Public Policy and senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom

    “I appreciate Senator Tuberville and Representative Steube for their leadership on protecting women and girls in athletics. Allowing even a single female athlete to be displaced by a male is discriminatory, risky, and unfair. And it must be stopped. That is precisely what lifelong sports advocate Senator Ted Stevens would want — equality in sports, preserving the safety, fairness and equal opportunity for female athletes. This bill will do just that,” said Paula Scanlan, Independent Women’s Voice Ambassador. 

    “As a former athlete who was forced to compete against a male, resulting in a life-altering injury, it’s crucial to recognize that allowing men’s participation in women’s sports not only deprives women of opportunities but also exposes them to significant danger. I deeply admire Representative Steube and Senator Tuberville for their leadership in addressing this issue and standing up for fairness and safety, especially for women,” said Payton McNabb, Independent Women’s Voice Ambassador. 

    Read the bill here.

    BACKGROUND:

    USA Boxing updated their National Rule Book to add a Transgender definition and link to a new Transgender Policy, effective on January 1, 2024. The policy states: “a boxer who transitions from male to female is eligible to compete in the female category” with certain conditions.

    Under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, Congress chartered the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and allowed the organization to recognize governing bodies for individual sports. USA Boxing has been recognized by the USOC as the official governing body for boxing. The Act sets out a variety of requirements that must be followed by these individual governing bodies in order to be certified by USOC.

    In February 2024, Senator Tuberville originally introduced the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act during the 118th Congress. Representative Greg Steube introduced the House version.

    Fighting for Women’s Sports:

    As a former educator, mentor, and coach for more than 40 years, Senator Tuberville is concerned about the future of girls’ and women’s sports. He began his career coaching high school girls’ basketball shortly after the enactment of Title IX and witnessed the law’s positive impacts firsthand. Senator Tuberville has been a vocal advocate of preserving Title IX and urged Joe Biden’s Department of Education officials to keep the protections in place. 

    In January 2025, Senator Tuberville led 36 Republican colleagues in re-introducing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 to preserve Title IX protections for female athletes and ensure fair, safe competition in women’s sports across the country. Senator Tuberville’s bill passed the House in January 2025.

    MORE:

    ICYMI: Tuberville Joins “The Megyn Kelly Show” to Advocate for Senate Leadership to Schedule Title IX Legislation for a Vote

    ICYMI: Tuberville in OutKick: Senate to Consider My Bill, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act

    Tuberville Introduces Hallmark Legislation to Preserve Title IX, Protect Women’s Sports

    ICYMI: Tuberville Joins Harris Faulkner on Fox News to Discuss Title IX, Save Women’s Sports

    Tuberville Leads Colleagues in Fight to Save Title IX, Women’s Sports

    Tuberville, Blackburn Urge NCAA President to Keep Men Out of Women’s Sports

    The Globalist-Left’s Assault on Female Athletics

    Tuberville Sponsors Resolution to Overturn Biden’s Attack on Title IX, Save Women’s Sports

    Tuberville Takes Action to Recognize October 10th as ‘American Girls in Sports Day’

    Tuberville Demands Answers on Biden Administration’s Radical Rewrite of Title IX

    ICYMI: Tuberville Joins Lou Holtz: There’s an Attack on Title IX

    ICYMI: Tuberville on Newsmax: Democrats are Trying to Destroy Women’s Sports, Title IX

    Tuberville Leads Roundtable on Protecting Title IX and Saving Women’s Sports

    ICYMI: Tuberville Hosts Roundtable About Saving Women’s Sports

    What Democrats’ Vote Against Women Reveals About the Future of Sports

    Tuberville Forces Senate Vote to Protect Women’s Sports

    Tuberville Demands Answers from NCAA, Dept of Ed on Title IX

    Tuberville Introduces Legislation to Prohibit Men from Competing in Women’s Olympic Sports

    Senator Tuberville joins Fox and Friends to discuss the 50th Anniversary of Inflation and Title IX

    Tuberville Calls for Fairness in Women’s Sports

    Ahead of 50th Anniversary of Title IX, Senator Tuberville Warns Biden Admin is Hacking Away at Women’s Progress

    Senator Tuberville: Biden Title IX Modifications Will Destroy ‘Opportunities For Generations Of Women And Girls’

    Biden executive order will ruin women’s sports and erode Title IX

    Dr. Ben Carson, Sen. Tuberville Break Down Why They Think Trans Athletes Shouldn’t Compete In Women’s Sports

    U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville says Biden administration pushing women to the sidelines

    Tuberville on Biden Administration’s Upcoming Title IX Proposed Rule: ‘It would take a wrecking ball to the five decades of Title IX success and tilt what was a level playing field to the far left’

    Tuberville Presses Under Secretary of Education Nominee on Title IX, Free Speech on Campus

    Tuberville: The Real March Madness

    Tuberville Warns Secretary Cardona Against Weakening Title IX Protections 

    Tuberville Emphasizes Importance of Title IX Protections

    Tuberville Offers Amendment Protecting Women’s Title IX Rights

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General Appoints Bjørg Sandkjær of Norway Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Biographical Note

    United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Bjørg Sandkjær of Norway as Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.  She will succeed Maria-Francesca Spatolisano of Italy, to whom the Secretary-General and the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs are grateful for her commitment and dedicated service to the Organization.

    Ms. Sandkjær has over 26 years of experience in policymaking and international development.  She served as Deputy Minister for International Development at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2021, having been responsible for the development of Norway’s strategic vision and engagement in international development cooperation issues and played a key role in the negotiations on Norway’s budgetary allocations for official development assistance (ODA) while also leading her country’s engagement in key sustainable development processes and fora, including the high-level political forum on sustainable development.

    Ms. Sandkjær also served as the deputy leader of the Standing Committee on Health and Welfare of the Oslo City Council and held several positions at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Church of Norway.

    Ms. Sandkjær holds a master’s degree in demography from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an undergraduate degree from the University of Oslo.  She is fluent in English and Norwegian.

    For information media. Not an official record.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: United Nations ‘Fully Committed to Peace, Stability, Inalienable Rights of Palestinian People’, Secretary-General Tells Committee

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the opening of the 2025 session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, in New York today:

    Ambassador Coly Seck, Bureau members, let me begin by congratulating you on your election.

    I want to salute this Committee for its work.  At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land.

    We have seen the realization of those rights steadily slip farther out of reach.  We have seen a chilling, systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people.  Of course, nothing justifies the horrific Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. And nothing justifies what we have seen unfold in Gaza over the last many months.

    We all know too well the catalogue of destruction and unspeakable horrors.  The nearly 50,000 people — 70 per cent of them women and children — who have been reported killed.

