Category: Latin America

MIL-OSI USA News: MADE IN THE USA: President Trump’s Vision is Revitalizing American Industry
Source: US Whitehouse
President Donald J. Trump heads to Pennsylvania today, where he’ll champion the partnership he brokered between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel — a $14 billion investment that will create at least 70,000 jobs and ensure steel is made in America for decades to come.

AMERICAN JOBS, AMERICAN STEEL.

The landmark agreement comes alongside a host of companies from across industries that are onshoring their production and investing in American manufacturing as President Trump relentlessly pursues his America First trade policies.

Look no further than the automotive industry:
- Stellantis announced a $5 billion investment in its U.S. manufacturing network, including re-opening its Belvidere, Illinois, plant and a $388 “megahub” in Detroit, Michigan.
- General Motors announced an $888 million investment at its propulsion plant in Tonawanda, New York.
- Volkswagen is planning to make a “massive” investment in its U.S. production.
- Toyota announced it will boost hybrid vehicle production at its West Virginia plant.
- Mercedes-Benz announced it will add a new vehicle to its Tuscaloosa, Alabama, manufacturing plant.
- Honda plans to shift production of the Civic from Japan to the U.S.
- Hyundai announced a $20 billion investment to support its U.S. vehicle production.
- Kia plans to produce hybrid vehicles at its affiliate Hyundai’s Georgia factory.
It’s not just the auto industry; scores of others are lining up to invest in America:
- Project Stargate, led by Japan-based Softbank and U.S.-based OpenAI and Oracle, announced a $500 billion private investment in U.S.-based artificial intelligence infrastructure.
- Apple announced a $500 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing and training.
- NVIDIA, a global chipmaking giant, announced it will invest $500 billion in U.S.-based AI infrastructure over the next four years amid its pledge to manufacture AI supercomputers entirely in the U.S. for the first time.
- IBM announced a $150 billion investment over the next five years in its U.S.-based growth and manufacturing operations.
- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced a $100 billion investment in U.S.-based chips manufacturing.
- Johnson & Johnson announced a $55 billion investment over the next four years in manufacturing, research and development, and technology.
- Roche, a Swiss drug and diagnostics company, announced a $50 billion investment in U.S.-based manufacturing and research and development, which is expected to create more than 12,000 jobs.
- Bristol Myers Squibb announced a $40 billion investment over the next five years in its research, development, technology, and U.S.-based manufacturing operations.
- Eli Lilly and Company announced a $27 billion investment to more than double its domestic manufacturing capacity.
- United Arab Emirates-based ADQ and U.S.-based Energy Capital Partners announced a $25 billion investment in U.S. data centers and energy infrastructure.
- Novartis, a Swiss drugmaker, announced a $23 billion investment to build or expand ten manufacturing facilities across the U.S., which will create 4,000 new jobs.
- John Deere announced plans to invest $20 billion over the next decade in American expansion, production, and manufacturing.
- United Arab Emirates-based DAMAC Properties announced a $20 billion investment in new U.S.-based data centers.
- France-based CMA CGM, a global shipping giant, announced a $20 billion investment in U.S. shipping and logistics, creating 10,000 new jobs.
- Sanofi announced it will invest at least $20 billion over the next five years in manufacturing and research and development.
- Venture Global LNG announced an $18 billion investment at its liquefied natural gas facility in Louisiana.
- Gilead Sciences announced an $11 billion boost to its planned U.S.-based manufacturing investment.
- AbbVie announced a $10 billion investment over the next ten years to support volume growth and add four new manufacturing plants to its network.
- Pratt Industries announced a $5 billion investment to create 5,000 new manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.
- GlobalWafers, a Taiwanese silicon wafer manufacturer, announced a $4 billion investment in its U.S.-based production.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific announced it will invest an additional $2 billion over the next four years to enhance and expand its U.S. manufacturing operations and strengthen its innovation efforts.
- Merck & Co. announced it will invest a total of $9 billion in the U.S. over the next several years after opening a new $1 billion North Carolina manufacturing facility — including in a new state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing plant in Delaware, which will create at least 500 new jobs.
- Clarios announced a $6 billion plan to expand its domestic manufacturing operations.
- In addition to its overall investments, Amazon announced it is investing $4 billion in small towns across America, creating more than 100,000 new jobs and driving opportunities across the country.
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a leader in biotechnology, announced a $3 billion agreement with Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies to produce drugs at its North Carolina manufacturing facility.
- Kraft Heinz announced a $3 billion investment to upgrade its U.S. factories — its largest investment in its plants in decades.
- NorthMark Strategies, a multi-strategy investment firm, announced a $2.8 billion investment to build a supercomputing facility in South Carolina.
- Kimberly-Clark announced a $2 billion investment to expand its U.S. manufacturing operations, including a new advanced manufacturing facility in Warren, Ohio, an expansion of its Beech Island, South Carolina, facility, and other upgrades to its supply chain network.
- Chobani, a Greek yogurt giant, announced $1.7 billion to expand its U.S. operations.
  
  $1.2 billion to build its third U.S. dairy processing plant in New York, which is expected to create more than 1,000 new full-time jobs.
- Corning announced it is expanding its Michigan manufacturing facility investment to $1.5 billion, adding 400 new high-paying advanced manufacturing jobs for a total of 1,500 new jobs.
- Carrier announced an additional $1 billion investment in its U.S. manufacturing, innovation, and workforce expansion, which is expected to create 4,000 new jobs.
- GE Aerospace announced a $1 billion investment in manufacturing across 16 states — creating 5,000 new jobs.
- Anduril Industries announced a $1 billion investment for a new autonomous weapon system facility in Ohio.
- Williams International announced a $1 billion investment for a new high-volume aviation gas turbine engine manufacturing facility in Okaloosa County, Florida.
- Amgen announced a $900 million investment in its Ohio-based manufacturing operation.
- Merck Animal Health announced an $895 million investment to expand their manufacturing operations in Kansas.
- Schneider Electric announced it will invest $700 million over the next four years in U.S. energy infrastructure.
- GE Vernova announced it will invest nearly $600 million in U.S. manufacturing over the next two years, which will create more than 1,500 new jobs.
- Abbott Laboratories announced a $500 million investment in its Illinois and Texas facilities.
- AIP Management, a European infrastructure investor, announced a $500 million investment to solar developer Silicon Ranch.
- London-based Diageo announced a $415 million investment in a new Alabama manufacturing facility.
- Lego announced a $366 million investment to build a new distribution center in Prince George County, Virginia.
- The Bel Group announced a $350 million investment to expand its U.S.-based production, including at its South Dakota, Idaho and Wisconsin facilities — which will create 250 new jobs.
- Dublin-based Eaton Corporation announced a $340 million investment in a new South Carolina-based manufacturing facility for its three-phase transformers.
- Anheuser-Busch announced a $300 million investment in its manufacturing facilities across the country.
- Germany-based Siemens announced a $285 million investment in U.S. manufacturing and AI data centers, which will create more than 900 new skilled manufacturing jobs.
- Clasen Quality Chocolate announced a $230 million investment to build a new production facility in Virginia, which will create 250 new jobs.
- Fiserv, Inc., a financial technology provider, announced a $175 million investment to open a new strategic fintech hub in Kansas, which is expected to create 2,000 new high-paying jobs.
- Paris Baguette announced a $160 million investment to construct a manufacturing plant in Texas.
- Siemens Healthineers announced a $150 million investment to expand production, including relocating manufacturing operations for its Varian company from Mexico to California.
- JBS USA announced a $135 million investment for a new sausage production facility in Perry, Iowa.
- TS Conductor announced a $134 million investment to build an advanced conductor manufacturing facility in South Carolina, which will create nearly 500 new jobs.
- Switzerland-based ABB announced a $120 million investment to expand production of its low-voltage electrification products in Tennessee and Mississippi.
- Saica Group, a Spain-based corrugated packaging maker, announced plans to build a $110 million new manufacturing facility in Anderson, Indiana.
- Hotpack, a Dubai-based maker of food packaging materials and related products, announced a $100 million investment to establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Edison, New Jersey.
- Charms, LLC, a subsidiary of candymaker Tootsie Roll Industries, announced a $97.7 million investment to expand its production plant and distribution center in Tennessee.
- Toyota Motor Corporation announced an $88 million investment to boost hybrid vehicle production at its West Virginia factory, securing employment for the 2,000 workers at the factory.
- AeroVironment, a defense contractor, announced a $42.3 million investment to build a new manufacturing facility in Utah.
- Paris-based Saint-Gobain announced a new $40 million NorPro manufacturing facility in Wheatfield, New York.
- India-based Sygene International announced a $36.5 million acquisition of a Baltimore biologics manufacturing facility.
- Asahi Group Holdings, one of the largest Japanese beverage makers, announced a $35 million investment to boost production at its Wisconsin plant.
- Valbruna Slater Stainless announced a $28 million investment in its stainless steel and nickel alloys bars manufacturing plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
- Cyclic Materials, a Canadian advanced recycling company for rare earth elements, announced a $20 million investment in its first U.S.-based commercial facility, located in Mesa, Arizona.
- Guardian Bikes announced a $19 million investment to build the first U.S.-based large-scale bicycle frame manufacturing operation in Indiana.
- Amsterdam-based AMG Critical Minerals announced a $15 million investment to build a chrome manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania.
- NOVONIX Limited, an Australia-based battery technology company, announced a $4.6 million investment to build a synthetic graphite manufacturing facility in Tennessee.
- LGM Pharma announced a $6 million investment to expand its manufacturing facility in Rosenberg, Texas.
- ViDARR, a defense optical equipment manufacturer, announced a $2.69 million investment to open a new facility in Virginia.
That doesn’t even include the U.S. investments planned by foreign countries:
- United Arab Emirates committed to investing $1.4 trillion in the U.S. over the next decade.
- Qatar committed to generating $1.2 trillion in an economic exchange between the two countries.
- Japan announced a $1 trillion investment in the U.S.
- Saudi Arabia committed investing $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.
MIL OSI USA News –
May 31, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Concludes 2025 Article IV Consultation with Bolivia

Source: IMF – News in Russian

May 30, 2025

Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Article IV consultation[1] for Bolivia on May 2. The authorities have consented to the publication of the Staff Report prepared for this consultation.[2]

Bolivia’s real GDP growth has moderated to 2.1 percent in the first three quarters of 2024, driven by a decline in hydrocarbons production, a slowdown in services activity, and a drop in soy crops and related manufacturing due to ‘El Niño’ effects. The economy has also faced disruptions from road blockages and scarcity of foreign exchange (FX)―given critically low international reserves―fuels and other critical inputs. High import costs, weak agricultural production, and road blockages pushed inflation to 10 percent at end-2024, the highest level in over a decade. Unemployment has fallen, but underemployment is rising, and real incomes retrenched on average. The combination of FX shortages, slowing activity, and depreciation of the parallel exchange rate resulted in a compression of the current account deficit to 2.7 percent for 2024. The fiscal deficit surpassed 10 percent of GDP in 2023-24 with declining hydrocarbon revenues, tax exemptions, increased social spending, and higher interest payments. The deficit has been mostly financed by the central bank amid tight external financing constraints. Public debt has increased to 95 percent of GDP.

The financial sector remains well buffered. However, deposits declined in real terms and net interest margins are pressured by interest rate controls, limiting banks’ ability to raise loan rates amid rising inflation and slowing credit growth. Banks have experienced improved profitability from FX trading gains, resulting in a strengthened capital adequacy ratio of 13.5 percent in 2024, while non-performing loans have remained low at 3.2 percent of total loans.

Executive Board Assessment[3]

Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They expressed concern over Bolivia’s acute fiscal and external imbalances and unsustainable policy mix and called for urgent actions to address the overvalued exchange rate, bolster foreign reserves, and implement sustained fiscal consolidation. Directors cautioned that inaction could lead to a painful disorderly adjustment and underscored the Fund’s readiness to support the authorities through its various activities. They encouraged the staff to continue to closely engage the authorities on the needed adjustments. Careful communication of the policy reforms to stakeholders would be pivotal to enhance their acceptability.

Directors stressed that the untenable peg to the U.S. dollar and depleted international reserves call for a decisive shift in the monetary policy framework. They called for a realignment of the exchange rate with market fundamentals, moving toward greater exchange rate flexibility, and for front loaded fiscal consolidation and restrictive monetary policy settings, which would address inflationary pressures, alleviate FX shortages, and allow elimination of FX restrictions. Increasing interest rate flexibility will facilitate effective monetary policy transmission.

Directors recommended a credible and sustained fiscal consolidation by rationalizing the public wage bill, phasing out fuel subsidies, enhancing public investment management and spending efficiency, and mobilizing tax revenue. Eliminating monetary financing of fiscal deficits is also important. Directors also emphasized the need to mitigate the effects of the policy adjustments on vulnerable populations, including through improved targeting of the social safety net. A coherent fiscal framework can help underpin the consolidation plan.

