NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Exec at Orange County Company and Illegal Alien Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging He Embezzled $7 Million From His Employer

    Source: US FBI

    SANTA ANA, California – A former executive at a Newport Beach company that specializes in the purchase of classic cars – who also happens to be an illegal alien from Mexico – was arrested today on a federal complaint alleging he embezzled approximately $7 million from his employer.

    Alexander G. Ramos, 62, of Newport Beach, is charged with wire fraud, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    A federal magistrate judge ordered Ramos jailed without bond and scheduled an arraignment for June 30.

    According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Ramos was employed at the victim company since 2017 until his termination in September 2024 in the company’s Risk Management Department. Through his positions, he knew his employer’s loans and held relationships with title agents or other partners nationwide. He also oversaw requests by the company’s Title and Risk Department to its Accounting Department for payment to title agents, sometimes submitting the requests himself.

    Ramos allegedly caused checks to be issued from the victim company to certain parties, including a Las Vegas DMV services business. The checks were supposed to cover expenses for tax, titling, and licensing associated with car purchases.

    However, Ramos purposely caused his employer to send too much money to the outside entities. He then directed those entities on how to dispose of the extra money, including by sending the funds to bank accounts that he controlled.

    A law enforcement review of financial records revealed that approximately $7 million in checks and wires were deposited into Ramos-controlled bank accounts from the outside entities in the car industry. The origin of some of the funds deposited into Ramos’s bank accounts showed the checks and wires were made out to the victim company and were intended as refunds to that company’s clients who had overpaid for vehicle registration fees.

    Instead of being returned directly to the Ramos’s employer, Ramos allegedly moved the funds to other accounts he controlled for his personal use, including buying a home in Irvine. The illegal transfers date back to at least January 2020, according to the complaint.

    Ramos is an illegal alien from Mexico who was removed from the United States in 2017 but later returned.

    A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

    The FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General are investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Fu of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Together With Local and Federal Law Enforcement Partners, Attorney General Bonta Reaffirms Commitment to Combat the Fentanyl Epidemic

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Attorney General Bonta joins law enforcement partners in Sacramento region to discuss collaborative efforts to protect communities from fentanyl

    SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire, and local and federal law enforcement partners today to reaffirmed their commitment to combating the fentanyl epidemic through collaborative action. The California Department of Justice (DOJ) is actively working to prevent fentanyl trafficking across the border through coordinated efforts with local and federal law enforcement partners throughout California to stop fentanyl before it ever has a chance to make it to Sacramento. As of April 2025, DOJ has seized a total of 15,468,990 fentanyl pills, 6,793 pounds of fentanyl powder and have arrested 508 suspects on fentanyl related charges. 

    “Today, I want to remind Californians that our work will continue until illicit fentanyl stops destroying lives,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “We will continue to collaborate with local, state, and federal law enforcement wherever possible. We’ll investigate traffickers, disrupt trafficking networks, and continue to prevent overdose deaths by taking illicit fentanyl off of our streets. Those who bring this poison into the state can expect to be prosecuted and held accountable for the death and devastation they’ve caused. We are extremely thankful to all our Greater Sacramento area law enforcement partners standing on the frontlines with us to battle this epidemic.”  

    “With a focus on increased accountability for drug dealers, our SACFORCE team has successfully prosecuted dangerous drug peddlers,” Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho. “We’re partnering regionally to disrupt fentanyl distribution and increasing public awareness to protect people from fentanyl poisonings. This combined approach is working in Sacramento, and we will continue to keep fentanyl deaths on a downward trend.”

    “With 33 years in law enforcement, and having worked as a gang and narcotics detective, I have been in the war against drugs for decades – and fentanyl is the deadliest drug I have ever seen,” said Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper. “We need to be the adults in the room. The social experiment of allowing this deadly poison to flow freely has failed – and now it’s time to take action, with more than just words.”

    “We are proud to stand with our federal, state, and local partners in the continued fight to rid our communities of fentanyl and those who peddle it,” said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire. “Our aggressive enforcement and prosecution, combined with our extensive outreach and education campaigns, have reduced overdose and poisoning deaths in our region and are saving lives. We will continue to hold dealers of this poison accountable and use all available resources to combat this deadly epidemic.”

    In 2022, in response to the fentanyl epidemic, the California Legislature and the Governor approved appropriation for the creation of the California Department of Justice Fentanyl Enforcement Program (FEP). FEP works with local and federal law enforcement partners throughout the state to address the fentanyl crisis and get these dangerous drugs off California’s streets. The program is comprised of regional investigative teams placed in San Diego, Los Angeles, Dublin, and Sacramento. FEP targets major multijurisdictional fentanyl-trafficking criminal networks. The program works with local and federal law enforcement partnerships to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle these criminal networks. 

    Some of Doj’s recent fentanyl related enforcement actions can be read about here:

    • March 2025: Announced the arrest of three major fentanyl traffickers and the seizure of nearly $55 million worth of fentanyl in Los Angeles.
    • January 2025: Announced an update on the ongoing efforts to combat the fentanyl epidemic at the Mexico and California border through the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team. 
    • October 2024: Issued guidance to provide local governments with suggestions for the permissible, effective, and strategic use of opioid settlement abatement funds.
    • April 2024: Together with local and federal law enforcement partners, Attorney General Bonta received a briefing on fentanyl trafficking and toured the California-Mexico border
    • February 2024: Announced a joint operation in San Diego County resulted in the felony arrest of a suspect and the seizure of 720,000 fentanyl pills.
    • January 2024: Announced that FEP arrested and filed charges against three drug traffickers alleged to be responsible for bringing 30,000 fentanyl pills across the Mexico and California border.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Portuguese cities advance MCR2030 commitments at 12th National Resilience Meeting

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    From 21 to 23 May 2025, the municipalities of Funchal, Machico, and Ponta do Sol hosted the 12th edition of the National Meeting of Resilient Cities and Towns — a key event under the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative.
    Bringing together more than 120 participants representing 38 Portuguese cities, along with international delegations from Brazil and Greece, the meeting served as a vital platform for local authorities, civil protection professionals, international partners, and resilience experts to exchange knowledge and reinforce collective action toward urban resilience.

    The three-day program featured thematic panels, roundtables, technical field visits, and strategic dialogue. Topics included:

    • Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Risk Reduction
    • Resilience in urban and tourism contexts
    • Risk communication strategies
    • International cooperation for disaster mitigation
       

    One of the key moments of the event was the certificate ceremony during the opening session, where several new Portuguese cities were officially recognized and awarded by UNDRR for joining the MCR2030 initiative. This growing network of engaged municipalities reflects Portugal’s continued leadership in promoting disaster resilience at the local level.

    UNDRR joined the meeting to support dialogue on urban resilience with Ms. Yigyeong Oh, Regional focal point for MCR2030 at UNDRR Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, delivering remarks and engaging in discussions on local risk governance and multi-level coordination.

    “Portugal has consistently demonstrated strong leadership within the MCR2030 global network. With two MCR2030 Resilience Hubs and an actively growing number of committed cities, it offers a model for peer learning and local action,” said Ms. Oh of UNDRR.

    This event reaffirmed the commitment of Portuguese cities to building safer, more resilient communities through knowledge-sharing and collective action. It also highlighted Portugal’s continued efforts to align local resilience strategies with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    About MCR2030

    MCR2030 is a ‘who’s who’ of international partners with unmatched expertise and experience in supporting urban resilience. The partnership has 35 MCR2030 Resilience Hubs globally, recognized global leaders in urban resilience that are increasingly active in terms of capacity-building support to other local governments. Portugal has been a champion in the MCR2030 network with two Resilience Hubs and 82 cities as of 28 May 2025.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Beneath the Surface: How Panama City Keeps Military Divers on the Cutting Edge

    Source: United States Navy

    PANAMA CITY, Fla. – For the military diver, the unforgiving depths can be a perilous arena. Since August 1, 1882, U.S. Navy sailors have executed essential underwater operations around the globe, from special operations and reconnaissance to ship repair and force protection. Yet these military divers are also at the forefront of subsea and seabed warfare, wielding cutting-edge technology to enhance their safety and expand their capabilities. And for more than 75 years—with May being the Month of the Military Diver—one place has been synonymous with this mission: Panama City, Fla. – the Home of Military Diving.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: SIPP Americas LLC Secures Exclusive Canada, United States and Mexico Distribution Rights for Resiline® Spray-in-Place Pipe Rehabilitation Solutions from Resimac Ltd

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SIPP Americas LLC, an infrastructure solutions company based in Dallas, is pleased to announce that it has secured exclusive distribution rights for the Resiline® product line in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Developed by Resimac Ltd., a company based in the United Kingdom, this agreement represents a significant advancement in expanding advanced Spray-in-Place Pipe (SIPP) pressure pipe rehabilitation technologies throughout North America.

    Resiline® products were created by industry-leading specialists and have undergone extensive testing to ensure fit for purpose for the SIPP rehabilitation of aging and deteriorating potable and non-potable pressure pipelines including potable water, force mains, fire mains, and industrial pipelines. These products are designed for quick curing, durability, efficiency, minimal service disruption, and compliance with stringent international standards.

    “We are excited to partner with Resimac Ltd to bring the Resiline® product line to the North American market,” said Giacomo (Jack) Conte, CEO of SIPP Americas LLC. “Municipalities, utilities, and facilities across North America are encountering increasing difficulties in maintaining aging and deteriorating critical pressure pipelines. Resiline® offers a high-performance, cost-effective trenchless pipeline rehabilitation solution that minimizes downtime and restores pipeline integrity with minimal impact on the public, businesses, and the environment.”

    Resimac Ltd, a global leader in high-performance polymeric coating technologies, has developed Resiline® to meet the increasing need for sustainable, non-invasive pressure pipe rehabilitation solutions. Under this exclusive partnership, SIPP Americas will oversee product distribution, certification, and support for utilities, engineers, and contractors implementing the Resiline® system.

    Andrew Donald, Global Business Development Manager at Resimac Ltd, stated, “The agreement with SIPP Americas LLC represents a strategic advancement in extending the global reach of the Resiline® product line. We are assured that the expertise and market presence of SIPP Americas will effectively deliver the Resiline® solution to a region where infrastructure renewal holds significant importance.”

    SIPP Americas will begin commercial operations of Resiline® distribution and support services in Q3 of 2025, with training and certification programs available for contractors, engineers and technicians.

    For more information about SIPP Americas LLC and the Resiline® product line, please visit www.sippamericas.com.

    Media Contact:
    Dr. Mark Knight
    Chief Technical Officer
    SIPP Americas LLC
    Email: Mark.Knight@sippamericas.com
    Phone: (519) 581-8835
    Website: www.sippamericas.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Surge of ICE agreements with local police aim to increase deportations, but many police forces have found they undermine public safety

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By W. Carsten Andresen, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, St. Edward’s University

    A Kinney County sheriff’s deputy arrests an undocumented immigrant who was pulled over in March 2023 in Brackettville, Texas. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    During his first few months in office, President Donald Trump has been establishing a framework for deporting undocumented immigrants en masse. It’s something he has previously vowed will be “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.”

    Part of that operation includes what’s known as the federal 287(g) program. Established in 1996, it allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, whose work is normally carried out by federal officials, to train state and local authorities to function as federal immigration officers.

    Under 287(g), for example, local police officers can interview people to determine their immigration status. They can also issue immigration detainers to jail people until agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement take custody.

    “Illegal immigration has wide-ranging consequences, including a troubling surge of dangerous drugs into our state,” T.K. Waters, sheriff of Jacksonville, Florida, said in a February 2025 statement to explain his office’s participation in 287(g). “We remain committed to partnering with President Trump’s administration and our federal counterparts to secure our borders, protect Floridians, and establish a framework for the rest of the nation to follow.”

    Local police authorities across the country – from Jackson County, Texas, to Frederick County, Maryland – are participating in 287(g) for similar reasons.