    The majority of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure — hospitals, schools and water facilities — that has been destroyed.  The overwhelming majority of the entire population who have faced displacement after displacement, hunger and disease.  Children, out of school for over a year.  A generation, left homeless and traumatized.

    I welcome the ceasefire and hostage release deal.  I thank the mediators — Egypt, Qatar and the United States — for the continued efforts to ensure implementation.  Now, it is time to be crystal clear about objectives going forward.

    First, we must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay.  We cannot go back to more death and destruction.  For our part, the UN is working around the clock to reach Palestinians in need and scale up support.  That requires humanitarian access that is rapid, safe, unimpeded, expanded and sustained.

    I call on Member States, donors, and the international community to fully fund humanitarian operations and meet urgent needs.  And I once again urge Member States to support the essential work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

    Second, in the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse.  It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law.  It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.

    Third, we must reaffirm the two-State solution.  Any durable peace will require tangible, irreversible and permanent progress towards the two-State solution, an end to the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with Gaza as an integral part.  A viable, sovereign Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security with Israel is the only sustainable solution for Middle East stability.

    Beyond Gaza, the situation continues to unravel in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.  I am gravely concerned by rising violence by Israeli settlers and other violations.  The violence must stop.

    As affirmed by the International Court of Justice, Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory must end.  International law must be respected and accountability ensured.

    We must work towards preserving the unity, contiguity and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.  A strong and unified Palestinian governance is crucial.  The international community must support the Palestinian Authority to this end.

    The UN is fully committed to peace, stability and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.  I commend this Committee for its steadfast dedication to these goals and call on the international community to fully support these efforts.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, Chivalry Rd, Glenfield

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Emergency services are currently at the scene of a serious crash on Chivalry Rd, Glenfield, where a cyclist has struck a stationary vehicle.

    Police were called about 9.30am.

    The cyclist is reported to be in critical condition.

    The road is closed, with diversions in place.

    Motorists should avoid the area if possible.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Online tax schemes on the rise

    Source: Australian Department of Revenue

    The ATO is warning the community to be alert for potentially dodgy tax schemes which are spreading online, including through social media.

    Acting Deputy Commissioner Sarah Taylor is urging individuals to be wary of online promotion of tax schemes promising to significantly reduce or avoid tax altogether.

    ‘Sometimes tax schemes can be peddled as investment schemes. We don’t want to see honest people lured into unlawful tax schemes with false promises of high returns and tax savings – if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is,’ Ms Taylor said.

    ‘Those who invest in unlawful tax schemes stand to lose their hard-earned cash, and risk paying tax with interest and heavy penalties.’

    ‘Promoters of these schemes are often opportunistic and target vulnerable people. Protect yourself and your money by getting advice from a registered tax practitioner before committing to anything,’ Ms Taylor said.

    The ATO’s website lists a number of tax schemes to look out for. In one particular recent scheme, individuals are being advised to invest in a start-up company that allegedly qualifies as an early-stage innovation company (ESIC). By investing in an ESIC, they’re told they can then claim the early-stage investor tax offset on shares purchased through the financing arrangement.

    The ATO is concerned individuals may be entering into these arrangements under the belief they are entitled to the tax benefits claimed using the financing arrangements. We are also concerned that the companies may not qualify as ESICs.

    Another type of tax scheme being promoted in the community promises individuals they can avoid paying tax by setting up a purported non-profit foundation and diverting their income to it. These schemes are not effective and the individuals will still have to pay the tax on the income.

    If you are approached with tax arrangements that sound like either of these examples, or sound too good to be true, seek advice from a registered tax practitioner and report it to the ATO.

    The ATO takes a strong stance against all types of unlawful tax schemes and their promotion.

    ‘Promoting and participating in unlawful tax schemes are not victimless crimes. Those who choose to engage in these behaviours are attempting to obtain an unfair advantage over those who do the right thing,’ Ms Taylor said.

    ‘We take targeted action against unlawful tax schemes that promote tax avoidance behaviours and against those who promote these schemes. We are committed to helping protect the community against misinformation about schemes spread on various channels.’

    If you are offered an unlawful tax scheme, you should reject it and report it to the ATO confidentially by:

    • completing the tip-off form on the ATO website
    • phoning the tip-off hotline on 1800 060 062.

    If you suspect that you’ve inadvertently become involved in an unlawful tax scheme, you should also contact the ATO immediately. If you proactively approach the ATO, you may be eligible for a reduction in any penalties imposed.

    To check if a tax practitioner is registered, use the Tax Practitioners Board’s public registerExternal Link.

    More information about unlawful tax schemes can be found at ato.gov.au/taxschemes.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Nursing Hosts Air Force Representatives to Explore Potential Career Paths

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Representatives from the United States Air Force visited the School of Nursing to discuss alternative career and leadership opportunities for graduating seniors.

    The visit was part of UConn’s Leadership Capstone course (NURS 4282), led by Laura Eiss, RN, MSN, NPD, BC, CNE. Through engagement with nurse leaders from various health care settings, students gain valuable insights into the multifaceted roles and responsibilities of nursing leadership in today’s dynamic health care landscape.

    Nursing students were gifted Chick-fil-A to enjoy during the Air Force Nurse Corps presentation (contributed photo)

    Lieutenant Colonel Krisha Prentice and Master Sergeant Andrew Magathan, recruiters from the Air Force Nurse Corps, presented various benefits of joining the Air Force, including housing vouchers, scholarships, loan repayment programs, and opportunities for advanced specialization in areas such as surgery, obstetrics, and medical-surgical nursing through the Nurse Transitioning Program (NTC). They also highlighted pathways for nurses pursuing advanced degrees like CRNA, NFP, and NP-Maternal Health.

    MSgt. Magathan and Lt. Col. Krisha Prentice (contributed photo)

    Lt. Col. Prentice shared her experience leading over 350 nurses and staff, emphasizing the dynamic and impactful roles available in the Air Force. MSgt. Magathan underscored the global nature of being a nurse in the Air Force, stating that nurses collaborate with other military branches worldwide. 

    “Many of our students already know they are going to pursue advanced degrees, and for many the financial implications from a 4-year undergrad degree might be a barrier,” says Eiss. “This provides a path for some they may not even knew existed.” 

    The capstone course will continue with presentations from Global Experience students returning from Belgium and from state health care executives to further explore diverse career opportunities. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: France opposes any forced displacement of Gaza’s Palestinians

    Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

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    Published on February 5, 2025

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    Statement by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson (Paris, February 5, 2025)

    France reiterates its opposition to any forced displacement of Gaza’s Palestinian population, which would constitute a serious violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians and also a major obstacle to the two-state solution and a factor of major destabilization for our close partners, Egypt and Jordan, and the whole region.