Directors emphasized the need to strengthen financial sector supervision amid growing economic vulnerabilities. They called for close monitoring and contingency planning and encouraged the implementation of the remaining 2024 FSAP recommendations and strengthening the AML/CFT framework. Enhancing Bolivia’s public pension fund operations by diversifying investments and strengthening the pension supervisor’s independence is also important.

Directors called for comprehensive supply side reforms to enhance productivity and growth potential and facilitate external rebalancing by phasing out export ceilings, price controls, and credit quotas. They emphasized the need for a clear regulatory framework to attract private investment and to focus public investment on socially beneficial infrastructure projects. Further efforts to enhance transparency and the governance and anticorruption frameworks will also be important. Improving data adequacy also remains a priority.

It is expected that the next Article IV consultation with Bolivia will be held on the standard 12 month cycle.

Table 1. Bolivia: Selected Economic Indicators, 2023-30

Population (millions, 2024)	11.3		Poverty rate (percent, 2023)		36.5
Population growth rate (percent, 2024)	1.4		Adult literacy rate (percent, 2023)		95.2
Life expectancy at birth (years, 2024)	68.7		GDP per capita (US$, 2023)		3,736
Total unemployment rate (2024Q3)	3.6		IMF Quota (SDR, millions)		240.1
			Est.	Proj.


		2023	2024	2025	2026
Income and prices
Real GDP		3.1	1.3	1.1	0.9
Nominal GDP		2.6	6.5	16.4	16.9
CPI inflation (period average)		2.6	5.1	15.1	15.8
CPI inflation (end of period)		2.1	10.0	15.6	16.8
Combined public sector
Revenues and grants		27.8	28.4	24.8	24.2
Of which: Hydrocarbon related revenue 1/		2.8	2.2	1.9	1.6
Expenditure		38.7	38.7	37.5	37.4
Current		32.3	33.2	32.5	32.6
Capital 2/		6.4	5.4	5.0	4.8
Net lending/borrowing (overall balance)		-10.9	-10.3	-12.7	-13.2
Of which: Non-hydrocarbon balance		-15.4	-16.4	-16.3	-16.0
Total gross NFPS debt 3/		90.8	95.0	90.4	91.4
External sector
Current account		-2.5	-2.7	-2.6	-3.2
Exports of goods and services		26.2	20.7	18.0	16.0
Of which: Natural gas		4.5	3.3	2.3	1.8
Imports of goods and services		28.6	23.4	20.4	18.9
Capital account		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Financial account (-= net inflow)		-2.0	-3.5	-2.8	-3.3
Of which: Direct investment net		0.0	-0.2	-0.2	-0.1
Of which: Other investment, net		-1.5	-2.1	-2.3	-3.4
Of which: Unidentified financing inflows		0.0	0.0	-1.4	-3.2
Of which: Unidentified financing inflows		0.0	0.0	1.9	2.8
Net errors and omissions		-4.8	-2.6	0.0	0.0
Terms of trade index (percent change)		1.2	-2.3	-1.6	-0.2
Central Bank gross foreign reserves 4/ 5/ 6/
In millions of U.S. dollars		1,808	2,009	2,118	2,199
In months of imports of goods and services		1.9	2.1	2.0	2.0
In percent of GDP		4.0	4.1	3.8	3.3
In percent of ARA		20.6	23.0	22.3	20.5
Money and credit
Credit to the private sector (percent change)		-2.1	4.0	7.5	7.2
Credit to the private sector (percent of GDP)		70.8	69.2	63.9	58.6
Broad money (percent of GDP)		90.2	87.5	85.7	86.9
*Memorandum items:*
Nominal GDP (in billions of U.S. dollars)		45.5	48.4	56.3	65.9
Bolivianos/U.S. dollar (end-of-period) 7/		6.9	…	…	…
REER, period average (percent change) 8/		-1.5	…	…	…
Oil prices (in U.S. dollars per barrel)		80.6	79.2	72.0	68.2
Energy-related subsidies to SOEs (percent of GDP) 9/		3.9	4.0	3.4	2.9
Sources: Bolivian authorities (MEFP, Ministry of Planning, BCB, INE, UDAPE); IMF; Fund staff calculations. 1/ Excludes YPFB profits/losses. 2/ Includes net lending. 3/ Public debt includes SOE’s borrowing from the BCB (but not from other domestic institutions) and BCB loans to FINPRO and FNDR. 4/ Excludes reserves from the Latin American Reserve Fund (FLAR) and Offshore Liquidity Requirements (RAL). 5/ All foreign assets valued at market prices. 6/ Includes a repurchase line of US$99.2 million maturing in 2025. 7/ Official (buy) exchange rate. 8/ The REER based on authorities’ methodology is different from that of the IMF (see 2017 and 2018 Staff Reports). 9/ Includes the cost of subsidy borne by public enterprises and incentives for hydrocarbon exploration investments in the projection period.

[1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.

[2] Under the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, publication of documents that pertain to member countries is voluntary and requires the member consent. The staff report will be shortly published on the www.imf.org/Bolivia page.

[3] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chair of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Meera Louis

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

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/05/30/pr-25168-bolivia-imf-concludes-2025-art-iv-consult

MIL OSI

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 31, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: CLARKE ISSUES STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT’S DISTURBING RULING TO REVOKE LEGAL STATUS OF MORE THAN 500,000 MIGRANTS

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke (9th District of New York)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 30, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT:

e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

c: 202.913.0126

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released the following statement:

“I am truly outraged by the Supreme Court’s morally bankrupt and legally absurd decision to rubber stamp the Trump Administration’s efforts to strip more than half a million migrants in our nation of their protected status. With SCOTUS’ blessing, Donald Trump’s barbaric punishment of hundreds of thousands of innocent Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans living legally in our nation can proceed – and his administration can now take its cruel crusade against immigrant Americans to an unprecedented new level.

“It’s stunning that our nation’s highest court has all but endorsed a nonsensical argument based only in this administration’s hysterical contempt for immigrants. We’re talking about the most vulnerable people in the world, each of whom was promised safety and protection in this nation, who are instead now staring down a death sentence if forced to return to their previous countries. With this decision, America has betrayed and backstabbed more than 500,000 children, women, and men. Let me be clear: that is a sin that cannot and will not be forgiven.

“The Supreme Court of the United States gave its resounding approval of a xenophobic policy that punishes the very people it should be protecting, and that is utterly disgusting. In their hour of need, these innocents deserved only love. Tragically, the Trump Administration is capable of only hate.”

###

MIL OSI USA News –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Father and son indicted for providing material support to Mexican cartel engaged in terrorism following ICE Rio Grande Valley, federal partner investigation

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two family members with ties to South Texas have been charged with allegedly conspiring to materially support a Mexican cartel previously designated as a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to commit money laundering and related smuggling charges, following an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the DEA and the FBI with substantial assistance of IRS CI along with Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Department of Public Safety.

The superseding indictment, returned May 22, alleges Maxwell Sterling Jensen, 25, Draper, Utah, and James Lael Jensen, 68, Sandy, Utah, conspired to provide material support to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación in the form of U.S. currency. The Secretary of State designated CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization Feb. 20.

“This case underscores the more aggressive and innovative approach we are taking towards combatting the scourge of drug cartels,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei from the Southern District of Texas. “This strategy focuses not just on the traffickers and trigger-pullers directly employed by the cartels but also targeting their confederates and enablers. Whether you are handing the cartel a gun, providing a car or safehouse for smugglers, or putting money in the cartel’s pocket, you will be held to account.”

The Jensen’s allegedly operated Arroyo Terminals, an enterprise based in Rio Hondo, Texas.

Both are also charged with allegedly conspiring to conduct financial transactions to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the proceeds of illegally smuggled goods, crude oil. They also aided and abetted the fraudulent entry of approximately 2,881 shipments of the oil in violation of the Tariff Act, according to the charges.

“Cases like this highlight the often-dangerous relationships between alleged unscrupulous U.S. businesses and terrorist organizations,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “Through strong collaborations and relentless investigative work, we and our partners exposed a possible large-scale operation that allegedly attempted to move millions in illicit crude oil and launder the proceeds. HSI remains committed to protecting our economy and holding offenders accountable.”

“What began as a Drug Enforcement Administration drug trafficking investigation evolved into a multifaceted case involving an alleged complex criminal operation generating millions of dollars from crude oil – the largest funding source for Mexican drug cartels,” said acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of DEA – Houston. “Given the charges have profound implications for both the United States and Mexico, we will continue to explore all leads and identify any believed to be involved. The collaboration with federal law enforcement, prosecutors, and state agencies proved critical to unraveling these alleged crimes and will continue until such operations are destroyed.”

“It is a top priority of the FBI to eliminate foreign terrorist organizations by depriving them of the funding they need to operate and by seizing their most valued assets,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the San Antonio Field Office. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will use every resource and capability at our disposal to ensure violent cartels and anyone who corruptly facilitates their operations are held accountable to the American people and unable to establish a foothold in our communities.”

“Our commitment to taking down drug cartels and organized crime leverages IRS Criminal Investigation’s specialty in forensic accounting that identifies the alleged money trail and shuts down the flow of cash, just like we did in this case,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan, of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “Some of our best special agents are using their law enforcement expertise to build unshakeable cases to ensure criminals are taken off the streets and their ill-gotten gains are returned to the American people.”

At the time of the initial arrests, authorities seized four tank barges containing crude oil, three commercial tanker trucks, an Arroyo Terminal pickup truck and one personal vehicle. The Arroyo Terminal property in Rio Hondo, crude oil contained Arroyo Terminal storage tanks and additional real properties are also sought for forfeiture. The superseding indictment also contains notice that the United States will seek a $300 million money judgment upon conviction.

The conspiracies to provide material support and to commit money laundering both carry a possible prison term of up to 20 years. If convicted of aiding and abetting the smuggling of goods into the United States and doing so by means of false statements, both men could also face up to 10 and five years, respectively. James Jensen also faces one count of money laundering spending which carries an additional 10 years in prison, upon conviction.

With the exception of the money laundering charge which has the possibility of up to a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved, the remaining counts carry a maximum $250,000 potential fine.

Operation Liquid Death involved the combined efforts of ICE HSI, DEA, FBI, and IRS CI and others and is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Sturgis and Laura Garcia from the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. AUSAs Mary Ellen Smyth and Tyler Foster are handling seizure and forfeiture matters.

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

MIL OSI USA News –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s remarks at the Opening Session of the International Conference for Glaciers’ Preservation [as delivered]

Source: United Nations secretary general

Your Excellency Mr. Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan,

Your Excellency, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shehbaz Sharif,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the Government and the people of the Republic of Tajikistan for convening this High-Level International Conference and championing 2025 as the United Nations declared International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.

Mr. President, I thank you for the opportunity to visit the Glaciers in the Pamir mountain range. This was a reality check to how fragile the ecosystem is and needs preservation.

Your commitment to glaciers – the water towers of the world, holding nearly 70% of Earth’s freshwater – stands as a beacon of hope, towards keeping global momentum, securing our planet’s vital water sources, and raising urgent climate ambition.

A decade has passed since the world embraced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, setting out a bold vision for a more just, resilient, and sustainable future.

In spite of the recent geopolitical tensions and the pushback on multilateralism, this Conference convenes at a pivotal moment—with a decisive call to turn commitments into action, and shape the trajectory of our planet, economies, and the well-being of generations to come.

The time for ambition is an imperative now, and the stakes have never been higher.

Allow me to recognize the invaluable contributions of the World Meteorological Organization, UNESCO, the Asian Development Bank, and all other dedicated partners whose collaboration has made this conference – and this growing momentum – possible.

Your steady dedication to glacier research and monitoring throughout the 2025-2034 Decade of Action on Cryosphere Sciences has been instrumental in raising awareness and advancing scientific knowledge to safeguard our planet’s equilibrium.

Excellencies, Friends,

Since 1975, over 9,000 billion tons of ice have disappeared – equivalent to a 25-meter-thick block covering all of Germany.

In the past six years, glaciers have been retreating at an unprecedented pace, marking the fastest loss in recorded history.

Between 2022 and 2024 alone, the world witnessed the largest three-year glacier mass loss ever observed – a staggering acceleration of ice melt.

At current rates, many glaciers may not survive this century, reshaping landscapes, ecosystems, livelihoods and water security on a global scale.

This is not just a mountain crisis – it is a slow-moving global catastrophe with far-reaching consequences for planet and people.

Glacier loss threatens water and food security, biodiversity loss, infrastructure, and the stability and health of communities worldwide.

Billions of people depend on glaciers for drinking water, irrigation, livelihoods, and energy production, making their preservation essential for human survival and sustainable development.