    Since Trump began his second term in January, ICE has increased 287(g) agreements from 135 in 25 states in December 2024 to 628 in 40 states as of May 28, 2025.

    As a criminal justice scholar, I believe the surge of 287(g) agreements sets a dangerous precedent for local policing, where forging relationships and building the trust of immigrants is a proven and effective tactic in combating crime. In my view, the expansion of 287(g) will erode that trust and makes entire communities – not just immigrants – less safe.

    Past federal-local cooperation

    There is a long history of federal authorities collaborating with local police to enforce immigration laws.

    During the Great Depression, federal officials blamed Latinos for taking American jobs, and local agencies helped them deport up to 1.8 million people to Mexico. It’s estimated that 60% of those deported were U.S. citizens.

    In the early 1930s, local police participated in immigration raids in California and other states. As author Adam Goodman details in his book “The Deportation Machine,” state and local government agencies, including social workers, welfare agencies and police, acted as “de facto immigration agents.”

    Trump’s mass deportation plan mirrors President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1954 federal immigration initiative, which resulted in 1.3 million deportations.

    As author Natalia Molina notes in her book “How Race is Made in America,” local police often served as “immigration cops” in Eisenhower’s program because the federal government “did not have enough agents to cover such a large territory” as the U.S.

    During his two terms, President Barack Obama deported over 5 million people and used the 287(g) program to help him do that, primarily to target jailed or recently arrived undocumented people. Obama’s use of 287(g) peaked at 76 agreements during his first term but dropped to 35 during his second term.

    A Justice Department investigation launched in 2008 found the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona engaged in unconstitutional law enforcement actions against Latinos. The Justice Department found that the sheriff’s office engaged in a pattern of “unlawful seizures, including unjustified stops, detentions, and arrests, of Latinos in violation of the Fourth Amendment.”

    Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio looks on as inmates are moved in Phoenix, Ariz., in April 2009.
    Joshua Lott/Getty Images

    Power of local policing

    Forty states have adopted 287(g) agreements as of May 2025.

    This could have effects outside of the immigration laws.

    In the past 45 years, many law enforcement professionals in urban areas have highlighted the importance of forging relationships and building trust with immigrant communities. That’s because the police depend on the participation of all citizens to prevent crime and solve criminal investigations.

    But police departments across the U.S. have found that 287(g) partnerships erode that trust.

    In 1979, Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates created Special Order 40 that prohibited local officers from enforcing immigration laws in response to community complaints alleging discrimination against Latinos. Gates issued the order “to encourage immigrants to cooperate with police and build community trust.”

    Other large police departments followed. In places such as Chicago and San Francisco, they shifted focus from helping federal immigration officials to prioritizing community relationships.

    William Bratton, who led six police departments, including in Boston, Los Angeles and New York, criticized 287(g) in a 2009 op-ed. He said that deputizing local officers to enforce immigration laws immediately “undermines their core public safety mission.”

    Conservative police scholar George Kelling, co-author of the broken windows theory, which presumes that visible signs of disorder can lead to crime, also expressed support for local police agencies prioritizing their community relationships.

    In a 1999 study, Kelling highlighted a San Diego police memo announcing its refusal to enforce federal immigration laws. The San Diego Police Department, he wrote, “thought through its values, mission, and functions and elaborated a policy that put public safety and harmony above aggressive attempts to ferret out undocumented aliens.”

    During Trump’s first administration, some police chiefs echoed Bratton and Kelling. They warned that employing local officers to enforce immigration measures could spark fear and damage public safety.

    Former Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole stated in 2016 that Seattle police officers were prohibited from “inquiring about a person’s immigration status.”

    And former Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn announced in 2016 that his department does not enforce immigration law.

    He added, “It is our opinion, our strongly held belief that our responsibility is to protect the residents of our city. To protect them, they must trust us, they must be willing to report crimes, they must be willing to be witnesses.”

    A Cameron County sheriff’s officer puts handcuffs on a suspected undocumented immigrant detained during a traffic stop in South Texas.
    Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty Images

    Consequences of 287(g)

    President Trump has frequently linked immigrants with higher crime rates, calling them murderers and rapists.

    But multiple studies have found that undocumented people commit fewer crimes than U.S. citizens.

    Although the Trump administration is expanding the use of local police in immigration enforcement, research casts doubt on using mass deportation as a crime reduction strategy.

    A 2018 study on 287(g) from the libertarian Cato Institute found no evidence that ICE-led partnerships with local police decreased crime rates.

    And a 2014 study on the Secure Communities Program, which calls for local police agencies to share arrestee information with federal immigration officials, found that this program has “no discernible impact” on crime in medium and large municipalities.

    The Trump administration’s expansion of 287(g) ignores the shift that some big city police departments have made away from immigration enforcement in favor of community policing. And I believe it threatens to undermine the relationship between local police and the increasingly diverse communities they serve.

    W. Carsten Andresen was employed in the past (2000-2003) at The Police Institute, a Rutger’s University Think Tank run by George L. Kelling.

    – ref. Surge of ICE agreements with local police aim to increase deportations, but many police forces have found they undermine public safety – https://theconversation.com/surge-of-ice-agreements-with-local-police-aim-to-increase-deportations-but-many-police-forces-have-found-they-undermine-public-safety-255937

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Los Angeles, multiagency taskforce case results in freight forwarding company exec arrest on federal indictment alleging massive scheme to avoid customs duties payments

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    LOS ANGELES – The chief financial officer at a downtown Los Angeles-based shipping company was arrested May 27 on a 22-count federal grand jury indictment charging him and the company’s CEO with using fraudulent documents, shell companies, bribes to public officials, and kickbacks to Mexican drug cartels to smuggle billions of dollars’ worth of goods from the United States into Mexico, repeatedly lying to U.S. customs officials and defrauding Mexico out of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of duties owed. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, IRS Criminal Investigation and the DEA are investigating this matter.

    Ralph Olarte, 55, of Glendale, the CFO of Sport LA Inc., was arrested May 27 at Los Angeles International Airport. He made his initial appearance and was arraigned May 28 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

    Also charged in the indictment is Humberto Lopez Belmonte, 53, of Mexico City, who was arrested and arraigned on May 27 in Los Angeles federal court. Lopez pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and a July 21 trial date was scheduled. A federal magistrate judge ordered Lopez released on $100,000 bond.

    Olarte and Lopez are charged with one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States. Both defendants and their company, Sport LA Inc., also are charged with one count of smuggling goods from the United States, three counts of knowingly submitting false and misleading export information, five counts of wire fraud for false information submitted to CBP, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud against Mexico, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and seven counts of international promotional and concealment money laundering.

    Sport LA is charged with three counts of making false statements to a government agency. The other defendant companies — H&R Logistics Inc. and Olarte Transport Service Inc. — are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    According to the indictment returned on April 30 and unsealed May 27, Olarte and Lopez, from at least 2013 to the present, operated a lucrative international shipping enterprise. Through shipping companies they controlled, Olarte and Lopez smuggled billions of dollars’ worth of goods from and through the United States into Mexico. Many times, they concealed the nature of the shipped goods, some of which contained contraband.

    The companies allegedly submitted millions of false and misleading statements to U.S. customs officials, used shell companies in Mexico to shield their true customers, and created and presented false documents – including sham certificates for paid Mexican import taxes. They also bribed Mexican customs officials, paid kickbacks to drug cartels — including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel — to operate the scheme and smuggled bulk cash into the U.S. to avoid reporting requirements.

    Olarte and Lopez then laundered the proceeds of their scheme back from the true Mexican customers, through the shell companies, and ultimately into the companies’ U.S. bank accounts. As a result of the conspiracy, Olarte and Lopez personally received millions of dollars in illicit proceeds.

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

    If convicted, Olarte and Lopez would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud- and money laundering-related count, up to five years in federal prison for each smuggling- and false statements-related count, and up to two years in federal prison for each count of knowingly submitting false and misleading export information.

    This investigation is led by HSI’s El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multiagency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California.

    The Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Huizenga Leads 100+ Members of Congress in Bipartisan Effort to Save Family Farms, Enact H-2A Wage Freeze

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02)

    Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) announced he was joined by over 100 of his colleagues on a letter recently sent to House Appropriations leaders requesting an H-2A visa guestworker wage freeze in upcoming appropriations legislation. This simple policy fix would lower input costs for the agricultural community and save family farms across the nation. The level of support for freezing the H-2A wage rate is significant because it is bipartisan and represents the majority of the House Republican Conference (111). Last Congress, Huizenga led the charge to help family farms and achieved a policy win in legislation that passed the House Appropriations Committee.

    The “Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR),” or the required wage that farm employers must pay H-2A workers, more than doubled since 2005, making agricultural labor and its products more unaffordable. With the nation’s average AEWR reaching $18.12/hr in 2025 (more than a 3% increase year over year) on top of other input costs including fuel, housing, and fertilizer also rising, many farms are in danger of going out of business. In Michigan, the AEWR is a steep $18.15/hr, while our Canadian neighbors pay their agricultural workers closer to $12/hr, or just a few dollars in Mexico. A temporary wage freeze is a reasonable way to alleviate this skyrocketing financial burden and give our farmers a chance to compete, stay in business, and put food on the table for millions of Americans and the world.

    A signed copy of the letter is available here.

    “In Michigan and across our nation, family farms are struggling due in part to soaring H2A labor costs,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “Washington should be working to help American farmers lower costs, not crushing them with outdated mandates that balloon their expenses and make it more difficult for these multigenerational farms to keep the lights on. I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort, which includes the majority of House Republicans, to provide the most immediate, practical, and agreed-upon way to enact relief and stop farms here in Michigan and around the country from shutting down their operations.”

    “I have met with fifth and sixth-generation Michigan farmers who are worried they will be the last in their families to farm unless the Labor Department ends the policies making it harder for them to do business. An AEWR freeze, like the one in my Supporting Farm Operations Act, is a common-sense solution widely supported by the agriculture community. Thank you to Congressman Huizenga for leading this letter with dozens of members supporting our efforts. As our state’s only member of the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue to fight for much-needed relief for farmers,” said Congressman John Moolenaar.

    “Michigan farmers are beginning another season filled with the hope of delivering safe, plentiful, and affordable crops for consumers. Nonetheless, the farm families and agricultural guest workers crucial for cultivating these crops find themselves in uncertainty due to unsustainable adverse effect wage rates. It is essential for farmers and workers to have a dependable and sensible method for calculating this mandated wage. The Michigan Farm Bureau commends Congressman Huizenga and Congresswoman Scholten for spearheading this effort, alongside many of their colleagues, to instigate necessary changes that will offer relief to America’s farm families,” said Matt Smego, Director of Public Policy & Commodity Division, Michigan Farm Bureau.

    “Representative Bill Huizenga refuses to turn his back on Michigan and US vegetable and fruit growers.  The AEWR must be paused to continue domestic vegetable and fruit production.  The H-2A guest worker program functions pretty well, but the mandated AEWR no longer functions as envisioned.  There is not enough of a domestic workforce left for the AEWR to prevent guest workers taking employment opportunities from the domestic workforce,” said Greg Bird, Executive Director of Michigan’s Vegetable Council.

    “The bipartisan effort to freeze H-2A wages for farmworkers is encouraging to the Michigan Apple industry, with lawmakers from both parties showing an understanding of the unsustainable increases in costs to growers, as well as support for producers of food here in our state and across the country,” said Diane Smith of the Michigan Apple Association. “With labor costs accounting for approximately 56 percent of total production expenses for Michigan Apple growers, the Adverse Effect Wage Rate increases over the last 10 years threaten to put growers out of business.  Most apple growers are losing money at this point – more than $1,800 per acre, as production costs continue to rise. We are so grateful for the continued support of the Michigan congress members, Representative Huizenga and Representative Scholten, who co-lead the effort, as well as other Michigan congress members from both sides of the aisle who have supported agriculture.”