    France will continue actively promoting the implementation of the two-state solution, which alone can guarantee long-term peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians. Gaza’s future must lie not in the prospect of control by a third State but in the framework of a future Palestinian State, under the aegis of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas must be disarmed and have no part in the territory’s governance. France will continue to express its opposition to settlement activity – which is contrary to international law – and to any hint of the unilateral annexation of the West Bank./.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Individuals Sentenced for Harboring Aliens Arriving in Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The last of three defendants was sentenced today to prison for harboring aliens that arrived in Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic.

    Together, defendants Katia Janette Nieves, Junior Melo, and Iris J. Nieves-Ríos coordinated the pickup in August 2023 of at least 50 individuals arriving unlawfully via boat on the west side of Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic. Despite knowing that these individuals were aliens not lawfully in the United States, the defendants transported them to a residence in San Juan, Puerto Rico, harbored them, and demanded money from family members in order to release the individuals.

    Junior Melo was sentenced on December 16, 2024, to 72 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Katia Janette Nieves was sentenced on January 15, 2025, to 72 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Iris J. Nieves-Ríos was sentenced today to 24 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora and Assistant U.S. Attorney Linet Suárez prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mt. Pleasant Business Owner Sentenced to 1.5 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jonathan Ramaci, 60, of Mt. Pleasant, was sentenced to one and a half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and filing a false income tax return.

    Evidence presented to the court showed that Ramaci defrauded the Small Business Association in his application and receipt of approximately $214,000 of fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) loans that were authorized pursuant to the CARES Act. Evidence showed that Ramaci submitted fraudulent tax documentation to the SBA and its approved third-party lenders, that were relied on to fund a PPP loan Ramaci received. For the fraudulent EIDL loans, Ramaci falsely represented to the SBA revenue and costs of goods sold for the businesses he was applying for. 

    As for Ramaci’s tax offense, evidence submitted to the court showed that from 2017 to 2021, Ramaci either failed to file and/or filed false income tax returns and owes the IRS $289,531. Specifically, Ramaci was paying for personal expenses from a business he owned and operated, Elements of Genius, headquartered in Charleston. He was also not reporting his income.

    “This defendant’s actions revealed corrupt business practices that cost the taxpayer and the government hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “His deceptive financial scheme warrants this prison sentence and sends the message that such practices will not be tolerated.”

    “IRS Criminal Investigation, along with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously pursue business owners who victimize their investors and violate the public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, IRS-CI. “The defendant used his position of power to defraud not just his own company, but the honest, hardworking Americans who pay their tax obligations.”

    United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Ramaci to 18 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. As part of the judgement, the court ordered Ramaci to pay $538,178.88 in restitution for the offenses of conviction.  The court also ordered Ramaci to pay restitution in the amount of $1,009,684.00 to victims of offenses that the defendant did not plead guilty to, which was agreed to by the parties in the plea agreement.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Midwest City Man Sentenced to Serve 160 Months in Federal Prison for Manufacturing Crack Cocaine and Illegal Firearm Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – ANTONIO LARINGO KNOX, 53, of Midwest City, has been sentenced to serve more than 13 years in federal prison for manufacturing cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine, and illegal possession of firearms after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    On January 17, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment against Knox, charging him with manufacturing cocaine base and being a felon in possession of firearms, amongst other charges. On November 7, 2024, following a two-day trial, a federal jury convicted Knox of these two charges. According to evidence presented at trial, on September 12, 2023, Oklahoma City Police Department officers executed a search warrant at Mr. Knox’s home, where they found cocaine base, razor blades, digital scales, ammunition, and firearms. Mr. Knox admitted to manufacturing the cocaine base that was recovered.

    At the sentencing hearing on January 31, 2025, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Knox to serve 160 months in federal prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Friot noted the nature and circumstances of the offense, along with Knox’s criminal history. Public record reflects that Knox’s criminal history includes convictions in Oklahoma County District Court for conspiring to distribute a controlled dangerous substance in case number CF-2004-3693 and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction in case number CF-2006-6617.

    This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hoch and Matthew Anderson prosecuted the case.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stamford Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Robbing 3 Banks in 2020

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FRANCESCO PENSIERO, also known as Frank Pensiero, 52, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for robbing three Connecticut banks in 2020.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 13, 2020, Pensiero and an associate robbed the Chase Bank located at 2855 Main Street in Stratford.  During the robbery, Pensiero’s associate displayed a handgun on the teller counter and presented the teller with a note that read “this is a robbery give me all your money.”  The teller provided Pensiero’s associate with approximately $1,000 and Pensiero and his associate exited the bank.

    Later on October 13, 2020, Pensiero robbed the People’s United Bank located at 1160 Kings Highway Cutoff in Fairfield.  During the robbery, he pulled out a handgun and presented the teller a note that stated “This is a robbery.”  The teller provided Pensiero with $5,458 and Pensiero exited the bank.

    On October 28, 2020, Pensiero and his associate robbed the People’s United Bank located at 95 Main Street in New Canaan.  Pensiero displayed a handgun, provided the teller with a note demanding money, verbally threatened to kill the teller and other employees, and ordered the bank employees to lie on the floor.  Pensiero and his associate stole $9,130 during the robbery, and fled from the bank in a red Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS.  The following day, the car was set on fire on Green Avenue in New Canaan.

    Pensiero was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on January 27, 2023.  On June 3, 2024, he pleaded guilty to bank robbery.

    Pensiero’s criminal history includes convictions for bank robbery and other offenses.

    Pensiero’s associate was convicted of related state offenses stemming from these robberies.

    This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Stratford, Fairfield, and New Canaan Police Departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures 51-Month Sentence in Vehicular Homicide Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Sanostee man was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $8,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter for a fatal drunk-driving crash that occurred on the Navajo Nation.

    According to court documents, at approximately 6:30 a.m. on August 12, 2023, Leonardo Robbie Duncan, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving while intoxicated on Navajo Route 36 near Upper Fruitland, New Mexico, when he crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a vehicle occupied by Jane and John Doe.

    Duncan fled the scene on foot without checking on or assisting the victims. An off-duty Southern Ute Tribal police officer attempted to stop Duncan from leaving but was unsuccessful. John Doe died at the scene; Jane Doe passed away en route to the hospital. Both victims were enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.

    Duncan turned himself in to Navajo Nation Police six hours after the crash. At the time of surrender, his blood-alcohol content was 0.08. At the time of the incident, Duncan was on state probation for Battery on a Household Member and had recently violated this probation with an open-container offense. He also had a prior State conviction for Driving While Intoxicated from 2018.

    Upon his release from prison, Duncan will be subject to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Inmate Sentenced to More than Four Years in Prison on Assault Charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a federal inmate for assaulting a corrections officer, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

    U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Christopher McCallum to 51 months in prison based on his September 2024 guilty plea to assault of an officer.