Yet those at the frontline of glacier loss – primarily in developing regions – face the greatest injustices.

With shrinking water resources, vulnerable communities endure worsening poverty, forced migration, and harsh living conditions all while relying on glacier-fed supplies that are rapidly disappearing.

Melting glaciers also drive sea-level rise, endangering coastal megacities and displacing millions downstream.

Each millimeter of rising seas puts hundreds of thousands at risk of annual flooding and much more.

In my own country Nigeria, I witness firsthand the impact of sea level rise in Lagos, which is threatened and in the Niger Delta which as seen unprecedented changes in its ecosystem. And we also see states once not affected by flooding are experiencing them at unprecedented levels.

Beyond the physical impacts, glacier loss is also an erosion of culture, of history, and identity.

Communities tied to mountain landscapes face the disappearance of ancestral lands, traditional knowledge, and linguistic heritage, severing connections that have existed for generations.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

With a third of mountain ice already lost due to climate change, these consequences will only intensify without immediate mitigation measures to keep global temperatures within the 1.5 degrees threshold.

Let me note at this time 83% of these emissions for this mitigation agenda, are within the hands of 35 countries.

Stepping up our ambition and scaling up action is imperative, before dwindling water resources destabilize ecosystems and economic disruptions become irreversible.

Strategies for glacier preservation must enable integrated, inclusive, data-driven and locally grounded adaptation responses that meet the needs of those most vulnerable.

Investing in adaptation should be recognized as a catalyst of sustainable growth and resilience.

Yet, adaptation and risk reduction tools cannot succeed without sustained, predictable financing to support resilience-building at every level.

The upcoming Financing for Development Conference in Seville is an opportunity to make the Clarion Call, for more investment in adaptation a reality.

This year’s Global Assessment Report on disaster risk reduction informs us that “Resilience Pays”.

Every dollar spent on resilience enhances early warning systems, safeguards infrastructure, and protects livelihoods from extreme climate events. It reinforces food and water security and strengthens economies against future shocks.

But we must significantly scale up financing and investments – integrating risk reduction into core policy decisions.

Failing to invest now, will result in exponentially higher costs – ranging from economic loss, development setbacks to humanitarian crisis.

As we embark on the Decade for Glaciers’ Preservation, I have three messages:

First, let us ensure that this conference signals an urgent call to action, uniting multilateral cooperation and strategic global partnerships.

These partnerships should be engines for the design and delivery of ambitious, economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – as we go to Belem in Brazil later this year. These should not only as climate pledges, but as investment of roadmaps that drive SDG implementation.

Second, ensure that your national climate plans set measurable adaptation targets across water, infrastructure, energy, and food systems to build resilience, secure financing, and protect livelihoods. These plans need to be linked to national budgets to optimize resource allocations, avert losses, and build institutional capacities to fill gaps in technical expertise but also to create an enabling environment for large scale and urgent investments.

Third, identify pipelines of market-ready investments, backed by high-quality data and evidence-based tools that forecast returns, demonstrate co-benefits for job creation and economic growth, and unlock new financial services.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Together, we can galvanize impactful solutions to safeguard the cryosphere, polar regions, and mountain ecosystems.

Early warning systems could be strengthened with hydro-climatic experts to reinforce datasets that help anticipate water-related risks and ensuring a constant state of preparedness to enable early action.

Data-driven predicative analytics and AI could also complement skills, while generating baselines that help identify and anticipate fault lines, aligning with the Secretary General’s Early Warnings for All initiative.

This year’s Fourth Financing for Development Conference presents an opportunity to ensure that development funding is not just allocated, but strategically risk-informed – across all types of shocks-strengthening resilience and safeguarding development gains.

Let us use other global milestones including – COP30 in Brazil, the Third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the Second World Summit on Sustainable Development in Doha, Qatar – to elevate political will and sharpen our focus on glaciers for people, planet and prosperity.

In conclusion, as we look forward to the 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates, I also wish to recognize the co-hosts of the 2023 UN Water Conference – Tajikistan and the Netherlands – for their continued political commitment to the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development 2018–2028.

Let us act with the urgency that SDG 6 demands by protecting water-related ecosystems.

The UN – as always – stands ready to ensure that we meet this target. For our communities, for our economies, for our children’s future and those yet born.

Let our children not know thirst.

Thank you.

***

MIL OSI United Nations News –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: United States Secures the Extraditions of Individuals Accused of Violent and Other Serious Crimes from Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Israel, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius,
Source: US State of North Dakota

United States Also Returned International Fugitives Wanted for Terrorism, Murder, Attempted Murder and Child Sexual Abuse to Canada, India, and Mexico
Note: The defendants whose names are underlined hyperlink to press releases.

WASHINGTON — Extensive coordination between the Justice Department and law enforcement authorities in Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Israel, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Panama, Peru, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom (UK) resulted in the extraditions in April and May of dozens of individuals. The defendants returned to the United States are alleged to have committed crimes — including child sexual abuse and rape, murder, hate crimes, assault, narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, alien smuggling, cybercrime, money laundering, fraud, aggravated robbery and extortion — in a number of U.S. states and federal districts, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.

The fugitives extradited to the United States include:
- Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as Mishka, Michael, Commander Butcher, and Butcher, 21, a Georgian national and alleged leader of a white supremacist group, was extradited from Moldova to face charges in the Eastern District of New York for soliciting hate crimes and planning a mass casualty attack in New York City. As the alleged leader of the white supremacist group “Maniac Murder Cult,” an international, racially motivated violent extremist group that adheres to a neo-Nazi ideology and promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community, and other groups that it deems “undesirables,” Chkhikvishvili allegedly traveled to Brooklyn in 2022 and actively solicited acts of mass violence with a person who was, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, an undercover FBI employee. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili allegedly began planning a mass casualty attack to take place on New Year’s Eve, which would involve an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities. In January 2024, as alleged, the scheme evolved and Chkhikvishvili specifically directed the undercover FBI employee to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn.
- Liridon Masurica, also known as @blackdb, 33, a national of Kosovo and alleged administrator of an online criminal marketplace, was extradited from Kosovo to face charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and fraudulent use of 15 or more unauthorized access devices in the Middle District of Florida.
- Adrian Alberto Cano Gomez, also known as Andrea, 45, a national of Colombia and an alleged member of the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a designated foreign terrorist organization, was extradited from Colombia to face charges in the Southern District of Texas of narco-terrorism and distributing kilogram quantities of cocaine from Colombia.
- Aler Baldomero Samayoa-Recinos, also known as Chicharra, 58, a national of Guatemala and alleged leader of a prolific Guatemalan drug trafficking organization, was extradited from Guatemala to face charges in the District of Columbia of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms of cocaine for importation to the United States.
- Daniel Flores, 49, a national of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face charges of first-degree murder for the 1995 killing of two brothers, both U.S. Marines, ages 22 and 19, in Cook County, Illinois.
- Manuel Alejandro Vasquez, 47, a citizen of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face a charge of murder in Ventura County, California. Vasquez’s two co-defendants were convicted in 1999 and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the 1998 murder of a man in his home over an alleged unpaid debt. Vasquez fled to Mexico before charges could be filed against him.
- Tyler Buchanan, 23, a UK national, was extradited from Spain to face charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft in the Central District of California. Among other crimes, Buchanan and his co-conspirators allegedly stole cryptocurrency worth millions of dollars following phishing attacks on over 45 companies based in the United States, Canada, and the UK.
- Felix Manuel Mejia-Gonzalez, 33, a Dominican citizen, was extradited from the Dominican Republic to face charges of fentanyl trafficking in the District of New Hampshire.
- Samuel Steven Huggler, 28, a U.S. citizen, was extradited from Spain, to face charges relating to the alleged murder and attempted murders of three of his siblings in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. Huggler is charged with aiding, inducing, or causing murder, three counts of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of aiding, inducing, or causing attempted murder, and possession of an altered firearm.
- Michel Patrick Desalles, 54, a Mauritian national, was extradited from Mauritius to face a charge of murder in the second degree in the State of New York. Desalles allegedly choked his employer to death with zip ties and immediately fled the United States in 2017.
- Juan Miguel Roman-Balderas, 45, a citizen of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face two charges of murder in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Roman-Balderas is alleged to have stabbed to death his 28-year-old ex-girlfriend in April 2014 in Greenbelt, Maryland.
- Rody L. Wilcox, 50, a U.S. citizen, was extradited from Georgia to face charges of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 years of age filed in Latah County, Idaho. Wilcox allegedly sexually assaulted a six-year-old child on multiple occasions in 2023. In 2024, Wilcox fled Idaho while on bond. Through OIA’s cooperation with the FBI, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and Georgian authorities, Wilcox was arrested in Georgia on Aug. 16, 2024, while en route to the Russian Federation.
- Miguel Angel Urbano-Vazquez, 48, a citizen of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face charges of aggravated first-degree murder and rape in Pierce County, Washington. Urbano-Vazquez is alleged to have raped four victims between March and October 2002, one of whom he is also alleged to have murdered in the course of rape.
- Gilberto Gutierrez, 46, a citizen of El Salvador, was extradited from El Salvador to face charges of rape, child abuse, and related sex offenses in Wicomico County, Maryland. Gutierrez allegedly repeatedly sexually abused two girls under the age of 10 years old between approximately 1999 and 2004.
- Ramon Manriquez Castillo, 68, a dual U.S. and Mexican citizen; Edgar Rodriguez Ruano, 29, a Mexican citizen; Fernando Javier Escobar Tito, 48, an Ecuadorian citizen; and Anderson Jair Gamboa Nieto, 30, a Colombian citizen, were surrendered by Guinea-Bissau to face drug trafficking charges in the Southern District of Florida. The co-defendants are alleged members of a transnational drug trafficking organization comprised of several cartels in Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela, and they allegedly conspired to distribute large quantities of cocaine through Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Guinea-Bissau using a U.S.-registered airplane, with a U.S. citizen onboard, from about November 2023 to September 2024. They are also charged with distributing cocaine in these countries using an airplane with a U.S. citizen onboard.
- Artem Aleksandrovych Stryzhak, 35, a Ukrainian national, was extradited from Spain to face charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, extortion, and related activity in connection with computers in the Eastern District of New York and the Middle District of Florida. According to the charges in the Eastern District of New York, Stryzhak is one of the administrators of the Nefilim ransomware gang. The Middle District of Florida charges allege that Stryzhak used the Hive ransomware to engage in a computer hacking and extortion scheme that targeted businesses in the United States and abroad. The Hive ransomware group is estimated to have attacked approximately 1,500 victims and extorted approximately $110 million in ransom payments.
The fugitives extradited by the United States include:
- Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, a Canadian citizen, native of Pakistan, and convicted terrorist, was extradited to India to stand trial on 10 criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai that killed 160 people, including six Americans, and wounded hundreds more.
- Aaron Seth Juarez, 26, a U.S. citizen, was extradited to Mexico to be prosecuted for femicide for the 2019 killing of his approximately 31-year-old stepmother, whose body he allegedly buried in the backyard of her Tijuana home.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), along with the U.S. Marshals Service, provided significant assistance in securing the defendants’ arrests and extraditions. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central District of California and the Eastern District of California litigated with OIA the successful outgoing extradition cases for Rana and Juarez, respectively. OIA and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions from Colombia. The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) also provided assistance with the extraditions from Guatemala and Kosovo. The Justice Department thanks and acknowledges the instrumental role of its law enforcement partners in Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Israel, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Panama, Peru, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom for making these extraditions possible.

An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
MIL OSI USA News –
May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Committee on the Rights of the Child Closes Ninety-Ninth Session after Adopting Concluding Observations on Reports of Brazil, Indonesia, Iraq, Norway, Qatar and Romania

Source: United Nations – Geneva

The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon closed its ninety-ninth session after adopting its concluding observations on the reports of Brazil, Indonesia, Iraq, Norway, Qatar and Romania under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the report on Brazil’s efforts to implement the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

The concluding observations will be available on the webpage of the session on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday, 5 June 2025.

Presenting the report of the session, Sophie Kiladze, Committee Chairperson, said there had been a lot of improvements regarding the realisation of child rights in certain countries. However, after more than 35 years of entry into force of the Convention, the child rights situation was still very alarming in many States parties. Millions of children were victims of armed conflicts in many different parts of the world. The armed conflicts were taking their lives or lives of their parents and family members, leaving them in unimaginable sorrow for the whole of their lives. Many who survived were living in camps under deteriorating conditions. Millions of children were living in poverty, without access to education, health and digital environment, among others. The list was very long and many hours would not be enough to express the suffering of these children.