    “Michigan asparagus growers are facing a breaking point under the weight of the skyrocketing Adverse Effect Wage Rate,” said Jamie Clover Adams, CEO of the Michigan Asparagus Association. “Labor already accounts for nearly 60% of our growers’ total costs, and wage hikes—disconnected from market realities—are putting multi-generational family farms and rural economies at risk. We deeply appreciate Congressman Huizenga’s leadership in rallying bipartisan support for an H-2A wage freeze and urge Congress to act swiftly to support farms that grow hand-harvested fruits and vegetables.”

    “An H-2A wage freeze provides cost predictability for our farmers, allowing them to budget and manage labor resources while ensuring they can continue to employ the necessary labor force for crop planting and harvest while a more permanent solution is investigated,” said Kelly Turner, Ed.D, CAE. Manager, Potato Growers of Michigan.

    “Input costs, including labor, continue to rise as farm families struggle in this troubling farm economy. Without immediate action, these conditions threaten the livelihoods of farmers and their employees. Thankfully, members of Congress are willing to support critical relief until durable reforms are achieved. We are grateful for the consistent leadership of Rep. Huizenga and this bipartisan group of legislators who are standing against the status quo.” John Walt Boatright, American Farm Bureau Federation Director of Government Affairs

    “AmericanHort commends Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-MI-04), for leading this bipartisan letter with over 100 Members of Congress requesting to freeze the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR),” said Ken Fisher, President and CEO, AmericanHort. “As labor and affiliated costs continue to put pressure on our growers and the horticulture industry, placing a freeze on the AEWR will ease the high cost of labor and aid growers in planning for the future.”

    “International Fresh Produce Association members need Congress to rise to the occasion to prevent crippling cost increases that will put farms out of business and Congressman Bill Huizenga is leading the charge to do just that. By addressing the single biggest complaint from H-2A program users – uncontrollable wage labor costs – Congressman Huizenga’s bipartisan appropriations language will provide the relief we need today, while we work together to seek broader program reforms.” Rebeckah Adcock, Vice President, US Government Relations, International Fresh Produce Association

    “Congress’ failure to modernize the H-2A visa program has led to unsustainable, perpetual annual wage increases that are driving American farmers out of business,” said Kasey Cronquist, president of the North American Blueberry Council. “Congressman Huizenga’s bipartisan effort to pause the Adverse Effect Wage Rate is more critical than ever. On behalf of the many blueberry growers across the country who rely on the H-2A program to harvest their crops, we thank every member of Congress who is standing up for American farmers by supporting this appropriations request,” said Kasey Cronquist, President of The North American Blueberry Council (NABC).

    “We greatly appreciate Rep. Huizenga for leading this bipartisan effort to address the single biggest challenge facing apple growers nationwide. The unsustainable cost of the H-2A program is forcing multi-generational family farms to question whether they can keep going, let alone pass their operations on to the next generation. We urge Congress to enact this freeze and pursue common-sense H-2A reforms so we can continue supplying the world with America’s favorite fruit.” Jim Bair, President & CEO, U.S. Apple Association

    “Out of control AEWR increases have made it nearly impossible for custom harvesters to afford the labor necessary to meet the harvest needs of our farmer customers across the country.  Congress needs to act to provide H-2A wage relief as soon as possible,” said Paul Paplow, President U.S. Custom Harvesters Inc.

    “Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) thanks Congressman Bill Huizenga for working in a bipartisan fashion to raise concerns on the skyrocketing Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) and its impacts on hardworking farm and ranch families,” said TFB President Russell Boening. “While TFB readily recognizes the need for comprehensive long-term H-2A labor reform, a freeze on the AEWR will provide critical short-term relief. If action is not taken, many farmers and ranchers will be forced out of business, putting our national food security at severe risk. We thank all the members of Congress who signed the letter and recognize the direness of the situation. TFB looks forward to our continued work with Congress on agricultural labor reform.”

    Joining Congressman Huizenga on the letter are Representatives: Hillary Scholten (D-MI)[Co-Lead], Rick Crawford (R-AR)[Co-Lead], Patrick Ryan (D-NY)[Co-Lead], Rick Allen (R-GA), Don Bacon (R-NE), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Andy Barr (R-KY), Tom Barrett (R-MI), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Cliff Bentz (R-OR), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Sheri Biggs (R-SC), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Mike Bost (R-IL), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Earl Carter (R-GA), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Mike Collins (R-GA), James Comer (R-KY), Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Gabe Evans (R-CO), Mike Ezell (R-MS), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Russell Fry (R-SC), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Craig Goldman (R-TX), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Mike Haridopolos (R-FL), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Mark Harris (R-MD), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Kevin Hern (R-OK), Clay Higgins (R-LA), J. Hill (R-AR), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Brian Jack (R-KY), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), John James (R-MI), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), John Joyce (R-PA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Mike Kennedy (R-UT), Jennifer Kiggans (R-VA), Brad Knott (R-NC), David Kustoff (R-TN), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY), Robert Latta (R-OH), Michael Lawler (R-NY), Laurel Lee (R-FL), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), Nancy Mace (R-SC), John Mannion (D-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Addison McDowell (R-NC), John McGuire (R-VA), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Daniel Meuser (R-PA), Mary Miller (R-IL), Max Miller (R-OH), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Cory Mills (R-FL), Barry Moore (R-AL), Blake Moore (R-UT), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Gregory Murphy (R-NC), Troy Nehls (R-TX), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Zachary Nunn (R-IA), Gary Palmer (R-AL), August Pfluger (R-TX), Josh Riley (D-NY), Mike Rogers (R-AL), John Rose (R-TN), David Rouzer (R-NC), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Austin Scott (R-GA), Keith Self (R-TX), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), W. Steube (R-FL), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Glenn Thompson (R-PA), William Timmons (R-SC), Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ), Randy Weber (R-TX), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Roger Williams (R-TX), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Rudy Yakym (R-IN).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Intoxicated driver guilty of being alien illegally in possession of firearm

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 20-year-old Honduran national who illegally resided in Corpus Christi has been convicted of being an alien who unlawfully possessed a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Josias Eliseo Ulloa-Pavon had been driving under the influence of alcohol before crashing Feb. 18. 

    Upon arrival at the scene, authorities found Ulloa-Pavon pinned inside the fully overturned vehicle. No other cars were in the vicinity. Ulloa-Pavon had red bloodshot eyes, a strong odor of alcohol and appeared unsteady on his feet, swaying as he stood. They removed him from the vehicle and placed him under arrest. 

    A search revealed a magazine containing six rounds of ammunition in his pocket. Ulloa-Pavon admitted he had a Bersa Model Thunder .380 caliber pistol in his car which law enforcement located and seized.

    Ulloa-Pavon had admitted during a previous interaction with law enforcement to being from Honduras and not lawfully in the United States.

    U.S. District Judge David Morales will impose sentencing Aug. 27. At that time, Ulloa-Pavon faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bird prosecuted the case. 

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien and Prolific Drug Trafficker Convicted Following Thwarted Robbery of Rival Cocaine Supplier

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    ATLANTA – Adan Macedo-Rios, 52, of Mexico, who is an alien unlawfully present in the United States, has been convicted of charges related to trafficking in illegal drugs, money laundering, robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms.

    “Macedo-Rios, an illegal alien, distributed large amounts of dangerous drugs and laundered his ill-gotten gains through the purchase of a Georgia horse ranch. His callous and dangerous behavior—highlighted by his involvement in a plot to rob a rival cocaine supplier—was disrupted by the tireless work of our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Through our combined efforts, we foiled the robbery plan and dismantled the drug trafficking and money laundering organization that Macedo-Rios supplied, thereby eliminating a significant threat of violent crime in our community.”

    “DEA strives every day to keep the American public safe from transnational criminal organizations,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This investigation demonstrates DEA’s commitment to destroying these drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.”

    “For all the innocent residents who are trying to raise families in safe communities, the FBI wants you to know that we are here for you through arrests like this,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Macedo-Rios repeatedly disregarded the law to enrich himself. The FBI and our partners are firmly committed to ensuring that our communities are protected from the extreme violence and lawlessness displayed by individuals like him.”

    “The conviction of Adan Macedo-Rios, an illegal alien from Mexico and prolific drug trafficker, highlights our unwavering commitment to dismantling drug trafficking organizations that threaten our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the hard work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we’ve turned his ‘stable’ of crime into a one-way ticket to accountability!”

    According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, public record, and other information presented in court: Macedo-Rios, a large-scale drug trafficker, supplied other Atlanta-based drug distributors with at least 123 kilograms of cocaine destined for distribution throughout multiple states. In 2023, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents obtained federal court authorization to intercept communications over cellphones used by Macedo-Rios and others. These intercepts led to the seizure of multiple kilograms of cocaine and other narcotics, and drug proceeds, from drug transporters working for Macedo-Rios and his conspirators. 

    Macedo-Rios remitted drug payments to his narcotics suppliers in Mexico and used proceeds of his criminal activity to fraudulently purchase an eight-acre ranch with a 24-horse stable and farmhouse in Loganville, Georgia. With his conspirators, Macedo-Rios planned the robbery of another drug supplier who was storing 65 kilograms of cocaine in his residence. Macedo-Rios and his conspirators even conducted their own surveillance of the target, including by placing a tracker on the rival’s car, and plotted to use firearms to facilitate the robbery. But their plan was timely thwarted by DEA agents, who intercepted communications about the robbery.

    When agents arrested Macedo-Rios at the horse ranch, they discovered a loaded Colt .38 pistol and a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun in his bedroom, even though he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his unlawful presence in the United States and status as a convicted felon. Macedo-Rios, a Mexican citizen, has a history of multiple deportations from the United States.

    Adan Macedo-Rios appeared before United States District Judge J. P. Boulee on May 28, 2025, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally present in the United States, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    As to his drug trafficking conviction, Macedo-Rios faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a maximum $10,000,000 fine, and a minimum of five years of supervised release. For the Hobbs Act Robbery conviction, he faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. For the firearm conviction, Macedo-Rios faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The money laundering conviction carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a $500,000 fine, and forfeiture of property involved in the offense. 

    In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

    Sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2025, at 1 pm before Judge Boulee.

    This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Georgia State Patrol and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant United States Attorneys John T. DeGenova and Rebeca M. Ojeda are prosecuting the case.

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

    This prosecution 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 eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates.  The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guatemalan National Previously Convicted and Deported for Drug Trafficking Pleads Guilty to a Charge of Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE – A Guatemalan national deported in 2015 after having been convicted for drug trafficking in Connecticut today pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island to a charge of illegal re-entry, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    According to court records, Pedro Andony Alvarado Aguilar, 46, was convicted in federal court in Connecticut in November 2014 on charges of conspiracy to import 5,000 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to import 1,000 grams or more of heroin. He was deported on July 1, 2015.

    On April 10, 2025, Immigration Officers learned through an automated biometric fingerprint match of fingerprints entered into the National Crime Information Center that the defendant was arrested in Rhode Island for driving on a suspended license and on an obstruction charge. Alvarado admitted to a federal judge today that he illegally reentered the United States.

    Alvarado is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan.

    The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Immigration and Custom Enforcement.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), 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).

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The American mass exodus to Canada amid Trump 2.0 has yet to materialize

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Lori Wilkinson, Professor of Sociology, University of Manitoba

    In February 2025, the New Republic, reported there were a growing number of Americans who wanted to leave the country following the election of Donald Trump.

    Canadian reports backed up the assertion, particularly the news that three high-profile Yale professors would be joining the faculty of the University of Toronto in the fall of 2025.



    Read more:
    Yale scholars’ move to Canada can prompt us to reflect on the rule of law

    For some Canadian observers, it may feel like a case of déjà vu. After Trump’s first election in 2016, some media predicted a sharp increase in Americans seeking to escape their country’s harsh social and political climate for Canada’s “sunny ways.”