    According to the plea agreement, McCallum was a federal inmate of the Bureau of Prisons at FCI Talladega, serving a sentence for a previous federal conviction.  On February 29, 2024, McCallum became disruptive, walked toward the staff with clinched fists, and ultimately assaulted a female corrections officer.  McCallum punched her in the head and upper torso area. The corrections officer sustained multiple injuries.

    FBI investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Felton prosecuted the case.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lawton Man Sentenced to Serve Life in Federal Prison for Murder After Woman’s Body is Found in Wildlife Refuge in Indian Country

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Co-Defendant Previously Sentenced to Serve 96 Months for Accessory After the Fact to Murder

    OKLAHOMA CITY – TEVIN TERRELL SEMIEN, 30, of Lawton, has been sentenced to serve life in federal prison for second-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    According to public record, on May 17, 2023, Karon “Dinkers” Conneywerdy Smith, 68, was found dead in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Investigators searched Smith’s home, which was within Indian Country, and observed blood consistent with a violent struggle. Smith’s vehicle was missing as well. On May 21, 2023, Texas law enforcement observed Smith’s vehicle driving south of Dallas, Texas. Officers attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the vehicle fled at a high speed and eventually crashed into a lake. The two occupants of the vehicle, later identified as Semien and Nicole Leigh Logsdon, attempted to flee on foot but were apprehended.

    On October 17, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a four-count Indictment against Semien and co-defendant Nicole Leigh Logsdon, 25, also of Lawton. The Indictment charged Semien with one count of first-degree premeditated murder, one alternative count of second-degree murder, and one count of illegally possessing a firearm after a previous felony conviction. Logsdon was separately charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

    On April 22, 2024, Semien pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. As part of his plea, Semien admitted to deliberately and intentionally killing Smith.

    On January 10, 2024, Logsdon pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder and admitted to helping Semien in his attempt to avoid arrest and prosecution. On July 15, 2024, Logsdon was sentenced to serve 96 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

    At the sentencing hearing on February 3, 2025, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Semien to serve life in federal prison. In announcing his sentence, Judge Friot noted the nature and circumstances of the offense, pointing out that Semien’s choices and conduct amounted to an “unfathomably cruel and depraved murder.” Judge Friot also noted Semien’s criminal history.  Public record further reflects that Semien has previous felony convictions which include burglary in Jefferson County, Texas, and conspiracy to commit second degree burglary in Comanche County District Court case number CF-2022-292.

    This case is in federal court because Smith and Logsdon are enrolled members of the Comanche Nation and the murder occurred within Indian Country.

    This case is a result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City, Dallas, and New Orleans field offices; the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the Comanche Nation Police Department; the Comanche County Sheriff’s Office; the Lawton Police Department; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Rice, Texas Police Department; and the Navarro County, Texas Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaleigh Blackwell and Trial Attorney Mark Stoneman with DOJ’s Criminal Division (former AUSA with the Western District of Oklahoma) prosecuted the case.

    The case furthers the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons efforts to address violence against Native American individuals. More information about this initiative is at https://www.justice.gov/tribal/mmip.

    Reference is made to public filings for more information. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Charged with Transportation, Distribution, and Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal complaint has been unsealed charging GUSTAVO GORDILLO, 41, of Guatemala, with transportation, distribution, and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

    According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, in July 2020, investigators with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) received a cyber tip after files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were uploaded to a Google Photos account. The affidavit alleges that the suspect who uploaded the photos, later determined to be Gordillo, lived in Oklahoma City. OCPD detectives investigated the tip, as well as additional tips from Facebook, and learned that Gordillo had communicated with a child living out of state. The affidavit further alleges Gordillo provided CSAM to and received CSAM from the child. In December 2024, additional investigation led law enforcement to a residence in the Oklahoma City metro that was connected with Gordillo. Gordillo was charged by Complaint on January 27, 2025, and was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and OCPD on January 29, 2025.

    Public records show Gordillo had entered into the United States on a temporary visa that had expired.

    If found guilty as charged in the Complaint, Gordillo faces up to sixty years in federal prison. The public is reminded these charges are merely allegations, and that Gordillo is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case is the result of an investigation by HSI and OCPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon is prosecuting the case.

    Reference is made to public filings for additional information.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Palm Bay Man Sentenced To More Than 11 Years In Federal Prison For Receipt Of Child Sex Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Erik Bjorndal (49, Palm Bay) to 11 years and 4 months in federal prison for receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Bjorndal previously pled guilty on August 21, 2024.

    According to court documents, Bjorndal downloaded multiple videos depicting the violent sexual abuse of children. Some of the videos included sadistic and masochistic conduct and bestiality. Thereafter, the FBI executed a search warrant at Bjorndal’s home and discovered hundreds of CSAM images on his devices. During an interview with FBI agents, Bjorndal admitted to viewing CSAM for “a while,” perhaps since his late 20s.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.

    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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio holds a press availability with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio holds a press availability with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on February 5, 2025.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
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    Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
    Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw

    State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
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    Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou

    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3q8CAubhwg

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commerce Committee Advances Capito-Backed Bills, Lutnick Nomination

    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.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today voted during a committee markup to advance the nomination of Howard Lutnick to serve as Secretary of Commerce. She also voted to advance several pieces of legislation, including the Rural Broadband Protection Act (RBPA), legislation Senator Capito authored to require a more thorough vetting and verification process for internet service providers (ISP) seeking to participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) high-cost programs. Learn more about RBPA here.

    Senator Capito also voted to advance all legislation considered at today’s markup, including several bills she cosponsored:

    The Lutnick nomination, RPBA, as well as the other Capito-backed legislation, now head to the full Senate for consideration.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Votes to Confirm Scott Turner for HUD Secretary

    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.) issued the following statement after voting to confirm Scott Turner to serve as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD):

    “I have seen firsthand the skills Scott Turner brings to the table when it comes to targeted economic development initiatives. He has a wealth of knowledge, experience, and will respond to the individual challenges that each unique community faces in West Virginia and across America. I was proud to vote to confirm Scott to this position and look forward to working with him and the Trump administration to make sure the needs of West Virginia and rural America are met,” Senator Capito said.

    BACKGROUND:

    Senator Capito previously met with Turner in January to discuss his nomination and learn more about his vision to lead the department including his commitment to address responsiveness issues West Virginians have faced.

    In May 2019, Senator Capito welcomed Turner to Charleston, W.Va. for a series of roundtable discussions focused on economic development.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Barrasso Votes to Confirm Scott Turner as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today spoke on the Senate Floor prior to voting to confirm Scott Turner, President Donald J. Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

    Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.

    Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:

    “The Senate will soon vote on the confirmation of Scott Turner to be the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

    “Scott grew up in Texas. He dreamed of a career in the National Football League. He achieved that dream and so much more.

    “He used his platform as a player to help others achieve their own dreams.

    “These leadership qualities are fundamental to who Scott is. They will serve him well as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

    “Scott also has extensive experience in state and federal governments.

    “After playing in the NFL, he served his community in the Texas legislature.

    “In 2019, Scott oversaw investments in Opportunity Zones under President Trump.

    “In that role, Scott secured more than $50 billion in private investments for over 8,700 economically-distressed communities.

    “These investments helped to revitalize forgotten communities.

    “Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina – the now-Chairman of the Banking Committee – created these Opportunity Zones in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

    “Scott Turner was instrumental in their success. He is the right man to help restore opportunity now.

    “He will put his experience and his leadership skills to work for the American people.

    “I strongly support his nomination.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Materials for the Government meeting on February 6, 2025

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The following issues are planned to be considered at the meeting:

    1. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Articles 164 and 165 of Part Two of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation”

    The purpose of the bill is to ensure favorable tax conditions for the provision of services for the transportation (organization of transportation) of passengers and baggage on the high-speed railway Moscow – St. Petersburg.

     

    2. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 782171-8 “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On State Pension Provision in the Russian Federation””

    The draft amendments provide, among other things, for changes to a number of legislative acts in terms of the assignment of disability pensions to citizens who served in volunteer formations, without an application, and the establishment of the period from which they are assigned, clarification of the types of pensions that are established for family members of deceased (dead) citizens who served in volunteer formations, when they exercise their right to receive two pensions simultaneously.

     

    3. On the allocation of budgetary appropriations from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation to the Ministry of Labor of Russia in 2025 for the provision of an interbudgetary transfer to the budget of the Pension and Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation

    The draft act provides subsidies to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs registered in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions for partial compensation of expenses for paying for employees’ downtime for reasons beyond the control of the employer and employee.

     

    4. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses”

    The bill is aimed at strengthening administrative liability for violation of requirements for the protection of information, including restricted access information contained in information systems.

     

    5. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On Self-Propelled Machines and Other Types of Equipment””

    The bill was developed in order to improve the legal regulation of relations related to the state registration of special airport equipment intended for servicing aircraft and operational maintenance of airfields, and to ensure the possibility of such equipment leaving the territory of the airfield (airport) onto public roads.

     

    6. On amendments to the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 30, 2004 No. 395 (in terms of amendments to the Regulation on the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation)

    The draft resolution grants the Russian Ministry of Transport the authority to regulate issues in the area of transport security.

     

    7. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation” (in terms of improving the regulatory framework in the sphere of state cadastral valuation)

    The draft law contains provisions on granting the public-law company Roscadastre (PLC) the authority to maintain the state cadastral valuation data fund and to establish requirements for sending to PLC the information and materials necessary for inclusion in the specified data fund.

     

    8. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 4 of the Federal Law “On the Public-Law Company “Roskadastr” and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”

    The draft law was developed in order to implement the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation regarding the adoption of measures aimed at increasing the efficiency of real estate management, reducing the number of land plots whose boundaries are not defined in accordance with the requirements established by law, by optimizing activities to resolve issues related to the registration of rights to real estate objects, determining the location of the boundaries of real estate objects, and correcting registry errors in the information in the Unified State Register of Real Estate on real estate objects.

     

    9. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 3911 of the Land Code of the Russian Federation”

    The bill proposes to amend the Land Code of the Russian Federation in terms of including the urban development plan of a land plot in the documentation when holding an auction for the sale of a land plot in state or municipal ownership, or an auction for the right to conclude a lease agreement for a land plot in state or municipal ownership.

     

    10. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 22 of the Federal Law “On Fire Safety” and Article 35 of the Federal Law “On Emergency Rescue Services and the Status of Rescuers””

    The bill was developed in order to improve the efficiency of the activities of rescuers (firefighters) and their leaders, to determine the conditions, causes, and factors that contributed to harm (damage) to other persons during emergency rescue operations and fire extinguishing, and to take measures aimed at improving the activities of emergency rescue services and ensuring fire safety.

     

    11. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 3 of the Federal Law “On the Use of Atomic Energy””

    The purpose of the legislative changes is to extend the legal framework and principles for regulating relations arising from the use of atomic energy, as defined by Federal Law No. 170-FZ of November 21, 1995 “On the Use of Atomic Energy”, to designed and operating thermonuclear reactors and installations.

     

    Moscow, February 5, 2025

     

    The content of the press releases of the Department of Press Service and References is a presentation of materials submitted by federal executive bodies for discussion at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Government meeting (2025, No. 3)

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    1. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Articles 164 and 165 of Part Two of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation”

    The purpose of the bill is to ensure favorable tax conditions for the provision of services for the transportation (organization of transportation) of passengers and baggage on the high-speed railway Moscow – St. Petersburg.

     

    2. On the draft amendments of the Government of the Russian Federation to the draft federal law No. 782171-8 “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On State Pension Provision in the Russian Federation””

    The draft amendments provide, among other things, for changes to a number of legislative acts in terms of the assignment of disability pensions to citizens who served in volunteer formations, without an application, and the establishment of the period from which they are assigned, clarification of the types of pensions that are established for family members of deceased (dead) citizens who served in volunteer formations, when they exercise their right to receive two pensions simultaneously.

     

    3. On the allocation of budgetary appropriations to the Ministry of Labor of Russia in 2025 from the reserve fund of the Government of the Russian Federation for the provision of an interbudgetary transfer to the budget of the Pension and Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation

    The draft act provides subsidies to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs registered in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions for partial compensation of expenses for paying for employees’ downtime for reasons beyond the control of the employer and employee.

     

    4. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses”

    The bill is aimed at strengthening administrative liability for violation of requirements for the protection of information, including restricted access information contained in information systems.

     

    5. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On Self-Propelled Machines and Other Types of Equipment””

    The bill was developed in order to improve the legal regulation of relations related to the state registration of special airport equipment intended for servicing aircraft and operational maintenance of airfields, and to ensure the possibility of such equipment leaving the territory of the airfield (airport) onto public roads.

     

    6. On amendments to the Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 30, 2004 No. 395 (in terms of amendments to the Regulation on the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation)

    The draft resolution grants the Russian Ministry of Transport the authority to regulate issues in the area of transport security.

     

    7. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation” (in terms of improving the regulatory framework in the sphere of state cadastral valuation)

    The draft law contains provisions on granting the public-law company Roscadastre (PLC) the authority to maintain the state cadastral valuation data fund and to establish requirements for sending to PLC the information and materials necessary for inclusion in the specified data fund.