Ms. Kiladze said the United Nations was undergoing a huge liquidity crisis, which was affecting the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which had to work without knowing whether next sessions would be held. She asked the Secretary-General

and all relevant States parties to ensure that the Committee on the Rights of the Child, as well as other treaty bodies, continued their work. She said the Committee regretted the cancellation of the pre-sessional working group, expected to be held during the week following the end of the session, because of the liquidity situation.

Under the Optional Protocol on a communication procedure, the Committee adopted decisions on eight individual communications on the following issues: children in the context of migration, access to school during the COVID pandemic, and parental contact with children.

The Committee found no violation of the Convention in one case against Switzerland. It found three communications inadmissible in a case against Italy and two cases against Switzerland. It also discontinued the consideration of four cases against Finland and Switzerland after they had become moot. The Committee was satisfied that these discontinuances followed the positive resolution of these four cases. The Committee also discussed inquiries under article 13 of the Optional Protocol. It was currently dealing with four inquiries.

Also during the session, the Committee discussed amendments to its rules of procedure and working methods. It continued its discussion on follow-up to the treaty body strengthening process in the context of the United Nations liquidity crisis. It also continued its work on the next general comment no. 27 on children’s rights to access to justice and to an effective remedy.

The Committee continued its work on trends of the modern world regarding child rights, including artificial intelligence, and discussed a draft joint statement on artificial intelligence and child rights. Nine international organizations were co-signatories of the statement, co-led by the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

The Committee then adopted the report of the session.

On the first day of the session, which was held from 12 to 30 May, Ms. Kiladze (Georgia) was elected as Chair and Cephas Lumina (Zambia), Thuwayba Al Barwani (Oman), Philip D. Jaffe (Switzerland), and Mary Beloff (Argentina) were elected as Vice-Chairs.

The Committee also welcomed four new members – Timothy. P.T. Ekesa (Kenya), Mariana Ianachevici (Republic of Moldova), Juliana Scerri Ferrante (Malta), and Zeinebou Taleb Moussa (Mauritania) – and welcomed back Mr. Lumina, who previously served as a member from 2017 to 2021. They made their solemn declaration.

Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, and webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work of the Committee’s ninety-ninth session and other documents related to the session can be found here.

The Committee is expected to hold its one hundredth session in September 2025. However, this session is currently pending confirmation because of the liquidity situation.

___________

Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

CRC25.016E

MIL OSI United Nations News –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: DHS Releases Statement on Major SCOTUS Victory for Trump Administration and the American People on Ending the CHNV Parole Program

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: DHS Releases Statement on Major SCOTUS Victory for Trump Administration and the American People on Ending the CHNV Parole Program

lass=”text-align-center”>CHNV was an unlawful scheme to unleash over 530,000 poorly vetted aliens into America
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secured a legal victory in its effort to terminate parole for more than 530,000 illegal aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) who were released into the country by the Biden Administration

The U

S

Supreme Court issued a 7-2 order, staying a District Court’s order pending appeal with the U

S

Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

With this decision, DHS can once again start removing illegal aliens under the disastrous CHNV parole programs as the case progresses

This order comes after an activist judge ruled that DHS could not outright end the CHNV program

DHS released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump Administration to keep Americans safe:
Statement Attributable to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin
“Today’s decision is a victory for the American people

The Biden Administration lied to America

They allowed more than half a million poorly vetted aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela and their immediate family members to enter the United States through these disastrous parole programs; granted them opportunities to compete for American jobs and undercut American workers; forced career civil servants to promote the programs even when fraud was identified; and then blamed Republicans in Congress for the chaos that ensued and the crime that followed,”
“Ending the CHNV parole programs, as well as the paroles of those who exploited it, will be a necessary return to common-sense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First

”
Read the U

S

Supreme Court’s ruling here

MIL OSI USA News –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: United States Secures the Extraditions of Individuals Accused of Violent and Other Serious Crimes from Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Israel, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius,
Source: United States Attorneys General 1

United States Also Returned International Fugitives Wanted for Terrorism, Murder, Attempted Murder and Child Sexual Abuse to Canada, India, and Mexico
Note: The defendants whose names are underlined hyperlink to press releases.

WASHINGTON — Extensive coordination between the Justice Department and law enforcement authorities in Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Israel, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Panama, Peru, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom (UK) resulted in the extraditions in April and May of dozens of individuals. The defendants returned to the United States are alleged to have committed crimes — including child sexual abuse and rape, murder, hate crimes, assault, narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, alien smuggling, cybercrime, money laundering, fraud, aggravated robbery and extortion — in a number of U.S. states and federal districts, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.

The fugitives extradited to the United States include:
- Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as Mishka, Michael, Commander Butcher, and Butcher, 21, a Georgian national and alleged leader of a white supremacist group, was extradited from Moldova to face charges in the Eastern District of New York for soliciting hate crimes and planning a mass casualty attack in New York City. As the alleged leader of the white supremacist group “Maniac Murder Cult,” an international, racially motivated violent extremist group that adheres to a neo-Nazi ideology and promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community, and other groups that it deems “undesirables,” Chkhikvishvili allegedly traveled to Brooklyn in 2022 and actively solicited acts of mass violence with a person who was, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, an undercover FBI employee. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili allegedly began planning a mass casualty attack to take place on New Year’s Eve, which would involve an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities. In January 2024, as alleged, the scheme evolved and Chkhikvishvili specifically directed the undercover FBI employee to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn.
- Liridon Masurica, also known as @blackdb, 33, a national of Kosovo and alleged administrator of an online criminal marketplace, was extradited from Kosovo to face charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and fraudulent use of 15 or more unauthorized access devices in the Middle District of Florida.
- Adrian Alberto Cano Gomez, also known as Andrea, 45, a national of Colombia and an alleged member of the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a designated foreign terrorist organization, was extradited from Colombia to face charges in the Southern District of Texas of narco-terrorism and distributing kilogram quantities of cocaine from Colombia.
- Aler Baldomero Samayoa-Recinos, also known as Chicharra, 58, a national of Guatemala and alleged leader of a prolific Guatemalan drug trafficking organization, was extradited from Guatemala to face charges in the District of Columbia of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms of cocaine for importation to the United States.
- Daniel Flores, 49, a national of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face charges of first-degree murder for the 1995 killing of two brothers, both U.S. Marines, ages 22 and 19, in Cook County, Illinois.
- Manuel Alejandro Vasquez, 47, a citizen of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face a charge of murder in Ventura County, California. Vasquez’s two co-defendants were convicted in 1999 and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the 1998 murder of a man in his home over an alleged unpaid debt. Vasquez fled to Mexico before charges could be filed against him.
- Tyler Buchanan, 23, a UK national, was extradited from Spain to face charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft in the Central District of California. Among other crimes, Buchanan and his co-conspirators allegedly stole cryptocurrency worth millions of dollars following phishing attacks on over 45 companies based in the United States, Canada, and the UK.
- Felix Manuel Mejia-Gonzalez, 33, a Dominican citizen, was extradited from the Dominican Republic to face charges of fentanyl trafficking in the District of New Hampshire.
- Samuel Steven Huggler, 28, a U.S. citizen, was extradited from Spain, to face charges relating to the alleged murder and attempted murders of three of his siblings in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. Huggler is charged with aiding, inducing, or causing murder, three counts of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of aiding, inducing, or causing attempted murder, and possession of an altered firearm.
- Michel Patrick Desalles, 54, a Mauritian national, was extradited from Mauritius to face a charge of murder in the second degree in the State of New York. Desalles allegedly choked his employer to death with zip ties and immediately fled the United States in 2017.
- Juan Miguel Roman-Balderas, 45, a citizen of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face two charges of murder in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Roman-Balderas is alleged to have stabbed to death his 28-year-old ex-girlfriend in April 2014 in Greenbelt, Maryland.
- Rody L. Wilcox, 50, a U.S. citizen, was extradited from Georgia to face charges of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 years of age filed in Latah County, Idaho. Wilcox allegedly sexually assaulted a six-year-old child on multiple occasions in 2023. In 2024, Wilcox fled Idaho while on bond. Through OIA’s cooperation with the FBI, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service and Georgian authorities, Wilcox was arrested in Georgia on Aug. 16, 2024, while en route to the Russian Federation.
- Miguel Angel Urbano-Vazquez, 48, a citizen of Mexico, was extradited from Mexico to face charges of aggravated first-degree murder and rape in Pierce County, Washington. Urbano-Vazquez is alleged to have raped four victims between March and October 2002, one of whom he is also alleged to have murdered in the course of rape.
- Gilberto Gutierrez, 46, a citizen of El Salvador, was extradited from El Salvador to face charges of rape, child abuse, and related sex offenses in Wicomico County, Maryland. Gutierrez allegedly repeatedly sexually abused two girls under the age of 10 years old between approximately 1999 and 2004.
- Ramon Manriquez Castillo, 68, a dual U.S. and Mexican citizen; Edgar Rodriguez Ruano, 29, a Mexican citizen; Fernando Javier Escobar Tito, 48, an Ecuadorian citizen; and Anderson Jair Gamboa Nieto, 30, a Colombian citizen, were surrendered by Guinea-Bissau to face drug trafficking charges in the Southern District of Florida. The co-defendants are alleged members of a transnational drug trafficking organization comprised of several cartels in Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela, and they allegedly conspired to distribute large quantities of cocaine through Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Guinea-Bissau using a U.S.-registered airplane, with a U.S. citizen onboard, from about November 2023 to September 2024. They are also charged with distributing cocaine in these countries using an airplane with a U.S. citizen onboard.
- Artem Aleksandrovych Stryzhak, 35, a Ukrainian national, was extradited from Spain to face charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, extortion, and related activity in connection with computers in the Eastern District of New York and the Middle District of Florida. According to the charges in the Eastern District of New York, Stryzhak is one of the administrators of the Nefilim ransomware gang. The Middle District of Florida charges allege that Stryzhak used the Hive ransomware to engage in a computer hacking and extortion scheme that targeted businesses in the United States and abroad. The Hive ransomware group is estimated to have attacked approximately 1,500 victims and extorted approximately $110 million in ransom payments.
The fugitives extradited by the United States include:
- Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, a Canadian citizen, native of Pakistan, and convicted terrorist, was extradited to India to stand trial on 10 criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai that killed 160 people, including six Americans, and wounded hundreds more.
- Aaron Seth Juarez, 26, a U.S. citizen, was extradited to Mexico to be prosecuted for femicide for the 2019 killing of his approximately 31-year-old stepmother, whose body he allegedly buried in the backyard of her Tijuana home.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), along with the U.S. Marshals Service, provided significant assistance in securing the defendants’ arrests and extraditions. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central District of California and the Eastern District of California litigated with OIA the successful outgoing extradition cases for Rana and Juarez, respectively. OIA and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions from Colombia. The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) also provided assistance with the extraditions from Guatemala and Kosovo. The Justice Department thanks and acknowledges the instrumental role of its law enforcement partners in Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Guatemala, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Israel, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Panama, Peru, Spain, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom for making these extraditions possible.

An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
MIL Security OSI –
May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Welch Statement on Supreme Court Decision Revoking Humanitarian Migrant Programs

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
BURLINGTON, VT—Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to effectively deport more than 500,000 immigrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti who fled war, political persecution, humanitarian crises, and failed economies to migrate lawfully to America through the humanitarian parole process. U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement:
“This decision by the Supreme Court is shameful and heartbreaking. More than 530,000 people who are making their lives in America, have families and careers in America, and are living in lawful status in America, will be forced to return to a country they fled,” said Senator Welch. “The Supreme Court and the Trump Administration are inflicting unconscionable hardship on these migrants, their families, their communities, and their workplaces by revoking legal status for no legitimate reason. It goes against everything America stands for as a country of refuge for immigrants.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Luján Leads Senate Democrats Urging Additional Funding to Keep Communities Safe

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) led 29 Senate Democrats in urging the Senate Committee on Appropriations to fund the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program at a minimum of $270 million for Fiscal Year 2026. Amid a nationwide shortage of police officers, the COPS Hiring Program is critical for keeping communities safe and reducing taxpayer costs related to crime by providing funding directly to law enforcement agencies to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
“The COPS Hiring Program represents a fiscally responsible solution to ensure that our communities remain safe. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers and to increase their community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts,” the lawmakers wrote.
“When officers establish a presence on their patrols using community-policing principles, they can develop positive relationships with the communities they serve. In turn, these relationships increase law enforcement’s ability to solve local crimes and resolve public safety problems,” the lawmakers continued. “This proactive approach to policing prevents crime from occurring, saving taxpayers the high societal costs associated with crime, incarceration, and services for victims.”
Led by Senator Luján, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:
Dear Chairman Moran and Ranking Member Van Hollen:
As you consider funding levels for Fiscal Year 2026, we urge you to fund the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program at a minimum of $270 million.
The COPS Hiring Program represents a fiscally responsible solution to ensure that our communities remain safe. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers and to increase their community policing capacity and crime-prevention efforts. When officers establish a presence on their patrols using community-policing principles, they can develop positive relationships with the communities they serve. In turn, these relationships increase law enforcement’s ability to solve local crimes and resolve public safety problems. This proactive approach to policing prevents crime from occurring, saving taxpayers the high societal costs associated with crime, incarceration, and services for victims.
To date, the COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing including grants awarded to more than 15,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers. In 2024, the program awarded 235 grants across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In total, the program allowed for the funding of 1193 officer positions. COPS Hiring plays an essential role in our federal government’s support for local law enforcement and should therefore receive the highest possible level of funding.
We are supported in this request by law enforcement organizations including the National Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association. We appreciate the hard work and leadership that you have shown on these issues. Ongoing crime and violence across the country demonstrates the vital need for increased police protection in our communities. Therefore, as you determine the funding levels for this program, we ask that you support funding for the COPS Hiring Program at the highest possible level.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 31, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: With Over $42 BILLION In Vital Broadband Funding Still Held Up By Trump Administration, Leader Schumer, Ranking Member Cantwell, And Senator Luján Demand Admin Stop The Delays & Immediately Release The Funding Into American Communities; Senators Say 25 Million Americans Still Lack High-Speed Internet As Bipartisan Funding Lingers

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), sent the following letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnick and President Trump demanding that the Commerce Department immediately release the $42 billion allocated for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), sent the following letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and President Trump demanding the immediate release the $42 billion allocated for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This program was designed to help our country on its path to creating universal access to high-speed internet – vital for remote work, education, job training and applications, telehealth, emergency services, and more. With the endless delays to get the crucial funding out the door and into American communities, 25 million people across our country risk going without access to the internet.