    According to Google Analytics, web searches originating in the United States involving “how to move to Canada” increased by 350 per cent on election night in 2016. A few months earlier, they’d increased by 1,500 per cent over normal search rates for the same phrase in March 2016, when Trump clinched the Republican nomination for president.

    More Canadians head south

    Despite such post-election musings nine years ago, the pending American mass exit didn’t materialize. According to migration data (a download is required) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the number of Americans applying for permanent residency from January through March 2017 rose only slightly. There were 1,882 applications, just 66 more than from the same period in 2016.

    As for visas and authorizations issued to people from the U.S. during the same time period, they barely increased — from 2,497 in 2016 to just 2,523 in 2017.

    Americans taking up permanent residency in Canada jumped from about 8,400 in 2016 to 10,800 in 2019. However, that increase in the modest number of moves from the U.S. to Canada can hardly be construed as an exodus. Over those same two years, the number of Canadians becoming permanent residents of the U.S. continued to exceed the number of Americans who headed north.

    There has been, however, a decline in the number of Canadians moving to the U.S. In 2016, the year Trump was first elected, just over 19,300 Canadians moved to the U.S. In 2019, the year before Trump lost to Joe Biden, 14,700 Canadians took up residence in the U.S.

    That trend didn’t last as the gap in cross-border permanent residency widened once more during the Biden era. In 2023, while 10,600 Americans moved to Canada, 18,600 Canadians moved to the U.S.

    Looking at the data from 2016 to 2023 suggests politics isn’t the primary reason why Americans head to Canada. It’s more likely driven by economic considerations, better job offers or family ties.

    In terms of the apparent uptick in migrants from the U.S. heading to Canada during Trumps’s second term, it’s too early to draw definitive conclusions. But numbers for the first quarter of 2025, according to the same IRCC datasets, show no signs of any significant uptake, with a drop from 2,485 Americans headed Canada’s way between January to March 2024 to 955 over the same period in 2025.

    Moving to Canada isn’t easy

    Despite the surge in American internet searches on moving to Canada in 2016, when Trump won the Republican nomination and then the presidency, acting on impulse in a moment of political turmoil is complicated.

    Moving to Canada is not as simple as it may seem; it can be long and arduous. There’s a process and a waiting line with requirements that include an offer of employment in Canada, liquid assets and language proficiency in English, or French if Québec is the ultimate destination.

    It’s easier to immigrate to Canada if there’s a close family member already living there, but still not guaranteed. Canada’s tax rate is a migration deterrent for some, even though these higher tax rates come with more services.

    Although Canada’s health-care system is more inclusive and affordable, the wait times for procedures, along with the perception that Canadian services are not as robust as American health services, could also be a deterrent to migration.

    In short, even for Americans, it’s not easy to migrate to Canada.

    There is, however, one group of people living in the U.S. who may consider relocating to Canada: asylum-seekers.

    The second Trump administration has ended Temporary Protection Status for Afghan, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Cuban and Haitian residents.

    This means that people from these strife-torn countries must apply for permanent residency or “self-deport” — otherwise, they will become undocumented.

    Haiti is currently unsafe. Gangs control the country’s cities and neighbourhoods and have staged a successful coup. The country is also still rebuilding after the devastating 2010 earthquake.



    Read more:
    With Haiti in chaos, Canada buries its head in the sand

    Afghanistan remains in the throes of a decades-long war where women have have no rights. Venezuela is in a state of civil unrest; about 19 million citizens do not have enough food or sanitation. Nearly 7.7 million people have fled the country.

    The plight of asylum-seekers

    The crackdown on other undocumented residents and the recent issuing of large “civil penalties” in the form of fines for failing to self-deport may force others to leave the U.S. Where might they go?

    Many will return to their country of residence, but others may be unable to do so and could consider Canada a convenient and safe destination. In 2016, 23,919 people made asylum claims in Canada. That number slowly rose throughout the first Trump administration to 64,020 in 2019, the last full year of the president’s first term.

    Those seeking asylum in Canada declined to 23,680 in 2020 — the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic — but had increased to 171,850 by the end of 2024.

    The geographic distribution of these asylum-seekers was uneven. In 2017, 50 per cent of all asylum-seekers to Canada made their claim in Québec; in 2022, 64 per cent of asylum claims were made there.

    So rather than seeing a large influx of American citizens migrating to Canada during Trump’s second administration, there will likely be a larger number of asylum-seekers, many of whom have legitimate fears of persecution. How Canada chooses to handle these claims remains to be seen — but it’s urgently important for Canadian elected officials to figure it out immediately.

    Jack Jedwab, CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute, co-authored this article

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

    – ref. The American mass exodus to Canada amid Trump 2.0 has yet to materialize – https://theconversation.com/the-american-mass-exodus-to-canada-amid-trump-2-0-has-yet-to-materialize-256853

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Vladimir Stroyev joined the presidium of the International Movement for Financial Security

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On May 27, 2025, within the framework of the 42nd Plenary Week of the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG), the 22nd meeting of the Council of the International Network Institute in the field of AML/CFT and the conference of the International Movement for Financial Security were held with the participation of the management, teachers and students of the State University of Management, headed by Vice-Rector Dmitry Bryukhanov.

    In 2025, GUU officially joined the International Movement for Financial Security, created on the initiative of a student from Brazil, Augusto Lemmertz, during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the finalists of the III International Financial Security Olympiad in 2023. And on May 27, as part of the next conference of the International Movement for Financial Security, GUU Rector Vladimir Stroyev joined the Presidium of the movement. The Chairman of the Presidium of the movement is Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko, and the Deputy Chairman is Director of Rosfinmonitoring Yuri Chikhanchin.

    Let us recall that the State University of Management has been a member of the ISI in the field of AML/CFT since 2014, and has been actively participating in the Olympiad movement since the selection events of the 1st International Financial Security Olympiad in 2021. Since 2023, it has been actively working in the field of promoting the financial security Olympiad movement in historical territories, in particular, in 2023 it organized the selection of participants in the Olympiad finals among students and schoolchildren from the DPR, LPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, in the same year it organized a summer school for finalists from historical territories and annually participates in the training of teachers of historical territories to conduct a thematic lesson on financial security.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis: Court Rejection of Trump Tariff Tax is A Win for Americans

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, a court struck down President Trump’s tariffs that raised the cost for Americans on everyday goods. Colorado helped lead a lawsuit against this tariff tax. Governor Polis has been outspoken about the negative impacts these tariffs have on the American people and applauded the court for their decision today. 

    “This is great news for our economy and every American family. I am grateful that this court decision striking down many tariffs checks the sweeping presidential power that the President has attempted to impose on the American people and businesses. The President’s tariff tax on groceries and everyday items is bad for hardworking people, our economy and business certainty. Unfortunately, President Trump has already caused a lot of damage with his tariff tax and the uncertainty they’ve caused for business and our economy, effectively freezing investment, but I am thrilled with the court’s decision and encourage the President to strengthen trade with our allies and decreases taxes and barriers for imports and exports,” said Governor Polis. 

    In addition to raising prices, reports show that tariffs lead to increases in fraud and crime. 

    In 2024, Colorado exported a record $10.5 billion of goods to the world and imported $16.8 B in goods. Colorado’s top export partners are Mexico ($1.7B), Canada ($1.6B), China ($0.8B) South Korea ($0.6B), and Malaysia ($0.6 B), accounting for half of all Colorado exports in 2024. Top export commodities include meat (17%); nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery (15%); electric machinery (13%); optic, photo, medical or surgical instruments (11%); and aircraft, spacecraft, and related parts (5%). In 2022, exports from Colorado supported an estimated 40 thousand jobs. 

    Colorado in 2024 exported $500 million in aerospace, spacecraft, and related parts, accounting for roughly 4.8% of all Colorado exports. The European Union, Brazil, France, Canada and Mexico were the top five export destinations, accounting for 63% of Colorado’s aerospace exports. In 2024, Colorado imported $1 billion of aerospace, spacecraft and related parts, accounting for roughly 6.2% of all Colorado imports. Switzerland, the EU, Germany, Canada, and France were the top five import sources, accounting for over 90% of Colorado’s aerospace imports. 

    An estimated 820,200 jobs in Colorado are supported by international trade, representing 20.8% of all jobs in the state. Colorado’s top import partners are Canada ($5.4 B), China ($1.8 B), Mexico ($1.1 B), Switzerland ($0.9 B) and Germany ($0.9 B), accounting for 60% of imports in 2024. Top import commodities include oil, mineral fuel (20%); electric machinery (14%); nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery (11%); optic, photo, medical or surgical instruments (8%); and aircraft, spacecraft and related parts (6%). 

    In addition to the commodities traded, Colorado also trades services and runs a services trade surplus. In 2022, Colorado exported $16 B in services, supporting 97,260 jobs. Top services export markets were Canada ($1.3 B), the United Kingdom ($0.9 B), Mexico ($0.9 B), and China ($0.6 B). As a bloc, the EU was the top services export market with $3.8 B in services exports supporting over 18,900 jobs. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Newark arrests Guatemalan unaccompanied alien child sponsor wanted overseas for attempted aggravated homicide

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NEWARK, N.J. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a Guatemalan fugitive wanted for two counts of attempted aggravated homicide in his home country.

    ICE Homeland Security Investigations Newark administratively arrested Adelso Garcia Martinez, 29, a Guatemalan native, May 13 for violations of the Immigration and Naturalization Act.

    “It is deplorable to imagine that a wanted fugitive would find illegal shelter in the United States with a child in tow and later go on to sponsor another alien,” said ICE HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel. “Our investigation into this alien is part of our agency’s staunch effort to ensure unaccompanied alien children released from the care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement are not subjected to crimes of trafficking and exploitation.”

    Garcia unlawfully entered the United States in Rio Grande, Texas on May 19, 2021. He was released into the United States by U.S. Border Patrol the same day.

    According to the investigation, in April 2025, HSI Newark encountered Garcia pursuant to records checks. During this encounter, HSI Newark with the assistance of HSI Guatemala City identified that Garcia-Martinez has an outstanding and active arrest warrant issued Feb. 18, 2021, in his home country for attempted aggravated homicide.

    Garcia was issued a notice to appear after ICE arrested him May 13. He is currently detained at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in New Jersey, pending removal proceedings.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: OPEC Secretary General Announced as Keynote Speaker at Global Energy Show Canada

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — dmg events is announcing that OPEC Secretary General, His Excellency Haitham Al Ghais, will make an official visit to Canada this June and appear as a Keynote Speaker at the Global Energy Show Canada (GESC) taking place June 10-12.

    Speaking as part of the Executive Conference ‘The Conversation’ hosted by Peter Mansbridge, His Excellency joins a who’s who of energy industry CEOs, policy leaders from the private sector, and ministerial and elected officials from across Canada and around the world. The convention gets set to tackle big questions and issues about what Canada’s energy mandate can look like over the next five years.

    “We are thrilled to welcome His Excellency Haitham Al Ghais to the Global Energy Show Canada this June in Calgary, for what is shaping up to be the most influential and important edition of the event in decades,” says Nick Samain, Senior Vice President of dmg events. “With pre-registration already trending close to double compared to the last edition in 2024, we expect to reach capacity attendance for this year’s conference program in the next few days.”

    This announcement comes alongside a roster of more than 150 distinguished private sector energy leaders from Canada and around the world, including: Hon. Rona Ambrose, Deputy Chairwoman, TD Securities; Stastia West, President & Country Chair and Vice President, Canada Integrated Gas, Shell Canada; Mark Maki, CEO, Trans Mountain; Mark Fitzgerald, President and CEO, PETRONAS Canada; Jon McKenzie, President and CEO, Cenovus Energy; Darlene Gates, President and CEO, MEG Energy; Nicole Bourque-Bouchier, CEO, The Bouchier Group; Clay Sell, CEO, X-energy; Luke Schauerte, CEO, Woodfibre LNG; Chris Doornbos, President and CEO, E3 Lithium; Kim Lauritsen, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Strategy and Growth, Ontario Power Generation; and Carl Marcotte, Senior Vice President Marketing and Business Development, Candu Energy, an AtkinsRéalis Company.