     

    8. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 4 of the Federal Law “On the Public-Law Company “Roskadastr” and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”

    The draft law was developed in order to implement the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation regarding the adoption of measures aimed at increasing the efficiency of real estate management, reducing the number of land plots whose boundaries are not defined in accordance with the requirements established by law, by optimizing activities to resolve issues related to the registration of rights to real estate objects, determining the location of the boundaries of real estate objects, and correcting registry errors in the information in the Unified State Register of Real Estate on real estate objects.

     

    9. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 3911 of the Land Code of the Russian Federation”

    The bill proposes to amend the Land Code of the Russian Federation in terms of including the urban development plan of a land plot in the documentation when holding an auction for the sale of a land plot in state or municipal ownership, or an auction for the right to conclude a lease agreement for a land plot in state or municipal ownership.

     

    10. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 22 of the Federal Law “On Fire Safety” and Article 35 of the Federal Law “On Emergency Rescue Services and the Status of Rescuers””

    The bill was developed in order to improve the efficiency of the activities of rescuers (firefighters) and their leaders, to determine the conditions, causes, and factors that contributed to harm (damage) to other persons during emergency rescue operations and fire extinguishing, and to take measures aimed at improving the activities of emergency rescue services and ensuring fire safety.

     

    11. On the draft federal law “On Amendments to Article 3 of the Federal Law “On the Use of Atomic Energy””

    The purpose of the legislative changes is to extend the legal framework and principles for regulating relations arising from the use of atomic energy, as defined by Federal Law No. 170-FZ of November 21, 1995 “On the Use of Atomic Energy”, to designed and operating thermonuclear reactors and installations.

     

    Moscow, February 5, 2025

     

    The content of the press releases of the Department of Press Service and References is a presentation of materials submitted by federal executive bodies for discussion at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Completes the First Review Under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement for Liberia

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    February 5, 2025

    • The IMF Executive Board completed the first review of the 40-month arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF), enabling a disbursement of SDR 34.3 million (about US$46 million).
    • The ECF arrangement will support the economic reform agenda recently adopted by the authorities. To achieve this reform objective, the authorities have committed to creating fiscal space through domestic revenue mobilization and expenditure rationalization, addressing financial sector weaknesses, and tackling governance shortcomings.
    • Program performance has been broadly satisfactory, meeting most of the quantitative targets and implementing all structural reforms, although some with delays.

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the first review of the arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF)[1] for Liberia, allowing Liberia to draw SDR 34.3 million (equivalent to about 13.3 percent of quota or US$46 million), which will be used to strengthen Liberia’s international reserve position.

    Liberia’s economic growth has remained strong, with the real GDP growth expected to accelerate to 5.6 percent in 2025 from 4.8 percent in 2024. Inflation and exchange rate has remained stable, and the current account deficit has continued to narrow. The authorities have successfully restored fiscal discipline, which is key for maintaining macro-financial stability. The public debt-to-GDP ratio has started to fall, reflecting a sizable consolidation of the fiscal primary balance.

    Recent progress in mobilizing tax revenues, reining in recurrent spending, and anchoring financial stability is promising. The authorities’ commitment to modernize the taxation regime, including the adoption of the VAT, will play a crucial role in creating fiscal space for higher investments, while preserving debt sustainability.

    The authorities’ renewed commitments to urgently tackle issues in weak banks and improve governance in public institutions are encouraging. Addressing the large and persistent non-performing loans (NPLs) stock remains a priority to enhance financial stability.

    The Executive Board approved the authorities’ request for a waiver of nonobservance of the continuous performance criterion on the non-accumulation of external arrears based on its minor nature and adopted corrective actions.

    Following the Executive Board discussion, Mr. Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director, and Acting Chair, made the following statement:

    “The Liberian authorities are making good progress in implementing sound macroeconomic policies and structural reforms. The program is broadly on track, and the authorities’ efforts to enhance fiscal sustainability, rebuild international reserves, and address governance weaknesses within public institutions are gradually taking effect.

    “Efforts to strengthen fiscal sustainability and mitigate debt vulnerabilities should continue over the medium term. In line with these efforts, the approved budget for 2025 aims to improve revenue mobilization, while continuing to rationalize unproductive spending and safeguard priority spending. Medium-term fiscal reforms designed to enhance domestic revenue mobilization and improve public finance management will help create fiscal space to bolster public investment.

    “The authorities should press ahead with addressing weaknesses in the Central Bank of Liberia’s (CBL) governance. Swift implementation of the recommendations of the compliance and forensic audit reports, an update IMF safeguards assessment, and an independent legal review of its unconventional financial support to two small banks is critical. This will help restore the CBL’s credibility and strengthen its governance and independence.

    “Broader governance reforms are key to the success of the program and the country’s long-term development prospects. Strengthening the capacity of integrity institutions, enacting necessary amendments to anti-corruption legislation, and rigorously enforcing public laws and regulations are critical. The upcoming governance diagnostic study will be crucial in guiding broader governance reforms.

    “Strengthening banking sector supervision and the regulatory framework is important to address banking sector vulnerabilities. To this end, the adoption of the new Bank-Financial Institutions and Bank Financial Holding Companies Act should be expedited. Restructuring of a state-owned bank, along with measures to address weaknesses in two small, troubled banks, should be accelerated. 

    “The authorities are firmly committed to revitalizing the reform agenda to address the country’s development challenges and support sustainable and inclusive economic development. The successful implementation of the recently adopted National Development Strategy is critical in achieving these goals.”

    [1] Liberia: Request for a 40-Month Arrangement Under the Extended Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; Staff Supplement; and Statement by the Executive Director for Liberia

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Tatiana Mossot

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

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/05/pr-2529-liberia-imf-completes-the-1st-review-under-the-ecf-arrangement

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Families will benefit from new child care spaces at Marysville Elementary school

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    More families in Kimberley will have access to affordable, quality child care with 148 new child care spaces opening soon at Marysville Elementary school.

    “This new child care centre in Kimberley will benefit hard-working families and the whole community for years to come,” said Rohini Arora, B.C.’s parliamentary secretary for child care. “It is a great example of how we are working with community partners to build new child care centres where people need them most throughout B.C.”

    Construction of a new child care centre on school grounds was made possible by more than $8.8 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. This fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

    “Everyone deserves access to affordable child care close to home. These new spots in Kimberley support our children’s well-being and help meet parents’ needs,” said Jenna Sudds, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. “It’s a significant investment in our children’s future and the strength of our communities.”

    School districts throughout B.C. are partnering with the provincial government to create new child care spaces to help address the child care needs of families within their communities. Child care on school grounds makes life easier for families by requiring only one dropoff and pickup location, streamlining their daily routines, reducing stress and creating a smoother transition for children.