“States have spent years developing implementation plans under the BEAD program to reach every American with high-speed internet access. These plans reflect local needs, technical realities, and the bipartisan intent of Congress,” the Senators wrote. “States are ready to put shovels in the ground and have been waiting for months to get started connecting communities and building networks that will support the industries of tomorrow. Additional delays and onerous changes to the program at this stage threaten to further stall urgently needed deployment and leave communities behind.”

The Senators also noted that beyond everyday applications of high-speed internet, this money is also essential to ensuring that America is able to maintain its competitive edge over countries such as China. Al systems – including data centers, chip manufacturing facilities and more – require access to power and internet. Without proper broadband networks in place, communities will not be able to house these job-creating facilities. Our government must work to ensure that all areas in our country – especially rural ones – are able to contribute to America’s innovative edge and technological dominance. Without BEAD funding getting out the door, these rural communities risk falling either further behind.

States have spent months developing plans to break ground and build high-speed, scalable, and reliable networks everywhere. The Trump administration should not throttle this process or delay it just to give more money to the world’s richest man. The Senators urge the immediate and swift release of all BEAD program funding.

BEAD Grant Allocations By State

State	Amount
Texas	$3,312,616,455.45
California	$1,864,136,508.93
Missouri	$1,736,302,708.39
Michigan	$1,559,362,479.29
North Carolina	$1,532,999,481.15
Virginia	$1,481,489,572.87
Alabama	$1,401,221,901.77
Louisiana	$1,355,554,552.94
Georgia	$1,307,214,371.30
Washington	$1,227,742,066.30
West Virginia	$1,210,800,969.85
Mississippi	$1,203,561,563.05
Florida	$1,169,947,392.70
Pennsylvania	$1,161,778,272.41
Kentucky	$1,086,172,536.86
Wisconsin	$1,055,823,573.71
Illinois	$1,040,420,751.50
Arkansas	$1,024,303,993.86
Alaska	$1,017,139,672.42
Arizona	$993,112,231.37
Indiana	$868,109,929.79
Colorado	$826,522,650.41
Tennessee	$813,319,680.22
Oklahoma	$797,435,691.25
Ohio	$793,688,107.63
Oregon	$688,914,932.17
New Mexico	$675,372,311.86
New York	$664,618,251.49
Minnesota	$651,839,368.20
Montana	$628,973,798.59
Idaho	$583,256,249.88
South Carolina	$551,535,983.05
Kansas	$451,725,998.15
Nevada	$416,666,229.74
Iowa	$415,331,313.00
Nebraska	$405,281,070.41
Wyoming	$347,877,921.27
Puerto Rico	$334,614,151.70
Utah	$317,399,741.54
Maine	$271,977,723.07
Maryland	$267,738,400.71
New Jersey	$263,689,548.65
Vermont	$228,913,019.08
South Dakota	$207,227,523.92
New Hampshire	$196,560,278.97
Guam	$156,831,733.59
Hawaii	$149,484,493.57
Massachusetts	$147,422,464.39
Connecticut	$144,180,792.71
North Dakota	$130,162,815.12
Rhode Island	$108,718,820.75
Delaware	$107,748,384.66
District of Columbia	$100,694,786.93
Northern Mariana Islands	$80,796,709.02
American Samoa	$37,564,827.53
U.S. Virgin Islands	$27,103,240.86

The letter can be seen here and below.

Dear Sec. Lutnick and President Trump,

Congress created the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to finish the job of connecting everyone and building high-speed, scalable, and reliable networks everywhere. For six months, states have been waiting to break ground on scores of projects, held back only by the Commerce Department’s bureaucratic delays. If states are forced to redo or rework their plans, they will not only miss this year’s construction season but next year’s as well, delaying broadband deployment by years. That’s why we urge the Administration to move swiftly to approve state plans, and release the $42 billion allocated to the states by the BEAD Program.

Universal access to high-speed internet is essential for jobs, education, and telehealth—and also for the bandwidth-hungry innovation economy, from artificial intelligence and advanced robotics to smart manufacturing and semiconductor production. Further delay means 25 million Americans continue to wait for high-speed internet and the economic benefits it brings. It also means that we risk falling behind China, which is aggressively building out digital infrastructure to support its AI, advanced manufacturing, and semiconductor ambitions.

States have already developed plans to address these needs, and restarting or slowing down the process will only hold back progress. States must maintain the flexibility to choose the highest quality broadband options, rather than be forced by bureaucrats in Washington to funnel funds to Elon Musk’s Starlink, which lacks the scalability, reliability, and speed of fiber or other terrestrial broadband solutions.

High-speed, reliable, and scalable connectivity is essential for jobs, education, and telehealth. It’s also the backbone for the advanced industries of today and tomorrow. AI systems require massive volumes of data and low-latency networks to operate effectively. Data centers, smart warehouses, robotic assembly lines, and chip fabrication plants all depend on fast, stable, and scalable bandwidth. If we want these job-creating facilities built throughout the United States, including rural areas, we must ensure the infrastructure—including high-speed internet networks—is in place to support them. If we want AI developed and deployed in the United States, if we want to win the race for semiconductor dominance, if we want the next generation of manufacturing jobs to be created here, then we must act now—and we must build the high-speed, high-capacity networks those technologies demand.

States have spent years developing implementation plans under the BEAD program to reach every American with high-speed internet access. These plans reflect local needs, technical realities, and the bipartisan intent of Congress. States are ready to put shovels in the ground and have been waiting for months to get started connecting communities and building networks that will support the industries of tomorrow. Additional delays and onerous changes to the program at this stage threaten to further stall urgently needed deployment and leave communities behind.

We urge you to move forward with the submitted BEAD plans and deliver on the promise of the BEAD program without further delay. Every American and every community needs access to reliable, scalable, and high-speed internet if we are to remain the world’s innovation leader.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 31, 2025

MIL-OSI United Nations: A model for infrastructure resilience: Lessons from Bhutan, Chile, Costa Rica, Madagascar and Tonga
Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

Modelled costs indicate that global annual average losses to infrastructure exceed $700 billion, with lower-income countries 1disproportionately affected. These losses frequently erase development gains, undermining long-term progress.

Strengthening the resilience of infrastructure is essential to achieving the objectives of the Sendai Framework-particularly Target D-and the Sustainable Development Goals. Societies depend on the continuous, effective functioning of infrastructure to deliver public services, improve living conditions and support economic development.

Yet, further action is needed to ensure that at least critical infrastructure-and ideally all infrastructure-is resilient to risks, adaptable to shocks such as climate change, and sustainable over time.

To support countries in advancing infrastructure resilience, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), in partnership with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), has developed an innovative approach, rolled out in about 10 countries over the past two years.

Key impacts

Through this initiative, UNDRR has enabled countries to:
1. Identify gaps in institutional arrangements and regulatory frameworks across sectors such as transport, energy, water and telecommunications.
2. Stress test and analyze vulnerabilities in infrastructure systems, including through the use of satellite imagery and other geo-localized data.
3. Benchmark national infrastructure practices against international references such as the Principles for Resilient Infrastructure.
4. Develop national roadmaps that incorporate resilience throughout the infrastructure lifecycle-from planning to construction and operation.
This process strengthens governance mechanisms by convening infrastructure stakeholders across sectors to use data and risk analytics for informed decision-making on resilient infrastructure.

Country examples
- Tonga: Following a detailed assessment of the water sector, the government is now building the capacity of village water committees to prepare emergency plans, improve water security, and establish monitoring systems for groundwater levels to safeguard freshwater resources.
- Chile: Stress testing by UNDRR has led SENAPRED-the national disaster prevention and response agency-to recognize water scarcity and drought as critical emerging risks and to enhance institutional capacity to address them.
- Bhutan: Support from UNDRR and CDRI has contributed to strategic resilience measures being incorporated into sectoral action plans aligned with the 13th Five-Year Strategic Plan, embedding resilience within national infrastructure policy.
- Madagascar: After identifying regulatory gaps in energy and telecommunications sectors, the government is reviewing its frameworks and considering new resilience standards.
- Costa Rica and Panama: In Costa Rica, collaboration with UNDRR has resulted in the development of a data platform to inform infrastructure investments. In Panama, the government is revising procurement processes and planning the establishment of an infrastructure resilience commission.
Lessons learned for replication and adaptation
1. Enhance cross-sectoral collaboration: Infrastructure resilience requires integrated governance across sectors to manage interdependencies and cascading risks. This includes establishing inter-agency platforms, as seen in Madagascar and Panama.
2. Engage stakeholders: Effective resilience-building necessitates the involvement of private sector and civil society actors alongside public institutions.
3. Foster partnerships and knowledge exchange: National DRR strategies should promote collaboration with technical partners, including UNDRR, to leverage expertise and innovation.
4. Prioritise resilience in DRR strategies: Resilient infrastructure should be a core component of national DRR strategies across water, energy, transport and telecommunications sectors.
5. Align with national development planning: Resilience measures should be embedded in national development plans, as exemplified by Bhutan’s five-year strategy.
6. Update regulatory and procurement frameworks: National frameworks should be revised to integrate resilience standards, ensuring effective implementation.
7. Leverage data and tools: Develop data platforms and analytical tools to enable risk-informed planning and decision-making, as demonstrated in Costa Rica.
8. Support local capacity: Empower local actors, such as Tonga’s village water committees, to contribute meaningfully to infrastructure resilience.
9. Monitor progress: Establish monitoring frameworks to assess and review resilience outcomes, supporting continuous improvement in infrastructure governance.
MIL OSI United Nations News –
May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Central America and Dominican Republic: Regional Intergovernmental Organizations strengthen national disaster risk reduction financing strategies
Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has collaborated with the Coordination Centre for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America (CEPREDENAC) and the Council of Ministers of Finance of Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic (COSEFIN) to enhance disaster risk reduction (DRR) financing across Central America and the Dominican Republic. This partnership marks the region’s initial steps towards establishing a comprehensive regional DRR financing strategy.

In partnership with the World Bank, UNDRR convened a ministerial meeting that brought together high-level representatives from CEPREDENAC and COSEFIN. At this meeting, the two regional entities issued a joint declaration, committing to work with their Member States to improve financing for DRR.

Ministers of Finance and DRR authorities reaffirmed their “regional commitment to promote resilient and sustainable public investment, ensuring alignment with regional DRR guidelines and the search for innovative and sustainable financing mechanisms.” This led to the establishment of a technical support group-comprising CEPREDENAC, COSEFIN, the World Bank, and UNDRR-tasked with developing a regional DRR financing strategy designed to complement and strengthen existing national strategies.

By shaping regional policy and encouraging intergovernmental collaboration, UNDRR and its partners have generated momentum for innovative financing approaches to resilience, thus contributing to enhanced protection for communities throughout the region. The Minister of Finance of Costa Rica, Mr. Nogui Acosta, remarked, “The impacts on one country affect all others, so we should address these issues at a regional level.” He further emphasized the importance of prospective planning and tailored budgetary approaches to facilitate efficient resource use and risk reduction at national level.