    Joining this roster of private sector energy leaders is strong representation from government, Indigenous, and policy leaders, including: Premier of Alberta Danielle Smith; Hon. Brian Jean, Minister of Energy and Minerals, Government of Alberta; Hon. Colleen Young, Minister of Energy and Resources, Government of Saskatchewan; Crystal Smith, Chief, Haisla First Nation; Dr. Orlando Velandia Sepúlveda, President, National Hydrocarbons Agency of Colombia (ANH); Chana Martineau, CEO, Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation; Kenneth Wagner, Former Trump Administration Senior Executive at the US Environmental Protection Agency; Jason Lanclos, Director of State Energy Development and Planning, Louisiana Economic Development; Dale Hansen, Dean, McPhail School of Energy, SAIT; Justin Riemer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta; Lisa Baiton, President and CEO, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP); Sonya Savage, Senior Counsel, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP; Marg McCuaig-Boyd, Senior Advisor, Counsel Public Affairs Inc.; Shannon Joseph, Chair, Energy for a Secure Future; Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director of Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment, MacDonald-Laurier Institute; James Rajotte, Alberta’s Senior Representative to the United States, Government of Alberta; Hon. René Legacy, Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister responsible for Energy, Government of New Brunswick; Hon. Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Affordability and Utilities, Government of Alberta; Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank; Gurpreet Lail, President and CEO, Enserva and Karen Ogen, CEO, First Nations Natural Gas Alliance.

    Delegates can expect a range of premium networking events throughout the three-day conference and exhibition including daily receptions, industry dinners, the Global Energy Show Awards, all on the backdrop of a robust exhibition featuring 500 exhibiting companies across five expansive exhibition halls.

    Exhibition hours are: Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday, June 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please check the website for full conference program and hours.

    Media are required to pre-register to attend the show. In order to obtain a show badge for the event, media will need to provide accreditation (a piece of photo identification and an official business card) upon arrival. The Media Room is located on Level 2, BMO Centre.

    For more information on GESC, to pre-register or to inquire about attendance, please visit https://www.globalenergyshow.com.

    For media inquiries, please contact: 
    Shauna MacDonald
    403-585-4570
    Brookline Public Relations
    smacdonald@brooklinepr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: 100x Leverage + 100% Bonus — No KYC Needed to Trade Crypto Futures on BexBack

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the cryptocurrency bull market charges ahead, traders are once again looking for platforms that offer both power and flexibility. BexBack Exchange is answering that call with an unmatched trio of advantages: up to 100x leverage, a 100% deposit bonus, and no KYC requirement for new users.

    This combination makes BexBack one of the most accessible and trader-friendly platforms in the crypto derivatives space.

    Why 100x Leverage Appeals to Traders

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    Traders using BexBack can open positions with just 0.001 BTC and still take advantage of full leverage potential.

    How the 100% Deposit Bonus Works

    New users depositing at least 0.001 BTC or 1,00 USDT qualify for a 100% bonus. While this bonus cannot be withdrawn directly, it can be used as trading margin. In volatile conditions, this added margin helps buffer against liquidation, allowing traders to stay in the game longer.

    Profits made using the bonus are fully withdrawable.

    Read the full bonus policy

    What Sets BexBack Apart?

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    About BexBack

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    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

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    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 28 May 2025 Departmental update Road safety takes centre stage at world’s leading transport forum

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Transport ministers from 69 countries adopted a landmark road safety policy recommendation for governments and agreed to pilot a new road safety assessment framework for business at the International Transport Forum (ITF) Summit in Leipzig, Germany, on 22 May 2025.

    Nearly 1.2 million people are killed on the world’s roads each year, and road crashes are the leading cause of death among children and young people aged 5–29 years worldwide. 

    Produced with WHO support, the Policy recommendation on comprehensive road safety policy urges governments to adopt evidence-based, safety-focused, well-coordinated and inclusive road safety approaches that best fit each location and to focus on where the most lives can be saved. 

    “This is great news. It could enlighten the way transport policies are implemented. We received support and contributions from NGOs and the World Health Organization that were really relevant,” said Juan Carlos Muñoz, Chilean Minister of Transport and President of the ITF. 

    The road safety policy guide, along with new guidance on artificial intelligence (AI) in transport, is the first policy recommendation made by the ITF – the world’s largest gathering of transport ministers – in three years. The theme of the summit was “transport resilience to global shocks”.

    “There are extremely important links between resilient transport systems and strengthening health and safety. Resilient transport should first and foremost be safe and healthy,” said Dr Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at WHO, during a ministerial session at the summit.

    Business matters

    The private sector has a huge and crucial role in ensuring safe and sustainable mobility and a ministerial session at the summit focused on working with business for resilient transport.

    “The private sector brings innovation, agility and in-depth operational expertise. Our challenge is to institutionalize these [public-private] partnerships,” said Mr Muñoz in his opening remarks to the session. 

    WHO and the ITF launched a new Global road safety assessment framework for corporate action and reporting to support businesses in integrating robust road safety practices into their operations and value chains in support of global efforts to reduce road deaths and injuries.   

    “Around one third of all road deaths occur among corporate value chains and we are delighted to support the new road safety assessment framework for business. It is an important platform to track corporate performance against global standards and best practices for road safety,” said Dr Tran.

    The framework builds on existing international instruments to identify best practices, extends safety management to workforce commuting and contractual relations with suppliers and distributors, and will ensure international reporting standards are applied. 

    Companies that adopt the framework can expect to cut the leading cause of workplace injuries, with reduced disruption, improved employee well-being, and an enhanced corporate reputation. 

    The development of the framework began on a request from transport ministers from over 60 countries in May 2024. They are now working with business to pilot and refine the framework.

    Moving forward

    The ITF summit marked a key opportunity to advance commitments made at the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety that was held in Marrakech, Morocco, in February 2025. 

    WHO and the Government of Morocco hosted a ministerial session on implementing the resulting Marrakech Road Safety Declaration, including monitoring and reporting on progress, engaging all relevant actors, and creating incentives and regulations for private sector action. 

    “We are working with key regional bodies to design a robust follow-up mechanism for Africa. Our goal is to organize regional meetings that serve as checkpoints for progress and platforms for coordination, knowledge-sharing and policy alignment,” said Abdessamad Kayouh, Minister of Transport and Logistics of the Kingdom of Morocco.

    The WHO African Region accounts for nearly one-fifth of all global road deaths despite being home to just 15% of the world’s population and 3% of registered vehicles. Road deaths are rising in the region.

    “We must invest in institutional capacity, building strong, well-resourced road safety agencies and ensuring inter-ministerial coordination. Morocco hopes to reinforce a shared continental commitment and to drive tangible improvements in road safety across Africa,” said Mr Kayouh.

    Mr Kayouh highlighted financing, upholding vehicle safety standards and improving efforts to collect, share and use data for policymaking as urgent priorities to boost progress in Africa.

    “The ITF summit is a powerful platform to advance road safety. But for us to truly deliver, we must elevate safety to the same level as climate, access and efficiency. Sustainable transport must, above all, be safe transport,” said Jean Todt, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Op-Ed: UN Peacekeeping is both a lifesaving tool and a smart investment

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    U.N. Peacekeeping has a legacy of success, from Namibia to today’s volatile hotspots. But to remain effective, it needs investment and adaptation. 

    By Jean-Pierre Lacroix 

    This March, some 35 years after the United Nations closed a landmark chapter in peacekeeping, Namibia inaugurated President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the country’s first democratically elected woman head of state. 

    In 1989, despite rising global instability and a liquidity crisis at the U.N., member states came together to launch the United Nations Transition Assistance Group, or UNTAG — a multidimensional peacekeeping mission that helped usher in Namibia’s independence. 

    UNTAG didn’t just monitor a ceasefire in Namibia. It helped organize and secure the country’s first free and fair elections, protected civilians, verified troop withdrawals, and supported democratic transition across a vast and remote territory. It pioneered approaches that are now cornerstones of modern peacekeeping, from U.N. policing and human rights monitoring to electoral support and a robust public information campaign. 

    Today, the United Nations Peacekeeping stands at a critical juncture. The global landscape is dangerous and complex. Crises erupt quickly and spread faster, magnified by international political polarization, transnational crime, terrorism, a rising sense of impunity, and the weakening of international law. 

    The globally recognized U.N. Peacekeeping blue helmets enjoy broad international support. Now more than ever, peacekeepers remain on the front lines — holding ground, protecting civilians, and creating the space necessary for diplomacy to work. But faced with increasing instability and mounting financial pressure, peacekeeping’s effectiveness depends on investment in its future. 

    Blue helmets on the front lines 

    The work of our U.N. peacekeepers — men and women serving far from their homes to help others live in peace — is demanding and complex, but it is also dangerous. Since January 2024, we have suffered 78 fatalities. Many more have been injured. Their sacrifice, and the service of more than 68,000 military, police, and civilian personnel deployed under the U.N. flag — including uniformed peacekeepers from 119 countries — represents a tangible commitment to peace and security. 

    Across 11 missions, big and small, peacekeepers operate in some of the world’s most volatile contexts. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our peacekeeping mission MONUSCO is helping to shield civilians from violence while supporting dialogue and disarmament.  

    In Lebanon, UNIFIL remains a stabilizing presence along the Blue Line amid ongoing exchanges of fire. In South Sudan, UNMISS is working to prevent a relapse into civil war by enhancing security and promoting dialogue and negotiation at the local and national levels. In the Central African Republic, MINUSCA continues to protect the vulnerable all over the country and is supporting preparations for the country’s first local elections in decades. And in Cyprus, peacekeepers serving with UNFICYP continue to reduce tensions and maintain a buffer strip to promote security and build confidence between communities. 

    Many of these missions face challenges that reflect deeper complexities, with confusing or impractical mandates, ambiguous political support at local and international levels, a lack of a clearly defined end-state, and a widening gap between expectations and resources. 

    Investing in peacekeeping 

    2025 is a pivotal year. As we mark the U.N.’s 80th anniversary, Germany — a stalwart peacekeeping partner of long standing — hosted a U.N. Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting in Berlin earlier this month. Ministers of defense and foreign affairs from around the world united in pledging their unequivocal and tangible support for and to our blue helmets. More than half of the 130 member state delegations present made concrete pledges to make missions stronger, safer, and more effective. 

    They discussed the future of peace missions and ways to reform the instrument to ensure our operations remain adaptable, innovative, cost-effective, and resilient. As it did in Namibia in the early 90s, U.N. Peacekeeping has always adapted to and achieved results in ever-changing contexts. Going forward, we will need to build on this momentum to ensure peacekeeping is streamlined, economical, and fit for purpose. 

    And on this point, it is important to stress that peacekeeping is not only a lifesaving tool — it is a smart investment. It delivers value for money, reduces violence, and helps forge a durable peace. From Cambodia to Timor-Leste and El Salvador to Liberia, U.N. Peacekeeping has supported transitions from war to peace at a minuscule fraction of what military activities have cost worldwide. These achievements are not historical footnotes: they are the building blocks of regional stability. 

    And U.N. Peacekeeping must and will continue to evolve. Missions may be deployed jointly with or in support of regional partners, such as the African Union. They may be smaller, more technologically leveraged, and more specialized. But their core purpose will remain to support political solutions, protect the vulnerable, and pave the way for a sustainable peace. 

    If the past tells us anything, it is that peacekeeping can deliver when we invest in it and stay the course. Peacekeeping’s record is measured not only by what happens but by what doesn’t — violence that was averted, escalation that was prevented, space that was created for politics to work. 

    We ignore this hard-won truth at our peril — U.N. mission closures in Mali, Sudan, and Haiti, and the rise of violence in all of these countries, are cases in point. To avoid this trap, we must maintain readiness and the capabilities to deploy rapidly, if and when asked. 