    “This project certainly represents an example of what can be accomplished through exemplary community collaboration,” said Aaron Callaghan, superintendent, Rocky Mountain School District. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone involved in this undertaking, including the City of Kimberley and Columbia Basin Trust. We are especially grateful to our partner, Summit Community Services Society, whose expertise and dedication will now bring this facility to life, providing essential child care services for families in Kimberley.”

    Since 2018, ChildCareBC’s accelerated space creation programs have helped fund the creation of more than 40,000 new licensed child care spaces in B.C., with more than 23,000 of these operational. Funding the creation of new child care spaces is part of the Province’s ChildCareBC plan to build access to affordable, quality, inclusive child care as a core service families can rely on.

    Quote:

    Johnny Strilaeff, president and CEO, Columbia Basin Trust –

    “This new facility represents an incredible achievement for Marysville and the surrounding community, providing local families with greater access to high-quality child care. We are proud to have partnered with Rocky Mountain School District, Summit Community Services Society, the City of Kimberley and the Province to make this project a reality. Supporting projects like this not only helps families thrive, but also strengthens the foundation of our communities across the basin.”

    Learn More:

    For more information about ChildCareBC, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare

    More information about the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund is available here: www.gov.bc.ca/childcare/newspacesfund

    For more information about the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, visit:
    https://www.canada.ca/en/early-learning-child-care-agreement/agreements-provinces-territories/british-columbia-canada-wide-2021.html

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: B-1B Lancers conduct training mission in support of BTF 25-1

    Source: United States Air Force

    Headline: B-1B Lancers conduct training mission in support of BTF 25-1

    B-1B Lancers assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron participated in support of Bomber Task Force 25-1, at Andersen Air force Base, Guam, Feb. 4. BTF missions demonstrate lethality and interoperability in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran Man Pleads Guilty to Immigration Crime

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Nolvin Alfredo-Diaz, also known as “Alfredo Diaz” and “Nolvin Alfredo Diaz,” 42, a Honduran national, pleaded guilty today to reentry of a removed alien.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 21, 2024, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Alfredo-Diaz in Lewisburg. Alfredo-Diaz admitted that he was a citizen of Honduras in the United States illegally and that he had previously been deported from the United States. Alfredo-Diaz had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States.

    Fingerprints matched Alfredo-Diaz to two prior removals from the United States to Honduras. On December 27, 2006, Alfredo-Diaz was removed from the United States to Honduras following his felony conviction for controlled substance-possession Schedule I, to wit, heroin, in Denver County, Colorado, District Court on September 25, 2006. On September 6, 2007, Alfredo-Diaz was found in Denver, Colorado, and convicted of controlled substance-possession Schedule II, to wit, cocaine, in Denver County, Colorado, District Court on December 20, 2007. On July 21, 2010, Alfredo-Diaz was found in Canon City, Colorado, and was removed from the United States to Honduras on August 5, 2010.

    Alfredo-Diaz never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States for either of the prior removals, nor did he seek to reenter the United States through other legal means.

    Alfredo-Diaz is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. Alfredo-Diaz will be subject to deportation proceedings at the conclusion of any sentence.

    “This federal criminal case underscores our office’s commitment to pursuing illegal reentry cases, especially in circumstances where the offender has a criminal history,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Here, Mr. Diaz has two felony convictions for drug offenses and has been removed from the United States on multiple occasions. This will be Mr. Diaz’s third felony conviction. Our office will diligently and aggressively pursue these types of immigration cases.”

    Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-146.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Michigan man sentenced to 20 years in prison for traveling to sexually abuse a minor who he removed from home in Washington and took back to Michigan

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle – A 31-year-old South Haven, Michigan, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20-years in prison for traveling with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Keith Daniel Freerksen was arrested in South Haven Township on January 31, 2024, following an investigation that stretched from western Washington to Michigan.

    At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin noted the trauma inflicted on the victim and the victim’s family. For 30 days they searched for the victim, even calling every morgue in Washington State with fear their child was dead. Judge Lin said the victim, “Will continue to suffer trauma and pain.”

    “What happened in this case is every parent’s nightmare – a predator comes into the home via social media and computer screens and manipulates your child to run away,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “This defendant secreted a child away, leaving a distraught family searching desperately for their loved one. When the victim should have been involved in normal teenage activities, the teen was instead manipulated and ensnared by the defendant.”

    According to records filed in the case, the 14-year-old went missing on January 5, 2024. A local police detective requested help from the FBI. An agent who specializes in Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking investigations occurring in Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island, and San Juan counties quickly assisted.

    By analyzing information on Uber rides that had been purchased for the victim by an unknown person, law enforcement was able to identify Freerksen, a registered sex offender in Michigan, as a potential suspect. Using information on Freerksen’s registered vehicle, they were able to trace his movement across the northern tier of states using license plate readers. The readers also captured Freerksen’s return trip through Idaho and Illinois in the days after the teen went missing.

    When the police in South Haven Township served a search warrant at the request of the FBI, they recovered the victim and arrested Freerksen. He was ultimately transported to Western Washington and has been detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac.

    In asking for the 20-year sentence Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “It is very alarming that neither of Freerksen’s family members intervened when he returned home with the then fourteen-year-old victim in tow. Freerksen was undeterred by his previous sex offense conviction, corresponding imprisonment, and registration obligation. The rapid recidivism between Freerksen’s release from prison following child pornography offenses and the dedicated months he spent manipulating and enticing (the victim) is evidence he is either unwilling or unable to refrain from sexually abusing minors.”

    The victim’s parents thanked law enforcement for finding and rescuing their child. The victim’s mother said, “I never imagined a predator would travel across the country to steal (my child).”

    The twenty-year sentence will run concurrent with a fifteen-to-seventy-year indeterminate state sentence in Michigan. Freerksen will serve his time in the federal prison system. Judge Lin ordered twenty years of supervised release to follow prison. Freerksen will once again have to register as a sex offender.

    The case was investigated by the Mount Vernon Police Department, FBI Seattle, and the Van Buren County, Michigan Sheriff’s Office and Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Carrizo Springs Business Owner Indicted for 7 Counts of Tax Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned an indictment charging a Carrizo Springs man with seven counts of failure to account for and pay over withholding taxes.

    According to court documents, Mark Douglass Plocek, 60, handled the day-to-day operations, including payroll, as an owner, operator and vice president of Production Lease Operating Services Oil & Gas Services LP (PLOS). The indictment alleges that, from the second quarter of 2016 through the third quarter of 2019, Plocek used PLOS to make hundreds of thousands of dollars for his personal benefit while, at the same time, failing to truthfully account for and pay over to the IRS payroll tax withheld from PLOS’s employees’ paychecks. Plocek allegedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on discretionary living expenditures including but not limited to gambling, purchasing real estate and investing in an unrelated restaurant business.