Key Impacts
- Strengthening national-regional alignment: The regional commitment – spearheaded by CEPREDENAC, COSEFIN and UNDRR, provides a framework for national governments to align their DRR financing mechanisms with regional guidelines, promoting consistency and coherence across DRR investment strategies.
- Influencing policy and mobilizing resources: By involving Ministries of Finance alongside DRR authorities, the initiative strengthens the integration of DRR into national public investment planning and budgeting, a cornerstone of effective DRR governance.
- Supporting national DRR implementation: The emerging regional DRR financing strategy is intended to bolster national DRR strategies, facilitating implementation of commitments under the Sendai Framework, particularly Priority 2 (strengthening disaster risk governance) and Priority 3 (investing in DRR).
- Enhancing institutional coordination and technical support: The technical support group, involving regional IGOs and global partners, fosters multi-level institutional collaboration and provides sustained technical assistance to national DRR governance structures.
- Promoting whole-of-government approaches: By framing DRR financing as a cross-sectoral issue of fiscal governance, the initiative integrates DRR into broader national development planning and central government portfolios, thereby encouraging broader institutional engagement and implementation.
- Elevating DRR financing as a regional-to-local priority: This initiative represents a shift from reactive disaster response to systemic, finance-driven disaster risk governance, highlighting the need for dedicated financing pathways and institutional collaboration across sectors and all levels of government.
Lessons learned for replication and adaptation
1. Integrate DRR into national financial planning: Engaging both DRR authorities and Ministries of Finance ensures that DRR is embedded in national budgeting and public investment systems, moving beyond siloed emergency responses.
2. Leverage regional IGOs to reinforce national action: Regional bodies can catalyse national commitments by promoting shared policy frameworks and facilitating peer learning. In some contexts, their influence may be strengthened through legally binding DRR frameworks (e.g. ASEAN).
3. Formalize political commitments: Ministerial declarations and joint statements can solidify intent, mandate follow-up actions and foster political momentum for sustained DRR engagement.
4. Establish technical support mechanisms: Creating regional working groups that include global partners facilitates continuous follow-up and helps countries translate commitments into actionable strategies.
5. Align with existing frameworks to enhance ownership: Building on national and regional DRR strategies avoids duplication, increases relevance, and supports long-term sustainability and legitimacy.
MIL OSI United Nations News –
May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: The Week at State – new visa policies, Memorial Day, Syria and Venezuela Updates

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

This week at State:
– Secretary Rubio announces new visa policies that put America first
– We recognize the sacrifice of our Nation’s fallen heroes on Memorial Day
– Ambassador Thomas Barrack is now Presiden Trump’s Special Envoy to Syria
– We warn U.S. citizens to not travel to Venezuela for any reason

———-
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!
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Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
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#StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYMk1VioDeY

MIL OSI Video –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: New Mexico Man Indicted in El Paso for Drug, Firearm and Murder Charges

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

EL PASO, Texas – A New Mexico man is in federal custody after being indicted by a federal grand jury in El Paso in 2021 and expelled to the U.S. by Mexican authorities earlier this week.

Jaime Renteria-Fernandez, 31, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is charged in a superseding indictment with nine counts related to alleged offenses committed in support of the Barraza Drug Trafficking Organization. Co-conspirator Alex Barraza was the leader of the DTO and was sentenced to life in federal prison Oct. 24, 2024.

Renteria-Fernandez made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday. The indictment includes multiple counts related to drug possession and trafficking, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, as well as discharging firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and murder resulting from the use and carrying of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, with a maximum of life in federal prison, and possibly the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations El Paso is investigating the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Johnston, Andres Ortega and Susanna Martinez are 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.

###

MIL Security OSI –

May 31, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Sentenced and Another Pleads Guilty for Roles in Transnational Drug Trafficking Operation

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Three individuals from Pennsylvania, Washington, and Arizona were sentenced, and another individual from Ohio pleaded guilty, in federal court on May 28, 2025, to charges of violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws in relation to a transnational drug trafficking organization (DTO), Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendants were among 35 individuals charged through a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024 for their participation in a domestic and international narcotics and money laundering conspiracy involving substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

The sentences imposed by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan were:

Defendant	Age	Residence	Sentence
James Pinkston	34	New Kensington, Pennsylvania	220 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release
Alicia Parks	26	Kent, Washington	84 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release
Marco Armenta	24	Phoenix, Arizona	12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release

According to information presented to the Court, on various dates from in and around August 2021 to in and around June 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Pinkston and Parks conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Similarly, from in and around August 2022 to January 2023, Armenta conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl. The defendants were intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that they distributed to others. Additionally, the Court was advised that, in and around March 2023, Pinkston possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of cocaine, and, from in and around April 2022 to March 2023, conspired to commit money laundering by using a payments app to receive and initiate payments for drug transactions.

The Second Superseding Indictment alleges that the operation imported from Mexico millions of fentanyl pills, kilograms of fentanyl powder, hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, and dozens of kilograms of cocaine that then were distributed and sold throughout the United States. Pinkston served as the western Pennsylvania connection to the Phoenix DTO responsible for importing the drugs from Mexico.

In addition to the sentencings, another defendant in the case—Diamond Williams-Dorsey, 32, of Cleveland, Ohio—pleaded guilty before Judge Ranjan to Count One of the Second Superseding Indictment. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around July 2022 to August 2022, Williams-Dorsey conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl. Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for November 4, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

With this week’s three sentencings and guilty plea, 20 of the 35 defendants charged in the Second Superseding Indictment have now pleaded guilty in the case, with nine having been sentenced thus far.

Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Tonya S. Goodman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of the defendants. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies.

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

MIL Security OSI –

May 31, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins CBC’s The Current to Discuss Trade War, Congressional Delegation to Ottawa

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Welch on Trump’s Trade War: “From my perspective—and obviously the court’s perspective—he’s overreaching. He’s acting beyond the scope of authority that he has as the chief executive of our country.”
BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined CBC Radio One’s The Current to reflect on his recent trip to Ottawa, where he and a bipartisan Congressional Delegation discussed the trade war with Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Canadian leaders. In the interview, Senator Welch also reacted to the U.S. Court of International Trade’s ruling halting President Trump’s so-called ‘reciprocal’ global tariffs, and tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
Matt Galloway: “You have called Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, in your words, ‘really, really stupid.’ What did you make of this court ruling?”
Senator Welch: “Well, it’s welcome news. The reality is that in the United States, under our Constitution, a tariff is a tax, and the originating body has to be the Congress. The president has hijacked that authority, supposedly invoking emergency powers. I think that was bogus and that it has done a lot of damage. This court ruling says what I think is true: the president and executive, whether it’s Trump or anyone else, does not have the unilateral authority to arbitrarily and whimsically impose these tariffs without congressional approval.”
Galloway: “It’s interesting, this court has appointees from Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Do you think that the Trump Administration will abide by their decision?”
Welch: “Open question. As you said, when there is a court ruling the Trump Administration disagrees with, it accuses the judges of being unelected people who have no authority. Under our system of justice, and our constitutional order—the court—that is their job to make a determination as to whether a law or an action by the executive is within the bounds of the constitution. It’s ‘situation normal’ and ‘reaction normal’ from Trump. If he doesn’t like the decision, he says it’s bogus. He has disregarded many decisions, I think it’ll be tougher, on this one, for him to do so.”
■■■
Galloway: “As you said, this was a bipartisan group of Members that came to Ottawa, both Democrat and Republican. What is your sense as to how willing the parties are to work together when it comes to mending offenses?”
Welch: “Well, here’s the dilemma that we have—this is our problem: There’s widespread opposition to the tariffs, because—whether you voted for Trump, you voted for Harris—these tariffs are making your business running your business very, very difficult. But the reality, politically, for us right now is Trump continues to have a pretty iron grip on the Republicans in Congress. So, at a certain point, my Republican colleagues are going to have to decide whether they’re going to defer to the president or listen to the people they represent. Because whether you’re in a Republican state like North Dakota or…a Democratic state like Vermont, our businesses in both states, our hospitality industry, they’re being affected. And of course, Canada is a major trading partner for 34 states. It is for Vermont, but we’re one of 34 states. And this is something that is now integrated into the economies of 34 of our states, and really our country.
“These tariffs make absolutely no sense, and many of us are saying that. But Trump’s in charge, and from my perspective—and obviously the court’s perspective—he’s overreaching. He’s acting beyond the scope of authority that he has as the chief executive of our country.”
Listen to the episode here:
This week in Manchester, Senator Welch brought together Vermont businesses and manufacturers to hear directly how global tariffs and President Trump’s trade war are impacting them. The event was held at The Orvis Company. Read more about the event here.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE investigation leads to couple charged with marriage fraud, making false statements

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

CAMDEN, N.J. — An Albanian national was charged with marriage fraud, and he and his wife, an American citizen, were both charged with making false statements on forms submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services following an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Newark.

The charges against Elvis Harizaj, 25, of Cherry Hill, and Natasha Flores, 27, of Newark, were announced May 28 by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Camden.

“This couple allegedly undermined the integrity of our U.S. immigration laws by entering into a deceptive marriage for the purpose of obtaining fraudulent legal status to remain in our country,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “These charges should serve as a warning to others that marriage fraud is a federal crime, and we will investigate and prosecute those who try to circumvent our nation’s legal paths to residency.”

According to HSI Newark’s investigation, Harizaj is a citizen of Albania and entered into a sham marriage with Flores for the purpose of obtaining permanent residence in the United States. On forms submitted to USCIS, Harizaj falsely stated that he lived with Flores and Flores falsely stated that she had never been married before. Flores, in fact, had previously been married to a Brazilian national who obtained U.S. citizenship based on his marriage to Flores. In addition, Harizaj was charged with marriage fraud.

The counts of false statements and marriage fraud both have a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of three years of supervised release.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 31, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: De La Cruz Advocates to Combat New World Screwworm in Hidalgo County

Source: United States House of Representatives – Monica De La Cruz (TX-15)

De La Cruz Advocates to Combat New World Screwworm in Hidalgo County

Washington, May 29, 2025

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins advocating for the USDA to establish anew sterile fly facility at the Moore Air Base in Hidalgo County, Texas. The facility is critical to protecting Texas livestock and wildlife from New World Screwworm.

In the 1960s, Moore Air Base housed a sterile fly facility that helped successfully eradicate the New World Screwworm. Given Hidalgo County’s proximity to the border and the existing infrastructure, it is strategic and beneficial to select this location for a potential new sterile fly facility.

Read the full letter here or below.

“Dear Secretary Rollins,

I write to you today regarding the potential establishment of a new sterile fly facility within the United States, a matter of critical importance to the protection of our livestock and wildlife. As you know, the threat of invasive fly species, such as the New World screwworm, poses a significant risk to the health and economic well-being of our agricultural sector and the delicate balance of our ecosystems.

Given the strategic importance of this facility, I strongly advocate for its location within Texas’ 15th Congressional District, specifically at Moore Air Base. This base was previously the site of a facility to help combat screwworm in the 1960’s. Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture currently operates a fruit fly rearing and eclosion facility in this area and the addition of a new sterile fly facility would logistically make sense due to the existing USDA infrastructure in place and the operational runway at Moore Air Base. This region also presents a compelling case for consideration, primarily due to its proximity to the United States-Mexico border.

The Moore Air Base location offers several key advantages:

Border Proximity: The proximity to the border with Mexico is crucial for effective monitoring and control of potential incursions of invasive fly species. A facility in this region would allow for rapid response and containment, minimizing the spread of infestations into the United States.
Existing Agricultural Infrastructure: The region boasts a robust agricultural sector with established infrastructure and expertise in livestock management. This existing framework would facilitate efficient integration of the sterile fly facility and streamline its operations. Additionally, Moore Air Base has operations runways equipped to distribute sterile flies.
Strategic Location: Moore Air Base offers a central location for distribution of sterile flies to other areas in the southern United States, if such a need arises. Additionally, this base was the site of a facility used in the 1960’s to successfully combat screwworm.
Economic Impact: The establishment of such a facility would provide valuable economic opportunities for the region by generating jobs and stimulating local economies.

I understand the Department of Agriculture’s commitment to safeguarding our agricultural resources and natural habitats. I believe that locating this vital facility in Texas’ 15th Congressional District would be a prudent and strategic decision, enhancing our ability to protect our livestock and wildlife from the devastating impact of invasive fly species.

I respectfully request that you give this matter your full consideration and explore the feasibility of establishing the sterile fly facility within Texas’ 15th Congressional District at Moore Air Base. I am prepared to provide any additional information or support that may be required during your evaluation process.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.

Sincerely,

Monica De La Cruz”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 31, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Luján Wraps Up Statewide Tour Highlighting Work to Protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP

US Senate News:

Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

Luján Visits Las Cruces, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe; Holds Town Hall With Rep. Stansbury

New Mexico – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) concluded a series of events across New Mexico this week, meeting with health care providers, seniors, families, and union members to highlight the impact of Republican efforts to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP.