    Thirty-five years ago, the world came together to launch UNTAG, a ground-breaking peace mission that helped Namibia chart its own course as an independent country. Today, that same spirit of unity, innovation, and determination is needed once again. If we fall short now, we risk undermining decades of progress and undermining the hopes of millions who depend on peacekeeping to help protect their future.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sebastião Salgado: a photographer of great humanity

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Joe Miles, Subject Lead for Film & Photography, Birmingham City University

    The world has lost one of its most compassionate and visionary visual storytellers. Sebastião Salgado, the Brazilian-born photographer whose haunting black-and-white images shaped global consciousness for decades, has died at the age of 81.

    Salgado’s work often provoked a powerful conflict of emotions. Perhaps more than any other documentary photographer, he produced technically flawless, mesmerising images of some of the world’s harshest realities, from the gold mines of Brazil and famine in the Sahel, to the horror of the Rwandan genocide. His photographs were often shocking, yet stunningly beautiful. You couldn’t look away – and that was the point.

    Born in 1944 in Aimorés, Brazil, Salgado initially trained as an economist. While working for the International Coffee Organization, he travelled across Africa and Latin America, witnessing economic disparity and social injustice. Initially borrowing his wife’s camera, photography became his way to document what he saw, not as a distant observer, but as someone deeply affected by human suffering. He once said he took pictures “not only with my camera, but with my life – I cannot do it another way”.

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    His background in economics informed the focus of his work, particularly his concern with inequality, labour, and migration. In Workers (1993), a six-year study of manual labour around the world, he wrote, “The planet remains divided, the First World in a crisis of excess, the Third World in a crisis of need.”

    However, Salgado ensured that he highlighted both the hardship and the dignity of those engaged in physically demanding jobs. In doing so, he redefined documentary photography as a tool not only for exposure, but for elevation.

    What set Salgado apart was his immersive approach. Rejecting the “parachute” style of photojournalism, he embedded himself in the communities he documented – sometimes for years – fostering deep empathy with his subjects. This emotional authenticity was at the heart of his iconic Serra Pelada series, which captured the intensity and desperation of labourers in Brazil’s largest gold mine.

    Standing at the edge of the mine, he later wrote that it felt like seeing “the history of mankind, the building of the pyramids, the Tower of Babel”. And, crucially, he successfully conveyed that same emotion through his images.

    At a time where colour documentary photography was increasingly favoured, Salgado always shot in black and white. This helped the viewer to focus on form, emotion and narrative, as well as emphasising the grim reality of the subject matter. However, documenting the world’s suffering took its toll.

    His time covering the Rwandan genocide in 1994 nearly broke him. He once described the effect of witnessing 10,000 people die from cholera in a single day in a refugee camp in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. Like other photojournalists who have endured such trauma – Don McCullin and Kevin Carter among them – Salgado carried a deep psychological burden. He nearly gave up photography altogether.

    Instead, Salgado found solace in nature. His project Genesis (2013) celebrated the planet’s untouched regions, landscapes, traditional communities and endangered wildlife. While it marked a shift from his earlier focus, it was still deeply humanist in spirit. The work served as both a tribute to the Earth’s beauty and a reminder of what remains to be protected.

    His environmental commitment extended beyond the camera. With his wife and creative partner, Lélia Wanick Salgado, he founded Instituto Terra, a reforestation initiative on land once owned by his family. Together, they restored a devastated patch of Brazil’s Atlantic forest. It was an act of reciprocity: having documented environmental destruction, he dedicated himself to repairing it.

    Salgado’s work was not without controversy, contributing to ongoing ethical debates about the power imbalance between photographers and their subjects. While some may have felt a sense of empowerment from having their struggles recognised, others uneasy about being displayed to a global audience. Without them having a voice, we will never truly know – which further contributes to the sense of a power imbalance.

    Others accused Salgado of aestheticising suffering. In a 1991 piece in The New Yorker, Ingrid Sischy argued that the powerful beauty of his images risked turning tragedy into spectacle. Salgado countered: “Art critics have criticised me, but I am not an artist. I published these pictures in magazines, to make a debate.”

    And make a debate he did. His 2000 exhibition and book Exodus, a chronicle of global migration and displacement, challenged viewers to reckon with the human cost of political and economic upheaval. “Globalisation is presented to us as a reality, but not as a solution,” he wrote. “We have to create a new regimen of coexistence.”

    In his later years, Salgado championed the role of photography in education and social change. He became the subject of The Salt of the Earth (2014), an Oscar-nominated documentary co-directed by Wim Wenders, and his son, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. The film offered a moving portrait of a man who saw his photography not just as art, but as testimony and witness.

    Despite international acclaim, Salgado remained grounded. He consistently shifted attention away from himself and toward those he photographed. “I hope that the person looking at my photographs will see more than just a picture,” he once said. “They will see the story. They will feel the life.”

    Sebastião Salgado’s death is a great loss, but his images remain. In a world flooded with visuals, he showed us that photography could still be a force for understanding, connection and change.

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

    – ref. Sebastião Salgado: a photographer of great humanity – https://theconversation.com/sebastiao-salgado-a-photographer-of-great-humanity-257772

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What Peru’s Virgen de la Puerta represents about unity and inclusion

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch, Researcher in Marianist Studies, University of Dayton

    La Virgen de la Puerta behind a glass window at the pinnacle of the church. Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch

    Leo XIV, the first pope born in the United States, is also claimed by the Peruvian people whom he served for over two decades as one of their own.

    Then known as Robert Francis Prevost, he lived and worked in the cities of Trujillo and Chiclayo in northern Peru. In Chiclayo he served as bishop from 2015-2023. Trujillo is a few hours south of Chiclayo, where the pope lived for a decade.

    His ministry there is particularly exciting to me because I also lived in northern Peru, during a service year with the Marianist Family between my undergraduate experience at the University of Dayton and my first year of full-time ministry. The Marianist Family was founded in response to specific needs in postrevolutionary French society. Composed of lay people and vowed religious sisters, brothers and priests, it emphasizes devotion to Mary and a communal lifestyle as a distinctive way of living out one’s Roman Catholicism.

    About a two-hour bus ride away from Trujillo lies the mountainous town of Otuzco, where I lived with other members of the Marianist Family – a place that would later become a significant focus of my research as a lay Marianist and Mariologist. An image of Mary – La Virgen de la Puerta – now housed in a shrine church, has been venerated and revered in the community for over 300 years.

    The shrine church of La Virgen de la Puerta.

    The majority of those who maintain a devotional relationship with this image, both local or from the surrounding villages, are part of the Catholic religious majority in Peru. But some other Peruvians – including non- Catholics, some members of the LGBTQ+ community, and others who are marginalized, such as former prisoners and migrants – also revere her. Many of the devotees do not live near Otuzco but maintain a spiritual relationship with La Virgen de la Puerta.

    The founding of Otuzco

    The Augustinians – the religious congregation of brothers and priests that Leo XIV is a member of – settled in Otuzco in 1560.

    As part of the founding of the town, the Augustinian Fathers placed the town under the protection of Mary, the mother of Jesus. They acquired a Spanish image, a statue of Mary made mostly of wood, and selected Dec. 15 to celebrate her locally. This tradition has continued since 1664, about 100 years after the Augustinian Fathers settled in Otuzco.

    Frequently riddled by threats of pirates and other dangers, the people of Otuzco prayed fervently to this image of Mary for protection.

    A Virgen de la Puerta procession in the evening in the streets of Otuzco.
    Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch

    During one particular threat to their safety, around 1670, they took this image into the streets in procession to protect their town. They placed this image of Mary above the door of the church in the center of town and called the image “Nuestra Señora de la Puerta” – transliterated into English: “Our Lady of the Door.”

    Contemporary pilgrimage in Otuzco

    In modern times, the fiesta of La Virgen de la Puerta is lavishly celebrated in the town of Otuzco, where thousands of faithful descend upon the mountain community for the multiday fiesta patronal, a festive celebration that honors the patron saint to whom a site is dedicated or entrusted.

    The fiesta patronal of La Virgen de la Puerta begins annually on Dec. 14, with the principal day observed on Dec. 15, and concludes on Dec. 16.

    During the days of the fiesta, the road between Trujillo and Otuzco is transformed into a pilgrimage route. The purpose of the journey can vary from pilgrim to pilgrim, yet it often reflects a deeply personal act of devotion.

    Some pilgrims arrive from Otuzco, Trujillo and neighboring villages, while others travel long distances – in Peru or from abroad – to honor La Virgen de la Puerta. Some pilgrims journey the roughly 50 miles (over 80 kilometers) between Trujillo and Otuzco on foot.

    I personally made this journey with a group of fellow pilgrims, the very people I was living among and ministering with during my service year in Peru. My pilgrimage involved a backpack with basic medical supplies for the group. After an overnight walk to Otuzco in camping pants, a T-shirt, hat and sneakers, I arrived before the image of Mary with quarter-size blisters on my feet.

    La Virgen de la Puerta procession through the streets of Otuzco.
    Caitlin Cipolla-McCulloch

    Some pilgrims, unlike me, mark the final kilometers of their journey by advancing to the shrine through the streets on their knees.

    Devotion outside Otuzco

    In addition to the thousands who descend on the town of Otuzco each year for the celebration, there are those who are deeply devoted to La Virgen de la Puerta but do not or cannot make the journey to the shrine. Their celebrations take place at times at a great distance from Otuzco.

    Among them are members of the LGBTQ+ community, who to this day remain marginalized in broader Peruvian and Catholic culture. Although members of the LGBTQ+ community reside throughout Peru, the neighborhood of Cerro El Pino in Lima has historically been the site of a festive celebration in honor of La Virgen de la Puerta, which many community members observe.

    Differing communities come with differing needs to La Virgen de la Puerta. The LGBTQ+ community in this particular neighborhood believes she has protected them throughout their history. During the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1990s, when over 10% of the male population in Lima was infected by HIV, members of this community sought the protection of La Virgen de la Puerta for their physical health. Although some people died from AIDS, others continued to participate in the rituals of the fiesta to honor her protection over time, even amid their suffering. They wore special costumes, sang and performed the dances that have been part of the fiesta patronal for over 300 years.

    Francisco Rodríguez Torres is a Peruvian photographer who lives in the capital city, Lima, but has roots in the northern region where the image of La Virgen de la Puerta is located. He is one of those who has documented the activities of the fiesta patronal both in Otuzco and in Lima in his text La Mamita de Otuzco.

    He writes both about the local faithful as well as those who venerate the image from a distance. In his Spanish language text, he has documented that La Virgen de la Puerta is considered a mother by groups who find themselves on the margins of society. These groups include those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, the poor, former prisoners and migrants. They “hope to find in her gaze a consolation,” he explains.

    Devotees bring their special petitions before La Virgen de la Puerta: They ask for her support in making decisions and for their everyday needs. Some even pray for miraculous healing.

    Echoing this sentiment of finding hope in La Virgen de la Puerta, Pope Francis, during his apostolic journey to Peru, crowned La Virgen de la Puerta and gave her the title of Mother of Mercy and Hope. In his address during a special prayer service in Trujillo on Jan. 20, 2018, Francis recounted that La Virgen de la Puerta has defended and protected all of her children throughout history.

    Leo, following the example of Francis, has focused on the importance of dialogue and peace. In his first message from the balcony upon being announced pope he said that members of the Catholic Church must build “bridges, dialogue, always open to receive like this square with its open arms, all, all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue and love.”

    I believe that La Virgen de la Puerta – a source of mercy and hope for all her devotees, regardless of whether they have been historically marginalized or excluded – offers an example to the world community of the greater unity with one another that Leo XIV is seeking to prioritize.