    Plocek made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard B. Farrer of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney William Harris is prosecuting the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: International Arms Dealer Charged with Exporting U.S. Firearms to Russia

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Unlawfully Exported Semi-Automatic Rifle-Pistols from U.S. Company Through JFK International Airport

    Earlier today, an indictment was filed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Sergei Zharnovnikov, an arms dealer and citizen of Kyrgyzstan, with conspiring to export firearms from the United States to Russia without the necessary licenses and with illegal smuggling.  Zharnovnikov traveled from Kyrgyzstan to the United States last month and was arrested on January 24, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was attending the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show to meet with U.S. arms dealers.  Zharnovnikov has been detained pending trial and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (BIS-OEE), announced the arrest and charges.

    “As alleged, the defendant operated a sophisticated scheme to circumvent export controls and to export semi-automatic firearms and send them to Russia,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Today’s indictment sends a message to the world that we will vigorously enforce statutes that control and restrict the export of items that could be detrimental to the foreign policy or national security of the United States, in this case, preventing U.S.-made firearms from getting into the wrong hands.”

    Mr. Durham thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada for its assistance with the case.

    “Violations of export control laws carry significant consequences for perpetrators in the U.S. and abroad,” said DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.  “The Department of Justice is committed to working with our partners to hold accountable those who violate our laws to smuggle firearms to prohibited destinations such as Russia.”

    “Attempting to illegally sell arms to Russia using multiple companies may seem like a method to evade United States sanctions, it is however a definite way to end up under arrest.  Sergei Zharnovnikov is alleged to have knowingly conspired with others to violate the export control laws of the United States to provide U.S made firearms to Russian companies.  The FBI will continue to enforce the export control laws enacted to safeguard our national security.”

    “The Bureau of Industry and Security is committed to aggressively investigating the illegal transshipment of US firearms to adversaries like Russia through third countries,” said BIS-OEE Special Agent in Charge Carson.  “Companies that provide false information to BIS to obtain export authorizations to circumvent our controls will be found out and held accountable.”

    As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, since at least March 2020, the defendant, together with others, conspired to export firearms on the United States DOC Control List from the U.S. to Russia.  The defendant, the General Director and owner of an arms dealer located in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan Company-1), entered into a five-year, $900,000 contract with a company located in Chesapeake, Virginia (U.S. Company‑1) to purchase and export U.S. Company-1 firearms to Kyrgyzstan.  DOC issued a license for U.S. Company-1 to export firearms to Kyrgyzstan Company-1, but the license prohibited the export or re-export of the firearms to Russia.  Nevertheless, the defendant exported and re-exported U.S. Company‑1 firearms to Russia via Kyrgyzstan.  These illegally exported firearms included semi‑automatic hybrid rifle-pistols from U.S. Company-1.

    As alleged, after Kyrgyzstan Company-1 entered into a contract with U.S. Company-1, a second arms dealer company in Bishkek associated with the defendant (Kyrgyzstan Company-2) entered a contract with a Russian arms dealer (Russian Company-1) located in Moscow.  The contract between Russian Company-1 and Kyrgyzstan Company-2 provided that Kyrgyzstan Company‑2 would export “Goods” to Russian Company-1 in the amount of $10 million and noted that the “Goods” could be delivered in batches.  In correspondence in 2018, Russian Company-1 described the defendant’s company, Kyrgyzstan Company-1, as its “partner company.” 

    On or about February 3, 2021, U.S. Company-1 received an export license from DOC to export over $800,000 worth of firearms and parts to Kyrgyzstan Company-1.  The license stated that items within the scope of the license “may not be reexported or transferred (in-country),” subject to certain exceptions not applicable here.

    On or about July 2, 2022, the defendant emailed his banker: “Make payment according to the invoice attached to the letter,” and attached a commercial invoice from U.S. Company-1, which listed, among other things, 25 semi-automatic rifle-pistols with 25 unique serial numbers.  Two days later, on or about July 4, 2022, Kyrgyzstan Company‑2, sent $67,000 to Kyrgyzstan Company-1.  The next day, on or about July 5, 2022, Kyrgyzstan Company‑1 paid U.S. Company-1 $65,564—the full amount listed in the invoice from U.S. Company-1.

    According to an Electronic Export Information (EEI) made on July 7, 2022, Company-1 exported semi-automatic rifles from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Kyrgyzstan Company-1 pursuant to its February 3, 2021 export license on or about July 10, 2022. According to the EEI filing, the value of the export from U.S. Company-1 to Kyrgyzstan Company-1 was over $59,000.  The EEI filing’s corresponding license application indicated that the firearms were for “commercial resale in Kyrgyzstan.”

    On or about August 8, 2022, the defendant received a spreadsheet titled “Supply [U.S. Company-1] ([Russian Company-1]) weapon numbers.”  Russian Company-1 is a Russian company, and the DOC license did not authorize the export or re-export of the U.S. Company-1 firearms to Russia.  The spreadsheet listed the same semi-automatic rifle-pistol the defendant purchased from U.S. Company-1 and serial numbers matching the U.S. Company‑1 Invoice.

    On or about November 14, 2022, the General Director of Russian Company‑1 executed a form used by tax authorities of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, which includes both Kyrgyzstan and Russia.  The form listed the seller as Kyrgyzstan Company‑2 and the buyer as Russian Company-1 with an address in Moscow, Russia, and identified the goods as the same semi‑automatic rifle‑pistols that U.S. Company-1 exported to Kyrgyzstan Company‑1, the defendant’s company.  The defendant did not apply for, obtain or possess a license to export or re-export the semi‑automatic pistol-rifles to Russia.

    The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted of the charges, the defendant faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section.  Assistant United States  Attorney Ellen H. Sise is in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES), with assistance from Litigation Analyst Rebecca Roth and CES Trial Attorney Scott Claffee.

    The case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that, beginning in 2014, the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.  Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

    The Defendant:

    SERGEI ZHARNOVNIKOV
    Age:  46
    Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-45 (ENV)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Entering the US After a Prior Removal

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Maine: A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to entering the United States after a prior removal.

    According to court records, in November 2024, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent conducted a records check on Jorge Martinez-Urizar, 50. The check showed that he had been removed from the country on three prior occasions, most recently in July 2005, and that he had not filed any applications or petitions granting him permission to reenter or remain in the United States lawfully. Martinez was removed in 2005 after serving a 70-month sentence in Oregon for a 1999 conviction for assault in the second degree and unlawful use of a weapon.

    Martinez-Urizar faces a maximum prison term of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.

    ICE investigated the case.

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