This week, Senator Luján traveled from Las Cruces to Albuquerque to Santa Fe to speak directly with New Mexicans about what’s at stake and to reaffirm his commitment to protecting the essential programs that thousands of New Mexico families, children, seniors, and communities rely on

Candlelight Memorial Ceremony in Las Cruces

Senator Luján began the week on Monday by honoring fallen service members at the 12th Annual Candlelight Ceremony in Doña Ana County.

“On Memorial Day, we pause to remember the heroes who gave everything for our country. I was proud to stand with the community in Las Cruces to honor their service, their sacrifice, and their families,” said Senator Luján.

Roundtable on Republican Benefit Cuts in Las Cruces

At the Munson Senior Center on Tuesday, Senator Luján met with health care professionals, senior service providers, and AARP to discuss how Republican cuts would harm New Mexicans.

“We heard firsthand how Republican cuts would shut down clinics, rip away food and care, and leave families with nowhere to turn,” continued Senator Luján. “For seniors living on fixed incomes, for parents working to make ends meet, and for rural communities already facing barriers to care – these programs are lifelines. I will keep fighting in the Senate to stop these cuts and protect the dignity and well-being of every New Mexican.”

Town Hall with Representative Melanie Stansbury in Albuquerque

Tuesday evening, Senator Luján joined Rep. Melanie Stansbury for a town hall focused on threats to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and SNAP.

“This Republican-led bill is a total rip-off for New Mexicans – all to line the pockets of people like President Trump and Elon Musk,” said Senator Ben Ray Luján. “The Republicans’ priorities couldn’t be more clear: tax handouts for billionaires and massive corporations, paid for by cutting health care, food assistance, and benefits for New Mexicans. We are not backing down.”

Health Care Roundtable at CHRISTUS St. Vincent in Santa Fe

Senator Luján met with health careleaders and providers to discuss the impact of federal budget cuts on care delivery, staffing, and rural access.

“Gutting Medicare and Medicaid would take health care away from those who need it most – especially in rural communities,” continued Senator Luján. “Providers are already stretched thin. These cuts would force closures, delay care, and put lives at risk. Our hospitals and health care workers need support, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure they get it.”

AFSCME and SNAP Labor Event in Santa Fe

Senator Luján concluded the tour with AFSCME union members, focusing on how GOP cuts to SNAP and public services would affect workers and families.

“AFSCME members keep our state running, and SNAP keeps families fed. These cuts are a direct attack on both,” said Senator Luján. “That’s why I’ve introduced legislation to strengthen the SNAP workforce because supporting workers means better service for families. I’ll always stand with New Mexico’s workers and the communities they serve.”

Throughout the statewide tour, Senator Luján underscored the devastating impact of the GOP budget proposal that slashes health and nutrition programs, raises costs for New Mexicans, and adds to the national debt – all to fund massive tax handouts for the wealthiest Americans and corporate interests.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: 413 New Immigration Cases This Week in the Western District of Texas

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 413 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 23 through May 29.

Among the new cases, Salvadoran national Jaqueline Del Carmen Aleman-Aguilar was charged with one count of illegal re-entry in San Antonio. According to a criminal complaint, Aleman-Aguilar was convicted for transportation of aliens in June 2015 and sentenced to six months in federal prison. She was then removed from the United States to Mexico in July 2015.

Christian Ruben Corea-Benavides, a Nicaraguan national, was charged in El Paso with attempting to transport illegal aliens. U.S. Border Patrol agents allegedly observed Corea-Benavides pick up five illegal aliens just over four miles west of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. A criminal complaint alleges that during a traffic stop, the investigating USBP agent observed a female passenger in the front seat of the vehicle, and four additional passengers lying on top of one another in the backseat—all appearing to be wet and muddy.

Mexican national Sabino Renteria-Alvarado was arrested May 28 at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry after he attempted to enter through the pedestrian entrance and allegedly presented the Customs and Border Protection officer (CBPO) with a false claim that he had been a Legal Permanent Resident, but that police in Nevada possessed his LPR card. The CBPO referred Renteria-Alvarado to Passport Control Secondary, where records revealed he had been previously removed in January 2024 through Nogales, Arizona. His criminal record includes a 15-year prison sentence for a sexual assault of a minor conviction in 2017. Renteria-Alvarado is currently charged with one count of illegal re-entry.

Two U.S. citizens were arrested in the Del Rio area as the result of separate human smuggling attempts, as alleged in criminal complaints. Nancy Anna Gwyn, of Houston, was encountered during a May 22 traffic stop near Carrizo Springs. USBP agents allegedly uncovered three passengers in her vehicle who were identified to be citizens of foreign countries and illegally present in the U.S. On May 24, an immigration checkpoint inspection near Eagle Pass allegedly revealed that Anastasia Lee Daneill Godfrey, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was attempting to transport two illegal aliens to San Antonio in the trunk of a sedan.

Honduran national Walter Alonso Martinez-Chandias is charged with illegal re-entry. He has one prior removal—in June 2013 through Alexandria, Louisiana—and a lengthy criminal record that includes convictions in Birmingham, Alabama for drug trafficking and homicide, for which he was sentenced in 2018 to five years and 20 years in prison, respectively. In 2017, he was convicted in Birmingham for unlawful transport of firearms and sentenced to 81 months in prison. A criminal complain alleges that when he was arrested on May 25, Martinez-Chandias refused to comply with Border Patrol agents’ commands and resisted attempts to be placed in custody and handcuffs by running and kicking.

Luis Alberto Olivarez-Hernandez, of Mexico, was arrested May 27 near Eagle Pass for illegal re-entry. He has two prior removals, the last one being Feb. 25 through Laredo, five days after a felony conviction for unlawfully carrying a weapon in prohibited places. Additionally, Olivarez-Hernandez was convicted in 2010 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Armando Vazquez-Ruiz, also a Mexican national, is charged with illegal re-entry after being found near Eagle Pass less than two weeks after his most recent removal. Vazquez-Ruiz had been convicted in Georgetown May 7 for assault causing bodily injury and was deported May 8 through Laredo.

In Austin, Mexican national Basilio Luna-Luna was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Travis County Jail May 24, where he was detained for what would be his seventh DWI, if convicted. Luna-Luna was previously removed from the U.S. in November 2014 and voluntarily returned to Mexico twice—once in 1998 and once in 2009.

Juan Alberto Zarate-Salgado, also of Mexico, was encountered at the Travis County Jail as well and is charged with illegal re-entry. Zarate-Salgado has two prior removals and multiple convictions for assault of a family/household member and assault causing bodily injury to a family member.

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

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

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

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

###

MIL Security OSI –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: DHS Releases Statement on Major SCOTUS Victory for Trump Administration and the American People on Ending the CHNV Parole Program

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

CHNV was an unlawful scheme to unleash over 530,000 poorly vetted aliens into America

WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secured a legal victory in its effort to terminate parole for more than 530,000 illegal aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) who were released into the country by the Biden Administration. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 7-2 order, staying a District Court’s order pending appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

With this decision, DHS can once again start removing illegal aliens under the disastrous CHNV parole programs as the case progresses. This order comes after an activist judge ruled that DHS could not outright end the CHNV program.

DHS released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump Administration to keep Americans safe:

Statement Attributable to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin

“Today’s decision is a victory for the American people. The Biden Administration lied to America. They allowed more than half a million poorly vetted aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela and their immediate family members to enter the United States through these disastrous parole programs; granted them opportunities to compete for American jobs and undercut American workers; forced career civil servants to promote the programs even when fraud was identified; and then blamed Republicans in Congress for the chaos that ensued and the crime that followed,”

“Ending the CHNV parole programs, as well as the paroles of those who exploited it, will be a necessary return to common-sense policies, a return to public safety, and a return to America First.”

Read the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling here.

MIL Security OSI –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How seaweed is a powerful, yet surprising, climate solution

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mike Allen, Associate Professor of Single Cell Genomics, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter

Picture a place at the centre of a global seaweed revolution. I’ll bet the small English seaside town of Paignton in south Devon is not what comes to mind. A decade ago, I moved from the edge of Dartmoor to the coast. It was about a simple change in work-life balance, but what followed was more surprising.

The kids were four and seven. I’d always tried to inspire them with my scientific research. Moving to Paignton and walking along Broadsands beach one day, I started noticing piles of seaweed.

I’d spent my entire professional career researching microalgae (microscopic marine plants) but knew next-to-nothing about their bigger macroalgal cousins, the seaweeds. This felt like an opportunity to have some fun and for all of us to learn together.

So I bought us a seaweed guidebook, some stickers and set the Allen family the task of finding ten different seaweeds on our local beach. We’d mark a page with a sticker when we found it – the ultimate scientific reward chart. A few weeks later, we’d found 30 and exhausted our sticker sheet.

I was amazed at the diversity that I had never previously noticed. The colours, the textures, the structures – it was like I’d never really seen seaweed properly before. The professional scientist in me kicked in.

My kids and I started taking samples home. I built the kids a lab in a lean-to on the back of the house. We dried them out and put them in little jam jars, akin to a seaweed spice rack. It got me thinking of useful or sustainable things I could do with them.

One day, I posted a picture of these jars on Twitter, with the hashtag #SeaweedApothecary. It started something I could never have predicted.

Seaweed has an astonishing number of uses. It can be used to produce biofuels and fertilisers, foods such as laverbread, nori sheets for sushi and crisps, cosmetics and toothpaste, pharmaceuticals and food supplements like omega-3. I’d also been incorporating seaweed in my day-to-day research at the University of Exeter, trying to convert it into a biofuel.

Then, my colleagues in the broader academic and industrial science community started asking for samples. Like me, they’d been ignoring seaweed too – until they saw my social media posts and realised the potential.

The kids (now both teenagers) are acknowledged on at least a dozen scientific research articles and have continued to help me unlock the potential of seaweed. We’ve done degradation experiments in the raised beds in our garden, tested different seaweeds as feeds for a friend’s chickens, trialled them as fertilisers for our tomatoes – even mixed dried seaweed powder in with cement, to see if it can be used as a structural material filler. All fun, simple science that anyone can do at home.

Local science, global stories.

This article is part of a series, Secrets of the Sea, exploring how marine scientists are developing climate solutions.

In collaboration with the BBC, Anna Turns travels around the West Country coastline to meet ocean experts making exciting discoveries beneath the waves.

Swamped by sargassum

Then came a call from a Mexican friend, asking me to take a look at a seaweed problem. Every year, Caribbean islands and Mexican coasts are inundated with 30-40 million tonnes of floating sargassum seaweed washing ashore.

Rotting sargassum causes ecological and economical devastation, destroying livelihoods and the environment. I started converting it into fuels and fertilisers, trying to turn a massive problem into a positive opportunity. Ten years on, I’d become a seaweed expert.

Paddy Estridge and Mike Allen in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, surveying potential sites to monitor seaweed blooms.
Mike Allen, CC BY-NC-ND

I was asked to do a podcast on the subject. The presenter, Paddy Estridge, and I chatted about seaweed’s problems, opportunities and potential – and by the end of it, we were both pretty inspired. Together, we founded a company called SeaGen to harness the power of seaweed using autonomous robotics that can seed, cultivate, monitor and harvest it.

Seaweed holds huge potential to create a more sustainable future. But at the moment, this industry lacks the ability to safely seed, grow, monitor, harvest and process seaweed at scale. Solving these challenges is what SeaGen is all about. We’re designing a suite of automated robotic solutions to make abundant, sustainable supply an economic reality.

Our mission is a long way from those initial experiments with the kids, but the joy and pursuit of knowledge remains the same. The sticker chart perhaps holds less appeal to teenagers, but we’ve nearly hit 70 different species and I’m always on the look out for the next.

Those initial seaweed samples paved the way for a whole new aspect to my research portfolio, led to millions of pounds in grant funding, and the creation of a company employing a dozen people. Now, I’m part of a global seaweed and robotics revolution.

Not a bad outcome from a walk along the beach.

Listen to episode two of Secrets of the Sea here on BBC Sounds, presented by Anna Turns for The Conversation.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Mike Allen works for Exeter University and is Cofounder and Chief Scientific Officer for Seaweed Generation Ltd (SeaGen). He currently receives funding from Innovate UK, Natural Environment Research Council, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, The Leverhulme Trust, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

– ref. How seaweed is a powerful, yet surprising, climate solution – https://theconversation.com/how-seaweed-is-a-powerful-yet-surprising-climate-solution-251195

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 31, 2025
First round of India-Chile CEPA negotiations concludes in New Delhi

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The first round of negotiations for the India-Chile Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) concluded successfully in New Delhi, marking a major step towards enhancing bilateral economic cooperation. The negotiations began on May 26, following the signing of the Terms of Reference on May 8.