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

    – ref. What Peru’s Virgen de la Puerta represents about unity and inclusion – https://theconversation.com/what-perus-virgen-de-la-puerta-represents-about-unity-and-inclusion-256766

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Intermex Named Founding Partner of Dignity Health Sports Park and the Official International Remittance Partner of the LA Galaxy

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES and MIAMI, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The reigning 2024 MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy and their home stadium, Dignity Health Sports Park (DHSP), have launched a new partnership with International Money Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMXI) (Intermex), a leading money remittance provider to Latin America and the Caribbean. The multiyear agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, makes Intermex the Official International Remittance Partner of the LA Galaxy and a Founding Partner of Dignity Health Sports Park, a premium and category-exclusive designation. The partnership marks the first time the team, the venue, and AEG have partnered with a brand in the international remittance category. This also represents Intermex’s first official partnership in sports—making it a first-of-its-kind collaboration.

    “Our partnership with the LA Galaxy and Dignity Health Sports Park is about showing up for the people who have always been at the center of this sport,” said Marcelo Theodoro, Chief Product, Marketing & Digital Officer at Intermex. “For so many Latino families, fútbol isn’t just entertainment, it’s a part of who we are. This collaboration allows us to celebrate that connection in a meaningful way, both on and off the field.”

    Founded in 1994, around the same time as the LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer, Intermex and soccer have grown in parallel, earning trust among Latino communities in the U.S. and abroad. Headquartered in Miami, Intermex enables digital money transfers from the U.S., Canada, and Europe to more than 60 countries, with a strong focus on Latin America. The company offers a multi-channel delivery experience via its app, website, retail locations, as well as WhatsApp. Known for its human-first customer service, including Spanish-first support for underbanked and immigrant communities, Intermex has become a trusted provider for millions of Latino families.

    With Los Angeles being one of Intermex’s most strategically important U.S. markets, the LA Galaxy presents a timely and culturally significant opportunity to deepen its ties with a region where soccer is thriving. Across the United States, especially in Southern California, soccer has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sports, driven in large part by Latino communities where the game has long served as a source of cultural pride and generational connection. More than five million Latinos call Los Angeles home, and across California, nearly 70% of MLS viewership comes from Latino fans—making the region a powerful intersection of culture, sport, and community. The agreement also extends through two of the most significant global sporting events set to take place in Los Angeles: the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, offering unmatched exposure and relevance during pivotal moments for the sport.

    “We are excited to welcome Intermex to the Galaxy family,” said LA Galaxy President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Braun. “This is a values-driven brand that understands the importance of language, culture, and legacy. Together, we’re building something that resonates on and off the pitch.”

    As a Founding Partner of Dignity Health Sports Park, Intermex will enjoy premium brand visibility throughout the venue and will be fully integrated into the fan journey—from driveway to pitch. This includes prominent freeway marquee signage, scoreboard integrations, concourse placements, plaza wall signage, and various digital menu boards across the property.

    “Intermex is a brand that truly understands the people we serve,” said Katie Pandolfo, General Manager of Dignity Health Sports Park. “Their partnership reinforces our shared commitment to elevating the guest experience while creating lasting impact across our community.”

    As part of the agreement, Intermex also becomes the Presenting Partner of the LA Galaxy Soccer Center – a 73,000-square-foot facility in Torrance, California dedicated to futsal and recreational sports. Intermex’s partnership will support year-round youth and adult programming at the center, helping preserve a vital hub for thousands of local families and athletes of all ages.

    “Intermex is setting a new standard for what culturally relevant, community-rooted partnerships in sports can look like and achieve,” said Rashid Dadashi, Senior Director, AEG Global Partnerships. “Soccer is central to the lives of their customers and our fans, and our collaboration provides an opportunity to engage authentically and consistently in one of their highest-priority markets. They’re a brand that leads with purpose and understands the power of showing up where it matters most.”

    Further amplifying the cultural impact of the partnership, Intermex will be the Title Night Partner of the 2025 Mexican Heritage Night, taking place on September 20 against FC Cincinnati – one of the club’s most highly anticipated cultural theme nights of the season. Additionally, Intermex will engage fans as the Presenting Partner of “Cobi Club” – an original content series from the LA Galaxy that explores football chatter with current trends and popular culture, giving every fan – fanatics and casuals fans alike – something to enjoy.

    With nearly 30 years of trusted service and deep roots in Latino communities across the globe, Intermex’s entry into sports sponsorship marks a new chapter in its mission to empower, connect, and uplift the people who drive its business – one built on trust, cultural alignment, and the beautiful game.

    ABOUT INTERMEX
    Founded in 1994, Intermex applies proprietary technology to enable consumers to send money from the United States, Canada, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany to more than 60 countries. The company facilitates digital money movement through its website and mobile app, as well as through a vast network of retail agents and company-operated stores. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Intermex also operates international offices in Puebla, Mexico; Guatemala City, Guatemala; London, England; and Madrid, Spain. Lear more at www.intermexonline.com. 

    ABOUT LA GALAXY
    The LA Galaxy are Major League Soccer’s most successful club. Based in Carson, Calif. at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy have won the MLS Cup a record six times (2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2024), the MLS Supporters’ Shield four times (1998, 2002, 2010, 2011) and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup twice (2001, 2005), and one Concacaf Champions Cup (2000) since their inception in 1996. Under the direction of LA Galaxy President of Business Operations and Chief Operating Officer Tom Braun on the business operations side and LA Galaxy General Manager Will Kuntz on the soccer operations side, the Galaxy are the premier club in MLS, with stars like Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Javier Hernandez, Cobi Jones, Riqui Puig and Marco Reus representing LA over the team’s 29 years in MLS. For more information on the LA Galaxy, visit www.lagalaxy.com.

    ABOUT DIGNITY HEALTH SPORTS PARK
    Dignity Health Sports Park is southern California’s home of world-class competition and training facilities for amateur, Olympic, collegiate and professional athletes. Managed by AEG, the $150 million, privately financed facility was developed by AEG on a 125-acre site on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in Carson, California. Dignity Health Sports Park features an 8,000-seat tennis stadium, a 27,000-seat stadium for soccer, football and other athletic competitions and outdoor concerts; a 2,000-seat facility for track & field and a 2,450-seat indoor Velodrome – the VELO Sports Center – for track cycling. Dignity Health Sports Park is home to Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy, the six-time MLS Cup Champions. Dignity Health Sports Park is also home of the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) High Performance Training Center and the national team training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). Additionally, Dignity Health Sports Park is home to Galaxy Park, a newly imagined complex on the campus of the facility that features five 5v5 soccer fields, three futsal courts, eight Pickleball courts, four Padel courts, and is home to a number of other recreational activities. For additional information, please visit http://www.dignityhealthsportspark.com.

    ABOUT AEG
    Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, AEG is the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. The company operates in the following business segments:

    • Music through AEG Presents, which is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performances, including the production and promotion of global and regional concert tours, an extensive portfolio of clubs, theaters and other music venues, concerts and special events and world-renowned festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival;
    • Venues and Real Estate, which develops, owns and operates world-class venues, as well as major sports and entertainment districts like Crypto.com Arena and L.A. LIVE, Uber Platz in Berlin and The O2 in London;
    • Sports, as the world’s largest operator of high-profile sporting events and sports franchises including the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and Eisbären Berlin;
    • Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships including naming rights, premium seating, and other strategic partnerships;
    • And Ticketing, which, through its AXS.com ticketing platform, provides more than 400 clients worldwide with ticketing services that cover the gamut of entertainments, including sporting events, arena tours, music clubs festival, rodeos and family events.

    Through its worldwide network of venues, portfolio of powerful sports and music brands and its integrated entertainment districts, AEG entertains more than 90 million guests annually. More information about AEG can be found at www.aegworldwide.com.

    MEDIA CONTACTS
    LA Galaxy 
    Jamie Alvarez 
    jaalvarez@lagalaxy.com

    AEG Global Partnerships 
    Shannon Donnelly 
    Shannon.donnelly@beckmedia.com

    Investor Relations:
    Alex Sadowski
    Investor Relations Coordinator
    ir@intermexusa.com
    305-671-8000

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wallet and Coinpal Partner to Expand Crypto Payments Across 6,000+ Online Merchants

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget Wallet, the leading non-custodial crypto wallet, has announced a partnership with Coinpal, a global crypto payments platform, to expand the use of digital currencies in online commerce. The collaboration integrates Coinpal’s network of over 6,000 merchants into Bitget Wallet’s growing payment ecosystem, with Coinpal acting as a channel partner for Paydify — Bitget Wallet’s merchant infrastructure.

    The integration allows Bitget Wallet users to spend crypto directly at thousands of online stores, with merchants like the gaming marketplace IGV.com already featured in-app. The partnership extends access to Coinpal-supported businesses across sectors such as gaming, electronics, fashion, and digital services, streamlining crypto payments for both consumers and merchants.

    Bitget Wallet is rolling out a full suite of crypto payment tools, centered around its ‘Scan to Pay’ feature that enables users to scan QR codes and complete purchases directly in crypto. Bitget Wallet will soon support Solana Pay and national QR code systems in selected markets, allowing users to pay in either digital assets or local currencies with automatic conversion and minimal fees.

    “We’re not just helping people store or trade crypto — we want them to use it,” said Alvin Kan, COO of Bitget Wallet. “Our work with Coinpal makes crypto payments more accessible, giving users more real-world ways to spend their assets. With tools like Scan to Pay, we’re removing friction and making crypto usable in daily life.”

    Coinpal provides an all-in-one platform for businesses to accept, process, and settle cryptocurrency transactions while maintaining regulatory compliance. The company holds multiple licenses, including EU EMI and VASP, ensuring secure and compliant operations across borders. Its clients include listed companies and major merchants in virtual services and consumer sectors. “Partnering with Bitget Wallet gives our merchants exposure to one of the most active user bases in Web3,” said Oisin, CEO of Coinpal. “It’s a major step in turning crypto into a trusted, everyday payment option.”

    Coinpal joins the partnership as a channel partner for Paydify, a decentralized payment gateway working with Bitget Wallet to onboard crypto-accepting merchants. Paydify enables businesses to accept crypto via unified QR codes or APIs, with instant stablecoin settlement. “Partnering with Coinpal and Bitget Wallet helps expand Paydify’s reach and makes crypto payments easier for merchants worldwide,” said Pakning Luk, Strategy Director of Paydify.

    Looking ahead, Bitget Wallet and Coinpal plan to grow their merchant base, improve user experience, and expand into offline retail environments. The collaboration is part of Bitget Wallet’s broader strategy to transform itself into a full-service platform for trading, earning, and spending digital assets — making crypto accessible to everyone.

    Find out more on Bitget Wallet’s official channels.

    About Bitget Wallet
    Bitget Wallet is a non-custodial crypto wallet designed to make crypto simple and secure for everyone. With over 80 million users, it brings together a full suite of crypto services, including swaps, market insights, staking, rewards, DApp exploration, and payment solutions. Supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens, Bitget Wallet enables seamless multi-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs and cross-chain bridges. Backed by a $300+ million user protection fund, it ensures the highest level of security for users’ assets.

    For more information, visit: X | Telegram | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok | Discord | Facebook
    For media inquiries, contact media.web3@bitget.com

    About Coinpal
    Coinpal.io is an all-in-one platform to help global merchants accept, process and settle cryptocurrencies in their business. With a network of over 6,000 merchants, Coinpal.io serves industries including mining hardware, DePIN, forex, RWA, 3C products, fashion, home goods, beauty and personal care, entertainment, as well as virtual services like gaming and software. Its clientele includes publicly listed companies such as Bgin and industry leaders like IGV in gaming.

    Learn more at: https://coinpal.io

    About Paydify
    Paydify is a universal gateway enabling crypto payments across all wallets and blockchain networks. Built for both online and offline merchants, Paydify provides instant settlement and universal connectivity — making crypto payments practical for global commerce. Paydify operates with a mission to unify the fragmented blockchain ecosystem and make digital payments accessible to businesses everywhere.