The opening ceremony was inaugurated by India’s Commerce Secretary, Sunil Barthwal, in the presence of the Ambassador of Chile to India, H.E. Juan Angulo.

During the inauguration, Barthwal emphasized that the CEPA would pave the way for a deeper economic partnership between India and Chile and contribute to the creation of strengthened global value chains.

The initiative follows the momentum generated during the State Visit of the President of Chile, H.E. Gabriel Boric Font, to India in April 2025, where both countries welcomed the launch of CEPA negotiations. President Boric described India as a priority partner for Chile and stressed the importance of developing strategies for enhanced and diversified trade.

Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Boric expressed support for an agreement that is balanced, ambitious, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial, with the goal of achieving deeper economic integration between the two countries.

Over the course of the round, discussions were held across various thematic areas covering trade, services, investment, economic cooperation, and strategic sectors. The CEPA is envisioned to unlock the full potential of India-Chile trade and commercial ties, leading to increased employment, stronger bilateral trade, and sustained economic growth.

The two sides have agreed to continue engagement through intersessional virtual discussions to address outstanding matters ahead of the next round of negotiations, which is expected to take place in July or August 2025. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to a constructive and consultative negotiation process that involves industry feedback and stakeholder participation, aiming to deliver a meaningful and impactful agreement.

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: One lawsuit just helped melt the fossil fuel industry’s defence against being held accountable for climate change

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Benjamin Franta, Associate Professor of Climate Litigation, University of Oxford

There was a time when oil and gas companies happily linked themselves to the idea of planet-wide environmental changes. “Each day Humble supplies enough energy to melt 7 million tons of glacier!” boasts the headline from a 1962 double-page spread in Life magazine for Humble Oil, now part of ExxonMobil.

Fast forward 60 years and that advert takes on a prophetic quality. Millions of people have experienced first-hand the tragic consequences of how burning fossil fuels is overheating our planet beyond recognition. Not just by melting glaciers but fuelling storms, fires and floods.

The fossil fuel industry today would never dream of linking its activities to melting glaciers. Instead, it actively denies responsibility for the consequences of extracting and selling some of the most harmful products ever known to humanity.

For the decades we have known about climate science, this narrative has been core to how the fossil fuel industry maintains its social legitimacy: that the industry is not responsible for climate change, but everyone else is through their individual actions.

Yet a ten-year climate lawsuit brought by a Peruvian farmer and mountain guide has challenged this narrative. In March this year, Saúl Luciano Lliuya’s case against the European coal-giant RWE was heard in a regional court in Germany.

And while the court has now dismissed Lliuya’s specific claim – finding the flood risk to Lliuya’s particular property is not yet sufficiently great – it did confirm that private companies can in principle be held liable for their share in causing climate damages. This finding has major ramifications for the wider legal battle to make fossil fuel companies accountable.

Farmer vs coal giant

Lliuya lives in Huaraz, a city in the foothills of the Peruvian Andes. He and the 120,000 residents of this city live in constant danger. The melting glaciers caused by climate change are causing the water levels in Lake Palcacocha above their home to rise. Peru’s disaster management agency warns that a flood could occur at any moment.

Huaraz is one of many cities in the Andes at risk of flooding as temperatures rise and glaciers melt.
Christian Vinces / shutterstock

For Lliuya, it is not a matter of if but when – and how bad the flood will be.

He therefore embarked on his lawsuit against RWE with this simple premise: as one of the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters, it should help pay for flood defences to protect Hauraz. The total cost of a new dam would have been US$4 million (£3 million), and Lliuya was demanding that RWE pay 0.47% of that total, which is US$20,000.

This proportional amount was based on a calculation of RWE’s contribution to historical global greenhouse gas emissions – most of which have occurred since the 1990s, long after fossil fuel companies were aware their products would cause dangerous climate change.

RWE’s revenues are measured in the tens of billions. It could have accepted Lliuya’s request and paid for not just its share of the cost, but the full cost of flood defences for Huaraz. Yet the company fought tooth and nail to prevent the case getting as far as it did.

When asked by the court much earlier in the process if it would be willing to settle, the company’s lawyers declined, revealing exactly what was at stake: “This is a matter of precedent.”

On May 28 2025, the court ruled that the flood risk to Lliuya’s home was not sufficiently high to uphold his specific claim. However, its confirmation of the principle that private companies can be held liable for climate damage shows that RWE was, in fact, correct to fear the precedent that Lliuya’s case has now helped set.

Liability – across national borders

Despite RWE’s attempts to argue otherwise, the case’s outcome has far-reaching implications that could shape similar cases in countries such as Switzerland and Belgium, and which may be relevant for other jurisdictions including the UK, Netherlands, US and Japan.

Crucially, the case confirms that proportional liability for climate harm is legally possible, even across national borders. And this will still remain a possibility, even if a higher court overrules the German district court in favour of the fossil fuel companies.

Why does this matter so much to RWE and other fossil fuel companies, who argue time and again in court that they should not be held responsible?

For years, fossil fuel companies have operated as if they would not be held responsible for the emissions from their products. But as the world continues to warm, the harmful impacts of climate change and extreme weather will only intensify, resulting in mounting costs – both those we can calculate, such as damage to infrastructure, and those we cannot, like the loss of our loved ones.

With the growing number and accuracy of climate science attribution studies, legal pressure on companies to contribute to climate costs is likely to keep growing.

And when you consider that the legal basis for this “polluter pays” principle exists in a similar form in at least 50 nations around the world, then the scale of liability facing the industry becomes clear.

More examples are already emerging. In 2024, a Belgian farmer filed a lawsuit against French fossil fuel major TotalEnergies, seeking compensation for damage to his farm as a result of extreme weather.

In 2022, four residents of Pari island, Indonesia, started legal proceedings in Switzerland against the Swiss cement firm Holcim. The residents are seeking a 43% reduction in Holcim’s carbon emissions by 2030, and around US$4,000 in compensation each for damages caused by flooding.

Since 2017, dozens of cities, counties and states across the US have sued fossil fuel producers for climate change-related damages and adaptation costs, potentially totalling trillions of dollars – pointing to the industry’s increasingly well-documented historical and ongoing deceptions about climate change.

And policymakers across countries including the US, the Philippines and Pakistan are working to enact laws that would directly hold polluting companies financially responsible for climate damages.

The new ruling in Germany provides a shot in the arm to all these cases, and the future suits yet to be filed. Perhaps most consequentially of all, public opinion is hardening: growing numbers of people understand that the fossil fuel industry is responsible for climate change, and lawsuits to compel big carbon to pay for climate damages enjoy widespread public support.

When Lliuya launched his case nearly a decade ago, the idea of linking an individual corporation to the impacts of its emissions seemed implausible to some. Yet scientific research now makes it possible to link the emissions of individual companies to particular, quantifiable damages caused by climate change.

This, coupled with the German court’s ruling, makes it increasingly clear that the fossil fuel industry’s longstanding deflection of responsibility for planetary warming is doomed to melt away.

Read more:
A Peruvian farmer is trying to hold energy giant RWE responsible for climate change – the inside story of his groundbreaking court case

Benjamin Franta has served as a consulting expert for various climate-related lawsuits. His research has received funding from foundations in the environment and climate space.

– ref. One lawsuit just helped melt the fossil fuel industry’s defence against being held accountable for climate change – https://theconversation.com/one-lawsuit-just-helped-melt-the-fossil-fuel-industrys-defence-against-being-held-accountable-for-climate-change-257840

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Sidhu to advance Canada’s trade priorities in Paris, France

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

May 30, 2025 – Ottawa, Canada – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, will be in Paris, France, from June 2 to 4, 2025, to attend the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM), participate in meetings with WTO ministers and host a G7 trade ministers’ meeting.

At the OECD MCM—chaired by Costa Rica with Canada, Australia and Lithuania as vice-chairs—Minister Sidhu will advance Canada’s trade priorities, including reinforcing open and stable markets, diversifying our trading relationships and leveraging the digital economy. These priorities will help Canada foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth, benefiting Canadian businesses, workers and communities right across the country.

As Canada holds the G7 presidency this year, the Minister will host a trade ministers’ meeting, where he will emphasize the G7’s critical role in promoting economic prosperity for citizens and businesses and strengthening economic security and resilience amid evolving global trade challenges.

MIL OSI Canada News –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Arrested For Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material And Illegal Reentry Into The United States

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Marlon Jefferson Fajardo-Paiz (33, Guatemala) with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted on all counts, Fajardo-Paiz faces a maximum penalty of 22 years in federal prison—20 years for the CSAM offense and 2 years for the immigration offense. Fajardo-Paiz is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case.

According to the indictment, on April 24, 2025, Fajardo-Paiz was in possession of CSAM depicting a prepubescent minor. Fajardo-Paiz is a citizen of Guatemala and had previously been removed from the United States on July 18, 2018. He never has received the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

MIL Security OSI –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced To 20 Months In Federal Prison For Illegal Reentry

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Gumersindo Gonzalez-Montoya (31) to one year and eight months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Gonzalez-Montoya pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025.

According to court documents, Gonzalez-Montoya is a citizen and national of Mexico. He was previously removed from the United States on May 8, 2024, and was found back in the United States approximately two months later, on July 14, 2024, when he was arrested in Marion County for a new state criminal offense. Gonzalez-Montoya has never applied for or received permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reenter the United States.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

MIL Security OSI –

May 31, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: MS-13 Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendant fled to El Salvador following 2010 murder, illegally reentered U.S. and planned second murder

BOSTON – A member of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to participating in a racketeering enterprise, more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy.

William Pineda Portillo, a/k/a “Humilde,” 31, of Everett, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct racketeering affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity. Senior U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025. In September 2024, Pineda Portillo was charged by a second superseding indictment along with co-defendant Jose Vasquez, who pleaded guilty last week to one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering.

MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization with tens of thousands of members located in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere. MS-13 branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. In furtherance of its mission, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, specifically against rival gang members; kill informants; and support and defend fellow MS-13 members in attacks. MS-13 members maintain and enhance their status in the gang and the overall reputation of the gang by participating in such violent acts.

Pineda Portillo was a member of the Trece Locos Salvatrucha, or TLS, clique of MS-13, which operated in Somerville. Pineda Portillo personally participated in racketeering activity and acts of violence on behalf of MS-13.

Specifically, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez conspired with others to murder a 28-year-old man on Dec. 18, 2010, in Chelsea, Mass. That evening, law enforcement responded to a 911 call in the vicinity of the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1 in Chelsea. There, law enforcement found the victim with approximately 10 stab wounds to his chest and back, along with injuries to his head. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. A recent reexamination of evidence collected during the initial investigation identified members of MS-13, including Vasquez, as having committed the murder.

In the week leading up to the incident, Vasquez and other MS-13 members conspired to murder the victim because they believed the victim belonged to a rival gang. Evidence revealed that on the day of the murder, Pineda Portillo picked up Vasquez, other MS-13 members and the victim in Allston. Driving a green SUV registered to his father, Pineda Portillo took the MS-13 members and the victim to Chelsea where Vasquez and the other gang members led the victim to an area under the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1. Once in the secluded area under the highway, an MS-13 member hit the victim in the head with a rock and another MS-13 member stabbed the victim with a machete. During the attack, Vasquez stabbed the victim with a knife. Vasquez’s palm print was identified on the handle of a silver kitchen knife recovered from the murder scene. The victim’s blood also was found on the knife.

Pineda Portillo fled to El Salvador before investigators could interview him about his role in the murder. On or about April 29, 2015, after Pineda Portillo returned to the United States, he arranged to sell a firearm loaded with eight rounds of ammunition to another MS-13 member, who was, in reality, a cooperating witness working with law enforcement, in exchange for money.

On or about June 1, 2015, Pineda Portillo conspired to murder an MS-13 member he incorrectly believed had been arrested and was cooperating with law enforcement. Specifically, in a conversation recorded by law enforcement, Pineda Portillo said, among other things: “I want that son of a bitch killed, man. . . . You will see, homeboy! We are going to do a complete thing to that son of a bitch, dude.”

Pineda Portillo originally was indicted in 2017. However, shortly before the indictment was returned, he was deported to El Salvador. Approximately five years later, on May 10, 2022, Pineda Portillo was arrested as he tried to return to the United States, illegally crossing the border into Texas from Mexico. According to court documents, after being arrested at the border, Pineda Portillo admitted that he was a member of MS-13. A fingerprint analysis indicated that there was a warrant for his arrest. Pineda Portillo was then returned to the District of Massachusetts where he remained in custody.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Geoffrey D. Noble, Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Chief Shumeane Benford of the Somerville Police Department; and Chief Keith Houghton of the Chelsea Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; United States Customs and Border Protection; United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of the Office’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

The charge of racketeering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

MIL Security OSI –

May 31, 2025

Category: Latin America

IMF Communications Department

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