    For more info, visit www.paydify.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X
    For media and partnership inquiries, please contact: partnerships@paydify.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d771b365-c72b-4d8a-929b-460a635ceceb

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: More than blue helmets: What you might not know about UN peacekeepers

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

     

     

    Written by Lesley Myers, Digital Editor for UN Peacekeeping’s Strategic Communications Section. She specializes in political analysis, strategic planning and peacekeeping impact.

     

     

    They work in some of the world’s toughest environments to protect people and prevent conflict. But how much do you really know about UN “Blue Helmets”? As we celebrate the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, discover seven surprising facts about the people working for peace.

     

    1. UN Peacekeepers have won a Nobel Peace Prize.

    UN peacekeepers were awarded the prize in 1988 for peacekeepers’ role in promoting global peace and security. During the ceremony, the Nobel Committee honoured peacekeepers that have given their lives for peace: “They volunteered to the service, knowing that it could involve risk. It became their lot to pay the highest price a human being can pay.”

    2. UN Peacekeeping does not have its own army or police force.

    Instead, UN Member States voluntarily contribute their own troops and police officers to peacekeeping missions. To date, over 2 million peacekeepers have served from over 120 countries, making us a truly global force for peace. The top contributors of these personnel include Nepal, Rwanda, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan as of February 2025, as well as Security Council members like China and France. Countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Timor-Leste and Liberia — where peacekeeping missions used to be deployed — are now sending peacekeepers of their own to help others.

    3. Peacekeepers are not only soldiers.

    Peacekeepers include military, police and civilian staff taking on a wide range of roles to help us advance peace. Peacekeepers include a wide range of experts including in logistics, engineering, mediation, politics, civics, human rights, gender, strategic communications and rule of law. They provide advice and support on important issues from how build strong justice institutions to protecting civilians to holding free and fair elections. This cross-disciplinary mix is what lets us navigate the complex socioeconomic, political, environmental and security dynamics that drive conflict.

    4. Peacekeepers do more than patrol.

    We protect civilians, monitor ceasefires, support peace negotiations and help prevent relapses into civil war. We also assist in long-term peacebuilding by building trust between communities, strengthening national institutions, promoting justice, and supporting free and fair elections, laying the critical foundations that help peace take root. Our work is tailored to the conflict environments we work in so we can best meet the needs of the communities we serve.

    chinese_peacekeepers_build_up_infrastructure_in_south_sudan.jpg

    5. Peacekeepers are cost-effective.

    Missions cost significantly less than comparable operations led by individual countries. Peacekeeping’s current budget represents less than 0.5% of global military spending but supports 11 peacekeeping operations in places like South Sudan, Cyprus, and south Lebanon. It delivers value for money, reducing violence, preventing the escalation of conflicts that can destabilize countries and regions, and advancing the global community’s peace and security goals at a fraction of the cost of what military activities cost worldwide.

    6. Peacekeepers serve impartially on behalf of UN Member States.

    UN peacekeeping missions are established, tasked, and ended by the UN Security Council. We serve on behalf of all UN Member States and remain impartial, giving us credibility that can be difficult to achieve when a Member State acts alone.

    7. Peacekeepers are effective at advancing peace.

    Peacekeeping remains one of the global community’s most effective tools for advancing peace. The majority of missions succeed, stabilizing societies, ending war, and saving millions of lives. We are proven to help stop violence before it starts, reduce its impact during conflict, and prevent its return once peace is restored. We increase the likelihood that peace agreements will last once established and have helped countries like Cambodia, El Salvador and Sierra Leone transition from conflict to peace. UN Member States play a critical role in these efforts: we are most successful when we are backed by their are backed by the political will of UN Member States.

    Today, an increasingly divided global community is facing the highest number of conflicts since the second world war, and peacekeeping itself is becoming an increasingly dangerous endeavour. Peacekeeping continues to evolve in the face of these growing challenges, but our commitment remains constant: each day, peacekeepers step up to give peace a fighting chance.

     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cosmic Dawn Screening

    Source: NASA

    Join NASA for a free screening of Cosmic Dawn, the incredible true story of the James Webb Space Telescope–humanity’s mission to unveil the early universe, against all odds.
    Cosmic Dawn is the incredible true story of the James Webb Space Telescope – humanity’s largest and most powerful space telescope – on a mission to unveil the early universe, against all odds.
    The 90-minute documentary brings viewers on an unprecedented journey through Webb’s delicate assembly, rigorous testing, and triumphant launch, showcasing the sheer complexity and breathtaking risks involved in creating a telescope capable of peering billions of years into the past. Follow the telescope from an idea developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center all the way to the launchpad in French Guiana, with never-before-seen footage captured by the Webb film crew offering intimate access to the challenges and triumphs along the way.
    Wednesday, June 11th  2025 | 7:00 PM EDT, doors open at 6:00 PM EDT
    The Greenbelt Theater | 129 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD 20770
    Space is limited, so please RSVP HERE by June 9th to reserve your free tickets.
    We look forward to sharing how NASA achieves the remarkable. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: International Day of Peacekeepers, Middle East & other topics- Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:
    International Day Of UN Peacekeepers
    Middle East
    Occupied Palestinian Territory
    Unrwa
    Yemen
    Sudan
    Haiti
    Ukraine
    Global Climate Predictions
    Global Employment Growth

    INTERNATIONAL DAY OF UN PEACEKEEPERS
    Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, who be the guest on Thursday to brief reporters on the International Day of Peacekeepers.
    As part of that at 2:45pm tomorrow, the Secretary-General will lay a wreath to honour the more than 4,400 United Nations peacekeepers who have given their lives in the line of duty since 1948. He will also preside over a ceremony in the Trusteeship Council, during which the Dag Hammarskjöld Medals will be awarded posthumously to 57 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers, who lost their lives serving under the flag of the United Nations last year.
    At 3 p.m., the Secretary-General will present awards to the 2024 Military Gender Advocate of the Year. That is Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana and he will also present an award to the UN Woman Police Officer of the Year, and that is Superintendent Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone.
    Both serve with the peacekeeping mission in Abyei.

    MIDDLE EAST
    Sigrid Kaag, the acting UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council this morning, telling Council members that the two-State solution is on life support and reviving it requires decisive action.
    She said the upcoming high-level international conference in June, co-chaired by France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, must not be another rhetorical exercise and instead must launch a concrete path towards ending the occupation and realizing the two-State solution based on international law, UN resolutions and previous agreements.
    Ms. Kaag warned that the entire population of Gaza is facing the risk of famine. As the Secretary-General has said, families are being starved and denied the very basics.
    She added that while Gaza rightly captures the world’s attention, the West Bank is on a dangerous trajectory. Developments are best described as accelerating de facto annexation through settlement expansion, through land seizures, and through settler violence. If not reversed, Ms. Kaag said, these will make the two-State solution physically impossible.
    Ms. Kaag will also be speaking to you after the Council session has ended. We are advised that there will likely not be closed consultations afterwards and we will let you know when she is there.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=28%20May%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpI-lzCyvrQ

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US Trade Court Bans Trump from Imposing Import Tariffs

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    NEW YORK, May 29 (Xinhua) — The New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency powers law.

    The ruling comes after a series of lawsuits alleging that Trump overstepped his authority by imposing sweeping tariffs on imports.

    A three-judge panel ruled that executive orders imposing fentanyl-related tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China, as well as tariffs on countries around the world, announced April 2, “will be rescinded and permanently terminated.”

    The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize any of the orders, the court said.

    “The worldwide retaliatory tariff orders exceed any authority that IEEPA gives the President to regulate imports through tariffs. Tariffs imposed in response to smuggling do not work because they do not address the threats outlined in these orders,” the report concluded.

    The judges ruled on two lawsuits against the U.S. federal government filed by five companies on April 14 and by 12 states on April 23.

    “Unelected judges should not decide the appropriate response to a national emergency. President Trump has promised to put America first, and the administration intends to use every lever of the executive branch to address this crisis and restore America to greatness,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Coach Almada leaves Pachuca before Club World Cup

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Pachuca parted ways with Uruguayan manager Guillermo Almada on Wednesday, just three weeks before the club’s debut at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

    The decision comes after Pachuca was eliminated in the quarterfinals of Mexico’s Liga MX Clausura tournament earlier this month by Club America.

    “Manager Guillermo Almada concluded his brilliant tenure at the helm of our team today, bidding goodbye to players, staff, directors and collaborators with an emotional farewell,” Pachuca said in a statement.

    Almada led Pachuca to 72 wins, 39 draws and 45 losses after taking charge of the club in December 2021.

    The 58-year-old guided the club to the 2022 Liga MX Apertura title, the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup and a runner-up finish to Real Madrid at the 2024 Intercontinental Cup.

    “Today I close a wonderful stage of my life, and I do so with a heart overflowing with gratitude,” said Almada.

    Pachuca will begin its Club World Cup campaign against Red Bull Salzburg in Cincinnati on June 18 before also facing Al-Hilal and Real Madrid in the group stage.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Relations between Brazil and the US are not unconditional – Foreign Minister

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    RIO DE JANEIRO, May 29 (Xinhua) — Brazil’s relations with the United States are not unconditional, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told a committee of the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, amid concerns that new U.S. restrictions could affect Brazilian citizens.

    The Foreign Minister expressed concern over the recent decision by the US government to suspend issuance of new visas to foreign students. “This is a worrying situation. We have a large number of Brazilian students at US universities, and we will have to monitor developments,” he said.

    The Minister stressed that, in accordance with international agreements, host countries are required to issue visas for participation in multilateral events, including those held by the UN or the Organization of American States (OAS).

    The US visa suspension has raised concerns in Brazil over the potential disruption to academic ties. Officials have warned that the move could hinder talent exchanges and slow scientific collaboration between the two countries.

    Access to higher education abroad remains a key element of Brazil’s labor force development and innovation strategy, said M. Vieira. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • Operation Sindoor outreach: Panama backs India’s stance against terrorism during Tharoor-led delegation’s visit

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Panama President Jose Raul Mulino Quintero on Thursday (Indian time) extended his support to India’s resolute stand against terrorism during a meeting with an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

    The meeting took place at the Presidential Palace in Panama City and marked a key moment in India’s global outreach to garner international backing in the fight against cross-border terrorism.

    “The Indian delegation had a constructive and productive discussion with the President of Panama, Jose Raul Mulino Quintero, at his palace this afternoon. The President graciously expressed his understanding and support for India’s fight against terrorism,” Tharoor posted on X.

    In addition to the meeting with the President, the delegation held discussions with Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha and Vice-Minister Carlos Hoyos on Operation Sindoor and India’s determination to counter Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Panama’s Foreign Minister backed India for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.

    “Had an excellent and constructive conversation with Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha at his Ministry today, followed by discussions over lunch. He was accompanied by several of his colleagues, including Vice-Minister Carlos Hoyos, as well as two MPs – a tribute to the regard in which India is held here,” Tharoor shared on X.

    “A fruitful meeting of Indian Parliamentary delegation with the President of Panama Jose Raul Mulino at Presidential Palace in Panama City. FM Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez and senior officials were present. President underlined Panama’s support for India and opposition to terrorism,” posted delegation member and former Indian diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

    As part of the visit, the delegation paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi by laying floral offerings at his bust at the University of Panama and planting a mango sapling in his memory. Members of the Indian diaspora were also present during the ceremony.

    National Assembly President Dana Castaneda, who met the delegation earlier, also affirmed Panama’s support for India’s efforts.

    Speaking to reporters after the meeting, she said, “The message, which they have conveyed, has been very clearly understood by us. Panama wants to stand with India in this campaign for peace, and we hope that we can defeat terrorism.”

    The delegation’s visit to Panama marked the third leg of Shashi Tharoor-led parliamentarians who are a part of India’s global outreach campaign following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed by Pakistan-linked terrorists.

    In addition to Tharoor, the delegation includes – Shambhavi of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Sarfaraz Ahmad of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Milind Murli Deora of the Shiv Sena, and BJP leaders Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Tejasvi Surya, along with GM Harish Balayogi of the Telugu Desam Party.

    (With agency inputs)